Free Download | A Short Course in Quantum Information Theory: An Approach from Theoretical Physics, 2nd Edition

This short and concise primer takes the vantage point of theoretical physics and the unity of physics. It sets out to strip the burgeoning field of quantum information science to its basics by linking it to universal concepts in physics. An extensive lecture rather than a comprehensive textbook, this volume is based on courses delivered over several years to advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students, but essentially it addresses anyone with a working knowledge of basic quantum physics. Readers will find these lectures a most adequate entry point for theoretical studies in this field. 

For the second edition, the authors has succeeded in adding many new topics while sticking to the conciseness of the overall approach. A new chapter on qubit thermodynamics has been added, while new sections and subsections have been incorporated in various chapter to deal with weak and time-continuous measurements, period-finding quantum algorithms and quantum error corrections. 

From the reviews of the first edition: "The best things about this book are its brevity and clarity. In around 100 pages it provides a tutorial introduction to quantum information theory, including problems and solutions. … it’s worth a look if you want to quickly get up to speed with the language and central concepts of quantum information theory, including the background classical information theory.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Nanotribology and Nanomechanics II: Nanotribology, Biomimetics, and Industrial Applications, 3rd Edition

The comprehensive reference and textbook serves as a timely, practical introduction to the principles of nanotribology and nanomechanics. 

Assuming some familiarity with macroscopic tribology, the book comprises chapters by internationally recognized experts, who integrate knowledge of the field from the mechanics and materials-science perspectives. 

They cover key measurement techniques, their applications, and theoretical modelling of interfaces, each beginning their contributions with macro- and progressing to microconcepts.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | From Varying Couplings to Fundamental Physics

Nature is characterized by a number of physical laws and fundamental dimensionless couplings. These determine the properties of our physical universe, from the size of atoms, cells and mountains to the ultimate fate of the universe as a whole. 

Yet it is rather remarkable how little we know about them. The constancy of physical laws is one of the cornerstones of the scientific research method, afor fundamental couplings this is an assumption with no other justification than a historical assumption. 

There is no 'theory of constants' describing their role in the underlying theories and how they relate to one another or how many of them are truly fundamental. Studying the behaviour of these quantities throughout the history of the universe is an effective way to probe fundamental physics. 

This explains why the ESA and ESO include varying fundamental constants among their key science drivers for the next generation of facilities. This symposium discussed the state-of-the-art in the field, as well as the key developments anticipated for the coming years.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Mechanics and Electrodynamics of Magneto- and Electro-elastic Materials

This volume presents a state-of-the-art overview of the continuum theory of both electro- and magneto-sensitive elastomers and polymers, which includes mathematical and computational aspects of the modelling of these materials from the point of view of material properties and, in particular, the "smart-material" control of their mechanical properties.

Constitutive equations deformation gradient dielectric elastic elasticity tensor elastomers electric field Electroactive Polymer electroelastic Lorentz force magnetic field magnetostatics nematic nonlinear.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Amorphous Chalcogenide Semiconductors and Related Materials

"Amorphous Chalcogenide Semiconductors and Glasses" describes developments in the science and technology of this class of materials. This book offers an up-to-date treatment of chalcogenide glasses and amorphous semiconductors from basic principles to applications while providing the reader with the necessary theoretical background to understanding the material properties technology of this class of materials. This book offers an up-to-date treatment of chalcogenide glasses and amorphous semiconductors from basic principles to applications while providing the reader with the necessary theoretical background to understanding the material properties. 

Chalcogenides form a special class of materials, which have one or more of the elements from the chalcogen group, Group VI in the Periodic Table (S, Se. or Te) as a constituent; the chalcogen is mixed with other elements to form various "new" compounds and alloys. 

Chalcogenides are noncrystalline solids because their structure is "amorphous" or "glassy". Such structures have totally different properties than crystalline solids. Chalcogenide glasses have a number of very interesting and useful properties, which have been already exploited in the commercialization of new devices.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Introduction to Microsystem Design | Werner Karl Schomburg

The book describes the design of micro systems systematically as well as the equations needed for an estimation of the basic elements. 

It can be used without knowing fabrication processes of micro systems and provides the basic equations needed to calculate the effects and forces which are important in micro systems. 

