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Anti-Angiogenic Functional and Medicinal Foods
Added 1/3/2008
Jack Losso, Fereidoon Shahidi, Debasis Bagchi The ability to regulate and manipulate the generation or remodeling of blood vessels is key to the successful treatment of many chronic diseases, both oncological and non-oncological. Several bioactive compounds present in human diets are now known to exert an inhibitive effect on the either the signaling or construction of new blood vessels. The identification and characterization of these anti-angiogenic molecules opens a new avenue for the research and production of functional and medicinal foods with far reaching implications for the food-based treatment of chronic degenerative disease. Drawing from an extensive list of esteemed international contributors, Anti-Angiogenic Functional and Medicinal Foods explores the history and scope of the use of conventional foods, nutraceuticals, and health products in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, India, Australia, and New Zealand. Recent advancements in proteomics, genomics, and toxicogenomics give us a far more detailed picture of the molecular basis of nutrition and systems toxicology. Explaining the role of angiogenesis in various chronic diseases, individual chapters consider endothelial cell responses, the mechanism of the angiogenic cascade, and the angiogenic function involved in tumors, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory arthritis, and obesity. A collection of chapters studies specific foods and their functional bioactive compounds such as the effects of edible berry anthocyanins, various Chinese medicinal foods, dietary flavonoids, probiotics, shark cartilage, EPA and DHA, and marine polysaccharides. The book concludes with a discussion of the challenges faced during the development and delivery of anti-angiogenic functional food products. Presenting the current research and state of the science, Anti-Angiogenic Functional and Medicinal Foods provides researchers, scientists, clinical nutritionists, and oncologists with a valuable reference to this important and growing mode of therapy.
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Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials
Added 1/4/2008
Rick Houghton Deliberately, accidentally, or consequentially, first responders and waste site workers handle unknown substances of varying degrees of danger every day. Unidentified chemicals involved with clandestine production of WMD agents or drugs, explosive materials, unlabeled waste, and forensic samples all pose a threat to the worker and those they protect. A straightforward, concise handbook of practical strategies is needed to perform effective risk assessment and management in the face of uncertainty.
Written for emergency workers responsible for the safe response to and management of unknown hazardous materials, Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials provides readily applicable strategies for developing and implementing a fluid concept of risk analysis based on hazard characterization in emergency situations where definitive identification of the material may be impractical or even impossible. Using a hands-on approach involving the manipulation of small amounts of material, the author discusses strategies to identify threats and vulnerabilities, ascertain exposure, and reduce or eliminate impact. The book begins with an overview of chemical and physical terms and definitions. It continues with a look at types of hazards presented by chemical compounds and mixtures, organisms, and radiation sources. It covers approximately 63 portable technologies for field identification or characterization and examines general technological advantages and disadvantages relative to hazard identification. The final chapter presents strategies for use in identifying or characterizing suspected weapons of mass destruction, illegal drugs, explosive substances, biological hazards, and other hazardous materials. Each chapter includes extensive references and a comprehensive index.
Providing a sweeping overview of hazards and emphasizing risk analysis and public safety, Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials gives first responders an advantage they deserve.
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Wireless Technologies: Circuits, Systems, and Devices
Added 1/7/2008
Krzysztof Iniewski Advanced concepts for wireless technologies present a vision of technology that is embedded in our surroundings and practically invisible. From established radio techniques like GSM, 802.11 or Bluetooth to more emerging technologies, such as Ultra Wide Band and smart dust motes, a common denominator for future progress is the underlying integrated circuit technology. Wireless Technologies responds to the explosive growth of standard cellular radios and radically different wireless applications by presenting new architectural and circuit solutions engineers can use to solve modern design problems.
This reference addresses state-of-the art CMOS design in the context of emerging wireless applications, including 3G/4G cellular telephony, wireless sensor networks, and wireless medical application. Written by top international experts specializing in both the IC industry and academia, this carefully edited work uncovers new design opportunities in body area networks, medical implants, satellite communications, automobile radar detection, and wearable electronics.
The book is divided into three sections: wireless system perspectives, chip architecture and implementation issues, and devices and technologies used to fabricate wireless integrated circuits. Contributors address key issues in the development of future silicon-based systems, such as scale of integration, ultra-low power dissipation, and the integration of heterogeneous circuit design style and processes onto one substrate.
Wireless sensor network systems are now being applied in critical applications in commerce, healthcare, and security. This reference, which contains 25 practical and scientifically rigorous articles, provides the knowledge communications engineers need to design innovative methodologies at the circuit and system level.
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Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases, Third Edition
Added 1/7/2008
E. Dendy Sloan, Jr., Carolyn Koh Hydrate research has expanded substantially over the past decade, resulting in more than 4,000 hydrate-related publications. Collating this vast amount of information into one source, Clathrate Hydrates of Natural Gases, Third Edition presents a thoroughly updated, authoritative, and comprehensive description of all major aspects of natural gas clathrate hydrates. What’s New in the Third Edition? This new edition of a bestseller offers updated information on the clathrate hydrate compounds discovered in the past decade, provides a balance between experimental and theoretical perspectives, and incorporates two software programs on the accompanying CD-ROM. It also presents case studies on low dosage hydrate inhibitor prevention and hydrate drilling in nature, phase equilibrium data and kinetic models, and descriptions of the paradigm change in flow assurance to risk management. Other new material discusses the paradigm transition from hydrate reservoir assessment to reservoir production and summarizes the in situ conditions for hydrates in the permafrost and oceans. With this modern account of clathrate hydrates, you will acquire a fresh perspective on both new and old theories and data, hopefully leading you to pursue exciting research directions and practical applications.
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Handbook of Regenerative Landscape Design
Added 1/7/2008
Robert France What if environmentally damaged landscapes could not only be remediated from an ecological standpoint, but also designed to replenish an entire community as well as the nature surrounding it? The Handbook of Regenerative Landscape Design incorporates ecology, engineering, sociology, and design elements into a new paradigm for environmental restoration and the renewal of urban and cultural sites.
This is the first resource in the field to examine the collaborative roles of scientists, landscape architects, and urban planners in transforming degraded landscapes into sustainable communities for both people and wildlife. Top practitioners and theorists from different fields and perspectives contribute innovative case studies that converge in their emphasis on new uses for reclaimed land, rather than a return to its original state.
In addition, this book is one in only a handful to address the system conditions necessary for the repair of severely degraded landscapes, especially in an urban context. It elucidates the most suitable remediation strategies for treating degraded environments such as industrial landfills, mining sites, buried urban rivers, heavily polluted or effectively destroyed wetlands, Superfund sites, and abandoned factories.
Bringing the perspectives of landscape architects, scientists, and urban planners to a wider audience, the Handbook of Regenerative Landscape Design demonstrates how ecological landscape restoration processes can facilitate sociological and urban renewal initiatives.
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Machine Elements: Life and Design
Added 1/7/2008
Boris Klebanov, David Barlam, Frederic Nystrom Focusing on how a machine "feels" and behaves while operating, Machine Elements: Life and Design seeks to impart both intellectual and emotional comprehension regarding the "life" of a machine. It presents a detailed description of how machines elements function, seeking to form a sympathetic attitude toward the machine and to ensure its wellbeing through more careful and proper design.
