springer international publishing springer nature switzerland feb 2016 (57 results)

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Astronomer Peter Linde takes the reader through the story of the search for extraterrestrial life in a captivating and thought-provoking way, specifically addressing the new research that is currently devoted towards discovering other planets with life. He discusses the methods used to detect possible signals from other civilizations and the ways that the space sciences are changing as a result of this new field. ¿Are we alone ¿ is a mystery that has forever fascinated mankind, gaining momentum by scientists since the 1995 discovery of the existence of exoplanets began to inspire new ways of thinking in astronomy. Here, Linde tries to answer many philosophical questions that derive from this area of research: Is humanity facing a change of paradigm, that we are not unique as intelligent beings Is it possible to communicate with others out there, and even if we can¿should we Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 404 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book aims to explore stability in an international financial system using disequilibrium theory. It examines historical cases of both instability and stability and reviews price-disequilibrium theory to construct a theoretical model for a stable international financial system. In the modern knowledge economy in a global world, financial socio-technical systems still continue to be central to global commerce. Moreover, technological advances in computer and communications have changed both the knowledge economy and the financial system. While globalization and technology have made international finance more powerful and important to knowledge economies, they have also increased the volatility, instability, and fraudulent use of international finance. The international world has not experienced a long-term, stable financial system after 1913. International financial systems have been periodically unstable, triggering financial crises and resultant economicdepressions in different nations. Yet the global economy cannot develop properly without a stable international system, which distributes wealth to economically productive activities. How then can a stable and modern international-financial-system be constructed In this provocative volume, the authors applies the cross-disciplinary analysis of societal dynamics to important economic writers to derive a new approach to the problem of stabilizing international financial systems.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 196 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book offers an insight into the global occurrence, geomorphology, evolution, weathering and erosion of coastal cliffs and bluffs. Stabilization and preservation of cliffs are treated in detail. Mitigation of cliff hazards and preservation of scenic features and sites of scientific importance requires effective coastal cliff management that can only be based on thorough knowledge of the physical processes at work.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 100 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This brief summarizes the role of certain catalysts and associated processes that are involved in the reduction or elimination of hazardous substances from wastewater and the exploitation of renewable raw materials. The authors begin by providing a summary of the most recent developments in catalysts used in the advanced oxidation of organic pollutants in aqueous phase. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPS) are described in terms of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts. Some emphasis is placed on the role nanocatalysts, perovskite-type catalysts, and green catalysts play in several AOPs such as Fenton Chemistry, photocatalytic oxidation, and the hybrid technologies that combine different processes. Catalyst preparation, characterization, reaction chemistry, and process technology are described. Specific wastewater case studies which illustrate the role of these catalysts in AOPs completes the brief.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 72 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book features a selection of papers presented at the Second IFIP WG 12.6 International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Knowledge Management, AI4KM 2014, held in Wroclaw, Poland, in September 2014, in the framework of the Federated Conferences on Computer Science and Information Systems, FedCSIS 2014. The 9 revised and extended papers and one invited paper were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in this volume. They present new research and innovative aspects in the field of knowledge management and are organized in the following topical sections: tools and methods for knowledge acquisition; models and functioning of knowledge management; techniques of artificial intelligence supporting knowlege management; and components of knowledge flow.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 192 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book is the first of its kind, providing in-depth analysis of the retrograde evolution occurring during major extinction periods. The text offers a non-strictly adaptative explanation of repetition of phyla after the major extinctions, utilizing a study of seven phylogenetically distinct groups. This opens a new experimental field in evolutionary biology with the possibility of reconstructing ancestral forms in lab by applying artificial stresses.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 96 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This brief details non-circular journal bearing configurations. The author describes the mathematical and experimental studies that pertain to non-circular journal bearing profiles and how they can be applied to other types of bearing profiles with some modifications. He also examines non-circular journal bearing classifications, the methodology needed to carry out mathematical modeling, and the experimental procedures used to determine oil-film temperature and pressures.