Books published by Springer Nature Singapore

This book identifies and analyzes the significant regional differences in suicide rates of various age groups and different sexes among Chinese rural residents. It goes beyond the analytic dichotomy in traditional Western suicide studies and argues that the phenomena of suicide among Chinese farmers are the result of a combination of social structure and social action, rather than being determined by either of these two factors alone. This study analyses suicide rates among young married women in rural areas as well as those of elderly people in rural areas. The responsive trend for the near future is also projected. The underlying dynamics and causal mechanisms of these phenomena are carefully analyzed using an innovative ¿structure ¿ action theory¿ framework.

A remarkable facet of the human brain is its ability to manage multiple tasks with apparent simultaneity. Knowledge learned from one task can then be used to enhance problem-solving in other related tasks. In machine learning, the idea of leveraging relevant information across related tasks as inductive biases to enhance learning performance has attracted significant interest. In contrast, attempts to emulate the human brain¿s ability to generalize in optimization ¿ particularly in population-based evolutionary algorithms ¿ have received little attention to date. Recently, a novel evolutionary search paradigm, Evolutionary Multi-Task (EMT) optimization, has been proposed in the realm of evolutionary computation. In contrast to traditional evolutionary searches, which solve a single task in a single run, evolutionary multi-tasking algorithm conducts searches concurrently on multiple search spaces corresponding to different tasks or optimization problems,each possessing a unique function landscape. By exploiting the latent synergies among distinct problems, the superior search performance of EMT optimization in terms of solution quality and convergence speed has been demonstrated in a variety of continuous, discrete, and hybrid (mixture of continuous and discrete) tasks. This book discusses the foundations and methodologies of developing evolutionary multi-tasking algorithms for complex optimization, including in domains characterized by factors such as multiple objectives of interest, high-dimensional search spaces and NP-hardness.

This practical guidebook describes all aspects of the Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), sharing many tips & tricks for the basic to advanced use of the technology in daily clinical practice. Chapters describe in detail how to interpret several IVUS findings to apply for PCI strategies, help readers understand the pathogenesis in different cases, as well as the mechanisms of PCI. Practical approaches to performing effective PCI will be discussed with case presentations. Chapters outline many practical topics such as reviewing the IVUS images demonstrating plaque characteristics. Also, a hot topic in stentless PCI, and a special section on the relationship between IVUS measurements and physiological assessments including fractional flow reserve (FFR). Basics of Comprehensive IVUS-Guided PCI is a book to be read by PCI operators, interventional fellows, and staff such as radiology technicians, clinical engineering technicians, and nurses in catheterization laboratories. It also attracts engineers and sales representatives working at medical companies who are curious about IVUS-guided PCI. The authors are experts of IVUS-guided PCI and they will broaden the understanding of the technology to entry level to intermediate operators.¿

This book summarizes the related research achievements in Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and their cell metabolism kinetics. The book has three main parts. The first part describes the basic theory of ADCs, including the basic concept and structure of ADCs, and the relationship between the targets of ADCs and their specific functions. The second part mainly introduces the endocytosis and intracellular metabolism of ADCs, including the relationship between endocytosis and ADC activity, the endocytosis and intracellular transport of ADCs, the distribution and metabolism of ADC in vivo. Then it discusses the new formats and research technology of ADCs, including the application of miniaturized antibodies in ADC synthesis, novel carriers for ADC design, the technology and application of site-specific conjugation, and approaches for analyzing the drug: antibody ratio (DAR), the study of pharmacokinetics of ADCs. This book combines the basic theory with the research technology. It canbe used as a reference book for students, teachers and researchers of biomedical field.

This book explores all aspects of the new and emerging area of behavioural business. This book identifies behavioural business as a powerful application of the latest insights and tools from psychology and behavioural science to decision-making in business, management and policy. This book uniquely positions behavioural business as di¿erent from both behavioural economics and psychology. This book instead applies a fresh focus on behavioural interventions in policy and business. This book introduces this new area and showcases what it contributes to a number of important contemporary business and policy issues. These include behavioural insights for managers in diverse and multi-cultural workplaces, designers of organisations, interventions, products and services, ¿nancial advisors, public policy makers, business creatives and entrepreneurs as well as charity and NGO practitioners. This book summarises state-of-the-art knowledge in the areas of expertise of the authors, who are members of the Behavioural Business Lab at RMIT University in Australia. This book will interest advanced students in related subjects as well as academics and policy makers hoping to learn and apply behavioural insights to their areas of expertise.

