Reliability

As the first historian of Christianity, Luke's reliability is vigorously disputed among scholars. The author of the Acts is often accused of being a biased, imprecise, and anti-Jewish historian who created a distorted portrait of Paul. Daniel Marguerat tries to avoid being caught in this true/false quagmire when examining Luke's interpretation of history. Instead he combines different tools - reflection upon historiography, the rules of ancient historians and narrative criticism - to analyse the Acts and gauge the historiographical aims of their author. Marguerat examines the construction of the narrative, the framing of the plot and the characterization, and places his evaluation firmly in the framework of ancient historiography, where history reflects tradition and not documentation. This is a fresh and original approach to the classic themes of Lucan theology: Christianity between Jerusalem and Rome, the image of God, the work of the Spirit, the unity of Luke and the Acts.

One of the most fascinating sub-divisions within the rapidly growing field of psychology and law is the area of deception detection. Traditionally this area has been characterised by a number of approaches which have analysed different aspects of deception such as verbal content, non-verbal behaviour, and polygraph testing. The last few years' intensive research has resulted in an impressive corpus of new knowledge about issues such as cross-cultural deception, the detection of simulated amnesia and false confessions, lie-catching expertise and how best to train professionals in detecting deception. This book provides a state-of-the-art account of current research and practice, written by an international team of experts and will be a valuable resource for academics, students, practitioners and all professionals within the legal domain who need to tackle questions of credibility and reliability.

One of the most fascinating sub-divisions within the rapidly growing field of psychology and law is the area of deception detection. Traditionally this area has been characterised by a number of approaches which have analysed different aspects of deception such as verbal content, non-verbal behaviour, and polygraph testing. The last few years' intensive research has resulted in an impressive corpus of new knowledge about issues such as cross-cultural deception, the detection of simulated amnesia and false confessions, lie-catching expertise and how best to train professionals in detecting deception. This book provides a state-of-the-art account of current research and practice, written by an international team of experts and will be a valuable resource for academics, students, practitioners and all professionals within the legal domain who need to tackle questions of credibility and reliability.

In this 2004 book, Noah Lemos presents a strong defense of the common sense tradition, the view that we may take as data for philosophical inquiry many of the things we ordinarily think we know. He discusses the main features of that tradition as expounded by Thomas Reid, G. E. Moore and Roderick Chisholm. For a long time common sense philosophers have been subject to two main objections: that they fail to give any non-circular argument for the reliability of memory and perception; and that they pick out instances of knowledge without knowing a criterion for knowledge. Lemos defends the appeal to what we ordinarily think we know in both epistemology and ethics and thus rejects the charge that common sense is dogmatic, unphilosophical or question-begging. Written in a clear and engaging style, this book will appeal to students and philosophers in epistemology and ethics.

The Advanced Metallization Conference (AMC) marked its twentieth anniversary in 2003. Technical leaders from around the world gather to discuss developments in the areas of interconnect performance, advanced metallization, low-dielectric constant materials, barrier metallization, atomic layer deposition, vertical integration, advanced packaging and optical interconnects. In particular, presentations highlight both the advances and future challenges associated with multilevel interconnect. The latest developments in the integration of copper-based metallization with low-dielectric constant materials, and advances in the understanding of copper morphology and the reliability of the component materials of interconnect systems, are featured. Additional contributions discuss the development of advanced materials and advanced process technologies. Optimization of interconnect performance and density, and alternatives to metal-based interconnect, are addressed in papers on interconnect perfor

The world of intelligence has been completely transformed by the end of the Cold War and the onset of an age of information. Prior to the 1990s, US government intelligence had one principal target, the Soviet Union; a narrow set of 'customers', the political and military officials of the US government; and a limited set of information from the sources they owned, spy satellites and spies. Today, world intelligence has many targets, numerous consumers - not all of whom are American or in the government - and too much information, most of which is not owned by the U.S. government and is of widely varying reliability. In this bold and penetrating study, Gregory Treverton, former Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council and Senate investigator, offers his insider's views on how intelligence gathering and analysis must change. He suggests why intelligence needs to be both contrarian, leaning against the conventional wisdom, and attentive to the longer term, leaning against the growin

As the first historian of Christianity, Luke's reliability is vigorously disputed among scholars. The author of the Acts is often accused of being a biased, imprecise, and anti-Jewish historian who created a distorted portrait of Paul. Daniel Marguerat tries to avoid being caught in this true/false quagmire when examining Luke's interpretation of history. Instead he combines different tools - reflection upon historiography, the rules of ancient historians and narrative criticism - to analyse the Acts and gauge the historiographical aims of their author. Marguerat examines the construction of the narrative, the framing of the plot and the characterization, and places his evaluation firmly in the framework of ancient historiography, where history reflects tradition and not documentation. This is a fresh and original approach to the classic themes of Lucan theology: Christianity between Jerusalem and Rome, the image of God, the work of the Spirit, the unity of Luke and the Acts.