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 60 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book describes the structures of Metallothionein (MT) family members and the cellular functions of MT-1, MT-2 and MT-4 isoforms, as well as provides insights into divergent biological roles of MT-3. The authors explain the involvement of MT molecules in various processes related to carcinogenesis, including an organ-specific presentation of current data concerning their potential impact on the progression of various tumors and the regulatory role of MT family members in the function of the immune system.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 132 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book discusses the Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) framework applied in dialogue systems. It presents POMDP as a formal framework to represent uncertainty explicitly while supporting automated policy solving. The authors propose and implement an end-to-end learning approach for dialogue POMDP model components. Starting from scratch, they present the state, the transition model, the observation model and then finally the reward model from unannotated and noisy dialogues. These altogether form a significant set of contributions that can potentially inspire substantial further work. This concise manuscript is written in a simple language, full of illustrative examples, figures, and tables.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 128 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The main focus of this book is on the interconnection of two unorthodox scientific ideas, the varying-gravity hypothesis and the expanding-earth hypothesis. As such, it provides a fascinating insight into a nearly forgotten chapter in both the history of cosmology and the history of the earth sciences.The hypothesis that the force of gravity decreases over cosmic time was first proposed by Paul Dirac in 1937. In this book the author examines in detail the historical development of Dirac¿s hypothesis and its consequences for the structure and history of the earth, the most important of which was that the earth must have been smaller in the past.Springer Basel AG in Springer Science + Business Media, Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin 200 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The book summarizes the state-of-the-art of research on control of self-organizing nonlinear systems with contributions from leading international experts in the field. The first focus concerns recent methodological developments including control of networks and of noisy and time-delayed systems. As a second focus, the book features emerging concepts of application including control of quantum systems, soft condensed matter, and biological systems. Special topics reflecting the active research in the field are the analysis and control of chimera states in classical networks and in quantum systems, the mathematical treatment of multiscale systems, the control of colloidal and quantum transport, the control of epidemics and of neural network dynamics.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 496 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book is about the role of some engineering principles in our everyday lives. Engineers study these principles and use them in the design and analysis of the products and systems with which they work. The same principles play basic and influential roles in our everyday lives as well. Whether the concept of entropy, the moments of inertia, the natural frequency, the Coriolis acceleration, or the electromotive force, the roles and effects of these phenomena are the same in a system designed by an engineer or created by nature. This shows that learning about these engineering concepts helps us to understand why certain things happen or behave the way they do, and that these concepts are not strange phenomena invented by individuals only for their own use, rather, they are part of our everyday physical and natural world, but are used to our benefit by the engineers and scientists. Learning about these principles might also help attract more and more qualified and interested high schooland college students to the engineering fields. Each chapter of this book explains one of these principles through examples, discussions, and at times, simple equations.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 216 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Taking scientific practice as its starting point, this book charts the complex territory of models used in science. It examines what scientific models are and what their function is. Reliance on models is pervasive in science, and scientists often need to construct models in order to explain or predict anything of interest at all. The diversity of kinds of models one finds in science ¿ ranging from toy models and scale models to theoretical and mathematical models ¿ has attracted attention not only from scientists, but also from philosophers, sociologists, and historians of science. This has given rise to a wide variety of case studies that look at the different uses to which models have been put in specific scientific contexts. By exploring current debates on the use and building of models via cutting-edge examples drawn from physics and biology, the book provides broad insight into the methodology of modelling in the natural sciences. It pairs specific arguments with introductory material relating to the ontology and the function of models, and provides some historical context to the debates as well as a sketch of general positions in the philosophy of scientific models in the process.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 148 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The first ethics casebook that integrates clinical ethics (medical, nursing, and dental) and research ethics with public health and informatics. The book opens with five chapters on ethics, the development of interprofessional ethics, and brief instructional materials for students on how to analyze ethical cases and for teachers on how to teach ethics. In today¿s rapidly evolving healthcare system, the cases in this book are far more realistic than previous efforts that isolate the decision-making process by professions as if each is not embedded in a larger context that involves healthcare teams, hospital policies, and technology. The central claim of this book is that ethics is an important common ground for all of the health professions. Furthermore, when we recognize that our professions converge upon a common goal we will find less conflict and more pleasure in working together.