Due to increasing traffic flows the extension of transport infrastructure with rail roads and high speed lines is an ongoing process worldwide. Ballastless track systems with concrete slabs are used more and more. Following the first trials in the 1970s and more than four decades of R&D work on ballastless track, the level of development is such that it can be confirmed that ballastless track is suitable for use as an alternative to ballasted track. This book makes a contribution to the state of the art of ballastless track by describing the basics for designing the ballastless track. Important advice is provided regarding the construction of ballastless track on earthworks and in tunnels. There is also a description of the technical history of the development of ballastless track on bridges and the ensuing findings for bridge design. The state of the art of ballastless track for switches, important information on details concerning drainage, transitions, accessibility for road vehicles and experience gleaned from maintenance round off the work. Selected chapters from the German concrete yearbook are now being published in the new English "Beton-Kalender Series" for the benefit of an international audience. Since it was founded in 1906, the Ernst & Sohn "Beton-Kalender" has been supporting developments in reinforced and prestressed concrete. The aim was to publish a yearbook to reflect progress in "ferro-concrete" structures until - as the book's first editor, Fritz von Emperger (1862-1942), expressed it - the "tempestuous development" in this form of construction came to an end. However, the "Beton-Kalender" quickly became the chosen work of reference for civil and structural engineers, and apart from the years 1945-1950 has been published annually ever since.
There is an adage celebrated in many patriotic songs that defines the homeland the place where you were born, which always will have a special place in your heart and that you will revere as long as you live. No matter what circumstances separated you from your birthplace, whether because your homeland was lost to the victor of a war, forcing natives to flee and live as tolerated refugees in exile or you left it voluntarily, in search of a better life. Finding a substitute that can fully replace the lost homeland is not easy, it is very often impossible. This book recounts the turbulent and dramatic life of the author in search of a new homeland. It ended in Miami, where an officer of the US Immigration and Naturalization Services greeted him with a warm “Welcome to America” and he felt, he finally arrived home, where he belonged, in the land of the free, the land that he learned to love, and his new homeland. Sometimes he is visiting his native homeland using Google Earth, to find it foreign, strange, and very distant in his memory.
Explore the most fundamental human relationship—between parent and child Western social science has long neglected to acknowledge that family relationships must always be examined from a culturally sensitive perspective. Parent-Youth Relations: Cultural and Cross-Cultural Perspectives fills this void by exploring in depth the most fundamental human relationship—between parent and child—in different societies around the world. International experts provide a comprehensive collection of original research and theory on how parental styles and the effects of culture are interconnected. Written from diverse perspectives, this unique resource reveals deep insight into these relationships by focusing on the individuals, the structure of the family, and societal and cultural influences. Parental relations and cultural belief systems both play integral parts on how socialization and development occur in children. Parent-Youth Relations: Cultural and Cross-Cultural Perspectives presents several viewpoints, some comparing similarities and differences across societies or nations, others exploring relationships within a single culture. This probing global look at parent-youth relations provides sensitively nuanced information valuable for every professional or student in the social sciences. Detailed tables illustrate research data while thorough bibliographies offer opportunities for further study. Parent-Youth Relations: Cultural and Cross-Cultural Perspectives explores: parenting style and its effects on children in Chinese culture parenting style in problem-solving situations in Hong Kong cross-national perspectives on parental acceptance-rejection theory multinational studies of interparental conflict, parenting, and adolescent functioning the relationship between parenting behaviors and adolescent achievement in Chile and Ecuador parent-adolescent relations and problem behaviors in Hungary, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States cross-national analysis of family and school socialization and adolescent academic achievement parent-child contact after divorce—from the child’s perspective familial impacts on adolescent aggression and depression in Colombia predicting Korean adolescents’ sexual behavior from individual and family factors parenting in Mexican society relations with parents and friends during adolescence and early adulthood parent-child relationships in childhood and adulthood and their effect on the parent’s marriage the effects of financial hardship, interparental conflict, and maternal parenting in Germany and more original research studies! Parent-Youth Relations: Cultural and Cross-Cultural Perspectives presents the freshest research available along with extensive bibliographies, providing essential reading for educators, advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals in family studies, sociology, psychology, and anthropology.
