springer netherlands springer netherlands apr 2008 (51 Ergebnisse)

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -I had taught courses in applied ecology, population dynamics, and population management for many years and, like many of my colleagues, had grown acc- tomed to the blank stares of my students as we wove our way through the confused semantics and intricate concepts of traditional ecology and wrestled with elaborate mathematical arguments. I searched in vain for a central unifying concept on which to organize a theory of population ecology until, 30 years ago, I read a small book of essays edited by John Milsum of McGill University entitled Positive Feedback ¿ A General Systems Approach to Positive/Negative Feedback and Mutual Causality. Stimulated by the articles in this book, particularly those written by Milsum, M. Maruyama, and A. Rapoport, I began to structure my lectures around the central ideas of general systems theory. I first used this approach in my graduate courses in population dynamics and population management and then, encouraged by the results, in my undergraduate course in forest entomology and to teach population dynamics to practicing foresters. Almost without exception, my students found the general systems approach intuitively reasonable and easier to understand than traditional teaching methods. Even undergraduates seem to grasp the fundamental principles quite rapidly and, more important, to realize that a general understanding of population systems is an essential part of their education. These reactions by my students, and their continued encouragement, led me to write this book.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 240 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -One of the goals of the Journal of Elasticity: The Physical and Ma- ematical Science of Solids is to identify and to bring to the attention of the research community in the physical and mathematical sciences extensive expositions which contain creative ideas, new approaches and currentdevelopmentsinmodellingthebehaviourofmaterials. Fracture has enjoyed a long and fruitful evolution in engineering, but only in - cent years has this area been considered seriously by the mathematical science community. In particular, while the age-old Gri th criterion is inherently energy based, treating fracture strictly from the point of view of variational calculus using ideas of minimization and accounting for the singular nature of the fracture elds and the various ways that fracture can initiate, is relatively new and fresh. The variational theory of fracture is now in its formative stages of development and is far from complete, but several fundamental and important advances have been made. The energy-based approach described herein establishes a consistent groundwork setting in both theory and computation. While itisphysicallybased,thedevelopmentismathematicalinnatureandit carefully exposes the special considerations that logically arise rega- ing the very de nition of a crack and the assignment of energy to its existence. The fundamental idea of brittle fracture due to Gri th plays a major role in this development, as does the additional dissipative feature of cohesiveness at crack surfaces, as introduced by Barenblatt. Thefollowinginvited,expositoryarticlebyB. Bourdin,G. Francfort and J. -J. Marigo represents a masterful and extensive glimpse into the fundamentalvariationalstructureoffracture.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 176 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Design of water control structures, reservoir management, economic evaluation of flood protection projects, land use planning and management, flood insurance assessment, and other projects rely on knowledge of magnitude and frequency of floods. Often, estimation of floods is not easy because of lack of flood records at the target sites. Regional flood frequency analysis (RFFA) alleviates this problem by utilizing flood records pooled from other watersheds, which are similar to the watershed of the target site in flood characteristics.Clustering techniques are used to identify group(s) of watersheds which have similar flood characteristics. This book is a comprehensive reference on how to use these techniques for RFFA and is the first of its kind. It provides a detailed account of several recently developed clustering techniques, including those based on fuzzy set theory and artificial neural networks. It also documents research findings on application of clustering techniques to RFFA that remain scattered in various hydrology and water resources journals.The optimal number of groups defined in an area is based on cluster validation measures and L-moment based homogeneity tests. These form the bases to check the regions for homogeneity.The subjectivity involved and the effort needed to identify homogeneous groups of watersheds with conventional approaches are greatly reduced by using efficient clustering techniques discussed in this book. Furthermore, better flood estimates with smaller confidence intervals are obtained by analysis of data from homogeneous watersheds. Consequently, the problem of over- or under-designing by using these flood estimates is reduced. This leads to optimal economic design of structures. The advantages of better regionalization of watersheds and their utility are entering into hydrologic practice.Audience:This book will be of interest to researchers in stochastic hydrology, practitioners in hydrology and graduate students.