The book is divided into three sections for accessibility and ease of comprehension. The first section is devoted to microscopic deformations and displacements both in permanent connections and within the bodies of stressed parts. Topics include relative movements in interference fit connections and bolted joints, visual demonstrations and clarifications of the phenomenon of stress concentration, and increasing the load capacity of parts using prior elasto-plastic deformation and surface plastic deformation.
The second part examines machine elements and units. Topics include load capacity calculations of interference fit connections under bending, new considerations about the role of the interference fit in key joints, a detailed examination of bolts loaded by eccentrically applied tension forces, resistance of cylindrical roller bearings to axial displacement under load, and a new approach to the choice of fits for rolling contact bearings.
The third section addresses strength calculations and life prediction of machine parts. It includes information on the phenomena of static strength and fatigue; correlation between calculated and real strength and safety factors; and error migration.
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Ecological Basis of Agroforestry
Added 1/7/2008
Daizy Rani Batish, Ravinder Kumar Kohli, Shibu Jose, Harminder Pal Singh Faced with the growing problems of climate change, ecosystem degradation, declining agricultural productivity, and uncertain food security, modern agricultural scientists look for potential relief in an ancient practice. Agroforestry, if properly designed, can mitigate greenhouse effects, maintain ecosystem health and biodiversity, provide food security, and reduce poverty. Poorly implemented agroforestry, however, can not only exacerbate existing problems, but also contribute in its own right to the overall negative effects of our depleted and failing ecosystems. With a diminishing margin for error, a thorough understanding of the ecological processes that govern these complex systems is, therefore, crucial.
Drawing on the collective expertise of world authorities, Ecological Basis of Agroforestry employs extensive use of tables and figures to demonstrate how ecologically sustainable agroecosystems can meet the challenges of enhancing crop productivity, soil fertility, and environmental sustainability. Divided into four sections, this comprehensive volume begins with a study of tree-crop interaction in tropical and temperate climates. Contributions cover above and below ground interactions, alley cropping, tri-trophic interactions, ecologically based pest management, and the chemistry and practical potential of chemically mediated plant interactions.
The second section investigates root-mediated below ground interactions and their role in enhancing productivity, soil fertility, and sustainability. It includes an extensive study on litter dynamics and factors affecting nutrient release. Applying ecological modeling of complex agroforestry systems, section three demonstrates the use of computer-based designs to ensure profitability. The final section addresses the socio-economic aspects of agroforestry, supplying in-depth knowledge of various farming systems and discussing the technological tools that benefit society in different eco-regions around the world.
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Industrial Process Sensors
Added 1/7/2008
David Scott As manufacturing processes become increasingly complex, industry must rely on advanced sensor technology and process control to improve efficiency and product quality. Processes now need a variety of on-line measurements, such as film thickness, particle size, solids concentrations, and contamination detection. Industrial Process Sensors provides a coherent review of the physical principles, design, and implementation of a wide variety of in-process sensors used to control manufacturing operations. Real data from commercial installations illustrates the operation and limitations of these devices. The book begins with a review of the basic physics of sound, light, electricity, and radiation, with a focus on their role in sensor devices. The author introduces the generic sensor model and discusses the propagation of measurement errors. He goes on to describe conventional process sensors that measure temperature, pressure, level, and flow. The second half of the book focuses on more advanced topics, such as particle size measurement in slurries and emulsions, tomography and process imaging of manufacturing operations, on-line measurement of film thickness, identification of polymer type for recycling, and characterization of reinforced polymers and composites. By exploring both theory and final implementation of sensors used to control industrial manufacturing processes, Industrial Process Sensors provides the information you need to develop solutions to a wide range of industrial measurement needs.
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WiMAX: Standards and Security
Added 1/7/2008
Syed Ahson As the demand for broadband services continues to grow worldwide, traditional solutions, such as digital cable and fiber optics, are often difficult and expensive to implement, especially in rural and remote areas. The emerging WiMAX system satisfies the growing need for high data-rate applications such as voiceover IP, video conferencing, interactive gaming, and multimedia streaming. WiMAX deployments not only serve residential and enterprise users but can also be deployed as a backhaul for Wi-Fi hotspots or 3G cellular towers. By providing affordable wireless broadband access, the technology of WiMAX will revolutionize broadband communications in the developed world and bridge the digital divide in developing countries.
Part of the WiMAX Handbook, this volume focuses on the standards and security issues of WiMAX. The book examines standardized versus proprietary solutions for wireless broadband access, reviews the core medium access control protocol of WiMAX systems, and presents carriers' perspectives on wireless services. It also discusses the main mobility functions of the IEEE 802.16e standard, describes how to speed up WiMAX handover procedures, presents the 802.16 mesh protocol, and surveys the testing and certification processes used for WiMAX products. In addition, the book reviews the security features of both IEEE 802.16 and WiMAX.
With the revolutionary technology of WiMAX, the lives of many will undoubtedly improve, thereby leading to greater economic empowerment.
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Food, Energy, and Society, Third Edition
Added 1/7/2008
David Pimentel, Ph.D., Marcia Pimentel, M.S. Since the publication of the first edition of Food, Energy, and Society, the world's natural resources have become even more diminished due to the rapid expansion of the global human population. We are faced with dwindling food supplies in certain geographic areas, increasing pressure on energy resources, and the imminent extinction of many threatened species. In light of these major issues, this third edition presents an updated and expanded analysis on the interdependency of food, energy, water, land, and biological resources.
Written by internationally renowned experts, the book includes new material on livestock production and energy use, the impacts of pesticides on the environment, and the conservation of biodiversity in agricultural, forestry, and marine systems. It also compares the energy inputs of crop production in developing and developed countries, covers the agricultural and environmental issues related to water resources, and details the threat of soil erosion to food and the environment. In addition, the book explores the very timely topics of solar energy, biomass systems, and ethanol production.
Offering a startling glimpse at what our planet may become, this edition shows how to achieve the necessary balance between basic human needs and environmental resources and provides potential solutions to the host of problems we face today.
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Engineering Design Reliability Applications: For the Aerospace, Automotive and Ship Industries
Added 1/7/2008
Efstratios Nikolaidis, Dan Ghiocel, Suren Singhal In the current, increasingly aggressive business environment, crucial decisions about product design often involve significant uncertainty. Highlighting the competitive advantage available from using risk-based reliability design, Engineering Design Reliability Applications: For the Aerospace, Automotive, and Ship Industries provides an overview of how to apply probabilistic approaches and reliability methods to practical engineering problems using real life engineering applications. A one-step resource, the book demonstrates the latest technology, how others have used it to increase their competitiveness, and how you can use it to do the same.
The book makes the case for accurate assessment of the reliability of engineering systems, simple, complex, or large-scale. It presents two computer programs for reliability analysis and demonstrates these programs on aircraft engines, structures used for testing explosives, medical and automotive systems. The focus then shifts to aircraft and space systems, including lap joints, gas turbines, and actively controlled space structures. The editors provide analytical tools for reliability analysis, design optimization, and sensitivity analysis of automotive systems. They include a general methodology for reliability assessment of ship structures and highlight reliability analysis of composite materials and structures.
