Several evolutionary models proposed that molecular hydrogen (H2) was the primary energy source on the early Earth, exerting a major influence on the origin of life. Hydrogenase, the enzyme catalyzing the interconversion of H2 into protons and electrons, is thus considered an ancestral invention, for which the molecular structure and architecture have been thoroughly adapted for specialized tasks, undertaken in peculiar environments, during the course of the evolution. Three different types of hydrogenase can be distinguished on the basis of the metal content of their active site, namely, [NiFe]-hydrogenase, [FeFe]-hydrogenase, and [Fe]-hydrogenase. Although they share common features, taxonomic distribution, maturation apparatus, and physiological role differ substantially among the three different classes of hydrogenases. These metalloenzymes are thus considered a classical example of convergent evolution. The notion that “there is much to learn from nature” holds great promise for biohydrogen applications, and this has been demonstrated by the emergence of bioengineering strategies used to design synthetic metabolic pathways and improve the O2 tolerance of hydrogenases. This chapter provides an overview of the diversity and physiological role of hydrogenases, with a particular emphasis on their biotechnological potential.
In a series of essays linked by his examination into key areas of spiritual growth, Fr. Jacques Philippe develops themes relating to prayer, freedom, the Holy Eucharist, and man’s constant struggle for contentment amid the stresses of everyday life. Through spiritual insights of amazing women of the Church—Etty Hillesum, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Teresa of Avila—Fr. Jacque’s essays examine topics such as: Why look for interior peace? Knowing God through Mary Touching God through prayer The theological virtues and the Eucharist
This is the only book available that fully analyzes the mathematical foundations of the finite element method. Not only is it valuable reference and introduction to current research, it is also a working textbook for graduate courses in numerical analysis, including useful figures and exercises of varying difficulty.
The authors give a detailed description of the torsors that correspond to multiloop algebras. These algebras are twisted forms of simple Lie algebras extended over Laurent polynomial rings. They play a crucial role in the construction of Extended Affine Lie Algebras (which are higher nullity analogues of the affine Kac-Moody Lie algebras). The torsor approach that the authors take draws heavily from the theory of reductive group schemes developed by M. Demazure and A. Grothendieck. It also allows the authors to find a bridge between multiloop algebras and the work of F. Bruhat and J. Tits on reductive groups over complete local fields.
This book covers the classical theory of Markov chains on general state-spaces as well as many recent developments. The theoretical results are illustrated by simple examples, many of which are taken from Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. The book is self-contained, while all the results are carefully and concisely proven. Bibliographical notes are added at the end of each chapter to provide an overview of the literature. Part I lays the foundations of the theory of Markov chain on general states-space. Part II covers the basic theory of irreducible Markov chains on general states-space, relying heavily on regeneration techniques. These two parts can serve as a text on general state-space applied Markov chain theory. Although the choice of topics is quite different from what is usually covered, where most of the emphasis is put on countable state space, a graduate student should be able to read almost all these developments without any mathematical background deeper than that needed to study countable state space (very little measure theory is required). Part III covers advanced topics on the theory of irreducible Markov chains. The emphasis is on geometric and subgeometric convergence rates and also on computable bounds. Some results appeared for a first time in a book and others are original. Part IV are selected topics on Markov chains, covering mostly hot recent developments.
