Search results for ""taylor francis inc""

The second edition of a bestseller, this book discusses the common structural and stereochemical features of naturally occurring organic compounds. It includes a variety of examples to illustrate varied aspects so that the range of structure and behavior exhibited by these compounds is retained within the set framework. The author explores the increasing application of physical (spectroscopic) methods like IR, NMR, CD, ORD, MS, High Resolution Mass Spectroscopy without undermining the importance of ‘classical’ chemical methods. The section on problem solving helps to develop an analytical and critical evaluation of the data.

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Hierarchic Electrodynamics and Free Electron Lasers: Concepts, Calculations, and Practical Applications presents intriguing new fundamental concepts in the phenomenon of hierarchical electrodynamics as a new direction in physics. Concentrating on the key theory of hierarchic oscillations and waves, this book focuses on the numerous applications of nonlinear theory in different types of high-current Free Electron Lasers (FEL), including their primary function in the calculation methods used to analyze various multi-resonant, multi-frequency nonlinear FEL models.This is considered the first book to: Completely and systematically describe the foundation of hierarchical electrodynamics as a new direction of physics Fully represent the physics of high-current FEL—and associated models—from the hierarchic oscillation wave perspective Cover the multi-harmonic nonlinear theory of new types of electronic devices, such as plasma-beam and two-stream FEL Formulate and substantiate the concept of cluster femtosecond FEL Analyze practical prospects for a new generation of a global "Star Wars" strategic defense systems These subjects involve a wide range of disciplines. Using numerous real-world examples to illustrate information and concepts, the book offers a mathematical foundation to explore FEL applications as well as analyze hierarchic plasma-like electrodynamic systems and femto-second clusters of electromagnetic energy. Assembling fragmented concepts from existing literature, the author re-examines classic approaches in order to develop new insights and achieve scientific breakthroughs.

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Brings Together Current Knowledge and State-of-the-Art Information on Indigenous Fermented FoodsFermented foods and beverages span a range of root crops, cereals, pulses, vegetables, nuts, fruits, and animal products. Southeast Asia has a long history of utilizing fermentation in the production and preservation of foods, and is widely recognized for its prominent use. Indigenous Fermented Foods of Southeast Asia examines some indigenous fermented foods of Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, focusing on the chemical, microbiological, and technological factors associated with their manufacture, quality, and safety. This text establishes a need for an adequate understanding of the fermentation process to ensure safe and reliable practices, as well as the consistent production of a quality product.The authors describe the production, microbiology, biochemistry, nutritional value, and dietary roles of a wide variety of indigenous fermented foods of Southeast Asia. Emphasizing the microbiological and biochemical processes in fermentations and examining the factors that influence the development of the characteristic microflora and chemical changes induced, they accurately describe each process and critically evaluate the roles of microbes in the fermentation. The classification of products is based on their microbial ecology (i.e. the predominant microbes involved), and the text includes examples of every major category of fermented food. The book covers tempe, starter cultures, sweet/sour/alcoholic rice and cassava fermentations, alcoholic fermentations, soy sauce, Bacillus fermentations, and lactic acid bacterial fermentations of vegetables, durian fruit, rice noodles, meats, and sea foods. This book answers a series of basic questions addressing: Dominant/desired microbes Suitable factors in processing and the environment Commonly present microbes Compounds utilized as major carbon and energy sources Sources of fermentable carbohydrates Main biochemical activities and chemical changes True yield of product per kilogram of initial raw materials Possible hazards associated with a product How possible hazards may be minimized or eliminated Research needs and opportunities Indigenous Fermented Foods of Southeast Asia evaluates the state of scientific knowledge of the fermentations and identifies specific questions that need to be answered in order to promote the reproducibility, safety and future prospects of these fermented foods.

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Providing the insight and tools needed to improve the perception your customers have about the quality of your product or service, Your Customers' Perception of Quality: What It Means to Your Bottom Line and How to Control It introduces a ground-breaking model for measuring the impact of quality perception on your bottom line. Allowing you to look at quality from an outside-in, truly customer-centric perspective, the authors pave a concrete connection between enhanced customer perception and increased profitability. The book introduces cutting-edge concepts in customer-centric quality—explaining exactly how to identify, plan, cost justify, manage, and deliver consistent improvements to the factors that matter most to your customers. Helping you harness the power of the universal set of tools, techniques, and methods at your disposal in the field of quality, the book: Unveils a model that provides quantifiable information for determining the impact of customer perception on your bottom line Details a strategic model for attaining long-term benefits—including the tools required to make the necessary tactical changes Includes a wealth of customizable tools to help kick-start implementation efforts The text clearly illustrates how to implement methods proven to improve operational efficiencies, foster customer loyalty, and drive increased revenue through positive word of mouth. Complete with helpful checklists, templates, tools, and detailed instructions on how to tailor them to your company, the authors guide you through the path of evaluating, analyzing, and implementing the value-adding adjustments needed to drive profits and boost customer loyalty.

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A presentation of state-of-the-art approaches from an industrial applications perspective, Communication Architectures for Systems-on-Chip shows professionals, researchers, and students how to attack the problem of data communication in the manufacture of SoC architectures. With its lucid illustration of current trends and research improving the performance, quality, and reliability of transactions, this is an essential reference for anyone dealing with communication mechanisms for embedded systems, systems-on-chip, and multiprocessor architectures—or trying to overcome existing limitations. Exploring architectures currently implemented in manufactured SoCs—and those being proposed—this book analyzes a wide range of applications, including: Well-established communication buses Less common networks-on-chip Modern technologies that include the use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) Optical links used to speed up data transfer and boost both security and quality of service (QoS) The book’s contributors pay special attention to newer problems, including how to protect transactions of critical on-chip information (personal data, security keys, etc.) from an external attack. They examine mechanisms, revise communication protocols involved, and analyze overall impact on system performance.

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Over two decades have passed since the fifth edition of Phosphorus: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Technology. Major advances in chemistry, materials science, electronics, and medicine have expanded and clarified the role of phosphorus in both our everyday appliances and groundbreaking research. Significantly expanded, updated, and reorganized, this sixth edition organizes and explains vital phosphorus research and relevant information available in highly specialized reviews and references on select related topics. An authoritative and comprehensive review of phosphorus chemistry and related technology, Phosphorus: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Technology covers historical, academic, industrial, agricultural, military, biological, and medical aspects of phosphorous. Furthermore, it offers a starting point for more extended studies of the highly specialized branches of phosphorus chemistry.Although this book deals with a small fraction of the > 106 known phosphorus compounds, it thoroughly covers the simpler derivatives and most key compounds of economic, sociological, and biological importance. Extensively updated and expanded with tables, figures, equations, structural formulae, and references, it is ideal for scientists in related fields seeking a rapid introduction to phosphorus chemistry.

