This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-conference proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming (CP 2012), held in Québec, Canada, in October 2012. The 68 revised full papers were carefully selected from 186 submissions. Beside the technical program, the conference featured two special tracks. The former was the traditional application track, which focused on industrial and academic uses of constraint technology and its comparison and integration with other optimization techniques (MIP, local search, SAT, etc.) The second track, featured for the first time in 2012, concentrated on multidisciplinary papers: cross-cutting methodology and challenging applications collecting papers that link CP technology with other techniques like machine learning, data mining, game theory, simulation, knowledge compilation, visualization, control theory, and robotics. In addition, the track focused on challenging application fields with a high social impact such as CP for life sciences, sustainability, energy efficiency, web, social sciences, finance, and verification.

Spectrometric Techniques, Volume III presents the applications of spectrometric techniques to atmospheric and space studies. This book reviews the spectral data processing and analysis techniques that are of broad applicability. Organized into five chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the instrumentation used for obtaining field data. This text then reviews the contribution that space-borne spectroscopy in the thermal IR has made to the understanding of the planets. Other chapters consider the instruments that have recorded the planetary emission spectra. This book discusses as well the interpretation of planetary IR spectra based on the theory of radiative transfer, which describes the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter. The final chapter deals with a few practical remarks on calculation of the inverse-filtered spectrum, wherein the Fourier transform of the data is divided by the Fourier transform of the impulse response function for the low frequencies. This book is a valuable resource for spectroscopists and scientists.

A thorough understanding of rigid body dynamics as it relates to modern mechanical and aerospace systems requires engineers to be well versed in a variety of disciplines. This book offers an all-encompassing view by interconnecting a multitude of key areas in the study of rigid body dynamics, including classical mechanics, spacecraft dynamics, and multibody dynamics. In a clear, straightforward style ideal for learners at any level, Advanced Dynamics builds a solid fundamental base by first providing an in-depth review of kinematics and basic dynamics before ultimately moving forward to tackle advanced subject areas such as rigid body and Lagrangian dynamics. In addition, Advanced Dynamics: Is the only book that bridges the gap between rigid body, multibody, and spacecraft dynamics for graduate students and specialists in mechanical and aerospace engineering Contains coverage of special applications that highlight the different aspects of dynamics and enhances understanding of advanced systems across all related disciplines Presents material using the author's own theory of differentiation in different coordinate frames, which allows for better understanding and application by students and professionals Both a refresher and a professional resource, Advanced Dynamics leads readers on a rewarding educational journey that will allow them to expand the scope of their engineering acumen as they apply a wide range of applications across many different engineering disciplines.

Today’s biggest structural engineering challenge is to design better structures, and a key issue is the need to take an integrated approach which balances control of costs with the requirement for handling earthquakes and other dynamic forces. Structural optimization is based on rigorous mathematical formulation and requires computation algorithms for sizing structural elements and synthesizing systems. Now that the right software and enough computing power are readily available, professionals can now develop a suite of alternative designs and a select suitable one. A thoroughly-written and practical book on structural optimization is long overdue. This solid book comprehensively presents current optimization strategies, illustrated with sufficient examples of the design of elements and systems and presenting descriptions of the process and results. Emphasis is given to dynamic loading, in particular to seismic forces. Researchers and practising engineers will find this book an excellent reference, and advanced undergraduates or graduate students can use it as a resource for structural optimization design.

