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Culture and Explosion, now appearing in English for the very first time, is the final book written by the legendary semiotician Juri Lotman. Originally published in Russian in 1992, a year before Lotman's death, the volume puts forth a fundamental theory: the semiotics of culture. Proceeding from a model of communication, Lotman extends the work of the renowned Tartu-Moscow school that he founded, showing not only how culture can be observed and described, but also how it can be governed and guided. In fact, as Lotman demonstrates with copious examples, the modelling system of culture has an immeasurably strong influence on the way that humans experience "e;reality"e;. As usual, Lotman's erudition is brought to bear on the theory of culture, and the book comprises a host of well-chosen illustrations from history, literature, art and right across the humanities. The book is of interest to students and researchers in semiotics, cultural/literary studies and Russian studies, as well as anyone with an interest in understanding contemporary intellectual life.

International Beauvoir scholars and renowned feminist phenomenologists from North America and Europe offer a unique look at one of the most outstanding existential-philosophical studies on age and aging.

The use of English as a global lingua franca has given rise to new challenges and approaches in our understanding of language and communication. One area where ELF (English as a lingua franca) studies, both from an empirical and theoretical orientation, have the potential for significant developments is in our understanding of the relationships between language, culture and identity. ELF challenges traditional assumptions concerning the purposed 'inexorable' link between a language and a culture. Due to the multitude of users and contexts of ELF communication the supposed language, culture and identity correlation, often conceived at the national level, appears simplistic and naive. However, it is equally naive to assume that ELF is a culturally and identity neutral form of communication. All communication involves participants, purposes, contexts and histories, none of which are 'neutral'. Thus, we need new approaches to understanding the relationship between language, culture and identity which are able to account for the multifarious and dynamic nature of ELF communication.

If we needed a reminder that the world is complex and in constant motion, then 2020 certainly delivered. Suddenly, the inherent uncertainties and ambiguities of leadership were starkly revealed for all to see as the dynamics of complexity and change played out intensively, and very publicly, on the global stage. Leadership in Complexity and Change draws on complexity science to paint a picture of a world in constant motion, where leadership is enacted in the midst of complexity and continuous change. We must learn to engage with complexity. If not now, when? Part I of this insightful book brings complexity science to life by considering the practical challenges of complexity and its implications for leadership. Part II considers how leaders can reinvigorate existing tools and approaches with a new mindset, before offering some new tools and practices for learning informed leadership. Part III concludes by considering the person in the practice of leadership in complexity and change. Key ideas are presented through mini-cases and practical examples embedded throughout the book. This book will help executives, managers, and professionals recognise where some of the challenges come from understand why those challenges persist engage with the dynamic patterning of organisational life appreciate the scope for leadership recognise the choices that can be made choose how to manage themselves

Tax havens in offshore lands like Switzerland, the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas were once considered a rarity, the preserve of the super-rich. Today, they are big business available to the masses. Their goal? To avoid any form of accountability. Own nothing. Possess everything. Be answerable to no one. Where are these tax havens? What forms can they take? What future lies in store for them, and why should we care? An Anatomy of Tax Havens: Europe, the Caribbean and the United States of America answers these questions, and more, in the first comparative study in one volume of European, Caribbean and United States tax havens. It examines their simple origin to the extreme forms some take today, delving into the murky subculture that has deliberately made them impenetrably obscure. Uniquely, it combines detailed technical expertise (regulatory regimes, financial crime, legal and equitable structuring) with an analysis of their impact on domestic and global political, economic, environmental and social concerns. An Anatomy of Tax Havens is a fascinating, informative read for a broad readership; from legal, accountancy and tax practitioners to compliance regulators, law enforcement agencies, and students and researchers interested in business studies, taxation, and crime.

The book covers various thermoplastic composites, including continuous and discontinuous fiber thermoplastic composites. It describes processing methods and explains the effect of different processing parameters on the structure and performance of thermoplastic composites. Characterization and mechanics of the composite are also discussed in the book.

Separation operations are crucial throughout the process industry with respect to energy consumption, contribution to investments and ability to achieve the desired product with the right specifications. Our main objective in creating thisgraduate level textbook is to present an overview of the fundamentals underlying the most frequently used industrial separation methods. We focus on their physical principles and the basic computation methods that are required to assess their technical and economical feasibility. The textbook is organized into three main parts. Separation processes for homogeneous mixtures are treated in the parts on equilibrium based molecular separations and rate-controlled molecular separations. The part on mechanical separation technology presents an overview of the most important techniques for heterogeneous mixture separation. Each chapter provides a condensed overview of the most commonly used equipment types. The textbook is concluded with a final chapter on the main considerations in selecting an appropriate separation process for a separation task. As the design of separation processes can only be learned by doing, we have included exercises at the end of each chapter. Short answers are given at the end of this book; detailed solutions are given in a separate solution manual.

