Books published by Springer

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 27th European Conference on Genetic Programming, EuroGP 2024, held in Aberystwyth, UK, April 3-5, 2024 and co-located with the EvoStar events, EvoCOP, EvoMUSART, and EvoApplications.The 13 papers (9 selected for long presentation and 4 for short presentation) collected in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 24 submissions. The wide range of topics in this volume reflects the current state of research in the field. The collection of papers cover topics including developing new variants of GP algorithms, as well as exploring GP applications to the optimization of machine learning methods and the evolution of control policies.

This edited volume explores current practices in African higher education during and post the global pandemic. It fills a gap in the existing literature by focusing on student engagement and online learning in South Africa and examines how pandemic restrictions amplified pre-existing inequalities within the higher education sector.The book is divided into 3 sections: The first section discusses various methods of instruction and the use of online tools for facilitating learning; succeeded by a section focusing on the resource implications of moving to online learning platforms from a social justice perspective; and finally the last section considers issues and concerns about online assessments and quality assurance.Drawing on lessons from the experiences of South African educators and students during the pandemic, this book provides a knowledge base essential for the effective management of online teaching and learning in Africa. It is intended for academic stakeholders, to develop and engender an improved higher education climate.

This book offers extensive knowledge and characterization methods for Ultraviolet light curable piezoelectric 0-3 composites for researchers and industry. The book provides extensive research on the use of carbon-based conductive nanoparticles to improve the performance of Ultraviolet light curable piezoelectric composites, forming piezoelectric 0-0-3 composites. Materials researched include Barium Titanate (BTO), Sodium Potassium Niobate (KNN), Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNP), Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (MWCNT) and Graphene Oxide (GO). A comprehensive literature review on piezoelectric 0-3 composites focuses on the main influencing factors to achieve high piezoelectric composite performance. The method to characterize the performance of piezoelectric composites using 4-point bending is adopted from literature, is characterized, and adopted for performance measurements.

This book constitutes the refereed conference proceedings of the Third Asian Symposium on Cellular Automata Technology, ASCAT 2024, held in Durgapur, India, during February 29 - March 2, 2024.The 15 full papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 33 submissions. The symposium aims to explore the latest advancements, methodologies, and interdisciplinary connections that showcase the versatility and potential impact of cellular automata in contemporary research.

This LNCS conference volume constitutes the proceedings of the 13th International Symposium, FoIKS 2024, in Sheffield, UK, in April 2024. The 18 full papers together with 3 short papers included in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 42 submissions.The Symposium focuses on fundamental aspect of information and knowledge systems, including submissions that apply ideas, theories, or methods from specific disciplines to information and knowledge systems. Examples of such disciplines are discrete mathematics, logic and algebra, model theory, databases, information theory, complexity theory, algorithmics and computation, statistics, and optimization.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the development of fuzzy matrix theory from its inception to its current state. It covers various types of fuzzy matrices, such as intuitionistic fuzzy matrices, interval-valued fuzzy matrices, interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy matrices, bipolar fuzzy matrices, picture fuzzy matrices, neutrosophic fuzzy matrices, m-polar fuzzy matrices and similar one. Drawing primarily from the author's research work and collaborations, the book offers a state-of-the-art discussion of these topics. Theoretical concepts are illustrated with examples for clarity, accompanied by figures depicting fuzzy matrices and their variations. Suitable for both beginners and expert researchers, the book offers a wealth of material and includes numerous open problems at the end of almost all chapters to encourage further exploration and investigation.

This book is an introduction to wind turbine aerodynamics for professionals and students with a diverse range of backgrounds. It is a self-contained textbook that shows how to progress from the basics of fluid mechanics to modern wind turbine blade design. It presents the fundamentals of fluid dynamics and inflow conditions, as well as extensive information on theories describing the aerodynamics of wind turbines. After examining a number of related experiments, the book applies the lessons learned to blade design.The text of this 3rd edition has been thoroughly revised, and the book includes a new section on aerodynamic design and optimization.

