springer us chapman and hall crc feb 2012 (57 Ergebnisse)

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -He who knows and knows that he knows is wise; follow him. -ANCIENT PROVERB During a long career of public service as a government procurement and contracting official, I am still surprised to find big, successful corporations making the same mistakes that neophytes in government contracting mak~. And this is particularly true in the matter of writing proposals, which are the crucial element in most major procurement awards. It's true enough, as many suspect, that the big, well-known company has something of an edge over the smaller, lesser-known company com peting for any given government contract-psychologically, at least: The typical government executives, whether contracting officials or program managers, tend to have a bit more faith in the ability of the large company to carry out the program successfully. All things being equal, then, the big company is more likely to get the nod. However, because the large companies are well aware of that, many tend to become 'fat, dumb, and happy'-they try to coast or rest on their laurels. That is, they get careless about making a strong enough case for themselves in writing their proposals. And when they lose, often to smaller companies, they are both puzzled and outraged. They have for gotten that all government procurement is a competition-usually both technical and cost competition-and that the 'little guy' can win against the 'big guy,' if he tries hard enough. And especially if the bigger guy is a bit careless and does not put out his best effort. 308 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume contains the Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on 'Growth and Optical Properties of Wide Gap II-VI Low Dimensional Semiconductors', held from 2 - 6 August 1988 in Regensburg, Federal Republic of Germany, under the auspices of the NATO International Scientific Exchange Programme. Semiconducting compounds formed by combining an element from column II of the periodic table with an element from column VI (so called II-VI Semiconductors) have long promised many optoelectronic devices operating in the visible region of the spectrum. However, these materials have encountered numerous problems including: large number of defects and difficulties in obtaining p- and n-type doping. Advances in new methods of material preparation may hold the key to unlocking the unfulfilled promises. During the workshop a full session was taken up covering the prospects for wide-gap II-VI Semiconductor devices, particularly light emitting ones. The growth of bulk materials was reviewed with the view of considering II-VI substrates for the novel epitaxial techniques such as MOCVD, MBE, ALE, MOMBE and ALE-MBE. The controlled introduction of impurities during non-equilibrium growth to provide control of the doping type and conductivity was emphasized. 364 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume is devoted to the chemistry, immunology, molecular biology, and physiology of the human chorionic gonadotropin, heG. For this glycoprotein molecule the course from discovery to chemical deciphering covered about fifty years. It was in 1928 that Ascheim and Zondek reported that urine from pregnant women contains something that stimulates the ovaries of mice or rats. This provided the basis for the famous A-Z test for pregnancy and for the 'rabbit test' modification introduced by Friedman. As researchers sought to find more sensitive responses to heG, they used a wide variety of species including the South African aquatic toad, Xenopus Zaevis, the terrestrial toad of South America, Bufo arinarus, and the African weaver finch, EupZeetes afra. The weaver finch feather reaction was particularly noteworthy, for it disclosed a non-gonadal response to heG/LH. In retrospect, this may have been an important evolutionary clue to the realization that the designation of the hormone as a 'gonadotropin' may have been only partially descriptive of the molecule's physiological function--a concept that is gaining attention, as the papers in this 1980 volume divulge. 520 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The contents of this book reflect a symposium held in honor of Professor Herman Kalckar's seventy-fifth birthday. His impact on the history of biochemistry is reflected by the diversity of the contributions of his former students and friends. Speakers came from Asia, Europe, and the United States to discuss both procaryotes and eukaryotes. The unifying theme was the cell membrane, both its organization and its function. Ektobiology, a topic that has held the attention of Professor Kalckar for many years, was clearly defined as a central topic in biology. This subject deals with the key structure whereby the cell interacts with the outside world and which, in a sense, defines the boundary between what is the cell and what is not. Topics discussed include the biogenesis of membrane proteins, sugars and lipids, the role of membrane components in osmoregula tion, and mechanisms of nutrient transport. Of great interest is the system for surface recognition evolved in vertebrates, exemplified by the HLA system of man. Neoplasia causes changes in the cell membrane that may be of significant future potential in the diagnosis and treatment of malignancies as well as in the understanding of the process of transformation. The changes in glycosphingolipids and carbohydrate antigens in relation to oncogenesis are detailed. I should like to recognize Doctors Kurt J. Isselbacher, Phillips W. Robbins, Victor Ginsburg, and Hiroshi Nikaido for their ,assistance in organizing the symposium. Ms. Jean Brumbaugh deserves special thanks for putting this book together. 