springer netherlands springer netherlands dez 2006 (69 results)

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Teaching about technology, at all levels of education, can only be done properly when those who teach have a clear idea about what it is that they teach. In other words: they should be able to give a decent answer to the question: what is technology In the philosophy of technology that question is explored. Therefore the philosophy of technology is a discipline with a high relevance for those who teach about technology. Literature in this field, though, is not always easy to access for non-philosophers. This book provides an introduction to the philosophy of technology for such people. It offers a survey of the current state-of-affairs in the philosophy of technology, and also discusses the relevance of that for teaching about technology. The book can be used in introductory courses on the philosophy of technology in teacher education programs, engineering education programs, and by individual educators that are interested in the intriguing phenomenon of technology that is so important in our contemporary society.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 184 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Multimedia networking applications and, in particular, the transport of c- pressed video are expected to contribute signi cantly to the tra c in the future Internet and wireless networks. For transport over networks, video is typically encoded (i. e. , compressed) to reduce the bandwidth requirements. Even compressed video, however, requires large bandwidths of the order of hundred kbps or Mbps. In addition, compressed video streams typically - hibit highly variable bit rates (VBR) as well as long range dependence (LRD) properties. This, in conjunction with the stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements (loss and delay) of video tra c, makes the transport of video tra covercommunicationnetworksachallengingproblem. Asaconsequence, in the last decade the networking research community has witnessed an - plosion in research on all aspects of video transport. The characteristics of video tra c, video tra c modeling, as well as protocols and mechanisms for the e cient transport of video streams, have received a great deal of interest among networking researchers and network operators and a plethora of video transport schemes have been developed. For developing and evaluating video transport mechanisms and for - search on video networking in general, it is necessary to have available some characterizationofthevideo. Generally,therearethreedi erentwaystoch- acterize encoded video for the purpose of networking research: (i)video tra c model,(ii) video bit stream, and (iii) video tra c trace.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 272 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The most conspicuous biological invasions in terrestrial ecosystems have been by exotic plants, insects and vertebrates. Less conspicuous but possibly of equal importance are invasions by soil invertebrates, which are occurring literally beneath our feet. Familiar examples include the South American fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) which has invaded North America and Australia, and the New Zealand flatworm (Arthurdendyus triangulatus) which has become wide-spread in the United Kingdom; both have caused considerable ecological and economic damage. There is now evidence that exotic earthworm invasions are increasing world-wide and may be having significant impacts on soil processes and plant communities in some regions. Much remains to be learned about these ¿cryptic¿ biological invasions. The papers in this book are based on efforts by an international group of soil ecologists to assess the biological and ecological mechanisms of earthworm invasions, their geographic extent and impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, and possible means by which earthworm invasions might be mitigated.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 136 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -HESS (High Energy Stereoscopic System), a ground-based Cerenkov array telescopes has been operated since a few years and in 2004 has performed the rst Galactic plane scan with a sensitivity of a few percent of the Crab at energies above 100 GeV, resulting in the discoveryofeightsources,mostofwhichwithoutanycounterpartatdifferentenergies[1,2]. ParticularattentionwasdevotedtoHESSJ1813-178,notidenti edwithanyknownX/gamma ray emitter and hypothesised to be a dark particle accelerator. Independently, and at the same time, INTEGRAL discovered a new soft gamma-ray source, namely IGR J18135-1751, identi edasthecounterpartofHESSJ1813-178.Thishighenergyemitter,whosenaturewas still mysterious at the time of the discovery was then associated with the supernova remnant (SNR) G12.82 0.02 [6, 10, 18]. Even if a chance coincidence cannot be completely ruled out in view of the 2 arcmin INTEGRAL error box and the possible angular extension in the high energy,theoverallcharacteristicsofthisstarformingregion[7]compr isingSNRG12.82 0.02 areconsistentwithsupernova/plerionorigin.Morerecently,theMAGIC(MajorAtmospheric Gamma Imaging Cerenkov telescope) collaboration has reported a positive observations of HESSJ1813¿178,resultinginagamma-ray uxconsistentwiththepreviousHESSdetection and showing a hard power law with = 2.1 in the range from 0.4¿10TeV [3].Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 512 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Economic globalization has been accompanied by implementation of education reforms linked to accountability and public finance schemes that emphasize student choice in schools and student loans in higher education. In the U.S. these reforms are rationalized based on intermediate variables, like the number of math credits completed in high school and net prices. However, the reforms rationalized based on this research are seldom evaluated in relation to outcomes (i.e., measures of student achievement and equal opportunity to attain an education). In Education and the Public Interest the editor re-examines the political rationales for these reforms. John Rawls¿s theory of justice is reconstructed to develop a framework for assessing the effects of public policy on these outcomes. This volume undertakes a comparative study of the states in the U.S. to examine how education reforms influence student achievement, high school graduation, and college access; and finance schemes influence college access. Policies implemented by states in the 1990s were associated with improved achievement, as measured by test scores for high school students. These policies also correlate with increased high school drop out rates and the widening gap in college enrolment rates across income groups. This volume considers how privatization and accountability policies can be reconstructed to reduce inequality while continuing to improve student achievement and college enrolment.'I enjoyed reading the book and benefited from it, and I feel confident others will as well. I am particularly taken by its sweep and by the skill and persuasiveness with which the author ties together the broad trends and themes of privatization, globalization, school reform, preparation, equity, equality and college access.'Prof. James C. Hearn, Vanderbilt University, USA'(What I).especially like about this book is the framing of the importance of the topic in terms of the globalpolitical and economic changes and the notion of access to quality education as a basic right.'Prof. Laura W. Perna, College of Education, University of Maryland, USASpringer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 296 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book provides an integrated assessment of issues related to climate variability and change, predictability and risks. It details both the technical aspects of variability and abrupt climate change and the agricultural and economical impacts and consequences.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 172 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Rosalind Rabin, Frank de Charro, Agota Szende 1.1 Purpose of this booklet Governments and healthcare funders worldwide are making increasing use of economic evaluation to inform priority setting in health care. For various reasons, cost benefit analysis is usually rejected in favour of cost-effectiveness or cost-utility analyses, often involving the estimation of the incremental cost per Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY) gained (Drummond et al, 2005). The estimation of QALYs gained requires valuations for all relevant health states on a scale anchored at 1 = Full health and 0 = Dead. The EQ-5D is widely used in this context and a number of value sets are available for all the health states generated by the EQ-5D descriptive system. These can be readily applied to health outcomes measured as EQ-5D profiles. EQ-5D has become one of the valuation approaches recommended by several reimbursement authorities and academic bodies in European countries (e.g. The Netherlands, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, UK), North America (e.g. Canada), and elsewhere (e.g. New Zealand). The EuroQol Group frequently receives requests for advice regarding EQ-5D valuation data. Those seeking to apply EQ-5D valuations in economic evaluation want to know about the availability of EQ-5D value sets and how they can obtain them. They also seek specific guidance about which of the available value sets they should use for their purposes.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 104 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Multiphase thermal systems (involving more than one phase or one component) have numerous applications in aerospace, heat-exchanger, transport of contaminants in environmental systems, and energy transport and energy conversion systems. Advances in understanding the behaviour of multiphase thermal systems could lead to higher efficiency energy production systems, improved heat-exchanger design, and safer and enhanced treatment of hazardous waste. But such advances have been greatly hindered by the strong effect of gravitational acceleration on the flow. Depending on the flow orientation and the phase velocities, gravitational forces could significantly alter the flow regime, and hence the pressure-drop and heat-transfer coefficients associated with the flow. A reduced gravity environment (or 'microgravity'), provides an excellent tool to study the flow without the masking effects of gravity. This book presents for the first time a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of two-phase flow behaviour in the virtual absence of gravity.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 264 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Since the beginning of the 1980s, decentralization has become a globalized policy and catchword in education: a large number of countries around the world have formulated such a policy and many have also implemented it.The policies and the changes at the national level have been researched but what has taken place and is taking place at the grassroots level has not received attention until recently. This book presents ¿grassroots cases¿from different countries against the background of the overall changes in governance philosophy and applications. It uses case studies from countries in Africa,Asia, Europe, and Latin America and describes what is occurring at this level.The book gives an account of different types of decentralization and their impact.The first two chapters describe principally structural and organizational educational changes in the broader context of globalized models and the pressure to create a competitive education system and changing governance. Decentralization is one of the strategic aspects of this new mode of governance.