Intelligent technical systems, which combine mechanical, electrical and software engineering with methods from control engineering and advanced mathematics, go far beyond the state of the art in mechatronics and open up fascinating perspectives. Among these systems are so-called self-optimizing systems, which are able to adapt their behavior...

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Workshop on Augemented Environments for Computer-Assisted Interventions, held in conjunction with MICCAI 2012, in Nice, France in September 2012. The 16 revised full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 22 submissions. The papers cover the topics of...

The 4th FTRA International Conference on Computer Science and its Applications (CSA-12) will be held in Jeju, Korea on November 22~25, 2012. CSA-12 will be the most comprehensive conference focused on the various aspects of advances in computer science and its applications. CSA-12 will provide an opportunity for academic and...

The importance of logistics in all its variations is still increasing. New technologies emerge, new planning methods and algorithms are developed, only to face a market with a growing complexity and the need of weighting monetary costs against ecological impact. Mastering these challenges requires a scientific viewpoint on logistics, but...

Clostridium difficile, a major nosocomial pathogen shown to be a primary cause of antibiotic-associated disease, has emerged as a highly transmissible and frequently antibiotic-resistant organism, causing a considerable burden on health care systems worldwide. In Clostridium difficile: Methods and Protocols, expert...

This book constitutes revised selected papers from the 7th Conference on Theory of Quantum Computation, Communication, and Cryptography, TQC 2012, held in Tokyo, Japan, in May 2012. The 12 papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in this book. They contain original research on the rapidly growing, interdisciplinary...

This book first provides a comprehensive coverage of state-of-the-art validation solutions based on real-time signal tracing to guarantee the correctness of VLSI circuits.  The authors discuss several key challenges in post-silicon validation and provide automated solutions that are systematic and cost-effective.  A series of...

In the last five decades various attempts to formulate theories of quantum gravity have been made, but none has fully succeeded in becoming the quantum theory of gravity. One possible explanation for this failure might be the unresolved fundamental issues in quantum theory as it stands now. Indeed, most approaches to quantum gravity...

Principles of Musical Acoustics focuses on the basic principles in the science and technology of music. Musical examples and specific musical instruments demonstrate the principles. The book begins with a study of vibrations and waves, in that order. These topics constitute the basic physical properties of sound, one of two pillars supporting...

This book is a comprehensive introduction to nanoscale materials for sensor applications, with a focus on connecting the fundamental laws of physics and the chemistry of materials with device design. Nanoscale sensors can be used for a wide variety of applications, including the detection of gases, optical signals, and mechanical strain, and...

Storey presents a range of...