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Books in Physical sciences and engineering

    • Health Information Exchange: Navigating and Managing a Network of Health Information Systems

      • 1st Edition
      • Brian Dixon
      • English
      Health Information Exchange (HIE): Navigating and Managing a Network of Health Information Systems allows health professionals to appropriately access, and securely share, patients’ vital medical information electronically, thus improving the speed, quality, safety, and cost of patient care. The book presents foundational knowledge on HIE, covering the broad areas of technology, governance, and policy, providing a concise, yet in-depth, look at HIE that can be used as a teaching tool for universities, healthcare organizations with a training component, certification institutions, and as a tool for self-study for independent learners who want to know more about HIE when studying for certification exams. In addition, it not only provides coverage of the technical, policy, and organizational aspects of HIE, but also touches on HIE as a growing profession. In Part One, the book defines HIE, describing it as an emerging profession within HIT/Informatics. In Part Two, the book provides key information on the policy and governance of HIE, including stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, sustainability, etc. Part Three focuses on the technology behind HIE, defining and describing master person indexes, information infrastructure, interfacing, and messaging, etc. In Part Four, the authors discuss the value of HIE, and how to create and measure it. Finally, in Part Five, the book provides perspectives on the future of HIE, including emerging trends, unresolved challenges, etc.
    • The Chaos Frontier

      Creative Strategic Control for Business
      • 1st Edition
      • Ralph D. Stacey
      • English
      The Chaos Frontier: Creative Strategic Control for Business presents the effective ways of managing and controlling innovative organizations in chaotic times. This book discusses the theories of chaos and self-organization developed by mathematicians, biologists, chemists, and physicists. Organized into four parts encompassing 13 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the scientific sense of chaos as those systems driven by certain types of perfectly orderly laws capable of behaving in a manner that is random and therefore inherently unpredictable over the long term. This text then examines the key elements that managers need to incorporate into a dynamic model of managing if they are to design effective actions in a turbulent business world. Other chapters consider organizational effectiveness and the ability to sustain competitive capability. The final chapter deals with creative interaction between a business and the other organizations and people that are its environment. This book is a valuable resource for managers.
    • Electrochemical Methods in Soil and Water Research

      • 1st Edition
      • T.R. Yu + 1 more
      • English
      This book deals with the principles and practices of electrochemical methods as applied to soil and water research, particularly those that can be carried out in the field. Beginning with the basis of potentiometric methods, including electrode potential, principles of potentiometric methods, reference electrodes, liquid-junction potential and characteristics of ion-selective electrodes, the author then proceeds to describe the properties and applications of various types of potentiometric electrodes, including glass, solid-state membrane, liquid-state membrane, oxidation-reduction and gas sensors. A special chapter devoted to commonly encountered problems will aid readers not familiar with potentiometric methods. Voltammetric methods, conductometric methods and electrochemical instruments are also discussed.
    • Textile Fibre Composites in Civil Engineering

      • 1st Edition
      • Thanasis Triantafillou
      • English
      Textile Fibre Composites in Civil Engineering provides a state-of-the-art review from leading experts on recent developments, the use of textile fiber composites in civil engineering, and a focus on both new and existing structures. Textile-based composites are new materials for civil engineers. Recent developments have demonstrated their potential in the prefabrication of concrete structures and as a tool for both strengthening and seismic retrofitting of existing concrete and masonry structures, including those of a historical value. The book reviews materials, production technologies, fundamental properties, testing, design aspects, applications, and directions for future research and developments. Following the opening introductory chapter, Part One covers materials, production technologies, and the manufacturing of textile fiber composites for structural and civil engineering. Part Two moves on to review testing, mechanical behavior, and durability aspects of textile fiber composites used in structural and civil engineering. Chapters here cover topics such as the durability of structural elements and bond aspects in textile fiber composites. Part Three analyzes the structural behavior and design of textile reinforced concrete. This section includes a number of case studies providing thorough coverage of the topic. The final section of the volume details the strengthening and seismic retrofitting of existing structures. Chapters investigate concrete and masonry structures, in addition to providing information and insights on future directions in the field. The book is a key volume for researchers, academics, practitioners, and students working in civil and structural engineering and those working with advanced construction materials.
    • Transition Metal-Catalyzed Pyridine Synthesis

      Transition Metal-Catalyzed Heterocycle Synthesis Series
      • 1st Edition
      • Xiao-Feng Wu
      • English
      Transition Metal-Catalyzed Pyridine Synthesis provides an overview of pyridines, describing properties of these heterocycle compounds and describing traditional synthetic procedures for them. The book then explores catalyzed procedures for pyridine synthesis in greater detail and depth than is currently available in published Review articles. The short series Transition Metal-Catalyzed Heterocycles Synthesis, authored by Xiao-Feng Wu, summarizes recent achievements on heterocycles synthesis with transition metal as the catalysts, with each volume dedicated to one heterocycle compound.
    • Automatic Instruments and Measuring Systems