This book brings to life one of the most fundamental entities in the universe: the electromagnetic waves that we perceive as light. With his gift for narrative, the author explains the nature of light and the long history of its influence on human ideas, technology and culture. From early efforts to understand vision and colours, through relativity and quantum theory, visual art and laser technology to the birth of stars and attempts to photograph their end, readers will come to appreciate the central role of light not only in human history, but also in the history of the cosmos. This grand tour ends in a flourish, with an epilogue written in the first person by the protagonist itself: a true Autobiography of Light.All chapters in the book are relatively self-contained, allowing readers to dip freely in and out. What makes this captivating story so original is the effort made to point out the affinity between the study of light and achievements in the realm of culture.

This book reviews the latest developments and applications in the field of biosensing, providing readers with an update of the earlier, successful edition, Biosensing for the 21st Century. In this book, readers will find comprehensive key information on the advances and challenges in biorecognition elements and transduction principles, including examples of new materials and new methods. Ranging from engineering chimeric enzymes to the progress in electrochemical sensing of drugs, the book discusses the latest innovations in the field and thus, provides the reader with a profound overview. In the field of biological recognition the focus will be on switchable sensors by engineering new proteins, the development of Molecular Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) for proteins or even larger biological entities, the construction of complex nucleic acid - protein structures for affinity sensing and the application of whole microbes. The book covers new trends in signal transduction which includes graphene-based field effect transistors, nanopores designed for high selectivity and sensitivity in analysis, plasmonic and nanophotonic sensing applying metal nanostructures up to new developments in microarray construction. An introduction in to the challenges in skin-interfaced systems for continuous biochemical sensing, offers a glimpse into the future of wearable technologies. Furthermore, actual areas of application of new sensing strategies such as the detection of various types of viruses and bacteria or the analysis of drugs will be highlighted. Each chapter provides a scholarly yet accessible perspective on the latest trends in biosensor technology. Given its breadth, the book has an interdisciplinary appeal and engages a wide readership, from students and researchers to practitioners in academia and industry, interested in the fields of biochemical/biomedical engineering and in biosensing methodologies and applications.

Python is used in a wide range of geoscientific applications, such as in processing images for remote sensing, in generating and processing digital elevation models, and in analyzing time series. This book introduces methods of data analysis in the geosciences using Python that include basic statistics for univariate, bivariate, and multivariate data sets, time series analysis, and signal processing; the analysis of spatial and directional data; and image analysis. The text includes numerous examples that demonstrate how Python can be used on data sets from the earth sciences. Codes are available online through GitHub.

This book covers the latest ideas and approaches in strongly nonlinear dynamical and acoustical systems and discusses appropriate modelling tools and practical examples highlighting the non-standard and non-stationary aspects of this challenging, yet so promising area. The contributions investigate and present the intentional use of nonlinearity in the most challenging field of acoustics, the latest developments in transient dynamics of strongly nonlinear systems, the subtle numeric problems arising while exploring nonlinear normal modes, the fascinating topic of nonlinear dynamics of wind musical instruments, the novel developments in the field of global nonlinear dynamics, some multi-faceted mathematical challenges in the dynamics of hysteretic systems, and lastly offers theoretical, numeric and experimental insights into the intricate dynamics of systems with contact nonlinearities. The need for such a work is underscored by the fact that accounting for, understanding of, and designing with nonlinearities is becoming an emerging universal trend in engineering practice, and is predicted to be even more so in the future. The book demonstrates that the idea of exploiting strong nonlinearity in dynamical and acoustical systems has transitioned from few early theoretical works to a diverse theoretical and experimental body of current research.

