springer berlin heidelberg jul 2003 (189 risultati)

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Young lawyers from different academic centres in Germany and Poland comment on the ongoing constitutional debate in the EU. Each of the more than 20 articles is dedicated to a specific theme, i.e. human rights, institutional design, current and future function of the EU, homogeneity and identity, security and defence policy, home policy and common values. Similarities as well as differences in the perspectives of an old EU Member State on the one hand and an EU Member State-to-be on the other hand are revealed.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 612 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The refereed proceedings of the 9th Annual International Computing and Combinatorics Conference, COCOON 2003, held in Big Sky, MT, USA in July 2003.The 52 revised full papers presented together with 3 invited contributions were carefully reviewed and selected from 114 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on computational geometry, computational biology, computability and complexity theory, graph theory and graph algorithms, automata and Petri net theory, distributed computing, Web-based computing, scheduling, graph drawing, and fixed-parameter complexity theory. 580 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Contains everything that a project team needs to know about the development and deployment of Web services with the IBM WebSphere product family. Included will be examples for all development artifacts in a format that can be reused in the reader¿s project. It combines the authors¿ own practical experiences with consolidated information on the latest product capabilities in a unique approach that allows the book to be easily accessible to a broad spectrum of readers. Finding a balance between a euphoric/optimistic and down-to earth/realistic view on the subject, this book will be an essential part of every Web service developer¿s bookshelf.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 684 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The papers in this volume were presented at the 14th Symposium on Fun- mentals of Computation Theory. The symposium was established in 1977 as a biennial event for researchers interested in all aspects of theoretical computer science, in particular in al- rithms, complexity, and formal and logical methods. The previous FCT con- rences were held in the following cities: Poznan ¿ (Poland, 1977), Wendisch-Rietz (Germany, 1979), Szeged (Hungary, 1981), Borgholm (Sweden, 1983), Cottbus (Germany, 1985), Kazan (Russia, 1987), Szeged (Hungary, 1989), Gosen-Berlin (Germany, 1991), Szeged (Hungary, 1993), Dresden (Germany, 1995), Krak¿ ow (Poland, 1997), Iasi (Romania, 1999), and Riga (Latvia, 2001). The FCT conferences are coordinated by the FCT steering committee, which consistsofB.Chlebus(Denver/Warsaw),Z.Esik(Szeged),M.Karpinski(Bonn), A. Lingas (Lund), M. Santha (Paris), E. Upfal (Providence), and I. Wegener (Dortmund). The call for papers sought contributions on original research in all aspects of theoretical computer science including design and analysis of algorithms, abstract data types, approximation algorithms, automata and formal lang- ges, categorical and topological approaches, circuits, computational and str- turalcomplexity,circuitandprooftheory,computationalbiology,computational geometry, computer systems theory, concurrency theory, cryptography, domain theory, distributed algorithms and computation, molecular computation, qu- tum computation and information, granular computation, probabilistic com- tation, learning theory, rewriting, semantics, logicin computer science, speci - tion, transformation and veri cation, and algebraic aspects of computer science. There were 73 papers submitted, of which the majority were very good.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 452 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book provides an overview of many of the dramatic recent developments in the fields of astronomy, cosmology and fundamental physics. Topics include observations of the structure in the cosmic background radiation, evidence for an accelerating Universe, the extraordinary concordance in the fundamental parameters of the Universe coming from these and other diverse observations, the search for dark matter candidates, evidence for neutrino oscillations, space experiments on fundamental physics, and discoveries of extrasolar planets. This book will be useful for researchers and graduate students who wish to have a broad overview of the current developments in these fields.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 532 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This volume contains the papers presented at the 19th International Conference on Automated Deduction (CADE-19) held 28 July¿2 August 2003 in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. They are divided into the following categories: ¿ 4 contributions by invited speakers: one full paper and three short abstracts; ¿ 29 accepted technical papers; ¿ 7 descriptions of automated reasoning systems. These proceedings also contain a short description of the automated theor- proving system competition (CASC-19) organized by Geo Sutcli e and Chr- tian Suttner. Despite many competing smaller conferences and workshops covering di - entaspectsofautomateddeduction,CADEisstillthemajorforumfordiscussing new results on all aspects of automated deduction as well as presenting new s- tems and improvements of established systems. In contrast to the previous year, when CADE was one of the conferences participating in the Third Federated Logic Conference (FLoC 2002), and next year, when CADE will be part of the Second International Joint Conference on Automated Reasoning (IJCAR 2004), CADE-19 was organized as a stand-alone event.