This book gathers selected papers presented at International Conference on Sentimental Analysis and Deep Learning (ICSADL 2022), jointly organized by Tribhuvan University, Nepal and Prince of Songkla University, Thailand during 16 ¿ 17 June, 2022. The volume discusses state-of-the-art research works on incorporating artificial intelligence models like deep learning techniques for intelligent sentiment analysis applications. Emotions and sentiments are emerging as the most important human factors to understand the prominent user-generated semantics and perceptions from the humongous volume of user-generated data. In this scenario, sentiment analysis emerges as a significant breakthrough technology, which can automatically analyze the human emotions in the data-driven applications. Sentiment analysis gains the ability to sense the existing voluminous unstructured data and delivers a real-time analysis to efficiently automate the business processes.

This book addresses a wide range of aspects of the study of language in a variety of domains such as cognition, change, acquisition, structure, philosophy, politics, and education. It offers a renewed discussion on normative understanding of these concepts and opens up avenues for a fresh look at these concepts. Each contribution in this book captures a wide range of perspectives and underlines the vigorous role of language, which happens to be central to the arguments contained therein. The uniqueness of this book lies in the fact that it presents simplified perspective on various complex aspects of language. It addresses a wide range of audiences, who do not necessarily need to have a technical background in linguistics. It focuses on complex relations between language and cognition, politics, education to name a few with reference to cognition, change, and acquisition. This book is for researchers with an interest in the field of language studies, applied linguistics, and socio-linguistics.

This book is based on detailed empirical research conducted to analyse the communication dissemination approach applied to the world¿s largest employment guarantee program MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). To uncover the insights, perspectives and understanding of the program, more than 30 villages in Western parts of India were visited and more than 400 MGNREGA beneficiaries were contacted personally by the author. The book connects the two concepts of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and Public Policy and highlights the importance of using the IMC tools for a meaningful and comprehensible communication dissemination strategies and campaigns. A global overview of public policy dissemination approaches adopted by federal governments in Brazil, Niger, Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, and Kenya have been presented to sensitize the readers with the communication dissemination strategies used at theglobal level. The book presents and discusses a conceptual framework for the ideal public policy communication initiatives and highlights the apt communications vehicles for the illiterate, vulnerable and marginalized beneficiaries.

This book discusses the phenomenon of regional integration in Africa and the ensuing discourse on the intercontinental free trade agreement within the continent. Long before the move for the facilitation of free trade in Africa, freedom of movement by Africans within Africa backed up by the AU Protocol on free movement of persons has been in existence and in one way or the other both moves are closely related. The book explores the existing relationships between the ECOWAS Protocol on free movement, goods and services and AfCFTA on one hand and the impact of the implementation and non-implementation of these policies on West Africa on the other hand.

Reinforcement Learning: Theory and Python Implementation is a tutorial book on reinforcement learning, with explanations of both theory and applications. Starting from a uniform mathematical framework, this book derives the theory of modern reinforcement learning systematically and introduces all mainstream reinforcement learning algorithms such as PPO, SAC, and MuZero. It also covers key technologies of GPT training such as RLHF, IRL, and PbRL. Every chapter is accompanied by high-quality implementations, and all implementations of deep reinforcement learning algorithms are with both TensorFlow and PyTorch. Codes can be found on GitHub along with their results and are runnable on a conventional laptop with either Windows, macOS, or Linux.This book is intended for readers who want to learn reinforcement learning systematically and apply reinforcement learning to practical applications. It is also ideal to academical researchers who seek theoretical foundation or algorithm enhancement in their cutting-edge AI research.

This book discusses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on international relations theories. As a phenomenon, AI is everywhere in the real world and growing. Through its transformative nature, it is simultaneously simplifying and complicating processes. Importantly, it also overlooks and ¿misunderstands¿. Globally, leaders, diplomats and policymakers have had to familiarise themselves and grapple with concepts such as algorithms, automation, machine learning, and neural networks. These and other features of modern AI are redefining our world, and with it, the long-held assumptions scholars of IR have relied on for their theoretical accounts of our universe. The book takes a historic, contemporary and long-term approach to explain and anticipate AI¿s impact on IR ¿ and vice versa ¿ through a systematic treatment of 9 theoretical paradigms and schools of thought including realism, liberalism, feminism, postcolonial theory and green theory. This book draws on original datasets, innovative empirical case studies and in-depth engagement with the core claims of the traditional and critical theoretical lenses to reignite debates on the nature and patterns of power, ethics, conflict, and systems among states and non-state actors.

This book elaborates the fundamentals, new concepts and key technologies of the Intelligent Environment Friendly Vehicle (i-EFV), and the engineering implementation of these technologies such as structure sharing, data fusion and control coordination. With lots of illustrations, it summaries the authors¿ research in the field of automotive intelligent technology and electric vehicle control for the past twenty years, enabling readers to grasp the essence of automotive power revolution, intelligent revolution and information revolution. Opening up new scientific horizons and fostering innovative thinking, the book is a valuable resource for researchers as well as undergraduate and graduate students.