Delineating generic tools and computer programs applicable to any situation, the book shows you how to quantify, understand, and control uncertainties, reduce risk, and increase reliability using real-life examples. Engineers from the industry and national labs as well as university researchers present success stories and quantify the benefits of reliability design for their organizations. They demonstrate how to convince colleagues and management of the potential benefits of these approaches in allowing their organizations to gain significant benefits and dramatically increase their competitiveness.
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Unique Chips and Systems
Added 1/7/2008
Eugene John, Juan Rubio Which came first, the system or the chip? While integrated circuits enable technology for the modern information age, computing, communication, and network chips fuel it. As soon as the integration ability of modern semiconductor technology offers presents opportunities, issues in power consumption, reliability, and form-factor present challenges. The demands of emerging software applications can only be met with unique systems and chips. Drawing on contributors from academia, research, and industry, Unique Systems and Chips explores unique approaches to designing future computing and communication chips and systems.
The book focuses on specialized hardware and systems as opposed to general-purpose chips and systems. It covers early conception and simulation, mid-development, application, testing, and performance. The chapter authors introduce new ideas and innovations in unique aspects of chips and system design, then go on to provide in-depth analysis of these ideas. They explore ways in which these chips and systems may be used in further designs or products, spurring innovations beyond the intended scopes of those presented. International in flavor, the book brings industrial and academic perspectives into focus by presenting the full spectrum of applications of chips and systems.
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Coated Textiles: Principles and Applications, Second Edition
Added 1/7/2008
Ashish Kumar Sen Initially written to pull together scattered literature in polymer science and textile technology, the first edition of Coated Textiles: Principles and Applications became a gold standard resource in this field. Completely revised and updated, this second edition reflects not only the latest developments in the field, but also explores future possibilities. The book covers the materials used in coatings and their chemistry, textile substrates, coating methods, properties of fabrics after coating, rheology of coating, applications of coated fabrics, and test methods in chronological order. New topics in the Second Edition: · Coating with stimuli-sensitive polymers and intelligent textiles · Nanomaterial coating to produce soil-resistant fabrics · Breathable coating for health care garments · Adhesives and foam for laminates · Research trends such as temperature-adaptable fabrics, silicone coating for airbag fabrics, healthcare garments, intumescent coating, coating materials, and coating methods The author provides a detailed discussion that includes diverse applications of coated fabrics, rheology, smart coating, physical properties of coated fabrics, as well as the underlying principles of test methods. The book includes applications and explores coating with functional materials such as dyes, fragrances, phase change materials, smart polymers and nanomaterials for special applications. With applications in defense, transportation, healthcare, architecture, space, sports, environmental pollution control, and other diverse end-product uses, coated textiles is a multibillion dollar industry. Following in the footsteps of its bestselling predecessor, the second edition compiles information from various sources into one convenient, easily accessible resource.
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Steel-Reinforced Concrete Structures: Assessment and Repair of Corrosion
Added 1/7/2008
Mohamed El-Reedy Carrying a billion-dollar price tag, corrosion of reinforced concrete is the enemy of every country's investment in real estate. The widespread and long-term use of reinforced concrete makes its correct and proper examination, maintenance, and repair paramount. Steel-Reinforced Concrete Structures: Assessment and Repair of Corrosion explains the corrosion of reinforced concrete from a practical point of view, highlighting protective design and repair procedures.
The book begins with a discussion of the corrosion phenomena, the effect of concrete properties on corrosion, and the precautions available in the construction stage to mitigate corrosion. It covers the theoretical and practical methods in evaluating the concrete structures and new, practical methods to protect steel reinforcement. The book also includes methods established in the last decade that provide new ways of protecting steel-reinforced bars and the traditional and advanced repairing methods. The author explains the importance of implementing an integrity management system to provide a comprehensive maintenance strategy and concludes with coverage of the traditional, time-tested, and advanced repair techniques. A special feature is a chapter focusing on the advance maintenance plan philosophy and risk-based maintenance for reinforced concrete structures.
The author examines economic analysis procedures and the probability of structural failures to define structure risk assessment. He covers precautions and recommendations for protecting the reinforced concrete structures from corrosion based on codes and specifications. He uses case histories from all over the world to demonstrate the widespread application and range of advanced repair techniques and presents a practical guide to the maintenance of concrete structures. The book provides procedures for corrosion diagnosis and determining the appropriate methods for repair, as well as economic models for on-site decision making.
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Workplace Drug Testing
Added 1/7/2008
Steven Karch, MD, FFFLM Extracted from the Drug Abuse Handbook, 2nd edition, to give you just the information you need at an affordable price. Using sample protocols from the transportation and nuclear power industries, Workplace Drug Testing reviews current federal regulations and mandatory guidelines for federal workplace testing programs and demonstrates practical techniques for specimen collection and laboratory testing. The book compares workplace testing outside the US including protocols, attitude surveys, and legislation from Europe, Australia and South America. Chapters include analytical approaches for sample testing such as radioimmunoassay and enzyme immunoassay, as well as confirmatory testing via quality assurance, calibrators, and controls. The book also offers analytical information for biological matrices other than urine; details the procedures for using hair, oral fluid, and sweat; and examines the physiologic considerations when interpreting alternative matrix test results. Containing numerous tables and figures, expert data, and supported by extensive references, this is a crucial tool for those charged with maintaining a drug-free workplace.
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Image Processing for Remote Sensing
Added 1/7/2008
C.H. Chen Edited by leaders in the field, with contributions by a panel of experts, Image Processing for Remote Sensing explores new and unconventional mathematics methods. The coverage includes the physics and mathematical algorithms of SAR images, a comprehensive treatment of MRF-based remote sensing image classification, statistical approaches for improved classification with the remote sensing data, Wiener filter-based method, and other modern approaches and methods of image processing for remotely sensed data.
Each chapter explores a technique for dealing with a specific remote sensing problem. The book offers physical insights on the steps for constructing various digital seismic images. The volume examines image modeling, statistical image classifiers, change detection, independent component analysis, vertex component analysis, image fusion for better classification. It explores unique topics such as accuracy assessment and information-theoretic measure of multiband images and many chapters emphasize issues with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images.
Continued development on imaging sensors creates new opportunities and challenges in image processing for remote sensing. Image Processing for Remote Sensing not only presents the most up to date developments of image processing for remote sensing but also suggests to readers the many challenging problems ahead for further study.
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Ad Hoc Mobile Wireless Networks: Principles, Protocols and Applications
Added 1/7/2008
Subir Kumar Sarkar, T.G. Basavaraju, C. Puttamadappa Ad Hoc Mobile Wireless Networks: Principles, Protocols, and Applications offers the latest techniques, solutions, and support regarding the design and performance of ad hoc wireless networks. This book presents the fundamentals of wireless networks, covering Bluetooth, IrDA, HomeRF, WiFi, WiMax, wireless Internet, and Mobile IP. Each chapter provides relevant examples and problems to illustrate concepts. It addresses quality of service, energy management, cross layer design issues, and recent developments. The book also provides mobility models for multi-hop ad hoc wireless networks and explores various protocols such as MAC layer, transport layer, routing, and multicast routing.
