This text is the proceedings volume of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop, held in Eliat, Israel, April 5th-8th, 2000. It brings together interdisciplinary contributions ranging from applied mathematics, theoretical physics, quantum chemistry and molecular biology, all addressing different facets of the problem to connect the many scales of the computer simulation of many systems of interest in chemistry - polymetric materials, biological molecules, clusters, surface and interface structure. Emphasis is placed on the multigrid technique and its applications, ranging from electronic structure calculations to the statistical mechanics of polymers.

This is the little-known story of the 406th Fighter Group, a famous but unsung P-47 unit in the European theater of operations (ETO) in WWII. The 406th was the first unit in the ETO to employ the 5-inch, high-velocity aerial rocket (HVAR) secret weapon. Even if not immediately familiar with the 406th, many readers will have seen a frequently published gun camera photo of a 406th FG P-47 flying into a massive explosion. The Thunderbolt was an incredibly fearsome weapon in the hands of units like the 406th, in one case even causing a German commander to surrender his 20,000 troops to the US Army without a ground battle taking place. The "Raiders" were praised by Gen. Anthony C. McAuliffe, commander of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, for their aerial defence of his paratroopers when they had run out of ammunition. In 2005, a Thunderbolt in the colours of the 406th was featured by the US Postal Service in the 2005 American Advances in Aviation stamp series, the only P-47 to appear on a US stamp. This illustrated history of the 406th Fighter Group serves as a historical reference for students of the air war in Europe. With many rare images and unique colour profiles, the book will also prove a great resource for modellers and artists.

Public concern is being increasingly directed to pesticides and their residues in ground and surface waters. Water - one of the necessities of life - has to be kept clean for man and the environment. Part I and II of this book describe in an authoritative way all aspects of modern analysis of pesticides in water by the consequent use of hyphenated techniques like GC-AED or HPLC-MS.

In view of the continuing preoccupation of all industrialized countries with the rising share of national resources devoted to health care, it is valuable to compare the fmanc ing and breakdown of health care expenditure on an international basis. How far should public spending on health care be regarded as a capital investment in the improvement of the health of the population and how far as subsidies to individual consumption? This question is of major importance to policy makers, including the me dical profession, politicians, employers, social security officials as well as to the public at large. In order to obtain some insight into the incentive structures enhancing competition among suppliers which have been built into the health care delivery systems in the various countries, the Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Public Health at St. Gall, in close co operation with the Institute of Insurance Economics and the Institute of Public Finance and Fiscal Law, both afftliated with the Saint Gall Graduate School of Economics, Business and Public Administration, initiated an international seminar held at Wolfsberg, Switzerland, 20-23 March 1979. The purposes of the Seminar were: 1. to review present experience on the development of health care costs and their financing - particularly the role of health insurance and the institutional relationships between public illd private health insurance policies; 2."

Introduction to Engineering is a project-based learning experience for engineering students, who are tasked with designing a hypersonic trans-atmospheric vehicle. This experience guides students through the same process that a team of engineers would follow by breaking a large design problem into smaller, more tractable subproblems. To help students understand the challenge they confront, a statement of work (SOW) specifies the requirements of a test vehicle they must design, build, demonstrate, and deliver, including vehicle performance capabilities and physical characteristics. After flying to the edge of space, the hypersonic trans-atmospheric vehicle slows down and glides back for a horizontal landing on the earth. Students study this second phase of the mission, learning about glider aerodynamics and performance, as well as the shaping required for hypersonic vehicles. Once more, they design, build, and launch a test vehicle. Test vehicles and the final concept demonstrator are subscale, model-rocket-sized vehicles, but they demonstrate the basic physics, techniques, and technologies required to design fullscale vehicles. Electronic course materials accompany the text and include narrated slideshows, handouts, spreadsheets, and videos that allow students to deepen their understanding of engineering concepts and provide them with the examples and tools needed to build their test vehicles. Students will develop knowledge of aerospace, mechanical, environmental, and electrical engineering as they work to ensure that test vehicles are strong, functional, safe, and environmentally friendly. By the end of this project-based learning experience, students will grasp the fundamental tenets of creative problem solving and discover the fascinating, challenging, and motivating world of engineering.