Bringing together leading scientists and professionals in tropical forest ecology and management, this book examines in detail the interplay between timber harvesting and wildlife, from invertebrates to large mammal species. Its contributors suggest modifications to existing practices that can ensure a better future for the tropics' valuable--and invaluable--resources.

Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs return to New York City to investigate a triple murder and confront a killer terrorizing couples at their happiest--and most vulnerable in this explosive New York Times bestseller. In the early hours of a quiet, weekend morning in Manhattan's Diamond District, a brutal triple murder shocks the city. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs quickly take the case. Curiously, the killer has left behind a half-million dollars' worth of gems at the murder scene, a jewelry store on 47th street. As more crimes follow, it becomes clear that the killer's target is not gems, but engaged couples themselves. The Promisor vows to take the lives of men and women during their most precious moments--midway through the purchase of an engagement ring, after a meeting with a wedding planner, trying on the perfect gown for a day that will never come. The Promisor arrives silently, armed with knife or gun, and a time of bliss is transformed, in an instant, to one of horror. Soon the Promiser makes a dangerous mistake: leaving behind an innocent witness, Vimal Lahori, a talented young diamond cutter, who can help Rhyme and Sachs blow the lid off the case. They must track down Vimal before the killer can correct his fatal error. Then disaster strikes, threatening to tear apart the very fabric of the city--and providing the perfect cover for the killer to slip through the cracks.

The proposition that innovation is critical in the cost-effective design and development of successful military aircraft is still subject to some debate. RAND research indicates that innovation is promoted by intense competition among three or more industry competitors. Given the critical policy importance of this issue in the current environment of drastic consolidation of the aerospace defense industry, the authors here examine the history of the major prime contractors in developing jet fighters since World War II. They make use of an extensive RAND database that includes nearly all jet fighters, fighter-attack aircraft, and bombers developed and flown by U.S. industry since 1945, as well as all related prototypes, modifications, upgrades, etc. The report concludes that (1) experience matters, because of the tendency to specialize and thus to develop system-specific expertise; (2) yet the most dramatic innovations and breakthroughs came from secondary or marginal players trying to compete with the industry leaders; and (3) dedicated military R&D conducted or directly funded by the U.S. government has been critical in the development of new higher-performance fighters and bombers.

The book delivers an excellent professional development resource for educators and practitioners on the cutting-edge computational intelligence techniques and applications. It covers many areas and topics of computational intelligence techniques and applications proposed by computational intelligence experts and researchers and furthers the enhancement of the community outreach and engagement component of computational intelligence techniques and applications. Furthermore, it presents a rich collection of manuscripts in highly regarded computational intelligence techniques and applications topics that have been creatively compiled. Computers are capable of learning from data and observations and providing solutions to real-life complex problems, following the same reasoning approach of human experts in various fields. This book endows a rich collection of applications in widespread areas. Among the areas addressed in this book are Computational Intelligence Principles and Techniques; CI in Manufacturing, Engineering, and Industry; CI in Recognition and Processing; CI in Robotics and Automation; CI in Communications and Networking; CI in Traditional Vehicles, Electric Vehicles, and Autonomous Vehicles; CI in Smart Cities and Smart Energy Systems; and CI in Finance, Business, Economics, and Education. These areas span many topics including repetitive manufacturing, discrete manufacturing, process manufacturing, electronic systems, speech recognition, pattern recognition, signal processing, image processing, industrial monitoring, vision systems for automation and robotics, cooperative and network robotics, perception, planning, control, urban traffic networks control, vehicle-to-roadside communications, smart buildings, smart urbanism, smart infrastructure, smart connected communities, smart energy, security, arts, and music.

The book Cutting Edge Research in Technologies responds to the great interest for innovation in the large domain of technologies. It presents contributions by researchers with high expertise in the field, serving as a valuable reference for scientists, researchers, graduate students, and professionals. The book has five chapters covering the following subjects: information and communication technologies and services with the aim of improving the quality of life and the mobility of users, localisation technologies for deployment of mobile robots in dynamic environments, embedded video processing circuit design flow in the Python language, data communications and networking, and textile weaving.

Provides insight into advanced tool materials, physical theory and research understanding of metal cutting processes. The text highlights technology developed internationally, and reviews available technology of metal cutting processes, such as turning, boring, milling and drilling. It also elucidates optimum choices for tool material and cutting conditions, and more.

This book is a compilation of witty and insightful short pieces on scientific developments in the science of friction, lubrication and wear. It focuses on topics that are of interest to practicing scientists, engineers and students in tribology and related areas, and deals with novel and intriguing aspects of this important field. In addition, landmarks of the last decade of tribology are covered, including new world records for low friction and breakthroughs in measurement technology. This anthology, which was originally published over a decade as columns entitled 'Cutting Edge' in Tribology & Lubrication Technology magazine of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, is both educational and entertaining. While the style is eminently readable, each column is accompanied by references to the relevant literature.

The printing of the seventh edition of the book has provided the author with an opportunity to completely go through the text.Minor Additions and Improvements have been carried out,wherever needed.All the figure work has been redone on computer,with the result that all the figures are clear and sharp.The author is really thankful to M/s S.Chand & Company Ltd. for doing an excellent job in publishing the latest edition of the book.

This book summarizes the author’s lifetime achievements, offering new perspectives and approaches in the field of metal cutting theory and its applications. The topics discussed include Non-Euclidian Geometry of Cutting Tools, Non-free Cutting Mechanics and Non-Linear Machine Tool Dynamics, applying non-linear science/complexity to machining, and all the achievements and their practical significance have been theoretically proved and experimentally verified.