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A Man and His Ship: America's Greatest Naval Architect and His Quest to Build the S.S. United States
by Steven UjifusaTHE STORY OF A GREAT AMERICAN BUILDER At the peak of his power, in the 1940s and 1950s, William Francis Gibbs was considered America's best naval architect. His quest to build the finest, fastest, most beautiful ocean liner of his time, the S.S. United States, was a topic of national fascination. When completed in 1952, the ship was hailed as a technological masterpiece at a time when "made in America" meant the best. Gibbs was an American original, on par with John Roebling of the Brooklyn Bridge and Frank Lloyd Wright of Fallingwater. Forced to drop out of Harvard following his family's sudden financial ruin, he overcame debilitating shyness and lack of formal training to become the visionary creator of some of the finest ships in history. He spent forty years dreaming of the ship that became the S.S. United States. William Francis Gibbs was driven, relentless, and committed to excellence. He loved his ship, the idea of it, and the realization of it, and he devoted himself to making it the epitome of luxury travel during the triumphant post-World War II era. Biographer Steven Ujifusa brilliantly describes the way Gibbs worked and how his vision transformed an industry. A Man and His Ship is a tale of ingenuity and enterprise, a truly remarkable journey on land and sea.
A Manager's Guide for Better Decision-Making: Easy to Apply Tools and Techniques (Manufacturing and Production Engineering)
by Abu S.M. MasudAn important activity for an organization’s leaders and managers is making decisions associated with problem-solving. Making decisions is a complex endeavor where choices are made from courses of action where resources are limited and in the presence of constraints. Written as a guide, this book offers a quantitative approach to decision-making. The process of decision-making is presented from a holistic point of view. This book offers a basic understanding of the issues and processes involved in decision-making by presenting the tools associated with problem analysis, tools that enable developing choices, as well as tools used to normalize judgment criteria achievement so that they are comparable across measures using different scales. Several solution methods for decision problems that have one evaluation criterion are explained first. Methods for problems with multiple criteria for evaluating alternate solutions are discussed as well. The multiple criteria methods include those that do not require any explicit preference or trade-off information from the decision-maker and those that do require the decision-maker’s preference or trade-off information. The intended audience of the book includes technical and nontechnical professionals, managers, and supervisors at all levels, and engineering and business educators. The book would also be useful to undergraduate students, beginning graduate students, and recent graduates of professional programs, or in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and humanities.
A Manager's Guide to BS25999
by Tony DrewittThis book is a concise and practical guide to implementing the new benchmark for business continuity management - BS25999. While the number of events that could potentially disrupt the ability of your organization to continue with its business activities continues to grow, the ramifications are increasingly dramatic. Climate change, terrorism and IT system failure are just some of today's more serious threats - and pressure is growing on all organizations to demonstrate effective, meaningful and dependable emergency preparedness. This guide will help you understand and meet the growing need to demonstrate and provide assurance to partners, customers and stakeholders that, should some significant business disruption occur, you have done everything possible to minimize disruption to the continued supply of the products or services by your organization.
A Manager's Guide to ISO22301
by Tony DrewittHave you ever wondered whether your business continuity plan is any good, or whether youve even got a business continuity plan? Anyone can write a simple document, call it a business continuity plan and hope for the best. But, unless you know that it will do what it is supposed to, it may be a wasted investment. This practical guide to the ISO22301 business continuity management system standard shows you how to develop and implement a business continuity management (BCM) and disaster recovery plan; ensuring you get back on your feet with the minimum of fuss, should the unthinkable happen. Providing a comprehensive introduction to the topic, this book includes practical, detailed guidance on developing and implementing a BCM system certifiable to the ISO22301 standard, using detailed and illustrative examples. A BCM policy and other useful document templates are provided in the appendices. As an international standard, ISO22301 is likely to become the benchmark that is used to judge how a business will cope with disaster. Although only some public bodies are required by law to have business continuity plans, an ISO22301 compliant system will give you peace of mind, reassure your customers and business partners and help you to meet your legal obligations. Disaster can strike without warning, so the time to start developing an ISO22301 compliant system is now. This book is the perfect place to start. Tony Drewitt has specialised in operational risk management and business continuity since 2001 and is currently working with several organisations to develop management systems in line with ISO22301 and its predecessor BS25999. He has written several books on business continuity including BS25999: A Pocket Guide, A Managers Guide to BS25999 and Everything You Want to Know About Business Continuity.
