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Systems Approach to Astrobiology
by Vera M. Kolb Benton C. ClarkSystems thinking/analysis is widely applied for solving complex problems in engineering and certain other fields. Astrobiology, which inherently involves complex problems, can benefit from such an approach.
Systems Biogeochemistry of Major Marine Biomes
by Aninda Mazumdar Wriddhiman GhoshSystems Biogeochemistry of Major Marine Biomes A comprehensive system-level discussion of the geomicrobiology of the Earth’s oceans In Systems Biogeochemistry of Major Marine Biomes, a team of distinguished researchers delivers a systemic overview of biogeochemistry across a number of major physiographies of the global ocean: the waters and sediments overlying continental margins; the deep sub-surfaces; the Arctic and Antarctic oceans; and the physicochemical extremes such as the hypersaline and sulfidic marine zones, cold methane seeps and hydrothermal ecosystems. The book explores state-of-the-art advances in marine geomicrobiology and investigates the drivers of biogeochemical processes. It highlights the imperatives of the unique, fringe, and cryptic processes while studying the geological manifestations and ecological feedbacks of in situ microbial metabolisms. Taking a holistic approach toward the understanding of marine biogeochemical provinces, this book emphasizes the centrality of culture-dependent and culture-independent (meta-omics-based) microbiological information within a systems biogeochemistry framework. Perfect for researchers and scientists in the fields of geochemistry, geophysics, geomicrobiology, oceanography, and marine science, Systems Biogeochemistry of Major Marine Biomes will also earn a place in the libraries of policymakers and advanced graduate students seeking a one-stop reference on marine biogeochemistry.
A Systems Description of Flow Through Porous Media (SpringerBriefs in Earth Sciences)
by Jan Dirk JansenThis text forms part of material taught during a course in advanced reservoir simulation at Delft University of Technology over the past 10 years. The contents have also been presented at various short courses for industrial and academic researchers interested in background knowledge needed to perform research in the area of closed-loop reservoir management, also known as smart fields, related to e.g. model-based production optimization, data assimilation (or history matching), model reduction, or upscaling techniques. Each of these topics has connections to system-theoretical concepts. The introductory part of the course, i.e. the systems description of flow through porous media, forms the topic of this brief monograph. The main objective is to present the classic reservoir simulation equations in a notation that facilitates the use of concepts from the systems-and-control literature. Although the theory is limited to the relatively simple situation of horizontal two-phase (oil-water) flow, it covers several typical aspects of porous-media flow. The first chapter gives a brief review of the basic equations to represent single-phase and two-phase flow. It discusses the governing partial-differential equations, their physical interpretation, spatial discretization with finite differences, and the treatment of wells. It contains well-known theory and is primarily meant to form a basis for the next chapter where the equations will be reformulated in terms of systems-and-control notation.The second chapter develops representations in state-space notation of the porous-media flow equations. The systematic use of matrix partitioning to describe the different types of inputs leads to a description in terms of nonlinear ordinary-differential and algebraic equations with (state-dependent) system, input, output and direct-throughput matrices. Other topics include generalized state-space representations, linearization, elimination of prescribed pressures, the tracing of stream lines, lift tables, computational aspects, and the derivation of an energy balance for porous-media flow. The third chapter first treats the analytical solution of linear systems of ordinary differential equations for single-phase flow. Next it moves on to the numerical solution of the two-phase flow equations, covering various aspects like implicit, explicit or mixed (IMPES) time discretizations and associated stability issues, Newton-Raphson iteration, streamline simulation, automatic time-stepping, and other computational aspects. The chapter concludes with simple numerical examples to illustrate these and other aspects such as mobility effects, well-constraint switching, time-stepping statistics, and system-energy accounting. The contents of this brief should be of value to students and researchers interested in the application of systems-and-control concepts to oil and gas reservoir simulation and other applications of subsurface flow simulation such as CO2 storage, geothermal energy, or groundwater remediation.
Systems Engineering: Influencing Our Planet and Reengineering Our Actions (Systems Innovation Book Series)
by Adedeji B. BadiruPeople want to create a better world and planet; however, where, and how to start remains the question. Systems Engineering’s problem-solving methodology can help with its ability to answer multiple questions along with connecting actions and impacts. This book uses the Systems Engineering problem-solving methodology to frame how each answer impacts the planet when multiple actions are strung together no matter where they take place. Systems Engineering: Influencing Our Planet and Reengineering Our Actions illustrates a hierarchical Systems Engineering view of the world with each individual in mind as a link in the chain. It uses an Industrial Engineering framework for action implementations and identifies humans’ interconnected actions. The book discusses the implementation of the Systems Engineering problem-solving methodology and leverages existing concepts of environmental sustainability. A template is present for personal actions for environment social responsibility using a Systems Engineering problem-solving approach and focuses on the foundational use of the trademarked DEJI Systems Model® for action design, evaluation, justification, and integration. This book is a perfect read for all academic disciplines and all engineering fields, as well as business and management fields. It reminds us of the Environmental Foundation of NAE’s 14 Grand Challenges and the part we can play.