This book offers a fresh perspective on the Habitats Directive's rules on designating Natura 2000 - the European biodiversity conservation network. Although the Habitats Directive came into force in the early 1990s, the network is not yet optimally set up and lacks coherence and connectivity. The author examines the Habitats Directive's provisions regarding the designation of Natura 2000 and discusses possible reasons for the EU Member States' ongoing lack of compliance with their designation duties. She reassesses the 2015 REFIT Fitness Check of the Nature Directives to look for the Member States' reasons for not having optimally complied with their designation duties yet. She then analyses the Habitats Directive to reveal elements of non-optimal drafting in its designation provisions. Sensible law reforms that do not interfere with the general framework of the Habitats Directive and which keep in mind the relevant national, regional, and international biodiversity law and policy, as well as the relevant case law will be discussed to this end. As a result, this book presents an enhanced legal designation framework that can support Member States' compliance with their designation obligations. The book finally goes beyond the European biodiversity legislation, also shedding light on the effects of the suggested reforms for the broader biodiversity and environmental law and policy landscape, and concludes that reforming the Habitats Directive would benefit a variety of contemporary areas of law. This book targets academics and policy-makers in the field as it provides a scholarly as well as a hands-on approach to the subject of strengthening European biodiversity law.

This comprehensive book provides a detailed description of imaging techniques and findings in the detection, characterization, local staging and post-treatment tumors of the osseous spine. In the first part of the book, the epidemiology, classification, pathology, genetics and molecular biology are discussed. The second part gives an overview of the basic semiology, imaging modalities including CT, MRI, PET and PET-CT, and staging. The third part of the book discusses the imaging of primary bone tumors of the spine and its mimics. In the fourth part, the treatment of tumors and tumor-like conditions of the spine is reviewed. The final part of the book summarizes post-treatment evaluation and assessment. Thus, the book will be a useful reference for general and musculoskeletal radiologists and residents, orthopaedic surgeons, oncologists and histopathologists.

This book contains a selection of papers from the 13th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Production Management (EPPM) held in Auckland, New Zealand from 29 November to 1 December 2023. The conference was organized by the School of Built Environment, Massey University in collaboration with the EPPM Association. The book comprises of quality-assured theoretical discussions, data analysis, case studies, and industry practices, presented by global researchers and practitioners. The conference theme was "Creating capacity and capability: re-energizing supply chain for sustainable management of projects and productions in engineering," but this volume focuses on papers related to engineering management, innovation, and sustainability. The papers are comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and advanced, and will be of interest to researchers and practitioners from various industries seeking the latest updates on the fields of engineering, project, and production management.

This book is an effort to draw attention to the resilience of traditional knowledge systems for a sustainable future in the Himalayas with a particular focus on agriculture and food practices. Through examples from the region, it underscores the importance of these practices in navigating contemporary global environmental challenges. The Himalayan region, known for its socio-cultural diversity and unique agricultural ecology, emerges as a major hotspot of climate change. Therefore, acknowledging and recognizing the lived experiences of the locals along with their traditional knowledge associated with agriculture and food systems becomes imperative for devising adaptation and mitigation strategies amidst the unfolding environmental and climate crisis. Drawing upon insights from local communities and experts deeply rooted in the Himalayan context, this book not only documents traditional agricultural and food systems but also sheds light on the pressing anthropogenic challenges threatening their sustainability. We believe that research and documentation of traditional knowledge practices of the local and indigenous communities are essential for tackling the current and projected global environmental challenges.This book advocates for a holistic approach to addressing both current and future global environmental challenges. It serves as a timely call to action for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners alike.

The two-volume set LNCS 14634 and 14635 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 27th European Conference on Applications of Evolutionary Computation, EvoApplications 2024, held as part of EvoStar 2024, in Aberystwyth, UK, April 3-5, 2024, and co-located with the EvoStar events, EvoCOP, EvoMUSART, and EuroGP.The 51 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 77 submissions. The papers have been organized in the following topical sections: applications of evolutionary computation; analysis of evolutionary computation methods: theory, empirics, and real-world applications; computational intelligence for sustainability; evolutionary computation in edge, fog, and cloud computing; evolutionary computation in image analysis, signal processing and pattern recognition; evolutionary machine learning; machine learning and AI in digital healthcare and personalized medicine; problem landscape analysis for efficient optimization; softcomputing applied to games; and surrogate-assisted evolutionary optimisation.