For quick reference equations are presented in tables which are found in an index at the end of this book.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Introduction to Climate Modelling | Thomas Stocker

Athree-tier approach is presented: (i) fundamental dynamical concepts of climate processes, (ii) their mathematical formulation based on balance equations, and (iii)the necessary numerical techniques to solve these equations. This book showcases the global energy balance of the climate system and feedback processes that determine the climate sensitivity, inital-boundary value problems, energy transport in the climate system, large-scale ocean circulation and abrupt climate change.

advection equation albedo carbon cycle climate change climate sensitivity continuity equation Hadley cell ice cores IPCC partial differential equation shallow water equations stream function thermohaline circulation western boundary current

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Nuclear Energy and the Environment

A renewed global interest in nuclear power is underway due to concerns about the contribution of combustion of fossil fuels to climate change and the unreliability of the supply of fossil fuels. Nuclear power is currently an important source of carbon-free, safe, and domestic energy in many countries. 

However, concerns about nuclear waste disposal and the proliferation of nuclear weapons have hindered its expanded use and continued development. As world demand for energy continues to rise, it is recognized that nuclear energy will be required to meet this demand in an environmentally sustainable manner. 

Responsible management of nuclear wastes, more efficient processes for conversion of uranium to energy, and effective and secure techniques for recycling used nuclear fuel are some of the key issues which must be addressed in order to develop sustainable nuclear energy technologies for the 21st century.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Speech Spectrum Analysis | Sean A. Fulop

The accurate determination of the speech spectrum, particularly for short frames, is commonly pursued in diverse areas including speech processing, recognition, and acoustic phonetics.With this book the author makes the subject of spectrum analysis understandable to a wide audience, including those with a solid background in general signal processing and those without such background.In keeping with these goals, this is not a book that replaces or attempts to cover the material found in a general signal processing textbook.Some essential signal processing concepts are presented in the first chapter, but even there the concepts are presented in a generally understandable fashion as far as is possible.

Throughout the book, the focus is on applications to speech analysis; mathematical theory is provided for completeness, but these developments are set off in boxes for the benefit of those readers with sufficient background.Other readers may proceed through the main text, where the key results and applications will be presented in general heuristic terms, and illustrated with software routines and practical "show-and-tell" discussions of the results.At some points, the book refers to and uses the implementations in the Praat speech analysis software package, which has the advantages that it is used by many scientists around the world, and it is free and open source software.

At other points, special software routines have been developed and made available to complement the book, and these are provided in the Matlab programming language.If the reader has the basic Matlab package, he/she will be able to immediately implement the programs in that platform---no extra "toolboxes" are required.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Dealing With Uncertainty

The assessment of greenhouse gases emitted to and removed from the atmosphere is high on the international political and scientific agendas. Growing international concern and cooperation regarding the climate change problem have increased the need for policy-oriented solutions to the issue of uncertainty in, and related to, inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The approaches to addressing uncertainty discussed here reflect attempts to improve national inventories, not only for their own sake but also from a wider, systems analytical perspective — a perspective that seeks to strengthen the usefulness of national inventories under a compliance and/or global monitoring and reporting framework. These approaches demonstrate the benefits of including inventory uncertainty in policy analyses. 

The authors of the contributed papers show that considering uncertainty helps avoid situations that can, for example, create a false sense of certainty or lead to invalid views of subsystems. This may eventually prevent related errors from showing up in analyses. However, considering uncertainty does not come for free. Proper treatment of uncertainty is costly and demanding because it forces us to make the step from “simple to complex” and only then to discuss potential simplifications. Finally, comprehensive treatment of uncertainty does not offer policymakers quick and easy solutions.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Manufacturing Processes 1: Cutting (RWTHedition)

The book series on manufacturing processes for engineers is a reference work for scientific and industrial experts. This volume on Turning, Milling and Drilling starts from the basic principles of machining with geometrically defined cutting edges based on a common active principle. In addition, appropriate tool designs as well as the reasonable use of cutting material are presented. 

A detailed chapter about the machinability of the most important workpiece materials, such as steel and cast iron, light metal alloys and high temperature resistant materials imparts a broad knowledge of the interrelations between workpiece materials, cutting materials and process parameters.

This book is in the RWTHedition Series as are the other four volumes of the reference work.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Mathematical and Statistical Methods for Actuarial Sciences and Finance

The interaction between mathematicians and statisticians reveals to be an effective approach for dealing with actuarial, insurance and financial problems, both in an academic and in an operative perspective. The international conference MAF 2008, held at the University Ca Foscari of Venezia (Italy) in 2008, had precisely this purpose, and the collection here published gathers a selection of about the one hundred papers presented at the conference and successively referred and reviewed to this aim. 

