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Communicative figurations : Transforming communications in times of deep mediatization
This open access volume is about how to research the influence of our changing media environment. Today, there is not one single medium that is the driving force of change. With the spreading of various technical communication media such as mobile phone and internet platforms, we are confronted with a media manifold of deep mediatization. But how can we investigate its transformative capability? This book answers this question by taking a non-media-centric perspective, researching the various figurations of collectivities and organizations humans are involved in. The first part of the book outlines a fundamental understanding of the changing media environment of deep mediatization and its transformative capacity. The second part focuses on collectivities and movements: communities in the city, critical social movements, maker, online gaming groups and networked groups of young people. The third part moves institutions and organizations into the foreground, discussing the transformation of journalism, religion, politics, and education, whilst the fourth and final part is dedicated to methodologies and perspectives.
Communicating with One Another : Toward a Psychology of Spontaneous Spoken Discourse
In other words, this book is a call for a paradigm shift in the study of oral communication. It is a must read for people interested in language use, as well as for specialists in language studies. "The authors have identified crucial theoretical and methodological assumptions that have hampered scholarship on language use. Their critical assessment is grounded in nuanced theoretical analysis and rigorous empirical studies. As a result, they reveal the complexity, elegance, and moral aspects of day to day dialogical communication."
Classical Nucleation Theory in Multicomponent Systems
Nucleation is the initial step of every first-order phase transition, and most phase transitions encountered both in everyday life and industrial processes are of the first-order. Using an elegant classical theory based on thermodynamics and kinetics, this book provides a fully detailed picture of multi-component nucleation. As many of the issues concerning multi-component nucleation theory have been solved during the last 10-15 years, it also thoroughly integrates both fundamental theory with recent advances presented in the literature. It covered are: the basic relevant thermodynamics and statistical physics; modelling a molecular cluster as a spherical liquid droplet; predicting the size and composition of the nucleating critical clusters; kinetic models for cluster growth and decay; calculating nucleation rates; and a full derivation and application of nucleation theorems that can be used to extract microscopic cluster properties from nucleation rate measurements.
Challenges in Language Testing Around the World : Insights for language test users
This book combines insights from language assessment literacy and critical language testing through critical analyses and research about challenges in language assessment around the world. It investigates problematic practices in language testing which are relevant to language test users such as language program directors, testing centers, and language teachers, as well as teachers-in-training in Graduate Diploma and Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics programs. These issues involve aspects of language testing such as test development, test administration, scoring, and interpretation/use of test results.
Catalyst separation, recovery and recycling : Chemistry and process design
This book looks at new ways of tackling the problem of separating reaction products from homogeneous catalytic solutions. The new processes involve low leaching supported catalysts, soluble supports such as polymers and dendrimers and unusual solvents such as water, fluorinated organics, ionic liquids and supercritical fluids. The advantages of the different possibilities are discussed alongside suggestions for further research that will be required for commercialisation.
Carotenoids ; Vol.4 : Natural Functions
The Carotenoids book series provides detailed accounts of the fundamental chemistry of carotenoids and the basic methods used in carotenoid research, and critical discussions of the biochemistry, functions and applications of these important compounds. Volume 4 and its companion, Volume 5, deal with the functions of carotenoids in all kinds of living organisms and the actions of carotenoids in human nutrition and health. The material presented in the earlier Volumes is all relevant to studies of biological functions and actions. In particular, biological studies must be supported by a rigorous analytical base. The various analytical procedures described in Volumes 1A and 1B, supplemented by the data for individual compounds given in the Carotenoids Handbook, must be understood and applied correctly, whether they are being used for quantitative analysis, identification or in complex studies of carotenoids in situ.
