springer netherlands springer netherlands dez 2012 (110 Ergebnisse)

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, which in recent years has been the engine of global economic growth , this volume surveys trends and prospects in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with particular reference to achieving inclusive growth and the greening of economies. Underlying the increasing pressure for new models of TVET provision is the rapid pace of technological change, demand for a work force which is highly responsive to evolving needs and a transforming market place that calls for higher order skills and lifelong learning. The book proposes a re-engineered, modernized TVET system that fosters an innovative approach which enhances the employability of workers as well as the sustainability of their livelihoods. The book includes contributions from leading policy makers, researchers, and practitioners, including those in the private sector in analyzing and forecasting the most urgent priorities in skills development. The book argues for creative approaches to TVET design and delivery particularly with a view to improve job prospects , and meeting the goals of inclusion, sustainable development and social cohesion. Addressing issues such as the chronic mismatches between skills acquired and actual skills required in the work place, the volume proposes diversified approaches towards workforce development and partnerships with the private sector to improve the quality and relevance of skills development . The new imperatives created by ¿greening¿ economies and responses required in skills development and training are addressed. Developing TVET is a high priority for governments in the Asia Pacific region as they seek to achieve long-term sustainable growth since the .continued success of their economic destinies depend on it. The volume also includes an emerging framework for skills development for inclusive and sustainable growth in the Asia and Pacific region.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 400 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Designed for daily use by professionals responsible for caring for patients with renal disease, this long-awaited primer provides a simplified, up-to-date review of peritoneal dialysis. Dealing concisely with all aspects of PD, it is written in such a style that even beginners with elementary knowledge of the subject could benefit from its use, and thus it is the perfect text for trainees or new and junior staff members. It is also an ideal text for nurses, a virtual how-to guide on PD.A book like this one, crafted specifically as a bench text and a learning tool, is hard to find. Emphasis is placed on the plentiful illustrations and tables that immediately clarify and expand upon the text. The illustrations, many in full color, are deftly drawn by one of the foremost medical artists in the world, Bernard Tardieu.Few texts can boast such a cast of distinguished authors. Ramesh Khanna, Karl Nolph, and Dimitrios Oreopoulos are among the most respected practitioners of dialysis.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 136 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Practical applications of soft-matter dynamics are of vital importance in material science, chemical engineering, biophysics and biotechnology, food processing, plastic industry, micro- and nano-system technology, and other technologies based on non-crystalline and non-glassy materials.Principles of Soft-Matter Dynamics. Basic Theories, Non-invasive Methods, Mesoscopic Aspects covers fundamental dynamic phenomena such as diffusion, relaxation, fluid dynamics, normal modes, order fluctuations, adsorption and wetting processes. It also elucidates the applications of the principles and of the methods referring to polymers, liquid crystals and other mesophases, membranes, amphiphilic systems, networks, and porous media including multiphase and multi-component materials, colloids, fine-particles, and emulsions. The book presents all formalisms, examines the basic concepts needed for applications of soft-matter science, and reviews non-invasive experimental techniques such as the multi-faceted realm of NMR methods, neutron and light quasi-elastic scattering, mechanical relaxation and dielectric broadband spectroscopy which are treated and compared on a common and consistent foundation. The standard concepts of dynamics in fluids, polymers, liquid crystals, colloids and adsorbates are comprehensively derived in a step-by-step manner. Principles and analogies common to diverse application fields are elucidated and theoretical and experimental aspects are supplemented by computational-physics considerations.Principles of Soft-Matter Dynamics. Basic Theories, Non-invasive Methods, Mesoscopic Aspects appeals to graduate and PhD students, post-docs, researchers, and industrial scientists alike.