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 524 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The 7th Annual Financial Cryptography Conference was held January 27¿30, 2003, in Guadeloupe, French West Indies. Financial Cryptography is organized by the International Financial Cryptography Association. Financial Cryptography 2003 received 54 paper submissions, of which one was withdrawn. The remaining papers were carefully reviewed by at least three members of the program committee. The program committee selected 17 papers for inclusion in the conference, revised versions of which are included in this proceedings. In addition to the submitted papers, the program included interesting and entertaining invited talks by Tim Jones on digital cash and by Richard Field on the interactions between technology and the United Nations. There were also several panels, on micropayments, economics of security, and trusted computing platforms, some of which are represented by contributions in these proceedings, and a rump session chaired by Juan Garay. We thank the program committee (listed on the next page) for their hard work in selecting the program from these papers. We also thank the external referees who helped with the reviewing task: N. Asokan, Danny Bickson, - manuel Bresson, Dario Catalano, Xuhua Ding, Louis Granboulan, Stuart Haber, Amir Herzberg, Bill Horne, Russ Housley, Yongdae Kim, Brian LaMacchia, Phil MacKenzie, Maithili Narasimha, Phong Nguyen, Kaisa Nyberg, David Poi- cheval, Tomas Sander, Yaron Sella, Mike Szydlo, Anat Talmy, Ahmed Tew k, Susanne Wetzel, Shouhuai Xu, and Jeong Yi. (Apologies for any omissions - advertent.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 336 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Improved understanding of the key role of financial aspects in the growth and development of economic systems is an important aspect of economic analysis. This first textbook on development finance provides a comprehensive coverage of this new area of economics. The book integrates relevant theoretical approaches and their policy applications. A unique perspective combines transaction cost economics and neoclassical economics. The author also treats important policy issues of national and international relevance. The roles of public and private finance, domestic and external finance, short-term and long-term capital flows, sovereign debt management features, country risk and other determinants of foreign direct investments, multilateral official development assistance and development of financial institutions are some of the topics examined in this book.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 232 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The dynamic changes in the market and the competitive environment demand a reorientation of marketing strategies. Developing and cultivating direct customer relationships and building customer trust are becoming key success factors. With new technologies such as broadband internet and mobile communication, companies are able to create closer dialogs with key customers. These new technologies will have far-reaching consequences for marketing, sales and customer service. This book analyses the enduring changes marketing is undergoing and present the four most important new concepts: Holistic brand management, customer relationship marketing, real-time marketing and multi-channel marketing. The text is accompanied by selected case studies from all over the world.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 160 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The idea of a FAABS workshop was first conceived in 1998 at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, while the Agent Technology Development Group in the Advanced Architectures and Automation Branch (Code 588) was developing a prototype agent community to automate satellite ground operations. While developing this system, several race conditions arose within and between agents. Due to the complexity of the agents and the communications between them, it was decided that a formal approach was needed to specify the agents and the communications between them, so that the system could be checked for additional errors. A formal model of the inter-agent communications was developed, with the expectation that this would enable us to find more errors. Success in this convinced us of the importance of using formal methods to model agent-based systems. To share our own experiences and to learn how others were approaching these issues, we decided to hold a workshop on formal methods and agent-based systems. The response was overwhelming. The result was the first FAABS workshop, which was held at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Posters, paper presentations, panels, and an invited talk by J Moore stimulated much discussion and subsequent collaboration. 312 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This volume contains the proceedings of ICCS 2003, the 11th International C- ferenceonConceptualStructures. Thisconferenceseriescontinuestobethemain forum for the presentation and discussion of state-of-the-art research on conc- tualstructures. Thetheories,methodologies,andtechniquespresentedherehave grown considerably in scope in recent years. On the other hand, solid bridges spanning the boundaries between such diverse elds as Conceptual Graphs, F- mal Concept Analysis, and others are increasingly being built in our community. The theme of this year¿s conference was ¿Conceptual Structures for Kno- edge Creation and Communication¿. In our increasingly (Inter)networked world, the potential support of information technology for the creation and commu- cation of quality knowledge is almost boundless. However, in reality, many c- ceptual barriers prevent the use of this potential. The main problem is no longer in the technological infrastructure, but in how to navigate, use, and manage the wealth of available data resources. Thus, the question is: how to create and communicate from data the information and ultimately the knowledge required by an ever more complex and dynamic society Conceptual structures research focuses on what is behind and between the data glut and the information ov- load that need to be overcome in answering this question. In this way, our eld contributes important ideas on how to actually realize some of the many still ambitious visions. All regular papers were reviewed in a thorough and open process by at least two reviewers and one editor.