springer nature sep 2016 (917 Ergebnisse)

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -You have in your hands the most rigorous, complete and readable book ever written about the fascinating science of human sexuality. This book goes beyond the well-worn sexual education advice and the usual evolutionist psychology. After The Brain Snatcher, Pere Estupinyà comes back with the first popular science book on sex aimed at a wide audience. While there are some tips for the more adventurous, there is also a wealth of new information to be discovered.Distancing himself from the many books on advice or techniques, Estupinyà brings sex to another dimension by combining popular beliefs and science. Do you want proof that our decision-making in the ¿heat of the moment¿ is less rational than we think Did you know that mind and vagina each go their own way Are you interested in learning about the effects of yoga on sexual pleasure Did you know about the attempts in the 60s to ¿cure¿ homosexuals with electric shock therapy, the chemical analysis of female ejaculation, or the fundamental relationship between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system The author has spoken directly with asexual and intersexual individuals, fetishists, multi-orgasmic women, women who never have orgasms through penetration, and men who have no refractory period. He has also participated in sadomasochistic events; learned tantric techniques with a couple of coaches, spoken with porn performers at Barcelonäs Bagdad, and attended workshops in which a woman teaches how to have orgasms with your mind and breathing. The result is an incredible miscellany of information that appeals to both the scientific community and the curious.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 392 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Presenting some impressive recent achievements in differential geometry and topology, this volume focuses on results obtained using techniques based on Ricci flow. These ideas are at the core of the study of differentiable manifolds. Several very important open problems and conjectures come from this area and the techniques described herein are used to face and solve some of them.The book¿s four chapters are based on lectures given by leading researchers in the field of geometric analysis and low-dimensional geometry/topology, respectively offering an introduction to: the differentiable sphere theorem (G. Besson), the geometrization of 3-manifolds (M. Boileau), the singularities of 3-dimensional Ricci flows (C. Sinestrari), and Kähler¿Ricci flow (G. Tian). The lectures will be particularly valuable to young researchers interested in differential manifolds.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 152 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Traditionally, the study of entrepreneurial behavior focuses on such factors as (i) the personality characteristics that distinguish the entrepreneur from non-entrepreneur and (ii) demographic characteristics such gender, age, familiar antecedents and education. With particular respect to investigating the development, acquisition, and dissemination of entrepreneurial skills and behaviors, the authors focus on the university environment, as a locus of research and innovation, where students are exposed to a wide variety of influences that are enhanced by a high degree of connectivity.The underlying theme of this volume is to develop our understanding of the sociology of student entrepreneurial behavior and in doing so attempt to synthesize literature investigating individual talent with the literature on concurrent knowledge sourcing in the pursuit of entrepreneurial activities. Specifically, the authors investigate the degree to which access to diverse knowledge (in addition to such psychological characteristics and tolerance of ambiguity and risk taking) influences the nature and probability of entrepreneurial success. Moreover, they explore the role of social media and social networking in facilitating access to distributed and disparate information and knowledge.Their research addresses such timely questions as:Where do entrepreneurial opportunities come from How can higher education best stimulate the creation of firms emanating from young and smart minds in colleges and universities What is the value of MOOCs for frequent, early, and ¿thick¿ communication among the various specialties needed to accomplish entrepreneurial projects How do we know whether social media affect students¿ responses to new knowledge and new ideas To what extent do educational practices affect racial and ethnic differences in student entrepreneurship What is the role of the indigenousminority student entrepreneur in establishing high-technology firms The result is a multi-dimensional approach that sheds light on the dynamics of education, knowledge creation, social networking, innovation and new business development.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 160 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Natural and manmade disasters do not affect everyone equally, especially when resources are not equally accessible. Girls and women in particular face heightened risks of violence and abuse and many countries bar female-headed households from receiving aid. Across the globe, a wider understanding of gender issues is needed to craft effective policies and carry out equitable practices in disaster planning and response.The first full-length reference of its kind, Issues of Gender and Sexual Orientation in Humanitarian Emergencies brings together data pinpointing disparities with practical suggestions toward improving post-event adjustment for all. Arguing forcefully for an egalitarian lens in humanitarian aid, the book offers guidelines that governmental agencies and NGOs alike can implement at all levels of preventive and relief efforts to better assist victims and minimize further trauma. Salient areas covered include gender differences in the effects of