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 248 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The transfer of environmental values in time and space has increased rapidly with the widespread use of cost benefit analysis in project evaluation and regulatory assessments over the last three decades. Over the last 15 years, other policy uses like environmental costing, greening of systems of national accounts and natural resource damage assessments after oil spills and other pollution accidents have also contributed to the increased demand for environmental values. However, most early transfers were conducted in an uncritical manner, often lacking sound theoretical, statistical and empirical basis, and did not question the validity and reliability of the transferred values. What appears to be the first environmental value transfer exercise estimated damages, and illustrates the point that what is generally termed benefit transfer, should rather be termed value transfer in order to capture both reductions and increments in environmental quality and natural resources. This first attempt to transfer environmental values seems to be the calculation of lost recreational value from the Hell¿s Canyon hydroelectric project more than 30 years ago, as described by John V. Krutilla and Anthony C. Fisher in their book (Chapters 5 and 6): The Economics of Natural Environments Studies in the Valuation of Commodity and Amenity Resources. (John Hopkins Press, Baltimore, 1975). The first large-scale user of value transfer was the USDA Forest Service.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 304 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -If we try to describe real world in mathematical terms, we will see that real life is very often a high¿dimensional chaos. Sometimes, by ¿pushing hard¿, we manage to make order out of it; yet sometimes, we need simply to accept our life as it is. To be able to still live successfully, we need tounderstand, predict, and ultimately control this high¿dimensional chaotic dynamics of life. This is the main theme of the present book. In our previous book, Geometrical - namics of Complex Systems, Vol. 31 in Springer book series Microprocessor¿ Based and Intelligent Systems Engineering, we developed the most powerful mathematical machinery to deal with high¿dimensional nonlinear dynamics. In the present text, we consider the extreme cases of nonlinear dynamics, the high¿dimensional chaotic and other attractor systems. Although they might look as examples of complete disorder ¿ they still represent control systems, with their inputs, outputs, states, feedbacks, and stability. Today, we can see a number of nice books devoted to nonlinear dyn- ics and chaos theory (see our reference list). However, all these books are only undergraduate, introductory texts, that are concerned exclusively with oversimpli ed low¿dimensional chaos, thus providing only an inspiration for the readers to actually throw themselves into the real¿life chaotic dynamics.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 712 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Pollution of soils and waters by human activities is an important and widespread problem. This pollution by, organic and inorganic substances can affect individual organisms, human populations, and ecosystems, each in its own unique way. In particular former military installations, often used for weapons production and nuclear power plants represent a ongoing and substantial threat to environment and human health because of the specific pollutants that can be released: Solvents, explosives, fuels, radionuclides, heavy metals, and metalloids all have been identified in the environment around these installations. Remediation technologies for these contaminated sites have been developed based on conventional systems utilising physical and chemical treatments, such as excavation and incineration, pump-and-treat methods, ultraviolet oxidation, soil washing, etc. These approaches are usually very expensive, and can involve the removal of large amounts of soil or water, which often leads to resources depletion and limitation in the future utilisation of the site. Recently, new decontamination approaches, based on living organisms, in particular micro-organisms and plants, have been researched and developed as a more sustainable alternative because they have lower costs, reduced environmental impacts, and increased public acceptance. Development of biological decontamination techniques has been carried out in several laboratories and research institutions worldwide, and practical applications on contaminated sites have been recorded in several countries. In the USA and Canada several commercial companies have been utilizing these approaches for years, alongside conventional techniques, with great success:; a good examples can be found is in the U. S.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 288 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book is the first to deal comprehensively with the important topic of the fire behaviour of polymer composite materials. Composites are used in a diverse range of applications, including land and marine transport, aerospace, the chemical industry, and most branches of civil engineering infrastructure. It is our belief that fire behaviour is the single most important factor limiting the wider use of composites in many of these areas. Our aim in producing this volume is therefore to stimulate the work that is needed to overcome this fundamental problem. The first step in such a journey is, of course, to summarise what is presently known, which is what we have attempted here. This book aims to be an authoritative reference source. The book covers all of the key issues on the behaviour of polymer composites in fire. This includes a description of the thermal degradation and combustion mechanisms of composites, including the thermal decomposition reactions, reaction rates, flammable volatiles and toxic gases of organic polymers and fibres. The fire reaction properties that define the flammability and fire hazard of polymer composites are described, including time-to-ignition, heat release rate, flame spread, smoke and gaseous combustion products. The fire resistive properties of composites are also described, including the key properties of burn-through rate and mechanical integrity during and after fire.