This journal subline serves as a forum for stimulating and disseminating innovative research ideas, theories, emerging technologies, empirical investigations, state-of-the-art methods, and tools in all different genres of edutainment, such as game-based learning and serious games, interactive storytelling, virtual learning environments, VR-based education, and related fields. It covers aspects from educational and game theories, human-computer interaction, computer graphics, artificial intelligence, and systems design. The 27 papers of this volume deal with virtual humans; graphics rendering and 3D animation; games and 2D animation; and digital media and its applications.
An Invaluable Reference for Members of the Drilling Industry, from Owner–Operators to Large Contractors, and Anyone Interested In Drilling Developed by one of the world’s leading authorities on drilling technology, the fifth edition of The Drilling Manual draws on industry expertise to provide the latest drilling methods, safety, risk management, and management practices, and protocols. Utilizing state-of-the-art technology and techniques, this edition thoroughly updates the fourth edition and introduces entirely new topics. It includes new coverage on occupational health and safety, adds new sections on coal seam gas, sonic and coil tube drilling, sonic drilling, Dutch cone probing, in hole water or mud hammer drilling, pile top drilling, types of grouting, and improved sections on drilling equipment and maintenance. New sections on drilling applications include underground blast hole drilling, coal seam gas drilling (including well control), trenchless technology and geothermal drilling. It contains heavily illustrated chapters that clearly convey the material. This manual incorporates forward-thinking technology and details good industry practice for the following sectors of the drilling industry: Blast Hole Environmental Foundation/Construction Geotechnical Geothermal Mineral Exploration Mineral Production and Development Oil and Gas: On-shore Seismic Trenchless Technology Water Well The Drilling Manual, Fifth Edition provides you with the most thorough information about the "what," "how," and "why" of drilling. An ideal resource for drilling personnel, hydrologists, environmental engineers, and scientists interested in subsurface conditions, it covers drilling machinery, methods, applications, management, safety, geology, and other related issues.
Modelling is an important tool for understanding the complexity of forest ecosystems and the variety of interactions of ecosystem components, processes and values. This book describes the hybrid approach to modelling forest ecosystems and their possible response to natural and management-induced disturbance. The book describes the FORECAST family of ecosystem management models at three different spatial scales (tree, stand and landscape), and compares them with alternative models at these three spatial scales. The book will help forest managers to understand what to expect from ecosystem-based forest models; serve as a tool for use in teaching about sustainability, scenario analysis and value trade-offs in natural resources management; and assist policy makers, managers and researches working in assessment of sustainable forest management and ecosystem management. Several real-life examples of using the FORECAST family of models in forest management and other applications are presented from countries including Canada, China, Spain and the USA, to illustrate the concepts described in the text. The book also demonstrates how these models can be extended for scenario and value trade-off analysis through visualization and educational or management games.