312 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Noncrystalline (NC) solids, as is well known, lack the long range order of crystals. Accordingly, they exhibit scattering, e.g., x-ray, electron, and neutron, but not the diffraction patterns characteristic of crystals. The intensity distributions from NC solids are usually transformed into radial distribution functions (RDF), but the interpretation of the RDF's is not unique. The lack of long-range order, and the non-uniqueness of the structural interpretation, have constituted the main obstacles to the usual solid state physics approach which has been so successful in dealing with crystals. As a corrolary, questions of local order and structure have frequently been de-emphasized. This monograph contains a collection of chapters many of which emphasize local-structure and chemical bonding as opposed to long-range order. Most of the chapters were chosen from talks given at the international symposium, 'Structure and Bonding in Noncrystalline Solids,' held in Reston, Virginia in May of 1983. Other chapters, however, were simply submitted independently of the Reston conference. Thus, this book is not a proceedings of that conference, nor was it ever intended to be. The chapters presented here range from theory of bonding and structure, to structurally oriented measurements of various kinds, e.g., ESR, Raman, to more applied chapters. Our goal was to produce a monograph that enhances understanding of the structures of NC solids. 460 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -There have been significant changes in the academic environment and in the workplace related to computing. Further changes are likely to take place. At Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the manner in which the subject of heat transfer is presented is evolving so as to accommodate to and, indeed, to participate in, the changes. One obvious change has been the introduction of the electronic calcula tor. The typical engineering student can now evaluate logarithms, trigonomet ric functions, and hyperbolic functions accurately by pushing a button. Teaching techniques and text presentations designed to avoid evaluation of these functions or the need to look them up in tables with associated interpolation are no longer necessary. Similarly, students are increasingly proficient in the use of computers. At RPI, every engineering student takes two semesters of computing as a fresh man and is capable of applying the computer to problems he or she encoun ters. Every student is given personal time on the campus computer. In addition, students have access to personal computers. In some colleges, all engineering students are provided with personal computers, which can be applied to a variety of tasks. 440 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Considering the enormous progress achieved in some special areas of superconductivity during the last few years, it seemed worthwhile to discuss thoroughly a subject, which has encountered severe pro blems on the theoretical and the experimental side, namely the effects of the anisotropic electron and phonon properties of (single crystalline) materials on the characteristic features of the super conducting state. The fact that the majority of scientists actively engaged in this research field at present were brought together at the meeting, has led to an almost complete coverage of the pertinent topics in this volume. Six review papers discuss the development and the present state of theory and experiment concerning the anisotropies of the upper critical field and the magnetization as well as the flux line lattice and the superconducting energy gap. Furthermore, 18 papers present the most recent research on these properties and additional anisotropy effects associated with the intermediate state patterns or the specific heat. Concerning the magnetic properties, remarkable agreement between theory and experiment has been achieved; on the other hand, controversial views regarding the existence of anisotropy in the superconducting energy gap are presented. In both cases, how ever, theorists and experimentalists are still confronted with a number of open questions. It is the purpose of this book to draw the attention of scientists to these fascinating problems. Harald W. 324 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The time seems ripe for a critical compendium of that segment of the biological universe we call viruses. Virology, as a science, having passed only recently through its descriptive phase of naming and num bering, has probably reached that stage at which relatively few new truly new-viruses will be discovered. Triggered by the intellectual probes and techniques of molecular biology, genetics, biochemical cytology, and high-resolution microscopy and spectroscopy, the field has experienced a genuine information explosion. Few serious attempts have been made to chronicle these events. This comprehensive series, which will comprise some 6000 pages in a total of about 22 volumes, represents a commitment by a large group of active investigators to analyze, digest, and expostulate on the great mass of data relating to viruses, much of which is now amorphous and disjointed, and scattered throughout a wide literature. In this way, we hope to place the entire field in perspective, and to develop an invaluable reference and sourcebook for researchers and students at all levels. This series is designed as a continuum that can be entered anywhere, but which also provides a logical progression of developing facts and integrated concepts. 