Providing healthcare professionals with cognitive aids, whether a simple checklist or an information system, improves patient care and reduces information-processing constraints for caregivers. However, to achieve these objectives, these aids must be adaptable and ergonomic.
Cognitive Aids to Support Healthcare Professionals offers an unprecedented presentation of the different forms of cognitive aids, as well as an analysis of these aids as gateways for channelling resources to support mental activity and a general framework to simply model cognitive aids as Turing machines.
Throughout this book, healthcare professionals, executives, hospital managers, healthcare engineers, ergonomists and trainers will find ergonomic advice on the choice or design of cognitive aids, and also, more generally, on the roles that cognitive aids play in activities.

Monitoring the human body is a key element of digital health science. Low-cost sensors derived from smartphones or smartwatches may give the impression that sensors are readily available; however, to date, very few of them are actually medical devices.
Designing medical devices requires us to undertake a specific approach demanding special skills, as it concerns the integrity of the human body. The process is tightly framed by state regulations in order to ensure compliance with quality assessment, risk management and medical ethics requirements.
This book aims to give biomedical students an overview on medical devices design. It firstly gives a historical and economical approach, then develops key elements in medical device design with reference to EU and US regulations, and finally describes sensors for the human body. The clinical approach is presented as the central element in medical device qualification and this offers a perspective on the use of numerical simulation, particularly since its continued growth in the USA; despite the fact that the approach is strictly limited by regulations. Lire la suite Fermer

Traditionally, health experts are called upon mainly by public authorities and academic circles. In recent years, however, thanks to the proliferation of media, 24-hour news channels and digital offerings, there is a growing demand for expert opinions on various health issues. Expert knowledge can, of course, come from doctors and scientists, however it is not limited to them. Patient associations, caregiver circles, patient influencers, YouTubers and specialist journalists are speaking out, which raises questions concerning the place of the "expert" and the nature of their expertise. Health Experts in the Media examines health experts' place in the media in order to define the complexity of their role, question their legitimacy and better understand the controversies they generate. This book analyzes how expert discourse in the media can raise major scientific, democratic and political issues. Lire la suite Fermer

Disaster Management embarks on a comprehensive exploration of proactive approaches to confronting the ever-growing challenges posed by natural and man-made disasters.
Drawing on a wealth of interdisciplinary research and practical expertise, this book delves into the core principles of disaster management, offering a roadmap for communities, governments and organizations to enhance their preparedness and mitigation strategies. From risk assessment and early warning systems, to community engagement and infrastructure resilience, each chapter provides actionable insights and case studies that illuminate the path towards building robust resilience frameworks.
With a keen focus on adaptability and innovation, this book equips readers with the tools necessary to navigate the complexities of today's dynamic world, fostering a culture of preparedness that can mitigate the impact of disasters and safeguard lives and livelihoods. Lire la suite Fermer

The energy sector is undergoing unprecedented change. Twenty years ago, the main concern was having enough oil and gas, whereas today, political leaders are faced with the need to reduce the CO2 emissions produced by still-dominant fossil fuels, without being able to totally rely on renewable energies, which are intermittent and whose share in energy production remains low.
Geopolitics and Energy Transition 1 presents the technical aspects of energy and its main characteristics, and outlines the challenges of the energy transition, the conditions for the development of renewable energies and the geopolitical stakes of this transition. It also describes the various energy markets and the consequences of liberalization policies, not forgetting to analyze the structures of the different sectors, while pointing out the fundamental problems of supply security and ways of strengthening it. Lire la suite Fermer

Our knowledge of living organisms is still very limited, with less than 20% of the world's species known to date. It is therefore essential to increase our efforts to inventory biodiversity. This is the goal of scientific research, but it is also a vital responsibility in the face of the sixth extinction. With so many species set to disappear before they can be analyzed, the compilation of this inventory now represents a major challenge.
Thanks to the collaborative work of numerous researchers from the Institut de systématique, évolution, biodiversité (ISYEB) and other institutions, Inventory of Biodiversity Today presents the latest methods of field data collection and analysis. Strategies have diversified and are providing new and ever-more-precise data on a growing number of specimens. All of these data are integrated to delimit and describe living species, and are accessible to as many people as possible, so we can all take action on a daily basis to better understand and preserve our planet. Lire la suite Fermer