The text focuses on mathematical modeling and applications of advanced techniques of machine learning, and artificial intelligence, including artificial neural networks, evolutionary computing, data mining, and fuzzy systems to solve performance and design issues more precisely. Intelligent computing encompasses technologies, algorithms, and models in providing effective and efficient solutions to a wide range of problems, including the airport’s intelligent safety system. It will serve as an ideal reference text for senior undergraduate, graduate students, and academic researchers in fields that include industrial engineering, manufacturing engineering, computer engineering, and mathematics. The book: Discusses mathematical modeling for traffic, sustainable supply chain, vehicular Ad-Hoc networks, and internet of things networks with intelligent gateways Covers advanced machine learning, artificial intelligence, fuzzy systems, evolutionary computing, and data mining techniques for real- world problems Presents applications of mathematical models in chronic diseases such as kidney and coronary artery diseases Highlights advances in mathematical modeling, strength, and benefits of machine learning and artificial intelligence, including driving goals, applicability, algorithms, and processes involved Showcases emerging real-life topics on mathematical models, machine learning, and intelligent computing using an interdisciplinary approach The text presents emerging real-life topics on mathematical models, machine learning, and intelligent computing in a single volume. It will serve as an ideal text for senior undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers in diverse fields, including industrial and manufacturing engineering, computer engineering, and mathematics.

Sponsored by the Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP), this groundbreaking new handbook assembles in one place the existing research-based knowledge in education finance and policy, thereby helping to define this evolving field of research and practice. It provides a readily available resource for anyone seriously involved in education finance and policy in the United States and around the world. The Handbook traces the evolution of the field from its initial focus on school inputs and the revenue sources used to finance these inputs to a focus on educational outcomes and the larger policies used to achieve them. It shows how the current decision-making context in school finance inevitably interacts with those of governance, accountability, equity, privatization, and other areas of education policy. Because a full understanding of the important contemporary issues requires input from a variety of perspectives, the Handbook draws on contributors from a variety of disciplines. While many of the chapters cover complex state-of-the-art empirical research, the authors explain key concepts in language that non-specialists can understand.

This work was nominated as an outstanding PhD thesis by the LPSC, Université Grenoble Alpes, France. The LHC Run 1 was a milestone in particle physics, leading to the discovery of the Higgs boson, the last missing piece of the so-called "Standard Model" (SM), and to important constraints on new physics, which challenge popular theories like weak-scale supersymmetry. This thesis provides a detailed account of the legacy of the LHC Run 1 ≤¥regarding these aspects. First, the SM and the need for its extension are presented in a concise yet revealing way. Subsequently, the impact of the LHC Higgs results on scenarios of new physics is assessed in detail, including a careful discussion of the relevant uncertainties. Two approaches are considered: generic modifications of the Higgs couplings, possibly arising from extended Higgs sectors or higher-dimensional operators; and tests of specific new physics models. Lastly, the implications of the null results of the searches for new physics are discussed with a particular focus on supersymmetric dark matter candidates. Here as well, two approaches are presented: the "simplified models" approach, and recasting by event simulation. This thesis stands out for its educational approach, its clear language and the depth of the physics discussion. The methods and tools presented offer readers essential practical tools for future research.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the First International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering (ICETE), held at University College of Engineering and organised by the Alumni Association, University College of Engineering, Osmania University, in Hyderabad, India on 22–23 March 2019. The proceedings of the ICETE are published in three volumes, covering seven areas: Biomedical, Civil, Computer Science, Electrical & Electronics, Electronics & Communication, Mechanical, and Mining Engineering. The 215 peer-reviewed papers from around the globe present the latest state-of-the-art research, and are useful to postgraduate students, researchers, academics and industry engineers working in the respective fields. Volume 1 presents papers on the theme “Advances in Decision Sciences, Image Processing, Security and Computer Vision – International Conference on Emerging Trends in Engineering (ICETE)”. It includes state-of-the-art technical contributions in the area of biomedical and computer science engineering, discussing sustainable developments in the field, such as instrumentation and innovation, signal and image processing, Internet of Things, cryptography and network security, data mining and machine learning.

Many Healthcare providers have suffered a crisis of poor quality and inefficiency with rapidly increasing costs. Healthcare delivery faces complex scheduling needs and stands to gain from advances in scheduling technology and understanding. This special issue presents some new progress in applying scheduling techniques to several real-life problems in healthcare delivery.