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The Geometric Induction of Bone Formation
by Ugo RipamontiThe Geometric Induction of Bone Formation describes new biomimetic biomaterials that offer mechanistic osteogenic surfaces for the autonomous and spontaneous induction of bone formation without the addition of osteogenic soluble molecular signals of the transforming growth factor-β supergene family. The chapters frame our understanding of regenerative medicine in primate species, including humans. The goal is to unravel the fundamental biological mechanisms of bone formation unique to non-human and human primates. The broad target audience dovetails with several disciplines both in the academic and private biotech sectors primarily involved in molecular biology, tissue biology, tissue engineering, biomaterial science, and reconstructive, orthopaedic, plastic, and dental surgery. Key Features Includes outstanding images of undecalcified whole mounted sections Summarizes non-human primate research – ideal for clinical translation Reviews methods for creating devices capable of making bone autonomously, i.e. an intrinsically osteo-inductive bioreactor and/or biomaterial Describes the spontaneous induction of bone formation including a whole spectrum of tissue biology, from basic molecular biology to clear-cut morphology and pre-clinical application in non-human primate species Intended for audiences in both academic research and the biotech industry
The Geometrical Beauty of Plants
by Johan GielisThis book focuses on the origin of the Gielis curves, surfaces and transformations in the plant sciences. It is shown how these transformations, as a generalization of the Pythagorean Theorem, play an essential role in plant morphology and development. New insights show how plants can be understood as developing mathematical equations, which opens the possibility of directly solving analytically any boundary value problems (stress, diffusion, vibration. . . ) . The book illustrates how form, development and evolution of plants unveil as a musical symphony. The reader will gain insight in how the methods are applicable in many divers scientific and technological fields.
The Geometries of Visual Space
by Mark WagnerWhen most people think of space, they think of physical space. However, visual space concerns space as consciously experienced, and it is studied through subjective measures, such as asking people to use numbers to estimate perceived distances, areas, angles, or volumes. This book explores the mismatch between perception and physical reality, and describes the many factors that influence the perception of space including the meaning assigned to geometric concepts like distance, the judgment methods used to report the experience, the presence or absence of cues to depth, and the orientation of a stimulus with respect to point of view. The main theme of the text is that no single geometry describes visual space, but that the geometry of visual space depends upon the stimulus conditions and mental shifts in the subjective meaning of size and distance.In addition, The Geometries of Visual Space:*contains philosophical, mathematical, and psychophysical background material;*looks at synthetic approaches to space perception including work on hyperbolic, spherical, and Euclidean geometries;*presents a meta-analysis of studies that ask observers to directly estimate size, distance, area, angle, and volume;*looks at the size constancy literature in which observers are asked to adjust a comparison stimulus to match a variety of standards at different distances away;*discusses research that takes a multi-dimensional approach toward studying visual space; and*discusses how spatial experience is influenced by memory.While this book is primarily intended for scholars in perception, mathematical psychology, and psychophysics, it will also be accessible to a wider audience since it is written at a readable level. It will make a good graduate-level textbook on space perception.
The Geometry of Celestial Mechanics
by Hansjörg GeigesCelestial mechanics is the branch of mathematical astronomy devoted to studying the motions of celestial bodies subject to the Newtonian law of gravitation. This mathematical introductory textbook reveals that even the most basic question in celestial mechanics, the Kepler problem, leads to a cornucopia of geometric concepts: conformal and projective transformations, spherical and hyperbolic geometry, notions of curvature, and the topology of geodesic flows. For advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students, this book explores the geometric concepts underlying celestial mechanics and is an ideal companion for introductory courses. The focus on the history of geometric ideas makes it perfect supplementary reading for students in elementary geometry and topology. Numerous exercises, historical notes and an extensive bibliography provide all the contextual information required to gain a solid grounding in celestial mechanics.
