Visar resultat för..."Kluwer Academic Publishers"

A modern, comprehensive compilation of more than 7,000 entries covering themes, concepts, and discoveries in archaeology written in nontechnical language and tailored to meet the needs of professionals, students and general readers. The main subject areas include artifacts; branches of archaeology and chronology; culture; features; flora and fauna; geography; geology; language; people; related fields; sites; structures; techniques and methods; terms and theories; and tools.

The pressing of sheet metal into useful shapes is a technology which requires an understanding of a wide range of subjects. This text is divided into three sections: processes, materials and tests. In Part 1, sheet metal forming is examined mainly from a mechanical engineering viewpoint; firstly plasticity and anisotropy, then process variables - friction, lubrication and temperature - and finally practical aspects of forming in the press-shop. Part 2 deals with the main sheet alloys at varying lengths, depending on their industrial popularity. Certain research results, showing the fallibility of the phenomenological approach, are also highlighted. A section of testing procedures concludes the volume.

Current advances in model theory include connections between model theory and Diophantine and real analytic geometry, permutation groups, and finite algebras. This text contains lectures on recent results in algebraic model theory, covering topics from the following areas: geometric model theory, the model theory of analytic structures, permutation groups in model theory, the spectra of countable theories, and the structure of finite algebras. The book is aimed at graduate students in logic and others wishing to keep abreast of current trends in model theory.

With the fast growth ofmultimedia information, content-based video anal- ysis, indexing and representation have attracted increasing attention in re- cent years. Many applications have emerged in these areas such as video- on-demand, distributed multimedia systems, digital video libraries, distance learning/education, entertainment, surveillance and geographical information systems. The need for content-based video indexing and retrieval was also rec- ognized by ISOIMPEG, and a new international standard called "Multimedia Content Description Interface" (or in short, MPEG-7)was initialized in 1998 and finalized in September 2001. In this context, a systematic and thorough review ofexisting approaches as well as the state-of-the-art techniques in video content analysis, indexing and representation areas are investigated and studied in this book. In addition, we will specifically elaborate on a system which analyzes, indexes and abstracts movie contents based on the integration ofmultiple media modalities. Content ofeach part ofthis book is briefly previewed below.In the first part, we segment a video sequence into a set ofcascaded shots, where a shot consistsofone or more continuouslyrecorded image frames. Both raw and compressedvideo data will beinvestigated. Moreover, consideringthat there are always non-story units in real TV programs such as commercials, a novel commercial break detection/extraction scheme is developed which ex- ploits both audio and visual cues to achieve robust results. Specifically, we first employ visual cues such as the video data statistics, the camera cut fre- quency, and the existenceofdelimiting black frames between commercials and programs, to obtain coarse-level detection results.

The study of the chemistry of metal alkoxides, which began more than 100 years ago, is experiencing a renaissance due to the broad application of these compounds as molecular precursors in the synthesis of advanced technological materials based on simple and complex oxides. The solution of this problem is occupying a wide circle of inorganic chemists, technologists specializing in fine synthesis in nonaqueous media, and those working on the production of films and coatings. The application of metal alkoxides in the first step of sol-gel technology (based on hydrolysis of alkoxides with the subsequent dehydration of the hydrated oxides formed) is addressed in this monograph covering the modern literature devoted to all the steps of this process. This book is devoted to the general questions of the chemistry of metal alkoxides - the synthetic routes to them (both laboratory and technology) physiochemical properties, structure, specific features of single groups of alkoxides, theoretical principles of their use for the preparation of simple and complex oxides by the sol-gel method, and major directions of the application of this method in the preparation of functional materials.Also included are the derivatives of single elements of first through eighth groups of the Periodic Table. The tables contain the major data on the alkoxides, phenoxides, siloxides, derivatives of polyatomic alcohols, and phenols, - their composition, structure, preparation techniques, and major physiochemical characteristics. These tables allow the book to be used as a handbook permitting an acquaintance with the distinct compounds and the literature describing them.