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 416 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -John Dyson has contributed to the study of the hydrodynamic processes that govern a wide variety of astrophysical sources which he has helped explain. In this volume dedicated to him, introductory reviews to a number of the key processes and to the sources themselves are given by leading experts. The mechanisms in which the multi-component natures of media affect their dynamics receive particular attention, but the roles of hydromagnetic effects are also highlighted. The importance of cosmic ray moderation and mass transfer between different thermal phases for cosmic ray moderation and mass transfer between different thermal phases for the evolution of flows are amongst the topics treated. The main types of regions considered include those where stars form, the circumstellar environments of evolved stars, the larger scale interstellar structures caused by the mass loss of stars, and those where the lines of AGNs form.The reviews complement one another and together provide a coherent introduction to the astrophysics of diffuse sources suitable for postgraduate students and researchers in astrophysics. Individual reviews stand alone and are suitable for an audience that includes advanced undergraduates doing final year projects.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 368 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -TheverysmallandtheverylargeareintimatelyconnectedinNature. Particle physics and astrophysics meet in fundamental questions: the structure and evolution of stars; their end and how this is manifested; how we think galaxies are created from matter we have yet to discover and why we believe the most energetic particles cannot come from the most distant universe. During the IV Escuela Mexicana de Astrof¿ sica (EMA-2005), held in the beautiful colonial city of Morelia between 18 and 23 July 2005, we reviewed and explored the numerous connections between astrophysics and particle physics. The core of the school program, aimed to advanced postgraduated students and young researchers in physics and astrophysics, was formed by half a dozen extended lecture courses delivered by recognized experts in their elds. Thewrittenversionsofthesecoursesbecamethemainsubstanceofthis book. Three review talks were devoted to the techniques and results of novel astronomical windows of the XX and XXI centuries: radioastronomy, gam- ray astronomy and gravitational wave astronomy. This volume includes also six short contributions, presented as single talks during the EMA-2005, - amples of experimental and theoretical research work presently conducted in M¿ exico and Latin-America. This book is the nal product of a two year process centered on the EMA- 2005. We believe it will serve as a guide not just to the participants but also to the communities of all interrelated elds.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 308 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book contains some of the contributions that have been carefully selected and peer-reviewed, which were presented at the International Symposium MME06 Mathematical Methods in Engineering, held in Cankaya University, Ankara, April 2006. The Symposium provided a setting for discussing recent developments in Fractional Mathematics, Neutrices and Generalized Functions, Boundary Value Problems, Applications of Wavelets, Dynamical Systems and Control Theory.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 480 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This volume contains the proceedings of the IUTAM Symposium on Mechanical Behavior and Micro-mechanics of Nanostructured Materials, held in Beijing on June 27-30, 2005. The proceedings consist of approximately 30 presentations. Nano-scale, micro-scale, theoretical, experimental and numerical aspects of the subjects are covered. A wide scope of research and progress are displayed. This is the first work in print on this particular subject.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 280 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Pollution of soils and waters by human activities is an important and widespread problem. This pollution by, organic and inorganic substances can affect individual organisms, human populations, and ecosystems, each in its own unique way. In particular former military installations, often used for weapons production and nuclear power plants represent a ongoing and substantial threat to environment and human health because of the specific pollutants that can be released: Solvents, explosives, fuels, radionuclides, heavy metals, and metalloids all have been identified in the environment around these installations. Remediation technologies for these contaminated sites have been developed based on conventional systems utilising physical and chemical treatments, such as excavation and incineration, pump-and-treat methods, ultraviolet oxidation, soil washing, etc. These approaches are usually very expensive, and can involve the removal of large amounts of soil or water, which often leads to resources depletion and limitation in the future utilisation of the site. Recently, new decontamination approaches, based on living organisms, in particular micro-organisms and plants, have been researched and developed as a more sustainable alternative because they have lower costs, reduced environmental impacts, and increased public acceptance. Development of biological decontamination techniques has been carried out in several laboratories and research institutions worldwide, and practical applications on contaminated sites have been recorded in several countries. In the USA and Canada several commercial companies have been utilizing these approaches for years, alongside conventional techniques, with great success:; a good examples can be found is in the U. S.