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Vegetation of the Earth and Ecological Systems of the Geo-biosphere (Heidelberg Science Library)
by Heinrich WalterWe shall limit our observations to the conditions in natural ecosystems, since it would be beyond the scope of this book to embark upon a consideration of secondary, man-made ecosystems. 2. Classification of the Geo-biosphere into Zonobiomes The biosphere is the thin layer of the earth's surface to which the phenomena connected with living matter are confined. On land, this comprises the lowest layer of the atmosphere permanently inhabited by living organisms and into which plants extend, as well as the root-containing portion of the lithosphere, which we term the soil. Living organisms are also found in all bodies of water, to the very depths of the oceans. In a watery medium, however, cycling of material is achieved by means other than those on land, and the organisms (plankton) are so different that aquatic ecosystems have to be dealt with separately. The biosphere is therefore subdivided into (a) the geo-biosphere comprising terrestrial ecosystems, and (b) the hydro-biosphere, comprising aquatic ecosystems, which is the field of hydrobiologists (oceanographers and limnologists) . Our studies are confined to the geo-biosphere (Walter 1976), which constitutes the habitat of man and is, therefore, of special interest. The prevailing climate, being the primary independent factor in the environment, can be used as a basis for further subdivision of the geo-biosphere since the formation of soil and type of vegetation are dependent upon it (see p. 3), and it has not yet been substantially influenced by man.
Velocities in Reflection Seismology (Modern Approaches in Geophysics #3)
by Jean-Pierre CordierAlthough considera bIe efforts are now being made to find new sources of energy, alI the experts are agreed that hydrocarbons will have to provide the greater part of our energy needs for a generation ahead. Exploration for and production of hydrocarbons therefore pose a serious problem for our future, as much for the quantitative satisfaction of our requirements as for our search for self-sufficiency in energy. As a direct result of improvements in technology throughout the world, geophysics has progressively enlarged its field of influence in the realms of exploration and production. But amongst the various geophysical methods available, seismic reflection has gradually become accepted as the basic tool of the oiI prospector. Reflection seismology has reached and consolidated this position because it has shown itself to be capable of adapting to the increasing complexity of the requirements of exploration. Initially directed towards geometric mapping of the sub-surface, it became the means of detection of structural traps in geotectonically quiescent regions, and thereafter in increasingly complex surroundings. It has enabled us to clothe the structural framework with a lithology, initially approximate, but becoming more and more precise, assisting the explorer to locate stratigraphic traps. Further developments enable us under favourable circumstances to estimate the quality of the deposits and to detect the presence of fluids and of their interfaces; it then becomes an unrivalled tool for the producer, both in the development of deposits and in the application of enhanced recovery methods.
Vengeance of the Dancing Gods: Vengeance Of The Dancing Gods; Songs Of The Dancing Gods (The Dancing Gods #3)
by Jack L. ChalkerThrockmorton P. Ruddygore, master wizard, had troubles again - but this time, they were partly of his own making. He'd finally beaten the Dark Baron, stripped him of all magical power, and exiled him from Husaquahr to Earth. But he hadn't counted on the Baron's using a computer there to create even more effective spells. Of course, the Baron couldn't use those spells. But the forces of Hell soon sent him a second-rank wizard who could - and a demon in the cellar to amplify the spells' power. And now the Baron was developing a scheme which would surely result in Armageddon before its time! So once again Marge the fairy and Joe the barbarian were called on to do the dirty work. They had to return to their home world and somehow stop the Baron - if they could...
Verification and Validation of Real-Time Software
by William J. QuirkW.J.Quirk 1.1 Real-time software and the real world Real-time software and the real world are inseparably related. Real time cannot be turned back and the real world will not always forget its history. The consequences of previous influences may last for a long time and the undesired effects may range from being inconvenient to disastrous in both economic and human terms. As a result, there is much pressure to develop and apply techniques to improve the reliability of real-time software so that the frequency and consequences of failure are reduced to a level that is as low as reasonably achievable. This report is about such techniques. After a detailed description of the software life cycle, a chapter is devoted to each of the four principle categories of technique available at present. These cover all stages of the software development process and each chapter identifies relevant techniques, the stages to which they are applicable and their effectiveness in improving real-time software reliability. 1.2 The characteristics of real-time software As well as the enhanced reliability requirement discussed above, real-time software has a number of other distinguishing characteristics. First, the sequencing and timing of inputs are determined by the real world and not by the programmer. Thus the program needs to be prepared for the unexpected and the demands made on the system may be conflicting. Second, the demands on the system may occur in parallel rather than in sequence.