This book presents all the theoretical and practical basements of heterogeneous kinetics and reactivity of solids. It applies the new concepts of reactivity and spatial function, introduced by the author, for both nucleation and growth processes, with a unified presentation of the reactivity of bulk and powder solids, including gas-solid reactions, thermal decompositions, solid-solid reactions, reactions of solid solutions, and coalescence of solid grains. It also contains many exercises and problems with solutions included, allowing readers to understand and use all the concepts and methods discussed therein.

Linear systems have all the necessary elements (modeling, identification, analysis and control), from an educational point of view, to help us understand the discipline of automation and apply it efficiently. This book is progressive and organized in such a way that different levels of readership are possible. It is addressed both to beginners and those with a good understanding of automation wishing to enhance their knowledge on the subject. The theory is rigorously developed and illustrated by numerous examples which can be reproduced with the help of appropriate computation software. 60 exercises and their solutions are included to enable the readers to test and enhance their knowledge.

This book is dedicated to the processes of mineral transformation, recycling and reclamation of metals, for the purpose of turning metals and alloys into a liquid state ready for pouring. Even though "process metallurgy" is one of the oldest technologies implemented by man, technological innovation, with the development of processes that are both focused on product quality and economically and ecologically efficient, continues to be at the heart of these industries. This book explains the physico-chemical bases of transformations, vital to their understanding and control (optimization of operational conditions), and the foundations in terms of "process engineering" (heat and matter assessment, process coupling: chemical reactions and transport phenomena), vital to the optimal execution and analysis of transformation process operations. This book is addressed to students in the field of metallurgy and to engineers facing the problem of metal and alloy development (operation of an industrial unit or development of a new process). Lire la suite Fermer

Over the last 50 years, the methods of investigating dynamic properties have resulted in significant advances. This book explores dynamic testing, the methods used, and the experiments performed, placing a particular emphasis on the context of bounded medium elastodynamics. Dynamic tests have proven to be as efficient as static tests and are often easier to use at lower frequency. The discussion is divided into four parts. Part A focuses on the complements of continuum mechanics. Part B concerns the various types of rod vibrations: extensional, bending, and torsional. Part C is devoted to mechanical and electronic instrumentation, and guidelines for which experimental set-up should be used are given. Part D concentrates on experiments and experimental interpretations of elastic or viscolelastic moduli. In addition, several chapters contain practical examples alongside theoretical discussion to facilitate the readers understanding. The results presented are the culmination of over 30 years of research by the authors and as such will be of great interest to anyone involved in this field. Lire la suite Fermer

A voltage converter changes the voltage of an electrical power source and is usually combined with other components to create a power supply. This title is devoted to the control of static converters, which deals with pulse-width modulation (PWM) techniques, and also discusses methods for current control. Various application cases are treated. The book is ideal for professionals in power engineering, power electronics, and electric drives industries, as well as practicing engineers, university professors, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students.

How many ways do exist to mix different ingredients, how many chances to win a gambling game, how many possible paths going from one place to another in a network ? To this kind of questions Mathematics applied to computer gives a stimulating and exhaustive answer. This text, presented in three parts (Combinatorics, Probability, Graphs) addresses all those who wish to acquire basic or advanced knowledge in combinatorial theories. It is actually also used as a textbook. 
Basic and advanced theoretical elements are presented through simple applications like the Sudoku game, search engine algorithm and other easy to grasp applications. Through the progression from simple to complex, the teacher acquires knowledge of the state of the art of combinatorial theory. The non conventional simultaneous presentation of algorithms, programs and theory permits a  powerful mixture of theory and practice.
All in all, the originality of this approach gives a refreshing view on combinatorial theory. Lire la suite Fermer

Risk Management under UCITS III/IV shows how asset managers, fund administrators, management companies and risk departments can satisfy the various financial regulators, which govern European markets, that they have adequate risk monitoring procedures in place for the funds they manage or administer.  The book explains all the requirements for risk management under the new UCITS III/IV regime, as well as the universe of financial instruments which can be used by portfolio managers, and identifies their associated risks and possible mitigation strategies.  It is therefore required reading for anyone trying to fully understand and comply with UCITS III/IV requirements.