DAVID R. RUSSELL English Department of Iowa State University, U. S. A. I was fortunate to attend, as a visitor from the U. S. , the first European Association for the Teaching of Academic Writing (EATAW) conference in 2001 at Groningen. I was struck by the similarities in the challenges higher education faces on both sides of the Atlantic in terms of developing students’ academic writing, and students’ learning through writing. It is indeed an international ‘problem. ’ But I was equally struck by the profound differences in responding to these challenges – among - tions, institutions, disciplines, and even within disciplines. The essays in this - traordinary volume address a growing demand for help with academic writing, on the part of students and academic staff alike. And they do so in ways that bring fresh approaches, not only to Europeans, who have only recently begun to study academic writing, but also to researchers and academic staff in the U. S. , where we have a c- tury-old tradition of attention to the problem – but are much in need of these fresh approaches. Academic writing has become a ‘problem’ in higher education – all around the world – because higher education sits smack between two contradictory pressures. On one end, far more students (and far more diverse students) come streaming into higher education – bringing in a far greater diversity of linguistic resources (often interpreted as ‘standards are falling,’ as Frank, Haacke & Tente point out).

This work describes a framework for developing IP Service Platforms and emerging managed IP networks with a reference architecture from the AT&T Labs GeoPlex project. The main goal is to present basic principles that both the telecommunications industry and the Internet community can see as providing benefits for service-related network issues. Topics covered include Application Program Interfaces (APIs), reference architecture, and a model implementation. Part I begins with fundamentals of transport, and quickly transitions to modern transport and technology. Part II elucidates requirements and unifying design principles for the Internet. These fundamental principles establish the basis for consistent behaviour in view of the explosive growth underway in large-scale heterogeneous networks. Part III demonstrates and explains the resulting architecture and implementation. It should be useful for students, researchers, network professionals, software developers, system architects and technically-oriented managers involved in the definition and deployment of modern Internet platforms or services.

The current book can be studied together with the texbook Statistics Applied To Clinical Trials by the same authors and from the same publisher (Second Edition, Dordrecht / Boston / London, 2002), or separately. The authors often hear that students have difficulties to understand statistics from a textbook, and that, for that purpose, self-assessment through exercises and examples is required. The current book was written mainly at their request. Rather than trying to be complete, it focuses on the main aspects, including the test statistics generally used for the primary analysis of continuous and proportional data from randomized controlled clinical trials. In the past few years statistical analysis has increasingly been left to the computer, and clinical investigators are at a loss to understand the limitations of the research and its statistical analysis, on the one hand, while on the other hand, statistical results are often overemphasized. Attention has been given to these issues, and for that purpose it is explained in a descriptive non-mathematical way how test statistics were invented, developed and implemented in current data management and analysis.Finally, guidelines are given for the biases due to conflicts of interest with sponsored research. This self-assessment book is not only useful for investigators involved in the field of clinical trials, but also for every physician who wishes to better understand the data from trials as published currently.

Vorwort In der Natur entwickelten sich die Echtzeitsysteme seit einigen 100 Mil- Honen Jahren. Tierische Nervensysteme haben zur Aufgabe, auf die Nachrichten aus der Umwelt die Steuerungsbefehle an die aktiven Or- gane zu geben. Dabei spielen zum Beispiel bedingte Reflexe eine wichtige Rolle. Vielleicht kann man die Entstehung des Menschen etwa zu der Zeit ansetzen, als sein sich allmahlich entwickelndes Gehirn Gedanken entwickelte, deren Bedeutung in vorausplanender Weise iiber die gerade vorliegende Situation hinausging. Das fiihrte schliesslich unter anderem zum heutigen Wissenschaftler, der seine Theorien und Systeme aufgrund langwieriger Uberlegungen aufbaut. Die Entwicklung der Computer ging im wesentlichen den umgekehrten Weg. Zunachst diente sie nur der Durchfiihrung "starrer" Programme, wie z.B. das erste programmgesteuerte Rechengerat Z3, das der Unterzeichner im Jahre 1941 vorfiihren konnte. Es folgte unter an- derem ein Spezialgerat zur Fliigelvermessung, das man als den ersten Prozessrechner bezeichnen kann. Es wurden etwa vierzig als Analog- Digital-Wandler arbeitende Messuhren yom Rechnerautomaten abgele- sen und im Rahmen eines Programms als Variable verarbeitet.Abel' auch das erfolgte noch in starrer Reihenfolge. Die echte Prozesssteuerung - heute auch Echtzeitsysteme genannt - erfordert aber ein Reagieren auf bestandig wechselnde Situationen.