A Manual for Agribusiness Value Chain Analysis in Developing Countries
by Dr Benjamin Dent Professor Ray CollinsValue Chain Analysis (VCA) diagnoses the current state of a value chain and makes recommendations to improve its effectiveness and efficiency. Applying VCA in developing countries is very often subject to limited time and funding. This manual shows how VCA principles can be applied under such circumstances. It explains how to undertake an affordable VCA that still generates valid data and so produces recommendations that will have impact. The manual has four parts: Part 1: Our Approach to Value Chain Thinking - sets out the principles and practice of taking a value chain approach. Part 2: Conducting Value Chain Analysis - covers planning a VCA, conducting consumer research, interviewing, analysing, creating recommendations and reporting. Part 3: Case Studies - illustrates successful VCAs with case studies e.g. Ghanaian pineapples and Kenyan indigenous chicken. Part 4: Further Reading and Biographies The practical style and content will make this manual accessible to a wide audience: NGO practitioners; government policymakers and extension officers; private sector managers and consultants; and academics for teaching and researching.
A Manual of the Flowering Plants of California
by Willis Linn JepsonThis title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1925.
A Manufactured Plague: The History of Foot-and-mouth Disease in Britain
by Abigail WoodsFoot and mouth disease (FMD) is currently regarded as one of the world's worst animal plagues. But how did this label become attached to a curable disease that poses little threat to human health? And why, in the epidemic of 2001, did the government's control strategy still rely upon Victorian trade restrictions and mass slaughter? This groundbreaking and well-researched book shows that, for over a century, FMD has brought fear, tragedy and sorrow- damaging businesses and affecting international relations. Yet these effects were neither inevitable nor caused by FMD itself but were, rather, the product of the legislation used to control it, and in this sense FMD is a 'manufactured' plague rather than a natural one. A Manufactured Plague turns the spotlight on this process of manufacture, revealing a rich history beset by controversy, in which party politics, class relations, veterinary ambitions, agricultural practices, the priorities of farming and the meat trade, fears for national security and scientific progress all made FMD what it is today.
A Mathematical Approach to Research Problems of Science and Technology: Theoretical Basis and Developments in Mathematical Modeling (Mathematics for Industry #5)
by Hiroyuki Ochiai Ryuei Nishii Shin-Ichiro Ei Miyuki Koiso Kanzo Okada Shingo Saito Tomoyuki ShiraiThis book deals with one of the most novel advances in mathematical modeling for applied scientific technology, including computer graphics, public-key encryption, data visualization, statistical data analysis, symbolic calculation, encryption, error correcting codes, and risk management. It also shows that mathematics can be used to solve problems from nature, e. g. , slime mold algorithms. One of the unique features of this book is that it shows readers how to use pure and applied mathematics, especially those mathematical theory/techniques developed in the twentieth century, and developing now, to solve applied problems in several fields of industry. Each chapter includes clues on how to use "mathematics" to solve concrete problems faced in industry as well as practical applications. The target audience is not limited to researchers working in applied mathematics and includes those in engineering, material sciences, economics, and life sciences.
A Mathematical Introduction to Compressive Sensing (Applied and Numerical Harmonic Analysis)
by Holger Rauhut Simon FoucartFilling a significant gap in the literature, A Mathematical Introduction to Compressive Sensing is the first work entirely devoted to the thriving field of compressive sensing. The book clearly and comprehensively presents the essential theory of compressive sensing from a mathematical perspective. Featuring a substantial number of exercises with hints to solutions, as well as MATLAB codes for algorithms and simulations, the work is well suited for graduate courses on the subject. With only moderate mathematical prerequisites, this volume is a reliable resource for graduate students, practioners, and researchers in engineering, computer science, and mathematics looking to acquire a careful understanding of compressive sensing.