Thorough overview of virtual reality technology fundamentals and latest advances, with coverage of hardware, software, human factors and applications, plus companion Laboratory Manual in Unity 3D. The Third Edition of the first comprehensive technical book on the subject of virtual reality, Virtual Reality Technology, provides updated and expanded coverage of VR technology, including where it originated, how it has evolved, and where it is going. Its primary objective is to be a complete, up-to-date textbook, as well as a source of information on a rapidly developing field of science and technology with broad societal impact. The two highly qualified authors cover all of the latest innovations and applications that are making virtual reality more important than ever before. Unlike other books on the subject, the book also includes a chapter on Human Factors, which are very important in designing technology around the human user. Virtual Reality Technology provides Instructors with a website-accessible Laboratory Manual using the Unity 3D game engine and programming language. Unity 3D is the preferred VR language these days and will prepare the student for the VR gaming and mobile applications industry. For universities Unity 3D is cost-effective as its student license is freely available. With comprehensive coverage of the subject, Virtual Reality Technology discusses sample topics such as: Input and output interfaces, including holographic displays, foveated head-mounted displays, neural interfaces, haptic and olfactory feedback Computing architecture, with emphasis on the rendering pipeline, the graphics processing unit and distributed/edge rendering Object modeling, including physical and behavioral aspects, Artificial Intelligence controlled characters, and model management techniques Programming toolkits for virtual reality and the game production pipeline Human factors issues such as user performance and sensorial conflict, cybersickness and societal impact aspects of VR Application examples in medical education, virtual rehabilitation, virtual heritage, gaming, and military use of virtual reality. Virtual Reality Technology provides thorough and complete coverage of an in-demand sector of technology, making it a highly valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students in computer science, engineering, and science, along with a variety of professionals across many different industries, including but not limited to engineering, gaming, healthcare, and defense.
Interacting Processes in Soil Science focuses on coupled processes in soil. Topics covered in this important volume include the effects of inorganic salts upon water flow, modeling of sorption, transport and transformation of organic solutes, and the effects of microorganisms on silicate clay minerals. The book presents studies and approaches that can be extended and complemented by innovative work in the future. Interacting Processes in Soil Science will be an essential reference for all researchers and students in soil science, soil and water engineering, civil and environmental engineering, earth sciences, and hydrology.
Scientific and Technical Report No. 24 Performance-Based Contracts (PBC) for Improving Utilities Efficiency: Experiences and Perspectives is a compendium of articles written by members of the PBC taskforce. It focuses on new approaches without delegated management to private operator i.e. service contracts, consulting contracts, Alliance approach, public-public partnership. It also mentions new design and generation of more traditional PPPs, (MC, lease, concession), where a larger proportion of performance-based design is being applied. List of Contents: Performance Based Contracts – Setting the scene; PBC and Results Based Financing: the inverse approach; PBC and Energy Efficiency; Internal Performance Contracts: A Case of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation in Uganda; Performance-Based Service Contracts in Navi Mumbai; Financial Comparison of PBCs and Conventional Approach; Tegucigalpa PBC Case Study; Performance Based Contracts – Key Design Issues; NRW Reduction Optimization Framework; How to improve water services performance? Performance Based Contracts (PBC) and Regulatory issues; Peer-to-Peer Partnerships Operational for sustainable water services; Performance Based Contracts in Malawi: Teamwork Works; Performance based affermage contracts; Performance based Contracts, The Aroona Integrated Alliance Experience; Experience from Eastern Europe; NRW Performance Contract – Kingdom of Bahrain; The way forward and perspectives/trends
This book is primarily intended as a research monograph that could also be used in graduate courses for the design of parallel algorithms in matrix computations. It assumes general but not extensive knowledge of numerical linear algebra, parallel architectures, and parallel programming paradigms. The book consists of four parts: (I) Basics; (II) Dense and Special Matrix Computations; (III) Sparse Matrix Computations; and (IV) Matrix functions and characteristics. Part I deals with parallel programming paradigms and fundamental kernels, including reordering schemes for sparse matrices. Part II is devoted to dense matrix computations such as parallel algorithms for solving linear systems, linear least squares, the symmetric algebraic eigenvalue problem, and the singular-value decomposition. It also deals with the development of parallel algorithms for special linear systems such as banded ,Vandermonde ,Toeplitz ,and block Toeplitz systems. Part III addresses sparse matrix computations: (a) the development of parallel iterative linear system solvers with emphasis on scalable preconditioners, (b) parallel schemes for obtaining a few of the extreme eigenpairs or those contained in a given interval in the spectrum of a standard or generalized symmetric eigenvalue problem, and (c) parallel methods for computing a few of the extreme singular triplets. Part IV focuses on the development of parallel algorithms for matrix functions and special characteristics such as the matrix pseudospectrum and the determinant. The book also reviews the theoretical and practical background necessary when designing these algorithms and includes an extensive bibliography that will be useful to researchers and students alike. The book brings together many existing algorithms for the fundamental matrix computations that have a proven track record of efficient implementation in terms of data locality and data transfer on state-of-the-art systems, as well as several algorithms that are presented for the first time, focusing on the opportunities for parallelism and algorithm robustness.