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 108 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book is devoted to the study of partial differential equation problems both from the theoretical and numerical points of view. After presenting modeling aspects, it develops the theoretical analysis of partial differential equation problems for the three main classes of partial differential equations: elliptic, parabolic and hyperbolic. Several numerical approximation methods adapted to each of these examples are analyzed: finite difference, finite element and finite volumes methods, and they are illustrated using numerical simulation results. Although parts of the book are accessible to Bachelor students in mathematics or engineering, it is primarily aimed at Masters students in applied mathematics or computational engineering. The emphasis is on mathematical detail and rigor for the analysis of both continuous and discrete problems.Springer Basel AG in Springer Science + Business Media, Heidelberger Platz 3, 14197 Berlin 408 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Providing an introduction to both classical and modern techniques in projective algebraic geometry, this monograph treats the geometrical properties of varieties embedded in projective spaces, their secant and tangent lines, the behavior of tangent linear spaces, the algebro-geometric and topological obstructions to their embedding into smaller projective spaces, and the classification of extremal cases. It also provides a solution of Hartshorne¿s Conjecture on Complete Intersections for the class of quadratic manifolds and new short proofs of previously known results, using the modern tools of Mori Theory and of rationally connected manifolds.The new approach to some of the problems considered can be resumed in the principle that, instead of studying a special embedded manifold uniruled by lines, one passes to analyze the original geometrical property on the manifold of lines passing through a general point and contained in the manifold. Once thisembedded manifold, usually of lower codimension, is classified, one tries to reconstruct the original manifold, following a principle appearing also in other areas of geometry such as projective differential geometry or complex geometry.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 260 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This monograph offers an overview of rigorous results on fermionic topological insulators from the complex classes, namely, those without symmetries or with just a chiral symmetry. Particular focus is on the stability of the topological invariants in the presence of strong disorder, on the interplay between the bulk and boundary invariants and on their dependence on magnetic fields.The first part presents motivating examples and the conjectures put forward by the physics community, together with a brief review of the experimental achievements. The second part develops an operator algebraic approach for the study of disordered topological insulators. This leads naturally to the use of analytical tools from K-theory and non-commutative geometry, such as cyclic cohomology, quantized calculus with Fredholm modules and index pairings. New results include a generalized Streda formula and a proof of the delocalized nature of surface states in topological insulators with non-trivialinvariants. The concluding chapter connects the invariants to measurable quantities and thus presents a refined physical characterization of the complex topological insulators.This book is intended for advanced students in mathematical physics and researchers alike.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 228 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The scope of this book is limited to heuristics, metaheuristics, and approximate methods and algorithms as applied to planning and scheduling problems. While it is not possible to give a comprehensive treatment of this topic in one book, the aim of this work is to provide the reader with a diverse set of planning and scheduling problems and different heuristic approaches to solve them. The problems range from traditional single stage and parallel machine problems to more modern settings such as robotic cells and flexible job shop networks. Furthermore, some chapters deal with deterministic problems while some others treat stochastic versions of the problems. Unlike most of the literature that deals with planning and scheduling problems in the manufacturing and production environments, in this book the environments were extended to nontraditional applications such as spatial scheduling (optimizing space over time), runway scheduling, and surgical scheduling. The solution methods usedin the different chapters of the book also spread from well-established heuristics and metaheuristics such as Genetic Algorithms and Ant Colony Optimization to more recent ones such as Meta-RaPS.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 276 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This fourvolume set of books constitutes the proceedings of the 36th InternationalConference Information Systems Architecture and Technology 2015, or ISAT 2015for short, held on September 20¿22, 2015 in Karpacz, Poland. The conference wasorganized by the Computer Science and Management Systems Departments, Facultyof Computer Science and Management, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland.The papers included in the proceedings have been subject to a thorough reviewprocess by highly qualified peer reviewers. The accepted papers have beengrouped into four parts:Part I¿addressing topics includingbut not limited to, systems analysis and modeling, methods for managing complexplanning environment and insights from Big Data research projects.Part II¿discoursing about topicsincluding, but not limited to, Web systems, computer networks, distributedcomputing, and multi-agent systems and Internet of Things.Part III¿discussing topics includingbut not limited to, mobile and Service Oriented Architecture systems, highperformance computing, cloud computing, knowledge discovery, data mining andknowledge based management.Part IV¿dealing with topicsincluding, but not limited to, finance, logistics and market problems, andartificial intelligence methods.