This invaluable textbook presents the basic elements needed to understand and research into semiconductor physics. It deals with elementary excitations in bulk and low-dimensional semiconductors, including quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots. This fifth edition includes an additional chapter on `Quantum Optical Effects¿ where the theory of quantum optical effects in semiconductors is detailed. Besides deriving the `semiconductor luminescence equations¿ and the expression for the stationary luminescence spectrum, results are presented to show the importance of Coulombic effects on the semiconductor luminescence and to elucidate the role of excitonic populations.
The Complete Idiot's Guide® to Learning German, Fourth Edition couches the more academic topics, such as verb tenses, in useful travel-themed chapters dealing with everything from shopping, renting cars, banking, making a phone call, visiting a doctor, going to the post office, to banking. This editon includes a new audio CD with nearly an hour of listen-and-learn exercises to get you speaking German like a native.
Be it eyeglasses or telescopes, camera or movie lenses, microscopes or microsurgical instruments, the ZEISS brand stands for technology that pushes the limits of what is possible. Relatively little is known about the company’s founder Carl Zeiss (1816 – 1888). Who was the man who set about revolutionizing optical device construction from his workshop in the small town of Jena ? Was the company established on solid entrepreneurial foundations, or was Carl Zeiss surprised, and ultimately overwhelmed, by his own success? The historian Stephan Paetrow and the Head of the ZEISS Archives, Wolfgang Wimmer, have embarked on a journey to discover the life and work of a man who was a husband, a technician and an entrepreneur: this is the story of Carl Zeiss. This biography also takes a look at how topical the Zeiss legacy is by talking to a family member, company representatives and an extraordinary scientist of the modern era.
Semiconductor Quantum Dots presents an overview of the background and recent developments in the rapidly growing field of ultrasmall semiconductor microcrystallites, in which the carrier confinement is sufficiently strong to allow only quantized states of the electrons and holes. The main emphasis of this book is the theoretical analysis of the confinement induced modifications of the optical and electronic properties of quantum dots in comparison with extended materials. The book develops the theoretical background material for the analysis of carrier quantum-confinement effects, introduces the different confinement regimes for relative or center-of-mass motion quantization of the electron-hole-pairs, and gives an overview of the best approximation schemes for each regime. A detailed discussion of the carrier states in quantum dots is presented and surface polarization instabilities are analyzed, leading to the self-trapping of carriers near the surface of the dots. The influence of spin-orbit coupling on the quantum-confined carrier states is discussed. The linear and nonlinear optical properties of small and large quantum dots are studied in detail and the influence of the quantum-dot size distribution in many realistic samples is outlined. Phonons in quantum dots as well as the influence of external electric or magnetic fields are also discussed. Last but not least the recent developments dealing with regular systems of quantum dots are also reviewed. All things included, this is an important piece of work on semiconductor quantum dots not to be dismissed by serious researchers and physicists.
While there is information available in handbooks on polythiophene chemistry and physics, until now, few if any books have focused exclusively on the most forwardly developed electrically conductive polymer, Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-otherwise known as PEDOT. This resource provides full chemical, physical, and technical information about this important conducting polymer, discussing basic knowledge and exploring its technical applications. Presented information is based on information generated at universities and through academic research, as well as by industrial scientists, providing a complete picture of the experimental and the practical aspects of this important polymer.
The articles in this book review recent developments in the microscopic theory of optical and electronic semiconductor properties. Many advances in this active field are intimately related to the work of Hartmut Haug and his coworkers. At the occasion of Haug's 60th birthday, a number of current and/or former members of his research team review the current state-of-the-art. Topics include the quantum kinetics of electrons, phonons and photons, coherent optical effects, quantum transport, ballistic motion, microscopic semiconductor laser theory with special emphasis on microlasers, symmetry aspects of laser excited semiconductors, as well as a review of the two-dimensional Wigner crystal in a strong magnetic field. The articles present the material in sufficient detail to be understandable by advanced graduate students and researchers who have a good background in quantum mechanics.