516 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Second Hidden Peak Symposium on Computer-Enhanced Analytical Spectroscopy, held in June, 1988, at the Snowbird Resort (Salt Lake City, Utah), centered around twelve keynote lectures delivered by some of the foremost experts and pioneers in this rapidly expanding field. The editor is highly indebted to each of these colleagues for contributing a chapter to the second volume of Computer-Enhanced Analytical Spec troscopy. The primary objective of this volume is to present a repre sentative cross-section of current activities in the field while balancing out the lighter coverage of some topics and areas in Volume 1. An exciting new topic, remote IR sensing, is covered in Chapters 4 and 5. Deconvolution and signal-processing methods have now been extended to UV/VIS (Chapter 1) and GC/MS (Chapter 3) applications. Furthermore, the development and testing of novel factor analysis techniques in the areas of UV /VIS and IR spectroscopy are discussed in Chapters 2 and 12, respectively. Fundamental aspects of library search techniques are presented in Chapters 7 (MS) and 9 (NMR). Chapters 6, 10, and 11 cover selected uses of expert systems in NMR, IR, and MS, respectively. Finally, an integrated expert system approach to the interpretation of GC/IR/MS data is outlined in Chapter 8. In an attempt to facilitate access to the various topics for the newcomer to the field, the twelve chapters have been organized into two main parts: Unsupervised Methods: Spectral Enhancement, Deconvolu tion, and Data Reduction, and Supervised Methods: Expert Systems, Modeling, and Quantitation. 340 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Lewis Thomas has suggested that 'Perhaps the inflammatory reaction should be regarded as a defense of an individual against all the rest of nature, symbolizing his individuality and announcing his existence as an entity. ' Provision of these symbols and announcements is the task of various mediators of inflammation and this volume has been designed to present our current understanding of their biochemistry, cellular origins, pharmacology, and role in pathology. Unlike other volumes of collected papers, this book did not result from a specific conference or symposium at which each contributor presented his own, narrowly framed research experience. Rather, each of the chapters represents, in the form of a general review, a summary of our knowledge of the mediators and the mecha nisms by which they are released to launch the inflammatory response. Much effort has been taken to insure that the often conflicting terminology in this field is defmed in detail: many synonyms (e. g. , of the properdin system or the alternate pathway of complement activation) have been repeatedly presented, in order to avoid confusion. Although each of the contributors is actively engaged in the field of inflammation, few text figures or tables of ongoing research have been included; the overall aim was to provide a volume readily accessible to workers in other areas as well as to the general reader. 220 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume records the proceedings of, and the papers read at, an international conference to consider the use of electronic data processing methods in the major taxonomic plant collections of Europe, primarily herbaria but also living collections. This conference took place at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, from 3rd to 6th October, 1973. It was attended by some 90 delegates, observers and speakers, mainly from a wide range of the major European herbaria, but also from other interested institutions. The problem to be discussed was a big one. Taxonomic collections of the sorts mentioned above constitute the main centres for the scientific documentation of the flora of the world. With the extinction of so many species more or less imminently threatened, and with the modification or disappearance of so many vegetation types through the activities of man, the information contained in these collections grows in importance. Their aggregate size, in Europe, has been estimated at between 50 and 100 millions, and these are annually augmented at a rapid rate. Each specimen or living plant comprises a source of evidence and information represented both by the specimen itself and the associated information provided by the collector and subsequent investigators - identifications, field notes, records of subsequent research, etc. This associated information is known as the label data. Research on the taxonomy and geographical distribution of plants usually requires data from specimens stored in a number of institutions in different countries. 228 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The literature of medicine continues to expand at a remarkable pace. The number of papers and monographs published has increased dramatically in the past five years. Nowhere has this increase been as dramatic as in the field of acute and chronic hepatitis. Why then should there be still another book Despite the sheer volume of words published, it is still difficult to find in anyone volume a compilation of all of the most significant work. Most mono graphs have considered either chronic or acute hepatitis, not both. Few works have addressed both the clinician and the basic scientist. This book addresses both of these audiences and considers both of these diseases. It was designed to provide an authoritative but concise assessment of our changing concepts of acute and chronic hepatitis. It covers what is currently known and, based on the most convincing research, believed about these diseases. To fulfill this ambitious goal, only authors with international reputations in their fields of expertise were invited to contribute. In the evolution of our current thoughts on the pathogenesis and manage ment of acute and chronic hepatitis, our ideas have changed several times. This book presents the facts as they are known today and, in areas where all the facts are not established, presents the well-founded opinions of those considered to be authorities. The authors present established and usually confirmed data and do not deal extensively with areas of speculation or unconfirmed material. 