A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation
by Richard M. Murray S. Shankar Sastry Zexiang LiA Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation presents a mathematical formulation of the kinematics, dynamics, and control of robot manipulators. It uses an elegant set of mathematical tools that emphasizes the geometry of robot motion and allows a large class of robotic manipulation problems to be analyzed within a unified framework. The foundation of the book is a derivation of robot kinematics using the product of the exponentials formula. The authors explore the kinematics of open-chain manipulators and multifingered robot hands, present an analysis of the dynamics and control of robot systems, discuss the specification and control of internal forces and internal motions, and address the implications of the nonholonomic nature of rolling contact are addressed, as well. The wealth of information, numerous examples, and exercises make A Mathematical Introduction to Robotic Manipulation valuable as both a reference for robotics researchers and a text for students in advanced robotics courses.
A Mathematical Modeling Approach from Nonlinear Dynamics to Complex Systems (Nonlinear Systems and Complexity #22)
by Elbert E. MacauThis book collects recent developments in nonlinear and complex systems. It provides up-to-date theoretic developments and new techniques based on a nonlinear dynamical systems approach that can be used to model and understand complex behavior in nonlinear dynamical systems. It covers symmetry groups, conservation laws, risk reduction management, barriers in Hamiltonian systems, and synchronization and chaotic transient. Illustrating mathematical modeling applications to nonlinear physics and nonlinear engineering, the book is ideal for academic and industrial researchers concerned with machinery and controls, manufacturing, and controls.· Introduces new concepts for understanding and modeling complex systems;· Explains risk reduction management in complex systems;· Examines the symmetry group approach to understanding complex systems;· Illustrates the relation between transient chaos and crises.
A Mathematical Perspective on Flight Dynamics and Control
by Andrea L'AfflittoThis brief presents several aspects of flight dynamics, which are usually omitted or briefly mentioned in textbooks, in a concise, self-contained, and rigorous manner. The kinematic and dynamic equations of an aircraft are derived starting from the notion of the derivative of a vector and then thoroughly analysed, interpreting their deep meaning from a mathematical standpoint and without relying on physical intuition. Moreover, some classic and advanced control design techniques are presented and illustrated with meaningful examples. Distinguishing features that characterize this brief include a definition of angular velocity, which leaves no room for ambiguities, an improvement on traditional definitions based on infinitesimal variations. Quaternion algebra, Euler parameters, and their role in capturing the dynamics of an aircraft are discussed in great detail. After having analyzed the longitudinal- and lateral-directional modes of an aircraft, the linear-quadratic regulator, the linear-quadratic Gaussian regulator, a state-feedback H-infinity optimal control scheme, and model reference adaptive control law are applied to aircraft control problems. To complete the brief, an appendix provides a compendium of the mathematical tools needed to comprehend the material presented in this brief and presents several advanced topics, such as the notion of semistability, the Smith–McMillan form of a transfer function, and the differentiation of complex functions: advanced control-theoretic ideas helpful in the analysis presented in the body of the brief. A Mathematical Perspective on Flight Dynamics and Control will give researchers and graduate students in aerospace control an alternative, mathematically rigorous means of approaching their subject.
A Mathematician's Apology
by G. H. HardyG. H. Hardy was one of this century's finest mathematical thinkers, renowned among his contemporaries as a 'real mathematician … the purest of the pure'. He was also, as C. P. Snow recounts in his Foreword, 'unorthodox, eccentric, radical, ready to talk about anything'. This 'apology', written in 1940, offers a brilliant and engaging account of mathematics as very much more than a science; when it was first published, Graham Greene hailed it alongside Henry James's notebooks as 'the best account of what it was like to be a creative artist'. C. P. Snow's Foreword gives sympathetic and witty insights into Hardy's life, with its rich store of anecdotes concerning his collaboration with the brilliant Indian mathematician Ramanujan, his idiosyncrasies and his passion for cricket. This is a unique account of the fascination of mathematics and of one of its most compelling exponents in modern times.
