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Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Integration theory holds a prime position, whether in pure mathematics or in various fields of applied mathematics. It plays a central role in analysis; it is the basis of probability theory and provides an indispensable tool in mathe matical physics, in particular in quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics. Therefore, many textbooks devoted to integration theory are already avail able. The present book by Michel Simonnet differs from the previous texts in many respects, and, for that reason, it is to be particularly recommended. When dealing with integration theory, some authors choose, as a starting point, the notion of a measure on a family of subsets of a set; this approach is especially well suited to applications in probability theory. Other authors prefer to start with the notion of Radon measure (a continuous linear func tional on the space of continuous functions with compact support on a locally compact space) because it plays an important role in analysis and prepares for the study of distribution theory. Starting off with the notion of Daniell measure, Mr. Simonnet provides a unified treatment of these two approaches.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 528 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Mathematics is playing an ever more important role in the physical and biological sciences, provoking a blurring of boundaries between scientific disciplines and a resurgence of interest in the modem as weIl as the classical techniques of applied mathematics. This renewal of interest, both in research and teaching, has led to the establishment of the series: Texts in Applied Mathematics (TAM). The development of new courses is a natural consequence of a high level of excitement on the research frontier as newer techniques, such as numerical and symbolic computer systems, dynamical systems, and chaos, mix with and reinforce the traditional methods of applied mathematics. Thus, the purpose of this textbook series is to meet the current and future needs of these advances and encourage the teaching of new courses. TAM will publish textbooks suitable for use in advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, and will complement the Applied Mathematical Sci ences (AMS) series, which will focus on advanced textbooks and research level monographs.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 588 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The incidence of food poisoning continues to rise and now there is even greater interest in the subject of microbial food poisoning and food safety, than when the first edition of this popular book was published. As in the first edition of his book, Adrian Eley summarizes information on the principal agents that cause food poisoning and emphasizes their mode of action. Also discussed in chapters written by specially selected expert in the area are epidemilogical features of food poisoning, microbiological control of food production, mycoticoxic fungi and food safety legislation. Each chapter has been comprehensively updated to include any changes in for example laboratory practice, legislation, etc. Also included in this edition is a new chapter on food hygiene. Microbial Food Poisoning, Second Edition, appeals to students studying a wide range of courses, including medical microbiology, food science, and technology, nutrition, general microbiology and environmental health. This book will also be of use to professionals in a range of disciplines including food science, medicine, health sciences and environmental and public health.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 224 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book introduces applied wavelet analysis through the S-PLUS software system. Using a visual data analysis approach, wavelet concepts are explained in a way that is intuitive and easy to understand. In addition to wavelets, a whole range of related signal processing techniques such as wavelet packets, local cosine analysis, and matching pursuits are covered. Applications of wavelet analysis are illustrated, including nonparametric function estimation, digital image compression, and time-frequency signal analysis.The book and software is intended for a broad range of data analysts, scientists, and engineers. While most textbooks on wavelet analysis require advanced training in mathematics, this book minimizes reliance on formal mathematical methods. Readers should be familiar with calculus and linear algebra at the undergraduate level.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 360 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Protein functionality is big business in the food industry, both academic and commercial. This reflects the fascination of protein chemistry and the commercial value of proteins in giving texture and substance to foods. My first encounter with the subject came about through an interest in assessing the extent of thermal damage in spray-dried proteins. A change in functional properties seemed a useful guide to the thermal damage. I found the literature replete with methods (and theory) and so did what everybody else seemed to do - I devised my own methods which were slight variations on the general theme. However, being an analyst at heart I thought there must be a systematic approach to the various tests available. This book is an attempt to assess the practice of protein functionality testing, keeping theory to a minimum, followed by a suggested 'standard' method or protocol to follow. Each chapter is devoted to a single functional property and the reader will see that attempts to 'standardise' them have had varied success, perhaps reflecting the complexity of the mechanisms at work. As mentioned above theory has been kept to a minimum but hopefully it supports the practical methodology described. I hope that the book stimulates debate on the subject; it is certainly not the last word! G. H. Contributors Dr G. E. Arteaga Centro de Investigacion en Alimentation y Desarrollo, Hermosillo, Sonora AP 1735, Mexico Dr. S.