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This book brings together in one volume fifteen Nobel Prize-winning discoveries that have had the greatest impact upon medical science and the practice of medicine during the 20th century and up to the present time. Its overall aim is to enlighten, entertain and stimulate. This is especially so for those who are involved in or contemplating a career in medical research. Anyone interested in the particulars of a specific award or Laureate can obtain detailed information on the topic by accessing the Nobel Foundation's website. In contrast, this book aims to provide a less formal and more personal view of the science and scientists involved, by having prominent academics write a chapter each about a Nobel Prize-winning discovery in their own areas of interest and expertise.

Presents a history of Imperial College London. This book tells the story of a new type of institution that came into being in 1907 with the federation of three older colleges. It covers both governance and academic activity within the larger context of political, economic and socio-cultural life in twentieth-century Britain.

Provides an explanation of the origin and establishment of quantum mechanics, with the mathematics in a digestible form, together with a descriptive survey of various developments. This book contains a bibliography and appendices as well as references to original works, reviews, and biographies.

A useful graduate level text on the asymptotic analysis of ordinary differential equations, this book covers various important methods including dominant balance, the use of divergent asymptotic series, phase integral methods, asymptotic evaluation of integrals, and boundary layer analysis.

Presents a description of the structure and electronic properties of different types of clusters: Van der Waals clusters, metallic clusters, clusters of ionic materials and network clusters. This work also considers assembling of clusters since specially stable clusters are expected to play a role in the future design and synthesis of materials.

As final examinations approach, medical students often become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of knowledge required to pass all subjects in one go, including surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, pharmacology, and psychiatry. This second edition includes chapters written with the help of experts in their respective subjects.

- Electromagnetic waveguides and photonic crystals have previously been studied separately: this book examines the point where the two topics coincide.- Provides both theoretical and numerical guidance on issues related to microstructured optical fibres.- The finite character of the cross-section of the fibres is usually taken into account by introducing an artificial periodicity (super-cell method) which tends to be conceptually debatable. However, this book's approach does not rely on such an assumption, but rather allows, among other things, the estimation of losses that are of prime importance from a technological point of view.

Provides a general picture of the current trends in the area of automatic control, with particular emphasis on practical problems in the mechanical field. The work presents theoretical contributions and lectures on developments with an industrial interest, such as robotics and motion control.

There are many occasions when quick solutions to problems in tribology are needed. This book covers tribology in such a way as to provide simple approximate solutions to frequent practical problems. It is suitable to engineering undergraduates and practicing engineers needing a solution to tribological problems.

This book is an introduction to the application of nonlinear dynamics to problems of stability, chaos and turbulence arising in continuous media and their connection to dynamical systems. With an emphasis on the understanding of basic concepts, it should be of interest to nearly any science-oriented undergraduate and potentially to anyone who wants to learn about recent advances in the field of applied nonlinear dynamics. Technicalities are, however, not completely avoided. They are instead explained as simply as possible using heuristic arguments and specific worked examples.

There continues to be much interest in the business and academic communities in the concept of strategic competencies or core capabilities, in other words, how organisations define and differentiate themselves. This book attempts to integrate strategic and knowledge management approaches to capability-building and the development of competencies.

Stress induced electrical charges, action potential and electret behavior of bone, muscles, skin and nerve cells have been known for some time.

Provides an account of the underlying science, technology and market prospects for photovoltaics. This title includes: multi-crystalline silicon cell efficiencies having made impressive advances, thin-film CdTe cells having established a decisive market presence, and organic photovoltaics.

Photonic crystal fibres have become an important and effective optical device. This title focuses on the meeting point of electromagnetic wave guides and photonic crystals. It intends to give advanced theoretical and numerical viewpoints about exotic fibres which use photonic crystal effects and consequently exhibit some remarkable properties.

A guide to practical intensive care medicine includes chapters addressing pertinent clinical challenges comprehensively. It is suitable for medical students, trainees in intensive care medicine and other acute specialties, consultants as well as other allied professionals practicing in intensive care including nurses and physiotherapists.

Deals with the classical Navier-Stokes system of equations governing the planar flow of incompressible, viscid fluid. This book describes various aspects of the study of such flows, ranging from theoretical to numerical, including detailed accounts of classical test problems such as 'driven cavity' and 'double-driven cavity'.

Despite their similar political and economic structures, Brazil and the United States have contrasting relationships with the international community as well as different policy approaches to the prevention and treatment of epidemics.

This unique book makes a contribution to the deeper understanding of various trade-related investment measures (TRIMs).

We are increasingly seeing computer systems which are expected to function without operator intervention. This is perhaps acceptable for running computer networks or traffic lights; however, we are now seeing computer systems deployed to qualitatively influence human judgments such as rulings on legal disputes or fitness for work to evaluate disability benefits. In keeping with the precautionary principle, it is important that those who are developing this capability ΓÇö technologists and scientists ΓÇö think through its potential implications.The aim of this book is to explore the technological and social and implications of computers and robots becoming increasingly ΓÇÿawareΓÇÖ of their environment and the people in it, and their being increasingly ΓÇÿself-awareΓÇÖ of their own existence within it.The wide-ranging scope of the text covers three different angles of the concept of ΓÇÿthe computer after meΓÇÖ: (1) the next generation of computationally powerful aware systems; (2) systems in which the computer is aware of qualitatively impact human concerns such as law, health and rules; and (3) computers and robots which are aware of themselves.

