This book summarizes what is currently known about gravity sensing and response mechanisms in microorganisms, fungi, lower and higher plants; starting from the historical eye-opening experiments from the 19th century up to today's extremely rapid advancing cellular, molecular and biotechnological research. All forms of life are constantly exposed to gravity and it can be assumed that almost all organisms have developed sensors and respond in one way or the other to the unidirectional acceleration force,this books shows us some of these different ways. The book is written for plant biologists and microbiologists as well as scientists interested in space and gravitational biology.

The book presents a state-of-art overview of numerical schemes efficiently solving the acoustic conservation equations (unknowns are acoustic pressure and particle velocity) and the acoustic wave equation (pressure of acoustic potential formulation). Thereby, the different equations model both vibrational- and flow-induced sound generation and its propagation. Latest numerical schemes as higher order finite elements, non-conforming grid techniques, discontinuous Galerkin approaches and boundary element methods are discussed. Main applications will be towards aerospace, rail and automotive industry as well as medical engineering. The team of authors are able to address these topics from the engineering as well as numerical points of view.

This textbook provides a detailed introduction to the use of software in combination with simple and economical hardware (a sound level meter with calibrated AC output and a digital recording system) to obtain sophisticated measurements usually requiring expensive equipment. It emphasizes the use of free, open source, and multiplatform software. Many commercial acoustical measurement systems use software algorithms as an integral component; however the methods are not disclosed. This book enables the reader to develop useful algorithms and provides insight into the use of digital audio editing tools to document features in the signal. Topics covered include acoustical measurement principles, in-depth critical study of uncertainty applied to acoustical measurements, digital signal processing from the basics, and metrologically-oriented spectral and statistical analysis of signals. The student will gain a deep understanding of the use of software for measurement purposes; the ability to implement software-based measurement systems; familiarity with the hardware necessary to acquire and store signals; an appreciation for the key issue of long-term preservation of signals; and a full grasp of the often neglected issue of uncertainty in acoustical measurements. Pedagogical features include in-text worked-out examples, end-of-chapter problems, a glossary of metrology terms, and extensive appendices covering statistics, proofs, additional examples, file formats, and underlying theory.

The proceedings of the 11th International Mine Ventilation Congress (11th IMVC), is focused on mine ventilation, health and safety and Earth science. The IMVC has become the most influential international mine ventilation event in the world, and has long been a popular forum for ventilation researchers, practitioners, academics, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, consultants and government officials around the globe to explore research results, exchange best practices, and to launch new products for a better and safer industry. It also serves as a useful platform to attract and train future ventilation professionals and mine planning engineers, as well as for mining companies to discover better practices to provide better ventilation planning.

Sensors and Instrumentation, Volume 5. Proceedings of the 35th IMAC, A Conference and Exposition on Structural Dynamics, 2017, the fifth volume of ten from the Conference brings together contributions to this important area of research and engineering. The collection presents early findings and case studies on fundamental and applied aspects of Sensors and Instrumentation, including papers on: Sensor Applications Accelerometer Design Accelerometer Calibration Sensor Technology

This book provides an introduction to the physics of interstellar gas in the Galaxy. It deals with the diffuse interstellar medium which supplies a complex environment for exploring the neutral gas content of a galaxy like the Milky Way and the techniques necessary for studying this non-stellar component. After an initial exposition of the phases of the interstellar medium and the role of gas in a spiral galaxy, the authors discuss the transition from atomic to molecular gas. They then consider basic radiative transfer and molecular spectroscopy with particular emphasis on the molecules useful for studying low-density molecular gas. Observational techniques for investigating the gas and the dust component of the diffuse interstellar medium throughout the electromagnetic spectrum are explored emphasizing results from the recent Herschel and Planck missions. A brief exposition on dust in the diffuse interstellar medium is followed by a discussion of molecular clouds in general and high-latitude molecular clouds in particular. Ways of calibrating CO observations with the molecular hydrogen content of a cloud are examined along with the dark molecular gas controversy. High-latitude molecular clouds are considered in detail as vehicles for applying the techniques developed in the book. Given the transient nature of diffuse and translucent molecular clouds, the role of turbulence in the origin and dynamics of these objects is examined in some detail. The book is targeted at graduate students or postdocs who are entering the field of interstellar medium studies.

The proceedings published in this book document and foster the goals of the 11th International Space Conference on "Protection of Materials and Structures from Space Environment" ICPMSE-11 to facilitate exchanges between members of the various engineering and science disciplines involved in the development of space materials. Contributions cover aspects of interaction with space environment of LEO, GEO, Deep Space, Planetary environments, ground-based qualification and in-flight experiments, as well as lessons learned from operational vehicles that are closely interrelated to disciplines of atmospheric sciences, solar-terrestrial interactions and space life sciences.