Calibration Techniques in Nyquist A/D Converters
It is shown that in order to achieve high speed and high accuracy at high power efficiency, calibration is required. Calibration reduces the overall power consumption by using the available digital processing capability to relax the demands on critical power hungry analog components. Several calibration techniques are analyzed. The calibration techniques presented in this book are applicable to other analog-to-digital systems, such as those applied in integrated receivers. Further refinements will allow using analog components with less accuracy, which will then be compensated by digital signal processing. The presented methods allow implementing this without introducing a speed or power penalty.
Body and Practice in Kant
This book argues that this standard image of the great German philosopher is radically wrong. Not only does Kant reflect constantly upon the fact that human life is embodied, but the Critique of pure reason itself may be read as a critical reflection aimed at exploring some significant philosophical implications of this fact.
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.
Blast Cleaning Technology
Blast cleaning is one of the most frequently utilised surface treatment-method in modern industry. The book is the first comprehensive monograph in this subject. It provides a practical and comprehensive review of the technology. This book systematically and critically reviews the theory behind the technology, the state of current blast cleaning, surface quality aspects and the effects of blast cleaning on the performance of applied coatings.
Biosensing : International Research and Development
The goal of this book is to disseminate information on the worldwide status and trends in biosensing R&D to government decisionmakers and the research community. The contributors critically analyze and compare biosensing research in the United States with that being pursued in Japan, Europe and other major industrialized countries.
Bioremediation of Soils Contaminated with Aromatic Compounds
Environmental biotechnology, which was in its infancy in the early 80's, has evolved thanks to the revolution brought about by molecular biology. Multiple successes in the biological cleanup of civil and industrial wastewater and of hydrocarbon soil pollution, demonstrate the vast power of clean technologies. In addition, the buildup of information on the activities of microorganisms as catalysts in all sorts of natural, industrial and animal environments has flourished. There is a continuing realization of the critical role of microbial processes in biological, industrial and geological systems. Since environmental biotechnology has matured, it is ready to tackle bigger challenges: the scaling up of many bioremediation systems still in progress, the search for novel biocatalysts for industrial applications, the continuing effort against common human life-threatening processes such as antibiotic resistance, the accumulation of hormone-mimicking substances (endocrine disrupters), the deposition of air-borne pesticides in the environment and, the degradation of recalcitrant contaminants. These endeavors will help prevent the contamination of food chains, protect human life and allow for human activity and economic development that do not compromise environmental sustainabijity.
Biomineralization II : Mineralization Using Synthetic Polymers and Templates
In nature, biological organisms produce mineralized tissues such as bone, teeth, diatoms, and shells. Biomineralization is the sophisticated process of production of these inorganic minerals by living organisms. Construction of organic–inorganic hybrid materials with controlled mineralization analogous to those produced by nature has recently received much attention because it can aid in understanding the mechanisms of the biomineralization process and development of biomimetic materials processing. The biomineralization processes use aqueous solutions at temperatures below 100 ◦C and no toxic intermediates are produced in these systems. This series presents critical reviews of the present position and future trends in modern chemical research. The short and concise reports on chemistry are each written by world renowned experts. This series is still valid and useful after 5 or 10 years.
BioMEMS and biomedical nanotechnology ; Vol. III : Therapeutic Micro/Nanotechnology
The human body is composed of structures organized in a hierarchical fashion: from biomolecules assembled into polymers, to multimeric assemblies such as cellular or-ganelles, to individual cells, to tissues, to organ systems working together in health and disease- each dominated by a characteristic length scale. Decades of science and engineer-ing are now converging to provide tools that enable the orderly manipulation of biological systems at previously inaccessible, though critically important, length scales (<100 mi-crons). Thus, the approaches described in this volume provide a snapshot of how micro-and nanotechnologies can enable the investigation, prevention, and treatment of human disease.The volume is divided into three parts. The first part, Cell-based therapeutics; cov- ers the merger of cells with micro- and anosystems for applications in regenerative medicine spanning the development of novel nanobiomaterials.