360 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This century has witnessed the creation of new sciences extending the frontiers of knowledge to an unprecedented degree. We have seen the birth of cybernetics and bionics, bringing together such apparently distantly related branches of science as neurohistology and automation, synaptology and electronics. The electron microscope has resolved tissues almost down to the molecular level, and histochemistry has led to the fine analysis of brain structure. However, before these and other new sciences can develop properly and scientifically, a precise knowledge of the structure of the material with which they are concerned is absolutely essential. That is why the need exists at the present time for a detailed study of the larger units, i. e. , the neurons, their interrelationships and the pathways by which excitation is conducted. Biologists, neurologists, physicists, and specialists in other technical disci plines will find this study highly useful. During recent years many advances have been made in knowledge of the central visual system and its pathways. Above all, it has been found that the visual system is very extensive. The optic tract is connected, not only with the lateral geniculate body, but with the superior colliculus and the pulvinar. Besides the discovery of these principal pathways, connections have also been studied with the hypothalamus, the pretectal region, the medial geniculate body, subthalamus, and other parts of the brain stem. The visual system is thus connected with the reflex apparatus, the autonomic nervous system, and the auditory and reticular systems. 304 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This monograph is an attempt to present in a concise manner those aspects of the electrolytic growth of crystals considered to be of basic mechanistic significance. The accent has been put consistently on the understanding of the physical models of the processes discussed. Out of the extensive amount of information in this field, the authors have tried to abstract those systems which can be considered central, and which can, therefore, be related to the basic concepts connected with the electrodeposition of metals. In particular, stress has been laid upon consideration of atomic movements -of ions and molecules in solution, of adsorbed substances on the surface of metals, of steps on a growing crystal. Although the main stress is upon the physical picture, a number of derivations have been presented in detail. It is assumed that the reader is familiar to some degree with the concepts of electrodics; in particular, frequent reference is made to models of the electrical double layer at the metal solution interface and the transfer of charged species across it. 168 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The history of so-called storage diseases goes back to the end of the 19th and to the beginning of the 20th century when Fabry, Tay, Sachs, Gaucher, Niemann, Hunter, and Hurler first described the disorders which up to now are called by their eponym. The clinical descriptions soon were followed by pathologic studies, and within a short time ,the hereditary characters of these rare afflictions came to be recognized. Although sporadic reports during the early part of this century dealt with biochemical analysis of the 'stored' materials in these disorders, it was actually in the late 1930s that the abnormal deposits started to attract the increasing attention of chemists. S. H. Thannhauser brought the broad concept of lipidoses as a group of related disorders to the attention of the medical profession for the first time, and in 1939 Klenk observed that the brain of a patient with Tay-Sachs disease contained greatly increased amounts of a glycolipid for which he proposed the name 'ganglioside. ' 20 years has thrown new light on these afflic Work carried out in the past tions and has pinpointed the enzymatic and lipid abnormalities associated with the various 'storage' diseases. Moreover, electron microscopic studies have permitted detailed investigations of the fine structure of the various organs of afflicted patients. 296 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -For some time now there has been an interest in the nop. linear interaction of electromagnetic waves in plasma [1,2]. But only in the last few years has the theory of nonlinear wave inter action effects undergone such vigorous development as to result in the formulation of clear phYSical concepts regarding the mech anisms of interaction. This development has been engendered by attempts to solve many of the plasma-physical problems accom panying the tremendous growth of experimental research [3]. The importance of nonlinear effects in modern plasma physics is dis cussed in detail in Chap. I. At this point we merely stress the fact that today the analysis of nonlinear effects is a practical ne cessity in any experiment involving plasma instabilities. We should also point out that plasma instabilities can assert them selves extensively in solids (solid state plasma) and play an im portant part in the study of cosmic plasma. Consequently, the problems of nonlinear wave interaction in plasma are of concern to those working in widely different areas of physics. Yet it is difficult to assimilate the results of investigations on nonlinear effects, owing to the complicated way in which the results of orig inal research are presented. In the present book the author hopes in some measure to fill the need for a text on the physics of non linear effects that is accessible to a fairly general audience. 