The Road to Renewal


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"In The Road to Renewal: Private Investment in U.S. Transportation Infrastructure, R. Richard Geddes surveys the current state of the American transportation system and finds that, like the roads themselves, the existing policy approach is in desperate need of repair. Drawing on the basic economic principles behind supply, demand, competition, and incentives, Geddes argues that a shift toward increased use of public-private partnerships (PPPs)--contractual agreements between public agencies and private parties that allow private participation in the design, construction, operation, and delivery of transportation facilities--could significantly improve the quality of America's transportation infrastructure. By learning to see themselves as customers and investors--rather than mere users--of roads and highways, Americans should expect to receive a reasonable return on their investment: thorough, effective maintenance of America's transportation infrastructure. The Road to Renewal shows how incorporating increased private participation can halt the deterioration of America's transportation system and become the foundation for a safer, more efficient transportation future."--P. [4] of cover.




Self-Renewal


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“The only stability possible is stability in motion.”—John William Gardner In his classic treatise Self-Renewal, John W. Gardner examines why great societies thrive and die. He argues that it is dynamism, not decay, that is dramatically altering the landscape of American society. The twentieth century has brought about change more rapidly than any previous era, and with that came advancements, challenges, and often destruction. Gardner cautions that “a society must court the kinds of change that will enrich and strengthen it, rather than the kind of change that will fragment and destroy it.” A society’s ability to renew itself hinges upon its individuals. Gardner reasons that it is the waning of the heart and spirit—not a lack of material might—that threatens American society. Young countries, businesses, and humans have several key commonalities: they are flexible, eager, open, curious, unafraid, and willing to take risks. These conditions lead to success. However, as time passes, so too comes complacency, apathy, and rigidity, causing motivation to plummet. It is at this junction that great civilizations fall, businesses go bankrupt, and life stagnates. Gardner asserts that the individual’s role in social renewal requires each person to face and look beyond imminent threats. Ultimately, we need a vision that there is something worth saving. Through this vision, Gardner argues, society will begin to renew itself, not permanently, but past its average lifespan, and it will at once become enriched and rejuvenated.










Public Roads


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International Congress and Workshop on Industrial AI and eMaintenance 2023


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This proceedings brings together the papers presented at the International Congress and Workshop on Industrial AI and eMaintenance 2023 (IAI2023). The conference integrates the themes and topics of three conferences: Industrial AI & eMaintenance, Condition Monitoring and Diagnostic Engineering Management (COMADEM) and, Advances in Reliability, Maintainability and Supportability (ARMS) on a single platform. This proceedings serves both academy and industry in providing an excellent platform for collaboration by providing a forum for exchange of ideas and networking. The 21st century has seen remarkable progress in Artificial Intelligence, with application to a variety of fields (computer vision, automatic translation, sentiment analysis in social networks, robotics, etc.) The IAI2023 focuses on Industrial Artificial Intelligence, or IAI. The emergence of industrial AI applications holds tremendous promises in terms of achieving excellence and cost-effectiveness in the operation and maintenance of industrial assets. Opportunities in Industrial AI exist in many industries such as aerospace, railways, mining, construction, process industry, etc. Its development is powered by several trends: the Internet of Things (IoT); the increasing convergence between OT (operational technologies) and IT (information technologies); last but not least, the unabated fast-paced developments of advanced analytics. However, numerous technical and organizational challenges to the widespread development of industrial AI still exist. The IAI2023 conference and its proceedings foster fruitful discussions between AI creators and industrial practitioners.










Annual Report ...


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Transactions


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