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Enabling management to verify that processes are being performed correctly and in an efficient manner, standardized work provides limitless opportunities for process improvements. So much so, that it has become a vital component of improvement efforts in Lean enterprise systems.New Horizons in Standardized Work: Techniques for Manufacturing and Business Process Improvement is an all-inclusive guide to applying standardized work principles to virtually any business in any industry. It facilitates a fundamental understanding of standardized work principles and the logic behind their development, so readers can successfully extend and adapt them to their own work situation. It also: Supplies an accessible introduction to standardized work, from a cyclic perspective Explains how to instill and maintain quality in work processes right from the get go Provides the foundational basis required to apply standardized work concepts to a wide range of work situations Includes several appendices with helpful tips and problem-solving tools In a step-by-step format, this book discusses the relationship of the work period and the takt time, as well as the importance of the three main worker interface levels in job design. It includes an array of examples that demonstrate how the concepts discussed can be applied across a range of industries—including health care, construction, business processes, and food services.

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LabVIEW™ has become one of the preeminent platforms for the development of data acquisition and data analysis programs. LabVIEW™: A Developer’s Guide to Real World Integration explains how to integrate LabVIEW into real-life applications.Written by experienced LabVIEW developers and engineers, the book describes how LabVIEW has been pivotal in solving real-world challenges. Each chapter is self-contained and demonstrates the power and simplicity of LabVIEW in various applications, from image processing to solar tracking systems. Many of the chapters explore how exciting new technologies can be implemented in LabVIEW to enable novel solutions to new or existing problems. The text also presents novel tricks and tips for integrating LabVIEW with third-party hardware and software.Ideal for LabVIEW users who develop stand-alone applications, this down-to-earth guide shows how LabVIEW provides solutions to a variety of application problems. It includes projects and virtual instrumentation for most of the programs and utilities described. Many of the authors’ own software contributions are available on the downloadable resources.

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Written by Chitram Lutchman, a project management professional with more than 20 years of field and business experience, Project Execution: A Practical Approach to Industrial and Commercial Project Management gives you a more optimistic view of this exciting and challenging area. The book focuses on the essential requirements for successful execution of commercial and industrial projects. It differs from other project management books by focusing exclusively on the Execution Stage of the project, leveraging this opportunity for value maximization for the organization.Lutchman identifies people, process, and systems readiness as key components of an overall Milestone Readiness Process. When managed properly, this readiness approach to project management greatly increases the ability of project leaders to deliver on budget and on schedule. The author highlights practical measures and tools that can be used by Project Leaders to promote smooth and controlled execution of a project, rewarding all stakeholders through a collective value maximization effort. He also pinpoints safety as a priority, strong leadership behaviors and stakeholder relations and management as key requirements for success. Lutchman draws on his in-the-trenches know-how and frontline experiences to provide practical recommendations for project execution requirements that, while intuitive, are very likely to be forgotten given the many competing priorities of project leaders.Whether you are a seasoned professional with years of experience or a novice just getting your feet wet, this book enhances your preparedness, skills, and capabilities in project execution or project support roles. This easy-to-follow road map is well equipped with practical tools, ideas, and concepts that enhances your ability to keep projects on budget and on schedule.

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Biomimetics is the idea of creating new technologies abstracted from what we find in biology. Ocean Innovation: Biomimetics Beneath the Waves seeks that technological inspiration from the rich biodiversity of marine organisms. Bringing both a biological and engineering perspective to the biomimetic potential of oceanic organisms, this richly illustrated book investigates questions such as: How can we mimic the sensory systems of sea creatures like sharks, sea turtles, and lobsters to improve our ability to navigate underwater? What can we do to afford humans the opportunity to go unnoticed by marine life? How can we diffuse oxygen from water to enable deep diving without the risk of decompression sickness? Each chapter explores an area where we, as divers and technologists, can benefit from understanding how animals survive in the sea, presenting case studies that demonstrate how natural solutions can be applied to mankind’s engineering challenges.

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Belief is not knowledge, but we tend to hold our beliefs as if they represent knowledge, selecting whatever evidence is required to justify them. And because humans tend to cling to their beliefs as truths, organizations often ignore the need for change, no matter how urgent that need.From Belief to Knowledge: Achieving and Sustaining an Adaptive Culture in Organizations offers potential change agents an integrative analysis and treatment of the problem of organizational learning. It demonstrates the importance of looking beneath beliefs and assumptions to find the roots and persistent influences that preserve them. It gives us a much broader definition of organizational knowledge than that associated with information technology and the currently popular idea of knowledge as an asset. Furthermore, it provides an alternative view of culture and change, one that is defined by the ability to continually align collective beliefs with reality."Douglas and Wykowski…answer the question that lingers in the minds of many managers – What does organizational learning mean and how does it influence ongoing organizational success?" – Lee Newick, Shell DownstreamRather than offer simple recipes, this book shows how good leaders can evolve and sustain an adaptive culture that develops knowledge through purposeful human interaction. It explores key dynamics of learning, considers the diversity of beliefs present in any group, and demonstrates ways that those leaders can explore and encourage the potential of both the group and individuals within the group."Although this book is geared to organizational change, it has the potential to change all areas of human endeavor." – David Julian Hodges, City University of New York

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Recent advances in technology have led to the unprecedented accuracy in measurements of endogenous electric fields around sites of tissue disruption. State-of-the-art molecular approaches demonstrate the role of bioelectricity in the directionality and speed of cell migration, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and orientation. New information indicates that electric fields play a role in initiating and coordinating complex regenerative responses in development and wound repair and that they may also have a part in cancer progression and metastasis.Compiling current research in this rapidly expanding field, Physiology of Bioelectricity in Development, Tissue Regeneration, and Cancer highlights relevant, cutting-edge topics poised to drive the next generation of medical breakthroughs. Chapters consider methods for detecting endogenous electric field gradients and studying applied electric fields in the lab. The book addresses bioelectricity’s roles in guiding cell behavior during morphogenesis and orchestrating higher order patterning. It also covers the response of stem cells to applied electric fields, which reveals bioelectricity as an exciting new player in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.This book provides an in-depth exploration of how electric signals control corneal wound repair and skin re-epithelialization, angiogenesis, and inflammation. It also delves into the bioelectric responses of cells derived from the musculoskeletal system, bioelectrical guidance of neurons, and the beneficial application of voltage gradients to promote regeneration in the spinal cord. It concludes with a discussion of bioelectricity and cancer progression and the potential for novel cancer biomarkers, new methods for early detection, and bioelectricity-based therapies to target both the tumor and metastatic cancer cells.This multidisciplinary compilation will benefit biologists, biochemists, biomedical scientists, engineers, dermatologists, and clinicians, or anyone else interested in development, regeneration, cancer, and tissue engineering. It can also serve as an ideal textbook for students in biology, medicine, medical physiology, biophysics, and biomedical engineering.

