In four chapters and an introduction, this book systematically helps readers understand the development of the Geographical Sciences both in China and in the world during the past 30 years. Through data analysis of methodologies including CiteSpace, TDA, qualitative analysis, questionnaires, data mining and mathematical statistics, the book explains the evolution of research topics and their driving factors in the Geographical Sciences and its four branches, namely Physical Geography, Human Geography, Geographical Information Science and Environmental Geography. It also identifies the role of the Geographical Sciences in the analysis of strategic issues such as global change and terrestrial ecosystems, terrestrial water cycle and water resources, land change, global cryosphere evolution and land surface processes on the Tibetan Plateau, economic globalization and local responses, regional sustainable development, remote sensing modelling and parameter inversion, spatial analysis and simulation, and tempo-spatial processes and modelling of environmental pollutants. It then discusses research development and inadequacy of Chinese Geographical Sciences in the above-mentioned topics, as well as in the fields including Geomorphology and Quaternary environmental change, Ecohydrology, ecosystem services, the urbanization process and mechanism, medical and health geography, international rivers and transboundary environment and resources, detection and attribution of changes in land surface sensitive components, and uncertainty of spatial information and spatial analysis. It shows that the NSFC has driven the development in all these topics and fields. In addition, the book summarises trends of the Geographical Sciences in China and the research level in major countries of the world through an overview of geographical education in colleges and universities, the analysis of publications, citations and author networks of SCI/SSCI and CSCD indexed articles, and the description of Sino-USA, Sino-UK and Sino-German cooperation. This book serves as an important reference to anyone interested in geographical sciences and related fields.

Co-published with British Society for Geomorphology This volume is the fifth in the definitive series, The History of the Study of Landforms or the Development of Geomorphology. Volume 1 (1964) dealt with contributions to the field up to 1890, Volume 2 (1973) with the concepts and contributions of William Morris Davis and Volume 3 (1991) covered historical and regional themes during the ‘classic’ period of geomorphology (1890–1950). Volume 4 (2008) concentrated on studies of geomorphological processes and Quaternary geomorphology between 1890 and 1965; by the end of this period, process-based studies had become dominant. Volume 5 builds on this platform, covering in detail the revolutionary changes in approach that characterized the study of geomorphology in the second half of the twentieth century. It is divided into three sections: the first deals with changes in approach and method; the second with changes in ideas and the broader scientific context within which geomorphology is studied; and the final section details advances in research on processes and landforms. The volume’s objective is to describe and analyse many of the developments that provide a foundation for the rich and varied subject matter of twenty-first century geomorphology.

Almost every element of life, from commerce and agriculture to communication and entertainment, has been profoundly altered by computing. Around the world, people rely on computers for the creation of systems for energy, transportation, and military use. Additionally, computing fosters scientific advancements that advance our basic understanding of the world and assist in finding answers to pressing health and environmental issues. Novel Research and Development Approaches in Heterogeneous Systems and Algorithms addresses novel research and developmental approaches in heterogenous systems and algorithms for information-centric networks of the future. Covering topics such as image identification and segmentation, materials data extraction, and wireless sensor networks, this premier reference source is a valuable resource for engineers, consultants, practitioners, computer scientists, students and educators of higher education, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Advanced Machine Learning Techniques includes the theoretical foundations of modern machine learning, as well as advanced methods and frameworks used in modern machine learning. Handbook of HydroInformatics, Volume II: Advanced Machine Learning Techniques presents both the art of designing good learning algorithms, as well as the science of analyzing an algorithm's computational and statistical properties and performance guarantees. The global contributors cover theoretical foundational topics such as computational and statistical convergence rates, minimax estimation, and concentration of measure as well as advanced machine learning methods, such as nonparametric density estimation, nonparametric regression, and Bayesian estimation; additionally, advanced frameworks such as privacy, causality, and stochastic learning algorithms are also included. Lastly, the volume presents Cloud and Cluster Computing, Data Fusion Techniques, Empirical Orthogonal Functions and Teleconnection, Internet of Things, Kernel-Based Modeling, Large Eddy Simulation, Patter Recognition, Uncertainty-Based Resiliency Evaluation, and Volume-Based Inverse Mode. This is an interdisciplinary book, and the audience includes postgraduates and early-career researchers interested in: Computer Science, Mathematical Science, Applied Science, Earth and Geoscience, Geography, Civil Engineering, Engineering, Water Science, Atmospheric Science, Social Science, Environment Science, Natural Resources, Chemical Engineering. - Key insights from 24 contributors in the fields of data management research, climate change and resilience, insufficient data problem, etc. - Offers applied examples and case studies in each chapter, providing the reader with real world scenarios for comparison. - Defines both the designing of good learning algorithms, as well as the science of analyzing an algorithm's computational and statistical properties and performance guarantees.

The central purpose of all research is to create new knowledge. In the geographical sciences this is driven by a desire to create new knowledge about the relations between space, place, and the anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic features and processes of the Earth. But some research goes beyond these modest aims and creates new opportunities for further research, or affects the process of knowledge acquisition more broadly, or changes the way other researchers in a domain think about the world and go about their business. Due to its positive impacts, transformative research can be regarded as inherently having greater value than more conventional research, and funding agencies clearly regard transformative research as something to be encouraged and funded through special programs. Assessments of transformative research funding initiatives are few and provide a mixed picture of their effectiveness. The challenge is whether transformative research can be identified at the time it is proposed rather than after it has been conducted, communicated, and its influence on the discipline has become clear. Fostering Transformative Research in the Geographical Sciences reviews how transformative research has emerged in the past, what its early markers were, and makes recommendations for how it can be nurtured in the future.

Medical informatics is a field which continues to evolve with developments and improvements in foundational methods, applications, and technology, constantly offering opportunities for supporting the customization of healthcare to individual patients. This book presents the proceedings of the 16th World Congress of Medical and Health Informatics (MedInfo2017), held in Hangzhou, China, in August 2017, which also marked the 50th anniversary of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA). The central theme of MedInfo2017 was "Precision Healthcare through Informatics", and the scientific program was divided into five tracks: connected and digital health; human data science; human, organizational, and social aspects; knowledge management and quality; and safety and patient outcomes. The 249 accepted papers and 168 posters included here span the breadth and depth of sub-disciplines in biomedical and health informatics, such as clinical informatics; nursing informatics; consumer health informatics; public health informatics; human factors in healthcare; bioinformatics; translational informatics; quality and safety; research at the intersection of biomedical and health informatics; and precision medicine. The book will be of interest to all those who wish to keep pace with advances in the science, education, and practice of biomedical and health informatics worldwide.

A distinguished team of Western European scholars has written an advanced, full-length physical geography designed to be a state-of -the-art evaluation of the physical environment of Western Europe, being both retrospective and prospective in its perception of environmental change. The unique natural and regional environments of Western Europe are discussed, as well as the physical geographic framework of the region. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact and responses of human society on the physical environment of the region which is characterized by a very high population density. As an enhanced reference work it will be of enduring value.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Spatial Information Theory, COSIT '99, held in Stade, Germany, in August 1999. The 30 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 70 submissions. The book is divided into topical sections on landmarks and navigation, route directions, abstraction and spatial hierarchies, spatial reasoning calculi, ontology of space, visual representation and reasoning, maps and routes, and granularity and qualitative abstraction.