This edition collects all the surviving evidence for the fifth-century BCE Athenian sophist Antiphon and presents it together with a translation and a full commentary, which assesses its reliability and significance. Although Antiphon is not as familiar a figure as sophists such as Protagoras and Gorgias, substantial fragments have survived from his major works, On Truth and On Concord, including extensive remains preserved on papyrus. In addition, information about his doctrines is preserved by ancient writers ranging in time from Aristotle to Simplicius and beyond. The introduction provides a brief sketch of Antiphon, his works, and his place in the fifth-century BCE sophistic movement, including his important contribution to the contemporary debate over the relation of law (nomos) and nature (physis). It also deals with the controversial question of the identity of Antiphon the sophist in relation to Antiphon of Rhamnus and other men of the same name.

Scientists and 'anti-scientists' alike need a more realistic image of science. The traditional mode of research, academic science, is not just a 'method': it is a distinctive culture, whose members win esteem and employment by making public their findings. Fierce competition for credibility is strictly regulated by established practices such as peer review. Highly specialized international communities of independent experts form spontaneously and generate the type of knowledge we call 'scientific' - systematic, theoretical, empirically-tested, quantitative, and so on. Ziman shows that these familiar 'philosophical' features of scientific knowledge are inseparable from the ordinary cognitive capabilities and peculiar social relationships of its producers. This wide-angled close-up of the natural and human sciences recognizes their unique value, whilst revealing the limits of their rationality, reliability, and universal applicability. It also shows how, for better or worse, the new 'po

This book examines the development of the English patent system and its relationship with technical change during the period between 1660 and 1800, when the patent system evolved from an instrument of royal patronage into one of commercial competition among the inventors and manufacturers of the Industrial Revolution. It analyses the legal and political framework within which patenting took place and gives an account of the motivations and fortunes of patentees, who obtained patents for a variety of purposes beyond the simple protection of an invention. It includes the first in-depth attempt to gauge the reliability of the patent statistics as a measure of inventive activity and technical change in the early part of the Industrial Revolution, and suggests that the distribution of patents is a better guide to the advance of capitalism than to the centres of inventive activity. It also queries the common assumption that the chief goal of inventors was to save labour, and examines contemp

This book focuses on recent work in on-chip interconnects and other aspects of advanced metallization. In particular, the concentration for this year's volume is on the rapid advances in copper and low-K. The volume is divided into nine parts: Part I contains an invited perspective on the state of semiconductor research and development in Japan; Part II focuses on performance aspects of interconnect architectures; Part III includes some of the most significant recent advances in copper/low-K integration; Part IV is an in-depth collection of electrochemical and chemical processes, mainly pertaining to copper; Part V contains state-of-the-art papers on thin-film diffusion barriers, again mainly for copper wiring; Part VI covers reliability engineering and results; Part VII is a collection of alternative and novel processes and systems related to circuit interconnection; Part VIII contains papers on specific low-K dielectrics and their properties, and new methods for their characterizatio

Leading-edge advanced metallization schemes, as applied to VLSI interconnects, include the introduction of novel metals systems and novel dielectric materials. Technological advances highlighted at AMC 2001 include the latest developments in integrating copper metallization with low-dielectric constant materials, and evaluations of the reliability of such interconnects. Recently, in both industry and academia there has been increased interest in basic research as applied to the field of vertical integration. Since the problems that affect vertical integration are similar to those of VLSI interconnects, it is natural to include the topic here. In fact, it is anticipated that cross fertilization between the fields of VLSI metallization and vertical interconnect will yield a viable technical solution to the problem of multichip integration. This book offers a comprehensive look at the current state of the art of VLSI interconnects. Topics include: process integration; vertical integration