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 280 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -IFIP's Working Group 2.7(13.4)\* has, since its establishment in 1974, con centrated on the software problems of user interfaces. From its original interest in operating systems interfaces the group has gradually shifted em phasis towards the development of interactive systems. The group has orga nized a number of international working conferences on interactive software technology, the proceedings of which have contributed to the accumulated knowledge in the field. The current title of the Working Group is 'User Interface Engineering', with the aim of investigating the nature, concepts, and construction of user interfaces for software systems. The scope of work involved is: - to increase understanding of the development of interactive systems; - to provide a framework for reasoning about interactive systems; - to provide engineering models for their development. This report addresses all three aspects of the scope, as further described below. In 1986 the working group published a report (Beech, 1986) with an object-oriented reference model for describing the components of operating systems interfaces. The modelwas implementation oriented and built on an object concept and the notion of interaction as consisting of commands and responses. Through working with that model the group addressed a number of issues, such as multi-media and multi-modal interfaces, customizable in terfaces, and history logging. However, a conclusion was reached that many software design considerations and principles are independent of implemen tation models, but do depend on the nature of the interaction process.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 268 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -[Hilbert's] style has not the terseness of many of our modem authors in mathematics, which is based on the assumption that printer's labor and paper are costly but the reader's effort and time are not. H. Weyl [143] The purpose of this book is to describe the classical problems in additive number theory and to introduce the circle method and the sieve method, which are the basic analytical and combinatorial tools used to attack these problems. This book is intended for students who want to lel Ill additive number theory, not for experts who already know it. For this reason, proofs include many 'unnecessary' and 'obvious' steps; this is by design. The archetypical theorem in additive number theory is due to Lagrange: Every nonnegative integer is the sum of four squares. In general, the set A of nonnegative integers is called an additive basis of order h if every nonnegative integer can be written as the sum of h not necessarily distinct elements of A. Lagrange 's theorem is the statement that the squares are a basis of order four. The set A is called a basis offinite order if A is a basis of order h for some positive integer h. Additive number theory is in large part the study of bases of finite order. The classical bases are the squares, cubes, and higher powers; the polygonal numbers; and the prime numbers. The classical questions associated with these bases are Waring's problem and the Goldbach conjecture.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 364 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Humans at the End of the Ice Age chronicles and explores the significance of the variety of cultural responses to the global environmental changes at the last glacial-interglacial boundary. Contributions address the nature and consequences of the global climate changes accompanying the end of the Pleistocene epoch-detailing the nature, speed, and magnitude of the human adaptations that culminated in the development of food production in many parts of the world. The text is aided by vital maps, chronological tables, and charts.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 400 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -MRP II explores the principles of MRP II systems, and how the manufacturer can utilize and institute them effectively for maximum profit. The book will serve as a valuable professional reference for manufacturers instituting or utilizing an MRP II scheduling system. It will also be a valuable teaching tool for the 2- and 4- year college or university programs, a reference for APICS certification review, and continuing education programs. There are examples throughout, as well as extensive end-of-chapter case studies and their solutions. A glossary of terms is also included.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 260 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The Maize Handbook represents the collective efforts of the maize research community to enumerate the key steps of standard procedures and to disseminate these protocols for the common good. Although the material in this volume is drawn from experience with maize, many of the procedures, protocols, and descriptions are applicable to other higher plants, particularly to other grasses. The power and resolution of experiments with maize depend on the wide range of specialized genetic techniques and marked stocks; these materials are available today as the culmination of nearly 100 years of genetic research. A major goal of this volume is to introduce this genetical legacy and to highlight current stock construction programs that will soon benefit our work, e. g. high-density RFLP maps, deletion stocks, etc. Both stock construction and maintenance are relatively straightforward in maize as a result of the ease of crossing and the longevity of stored seeds. Crossing is facilitated by the separate staminate (tassel) and pistillate (ear) flowers, a feature almost unique to maize. On the other hand, many of the genetic methodologies utilized with maize, including the precision of record keeping, can be adapted to other plants. Facile communication and a spirit of co-operation have characterized the maize genetics community since its earliest days. Starting in the 1930s, institutions such as annual Maize Genetics Cooperation Newsletter, the Maize Genetics Stock Center, and the annual maize genetics meeting provide continuity to the field.