      Jones' Instrument Technology
      • 1st Edition
      • Rudolf Radnai + 1 more
      • English
      Jones' Instrument Technology, Volume 5: Automatic Instruments and Measuring Systems deals with general trends in automatic instruments and measuring systems. Specific examples are provided to illustrate the principles of such devices. A brief review of a considerable number of standards is undertaken, with emphasis on the IEC625 Interface System. Other relevant standards are reviewed, including the interface and backplane bus standards. This volume is comprised of seven chapters and begins with a short introduction to the principles of automatic measurements, classification of measuring systems, application areas, and interface systems. The discussion then turns to the connection of the individual units of an IEC-interface-based measuring system, along with control units, computers, programmable calculators, and special system controllers. The chapters that follow focus on the building blocks of automatic measuring systems, their design and assembly, and the merits and uses of IEC system analyzers. The final chapter reviews alternative serial and parallel systems and interfaces, as well as the standards available. This monograph will be invaluable to electronics and electrical engineers.
    • Instrumentation Systems

      Jones' Instrument Technology
      • 4th Edition
      • B E Noltingk
      • English
      Jones' Instrument Technology, Volume 4: Instrumentation Systems is an installment of a book series on instrument technology. This volume deals with matters that are most common to all instruments and differs from the previous volumes in terms of length and practical or theoretical content. Chapter 1 gives insights into the types of components and construction used in commercial instrumentation. This chapter also includes topics such as instrument design, construction process, and its mechanical instruments. Chapter 2 discusses instrument's installation and management, along with several important notes. This chapter also includes discussions on instrument piping, cabling, earthing, and testing. In Chapter 3, the topic shifts to why instrument sampling is important, whether it is solid, liquid, gas, or a mix of any of the three. Chapter 4 revolves around the application of electronic signal-processing techniques to transducers and instruments. The next few chapters of this book cover telemetry, display and recording, and pneumatic instrumentation. The last two chapters talk about the reliability and safeness. This book serves as a great reference for people who are interested in learning instrument technology.
    • Gamma-Ray Lasers

      • 1st Edition
      • B. Balko
      • English
      Provides a definitive overview of the current status of gamma-ray lasers including contributions from scientists pursuing active research in areas relevant to the graser problem. Describes a range of programmes which deal with selecting candidate nuclei, procuring the right lasing medium and forming it into an acicular geometry, working in an energy regime that enables utilizing the Mossbauer Effect, using the Campbell-Borrmann Effect to decrease electronic absorption, designing basic experiments that demonstrate critical steps necessary to produce a graser, and clarifying a number of theoretical problems specific to the nuclear laser.
    • An Introduction to Fiber Optics System Design

      • 1st Edition
      • B.E. Briley
      • English
      A thorough account on the basics of fiber optics system design is contained in this volume. Introducing the topics from the vantage point of the student and professional electrical engineer, the aim of the text is to teach rather than merely present facts. The overall view of the text is toward practical engineering considerations including costs, and a discussion of radiation effects is associated with each appropriate chapter.The volume begins with a history of optical communications, leading to the now widely practiced field of fiber optics. Comparisons are made to conventional media and techniques: wire-line, coaxial cable, and radio. The nature and properties of optical fiber are examined, including manufacturing techniques, and fiber types and capabilities. The theory of light guidance is introduced in steps, beginning with a slab waveguide. Solutions of Maxwell's equations are derived and explained in view of the peculiar nature of the medium. Electro-optic devices are examined, including launching and detecting devices. The properties and varieties of these devices are explored. In particular, light-emitting diodes, injection laser diodes, p-i-n diodes, and avalanche photo diodes are covered. The electronic circuits necessary to adequately serve the electro-optic devices are examined and contrasted with more conventional types.Modulation techniques appropriate to optical fiber transmission systems are enumerated and compared. Overall system considerations are addressed, and examples are given of various systems that have been deployed, or are planned for deployment. Expectations for future developments and trends in the field are enumerated, with indications of their significance. Topics such as ultra-low-loss fiber and coherent detections techniques are discussed.Appendices comprising an accounting of useful laboratory equipment, mathematical relations employed in the body of the text, and complete exercise solutions are included.
    • Precambrian Geology

      The Dynamic Evolution of the Continental Crust
      • 1st Edition
      • Alan M. Goodwin
      • English
      The main goal of this book is to provide a modern comprehensive statement on the Earth's Precambrian crust. It uses geographic and tectonic location, lithostratigraphy, geochronology, and petrogenesis as a basis for considering Precambrian coastal evolution--including the role of plate tectonics. Detailed consideration is given to the endogenic and exogenic processes which formed the continental crust and also to its subsequent secular evolution across Precambrian time**An essential reference volume for every Precambrian geologist.