Databases and information systems are the backbone of modern information technology, and are crucial to the IT systems which support all aspects of our everyday life; from government, education and healthcare, to business processes and the storage of our personal photos and archives. This book presents 27 of the best revised papers selected from the 43 papers accepted following stringent peer review for the 2012 International Baltic Biennial Conference on Databases and Information Systems (Baltic DB&IS 2012), held in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July 2012. The conference provided a forum for the exchange of scientific achievements between the research communities of the Baltic countries and the rest of the world in the area of databases and information systems, bringing together researchers, practitioners and Ph.D. students from many countries. The subject areas covered at the conference included databases, data mining and optimization in IS, business modeling, cloud computing, IS engineering tools and techniques, as well as advanced E-learning environments and technologies. The book also includes presentations from two of the invited speakers at the conference: Exponential Growth of ICT: How Long Can It Last, by Prof. Arne Sølvberg and Variable Systems Model in Information Systems Development by Prof. Marite Kirikova.

Due to market forces and technological evolution, Big Data computing is developing at an increasing rate. A wide variety of novel approaches and tools have emerged to tackle the challenges of Big Data, creating both more opportunities and more challenges for students and professionals in the field of data computation and analysis. Presenting a mix

This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 6th Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems, SCIS 2015, held in Oulu, Finland, in August 2015. The theme for this book as well as for the conference is “Design for, with, and by Users.” This theme has characterized information systems research already for decades, and it is still a vibrant topic, especially so within the Scandinavian tradition. The 16 full papers accepted for SCIS 2015 were selected from 44 submissions. In addition, two keynote extended abstracts and one keynote paper are included.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Model and Data Engineering, MEDI 2015, held in Rhodes, Greece, in September 2015. The 18 full papers and 9 short papers presented together with 2 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 55 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections such as modeling and meta modeling; ontology-based modeling, reasoning and reuse; event-B and modeling languages; context modeling and model transformation; data mining; query processing; modeling activities and inference; prediction and recommendation; requirement and systems engineering.

In a world increasingly concerned about the impact of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere on global climate, the A Carbon Primer for the Built Environment will provide an understanding of the science and the public policy and regulation intended to tackle climate change. It will spell out the essential information needed for navigating through the growing regulatory maze with confidence. The book will: Provide an explanation of climate change, why carbon has been targeted as the main culprit and how this will impact the working lives of architects Explain key concepts such as: carbon footprinting, contraction & convergence, concentration based targets, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, decarbonising supply and reducing energy demand as well as the relevance of relevant government targets and international agreements Suggest an overall framework for achieving the carbon reduction targets and the requirements that will place on building designers Outline requirements and common standards and codes – providing guidance on compliance mechanisms Suggest and examine likely models for future practice The book will be essential reading for anyone wanting to familiarise themselves with the new landscape of carbon reduction in the built environment, with a particular focus on building design. It will also provide an accessible reference volume for information on particular policies, terms and initiatives as well as key data and numbers that will assist initial carbon calculations.

This timely book addresses the need for further measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, arguing that the EU Emissions Trading Scheme does not offer sufficient incentives for the carbon-intensive materials sector. It highlights the challenge that emissions from industries such as iron and steel, cement and aluminium, amongst others, pose to the EU’s commitment to significantly cut emissions by 2030.