This proceeding represents state-of-the-art trends and developments in the emerging field of engineering asset management as presented at the Eight World Congress on Engineering Asset Management (WCEAM). The Proceedings of the WCEAM 2013 is an excellent reference for practitioners, researchers and students in the multidisciplinary field of asset management, covering topics such as: Asset con…
Applying novel datasets, Fabian Gäßler analyzes how key aspects of the current patent system in Europe and Germany, respectively, affect patent enforcement and patent trade. In particular, he shows what factors determine court selection in patent litigation and how the jurisdictional separation of validity and infringement questions favors the patent holder. The author further provides empiri…
This book discusses the links between the basis of motivational, leadership and curricular constructs with regards to 21st century and net-generation learning. It brings together recent developments in motivation, educational leadership and curriculum design in order to offer a better understanding of what is already known and what is yet to be explored in these fields. It consists of a collect…
This work explores and explicates learner motivation in online learning environments. More specifically, it uses a case-study approach to examine undergraduate students’ motivation within two formal and separate online learning contexts. In doing so, it recognizes the mutually constitutive relationship of the learner and the learning environment in relation to motivation. This is distinctive …
What effect did the Great Recession have on innovation efficiency and the effectiveness of scarce resource management? Did countries with high GDPs and GDPs per capita sustain efficient innovation? How did the recession affect the time lag between innovation development and implementation? This book presents the most comprehensive data set in current economic literature to measure and compare t…
This book analyzes the main problems in the real-time control of parallel hybrid electric powertrains in non-road applications that work in continuous high dynamic operation. It also provides practical insights into maximizing the energy efficiency and drivability of such powertrains. It introduces an energy-management control structure, which considers all the physical powertrain constraint…
This book delivers a deep insight into thermal polymer degradation features and put a particular emphasis on blends, composites and nanocomposites. It examines the thermal stability and the mechanism of degrading for every class of polymer substances and studies the effect on reinforcement to all classes. The book further explores the thermal stability when nano particles are added and summariz…
This volume showcases contributions from leading academics, educators and policymakers derived from two workshops hosted by the Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science (ICES) at George Mason University on internationalization and competitiveness. It aims to present key areas of current research and to identify basic problems within the field to promote further discussion and research. …
This text is an advancement of the theory of vibration protection of mechanical systems with lumped and distributed parameters. The book offers various concepts and methods of solving vibration protection problems, discusses the advantages and disadvantages of different methods, and the fields of their effective applications. Fundamental approaches of vibration protection, which are consid…
Given the rapid advances in the field, this book offers an up-to-date introduction to nanomaterials and nanotechnology. Though condensed into a relatively small volume, it spans the whole range of multidisciplinary topics related to nanotechnology. Starting with the basic concepts of quantum mechanics and solid state physics, it presents both physical and chemical synthetic methods, as well…