This book highlights the fundamental physics of orbit theory, dynamical models, methods of orbit determination, design, measurement, adjustment, and complete calculations for the position, tracking, and prediction of satellites and deep spacecraft. It emphasizes specific methods, related mathematical calculations, and worked examples and exercises. Therefore, technicians and engineers in the aerospace industry can directly apply them to their practical work. Dedicated to undergraduate students and graduate students, researchers, and professionals in astronomy, physics, space science, and related aerospace industries, the book is an integrated work based on the accumulated knowledge in satellite orbit dynamics and the author¿s more than five decades of personal research and teaching experience in astronomy and aerospace dynamics.

This book is based on the Special Policy Study on Global Ocean Governance and Ecological Civilization commissioned by the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED). The book scrutinizes China's successful experiences, approaches and needs in building an ecological civilization in management and utilization of living marine resources. The book provides a global landscape analysis of living marine resources, outlining the current status, existing management approaches, challenges, and needs. With the growing threats posed by climate change, the book includes a chapter devoted to the effects of climate on marine species. After highlighting and presenting key international cases from around the world, the book makes several recommendations to support China's next efforts to create an ecological civilization of living marine resources at home and abroad.

This book is a comprehensive academic introduction of the natural conditions and cultural characteristics of the ChangJiang River Basin. Describing in detail the geographical location and natural conditions of the main stream and the tributaries as the starting point, the book compares the ChangJiang River Civilizations to other civilizations of large rivers of the same latitude. This book reveals the gradual deepening of the Chinese understanding the ChangJiang River, introduces the cultural divisions of the river valley, and describes the evolution of the civilizations in the basin. At the end of the book, the author points out that there are many ecological problems in the ChangJiang River valley, for which the Chinese people have taken many measures, such as water pollution control. Fishing in the main stream and important tributaries of the ChangJiang is banned for at least ten years. As a guide to analyze the natural conditions and cultural characteristics of the whole ChangJiang River Basin, this book enables researchers and common readers to have a relatively clear and comprehensive understanding in a relatively short period of time. Putting the ChangJiang River Civilization in the context of the world¿s civilizations, this book makes it easier for readers to understand the uniqueness of the ChangJiang River Civilization and its contribution to the cultural diversity of the world.

This book offers a comprehensive exploration of malaria, a life-threatening disease affecting millions globally, with a focus on the parasitic organisms of the genus Plasmodium that cause it. It discusses the challenges posed by the disease, especially in economically developing regions, and delves into the biology and pathophysiology of the Plasmodium species, including their genetic flexibility and resistance to treatments. Special attention is given to P. falciparum, the most dangerous of these parasites, detailing its complex life cycle, interaction with human hosts, and the severe clinical manifestations it can induce. The book further explores the global health concern of antimalarial drug resistance, highlighting the WHO's efforts in combating the disease and the necessity for novel treatments. Innovative research directions, such as targeting the unique organelles of Plasmodium like the apicoplast and employing proteasome inhibitors, are thoroughly examined as potential strategies in the development of new antimalarial drugs. Additionally, it addresses the critical role of the hemoglobin digestion process in the parasite's lifecycle, presenting it as a promising target for therapeutic intervention. This work is an essential resource for researchers, clinicians, and policymakers involved in malaria control and drug development, providing insights into the current challenges and future directions in the fight against this endemic disease.

This book explores the challenges China has faced during its economic restructuring, including trade wars, rising costs of labor and land, climate change, recalcitrant state-owned enterprises, an aging population and other problems. Since its historic reform and opening up, China has achieved and sustained remarkable economic growth driven primarily by manufacturing and the real estate industry. As the country continues to move up the supply chain, "Made in China," once synonymous with poor quality, but has come to mean advanced technologies. Chinäs future economic growth and its success in economic restructure will depend crucially on the dynamic evolution of the country¿s comparative advantages. Contributors examine how the dynamic evolution of Chinäs comparative advantages can help the country overcome two closely related problems: heavy dependence on low value-added exports and the prospects of falling into the middle-income trap. The book willbe of value to researchers interested in Chinäs economic development and policies.

Management geography explores the spatial characteristics of management-related issues, especially of firms. This book discusses management geography in Japan and other Asian countries from Asian perspectives. The field has made significant contributions to the global economy but has not been deeply investigated in English-language geographical literature to date. The book addresses the following critical questions:What kinds of challenges do multinational corporations in Japan and other Asian countries face?How are managerial actors in multinational enterprises (MNEs) embracing boundary-spanning activities in a global context?How do firms and related entities cultivate business pipelines and 'buzz' within and beyond local regions?How do actors in Japanese MNEs, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and related institutions embed various managerial processes at overseas locations? This book consists of two parts: Part I discusses the application and roles of Japanese and international managerial practices in the globalizing world. Part II examines changing business communities in the industrial and rural spaces of East Asia, focusing primarily on Japan and China. This work will interest readers in a wide range of fields, including geography, management studies, economics, urban planning and sociology. The book is also suitable for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students in geography, management studies and related fields.