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Context-Aware Pervasive Systems: Architectures for a New Breed of Applications
Added 1/7/2008
Seng Loke The concept of aware systems is among the most exciting trends in computing today, fueled by recent developments in pervasive computing, including new computers worn by users, embedded devices, smart appliances, sensors, and varieties of wireless networking technology. Context-Aware Pervasive Systems: The Architecture of a New Breed of Applications introduces a diverse set of application areas and provides blueprints for building context-aware behavior into applications.
Reviewing the anatomy of context-aware pervasive applications, this resource covers abstract architecture. It examines mobile services, appliances, smart devices, software agents, electronic communication, sensor networks, security frameworks, and intelligent software agents. The book also discusses the use of context awareness for communication among people, devices, and software agents and how sensors can be aware of their own situations. Exploring the use of physical context for controlling and enhancing security in pervasive computing environments, this guide addresses mirror worlds and elucidates design perspectives based on a declarative programming language paradigm.
This carefully paced volume presents a timely and relevant introduction to the emergence of context-aware systems and brings together architectures and principles of context-aware computing in one source.
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Business Strategies for the Next-Generation Network
Added 1/7/2008
Nigel Seel Carriers and service providers have united around the concept of the Next-Generation Network (NGN). Although leveraging a broad basket of Internet technologies, the NGN is not being planned as the next-generation Internet. In its intention and architecture, it is more accurately described as Broadband-ISDN release 2.0. The NGN transition is hard for both practitioners and observers to understand because it weaves together a number of distinct strands: the development of a new architecture and technology base including advanced IT automation systems the development of a portfolio of ‘new wave’ products and services which exploits the power of the new network the design of a new kind of organization which can utilize the higher levels of automation in the NGN, and reduce costs and the development of an effective transition plan which can smoothly move operators from their current legacy networks, systems and processes to the NGN future. The book begins with a review of the failures of previous attempts by carriers to retool for the future. It describes in detail the technologies and capabilities supporting “new wave’” services, focusing particularly on multimedia interactive services, TV, and Video-on-Demand. The author looks at the IMS layer and how it interworks both downwards into the QoS-enabled IP transport layer and upwards to enable new kinds of applications. However, equal attention is addressed to the business models of players in the value chain, carriers, service providers, broadcasters, and production companies. The author then examines how carriers have attempted to remodel themselves as IP companies along the dimensions of people, processes, and IT automation systems, describing the lessons to be learned from numerous failures. He identifies more innovativebusiness models, exploresPeer-to-Peer networking, and reviews the prospects for the introduction of spoken dialogue systems into the service provider’s arsenal of technologies. Reviewing in detail the many failures and few achievements in carrier transition programs, the central theme of the book is how to organize for success. Business Strategies for the Next-Generation Network focuses on transformational business strategies for incumbent operators, alternate operators, and new entrants from the media world.
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Active and Programmable Networks for Adaptive Architectures and Services
Added 1/7/2008
Syed Asad Hussain Most conventional networks are passive, with only basic traffic monitoring, management, routing, and congestion control. At best, they can be called reactive. Deploying new functions and integrating new standards into these architectures is difficult due to the rigid embedding of software and hardware into the network components. Active and Programmable Networks for Adaptive Architectures and Services introduces a new generation of network technologies and architecture that allows the creation, customization, and management of new services and applications deployed dynamically into network nodes.
Following a brief introduction and historical overview, the author outlines the architecture of active and programmable networks, discusses the enabling technologies for network programmability in detail, and introduces several paradigms and prototypes. He then explores packet scheduling, management, routing, and security and examines active wireless and mobile networks. The final chapter presents several real-world examples of currently deployed active and programmable networks. Several tables present information on different schemes and architectures, allowing easy comparison among a range of networking options.
Placing the new paradigm in contrast with concepts such as TCP/IP and OSI, Active and Programmable Networks for Adaptive Architectures and Services makes it easy to see how these new technologies can help you build more flexible and adaptive networks that can seamlessly integrate new functions.
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Business Intelligence for Telecommunications
Added 1/7/2008
Deepak Pareek Bringing together market research reports, business analyst briefings, and technology references into one comprehensive volume, Business Intelligence for Telecommunications identifies those advances in both methods and technology that are being employed to inform decision-making and give companies an edge in the rapidly growing and highly competitive telecommunications industry. The author provides clear explanations without technical jargon, followed by in-depth descriptions regarding both the collection and use of information. He defines the recognized stages of business intelligence, examines issues arising from the emergence of customer-centric business models, and identifies areas that are likely to require research in the near future.
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Server Management
Added 1/7/2008
Gilbert Held This single-volume desktop reference provides comprehensive information on all server issues - featuring contributions from experts in the field. Engineers for system vendors, systems integrators, major resellers, end-users, and representatives from Hewlett-Packard, Novell, IBM, Compaq, Microsoft, and NEC share their ideas and experience on such topics as client/server distributed processing; the advent of more powerful, sophisticated servers; server dependability; server performance; and more.
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Numerical Methods for Finance
Added 1/7/2008
John Miller, David Edelman, John Appleby Featuring international contributors from both industry and academia, Numerical Methods for Finance explores new and relevant numerical methods for the solution of practical problems in finance. It is one of the few books entirely devoted to numerical methods as applied to the financial field.
Presenting state-of-the-art methods in this area, the book first discusses the coherent risk measures theory and how it applies to practical risk management. It then proposes a new method for pricing high-dimensional American options, followed by a description of the negative inter-risk diversification effects between credit and market risk. After evaluating counterparty risk for interest rate payoffs, the text considers strategies and issues concerning defined contribution pension plans and participating life insurance contracts. It also develops a computationally efficient swaption pricing technology, extracts the underlying asset price distribution implied by option prices, and proposes a hybrid GARCH model as well as a new affine point process framework. In addition, the book examines performance-dependent options, variance reduction, Value at Risk (VaR), the differential evolution optimizer, and put-call-futures parity arbitrage opportunities.
Sponsored by DEPFA Bank, IDA Ireland, and Pioneer Investments, this concise and well-illustrated book equips practitioners with the necessary information to make important financial decisions.
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Pattern Discovery in Bioinformatics: Theory & Algorithms
Added 1/7/2008
Laxmi Parida The computational methods of bioinformatics are being used more and more to process the large volume of current biological data. Promoting an understanding of the underlying biology that produces this data, Pattern Discovery in Bioinformatics: Theory and Algorithms provides the tools to study regularities in biological data.
Taking a systematic approach to pattern discovery, the book supplies sound mathematical definitions and efficient algorithms to explain vital information about biological data. It explores various data patterns, including strings, clusters, permutations, topology, partial orders, and boolean expressions. Each of these classes captures a different form of regularity in the data, providing possible answers to a wide range of questions. The book also reviews basic statistics, including probability, information theory, and the central limit theorem.