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 792 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This book has pedigree. It has developed from experience over 50 years in reading, writing, thinking, and working with lipids and fatty acids. The study of lipids now involves many disciplines, all of which require a basic knowledge of the chemical nature and properties of these molecules. The book is written particularly for those who, with some knowledge of chemistry or biochemistry, need to know more about the mature of lipids and of fatty acids. It covers the materials they handle; their origin and chemical nature, the effects of processing, and their physical, chemical, biochemical, and nutritional properties. Another group of readers will be employed in the oleochemical industry modifying the material produced by nature for the benefit of human kind. They will have to understand the constraints of production and of chemistry within which they work and to be aware of the present state of knowledge about these materials. Yet another group may consider themselves tobe academic researchers; however there is no escape from the real world of market place availability and they will need to know something about sourcing, about the changes which occur when oils and fat are refined and how these materials can be modified on a commercial scale.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 268 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The advent of sophisticated packaging materials and methods had stimulated the development of complex delivery systems from producer to consumer, resulting in the availability of a wide range of products at an affordable price. Contemporary distribution methods are not without problems however, and specifically related to packaging is the possibility of migration--the contamination of food by components of the materials in contact with it. In this area, both technology and regulations are well developed, but basic science, for a variety of reasons, has tended to advance less quickly. This book addresses the basic science of migration. The editor has brought together a range of authors, all of whom are acknowledged experts in their fields, to provide a timely and concise overview of this important topic. Covering basic science, common materials and the major regulations in North America, Europe and Japan, this book will become a key information source in every library concerned with food technology. Food technologists, manufacturers of packaging and other food contact materials and regulatory professionals will all find this book an indispensable reference source. 320 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -In that The Anatomy of Speech Notions (1976) was the precursor to The Grammar of Discourse (1983), this revision embodies a third 'edition' of some of the material that is found here. The original intent of the 1976 volume was to construct a hierarchical arrangement of notional categories, which find surface realization in the grammatical constructions of the various languages of the world. The idea was to marshal the categories that every analyst-regardless of theoretical bent-had to take account of as cognitive entities. The volume began with a couple of chapters on what was then popularly known as 'case grammar,' then expanded upward and downward to include other notional categories on other levels. Chapters on dis course, monologue, and dialogue were buried in the center of the volume. In the 1983 volume, the chapters on monologue and dialogue discourse were moved to the fore of the book and the chapters on case grammar were made less prominent; the volume was then renamed The Grammar of Discourse. The current revision features more clearly than its predecessors the intersection of discourse and pragmatic concerns with grammatical structures on various levels. It retains and expands much of the former material but includes new material reflecting current advances in such topics as salience clines for discourse, rhetorical relations, paragraph structures, transitivity, ergativity, agency hierarchy, and word order typologies.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 388 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Models in system design follow the general tendency in electronics in terms of size, complexity and difficulty of maintenance. While a model should be a manageable representation of a system, this increasing complexity sometimes forces current CAD-tool designers and model writers to apply modeling techniques to the model itself. Model writers are interested in instrumenting their model, so as to extract critical information before the model is complete. CAD tools designers use internal representations of the design at various stages. The complexity has also led CAD-tool developers to develop formal tools, theories and methods to improve relevance, completeness and consistency of those internal representations. Information modeling involves the representation of objects, their properties and relationships. Performance Modeling When it comes to design choices and trade-offs, performance is generally the final key. However performance estimations have to be extracted at a very early stage in the system design. Performance modeling concerns the set of tools and techniques that allow or help the designer to capture metrics relating to future architectures. Performance modeling encompasses the whole system, including software modeling. It has a strong impact on all levels of design choices, from hardware/software partitioning to the final layout. Information Modeling Specification and formalism have in the past traditionally played little part in the