disasters on children and adolescents, the heightened risk of domestic violence in disasters and challenges facing the LGBTI community in relocation. In addition, examples from a cyclone event in Australia relate the experiences of victims, organizations and aid workers to larger social issues. Included among the topics: Gender and the impact of disaster on youth.Personal network structure and gendered well-being in disaster and relocation.Sexual and gender minorities in humanitarian emergencies.Gender as hazard in disaster planning and response.The relationship of disaster and domestic violence.The impact of disasters on workers and services.Addressing a major threat to public and social health, Issues of Gender and Sexual Orientation in Humanitarian Emergencies is an essential sourcebook for researchers and professionals working with NGOs, disaster management, domestic violence, humanitarian relief and refugee health.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 160 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book addresses the impact of migration on the formation and transformation of identity and its continuous negotiations. Its ground is the understanding of identity as a complex social phenomenon resulting from constant negotiations between personal conditions, social relationships, and institutional frameworks. Migrations, understood as dynamic processes that do not end when landing in the host country, offer the best conditions to analyze the construction and transformation of social identities in the postcolonial and globalized societies. Searching for novel epistemologies and methodologies, the research questions here addressed are how identity is negotiated in migration processes, and how these negotiations work in contemporary multiethnic Europe. This edited volume brings to the field a novel convergence of theoretical and empirical approaches by gathering together scholars from different countries of Europe and the Mediterranean area, from different disciplines and backgrounds, challenging the traditional discipline division.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 284 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book provides insightful sociological analyses of Japanese demography and families, paying attention not only to national average data, but also to regional variations and community level analyses. In analyzing Japanese family issues such as demographic changes, courtship and marriage, international marriage, divorce, late-life divorce, and the elderly living alone, this book emphasizes the significance of two theoretical frameworks: the dual structure and regional variations of the community network in Japan.By emphasizing the extensive cultural diversity from one region to another, this book represents a paradigm shift from former studies of Japanese families, which relied mostly on national average data. The method of analysis adopted in the study is qualitative, with a historical perspective. The book is thus an invitation to more in-depth, qualitative dialogue in the field of family sociology in Japan.This book will be of great interest not only to Asian scholars, but also to other specialists in comparative family studies around the world.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 204 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book is a quarterly forecast and analysis report on the Chinese economy. It is published twice a year and presents ongoing results from the ¿China Quarterly Macroeconomic Model (CQMM),¿ a research project at the Center for Macroeconomic Research (CMR) at Xiamen University. Based on the CQMM model, the research team forecast major macroeconomic indicators for the next 8 quarters, including the rate of GDP growth, the CPI, fixed-asset investment, resident consumption and foreign trade. At the same time it focuses on simulation of current macroeconomic policies in China. In addition to helping readers understand Chinäs economic trend and policy guide, this book has three main goals: to help readers understand Chinäs economic performance; to forecast the main macroeconomic indicators for the next 8 quarters; and to simulate the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies.Springer-Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 112 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book analyzes the foundations and means of overcoming the current crisis in the broader area of Southeast Europe. The contributions make proposals from both theoretical and empirical points of view and discuss the concept, determinants and policies of competitiveness in these countries. The financial crisis became a prolonged fiscal crisis, a bank confidence crisis, and economic recession, and the book discusses the European and national policies implemented to resolve it. It also investigates the internal conflicts generated by institutional arrangements and policy measures, both within the nation states and the eurozone. Economic competitiveness is a key topic for policymakers, as they have to secure economic growth and improve their populations¿ standards of living. This volume sheds light on what constitutes economic competitiveness, as well as on the policies and economic and institutional structures that improve competitiveness.