Few artworks have been the subject of more extensive modern interpretation than Melencolia I by renowned artist, mathematician, and scientist Albrecht Durer (1514). And yet, did each of these art experts and historians miss a secret manifesto that Durer included within the engraving? This is the first work to decrypt secrets within Melencolia I based not on guesswork, but Durer's own writings, other subliminal artists that inspired him (i.e., Leonardo da Vinci), the Jewish and Christian Bibles, and books that inspired Durer (De Occulta Philosophia and the Hieorglyphica). To read the covert message of Melencolia I is to understand that Durer was a humanist in his interests in mathematics, science, poetry, and antiquity. This book recognizes his unparalleled power with the burin, his mathematical skill in perspective, his dedication to precise language, and his acute observation of nature. Melencolia I may also be one of the most controversial (and at the time most criminal) pieces of art as it hid Durer's disdain for the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, the Kaiser, and the Holy Roman Empire from the general public for centuries. This book closely ties the origins of philosophy (science) and the work of a Renaissance master together, and will be of interest for anyone who loves scientific history, art interpretation, and secret manifestos.

The study of dark matter, in both astrophysics and particle physics, has emerged as one of the most active and exciting topics of research in recent years. This book reviews the history behind the discovery of missing mass (or unseen mass) in the Universe, and ties this into the proposed extensions to the Standard Model of Particle Physics (such as Supersymmetry), which were being proposed within the same time frame. This book is written as an introduction to these problems at the forefront of astrophysics and particle physics, with the goal of conveying the physics of dark matter to beginning undergraduate majors in scientific fields. The book goes onto describe existing and upcoming experiments and techniques, which will be used to detect dark matter either directly on indirectly.

The Performance of Photovoltaic (PV) Systems: Modelling, Measurement and Assessment explores the system lifetime of a PV system and the energy output of the system over that lifetime. The book concentrates on the prediction, measurement, and assessment of the performance of PV systems, allowing the reader to obtain a thorough understanding of the performance issues and progress that has been made in optimizing system performance.

Smart Energy Grid Engineering provides in-depth detail on the various important engineering challenges of smart energy grid design and operation by focusing on advanced methods and practices for designing different components and their integration within the grid. Governments around the world are investing heavily in smart energy grids to ensure optimum energy use and supply, enable better planning for outage responses and recovery, and facilitate the integration of heterogeneous technologies such as renewable energy systems, electrical vehicle networks, and smart homes around the grid. By looking at case studies and best practices that illustrate how to implement smart energy grid infrastructures and analyze the technical details involved in tackling emerging challenges, this valuable reference considers the important engineering aspects of design and implementation, energy generation, utilization and energy conservation, intelligent control and monitoring data analysis security, and asset integrity.

Tai Chi, a Chinese martial art developed based on the laws of nature, emphasises how 'to conquer the unyielding with the yielding.' The recent observation of star formation shows that stars result from the interaction between gravity, turbulence and magnetic fields. This interaction again follows the natural rules that inspired Tai Chi. For example, if self-gravity is the force that dominates, the molecular cloud will collapse isotropically, which compresses magnetic field lines. The density of the yielding field lines increases until magnetic pressure reaches the critical value to support the cloud against the gravitational force in directions perpendicular to the field lines (Lorentz force). Then gravity gives way to Lorentz force, accumulating gas only along the field lines till the gas density achieves the critical value to again compress the field lines. The Tai Chi goes on in a self similar way.

Archaeological Geophysics for Ephemeral Human Occupations: Focusing on the Small-Scale combines technological advances in near-surface geophysics with recent archaeological scholarship and underlying archaeological premises to provide a practical manual for guiding archaeo-geophysical research design. By proposing the amelioration of communication gaps between traditional and geophysical archaeologists, this book will foment dialogue and participate in bringing about new ways of thinking anthropologically about archaeological geophysics, especially in relation to prehistoric open-air ephemeral sites. Offering a way to begin a dialogue between archaeology and geophysics, Archaeological Geophysics for Ephemeral Human Occupations is an important reference for practicing professionals, instructors, and students in geophysics and anthropology/archaeology, as well as geology.