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 260 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -C. Dascalu G. A. Maugin The volume presents recent developments in the This special issue aims at bringing together recent theory of defects and the mechanics of material forces. developmentsinMaterialMechanicsandthemoreclas- Most of the contributions were presented at the Inter- sical Defect Mechanics approaches. The contributions national Symposium on Defect and Material Forces are highlighting recent research on topics like: fracture (ISDMM2007), held in Aussois, France, March 25¿ and damage, electromagnetoelasticity, plasticity, dis- 29, 2007. tributed dislocations, thermodynamics, poroelasticity, Originated in the works of Eshelby, the Material or generalized continua, structural optimization, conser- Con gurational Mechanics experienced a remarkable vationlawsandsymmetries,multiscaleapproachesand revival over the last two decades. When the mechanics numerical solution strategies. ofcontinuaisfullyexpressedonthematerialmanifold, We expect the present volume to be a valuable it captures the material inhomogeneities. The driving resource for researchers in the eld of Mechanics of (material) forces on inhomogeneities appear naturally Defects in Solids. in this framework and are requesting for constitutive We dedicate this special issue to the memory of modeling of the evolution of inhomogeneities through the late Professor George Herrmann (1921¿2007).Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 300 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book fills the need for a practical reference for all scientists and graduate students who are seeking to define a mathematical model for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) simulation. Structured in two parts, part one presents the basic theory, and the general equations describing SOFC operation phenomena. Part two deals with the application of the theory to practical examples, where different SOFC geometries, configurations, and different phenomena are analyzed in detail.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 412 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -During teaching NMR to students and researchers, we felt the need for a text-book which can cover modern trends in the application of NMR to biological systems. This book caters to the needs of: (i) graduate students who mostly learn such techniques from senior post-docs in the laboratory; (ii) those who are not experts in NMR but wish to understand if a particular problem in animal, plant, medical and pharmaceutical sciences can be answered by NMR; and (iii) those who are experts in chemistry and biochemistry and wish to know how NMR can provide them information on structural or functional aspect of proteins, nucleic acids, cells and tissues, human and plant organs and other biological materials. This book builds a means of knowledge transfer between the beginners and the experts in NMR as applied to all aspects of life sciences.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 564 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Difference algebra grew out of the study of algebraic difference equations with coefficients from functional fields. The first stage of this development of the theory is associated with its founder, J.F. Ritt (1893-1951), and R. Cohn, whose book Difference Algebra (1965) remained the only fundamental monograph on the subject for many years. Nowadays, difference algebra has overgrown the frame of the theory of ordinary algebraic difference equations and appears as a rich theory with applications to the study of equations in finite differences, functional equations, differential equations with delay, algebraic structures with operators, group and semigroup rings.The monograph is intended for graduate students and researchers in difference and differential algebra, commutative algebra, ring theory, and algebraic geometry. The book is self-contained; it requires no prerequisites other than the knowledge of basic algebraic concepts and a mathematical maturity of an advanced undergraduate.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 536 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 448 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The book offers a history of the agricultural sciences in Nazi Germany. It analyzes scientific practice under the Nazi regime, Nazi agricultural policy and autarkic strategies as well as expansion policy in Eastern Europe. It also offers new insights into the Auschwitz concentration camp. It outlines the Nazi¿s comprehensive nutritional and agricultural research program intended to prepare Germany for war by raising productivity through scientific means, researching the relation between nutrition and performance at the edge of starvation, and restructuring the agricultural economy of the continent. The book reveals the relation between science and power in Nazi Germany beyond the usual dichotomy that paints scientists in Nazi Germany either as victims of oppression or as sadistic beasts. It shows the involvement of a high ranking scientific elite in the Nazi regime of occupation and looting of cultural goods in the occupied eastern territories ¿ largely for the sake of their own careers. The main audience the book addresses are students of history and the history of science, and anyone interested in the history of Nazi Germany.