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 172 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book provides a unique synthesis of concepts and tools to examine natural resource, socio-economic, legal, policy and institutional issues that are important for managing urban growth into the future. The book will particularly help the reader to understand the current issues and challenges and develop strategies and practices to cope with future pressures of urbanisation and peri-urban land, water and energy use challenges. In particular, the book will help the reader to discover underlying principles for the planning of future cities and peri-urban regions in relation to: (i) Balanced urban development policies and institutions for future cities; (ii) Understanding the effects of land use change, population increase, and water demand on the liveability of cities; (iii) Long-term planning needs and transdisciplinary approaches to ensure the secured future for generations ahead; and (iv) Strategies to adapt the cities and land, water and energy uses for viable and liveable cities.There are growing concerns about water, food security and sustainability with increased urbanisation worldwide. For cities to be liveable and sustainable into the future there is a need to maintain the natural resource base and the ecosystem services in the peri-urban areas surrounding cities. This need is increasing under the looming spectre of global warming and climate change.This book will be of interest to policy makers, urban planners, researchers, post-graduate students in urban planning, environmental and water resources management, and managers in municipal councils.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 624 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Digital forensics deals with the acquisition, preservation, examination, analysis and presentation of electronic evidence. Networked computing, wireless communications and portable electronic devices have expanded the role of digital forensics beyond traditional computer crime investigations. Practically every crime now involves some aspect of digital evidence; digital forensics provides the techniques and tools to articulate this evidence. Digital forensics also has myriad intelligence applications. Furthermore, it has a vital role in information assurance -- investigations of security breaches yield valuable information that can be used to design more secure systems.Advances in Digital Forensics XII describes original research results and innovative applications in the discipline of digital forensics. In addition, it highlights some of the major technical and legal issues related to digital evidence and electronic crime investigations. The areas of coverage include: Themes and Issues, Mobile Device Forensics, Network Forensics, Cloud Forensics, Social Media Forensics, Image Forensics, Forensic Techniques, and Forensic Tools.This book is the twelfth volume in the annual series produced by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 11.9 on Digital Forensics, an international community of scientists, engineers and practitioners dedicated to advancing the state of the art of research and practice in digital forensics. The book contains a selection of twenty edited papers from the Twelfth Annual IFIP WG 11.9 International Conference on Digital Forensics, held in New Delhi, India in the winter of 2016.Advances in Digital Forensics XII is an important resource for researchers, faculty members and graduate students, as well as for practitioners and individuals engaged in research and development efforts for the lawenforcement and intelligence communities.Gilbert Peterson, Chair, IFIP WG 11.9 on Digital Forensics, is a Professor of Computer Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA.Sujeet Shenoi is the F.P. Walter Professor of Computer Science and a Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 416 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book reflects on the significant and highly original scientific contributions of Hans Primas. A professor of chemistry at ETH Zurich from 1962 to 1995, Primas continued his research activities until his death in 2014. Over these 50 years and more, he worked on the foundations of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, contributed to a number of significant issues in theoretical chemistry, helped to clarify central topics in quantum theory and the philosophy of physics, suggested innovative ways of addressing interlevel relations in the philosophy of science, and introduced cutting-edge approaches in the flourishing young field of scientific studies of consciousness. His work in these areas of research and its continuing impact is described by noted experts, colleagues, and collaborators of Primas. All authors contextualize their contributions to facilitate the mutual dialog between these fields.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 168 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This text focuses exclusively on the anatomical, physiological, pathological, and technical aspects of post robotic prostatectomy urinary continence and erectile function. It provides a comprehensive insight into the mechanisms responsible for maintaining urinary continence and erectile function and elucidates the key concepts and techniques utilized to achieve early return of urinary continence and erectile function after robotic radical prostatectomy. Surgical techniques with pre and post-operative interventions known to improve urinary and sexual function are integrated. A step- by- step ¿evidence- based¿ description of surgical techniques utilized in achieving the goals of urinary continence and erectile function are the hallmark of this book. A state-of-the art exhaustive review of ¿tips and tricks¿ utilized to achieve the trifecta of cancer control, urinary continence and erectile function in different clinical scenarios like large prostates, post TURP, and salvage robotic prostatectomies complete the text and make it the most exclusive resource available for both the expert and the novice robotic surgeon looking to improve patient outcomes after robotic radical prostatectomy. All chapters are written by world renowned experts in their fields and include extensive illustrations and videos to make this the most interactive and visually appealing text available. 