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 244 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book presents selected contributions of the34th International School of Hydraulics that was held in May 2015 in Zelechów, Poland. It gives an overviewabout the state of the art in environmental hydraulics. A special emphasis is put upon physical, biochemical and ecological processes that act at interfaces in natural surface water bodies but also other important hydraulic problems are considered. The achievements of well-known researchers from all over the world as well as the results obtained by young researchers, among others within a Marie Curie funded Initial Training Network, led by the University of Padua (HYTECH - HYdrodynamic Transport at Ecologically Critical Heterogeneous Interfaces) are gathered in this volume.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 364 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book presents a general introduction to and review of HIV-associated hematological malignancies, with a special focus on practical management issues. Each of the relevant malignancies is addressed individually, with an overview of treatment approaches, assessment of evidence regarding their efficacy, and discussion of therapeutic controversies. In addition, careful consideration is paid to issues in molecular and clinical pathology, epidemiological aspects, symptomatology, diagnosis, and risk factors. Separate chapters are devoted to autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation and to chemotherapy and interactions with antiretroviral agents. Many of the chapters are written by experts who have been instrumental in shifting the balance for people living with HIV and blood cancers. While two decades ago this diagnosis represented a death sentence, advances in treatment have transformed these cancers into often curable conditions. Nevertheless, optimal treatment of hematological malignancies remains a challenge, particularly in patients with severe immunosuppression. This book will be an invaluable source of information for all practitioners in the fields of clinical hematology and medical oncology and HIV medicine.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 252 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This extensively illustrated book aims to systematize the selection of treatment options in patients with parotid tumors that extend beyond the borders of the parotid tissue and therefore present particular problems for the surgeon. Reconstruction of the postoperative defect is especially difficult in such cases because of the complexity and density of the anatomical structures in the lateral region of the head and neck and also the general condition of most patients, who tend to be elderly and to have accompanying disorders. The difficulty in the management of extended parotid tumors is increased by the need to sacrifice the facial nerve, even if only partially. The book provides clear criteria to assist in the choice of treatment, from the simplest options involving use of local flaps to the most sophisticated ones. It will assist the surgeon in ensuring that the patient achieves the best possible quality of life, no matter what the patient¿s age or the associated comorbidities.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 252 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -In this book, the four leading experts on the ACE inhibitors donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine and the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine explain the practical pharmacology of these symptomatic drugs with the aim of providing a sound basis for their clinical use in patients with Alzheimer¿s disease. In addition, an introductory chapter considers the basic theory of pharmacology for Alzheimer¿s disease and the book closes with an overview of the ways in which symptomatic drugs for dementia are used.The wide acceptance of the amyloid cascade hypothesis has led to vigorous development of disease-modifying drugs for Alzheimer¿s disease, such as amyloid vaccinations and gamma- or beta-secretase inhibitors. The failure of clinical trials of these drugs to yield satisfactory results has, however, meant that for the time being patients continue to be treated only with symptomatic drugs. There is accordingly a need to become more proficient in the use of symptomatic medicines, and it is against the background of this quest that Practical Pharmacology for Alzheimer¿s Disease will be of wide interest.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 152 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This significantly updated edition looks at each stage in the life cycle of petroleum products, from exploration to end use, examining the environmental pressures on the oil industry and its response. Technical developments are progressing in line with environmental concerns and increasing sophistication of computer modelling techniques. These subjects are interrelated, but have often been dealt with independently. This book explores these topics together in a way that is understandable to the non-expert, and those who are expert in one field, but wish to see their expertise discussed in the overall context. Written primarily for those working in the oil and related industries, this book also provides essential reference material for government and research institutions and all those with an interest in environmental technological issues.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 492 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This textbook provides a highly coordinated, interdisciplinary model for future clinical cancer supportive care programs in National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Clinical and Comprehensive Cancer Centers and NCI Community Oncology Research Programs (NCORPs). At the same time, it is intended to serve as an up-to-date resource for oncologists and primary care providers that addresses the many aspects of supportive care associated with cancer survivorship. Accordingly, the book covers a wide range of areas and topics, including but not limited to patient navigation, psychosocial oncology, patient and family education, lifestyle change counseling, palliative care, symptom management (eg. Pain control), cancer risk and genetic counseling, and financial planning.