The Geometry of Kerr Black Holes (Dover Books on Physics)
by Barrett O'NeillThis unique monograph by a noted UCLA professor examines in detail the mathematics of Kerr black holes, which possess the properties of mass and angular momentum but carry no electrical charge. Suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students of mathematics, physics, and astronomy as well as professional physicists, the self-contained treatment constitutes an introduction to modern techniques in differential geometry. The text begins with a substantial chapter offering background on the mathematics needed for the rest of the book. Subsequent chapters emphasize physical interpretations of geometric properties such as curvature, geodesics, isometries, totally geodesic submanifolds, and topological structure. Further investigations cover relativistic concepts such as causality, Petrov type, optical scalars, and the Goldberg-Sachs theorem. Four helpful appendixes supplement the text.
The Geometry of Meaning
by Peter GärdenforsIn The Geometry of Meaning, Peter Gärdenfors proposes a theory of semantics that bridges cognitive science and linguistics and shows how theories of cognitive processes, in particular concept formation, can be exploited in a general semantic model. He argues that our minds organize the information involved in communicative acts in a format that can be modeled in geometric or topological terms -- in what he terms conceptual spaces, extending the theory he presented in an earlier book by that name. Many semantic theories consider the meanings of words as relatively stable and independent of the communicative context. Gärdenfors focuses instead on how various forms of communication establish a system of meanings that becomes shared between interlocutors. He argues that these "meetings of mind" depend on the underlying geometric structures, and that these structures facilitate language learning. Turning to lexical semantics, Gärdenfors argues that a unified theory of word meaning can be developed by using conceptual spaces. He shows that the meaning of different word classes can be given a cognitive grounding, and offers semantic analyses of nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions. He also presents models of how the meanings of words are composed to form new meanings and of the basic semantic role of sentences. Finally, he considers the future implications of his theory for robot semantics and the Semantic Web.
The Geometry of Meaning: Semantics Based on Conceptual Spaces
by Peter GardenforsA novel cognitive theory of semantics that proposes that the meanings of words can be described in terms of geometric structures. In The Geometry of Meaning, Peter Gärdenfors proposes a theory of semantics that bridges cognitive science and linguistics and shows how theories of cognitive processes, in particular concept formation, can be exploited in a general semantic model. He argues that our minds organize the information involved in communicative acts in a format that can be modeled in geometric or topological terms—in what he terms conceptual spaces, extending the theory he presented in an earlier book by that name. Many semantic theories consider the meanings of words as relatively stable and independent of the communicative context. Gärdenfors focuses instead on how various forms of communication establish a system of meanings that becomes shared between interlocutors. He argues that these “meetings of mind” depend on the underlying geometric structures, and that these structures facilitate language learning. Turning to lexical semantics, Gärdenfors argues that a unified theory of word meaning can be developed by using conceptual spaces. He shows that the meaning of different word classes can be given a cognitive grounding, and offers semantic analyses of nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions. He also presents models of how the meanings of words are composed to form new meanings and of the basic semantic role of sentences. Finally, he considers the future implications of his theory for robot semantics and the Semantic Web.
The Geometry of Musical Rhythm: What Makes a "Good" Rhythm Good?, Second Edition
by Godfried T. ToussaintThe original edition of The Geometry of Musical Rhythm was the first book to provide a systematic and accessible computational geometric analysis of the musical rhythms of the world. It explained how the study of the mathematical properties of musical rhythm generates common mathematical problems that arise in a variety of seemingly disparate fields. The book also introduced the distance approach to phylogenetic analysis and illustrated its application to the study of musical rhythm. The new edition retains all of this, while also adding 100 pages, 93 figures, 225 new references, and six new chapters covering topics such as meter and metric complexity, rhythmic grouping, expressive timbre and timing in rhythmic performance, and evolution phylogenetic analysis of ancient Greek paeonic rhythms. In addition, further context is provided to give the reader a fuller and richer insight into the historical connections between music and mathematics.
The Geometry of Spacetime: A Mathematical Introduction to Relativity Theory (Graduate Texts in Physics)
by Rainer OloffThis book systematically develops the mathematical foundations of the theory of relativity and links them to physical relations. For this purpose, differential geometry on manifolds is introduced first, including differentiation and integration, and special relativity is presented as tensor calculus on tangential spaces. Using Einstein's field equations relating curvature to matter, the relativistic effects in the solar system including black holes are discussed in detail. The text is aimed at students of physics and mathematics and assumes only basic knowledge of classical differential and integral calculus and linear algebra.