Shock & Vibration, Aircraft/Aerospace and Energy Harvesting, Volume 9: Proceedings of the 35th IMAC, A Conference and Exposition on Structural Dynamics, 2017, the ninth volume of ten from the Conference brings together contributions to this important area of research and engineering. The collection presents early findings and case studies on fundamental and applied aspects of Shock & Vibration, Aircraft/Aerospace and Energy Harvesting including papers on: Shock & Vibration Testing Aircraft/Aerospace Applications Optical Techniques: Digital Image Correlation Vibration Suppression & Control Damage Detection Energy Harvesting

This complete reference to marine renewable energy covers aspects of resource characterization and physical effects of harvesting the ocean's vast and powerful resources-from wave and tidal stream to ocean current energy. Experts in each of these areas contribute their insights to provide a cohesive overview of the marine renewable energy spectrum based on theoretical, numerical modeling, and field-measurement approaches. They provide clear explanations of the underlying physics and mechanics, and give close consideration to practical implementation aspects, including impacts on the physical system. Engineers, researchers, and students alike will find invaluable tools and studies that will aid them in realizing significant sustainable energy production from near-shore and ocean environments.

This unique book presents a historical and philatelic survey of Earth exploration from space. It covers all areas of research in which artificial satellites have contributed in designing a new image of our planet and its environment: the atmosphere and ionosphere, the magnetic field, radiation belts and the magnetosphere, weather, remote sensing, mapping of the surface, observation of the oceans and marine environments, geodesy, and the study of life and ecological systems. Stamping the Earth from Space presents the results obtained with the thousands of satellites launched by the two former superpowers, the Soviet Union and the United States, and also those of the many missions carried out by the ESA, individual European countries, Japan, China, India, and the many emerging space nations. Beautifully illustrated, it contains almost 1100 color reproductions of philatelic items. In addition to topical stamps and thematic postal documents, the book provides an extensive review of astrophilatelic items. The most important space missions are documented through event covers and cards canceled at launch sites, tracking stations, research laboratories, and mission control facilities.

This volume collects the papers from the World Conference on Acoustic Emission 2015 (WCAE-2015) in Hawaii. The latest research and applications of Acoustic Emission (AE) are explored, with particular emphasis on detecting and processing of AE signals, development of AE instrument and testing standards, AE of materials, engineering structures and systems, including the processing of collected data and analytical techniques as well as experimental case studies.

Structural Health Monitoring & Damage Detection, Volume 7: Proceedings of the 35th IMAC, A Conference and Exposition on Structural Dynamics, 2017, the seventh volume of ten from the Conference brings together contributions to this important area of research and engineering. The collection presents early findings and case studies on fundamental and applied aspects of Structural Health Monitoring & Damage Detection, including papers on: Structural Health Monitoring Damage Detection System Identification Active Controls

This volume deals with topical problems concerning technology and design in construction of modern metamaterials. The authors construct the models of mechanical, electromechanical and acoustical behavior of the metamaterials, which are founded upon mechanisms existing on micro-level in interaction of elementary structures of the material. The empiric observations on the phenomenological level are used to test the created models. The book provides solutions, based on fundamental methods and models using the theory of wave propagation, nonlinear theories and composite mechanics for media with micro- and nanostructure. They include the models containing arrays of cracks, defects, with presence of micro- and nanosize piezoelectric elements and coupled physical-mechanical fields of different nature. The investigations show that the analytical, numerical and experimental methods permit evaluation of the qualitative and quantitative properties of the materials of this sort, with diagnosis of their effective characteristics, frequency intervals of effective energetic cutting and passing, as well as effective regimes of damage evaluation by the acoustic methods.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 2.5 license. This book offers a concise, practice-oriented reference-guide to the field of ocean wave energy. The ten chapters highlight the key rules of thumb, address all the main technical engineering aspects and describe in detail all the key aspects to be considered in the techno-economic assessment of wave energy converters. Written in an easy-to-understand style, the book answers questions relevant to readers of different backgrounds, from developers, private and public investors, to students and researchers. It is thereby a valuable resource for both newcomers and experienced practitioners in the wave energy sector.