design and development of EDA systems, their support environments, languages and processes. Instead, EDA system developers and EDA system users have seemed to be content to operate within environments that are often extremely complex and may be poorly tested and understood. This situation has now begun to change with the increasing use of techniques drawn from the domains of formal specification and database design. This section of this volume addresses aspects of the techniques being used. In particular, it considers a specific formalism, called information modeling, which has gained increasing acceptance recently and is now a key part of many of the proposals in the EDA Standards Roadmap, which promises to be of significance to the EDA industry. In addition, the section looks at an example of a design system from the point of view of its underlying understanding of the design process rather than through a consideration of particular CAD algorithms. Meta-Modeling: Performance and Information Modeling contains papers describing the very latest techniques used in meta-modeling. It will be a valuable text for researchers, practitioners and students involved in Electronic Design Automation.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Modern economic growth is characterized by structural changes based on the introduction of new technologies into economics. The replacement and renova tion of technologies in industrial environments undergoing technical change is clearly one of the key aspects of economic development. The mathematical modeling of evolutionary economics under technical change (TC) has been rigorously considered by many authors during last decades. There is a wide variety of economic approaches and models describing different aspects of technical change. Among these are the models of embodied technical progress [19], [35], [70], [129], endogenous growth models [94], [102], the models of technological innovations [31], [32], [41], and others. The perspective self organization evolutionary approach is developed in [20], [38], [122], [123], [124], [126], which unites the aspects of diffusion of new technologies, technological and behavioral diversity of firms, learning mechanisms, age-dependent effects, and other important features of real-life economics. On the whole, an interest in evolutionary economics has brought considerable progress in the description and conceptualization of the sources, characteristics, direction and effects of technical change [125]. However, the modeling and control of technology lifetime under technical change has received rather little attention in mathematical economics in con trary to other aspects of technical progress. The lifetime of technologies has rarely been formally treated as a part of more general mathematical theory of economic dynamics. A problem which is still to be resolved consists in establishing the rational strategies of technologies' replacement under various assumptions on the behavior of technical change.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This edition of Thermodynamics is a thoroughly revised, streamlined, and cor rected version of the book of the same title, first published in 1975. It is intended for students, practicing engineers, and specialists in materials sciences, metallur gical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, electrochemistry, and related fields. The present edition contains many additional numerical examples and prob lems. Greater emphasis is put on the application of thermodynamics to chemical, materials, and metallurgical problems. The SI system has been used through out the textbook. In addition, a floppy disk for chemical equilibrium calculations is enclosed inside the back cover. It contains the data for the elements, oxides, halides, sulfides, and other inorganic compounds. The subject material presented in chapters III to XIV formed the basis of a thermodynamics course offered by one of the authors (R.G. Reddy) for the last 14 years at the University of Nevada, Reno. The subject matter in this book is based on a minimum number of laws, axioms, and postulates. This procedure avoids unnecessary repetitions, often encountered in books based on historical sequence of development in thermodynamics. For example, the Clapeyron equation, the van't Hoff equation, and the Nernst distribution law all refer to the Gibbs energy changes of relevant processes, and they need not be presented as radically different relationships.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 424 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Much of organic chemistry is based on the ability of suitably structured chemicals to bind together through the formation of covalent bonds. Biochemistry is replete with exam ples of enzymatically catalyzed reactions in which normal body constituents can be linked through covalent bonds during the process of intermediary metabolism. The finding that xenobiotic chemicals that enter the body from the environment, are metabolized to highly reactive species, and then covalently react with cellular macromolecules to induce toxic and carcinogenic effects was an observation that spawned the research featured in the Fifth International Symposium on Biological Reactive Intermediates (BRI V). The group of investigators that became fascinated with this process and its signifi cance in terms of human health began their discussions in Turku, Finland (J 975), and continued them at Guildford, England (1980), College Park, Maryland (1985), Tucson, Arizona (1990), and Munich, Germany (1995). Among the results were a series of reports listed below, as well as the book for which this serves as the Preface. ¿ Jollow, DJ., Kocsis, J.J., Snyder, R. and Vainio, H. (eds), Biological Reactive Intermediates: Formation, Toxicity and Inactivation, Plenum Press, NY, 1975. ¿ Snyder, R., Park, D.V., Kocsis, J.J., Jollow, D.V., Gibson, G.G. and Witmer, C.M. (eds), Biological Reactive Intermediates II: Chemical Mechanisms and Biological Effects, Plenum Press, N.Y., 1982.