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 672 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Modern birds (Neornithes) are represented by two big lineages, the Palaeognathae (Tinamiformes + Ratitae) and the Neognathae [Galloanserae + Neoaves (Metaves + Coronoaves)]. Both clades sum approximately 10,000 species of which 60% are Passeriformes (the most diverse clade of terrestrial vertebrates). A comparison between the past and the present reveals a complex and hallmarked evolutionary and biogeographic history which would have begun over 65 million years ago. For South America (SA) this includes: (1) the presence of taxa with uncertain affinities and the absence of Passeriformes during the Paleogene; (2) a progressive and accelerated increase of the species starting at the Neogene (Miocene); (3) important extinct lineages (e.g. Phorusrhacidae, Teratornithidae) that migrate to North America after the rising of the Panamá isthmus; (4) groups with major diversification in the Neogene that survives nowadays represented by scarce species endemic of SA (Cariamidae) or that inhabits mainly in the southern hemisphere (Anhingidae); (5) very diverse living groups with scarce (e.g., Passeriformes) or none (e.g., Apodiformes) fossil record in SA, which stem-groups are registered in Europe. Apparently, the changes in diversity of the south American Neornithes have been the result of successive radiation, biogeographic connections with North America and in a minor scale, some extinctions. The opening of the Drake¿s passage and the occurrence of the circumpolar Antarctic flow are not sufficient causes to explain the highly disparity between the weddelians penguins (Sphenisciformes) of Antartica and those of the patagonian Atlantic Ocean.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 128 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -A large number of doctors take the MRCP examination every year; unfortunately the highest percentage of failure occurs in the Part II examination, particularly in the clinical part. The candidates are expected to elicit the clinical features correctly and quickly; they are closely scrutinized by the examiners and therefore there is a certain amount of stress involved on the part of the candidates. In addition, they are also expected to identify features shown in the illustrations correctly and within the limited time, which causes additional stress. Therefore continued practice is the only way to improve clinical acumen and confidence to enhance the chance of success. The book is designed for these candidates bearing in mind their particular requirements. Considerable information is gathered not only from the doctors who have already passed this examination but also from those who have been currently sitting the examination. The author has been taking part in teaching junior doctors for the last 22 years; most of his registrars passed the examination while working for him. The book contains a large number of clinical photographs, X-rays (including CT scans), ECGs, haematology and histology slides which the candidates are likely to encounter in the examination. Every effort has been made to fulfil most of the requirements of the MRCP examination but at the same time the book has been kept to a reasonable size.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 128 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The formation of archdeaconries in the diocese of Utrecht in the second half of the eleventh century and the first quarter of the twelfth.- Antwerp ships in English harbours in the fifteenth century.- Variants within Dutch Calvinism in the sixteenth century.- Flanders in 1576: revolutionary or reactionary .- William III and the Utrecht ¿Government-Regulation¿: background, events and problems.- The introduction of the steam engine to the Netherlands.- Survey of recent historical works on Belgium and the Netherlands.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 172 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The collapse of socialism across Eastern Europe - as manifested most dramatically by the events of the forever memorable November 9, 1989, when the Germans of East and West reunited, moved and overjoyed, on top of the Berlin Wall - has added more support and urgency to the central thesis of this volume than I had ever hoped for. Whether the following studies deal with economic topics, such as employment, interest, money, banking, business cycles, taxes, public goods, or growth; with philosophical problems as the foundations of know ledge, and of economics and ethics in particular; or the reconstruction and theoretical explanation of historical and sociological phenomena such as exploitation, the rise and fall of civilizations, international politics, war, imperialism, and the role of ideas and ideological movements in the course of social evolution - each ultimately contributes to but one conclusion: The right to private property is an indisputably valid, absolute principle of ethics and the basis for continuous 'optimal' economic progress. To rise from the ruins of socialism and overcome the stagnation of the Western welfare states, nothing will suffice but the uncompromizing privatization of all socialized, that is, government, property and the establishment of a contractual society based on the recognition of the absoluteness of private property rights. \*\*\* In writing the following studies I received help from many sides. Special thanks go to my wife Margaret, who again took on the task of de Germanizing my English; to Llewellyn H.