352 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Conference on the Benthic Boundary Layer was held under the auspices of the NATO Science Committee as part of its continuing effort to promote the useful progress of science through international cooperation. Science Committee Conferences are deliberately designed to focus attention on unsolved problems, with carefully selected participants invited to provide complementary expertise from a variety of relevant disciplines. Through inten sive discussion in small groups they seek to reach a consensus on assessments and recommendations for future research emphasis, which it is hoped will be of value to the larger scientific community. The subjects treated over the past few years have been as varied as science itself-e.g., computer software engineering, chemical catalysis, and materials and energy research. The present effort evolved from informal discussions between marine geolo gists, chemists, and biologists which underlined the desirability of improved communication among those concerned with the benthic layer. In both scien tific and technological terms this is an exciting frontier, rich in promise but poorly understood at present. It is particularly striking to realize that there are at least as many definitions of the benthic layer as there are disciplines involved, and it seemed clear that there was much to be gained by a detailed exchange of views on research capabilities, trends, and priorities. The results of the meeting appear to have confirmed the hopes of the sponsors. 336 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Permanent Commission and International Association on Occupational Health (PCIAOH) established in 1969 a Subcommittee on the Toxicology of Metals under the chairmanship of Lars Friberg. This committee, which later was named the Scientific Committee on the Toxicology of Metals, has organized a number of previous meetings that have led to publications in three major areas of metal toxicology: a preliminary meeting in Slanchev Bryag, Bulgaria in- 1971, followed by a meeting in 1972 in Buenos Aires, Argentina which produced two reports (Dukes and Friberg, 1971; Task Group on Metal Accumulation, 1973), that discussed the metabolism of metals with special reference to absorption, excretion and biological half-times. The effects and dose-response relationships of toxic metals, including a discussion of general principles, was the second major topic addressed by the Scientific Committee at a meeting in Tokyo in 1974 (Nordberg, 1976). The philosophy of this conference, as well as the previous one in Buenos Aires, was based on the concept of a 'threshold dose' for the occurrence of adverse effects. In a conference held in Atlanta, USA in 1980, the scope of discussion on metal effects was broadened to include the role of metals in carcinogenesis. Thus, for the first time, the Scientific Committee took under consideration the possibility of non-threshold relationships (Belman and Nordberg, 1981). In addition, the Scientific Committee on the Toxicology of Metals organized a workshop on metal interactions in Stockholm 1977 (Nordberg et al. 864 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Sherrington School of Physiology at St. Thomas' Hospital provided a natural venue for four days of enthusiastic debate on Sherrington's Final Common Path -the alpha motoneurone and related matters; Sherrington himself held a lecturership at St. Thomas' just over a century ago. The occasion was a happy one. Most participants already knew each other, the topics were familiar, the discussion was vigorous and critical but without personal rancor. The program had set out to encourage debate with 'critiques' both of the oral papers and the posters; their inclusion in the present volume helps to show where we are standing on rock rather than sand. In spite of a venerable history some surprisingly simple matters remain controversial, such as the information content of the signals from the Golgi tendon organs. To those working on alpha and gamma motoneurones and their control this volume provides an essential up-dating. Classical problems continue to be attacked on a broad front; advance is steady and continuous, a swelling tide rather than a sudden view of the summit. But in some sectors the difficulties are so great that to the outsider little might seem to change, the same battles continuing; but even here, the terms of debate change and concensus develops. Other branches of biology claim breakthrough upon breakthrough from the routine application of the new technologies, so we have to be the first to ask whether our classical approach to science can still be justified. 