As inorganic materials are put to more and more practical uses--mainly in electric, magnetic, and optical devices--materials scientists must have an increasingly sophisticated understanding of the chemical and physical properties of inorganic compounds. This volume--the first of its kind in twenty years--provides a unified presentation of the chemistry of non-stoichiometric compounds based on statistical thermodynamics and structural inorganic chemistry. Four modern examples of non-stoichiometric compounds--ionic conducting compounds, hydrogen absorbing alloys, magnetic materials, and electrical materials--are discussed in detail. Students and researchers in structural inorganic chemistry, crystallography, materials science, and solid state physics will find this much-needed book both practical and informative.

This sixth volume of the Crystallographic Computing series explores the application of windowing techniques and object-oriented programming to crystallography. Featuring presentations given at the renowned Vesprem School on Crystallographic Computing, the book covers a wide range of subjects regarding the state of crystallographic software, such as recent advances in powder diffraction techniques, structure and solution, and refinement. The tricky problem of dealing with disorder in the interpretation of diffraction data is given clear coverage. In addition, introductory sections explaining new features in program systems are included, and, in an age of ever-increasing quantities of data, the rationale behind the standardization and portability of crystallographic data through the use of CIF files is cogently defined. The book will appeal to crystallography teachers, students, and researchers interested in the latest computer applications in their field.

Complex Systems Science in Biomedicine will address the fundamentals of complex systems science, its applicability and relevance to biological and medical grand challenges and its potential for the development of novel research tools as well as innovative diagnostic and treatment strategies. This textbook focuses on the importance of complex systems science in biomedical research and its impact on clinical problem solving. In Parts I and II, the book describes general topics in complex systems science with implications for biomedicine so that the interested, non-specialist, is able to understand the underlying hypothesis as well as the approaches and techniques used in the following sections. The core of the book (Part III) features the application of the aforementioned techniques to specific biomedical topics, starting with the molecular and cellular levels, to whole organ systems (such as the brain and the immune system), leading to the description of dynamical disease processes such as cancer and aging. These examples have been chosen because of their importance and impact for the future (e.g., cancer, HIV, aging). The last part of the book (Part IV) discusses emergent technologies built on better understanding of these complex systems and required to further study these systems in even greater detail. It ranges from bioengineering and DNA-chip technology to diagnostic imaging and virtual reality applications.

The MRS Symposium Proceeding series is an internationally recognised reference suitable for researchers and practitioners.