Provides a better understanding of the physiological and mechanical behaviour of the human body and the design of tools for their realistic numerical simulations, including concrete examples of such computational models. This book covers a large range of methods and an illustrative set of applications.
To develop innovations in quantum engineering and nanosystems, designers need to adopt the expertise that has been developed in research laboratories. This requires a thorough understanding of the experimental measurement techniques and theoretical models, based on the principles of quantum mechanics. This book presents experimental methods enabling the development and characterization of materials at the nanometer scale, based on practical engineering cases, such as 5G and the interference of polarized light when applied for electromagnetic waves. Using the example of electromechanical, multi-physical coupling in piezoelectric systems, smart materials technology is discussed, with an emphasis on scale reduction and mechanical engineering applications. Statistical analysis methods are presented in terms of their usefulness in systems engineering for experimentation, characterization or design, since safety factors and the most advanced reliability calculation techniques are included from the outset. This book provides valuable support for teachers and researchers but is also intended for engineering students, working engineers and Masters students.
Surveys research over the past few years at a level accessible to graduate students and researchers with a background in differential and Riemannian geometry. Among the topics are foliations of codimension one, holonomy, Lie foliations, basic forms, mean curvature, the Hodge theory for the transversal Laplacian, applications of the heat equation method to Riemannian foliations, the spectral theory, Connes' perspective of foliations as examples of non- commutative spaces, and infinite-dimensional examples. The bibliographic appendices list books and surveys on particular aspects of foliations, proceedings of conferences and symposia, all papers on the subject up to 1995, and the numbers of papers published on the subject during the years 1990-95. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
This single-volume textbook covers the fundamentals of linear and nonlinear functional analysis, illustrating most of the basic theorems with numerous applications to linear and nonlinear partial differential equations and to selected topics from numerical analysis and optimization theory. This book has pedagogical appeal because it features self-contained and complete proofs of most of the theorems, some of which are not always easy to locate in the literature or are difficult to reconstitute. It also offers 401 problems and 52 figures, plus historical notes and many original references that provide an idea of the genesis of the important results, and it covers most of the core topics from functional analysis.
China has experienced rapid economic growth over the past two decades and is on the brink of eradicating poverty. However, income inequality increased sharply from the early 1980s and rendered China among the most unequal countries in the world. This trend has started to reverse as China has experienced a modest decline in inequality since 2008. This paper identifies various drivers behind these trends – including structural changes such as urbanization and aging and, more recently, policy initiatives to combat it. It finds that policies will need to play an important role in curbing inequality in the future, as projected structural trends will put further strain on equity considerations. In particular, fiscal policy reforms have the potential to enhance inclusiveness and equity, both on the tax and expenditure side.
An updated edition of the most comprehensive account of Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize-winning work yet published, with the full story of every recording session, every album, and every single released during his nearly 60-year career. Bob Dylan: All the Songs focuses on Dylan's creative process and his organic, unencumbered style of recording. It is the only book to tell the stories, many unfamiliar even to his most fervent fans, behind the more than 500 songs he has released over the span of his career. Organized chronologically by album, Margotin and Guesdon detail the origins of his melodies and lyrics, his process in the recording studio, the instruments he used, and the contribution of a myriad of musicians and producers to his canon.
