This edited volume undertakes a systematic exploration of China's multifaceted interactions with five pivotal players situated in the Indo-Pacific: the United States, Japan, India, Australia, and ASEAN. By delving into both the theoretical underpinnings of state-to-state relationships and the empirical nuances of China's strategic engagements with these five critical actors, this book casts a clarifying light on the complexity of China's bilateral ties within the region.The strateg...

Advanced methodologies in machine learning, optimal control, and agricultural water management to address irrigation scheduling in large-scale agricultureThrough a multidisciplinary approach, Precision Irrigation for Agriculture presents rigorous and practical methods that integrate machine learning, optimal control, and agricultural water management to design irrigation schedulers tailored for large-scale agricultural fields. The book includes case studie...

Merging Optimization and Control in Power SystemsA novel exploration of distributed control in power systems with insightful discussions of physical and cyber restrictionsIn Merging Optimization and Control in Power Systems an accomplished team of engineers deliver a comprehensive introduction to distributed optimal control in power systems. The book re-imagines control design within the framework of cyber-physical systems with res...

Fingerprints are among the most widely used biometric modalities and have been successfully applied in various scenarios. For example, in forensics, fingerprints serve as important legal evidence; and in civilian applications, fingerprints are used for access and attendance control as well as other identity services. Thanks to advances in three-dimensional (3D) and high-resolution imaging technology, it is now feasible to capture 3D or high-resolution fingerprints to provide extra informat...

This unique book describes the fundamental concepts, theories and practice of visual cryptography. The design, construction, analysis, and application of visual cryptography schemes (VCSs) are discussed in detail. Original, cutting-edge research is presented on probabilistic, size invariant, threshold, concolorous, and cheating immune VCS. Features: provides a thorough introduction to the field; examines various common problems in visual cryptography, including the alignment, flipping, che...

The authors start the book with overviews of the understanding and management of atopic dermatitis in conventional and Chinese medicine. They then review how atopic dermatitis was treated with herbal medicine and other Chinese medicine therapies in past eras, and highlight the treatments that continue to be used in contemporary clinical practice.The authors use evidence-based medicine principles and scientific techniques to review the current state of evidence from clinical studies of Chin...

Sport has become a global business. There is no corner of the Earth that isn't reached by coverage of global sporting mega-events such as the Olympics or the World Cup, events managed by international governing bodies such as the IOC and FIFA that operate like major international businesses. Companies such as Nike now design, produce, distribute and market their products across every continent, while an increasingly important part of every country's sport market is now international in ter...

As the aspirations of the two rising Asian powers collide, the China-India rivalry is likely to shape twenty-first-century international politics in the region and far beyond.This volume by T.V. Paul and an international group of leading scholars examines whether the rivalry between the two countries that began in the 1950s will intensify or dissipate in the twenty-first century. The China-India relationship is important to analyze because past experience has shown that when two ri...

This book presents general methods for the design of economic model predictive control (EMPC) systems for broad classes of nonlinear systems that address key theoretical and practical considerations including recursive feasibility, closed-loop stability, closed-loop performance, and computational efficiency. Specifically, the book proposes:Lyapunov-based EMPC methods for nonlinear systems;two-tier EMPC architectures that are highly computationally efficient; and

This book addresses the fundamental concepts in the theory and practice of visual cryptography. The design, construction, analysis, and application of visual cryptography schemes (VCSs) are discussed in detail. Original, cutting-edge research is presented on probabilistic, size invariant, threshold, concolorous, and cheating immune VCS. This updated second edition has also been expanded with new content on braille and 2D barcode authentication of visual cryptography shares. Features: conta...

Networked and Distributed Predictive Control presents rigorous, yet practical, methods for the design of networked and distributed predictive control systems – the first book to do so. The design of model predictive control systems using Lyapunov-based techniques accounting for the influence of asynchronous and delayed measurements is followed by a treatment of networked control architecture development. This shows how networked control can augment dedicated control systems in a natural wa...

The doctrine of deification or theosis has been gaining interest among scholars for some time. Yet most publications on the topic have focused on Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions and have subsumed the discussion under the category of soteriology. If "being transformed into the same image" (2 Corinthians 3:18) is truly essential to the Christian life, a fuller understanding of this biblical concept is needed for Christians of all traditions.In this vo...