Systems of Frequency Distributions for Water and Environmental Engineering
by Vijay P. Singh Lan ZhangA multitude of processes in hydrology and environmental engineering are either random or entail random components which are characterized by random variables. These variables are described by frequency distributions. This book provides an overview of different systems of frequency distributions, their properties, and applications to the fields of water resources and environmental engineering. A variety of systems are covered, including the Pearson system, Burr system, and systems commonly applied in economics, such as the D'Addario, Dagum, Stoppa, and Esteban systems. The latter chapters focus on the Singh system and the frequency distributions deduced from Bessel functions, maximum entropy theory, and the transformations of random variables. The final chapter introduces the genetic theory of frequency distributions. Using real-world data, this book provides a valuable reference for researchers, graduate students, and professionals interested in frequency analysis.
Systems Practice: How to Act
by Ray IsonIt is now accepted that humans are changing the climate of the Earth and this is the most compelling amongst a long litany of reasons as to why, collectively, we have to change our ways of thinking and acting. Most people now recognise that we have to be capable of adapting quickly as new and uncertain circumstances emerge: this capability will need to exist at personal, group, community, regional, national and international levels, all at the same time. Systems Practice is structured into four parts. Part I introduces the societal need to move towards a more systemic and adaptive governance against the backdrop of human-induced climate change. Part II unpacks what is involved in systems practice by means of a juggler metaphor; examining situations where systems thinking offers useful understanding and opportunities for change. Part III identifies the main factors that constrain the uptake of systems practice and makes the case for innovation in practice by means of systemic inquiry, systemic action research and systemic intervention. The book concludes with Part IV, which critically examines how systems practice is, or might be, utilised at different levels from the personal to the societal. The development of our capabilities to think and act systemically is an urgent priority and Systems Practice aims to show how to do systems thinking and translate that thinking into praxis (theory informed practical action) which will be welcomed by those managing in situations of complexity and uncertainty across all domains of professional and personal concern.
Systems Science: Theory, Analysis, Modeling, and Design
by George E. MobusThis book describes a comprehensive approach to applying systems science formally to the deep analysis of a wide variety of complex systems. Detailed ‘how-to’ examples of the three phases (analysis-modeling-design) of systems science are applied to systems of various types (machines, organic (e.g. ecosystem), and supra-organic (e.g. business organizations and government). The complexity of the global system has reached proportions that seriously challenge our abilities to understand the consequences of our use of technology, modification of natural ecosystems, or even how to govern ourselves. For this reason, complex mathematics is eschewed when simpler structures will suffice, allowing the widest possible audience to apply and benefit from the available tools and concepts of systems science in their own work. The book shows, in detail, how to functionally and structurally deconstruct complex systems using a fundamental language of systems. It shows how to capture the discovered details in a structured knowledge base from which abstract models can be derived for simulation. The knowledge base is also shown to be a basis for generating system design specifications for human-built artifacts, or policy recommendations/policy mechanisms for socio-economic-ecological systems management. The book builds on principles and methods found in the authors’ textbook Principles of Systems Science (co-authored with Michael Kalton), but without prerequisites. It will appeal to a broad audience that deals with complex systems every day, from design engineers to economic and ecological systems managers and policymakers.
Systems Theory for Engineering Practice: Insights from Physics
by Maosheng Zheng Jie YuThis book presents cognition of the universality of systems theory thinking by using some ordinary physical phenomena and their methods in study, of which the involved treatments are consistent with the viewpoint of systems theory. It contains the collective actions of classical vibration of many bodies and wave, the extreme value problem in natural world, status of electrons in atom-molecule and metals, Ising model in phase transition and elementary excitation in solid, multi-objective optimization in a system, description of effective media approximation, certainty in uncertain phenomena, all these reflect the cooperative/synergetic effects, wholeness of group actions, “unity of opposites” inside a system, and collective phenomena in a system completely. The relevant methodologies for systems theory are organic combination and synergism of both “reductionism” and “holism” instead of “confrontation” or “separation” of them, which could be used in dealing with analogous problems in systems science and engineering fields in response to the idiom of “stones from other hills being good for polishing this jade” and “comprehend by analogy”, so as to promote the transformation of wisdom to productivity. The authors wish this work could play its role as a paving stone to serve the research and application of systems theory. This book can be used as a textbook for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students in relevant majors, and a reference book for scientists and practitioners in related fields.