656 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The systematic study of the adsorption of organic compounds on electrodes began with the comprehensive survey of adsorption on mercury carried out by Gouy in the first decade of this century. His studies with the capillary electrometer are still useful but do not lend themselves to detailed quantitative analysis. A more de tailed study of a few systems by Frumkin in his thesis (1919) led him to propose a quantitative phenomenological theory of organic adsorption (1925, 1926) at almost the same time as Stern proposed the model of the electrical double layer which remains the picture accepted in general terms today. The attempt at a molecular model made by Butler (1929) should be more satisfying but up to the pres ent the formidable difficulties of a molecular theory of interfacial phenomena have prevented the full interpretation of experimental results along these lines. In his work with Proskurnin (1935), Frumkin is also respon sible for the major experimental advance in the demonstration that reliable measurements of the capacity of an electrode-solution interface can be obtained provided that the work is carried out under conditions of scrupulous cleanliness. Even so, preCise mea surements of double layer capacities were not obtained until Grahame (1941) showed how convenient and reliable the dropping mercury electrode was the for these studies. This method and the hanging drop electrode remain the preferred methods for study of adsorp tion on mercury. Solid electrodes present a more difficult problem. 516 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book contains the lectures delivered at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on 'Physics and Applications of Quantum Wells and Superlattices', held in Erice, Italy, on April 21-May 1, 1987. This course was the fourth one of the International School of Solid-State Device Research, which is under the auspices of the Ettore Majorana Center for Scientific Culture. In the last ten years, we have seen an enormous increase in re search in the field of Semiconductor Heterostructures, as evidenced by the large percentage of papers presented in recent international conferences on semiconductor physics. Undoubtfully, this expansion has been made possible by dramatic advances in materials preparation, mostly by molecular beam epitaxy and organometallic chemical vapor deposition. The emphasis on epitaxial growth that was prevalent at the beginning of the decade (thus, the second course of the School, held in 1983, was devoted to Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Heterostructures) has given way to a strong interest in new physical phenomena and new material structures, and to practical applications that are already emerging from them. 468 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -It is unclear, and really no longer relevant, whether the information explosion that we now contend with has been fostered by the growth of specialization and subspecialization in medicine, or vice versa. What is clear is that the two are mutually supportive and constitute what would be in endocrine parlance a short-loop positive feedback system. As a result, for most areas of medicine, even the subspecialist in that area has a problem in maintaining currency, the more general specialist has substan tial difficulty in doing so, and the generalist is tempted to abandon the effort altogether. Nevertheless, for all, both the internal pressures of conscience and self-esteem and the external pressures generated by peer review, recertifi cation, and subspecialty boards create the need for continuous self-educa tion. We are, therefore, in an era in which the means of dissemination of new information deserves as much creative attention as does its acquisition. 348 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -It is most appropriate that the first volume to appear in the series 'Advanced Applications in Pattern Recognition' should be this monograph by Nagao and Matsuyama. The work described here is a deep unification and synthesis of the two fundamental approaches to pat tern recognition: numerical (also known as 'statistical') and struc tural ('linguistic,' 'syntactic'). The power and unity of the meth odology flow from the apparently effortless and natural use of the knowledge-base framework illuminated by the best results of artificial intelligence research. An integral part of the work is the algorithmic solution of many hitherto incompletely or clumsily treated problems. It was on the occasion of a laboratory visit in connection with the 4th IJCPR (of ~hich Professor Nagao was the very able Program Chairman) that I saw in operation the system described here. On the spot I expressed the desire to see the work described for the inter national technical audience in this series and the authors were kind enough to agree to contribute to a new and unknown series. With the publication of this monograph on the eve of the 5th ICPR my wish is fu1fi11~d. I want to thank here the authors and Plenum Publishing Corporation for making this volume and the series a reality. 236 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -On May 14-16, 1982, a group of scientists met in Viareggio, Italy to present ideas, and exchange relevant data on current approaches on immunomodulators. We felt that the embodiment of the substance of that international symposium into this volume will be beneficial in keeping both clinicians and basic scientists abreast of the latest exciting developments in this rapidly accelerating field. We hope that the publication of this series of papers by an international panel of experts will enhance the nature of future inves t igat ive stud ies with such ent it ies . Under the rubric of immunology, it is obvious that such a term as 'immunomodulation' could be construed as being all encompassing. However, it is intriguing that the immune modulators touched on in these sessions can be subcategorized into about five broad groups. Almost all substances, excepting those entities that are immuno logically inert, will have some modulating effects on immunity. From the coarse adjustment of antibody feedback inhibition upon cellular limnunity to the subtle finesse envisioned in Jerne's idiotypic network and s'lppressor T cells, immunomodulators attempt to either magnify or diminish those responses that are normally elicited by antigen. The broad groups - thymic hormones, D.L.E., Interferon, drugs, and the use of bacterial products appear to be at the forefront of much of the pioneering work on immunomodulation. 