The two-volume set LNCS 14634 and 14635 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 27th European Conference on Applications of Evolutionary Computation, EvoApplications 2024, held as part of EvoStar 2024, in Aberystwyth, UK, April 3-5, 2024, and co-located with the EvoStar events, EvoCOP, EvoMUSART, and EuroGP.The 51 full papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 77 submissions. The papers have been organized in the following topical sections: applications of evolutionary computation; analysis of evolutionary computation methods: theory, empirics, and real-world applications; computational intelligence for sustainability; evolutionary computation in edge, fog, and cloud computing; evolutionary computation in image analysis, signal processing and pattern recognition; evolutionary machine learning; machine learning and AI in digital healthcare and personalized medicine; problem landscape analysis for efficient optimization; softcomputing applied to games; and surrogate-assisted evolutionary optimisation.

This book describes a diverse collection of engineering research and innovations across 31 chapters. Each chapter unveils a facet of modern engineering excellence. This book not only presents cutting-edge solutions but also addresses environmental sustainability. This book is an illuminating expedition into the heart of innovation, showcasing the ingenuity and collaborative spirit that define the future of engineering.

This book focuses on wave propagation phenomena in elastic solids modelled by the use of the finite element method. Although the latter is a well-established and popular numerical tool used by engineers and researchers all around the word the process of modelling of wave propagation can still be a challenge. The book introduces a reader to the problem by presenting a historical background and offering a broad perspective on the development of modern science and numerical methods. The principles of wave phenomena are clearly presented to the reader as well as the necessary background for understanding the finite element method, which is the following chapter of the book is viewed from the modeller point-of-view. Apart from the principles the book also addresses more advanced topics and problems including the use of the spectral-finite element method, the spline-based finite element method as well as the problems of undesired and hidden properties of discrete numerical models.

Much research has focused on the basic cellular and molecular biological aspects of stem cells. Much of this research has been fueled by their potential for use in regenerative medicine applications, which has in turn spurred growing numbers of translational and clinical studies. However, more work is needed if the potential is to be realized for improvement of the lives and well-being of patients with numerous diseases and conditions.This book series 'Cell Biology and Translational Medicine (CBTMED)' as part of Springer Nature's longstanding and very successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series, has the goal to accelerate advances by timely information exchange. Emerging areas of regenerative medicine and translational aspects of stem cells are covered in each volume. Outstanding researchers are recruited to highlight developments and remaining challenges in both the basic research and clinical arenas. This current book is the 21stvolume of a continuing series.

While previous volumes have examined specific issues and developments such as the coronavirus crisis or digital transformation from a law and economics perspective, the anniversary edition returns to the methodological and philosophical fundament of the discipline of law and economics. The present book aims to examine these foundations in general and, in particular, efficiency, reciprocity and meritocracy, and their relation to law and justice from an interdisciplinary perspective.Efficiency: Traditionally, the economic analysis of law has been guided by the goal of efficiency. Economists usually define efficiency as Pareto or Kaldor-Hicks efficiency. Any change that makes one member of society better off without anyone else being worse off is a Pareto improvement. A change is a Kaldor-Hicks improvement if the gainers value their gains more than the losers value their losses, with only hypothetical compensation required.Reciprocity: Economists have traditionally basedtheir models on the self-interest hypothesis of homo oeconomicus. In this model, an individual maximises his own utility without being altruistic or jealous. Behavioural economics challenges the self-interest hypothesis. In fact, many people deviate from purely self-interested behaviour. There are also signs that considerations of fairness and mutual benefit are important in bilateral negotiations and in the functioning of markets. Meritocracy: The concept of meritocracy refers to a system, organisation, or society in which people are selected and promoted to positions of success, power, and influence on the basis of their abilities and merits. This means that an individual is able to climb the social ladder through hard work. Moreover, meritocracy directs the most talented people into the most functionally important positions, thereby increasing a society's efficiency. However, the equalising function of meritocracy has been criticised. Rather than reducing inequality, meritocracy is seen as the cause of racial, economic and social inequality.