They cover a wide variety of subjects in actuarial, insurance and financial fields, all treated in light of the successful cooperation between the two quantitative approaches. The subjects considered in the book are: mathematical models for actuarial sciences and insurance (namely: demographic risk; management of actuarial risks; management in insurance business; solvency-based approaches); mathematical models for finance (namely: energy markets; fund and portfolio management; methods for derivative pricing; risk and volatility models); statistical models in finance (namely: artificial neural networks; clustering techniques; kernel-based and robust estimation methods; multivariate methods for the analysis of financial markets; non-standard probabilistic models). The book is mainly addressed to academicians, practitioners, professionals and researchers.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Stochastic Processes: with Applications to Reliability Theory

Reliability theory is of fundamental importance for engineers and managers involved in the manufacture of high-quality products and the design of reliable systems. In order to make sense of the theory, however, and to apply it to real systems, an understanding of the basic stochastic processes is indispensable.As well as providing readers with useful reliability studies and applications, Stochastic Processes also gives a basic treatment of such stochastic processes as:the Poisson process,the renewal process,the Markov chain,the Markov process, andthe Markov renewal process.

Many examples are cited from reliability models to show the reader how to apply stochastic processes. Furthermore, Stochastic Processes gives a simple introduction to other stochastic processes such as the cumulative process, the Wiener process, the Brownian motion and reliability applications.

Stochastic Processes is suitable for use as a reliability textbook by advanced undergraduate and graduate students. It is also of interest to researchers, engineers and managers who study or practise reliability and maintenance.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Multicriteria Analysis: Applications to Water and Environment Management

Multicriteria analysis is one of the most important fields of decision science. This book gives an outline of the formulation of an appropriate model and presents a comprehensive summary of the most popular methods for solving multicriteria decision problems. 

In addition to the classical approach the book introduces fuzzy and stochastic methodology, models with uncertainty, social choice and conflict resolution. All methods are illustrated with easy to follow simple examples. 

At the end of each chapter detailed case studies are given in water and environment management including inter-basin water transfer, urban water management, water allocation, groundwater quality management, forest treatment, ranking water resources projects, reservoir planning, water distribution network design and long-term watershed management. The new methodology and the wide variety of case studies are not easily accessible elsewhere.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Optical Measurements, Modeling, and Metrology, Volume 5 | Tom Proulx

Optical Measurements, Modeling, and Metrology represents one of eight volumes of technical papers presented at the Society for Experimental Mechanics Annual Conference on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, held at Uncasville, Connecticut, June 13-16, 2011.

The full set of proceedings also includes volumes on Dynamic Behavior of Materials, Mechanics of Biological Systems and Materials, Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials and Processes in Conventional and Multifunctional Materials; MEMS and Nanotechnology; Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Thermomechanics and Infra-Red Imaging, and Engineering Applications of Residual Stress.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Volume 6

Experimental and Applied Mechanics represents one of eight volumes of technical papers presented at the Society for Experimental Mechanics Annual Conference on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, held at Uncasville, Connecticut, June 13-16, 2011. The full set of proceedings also includes volumes on Dynamic Behavior of Materials, Mechanics of Biological Systems and Materials, Challenges in Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials and Processes in Conventional and Multifunctional Materials, MEMS and Nanotechnology; Optical Measurements, Modeling and, Metrology; Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Thermomechanics and Infra-Red Imaging, and Engineering Applications of Residual Stress.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Dynamic Behavior of Materials, Volume 1 | Tom Proulx

Dynamic Behavior of Materials represents one of eight volumes of technical papers presented at the Society for Experimental Mechanics Annual Conference on Experimental and Applied Mechanics, held at Uncasville, Connecticut, June 13-16, 2011. The full set of proceedings also includes volumes on Mechanics of Biological Systems and Materials, Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials and Processes in Conventional and Multifunctional Materials, MEMS and Nanotechnology; Optical Measurements, Modeling and, Metrology; Experimental and Applied Mechanics, Thermomechanics and Infra-Red Imaging, and Engineering Applications of Residual Stress.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Advances in Sustainable Manufacturing

Non-renewable materials can no longer be disposed once humankind's ever increasing needs cannot be fulfilled anymore due to limited resources. Reuse and recycling become inevitable requirements for product and process design. Renewable resources must not be consumed in quantities higher than can be regained. New technologies have to be developed and applied for a Sustainable Product Development and Life Cycle Engineering to fulfill the needs of humankind, protecting public health, welfare, and environment.