A Mathematics Boot Camp for Science and Engineering Students
by Ying MaMany students have difficulty applying mathematical techniques to solve problems in science and engineering, even after completing Calculus I and II. Students who are beginning the core coursework in their field of study often need additional guidance on practicing, learning, and improving their problem-solving skills for application. The objectives of A Mathematics Boot Camp for Science and Engineering Students are to offer a solution to this issue and are specifically designed to address common errors in mathematical problem-solving for undergraduate science and engineering students. Teaches readers how to apply math skills as they transition to coursework in their chosen field of study Includes strategies and recommendations for quick improvement in problem-solving skills Emphasizes the physical meanings of the problem, which helps students develop a deep understanding of their field of study Features a broad range of example problems with detailed and easy-to-follow solutions for students to learn problem-solving techniques and additional exercise problems for further practice and improvement Bridges the gap between the knowledge of mathematical techniques and the ability to apply those techniques to solve real-world problems This concise and practical text offers "basic training" in mathematical problem-solving skills for undergraduate students in science and engineering disciplines. A Solutions Manual is available to qualifying adopting professors.
A Matter Of Size: Triennial Review Of The National Nanotechnology Initiative
by National Research Council of the National AcademiesThe National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was created in 2000 to focus and coordinate the nanoscience and nanotechnology research and development (R&D) activities being funded by several federal agencies. The purpose of the NNI is to marshal these research activities in order to accelerate responsible development and deployment of nanotechnology for economic benefit and national security. To take stock of the progress of the NNI, Congress, in P. L. 108-153, the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, directed the National Research Council to carry out a review of the program every three years. This report presents the results of the first of those reviews, which addresses the economic impact of nanotechnology developments and provides a benchmark of U.S. R&D efforts relative to those undertaken by foreign competitors. In addition, the report offers an assessment of the current status of responsible development of nanotechnology and comments on the feasibility of molecular self-assembly.
A Matter of Taste: A Farmers' Market Devotee's Semi-Reluctant Argument for Inviting Scientific Innovation to the Dinner Table (Exploded Views)
by Rebecca TuckerHow did farmer's markets, nose-to-tail, locavorism, organic eating, CSAs, whole foods, and Whole Foods become synonymous with “good food”? And are these practices really producing food that is morally, environmentally, or economically sustainable? Rebecca Tucker's compelling, reported argument shows that we must work to undo the moral coding that we use to interpret how we come by what we put on our plates. She investigates not only the danger of the accepted rhetoric, but the innovative work happening on farms and university campuses to create a future where nutritious food is climate-change resilient, hardy enough to grow season after season, and, most importantly, available to all—not just those willing or able to fork over the small fortune required for a perfect heirloom tomato. Tucker argues that arriving at that future will require a broad cognitive shift away from the idea that farmer's markets, community gardens, and organic food production is the only sustainable way forward; more than that, it will require the commitment of research firms, governments, corporations, and postsecondary institutions to develop and implement agriscience innovations that do more than improve the bottom line. A Matter of Taste asks us to rethink what good food really is.
A Metaheuristic Approach to Protein Structure Prediction: Algorithms And Insights From Fitness Landscape Analysis (Emergence, Complexity And Computation Ser. #31)
by Swagatam Das Nanda Dulal Jana Jaya SilThis book introduces characteristic features of the protein structure prediction (PSP) problem. It focuses on systematic selection and improvement of the most appropriate metaheuristic algorithm to solve the problem based on a fitness landscape analysis, rather than on the nature of the problem, which was the focus of methodologies in the past. Protein structure prediction is concerned with the question of how to determine the three-dimensional structure of a protein from its primary sequence. Recently a number of successful metaheuristic algorithms have been developed to determine the native structure, which plays an important role in medicine, drug design, and disease prediction. This interdisciplinary book consolidates the concepts most relevant to protein structure prediction (PSP) through global non-convex optimization. It is intended for graduate students from fields such as computer science, engineering, bioinformatics and as a reference for researchers and practitioners.
