Wood as an engineering material can be technically defined as a hygroscopic, orthotropic, biological, and permeable material having extreme chemical diversity and physical complexity with structures, that vary extensively in their shape, size, properties and function. Therefore, using wood to its best advantage and most efficiency in engineering applications, specific characteristics or chemical, physical and mechanical properties must be considered.
Over the past 4 billion years, microorganisms have contributed to shaping the earth and making it more habitable for higher forms of life. They are remarkable in their metabolic diversity and their ability to harvest energy from oxidation and reduction reactions. Research on these microbiological processes has led to the newly evolving fields of geomicrobiology and biogeochemistry, linking the geosphere and the biosphere.
This book focuses on the biodiversity and ecology of West African forests. The first part of the book includes 8 chapters which analyse the factors that give rise to biodiversity and structure tropical plant communities. It emphasizes the distribution and state of the forests and analyses vegetation gradients, determines hotspots of plant diversity, and treats distribution patterns of rare and endemic species in the Upper Guinean forests which extend from Senegal to Togo. The main part of the book is an atlas with ecological profiles of 280 rare and endemic plant species and 56 large timber species, each with a one-page entry including a coloured photograph and distribution map. This book will appeal to researchers working in forestry, biodiversity, plant ecology and conservation.
Who was Muhammad? What do Muslims believe about him? What have non-Muslims said about him? Why has he been such a controversial figure? Why have non-Muslims called him a charlatan, and oppurtunist? Why Muslims call him the ‘perfect man’? Why have his sexuality and his military exploits attracted censure? Are the texts available for constructing his biography reliable or suspect? There are some of the questions and issues which Clinton Bennett explores in his book. His preference for a conservative evaluation of the historical record will not please everyone, nor will his sympathetic treatment of Salman Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses. In his effort to gain an insider-like understanding of Muhammad, the author found himself discussing at length some contentious issues, such as whether or not Muhammad performed miracles. His encounters with Muslims suggested that whilst non-Muslims have tended to dismiss the miracle stories as pious fiction, Muslims accept their authenticity. The author, who develops what he calls and ‘anthropological theology’ to pursue his study, argues that our preconceptions about Muhammad, rather than our reserch methods, determine how we reply to the question. ‘What do you thin of Muhammad?’. The book takes diversity of Muslim opinion seriously and explores what theologians, mystics, philosophers and politicians have said about Muhammad. In addition, the book, which combines textual and interpersonal research, concludes with an attempt to incorporate regard for Muhammad within the authors own Christian worldview. Clinton Bennett’s overall approach ensures the book’s usefulness as a guide to Islamic thought and history. Clinton Bennett, newly appointed Associate Professor of Religion and Baylor University, Texas, was Senior Lecturer in Religious Studies, and assistant chaplain, at Westminster College, Oxford. He has worked in Bangladesh, in Birmingham as a community development worker, and on the staff of the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland. he has also written Victorian Images of Islam (1992) and In Search of the Sacred: Athropology and the Study of Religions (1996) and is the editor of Discernment: An Ecumenical Journal of Inter-Religious Encounter. He is a Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society and of the Royal Anthropological Institute.
North-East India, comprising the seven contiguous states around Assam, the principal state of the region, is a relatively unknown, yet very fascinating region. The forest clad peripheral mountains, home to indigenous peoples like the Nagas, Mizos and the Khasis, the densely populated Brahmaputra valley with its lush green tea gardens and the golden rice fields, the moderately populated hill regions and plateaus, and the sparsely inhabited Himalayas, form a unique mosaic of natural and cultural landscapes and human interactions, with unparalleled diversity.
Recent developments in the European integration process have raised, amongst many things, the issue of linguistic diversity. This is regarded by some as a stumbling block to the creation and sustainability of a European democratic polity and to the fair working of its legal and social institutions. The ‘question of language,’ in this sense, concerns the nature and role of public communication and public discourse, both as sources of information and understanding, and as modes of legitimacy in law and politics. Its solution involves an understanding of the role played by natural languages as the main forms of social communication, and the consequent design of policies and institutional mechanisms, which may facilitate inter-linguistic and intercultural communication. Put in this way, this is not an exclusively European problem. Nor is it an entirely new problem, for it also presents itself in the form of the relationship between linguistic majorities and minorities.
The book contains surveys and research papers on mathematical software and algorithms. The common thread is that the field of mathematical applications lies on the border between algebra and geometry. Topics include polyhedral geometry, elimination theory, algebraic surfaces, Gr’obner bases, triangulations of point sets and the mutual relationship. This diversity is accompanied by the abundance of available software systems which often handle only special mathematical aspects. Therefore the volumes other focus is on solutions towards the integration of mathematical software systems. This includes low-level and XML based high-level communication channels as well as general frameworks for modular systems.
Soft Computing Approach to Pattern Classification and Object Recognition establishes an innovative, unified approach to supervised pattern classification and model-based occluded object recognition. The book also surveys various soft computing tools, fuzzy relational calculus (FRC), genetic algorithm (GA) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) to provide a strong foundation for the reader. The supervised approach to pattern classification and model-based approach to occluded object recognition are treated in one framework , one based on either a conventional interpretation or a new interpretation of multidimensional fuzzy implication (MFI) and a novel notion of fuzzy pattern vector (FPV). By combining practice and theory, a completely independent design methodology was developed in conjunction with this supervised approach on a unified framework, and then tested thoroughly against both synthetic and real-life data. In the field of soft computing, such an application-oriented design study is unique in nature. The monograph essentially mimics the cognitive process of human decision making, and carries a message of perceptual integrity in representational diversity. Soft Computing Approach to Pattern Classification and Object Recognition is intended for researchers in the area of pattern classification and computer vision. Other academics and practitioners will also find the book valuable.