This text challenges the traditional view of the history of econometrics and provides a more complete story. In doing so, the book sheds light on the hitherto under-researched contribution of French thinkers to econometrics. Fascinating and authoritative, it is a comprehensive overview of what went on to be one of the defining subsets within t
A comprehensive, rigorous, and up-to-date introduction to growth economics that presents all the major growth paradigms and shows how they can be used to analyze the growth process and growth policy design. This comprehensive introduction to economic growth presents the main facts and puzzles about growth, proposes simple methods and models needed to explain these facts, acquaints the reader with the most recent theoretical and empirical developments, and provides tools with which to analyze policy design. The treatment of growth theory is fully accessible to students with a background no more advanced than elementary calculus and probability theory; the reader need not master all the subtleties of dynamic programming and stochastic processes to learn what is essential about such issues as cross-country convergence, the effects of financial development on growth, and the consequences of globalization. The book, which grew out of courses taught by the authors at Harvard and Brown universities, can be used both by advanced undergraduate and graduate students, and as a reference for professional economists in government or international financial organizations. The Economics of Growth first presents the main growth paradigms: the neoclassical model, the AK model, Romer's product variety model, and the Schumpeterian model. The text then builds on the main paradigms to shed light on the dynamic process of growth and development, discussing such topics as club convergence, directed technical change, the transition from Malthusian stagnation to sustained growth, general purpose technologies, and the recent debate over institutions versus human capital as the primary factor in cross-country income differences. Finally, the book focuses on growth policies—analyzing the effects of liberalizing market competition and entry, education policy, trade liberalization, environmental and resource constraints, and stabilization policy—and the methodology of growth policy design. All chapters include literature reviews and problem sets. An appendix covers basic concepts of econometrics.
Valuable insights into the extraction, production, and properties of a large number of natural and synthetic oxides utilized in applications worldwide from ceramics, electronic components, and coatings This handbook describes each of the major oxides chronologically—starting from the processes of extraction of ores containing oxides, their purification and transformations into pure alloyed powders, and their appropriate characterization up to the processes of formation of 2D films by such methods as PVD, CVD, and coatings by thermal spraying or complicated 3D objects by sintering and rapid prototyping. The selection of oxides has been guided by the current context of industrial applications. An important point that is considered in the book concerns the strategic aspects of oxides. Some oxides (e.g. rare earth ones) become more expensive due to the growing demand for them, others, because of the strategic importance of countries producing raw materials and the countries that are using them. Industrial Chemistry of Oxides for Emerging Applications provides readers with everything they need to know in 7 chapters that cover: technical and economical importance of oxides in present and future; fundamentals of oxides manufacturing; extraction, properties, and applications of Al2O3; extraction, properties, and applications of ZrO2; synthesis, properties, and applications of YBaCu2O7x; extraction, properties, and applications of TiO2; and synthesis, properties, and application of hydroxyapatite. Presents the extraction, production, and properties of a large fraction of oxides applications worldwide, both natural as well as synthetic multi‐oxides Covers a very important segment of many industrial processes, such as refractories and piezoelectric oxides—both applications constituting very large market segments Developed from a lecture course given by the authors for over a decade Industrial Chemistry of Oxides for Emerging Applications is an excellent text for university professors and teachers, and graduate and postgraduate students with a solid background in physics and chemistry.
Nonlinear Kalman Filter for Multi-Sensor Navigation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles covers state estimation development approaches for Mini-UAV. The book focuses on Kalman filtering technics for UAV design, proposing a new design methodology and case study related to inertial navigation systems for drones. Both simulation and real experiment results are presented, thus showing new and promising perspectives. Gives a state estimation development approach for mini-UAVs Explains Kalman filtering techniques Introduce a new design method for unmanned aerial vehicles Introduce cases relating to the inertial navigation system of drones
Studies of Economies in Transformation No. 17.Redefines the role of government during the transition of Russia from a command economy to a market based economy.The role of government in investment financing is one of the major issues dominating public debate on economic policy in the former Soviet Union.This study describes and analyses recent investment trends, changes in structural patterns, and policies in Russia. The author examines five key aspects of economic policy and investment: price distortions; uncertainty; inflation; the legal, regulatory, and security framework; and the tax regime.The study also outlines the principles and major building blocks of a new market-based investment policy in the former Soviet Union, the scope of government-financed investment, and the management and instruments of that investment.Also available in Russian: (ISBN 0-8213-3564-2) Stock No. 13564.