The Geometry of Special Relativity - a Concise Course
by Norbert DragonIn this concise primer it is shown that, with simple diagrams, the phenomena of time dilatation, length contraction and Lorentz transformations can be deduced from the fact that in a vacuum one cannot distinguish physically straight and uniform motion from rest, and that the speed of light does not depend on the speed of either the source or the observer. The text proceeds to derive the important results of relativistic physics and to resolve its apparent paradoxes. A short introduction into the covariant formulation of electrodynamics is also given. This publication addresses, in particular, students of physics and mathematics in their final undergraduate year.
The Geopolitics of Hydrogen: Volume 1: European Strategies in Global Perspective (Studies in Energy, Resource and Environmental Economics)
by Rainer Quitzow Yana ZabanovaThis open access book is a comprehensive exploration of European hydrogen policy, examining its development at both the EU level and in key Member States, while also considering the geopolitical implications of the emerging hydrogen landscape. The editors begin by framing Europe's position within the global hydrogen economy and present an analytical framework for assessing EU and Member State strategies within this context. The book delves into the evolution of EU hydrogen policy since the launch of its hydrogen strategy in 2020, shedding light on significant developments and how they have been influenced by events like Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It then proceeds with in-depth chapters dedicated to key EU Member States and Norway. Each country chapter examines domestic and international hydrogen policies, offering insights into important stakeholder interests, as well as the broader energy and foreign policy considerations shaping the evolving policy landscape. Special attention is given to the international dimension of these strategies, encompassing bilateral and multilateral engagements. In the final chapter, the editors analyze the diverse national strategies and their drivers and discuss their implications for the development of a European hydrogen economy and the role of the EU as a major global player in this market. By examining the variations across Member States, the book provides valuable insights into the factors influencing progress in the hydrogen sector, both in Europe and globally. This book is a resource for policymakers, researchers, and industry professionals seeking a comprehensive understanding of European hydrogen policy and its geopolitical implications. It illuminates the complex dynamics between EU-level strategies and the approaches adopted by individual Member States, ultimately contributing to a broader comprehension of Europe's position within the global hydrogen arena.
The Geopolitics of Melting Mountains: An International Political Ecology of the Himalaya (Critical Studies of the Asia-Pacific)
by Alexander E. DavisThe book addresses the urgent need for rethinking the geopolitics and ecology in the Himalaya, by emphasising the entanglements between these two factors. Most international relations analyses of the Himalaya emphasize the central role of the region’s states and their great power struggles. By reducing the region to its state actors, however, we miss the intense more-than-human diversity of the region, and the crucial role that the mountains play in the global environment. In doing so, the book makes a major contribution to international relations theory by drawing on insights from international political ecology. It first theorises international political ecology and examines the Himalaya as a global region, before moving looking at the international aspects of political ecology in the Himalaya through key areas of the mountains where international politics and ecology are deeply, inextricably linked. It presents three detailed case studies of different environmental and political issues in the Himalaya: icecaps (the India-China-Pakistan boundary dispute in the western Himalaya), foothills and forests (the Nepal-Bhutan-Sikkim borderlands), and rivers (the India-China Bangladesh dispute over the Brahmaputra River basin). Each case study draws on a mix of source materials including fieldwork, government sources, foreign policy discourse, Himalayan ethnographies, and environmental and ecological sciences scholarship.
The Geopolitics of Space Exploration (Springer Praxis Books)
by Marcello SpagnuloThis is the tale of the modern Space Age, detailing all the risks, rewards and rivalries that have fueled space exploration over the decades. Jump into a world of ambitious entrepreneurs and determined spacefaring nations, of secret spy satellites and espionage, of all the cooperative and competing interests vying for dominance in ways little known to the public. Written by an Italian aeronautical engineer with over thirty years of experience in government and private industry, this English translation explains how and why the game has fundamentally evolved and where it is headed next. Exploring such topics as GPS and cyberspace, the economics of private and public industry and the political motivations of emerging spacefaring powerhouses like China, this book is an engaging foray into the ongoing battle for our terrestrial home through extraterrestrial means.