The 8th Global Conference on Sustainable Manufacturing brings together some of the world'"s leading experts to present a scientific conference in Abu Dhabi, one of the world'"s fastest growing economies and a global leader in the development of sustainable technologies.The conference will focus on 7 areas:Value adding by sustainable manufacturing in the UAE Potentials of renewables Education for sustainability engineering Green supply chain and transportation Microelectronics and resource efficiency Technology driven startups Sustainable products and manufacturing processes

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Transactions on Computational Collective Intelligence III | Ngoc Thanh Nguyen

These Transactions publish research in computer-based methods of computational collective intelligence (CCI) and their applications in a wide range of fields such as the Semantic Web, social networks and multi-agent systems. TCCI strives to cover new methodological, theoretical and practical aspects of CCI understood as the form of intelligence that emerges from the collaboration and competition of many individuals (artificial and/or natural). 

The application of multiple computational intelligence technologies such as fuzzy systems, evolutionary computation, neural systems, consensus theory, etc., aims to support human and other collective intelligence and to create new forms of CCI in natural and/or artificial systems.This is the first volume of TCCI. It contains a collection of articles selected from regular submissions and invited papers of substantially extended contributions based on the best papers presented at the First International Conference on Computational Collective Intelligence: Semantic Web, Social Networks and Multiagent Systems (ICCCI 2009) during October 5-7 , 2009 in Wroclaw (Poland).The 10 papers in this volume introduce advances in the foundations and applications of computational collective intelligence.

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Technology Developments: the Role of Mechanism and Machine Science and IFToMM

This is the first book of a series that will focus on MMS (Mechanism and Machine Science). This book also presents IFToMM, the International Federation on the Promotion of MMS and its activity. This volume contains contributions by IFToMM officers who are Chairs of member organizations (MOs), permanent commissions (PCs), and technical committees (TCs), who have reported their experiences and views toward the future of IFToMM and MMS. 

The book is composed of three parts: the first with general considerations by high-standing IFToMM persons, the second chapter with views by the chairs of PCs and TCs as dealing with specific subject areas, and the third one with reports by the chairs of MOs as presenting experiences and challenges in national and territory communities. This book will be of interest to a wide public who wish to know the status and trends in MMS both at international level through IFToMM and in national/local frames through the leading actors of activities. 

Friday, June 24, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Wireless network deployments

An important aspect of wireless networks is the deployment of their infrastructure. In this book, the Editors have invited a number of experts from industry to write on a variety of topics associated with deployment of digital wireless networks. The first part of the book consists of an overview of systems design and engineering integration, comparison of polarization and space diversity antenna systems, and the performance of deploying smart antenna architectures in cellular and PCS networks. The second part addresses deployment of CDMA networks, based on IS-95 standards. Here the authors discuss issues related to optimization of overlaid dual model CDMA networks, embedding microcells to improve hot-spot capacity, and mitigation of intermodulation distortion in handsets. Part III deals with deployment of TDMA- based networks. 

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | MATLAB: An Introduction with Applications | Amos Gilat

This book was a requirement for my pre-engineering class at Ohio State. Since I am an adult learner with an extensive learning background, I can really appreciate the way the book is laid out. Rather than relying heavily on theory, the book uses real-world engineering examples that spans disciplines for a well-rounded set of example problems. I would only ding the book a half-star because of typographical errors in some of the problems.

While this book is good at introducing the major topics and some of the commands important to the use of MATLAB you can't really learn any programming language without solving some practical problems. Usually when you're working with MATLAB you have to call upon a few very specific commands and can only learn those through real practice. So, this is as good a book as it can be, but books are not usually very useful in learning a computer language.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Downlaod | Modern Analytical Chemistry | David T Harvey

Modern Analytical Chemistry is a one-semester introductory text that meets the needs of all instructors. With coverage in both traditional topics and modern-day topics, instructors will have the flexibilty to customize their course into what they feel is necessary for their students to comprehend the concepts of analytical chemistry.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Water Use Management and Planning in the U.S.

Water Use Management, and Planning in the United States is designed with new college classes on water resources in mind. It provides information on hydrology, biology, geology, economics, and geography along with historical water policies and regional regulations. The text reflects the transdisciplinary nature of water resources management, moving between descriptive discussions and quantitative analysis to bridge the social and physical sciences. Also providedare frequent case studies and examples to illustrate real-world applications, and includes sidebars throughout to reinforce major points. This book is a result of the authors years of teaching, giving a prescription for an intelligent integrated systemsapproach to water resources management.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Donwload | Surface and Ground Water, Weathering, and Soils,