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 280 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Die alltägliche Erfahrung jedes einzelnen Menschen ist der Ausgangspunkt von Edmund Husserls genetischer Phänomenologie. Anhand dieser Erfahrung kann das Bewusstseinsleben als solches analysiert werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit baut auf der präzisen Erforschung der Strukturen von Bewusstsein und Erkenntnis auf, die sich auf der vorapperzeptiven und vorprädikativ apperzeptiven Ebene konstituieren. Dabei zeigt sich, dass bestimmte Aktivitäten des Bewusstseins Vorstufen höherer Aktivitäten sind. Zwei dieser grundlegenden Aktivitäten analysiert die Autorin eingehend: die synthetische und die fühlend-wertende. Aus dieser Untersuchung geht ein neues Verständnis der Intentionalität und Sinngebung hervor, die einerseits eine vereinheitlichende Richtung, andererseits einen fühlend-wertenden Bezug herstellen. Dass damit auch eine Zweiseitigkeit der Bewusstseinskonstitution einher geht, ist das Ergebnis dieser hervorragenden Forschungsarbeit. In ihren Ausführungen zeigt die Autorin auch deutlich, dass die scheinbaren Brüche der phänomenologischen Methodik Husserls nur vor dem Hintergrund des Ringens um bessere Lösungen bestimmter Probleme zu verstehen sind. Viele Resultate aus dem Spätwerk Husserls lassen sich so als Modifikationen von Ansätzen erkennen, die schon in den Logischen Untersuchungen angelegt sind.Diese umfassende Studie dereinzelnen Schichten der Bewusstseinsbildung erfolgt mit Hilfe der genetisch-phänomenologischen Methode. Das Gesamtwerk Husserls einschließlich der neuen Editionen und der noch unveröffentlichten Forschungsmanuskripte sowie die aktuelle Forschungslage sind in die Arbeit einbezogen. Die Gliederung verfolgt dabei konsequent den konstitutiv-genetischen Aufbau einer Bewusstseinsleistung auf einer anderen, tiefer liegenden. Viele Beispiele aus der jedem zugänglichen Erfahrung illustrieren den Text, der sich zugleich durch eine hohe Komplexität, eine tief gehende Analyse und genaue Kenntnis des Husserlschen Werkes wie auch durch gute Lesbarkeit und Verständlichkeit auszeichnet.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 272 pp. Deutsch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The author developed this text over many years, teaching graduate courses in advanced dynamics and flexible multibody dynamics at the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering of the Georgia Institute of Technology.The book presents a unified treatment of rigid body dynamics, analytical dynamics, constrained dynamics, and flexible multibody dynamics. A comprehensive review of numerical tools used to enforce both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints is presented. Advanced topics such as Maggi¿s, index-1, null space, and Udwadia and Kalabäs formulations are presented because of their fundamental importance in multibody dynamics. Methodologies for the parameterization of rotation and motion are discussed and contrasted. Geometrically exact beams and shells formulations, which have become the standard in flexible multibody dynamics, are presented and numerical aspects of their finite element implementation detailed. Methodologies for the direct solution ofthe index-3 differential-algebraic equations characteristic of constrained multibody systems are presented. It is shown that with the help of proper scaling procedures, such equations are not more difficult to integrate than ordinary differential equations.This book is illustrated with numerous examples and should prove valuable to both students and researchers in the fields of rigid and flexible multibody dynamics.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 752 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This volume is intended to expand the dialogue and interest among both practitioners and academicians in a problem area worthy of attention by all. The concept of disaggregation admits to our current inability to solve many types of interrelated hierarchical problems simultaneously. It offers instead a sequential, iterative process as a workable and necessary procedure. The papers in this volume are selected from those presented at a Disaggregation Conference held in March, 1977 at The Ohio State University. We heartily applaud all those who participated in the conference and particularly appreci ate the cooperation of those authors whose work is published in this collection. Part A contains four papers which define the various dimensions of disaggregation. The paper by Martin Starr, which was the text of his luncheon address at the conference, provides several interesting perspectives to the problem. Although disaggregation suggests tear ing apart, as Professor Starr illustrates with his butterfly example, it also suggests a putting together or a synthesis which recognizes interrelationships and dependencies. The next paper by Lee Kra jewski and Larry Ritzman offers a general model of disaggregation for both the manufacturing and service sectors. After reading the papers in this section, as well as the papers in subsequent sections, you will identify other dimensions to hierarchical decision making which go beyond this generalized model.