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Due to the development of microscale fabrication methods, microlenses are being used more and more in many unique applications, such as artificial implementations of compound eyes, optical communications, and labs-on-chips. Liquid microlenses, in particular, represent an important and growing research area yet there are no books devoted to this topic that summarize the research to date. Rectifying this deficiency, Microlenses: Properties, Fabrication and Liquid Lenses examines the recent progress in the emerging field of liquid-based microlenses.After describing how certain problems in optics can be solved by liquid microlenses, the book introduces the physics and fabrication methods involved in microlenses. It also details the facility and equipment requirements for general fabrication methods. The authors then present examples of various microlenses with non-tunable and tunable focal lengths based on different mechanisms, including: Non-tunable microlenses: Ge/SiO2 core/shell nanolenses, glass lenses made by isotropic etching, self-assembled lenses and lens arrays, lenses fabricated by direct photo-induced polymerization, lenses formed by thermally reflowing photoresist, lenses formed from inkjet printing, arrays fabricated through molding processes, and injection-molded plastic lenses Electrically tuned microlenses: liquid crystal-based lenses and liquid lenses driven by electrostatic forces, dielectrophoretic forces, electrowetting, and electrochemical reactions Mechanically tunable microlenses: thin-membrane lenses with varying apertures, pressures, and surface shapes; swellable hydrogel lenses; liquid–liquid interface lenses actuated by environmentally stimuli-responsive hydrogels; and oscillating lens arrays driven by sound waves Horizontal microlenses: two-dimensional polymer lenses, tunable and movable liquid droplets as lenses, hydrodynamically tuned cylindrical lenses, liquid core and liquid cladding lenses, air–liquid interface lenses, and tunable liquid gradient refractive index lenses The book concludes by summarizing the importance of microlenses, shedding light on future microlens work, and exploring related challenges, such as the packaging of systems, effects of gravity, evaporation of liquids, aberrations, and integration with other optical components.

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To truly understand how the Internet and Web are organized and function requires knowledge of mathematics and computation theory. Mathematical and Algorithmic Foundations of the Internet introduces the concepts and methods upon which computer networks rely and explores their applications to the Internet and Web. The book offers a unique approach to mathematical and algorithmic concepts, demonstrating their universality by presenting ideas and examples from various fields, including literature, history, and art.Progressing from fundamental concepts to more specific topics and applications, the text covers computational complexity and randomness, networks and graphs, parallel and distributed computing, and search engines. While the mathematical treatment is rigorous, it is presented at a level that can be grasped by readers with an elementary mathematical background. The authors also present a lighter side to this complex subject by illustrating how many of the mathematical concepts have counterparts in everyday life. The book provides in-depth coverage of the mathematical prerequisites and assembles a complete presentation of how computer networks function. It is a useful resource for anyone interested in the inner functioning, design, and organization of the Internet.

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Research and development on microorganisms in food has evolved from a luxury to a necessity for companies competing in the global marketplace. Whether research is conducted internally or externally through contract laboratories and universities, microbial research in foods is crucial to the safety and integrity of our food supply. Microbiological Research and Development for the Food Industry covers the technical and practical insights needed for developing and utilizing various capabilities to advance food microbiology research. Providing examples of how research data can be applied to consumer and brand protection efforts, this book: Describes the purposes and processes for conducting microbiological research and development for companies and organizations involved in food, beverage, and ingredient production and distribution Covers a broad range of topics of importance to food microbiologists in allied food industries and organizations, government, and academia Includes examples of successful research methods for food microbiology laboratories Written to walk the reader through the process of investigating microorganisms in food systems for consumer and brand protection, Microbiological Research and Development for the Food Industry provides practical understanding of the necessary mechanisms and research approaches used in the field. It fuses the business and scientific aspects of microbiological research to underscore the return on investment for beverage and food ingredient producers. This text goes beyond routine presence/absence testing of pathogens and spoilage microorganisms in foods. It describes ways data can be collected to answer more complex questions and provides examples of how such data can be applied to consumer and brand protection efforts.

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Stirling Convertor Regenerators addresses the latest developments and future possibilities in the science and practical application of Stirling engine regenerators and technology. Written by experts in the vanguard of alternative energy, this invaluable resource presents integral scientific details and design concepts associated with Stirling converter regenerators. Content is reinforced with novel insights and remarkable firsthand experience that the authors and their colleagues acquired while working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other leading organizations.Apply NASA Experience & ExperimentationIntrigued by its special potential to improve energy generation, NASA has been working on Stirling technology since 1980—first for automotive applications, and later for use in generating auxiliary power during space missions. Now, after three decades of development, the Department of Energy and NASA and its contractors have developed a high-efficiency Stirling radioisotope generator (SRG), and NASA plans to launch such a Stirling engine/alternator for use in deep space.With contributions from top experts in their fields, this reference offers a rare insider’s perspective that can greatly benefit engineers, scientists, and even students who are currently working in R&D for Stirling machines, as well as other burgeoning areas of alternative power generation—particularly solar and wind technologies. This book is a significant resource for anyone working on application of porous materials in filters, catalytic convertors, thermal energy storage, electronic cooling, and more.

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Radiosensitizers and Radiochemotherapy in the Treatment of Cancer catalogs and describes the mechanism of action for entities characterized as radiosensitizers. Developments in the biological and physical sciences have introduced new radiosensitizers and defined novel targets for radiosensitization. As a result, a book about radiosensitization must now address a huge range of topics, covering everything from molecular oxygen and high Z elements to monoclonal antibodies and complex phytochemicals. At the molecular level, the understanding of the molecular consequences of DNA damage and the DNA damage response have informed the development of targeted radiosensitizers and shed light on the mode of action of radiochemotherapy protocols of known clinical efficacy. In this book the mechanisms of action at the molecular and cellular level are described for documented radiosensitizers including, where applicable, a brief history of their clinical use and most recent clinical results. In addition, the clinical context is addressed including the importance of factors such as dose and dose rate, normal tissue toxicity, and drug delivery. Intuitively organized by topic and application, the book includes extensive illustrations, end-of-chapter summaries, and a wealth of references.

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An increasing number of people have food allergies or require special diets, and they are dining out more often. As a food service professional, how do you accommodate the needs of these customers? Serving People with Food Allergies: Kitchen Management and Menu Creation brings together a vast store of knowledge and practical advice for people working in the food service industry.This handy reference contains tools for cooks, managers, and chefs to help them create and modify recipes that meet the needs of people afflicted with multiple food allergies. It discusses the special dietary needs of those with autism, celiac disease, diabetes, lactose intolerance, and phenylketonuria (PKU), as well as diets for people who are vegetarian or vegan.The former manager of Product Development and Special Diets for Walt Disney World® Resort and an experienced trainer, the author goes through step-by-step processes for the kitchen and front of the house. Reviewing the main foods that cause allergic reactions—eggs, milk, peanuts and tree nuts, fish and shellfish, soy, wheat, and corn—he explains how to identify the ingredients, by-products, and derivatives in food labels. The author provides information on specialty products to enhance menu offerings and reduce liability issues. He also offers ideas on reviewing kitchen procedures to identify ways to prevent cross-contact and cross-contamination of food.Written for large food service corporations and hotel and restaurant chains to use when training their staff, this book contains information on cooking for and serving those with food allergies and special dietary needs. Using basic terminology, this book is suitable for home cooks as well.Videos of the author working in the kitchen can be found on his Youtube channel.He also maintains a website at

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Quantitative methods are revolutionizing modern molecular and cellular biology. Groundbreaking technical advances are fueling the rapid expansion in our ability to observe, as seen in multidisciplinary studies that integrate theory, computation, experimental assays, and the control of microenvironments. Integrating new experimental and theoretical methods, Quantitative Biology: From Molecular to Cellular Systems gives both new and established researchers a solid foundation for starting work in this field.The book is organized into three sections: Fundamental Concepts covers bold ideas that inspire novel approaches in modern quantitative biology. It offers perspectives on evolutionary dynamics, system design principles, chance and memory, and information processing in biology. Methods describes recently developed or improved techniques that are transforming biological research. It covers experimental methods for studying single-molecule biochemistry, small-angle scattering from biomolecules, subcellular localization of proteins, and single-cell behavior. It also describes theoretical methods for synthetic biology and modeling random variations among cells. Molecular and Cellular Systems focuses on specific biological systems where modern quantitative biology methods are making an impact. It incorporates case studies of biological systems for which new concepts or methods are increasing our understanding. Examples include protein kinase at the molecular level, the genetic switch of phage lambda at the regulatory system level, and Escherichia coli chemotaxis at the cellular level. In short, Quantitative Biology presents practical tools for the observation, modeling, design, and manipulation of biological systems from the molecular to the cellular levels.