This self-contained book provides a solid foundation in computational methods, enabling the solution of difficult biological questions.
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Semisupervised Learning for Computational Linguistics
Added 1/7/2008
Steven Abney The rapid advancement in the theoretical understanding of statistical and machine learning methods for semisupervised learning has made it difficult for nonspecialists to keep up to date in the field. Providing a broad, accessible treatment of the theory as well as linguistic applications, Semisupervised Learning for Computational Linguistics offers self-contained coverage of semisupervised methods that includes background material on supervised and unsupervised learning.
The book presents a brief history of semisupervised learning and its place in the spectrum of learning methods before moving on to discuss well-known natural language processing methods, such as self-training and co-training. It then centers on machine learning techniques, including the boundary-oriented methods of perceptrons, boosting, support vector machines (SVMs), and the null-category noise model. In addition, the book covers clustering, the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, related generative methods, and agreement methods. It concludes with the graph-based method of label propagation as well as a detailed discussion of spectral methods.
Taking an intuitive approach to the material, this lucid book facilitates the application of semisupervised learning methods to natural language processing and provides the framework and motivation for a more systematic study of machine learning.
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Sampling Techniques for Forest Inventories
Added 1/7/2008
Daniel Mandallaz Sound forest management planning requires cost-efficient approaches to optimally utilize given resources. Emphasizing the mathematical and statistical features of forest sampling to assess classical dendrometrical quantities, Sampling Techniques for Forest Inventories presents the statistical concepts and tools needed to conduct a modern forest inventory. The book first examines design-based survey sampling and inference for finite populations, covering inclusion probabilities and the Horvitz–Thompson estimator, followed by more advanced topics, including three-stage element sampling and the model-assisted estimation procedure. The author then develops the infinite population model/Monte Carlo approach for both simple and complex sampling schemes. He also uses a case study to reveal a variety of estimation procedures, relies on anticipated variance to tackle optimal design for forest inventories, and validates the resulting optimal schemes with data from the Swiss National Forest Inventory. The last chapters outline facts pertaining to the estimation of growth and introduce transect sampling based on the stereological approach. Containing many recent developments available for the first time in book form, this concise and up-to-date work provides the necessary theoretical and practical foundation to analyze and design forest inventories.
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Artificial Intelligence with Uncertainty
Added 1/7/2008
Deyi Li, Yi Du The information deluge currently assaulting us in the 21st century is having a profound impact on our lifestyles and how we work. We must constantly separate trustworthy and required information from the massive amount of data we encounter each day. Through mathematical theories, models, and experimental computations, Artificial Intelligence with Uncertainty explores the uncertainties of knowledge and intelligence that occur during the cognitive processes of human beings. The authors focus on the importance of natural language-the carrier of knowledge and intelligence-for artificial intelligence (AI) study.
This book develops a framework that shows how uncertainty in AI expands and generalizes traditional AI. It describes the cloud model, its uncertainties of randomness and fuzziness, and the correlation between them. The book also centers on other physical methods for data mining, such as the data field and knowledge discovery state space. In addition, it presents an inverted pendulum example to discuss reasoning and control with uncertain knowledge as well as provides a cognitive physics model to visualize human thinking with hierarchy.
With in-depth discussions on the fundamentals, methodologies, and uncertainties in AI, this book explains and simulates human thinking, leading to a better understanding of cognitive processes.
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Guidelines for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis for Medical Devices
Added 1/7/2008
Dyadem Press Challenged by stringent regulations, vigorous competition, and liability lawsuits, medical device manufactures must develop safe, reliable, and cost-effective products, and managing and reducing risk is a vital element of reaching that goal. A practical guide to achieving corporate consistency while dramatically cutting the time required for studies, Guidelines for Failure Modes and Effects Analysis for Medical Devices focuses on Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and its application throughout the life cycle of a medical device. It outlines the major U.S. and E.U. standards and regulations and provides a detailed yet easy-to-read overview of risk management and risk analysis methodologies, common FMEA pitfalls, and FMECA-Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis.
Discover how the FMEA methodology can help your company achieve a more cost-effective manufacturing process by improving the quality and reliability of your products. This new FMEA manual from the experts at Dyadem is the ultimate resource for you and your colleagues to learn more about Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and then teach others at your facility. This comprehensive manual is sure to become a standard reference for engineering professionals.
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Noncommutative Geometry and Cayley-smooth Orders
Added 1/7/2008
Lieven Bruyn Noncommutative Geometry and Cayley-smooth Orders explains the theory of Cayley-smooth orders in central simple algebras over function fields of varieties. In particular, the book describes the étale local structure of such orders as well as their central singularities and finite dimensional representations.
After an introduction to partial desingularizations of commutative singularities from noncommutative algebras, the book presents the invariant theoretic description of orders and their centers. It proceeds to introduce étale topology and its use in noncommutative algebra as well as to collect the necessary material on representations of quivers. The subsequent chapters explain the étale local structure of a Cayley-smooth order in a semisimple representation, classify the associated central singularity to smooth equivalence, describe the nullcone of these marked quiver representations, and relate them to the study of all isomorphism classes of n-dimensional representations of a Cayley-smooth order. The final chapters study Quillen-smooth algebras via their finite dimensional representations.
Noncommutative Geometry and Cayley-smooth Orders provides a gentle introduction to one of mathematics' and physics' hottest topics.
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Biology and Management of the World Tarpon and Bonefish Fisheries
Added 1/7/2008
Jerald Ault The core of a multibillion dollar sport fishing industry, tarpon and bonefish, two of the earth’s oldest creatures, are experiencing obvious and precipitous population decline. Experienced anglers in the Florida Keys suggest a drop of approximately 90-95 percent for the bonefish population over the last 65 years. Despite the economic value of the industry and scientific value of these ancient fish, very little information is available about their movements and migrations, population dynamics, life histories, and reproductive habits. With contributions from some of the world’s leading experts, Biology and Management of the World Tarpon and Bonefish Fisheries synthesizes existing scientific literature, presents new perspectives, and introduces original scientific research to guide fishery management and conservation efforts for building sustainable fisheries. Divided into five sections, the book begins with an overview of the state of the world’s fisheries for tarpon and bonefish. The second section reviews the biology and life history dynamics of these fish with contributions on conservation genetics, reproductive biology and early life development, as well as resolving gaps in evolutionary lineage and taxonomy. Covering population dynamics and resource ecology, the third section discusses migratory patterns and the use of tagging. Highlighting the lore and appeal of these fascinating sport fish, the book concludes by introducing a myriad of proposals designed to improve fishery sustainability by conducting census, enforcing catch-and-release programs, and supporting science-based management decision making. Promoting a better understanding of the biological and fishery management issues that are paramount to the sustainable future of these valuable fishery resources, Biology and Management of the World Tarpon and Bonefish Fisheries provides a foundation for discussion and broad communication about the past present and future of these magnificent sport fish.