A critical step in the design of a DSP system is to identify for each of its components (DSP kernels) an implementation architecture that provides the desired degree of flexibility/programmability and optimises the area-delay-power parameters. The book covers the entire solution space comprising both hardware multiplier-based and multiplex-less architectures that offer varying degrees of programmability. For each of the implementation styles, several algorithmic and architectural transformations are proposed so as to optimally implement weighted-sum based DSP kernels over the area-display-power space. VLSI Synthesis of DSP Kernels presents the following: Six different target implementation styles - Programmable DSP-based implementation; Programmable processors with no dedicated hardware multiplier; Implementation using hardware multiplier(s) and adder(s); Distributed Arithmetic (DA)-based implementation; Residue Number System (RNS)-based implementation; and Multiplier-less implementation (using adders and shifters) for fixed coefficient DSP kernels. For each of the implementation styles, description and analysis of several algorithmic and architectural transformations aimed at one or more of reduced area, higher performance and low power; Automated and semi-automated techniques for applying each of these transformations; and Classification of the transformations based on the properties that they exploit and their encapsulation in a design framework. A methodology that uses the framework to systematically explore the application of these transformations depending on the characteristics of the algorithm and the target implementation style. VLSI Synthesis of DSP Kernels is essential reading for designers of both hardware- and software-based DSP systems, developers of IP modules for DSP applications, EDA tools developers, researchers and managers interested in getting a comprehensive overview of current trends and future challenges in optimal implementations of DSP kernels. It will also be suitable for graduate students specialising in the area of VLSI Digital Signal Processing.

The study of random phenomena encountered in the real world is based on probability theory, mathematical statistics and the theory of random processes. The choice of the most suitable mathematical model is made on the basis of statistical data collected by observations. These models provide numerous tools for the analysis, prediction and, ultimately, control of random phenomena. The first part of the present volume (Chapters 1-3) can serve as a self-contained, elementary introduction to probability, random processes and statistics. It contains a number of relatively simple and typical examples of random phenomena which allow a natural introduction of general structures and methods. Some basic knowledge of elements of real/complex analysis, linear algebra and ordinary differential equations is required. The second part (Chapters 4-6) provides a foundation for stochastic analysis, gives information on basic models of random processes and tools to study them. A certain familiarity with elements of functional analysis is necessary. Important material is presented in the form of examples to keep readers involved.This is a concise textbook for a graduate-level course, with carefully selected topics representing the most important areas of modern probability, random processes and statistics.

This text is the second volume of the "Encyclopedia of Language and Education", overviewing an area which has emerged as a coherent and exciting field of study in the last two decades. While forming part of a series of eight volumes, the book also stands on its own, drawing on some 25 state-of-the-art reviews of concerns in the study of literacy prepared by leading writers and researchers. The book is organized in four main sections: reading, writing, the social context of literacy, and literacy teaching in selected regions. The approach is multidisciplinary, drawing on insights from fields as diverse as anthropology and computer science, sociolinguistics and psychology. The international flavour of the volume is reflected not only in the choice of contributors from eleven different countries but also in the emphasis throughout on the impact of globalization on our understanding of literacy.