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 484 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -While insights sometimes are slow in coming, they often seem obvious when they finally arrive. This handbook is an outcome of the insight that the topics of social support and the family are very closely linked. Obvious as this might seem, the fact remains that the literatures dealing with social support and the family have been deceptively separate and distinct. For example, work on social support began in the 1970s with the accumulation of evidence that social ties and social integration play important roles in health and personal adjustment. Even though family members are often the key social supporters of individuals, relatively little re search of social support was targeted on family interactions as a path to specifying supporter processes. It is now recognized that one of the most important features of the family is its role in providing the individual with a source of support and acceptance. Fortunately, in recen t years, the distinctness and separateness of the fields of social support and the family have blurred. This handbook provides the first collation and integration of social support and family research. This integration calls for specifying processes (such as the cognitions associated with poor support availability and unrewarding faIllily constellations) and factors (such as cultural differences in family life and support provision) that are pertinent to integration.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 596 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Since the classical work of Rosalyn Yalow and Solomon Berson on the radioim munoassay of insulin in the late 1950s, which so brilliantly opened new domains in the diagnostics sector, immunoassays have been well received as a diagnostic and research tool in several disciplines of life sciences. The economics, rapidity, sensitivity, specificity, and the easy-to-use approach of immunodiagnostic tests are widely recognized, and have had a tremendous impact on clinical, agricultural, food, veterinary, and environmental diagnostics. At present, in the clinical diag nostic sector alone, immunoassay products command an annual worldwide mar ket value in excess of U. S. $10 billion, which is expanding by about 10% per annum. The recent trend toward increasing demand for automation of immunoassays and stable reagents clearly shows a definitive shift to nonisotopic immunoassay systems on a large scale. Historically, enzyme immunoassays have been in a prime position for in-house applications, primarily because of the easy access to inex pensive measuring equipment as well as to a vast body of literature on labeling techniques and applications. The recent popularity with the general public of sev eral over-the-counter immunoassay products based on this technology, such as glucose level kits for diabetics, cholesterol screening tests, and pregnancy detec tion test kits, is quite evident.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 478 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -This volume is based on the NATO Advanced Study Institute, 'Advances in Mor phometries' held in 11 Ciocco, Tuscany, Italy from July 18-30, 1993, and directed by Leslie F. Marcus. The 'Advances in Morphometries' ASI was advertised in Nature and a number of professional journals. Announcements were sent to relevant institutions and departments throughout the world. Because NATO required that the majority of attendees be from NATO countries, the 71 persons attending represented nine NATO countries, four eastern European countries, now recognized as equal partners for AS Is, and a few participants from non-NATO countries. Participants were all active scholars in different disciplines within biology, as well as computer science, statistics, geology and paleontology. Their experience ranged from that of graduate students to senior faculty, as well as one emeritus scholar. A complete list of the those attending and their addresses, phone and FAX numbers and, where available, e-mail addresses is given in the participants list. All the local arrangements were made by Marco Corti and Anna Loy of the University of Rome 'Ia Sapienza. ' They made the initial contact with the II Ciocco conference center and then arranged for computer and Xerox rentals, design of logos, organization of posters, and publication of poster abstracts.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 620 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Although adaptive filtering and adaptive array processing began with research and development efforts in the late 1950's and early 1960's, it was not until the publication of the pioneering books by Honig and Messerschmitt in 1984 and Widrow and Stearns in 1985 that the field of adaptive signal processing began to emerge as a distinct discipline in its own right. Since 1984 many new books have been published on adaptive signal processing, which serve to define what we will refer to throughout this book as conventional adaptive signal processing. These books deal primarily with basic architectures and algorithms for adaptive filtering and adaptive array processing, with many of them emphasizing practical applications. Most of the existing textbooks on adaptive signal processing focus on finite impulse response (FIR) filter structures that are trained with strategies based on steepest descent optimization, or more precisely, the least mean square (LMS) approximation to steepest descent. While literally hundreds of archival research papers have been published that deal with more advanced adaptive filtering concepts, none of the current books attempt to treat these advanced concepts in a unified framework. The goal of this new book is to present a number of important, but not so well known, topics that currently exist scattered in the research literature. The book also documents some new results that have been conceived and developed through research conducted at the University of Illinois during the past five years.