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 360 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This volume provides new insights and conceptual understandings of the human and gender dimension of vulnerability in relation to the dynamics of tenure reforms in the dryland forests of Asia and Africa. The book analyzes the interaction between biophysical factors such as climate variability (e.g. droughts) with socio-political processes (e.g. new institutions and authority) and gender dimensions at various temporal and spatial scales. The book presents a number of case studies based on empirical research on forest tenure reform and it consequences on forest-dependent people. In particular, it highlights the interaction between legal, policy and institutional reform and the inclusion and/or exclusion of local people from deriving benefits from forest resources in the drylands. The book focuses on the questions how land tenure reform and natural resource governance impacts upon marginal groups (along individual, collective and gender dimensions); how do forest-dependent people prepare for and respond to vulnerability; and what is the effect of forest tenure policy reform on the human rights, gender and citizenship issues in relation to the use and management of forest resources and on conflict in forest zones. These issues are approached from the perspective of marginalized groups (gender and social diversity such as indigenous peoples and herders) in vulnerable dryland forests with a high risk of being exposed to climate variability.Springer-Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 192 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book provides international perspective for those studying or working in the security domain, from enforcement to policy. It focuses on non-traditional threats in a landscape that has been described as transnational in nature and incorporates natural disasters, gang violence, extremism and terrorism, amongst other issues. Chapters provide innovative thinking on themes including cyber security, maritime security, transnational crime, human security, globalization and economic security. Relevant theoretical frameworks are presented and readers are expertly guided through complex threats, from matters pertaining to health security which pose threats not only to humans but also have significant national security implications, to issues regarding critical infrastructure vulnerability and the complexity of understanding terrorist operations. Authors reveal how emerging uncertainties regarding global critical infrastructure and supply chain security, food security, and health security are linked to the notion of human security. Security professionals, policy makers and academics will all gain from the insights, strategies and perspectives in this book. It builds understanding of the deepening and broadening domain of security studies and provides a valuable reference text for courses on security studies and international relations.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 332 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -By emphasizing on the Pamir region a comprehensive overviewof path-dependent and recent developments in a remote mountain region isprovided in this book. Overall neglect in the mountainous periphery iscontrasted by shifting the centre of attention to the Pamirssituated at the interface between South and Central Asia. From colonialtimes to now there has been a debate on grasping and locating the area. Herefield-work based contributions are collected to provide a variety ofperspectives on the Pamirs highlighting transformation and transition inPost-Soviet societies as well as in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The similarecological environment across borders features the common groundwhile analyzing development processes in a set of case studies that aim athighlighting certain aspects of regional development.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 292 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Mass collaboration on Internet platforms like Wikipedia and Scratch, along with wider movements like the maker space and citizen science, are poised to have profound impacts on learning and education. Bringing together researchers from such fields as: psychology, education, information technology, and economics, the book offers a comprehensive overview of mass collaboration, novel, cross disciplinary, theoretical accounts, and methodological approaches for studying and improving these massively collaborative enterprises. The book is aimed to serve as an information source for researchers, educators, and designers of platforms and learning environments.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 420 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book is the offspring of a summer school school ¿Macroscopic andlarge scalephenomena: coarse graining, mean field limits and ergodicity¿, which washeld in 2012 at the University of Twente, the Netherlands. The focus lies onmathematically rigorous methods for multiscale problems of physical origins.Each of the four book chapters is based on a set of lectures deliveredat the school, yet all authors have expanded and refined their contributions.Francois Golsedelivers a chapter on the dynamics of large particle systems in the mean fieldlimit and surveys the most significant tools and methods to establish suchlimits with mathematical rigor. Golse discusses in depth a variety of examplesincluding Vlasov--Poisson and Vlasov--Maxwell systems.Lucia Scardia focuseson the rigorous derivation of macroscopic models using $Gamma$-convergence, amore recent variational method, which has proved very powerful for problems inmaterial science. Scardia illustrates this by various basic examples and a moreadvanced case study from dislocation theory.Alexander Mielke'scontribution focuses on the multiscale modeling and rigorous analysis ofgeneralized gradient systems through the new concept of evolutionary$Gamma$-convergence. Numerous evocative examples are given, e.g., relating toperiodic homogenization and the passage from viscous to dry friction.Martin Göll and EvgenyVerbitskiy conclude this volume, taking a dynamical systems and ergodic theoryviewpoint. They review recent developments in the study of homoclinic pointsfor certain discrete dynamical systems, relating to particle systems viaergodic properties of lattices configurations.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 312 pp. Englisch.