The world of intelligence has been completely transformed by the end of the Cold War and the onset of an age of information. Prior to the 1990s, US government intelligence had one principal target, the Soviet Union; a narrow set of 'customers', the political and military officials of the US government; and a limited set of information from the sources they owned, spy satellites and spies. Today, world intelligence has many targets, numerous consumers - not all of whom are American or in the government - and too much information, most of which is not owned by the U.S. government and is of widely varying reliability. In this bold and penetrating study, Gregory Treverton, former Vice Chair of the National Intelligence Council and Senate investigator, offers his insider's views on how intelligence gathering and analysis must change. He suggests why intelligence needs to be both contrarian, leaning against the conventional wisdom, and attentive to the longer term, leaning against the growin

When a structure is put under an increasing compressive load, it becomes unstable and buckling occurs. Buckling is a particularly significant concern in designing shell structures such as aircraft, automobiles, ships, or bridges. This book discusses stability analysis and buckling problems and offers practical tools for dealing with uncertainties that exist in real systems. The techniques are based on two complementary theories which are developed in the text. First, the probabilistic theory of stability is presented, with particular emphasis on reliability. Both theoretical and computational issues are discussed. Secondly, the authors present the alternative to probability based on the notion of 'anti-optimization', a theory that is valid when the necessary information for probabilistic analysis is absent, that is, when only scant data are available. Design engineers, researchers, and graduate students in aerospace, mechanical, marine, and civil engineering who are concerned with iss

Scientists and 'anti-scientists' alike need a more realistic image of science. The traditional mode of research, academic science, is not just a 'method': it is a distinctive culture, whose members win esteem and employment by making public their findings. Fierce competition for credibility is strictly regulated by established practices such as peer review. Highly specialized international communities of independent experts form spontaneously and generate the type of knowledge we call 'scientific' - systematic, theoretical, empirically-tested, quantitative, and so on. Ziman shows that these familiar 'philosophical' features of scientific knowledge are inseparable from the ordinary cognitive capabilities and peculiar social relationships of its producers. This wide-angled close-up of the natural and human sciences recognizes their unique value, whilst revealing the limits of their rationality, reliability, and universal applicability. It also shows how, for better or worse, the new 'po

This advanced textbook provides the reader with an up-to-date account of recent developments and future potential in the study of human skeletons from both an archaeological and forensic context. It is well-illustrated, comprehensive in its coverage and is divided into six sections for ease of reference, encompassing such areas as palaeodemography, juvenile health and growth, disease and trauma, normal skeletal variation, biochemical and microscopic analyses and facial reconstruction. Each chapter is written by a recognised specialist in the field, and includes in-depth discussion of the reliability of methods, with appropriate references, and current and future research directions. It is essential reading for all students undertaking osteology as part of their studies and will also prove a valuable reference for forensic scientists, both in the field and the laboratory.

Tax-benefit models are powerful tools for the analysis of the impact of policy reform, in regular use around the world in government and research organisations. This study focuses on one particular model, POLIMOD, and performs three tasks. It provides an illustration of the type of analysis that can be performed, and demonstrates the sensitivity of results to some of the key assumptions that are made. It steps inside POLIMOD and documents some of the inner layers of data manipulation and model construction that drive its output. And it provides a detailed assessment of the reliability of those outputs based on a validation against external sources. The study offers those who use models like POLIMOD, or their outputs, an appreciation of the constraints and assumptions that shape the analysis they provide. And it provides those directly involved in the development of microsimulation models with a guide to methods.

This book is a comprehensive introduction to the mechanical properties of ceramics, and is designed primarily as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in materials science and engineering. Over the past 25 years ceramics have become key materials in the development of many new technologies as scientists have been able to design these materials with new structures and properties. An understanding of the factors that influence their mechanical behavior and reliability is essential. This book will introduce the reader to current concepts in the field. It contains problems and exercises to help readers develop their skills. Although designed principally as a textbook for advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this book will also be of value as a supplementary text for more general courses and to industrial scientists and engineers involved in the development of ceramic-based products, materials selection and mechanical design.

Probabilistic modelling is the most cost-effective means of performance and reliability evaluation of complex dynamic systems. This self-contained text will be welcomed by students and teachers for its no-nonsense treatment of the basic results and examples of their application. The only mathematical background that is assumed is basic calculus. The necessary fundamentals of probability theory are included, as well as an introduction to renewal, Poisson and Markov processes. Models arising in the fields of manufacturing, computing and communications, involving single or multiple service stations and one or more customer classes, are examined in some detail. Both exact and approximate solution methods are discussed, including recent techniques such as spectral expansion. Special attention is devoted to models of systems subject to breakdowns and repairs. Throughout the book, strong emphasis is placed on explaining the ideas behind the results and helping the reader to use them, making t