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - From the Foreword. Modern digital signal processing applications provide a large challenge to the system designer. Algorithms are becoming increasingly complex, and yet they must be realized with tight performance constraints. Nevertheless, these DSP algorithms are often built from many constituent canonical subtasks (e.g., IIR and FIR filters, FFTs) that can be reused in other subtasks. Design is then a problem of composing these core entities into a cohesive whole to provide both the intended functionality and the required performance. In order to organize the design process, there have been two major approaches. The top-down approach starts with an abstract, concise, functional description which can be quickly generated. On the other hand, the bottom-up approach starts from a detailed low-level design where performance can be directly assessed, but where the requisite design and interface detail take a long time to generate. In this book, the authors show a way to effectively resolve this tension by retaining the high-level conciseness of VHDL while parameterizing it to get good fit to specific applications through reuse of core library components. Since they build on a pre-designed set of core elements, accurate area, speed and power estimates can be percolated to high- level design routines which explore the design space. Results are impressive, and the cost model provided will prove to be very useful. Overall, the authors have provided an up-to-date approach, doing a good job at getting performance out of high-level design. The methodology provided makes good use of extant design tools, and is realistic in terms of the industrial design process. The approach is interesting in its own right, but is also of direct utility, and it will give the existing DSP CAD tools a highly competitive alternative. The techniques described have been developed within ARPAs RASSP (Rapid Prototyping of Application Specific SignalProcessors) project, and should be of great interest there, as well as to many industrial designers. Professor Jonathan Allen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Recent Advances in Robot Learning contains seven papers on robot learning written by leading researchers in the field. As the selection of papers illustrates, the field of robot learning is both active and diverse. A variety of machine learning methods, ranging from inductive logic programming to reinforcement learning, is being applied to many subproblems in robot perception and control, often with objectives as diverse as parameter calibration and concept formulation. While no unified robot learning framework has yet emerged to cover the variety of problems and approaches described in these papers and other publications, a clear set of shared issues underlies many robot learning problems. Machine learning, when applied to robotics, is situated: it is embedded into a real-world system that tightly integrates perception, decision making and execution. Since robot learning involves decision making, there is an inherent active learning issue. Robotic domains are usually complex, yet the expense of using actual robotic hardware often prohibits the collection of large amounts of training data. Most robotic systems are real-time systems. Decisions must be made within critical or practical time constraints. These characteristics present challenges and constraints to the learning system. Since these characteristics are shared by other important real-world application domains, robotics is a highly attractive area for research on machine learning. On the other hand, machine learning is also highly attractive to robotics. There is a great variety of open problems in robotics that defy a static, hand-coded solution. Recent Advances in Robot Learning is an edited volume of peer-reviewed original research comprising seven invited contributions by leading researchers. This research work has also been published as a special issue of Machine Learning (Volume 23, Numbers 2 and 3).

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -Specifically for the pump user, this book concentrates on the identification and solution of problems associated with existing centrifugal pumps. It gives specific examples on how to modify pump performance for increased efficiency and better quality control, which turn into long-term cost savings. Some basic theory is included to give the reader greater understanding of the problems being encountered and attacked.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 404 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Catheter-delivered therapeutic ultrasound angioplasty is a new technique for use in the treatment of obstructive vascular disease. The treatment differs from balloon angioplasty in that it has been shown experimentally to cause disintegration of calcific and fibrotic atherosclerotic plaques, thrombus dissolution and arterial vasodilation. In contrast to laser technology, ultrasound systems are relatively inexpensive and simple to use and maintain. In the clinical trials detailed in this text, ultrasound angioplasty has been shown to be feasible and safe. Ultrasound Angioplasty is a comprehensive text, addressing the theoretical, experimental and clinical issues. The international contributions reflect the excitement, interest, spirit and cooperation in the research and development of therapeutic ultrasound.