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 248 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Reduction of poverty is a tremendous and persistent challenge for the global community. Given that the livelihood of millions is at stake, there is an urgent need to reconsider the causes of and the remedies for poverty. Poverty and its reduction are closely linked to the natural-resources base. The quality and bounty of the local environment certainly affect living conditions of the poor and their poverty is often seen as a contributing factor to the degraded condition of the local environment. Teasing apart the direction of causality in this resource¿poverty nexus is a serious empirical challenge.This book contributes to an improved understanding of the economic dimensions of environmental and natural-resource management and poverty alleviation. The ten chapters of the book offer an overview of the current knowledge concerning the relation between poverty, environment and natural-resource use. Three sides of the debate receive particular attention. First, the relation between resource use and poverty is discussed from a theoretical point of view. Second, it is questioned whether payments for environmental services or considering values of resources can be an effective tool for stimulating both sustainable resource use and poverty alleviation. Third, alternative strategies to break the land degradation¿poverty cycle are discussed.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 224 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This timely book offers a wide-ranging study of the thesis that scientific theories are systematically 'underdetermined' by the data they account for. After analyzing the epistemological and ontological aspects of the topic in detail, and reviewing pertinent logical facts and selected scientific cases, the author carefully examines the merits of arguments for and against the thesis. Along the way, he investigates methodological proposals and recent theories of confirmation.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 312 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The ¿Atlas Effectors of Anti-Tumor Immunity¿ is a unique scientific publication, which includes major issues of up-to-date information about immunophenotype, morphology and function of main effectors of anti-tumor immunity presented in a reasonable format. The Atlas comprises a large number of illustrations presented by schemes and original micrographs demonstrating morphological features and ultrastructure of immunocompetent cells at various stages of differentiation. The volume includes data referring to the history of anti-tumor immunity effectors research, state of the art and perspectives for development of anti-cancer adoptive immunotherapy methods.A special section of the Atlas describes cellular tumor microenvironment and micro-anatomy of carcinomas. Several parts include data about killer cells (natural killer T-cells, lymphokine-activated killers) and T-regulatory lymphocytes. A special chapter gives a wide-range description of antigen-presenting dendritic cells, methods of dendritic cell generation and development of DC-based vaccines for anti-tumor immunotherapy.Co-authors of this book are expert scientists of major research centers of the USA and Europe, Atlas contents involves literature data analysis and results of long-term experimental and clinical studies. Atlas may be recommended as an additional study guide for medical and biology students and it may be interesting to experimental and clinical oncologists, immunologists, specialists of research and diagnostic centers.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 176 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Much of our knowledge of stem cells has been inferred from studies of remarkable few species. The ability to manipulate stem cells in ¿model¿ organisms such as the mouse and a few other vertebrate species has driven our understanding of basic biology of stem cells. The power and efficiency of studying model organisms, however, comes at a cost since a few species, obviously, do not reflect nature¿s true diversity. Unfortunately, although all multicellular organisms seem to rely on stem cells, and although this seems to be a question of key importance for understanding the evolution of animal life, little is known about stem cells in early-branching taxa.¿Stem Cells: From Hydra to Man¿ illustrates that there is more than human and mouse stem cells to learn from. Reflecting an enormous growth in the knowledge of stem cells in various organisms, the book presents the conceptual language and the nature of questions, as well as a summary of the advances in our understanding of stem cells from a comparative point of view that has resulted from the development of new technology and the development of novel model organisms over the past few decades. As such this book is largely a horizon analysis of a frontier rather than a retrospective. It presents an integrative approach to animal stem cells and covers the major contributions, tools and trends in a newly emerging field: comparative stem cell biology.