In 1999 the International Centre for Mechanical Sciences celebrates thirty years of activity. For this celebration CISM has organized a series of courses and meetings on environmental problems, one of the leading subjects today of theoretical and applied research all over the world. The results obtained directly influence our daily life, particularly in applications for protection from pollution and natural hazards. The most significant of the events was the Conference on "Environmental Applications of Mechanics and Computer Science”, where prominent scientists in the field present significant examples of the scientific approach to large scale phenomena involved in environmental problems.

This book covers a range of topics that are of increasing importance in engineering practice: natural hazards, pollution, and environmental protection through good practice. The first half of the book deals with natural risk factors, of both natural and human origin, that should be considered: subsidence, accidental infiltration, soil instability, rockslides and mudslides, debris flow, and degradation of buildings and monuments due to pollution and climactic effects, for example. These problems are highlighted and it is shown that a combination of sophisticated numerical techniques and extensive experimental investigations are necessary in order to effectively tackle these problems. The second half of the book is devoted to the use of polluted sites and associated problems, a topic of growing significance given the increasing reclamation of land from abandoned industrial sites for urban development over the last 20 years. Different types of oil pollution and decontamination methods are described, followed by a discussion of waste management and detailed coverage of confinement liners used in surface waste disposal.

This book contains papers of the 5th International Symposium on Experimental Mechanics (5-ISEM) and the 9th Symposium on Optics in Industry (9-SOI), whose general theme is Emerging Challenges for Experimental Mechanics in Energy and Environmental Applications. These symposia are organized by Centro de Investigaciones en Optica (CIO) and Mexican Academy for Optics (AMO), under the sponsorship of the Society of Experimental Mechanics (SEM) and other national and international Organizations; Symposia are interdisciplinary forums for engineers, technicians, researchers and managers involved in all fields of Optics, Opto-mechatronics, Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering. · Addresses a broad readership including graduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and engineers working in experimental mechanics and in the application of optical methods · Covers a broad spectrum of topics highlighting the use of optical methods in experimental mechanics, energy, and in the environment

This book highlights practical quantum key distribution systems and research on the implementations of next-generation quantum communication, as well as photonic quantum device technologies. It discusses how the advances in quantum computing and quantum physics have allowed the building, launching and deploying of space exploration systems that are capable of more and more as they become smaller and lighter. It also presents theoretical and experimental research on the potential and limitations of secure communication and computation with quantum devices, and explores how security can be preserved in the presence of a quantum computer, and how to achieve long-distance quantum communication. The development of a real quantum computer is still in the early stages, but a number of research groups have investigated the theoretical possibilities of such computers.

"This book presents cutting-edge research in the field of computational and systems biology, presenting studies ranging from the atomic/molecular level to the genomic level and covering a wide spectrum of important biological problems and applications"--Provided by publisher.

Peterson's Graduate Programs in Engineering & Applied Sciences contains a wealth of information on colleges and universities that offer graduate degrees in the fields of Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering; Agricultural Engineering & Bioengineering; Architectural Engineering, Biomedical Engineering & Biotechnology; Chemical Engineering; Civil & Environmental Engineering; Computer Science & Information Technology; Electrical & Computer Engineering; Energy & Power engineering; Engineering Design; Engineering Physics; Geological, Mineral/Mining, and Petroleum Engineering; Industrial Engineering; Management of Engineering & Technology; Materials Sciences & Engineering; Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics; Ocean Engineering; Paper & Textile Engineering; and Telecommunications. Up-to-date data, collected through Peterson's Annual Survey of Graduate and Professional Institutions, provides valuable information on degree offerings, professional accreditation, jointly offered degrees, part-time and evening/weekend programs, postbaccalaureate distance degrees, faculty, students, degree requirements, entrance requirements, expenses, financial support, faculty research, and unit head and application contact information. As an added bonus, readers will find a helpful "See Close-Up" link to in-depth program descriptions written by some of these institutions. These Close-Ups offer detailed information about the specific program or department, faculty members and their research, and links to the program Web site. In addition, there are valuable articles on financial assistance and support at the graduate level and the graduate admissions process, with special advice for international and minority students. Another article discusses important facts about accreditation and provides a current list of accrediting agencies.

Designing Better Architecture Education is an outcome of a research conducted systematically with diligence, passion, wide and in-depth exercise on the obvious and latent aspects of undergraduate architecture education. Although specific to India, this study probes the diverse global scenario in acknowledgement of the global style of architecture, where green preferences surface as compulsion. The findings are arranged systematically, analyzed impartially and inferred upon logically. The final bunch of suggestions aimed at a much desirable architecture education revamp in India is, in fact, relevant for architecture education as a whole anywhere. The author suggests compaction of graduation time, intensification of exposures, interactions and instructions, shift of focus, introduction of contemporary specializations, restructuring intake, revamping academic administration and a significant change of stance in teaching itself, including methods, philosophy, attitude and paraphernalia. The book provides valuable information, insight and suggestions to rejuvenate the academic approach to the education of architecture and forms a reliable basis for further endeavour in this direction.

GeoENV96, the First European Conference on Geostatistics for Environmental Applications held in Lisbon, was conceived to bring together researchers, mostly from, but not limited to Europe, working on environmental issues approached by geostatistical methods. Papers were attracted from fields as diverse as hydrogeology. biology, soil sciences, air pollution or ecology. It is clear that there is a lot of activity on geostatistics for environmental applications as the collection of papers in this book reveals. GeoENV96 was successful in the number and quality of the papers presented which surpassed the initial expectations. There is still a large dispersion on the level of application of geostatistics in the different areas. To help in spreading the most novel applications of geostatistics across disciplines and to discuss the specific problems related to the application of geostatistics to environmental applications, geoENV96 is intended to set the pace and to be the first of a series of biennial meetings. The pace is set, now let us wait for geoENV98. Lisbon, November 1996 The Executive Committee: Jaime Gomez-Hernandez Roland Froidevaux Amflcar Soares TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword .................................................. Vll Hydrology, Groundwater, Groundwater Contaminantion Equivalent Transmissivities in Heterogeneous Porous Media under Radially Convergent Flow X. Sanchez-Vila, c.L. Axness and J. Carrera .......................... .