Assessing Recent Soil Erosion Rates through the Use of Beryllium-7 (Be-7)
This book is the first comprehensive guideline for the beryllium-7 (Be-7) technique that can be applied to evaluate short-term patterns and budgets of soil redistribution in agricultural landscapes. While covering the fundamental and basic concepts of the approach, this book distinguishes itself from other publications by offering step-by-step instructions on how to use this isotopic technique effectively. It covers experimental design considerations and clear instruction is given on data processing. As accurate laboratory measurement is crucial to ensure successful use of Be-7 to investigate soil erosion, a full chapter is devoted to its specific determination by gamma spectrometry.
Analysis and Algorithms for Service Parts Supply Chains
Services requiring parts has become a $1.5 trillion business annually worldwide, creating a tremendous incentive to manage the logistics of these parts efficiently by making planning and operational decisions in a rational and rigorous manner. This book provides a broad overview of modeling approaches and solution methodologies for addressing service parts inventory problems found in high-powered technology and aerospace applications. The focus in this work is on the management of high cost, low demand rate service parts found in multi-echelon settings. This unique book, with its breadth of topics and mathematical treatment, begins by first demonstrating the optimality of an order-up-to policy [or (s-1,s)] in certain environments. This policy is used in the real world and studied throughout the text. The fundamental mathematical building blocks for modeling and solving applications of stochastic process and optimization techniques to service parts management problems are summarized extensively. A wide range of exact and approximate mathematical models of multi-echelon systems is developed and used in practice to estimate future inventory investment and part repair requirements.
Mathematical Methods in Robust Control of Linear Stochastic Systems
Linear stochastic systems are successfully used to provide mathematical models for real processes in fields such as aerospace engineering, communications, manufacturing, finance and economy. This monograph presents a useful methodology for the control of such stochastic systems with a focus on robust stabilization in the mean square, linear quadratic control, the disturbance attenuation problem, and robust stabilization with respect to dynamic and parametric uncertainty.
Mars, A Cosmic Stepping Stone : Uncovering Humanity’s Cosmic Context
The questions of our origin and cosmic abundance of life are among the compelling facing humanity. For all of the difficulties facing us however, the planet Mars may act as a cosmic stepping stone in uncovering the answers. This book examines these issues in one of the comprehensive treatments about Mars and our legacy of engagement with it.
Man as a place of God : Levinas' Hermeneutics of Kenosis
Man as a Place of God is an examination of Levinas’ philosophy of religion in the light of his ethics and anthropology. It provides a lively introduction to the main themes of Levinas’ thought and offers critical perspectives on Levinas by relating his work to that of Heidegger, Ricoeur, Rorty, Derrida and Vattimo.
Magnetic Heterostructures : Advances and Perspectives in Spinstructures and Spintransport
Magnetic heterostructures constitute an important field in magnetism and nanotechnology, which has developed over the past fifteen years due to important advances in epitaxial- growth techniques and lithographic processes. Magnetic heterostructures combine different physical properties which do not exist in nature. Examples are semiconductors/ferromagnets, superconductors/ferromagnets, and ferromagnets/antiferromagnets. These combinations display rich and novel physical properties different from those that exit in any single one of them. Interlayer exchange coupling, exchange bias, proximity effects, giant magneto-resistance, tunneling magneto-resistance, spininjection and spintransport are examples of new physical phenomena that rely on the combination of different materials layers
Magnesium Technology : Metallurgy, Design Data, Applications
Magnesium, with a density of 1.74 g/cm², is the lightest structural metal and magnesium are increasingly chosen for weight-critical applications such as in land-based transport systems. "Magnesium Technology" substantially updates and complements existing reference sources on this key material. It assembles international contributions from seven countries covering a wide range of research programs into new alloys with the requisite property profiles, i.e., the current state of both research and technological applications of magnesium. In particular, the international team of authors covers key topics, such as: casting and wrought alloys; fabrication methods; corrosion and protection; engineering requirements and strategies, with examples from the automobile, aerospace, and consumer-goods industries, and recycling.
Linear Systems
Linear systems theory plays a broad and fundamental role in electrical, mechanical, chemical and aerospace engineering, communications, and signal processing. A thorough introduction to systems theory with emphasis on control is presented in this self-contained textbook. The book examines the fundamental properties that govern the behavior of systems by developing their mathematical descriptions. Linear time-invariant, time-varying, continuous-time, and discrete-time systems are covered. Rigorous development of classic and contemporary topics in linear systems, as well as extensive coverage of stability and polynomial matrix/fractional representation, provide the necessary foundation for further study of systems and control.
Lidar : Range-Resolved Optical Remote Sensing of the Atmosphere
Written by leading experts in optical radar, or lidar, this book brings all the recent practices up-to-date and covers a multitude of applications, from atmospheric sciences to environmental protection. Its broad cross-disciplinary scope should appeal to both the experienced scientist and the novice in the field. The Foreword is by one of the early pioneers in the area, Herbert Walther.
Lateral Alignment of Epitaxial Quantum Dots
Accurate positioning of self-organized nanostructures on a substrate surface can be regarded as the Achilles’ heel of nanotechnology. This perception also applies to self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots. This book describes the full range of possible strategies to laterally align self-assembled quantum dots on a substrate surface, starting from pure self-ordering mechanisms and culminating with forced alignment by lithographic positioning. The text addresses both short- and long-range ordering phenomena and paves the way for the future high integration of single quantum dot devices on a single chip. Contributions by the best-known experts in this field ensure that all relevant quantum-dot heterostructures are elucidated from diverse relevant perspectives.