Volume 5 has several objectives. The first is to present an overview of the composition of surface and ground waters on the continents and the mechanisms that control the compositions. The second is to present summaries of the tools and methodologies used in modern studies of the geochemistry of surface and ground waters. The third is to present information on the role of weathering and soil formation in geochemical cycles: weathering affects the chemistry of the atmosphere through uptake of carbon dioxide and oxygen, and paleosols (preserved soils in the rock record) provide information on the composition of the atmosphere in the geological past.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Biosolids Treatment and Management

This work details the economic, regulatory and environmental protection issues related to biosolids management and use. It evaluates current treatment technologies and management strategies for the beneficial utilization of municipal wastewater residuals. Cost information regarding the relative economic merits of special reuse and disposal methods, is presented.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Adaptive Signal Processing

Recent developments in signal processing have made it clear that significant performance gains can be achieved beyond those achievable using standard adaptive filtering approaches. Adaptive Signal Processing presents the next generation of algorithms that will produce these desired results, with an emphasis on important applications and theoretical advancements. This highly unique resource brings together leading authorities in the field writing on the key topics of significance, each at the cutting edge of its own area of specialty. It begins by addressing the problem of optimization in the complex domain, fully developing a framework that enables taking full advantage of the power of complex-valued processing. Then, the challenges of multichannel processing of complex-valued signals are explored. This comprehensive volume goes on to cover Turbo processing, tracking in the subspace domain, nonlinear sequential state estimation, and speech-bandwidth extension.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Statistical Thinking for Non-Statisticians in Drug Regulation | Richard Kay

Written by a well-known lecturer and consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, this book focuses on the pharmaceutical non-statistician working within a very strict regulatory environment. Statistical Thinking for Clinical Trials in Drug Regulation presents the concepts and statistical thinking behind medical studies with a direct connection to the regulatory environment so that readers can be clear where the statistical methodology fits in with industry requirements. Pharmaceutical-related examples are used throughout to set the information in context. As a result, this book provides a detailed overview of the statistical aspects of the design, conduct, analysis and presentation of data from clinical trials within drug regulation.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Computer Organization and Architecture, 6th edition | William Stallings

This book provides a clear, comprehensive presentation of the latest developments in the organization and architecture of modern-day computers, emphasizing both fundamental principles and the critical role of performance in driving computer design. A basic reference and companion for self-study, it conveys concepts through a wealth of concrete examples highlighting modern CISC and RISC systems. A five-part organization covers: an overview, the computer system, the central processing unit, the control unit, and parallel organization. For computer engineers and architects, product marketing personnel in computer or communications companies, and for information systems and computer systems personnel.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Comets: Nature, Dynamics, Origin, and their Cosmogonical Relevance

The book covers the most recent ideas about the nature and dynamics of comets, including a thorough discussion on Oort cloud dynamics which has not received due attention in other books on the subject. It also discusses the most relevant aspects of the physics and chemistry of comet nuclei, highlighting their importance as relics of the protoplanetary disk and, perhaps, as carriers of water and organics that permitted the development of life on Earth. The book contains several tables with useful data, and an ample bibliography covering the most recent work as well as some historical key contributions to the subject. It may be suitable as a textbook for graduate students with some basic knowledge of celestial mechanics and astrophysics, as well as a consult book for comet researchers, or researchers from other related fields willing to start working on comets, or get an updated view of the subject.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Power-Aware Testing and Test Strategies for Low Power Devices

Managing the power consumption of circuits and systems is now considered one of the most important challenges for the semiconductor industry. Elaborate power management strategies, such as dynamic voltage scaling, clock gating or power gating techniques, are used today to control the power dissipation during functional operation. The usage of these strategies has various implications on manufacturing test, and power-aware test is therefore increasingly becoming a major consideration during design-for-test and test preparation for low power devices. This book explores existing solutions for power-aware test and design-for-test of conventional circuits and systems, and surveys test strategies and EDA solutions for testing low power devices.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Fundamentals of Probability: A First Course

This is a text encompassing all of the standard topics in introductory probability theory, together with a significant amount of optional material of emerging importance. The emphasis is on a lucid and accessible writing style, mixed with a large number of interesting examples of a diverse nature. The text will prepare students extremely well for courses in more advanced probability and in statistical theory and for the actuary exam.