This book introduces the basic theoretical concepts required for the analysis of the optical response of semiconductor systems in the coherent regime. It is the most instructive textbook on the theory and optical effects of semiconductors. The entire presentation is based on a one-dimensional tight-binding model. Starting with discrete-level systems, increasing complexity is added gradually to the model by including band-structure and many-particle interaction. Various linear and nonlinear optical spectra and temporal phenomena are studied. The analysis of many-body effects in nonlinear optical phenomena covers a major part of the book.
The author develops the effective-mass theory of excitons in low-dimensional semiconductors and describes numerical methods for calculating the optical absorption including Coulomb interaction, geometry, and external fields. The theory is applied to Fano resonances in low-dimensional semiconductors and the Zener breakdown in superlattices. Comparing theoretical results with experiments, the book is essentially self-contained; it is a hands-on approach with detailed derivations, worked examples, illustrative figures, and computer programs. The book is clearly structured and will be valuable as an advanced-level self-study or course book for graduate students, lecturers, and researchers.
Forestry has long been in a rather favourable position in offering a valuable raw material source in high demand. However, with rapidly changing end-user demands and cost competitiveness within the forest and wood chain as a whole, the industry is needing to adapt. Explaining entrepreneurial action as part of a chain of comprehensive value-added processes leads to a new perception of forest production and wood processing. This book applies the main concepts of modern managerial science to the world of forestry and is the perfect book for students studying forestry and wood processing, as well as entrepreneurs and managers within the sector. Topics are covered from an entrepreneurial perspective and include perspectives from accounting, finance, economics, supply chain management, marketing and strategy.
Since the appearance of its first edition in Germany in 1979, A History of German Literature has established itself as a classic work used by students and anyone interested in German literature. The volume chronologically traces the development of German literature from the Middle Ages to the present day. Throughout this chronology, literary developments are set in a social and political context. This includes a final chapter, written for this latest edition, on the consequences of the reunification of Germany in 1990. Thoroughly interdiscipinary in method, the work also reflects recent developments in literary criticism and history. Highly readable and stimulating, A History of German Literature succeeds in making the literature of the past as immediate and engaging as the works of the present. It is both a scholary study and an invaluable reference work for students.
This monograph offers an introduction to finite Blaschke products and their connections to complex analysis, linear algebra, operator theory, matrix analysis, and other fields. Old favorites such as the Carathéodory approximation and the Pick interpolation theorems are featured, as are many topics that have never received a modern treatment, such as the Bohr radius and Ritt's theorem on decomposability. Deep connections to hyperbolic geometry are explored, as are the mapping properties, zeros, residues, and critical points of finite Blaschke products. In addition, model spaces, rational functions with real boundary values, spectral mapping properties of the numerical range, and the Darlington synthesis problem from electrical engineering are also covered. Topics are carefully discussed, and numerous examples and illustrations highlight crucial ideas. While thorough explanations allow the reader to appreciate the beauty of the subject, relevant exercises following each chapter improve technical fluency with the material. With much of the material previously scattered throughout mathematical history, this book presents a cohesive, comprehensive and modern exposition accessible to undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers who have familiarity with complex analysis.
Empowered writing explores the inherent powers of Chinese talismans, petitions, registers, and holy scriptures, presenting a systematic study of their exxorcistic and apotropaic properties. Using a vast arsenal of original sources, the book traces the unfolding and transformation of empowered writing from the Warring States period through the Six Dynasties, closely examining the different kinds of writing, their uses, and interpretation as well as relating uniquely Daoist features to imperial and Buddhist usages. The book is pathbreaking in its endeavor and stunning in its depth of analyis.
