The book explores various aspects of existing and emerging fiber and waveguide optics sensing and imaging technologies including recent advances in nanobiophotonics. The focus is both on fundamental and applied research as well as on applications in civil engineering, biomedical sciences, environment, security and defence. The main goal of the multi-disciplinary team of Editors was to provide a useful reference of state-of-the-art overviews covering a variety of complementary topics on the interface of engineering and biomedical sciences.

The current book describes the chemical and physical behaviour of polymers and biopolymers that form highly associating structures in equilibrium solution. It summons the established results known of polymer complexes in solution, taking into account also the recent developments in biotechnology concerning this topic, in technological applications of polymer-protein interactions, in fluorescence and scattering techniques for the study of intra- and interpolymer association and in the study of ionomers in solution. The book covers the whole range from synthesis and fundamental aspects to applications and technology of associated polymers.

Throughout most of this century, progress in Polymer Science took place by way of studies of dilute polymer solutions and of the solid state. More recently, attention has been focused on the semi-dilute regime. The elucidation of transi- ent network and temporal gel states under conditions of moderate concentra- tion by numerous hydrodynamic and optical techniques is now well established and a solid theoretical underpinning for these phenomena is in place. However, in most of the systems studied, interpolymer interactions are relatively weak forces, because in solutions oftypical polymers, strong interpolymer interactions lead to bulk phase separation. However, polymers that form highly associating structures in equilibrium solution now constitute an important class of synthetic macromolecules, and it is evident that strong intermacromolecular interactions - without accompanying phase separation - are prevalent in biopolymer sys- tems as well. This behavior is generally characteristic of amphiphilic polymers, which contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic repeat units. It is also charac- teristic of systems in which two macromolecular species are complementary, such as hydrogen-bond-donating and hydrogen-bond-accepting polymers, or polycations and polyanions. Interest in associating polymer systems currently derives from both applied and fundamental questions. Synthetic water-soluble polymers bearing hydro- phobic groups exhibit special rheological properties that make them well-suited as thickeners and viscosity-modifiers. Drag-reduction effects may arise in such polymer solutions, and may also be observed in polymer complexes based on hydrogen-bonding.

The book explores various aspects of existing and emerging fiber and waveguide optics sensing and imaging technologies including recent advances in nanobiophotonics. The focus is both on fundamental and applied research as well as on applications in civil engineering, biomedical sciences, environment, security and defence. The main goal of the multi-disciplinarry team of Editors was to provide an useful reference of state-of-the-art overviews covering a variety of complementary topics on the interface of engineering and biomedical sciences.

Recent topics of interest in neurosurgery are discussed in selected papers in this volume. The first major topic deals with vascular malformations of the brain, where neuroradiological interventions and microneurosurgical treatment present major advances. The second major topic covers treatment patterns for various supratentorial tumors in Ahildhood. The interdisciplinary aspects of neurosurgical intensive care, particularly electrophysiology and anesthesia, are treated extensively.

Entrepreneurship is changing. Technology and social networks create a smaller world, but widen the opportunity horizon. Today's entrepreneurs build organisations and create value in entirely new ways and with entirely new tools. Rather than just exploit new ideas, innovative entrepreneurs design organisations to make sense of unlikely opportunities. The time has come to overhaul what we know about entrepreneurship and business models. Models of Opportunity links scholarly research on business models and organisational design to the reality of building entrepreneurial firms. It provides actionable advice based on a deeper understanding of how business models function and change. The six insights extend corporate strategy and entrepreneurship in a completely new direction. Case studies of innovative companies across industries demonstrate how visionary entrepreneurs achieve unexpected results. The insights, tools and cases, provide a fresh perspective on emerging trends in entrepreneurship, organisational change and high-growth firms.

Entrepreneurship is changing. Technology and social networks create a smaller world, but widen the opportunity horizon. Today's entrepreneurs build organisations and create value in entirely new ways and with entirely new tools. Rather than just exploit new ideas, innovative entrepreneurs design organisations to make sense of unlikely opportunities. The time has come to overhaul what we know about entrepreneurship and business models. Models of Opportunity links scholarly research on business models and organisational design to the reality of building entrepreneurial firms. It provides actionable advice based on a deeper understanding of how business models function and change. The six insights extend corporate strategy and entrepreneurship in a completely new direction. Case studies of innovative companies across industries demonstrate how visionary entrepreneurs achieve unexpected results. The insights, tools and cases, provide a fresh perspective on emerging trends in entrepreneurship, organisational change and high-growth firms.

Bereits seit langerer Zeit ist es ubung, jede Schrift und jeden Vortrag, die sich direkt oder nur mittelbar mit Verbrauchs-und Verbraucherfra gen beschaftigen, mit dem Hinweis einzuleiten, es sei geradezu erstaun lich, wie die Zahl der Publikationen auf diesem Gebiete angewachsen sei und immer noch weiter wachse. Dieser Bemerkung wird dann meist die Feststellung angehangt, dies sei neben anderen auch ein Zeichen dafur, dass sich der schlafende Riese, der vergessene Sozialpartner - oder wie der Verbraucher sonst apostrophiert wird - endlich erhoben habe, um nunmehr sein Recht zu verlangen. Wir werden uns darauf einstellen mussen, dass solche und ahnliche Floskeln fur die nachsten Jahre, vielleicht sogar Jahrzehnte nicht mehr verschwinden werden; sie werden von einem Novum sprechen, das ebenso lange Novum bleiben wird, wie etwa die Soziologie wohl in Jahrzehnten noch als junge Wissenschafts disziplin, die ihre Eierschaien noch nicht abgeworfen habe, deklariert werden wird. Es gehort kaum noch Boswilligkeit dazu, hier von einer bewussten Diffamierung zu sprechen."

Dieser Buchtitel ist Teil des Digitalisierungsprojekts Springer Book Archives mit Publikationen, die seit den Anfangen des Verlags von 1842 erschienen sind. Der Verlag stellt mit diesem Archiv Quellen fur die historische wie auch die disziplingeschichtliche Forschung zur Verfugung, die jeweils im historischen Kontext betrachtet werden mussen. Dieser Titel erschien in der Zeit vor 1945 und wird daher in seiner zeittypischen politisch-ideologischen Ausrichtung vom Verlag nicht beworben.

The purpose of this study was to develop insights into the impact acquisition reforms have had on pre-award solicitations. The changing nature of the marketplace and the reduction in the size of the defense budget has brought about a series of sweeping acquisition changes that include the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) and Lighting Bolt initiatives. A qualitative analysis of six cases and interviews of people actively involved in the solicitation process revealed acquisition reform benefits: increased performance, cost savings, and reduced acquisition time. These benefits were achieved through the use of performance-based contracting and adaptation of several commercial business practices.

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