This book derives physical models from basic principles, studies the effect of equivalent models on the dynamic characteristics of phononic crystals and acoustic metamaterials, and analyzes the physical mechanisms behind vibration and noise reduction. It first summarizes the research status of vibration and noise reduction, and research progress in phononic crystals and acoustic metamaterials. Based on this, one-dimensional periodic beam, two-dimensional thin plate with circular hole, and corresponding gradient structures are introduced, and their dynamic characteristics are discussed in detail. Therefore, different equivalent methods for different models are proposed through theoretical analysis, modal analysis and transmission rate analysis. Finally, a Helmholtz-type acoustic metamaterial, i.e. a multi-layer slotted tube acoustic metamaterial, is studied. Aiming at the low-frequency band gap of this model, a theoretical model for solving the inverse problem of acousto-electric analogue equivalent is proposed, and the effect of structural parameters on the low-frequency band gap is studied using this equivalent model. This book closely revolves around how to conduct equivalent research on artificially fabricated periodic structures. The methods and conclusions presented in this book provide a new theoretical basis for the application of artificial woven periodic structures in the field of low-frequency vibration reduction and noise reduction and are also an innovation in the discipline of vibration and noise control. This book is suitable for undergraduate students, graduate students and teachers in vibration and noise majors in universities, and can also provide references for engineering and technical personnel in related fields. 

This book gives insight into several aspects of the microbiology, biotechnology, and ecosystem sustainability of special and under-explored regions, that captivate human beings by their natural richness, their extensive biodiversity, the extraordinary forms of adaptation of the living beings that they inhabit, and even that keep living secrets as is the very origin of life. The chapters emphasize all aspects of biological diversity-its description, analysis, and conservation, and its controlled rational use by humankind. Also, the book is elaborated from a wide and multidisciplinary point of view. It presents reviews, research papers, comments, and research notes on biodiversity, ethnobiology, geoscience, chemistry, biological conservation, biotechnology, and ecosystem sustainability Two hotspots are the reference for this enriching book that describes details of extraordinary areas of the planet, from Cuatrociénegas, Coahuila (Mexico) to the Southern Western Ghats (India). The book will contribute to dealing with the practicalities of conservation management, economic, social, and political issues. It provides a forum for examining conflicts between sustainable development and human dependence on biodiversity in agriculture, environmental management, and biotechnology, and encourages contributions from developing countries to promote broad global perspectives on matters of biodiversity and conservation.

Environmental pollution emanating from rapid industrialization, population growth, and urbanization has been considered a major problem in recent years that affects biodiversity, ecosystems, and human health by contaminating soil and water. This book brings out a comprehensive collection of information on valuable insights into different cutting-edge omics technologies, such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, metaproteomics, and metabolomics, along with advanced next-generation sequencing technologies as well as bioinformatic tools, which led to a better understanding of microbial communities and their adaptability to a wide range of contaminants and underlying their mechanisms in bioremediation and biodegradation of environmental pollutants.  In addition, this edited volume provides critical insight into of potent microbial communities endowed with unique functional attributes through their unique metabolism catalyzed by 'signature' enzymes and degradation pathways. Step-by-step descriptions are provided of various microbial metabolic pathways of degradation and biotransformation of environmental contaminants by numerous illustrations which make the information easier to understand for the readers. Each chapter is devoted to selected examples of microbial bioremediation supported by tables, and an extensive list of references for readers interested in learning further details about the subject matter. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers to professionals, policymakers, stockholders, practitioners, environmental engineers, soil scientists, and policymakers. In addition, the book serves as additional comprehensive material for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students who require a working knowledge and knowhow of 'Omics' involved in and required for environmental remediation of legacy and emerging contaminants, will also find this to be a useful read.

The book is a collection of best selected research papers presented at the 5th International Conference on Inventive Material Science Applications (ICIMA 2022) organized by PPG Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, India, during May 6-7, 2022. The book includes original research by material science researchers toward developing a compact and efficient functional elements and structures for micro-, nano-, and optoelectronic applications. The book covers important topics like nanomaterials and devices, optoelectronics, sustainable electronic materials, nanocomposites and nanostructures, hybrid electronic materials, medical electronics, computational material science, wearable electronic devices and models, and optical/nanosensors.

This book comprises the proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Chemical Science and Engineering. The contents of this volume focus on issues related to chemical engineering and sustainable development to minimize environmental pollution resource conservation and development of new energy sources. Some of the themes covered include catalysis and reaction engineering, functional material, nanotechnology and nanoscience, biomaterials and biotechnology, particle technology and multiphase processing, separation science and technology. This book will be beneficial to researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers alike.