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When confronted with a fire protection problem, building management is often desperately short on information and know-how in this critical component of protection for their own facility. It is not that the material is hard to grasp, but that there is so much of it that makes the task seem so daunting. Touching on the many subfields of fire protection engineering, Fire Protection for Commercial Facilities deconstructs the issues of fire prevention and life safety into easily digested information.Written in a conversational tone that makes the concepts easy to understand, this book presents systems and practices that can increase a facility's ability to avoid fires, limit the development and spread of fires, and effectively control fires. It provides guidance for decision making regarding what can be effectively controlled in-house, and what should be contracted out to relieve the workload burden of the in-house staff. The information offered augments a broad range of expertise common to building or plant engineers, keeping them abreast of the divergent subfields of fire prevention. Every facility manager dreams of the day when absolutely nothing goes wrong, the week where no new unforeseen problems occur. A fire protection problem is just one of the many emergencies that might spoil this dream. Delineating current and time-tested fire protection practices, this book explores the wide array of fire protection engineering applications encountered during typical facility operations so that facilities managers can be well-versed, informed, and better able to handle fire-related incidents.

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Polymer Thermodynamics: Blends, Copolymers and Reversible Polymerization describes the thermodynamic basis for miscibility as well as the mathematical models used to predict the compositional window of miscibility and construct temperature versus volume-fraction phase diagrams. The book covers the binary interaction model, the solubility parameter approach, and the entropic difference model. Using equation of state (EOS) theories, thermodynamic models, and information from physical properties, it illustrates the construction of phase envelopes.The book presents nine EOS theories, including some that take into account molecular weight effects. Characteristic values are given in tables. It uses the binary interaction model to predict the compositional window of miscibility for copolymer/homopolymer blends and blends of copolymers and terpolymers with common monomers. It discusses Hansen fractional solubility parameter values, six phase diagram types, the role of polymer architecture in phase behavior, and the mathematical framework for multiple glass transition temperatures found in partially miscible polymer blends. The author also illustrates biomedical and commercial applications of nanocomposites, the properties of various polymer alloys, Fick’s laws of diffusion and their implications during transient events, and the use of the dynamic programming method in the sequence alignment of DNA and proteins. The final chapter reviews the thermodynamics of reversible polymerization and copolymerization.Polymer blends offer improved performance/cost ratios and the flexibility to tailor products to suit customers’ needs. Exploring physical phenomena, such as phase separation, this book provides readers with methods to design polymer blends and predict the phase behavior of binary polymer blends using desktop computers.

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As one of the most promising biometric technologies, vein pattern recognition (VPR) is quickly taking root around the world and may soon dominate applications where people focus is key. Among the reasons for VPR’s growing acceptance and use: it is more accurate than many other biometric methods, it offers greater resistance to spoofing, it focuses on people and their privacy, and has few negative cultural connotations. Vein Pattern Recognition: A Privacy-Enhancing Biometric provides a comprehensive and practical look at biometrics in general and at vein pattern recognition specifically. It discusses the emergence of this reliable but underutilized technology and evaluates its capabilities and benefits. The author, Chuck Wilson, an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in the biometric and electronic security fields, examines current and emerging VPR technology along with the myriad applications of this dynamic technology. Wilson explains the use of VPR and provides an objective comparison of the different biometric methods in use today—including fingerprint, eye, face, voice recognition, and dynamic signature verification. Highlighting current VPR implementations, including its widespread acceptance and use for identity verification in the Japanese banking industry, the text provides a complete examination of how VPR can be used to protect sensitive information and secure critical facilities. Complete with best-practice techniques, the book supplies invaluable guidance on selecting the right combination of biometric technologies for specific applications and on properly implementing VPR as part of an overall security system.

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Radiation Detection: Concepts, Methods, and Devices provides a modern overview of radiation detection devices and radiation measurement methods. The book topics have been selected on the basis of the authors’ many years of experience designing radiation detectors and teaching radiation detection and measurement in a classroom environment.This book is designed to give the reader more than a glimpse at radiation detection devices and a few packaged equations. Rather it seeks to provide an understanding that allows the reader to choose the appropriate detection technology for a particular application, to design detectors, and to competently perform radiation measurements. The authors describe assumptions used to derive frequently encountered equations used in radiation detection and measurement, thereby providing insight when and when not to apply the many approaches used in different aspects of radiation detection. Detailed in many of the chapters are specific aspects of radiation detectors, including comprehensive reviews of the historical development and current state of each topic. Such a review necessarily entails citations to many of the important discoveries, providing a resource to find quickly additional and more detailed information.This book generally has five main themes: Physics and Electrostatics needed to Design Radiation Detectors Properties and Design of Common Radiation Detectors Description and Modeling of the Different Types of Radiation Detectors Radiation Measurements and Subsequent Analysis Introductory Electronics Used for Radiation Detectors Topics covered include atomic and nuclear physics, radiation interactions, sources of radiation, and background radiation. Detector operation is addressed with chapters on radiation counting statistics, radiation source and detector effects, electrostatics for signal generation, solid-state and semiconductor physics, background radiations, and radiation counting and spectroscopy. Detectors for gamma-rays, charged-particles, and neutrons are detailed in chapters on gas-filled, scintillator, semiconductor, thermoluminescence and optically stimulated luminescence, photographic film, and a variety of other detection devices.