164 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book presents an interdisciplinary selection of cutting-edge research on RGB-D based computer vision. Features: discusses the calibration of color and depth cameras, the reduction of noise on depth maps and methods for capturing human performance in 3D; reviews a selection of applications which use RGB-D information to reconstruct human figures, evaluate energy consumption and obtain accurate action classification; presents an approach for 3D object retrieval and for the reconstruction of gas flow from multiple Kinect cameras; describes an RGB-D computer vision system designed to assist the visually impaired and another for smart-environment sensing to assist elderly and disabled people; examines the effective features that characterize static hand poses and introduces a unified framework to enforce both temporal and spatial constraints for hand parsing; proposes a new classifier architecture for real-time hand pose recognition and a novel hand segmentation and gesture recognition system.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 328 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -A four year Electrical and Electronic engineering curriculum normally contains two modules of electromagnetic field theories during the first two years. However, some curricula do not have enough slots to accommodate the two modules. This book, Electromagnetic Field Theories, is designed for Electrical and Electronic engineering undergraduate students to provide fundamental knowledge of electromagnetic fields and waves in a structured manner. A comprehensive fundamental knowledge of electric and magnetic fields is required to understand the working principles of generators, motors and transformers. This knowledge is also necessary to analyze transmission lines, substations, insulator flashover mechanism, transient phenomena, etc. Recently, academics and researches are working for sending electrical power to a remote area by designing a suitable antenna. In this case, the knowledge of electromagnetic fields is considered as important tool.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 332 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book, based on a selection of talks given at a dedicated meeting in Cortona, Italy, in June 2013, shows the high degree of interaction between a number of fields related to applied sciences. Applied sciences consider situations in which the evolution of a given system over time is observed, and the related models can be formulated in terms of evolution equations (EEs). These equations have been studied intensively in theoretical research and are the source of an enormous number of applications. In this volume, particular attention is given to direct, inverse and control problems for EEs. The book provides an updated overview of the field, revealing its richness and vitality.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 484 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Microemulsions and gels are well-known systems, which play a major role in colloidal and interfacial science. In contrast, the concept of gel microemulsions is still quite new. Gelled microemulsions are highly promising for microemulsion applications in which low viscosity is undesirable, such as administering a drug-delivering microemulsion to a certain area of the skin. It is essential to understand the properties of and structures formed in a system combining microemulsion components and a gelator. This PhD thesis by Michaela Laupheimer provides an in-depth discussion of the phase behavior and sol-gel transition of a microemulsion gelled by a low molecular weight gelator as well as the rheological behavior of a gelled bicontinuous microemulsion. Moreover, the microstructure of the gelled bicontinuous system is fully clarified using techniques like self-diffusion NMR and small angle neutron scattering (SANS). By comparing gelled bicontinuous microemulsions with corresponding non-gelled microemulsions and binary gels, it is demonstrated that bicontinuous microemulsion domains coexist with a gelator network and that the coexisting structures possess no fundamental mutual influence. Hence, gelled bicontinuous microemulsions have been identified as a new type of orthogonal self-assembled system.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 184 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Applications and Techniques in Information Security, ATIS 2016, held in Cairns, Australia, October 2016.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 180 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This four-volume set (CCIS 643, 644, 645, 646) constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th Asia Simulation Conference and the First Autumn Simulation Multi-Conference, AsiaSim / SCS AutumnSim 2016, held in Beijing, China, in October 2016.The 265 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 651 submissions. The papers in this fourth volume of the set are organized in topical sections on Modeling and Simulation Applications; Simulation Software; Social Simulations; Verification, Validation and Accreditation.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 588 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Collaboration Technologies, CollabTech 2016, held in Kanazawa, Japan, in September 2016.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 280 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book constitutes the proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Perspectives in Business Informatics Research, BIR 2016, held in Prague, Czech Republic, in September 2016.Overall, 61 submissions from 16 countries were rigorously reviewed by 42 members of the program committee representing 21 countries. The selected 21 full papers and 3 short papers are included in this volume together with 2 abstracts of invited talks. This year again, the papers presented at the conference cover many important aspects of the development, use, and application of management information systems. The papers have been organized in topical sections on Business Processes and Enterprise Modeling; Information Systems Development; Information Systems Management; Learning and Capability; and Data Analysis.