Analytic Methods for Coagulation-Fragmentation Models is a two-volume set that provides a comprehensive exposition of the mathematical analysis of coagulation-fragmentation models. Initially, an in-depth survey of coagulation-fragmentation processes is presented, together with an account of relevant early results obtained on the associated model equations. These provide motivation for the subsequent detailed treatment of more up-to-date investigations which have led to significant theoretical developments on topics such as solvability and the long-term behaviour of solutions. To make the account as self-contained as possible, the mathematical tools that feature prominently in these modern treatments are introduced at appropriate places. The main theme of Volume I is the analysis of linear fragmentation models, with Volume II devoted to processes that involve the nonlinear contribution of coagulation. Features of Volume I: The main models of the theory together with their derivations and early methods of solution A detailed presentation of the operator theoretical methods and semigroup theory that play an essential role in the theory of fragmentation processes A comprehensive theory of fragmentation processes, including fragmentation with growth and decay in both the discrete and continuous particle size cases An analytical explanation of the `pathologies’ of the fragmentation equation, such as the shattering phase transition and non-uniqueness of solutions An analysis of the long-term dynamics of the discrete size fragmentation equation with growth
The second edition of this textbook presents the basic mathematical knowledge and skills that are needed for courses on modern theoretical physics, such as those on quantum mechanics, classical and quantum field theory, and related areas. The authors stress that learning mathematical physics is not a passive process and include numerous detailed proofs, examples, and over 200 exercises, as well as hints linking mathematical concepts and results to the relevant physical concepts and theories. All of the material from the first edition has been updated, and five new chapters have been added on such topics as distributions, Hilbert space operators, and variational methods. The text is divided into three parts: - Part I: A brief introduction to (Schwartz) distribution theory. Elements from the theories of ultra distributions and (Fourier) hyperfunctions are given in addition to some deeper results for Schwartz distributions, thus providing a rather comprehensive introduction to the theory of generalized functions. Basic properties and methods for distributions are developed with applications to constant coefficient ODEs and PDEs. The relation between distributions and holomorphic functions is considered, as well as basic properties of Sobolev spaces. - Part II: Fundamental facts about Hilbert spaces. The basic theory of linear (bounded and unbounded) operators in Hilbert spaces and special classes of linear operators - compact, Hilbert-Schmidt, trace class, and Schrödinger operators, as needed in quantum physics and quantum information theory – are explored. This section also contains a detailed spectral analysis of all major classes of linear operators, including completeness of generalized eigenfunctions, as well as of (completely) positive mappings, in particular quantum operations. - Part III: Direct methods of the calculus of variations and their applications to boundary- and eigenvalue-problems for linear and nonlinear partial differential operators. The authors conclude with a discussion of the Hohenberg-Kohn variational principle. The appendices contain proofs of more general and deeper results, including completions, basic facts about metrizable Hausdorff locally convex topological vector spaces, Baire’s fundamental results and their main consequences, and bilinear functionals. Mathematical Methods in Physics is aimed at a broad community of graduate students in mathematics, mathematical physics, quantum information theory, physics and engineering, as well as researchers in these disciplines. Expanded content and relevant updates will make this new edition a valuable resource for those working in these disciplines.
A popular way to assess the “effort” needed to solve a problem is to count how many evaluations of the problem functions (and their derivatives) are required. In many cases, this is often the dominating computational cost. Given an optimization problem satisfying reasonable assumptions—and given access to problem-function values and derivatives of various degrees—how many evaluations might be required to approximately solve the problem? Evaluation Complexity of Algorithms for Nonconvex Optimization: Theory, Computation, and Perspectives addresses this question for nonconvex optimization problems, those that may have local minimizers and appear most often in practice. This is the first book on complexity to cover topics such as composite and constrained optimization, derivative-free optimization, subproblem solution, and optimal (lower and sharpness) bounds for nonconvex problems. It is also the first to address the disadvantages of traditional optimality measures and propose useful surrogates leading to algorithms that compute approximate high-order critical points, and to compare traditional and new methods, highlighting the advantages of the latter from a complexity point of view. This is the go-to book for those interested in solving nonconvex optimization problems. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in courses on advanced numerical analysis, data science, numerical optimization, and approximation theory.
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