Experiments on rocks, minerals, magmas and fluids have contributed to the better understanding of geological processes in recent years. This introduction to experimental geochemistry and petrology is intended to stimulate earth scientists to further experimentation. With the use of case histories illustrating principles and techniques, the authors explain why experiments are useful, what kind of work can be done, what some of the major problems and limitations are and how they can be avoided.

Economic plants have been defined by SEPASAT as those plants that are utilised either directly or indirectly for the benefit of Man. Indirect usage includes the needs of Man's livestock and the maintenance of the environment; the benefits may be domestic, commercial or aesthetic. Economic plants constitute a large and so far uncalculated percentage of the quarter of a million higher plants in the World today. However, it has been calculated that 10% (25 000) of these species are now on the verge of extinction and extinction means that a genetic resource that could be of benefit to Man will be lost for ever. Furthermore, for every species lost an estimated 10-30 other dependent organisms are also doomed. Fewer than 1 per cent of the World's plants have been sufficiently well studied for a true evaluation of the potential floral wealth awaiting discovery, not only in the rain forests, which man is now actively destroying at a rate of 20 ha a minute, but also in the very much neglected dry areas of the World.

An introductory textbook for students, offering a condensed yet detailed overview of the principles and practise of plant growth analysis. Each topic is explained by the use of standardized accounts of each growth analytical concept, and there are questions and answers to aid experimental design. The book gives concise outlines on the design and implementation of growth experiments, and clear guidelines to the interpretation of results. This, together with supporting commentary, facilitates full assessment of the performance of whole plant systems and plant cell cultures grown under natural, semi-natural and controlled conditions.

Parasitic worms (helminths) are a diverse and geographically widespread group of organisms which are responsible for infecting millions of people throughout the world. Many of these parasitic helminths are either zoonoses (disease agents naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man) or have evolved from animal parasites. Helminthic parasitism may be responsible for asymptomatic, mild, severe and even lethal infections in humans and some vertebrate animals. Many of these helminth species are primarily resticted to tropical and subtropical areas and others have greater prevalence in warm climates. In Africa, parasitic helminths, many of which are zoonoses, are of significant public health importance, are responsible for economic losses, may hamper rural development programmes and generally slow down the pace of economic development. Human migration and movements due to the ever expanding population, wars, famine or modiciation of the environment, and the increased proximity of people to areas inhabited by a great diversity of wildlife species, make zoonoses of special interest in Africa.Patterns of transmissions of helminth parasites (in Africa) are highly influenced by social and cultural interactions and by the unique variety of wildlife and habitats. It is not surprising therefore that approaches to the study and control of parasitic zoonoses usually requires a complex intersectorial co-operation between medical and veterinary experts, parasitologists, biologists, zoologists, demographers, anthropologists and engineers. This book is a selective, rather than a comprehensive, compilation on parasitic helminths, with some emphasis on helminth zoonoses, particularly those which are important in the context of Africa. Furthermore, the importance of animal models has been highlighted for some helminth parasites. The title of this book strongly reflects the three areas, ie. parasitic worms, zoonoses and Africa, in which the work of one man, Professor George Stanley Nelson, has made a major impact over a 40 year period. This volume was conceived with George Nelson Nelson very much in mind and is dedicated to him on his retirement.The subject of the chapters strongly reflect areas where he contributed directly or indirectly, and all the authors have worked with him or been influenced by him.

This book covers a wide range of processes which govern the properties and evolution of the deep continental crust. The response of rocks to conditions of deep crustal metamorphism and the onset of melting is a fundamental part of large-scale geological history which researchers have only recently begun to understand in any detail. This book aims not only to document recent research on this important area of geology but also to explain current methods of investigation and the interpretation of results. The main aspects of petrology of high-grade, regional metamorphic rocks are covered as well as melting and fluid transport within the Earth's crust. Chapters on theoretical framework and relevant experiments are complemented by others on key regions illustrating high-grade metamorphism. These include Sri Lanka and central Australia, which are now being studied intensively for the first time, and the classic ground of the Adirondack Mountains in New York and the Lewisian of Scotland. The study of these areas is based largely on petrological lines but tectonic settings are also considered.As a guide to recent developments, the book is considered essential reading for research workers and students of geology and should provide an invaluable reference work for lecturers and a useful introduction for non-specialist geologists.

