الصفحة 1
الصفحة 1
High-Latitude Bioerosion : The Kosterfjord Experiment
Bioerosion is the major force driving the degradation of marine skeletal carbonates and limestone coasts. A wide spectrum of mechanical and/or chemical boring, scraping or crushing organisms break down calcereous substrates, comprising various grazers, macroborers and especially microborers. Their traces on and within hard substrates are known from fossil carbonates as old as the Precambrian and serve as valuable palaeoenvironmental indicators. Bioerosion processes have been extensively studied in tropical seas, while corrsponding investigations from cold-temperate to polar settings remain sparse. For the first time, an experimental study yields insight into the pace of carbonate degradation and the chronology of boring community development along a bathymetric gradient in a high-latitude setting.
Gender Differences in Computer and Information Literacy : An In-depth Analysis of Data from ICILS
When computer technology was first introduced in schools, there was a prevailing belief that information and communication technologies were ‘boys’ toys’; boys were assumed to have more positive attitudes toward using computer technologies. As computer technologies have become more established throughout societies, gender gaps in students’ computer and information literacy appear to be closing, although studies into gender differences remain sparse.
Finite element methods : Parallel-sparse statics and Eigen-Solutions
FEM, and the associated computer software are widely recognized as some of the most effective tools for solutions of large-scale engineering applications. Efficient equation and eigen-solvers play critical roles in solving these problems. Sparse matrix technologies have evolved and are now mature enough that all popular and commercialized FEM codes have inserted sparse solvers into their software. So far, however, few books include detailed discussion and explanation of sparse equation-solvers and Lanczos domain decomposition (DD) or finite element formulation for parallel computing purposes. The material in Finite Element Methods: Parallel-Sparse Statics and Eigen-Solutions has evolved over the past several years from the author's research work and his graduate courses.
Digital Soil Mapping with Limited Data
This book focuses on digital soil mapping methodologies and applications for areas where data are limited, and has the following sections (i) introductory papers, (ii) dealing with limited spatial data infrastructures, (iii) methodology development, and (iv) examples of digital soil mapping in various parts of the globe (including USA, Brazil, UK, France, Czech Republic, Honduras, Kenya, Australia). The final chapter summarises priorities for digital soil mapping.
Coding for Data and Computer Communications
In a unique, single volume, this highly versatile text/reference introduces readers to the importance of channel coding (error-correcting codes), secure coding (cryptography), and source coding (data compression). It is organized in three main parts and uses clear, nonmathematical explanations to develop the concepts, principles, and techniques in each area of coding. Requiring only a general familiarity with computer methods, the book deals with all aspects of coding and its relevance to fast, secure, and reliable data transmission and storage. Features & Benefits: Presents comprehensive coverage of areas of coding often found in separate books, and stresses data coding’s relevance in today’s world / Provides a wealth of examples and exercises (with solutions) to help readers easily grasp the material / Incorporates an extensive chapter on data hiding, a sparsely documented topic of increasing importance in the community / Includes an author-supplied website with supplementary material / Possesses a detailed bibliography and helpful glossary, index, and appendixes (including projects for self-study).
Kristian Birkeland : The First Space Scientist
PREFACEThisscientific biography of Kristian Birkeland (1867–1917) was written to bring the story ofa Norwegian national hero to the attention ofthe English-speaking world. Birkeland’sheroic stature was established not on a field of military battle,but in the bitter cold of the Artic wilderness ashe sought to answer basic questions abouthow the Sun controlled northern lights andmag-netic storms. He was also afather of Norsk Hydro one ofNorway’s largest industries. Birkel and died before reaching the age of 50.Because Birkel and never kept adiary, documented information about his family and private life is sparse. Before he died, Olaf Devik, the last of Birke-ffland’s close friends, gave along interview and graciously transferred his personal archive to A.E. Birkeland’s 82 scientific papers and three book-length publications map the progress of his investigations. addressed this book questions that had vexed European scientists for centuries. Why do the northern lights appear overhead when the Earth’s magnetic field is disturbed? How are magnetic storms connected to disturbances on the Sun? To answer these questions Birkeland interpreted his advance laboratory simulations and daring campaigns in the Arctic wilderness in the light of Maxwell’s newly discovered laws of electricity and magnetism. Birkeland’s ideas were dismissed for decades, only to be vindicated when satellites could fly above the Earth’s atmosphere.
Blind Speech Separation
This is the first book to provide a cutting edge reference to the fascinating topic of blind source separation (BSS) for convolved speech mixtures. Through contributions by the foremost experts on the subject, the book provides an up-to-date account of research findings, explains the underlying theory, and discusses potential applications. The individual chapters are designed to be tutorial in nature with specific emphasis on an in-depth treatment of state of the art techniques. Blind Speech Separation is divided into three parts:Part 1 presents overdetermined or critically determined BSS. Here the main technology is independent component analysis (ICA). ICA is a statistical method for extracting mutually independent sources from their mixtures. Part 2 addresses underdetermined BSS, where there are fewer microphones than source signals. Here, the sparseness of speech sources is very useful; we can utilize time-frequency diversity, where sources are active in different regions of the time-frequency plane.Part 3 presents monaural BSS where there is only one microphone. Here, we can separate a mixture by using the harmonicity and temporal structure of the sources. We can build a probabilistic framework by assuming a source model, and separate a mixture by maximizing the a posteriori probability of the sources.
Advances in optical fiber communications
Given the increasing importance of a globally interconnected world, driven by modern digital services and the need for fast and reliable access to digital resources, communication networks are one of the key infrastructures in today’s society. In this scenario, fiber optics and optical devices play a leading role, as they allow for unprecedented growth in our capacity to cope with the ever-increasing traffic demand. Optical transmission solutions range from high-speed networks based on coherent detection and advanced modulation formats for long-haul-level communications, to networks still relying on traditional intensity modulation and direct detection receivers for short-reach communications, down to intra-data center scenarios.