Probabilistic modelling is the most cost-effective means of performance and reliability evaluation of complex dynamic systems. This self-contained text will be welcomed by students and teachers for its no-nonsense treatment of the basic results and examples of their application. The only mathematical background that is assumed is basic calculus. The necessary fundamentals of probability theory are included, as well as an introduction to renewal, Poisson and Markov processes. Models arising in the fields of manufacturing, computing and communications, involving single or multiple service stations and one or more customer classes, are examined in some detail. Both exact and approximate solution methods are discussed, including recent techniques such as spectral expansion. Special attention is devoted to models of systems subject to breakdowns and repairs. Throughout the book, strong emphasis is placed on explaining the ideas behind the results and helping the reader to use them, making t

The success of any interview or questionnaire depends upon good question design, yet most of the available literature has been devoted to interview techniques, rather than question formulation. This practical book provides a coherent, theoretical basis for the construction of valid and reliable questions for interviews and questionnaires. The theoretical framework used in the book provides a set of principles that, when followed, will increase the validity and reliability of verbal data collected for social research. Dr Foddy outlines the problems which can arise when framing questions with clarity and commonsense. He has written a wide ranging, useful book for survey practitioners working in the social sciences.

From ancient Greek temples to twentieth-century towers, engineers have learned more about design from failure than success. The concept of error, according to the author, is central to the design process. As a way of explaining the enduring aspects of engineering design, he relates stories of some of the greatest engineering successes and failures of all time. These case studies, drawn from a wide range of times and places, serve as paradigms of error and judgment in engineering design. By showing how errors were introduced in the design process and how they might be avoided, the book suggests how better quality and reliability might be achieved in designed devices, structures, and systems of all kinds. Clearly written, with striking illustrations, the book will appeal to engineering students, practising engineers, historians of science and technology, and all those interested in learning about the process of design.

The success of any interview or questionnaire depends upon good question design, yet most of the available literature has been devoted to interview techniques, rather than question formulation. This practical book provides a coherent, theoretical basis for the construction of valid and reliable questions for interviews and questionnaires. The theoretical framework used in the book provides a set of principles that, when followed, will increase the validity and reliability of verbal data collected for social research. Dr Foddy outlines the problems which can arise when framing questions with clarity and commonsense. He has written a wide ranging, useful book for survey practitioners working in the social sciences.

This 1991 book was the first comprehensive study of the role of socialist countries within the international economic order. The author presents an overview of the emergence of the postwar economic order and examines the key features of three kinds of centrally planned economies. He then analyses the role of financial frameworks and the international trade system in ensuring smooth economic relations among market-type economies and he details the problems of associating typical CPEs within them. Finally Jozef van Brabant explores the possibility of reconstituting a multilateral economic order that can provide greater security, predictability, stability, and reliability in international economic relations. The Planned Economies and International Economic Organizations was written at a time when the Soviet Union and other centrally planned economies were seeking closer links with the mainstream world economy. It will therefore be of interest to governments and institutional economists as

The essays in Economics as a Process are all concerned with exploring theoretical approaches alternative to the conventional or 'neoclassical' paradigm. Among the schools of thought represented are transaction-cost economics: evolutionary theories: modern 'Austrian' economies: law and economics: reliability theory: and the game-theory approach to the economics of social institutions. The essays are united not by a single topic but by a coherent set of themes - themes best described under the heading of the New Institutional Economics. These include an interest in economic processes as well as in states of equilibrium: a sensitivity to the limits and contours of human rationality: and an emphasis on the various sorts of social institutions that aid and inform economic action. But the essays are not solely methodological or critical. They also include substantive essays that illustrate the New Institutional Economics in practice.

Greek and Roman history has largely been reconstructed from the works of Herodotus, Thucydides, Livy, Tacitus, and other major authors who are today well represented in English translations. But much equally valuable documentary material is buried in inscriptions and papyri and in the works of Greek and Roman grammarians and scholars, and less well known historians and literary figures, of whose writings only isolated quotations have been preserved. Translated Documents of Greece and Rome has been planned to provide, above all, primary source material for the study of the classical world. It makes important historical documents available in English to scholars and students of classical history. The format of the translations is remarkable in attempting to reproduce faithfully the textual difficulties and uncertainties inherent in the documents, so that the reader without a knowledge of classical languages can assess the reliability of the various readings and interpretations. The autho