Amid the variety of human experiences, the comic occupies a distinctive place. It is simultaneously ubiquitous, relative, and fragile. In this book, Peter L. Berger reflects on the nature of the comic and its relationship to other human experiences. Berger contends that the comic is an integral aspect of human life, yet one that must be approached and analyzed circumspectly and circuitously. Beginning with an exploration of the anatomy of the comic, Berger addresses humor in philosophy, physiology, psychology, and the social sciences before turning to a discussion of different types of comedy and finally suggesting a theology of the comic in terms of its relationship to folly, redemption, and transcendence. Along the way, the reader is treated to a variety of jokes on a variety of topics, with particular emphasis on humor and its relationship to religion. Originally published in 1997, the second edition includes a new preface reflecting on Berger's work in the intervening years, particularly on the relationship between humor and modernity.

The retail industry and associated business models have gone through a significant phase of disruption. The rapid emergence of new technologies, digital business models and the evolution of social media platforms as a new sales channel continue to influence the sector. Key contextual or external trends will affect and shape the retail landscape in the years to come. Therefore, it seems important to prepare for this situation and be ready with a head start in terms of knowledge. This textbook provides its readers basic knowledge about the national and international retail sector and gives important insights into trends and developments. It deals with key trends, in particular new patterns of personal consumption, evolving geopolitical dynamics, technological advancements and structural industry shifts. Moreover, it explains why it is so important that retailers use these trends, adapt their retail strategies and tactics, create strong brands and come up with innovative, new ways of doing business. Today we are living in a challenging time for retail. This textbook tries to give insights and explanations to better understand these challenges and provide managerial implications.

In this book . . . Nicolas Vandeput hacks his way through the maze of quantitative supply chain optimizations. This book illustrates how the quantitative optimization of 21st century supply chains should be crafted and executed. . . . Vandeput is at the forefront of a new and better way of doing supply chains, and thanks to a richly illustrated book, where every single situation gets its own illustrating code snippet, so could you. --Joannes Vermorel, CEO, Lokad Inventory Optimization argues that mathematical inventory models can only take us so far with supply chain management. In order to optimize inventory policies, we have to use probabilistic simulations. The book explains how to implement these models and simulations step-by-step, starting from simple deterministic ones to complex multi-echelon optimization. The first two parts of the book discuss classical mathematical models, their limitations and assumptions, and a quick but effective introduction to Python is provided. Part 3 contains more advanced models that will allow you to optimize your profits, estimate your lost sales and use advanced demand distributions. It also provides an explanation of how you can optimize a multi-echelon supply chain based on a simple-yet powerful-framework. Part 4 discusses inventory optimization thanks to simulations under custom discrete demand probability functions. Inventory managers, demand planners and academics interested in gaining cost-effective solutions will benefit from the "do-it-yourself" examples and Python programs included in each chapter. Events around the book Link to a De Gruyter Online Event in which the author Nicolas Vandeput together with Stefan de Kok, supply chain innovator and CEO of Wahupa; Koen Cobbaert, Director in the S&O Industry practice of PwC Belgium; Bram Desmet, professor of operations & supply chain at the Vlerick Business School in Ghent; and Karl-Eric Devaux, Planning Consultant, Hatmill, discuss about models for inventory optimization.The event will be moderated by Eric Wilson, Director of Thought Leadership for Institute of Business Forecasting (IBF):https://youtu.be/565fDQMJEEg

Establishing ethical and privacy protection aspects in scientific research, especially in medical research, has a long history. Medical data are usually more sensible than other personal data and require therefore an even higher degree of protection than other personal data. In recent research projects genetic evaluations become more and more important and trigger thereby new and continuing activities in the context of data protection. Genetic data as a subset of medical data are the most sensible category of personal data and require therefore the highest degree of data protection.The book provides a systematic and itemized approach to data protection in clinical research including the handling of genetic material, genetic samples as well as derived genetic data and the subsequent secure storage of them. The set up of different kinds of clinical trials having in addition a genetic part, the concept of a genetic informed consent as well as collection schemes of samples are described in detail. Technical requirements and aspects of data protection including pseudonymization and anonymization procedures taking into account ethics committees requirements as well as the underlying legal framework are also presented.Without any exception, all principles and methods presented are best practices, repeatedly applied in different clinical environments and by no means theoretical considerations.

This book provides the background to help understand the context and key themes of the emerging digital economy. It gives the reader a framework for appreciating the critical implications of the drive to adopt digital technologies in business and offers practical insights to guide the digital transformation being undertaken by today¿s organizations.

Designed to serve as a textbook for courses in statistical analysis in linguistics, this book orients the reader to various quantitative methods and explains their implications for the field. The advantages and limitations of each method are detailed and each method is illustrated with exemplary articles presenting linguistic data.