Skylan Ivorson is the gods-chosen Chief of all Vindras clans. But the gods from whom the Vindrasi draw their earth-dwelling power are besieged by a new generation of gods who are challenging them for the powers of creation. The only way to stop these brash interlopers lies within the Five Bones of the Vektia Dragon, which have been lost for generations. Calling upon the ogres to fight their common foes, the Vindrasi soon find themselves in the middle of an even larger war. Skylan and his V...

High pressure mineral physics is a field that has shaped our understanding of deep planetary interiors and revealed new material phenomena occurring at extreme conditions. Comprised of sixteen chapters written by well-established experts, this book covers recent advances in static and dynamic compression techniques and enhanced diagnostic capabilities, including synchrotron X-ray and neutron diffraction, spectroscopic measurements, in situ X-ray diffraction under dynamic loading, and multi...

Information Architecture is about organizing and simplifying information, designing and integrating information spaces/systems, and creating ways for people to find and interact with information content. Its goal is to help people understand and manage information and make the right decisions accordingly. This updated and revised edition of the book looks at integrated information spaces in the web context and beyond, with a focus on putting theories and principles into practice.In...

Irrespective of the language taught, whether first, second, or foreign, knowledge of linguistics and its application is a must for language teachers. However, most TESOL programs use general linguistics textbooks that deal with the science of linguistics (as theory), disregarding its implications (practice) for teaching English language learners. Applied Linguistics for Teachers of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners is an essential scholarly publication that seeks to contribute...

This book marks a departure from traditional assumptions concerning the deficiencies of Chinese international students in terms of learning and adapting. It employs phenomenological narrative inquiry and a small culture approach to investigate the evolved, fluid experience of pursuing a graduate degree in the U.S. at Blue Fountain University (a pseudonym for a mid-western university).Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, this book addresses two fundamental questions: What stud...

The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is referred to as an efficient and inevitable convergence of the Internet of Things, intelligent transportation systems, edge / fog and cloud computing, and big data, all of which could be intelligently harvested for the cooperative vehicular safety and non-safety applications as well as cooperative mobility management. A secure and low-latency communication is, therefore, indispensable to meet the stringent performance requirements of the safety-critical veh...

Teaching and Learning Chinese as a Second or Foreign Language, edited by Ko-Yin Sung, addresses three emerging themes in the field of Chinese language teaching and learning. (1) Increasingly ubiquitous in all language learning and teaching, and for the learning of Chinese as a second language in particular, information and communication technology (ICT) can serve as an important and effective tool. Several chapters focus on how certain emerging ICT tools are applied in teaching and learnin...

This book provides an introduction to the theory of stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) of evolutionary type. SPDEs are one of the main research directions in probability theory with several wide ranging applications. Many types of dynamics with stochastic influence in nature or man-made complex systems can be modelled by such equations. The theory of SPDEs is based both on the theory of deterministic partial differential equations, as well as on modern stochastic analysis.

Climate change is a key problem of the 21st century. China, as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has committed to stabilize its current emissions and dramatically increase the share of electricity production from non-fossil fuels by 2030. However, this is only a first step: in the longer term, China needs to aggressively strive to reach a goal of zero-emissions. Through detailed discussions of electricity pricing, electric vehicle policies, nuclear energy policies, and renewable ene...

This book presents the latest research on the software crowdsourcing approach to develop large and complex software in a cloud-based platform. It develops the fundamental principles, management organization and processes, and a cloud-based infrastructure to support this new software development approach. The book examines a variety of issues in software crowdsourcing processes, including software quality, costs, diversity of solutions, and the competitive nature of crowdsourcing processes....

This book explores integrated information spaces in the web context and beyond, with a focus on putting theories and principles into practice. The authors illustrate the heightened significance of Information Architecture (IA) and User Experience (UX) in industry and society. Building on foundational perspectives, the book explores advanced topics such as user research, the evolving role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), human information behaviors, and systems thinking. This Third Edition ...

This edited book on Digital Technologies and Early Childhood in China: Policy and Practice is the eighth volume in the Research in Global Child Advocacy Series. This volume details the entanglement of digital technologies and early childhood ecologies, learning and pedagogies in China. It analyses how traditional Chinese values, Eastern and Western curricular approaches, and socio-political, economic, cultural, and demographic changes influence current policies, services, and practice. Thi...