Bücher veröffentlicht von Springer London

Diminishing water resources are becoming of increasing concern because in many countries the sources of drinking water are close to being exhausted. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study and assess the various components of global water resources, of which freshwater lakes are one of the most important. This book discusses contemporary limnological problems on a local, regional and global scale with special emphasis on the application of remote-sensing techniques to monitor lake dynamics, thermodynamics, biodynamics and water quality. An interactive approach is used to assess various processes from both the numerical modelling and observational standpoints. The authors recommend a combined use of in situ and remote-sensing data, giving a specific comparative analysis of the lakes of north-western Russia and the American Great Lakes as an illustration. The role of GIS is discussed and emphasised.

The science of bone replacement has greatly advanced in recent decades, but replacing bone with bone tissue rather than with metallic components remains in early development. The current volume, third in the series Topics in Bone Biology, deals with problems inherent in inducing the body cells to accomplish bone tissue repair, to degrade devices introduced to provide initial mechanical support, and to attract and stimulate bone f- mation. It is therefore logical that Chapter 1, by Hicok and Hedrick, deals with stem cells, i. e. , pluripotential cells that may differentiate into cartilage and bone cells. The chapter begins with a description of how stem cells may be harvested; the limitations of autologous, embryonic, and adult stem cells; and the need to expand the harvested cells in culture. The authors then discuss the in? uences of the body environment on implanted cells and on the scaffolds that need to be introduced. They emphasize the need for adequate oxygenation and for rapid integration with the vascular system of the host/patient. Stem-cell-engineered cartilage is discussed at some length, along with the need for stem-cell-engineered ligaments and tendons. The chapter concludes with an analysis of what needs to be learned to make stem-cell-engineered bone tissue a reality. In Chapter 2, Gerstenfeld and colleagues review osteogenic growth factors and cytokines, soluble proteins that regulate postnatal bone repair. These molecules are of importance because many are targets of efforts to promote therapeutic bone healing and repair.

In the past, rendering systems used a range of different approaches, each compatible and able to handle certain kinds of images. However, the last few years have seen the development of practical techniques, which bring together many areas of research into stable, production ready rendering tools. Written by experienced graphics software developers, Production Rendering: Design and Implementation provides not only a complete framework of different topics including shading engines and compilers, but discusses also the techniques used to implement feature film quality rendering engines.  Key TopicsA Rendering framework for managing a micro polygon-oriented graphics pipelineProblems presented by different types of geometry showing how different surface types can be made ready for shadingShading and how it fits into a rendering pipelineHow to write a good shader compilerRay tracing in a production rendererIncorporating global illumination into a rendererGathering surface samples into a final imageTips and tricks in rendering About the authorsMark Elendt , Senior Mathematician, has been with Side Effects Software Inc, Canada for 11 years and has written at least 5 renderers over these years. He was chief architect for the Houdini renderers Mantra and VMantra. In 1997 he received a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.Rick LaMont, co-founder and CTO of Dot C Software, USA, currently acts as lead programmer of RenderDotC and Mai-Tai. He received the Computerworld Smithsonian Award for Technology Benefiting Mankind for his work on the Weyerhaeuser Design Center (Foley and van Dam, Second Edition, color plate I.8).Jacopo Pantaleoni, is currently a Developer for LightFlow Technologies, Italy, which he founded in 1999. His interests in mathematics, computer programming and, realistic rendering lead to the publication of Lightflow Rendering Tools. In 2000, he also began working with a team of beta testers, on a connection between his rendering software and MayaTM. Scott Iverson, is the chief developer of the AIR renderer, and founder of Sitex Graphics Inc, USAPaul Gregory, works for the Aqsis Team, UK. He is the originator, and lead developer of the open source renderer "e;Aqsis"e;.Matthew Bentham, is currently at ART VPS Ltd, UK. He is also the software developer responsible for compiler technology at ART VPS, creators of the RenderDrive rendering appliance.Ian Stephenson, is a Senior Lecturer at the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), Bournemouth University, UK. Developer of the Angel rendering system, he is also the author of Essential RenderMan Fast.

Based on over twenty years' experience as supervisor and external examiner of project work in mathematics, Phil Dyke shows you how to get the best out of degree projects and case studies in mathematics. There are guidelines on setting up a project - be it individual or group - advice on time management, and tips on how to get the most out of verbal presentations and how to succeed in peer assessment. Pointers as to what the assessor will be looking for and advice on the all-important project write-up also provide an essential head start. This practical guide will be essential reading for students in the second or final year of a mathematics degree - or other courses with a high mathematical content - and a useful resource for lecturers and project advisors looking for ideas on how to devise, assess and manage projects.

This text is a self-contained, comprehensive treatment of the tensor and spinor calculus of space-time manifolds with as few technicalities as correct treatment allows. Both the physical and geometrical motivation of all concepts are discussed, helping the reader to go through the technical details in a confident manner. Several physical theories are discussed and developed beyond standard treatment using results in the book. Both the traditional "index" and modern "coordinate-free" notations are used side-by-side in the book, making it accessible to beginner graduate students in mathematics and physics. The methods developed offer new insights into standard areas of physics, such as classical mechanics or electromagnetism, and takes readers to the frontiers of knowledge of spinor calculus.

Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is a fast developing area of intense research interest. Following on from Self-Organising Neural Networks: Independent Component Analysis and Blind Signal Separation, this book reviews the significant developments of the past year.It covers topics such as the use of hidden Markov methods, the independence assumption, and topographic ICA, and includes tutorial chapters on Bayesian and variational approaches. It also provides the latest approaches to ICA problems, including an investigation into certain "e;hard problems"e; for the very first time.Comprising contributions from the most respected and innovative researchers in the field, this volume will be of interest to students and researchers in computer science and electrical engineering; research and development personnel in disciplines such as statistical modelling and data analysis; bio-informatic workers; and physicists and chemists requiring novel data analysis methods.

H... control theory is a subject that deals with the minimisation of the H... norm of the transfer matrix from an exogenous disturbance to a pertinent controlled output of a given plant. H... Control and Its Applications examines both the theoretical and practical aspects of H... control from the angle of the structural properties of linear systems. Constructive algorithms for finding solutions to general singular H... control problems are presented, as well as solutions to general H... almost disturbance decoupling problems, and the applications of the theory to real-life problems with actual implementations is also presented. The book deals with all such issues for general continuous - and discrete-time systems. The book can be used in graduate courses in departments of aeronautics and astronautics, applied mathematics, chemical engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. It is also invaluable for practising engineers in industry.

During the last decade the word virtual became one of the most exposed words in the English language. Today we have virtual universities, virtual offices, virtual pets, virtual actors, virtual museums, virtual doctors - and all because of virtual reality. So what is virtual reality? Essentially, virtual reality is about the navigation and manipulation of 3D computer-generated environments. A VR user is able to navigate by walking, running or even flying through a virtual environment and explore viewpoints that would be impossible in the real world. But the real benefit of VR is the ability to touch, animate, pickup and reposition virtual objects and create totally new configurations. Key topics: The origins of VR How VR works How VR is being used The field of Virtual Reality is moving very quickly and increasing numbers of people need to know more about this exciting subject. Introduction to Virtual Reality explains what VR is about, without going into the underlying mathematical techniques, but at the same time providing a solid understanding and foundation of the techniques and applications involved.

The technical challenges of a human expedition to Mars are the principal theme to be explored by Martin Turner in Expedition Mars. The author begins by describing how the very latest rocket propulsion and spacecraft technology, and planned developments in nuclear and electric propulsion technologies, are the key factors which will enable a human expedition to Mars to take place. Of particular importance are the challenges of transporting cargo to Mars and in providing necessary life support for the crew, including the supply of consumables, such as food, water, air and fuel, for the return journey. In this regard the author considers how the International Space Station fits into the strategy for a human journey to the Red Planet, in its preparation of astronauts for long-duration spaceflight and the possible hazards posed by space radiation and prolonged weightlessness. The author discusses the relative merits of fast and slow journeys to Mars, i.e. is quicker also safer and cheaper? Also of importance is the role of unmanned robotic explorers in preparing the ground for human activities on Mars and in defining what the surface of Mars is like. The means by which future explorers will live and work on Mars are also explored, including issues such as habitation, modules, Mars buggies, spacesuits, scientific experiments and communications with Earth. He concludes by looking at the possible political obstacles to such a journey, but points out that sooner or later humans will have to make a choice; stay here on Earth or explore the Solar System beyond. One route takes us nowhere, the other leads to the stars.

A Concise Approach to Mathematical Analysis introduces the undergraduate student to the more abstract concepts of advanced calculus. The main aim of the book is to smooth the transition from the problem-solving approach of standard calculus to the more rigorous approach of proof-writing and a deeper understanding of mathematical analysis. The first half of the textbook deals with the basic foundation of analysis on the real line; the second half introduces more abstract notions in mathematical analysis. Each topic begins with a brief introduction followed by detailed examples. A selection of exercises, ranging from the routine to the more challenging, then gives students the opportunity to practise writing proofs. The book is designed to be accessible to students with appropriate backgrounds from standard calculus courses but with limited or no previous experience in rigorous proofs. It is written primarily for advanced students of mathematics - in the 3rd or 4th year of their degree - who wish to specialise in pure and applied mathematics, but it will also prove useful to students of physics, engineering and computer science who also use advanced mathematical techniques.

Information usually comes in pieces, from different sources. It refers to different, but related questions. Therefore information needs to be aggregated and focused onto the relevant questions. Considering combination and focusing of information as the relevant operations leads to a generic algebraic structure for information. This book introduces and studies information from this algebraic point of view. Algebras of information provide the necessary abstract framework for generic inference procedures. They allow the application of these procedures to a large variety of different formalisms for representing information. At the same time they permit a generic study of conditional independence, a property considered as fundamental for knowledge presentation. Information algebras provide a natural framework to define and study uncertain information. Uncertain information is represented by random variables that naturally form information algebras. This theory also relates to probabilistic assumption-based reasoning in information systems and is the basis for the belief functions in the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence.

Successful and experienced IT solutions providers talk about their actual practical experiences in IT risk management. Tony Moynihan has asked successful IS/IT project managers to compare and contrast their recent projects in terms of the various important and different factors they had to deal with in each project. The issues and concerns explored in the text include: how to handle unrealistic client expectations; deciding on the 'ownership' of a project; and setting targets that work in practice! The result is a very well-written, interesting book, which will be enormously helpful to any professional who needs to cope with the many and varied problems which can be encountered in IS/IT risk management.

Stellar evolution - the birth, development and death of stars - is central to our current understanding of astronomy. This area of astrophysics is often portrayed as being difficult and mathematical, but Mike Inglis brings it to life in a unique way, combining a step-by-step introduction with suggestions for making practical observations of stars at different stages in their evolution. Every amateur astronomer - regardless of their current level of knowledge - will find this book fascinating and informative.