The Georgian Star: How William and Caroline Herschel Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Cosmos (Great Discoveries) (Great Discoveries #0)
by Michael Lemonick"A bright, shiny gift to popular-science collections."--Booklist Trained as a musician, amateur scientist William Herschel found international fame after discovering the planet Uranus in 1781. Though he is still best known for this finding, his partnership with his sister Caroline yielded other groundbreaking work that affects how we see the world today. The Herschels made comprehensive surveys of the night sky, carefully categorizing every visible object in the void. Caroline wrote an influential catalogue of nebulae, and William discovered infrared radiation. Veteran science writer Michael D. Lemonick guides readers through the depths of the solar system and into his subjects' private lives: William developed bizarre theories about inhabitants of the sun; he procured an unheard-of salary for Caroline from King George III even as he hassled over the funding for an enormous, forty-foot telescope; and the siblings feuded over William's marriage but eventually reconciled.
The Germ Code
by Jason TetroSince the dawn of the human race, germs have been making us sick. Whether the ailment is a cold, the flu, diabetes, obesity or certain cancers, the likely cause is germs. Our ancient enemies have four families - bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa - and many names: Ebola, E. coli, salmonella, norovirus, gonorrhea. . . Human beings are engaged in a "war on germs," in which we develop ever-more sophisticated weapons and defensive strategies. But it is a war we can never win. Our best plan for staying as healthy is to choose our battles carefully, and try to co-exist with germs as best we can. The Germ Code is a wise, witty and wonderfully readable guide to our relationship with these infinitesimal but infinitely powerful creatures. Microbiologist Jason Tetro takes us outside the lab and shows the enormous influence of germs upon humanity's past, present and future. He unlocks the mysteries of "the germ code" to reveal how these organisms have exploited our every activity and colonized every corner of the earth. From his own research and personal experience, Tetro relates how the most recent flu pandemic happened, how others may have been averted and how more may come about if we aren't careful. He also explains that not every germ is our foe, and offers advice on harnessing the power of good germs to stay healthy and make our planet a better place. The Germ Code is a fascinating journey through an unseen world, an essential manual to living in harmony with germs and a life-enhancing (as well as life-saving!) good read.
The Germ Files
by Jason TetroDoes for microbiology what Dr. Joe Schwarcz's Brain Fuel did for chemistry: informs and entertains with accessible mini-essays.Jason Tetro, author of The Germ Code, is back with a very different book but the same message: microbes are amazing, they deserve our respect and we should learn to live with them in harmony. The way we feel, think, look and even interact with the world is affected by the germs in and around us. Despite their reputation for making us ill, germs also keep us alive and healthy. They even offer us relationship advice: the millions of bacteria shared in a first kiss send the brain strong messages about compatibility. In a series of brief, brilliant essays, arranged into themes such as health, child care, sex and the environment, Jason Tetro is here again to advise us and amaze us about germs. They enjoy breast milk, and help look after our babies in return for it; feed them artificial sweeteners, though, and they're capable of showing their displeasure by making us put on weight. If we upset their balance, they can make us depressed or encourage us to drink too much and eat junk food. One way of maintaining that balance is for us to take probiotics--but do they really stay in the body long enough to do any good? Yes--so long as you choose the type that bribes the immune system with a selection of rich chemicals. Some items are purely fun, some are there to boggle the mind, some might just save your life. All are designed to improve our relations with germs for the benefit of human health and happiness.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Geroch-Held-Penrose Calculus: Fundamentals and Applications (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Pedro Bargueño Ernesto ContrerasThis book offers a primer on the fundamentals and applications of the Geroch-Held-Penrose (GHP) calculus, a powerful formalism designed for spacetimes that occur frequently in the teaching of General Relativity. Specifically, the book shows in detail the power of the calculus when dealing with spherically symmetric spacetimes. After introducing the basics, a new look at all the classical spherically symmetric black hole solutions is given within the GHP formalism. This is then employed to give new insights into the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff equations for stellar structure, including a derivation of new exact anisotropic fluid solutions. Finally, a re-writing of some essential features of black hole thermodynamics within the GHP formalism is performed. The book is based on the authors' lecture notes, used in their undergraduate and graduate lectures and while supervising their upper undergraduate and graduate students. To fully benefit from this concise primer, readers only need an undergraduate background in general relativity.