Biological Threats in the 21st Century offers a fresh understanding of contemporary biological threats to national security. Readers are introduced to the politics, people, science and historical roots of contemporary biological threats through up-to-date, rigorous and accessible chapters written by leading academics and supplemented by expert point-of-view contributions and interviews.The book provides inspiration and resources for students and researchers, as well as policy makers in government, the public policy sector and the wider community. It is particularly pertinent for those interested in biological disarmament, non-proliferation, counterterrorism and health security.

The future of clean energy is no longer about science and technology; it's all about access to finance. The fossil fuel industry has been subsidized for decades with tax breaks and government backing, while renewables have struggled to compete. But now clean energy is the safe bet for investors, as is argued in Renewable Energy Finance: Powering the Future, edited by Dr Charles Donovan, Principal Teaching Fellow at Imperial College Business School.With a foreword by Lord Brown and contributions from some of the world's leading experts in energy finance, this timely book documents how investors are spending over US$250 billion each year on new renewable energy projects and positioning themselves in a global investment market that will continue to expand at double-digit growth rates until 2020. It documents first-hand experiences of the challenges of balancing risk and return amid volatile market conditions and rapid shifts in government policy.Renewable Energy Finance provides an insider's perspective on renewable energy transactions, and insight into how countries like the US, India and China are responding to the global energy challenge. Drawing together contributions from senior executives and leading academics, Renewable Energy Finance serves an audience of readers craving intelligent, practical perspectives on the future of clean energy investment.

Plant molecular biology came to the fore in the early 1980s and there has been tremendous growth in the subject since then. The study of plant genes and genomes and the development of techniques for the incorporation of novel or modified genes into plants eventually led to the commercialisation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the mid-1990s. This was seen as the start of a biotechnological revolution in plant breeding. However, plant biotechnology has become one of the hottest debates of the age and, in Europe at least, one of the greatest challenges that plant scientists have ever faced.This book covers the history and development of the science and techniques that underpin plant biotechnology. It describes the GM crops that are or have been grown commercially around the world, including failures as well as successes, and the new varieties that are being developed. The safety record of GM crops is reviewed together with the legislation that has been adopted to cover their use. The book also deals with the concerns of consumers, the GM crop debate and the prospects for the technology. In the second edition, sections on current GM crops and future developments in plant biotechnology have been greatly expanded, while those on techniques, legislation and the GM crop debate have also been updated.The book is a concise, comprehensive and readable study that is accessible to a general readership with a scientific background but also provides useful information for the specialist.

Describes the properties of gold, the methods for preparing gold catalysts and ways to characterise and use them effectively in reactions. This book discusses the reaction mechanisms and reasons for the high activities, and considers the applications for gold catalysis.

How to achieve unlimited, safe, clean and low-cost energy by laser- or beam-driven inertial nuclear fusion has preoccupied all winners of the Edward Teller Medal since its inception in 1991. This book presents their findings, meeting discussions, and personal insights from Edward Teller himself. Expect discussion of important advances anticipated in the future such as multi-billion dollar fusion research projects (NIF), and new schemes such as the petawatt-picosecond laser-plasma interactions evoking new physics and coupling mechanisms.For the first time, laser technology of the new century is providing the very short and extremely intense energetic pulses needed for fusion energy from next generation power stations, which produce energy at cost several times lower than any other source. The long-sought dream to directly ignite frozen heavy hydrogen for controlled use is close to being realized. Years of research on plasmas and lasers carried out worldwide in highly sophisticated experiments is summarized. The coverage begins with the work of John Nuckolls and Nobel Laureate Nikolai Basov and leads to the new scheme of plasma block acceleration via the nonlinear ponderomotive force. Edward Teller Lectures is one of the first guides to these new developments.

The majority of automatic controllers used to compensate industrial processes are of PI or PID type. This book compiles, using a unified notation, tuning rules for these controllers. It discusses controller architecture and process modeling issues, as well as the performance and robustness of loops compensated with PI or PID controllers.

Presents a concise treatment of stochastic calculus and its applications. This book covers advanced applications, such as models in mathematical finance, biology and engineering. It is useful as a textbook by advanced undergraduates and graduate students in stochastic calculus and financial mathematics.

Presents a study of the interrelationships among operator calculus, graph theory, and quantum probability in a unified manner, with significant emphasis on symbolic computations and an eye toward applications in computer science. In this title, examples are put forward in Mathematica, together with packages for performing symbolic computations.

Delivers theoretical and practical knowledge of Genetic Algorithms (GA) for the purpose of practical applications. This book provides a methodology for a GA-based search strategy with the integration of several Alife and AI techniques, such as memetic concepts, swarm intelligence and foraging strategies.