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 724 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Asia, the location of the world¿s fastest-growing economies, is also home to some of the fastest rates of urbanization humanity has ever seen, a process whose speed renders long-term outcomes highly unpredictable. This volume contrasts with much published work on the rural/urban divide, which has tended to focus on single case studies. It provides empirical perspectives from four Asian countries: India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and includes a wealth of insights that both critique and expand popular notions of the rural-urban divide. The volume is relevant not just to Asian contexts but to social scientific research on population dynamics more generally.Rather than deploying a single study to chart national trends, three chapters on each country make possible much more complex perspectives. As a result, this volume does more than extend our understanding of the interplay between cities and hinterlands within Asia. It enhances our notions of rural/urban cleavages, connections and conflicts more generally, with data and analysis ready for application to other contexts. Of interest to diverse scholars across the social sciences and Asian studies, this work includes accounts ranging from rural youth real estate entrepreneurs in Hyderabad, India, to social development in Aceh province in Indonesia, devastated by the 2004 tsunami, to the relationship between urban space and commonly held notions of the supernatural in Thailand¿s northern city of Chiang Mai.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 256 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Leaving aside human and social capital for a future volume, the book should be viewed as a crucial first step in developing indicators for total wealth in the countries covered by the case studies, which include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique and South Africa. These case studies experiment with implementing the SEAA in sub-Saharan nations known to suffer from the ¿resource curse¿: their wealth in resources and commodities has allowed inflows of liquidity, yet this cash has not funded crucial developments in infrastructure or education. What¿s more, resource-driven economies are highly vulnerable to commodity price mutability. The new measures of wealth deployed here offer more hope for the future in these countries than they themselves would once have allowed for.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 240 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -¿Over the years of cancer investigation a lot of discoveries in this field were made, and many associations between various biological carcinogens and cancer were revealed. Some of them are credibly determined, thus these infectious agents (human papilloma virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpes virus 8, human T-cell lymphotropic virus 1, human immunodeficiency virus, Merkel cell polyomavirus, Helicobacter pylori, Opisthorchis viverrini, Clonorchis sinensis, Schistosoma haematobium) are recognized as carcinogens and probable carcinogens by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The problem is of large importance, since share of infectious agents-related cancer cases is steadily increasing, reaching 25% according to certain estimates. It is worth noting that many of cancer cases are caused by infectious agents other than «conventional ones» like HPV, EBV, HBV, HCV, H.pylori etc. In recent years, a number of significant breakthroughs in the field were performed, such as the discovery of the microbiota role in cancer causation.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 128 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Over a half of adults in the US, Canada, Australia and numerous European countries are now overweight or obese, a proportion that has risen sharply in the past two decades. Dominant biomedical explanations focus on the energy equation ¿ an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure - and remedies focus on motivating individuals to restore the balance by eating better and being more active, or ¿ in extreme cases ¿ surgical intervention.This book offers a perspective that sees increasing obesity as a social phenomenon as well as a public health problem. It contains detailed accounts of three generations of Australians¿ experiences of changing environments and the emergence of social trends such as increasing availability of convenience foods, the individualisation and commercialisation of leisure, car reliance, and busyness. Participants' narratives are interwoven with sociological and historical analyses of changes to show how contemporary Australians are experiencing and adapting to dramatic socio-cultural and environmental changes that are reshaping their lives and, in many cases, their bodies.The book demonstrates that obesity is an unintended consequence of economic development accompanied by profound socio-cultural changes, and by identifying the key developments the authors propose leverage points. While the research was conducted in Australia, the fundamental drivers of rapid weight gain are equally present in other modern, secular societies.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 208 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Aimed at taking the mystery out of soil science, Soils: Principles, Properties and Management is a text for undergraduate/graduate students who study soil as a natural resource. Written in a reader-friendly style, with a host of examples, figures and tables, the book leads the reader from the basics of soil science through to complex situations, covering such topics as:the origin, development and classification of soilphysical, chemical and biological properties of soilwater and nutrient managementmanagement of problem soils, wetland soils and forest soilssoil degradationFurther, the ecological and agrological functions of soil are emphasized in the context of food security, biodiversity and climate change. The interactions between the environment and soil management are highlighted. Soil is viewed as an ecosystem itself and as a part of larger terrestrial ecosystems.