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 208 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -There is a significant number of nuclear and radiological sources in Central Asia, which have contributed, are still contributing, or have the potential to contribute to radioactive contamination in the future. Key sources and contaminated sites of concern are: The nuclear weapons tests performed at the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS) in Kazakhstan during 1949¿1989. A total of 456 nuclear weapons tests have been perf- med in the atmosphere (86), above and at ground surface (30) and underground (340) accompanied by radioactive plumes reaching far out of the test site. Safety trials at STS, where radioactive sources were spread by conventional explosives. Peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) within STS and outside STS in Kazakhstan, producing crater lakes (e.g., Tel¿kem I and Tel¿kem II), waste storage facilities (e.g., LIRA) etc. Technologically enhanced levels of naturally occurring radionuclides (TENORM) due to U mining and tailing. As a legacy of the cold war and the nuclear weapon p- gramme in the former USSR, thousands of square kilometers in the Central Asia co- tries are contaminated. Large amounts of scale from the oil and gas industries contain sufficient amounts of TENORM. Nuclear reactors, to be decommissioned or still in operation. Storage of spent nuclear fuel and other radioactive wastes. In the characterization of nuclear risks, the risks are estimated by integrating the results of the hazard identification, the effects assessment and the exposure assessment.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 252 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book contains an edited version of the lectures and selected contri- tions presented during the Advanced Summer Institute on ¿Product Engine- ing: Tools and Methods based on Virtual Reality¿ organized at Chania th th (Greece) in the period 30 May-6 June 2007. The Advanced Summer - stitute (ASI) was organized in the framework of the European FP6 funded project ¿VEGA ¿ Virtual Reality in Product Design and Robotics¿ and was devoted to the Product Engineering field, with particular attention to the aspects related to the Virtual Reality (VR) technologies, its use and added value in engineering. The objective of the ASI was to create a meeting framework for leading scientists with PhD holders and advanced PhD students carrying out - search in the field of Virtual Reality Technologies, Haptic systems, CAD and VR integration, Virtual Testing and Prototyping and Virtual Manuf- turing. The aim was to create conditions for high level training through a series of 15 invited lectures presented by world reputed scientists, as well as to give possibilities for young researchers to present their achievements and to establish professional contacts. The ASI was seen also as an opp- tunity for academics, practitioners and consultants from Europe and el- where who are involved in the study, management, development and - plementation of product engineering principles in the learning and teaching sectors, as well as professionals to come together and share ideas on p- jects and examples of best practice.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 580 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book is a synthesis of emerging topics in heat and mass transfer in porous media. It brings together some of the world leaders in research on transport p- nomena in porous media to present the state of the art of its theory as well as the applicationofthetheoryinemerging eldssuchasbioengineering,microelectronics and nanotechnology. The well renowned scientists presenting their ndings in the review chapters presented are not only among the best world leaders in their eld, they also capture the research that is undertaken in all the parts of the globe, from the Far East (Hong-Kong), the Southern Hemisphere (New Zealand and South Africa) to Europe and America. The book is separated into two parts. The rst presents the state of the art of the theory of heat and mass transfer in porous media and can be used in both the traditional (underground ow, ltering and reservoir engineering) as well as in the more recent emerging applications. The second part deals with emerging topics and applications of the theory to bioengineering, microelectronics, and nanotechnology. Traditionally,thetopicoftransportphenomenainporousmediawasalmostexc- sivelyreservedtothe eldofunderground ow(water,oil,gas,etc.)and ltering.With some singular exceptions on applications to drying processes of fabric, the devel- ment of the theory of transport phenomena in porous media was historically driven by the needs of technologies linked to reservoir engineering or civil engineering. A turningpointinthisdevelopmentwasreachedintheearlypartofthesecondhalfinthe twentycenturywhenspecialattentiontoheattransferinporousmediayie ldedan- ceedingexpansionofinterest.Thisdevelopmentcontinuedinthetwenty rstcentury and reached recently such an impressive use in a diverse collection oftechnological applications that created the motivation behind the preparation of this book.