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 376 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The Biäowie¿a Workshops on Geometric Methods in Physics, which are hosted in the unique setting of the Biäowie¿a natural forest in Poland, are among the most important meetings in the field. Every year some 80 to 100 participants from both the mathematics and physics world join to discuss new developments and to exchange ideas. The current volume was produced on the occasion of the 32nd meeting in 2013. It is now becoming a tradition that the Workshop is followed by a School on Geometry and Physics, which consists of advanced lectures for graduate students and young researchers. Selected speakers at the 2013 Workshop were asked to contribute to this book, and their work was supplemented by additional review articles. The selection shows that, despite its now long tradition, the workshop remains at the cutting edge of research. The 2013 Workshop also celebrated the 75th birthday of Daniel Sternheimer, and on this occasion the discussion mainly focused on his contributions to mathematical physics such as deformation quantization, Poisson geometry, symplectic geometry and non-commutative differential geometry.Springer Basel AG in Springer Science + Business Media, Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin 300 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Blind deconvolution is a classical image processing problem which has been investigated by a large number of researchers over the last four decades. The purpose of this monograph is not to propose yet another method for blind image restoration. Rather the basic issue of deconvolvability has been explored from a theoretical view point. Some authors claim very good results while quite a few claim that blind restoration does not work. The authors clearly detail when such methods are expected to work and when they will not.In order to avoid the assumptions needed for convergence analysis in the Fourier domain, the authors use a general method of convergence analysis used for alternate minimization based on three point and four point properties of the points in the image space. The authors prove that all points in the image space satisfy the three point property and also derive the conditions under which four point property is satisfied. This provides the conditions under which alternate minimization for blind deconvolution converges with a quadratic prior.Since the convergence properties depend on the chosen priors, one should design priors that avoid trivial solutions. Hence, a sparsity based solution is also provided for blind deconvolution, by using image priors having a cost that increases with the amount of blur, which is another way to prevent trivial solutions in joint estimation. This book will be a highly useful resource to the researchers and academicians in the specific area of blind deconvolution.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 168 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This is a monograph devoted to recent research and results on dynamic inequalities on time scales. The study of dynamic inequalities on time scales has been covered extensively in the literature in recent years and has now become a major sub-field in pure and applied mathematics.In particular, this book will cover recent results on integral inequalities, including Young's inequality, Jensen's inequality, Holder's inequality, Minkowski's inequality, Steffensen's inequality, Hermite-Hadamard inequality and ¿eby¿v's inequality.Opial type inequalities on time scales and their extensions with weighted functions, Lyapunov type inequalities, Halanay type inequalities for dynamic equations on time scales, and Wirtinger type inequalities on time scales and their extensions will also be discussed here in detail.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 268 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book presents an evidence-based discussion of two critical areas that are gaining importance in the business world and personal development alike: namely, coaching and being a coach. Does coaching work If so, then for whom does it add value and what is it really all about Today, just about everybody in personal services seems to have become a coach. Is it just another modern expression or a buzzword for something that other disciplines were already providing This book seeks to arrive at clear answers to these questions, providing a thought-provoking and insightful narrative that is likely to leave behind a lasting impact on the industry and its potential clients.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 188 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -From the first hospitals to pioneering pharmacy techniques, the early history of medicine reflects the groundbreaking contributions of Islamic physicians and scientists. Less recognized, however, is the impact of Islam on the health and daily health practices of modern day Muslims.Meticulously documented with current research sources and relevant religious texts, Health and Well-Being in Islamic Societies sheds light on the relationships between Muslim beliefs and physical, psychological, and social health. Background chapters trace Muslim thought on health and healing as it has evolved over the centuries to the present. The authors provide even-handed comparisons with Christianity as the two traditions approach medical and ethical questions, and with Christian populations in terms of health outcomes, assuring coverage that is not only objective but also empirically sound and clinically useful. And as the concluding chapters show, understanding of these similarities and differences can lead to better care for clients, cost-effective services for communities, and healthier Muslim populations in general. Included among the book's topics:Muslim beliefs about health, healing, and healthcareSimilarities and differences between Muslim and Christian health beliefsImpact of religion on physical, mental, and community health in MuslimsUnderstanding how Islam influences healthApplications for clinical practiceImplications for public healthCultural awareness is critical to improving both individual client health and public health on a global scale. Health and Well-Being in Islamic Societies is essential reading for clinical and health psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and nurses, and will be informative for the general reader as well.