The Ghost In The Machine
by Arthur Koestlerfrom the book's back cover: In The Sleepwalkers and The Act of Creation Arthur Koestler provided pioneering studies of scientific discovery and artistic inspiration, the twin pinnacles of human achievement. The Ghost in the Machine looks at the dark side of the coin: our terrible urge to self-destruction... Could the human species be a gigantic evolutionary mistake? To answer that startling question Koestler examines how experts on evolution and psychology all too often write about people with an 'antiquated slot-machine model based on the naively mechanistic world-view of the nineteenth century'. His brilliant polemic helped to instigate a major revolution in the life sciences, yet its 'glimpses of an alternative world-view' form only the background to an even more challenging analysis of the human predicament. Perhaps, he suggests, we are a species in which ancient and recent brain structures - or reason and emotion -- are not fully co-ordinated. Such in-built deficiencies may explain the paranoia, violence and insanity that are central strands of human history. And however disturbing we find such issues, Koestler contends, it is only when we face our limitations head-on that we can hope to find a remedy.
The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts Are Wrecking Science
by Matthew Hongoltz-HetlingA surprising and compelling journey into the business of paranormal investigation, and the state of scientific literacy in America. In 2010, a sleepy small-town business plaza in rural New Hampshire rented space to an unusual tenant: a ghost laboratory. The Kitt Research Initiative&’s mission was to use the scientific method to document the existence of spirits. Founder Andy Kitt was known as a straight-shooter; and was unafraid — perhaps eager — to offend other paranormal investigators by exposing the fraudulence of their less advanced techniques. Kitt&’s efforts attracted flocks of psychics, alien abductees, witches, mediums, ghost hunters, UFOlogists, cryptozoologists and warlocks from all over New England, and the world. And there were plenty of them around.The Ghost Lab tells the astonishing story of the wild ecosystem of paranormal profiteers and consumers. But it also reveals how the twin scourges of declining scientific literacy and eroding trust in institutions have created space for armies of pseudoscientists to step into the minds of an increasingly credulous public. With his distinct voice, eye for a story and ability to show how one community's experience reflects that of a society, Matt Hongoltz-Hetling crafts a powerful narrative about just how fragmented our understanding of what is real--and what is not--has become.
The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World
by Steven JohnsonA National Bestseller, a New York Times Notable Book, and an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Year from the author of Extra Life &“By turns a medical thriller, detective story, and paean to city life, Johnson's account of the outbreak and its modern implications is a true page-turner.&” —The Washington Post &“Thought-provoking.&” —Entertainment Weekly It's the summer of 1854, and London is just emerging as one of the first modern cities in the world. But lacking the infrastructure-garbage removal, clean water, sewers-necessary to support its rapidly expanding population, the city has become the perfect breeding ground for a terrifying disease no one knows how to cure. As the cholera outbreak takes hold, a physician and a local curate are spurred to action-and ultimately solve the most pressing medical riddle of their time. In a triumph of multidisciplinary thinking, Johnson illuminates the intertwined histories of the spread of disease, the rise of cities, and the nature of scientific inquiry, offering both a riveting history and a powerful explanation of how it has shaped the world we live in.
