Drilled shafts in rock are widely used as foundations of heavy structures such as highway bridges and tall buildings. Although much has been learned about the analysis and design of drilled shafts in rock, all the major findings are published in the form of reports and articles in technical journals and conference proceedings. This book is the first to present and summarize the latest information in one volume, highlighting for the reader the principle differences between foundations in soil, and foundations in rock masses containing discontinuities. This book presents methods for characterizing discontinuities in jointed rock masses, and considering their effects on the behaviour of drilled shafts. A valuable tool for practitioners in geological engineering, rock mechanics and foundation engineering.
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Building and Construction
Rock Mechanics
Mining, Mineral & Petroleum Engineering
Reference

Power Converter Circuits reveals all key components of rectification, inversion, cycloconversion, and conversion circuits. It describes switching, voltage, and current relationships, as well as converter properties, operation, control, and performance as utilized in most practical applications. Authored jointly by a veteran scholar and an accomplished researcher in the field, the book highlights methods grounded in classical mathematics and includes an abundance of worked numerical examples. It authoritatively covers AC to DC, DC to AC, AC to AC, and DC to DC converters in a single volume and features hundreds of chapter-specific problems, with solutions provided separately at the end of the book.
• Electrical and Computer Engineering
Power Electronics
Circuits & Devices
Textbook
Undergraduate

Covering state-of-the-art technologies and a broad range of practical applications, the second edition of Gene Biotechnology provides information that researchers and students need to understand and apply today's biotechnology techniques. It discusses a wide variety of approaches, from very basic methods to the latest, most sophisticated technologies, including gene manipulation methods. The book contains clearly detailed, step-by-step protocols with helpful troubleshooting tips. It addresses the needs of researchers in academic and commercial environments, and serves as a guide for graduate students designing, implementing, and evaluating experimental projects.
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Genetics
Biotechnology
Molecular Biology
Reference
Professional

Scientists have made new inroads in the study of the Earth's deep interior. They have forged developments in this fascinating arena using experimental and observational techniques such as seismology, monitoring of the Earth's rotation, geomagnetism, and accurate measurements of Earth's gravity fields. These techniques along with more theoretical skills like building numerical models and studying high-pressure physics, were discussed at the 7th annual SEDI symposium. Leading scientists in the field presented papers, which are now collected in this volume. Earth's Core and Lower Mantle brings a broad range of expertise to postgraduates and researchers in this area of geophysics.
• The Fluid Mechanics of Astrophysics and Geophysics
General Physics
Environmental Geology
Earth Sciences
Reference
Professional

Microelectrofluidic Systems is visionary in its leverage of electronic design principles for microsystem design and heralds a new era of automated system-on-a-chip (SOC) design. The strategy it presents holds the potential for significant reductions in design time and maintenance costs, and its techniques and tools can lead to the high-volume production needed for the inevitably growing product market. Integrating top-down and bottom-up design philosophies, this strategy supports modeling and simulation from the component level to the system level and leads to optimization tools valuable in design tasks from conceptualization to final manufacturing.
• Nano- and Microscience, Engineering, Technology and Medicine
Biomedical Engineering
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Microelectronics
Reference
Professional

Recent research in cell death mechanism has rekindled interest in PARP's [Poly (ADP-Ribose) Polymerase] intriguing role in necrosis and apoptosis. PARP as a Therapeutic Target covers the clinical aspects of PARP inhibitors, an up-and-coming class of therapeutic agents that counteracts the damage done by free radicals. International experts currently working on ways to apply it discuss its therapeutic potential in various forms of ischemia, diabetes, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and septic shock. The book provides a comprehensive understanding of how PARP works for researchers attempting to better design inhibitors for therapeutic purposes.
• Handbooks in Pharmacology and Toxicology
Pharmacology
Cell Biology
Drug Design & Development
Reference
Professional

As Geographic Information Systems (GIS) develop, there is a need to demystify the complex geographical world to facilitate computerization in GIS by the inaccuracies that emerge from man-machine interactions in data acquisition and by error propagation in geoprocessing. Users need to be aware of the impacts of uncertainties in spatial analysis and decision-making. Uncertainty in Geographical Information discusses theoretical and practical aspects of spatial data processing and uncertainties, and covers a wide range of types of errors and fuzziness and emphasizes description and modeling. High level GIS professionals, researchers, and graduate students will find this a constructive book.
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GIS, Remote Sensing & Cartography
Reference
Professional

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Computational Numerical Analysis
Reference
Professional

Pulsed Electric Fields in Food Processing: Fundamental Aspects and Applications presents wide-ranging research and recent developments in this emerging technology. It includes 17 contributions by leading research groups, covering both fundamental and applied aspects of pulsed electric fields. Topics include engineering aspects, key physical properties with measured values in specific foods, detailed studies on the pulsed electric field inactivation of enzymes and microorganisms, comparisons with other technologies for microbial inactivation, shelf stability, sensory analysis, volatile flavor profile, and safety assurance.
• Food Preservation Technology
Processing
Reference
Professional

En la China antigua, ¿mantenía el Estado una división de chamanes para controlar las lluvias? ¿Se sabía moldear la personalidad de los niños que estaban aún en el vientre materno? ¿Cómo dictaba la etiqueta que había que declinar un regalo? ¿Quiénes eran aquellos hombres que afirmaban haber logrado la inmortalidad por medio de dietas naturales, de ejercicios sexuales y respiratorios?
Compilada y publicada hacia finales del siglo III con afán rigurosamente enciclopédico, esta «Relación de las cosas del mundo» da respuesta a preguntas como éstas y a otras muchas cuestiones semejantes. A lo largo de diez capítulos, las disciplinas ortodoxas (la historia, la geografía, la etnografía, la botánica medicinal, la musicología o la astrología) se funden y confunden con otras menos «oficialmente aceptables» como la alquimia y la literatura extraordinaria, ofreciendo el resultado de un libro que es una imagen del universo según la mentalidad china de la época, una mentalidad radicalmente distinta de ésta con que miramos y nos representamos el mundo en Occidente hoy.
-- Zhang Hua (232-300) pasó la mayor parte de su vida ejerciendo como cortesano poseedor de poderes prodigiosos y conocimientos inauditos, mereciendo el apelativo unánime de "letrado de infinito saber". Como escritor no se le conoce más obra que esta "Relación de las cosas del mundo" y treinta y dos composiciones poéticas.