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 296 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Efficient and equitable policies for managing disaster risks and adapting to global environmental change are critically dependent on development of robust options supported by integrated modeling.The book is based on research and state-of-the art models developed at IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis) and within its cooperation network. It addresses the methodological complexities of assessing disaster risks, which call for stochastic simulation, optimization methods and economic modeling. Furthermore, it describes policy frameworks for integrated disaster risk management, including stakeholder participation facilitated by user-interactive decision-support tools.Applications and results are presented for a number of case studies at different problem scales and in different socio-economic contexts, and their implications for loss sharing policies and economic development are discussed. Among others, the book presents studies for insurance policies for earthquakes in the Tuscany region in Italy and flood risk in the Tisza river basin in Hungary. Further, it investigates the economic impact of natural disasters on development and possible financial coping strategies; and applications are shown for selected South Asian countries.The book is addressed both to researchers and to organizations involvedwith catastrophe risk management and risk mitigation policies.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 300 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -New Issues in Polar Tourism traces and analyzes a decade of growing interest in the polar regions, and the consequent challenges and opportunities of increasing tourist traffic in formerly remote and seldom-visited places. The book arises from the recently-formed International Polar Tourism Research Network(IPTRN), and documents the outcomes of its 2010 conference, held at Sweden¿s Abisko Scientific Research Station.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 240 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This volume addresses the cultural, technical and ethical motivations of the history of drawingof machines and itsdevelopments step by step. First it treats drawings without any technical character; then the Renaissance with itsnew forms of drawing; the 18th century, with orthographic projections, immediately used by industry; the 19th century, including the applications of drawing in industry; and the 20th century, with the standardization institutions and the use of the computer. The role of historical drawings and archives in modern designis also examined.This book is of value to all those who are interested in technical drawing, either from an artistic, from a design, or from an engineering point of view.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 260 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This volume explores the usefulness of the Asian model of agricultural development for Africa, where, even before the recent world food crisis, half the population lived on less than on dollar a day, and a staggering one in three people and one third of all children were undernourished. Africa has abundant natural resources; agriculture provides most of its jobs, a third of national income and a larger portion of total export earnings. However the levels of land and labor productivity rank among the worst in the world. The book explains Africäs productivity gap and proposes ways to close it, by examining recent experience in Africa and by drawing on lessons from Asia.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 320 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This is the second edition of this best selling problem book for students, now containing over 400 completely solved exercises on differentiable manifolds, Lie theory, fibre bundles and Riemannian manifolds.The exercises go from elementary computations to rather sophisticated tools. Many of the definitions and theorems used throughout are explained in the first section of each chapter where they appear.A 56-page collection of formulae is included which can be useful as an aide-mémoire, even for teachers and researchers on those topics.In this 2nd edition:¿76 new problems¿a section devoted to a generalization of Gauss¿ Lemma¿a short novel section dealing with some properties of the energy of Hopf vector fields¿an expanded collection of formulae and tables¿an extended bibliographyAudienceThis book will be useful to advanced undergraduate and graduate students of mathematics, theoretical physics and some branches of engineering with a rudimentary knowledge of linear and multilinear algebra.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 644 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book investigates sociological, demographic and geographic aspects of aging in rural and nonmetropolitan areas of the United States. Population aging is one of the most important trends of the 20th and 21st centuries, and it is occurring worldwide, especially in more developed countries such as the United States. Population aging is more rapid in rural than urban areas of the U.S. In 2010, 15 percent of the nonmetropolitan compared to 12 percent of the metropolitan population were 65 years of age and older. By definition rural communities have smaller sized populations, and more limited healthcare, transportation and other aging-relevant services than do urban areas. It is thus especially important to study and understand aging in rural environments. Rural Aging in 21st Century America contributes evidence-based, policy-relevant information on rural aging in the U.S. A primary objective of the book is to improve understanding of what makes the experience of rural aging different from aging in urban areas and to increase understanding of the aged change the nature of rural places. The book addresses unique features of rural aging across economic, racial/ethnic, migration and other structures and patterns, all with a focus on debunking myths about rural aging and to emphasize opportunities and challenges that rural places and older people experience.