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 344 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This volume contains an archival record of the NATO Advanced Institute on Mini ¿ Micro Fuel Cells ¿ Fundamental and Applications held in Çesme ¿ Izmir, Turkey, July 22¿August 3, 2007. The ASIs are intended to be a high-level teaching activity in scientific and technical areas of current concern. In this volume, the reader may find interesting chapters on Mini- Micro Fuel Cells with fundamentals and applications. In recent years, fu- cell development, modeling and performance analysis has received much attention due to their potential for distributed power which is a critical issue for energy security and the environmental protection. Small fuel cells for portable applications are important for the security. The portable devices (many electronic and wireless) operated by fuel cells for providing all-day power, are very valuable for the security, for defense and in the war against terrorism. Many companies in NATO and non-NATO countries have concentrated to promote the fuel cell industry. Many universities with industrial partners committed to the idea of working together to develop fuel cells. As tech- logy advanced in the 1980s and beyond, many government organizations joined in spending money on fuel-cell research. In recent years, interest in using fuel cells to power portable electronic devices and other small equipment (cell phones, mobile phones, lab-tops, they are used as micro power source in biological applications) has increased partly due to the promise of fuel cells having higher energy density.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 444 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -With the prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases on the rise as average life expectancy increases, the hunt for effective treatments and preventive measures for these disorders is a pressing challenge. Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer¿s disease, Huntington¿s disease, Parkinson¿s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been termed ¿protein misfolding disorders¿ that are char- terized by the neural accumulation of protein aggregates. Manipulation of the cellular stress response involving the induction of heat shock proteins offers a the- peutic strategy to counter conformational changes in neural proteins that trigger pathogenic cascades resulting in neurodegenerative diseases. Heat shock proteins are protein repair agents that provide a line of defense against misfolded, aggregati- prone proteins. Heat Shock Proteins and the Brain: Implications for Neurodegenerative Diseases and Neuroprotection reviews current progress on neural heat shock proteins (HSP) in relation to neurodegenerative diseases (Part I), neuroprotection (Part II), ext- cellular HSP (Part III) and aging and control of life span (Part IV). Key basic and clinical research laboratories from major universities and hospitals around the world contribute chapters that review present research activity and importantly project the field into the future. The book is a must read for researchers, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in the fields of Neuroscience, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Molecular Medicine, Aging, Physiology, Pharmacology and Pathology.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 392 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The international advanced research workshop funded by NATO and entitled ¿impact of pollutions on animal and animal products¿ was organized at Almaty (Kazakhstan) on 27¿30 September 2007. Thirty-one scientists from 12 countries (Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Russia, France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Romania and Morocco) presented conferences at this meeting to share their experience and results. The programme included three main aspects: (i) generality on the pollution situation in Central Asia and former Soviet Union republics, (ii) the pollution area and pollution origin in Central Asia and Western countries in relation with animal health, and (iii) the relationships between soil contamination, plant contamination and animal products status. The present workshop contributed highly to the exchange between scientists giving the opportunity for researchers from Central Asia to access to new scientific approaches and methodologies, and for European scientists to assess the extent of the environmental problems in this part of the world. No doubt that these exchanges were the main success of the workshop marked by very stimulating discussions. Such meeting was also the opportunity to put on the first stone of a scientific network focused on the subject of the workshop. The importance of pollution in Central Asia in general and in Kazakhstan in p- ticular is a well-known feature and several references are available on the source and localization of pollution problems in those countries. The references are also abundant on the impact of the environmental failures on human health.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 228 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -1st edition: Winner of the 2004 IAA Life Sciences Book Award!This 2nd Edition represents a complete revision with about 23% more pages and new material compared to the first edition; it includes several recent studies involving astronauts and cosmonauts; and discusses the new field of space tourism. It deals with psychological, psychiatric, and psychosocial issues that affect people who live and work in space. Unlike other books that focus on anecdotal reports and ground-based simulation studies, this book emphasizes the findings from psychological research conducted during actual space missions. Both authors have been active in such research. What is presented in this readable text has previously been found only in scientific journal articles. Topics that are discussed include: behavioral adaptation to space; human performance and cognitive effects; crewmember interactions; psychiatric responses; psychological countermeasures related to habitability