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Input/Output in Parallel and Distributed Computer Systems has attracted increasing attention over the last few years, as it has become apparent that input/output performance, rather than CPU performance, may be the key limiting factor in the performance of future systems. This I/O bottleneck is caused by the increasing speed mismatch between processing units and storage devices, the use of multiple processors operating simultaneously in parallel and distributed systems, and by the increasing I/O demands of new classes of applications, like multimedia. It is also important to note that, to varying degrees, the I/O bottleneck exists at multiple levels of the memory hierarchy. All indications are that the I/O bottleneck will be with us for some time to come, and is likely to increase in importance. Input/Output in Parallel and Distributed Computer Systems is based on papers presented at the 1994 and 1995 IOPADS workshops held in conjunction with the International Parallel Processing Symposium. This book is divided into three parts. Part I, the Introduction, contains four invited chapters which provide a tutorial survey of I/O issues in parallel and distributed systems. The chapters in Parts II and III contain selected research papers from the 1994 and 1995 IOPADS workshops; many of these papers have been substantially revised and updated for inclusion in this volume. Part II collects the papers from both years which deal with various aspects of system software, and Part III addresses architectural issues. Input/Output in Parallel and Distributed Computer Systems is suitable as a secondary text for graduate level courses in computer architecture, software engineering, and multimedia systems, and as a reference for researchers and practitioners in industry.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Teleservice is a common concept for distributed application services related to the use of telecommunication equipment, PCs, workstations and mainframes. Teleservices represent a diversity of applications related to various user and vendor cultures such as traditional telecommunications services, E-mail services, cooperative work, applications, multimedia applications, mobile services and intelligent network services. The complexity and diversity of teleservices are increasing, but of greater importance is the change in the way in which teleservices are designed, delivered and maintained. Information Network and Data Communications captures the cultural as well as the technical variety of teleservice.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - xiv box for Balanced Automation, research in this area is still young and emerging. In our opinion, the development of hybrid balanced solutions to cope with a variety of automation levels and manual approaches, is a much more challenging research problem than the search for a purely automatic solution. Various research activities described in this book illustrate some of these challenges through the development proposals, assisting tools, and initial results. In certain chapters however, the balancing aspects are not yet achieved in the research area, but their inclusion in this book is intended to give a broader and more comprehensive perspective of the multiple areas involved. One important aspect to be noticed is the extension and application of the concept of balanced automation to all areas of the manufacturing enterprise. Clearly, the need for a 'balanced' approach is not restricted to the shop floor components, rather it applies to all other areas, as illustrated by the wide spectrum of research contributions found in this book. For instance, the need for an appropriate integration of multiple systems and their perspectives is particularly important for the implantation of virtual enterprises. Although both the BASYS'95 and the BASYS'96 conferences have provided important contributions, approaches, and tools for the implantation of balanced automation systems, there are a number of areas that require further research: .

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware -The control of food safety in modern food processing relies upon HACCP and other systems that identify hazards and define processes to control them. These demand a thorough understanding of the properties of microbial pathogens under all the conditions that could be found in foods and the food processing environment. Detailed information about each of the main organisms responsible for causing microbial food poisoning is presented here in an accessible and systematic way. An overview of key properties for each organism is followed by a series of tables detailing the response of the organism under a range of variable conditions. This information has been prepared by the International Commission for the Microbiological Specifications of Foods (ICMSF).Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 524 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The International Conference on the History of Original Ideas and Basic Discoveries, held at the 'Ettore Majorana' Centre for Scientific Culture in Erice, Sicily, July 27-August 4, 1994, brought together sixty of the leading scientists including many Nobel Laureates in high energy physics, principal contributors in other fields of physics such as high Tc superconductivity, particle accelerators and detector instrumentation, and thirty-six talented younger physicists selected from candidates throughout the world. The scientific program, including 49 lectures and a discussion session on the 'Status and Future Directions in High Energy Physics' was inspired by the conference theme: The key experimental discoveries and theoretical breakthroughs of the last 50 years, in particle physics and related fields, have led us to a powerful description of matter in terms of three quark and three lepton families and four fundamental interactions. The most recent generation of experiments at e+e- and proton-proton colliders, and corresponding advances in theoretical calculations, have given us remarkably precise determinations of the basic parameters of the electroweak and strong interactions. These developments, while showing the striking internal consistency of the Standard Model, have also sharpened our view of the many unanswered questions which remain for the next generation: the origin and pattern of particle masses and families, the unification of the interactions including gravity, and the relation between the laws of physics and the initial conditions of the universe.