The visual world is full of detail. This Element focuses on this variability in perception, asking how it affects performance in visual tasks and how the variability is represented by human observers. The authors highlight different methods for assessing representations of variability and suggest that understanding visual variability can be elusive when straightforward explicit methods are used, while more implicit methods may be better suited to uncovering such processing. The authors conclude that variability is represented in far more detail than previously thought and that this aspect of perception is vital for understanding the complexity of visual consciousness.
With the growing impact of information technology on daily life, speech is becoming increasingly important for providing a natural means of communication between humans and machines. This extensively reworked and updated new edition of Speech Synthesis and Recognition is an easy-to-read introduction to current speech technology. Aimed at advanced undergraduates and graduates in electronic engineering, computer science and information technology, the book is also relevant to professional engineers who need to understand enough about speech technology to be able to apply it successfully and to work effectively with speech experts. No advanced mathematical ability is required and no specialist prior knowledge of phonetics or of the properties of speech signals is assumed.
Provides an in-depth look at science, policy and management in the water sector across the globe Sustainable water management is an increasingly complex challenge and policy priority facing global society. This book examines how governments, municipalities, corporations, and individuals find sustainable water management pathways across competing priorities of water for ecosystems, food, energy, economic growth and human consumption. It looks at the current politics and economics behind the management of our freshwater ecosystems and infrastructure and offers insightful essays that help stimulate more intense and informed debate about the subject and its need for local and international cooperation. This book celebrates the 15-year anniversary of Oxford University’s MSc course in Water Science, Policy and Management. Edited and written by some of the leading minds in the field, writing alongside alumni from the course, Water Science, Policy and Management: A Global Challenge offers in-depth chapters in three parts: Science; Policy; and Management. Topics cover: hydroclimatic extremes and climate change; the past, present, and future of groundwater resources; water quality modelling, monitoring, and management; and challenges for freshwater ecosystems. The book presents critical views on the monitoring and modelling of hydrological processes; the rural water policy in Africa and Asia; the political economy of wastewater in Europe; drought policy management and water allocation. It also examines the financing of water infrastructure; the value of wastewater; water resource planning; sustainable urban water supply and the human right to water. Features perspectives from some of the world’s leading experts on water policy and management Identifies and addresses current and future water sector challenges Charts water policy trends across a rapidly evolving set of challenges in a variety of global areas Covers the reallocation of water; policy process of risk management; the future of the world’s water under global environmental change; and more Water Science, Policy and Management: A Global Challenge is an essential book for policy makers and government agencies involved in water management, and for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying water science, governance, and policy.
A Clear Outline of Current Methods for Designing and Implementing Automotive Systems Highlighting requirements, technologies, and business models, the Automotive Embedded Systems Handbook provides a comprehensive overview of existing and future automotive electronic systems. It presents state-of-the-art methodological and technical solutions in the areas of in-vehicle architectures, multipartner development processes, software engineering methods, embedded communications, and safety and dependability assessment. Divided into four parts, the book begins with an introduction to the design constraints of automotive-embedded systems. It also examines AUTOSAR as the emerging de facto standard and looks at how key technologies, such as sensors and wireless networks, will facilitate the conception of partially and fully autonomous vehicles. The next section focuses on networks and protocols, including CAN, LIN, FlexRay, and TTCAN. The third part explores the design processes of electronic embedded systems, along with new design methodologies, such as the virtual platform. The final section presents validation and verification techniques relating to safety issues. Providing domain-specific solutions to various technical challenges, this handbook serves as a reliable, complete, and well-documented source of information on automotive embedded systems.
Assessment of human exposure to chemicals is a critical input to risk assessment and ultimately to decisions about control of chemicals. This two-part publication aims to improve the quality of information available to decision-makers and its communication. Part one sets out ten principles for characterizing and communicating uncertainty in exposure assessment. A tiered approach to the evaluation of uncertainties using both qualitative (simple) and quantitative (more complex) methods is described. Different sources of uncertainty are identified and guidance is provided on selecting the appropriate approach to uncertainty analysis as dictated by the objectives of the assessment and information needs of decision-makers and stakeholders. Part two addresses the quality of data used in exposure assessment and sets out four basic hallmarks of data quality - appropriateness accuracy integrity and transparency. These hallmarks provides a common vocabulary and set of qualitative criteria for use in the design evaluation and use of exposure assessments to support decisions. This publication is intended exposure assessors risk assessors and decision-makers.
