Quality-of-Service (QoS) is normally used to describe the non-functional characteristics of Web services and as a criterion for evaluating different Web services. QoS Management of Web Services presents a new distributed QoS evaluation framework for these services. Moreover, three QoS prediction methods and two methods for creating fault-tolerant Web services are also proposed in this book. It not only provides the latest research results, but also presents an exc...

This book systematically introduces Point-of-interest (POI) recommendations in Location-based Social Networks (LBSNs). Starting with a review of the advances in this area, the book then analyzes user mobility in LBSNs from geographical and temporal perspectives. Further, it demonstrates how to build a state-of-the-art POI recommendation system by incorporating the user behavior analysis. Lastly, the book discusses future research directions in this area.This book is intended for pr...

This book offers a systematic and practical overview of Quality of Service prediction in cloud and service computing. Intended to thoroughly prepare the reader for research in cloud performance, the book first identifies common problems in QoS prediction and proposes three QoS prediction models to address them. Then it demonstrates the benefits of QoS prediction in two QoS-aware research areas. Lastly, it collects large-scale real-world temporal QoS data and publicly releases the datasets,...

The first comprehensive review of key advances in biostimulant researchCovers key groups of biostimulants: humic substances, seaweed extracts, protein hydrolysates, silicon, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)Discusses key advances in research and practical applications of biostimulants in the field

This textbook contains sections with fundamental, classical knowledge in solid mechanics, as well as original modern mathematical models to describe the state and behavior of solid deformable bodies. It has original sections with the basics of mathematical modeling in the solid mechanics, material on the basic principles, and features of mathematical formulation of model problems of solid mechanics.For successful mastering of the material, it is necessary to have basic knowledge of...

This book methodically details the formulations and approaches to solve boundary value problems, which are essential for determining the stress–strain states in three-layer rods and plates subjected to both single and quasi-static variable loads in thermal radiation and force fields. It duly considers the complex influences on the physically nonlinear properties of the materials in each layer. The book offers several innovative analytical solutions and a numerical parametric analysis of th...

A fresh perspective on statecraft in the cyber domainThe idea of “cyber war” has played a dominant role in both academic and popular discourse concerning the nature of statecraft in the cyber domain. However, this lens of war and its expectations for death and destruction may distort rather than help clarify the nature of cyber competition and conflict. Are cyber activities actually more like an intelligence contest, where both states and nonstate actors grapple fo...