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Food Safety of Proteins in Agricultural Biotechnology
Added 1/7/2008
Bruce Hammond With contributions from internationally recognized experts, Food Safety of Proteins in Agricultural Biotechnology comprehensively addresses how toxicology testing of proteins should be accomplished and how protein safety assessments should be carried out. Beginning with a background on protein biology, the book delineates the fundamental differences among proteins and small molecular weight chemicals that impact their safety assessment. It discusses the life cycle of proteins and explains why some protein toxins exert toxic effects and others do not.
Drawing attention to the increasingly popular insect-protected Bt crops, contributions provide a detailed history of the safety assessment and environmental impact of these crops and answer many safety questions. The editors include the safety assessment process developed for enzymes, one of the earliest applications of proteins in food processing and production. The book addresses protein pharmaceuticals, focusing on the unique challenges of testing protein therapeutics in humans. It summarizes the food safety issues and controversies surrounding the use of bST to increase milk production in dairy cows.
This unique volume also provides nuts and bolts information on conducting safety tests such as how to confirm that an introduced protein does not fit the profile of known allergens, how to carry out dietary exposure assessments for proteins introduced into food crops, and how to use sources of food consumption databases that are available internationally. It provides four case studies on the safety assessment of proteins of different structure and function to be introduced into biotechnology-derived agricultural crops. The final chapter is a review and distillation of the previously presented information on protein safety assessments and provides strategies for the safety assessment of future biotech products under development.
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Valuation of Ecological Resources: Integration of Ecology and Socioeconomics in Environmental Decision Making
Added 1/7/2008
Ralph Stahl, Jr., Lawrence Kapustka, Wayne Munns, Jr., Randall F. Bruins Choosing the optimal management option requires environmental risk managers and decision makers to evaluate diverse, and not always congruent, needs and interests of multiple stakeholders. Understanding the trade-offs of different options as well as their legal, economic, scientific, and technological implications is critical to performing accurate assessments and making sound decisions.
Valuation of Ecological Resources: Integration of Ecology and Socioeconomics in Environmental Decision Making examines various alternatives for determining the "value" of complex ecological resources. The book discusses how ecology, sociology, and economics influence environmental management decisions. The book further explores the scientific underpinnings of ecological valuation and the roles of regulatory and legislative bodies in the decision-making process. A series of case studies demonstrates the utility of various information sets, tools, and analytical frameworks.
Summarizes the conclusions reached by the Ecological Risk Assessment Advisory Group during special workshops conducted by the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
Written by leading experts from industry, academia, and environmental regulatory agencies, this new text is an excellent resource for self-study as well as for courses in industrial ecology, environmental management, ecological risk assessment, environmental policy, and strategies for sustainability and corporate responsibility.
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Handbook of Turfgrass Management and Physiology
Added 1/7/2008
Mohammad Pessarakli A multibillion dollar industry that has tripled in the last ten years, turfgrass management plays an important role in landscaping, golf courses, and other sports surfaces. Proper management and cultural practices are crucial for the performance of these versatile grasses, creating a demand among scientists, researchers, and industry professionals for better quality, hardier grasses. The mounting collection of research into new species, modern cultivars, and stress tolerant genotypes requires a high-quality, accessible resource.
Filling a long-empty niche by compiling the most complete, up-to-date collection of contributions from internationally known specialists, Handbook of Turfgrass Management and Physiology is the only single source reference that covers every aspect of turfgrass maintenance and cultivation. Divided into several sections, this all-inclusive volume begins with an introductory chapter on turf related issues. The second section reveals detailed accounts of turfgrass growth, management, and cultural practices such as carbon metabolism and overseeding. Subsequent sections cover sports turf management and growth regulating factors, as well as breeding, genetics, and biotechnology. The text highlights research in turfgrass pathology and disease including nutritional disorders, rapid blight, and fungal diseases. The book reviews several methods of pest control using herbicides, as well as biological, and microbial control agents. It provides extensive information on the physiological responses of turfgrass to acidic soil, salinized water, temperature, light, depleted oxygen, reactive nitrogen use, and other environmental stressors. The final section looks at future and potential grasses requiring minimal maintenance and management.
Offering hundreds of figures and tables, thousands of references, and an extensive index, Handbook of Turfgrass Management and Physiology is the definitive reference to the dynamic and growing world of turfgrass.
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What Every Engineer Should Know About Developing Real-Time Embedded Products
Added 1/7/2008
Kim Fowler You can find them in your wristwatch or MP3 player; they perform specific functions in washing machines, traffic lights, and even pacemakers. Embedded systems are pervasive, ubiquitous, and widespread throughout our daily lives. Developing these real-time embedded products requires an understanding of the interactions between different disciplines, such as circuit design, power, cooling, packaging, software, and human interface. This volume provides the knowledge and insight engineers need to make critical design decisions and offers a clear guide for preparing and developing projects in different markets.
The book begins by laying the basic groundwork for effective processes, covering smaller, self-contained devices and subsystems, ranging from handheld devices to appliances. Highly detailed case studies, which include designing instruments for space flight, implanted medical devices, and military support equipment, illustrate industry best practices and managerial issues. Each case study is detailed in terms of concept, market, standards, integration, manufacturing, and phases. With schedule and estimation templates, this highly functional text presents numerous examples of design tradeoffs critical to successful project development.
Offering even coverage and clarification of the entire development process, What Every Engineer Should Know about Developing Real-Time Embedded Products provides engineers and industrial designers with practical tools to make important decisions, from deciding whether to buy or build subsystems to determining the appropriate kinds of field testing.
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Security in Sensor Networks
Added 1/7/2008
Yang Xiao Sensor networks differ from traditional networks in many aspects including their limited energy, memory space, and computational capability. These differentiators create unique security vulnerabilities.
Security in Sensor Networks covers all aspects of the subject, serving as an invaluable reference for researchers, educators, and practitioners in the field. Containing thirteen invited chapters from internationally recognized security experts, this volume details attacks, encryption, authentication, watermarking, key management, secure routing, and secure aggregation, location, and cross-layer. It offers insight into attacking and defending routing mechanisms in ad hoc and sensor networks, and analyzes MAC layer attacks in 802.15.4 sensor networks.
About the Author Before joining the Department of Computer Science at the University of Alabama in 2006, and his prior position at the University of Memphis in 2002, Dr. Yang Xiao was an accomplished Medium Access Control (MAC) architect deeply involved in IEEE 802.11 standard enhancement. A former voting member of IEEE 802.11 Working Group, he serves as editor or on the editorial boards of numerous prestigious journals that cover emerging topics within mobile and wireless computing. A co-editor of seven books, he also serves as a referee/reviewer for many funding agencies, as well as a panelist for the National Science Foundation.
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Biocatalysis in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries
Added 1/11/2008
Ramesh Patel Because enzyme-catalyzed reactions exhibit higher enantioselectivity, regioselectivity, substrate specificity, and stability, they require mild conditions to react while prompting higher reaction efficiency and product yields. Biocatalysis in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries examines the use of catalysts to produce fine chemicals and chiral intermediates in a variety of pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and other biotechnological applications.