This book explores current research and development in the area of digital healthcare using recent technologies such as data science and artificial intelligence. The authors discuss how data science, AI, and mobile technologies provide the fundamental backbone to digital healthcare, presenting each technology separately as well covering integrated solutions. The book also focuses on the integration of different multi-disciplinary approaches along with examples and case studies. In order to identify the challenges with security and privacy issues, relevant block chain technologies are identified and discussed. Social aspects related to digital solutions and platforms for healthcare are also discussed and analyzed. The book aims to present high quality, technical contributions in the field of mobile digital healthcare using technologies such as AI, deep learning, IoT and distributed cloud computing.

Although cancer survival has improved markedly in developed countries in recent decades, not all groups have benefited equally. In particular, Indigenous and Tribal peoples continue to have poorer cancer outcomes than their non-Indigenous counterparts. The available evidence suggests these disparities are linked to a complex combination of factors, including higher incidence of cancers associated with a high case fatality, later stage of diagnosis, reduced access to cancer treatment, and poorer overall health. Much research is underway to explore approaches to improving health system responses for Indigenous and Tribal peoples. A developing evidence base is supporting effective translation of knowledge into practice. This book offers a global perspective on this evidence base, written from Indigenous perspectives. This book is the first comprehensive publication to report on cancer incidence, mortality, prevalence, survival, and inequities for Indigenous and Tribal peoples globally, with the aim of enhancing global efforts to improve outcomes for these populations. Its content and approach are led by Indigenous researchers with international reputations in health and cancer research. Chapters provide important information and data to support Indigenous-specific, targeted cancer awareness and early detection campaigns. This book goes beyond a discussion of the issues and challenges in Indigenous health, with a strengths-based approach to discussing successful health interventions, research projects, research translation, and living well - both with and beyond cancer. This is an open access book.

Greentopia: Utopian Thought in the Anthropocene provides new ways of imagining the future interface between society and non-human nature and brings into focus the possibility of a peaceful coexistence. "Greentopia" is a mode of thought that takes us beyond mourning environmental degradation and ecological catastrophe. The absence of already-paved paths in the area gives space for a variety of experiments in thinking. The book interprets its subject, "Greentopia", as a method of re-imagination, yet also as a very concrete practice. It brings together researchers from different areas to investigate environmental utopia from their respective angles. The present volume is of highest interest for environmental ethicists, but also of interest for anyone involved in current discourses on utopianism, life in the Anthropocene, environmental crises, the future of agriculture and green cities.

The volume aims to instigate a dialog between the psychoanalytic and the cognitive-behavioral tradition on conceptualization and treatment of anxiety disorders and related conditions through contributions of respective experts. It presents current findings, and current theories and conceptualizations with regards to the mechanisms of etiology and maintenance of anxiety and related conditions, as well as innovative, new or experimental approaches to treatment that target core difficulties found in patients with anxiety. The book integrates basic research with conceptualization and treatment, while giving space for multiple perspectives to treatment, both psychotherapeutic and pharmacological, to be described. Chapters include a) conceptualization and treatment of anxiety and panic from psychodynamic perspectives, b) 2nd wave CBT treatment and the use of virtual reality, c) 3rd wave (ACT) perspectives, and d) neuroendocrine factors, and e) pharmacotherapy perspectives. Different theoretical approaches are presented highlighting the strengths and the evidence in favour of each approach, without promoting any specific perspective, but with an effort to highlight common underlying themes like safety behaviors and avoidance, social support, and role of learning history. In this way the book will present a combination of theory, science and practice aiming to be an excellent resource for researchers, clinicians and students of mental health professions.