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From the ox carts and pottery wheels the spacecrafts and disk drives, efficiency and quality has always been dependent on the engineer’s ability to anticipate and control the effects of vibration. And while progress in negating the noise, wear, and inefficiency caused by vibration has been made, more is needed. Modeling and Control of Vibration in Mechanical Systems answers the essential needs of practitioners in systems and control with the most comprehensive resource available on the subject. Written as a reference for those working in high precision systems, this uniquely accessible volume: Differentiates between kinds of vibration and their various characteristics and effects Offers a close-up look at mechanical actuation systems that are achieving remarkably high precision positioning performance Includes techniques for rejecting vibrations of different frequency ranges Covers the theoretical developments and principles of control design with detail elaborate enough that readers will be able to apply the techniques with the help of MATLAB® Details a wealth of practical working examples as well as a number of simulation and experimental results with comprehensive evaluations The modern world’s ever-growing spectra of sophisticated engineering systems such as hard disk drives, aeronautic systems, and manufacturing systems have little tolerance for unanticipated vibration of even the slightest magnitude. Accordingly, vibration control continues to draw intensive focus from top control engineers and modelers. This resource demonstrates the remarkable results of that focus to date, and most importantly gives today’s researchers the technology that they need to build upon into the future.Chunling Du is currently researching modeling and advanced servo control of hard disk drives at the Data Storage Institute in Singapore. Lihua Xie is the Director of the Centre for Intelligent Machines and a professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

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We are in an era of high volatility and uncertain outcomes, driven by accelerating technologies, shortened product cycles, fast-changing information, an increasingly mobile workforce, more demanding customers, complex financial markets, ad-hoc public policies, and many other factors that add layers of uncertainty to all future possibilities. While most believe that good management requires better prediction of the future and better planning, Gill Eapen instead contends that the best way to manage effectively in an uncertain world is through the conscious application of flexibility — an ability to absorb constantly shifting variables and adapt quickly.Flexibility: Flexible Companies for the Uncertain World explores ways in which organizations can systematically enhance their ability to survive and succeed without the guarantees that come with certainty. In these pages, Eapen details: Specific attributes of status-quo organizations that hinder their capacity for flexibility in their three primary components: structure, systems, and strategies A tool and process for diagnosing flexibility-related problems within an organization Specific actions companies can take to improve flexibility, regardless of their size or age A case study of a technology company progressively losing flexibility due to management actions, as well as a detailed project plan for remedial actions Based on the author’s years of experience working with a variety of industries, including life sciences, energy, technology, financial services, and manufacturing, and his expertise in decision options, Flexibility offers a holistic alternative approach for managing risk and making the best decisions possible in these especially uncertain times.

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The consequences of taking on risk can be ruinous to personal finances, professional careers, corporate survivability, and even nation states. Yet many risk managers do not have a clear understanding of the basics. Requiring no statistical or mathematical background, The Fundamental Rules of Risk Management gives you the knowledge to successfully handle risk in your organization.The book begins with a deep investigation into the behavioral roots of risk. Using both historical and contemporary contexts, author Nigel Da Costa Lewis carefully details the indisputable truths surrounding many of the behavioral biases that induce risk. He exposes the fallacy of the wisdom of experts, explains why you cannot rely on regulators, outlines the characteristics of the "glad game," and demonstrates how high intelligence or lack thereof can lead to loss of hard-earned wealth. He also discusses the weaknesses and failures of modern risk management.Moving on to elements often overlooked by risk managers, Dr. Lewis traces the link between corporate governance and risk management. He then covers core lessons surrounding the role of risk managers as well as the difficult subject of integrated, single lens analysis of risk. The book also explores aspects of spreadsheet risk and draws on lessons learned in the information systems and software engineering communities to provide guidance on selecting the right risk management system. It concludes with a discussion on the most dominant of risk measures—value at risk.Having a clear understanding about risk separates successful professionals, companies, and economies from history’s forgotten failures. Through examples and case studies, this thought-provoking book shows how the rules of risk can work to protect and enhance investor value.

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As forensic technology becomes more sophisticated, courts are demanding more scientific content and juries are expecting meticulous confirmation of facts alleged. Greater attention is now paid to increasingly finer details and improved methods of describing every form of evidence. Applying physics, chemistry, and engineering to the process of analysis and interpretation, Mechanics of Impression Evidence reflects the shift to these heightened standards and offers a starting point for significant change in the way that impression evidence is considered, utilized, and presented.Concepts discussed in this groundbreaking text include: The three-dimensional nature of the human fingerprint and a shift toward a more holistic image of the surface of friction skin Dimensional stability and striation mark issues, which can change the way footwear outsoles are evaluated and compared The research and development of electrostatic scans that could possibly save lives and locate or describe evidence as never before The growing availability of new measurement techniques that can improve evidence testimony The use of personal experimentation to support conclusions or confirm that which is otherwise considered fact Making use of logic and science to question our approach to impression evidence, this volume begins with simple ideas and basic notions and uses these building blocks to suggest and consider potentially controversial changes in the way evidence is located, interpreted, compared, and presented.

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Time-variable exposure profiles of pesticides are more often the rule than exception in the surface waters of agricultural landscapes. There is, therefore, a need to adequately address the uncertainties arising from time-variable exposure profiles in the aquatic risk assessment procedure for pesticides. Linking Aquatic Exposure and Effects: Risk Assessment of Pesticides provides guidance and recommendations for linking aquatic exposure and ecotoxicological effects in the environmental assessment of agricultural pesticides. Leading international scientists share their expertise in aquatic exposure assessment, aquatic ecotoxicology, and the risk assessment and management of plant protection products. The book incorporates the tools and approaches currently available for assessing the environmental risks of time-variable exposure profiles of pesticides. It also discusses the science behind these techniques. This volume covers the extrapolation techniques, including models that address the environmental fate, toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics, and ecological effects, for performing accurate aquatic environmental risk assessments of pesticides. It explains how to link aquatic exposure and effects in the risk assessment procedure for plant protection products.

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Today, with physician and hospital reimbursement being cut and tied to quality incentives, physicians and health plans are revisiting the concept of integration. Payers are demanding that the industry do more with less without sacrificing quality of care. As a result, physicians again find themselves integrating and aligning with hospitals that have the resources they lack or must develop together.Written by an acknowledged expert in the field of physician integration and managed care contracting, Physician Integration & Alignment: IPA, PHO, ACOs, and Beyond examines physician integration and alignment in the current healthcare market. It outlines the common characteristics of integrated groups and various organizational structures, and also explains how you can avoid making the same mistakes of the past. Filled with suggestions and ideas from successfully integrated practices, the book: Identifies industry drivers for the resurgence of integrated models and the need for aligned models Provides a look at the common characteristics of integrated and aligned groups and how the components can work together Discusses antitrust and other regulatory concerns present when considering the right organizational and management structure Offers time- and money-saving checklists, lessons learned, models, and templates—saving you thousands of dollars in consulting fees Maria K. Todd provides readers with the vision and practical tools needed to organize their business entities in a manner that will maximize economic clout and provide quality of care for both the hospital and physician group. This much-needed resource includes helpful insights on topics such as declining physician reimbursement, declining margins, physician shortages, physician-hospital competition, rising practice investment requirements, the return to capitation as a payment mechanism, and recent changes in the relationships between physicians and health systems.Maria currently is the principle of the largest globally integrated health delivery system in the world with over 6,000 hospitals and 85,000 physicians spanning 95 countries. She has developed more than 200 integrated and aligned IPAs, PHOs, ACOs, MSOs and healthcare clusters in her career.