As a text on paleosols, this book applies the expertise of soil science to ancient sequences of non-marine rocks. It provides an interdisciplinary bridge between the interests of soil scientists, sedimentary geologists and paleontologists, outlining the methods for the study and interpretation of paleosols, and sketching the long geological history of life and landscapes on Earth. Written principally for the student, this provides basic information on how to recognize, map and name paleosols; soil-forming factors most readily and reliably interpreted from paleosols; and addresses the evolution of soils. The book should serve both as a course text and as a professional reference. It is aimed at students and researchers in sedimentary geology, paleontology and soil science; archaeologists, paleoanthropologists and prehistorians concerned with environmental reconstruction.

This text outlines the history of life on earth, showing how the biosphere and planet have evolved together as a single complex system. Few other texts effectively convey this part of geological or biological studies as well as this introductory level text. The contents comprehensively survey the course of events and describe the circumstances that have led up to life on Earth as scientists understand it today. Starting with the origins of the solar system, the text demonstrates how life has developed with the physical evolution of the planet. It also examines how, throughout geological history, the planet has shaped life and how life has shaped the planet, governing the atmosphere and influencing the geological evolution of the continents and oceans. This fascinating account includes topics such as: precambrian life and geological evolution; the development of the eukaryotes; the evolution of the vertebrates; continental drift, sea floor spreading and plate tectonics; the history of the atmosphere; the construction of an interdependent biosphere.This book should be of interest to first year geology or environmental science undergraduate students taking a general introductory course in the history of the earth; biology and geology students as an introduction to the history of life; and arts and social science students taking a general introductory science course.

Life has shaped the Earth, and the Earth has moulded the history of life. That history, the co-evolution of our ancestors and their horne, has much to teach us about our place on the planet today. We are part of the fabric of the biosphere. As we change that fabric we would be wise to understand how our horne was built. Our planet is neither a hotel nor a colony. It is not a place which life briefly inhabits during a transient occupation. Instead, it is our horne, designed by the deeds of our ancestors and suited to our own needs. The history of life on Earth is held in the geological record, which is composed of the rocks, water and air that are available for study on the planet's surface. These rocks, the oceans and the atmosphere are not simply stores of information for the excitement of fossil hunters and geochemists, or resources to exploit without thought. Their cre­ ation and continued existence form an integral part of the development and management of the Earth as the horne of life.

Each chapter in this book deals with a single mathematical topic, which ideally should form the basis of a single lecture. The chapter has been designed as a mixture of the following ingredients: -(i) Illustrative examples and notes for the student's pre-lecture reading. (ii) Class discussion exercises for study in a lecture or seminar. (iii) Graded problems for assignment work. Contents 1 Sets, functions page 11 2 Limits and continuity 17 3 The exponential and related functions 25 4 Inverse functions 30 5 Differentiation 35 6 Differentiation of implicit functions 44 7 Maxima and minima 50 8 Curve sketching 54 9 Expansion in series 61 10 Newton's method 67 11 Area and integration 72 12 Standard integrals 80 13 Applications of the fundamental theorem 87 14 Substitution in integrals 94 15 Use of partial fractions 100 16 Integration by parts 106 Answers to problems 110 Index 116 1 Sets, Functions A set is a collection of distinct objects. The objects be­ longing to a set are the elements (or members) of the set. Although the definition of a set given here refers to objects, we shall in fact take objects to be numbers throughout this book, i.e. we are concerned with sets of numbers. Illustrative Example 1: Set Notation We give straight away some examples of sets in set notation and explain the meaning in each case.