472 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -One Introduction to Robotics.- Two What is a Robot .- Background.- Definitions.- Robot.- Sensing.- Programming.- Types of Automation.- Hard Automation.- Flexible Automation.- Classification of Robots.- First Generation Robots.- Second Generation Robots.- Cost Limitations.- Social Implications.- Humans Versus Robots.- Three The Mechanical Arm.- Overview.- Types of Joints.- Prismatic Joints.- Revolute Joints.- Ball and Socket Joints.- Degrees of Freedom.- Classification of Robots by Type of Joint.- Cartesian Robots.- Cylindrical Robots.- Spherical Robots.- Horizontal Articulated Robots.- Vertical Articulated Robots.- Comparison of Robot Work Envelopes.- Cartesian Robots.- Cylindrical Robots.- Spherical Robots.- Horizontal Articulated Robots.- Vertical Articulated Robots.- Suitability for Particular Tasks.- Link Construction.- Robot Arm Drive Units.- Revolute and Prismatic Drive.- Electric, Hydraulic, and Pneumatic Drive.- Electric Drive.- Hydraulic Drive.- Pneumatic Drive.- Direct and Indirect Drive.- Four The Robot Controller.- Robot Control Levels.- Actuator Control.- Closed-Loop Control.- Encoders and Tachometers.- Coordinated Control.- Path Control.- Point-to-Point Control.- Continuous Path Control.- Off-Line Programming Control and Real-Time Control.- Off-Line Programming Control.- Real-Time Control.- Controller Programming.- User Program.- Controller Software.- Five Robot Teaching Methods.- Preview.- Teaching Methods.- Teach-In.- Teach-Through.- Teach-Through Using a Force Sensor.- Teaching by Means of Other Sensors.- Programming Methods.- Definition of Coordinates by the Computer.- Shifting Coordinate Systems.- Use of Vision Sensor and Pointer.- World Modeling.- Comparison of Teaching and Programming Methods.- Six The End Effector.- Two-Finger Grippers.- Three-Finger Grippers.- Cylindrical Object Grippers.- Fragile Object Grippers.- Jointed Grippers.- Vacuum and Electromagnetic Grippers.- Automatic Gripper Changers.- Seven Integration and Operation of Robot Subsystems.- A Robot Task.- Placing block 2 on block 1.- Placing block 3 on block 2.- Implementation of the series.- Eight Industrial Applications of Robots.- Industrial Applications.- Press Loading and Unloading.- Die Casting.- Machine Tool Loading and Unloading.- Spot Welding.- Arc Welding.- Spray Painting.- Assembly.- Finishing.- Adapting Robots to Work Stations.- Requisite Robot Characteristics.- Work Envelope.- Payload.- Degrees of Freedom.- Resolution, Precision and Repeatability.- Coordination and Synchronization with Peripheral Equipment.- Non-Requisite Robot Characteristics.- Velocity of Motion.- Types of Drive.- Control and Teaching Methods.- Stages in Selecting Robots for Industrial Application.- Work Envelope.- Payload.- Degrees of Freedom.- Resolution, Precision and Repeatability 150 Coordination and Synchronization with Peripheral Equipment.- Non-Requisite Robot Characteristics.- Nine Sensors and Sensing.- Artificial Intelligence.- Human Versus Artificial Senses.- Sensor Types.- Contact Sensors.- Single-Contact Sensors.- Multiple-Contact Sensing Surfaces.- Contact Sheets.- Slipping Sensors.- Whiskers.- Force and Moment Sensors.- Force and Moment Sensor Applications.- Use of Force and Moment Sensors in Finishing Applications.- Problems in the use of Force and Moment Sensors.- Non-Contact Sensors.- Identification of a Part with a Single Detector.- Sensing Array (Line) Identification.- Sensing Matrix Camera (Surface).- Identification.- Ten Future Developments.- Preview.- Unmanned Factories.- Personal Robots.- Man-Machine Communications.- Artificial Bodies.- Conclusion. 236 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book is addressed to the university student who is not a science major and to the general reader. An attempt is made to present an integrated view of some of the basic concepts of physical, biological, and social sciences relevant to the problem of providing people with food. The application of these disciplines has led to our present technologies of medicine, agriculture, and food science on which modern civilization rests. Technical information concerning foods has increased enormously in the less than a century that the basic concepts of the science of nutrition have been recognized. Scientific agriculture to provide food for an ever-growing population is scarcely a century and a half old. Feeding oneself is a very personal matter, and at the same time feeding large groups is the concern of society as a whole. Therefore, it is understandable that, in one way or another, the problems offood produc tion and distribution underlie the actions of politicians, bureaucrats, the leaders of government, and business managers. These situations of our modern life make rational and sound solutions to food problems difficult and often contribute to alarmism founded on partial scientific 'truth' taken out of context. The trend toward more 'consumerism' is unmistakable. But to serve the individual best, such movements must be based on sound judgments and reasoned scientific principles rather than on the often emotional compromises of opportunistic politicians, lawyers, and businessmen. That man requires wholesome, nutritious food is indisputable. 