Within the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) was established as an implementing agreement. The CPB is an international agreement establishing the rights of recipient countries to be notified of and to approve or reject the domestic import and/or production of living modified organisms (LMOs). Decisions regarding import/production are to be on the basis of a biosafety assessment. Article 26.1 of the CPB allows for the (optional) inclusion of socio-economic considerations (SECs) into that biosafety assessment process. This book compiles expert assessments of the issues relevant to SEC assessment of LMOs and fundamental for decisions regarding whether to undertake such assessments at all. It includes an overview of the inclusion of SEC assessment in the regulation of LMOs that looks at the rationale for the inclusion of SECs, in the context of the existing science-based risk assessment systems. This book reviews the various factors that can and have been suggested for inclusion in SEC assessment, and provides a meaningful dialogue about the contrasts, benefits and tradeoffs that are, and will, be created by the potential move to the inclusion of SECs in the regulation of LMOs, making it of interest to both academics and policy-makers.
Recently there has been intense research activity on the subject of wavelet/subband theory and application. Experts in such diverse fields as mathematics, physics, electrical engineering and image processing have provided original and pioneering works and results. But this diversity, while rich and productive, has lead to a sense of fragmentation, especially to those new to the field, and nonspecialists, trying to understand the connections between the different aspects of wavelet and subband theory.
‘Acting: An International Encyclopedia’ explores the amazing diversity of dramatic expression found in rituals, festivals, and live and filmed performances. Its hundreds of alphabetically arranged, fully referenced entries offer insights into famous players, writers, and directors, as well as notable stage and film productions from around the world and throughout the history of theater, cinema, and television.
Advances in genome sequencing, analytical instrumentation, and computing power have excitingly transformed the practice of biology by now making it possible to understand complex biological systems as collections of proteins-proteomes. In Introduction to Proteomics: Tools for the New Biology, Daniel C. Liebler masterfully introduces the science of proteomics by spelling out the basics of how one analyzes proteins and proteomes, and just how these approaches are then employed to investigate their roles in living systems. He explains the key concepts of proteomics, how the analytical instrumentation works, what data mining and other software tools do, and how these tools can be integrated to study proteomes. Also discussed are how protein and peptide separation techniques are applied in proteomics, how mass spectrometry is used to identify proteins, and how data analysis software enables protein identification and the mapping of modifications. In addition, there are proteomic approaches for analyzing differential protein expression, characterizing proteomic diversity, and dissecting protein-protein interactions and networks.
Solving complex problems in real-world contexts, such as financial investment planning or mining large data collections, involves many different sub-tasks, each of which requires different techniques. To deal with such problems, a great diversity of intelligent techniques are available, including traditional techniques like expert systems approaches and soft computing techniques like fuzzy logic, neural networks, or genetic algorithms. These techniques are complementary approaches to intelligent information processing rather than competing ones, and thus better results in problem solving are achieved when these techniques are combined in hybrid intelligent systems. Multi-Agent Systems are ideally suited to model the manifold interactions among the many different components of hybrid intelligent systems.
Here is the first comprehensive survey of modern craft in the United States. Makersfollows the development of studio craft–objects in fiber, clay, glass, wood, and metal–from its roots in nineteenth-century reform movements to the rich diversity of expression at the end of the twentieth century. &9; More than four hundred illustrations complement this chronological exploration of the American craft tradition. Keeping as their main focus the objects and the makers, Janet Koplos and Bruce Metcalf offer a detailed analysis of seminal works and discussions of education, institutional support, and the philosophical underpinnings of craft. In a vivid and accessible narrative, they highlight the value of physical skill, examine craft as a force for moral reform, and consider the role of craft as an aesthetic alternative. Exploring craft’s relationship to fine arts and design, Koplos and Metcalf foster a critical understanding of the field and help explain craft’s place in contemporary culture. Makers will be an indispensable volume for craftspeople, curators, collectors, critics, historians, students, and anyone who is interested in American craft. &9; &9; Exploring craft’s relationship to fine arts and design, Koplos and Metcalf foster a critical understanding of the field and help explain craft’s place in contemporary culture. Makers will be an indispensable volume for craftspeople, curators, collectors, critics, historians, students, and anyone who is interested in American craft.
This bestselling text on marriages, families, and relationships combines a rigorous scholarly and applied approach with a unique theme especially relevant to today’s dynamic global environment: Making choices in a diverse society. The text achieves an excellent balance between the sociological, or ecological and family systems theoretical perspectives, while including extensive coverage of family dynamics and interpersonal relationships. The authors use an engaging presentation to create a highly readable text that offers insightful perspectives on the diversity of our modern society, including different ethnic traditions and family forms.
Public Debt Dynamics of Europe and the U.S., provides the evidence and implications of current policies by sovereigns and central banks, in dealing with the debt abyss. It brings in perspective the diversity of opinion reigning in modern economics and finance and outlines the themes which, among themselves, are defining the society in which we live.
Competency-Based Education for Professional Psychology presents the most up-to-date, research-based model for education in professional psychology. The volume is divided into four parts. Part I presents an overview of the training model and discusses the theories and research that form the basis of the model. Part II describes the seven core competencies needed by professional psychologists: relationship, assessment, intervention, research and evaluation, consultation and education, management and supervision, and diversity. Chapters in this section discuss the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that characterize each competency and provide examples of proven curricula and teaching methods. Part III addresses the characteristics and key roles of faculty and administrators, and Part IV describes future challenges in professional psychology education. By providing methods for implementing the model in different educational and training settings, this book will serve as a key resource for everyone involved in the education, training, and regulation of professional psychologists.