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Critical-to-success factors (CSFs) have become essential elements to strategic planning and no business can achieve consistent success without effectively adopting them. To take full advantage of CSFs, however, an organization must first understand what they are and how they can be used to drive organizational initiatives and processes. Critical Success Factors Simplified: Implementing the Powerful Drivers of Dramatic Business Improvement provides a concise manual on CSFs that will teach you how to identify and select the right CSFs, measure their impact, and adjust them as needed to reach your goals.In the first section of the book, Howell, a mechanical and industrial engineer responsible for award-winning initiatives in the military, public utilities industry, and private business gives you an education in CSFs, outlining the highly acclaimed Rockart CSF method. He also demonstrates two powerful techniques for identifying external CSFs, a simple process for generating internal CSFs, and a road map for creating an organization-wide CSF program. The second section of the book covers specific applications of CSFs, from strategic planning to individual pursuits.CSFs can be employed at all levels of an organization to initiate new ideas, increase productivity, or improve customer service. They can direct a huge corporation or facilitate a departmental improvement. Fleeting success can be achieved through mere luck, but most often sustainable success is accomplished with a plan that focuses in on those factors that you must address to accomplish your objective. This book will help you create such a plan.

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Decomposition Methods for Differential Equations: Theory and Applications describes the analysis of numerical methods for evolution equations based on temporal and spatial decomposition methods. It covers real-life problems, the underlying decomposition and discretization, the stability and consistency analysis of the decomposition methods, and numerical results.The book focuses on the modeling of selected multi-physics problems, before introducing decomposition analysis. It presents time and space discretization, temporal decomposition, and the combination of time and spatial decomposition methods for parabolic and hyperbolic equations. The author then applies these methods to numerical problems, including test examples and real-world problems in physical and engineering applications. For the computational results, he uses various software tools, such as MATLAB®, R3T, WIAS-HiTNIHS, and OPERA-SPLITT.Exploring iterative operator-splitting methods, this book shows how to use higher-order discretization methods to solve differential equations. It discusses decomposition methods and their effectiveness, combination possibility with discretization methods, multi-scaling possibilities, and stability to initial and boundary values problems.

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Petri nets are widely used in modeling, analysis, and control of discrete event systems arising from manufacturing, transportation, computer and communication networks, and web service systems. However, Petri net models for practical systems can be very large, making it difficult to apply such models to real-life problems.System Modeling and Control with Resource-Oriented Petri Nets introduces a new resource-oriented Petri net (ROPN) model that was developed by the authors. Not only does it successfully reduce model size, but it also offers improvements that facilitate effective modeling, analysis, and control of automated and reconfigurable manufacturing systems. Presenting the latest research in this novel approach, this cutting-edge volume provides proven theories and methodologies for implementing cost and time-saving improvements to contemporary manufacturing systems. It provides effective tools for deadlock avoidance—deadlock-free routing and deadlock-free scheduling. The authors supply simple and complex industrial manufacturing system examples to illustrate time-tested concepts, theories, and approaches for solving real-life application problems. Written in a clear and concise manner, the text covers applications to automated and reconfigurable manufacturing systems, automated guided vehicle (AGV) systems, semiconductor manufacturing systems, and flexible assembly systems. Explaining complex concepts in a manner that is easy to understand, the authors provide the understanding and tools needed for more effective modeling, analysis, performance evaluation, control, and scheduling of engineering processes that will lead to more flexible and efficient manufacturing systems.

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Presenting up-to-date data in an easy-to-use format, this comprehensive overview of the chemistry of bioactive components of fruits and cereals addresses the role of these compounds in determining taste, flavor, and color, as well as recent claims of anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic, and antioxidant capabilities. It provides detailed information on both beneficial bioactives such as phenolics, flavonoids, tocols, carotenoids, phytosterols, and avenanthramides and toxicant compounds including mycotoxins; aflatoxins, ocratoxin A, patulin, citrinin, cyclopiazonic acid, fumonisin, and zearalenon. A valuable resource for current knowledge and further research, it offers critical reviews, recent research, case studies, and references.

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This text first deals with the crystal structure of new materials, discussing point defects both qualitatively and quantitatively. Focusing on quantum physics, the next chapter examines the dual nature of particles and the Schrodinger equation. The authors then cover the free electron theory of metals and semiconductors. They also study the details of photoconductors and photovoltaic cells as well as the magnetization factor for various magnetic materials, which offers an understanding of the controlling parameter responsible for the origin of magnetization within the material. The final chapter focuses on the exciting phenomenon of superconductivity.

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An emerging topic in software engineering and data mining, specification mining tackles software maintenance and reliability issues that cost economies billions of dollars each year. The first unified reference on the subject, Mining Software Specifications: Methodologies and Applications describes recent approaches for mining specifications of software systems. Experts in the field illustrate how to apply state-of-the-art data mining and machine learning techniques to address software engineering concerns.In the first set of chapters, the book introduces a number of studies on mining finite state machines that employ techniques, such as grammar inference, partial order mining, source code model checking, abstract interpretation, and more. The remaining chapters present research on mining temporal rules/patterns, covering techniques that include path-aware static program analyses, lightweight rule/pattern mining, statistical analysis, and other interesting approaches. Throughout the book, the authors discuss how to employ dynamic analysis, static analysis, and combinations of both to mine software specifications.According to the US National Institute of Standards and Technology in 2002, software bugs have cost the US economy 59.5 billion dollars a year. This volume shows how specification mining can help find bugs and improve program understanding, thereby reducing unnecessary financial losses. The book encourages the industry adoption of specification mining techniques and the assimilation of these techniques in standard integrated development environments (IDEs).

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Although Lean and wireless professionals seek the same goals, few are fluent in each other’s language. Those who are have already helped their companies tap into the competitive advantages possible by integrating wireless technology into a Lean culture of continuous process improvement. Highlighting wireless as a powerful and inherently Lean tool, Thin Air: How Wireless Technology Supports Lean Initiatives proposes practices and paradigms to help you seamlessly integrate these two dynamic resources for virtually effortless process improvements. This authoritative resource discusses the application of a wide range of wireless technologies, including RFID, wireless sensor networks (WSNs), real-time location systems (RTLSs), and global positioning systems (GPS). It addresses the modernization of infrastructure, elimination of costly hardware and redundant equipment, the facilitation of e-Kanban, and the provision of real-time visibility into any operation. It also touches upon "airsourcing," the wireless cousin of outsourcing. The book contains a strong healthcare component with a case study on Mercy Medical Center that appears throughout the text. Drawing on success stories from dozens of companies, including American Apparel, the US Postal Service, Ford, Boeing, and Motorola, this complete resource also gives you access to a Lean Wireless ROI Calculator you can use to input values unique to your company’s operations and calculate estimated savings in labor and excess capacity. If you are a wireless technology provider or user, this book will help you understand how to maintain a focus on creating value. If you are a Lean practitioner, you will learn how to use wireless technology to fulfill your mission of continuous improvement.

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Fuzzy sets, near sets, and rough sets are useful and important stepping stones in a variety of approaches to image analysis. These three types of sets and their various hybridizations provide powerful frameworks for image analysis. Emphasizing the utility of fuzzy, near, and rough sets in image analysis, Rough Fuzzy Image Analysis: Foundations and Methodologies introduces the fundamentals and applications in the state of the art of rough fuzzy image analysis. In the first chapter, the distinguished editors explain how fuzzy, near, and rough sets provide the basis for the stages of pictorial pattern recognition: image transformation, feature extraction, and classification. The text then discusses hybrid approaches that combine fuzzy sets and rough sets in image analysis, illustrates how to perform image analysis using only rough sets, and describes tolerance spaces and a perceptual systems approach to image analysis. It also presents a free, downloadable implementation of near sets using the Near Set Evaluation and Recognition (NEAR) system, which visualizes concepts from near set theory. In addition, the book covers an array of applications, particularly in medical imaging involving breast cancer diagnosis, laryngeal pathology diagnosis, and brain MR segmentation.Edited by two leading researchers and with contributions from some of the best in the field, this volume fully reflects the diversity and richness of rough fuzzy image analysis. It deftly examines the underlying set theories as well as the diverse methods and applications.