It is currently quite easy for students or designers/engineers to find very general books on the various aspects of safety, reliability and dependability of computer system architectures, and partial treatments of the elements that comprise an effective system architecture. It is not so easy to find a single source reference for all these aspects of system design. However, the purpose of this book is to present, in a single volume, a full description of all the constraints (including legal contexts around performance, reliability norms, etc.) and examples of architectures from various fields of application, including: railways, aeronautics, space, automobile and industrial automation.
The content of the book is drawn from the experience of numerous people who are deeply immersed in the design and delivery (from conception to test and validation), safety (analysis of safety: FMEA, HA, etc.) and evaluation of critical systems. The involvement of real world industrial applications is handled in such as a way as to avoid problems of confidentiality, and thus allows for the inclusion of new, useful information (photos, architecture plans/schematics, real examples). Lire la suite Fermer

This book introduces and details the key facets of Combined Analysis-an x-ray and/or neutron scattering methodology which combines structural, textural, stress, microstructural, phase, layer, or other relevant variable or property analyses in a single approach. The author starts with basic theories related to diffraction by polycrystals and some of the most common combined analysis instrumental set-ups are detailed. Powder diffraction data treatment is introduced and in particular, the Rietveld analysis is discussed. The book also addresses automatic phase indexing-a necessary step to solve a structure ab initio. Since its effect prevails on real samples where textures are often stabilized, quantitative texture analysis is also detailed. Also discussed are microstructures of powder diffraction profiles; quantitative phase analysis from the Rietveld analysis; residual stress analysis for isotropic and anisotropic materials; specular x-ray reflectivity, and the various associated models. Finally, the book introduces the combined analysis concept, showing how it is superior to the view presented when we look at only one part of the analyses. This book shows that the existence of texture in a specimen can be envisaged as a way to decouple ordinarily strongly correlated parameters, as measured for instance in powder diagrams, and to examine and detail deeper material characterizations in a single methodology. Lire la suite Fermer

This reference book gives the reader a complete but comprehensive presentation of the foundations of convex analysis and presents applications to significant situations in engineering. The presentation of the theory is self-contained and the proof of all the essential results is given. The examples consider meaningful situations such as the modeling of curvilinear structures, the motion of a mass of people or the solidification of a material. Non convex situations are considered by means of relaxation methods and the connections between probability and convexity are explored and exploited in order to generate numerical algorithms.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art in the development of new and innovative materials, and of advanced modeling and characterization methods for nanoscale CMOS devices. Leading global industry bodies including the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) have created a forecast of performance improvements that will be delivered in the foreseeable future - in the form of a roadmap that will lead to a substantial enlargement in the number of materials, technologies and device architectures used in CMOS devices. This book addresses the field of materials development, which has been the subject of a major research drive aimed at finding new ways to enhance the performance of semiconductor technologies. It covers three areas that will each have a dramatic impact on the development of future CMOS devices: global and local strained and alternative materials for high speed channels on bulk substrate and insulator; very low access resistance; and various high dielectric constant gate stacks for power scaling. The book also provides information on the most appropriate modeling and simulation methods for electrical properties of advanced MOSFETs, including ballistic transport, gate leakage, atomistic simulation, and compact models for single and multi-gate devices, nanowire and carbon-based FETs. Finally, the book presents an in-depth investigation of the main nanocharacterization techniques that can be used for an accurate determination of transport parameters, interface defects, channel strain as well as RF properties, including capacitance-conductance, improved split C-V, magnetoresistance, charge pumping, low frequency noise, and Raman spectroscopy. Lire la suite Fermer