The Verification Challenge: Problems and Promise of Strategic Nuclear Arms Control Verification
by SCRIBNER RALSTON METZ
Vertex Operators in Mathematics and Physics: Proceedings of a Conference November 10–17, 1983 (Mathematical Sciences Research Institute Publications #3)
by J. Lepowsky S. Mandelstam I. M. SingerJames Lepowsky t The search for symmetry in nature has for a long time provided representation theory with perhaps its chief motivation. According to the standard approach of Lie theory, one looks for infinitesimal symmetry -- Lie algebras of operators or concrete realizations of abstract Lie algebras. A central theme in this volume is the construction of affine Lie algebras using formal differential operators called vertex operators, which originally appeared in the dual-string theory. Since the precise description of vertex operators, in both mathematical and physical settings, requires a fair amount of notation, we do not attempt it in this introduction. Instead we refer the reader to the papers of Mandelstam, Goddard-Olive, Lepowsky-Wilson and Frenkel-Lepowsky-Meurman. We have tried to maintain consistency of terminology and to some extent notation in the articles herein. To help the reader we shall review some of the terminology. We also thought it might be useful to supplement an earlier fairly detailed exposition of ours [37] with a brief historical account of vertex operators in mathematics and their connection with affine algebras. Since we were involved in the development of the subject, the reader should be advised that what follows reflects our own understanding. For another view, see [29].1 t Partially supported by the National Science Foundation through the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and NSF Grant MCS 83-01664. 1 We would like to thank Igor Frenkel for his valuable comments on the first draft of this introduction.
Vertical Seismic Profiling and Its Exploration Potential (Modern Approaches in Geophysics #1)
by E.I. GalperinThe present book is the author's third on the subject of vertical seismic profiling (VSP). Ten years have elapsed since the pUblication of the fIrst book. During this period, VSP has become the principal method of seismic observations in boreholes and the chief method of experimental studies of seismic waves in the real earth. VSP combines borehole studies in the seismic frequency band, well velocity surveys, proximity or aplanatic surveys, all of which previously existed as separate methods. The high effectiveness ofVSP, its great practical value, the express nature and clarity of the results obtained have all contributed towards a very rapid acceptance of the method. In the USSR VSP has been used in an overwhelming majority of areas and is being used increasingly in many foreign countries as well. This has been greatly facilitated by the translation into English and the publication in the U. S. A. by the Society of Exploration Geophysicists of the book Vertical Seismic Profiling (Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1974). As the method has become more familiar, it has attracted growing interest outside the USSR This has been substantiated by the special seminar on VSP (Oklahoma, 1979) which was organized for 22 U. S. companies and universities and presented by the author.
Very Old Money
by Stanley EllinThe enormously wealthy Durie family occupies a gigantic baroque turn-of-the-century mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The family, whose fortune was established in Colonial times, is traditionally shy of all public notice and proud that no scandal has ever touched its name.Newly married Michael and Amy Lloyd, bright young teachers in a private school, suddenly find themselves unemployed and apparently unemployable. When all cash and credit are gone, Michael and Amy decide to take up positions on the Durie household staff. But as the Lloyds learn to cope with their positions as servants they slowly become aware that the seventy-year-old matriarch Margaret Durie is, for her own unexplained reasons, enlisting them as her helpless accomplices in a subtly designed series of events that will ultimately lead to a thunderous scandal ... and a ghastly death.
Vestibular Processing Dysfunction in Children
by Kenneth J Ottenbacher Margaret A Short DegraftThis collection of chapters is intended to help expand, organize, and enhance understanding of the scientific and clinical relevance of vestibular-related research. Articles present a well-developed body of research with both clinical and theoretical implications, including a variety of studies contributed by individuals from different backgrounds and with diverse orientations. This collection contains anatomical investigations, analyses of instruments designed to clinically assess spedcific functions, descriptive bahavioral studies, intervention research , literature reviews and analyses which place the existing research within the broader contex of scientific literature.
Vestibular Processing Dysfunction in Children
by Kenneth J Ottenbacher Margaret A Short DegraftThis collection of chapters is intended to help expand, organize, and enhance understanding of the scientific and clinical relevance of vestibular-related research. Articles present a well-developed body of research with both clinical and theoretical implications, including a variety of studies contributed by individuals from different backgrounds and with diverse orientations. This collection contains anatomical investigations, analyses of instruments designed to clinically assess spedcific functions, descriptive bahavioral studies, intervention research , literature reviews and analyses which place the existing research within the broader contex of scientific literature.