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 288 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Gifford Lecturer and Templeton Prize winner Holmes Rolston, III is widely known as the father of environmental ethics. His writings range between natural philosophy and theology and include detailed presentations of an interlocking position that includes aesthetics, value theory, natural resource policy, wilderness advocacy, and sustainable development.'Nature Value and Duty: Life on Earth with Holmes Rolston, III' is a collection of contemporary writings on the work of Holmes Rolston, III. The authors contributing to this volume are a mixture of senior scholars in environmental ethics and new voices in philosophy and in literature. Together they provide an in depth evaluation of many of the topics discussed by Rolston. They probe the strengths and weaknesses of his work and suggest valuable correctives. Rolston himself, in a detailed reply to each of his critics at the end of the volume, reveals where some of these criticisms sting him the most and in the process provides one of the most detailed and articulate defenses of his position ever offered.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 304 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -According to our commonsense view of the matter, beliefs, desires, intentions and the like are special kinds of internal states the possession of which by a given cr- ture potentially explains its behavior and otherwise renders the creature intelligible to us. So-called folk psychology provides us with a rough-and-ready network of counterfactuals delimiting the role supposedly played by these internal states v- à-vis perceptual input, inference, and behavioral output in a normal member of our species. The exact empirical details of this network do not matter here, for we are not undertaking further re nement or systematization of the relevant counterfac- als. Instead, our topic is the ontological analysis of the internal states that occupy the nodes of this complex network and the bearing of that analysis on the truth conditions of the sentences we use to ascribe beliefs and related states. The relevant counterfactuals canonically describe particular belief-, desire-, and intention-states as states of believing, desiring, and intending that such-a- such. The use of in nitival clauses to describe desires and intentions is not really an exception, for desiring or intending to do A (or to be F) is just having a self-regarding desire or intention that oneself does A (or that oneself is F). By the lights of our commonsense psychology, then, to be in a particular belief-, desire-, or intention-state is to bear the corresponding attitudinal relation¿ believing, desiring, or intending¿to a certain content.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 400 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The NATO Advanced Research Workshop on ¿Optics of Biological Particles¿ met in Novosibirsk, Russia 3 ¿ 6 October, 2005. The focus of the meeting was the potential of light scattering in the detection and characterization of biological particles, on novel detection systems using polarized light scattering, imaging (microscopy), inelastic scattering, absorption, and emission over all EM spectral regions. The concept for the ARW came about at the culmination of a NATO Science for Peace Project, headed by Alfons and Valeri. It was thought this would be a convenient vehicle to advertise and demonstrate the apparatus resulting from this multi-year collaboration. Potential applications of the device for bio-aerosol Valeri Maltsev and Alfons Hoekstra. characterization interested the third member of the triumvirate. While the co-chairs were occupied by bureaucratic necessities, the logistics were worked out by the Local Organizing Committee, the seemingly endless number of students and colleagues of Valeri, and especially the fixer Dina Goloshchapova who dealt with all the difficult problems. Optics of biological Gorden Videen, Alfons Hoekstra and Valeri Maltsev at particles encompasses a conference dinner. vii viii Preface great many fields, and our workshop and this volume can only scratch the surface. We were lucky to have a group of outstanding lecturers willing to invest the time to provide illuminating and entertaining lectures on the fundamental research in their fields. This book is a compilation of Valeri Maltsev demonstrates prototype of the Scanning significant contributions Flow Cytometer.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 296 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book contains an up-to-date review of the structure and evolution of disk galaxies from both the observational and theoretical point of view. It is the proceedings of the 'Island Universes' conference held at the island of Terschelling in July 2005. It brings together a broad range of aspects of disk galaxies: structure and dynamics, the latest multi-wavelength surveys, low- and high redshift observations, theory and observations.