A Method of Fundamental Solutions in Poroelasticity to Model the Stress Field in Geothermal Reservoirs (Lecture Notes in Geosystems Mathematics and Computing)
by Matthias Albert AugustinThis monograph focuses on the numerical methods needed in the context of developing a reliable simulation tool to promote the use of renewable energy. One very promising source of energy is the heat stored in the Earth's crust, which is harnessed by so-called geothermal facilities. Scientists from fields like geology, geo-engineering, geophysics and especially geomathematics are called upon to help make geothermics a reliable and safe energy production method. One of the challenges they face involves modeling the mechanical stresses at work in a reservoir. The aim of this thesis is to develop a numerical solution scheme by means of which the fluid pressure and rock stresses in a geothermal reservoir can be determined prior to well drilling and during production. For this purpose, the method should (i) include poroelastic effects, (ii) provide a means of including thermoelastic effects, (iii) be inexpensive in terms of memory and computational power, and (iv) be flexible with regard to the locations of data points. After introducing the basic equations and their relations to more familiar ones (the heat equation, Stokes equations, Cauchy-Navier equation), the "method of fundamental solutions" and its potential value concerning our task are discussed. Based on the properties of the fundamental solutions, theoretical results are established and numerical examples of stress field simulations are presented to assess the method's performance. The first-ever 3D graphics calculated for these topics, which neither requiring meshing of the domain nor involving a time-stepping scheme, make this a pioneering volume.
A Methodology for Processing Raw LIDAR Data to Support Urban Flood Modelling Framework: UNESCO-IHE PhD Thesis
by Ahmad Fikri Bin AbdullahThe consequences of recent floods and flash floods in many parts of the world have been devastating. One way to improving flood management practice is to invest in data collection and modelling activities which enable an understanding of the functioning of a system and the selection of optimal mitigation measures. A Digital Terrain Model (DTM) provides the most essential information for flood managers. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) surveys which enable the capture of spot heights at a spacing of 0.5m to 5m with a horizontal accuracy of 0.3m and a vertical accuracy of 0.15m can be used to develop high accuracy DTM but needs careful processing before using it for any application.This book presents the augmentation of an existing Progressive Morphological filtering algorithm for processing raw LiDAR data to support a 1D/2D urban flood modelling framework. The key characteristics of this improved algorithm are: (1) the ability to deal with different kinds of buildings; (2) the ability to detect elevated road/rail lines and represent them in accordance to the reality; (3) the ability to deal with bridges and riverbanks; and (4) the ability to recover curbs and the use of appropriated roughness coefficient of Manning‘s value to represent close-to-earth vegetation (e.g. grass and small bush).
A Migrant Family
by Larry Dane BrimnerWe all know what a supermarket is, but what is a farmer's market? It's a place where people gather together to sell products -- such as flowers, herbs, vegetables, fruit, and more -- that they have grown or produced. Through lively text, readers will meet two families -- one Hmong American and the other German American -- as they work hard to prepare for a busy market season.
A Mill Should Be Build Thereon: An Early History of the Todmorden Mills
by Eleanor DarkeIt is difficult for Todmorden Mills Museum visitors to imagine that this site so close to the busy Don Valley Parkway was once home to an important mill. As early as 1793 Governor Simcoe recognized the industrial potential of this portion of the Don River. By 1795 Skinner’s sawmill was under construction, initiating an era of technological development that spread beyond the valley of the Don into what was then Muddy York. Today, Todmorden serves to remind us of Toronto’s industrial heritage and the spirit of the time. This invaluable local history confirms the significance of early mills and later factories along the Don River and recognizes the roles played by Timothy Skinner, Parshall Terry, George Playter, William Helliwell and other settlers and entrepreneurs of Governor John Graves Simcoe’s time and beyond. Eleanor Darke, assisted by Ian Wheal, presents us with an informative account of the people, their lives and their creative influence.