In an increasingly digital economy, mastering the quality of data is an increasingly vital yet still, in most organizations, a considerable task. The necessity of better governance and reinforcement of international rules and regulatory or oversight structures (Sarbanes Oxley, Basel II, Solvency II, IAS-IFRS, etc.) imposes on enterprises the need for greater transparency and better traceability of their data. All the stakeholders in a company have a role to play and great benefit to derive from the overall goals here, but will invariably turn towards their IT department in search of the answers. However, the majority of IT systems that have been developed within businesses are overly complex, badly adapted, and in many cases obsolete; these systems have often become a source of data or process fragility for the business.   It is in this context that the management of `reference and master data' or Master Data Management (MDM) and semantic modeling can intervene in order to straighten out the management of data in a forward-looking and sustainable manner. This book shows how company executives and IT managers can take these new challenges, as well as the advantages of using reference and master data management, into account in answering questions such as: Which data governance functions are available? How can IT be better aligned with business regulations? What is the return on investment? How can we assess intangible IT assets and data? What are the principles of semantic modeling? What is the MDM technical architecture?  In these ways they will be better able to deliver on their responsibilities to their organizations, and position them for growth and robust data management and integrity in the future. Lire la suite Fermer

Lithography is now a complex tool at the heart of a technological process for manufacturing micro and nanocomponents. A multidisciplinary technology, lithography continues to push the limits of optics, chemistry, mechanics, micro and nano-fluids, etc. This book deals with essential technologies and processes, primarily used in industrial manufacturing of microprocessors and other electronic components.

Energy storage examines different applications such as electric power generation, transmission and distribution systems, pulsed systems, transportation, buildings and mobile applications. For each of these applications, proper energy storage technologies are foreseen, with their advantages, disadvantages and limits. As electricity cannot be stored cheaply in large quantities, energy has to be stored in another form (chemical, thermal, electromagnetic, mechanical) and then converted back into electric power and/or energy using conversion systems. Most of the storage technologies are examined: batteries, hydrogen, super capacitors, SMES, flywheels, CAES, thermal storage and hydraulic gravitational storage.

This book presents recent and cutting edge advances in our understanding of key aspects of the response of materials under extreme loads that take place during high velocity impact and penetration. The focus of the content is on the numerous challenges associated with characterization and modeling of complex interactions that occur during these highly dynamic events. The following specific topics, among others, are addressed: characterization of material behavior under extreme loadings (estimate of damage, effects related to moisture contents, large pressures, large strain rates, etc.); measurement of microstructural changes associated with damage and mesoscopic scale modeling; macroscopic modeling, using the framework of the theory of viscoplasticity and damage; modeling and simulation of localization, cracking, and dynamic fragmentation of materials; application to penetration mechanics and trajectory instabilities. The book gathers together selected papers based on work presented as invited lectures at the 2nd US-France symposium held on 28-30 May 2008 in Rocamadour, France. The conference was organized by Eric Buzaud (DGA, Centre d'Études de Gramat) under the auspices of the International Center for Applied Computational Mechanics (ICACM). Lire la suite Fermer

This book provides a detailed and up-to-date overview on classification and data mining methods. The first part is focused on supervised classification algorithms and their applications, including recent research on the combination of classifiers. The second part deals with unsupervised data mining and knowledge discovery, with special attention to text mining. Discovering the underlying structure on a data set has been a key research topic associated to unsupervised techniques with multiple applications and challenges, from web-content mining to the inference of cancer subtypes in genomic microarray data. Among those, the book focuses on a new application for dialog systems which can be thereby made adaptable and portable to different domains. Clustering evaluation metrics and new approaches, such as the ensembles of clustering algorithms, are also described. Lire la suite Fermer

Sonar and Underwater Acoustics brings together all the concepts necessary for designers and users of sonar systems. Unlike other books on this subject, which are often too specialized, this book is accessible to a wider audience. The first part focuses on the acoustic environment, antenna structures, and electric acoustic interface. The latter provides knowledge required to design, as well as the development and implementation of chain processes for an active sonar from the conditioning input to output processing. The reader will find a comprehensive range of all problems encountered in underwater acoustics for a sonar application, from physical phenomena governing the environment and the corresponding constraints, through to the technical definition of transducers and antennas, and the types of signal processing involved. In one section, measures in underwater acoustics are also proposed. Lire la suite Fermer