III-Nitride Semiconductor Optoelectronics covers the latest breakthrough research and exciting developments in the field of III-nitride compound semiconductors. It includes important topics on the fundamentals of materials growth, characterization, and optoelectronic device applications of III-nitrides. Bulk, quantum well, quantum dot, and nanowire heterostructures are all thoroughly explored.

NMR of Paramagnetic Molecules: Applications to Metallobiomolecules and Models, Second Edition is a self-contained, comprehensive reference for chemists, physicists, and life scientists whose research involves analyzing paramagnetic compounds. Since the previous edition of this book was published, there have been many advancements in the field of paramagnetic NMR spectroscopy. This completely updated and expanded edition contains the latest fundamental theory and methods for mastery of this analytical technique. Users will learn how to interpret the NMR spectra of paramagnetic molecules, improve experimental techniques, and strengthen their understanding of the underlying theory and applications.

The World of Nano-Biomechanics, Second Edition, focuses on the remarkable progress in the application of force spectroscopy to molecular and cellular biology that has occurred since the book's first edition in 2008. The initial excitement of seeing and touching a single molecule of protein/DNA is now culminating in the development of various ways to manipulate molecules and cells almost at our fingertips, enabling live cell operations. Topics include the development of molecular biosensors, mechanical diagnosis, cellular-level wound healing, and a look into the advances that have been made in our understanding of the significance of mechanical rigidity/flexibility of protein/DNA structure for the manifestation of biological activities. The book begins with a summary of the results of basic mechanics to help readers who are unfamiliar with engineering mechanics. Then, representative results obtained on biological macromolecules and structures, such as proteins, DNA, RNA, polysaccharides, lipid membranes, subcellular organelles, and live cells are discussed. New to this second edition are recent developments in three important applications, i.e., advanced AFM-data analysis, high-resolution mechanical biosensing, and the use of cell mechanics for medical diagnosis.

Advances in Heat Transfer fills the information gap between regularly scheduled journals and university-level textbooks by providing in-depth review articles that are from a broader scope than in traditional journals or texts. The articles, which serve as a broad review for experts in the field, are also of great interest to non-specialists who need to keep up-to-date on the results of the latest research. This serial is essential reading for all mechanical, chemical, and industrial engineers working in the field of heat transfer, or in graduate schools or industry.

This book on TENR discusses the basic Physics and Chemistry principles of natural radiation. The current knowledge of the biological effects of natural radiation is summarized. A wide variety of topics, from cosmic radiation to atmospheric, terrestrial and aquatic radiation is addressed, including radon, thoron, and depleted uranium. Issues like terrorism and geochronology using natural radiation are also examined.

The first book to combine satellite and terrestrial positioning techniques - vital for the understanding and development of new technologies Written and edited by leading experts in the field, with contributors belonging to the European Commission's FP7 Network of Excellence NEWCOM++ Applications to a wide range of fields, including sensor networks, emergency services, military use, location-based billing, location-based advertising, intelligent transportation, and leisure Location-aware personal devices and location-based services have become ever more prominent in the past few years, thanks to the significant advances in position location technology. Sensor networks, geographic information, emergency services, location management, location-based billing, location-based advertising, intelligent transportation, and leisure applications are just some of the potential applications that can be enabled by these techniques. Increasingly, satellite and terrestrial positioning techniques are being combined for maximum performance; to produce the next wave of location-based devices and services, engineers need to combine both components. This book is the first to present a holistic view, covering all aspects of positioning: both terrestrial and satellite, both theory and practice, both performance bounds and signal processing techniques. It will provide a valuable resource for product developers and R&D engineers, allowing them to improve existing location techniques and develop future approaches for new systems.