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 400 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book advocates a fresh approach to planning that anticipates, rather than reacts to, the changes in climate currently in process. Today¿s spatial planning procedures rely on historical evidence instead of preparing for factors that by definition lie in the future, yet which are relatively uncontroversial: shortages of water, sea level rise and rises in average temperatures being but three examples. Arguing for more flexibility, the contributors view ¿complexity¿ as the key to transforming the way we plan in order to better equip us to face uncertainties about our future environment.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 284 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book addresses dynamic modelling methodology and analyses of tree-type robotic systems. Such analyses are required to visualize the motion of a system without really building it. The book contains novel treatment of the tree-type systems using concept of kinematic modules and the corresponding Decoupled Natural Orthogonal Complements (DeNOC), unified representation of the multiple-degrees-of freedom-joints, efficient recursive dynamics algorithms, and detailed dynamic analyses of several legged robots.The book will help graduate students, researchers and practicing engineers in applying their knowledge of dynamics for analysis of complex robotic systems. The knowledge contained in the book will help one in virtual testing of robot operation, trajectory planning and control.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 264 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Sleep medicine has been developing for more than 40 years. The current concepts in sleep technology are mainly centered on polysomnography (PSG) and issues related to sleep technicians. However,the editorsbelieve that the true value of technology is revealed only when benefits to humanity are manifest. To this end,they endeavor to create a new era in sleep technology, one that will improve the quality of people's sleep and daily lives.This edited book, Introduction to Modern Sleep Technology, provides a comprehensive reference volume to the latest advancements in the area of Sleep Technology. It offers an excellent range of insights and opinions from leading researchers and experts in multiple disciplines spanning academia, clinical practice and industry. Up-to-date insights into the current research topics in this field are featured in addition to the latest technological advances with reference to appropriate working examples.Thecurrentbookcombines the five dimensions of knowledge, i.e., sleep medicine, clinical psychology engineering, industrial design and technology management to ensure the content is applicable to people's daily lives.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 320 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book covers all topics relevant for the design of haptic interfaces and teleoperation systems. The book provides the basic knowledge required for understanding more complex approaches and more importantly it introduces all issues that must be considered for designing efficient and safe haptic interfaces. Topics covered in this book provide insight into all relevant components of a haptic system.The reader is guided from understanding the virtual reality concept to the final goal of being able to design haptic interfaces for specific tasks such as nanomanipulation.The introduction chapter positions the haptic interfaces within the virtual reality context. In order to design haptic interfaces that will comply with human capabilities at least basic understanding of human sensors-motor system is required. An overview of this topic is provided in the chapter related to human haptics. The book does not try to introduce the state-of-the-art haptic interface solutions because these tend to change quickly. Only a careful selection of different kinematic configurations is shown to introduce the reader into this field.Mathematical models of virtual environment, collision detection and force rendering topics are strongly interrelated and are described in the next two chapters. The interaction with the virtual environment is simulated with a haptic interface. Impedance and admittance based approaches to haptic robot control are presented. Stability issues of haptic interaction are analyzed in details and solutions are proposed for guaranteeing stable and safe operation. Finally, haptic interaction is extended to teleoperation systems. Virtual fixtures which improve the teleoperation and human-robot cooperation in complex environments are covered next and the last chapter presents nanomanipulation as one specific example of teleoperation.