factors, work-design, selection, training, and in-flight monitoring and support; and the impact of expeditionary missions to Mars and beyond.People finding this book of interest will include psychology and social science students and professors in universities, medical students and residents in psychiatry and aerospace medicine, human factors workers in space and aviation professions, individuals involved with isolated environments on Earth (e.g., the Antarctic, submarines), aerospace workers in businesses and space agencies such as NASA and ESA, and anyone who is interested in learning the facts about the human side of long-duration space missions.1st edition reviews:¿Drs. Kanas and Manzey have produced a comprehensive review of the issues and research in the areas of space psychology and psychiatry. This includes a long overdue up-to-date compilation of findings from research performed in space as well as anecdotal reports. The authors' personal involvementand experience in space research and operations shows throughout the book in its presentation and research of the issues as well as in the insights offered. Highly informative, well organized and written at a level appropriate for a broad range of readers, this book will be a reference source for space professionals, researchers, students, and interested laymen alike. ¿Leena Tomi, Deputy Director, Operational Space Medicine, Canadian Space AgencyJean-Marc Comtois, B.Eng., M.D. Director, Operational Space Medicine, Canadian Space Agency'An excellent book by two outstanding experts. The refreshing mix between review and original research results spiced with personal experiences makes it interesting for every reader.'Oliver Angerer, M.D., Human Exploration Science Coordinator, European Space Agency'This book is not just a record of what can go wrong with regard to mental health and performance, but explores a number of prudent psychological, ergonomic, and design engineering countermeasures to help guide future mission planners and spacecraft engineers[¿]Written in a clear and engaging style, this book will not only interest the general space enthusiast, but all human factors specialists and anyone else studying the human reaction to extreme and unusual environments. As a comprehensive account of what we have learned so far about the psychological challenges of space travel, Space Psychology and Psychiatry should also be on the bookshelf of any researcher plotting the future course of human spaceflight.'Ergonomics in DesignSpringer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 260 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Hardly a week passes without our learning of natural geologic disaster somewhere in the world, be it a volcanic eruption, landslide, or destructive earthquake. The prominent public notice given to such events is not only the result of better communications, but also results from the increased impact of these events on a growing human population. In recent years, the population has increased greatly in regions of active tectonics. Northern India and the surrounding areas are prime examples. The consequence is that people and their man-made structures are concentrated close to active faults and steep, landslide-prone terrains. In just the past several years, even moderate earthquakes with seismic magnitudes less than 6. 5 have killed as many as 20,000 people precisely because these earthquakes occurred directly beneath population centres in central India. The greater Himalayan region, including the Ganges Plain, is a prime example of the coexistence of a pronounced geological hazard with a growing human population. Due in part to the spectacular topography, the region has long attracted scientific investigations, and may be considered as the birthplace of modern studies of earthquake hazards. R. D. Oldham (1858-1936) of the Geological Survey of India played a prominent role in the development of modern studies of historical seismicity, active faulting and seismic wave analysis. Oldham published extensively on the earthquakes and the geology of India, including his report entitled ¿Catalogue of Indian earthquakes from the earliest time to the end of A. D. 1869¿ (Mem. Geol. Surv.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 524 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book collects the review papers from both technical sessions and three discussion panels of the 9th International Symposium on Physical Measurements and Signatures in Remote Sensing (ISPMSRS). It systematically summarizes the past achievements and identifies the frontier issues as the research agenda for the near future. It covers all aspects of land remote sensing, from sensor systems, physical modeling, inversion algorithms, to various applications. The papers on remote sensing system evaluate the capabilities of different sensor systems for estimating key land surface variables and how they can best be improved and integrated effectively in the future. Papers on modeling and inversion review the state-of-the-art methodologies on physical modeling and the inversion algorithms for estimating a series of land surface variables. The papers on remote sensing application assess the current status of various applications and discuss how better to bridge the development of remote-sensing science and technology and practical applications. Representing the community effort and contributed by a team of international leading experts, this indispensable reference book for graduate students and practitioners of remote sensing also aids those engaged in academic research, government and industry.Audience: Graduate students, practitioners of remote sensing through academic research, government and industry.