This book provides thorough coverage of the most important building physics phenomena: heat transfer, moisture, sound/acoustics, and illumination. Since the book is primarily aimed at engineers, it addresses professional issues with due pragmatism, and by including many practical examples and related ISO standards. Nevertheless, in order to guarantee full comprehension, it also explains the underlying physical principles and relates them to practical aspects in a simple and clear way. This is achieved with the aid of more than 100 figures and consistent cross-referencing of formulas and ideas. In addition, interrelationships between the different building physics phenomena are elucidated in a way that will enable readers to develop performance specifications that inform the design process. The book will primarily appeal to students of civil engineering and architecture, as well as to all practitioners in these areas who wish to broaden their fundamental understanding of topics in building physics.

This book is an informal autobiography by John West MD PhD. He obtained his medical degree in Adelaide, Australia and then spent 15 years mainly at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital in London where he, with others, used radioactive oxygen-15 to make the first description of the uneven regional distribution of blood flow in the lung. In 1960-1961, he was a member of the Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary who had made the first ascent of Mt Everest 7 years before. During the expedition about 6 scientists spent up to three months at an altitude of 5800 m studying the effects of this very high altitude on human physiology. Because of his interests in the effects of gravity on the lung, Dr. West spent a year at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California in 1967-1968. While there he submitted a proposal to NASA to measure pulmonary function of astronauts in space, and this was funded. Later, in 1981 he organized the American Medical Research Expedition to Everest during which the first measurements of human physiology on the summit, altitude 8848 m, were obtained. In the 1990's, Dr. West's team made the first comprehensive measurements of pulmonary function of astronauts in space using SpaceLab which was taken up in the Shuttle.

This revised and extended second edition covers problems concerning the design and realization of digital control algorithms for power electronics circuits using digital signal processing (DSP) methods. This book discusses signal processing, starting from analog signal acquisition, through conversion to digital form, methods of filtration and separation, and ending with pulse control of output power transistors. The book is focused on two applications for the considered methods of digital signal processing, a three-phase shunt active power filter and a digital class-D audio power amplifier. The book bridges the gap between power electronics and digital signal processing. Many control algorithms and circuits for power electronics in the current literature are described using analog transmittances. This may not always be acceptable, especially if half of the sampling frequencies and half of the power transistor switching frequencies are close to the band of interest. Therefore in this book, a digital circuit is treated as a digital circuit with its own peculiar characteristics, rather than an analog circuit. This helps to avoid errors and instability. This edition includes a new chapter dealing with selected problems of simulation of power electronics systems together with digital control circuits. The book includes numerous examples using MATLAB and PSIM programs.

What is a musical instrument? What are the musical instruments of the future? This anthology presents thirty papers selected from the fifteen year long history of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME). NIME is a leading music technology conference, and an important venue for researchers and artists to present and discuss their explorations of musical instruments and technologies. Each of the papers is followed by commentaries written by the original authors and by leading experts. The volume covers important developments in the field, including the earliest reports of instruments like the reacTable, Overtone Violin, Pebblebox, and Plank. There are also numerous papers presenting new development platforms and technologies, as well as critical reflections, theoretical analyses and artistic experiences. The anthology is intended for newcomers who want to get an overview of recent advances in music technology. The historical traces, meta-discussions and reflections will also be of interest for longtime NIME participants. The book thus serves both as a survey of influential past work and as a starting point for new and exciting future developments.

This book presents a technology to help speech-, hearing- and sight-impaired people. It explains how they will benefit from an enhancement in their ability to recognize and produce speech or to detect sounds in their surroundings. Additionally, it is considered how sound-based assistive technology might be applied to the areas of speech recognition, speech synthesis, environmental recognition, virtual reality and robots. The primary focus of this book is to provide an understanding of both the methodology and basic concepts of assistive technology rather than listing the variety of assistive devices developed. This book presents a number of different topics which are sufficiently independent from one another that the reader may begin at any chapter without lacking background information. Much of the research quoted in this book was conducted in the author's laboratories at Hokkaido University and University of Tokyo. This book offers the reader a better understanding of a number of unsolved problems that still persist in the field of sound-based assistive technology.

Signal Processing is one of the large specializations in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and computer sciences. It derives input from physics, mathematics and is an indispensable feature of all natural- and life sciences in research and in application. The snew series "Advanced Issues on Signals, Systems and Devices" presents original publications mainly from speakers on the International Conferences on Signal Systems and Devices but also from other international authors. The Conference is a forum for researchers and specialists in different fields covering all types of sensors and measurement systems as for example: Biomedical and Environmental Measurements & Instrumentation; Optical, Chemical and Biomedical Sensors; Mechanical and Thermal Sensors; Micro-Sensors and MEMS-Technology; Nano Sensors, Nano Systems and Nano Technology; Spectroscopy Methods; Signal Processing and Modelling; Multi Sensor Data Fusion; Data Acquisition & Distributed Measurements; Medical and Environmental Applications; Circuit Test, Device Characterization and Modelling; Custom and Semi-Custom Circuits; Analog Circuit Design; Low-Voltage, Low-Power VLSI Design; Hardware Implementation; Materials, Devices and Interconnects; Packaging and Reliability; Battery Monitoring: Impedance Spectroscopy for Measurement and Sensor Solutions; Energy Harvesting and Wireless power Transfer Systems; Wireless Sensor Networks in Industrial Plants This first volume of the new series mainly devotes to the most recent research and implementation of sensors-, circuit systems in signal processing, energy harvesting, nano- and molecular electronics.