The book covers combinatorial probability, all the standard univariate discrete and continuous distributions, joint and conditional distributions in the bivariate and the multivariate case, the bivariate normal distribution, moment generating functions, various probability inequalities, the central limit theorem and the laws of large numbers, and the distribution theory of order statistics. In addition, the book gives a complete and accessible treatment of finite Markov chains, and a treatment of modern urn models and statistical genetics. It includes 303 worked out examples and 810 exercises, including a large compendium of supplementary exercises for exam preparation and additional homework. Each chapter has a detailed chapter summary. The appendix includes the important formulas for the distributions in common use and important formulas from calculus, algebra, trigonometry, and geometry.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Imaging the Brain with Optical Methods | Anna W. Roe

The technology of detecting and interpreting patterns of reflected light has reached a remarkable degree of maturity that now permits high spatial and temporal resolution visualization at both the systems and cellular levels. There now exist several optical imaging methodologies, based on either hemodynamic changes in nervous tissue or neurally-induced light scattering changes, that can be used to measure ongoing activity in the brain. Imaging the Brain with Optical Methods presents the history of optical imaging and its use in the study of brain function, and the rapidly developing optical technologies and their applications that have recently developed. These include intrinsic signal optical imaging, near-infrared optical imaging, fast optical imaging based on scattered light, optical imaging with voltage sensitive dyes, and 2 photon imaging of hemodynamic signals. In total, this volume captures a profile of the current state of optical imaging methodologies and their contribution towards understanding the spatial and temporal organization of cerebral cortical function.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | The ULTIMATE Tesla Coil Design and Construction Guide | Mitch Tilbury

The only book available to cover the Tesla coil in so much detail The Ultimate Tesla Coil Design and Construction Guide is a one-stop reference covering the theory, design tools, and techniques necessary to create the Tesla coil using modern materials.This unique resource utilizes Excel spreadsheets to perform calculations and SPICE simulation models on the companion website to enhance understanding of coil performance and operating theory.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Building a TypePad Blog People Want to Read

Today, it seems everyone—from multinational corporations to your kid’s second-grade teacher—has a blog. They all have one, in part, because they have information they want to share with others—from customers and clients to neighbors and parents. But to actually build a good blog—to create a blog people want to read—takes thought, planning, and some effort. From picking the right TypePad plan and working with domains to managing posts and building a community, creating a successful blog involves making critical decisions at each step. In this book by blogger extraordinaire Scott McNulty, you’ll learn how to: Set up your account and work with blog-specific settings. Customize your blog to fit your personal or business needs. Manage your site with TypePad’s Dashboard. Monitor and make sense of traffic. Work with pages and—of course—publish your posts. Deal with comments, manage trackbacks, and handle comment spam. Find a stock theme—or customize one yourself. Work with images and photos.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Sams Teach Yourself Flickr in 10 Minutes | Steve Holzner

Sams Teach Yourself Flickr® in 10 Minutes offers straightforward, practical answers when you need fast results. By working through 10-minute lessons, you’ll learn everything you need to know to upload, manage, and share your photos and videos with Flickr–right now! Tips point out shortcuts and solutions Cautions help you avoid common pitfalls Notes provide additional information

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Science in the Context of Application

We increasingly view the world around us as a product of science and technology. Accordingly, we have begun to appreciate that science does not take its problems only from nature and then produces technological applications, but that the very problems of scientific research themselves are generated by science and technology. Simultaneously, problems like global warming, the toxicology of nanoparticles, or the use of renewable energies are constituted by many factors that interact with great complexity. Science in the context of application is challenged to gain new understanding and control of such complexity—it cannot seek shelter in the ivory tower or simply pursue its internal quest for understanding and gradual improvement of grand theories.

Science in the Context of Application will identify, explore and assess these changes. Part I considers the "Changing Conditions of Scientific Research" and part II "Science, Values, and Society". Examples are drawn from pharmaceutical research, the information sciences, simulation modelling, nanotechnology, cancer research, the effects of commercialization, and many other fields. The book assembles papers from well-known European and American Science Studies scholars like Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, Janet Kourany, Michael Mahoney, Margaret Morrison, Hans-Jörg Rheinberger, Arie Rip, Dan Sarewitz, Peter Weingart, and others.

The individual chapters are written to address anyone who is concerned about the role of contemporary science in society, including scientists, philosophers, and policy makers.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Communications satellites: global change agents

Over the past 40 years, satellites have played a key role in creating a global culture, spreading worldwide entertainment, stimulating technological interchange, and promoting trade around the world. "Communications Satellites: Global Change Agents" addresses communications satellites not only in terms of the technology and the services they provide, but also with consideration of the technology's impact in socio-political, security, economic, policy, news, entertainment, and cultural spheres. 

Editors Joseph N. Pelton, Robert J. Oslund, and Peter Marshall bring together contributions that place satellites into a broad context and examine how they influence and define today's world. Written in a non-technical, reader-friendly style, chapters investigate how satellite communications work and explore the role of satellites in such arenas as: 

*news and entertainment systems around the world; *Internet, E-business, and the new global economy; *global television and radio channels; *military operations; and *education, health services, economic development, and electronic immigration. 