Vibrations of Engineering Structures (Lecture Notes in Engineering #10)
by C.A. Brebbia H. Tottenham G.B. Warburton J.M. Wilson R.R. WilsonThe increasing size and complexity of new structural forces in engineering have made it necessary for designers to be aware of their dynamic behaviour. Dynamics is a subject which has traditionally been poorly taught in most engineering courses. This book was conceived as a way of providing engineers with a deeper knowledge of dynamic analysis and of indicating to them how some of the new vibrations problems can be solved. The authors start from basic principles to end up with the latest random vibration applications. The book originated 1n a week course given annually by the authors at the Computational Mechanics Centre, Ashurst Lodge, Southampton, England. Special care was taken to ensure continuity in the text and notations. Southampton 1984 CONTENTS Page Foreword Chapter 1 Introduction to Vibration 1. Introductory Remarks 1 2. Single Degree of Freedom Systems: Equations of Motion and Types of Problem 2 3. Response 6 4. General Structures: Equations of Motion 11 5. Response 15 6. Dynamic Interaction Problems 20 Chapter 2 Free Vibration, Resonance and Damping l. Introduction 25 25 2. Spring-Mass System 3. Simple Pendulum 27 4. Beam with Central Load 28 5. Rolling of a Ship 28 6. Springs in Parallel 30 7. Springs in Series 30 8. Free Vibration 31 9. Energy of Vibrating System 33 10. Damped Free Vibration 34 11. Undamped Forced Response 38 12. Damped Forced Response 39 13. Undamped Transient Vibration 42 14. Damped Transient Vibration 43 15.
Vichy France and the Resistance: Culture and Ideology (Routledge Library Editions: WW2 #37)
by Roger Austin Roderick KedwardThis book, first published in 1985, examines various aspects of the intellectual achievements of writers and artists in the Vichy period; a strong emphasis on the ambiguity of much of their work emerges from the research. It goes a long way in answering the question of what it was like living under the fascist Vichy regime, and what the collaborators and resistance thought about their purpose and patriotism.
Vichy France and the Resistance: Culture and Ideology (Routledge Library Editions: WW2 #37)
by Roderick Kedward and Roger AustinThis book, first published in 1985, examines various aspects of the intellectual achievements of writers and artists in the Vichy period; a strong emphasis on the ambiguity of much of their work emerges from the research. It goes a long way in answering the question of what it was like living under the fascist Vichy regime, and what the collaborators and resistance thought about their purpose and patriotism.
Victimization in Schools (Law, Society and Policy #2)
by Gary D. Gottfredson Denise C. GottfredsonThe perception that our nation's public schools are disorderly and unsafe is widespread, and the image of the public school is deteriorating. Since 1974, the Gallup organization has gathered opinions about the public schools. The percentage giving the schools an "A" rating declined from 18% to 6% between 1974 and 1983 (Gallup, 1974, 1984). In a recent survey of America's teenagers, only 9% gave the schools an "A" rating (Bahner, 1980, p. 106). Lack of discipline tops the list of the problems adults see facing schools, and class disturbances and theft are reported by teenagers to be "very big" or "fairly big" problems in their schools (Bahner, 1980, p. 107). These public perceptions are fostered by and reflected in national media attention ("City Schools in Crisis," 1977; "Help! Teacher Can't Teach!" 1980; "High Schools under Fire," 1977). Public concern is also reflected in Congressional hearings where testimony creates the image of grave disorder within our schools (U.s. Senate, Committee on the Judiciary, 1975, 1976b; U.s. House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education, 1980). The public has given the schools low marks, and the Senate Judiciary Committee (1975) gave the schools an" A" in violence and vandalism. In short, parents, students, and public officials are alarmed at what they see as a rising tide of violence and disorder in the schools and are concerned about how much learning can occur in a disruptive environ ment, and about the safety of teachers and students.
Victims of the System: Crime Victims And Compensation In American Politics And Criminal Justice
by Robert EliasThis important new book on criminology is a major attempt to evaluate actual victim compensation programs as well as their political and economic contexts, through the eyes of the victims themselves.Elias traces the experiences of violent-crime victims throughout the entire criminal justice process, comparing New York's and New Jersey's victim compensation programs. He shows how programs differ when compensation is viewed essentially as welfare and when it is viewed as a right. The study uses extensive interviews with officials and with violent crime victims.The study indicates victim compensation programs largely fail to achieve their stated goals of improving attitudes toward the criminal-justice system and the government. The programs produce poor attitudes toward government and criminal justice.
Victims of the System
by Robert EliasThis important new book on criminology is a major attempt to evaluate actual victim compensation programs as well as their political and economic contexts, through the eyes of the victims themselves.Elias traces the experiences of violent-crime victims throughout the entire criminal justice process, comparing New York's and New Jersey's victim compensation programs. He shows how programs differ when compensation is viewed essentially as welfare and when it is viewed as a right. The study uses extensive interviews with officials and with violent crime victims.The study indicates victim compensation programs largely fail to achieve their stated goals of improving attitudes toward the criminal-justice system and the government. The programs produce poor attitudes toward government and criminal justice.