This monograph analyses in detail the physical aspects of the elastic waves radiation during deformation or fracture of materials. It presents the methodological bases for the practical use of acoustic emission device, and describes the results of theoretical and experimental researches of evaluation of the crack growth resistance of materials, selection of the useful AE signals. The efficiency of this methodology is shown through the diagnostics of various-purpose industrial objects. The authors obtain results of experimental researches with the help of the new methods and facilities.

VIBROACOUSTIC SIMULATION Learn to master the full range of vibroacoustic simulation using both SEA and hybrid FEM/SEA methods Vibroacoustic simulation is the discipline of modelling and predicting the acoustic waves and vibration of particular objects, systems, or structures. This is done through finite element methods (FEM) or statistical energy analysis (SEA) to cover the full frequency range. In the mid-frequency range, both methods must be combined into a hybrid FEM/SEA approach. By doing so, engineers can model full frequency vibroacoustic simulations in complex technical systems used in aircraft, trains, cars, ships, and satellites. Indeed, hybrid approaches are increasingly used in the automotive, aerospace, and rail industries. Previously covered primarily in scientific journals, Vibroacoustic Simulation provides a practical approach that helps readers master the full frequency range of vibroacoustic simulation. Through a systematic approach, the book illustrates why both FEM and SEA are necessary in acoustic engineering and how both can be used in combination through hybrid methodologies. Striking a crucial balance between complex theories and practical applications, the text provides real-world examples of vibroacoustic simulation, such as fuselage simulation, interior-noise prediction for electric and combustion vehicles, train profiles, and more, to help elucidate the concepts described within. Vibroacoustic Simulation also features: A balance of complex theories with the nuts and bolts of real-world applications Detailed worked examples of junction equations Case studies from companies like Audi and Airbus that illustrate how the methods discussed have been applied in real-world projects A companion website that provides corresponding Python codes for all examples, allowing readers to work through the examples on their own Vibroacoustic Simulation is a useful reference for acoustic and mechanical engineers working in the automotive, aerospace, defense, or rail industries, as well as researchers and graduate students studying acoustics.

The story behind the elite scientists, technologists, SF enthusiasts, and billionaires who believe that humanity's destiny is to populate the stars . . . Does humanity have a destiny "in the stars?" Should a species triggering massive extinctions on its own planet instead stay put? This new book traces the waxing and waning of interest in space settlement through the decades, and offers a journalistic tour through the influential subculture attempting to shape a multiplanetary future. What motivates figures such as billionaires Elon Musk and Yuri Milner? How important have science fiction authors and filmmakers been in stirring enthusiasm for actual space exploration and settlement? Is there a coherent motivating philosophy and ethic behind the spacefaring dream? Star Settlers offers both a historical perspective and a journalistic window into a peculiar subculture packed with members of the scientific, intellectual, and economic elite. This timely work captures the extra-scientific zeal for space travel and settlement, places it in its historical context, and tackles the somewhat surreal conceptions underlying the enterprise and prognoses for its future.

This volume is a compilation of the research presented at the International Asteroid Day workshop which was celebrated at Barcelona on June 30th, 2015. The proceedings discuss the beginning of a new era in the study and exploration of the solar system's minor bodies. International Asteroid Day commemorates the Tunguska event of June 30th, 1908. The workshop's goal was to promote the importance of dealing proactively with impact hazards from space. Multidisciplinary experts contributed to this discussion by describing the nature of comets and asteroids along with their offspring, meteoroids. New missions to return material samples of asteroids back to Earth such as Osiris-REx and Hayabusa 2, as well as projects like AIM and DART which will test impact deflection techniques for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids encounters were also covered. The proceedings include both an outreach level to popularize impact hazards and a scientific character which covers the latest knowledge on these topics, as well as offering proposals of promising new techniques that will help gain new insights of the properties of these challenging bodies by studying meteoroids and meteorites. Asteroids, comets, meteoroids and meteorites are introduced with descriptions of their nature, origin, and solar system pathways.