The last thorough revision of Rutley's Elements of Mineralogy appeared as the 23rd Edition in 1936. In subsequent editions, an effort to keep abreast with the great progress in the science was made by small (and often awkward) modifications and, especially, by the addition of an independent chapter on the atomic structure of minerals. For this present edition, the complete re-setting of the book has made possible not only the integration of the added chapter on atomic structure into its proper place in the accounts of the chemical and physical properties of minerals, but also extensive rewriting and rearrangement of the material in the first part of the book. To this part, also, has been added a short chapter on the classification of minerals. In the second part, the Descrip­ tion of Minerals, numerous, if not so extensive, modifications and modernisations have been introduced. A couple of dozen new figures have been added, mostly in the early part of the book. More specifically, the major changes in this new edition are the following. The electronic structure of atoms supplies the guide­ lines for the whole account of mineral-chemistry; additional items concern the electrochemical series, of interest in the occurrence and metallurgical treatment of ores, and chemical analysis. On the physical side, the dependence of physical properties of minerals on their atomic structure is emphasized and, in addition, a brief account of radioactivity and isotopic age-determination is given.

This standard book on minerals, first published in 1882, has been completely revised and updated for the first time in 20 years. Silicate minerals are now described in a separate chapter, using crystal-chemical sub-divisions. Non-silicates are treated under the Dana system of classification. The existing classification, based on principal economic elements, has been retained and modernized to assist both the geochemical analyst and the economic geologist needing to know the various minerals associated with a particular element. Each element's world production totals and uses are included. Other revisions to the text have also been made. For over a century this book has served as an important compendium of key information about minerals and as a widely adopted teaching text. Colin Gribble was joint author of "A Practical Introduction to Optical Mineralogy" (with Allan Hall) and "Geology for Civil Engineers" (with Adam McLean). He is also active as a consultant geologist and a researcher in the engineering/geochemical field.

This book is primarily intended to assist candidates studying geology for the Ordinary Level of G.c.E., and examinations of comparable standard, but it should also be found useful by the" reader requiring a rapid conspectus of the geological history of Britain, and as forming a basis for more advanced work. The scope of the subject matter necessitated a narrow and slippery path be­ tween over-simplification and excessive detail, but the balance adopted is based upon the experience of many years of teaching at all levels, and of examining for the London G.C.E. Board. The maps, combining outcrop dis­ tribution with palaeogeography, presented some difficulty, especially for periods of continuously changing geography, such as the Cretaceous. It was necessary in these cases to make an arbitrary choice of one small part of the period, the geography of which could be illustrated. Candidates are advised not to spend time learning every detail of the outcrop patterns, but to con­ centrate upon the main areas of outcrop. I am indebted to Mrs. Jean Fyffe for the cartographic work.

This book should be of interest to students of general geology and metamorphism.

This book is an attempt to put into practice these precepts of Popper and Koestler as far as they can be applied to the Earth sciences at an elementary level. It is felt that the time is ripe for such a presentation, for the revolution that has taken place over the past 20 years within the Earth sciences has made more people directly aware of the way science works and of the necessity of knowing its history to achieve a full understanding of the problems involved. Emerging from the revolution has been the immensely unifying and extremely fruitful concept of plate tectonics, and developments leading to its establishment form the core of the book (Chs 4, 5 & 6). However, to see plate tectonics in context, it is necessary to look at what happened before, and this is done in the first three chapters. Chapter 1 is concerned with the development of ideas about the shape, size and mass of the Earth, which led to broad concepts about the Earth's structure and finally to a model of a cooling, contracting Earth, capable of explaining geological history and the major topographic features of the Earth. Chapter 2 goes on to show how even though the acceptance of this idea gradually broke down in the first half of the 20th century, possible alternatives, which are now at the core of plate tectonics, were also rejected.