440 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -For my past sins, Leslie Ettre has given me the privilege of writing a few words to preface his excellent little book. It gives me great pleasure to do so, because of the many years of fruitful collabo ration we have had at Perkin-Elmer, because it is refreshing to see a treatise in gas chromatography in which the theoretical treatment has been bared to its essentials, without a mushrooming of formulae which, by means of an ever increasing number of parameters, account for more and more, and explain less and less, and because the author has recognized that the gas chromatographic column is a nearly passive element in its own right which deserves to have a treatise written nearly exclusively about it, just as electrical circuit theory can be discussed without elaborate references to vacuum tubes and meters. I wish this conscientiously written volume the success it deserves. M. J. E. GOLAY VII Preface Gas chromatography is a separation technique used primarily in analytical chemistry. Therefore, it is evident that special emphasis should be placed on that particular part of the apparatus in which the separation takes place. This part is the column, the heart of the gas chromatograph. The goal of researchers in the field of gas chromatography has been-from the beginning-to understand the separation process so that they might design columns with the best possible performance. Such investigation led M. J. E. 188 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Thus far in the history of biology, two, and only two, fundamental principles have come to light that pervade and unify the entire science-the cell theory and the concept of evolution. While it is true that recently opened fields of inves tigation have given rise to several generalizations of wide impact, such as the universality of DNA and the energetic dynamics of ecology, closer inspection reveals them to be part and parcel of either of the first two mentioned. Because in the final analysis energy can act upon an organism solely at the cellular level, its effects may be perceived basically to represent one facet of cell me tabolism. Similarly, because the DNA theory centers upon the means by which cells build proteins and reproduce themselves, it too proves to be only one more, even though an exciting, aspect of the cell theory. In fact, if the matter is given closer scrutiny, evolution itself can be viewed as being a fundamental portion of the cell concept, for its effects arise only as a consequence of changes in the cell's genetic apparatus accumulating over geological time. Or, if one wishes, the diametrically opposite standpoint may be taken. For, if current concepts of the origin of life hold any validity, the evolution of precellular organisms from the primordial biochemicals must have proceeded over many eons of time prior to the advent of even the most primitive cell. 720 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -According to the classical concept of Geoffrey Harris the pituitary gland is controlled by the brain by means of blood-borne chemical messengers produced by central neurons. The recent isolation and structural characterization of several such messengers by Roger Guillemin and Andrew Schally and their collaborators brought the final proof for this hypothesis. This also meant that the extensive knowledge collected in the field of neurobiology now became highly relevant for the endocrinologists. For this reason it was felt important to organize a symposium which brought together experts in the fields of neurobiology and endocrinology. The idea was to focus the attention on neuronal mechanisms, particularly those related to chemical transmission, which may be of importance for the central regulation of hormonal secretion patterns. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Nobel Founda tion for supporting the organization of the Nobel Symposium 42 on 'Principles of the Central Regulation of the Endocrine System'. We would also like to express our thanks to all participants, to Professor Carl-Gustaf Bernhard, Permanent Secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences, for making the facilities of the Academ- available to us, and to the Symposium secretaries Mrs. Gun Hultgren, Mrs. Lena Persson and Mrs. Ulla-Britt Wedin. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the generous financial support from the Nobel Foundation and its Nobel Symposium Committee through grants from the Tercentenary Foundation of the Bank of Sweden, and from the Swedish Medical Research Council, KABI AB, Stockholm, and ASTRA AB, Sodertalje. 572 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume derives from papers presented at the 4th biennial meeting of the Italian Biophysical Society, held in Parma in October 1979. It includes review lectures presented by guest scientists (R.H. Adrian, E. Neher, S. Ottolenghi, and G. Zaccai); the remaining reviews and papers present some of the problems currently under study in our country. One can see that biophysical problems are studied under differ ent academic roofs, i.e., at physiological or biochemical departments. We consider this a strength and a weakness at the same time. The 'Italian Bioenergetics Group' contributed to the success of the meeting, as much as the groups working in various laboratories of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, in particular those of the National Group of Cybernetics and Biophysics. To them, and to the University of Parma, which contributed financial and organiza tional support, the Editors of this volume wish to express their appreciation. Particular thanks are to Drs. E. Carbone and V. Lenci, who spent time and effort for the meeting and in collecting the papers. The special care in the typing goes to the credit of Miss Rampello, to whom the Editors express their deepest gratitude. 380 pp. Englisch.