After two succesful conferences held in Innsbruck (Prof. Manfred Husty) in 2006 and Cassino in 2008 (Prof Marco Ceccarelli) with the participation of the most important well-known scientists from the European Mechanism Science Community, a further conference was held in Cluj Napoca, Romania, in 2010 (Prof. Doina Pisla) to discuss new developments in the field. This book presents the most recent research advances in Mechanism Science with different applications. Amongst the topics treated are papers on Theoretical kinematics, Computational kinematics, Mechanism design, Mechanical transmissions, Linkages and manipulators, Mechanisms for biomechanics, Micro-mechanisms, Experimental mechanics, Mechanics of robots, Dynamics of multi-body systems, Dynamics of machinery, Control issues of mechanical systems, Novel designs, History of mechanism science etc.

This broad review is the first to gather comprehensive information on the complete contemporary range of toxicity testing procedures and hazard assessment procedures, which is normally scattered and difficult to find. The two-volume set provides a consistent, template-based approach, linking relevant information on background, theory and practice to each bioassay. Volume 1 covers small-scale toxicity test methods. Includes extensive glossary.

This book examines the present and future of soft computer techniques. It explains how to use the latest technological tools, such as multicore processors and graphics processing units, to implement highly efficient intelligent system methods using a general purpose computer.

There are endless on-going debates in animal welfare. This book seeks to distil some of the major themes of current debate into one volume edited by internationally known names in the field of animal welfare. Each chapter, written by a leading expert will discuss in an open-handed way a provocative topic, which will be of interest to anyone concerned with animal welfare. Issues covered include tail docking, pet obesity, isolation vs. group aggression, neutering feral cats and the need to conserve wildlife habitats in the face of wild animal overpopulation

Dynamic Food Webs challenges us to rethink what factors may determine ecological and evolutionary pathways of food web development. It touches upon the intriguing idea that trophic interactions drive patterns and dynamics at different levels of biological organization: dynamics in species composition, dynamics in population life-history parameters and abundances, and dynamics in individual growth, size and behavior. These dynamics are shown to be strongly interrelated governing food web structure and stability and the role of populations and communities play in ecosystem functioning. Dynamic Food Webs not only offers over 100 illustrations, but also contains 8 riveting sections devoted to an understanding of how to manage the effects of environmental change, the protection of biological diversity and the sustainable use of natural resources. Dynamic Food Webs is a volume in the Theoretical Ecology series. - Relates dynamics on different levels of biological organization: individuals, populations, and communities - Deals with empirical and theoretical approaches - Discusses the role of community food webs in ecosystem functioning - Proposes methods to assess the effects of environmental change on the structure of biological communities and ecosystem functioning - Offers an analyses of the relationship between complexity and stability in food webs

With the Internet, the proliferation of Big Data, and autonomous systems, mankind has entered into an era of 'digital obesity'. In this century, computational intelligence, such as thinking machines, have been brought forth to process complex human problems in a wide scope of areas — from social sciences, economics and biology, medicine and social networks, to cyber security.The Handbook of Computational Intelligence (in two volumes) prompts readers to look at these problems from a non-traditional angle. It takes a step by step approach, supported by case studies, to explore the issues that have arisen in the process. The Handbook covers many classic paradigms, as well as recent achievements and future promising developments to solve some of these very complex problems. Volume one explores the subjects of fuzzy logic and systems, artificial neural networks, and learning systems. Volume two delves into evolutionary computation, hybrid systems, as well as the applications of computational intelligence in decision making, the process industry, robotics, and autonomous systems.This work is a 'one-stop-shop' for beginners, as well as an inspirational source for more advanced researchers. It is a useful resource for lecturers and learners alike.

In this edited book, expert assessors illustrate through case examples how they apply psychoanalytic theory to different clinical settings. These settings include private practice, neuropsychological, medical, forensic, personnel, custody, school, and psychiatric-residential. Psychoanalytic Assessment Applications for Different Settings allows the reader to track the assessor’s work from start to finish. Each chapter presents a description of the clinical setting in which the assessment occurred; a detailed review of the referral and patient history; test selection and test findings with supporting data drawn from self-report, and cognitive and personality performance-based measures; psychiatric and psychodynamic diagnoses; implications and recommendations; discussion of the feedback process; and assessor-self reflections on the case. Throughout the book, psychodynamic concepts are used to help understand the test data. The authors are experts in the psychodynamic assessment of clients in private practice, educational, medical, neuropsychological, and forensic settings. The findings are derived from methods particular to each setting, with supporting data highlighted and woven throughout the interpretive process. Students, educators, practitioners, and the professionals who collaborate with assessors will benefit from this book’s offerings.