Originally published in Italian in 1976, this book describes the methods scientists use to investigate the physical world. It is ideal for students and teachers of science and the philosophy of science. It is both a high-level popularization and a critical appraisal of these methods, describing important advances in physics and analyzing the historical development, value, reliability and philosophical implications of the way physicists approach the problems confronting them. The introductory chapter on the meaning of physical theories and the mathematical tools used to develop them is followed by a general discussion on the foundations of physics under four major headings: the physics of the reversible, the physics of the irreversible, microphysics, and cosmology. Throughout, the subject matter of physical theories is linked to discussion of the attendant philosophical and epistemological implications, such as the validity of the theories, inductive inference, causal explanation, proba

A wide-ranging study of the central concepts in epistemology - belief, truth and knowledge. Professor Armstrong offers a dispositional account of general beliefs and of knowledge of general propositions. Belief about particular matters of fact are described as structures in the mind of the believer which represent or 'map' reality, while general beliefs are dispositions to extend the 'map' or introduce casual relations between portions of the map according to general rules. 'Knowledge' denotes the reliability of such beliefs as representations of reality. Within this framework Professor Armstrong offers a distinctive account of many of the main questions in general epistemology - the relations between beliefs and language, the notions of proposition, concept and idea, the analysis of truth, the varieties of knowledge, and the way in which beleifs and knowledge are supported by reasons. The book as a whole if offered as a contribution to a naturalistic account of man.

The British Constitution is accepted, in England at least, as the symbol for soundness and reliability: and yet its unwritten mysteries and its practical resilience are the despair of theorists. It is as unexpected as a person, and seems to be defined only by the fact that it lives and works. This 1966 book, then, might be described as a biography by one who has a first-hand knowledge of his subject. It offers ordinary British citizens a reasonable and detached introduction to the system in which they play so large a part; at the same time it provides, for friends and critics overseas, a simple and reliable account of its growth and functioning.

面對市場經濟競爭和消費者對產品可靠性的需求，《可靠性工程》立足于現代可靠性理論及其最新發展，參考國內外可靠性工程領域的成功經驗和方法，按照“可靠性基礎理論、可靠性模型、可靠性技術、可靠性管理、可靠性應用”這一主線，系統介紹了可靠性工程基本理論、方法和技術，突出強調可靠性工程理論方法與實踐應用的結合，重點培養學生的學以致用能力。全書共分9章，內容包括：可靠性基礎理論、系統可靠性模型、可靠性設計、系統可靠性故障分析、可靠性試驗、可靠性數據分析、RCM（reliability-centered maintenance）分析、可靠性管理和可靠性軟件及應用。

本書從案例分析入手，圍繞應急指揮部這一組織載體的運行過程開展應急響應失靈分析，提出了靈活性和規範性的應急響應模式標準；從失靈出發分析了影響應急響應可靠的多重因素，進而構建了應急響應可靠性機理模型；通過實證研究和案例分析，揭示了非常規突發事件應急響應可靠性的提升策略。本書在一定程度上回答了在有限的時間內，應急響應組織如何有效協調響應人員及物資，進而實現應急響應任務目標可靠性管理的問題。

This book contains extended and revised versions of the best papers presented at the 24th IFIP WG 10.5/IEEE International Conference on Very Large Scale Integration, VLSI-SoC 2016, held in Tallinn, Es

This book discusses reliability and performance of progressively loaded arrays of vertical nanopillars. The author employs statistical method and simulations to study how waves of fractured pillars ev

This book presents advanced studies on the conversion efficiency, mechanical reliability, and the quality of power related to wind energy systems. The main concern regarding such systems is reconcilin

Quantitative consumer research has long been the backbone of consumer psychology producing insights with peerless validity and reliability. This new book addresses a broad range of approaches to consu

Quality underpins the success (or failure) of any piece of qualitative research. In this book, Uwe Flick takes you through the steps in method and design to ensure quality and reliability throughout t

Celebrating over 30 years as the market-leading series, Blackstone's Statutes have an unrivalled tradition of trust and quality. With a rock-solid reputation for accuracy, reliability, and authority,

When at Hitler’s insistence the first Tiger I tanks went into action in Tunisia in December 1942 they rapidly gained a formidable fighting reputation despite their lack of reliability and the small nu

For six decades, the 7.62mm FN MAG has been a dominant general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) in worldwide arsenals. Three qualities have guaranteed this enduring status--reliability, ease of operation, a

Dissatisfied with the reliability of its AEC Merlin and Swift single-deck buses, London Transport in 1973 purchased six Leyland Nationals for evaluation. Liking what it saw of this ultimate standard p