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An evolving, living organic/inorganic covering, soil is in dynamic equilibrium with the atmosphere above, the biosphere within, and the geology below. It acts as an anchor for roots, a purveyor of water and nutrients, a residence for a vast community of microorganisms and animals, a sanitizer of the environment, and a source of raw materials for construction and manufacturing. To develop lasting solutions to the challenges of balanced use and stewardship of the Earth, we require a fundamental understanding of soil—from its elastic, porous three-phase system to its components, processes, and reactions.Handbook of Soil Sciences: Properties and Processes, Second Edition is the first of two volumes that form a comprehensive reference on the discipline of soil science. Completely revised and updated to reflect the current state of knowledge, this volume covers the traditional areas of soil science: soil physics, soil chemistry, soil mineralogy, soil biology and biochemistry, and pedology. Contributors discuss the application of physical principles to characterize the soil system and mass and energy transport processes within the critical zone. They present significant advances in soil chemistry; describe how minerals are formed and transformed; and provide an introduction to the soil biota. They also examine geomorphology, land use, hydropedology, and subaqueous soils as well as the classification and digital mapping of soil.Critical elements addressed in each section include: Descriptions of concepts and theories Definitions, approaches, methodologies, and procedures Data in tabular and figure format Extensive references This cohesive handbook provides a thorough understanding of soil science principles and practices based on a rigorous, complete, and up-to-date treatment of the subject matter compiled by leading scientists. It is a resource rich in data, offering professional soil scientists, agronomists, engineers, ecologists, biologists, naturalists, and students their first point of entry into a particular aspect of the soil sciences.

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Is it possible to apply a network model to composites with conical inclusions?How does the energy pass through contrast composites? Devoted to the analysis of transport problems for systems of densely packed, high-contrast composite materials, Capacity and Transport in Contrast Composite Structures: Asymptotic Analysis and Applications answers questions such as these and presents new and modified asymptotic methods for real-world applications in composite materials development. A mathematical discussion of phenomena related to natural sciences and engineering, this book covers historical developments and new progress in mathematical calculations, computer techniques, finite element computer programs, and presentation of results of numerical computations. The "transport problem"—which is described with scalar linear elliptic equations—implies problems of thermoconductivity, diffusion, and electrostatics. To address this "problem," the authors cover asymptotic analysis of partial differential equations, material science, and the analysis of effective properties of electroceramics. Providing numerical calculations of modern composite materials that take into account nonlinear effects, the book also: Presents results of numerical analysis, demonstrating specific properties of distributions of local fields in high-contrast composite structures and systems of closely placed bodies Assesses whether total flux, energy, and capacity exhaust characteristics of the original continuum model Illustrates the expansion of the method for systems of bodies to highly filled contrast composites This text addresses the problem of loss of high-contrast composites, as well as transport and elastic properties of thin layers that cover or join solid bodies. The material presented will be particularly useful for applied mathematicians interested in new methods, and engineers dealing with prospective materials and design methods.

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Although nanotechnology applied to medicine has a potentially huge impact on drug delivery and tissue engineering, significant challenges need to be resolved before clinically viable nanomedicine or nanobiomedicine therapies will be available. Skillfully edited, with contributions from an expert panel of researchers, Nanotechnology in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine discusses the use of nanotechnology for medical applications with a focus on its use for drug delivery and tissue engineering. It sheds light on the challenges facing the field and examines cutting-edge research that may provide solutions.Topics covered include: Patterning of biomimetic substrates with AFM lithography, primarily focusing on DPN Nanotemplating polymer melts Nanotechnology-based approaches in the treatment of injuries to tendons and ligaments Progress in the use of electrospinning processing techniques for fabricating nanofiber scaffolds for neural applications Nanotopography techniques for tissue-engineered scaffolds and the effects of nanotopography on cells and tissues Vertically aligned TiO2 nanotube surface structuring for optimization of Ti implants utilizing nanotechnology Applications originating from the harmony of nanotechnology to biological systems, especially for the regeneration in the nervous system Current understanding of the mechanisms by which cells sense nano-scale structure at the molecular level and how this understanding can be useful in developing novel antifouling materials While there are books available on tissue engineering and nanotechnology and others about regenerative medicine, most do not comprehensively cover applications of nanotechnology to both these areas. Focusing chiefly on drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine, the book uses an application-based approach to relate laborato

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Based on the authors’ research in Fourier analysis, Brief Notes in Advanced DSP: Fourier Analysis with MATLAB® addresses many concepts and applications of digital signal processing (DSP). The included MATLAB® codes illustrate how to apply the ideas in practice.The book begins with the basic concept of the discrete Fourier transformation and its properties. It then describes lifting schemes, integer transformations, the discrete cosine transform, and the paired transform method for calculating the discrete Hadamard transform. The text also examines the decomposition of the 1D signal by so-called section basis signals as well as new forms of 2D signal/image representation and decomposition by direction signals/images. Focusing on Fourier transform wavelets and Givens–Haar transforms, the last chapter discusses the problem of signal multiresolution.This book presents numerous interesting problems and concepts of unitary transformations, such as the Fourier, Hadamard, Hartley, Haar, paired, cosine, and new signal-induced transformations. It aids readers in using new forms and methods of signals and images in the frequency and frequency-and-time domains.

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Nanobiomaterials exhibit distinctive characteristics, including mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, which make them suitable for a variety of biological applications. Because of their versatility, they are poised to play a central role in nanobiotechnology and make significant contributions to biomedical research and healthcare. Nanobiomaterials Handbook offers a broad introduction for those new to the subject and serves as a useful reference for advanced professionals.Analyzing major topics and disciplines in this arena, this volume: Defines scope, current status, and future prospects of nanobiomaterials Surveys nanobiomaterials and examines various synthesis and processing techniques important for developing nanobiomaterials Explores the unique nanoscopic physicochemical properties of nanobiomaterials Discusses potential applications, emphasizing unique challenges in the design, fabrication, and evaluation of biomaterials for a particular application or field Provides a detailed overview of the interactions between bionanomaterials/biological systems and the biocompatibility issues associated with bionanomaterials Advances in nanobiomaterials requires a multidisciplinary approach spanning major fields in physical and biological sciences, engineering, and medicine with considerable collaboration between ethicists, regulatory bodies, and industry. This volume brings together the work of a team of world-renowned experts from various fields who discuss the vast potential for nanobiomaterials in a myriad of applications.