The Ghost of 29 Megacycles
by John G. FullerTHIS UNPRECEDENTED BOOK BRINGS US SHOCKING NEW EVIDENCE THAT MANKIND IS COMING TO THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW AGE-ONE IN WHICH DEATH IS NOT THE END
The Ghost of the Executed Engineer: Technology and the Fall of the Soviet Union (Russian Research Center studies ; #No. 87)
by Loren GrahamStalin ordered his execution, but here Peter Palchinsky has the last word. As if rising from an uneasy grave, Palchinsky’s ghost leads us through the miasma of Soviet technology and industry, pointing out the mistakes he condemned in his time, the corruption and collapse he predicted, the ultimate price paid for silencing those who were not afraid to speak out. The story of this visionary engineer’s life and work, as Loren Graham relates it, is also the story of the Soviet Union’s industrial promise and failure. We meet Palchinsky in pre-Revolutionary Russia, immersed in protests against the miserable lot of laborers in the tsarist state, protests destined to echo ironically during the Soviet worker’s paradise. Exiled from the country, pardoned and welcomed back at the outbreak of World War I, the engineer joined the ranks of the Revolutionary government, only to find it no more open to criticism than the previous regime. His turbulent career offers us a window on debates over industrialization. Graham highlights the harsh irrationalities built into the Soviet system—the world’s most inefficient steel mill in Magnitogorsk, the gigantic and ill-conceived hydroelectric plant on the Dnieper River, the infamously cruel and mislocated construction of the White Sea Canal. Time and again, we see the effects of policies that ignore not only the workers’ and consumers’ needs but also sound management and engineering precepts. And we see Palchinsky’s criticism and advice, persistently given, consistently ignored, continue to haunt the Soviet Union right up to its dissolution in 1991. The story of a man whose gifts and character set him in the path of history, The Ghost of the Executed Engineer is also a cautionary tale about the fate of an engineering that disregards social and human issues.
The Ghosts of Evolution: Nonsensical Fruit, Missing Partners, and Other Ecological Anachronisms
by Connie BarlowA new vision is sweeping through ecological science: The dense web of dependencies that makes up an ecosystem has gained an added dimension-the dimension of time. Every field, forest, and park is full of living organisms adapted for relationships with creatures that are now extinct. In a vivid narrative, Connie Barlow shows how the idea of "missing partners" in nature evolved from isolated, curious examples into an idea that is transforming how ecologists understand the entire flora and fauna of the Americas. This fascinating book will enrich the experience of any amateur naturalist, as well as teach us that the ripples of biodiversity loss around us are just the leading edge of what may well become perilous cascades of extinction.
The Ghosts of Iwo Jima
by Robert S. BurrellIn February 1945, some 80,000 U. S. Marines attacked the heavily defended fortress that the Japanese had constructed on the tiny Pacific island of Iwo Jima. Leaders of the Army Air Forces said they needed the airfields there to provide fighter escort for their B-29 bombers. At the cost of 28,000 American casualties, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions dutifully conquered this desolate piece of hell with a determination and sacrifice that have become legendary in the annals of war, immortalized in the photograph of six Marines raising the American flag on Mount Suribachi. But the Army Air Forces' fighter operations on Iwo Jima subsequently proved both unproductive and unnecessary. After the fact, a number of other justifications were generated to rationalize this tragically expensive battle. Ultimately, misleading statistics were presented to contend that the number of lives saved by B-29 emergency landings on Iwo Jima outweighed the cost of its capture. InThe Ghosts of Iwo Jima,Captain Robert S. Burrell masterfully reconsiders the costs of taking Iwo Jima and its role in the war effort. His thought-provoking analysis also highlights the greater contribution of Iwo Jima's valiant dead: They inspired a reverence for the Marine Corps that proved critical to its institutional survival and its embodiment of American national spirit. From the 7th War Loan Campaign of 1945 through the flag-raising at Ground Zero in 2001, the immortal image of Iwo Jima has become a symbol of American patriotism itself. Burrell's searching account of this fabled island conflict will advance our understanding of World War II and its continuing legacy for the twenty-first century. At last, the battle's ghosts may unveil its ultimate, and most crucial, lessons.
The Giant Germ (Magic School Bus #6)
by Eva Moore Joanna Cole John Speirs Ted EnikHi, I'm Keesha. I'm one of the kids in Ms. Frizzle's class. You've probably heard of Ms. Frizzle. She takes us on amazing field trips in the Magic School Bus. We never know what will happen when we get on that bus, but we do know that we'll learn a lot about one of her favorite subjects -- science! <p><p> You'd never believe how our picnic in the park turned into a tour of another world -- the mini world of microbes! We found out that there are living creatures all around us that we can't see because they are so small. We also learned that these tiny beings can have HUGE effects. That's how we knew we were in for BIG trouble when we ran into the GIANT GERM!