"Communications Satellites: Global Change Agents" examines what satellites have been and projects how they will evolve in the future, articulating what they mean to the world today and forecasting what they will mean tomorrow. As the definitive source on communications satellites and their role in today's world, this volume serves as a valuable, unique, and timely resource for scholars and students in telecommunications, communication and technology, mass communication and society, and broadcasting.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Geometric and Engineering Drawing, Second Edition

Geometric and Engineering Drawing is an established text suitable for GCSE and basic engineering courses. This book aims to cover the whole range of subject matter relevant to introductory courses in technical drawing, with diagrams free of irrelevant information and a large number of examples of an appropriate standard, many of them taken from past examination papers.

Topics are introduced in a logical order so that all the necessary background knowledge will already have been presented before any particular problem or technique is discussed. Both first-angle and third-angle projection are used, although third-angle predominates, reflecting its increased acceptance in industry and education.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Mathematics content for elementary teachers

Intended as a core textbook for courses on mathematics contents for elementary teachers; it will help teachers develop appropriate background and understanding of the mathematics they will be teaching. THE book for elementary education mathematics content courses! Designed to help prospective teachers of elementary school mathematics learn content beyond the rote level, this text stimulates readers to think beyond just getting the problem right and fosters their development into thoughtful, reflective, self-motivated, life-long learners. It stresses the what and why of elementary school mathematics content. 

Hints are provided about how to teach the content but this is mostly left to courses and texts that are dedicated to that purpose.The text is organized around the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics' Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. The Standards dictate the basic sections of the text. Within each section, appropriate specific topics are developed, intertwined with technology, problem solving, assessment, equity issues, planning, teaching skills, use of manipulatives, sequencing, and much more. In addition, major focal points of the Standards are emphasized throughout: effective teachers of mathematics should be able to motivate all students to learn, should understand the developmental levels of how children learn, should concentrate on what children need to become active participants in the learning environment, and should be engaged in ongoing investigations of new mathematical concepts and teaching strategies.Mathematics Content for Elementary Teachers is based on several fundamental premises:*The focus of mathematics education should be on the process, not the answer.

*Elementary teachers should know the mathematics content they are teaching, know more than the content they are teaching, and teach from the overflow of knowledge.*It is important for teachers to be flexible in allowing students to use different procedures--teaching from the "overflow of knowledge" implies knowing how to do a given operation more than one way and being willing to examine many different ways.*Teachers need to learn to carefully cover the topics to be taught, to reflect upon them, and to be able to organize them. To help prospective elementary teachers concentrate on the mathematics content they will be expected to teach and begin to build the foundation for the methods they will use, this text includes only elementary mathematics content and does not address middle school concepts.Pedagogical features:*The text is organized according to NCTM Standards.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Magnetic Bearings: Theory, Design, and Application to Rotating Machinery

Compiling the expertise of nine pioneers of the field, Magnetic Bearings - Theory, Design, and Application to Rotating Machinery offers an encyclopedic study of this rapidly emerging field with a balanced blend of commercial and academic perspectives. Every element of the technology is examined in detail, beginning at the component level and proceeding through a thorough exposition of the design and performance of these systems.

The book is organized in a logical fashion, starting with an overview of the technology and a survey of the range of applications. A background chapter then explains the central concepts of active magnetic bearings while avoiding a morass of technical details. From here, the reader continues to a meticulous, state-of-the-art exposition of the component technologies and the manner in which they are assembled to form the AMB/rotor system. These system models and performance objectives are then tied together through extensive discussions of control methods for both rigid and flexible rotors, including consideration of the problem of system dynamics identification. Supporting this, the issues of system reliability and fault management are discussed from several useful and complementary perspectives. At the end of the book, numerous special concepts and systems, including micro-scale bearings, self-bearing motors, and self-sensing bearings, are put forth as promising directions for new research and development.

Newcomers to the field will find the material highly accessible while veteran practitioners will be impressed by the level of technical detail that emerges from a combination of sophisticated analysis and insights gleaned from many collective years of practical experience. An exhaustive, self-contained text on active magnetic bearing technology, this book should be a core reference for anyone seeking to understand or develop systems using magnetic bearings.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Scientific and technological thinking | Michael E. Gorman

At the turn of the 21st century, the most valuable commodity in society is knowledge--particularly new knowledge that may give a culture, company, or laboratory an adaptive advantage. Knowledge about the cognitive processes that lead to discovery and invention can enhance the probability of making valuable new discoveries and inventions. Such knowledge needs to be made widely available to ensure that no particular interest group "corners the market" on techno-scientific creativity. Knowledge can also facilitate the development of business strategies and social policies based on a genuine understanding of the creative processes. Furthermore, through an understanding of principles underlying the cognitive processes related to discovery, educators can utilize these principles to teach students effective problem-solving strategies as part of their education as future scientists. 