Written by internationally recognized scientists in biocatalysis, the authors analyze the synthesis of chiral intermediates for over 60 brand-name pharmaceuticals for a wide range of drug therapies and treatments. From starting material to product, the chapters offer detailed mechanisms that show chiral intermediates and other by-products for each reaction-including hydrolytic, acylation, halogenation, esterification, dehalogenation, oxidation-reduction, oxygenation, hydroxylation, deamination, transamination, and C-C, C-N, C-O bonds formation. Cutting-edge topics include advanced methodologies for gene shuffling and directed evolution of biocatalysts; the custom engineering of enzymes; the use of microbial cells and isolated biocatalysts; the use of renewable starting materials; and generating novel molecules by combinatorial biocatalysis and high-throughput screening.
Focusing on industrial applications, the book also considers factors such as bulk processes, instrumentation, solvent selection, and techniques for catalyst immobilization, reusability, and yield optimization throughout. Biocatalysis in the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Industries showcases the practical advantages and methodologies for using biocatalysts to develop and produce chiral pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals.
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Meta-Analysis in Medicine and Health Policy
Added 1/17/2008
Dalene Stangl This remarkable text raises the analysis of data in health sciences and policy to new heights of refinement and applicability by introducing cutting-edge meta-analysis strategies while reviewing more commonly used techniques. Each chapter builds on sound principles, develops methodologies to solve statistical problems, and presents concrete applications used by experienced medical practitioners and health policymakers. Written by more than 30 celebrated international experts, Meta-Analysis in Medicine and Health Policy employs copious examples and pictorial presentations to teach and reinforce biostatistical techniques more effectively and poses numerous open questions of medical and health policy research.
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Local Positioning Systems: LBS Applications and Services
Added 1/18/2008
Krzysztof Kolodziej, Johan Hjelm Local Positioning Systems: LBS Applications and Services explores the possible approaches and technologies to location problems including people and asset tracking, mobile resource management, public safety, and handset location-based services. The book examines several indoor positioning systems, providing detailed case studies of existing applications and their requirements, and shows how to set them up. Other chapters are dedicated to position computation algorithms using different signal metrics and determination methods, 2D/3D indoor map data and location models, indoor navigation, system components and how they work, privacy, deployment issues, and standards. In detail, the book explains the steps for deploying a location-enabled network, including doing a site-survey, creating a positioning model and floor maps, and access point placement and configuration. Also presented is a classification for network-based and ad-hoc positioning systems, and a framework for developing indoor LBS services.
This comprehensive guide will be invaluable to students and lecturers in the area of wireless computing. It will also be an enabling resource to developers and researchers seeking to expand their knowledge in this field.
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Complications in Vascular Surgery
Added 1/18/2008
lonathan B. Towne, Larry H. Hollier
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Lipid Analysis and Lipidomics: NewTechniques and Applications
Added 1/18/2008
Magdi Mossoba, John K.G. Kramer, J. Thomas Brenna, Richard McDonald New methods for the analysis of edible oils, fats, and cellular lipids have recently been developed, presented at scientific meetings, and published in peer-reviewed journals. These methods apply to biological and food matrices, edible oils and fats, as well as cellular fats of pathogenic bacteria and spores, and will cover many research applications in lipidomics, food analysis, food safety, food security, and counter-terrorism. This text offers the lipid analyst essential analytical tools in the fields of chromatography, mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, magnetic resonance, and chemometrics. It also serves as a reference for recent developments in the rapidly evolving field of lipid methodologies.
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Olive Oil: Chemistry and Technology, Second Edition
Added 1/18/2008
Dimitrios Boskou A staple food for thousands of years in the Mediterranean region, olive oil is now becoming popular all over the world. Olive oil has several unique characteristics that set it apart from other vegetable oils. Recent research suggests that olive oil produces many healthful benefits, including reduced risk of coronary heart disease. This second edition of Olive Oil includes new material from contributors and additional chapters that explore the most important aspects of chemistry, technology, quality, analysis and biological importance of olive oil. The topics selected will provide the reader with a solid background that will inspire and facilitate future research.
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Neural Network Control of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems
Added 1/18/2008
Jagannathan Sarangapani Intelligent systems are a hallmark of modern feedback control systems. But as these systems mature, we have come to expect higher levels of performance in speed and accuracy in the face of severe nonlinearities, disturbances, unforeseen dynamics, and unstructured uncertainties. Artificial neural networks offer a combination of adaptability, parallel processing, and learning capabilities that outperform other intelligent control methods in more complex systems.
Borrowing from Biology Examining neurocontroller design in discrete-time for the first time, Neural Network Control of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems presents powerful modern control techniques based on the parallelism and adaptive capabilities of biological nervous systems. At every step, the author derives rigorous stability proofs and presents simulation examples to demonstrate the concepts.
Progressive Development After an introduction to neural networks, dynamical systems, control of nonlinear systems, and feedback linearization, the book builds systematically from actuator nonlinearities and strict feedback in nonlinear systems to nonstrict feedback, system identification, model reference adaptive control, and novel optimal control using the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman formulation. The author concludes by developing a framework for implementing intelligent control in actual industrial systems using embedded hardware.
Neural Network Control of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems fosters an understanding of neural network controllers and explains how to build them using detailed derivations, stability analysis, and computer simulations.
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Safety Culture in Nuclear Power Operations
Added 1/18/2008Technical, psychological and social aspects of industrial safety come under the rigorous scrutiny of scientists and engineers from a vast array of different backgrounds. For many years, as an immediate result of direct international governmental and popular concern, the nuclear power industry has led the safety world. Safety Culture in Nuclear Power Operations presents a cross-disciplinary look at the latest human factors developments in this industry, with wider applications for the entire industrial sector. The book discusses all aspects of safety issues including conceptual bases, societal dynamics and trends, and managing workplace issues and personnel.
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Hansen Solubility Parameters: A User's Handbook, Second Edition
Added 1/18/2008
Charles Hansen Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) are used to predict molecular affinities, solubility, and solubility-related phenomena. Revised and updated throughout, Hansen Solubility Parameters: A User's Handbook, Second Edition features the three Hansen solubility parameters for over 1200 chemicals and correlations for over 400 materials including polymers, inorganic salts, and biological materials. To update his groundbreaking handbook with the latest advances and perspectives, Charles M. Hansen has invited five renowned experts to share their work, theories, and practical applications involving HSPs. New discussions include a new statistical thermodynamics approach for confirming existing HSPs and how they fit into other thermodynamic theories for polymer solutions. Entirely new chapters examine the prediction of environmental stress cracking as well as absorption and diffusion in polymers. Highlighting recent findings on interactions with DNA, the treatment of biological materials also includes skin tissue, proteins, natural fibers, and cholesterol. The book also covers the latest applications of HSPs, such as ozone-safe “designer” solvents, protective clothing, drug delivery systems, and petroleum applications. Presenting a comprehensive survey of the theoretical and practical aspects of HSPs, Hansen Solubility Parameters, Second Edition concludes with a detailed discussion on the necessary research, future directions, and potential applications for which HSPs can provide a useful means of prediction in areas such as biological materials, controlled release applications, nanotechnology, and self-assembly.