This book focuses on enhancing teacher education quality by making evidence- informed decisions about policy, assessing quality, establishing effective strategies, and innovating teacher preparation programs. It advocates for the importance of rigorous program design and evaluation as the basis for shaping policy directions and claiming program effectiveness. The book introduces "Design for Change" (DfC), a 20-year-long collaborative effort by a group of teacher educators dedicated to improving their practices. DfC is divided into two parts: Design for Change-Teams and Process (DfC-TaP) and Design for Change-Programs and Courses (DfC-PaC). DfC-TaP explores how to form and sustain a design team of academics, emphasizing the collaborative process's value in program development. DfC-PaC delves into applying practical theory to curriculum design, mapping programs to standards, creating meaningful learning and assessment tasks, and leveraging technology. The latterincludes a chapter on software for teacher preparation program design. The book's ultimate goal is to offer a versatile framework for designing teacher education programs. The book employs evidence from longitudinal research to present generalizable concepts and structures for program developers and designers. By doing so, the book aims to contribute to the field by providing a research-based guide for building teacher education programs that enhance the overall educational experience for both faculty and students.

This book explores the global technological transformations that have shaped development of society for eons, from the emergence of Homo sapiens to the modern day. Looking at a potential future for all of this century and the beginning of the next, the book explores how society is changing as a result of the two most powerful trends: technological advances and global aging. It studies the forthcoming technological wave - the Cybernetic Revolution, which will encompass AI, medical technology and biotechnology, robotics, cognitive, nanotechnology etc. In turn, it shows why and how global aging will become one of the most powerful factors, influencing the evolution of society and the World System as a whole. Lastly, the book demonstrates how technological innovations can change the way people live and the society of the future, assessing both the new opportunities and threats posed by uncontrolled technological progress. Accordingly, it will appeal to social scientists, political scientists, economists and historians who are interested in technological transformations and their social and economic impacts.

This unique textbook features fundamentals and analyses of metal forming processes supported by 200 worked numerical examples. It provides rigorous detail on the three all-important groups of metal-forming processes: bulk-metal forming, sheet-metal forming, and sheet-bulk-metal forming. Theory of metal forming is presented by discussing deformation behavior, plasticity, and formability with a thorough mathematical analyses and calculations. The mechanics of sheet metal forming is also covered by including principal strain increments in uniaxial loading as well as plane stress deformation. There are 125 diagrammatic illustrations/real-life photographs that have been labelled properly to enhance the understanding of readers. Among the salient features of the book is the inclusion of industrially-oriented projects, covering both technological and business considerations. The key solutions connected to these projects are presented with the aid of mathematical analysis and process flow diagrams. The book includes 100 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) with their answers and those for selected problems facilitating self-directed learning.

This book is a comprehensive exploration of endogenous community building, aiming to investigate how to create a vibrant, service-integrated, and sustainable community through collective impact approaches. It's a guide to social innovation that combines theory and practical application. In terms of theory, it constructs concepts such as endogenous community, endogenous design system, life project platform and enabling ecosystem. In practice, it offers design methods and a toolkit for collective impact to enhance community resilience and capacity through service co-creation. This book provides readers with a systematic guide to endogenous community design, ranging from conceptual understanding and theoretical models to practical methodologies. Its aim is to build a sociotechnical system from the bottom-up to address complex issues.This book is ideal for community leaders, government officials, NGOs, urban planners, social innovators, and anyone passionate about sustainable community development.

This textbook for a one semester introductory course in digital signal processing for senior undergraduate and first year graduate students in electrical and computer engineering departments is concise, highly readable, and yet provides comprehensive coverage of the topic. Each new topic is presented with examples and figures. The highly mathematical content of the topic is presented lucidly to make the learning the subject easier. Practical aspects of the subject are clearly indicated so that the student can apply the principles in real applications. Matlab programs for FIR and IIR filter design are provided as supplementary material online.