A Million Years in a Day: A Curious History of Everyday Life from the Stone Age to the Phone Age
by Greg JennerWho invented beds? When did we start cleaning our teeth? How old are wine and beer? Which came first: the toilet seat or toilet paper? What was the first clock?Every day, from the moment our alarm clock wakes us in the morning until our head hits our pillow at night, we all take part in rituals that are millennia old. Structured around one ordinary day, A Million Years in a Day reveals the astonishing origins and development of the daily practices we take for granted. In this gloriously entertaining romp through human history, Greg Jenner explores the gradual—and often unexpected—evolution of our daily routines.This is not a story of wars, politics, or great events. Instead, Jenner has scoured Roman rubbish bins, Egyptian tombs, and Victorian sewers to bring us the most intriguing, surprising, and sometimes downright silly historical nuggets from our past.Drawn from across the world, spanning a million years of humanity, this book is a smorgasbord of historical delights. It is a history of all those things you always wondered about—and many you have never considered. It is the story of your life, one million years in the making.
A Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age
by Jimmy Soni Rob GoodmanWinner of the Neumann Prize for the History of Mathematics "We owe Claude Shannon a lot, and Soni & Goodman&’s book takes a big first step in paying that debt." —San Francisco Review of Books "Soni and Goodman are at their best when they invoke the wonder an idea can instill. They summon the right level of awe while stopping short of hyperbole." —Financial Times "Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman make a convincing case for their subtitle while reminding us that Shannon never made this claim himself." —The Wall Street Journal &“A charming account of one of the twentieth century&’s most distinguished scientists…Readers will enjoy this portrait of a modern-day Da Vinci.&” —FortuneIn their second collaboration, biographers Jimmy Soni and Rob Goodman present the story of Claude Shannon—one of the foremost intellects of the twentieth century and the architect of the Information Age, whose insights stand behind every computer built, email sent, video streamed, and webpage loaded. Claude Shannon was a groundbreaking polymath, a brilliant tinkerer, and a digital pioneer. He constructed the first wearable computer, outfoxed Vegas casinos, and built juggling robots. He also wrote the seminal text of the digital revolution, which has been called &“the Magna Carta of the Information Age.&” In this elegantly written, exhaustively researched biography, Soni and Goodman reveal Claude Shannon&’s full story for the first time. With unique access to Shannon&’s family and friends, A Mind at Play brings this singular innovator and always playful genius to life.
A Modal Approach to the Space-Time Dynamics of Cognitive Biomarkers (Synthesis Lectures on Biomedical Engineering)
by Tristan D. Griffith James E. Hubbard Jr. Mark J. BalasThis book develops and details a rigorous, canonical modeling approach for analyzing spatio-temporal brain wave dynamics. The nonlinear, nonstationary behavior of brain wave measures and general uncertainty associated with the brain makes it difficult to apply modern system identification techniques to such systems. While there is a substantial amount of literature on the use of stationary analyses for brain waves, relatively less work has considered real-time estimation and imaging of brain waves from noninvasive measurements. This book addresses the issue of modeling and imaging brain waves and biomarkers generally, treating the nonlinear and nonstationary dynamics in near real-time. Using a modal state-space formulation leads to intuitive, physically significant models which are used for analysis and diagnosis.A Modal Approach to the Space-Time Dynamics of Cognitive Biomarkers provides a much-needed reference for practicing researchers in biomarker modeling leveraging the lens of engineering dynamics.
A Modern Course in Aeroelasticity (Solid Mechanics and Its Applications #264)
by Earl H. DowellThis book is the sixth edition. It is suitable for one or more courses at the advanced undergraduate level and graduate level to cover the field of aeroelasticity. It is also of value to the research scholar and engineering practitioner who wish to understand the state of the art in the field. This book covers the basics of aeroelasticity or the dynamics of fluid–structure interaction. While the field began in response to the rapid development of aviation, it has now expanded into many branches of engineering and scientific disciplines and treats physical phenomena from aerospace engineering, bioengineering, civil engineering, and mechanical engineering in addition to drawing the attention of mathematicians and physicists. The basic questions addressed are dynamic stability and response of fluid structural systems as revealed by both linear and nonlinear mathematical models and correlation with experiment. The use of scaled models and full-scale experiments and tests play a key role where theory is not considered sufficiently reliable.