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 424 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The matter of anticipation is, as the editors of this volume state in their preface, a rathernewtopic. Giventhealmostconstantusewemakeofanticipationin our dailyliving,itseemsoddthatthebulk ofpsychologistshavepersistentlyignored it. However, the reason for this disregard is not di cult to nd. The dogma of the scienti c revolution had from the outset laid down the principle that future conditions and events could not in uence the present. The law of causation clearly demands that causes should precedetheir e ects and, therefore,concepts such as purpose, anticipation, and even intention were taboo because they were thought to involve things and happenings that lay ahead in time. An analysis of the three concepts ¿ purpose, anticipation, and intention ¿ shows that they are rooted in the past and transcend the present only insofar as they contain mental representations of things to be striven for or avoided. Purposiveorgoal-directedactioncouldbe circumscribedasactioncarriedoutto attain something desirable. In each case, the particular action is chosenbecause, in the past, it has more or less reliably led to the desired end. The only way the future is involved in this procedure is through the belief that the experiential worldmanifestssomeregularityandallowsthelivingorganismtoanticipatethat what has workedin the past will continue to work in the future. This belief does not have to be conscious. Skinner¿s rats continued to turn left in a maze where theleftarmhadbeenbaited. Theydidsobecausethemeatpelletthey foundthe rst time had ¿reinforced¿ them to repeat the turn to the left.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 316 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Intelligent Data Engineering and Automated Learning (IDEAL) was initially a biennial forum dedicated to emerging and challenging topics in intelligent data analysis, knowledge discovery, and statistical and computational learning. The huge success of recent IDEAL conferences and the continuous growth of the eld have compelled it to become an annual conference after 2003. It is now a major international, interdisciplinary event covering subjects from data mining, inf- mation retrieval and management, autonomous learning, and agents to nancial engineering, neural networks, emerging learning paradigms and systems, bio- formatics, and pattern recognition. Data analysis and processing has become a common theme and plays a crucial role in many disciplines, especially in nance, biology, engineering, and information technology. Demand for intelligent met- dologies and tools is immense. The multidisciplinary nature of current research is pushing the traditional boundaries and bringing new ideas and solutions, and it is the way forward. This volume contains 164 refereed and nally accepted papers presented at the4thInternationalConferenceonIntelligentDataEngineeringandAutomated Learning (IDEAL 2003), held in Hong Kong, March 21-23, 2003. IDEAL 2003 received a record level of submissions, 321 in total, from all over the world. They were subsequently peer-reviewed by the Program Committee. The conference was held together with the 2003 IEEE International Conference on Computat- nal Intelligence for Financial Engineering at the modern and magni cent Hong KongConventionandExhibitionCentre.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 1168 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The main change in this edition is the inclusion of exercises with answers and hints. This is meant to emphasize that this volume has been written as a general course in modern analysis on a graduate student level and not only as the beginning of a specialized course in partial differen tial equations. In particular, it could also serve as an introduction to harmonic analysis. Exercises are given primarily to the sections of gen eral interest; there are none to the last two chapters. Most of the exercises are just routine problems meant to give some familiarity with standard use of the tools introduced in the text. Others are extensions of the theory presented there. As a rule rather complete though brief solutions are then given in the answers and hints. To a large extent the exercises have been taken over from courses or examinations given by Anders Melin or myself at the University of Lund. I am grateful to Anders Melin for letting me use the problems originating from him and fornumerous valuable comments on this collection. As in the revised printing of Volume II, a number of minor flaws have also been corrected in this edition. Many of these have been called to my attention by the Russian translators of the first edition, and I wish to thank them for our excellent collaboration.