Victoria Victorious: (Queen of England Series) (Queen of England Series #3)
by Jean PlaidyIn this unforgettable novel of Queen Victoria, Jean Plaidy re-creates a remarkable life filled with romance, triumph, and tragedy.At birth, Princess Victoria was fourth in line for the throne of England, the often-overlooked daughter spent most of her childhood in genteel poverty, exiled from court because of her mother’s dislike of her uncle, the king. A strong, willful child, Victoria was determined not to be stifled by her powerful uncles or her unpopular, controlling mother. Then at the age of eighteen this almost-forgotten princess became Queen of England. She was finally free of her mother’s iron-hand and her uncles’ manipulations. Her first act as queen was to demand that she be given a room—and a bed—of her own.Victoria’s marriage to Prince Albert was a blissfully happy and produced nine children. Albert was her constant companion and one of her most trusted advisors. Victoria’s grief after Prince Albert’s untimely death was so shattering that for the rest of her life—nearly forty years—she dressed only in black. She survived several assassination attempts, and during her reign England’s empire expanded around the globe until it touched every continent in the world.By the end of her sixty-four-year reign, this "Girl Queen" embodied the glory of the British Empire.
Victorian Divorce (Routledge Library Editions: The Victorian World)
by Allen HorstmanFirst published in 1985. Beginning from the first documented British divorce in 1670, Professor Horstman traces the development of divorce, the different means by which it came about, and the relation of practice to moral attitudes. Many cases are presented in summary form, and give a vivid picture of the patterns of behaviour and the agonies of conscience that accompanied this last resort solution. Written in a vivid style, the book casts an often startling light on the behaviour of our ancestors of little more than a century ago.
Victorian Divorce (Routledge Library Editions: The Victorian World)
by Allen HorstmanFirst published in 1985. Beginning from the first documented British divorce in 1670, Professor Horstman traces the development of divorce, the different means by which it came about, and the relation of practice to moral attitudes. Many cases are presented in summary form, and give a vivid picture of the patterns of behaviour and the agonies of conscience that accompanied this last resort solution. Written in a vivid style, the book casts an often startling light on the behaviour of our ancestors of little more than a century ago.
Violence: A Guide for the Caring Professions (Routledge Library Editions: Domestic Abuse)
by R. Glynn Owens J. Barrie AshcroftFirst published in 1985, this book is designed to help professionals in caring professions understand and deal with the problem of violent behaviour. It explains how theoretical ideas may be translated into practical strategies for the reduction or elimination of violence. It also highlights the issues and problems involved in the evaluation of intervention strategies aimed at dealing with aggressive behaviour. Although the book is based firmly on scientific research, the emphasis is on the practical problem of dealing with violence. As such it will be of interest to those studying social care and social work, but also those whose professional duties bring them face to face with violent behaviour.
Violence: A Guide for the Caring Professions (Routledge Library Editions: Domestic Abuse)
by R. Glynn Owens J. Barrie AshcroftFirst published in 1985, this book is designed to help professionals in caring professions understand and deal with the problem of violent behaviour. It explains how theoretical ideas may be translated into practical strategies for the reduction or elimination of violence. It also highlights the issues and problems involved in the evaluation of intervention strategies aimed at dealing with aggressive behaviour. Although the book is based firmly on scientific research, the emphasis is on the practical problem of dealing with violence. As such it will be of interest to those studying social care and social work, but also those whose professional duties bring them face to face with violent behaviour.
The Viper Squad
by J.B. HadleyMike Campbell, a Special Forces veteran, organizes a squadron of mercenaries to travel to El Salvador and rescue a wealthy American businessman's daughter.
Viral Messenger RNA: Transcription, Processing, Splicing and Molecular Structure (Developments in Molecular Virology #7)
by Yechiel BeckerThe nucleotide sequence of the gene from which messenger RNA mole cules are transcribed is in a form that can be translated by cellular ribosomes into the amino acid sequence of a particular polypeptide, the product of the gene. The discovery of messenger RNA more than twenty years ago led to a series of studies on its organization and function in cells in the presence of infecting viruses. This volume is devoted to current studies in the field of cellular and viral messenger RNA. The studies presented provide an insight into molecular and genetic aspects of messenger RNA. Special attention was paid by the authors to the molecular organization of mRNA species, to the processing of mRNA molecules, and to the different strategies employed by DNA and RNA viruses in the synthesis of their mRNA. The ability of a virus to take over the protein-synthesizing mechanisms of an infected cell depends on its ability to produce mRNA molecules which can affect the host mRNA or utilize cellular components more efficiently. The differences between, and similarities of, the strategies of mRNA synthesis devised by various DNA and RNA viruses are described herein. This book should be of interest to all students of cellular and viral genes and scientists in the field. It is suitable as a textbook for workshops and courses on mRNA. I wish to thank the authors for their fine contributions and for their interest.