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Any alteration of the natural processes occurring on a piece of land will have expected as well as unanticipated effects, and those effects have little regard for arbitrary human boundaries. Consequently, it is not enough for land managers to consider only how they might maintain the parcels for which they are responsible; they must also anticipate how changes to neighboring lands might impact their properties. Land Use Scenarios: Environmental Consequences of Development demonstrates how the success of local decision making is largely determined by factors that are difficult to control or forecast. It shows the importance of geographic vulnerability analysis, which takes into consideration possible scenarios about how, where, and when future patterns of land use might develop. It points to the consideration of critical uncertainties—those aspects of the future, that while difficult to predict, may have a profound impact on pending decisions. Detailing research supported by the United States Marine Corps, the text presents a study of the region of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Air Station Miramar in California. While this area remains largely un-built, but extensively used, ongoing regional growth is having dramatic impact on the land and must be factored into any decision making. This research— Provides a better understanding of the potential consequences of urban development on native flora and fauna Describes theoretical concerns prompted by scenario-based projections Gives an overview of the history of scenario-based techniques for urban and regional planning Helps define measures for maintaining undeveloped lands in rapidly developing areas In publishing this research, the investigators provide information regarding issues of urban development and possible environmental consequences to stakeholders and jurisdictions whose actions may influence the future of the region. More broadly, the book will aid managers and stakeholders from other areas to engage spatial contingencies toward the goal of developing more resilient landscapes.

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Most existing books on evolution equations tend either to cover a particular class of equations in too much depth for beginners or focus on a very specific research direction. Thus, the field can be daunting for newcomers to the field who need access to preliminary material and behind-the-scenes detail. Taking an applications-oriented, conversational approach, Discovering Evolution Equations with Applications: Volume 2-Stochastic Equations provides an introductory understanding of stochastic evolution equations. The text begins with hands-on introductions to the essentials of real and stochastic analysis. It then develops the theory for homogenous one-dimensional stochastic ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and extends the theory to systems of homogenous linear stochastic ODEs. The next several chapters focus on abstract homogenous linear, nonhomogenous linear, and semi-linear stochastic evolution equations. The author also addresses the case in which the forcing term is a functional before explaining Sobolev-type stochastic evolution equations. The last chapter discusses several topics of active research.Each chapter starts with examples of various models. The author points out the similarities of the models, develops the theory involved, and then revisits the examples to reinforce the theoretical ideas in a concrete setting. He incorporates a substantial collection of questions and exercises throughout the text and provides two layers of hints for selected exercises at the end of each chapter.Suitable for readers unfamiliar with analysis even at the undergraduate level, this book offers an engaging and accessible account of core theoretical results of stochastic evolution equations in a way that gradually builds readers’ intuition.

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Transforms and Applications Primer for Engineers with Examples and MATLAB® is required reading for engineering and science students, professionals, and anyone working on problems involving transforms. This invaluable primer contains the most essential integral transforms that both practicing engineers and students need to understand. It provides a large number of examples to explain the use of transforms in different areas, including circuit analysis, differential equations, signals and systems, and mechanical vibrations. Includes an appendix with suggestions and explanations to help you optimize your use of MATLABLaplace and Fourier transforms are by far the most widely used and most useful of all integral transforms, so they are given a more extensive treatment in this book, compared to other texts that include them. Offering numerous MATLAB functions created by the author, this comprehensive book contains several appendices to complement the main subjects. Perhaps the most important feature is the extensive tables of transforms, which are provided to supplement the learning process. This book presents advanced material in a format that makes it easier to understand, further enhancing its immense value as a teaching tool for engineers and research scientists in academia and industry, as well as students in science and engineering.

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Hailed on first publication as a compendium of foundational principles and cutting-edge research, The Human-Computer Interaction Handbook has become the gold standard reference in this field. Derived from select chapters of this groundbreaking resource, Human-Computer Interaction: The Development Practice addresses requirements specification, design and development, and testing and evaluation activities. It also covers task analysis, contextual design, personas, scenario-based design, participatory design, and a variety of evaluation techniques including usability testing, inspection-based and model-based evaluation, and survey design. The book includes contributions from eminent researchers and professionals from around the world who, under the guidance of editors Andrew Sear and Julie Jacko, explore visionary perspectives and developments that fundamentally transform the discipline and its practice.

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Dynamic and productive ecosystems, coastal lagoons play an important role in local economies and often bear the brunt of coastal development, agricultural, and urban waste, overuse from fisheries, aquaculture, transportation, energy production, and other human activities. The features that make coastal lagoons vital ecosystems underline the importance of sound management strategies for long-term environmental and resource sustainability. Written by an internationally renowned group of contributors, Coastal Lagoons: Critical Habitats of Environmental Change examines the function and structure of coastal lagoonal ecosystems and the natural and anthropogenic drivers of change that affect them.The contributors examine the susceptibility of coastal lagoons to eutrophication, the indicators of eutrophic conditions, the influences of natural factors such as major storms, droughts and other climate effects, and the resulting biotic and ecosystem impairments that have developed worldwide. They provide detailed descriptions of the physical-chemical and biotic characteristics of diverse coastal lagoonal ecosystems, and address the environmental factors, forcing features, and stressors affecting hydrologic, biogeochemical, and trophic properties of these important water bodies. They also discuss the innovative tools and approaches used for assessing ecological change in the context of anthropogenically- and climatically-mediated factors. The book investigates the biogeochemical and ecological responses to nutrient enrichment and other pollutants in lagoonal estuaries and compares them to those in other estuarine types. With editors among the most noted international scholars in coastal ecology and contributors who are world-class in their fields, the chapters in this volume represent a wide array of studies on natural and anthropogenic drivers of change in coastal lagoons located in different regions of the world. Although a significant number of journal articles on the subject can be found in the literature, this book provides a single-source reference for coastal lagoons within the arena of the global environment.

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Following in the tradition of its popular predecessor, the Manual of Geospatial Science and Technology, Second Edition continues to be the authoritative volume that covers all aspects of the field, both basic and applied, and includes a focus on initiating, planning, and managing GIS projects. This comprehensive resource, which contains contributions from 53 leading experts and professors in the areas of GIS, GPS, and remote sensing, reflects the very latest advances in the technology, applications, and usage of the geospatial sciences in many key disciplines, from natural resource analysis to transportation planning.Significantly updated and expanded, this reader-friendly manual introduces the fundamentals in mathematics and physics needed to perform area-wide mapping, inventory, data conversion, and analysis. The text maintains a focus on the practical aspects of these technologies and remains the only resource to cover the areas of GIS, GPS, and remote sensing with such breadth and clarity. An expanded index, new and revised figures, a color insert, and an easier to read format are among the many improvements to this edition. New to the Second Edition: Revised chapters reflecting the changes that have occurred in the technology, applications, and usage of geospacial science Coverage of GIS applications in automobile navigation and enterprise-wide applications A new chapter devoted to basic statistics and least squares solutions Expanded international scope that addresses the other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including the Russian Federation system (GLONASS), the Chinese system (COMPASS), and the European space agency system (GALILEO) A new chapter covering Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) A new chapter that addresses privacy issues, legal concerns, and the emerging field of public participation GIS (PPGIS) New material on the expanding field of geovisualization The text presents many real-world applications, including road map navigation using GPS, as well as problems associated with mapping, inventory of land parcels, and data analysis. Complete with helpful references, decision making tools, and many new case studies, this time-saving resource provides the practical understanding required to harness the potential of these dynamic technologies.

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