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Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Abused Drugs
Added 1/18/2008
Steven Karch, MD, FFFLM Extracted from the Drug Abuse Handbook, 2nd edition, to give you just the information you need at an affordable price. Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Abused Drugs is a concise and focused volume devoted to the metabolism and measurable effects of drugs on the human body. Beginning with basic concepts and models designed to provide a fundamental understanding of the subject matter, the book details the specifics of absorption, distribution, and elimination pathways and rates of commonly abused drugs. It analyzes the effects of drug use on human performance including response time, memory and recall, logical and cognitive processes, as well as physiological changes. Packed with data and comparative studies, this handy volume considers the effects of marketed and prescription medications as well as illicit drugs including opioids, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA, ketamine, nicotine, and LSD. Containing 29 figures and tables and extensive references, this is a must-have resource for the influence of drug use and abuse on human physiology and performance.
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Complete Project Management Office Handbook,The, Second Edition
Added 1/18/2008
Gerard Hill The Complete Project Management Office Handbook, Second Edition identifies the PMO as the essential business integrator of the people, processes, and tools that manage or influence project performance. This book details how the PMO applies professional project management practices and successfully integrates business interests with project goals- regardless of whether the scope of the PMO is limited to managing a handful of specific projects or expanded to oversee the total practice of project management within the organization.
The book first considers the five stages of PMO capability, each benchmarking a particular level of capability achieved if functions are fully implemented. Each stage is also indicative of the organization's maturity in project management, with the PMO's role and responsibilities advancing from project management oversight and control at the lower end of the competency continuum to strategic business alignment at the higher competency stages.
This revised edition then examines 20 function models that can be used to guide the organization through the deliberation and the development of PMO operational capability. These models suggest what project management capability can be realized through comprehensive implementation of each PMO function.
Providing project and business managers with a starting point that enables them to achieve desired results from project management, The Complete Project Management Office Handbook is an important resource for everyone involved in making project management work effectively within the organization.
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Statistical Modelling with Quantile Functions
Added 1/18/2008
Warren Gilchrist Galton used quantiles more than a hundred years ago in describing data. Tukey and Parzen used them in the 60s and 70s in describing populations. Since then, the authors of many papers, both theoretical and practical, have used various aspects of quantiles in their work. Until now, however, no one put all the ideas together to form what turns out to be a general approach to statistics.
Statistical Modelling with Quantile Functions does just that. It systematically examines the entire process of statistical modelling, starting with using the quantile function to define continuous distributions. The author shows that by using this approach, it becomes possible to develop complex distributional models from simple components. A modelling kit can be developed that applies to the whole model - deterministic and stochastic components - and this kit operates by adding, multiplying, and transforming distributions rather than data.
Statistical Modelling with Quantile Functions adds a new dimension to the practice of statistical modelling that will be of value to anyone faced with analyzing data. Not intended to replace classical approaches but to supplement them, it will make some of the traditional topics easier and clearer, and help readers build and investigate models for their own practical statistical problems.
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Generalized Estimating Equations
Added 1/18/2008
James Hardin, Joseph Hilbe Although powerful and flexible, the method of generalized linear models (GLM) is limited in its ability to accurately deal with longitudinal and clustered data. Developed specifically to accommodate these data types, the method of Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) extends the GLM algorithm to accommodate the correlated data encountered in health research, social science, biology, and other related fields.
Generalized Estimating Equations provides the first complete treatment of GEE methodology in all of its variations. After introducing the subject and reviewing GLM, the authors examine the different varieties of generalized estimating equations and compare them with other methods, such as fixed and random effects models. The treatment then moves to residual analysis and goodness of fit, demonstrating many of the graphical and statistical techniques applicable to GEE analysis.
With its careful balance of origins, applications, relationships, and interpretation, this book offers a unique opportunity to gain a full understanding of GEE methods, from their foundations to their implementation. While equally valuable to theorists, it includes the mathematical and algorithmic detail researchers need to put GEE into practice.
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A Handbook of Statistical Analyses Using R
Added 1/18/2008
Brian Everitt, Torsten Hothorn R is dynamic, to say the least. More precisely, it is organic, with new functionality and add-on packages appearing constantly. And because of its open-source nature and free availability, R is quickly becoming the software of choice for statistical analysis in a variety of fields.
Doing for R what Everitt's other Handbooks have done for S-PLUS, STATA, SPSS, and SAS, A Handbook of Statistical Analyses Using R presents straightforward, self-contained descriptions of how to perform a variety of statistical analyses in the R environment. From simple inference to recursive partitioning and cluster analysis, eminent experts Everitt and Hothorn lead you methodically through the steps, commands, and interpretation of the results, addressing theory and statistical background only when useful or necessary. They begin with an introduction to R, discussing the syntax, general operators, and basic data manipulation while summarizing the most important features. Numerous figures highlight R's strong graphical capabilities and exercises at the end of each chapter reinforce the techniques and concepts presented. All data sets and code used in the book are available as a downloadable package from CRAN, the R online archive.
A Handbook of Statistical Analyses Using R is the perfect guide for newcomers as well as seasoned users of R who want concrete, step-by-step guidance on how to use the software easily and effectively for nearly any statistical analysis.
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Computational Pharmacokinetics
Added 1/18/2008
Anders Kallen Being that pharmacokinetics (PK) is the study of how the body handles various substances, it is not surprising that PK plays an important role in the early development of new drugs. However, the clinical research community widely believes that mathematics in some way blurs the true meaning of PK. Demonstrating that quite the opposite is true, Computational Pharmacokinetics outlines the fundamental concepts and models of PK from a mathematical perspective based on clinically relevant parameters.
After an introductory chapter, the book presents a noncompartmental approach to PK and discusses the numerical analysis of PK data, including a description of an absorption process through numerical deconvolution. The author then builds a simple physiological model to better understand PK volumes and compares this model to other methods. The book also introduces compartmental models, discusses their limitations, and creates a general-purpose type of model. The final chapter looks at the relationship between drug concentration and effect, known as PK/pharmacodynamics (PD) modeling.
With both a solid discussion of theory and the use of practical examples, this book will enable readers to thoroughly grasp the computational factors of PK modeling.
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Multidimensional Nonlinear Descriptive Analysis
Added 1/18/2008
Shizuhiko Nishisato Quantification of categorical, or non-numerical, data is a problem that scientists face across a wide range of disciplines. Exploring data analysis in various areas of research, such as the social sciences and biology, Multidimensional Nonlinear Descriptive Analysis presents methods for analyzing categorical data that are not necessarily sampled randomly from a normal population and often involve nonlinear relations.
This reference not only provides an overview of multidimensional nonlinear descriptive analysis (MUNDA) of discrete data, it also offers new results in a variety of fields. The first part of the book covers conceptual and technical preliminaries needed to understand the data analysis in subsequent chapters. The next two parts contain applications of MUNDA to diverse data types, with each chapter devoted to one type of categorical data, a brief historical comment, and basic skills peculiar to the data types. The final part examines several problems and then concludes with suggestions for future progress.
Covering both the early and later years of MUNDA research in the social sciences, psychology, ecology, biology, and statistics, this book provides a framework for potential developments in even more areas of study.
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