This book takes the reader out onto the cutting edge of research in scientific and technological thinking. The authors advocate a multiple-method approach; chapters include detailed case studies of contemporary and historical practices, experiments, computational simulations, and innovative theoretical analyses. 

The editors attempt a provocative synthesis of this work at the end. In order to achieve true scientific and technological progress, an understanding of the process by which species are transforming the world is needed. This book makes an important step in that direction by leading to breakthroughs in the understanding of discovery and invention.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Communication and Implementation: Sustaining the Practice (Measurement and Evaluation Series) | Jack J. Phillips, Wendi Friedman Tush

Communication and Implementation is the sixth of six books in the Measurement and Evaluation Series from Pfeiffer. The proven ROI Methodology—developed by the ROI Institute—provides a practical system for evaluation planning, data collection, data analysis, and reporting. All six books in the series offer the latest tools, most current research, and practical advice for measuring ROI in a variety of settings.

Communication and Implementation explores two important topics that are vital to the ROI Methodology—reporting results and sustaining the process. The authors show how to report results that will ensure that the audience has the information needed so that the improvement processes will be implemented successfully. The book explores the range of reporting methods, including face-to-face meetings, brief reports, one-page summaries, routine communication, mass-audience techniques, and electronic communications. The authors offer suggestions for determining the best methods to employ. In addition, Communication and Implementation contains information on how to keep the ROI process going for the long haul and how to make it a valued process for any organization.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Mobile Phone Programming and its Application to Wireless Networking

This book provides a solid overview of mobile phone programming targeting both academia and industry. The book covers all commercial realizations of Symbian, Windows Mobile and Linux platforms. Each programming language (JAVA, Python, C/C++) and a set of development environments are introduced “step by step” making developers familiar with current limitations, pitfalls, and challenges.

Each chapter contains examples and source code to rapidly make developers familiar with the most important concepts. Examples cover peer to peer networks, cooperative networking, cross layer protocol design, key challenges such as power consumption, and sensor networks for which a full hardware and software implementation is provided.

The book’s DVD contains all presented development environments and source code examples. Whether you are an experienced developer or an advanced student this book will be your key reference for successfully entering the world of software development for mobile devices.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Engineering Statics Second Edition

This book deals with the fundamentals of statics and their application to a broad range of engineering problems. The treatment is intended primarily for undergraduate students of civil, structural and environmental engineering but we hope that it will also be of use to anyone with an interest in engineering mechanic.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Materials Science with Ion Beam

This book introduces materials scientists and designers, physicists and chemists to the properties of materials that can be modified by ion irradiation or implantation. These techniques can help design new materials or to test modified properties; novel applications already show that ion-beam techniques are complementary to others, yielding previously unattainable properties. Also, ion-beam interactions modify materials at the nanoscale, avoiding the often detrimental results of lithographic or chemical techniques. Here, the effects are related to better-known quasi-equilibrium thermodynamics, and the consequences to materials are discussed with concepts that are familiar to materials science. Examples addressed concern semiconductor physics, crystal and nanocluster growth, optics, magnetism, and applications to geology and biology.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More

Free Download | Mathematical Models for Speech Technology

This contrasts with some of the superficial similarities described in the existing literature; the historical background and origins of the theories and models; the connections to related disciplines, e.g. artificial intelligence, automata theory and information theory; an elucidation of the current debates and their intellectual origins; many important little-known results and some original proofs of fundamental results, e.g. a geometric interpretation of parameter estimation techniques for stochastic models and finally the author's own unique perspectives on the future of this discipline.

Mathematical Models of Spoken Language presents the motivations for, intuitions behind, and basic mathematical models of natural spoken language communication. A comprehensive overview is given of all aspects of the problem from the physics of speech production through the hierarchy of linguistic structure and ending with some observations on language and mind.

The author comprehensively explores the argument that these modern technologies are actually the most extensive compilations of linguistic knowledge available.Throughout the book, the emphasis is on placing all the material in a mathematically coherent and computationally tractable framework that captures linguistic structure.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 | 0 comments | Read More