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 520 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Coral Reefs of the USA provides a complete overview of the present status of knowledge regarding all coral reef areas within the USA and its territories. It is written by the most experienced authorities in their fields and geographic areas. Stretching from the Caribbean to the western Pacific, the coral reefs of the USA span extensive geographic and biotic diversity, occur in a wide variety of geomorphological settings, and provide a representative cross-section of Holocene reef-building. This book will therefore be of broad general interest. For the first time, complete scholarly reviews are given for the geology, geomorphology and the biology of reefs encompassing a vast area stretching from the Mariana Islands in the west, Samoa in the south, Hawaii in the north and the Virgin Islands in the east. This book is not a status report, but will provide up-to-date information about stressors and the biotic responses of the reefs, as well as the geological explanations why these reefs exist in the first place. It will be an invaluable baseline-reference for all those who are engaged in research or management of these coral reefs or to those who simply enjoy being well-informed about one of the most iconic ecosystems of the USA.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 828 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Chemical industries have to face the big challenge of finding adequate processes to produce large quantities of new products for which there is a present need, decreasing at the same time both the impact on the environment and the risk of disasters. These issues have led to the establishment of new concepts of sustainable development as affirmed in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development in the early 90¿s and has been the subject of intensive studies in the last two decades. The book addresses this challenge collecting the recent ¿New Methodologies and Techniques for a Sustainable Organic Chemistry¿. It provides a wealth of information in the fields of New efficient and selective catalytic processes Use of non-usual media or environmentally benign reagents New selective and efficient synthetic methods New techniques based on alternative energy sources.All these topics are covered in 15 chapters written by world-renowned experts in these fields who were the lecturers of the NATO ASI NeMeTOC (2005, Siena). Since some of the authors have an industrial background, the book helps to answer virtually any questions which may arise during the development of a new environmentally benign organic process.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 348 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Global warming, shortage of low-cost oil resources and the increasing demand for energy are currently controlling the world's economic expansion while often opposing desires for sustainable and peaceful development. In this context, atomic energy satisfactorily fulfills the criteria of low carbon gas production and high overall yield. However, in the absence of industrial fast-breeders the use of nuclear fuel is not optimal, and the production of high activity waste materials is at a maximum. These are the principal reasons for the development of a new, fourth generation of nuclear reactors, minimizing the undesirable side-effects of current nuclear energy production technology while increasing yields by increasing operation temperatures and opening the way for the industrial production of hydrogen through the decomposition of water.The construction and use of such reactors is hindered by several factors, including performance limitations of known structural materials, particularly if the life of the projected systems had to extend over the periods necessary to achieve low costs (at least 60 years).This book collects lectures and seminars presented at the homonymous NATO ASI held in autumn 2007 at the Institut d¿Etudes Scientifiques in Cargèse, France. The adopted approach aims at improving and coordinating basic knowledge in materials science and engineering with specific areas of condensed matter physics, the physics of particle/matter interaction and of radiation damage. It is our belief that this methodology is crucially conditioning the development and the industrial production of new structural materials capable of coping with the requirements of these future reactors.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 604 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This new third edition updates a best-selling encyclopedia. It includes about 56% more words than the 1,392-page second edition of 2003. The number of illustrations increased to almost 2,000 and their quality has improved by design and four colors. It includes approximately 1,800 current databases and web servers. This encyclopedia covers the basics and the latest in genomics, proteomics, genetic engineering, small RNAs, transcription factories, chromosome territories, stem cells, genetic networks, epigenetics, prions, hereditary diseases, and patents. Similar integrated information is not available in textbooks or on the Internet.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 2236 pp. Englisch.