This book is about software product lines (SPLs) designed and developed taking UML diagrams as the primary basis, modeled according to a rigorous approach composed of an UML profile and a systematic process for variability management activities, forming the Stereotype-based Management of Variability (SMarty) approach. The book consists of five parts. Part I provides essential concepts on SPL in terms of the first development methodologies. It also introduces variability concepts and discusses SPL architectures finishing with the SMarty approach. Part II is focused on the design, verification and validation of SMarty SPLs, and Part III concentrates on the SPL architecture evolution based on ISO/IEC metrics, the SystEM-PLA method, optimization with the MOA4PLA method, and feature interaction prevention. Next, Part IV presents SMarty as a basis for SPL development, such as, the M-SPLearning SPL for mobile learning applications, the PLeTs SPL for testing tools, the PlugSPL plugin environment for supporting the SPL life cycle, the SyMPLES approach for designing embedded systems with SysML, the SMartySPEM approach for software process lines (SPrL), and re-engineering of class diagrams into an SPL. Eventually, Part V promotes controlled experimentation in UML-based SPLs, presenting essential concepts on how to plan, conduct, and document experiments, as well as showing several experiments carried out with SMarty. This book aims at lecturers, graduate students and experienced practitioners. Lecturers might use the book for graduate level courses about SPL fundamentals and tools; students will learn about the SPL engineering process, variability management, and mass customization; and practitioners will see how to plan the transition from single-product development to an SPL-based process, how to document inherent variability in a given domain, or how to apply controlled experiments to SPLs.
This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Business Process Modeling, Development and Support (BPMDS 2011) and the 16th International Conference on Exploring Modeling Methods for Systems Analysis and Design (EMMSAD 2011), held together with the 23rd International Conference on Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE 2011) in London, UK, in June 2011. The 22 papers accepted for BPMDS were selected from 61 submissions and cover a wide spectrum of issues related to business processes development, modeling, and support. They are grouped into sections on BPMDS in practice, business process improvement, business process flexibility, declarative process models, variety of modeling paradigms, business process modeling and support systems development, and interoperability and mobility. The 16 papers accepted for EMMSAD were chosen from 31 submissions and focus on exploring, evaluating, and enhancing current information modeling methods and methodologies. They are grouped in sections on workflow and process modeling extensions, requirements analysis and information systems development, requirements evolution and information systems evolution, data modeling languages and business rules, conceptual modeling practice, and enterprise architecture.
The need for a comprehensive book on probabilistic structural mechanics that brings together the many analytical and computational methods developed over the years and their applications in a wide spectrum of industries-from residential buildings to nuclear power plants, from bridges to pressure vessels, from steel structures to ceramic structures-became evident from the many discussions the editor had with practising engineers, researchers and professors. Because no single individual has the expertise to write a book with such a di.verse scope, a group of 39 authors from universities, research laboratories, and industries from six countries in three continents was invited to write 30 chapters covering the various aspects of probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor and the authors believe that this handbook will serve as a reference text to practicing engineers, teachers, students and researchers. It may also be used as a textbook for graduate-level courses in probabilistic structural mechanics. The editor wishes to thank the chapter authors for their contributions. This handbook would not have been a reality without their collaboration.
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Service-Oriented Computing, ICSOC 2011, held in Paphos, Cyprus, in December 2011. The 54 revised papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 184 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on business process modeling, quality of service, formal methods, XaaS computing, service discovery, service security and trust, service runtime infrastructures and service applications.
The Software Product Line (SPL) is an emerging methodology for developing software products. Currently, there are two hot issues in the SPL: modelling and the analysis of the SPL. Variability modelling techniques have been developed to assist engineers in dealing with the complications of variability management. The principal goal of modelling variability techniques is to configure a successful software product by managing variability in domain-engineering. In other words, a good method for modelling variability is a prerequisite for a successful SPL. On the other hand, analysis of the SPL aids the extraction of useful information from the SPL and provides a control and planning strategy mechanism for engineers or experts. In addition, the analysis of the SPL provides a clear view for users. Moreover, it ensures the accuracy of the SPL. This book presents new techniques for modelling and new methods for SPL analysis.