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 224 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book promotes an understanding of ageism, discrimination and mistreatment of older adult workers, incorporating an international human rights perspective. The impact of ageism on the mistreatment of older adult workers has not to date been examined in depth through the lens of international human rights instruments, nor has discrimination against older adults in the workplace been framed as a form of elder abuse for research and policy making purposes.This book presents a multi-disciplinary exploration of these themes as they affect work and retirement of older adults. It reflects the view that older people who choose to work into old age should be able to do so in enabling work environments that promote dignity and are free of abuse.The contributing authors come from many disciplines, including law, psychology, social work, business, and international affairs. Many are members of the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA), a non-governmental organization with consultative status at the United Nations, and have devoted their professional careers to increase awareness and understanding of elder abuse in order to prevent it. The editors hope that broadening the framework within which elder abuse in the workplace is understood will stimulate further research, policy and program development to address this troubling social problem.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 212 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 500 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The editors draw on a 3-year project that analyzed a Portuguese area in detail, comparing this study with papers from other regions. Applications include the estimation of technical efficiency in agricultural grazing systems (dairy, beef and mixed) and specifically for dairy farms. The conclusions indicate that it is now necessary to help small dairy farms in order to make them more efficient. These results can be compared with the technical efficiency of a sample of Spanish dairy processing firms presented by Magdalena Kapelko and co-authors.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 216 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The notion of ¿natural law¿ has repeatedly furnished human beings with a shared grammar in times of moral and cultural crisis. Stoic natural law, for example, emerged precisely when the Ancient World lost the Greek polis, which had been the point of reference for Plato's and Aristotle's political philosophy. In key moments such as this, natural law has enabled moral and legal dialogue between peoples and traditions holding apparently clashing world-views. This volume revisits some of these key moments in intellectual and social history, partly with an eye to extracting valuable lessons for ideological conflicts in the present and perhaps near future. The contributions to this volume discuss both historical and contemporary schools of natural law. Topics on historical schools of natural law include: how Aristotelian theory of rules paved the way for the birth of the idea of 'natural law'; the idea's first mature account in Cicero's work; the tension between two rival meanings of ¿man¿s rational nature¿ in Aquinas¿ natural law theory; and the scope of Kant¿s allusions to ¿natural law¿. Topics on contemporary natural law schools include: John Finnis's and Germain Grisez's ¿new natural law theory¿; natural law theories in a 'broader' sense, such as Adolf Reinach¿s legal phenomenology; Ortega y Gasset¿s and Scheler¿s ¿ethical perspectivism¿; the natural law response to Kelsen¿s conflation of democracy and moral relativism; natural law's role in 20th century international law doctrine; Ronald Dworkin¿s understanding of law as ¿a branch of political morality¿; and Alasdair Macintyre¿s 'virtue'-based approach to natural law.¿Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 264 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -In this book, an international group of philosophers, economists and theologians focus on the relationship between justice, luck and responsibility in health care. Together, they offer a thorough reflection on questions such as: How should we understand justice in health care Why are health care interests so important that they deserve special protection How should we value health What are its functions and do these make it different from other goods Furthermore, how much equality should there be Which inequalities in health and health care are unfair and which are simply unfortunate Which matters of health care belong to the domain of justice, and which to the domain of charity And to what extent should we allow personal responsibility to play a role in allocating health care services and resources, or in distributing the costs With this book, the editors meet a double objective. First,they provide a comprehensive philosophical framework for understanding the concepts of justice, luck and responsibility in contemporary health care; and secondly,they explore whether these concepts have practical force to guide normative discussions in specific contexts of health care such as prevention of infectious diseases or in matters of reproductive technology. Particular and extensive attention is paid to issues regarding end-of-life care.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 240 pp. Englisch.