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 372 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book is about the power of education: the kind of education that simultaneously improves the quality of life both of individuals and the wider society. It explains why education must be viewed as a basic human right, as a value in and of itself, and reviews the evidence on how education builds the human resources that individuals and nations need to be productive, to continue to learn, to solve problems, to be creative, and to live together and with nature in peace and harmony. When nations ensure that such an education is accessible to all throughout their lives, education becomes the engine of sustainable development ¿ economic, social, moral and cultural. The book is unique in that it covers the development of education at all levels in all countries of the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, using the latest international data bases, while blending in analyses of both quantitate and qualitative research.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 300 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book provides university teachers, leaders and policymakers with evidence on how researchers in several countries are monitoring and improving student engagement¿the extent to which students are exposed to and participate in effective educational practices. It captures insights from international implementations of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), developed in the United States. In the last half decade NSSE has been adapted and used in several other countries, producing the largest international collaboration yet involving educationally relevant data on students¿ engagement in higher education.Leaders of established national collaborations draw on their experiences with hundreds of institutions to contribute their insights. Framed by their cultural and educational contexts, they discuss issues concerning first-year learners, international students, part-time and distance learners, as well as teaching and leadership in support of student learning. Each chapter outlines strategies based on national case studies and presents perspectives supported by concrete examples of how these have played out in diverse settings. The book suggests mechanisms that can be used by institutions, ministries and quality agencies around the world.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 196 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book presents an analysis of corporal punishment practices in rural schools. It examines trends in corporal punishment at rural schools for school years from 1999-2000, 2003-2004, 2005-2006 and 2007-2008, multiple stakeholders¿ perspectives on corporal punishment (e.g., school staff, student and parents), and various school-specific factors including alternative discipline practices, school safety efforts, problematic student behaviours, and academic outcomes. In addition to drawing attention to the issue of corporal punishment in rural schools, it equips readers with an in-depth understanding of these practices.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 116 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book offers unique insight on structural safety and reliability by combining computational methods that address multiphysics problems, involving multiple equations describing different physical phenomena and multiscale problems, involving discrete sub-problems that togetherdescribe important aspects of a system at multiple scales. The book examines a range of engineering domains and problems using dynamic analysis, nonlinear methods, error estimation, finite element analysis and other computational techniques.This book also: Introduces novel numerical methods Illustrates new practical applications Examines recent engineering applications Presents up-to-date theoretical results Offers perspective relevant to a wide audience, including teaching faculty/graduate students, researchers and practicing engineers.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 824 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book discusses semantic interaction, a user interaction methodology for visual analytic applications that more closely couples the visual reasoning processes of people with the computation. This methodology affords user interaction on visual data representations that are native to the domain of the data.User interaction in visual analytics systems is critical to enabling visual data exploration. Interaction transforms people from mere viewers to active participants in the process of analyzing and understanding data. This discourse between people and data enables people to understand aspects of their data, such as structure, patterns, trends, outliers, and other properties that ultimately result in insight. Through interacting with visualizations, users engage in sensemaking, a process of developing and understanding relationships within datasets through foraging and synthesis.The book provides a description of the principles of semantic interaction, providing design guidelines for the integration of semantic interaction into visual analytics, examples of existing technologies that leverage semantic interaction, and a discussion of how to evaluate these technologies. Semantic interaction has the potential to increase the effectiveness of visual analytic technologies and opens possibilities for a fundamentally new design space for user interaction in visual analytics systems.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 100 pp. Englisch.