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 456 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This edition contains detailed solutions of selected exercises. Many readers have requested this, because it makes the book more suitable for self-study. At the same time new exercises (without solutions) have beed added. They have all been placed in the end of each chapter, in order to facilitate the use of this edition together with previous ones. Several errors have been corrected and formulations have been improved. This has been made possible by the valuable comments from (in alphabetical order) Jon Bohlin, Mark Davis, Helge Holden, Patrick Jaillet, Chen Jing, Natalia Koroleva,MarioLefebvre,Alexander Matasov,Thilo Meyer-Brandis, Keigo Osawa, Bjørn Thunestvedt, Jan Ubøe and Yngve Williassen. I thank them all for helping to improve the book. My thanks also go to Dina Haraldsson, who once again has performed the typing and drawn the gures with great skill. Blindern, September 2002 Bernt Øksendal xv Preface to Corrected Printing, Fifth Edition The main corrections and improvements in this corrected printing are from Chapter 12. I have bene tted from useful comments from a number of p- ple, including (in alphabetical order) Fredrik Dahl, Simone Deparis, Ulrich Haussmann, Yaozhong Hu, Marianne Huebner, Carl Peter Kirkebø, Ni- lay Kolev, Takashi Kumagai, Shlomo Levental, Geir Magnussen, Anders Øksendal, Jur ¿ gen Pottho , Colin Rowat, Stig Sandnes, Lones Smith, S- suo Taniguchi and Bjørn Thunestvedt. I want to thank them all for helping me making the book better. I also want to thank Dina Haraldsson for pro cient typing.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 412 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This volume is an important contribution to both theoretical and practical approaches to solving contradictions and conflicts between the approaches, principles, objectives and regulations of international environmental agreements. The issue of the coordination and streamlining of environmental agreements is of growing importance regarding the increasing number of international regulations on the one hand and the urgency for effective instruments in the light of continuing environmental degradation on the other. This study will become an essential reference for scholars as well as practitioners working in the field of international environmental law.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 232 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Originally published in 1981, this was the first textbook on programming in the Prolog language and is still the definitive introductory text on Prolog. Though many Prolog textbooks have been published since, this one has withstood the test of time because of its comprehensiveness, tutorial approach, and emphasis on general programming applications.Prolog has continued to attract a great deal of interest in the computer science community, and has turned out to be a basis for an important new generation of programming languages and systems for Artificial Intelligence. Since the previous edition of Programming in Prolog, the language has been standardised by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and this book has been updated accordingly. The authors have also introduced some new material, clarified some explanations, corrected a number of minor errors, and removed appendices about Prolog systems that are now obsolete.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 316 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Template-driven Consulting is a book for managers who have long been searching for a way to cut costs on expensive external business advice. Every day, new stories of companies that have gone belly up or encounter severe financial troubles show up on the front pages of newspapers across the globe. Cost-cutting is again the most pressing issue in organizations - initiating massive layoffs and large-scale reductions in spending on capital goods. Template-driven Consulting (TDC) allows your company to trim down expenses at another source: external consultants. By drawing on the use of templates, TDC at last really brings about the often cited knowledge transfer from consultants to your employees. Applying TDC, your employees are to become your experts, whilst you will see the number of and cost for external consultants decrease tremendously! This book, with its clear structure and hands-on approach, lets you understand the new methodology and will help you in reaping its cost benefits in your company. It provides you all the necessary insights into how consultants are working at your company and how they should be so as not to burn cash by the hour. TDC puts you in the driver's seat and gives you a cutting-edge advantage: empowering your own employees to deliver consulting work usually done by high-priced externals. Template-driven Consulting shows you what you can expect from consultants. Besides, several case studies lay open how business could gain a long-term competitive advantage by applying the TDC methodology.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 272 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The main theme is the integration of the theory of linear PDE and the theory of finite difference and finite element methods. For each type of PDE, elliptic, parabolic, and hyperbolic, the text contains one chapter on the mathematical theory of the differential equation, followed by one chapter on finite difference methods and one on finite element methods. The chapters on elliptic equations are preceded by a chapter on the two-point boundary value problem for ordinary differential equations. Similarly, the chapters on time-dependent problems are preceded by a chapter on the initial-value problem for ordinary differential equations. There is also one chapter on the elliptic eigenvalue problem and eigenfunction expansion. The presentation does not presume a deep knowledge of mathematical and functional analysis. The required background on linear functional analysis and Sobolev spaces is reviewed in an appendix. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students of applied mathematics and engineering.