Biodiesel : A realistic fuel alternative for diesel engines
Environmental and political concerns are generating a growing interest in alternative engine fuels such as biodiesel. Biodiesel is a renewable energy source produced from natural oils and fats, which can be used as a substitute for petroleum diesel without the need for diesel engine modification. In addition to being biodegradable and non-toxic, biodiesel is also essentially free of sulfur and aromatics, producing lower exhaust emissions than conventional gasoline whilst providing similar properties in terms of fuel efficiency.
Bioactive Heterocyles I
Bioactive Heterocycles I is a continuation of critical accounts about heterocyclic compounds within the series Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry. The present volume provides comprehensive reviews of the chemistry and bioactivity of selected groups of heterocycles and natural products. … Overall, this book covers in detail several classes of bioactive heterocyclic compounds including selected natural products. The focus is on the most recent advances, and the clarity of the presentation is very good. It should be of interest to individuals interested in the discovery and synthesis of bioactive small molecules, including research scientists in academia and industry.
Bioactive Conformation I
This series presents critical reviews of the present position and future trends in modern chemical research. It contains short and concise reports on chemistry, each written by the world renowned experts – it is still valid and useful after 5 or 10 years. More information as well as the electronic version of the whole content available at: springerlink.com. The book will appeal to scientists and practitioners in the mentioned fields and in industry.
Beyond Kyoto : A new global climate certificate system : Continuing Kyoto commitsments or a global ´Cap and Trade´ scheme for a sustainable climate policy?
This book shows how humankind can ‘prevent dangerous interference with the c- mate system’ without dangerous interference with the global economic system. In the two underlying studies on behalf of the Ministry of Environment and Transport of i the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, the results have been elaborated through scientific evaluation of different climate protection systems and intensive developmental work on an efficient climate protection system. The results will be presented in nine chapters according to the following nine basic R&D steps: 1. Quantifying the ‘ultimate climate objective’ of the world community in order ‘to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system,’ thus achieving climate sustainability; 2. Development of a comprehensive standard system for evaluating the prospect of success for different climate protection systems; 3. Based on this scientific standard system, evaluation of the current Kyoto system and of the most important proposals for ‘incremental regime evolution’ of the Kyoto system. Unfortunately, it must be noted that these systems are incapable of achi- ing climate sustainability; 4. Evaluating three proposals for ‘structural regime change’ of the Kyoto system. Following this objective evaluation process and numeric comparison of the diff- ent proposals, 5. Description of the eight basic elements of GCCS and its in-depth ‘critical asse- ment;’ 6.
Between Mobility and Migration : The Multi-Level Governance of Intra-European Movement
Offers a critical perspective on intra-European mobility and migration by using new empirical data and theoretical discussions. It develops a theoretical and empirical analysis of the consequences of intra-European movement for sending and receiving urban regions in The Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Turkey, Poland and Czech Republic.The book conceptualizes Central and Eastern European (CEE) migration by distinguishing between different types of CEE migrants and consequences. This involves a mapping of migration corridors within Europe, a unique empirical analysis of consequences for urban regions, and an analysis of governance responses. Next to the European and country perspectives on this phenomenon, the book focuses on the local perspective of urban regions where most mobile citizens settle (either permanently or temporarily). This way the book puts the analysis of intra-European movement in the perspective of broader theoretical debates in migration studies and beyond.
Becoming an urban physics and math teacher : Infinite potential
What happens as beginning urban teachers transition through their first few years in the classroom? This book captures one teacher's journey through the first three years of teaching science and mathematics in a large urban district in the US. The authors focus on Ian's agency as a beginning teacher and explore his success in working with diverse students. Using critical ethnography combined with first-person narrative, they investigate Ian's teaching practices in four contexts: his student teaching experience, his work with students on a summer curriculum development project, his first year of teaching in a small, urban high school, and his second year of teaching in a large, comprehensive high school. In each field, the authors describe the structural changes Ian encounters and the ways in which he re-utilizes the practices he used successfully in previous fields.
