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Foundations for Local Governance : Decentralization in Comparative Perspective
Various forms of decentralization are recently pursued in the world, including developing countries. However, there has not been a coherent framework to access these intended outcomes generated by decentralization measures implemented in Asian and African countries. This book provides such a framework based on comparative analyses of different experiences of decentralization measures in six developing countries, where the policy rationale to “bring services closer to people” originated in different socio-political backgrounds. Although decentralization measures are potentially useful for attaining both political democratization and economic efficiency, what is often packaged under the umbrella of “decentralization” needs to be disaggregated analytically. Successful reforms need coherent approaches in which a range of stakeholders would become willing to share responsibilities and resources in order to achieve the ultimate outcome of poverty reduction in the developing countries.
Foundation Mathematics for Computer Science : A Visual Approach
In this second edition of Foundation Mathematics for Computer Science, John Vince has reviewed and edited the original book and written new chapters on combinatorics, probability, modular arithmetic and complex numbers. These subjects complement the existing chapters on number systems, algebra, logic, trigonometry, coordinate systems, determinants, vectors, matrices, geometric matrix transforms, differential and integral calculus. During this journey, the author touches upon more esoteric topics such as quaternions, octonions, Grassmann algebra, Barrycentric coordinates, transfinite sets and prime numbers.
Fortschritte der Chemie organischer Naturstoffe 89 = Progress in the chemistry of organic natural products
The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, L. Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series' inauguration in 1938. The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in his field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists, and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.
Fortschritte der Chemie organischer Naturstoffe = Progress in the chemistry of organic natural products 88
The volumes of this classic series, now referred to simply as "Zechmeister" after its founder, L. Zechmeister, have appeared under the Springer Imprint ever since the series' inauguration in 1938. The volumes contain contributions on various topics related to the origin, distribution, chemistry, synthesis, biochemistry, function or use of various classes of naturally occurring substances ranging from small molecules to biopolymers. Each contribution is written by a recognized authority in his field and provides a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the topic in question. Addressed to biologists, technologists, and chemists alike, the series can be used by the expert as a source of information and literature citations and by the non-expert as a means of orientation in a rapidly developing discipline.
Fluid Mechanics
This successful textbook emphasizes the unified nature of all the disciplines of Fluid Mechanics as they emerge from the general principles of continuum mechanics. The different branches of Fluid Mechanics, always originating from simplifying assumptions, are developed according to the basic rule: from the general to the specific.
Fluctuations, Information, Gravity and the Quantum Potential
A main theme of the book outlines the role of the quantum potential in quantum mechanics and general relativity and one of its origins via fluctuations formulated in terms of Fisher information. Another theme is the description of various approaches to Bohmian mechanics and their role in quantum mechanics and general relativity. Along the way various approaches to, for instance, the Dirac equation, the Einstein equations, the Klein-Gordon equation, the Maxwell equations and the Schr?dinger equations are described. Statistics and geometry are intertwined in various ways and, among other matters, the aether, cosmology, entropy, fractals, quantum Kaehler geometry, the vacuum and the zero point field are discussed. There is also some speculative material and some original work along with material extracted from over 1000 references and the work is current up to April 2005.
Flow and transport processes with complex obstructions : Applications to cities, vegetative canopies and industry
The NATO Advanced Study Institute “Flow and Transport Processes in Complex - structed Geometries: from cities and vegetative canopies to engineering problems” was held in Kyiv, Ukraine in the period of May 4 - 15, 2004. This book based on the papers presented there provides an overview of this new area in ?uid mechanics and its app- cations that have developed over the past three decades. The subject, whose origins lie both in theory and in practice, is now rapidly developing in many directions. The focus of applied ?uid mechanics research has steadily been shifting from - gineering to environmental applications.
Flow and transport in fractured porous media
This book addresses the characterization of flow and transport in porous fractured media from experimental and modeling perspectives. The volume explores porous media problems, from the origin of the present natural porous structures, to their characterization, and various flow and transport phenomena that exist within the porous media. Examples are miscible displacements in porous media and fractured rock and the physical and chemical interactions within porous fractured aquifers. The book is a comprehensive presentation of investigations performed and analysed on different scales, supporting the understanding and application of experimental studies and numerical simulations.
Fish Histology : Female Reproductive Systems
This volume describes the myriad ways in which fish have approached problems of reproduction — it is an amply illustrated comparative study of the microscopic structure of the female genital systems of fish. The timing of its appearance is auspicious in that it coincides with the decline of the golden age of descriptive morphology. It is a compilation of thousands of micrographs — mostly electron micrographs — from classic works in the field and should prove valuable to investigators studying fish in areas such as ecology, physiology, and reproductive biology who may view histology as essential in their work but have little background in this area. It includes chapters on the origin of genital systems, the structure of ovarian follicles, mechanisms of ovulation, the cortical reaction, oviducts, oviparity, and amazing examples of viviparity.
Fiscal Equalization : Challenges in the Design of Intergovernmental Transfers
These original essays highlight the state of knowledge in intergovernmental transfer design. They represent creative new thinking about challenging policy issues and offer useful options for policy makers. There is a genuine need for this book; it will become a 'benchmark' reference. I am impressed with its content, organization, readability, and fresh thematic approach.
Finite Model Theory ; 2nd ed.
The book presents the main results of descriptive complexity theory, that is, the connections between axiomatizability of classes of finite structures and their complexity with respect to time and space bounds. The logics that are important in this context include fixed-point logics, transitive closure logics, and also certain infinitary languages; their model theory is studied in full detail. Other topics include DATALOG languages, quantifiers and oracles, 0-1 laws, and optimization and approximation problems. The book is written in such a way that the respective parts on model theory and descriptive complexity theory may be read independently. This second edition is a thoroughly revised and enlarged version of the original text.