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 280 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The refereed proceedings of the Second International Conference on Image and Video Retrieval, CIVR 2003, held in Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA in July 2003. The 46 revised full papers presented together with an introduction and 2 invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 110 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on image retrieval, indexing strategies and structures, feature based retrieval, semantic and learning, video retrieval, user studies, applications, video summarization and analysis, and performance.Springer-Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 528 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The idea of editing the present volume in the Lecture Notes in Physics series arosewhileorganizingthe¿ConferenceonIrreversibleQuantumDynamics¿that took place at The Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy, from July 29 to August 2, 2002. The aim of the Conference was to bring together di erent groups of - searcherswhoseinterestsandpursuitsinvolveirreversibilityandtimeasymmetr y in quantum mechanics. The Conference promoted open and in-depth exchanges of di erent points of view, concerning both the content and character of qu- tum irreversibility and the methodologies used to study it. The following main themes were addressed: ¿ Theoretical Aspects of Quantum Irreversible Dynamics ¿ Open Quantum Systems and Applications ¿ Foundational Aspects of Irreversible Quantum Dynamics ¿ Asymmetric Time Evolution and Resonances Eachthemewasreviewedbyanexpertinthe eld,accompaniedbymorespeci c, research-like shorter talks. The whole topic of quantum irreversibility in all its manifold aspects has always raised a lot of interest, starting with the description of unstable systems in quantum mechanics and the issue of quantum measurement. Further, in - cent years a boost of activity concerning noise, dissipation and open systems has been prompted by the fast developing eld of quantum communication and information theory. These considerations motivated the editors to put together a volume that tries to summarize the present day status of the research in the eld, with the aim of providing the reader with an accessible and exhaustive introduction to it.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 384 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -One of the major accomplishments of laser technology that took place dur ing the last 15 years is the possibility of generating coherent radiation that 18 can be focused so that its intensity reaches the magnitude of 10 W/ern'. Even higher intensities result from nonlinear self-focusing of such radiation in matter. The unique character of these magnitudes is illustrated by the fact that these intensities are substantially higher than those occurring inside the Sun. A range of previously unexplored physical mechanisms come into playas laser pulses interact with matter under the conditions of an extreme concen tration of laser energy. In particular, free electrons of plasma formed by rapid nonlinear ionization of gases and solid targets during the pulse rise time are driven by a laser radiation electric field at velocities comparable to the speed of light, and the corresponding relativistic increase in their masses entails a modification of the plasma's optical properties. Laser radiation intensities at which the above effect occurs are called relativistic. This book is intended to provide an introduction to the field of laser physics at relativistic intensities. Extensive theoretical and experimental studies have been performed in this area in the last decade. At present, laser physics at relativistic intensities can be considered a new and rapidly evolving area of modern physics. Impor tant basic new phenomena and concepts of applications are associated with it, among them relativistic and charge-displacement self-channeling, wake field particle acceleration, generation of free electron harmonics and X-rays, and fast ignition.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 232 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Software development is a complex problem-solving activity with a high level of uncertainty. There are many technical challenges concerning scheduling, cost estimation, reliability, performance, etc, which are further aggravated by weaknesses such as changing requirements, team dynamics, and high staff turnover. Thus the management of knowledge and experience is a key means of systematic software development and process improvement. 'Managing Software Engineering Knowledge' illustrates several theoretical examples of this vision and solutions applied to industrial practice. It is structured in four parts addressing the motives for knowledge management, the concepts and models used in knowledge management for software engineering, their application to software engineering, and practical guidelines for managing software engineering knowledge.This book provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the art and best practice in knowledge management applied to software engineering. While researchers and graduate students will benefit from the interdisciplinary approach leading to basic frameworks and methodologies, professional software developers and project managers will also profit from industrial experience reports and practical guidelines.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 408 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The articles in this volume provide a comprehensive overview of our current understanding of the roles played by cellular factors in the early steps of retroviral replication. A better understanding of these functions will provide critical new insights into retrovirus-host cell interactions and is likely to prove useful for the future development of effective antiretroviral therapies.