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 608 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The Technical University of Lisbon (UTL) is celebrating this year its 75th anniversary. Being a jubilee occasion, a full program of events took place, including a two-day Symposium on the research at UTL. This Symposium addressed the state-of-art in major areas of excellence at UTL. Science, technology and innovation and the way universities and society in general, create, use and disseminate knowledge have gained a growing signi cance over the last decades. UTL no doubt embeds a relevant potential of excellence in different areas of research in basic and applied sciences, which bears its development on the basis of a ¿research university¿ model. This book contains the edited version of the invited lectures that were delivered by prominent researchers at UTL. This book brings together in a review manner a comprehensive summary of high quality research contri- tions across basic and applied sciences. The contributing papers are organized around the following major areas: ¿ Emergent areas (Nanosciences, Quantic Computations and Infor- tion, Risk and Volatility in Financial Markets); ¿ Basic Sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Materials); ¿ Social Sciences, Economics and Management Sciences; ¿ Life Sciences and Biotechnology; ¿ Engineering and Technologies ¿ Nature, Environment and Sustainability; ¿ Public Health, Food Quality and Safety; ¿ Health and Sport Sciences; ¿ Urbanism, Transports, Architecture, Arts and Design. The transdisciplinary nature of most areas aims to stress a compelling sense of purpose in the work developed.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 632 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Astronomy isthemostancientsciencehumanshavepracticedonEarth. Itisascienceofextremesandoflargenumbers:extremesoftime¿fromthe big bang to in nity ¿, of distances, of temperatures, of density and masses, ofmagnetic eld,etc.Itisasciencewhichishighlyvisible,notonlybecause stars and planets are accessible in the sky to the multitude, but also - cause the telescopes themselves are easily distinguishable, usually on top of scenic mountains, and also because their cost usually represent a subst- tialproportionofthenation¿sbudgetandofthetaxpayerscontributionsto that budget. As such, astronomy cannot pass unnoticed. It touches on the origins of matter, of the Universe where we live, on life and on our destiny. It touches on philosophy as well as on religion. Astronomy is the direct c- tactofhumankindwithitsoriginsandtheimmensityofuniversalnature.It is indeed a science of observation where experimentation is practically - possible and which is ruled by mathematics, physics, chemistry, statistical analysis and modelling, while o ering the largest number of veri cations of the most advanced theories of fundamental physics such as general r- st ativity and gravitation. At the beginning of the 21 century astronomy is clearly a multidisciplinary activity touching on all aspects of science. It is therefore logical that in the past and still now, astronomy has attracted the most famous scientists, be they pure observers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, experimentalists, and even politicians.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 608 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Environmental biotechnology, which was in its infancy in the early 80's, has evolved thanks to the revolution brought about by molecular biology. Multiple successes in the biological cleanup of civil and industrial wastewater and of hydrocarbon soil pollution, demonstrate the vast power of clean technologies. In addition, the buildup of information on the activities of microorganisms as catalysts in all sorts of natural, industrial and animal environments has flourished. There is a continuing realization of the critical role of microbial processes in biological, industrial and geological systems. Since environmental biotechnology has matured, it is ready to tackle bigger challenges: the scaling up of many bioremediation systems still in progress, the search for novel biocatalysts for industrial applications, the continuing effort against common human life-threatening processes such as antibiotic resistance, the accumulation of hormone-mimicking substances (endocrine disrupters), the deposition of air-borne pesticides in the environment and, the degradation of recalcitrant contaminants. These endeavors will help prevent the contamination of food chains, protect human life and allow for human activity and economic development that do not compromise environmental sustainabijity. This volume includes the key lectures and participants' contributions delivered at the NATO-funded Advanced Research Workshop (NATO- ARW No. 980838) Bioremediation of Soils Contaminated with Aromatic Compounds: Effects of Rhizosphere, Bioavailability, Gene Regulation and st rd Stress Adaptation, held in Tartu, Estonia, from the 1 to the 3 of July 2004, and attended by participants from 15 countries.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 160 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -In the study of a science of nature mathematics plays an important role. Mechanics is the first science of nature which was expressed in terms of mathematics by considering various mathematical models, associated to phenomena of the surrounding nature. Thus, its development was influenced by the use of a strong mathematical tool; on the other hand, we must observe that mechanics also influenced the introduction and the development of many mathematical notions.In this respect, the guideline of the present book is precisely the mathematical model of mechanics. A special accent is put on the solving methodology as well as on the mathematical tools used; vectors, tensors and notions of field theory. Continuous and discontinuous phenomena, various mechanical magnitudes are presented in a unitary form by means of the theory of distributions. Some appendices give the book an autonomy with respect to other works, special previous mathematical knowledge being not necessary.Some applications connected to important phenomena of nature are presented, and this also gives one the possibility to solve problems of interest from the technical, engineering point of view.