Finite Element Methods for Engineering Sciences : Theoretical Approach and Problem Solving Techniques
This self-tutorial offers a concise yet thorough grounding in the mathematics necessary for successfully applying FEMs to practical problems in science and engineering. The enlarged English-language edition, based on the original French, also contains a chapter on the approximation steps derived from the description of nature with differential equations and then applied to the specific model to be used.
Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchism : How Science Works and its Importance for Science Education
argues that the traditional image of Feyerabend is erroneous and that, contrary to common belief, he was a great admirer of science. It shows how Feyerabend presented a vision of science that represented how science really works. Besides giving a theoretical framework based on Feyerabend´s philosophy of science, offers criteria that can help readers to evaluate and understand research reported in important international science education journals, with respect to Feyerabend’s epistemological anarchism. includes an evaluation of general chemistry and physics textbooks.
Femtosecond optical frequency comb : Principle, operation and applications
This book provides an introductory description of mode-locked lasers, the connection between time and frequency descriptions of their output and the physical origins of the electric field dynamics, together with an overview of applications of femtosecond comb technology. Individual chapters go into more detail on mode-locked laser development, spectral broadening in microstructure fiber, optical parametric amplification, optical frequency metrology, optical atomic clocks, ultrasensitive sensors, carrier-envelope phase dynamics, high field ionization of atoms and generation of attosecond high-harmonic radiation. To provide readers with the most recent, direct, and comprehensive information, the chapters are written by the international researchers who have led the development of this field. This book provides an introduction to those new to the field and is at the same time a resource for experts.
Femtosecond laser pulses : Principles and experiments
This is the second edition of this advanced textbook written for scientists who require further training in femtosecond science. Four years after pub- cation of the ?rst edition, femtosecond science has overcome new challenges and new application ?elds have become mature. It is necessary to take into account these new developments. Two main topics merged during this period that support important scienti?c activities: attosecond pulses are now gen- ated in the X-UV spectral domain, and coherent control of chemical events is now possible by tailoring the shape of femtosecond pulses. To update this advanced textbook, it was necessary to introduce these ?elds; two new ch- ters are in this second edition: “Coherent Control in Atoms, Molecules, and Solids”(Chap.11)and“AttosecondPulses”(Chap.12)withwell-documented references. Some changes, addenda, and new references are introduced in the ?rst edition’s ten original chapters to take into account new developments and updatethisadvancedtextbookwhichistheresultofascienti?cadventurethat started in 1991. At that time, the French Ministry of Education decided that, in view of the growing importance of ultrashort laser pulses for the national scienti?c community, a Femtosecond Centre should be created in France and devoted to the further education of scientists who use femtosecond pulses as a research tool and who are not specialists in lasers or even in optics.
Feminist reflections on the history of philosophy
Feminist work in the history of philosophy has come of age as an innovative field in the history of philosophy. This volume marks that accomplishment with original essays by leading feminist scholars who ask basic questions,This collection is a unique collaboration among philosophers from North America and the Nordic Countries, including papers written from both analytic and continental philosophical perspectives and discussing both ancient and modern philosophers. Feminist Reflections on the History of Philosophy will be of interest to historians of philosophy, feminist theorists, women's studies faculty and students, and humanists interested in canon formation and transformation.
Fashion-ology : Fashion studies in the postmodern digital era - Dress, body, culture
This new edition of a classic work offers a concise introduction to the sociology of fashion, and demystifies the workings of the fashion system. From the origins of fashion studies and the difference between clothing and fashion, through to an examination of 21st century subcultures, and the impact of the digital age on designers, Fashion-ology explores fashion as a global, institutionalized system.
Factorization of Matrix and Operator Functions : The State Space Method
The present book deals with factorization problems for matrix and operator functions. The problems originate from, or are motivated by, the theory of non-selfadjoint operators, the theory of matrix polynomials, mathematical systems and control theory, the theory of Riccati equations, inversion of convolution operators, theory of job scheduling in operations research. The book systematically employs a geometric principle of factorization which has its origins in the state space theory of linear input-output systems and in the theory of characteristic operator functions. This principle allows one to deal with different factorizations from one point of view. Covered are canonical factorization, minimal and non-minimal factorizations, pseudo-canonical factorization, and various types of degree one factorization.
Fabbriche, sistemi, organizzazioni : Storia dell'ingegneria industriale = Factories, systems, organizations : A history of industrial engineering
This book examines the origin of the technological and organizational challenges of industry in Europe and the United States and the stages of its theoretical formulation; the creation of the figure of the industrial engineer between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; and the elaboration of the technological disciplines and of the language and of the fundamental concepts (system, automation, control, optimization, network) of modern industrial engineering. Divided into three chronologically organized parts, each chapter is accompanied by readings, bibliographic information for in-depth study and illustrative sheets of historical, biographical aspects (relating to some great engineers, scientists and philosophers), terminological and mathematical-technical aspects.
Extremes in Nature : An Approach Using Copulas
The study of the statistics of extreme events is an essential first step in the mitigation of natural catastrophies, that often cause severe economic losses worldwide. This book is about the theoretical and practical aspects of the statistics of Extreme Events in Nature. Most importantly, this is the first text in which Copulas are introduced and used in Geophysics. Several topics are fully original, and show how standard models and calculations can be improved by exploiting the opportunities offered by Copulas. In addition, new quantities useful for design and risk assessment are introduced. Practicioners in all research areas of Geosciences and extreme events (including Finance and Insurance, closely related to natural disasters) will definitely benefit from the new Copula-approach outlined in the book.