Political boundaries are often porous to finance, financial intermediation, and financial distress. Yet they are highly impervious to financial regulation. When inhabitants of a country suffering a deficit of purchasing power are able to access and deploy funds flowing in from a country with a surfeit of such power, the inhabitants of both countries may benefit. They may also benefit when institutions undertaking such cross-border financial intermediation experience economies of scale and are able to innovate and to offer funds and services at lower costs. Inevitably, however, at least some such institutions will sometimes act imprudently, some of the projects in which such funds are deployed may be unwise, and other such projects can suffer from unforeseen circumstances. As a result of such factors, a financial institution may suffer distress in one country, and may then transmit such distress to other countries in which it operates. The efficacy of any response to such cross-border transmission of distress may turn on the response being given due effect in both (or all) the territories in which the distressed financial institution operates. This situation creates a conundrum for policymakers, legislators, and regulators who wish to enable those subject to their jurisdiction to access the benefits of cross-border financial intermediation, yet cannot make rules and regulations that would have effect outside that jurisdiction. This book explores this conundrum and offers a response. It does so by drawing on and adding to the literatures on financial intermediation, regulation, and distress, and on existing hard and soft laws and regulations. The book advocates for the creation of a model law that would address the full range of financial institutions, including insurance companies, and that would enable relevant authorities to cooperate with counterparts in advance of the onset of distress and to give appropriate effect in their jurisdiction to measures taken by counterpart authorities in other jurisdictions in which the distressed institution also operates.
Nonequilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma jets (N-APPJs) generate plasma in open space rather than in a confined chamber and can be utilized for applications in medicine. This book provides a complete introduction to this fast-emerging field, from the fundamental physics, to experimental approaches, to plasma and reactive species diagnostics. It provides an overview of the development of a wide range of plasma jet devices and their fundamental mechanisms. The book concludes with a discussion of the exciting application of plasmas for cancer treatment. The book provides details on experimental methods including expert tips and caveats. covers novel devices driven by various power sources and the impact of operating conditions on concentrations and fluxes of the reactive species. discusses the latest advances including theory, modeling, and simulation approaches. gives an introduction, overview and details on state of the art diagnostics of small scale high gradient atmospheric pressure plasmas. covers the use of N-APPJs for cancer applications, including discussion of destruction of cancer cells, mechanisms of action, and selectivity studies. XinPei Lu is a Chair Professor in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Stephan Reuter is currently Visiting Professor at Université Paris-Saclay. In a recent Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship at Princeton University, he performed ultrafast laser spectroscopy on cold plasmas. Mounir Laroussi is Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of the Plasma Engineering and Medicine Institute at Old Dominion University. He is a Fellow of IEEE and recipient of an IEEE Merit Award. DaWei Liu is Professor in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Managing strategies for professional service firms is an important and complex activity. The main issues in this book cover the core management principles for service firms in a comprehensive way. Based on current research findings it includes the management of service quality, knowledge and marketing as well as people, organizational and strategic issues. In understanding critical resources managers and partners will be able to effectively develop and exploit them. The book contains practical advice and offers a profound insight into the managerial excellence of service companies.
The emerging field of semiconductor quantum optics combines semiconductor physics and quantum optics, with the aim of developing quantum devices with unprecedented performance. In this book researchers and graduate students alike will reach a new level of understanding to begin conducting state-of-the-art investigations. The book combines theoretical methods from quantum optics and solid-state physics to give a consistent microscopic description of light-matter- and many-body-interaction effects in low-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures. It develops the systematic theory needed to treat semiconductor quantum-optical effects, such as strong light-matter coupling, light-matter entanglement, squeezing, as well as quantum-optical semiconductor spectroscopy. Detailed derivations of key equations help readers learn the techniques and nearly 300 exercises help test their understanding of the materials covered. The book is accompanied by a website hosted by the authors, containing further discussions on topical issues, latest trends and publications on the field. The link can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521875097.
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