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 256 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 232 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -1. 1 Aims and Objectives The major aim of this research is to identify and weigh the importance of factors that promote and constrain, the adoption of environmental initiatives by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The objective is to inform how policy can overcome obstacles so as to promote the adoption of cleaner technology (includ ing environmentally sensitive products (Oosterhuis et al. 1996)) by industry. Cen tral to the research is the testing of a set of hypotheses, which, inter alia, relate the adoption of cleaner technologies to competitiveness, management culture and the importance of the provision of information. The manufacturing sectors consid ered are those dominated by SMEs where product and process environmental re sponse by the firm is important. Of these sectors, furniture, textile finishing, and fruit and vegetable processing were chosen. More specifically the focus is on European SMEs i. e. those employing less than 250 employees. ' Variations within the EU with respect to environmental regulation are exemplified by a study of firms (and plants) across four member states: Germany, North-east Italy, Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The adoption of clean technologies has been slow and uneven and action has mainly involved good housekeeping. Major changes involving large capital spend ing, or material substitution, process redesign or reformulation have been rela tively rare (OECD 1985, 1995; Ashford 1993). The problem is particularly acute amongst SMEs (and the majority of enterprises are SMEs; e. g.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 256 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -The book deals with real exchange rate changes resulting either from shifts in nominal exchange rates or increases in costs that are asymmetric across countries. It is shown how exchange rates and local production costs are passed through into import prices. It is found both analytically and empirically for OECD countries that pass-through is incomplete and the degree of pass-through depends on country and industry characteristics such as production share, market structure, product attributes and demand features. The book also investigates the implications of exchange rate changes for profits, investment and the entry/exit decisions of firms. The main finding is that even though the exchange rate changes have a limited impact on price competitiveness, they do matter for location and investment decisions.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 248 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -In this volume we aim to introduce recent progress in the study of aperiodic materials, which include icosahedral clusters, amorphous metals, quasicrys tals, glasses, and liquids. Quasicrystals, discovered in 1984, correspond to a kind of revolution in our understanding of crystallography, wherein the five-fold rotational symmetry was prohibited in long-range ordered systems. Various interesting physicochemical properties of these materials strongly depend on structural inhomogeneity at the microscopic level, and the small angle X-ray scattering method is widely used to analyze such structures. These new materials provide fundamental improvements to materials prop erties, and are not only scientifically interesting but also industrially impor tant for applications such as ultrafine magnetic recording media and future electronic devices. This book contains three chapters. The first chapter, written by H. Tanaka and T. Fujiwara, deals with 'Electronic Structure in Aperiodic Materials', and reviews the application of theoretical methods to determine the elec tronic structures and resulting properties of amorphous metals, quasicrys tals, and liquids. The second chapter, written by Y. Waseda, K. Sugiyama, and A. H. Shinohara, covers the recent topic of 'Anomalous Small Angle X ray Scattering for Structural Inhomogeneity of Materials', starting with its fundamentals. The third chapter, 'Icosahedral Clusters in RE(TM - Al h3 1 x x Amorphous Alloys', by K. Fukamichi, A. Fujita, T. H. Chang, E. Matsubara, and Y.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 220 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -This book brings together contributions from internationally renowned experts in the biochip field. The authors present not only their latest research work, but also discuss current trends in biochip technology. Specific topics range from microarray technology and its applications to lab-on-a-chip technology.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 144 pp. Englisch.

Buch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware -Exploring the connections between arithmetic and geometric properties of algebraic varieties has been the object of much fruitful study for a long time, especially in the case of curves. The aim of the Summer School and Conference on 'Higher Dimensional Varieties and Rational Points' held in Budapest, Hungary during September 2001 was to bring together students and experts from the arithmetic and geometric sides of algebraic geometry in order to get a better understanding of the current problems, interactions and advances in higher dimension. The lecture series and conference lectures assembled in this volume give a comprehensive introduction to students and researchers in algebraic geometry and in related fields to the main ideas of this rapidly developing area.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 316 pp. Englisch.