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 792 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -This book presents a critical analysis of the debate at the religious, legal and political level sparked off by the introduction of new biomedical technologies (cloning, genetics, organ transplants, IVF, etc.) in Muslim countries. It compares the positions of 'classic' Muslim law and contemporary religious authorities; laws in Muslim countries; the attitudes and concrete behaviour of populations, families and individuals, as well as the regulations of medical associations, bioethics committees etc.The result is a mosaic of positions which are often different (including from the point of view of ethics) but all in pursuit of legitimisation according to the Koran and the Shari¿a.The work has an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on law, sociology, anthropology, politics and the history of science. For this reason it will be of interest to scholars and operators in a wide variety of disciplines and fields.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 396 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -Leibniz is known to the wide public and to many scholars mainly as a logician and mathematician, and as the creator of a fascinating but strange metaphysical system. In these, as well as in other fields, his remarkable innovations were achieved by painstaking efforts to establish a fruitful critical dialogue with the leading contemporary thinkers. He was no less important, however, in his practical endeavor to bring opponents to negotiate reasonable solutions to key political and religious conflicts of his time.Both his theoretical and practical activities were informed by a philosophical mind that sought in all circumstances the most general underlying principles; by a juridical mind that sought to bring order and structure to human interaction, without sacrificing the necessary flexibility; by an argumentative mind that knows that persuading is often more important than proving; by a scientific mind eager to organize past and present knowledge so as not to miss any bit of information capable of pointing the way to new discoveries; by a theologian mind that refuses to admit that religious conflicts between true believers are irresolvable; and by an ethical and political mind whose major concern is to direct all our intellectual work towards improving the well-being of humankind.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 592 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -The 2005 International Conference ¿Hydrogen Materials Science and Chemistry of Carbon Nanomaterials¿ (ICHMS¿2005) was held in September 5-11, 2005 in the remarkable city Sevastopol (Crimea, Ukraine) known for its heroic and unusual th fate. In the tradition of the earlier ICHMS conferences, this 9 ICHMS¿2005 meeting served as an multidisciplinary forum for the presentation and discussion of the most recent research on transition to hydrogen-based energy systems, technologies for hydrogen production, storage, utilization, materials processing and chemical behavior, energy and environmental problems. The aim of ICHMS¿2005 was to provide the wide overview of the latest scientific results on basic research and technological applications of hydrogen interactions with metals and other materials. The active representatives from industry, research/academic organizations and governmental agencies could meet, discuss and present the most recent advances in hydrogen concepts, processes and systems, to evaluate current progress and to exchange academic information, to identify research needs and future development in this important area. This conference should help further the progress of hydrogen-based science and promote the role of hydrogen in the energy field. The ICHMS¿2005 was the conference, where a related new important topic of considerable current interest on fullerene-related materials as hydrogen storage was included into the conference program. This meeting gave an opportunity for researchers to cover the entire range of basic and applied materials focusing on synthesis, structure, properties and applications of diverse carbon materials ranging from nanotubes and fullerenes to carbon fiber composites and sorbents.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 872 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condition: Neu. Neuware -From July 11th to July 22nd, 2005, a NATO advanced study institute, as part of the series ¿Seminaire ¿ de mathematiques ¿ superieures¿, ¿ was held at the U- versite ¿ de Montreal, ¿ on the subject Equidistribution in the theory of numbers. There were about one hundred participants from sixteen countries around the world. This volume presents details of the lecture series that were given at the school. Across the broad panorama of topics that constitute modern number t- ory one nds shifts of attention and focus as more is understood and better questions are formulated. Over the last decade or so we have noticed incre- ing interest being paid to distribution problems, whether of rational points, of zeros of zeta functions, of eigenvalues, etc. Although these problems have been motivated from very di erent perspectives, one nds that there is much in common, and presumably it is healthy to try to view such questions as part of a bigger subject. It is for this reason we decided to hold a school on ¿Equidistribution in number theory¿ to introduce junior researchers to these beautiful questions, and to determine whether di erent approaches can in uence one another. There are far more good problems than we had time for in our schedule. We thus decided to focus on topics that are clearly inter-related or do not requirealotofbackgroundtounderstand.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 368 pp. Englisch.