Landslides from Massive Rock Slope Failure
Amongst the thematic topics discussed are global frequency, impacts on society, analysis of initial rock slope failure, monitoring of rock slope movement, analysis and modeling of post-failure behaviour, volcanic landslides, and influences of massive rock slope failure on the geomorphological evolution of mountain regions. Regional contributions include reports on rockslides and rock avalanches in Norway, western Canada, the Andes of Argentina, the Karakoram Himalaya, the European Alps, the Appennines, and the mountains of Central Asia.
Landslides : Risk Analysis and Sustainable Disaster Management
Based on contributions to the first General Assembly of the International Consortium on Landslides, this reference and status report emphasizes the mechanisms of different types of landslides, landslide risk analysis, and sustainable disaster management. It comprises the achievements of the ICL over the past three years, since the Kyoto assembly. It consists of three parts: research results of the International Programme on Landslides (IPL); contributions on landslide risk analysis; and articles on sustainable disaster management. The contributions reflect a wide range of topics and concerns, randing from field studies, identification of objects of cultural heritage at landslide risk, as well as landslide countermeasures.
Landscapes of Mars : A Visual Tour
Landscapes of Mars is essentially a picture book that provides a visual tour of Mars. All the major regions and topographical features will be shown and supplemented with chapter introductions and extended captions. In a way, think of it as a visual tourist guide. Other topics covered are Martian uplands on the order of the elevation of Mt. Everest, Giant volcanoes and a rift system, the Grand Canyon of Mars, craters and the absence of craters over large regions (erosion), and wind shadows around craters, sand dunes, and dust devils.
Land Use and Soil Resources
Land-use change is one of the main drivers of many environmental change processes. It influences the basic resources of land use, including the soil. Its impact on soil often occurs so creepingly that land managers hardly contemplate initiating ameliorative or counterbalance measures. Poor land management has degraded vast amounts of land, reduced our ability to produce enough food, and is a major threat to rural livelihoods in many developing countries. To date, there has been no single unifying volume that addresses the multifaceted impacts of land use on soils. This book has responded to this challenge by bringing together renowned academics and policy experts to analyze the patterns, driving factors and proximate causes, and the socioeconomic impacts of soil degradation. Policy measures to prevent irreversible degradation and rehabilitate degraded soils are also identified.
Kinetics of Water-Rock Interaction
Systems at the surface of the Earth are continually responding to energy inputs derived from solar radiation or from the radiogenic heat in the interior. These energy inputs drive plate movements and erosion, exposing metastable mineral phases at the Earth’s surface. In addition, these energy fluxes are harvested and transformed by living organisms. As long as these processes persist, chemical disequilibrium at the Earth’s surface will be perpetuated. Chemical disequilibrium is also driven by human activities related to production of food, extraction of water and energy resources, and burial of wastes. To understand how the surface of the Earth will change over time, we must understand the rates at which reactions occur and the chemical feedbacks that relate these reactions across extreme temporal and spatial scales. This book addresses fundamental and applied questions concerning the rates of water-rock interactions driven by tectonic, climatic, and anthropogenic forcings.
Its ONLY Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English
"Well, it’s not rocket science, is it?" How many times have you heard people use that expression when they mean something pretty simple? There are other areas of science and technology that are arguably more challenging than rocket science, but no other (perhaps apart from brain surgery) has entered mainstream English vocabulary as a byword for ‘difficult’.
Climate Variability and Extremes during the Past 100 Years
This volume provides an up to date overview of climate variability during the 20th century in the context of natural and anthropogenic variability. It compiles a number of contributions to a workshop held in Gwatt, Switzerland, in July 2006 dealing with different aspects of climate change, variability, and extremes during the past 100 years.
Cálculo científico con MATLAB y Octave = Scientific computing with MATLAB and Octave
This textbook is an introduction to Scientific Calculus, illustrating various numerical methods for the computer solution of certain classes of mathematical problems. The authors show how to compute the zeros or integrals of continuous functions, solve linear systems, approximate functions by polynomials, and construct precise approximations for the solution of differential equations. To make the presentation concrete and attractive, the MATLAB programming environment has been adopted as a faithful companion.
Cálculo científico com MATLAB e Octave = Scientific calculus with MATLAB and Octave
Its objective is to present various numerical methods for solving certain mathematical problems on the computer that cannot be treated in a simpler way. Classical issues such as the computation of zeros or integrals of continuous functions, the solving of linear systems, the approximation of functions by polynomials and the construction of precise approximations for solutions of differential equations are addressed. All algorithms are presented in the programming languages MATLAB and Octave, whose main commands and instructions are introduced gradually, aiming in particular at their compatibility in both languages.
Calcolo Scientifico : Esercizi e problemi risolti con MATLAB e Octave = Scientific computing : exercises and problems solved with MATLAB and Octave
For the short courses of the new system of the Faculties of Engineering and Sciences. It deals with all the typical topics of Numerical Mathematics, ranging from the problem of approximating a function, to the computation of its zeros, its derivatives and its definite integral up to the approximate solution of ordinary differential equations and limit problems.



