Systems Thinking for Geoengineering Policy: How to reduce the threat of dangerous climate change by embracing uncertainty and failure (The Earthscan Science in Society Series)
by Robert ChrisEven by the scientists most closely associated with it, geoengineering - the deliberate intervention in the climate at global scale to mitigate the effects of climate change - is perceived to be risky. For all its potential benefits, there are robust differences of opinion over the wisdom of such an intervention. Systems Thinking for Geoengineering Policy is the first book to theorise geoengineering in terms of complex adaptive systems theory and to argue for the theoretical imperative of adaptive management as the default methodology for an effective low risk means of confronting the inescapable uncertainty and surprise that characterise potential climate futures. The book illustrates how a shift from the conventional Enlightenment paradigm of linear reductionist thinking, in favour of systems thinking, would promote policies that are robust against the widest range of plausible futures rather than optimal only for the most likely, and also unlock the policy paralysis caused by making long term predictions of policy outcomes a prior condition for policy formulation. It also offers some systems driven reflections on a global governance network for geoengineering. This book is a valuable resource for all those with an interest in climate change policy, geoengineering, and CAS theory, including academics, under- and postgraduate students and policymakers.
Systems Thinking for Management Consultants: Introducing Holistic Flexibility (Flexible Systems Management)
by Rajneesh ChowdhuryThis book discusses how systems thinking and approaches can aid management consultants in navigating the complexities of client advisory in current realities. It thereby brings to the forefront aspects of holism, flexibility and responsibility - the keys to success in today’s world. Management consultants are called in to offer an independent expert view of an organisation/ a situation and are expected to address some of the most pressing problems businesses face. The client does not exist in a silo, but in a complex environment that lies at the intersection of a range of internal and external factors that are often unseen and unpredictable. The organisation itself presents an alien territory that the consultant is expected to acclimatise to within a very short period of time, and come up with solutions that “insiders” would not have been able to visualise. The book presents a range of ideas, concepts and reference cases that are relevant and topical for consultants in their daily work. It argues that systems thinking allows holism and flexibility in management consulting – while holism is about the ability to encompass the environmental and organisational complexity, flexibility is about the ability to think creatively and adopt different approaches to accommodate this complexity. With commentaries, case studies, conceptual models and perspectives that cut across multiple industries, sectors and countries, this book is a valuable resource for academics and professionals alike. The book’s inner pages and its page on Springer.com contain additional comments providing perspectives of clients, industry experts and academia.
Systems Thinking for Sustainability Education in Business Schools (SpringerBriefs in Complexity)
by Hassan Qudrat-UllahThis book delves into the current state and future prospects of systems thinking and sustainability education within business schools. It meticulously examines the trends and drivers shaping the demand and supply of such education, along with the implications and challenges it presents for various stakeholders and society at large. Strategic recommendations and suggestions are provided to elevate and propel systems thinking and sustainability education in business schools, outlining a visionary roadmap for the future. Furthermore, the book explores the intersectionality of sustainability and diversity in business education, offering examples and cases of visionary and innovative initiatives and projects in the field. Distinguished by special features such as illustrations, the book offers a comprehensive and integrative overview of the current landscape and future trajectories of systems thinking and sustainability education in business schools. The primary benefit for readers lies in gaining a deeper and broader understanding of systems thinking and sustainability education in business schools. It equips them with the knowledge to apply systems thinking and sustainability principles and tools to tackle the complex and wicked problems of the twenty-first century. Additionally, the book aims to inspire and inform business schools and their stakeholders to embrace and enhance systems thinking and sustainability education in their curricula and pedagogy, contributing to the advancement of sustainability and systems thinking in both business and society.
Systemverfahrenstechnik in der Ingenieurspraxis: Beherrschung von Prozessen, Gefährdungen und Reinheitskriterien
by Bernd EbertDas Buch behandelt die für das Optimum verfahrenstechnischer Prozesse unerlässliche System-Betrachtung. Diese sollte nicht nur für den „reinen“ Prozess erfolgen, sondern für den gesamten Lebenszyklus technischer Anlagen – vom Entwurf eines Prozesses bis zur Optimierung im laufenden Betrieb. Dabei kommt es nicht nur auf den Normalbetrieb an (wie häufig bei Simulationen betrachtet), sondern auch auf An- und Abfahrprozesse, das Havarie-/Störungsverhalten der Prozesse, die Reinigungsabläufe, Sicherheitsmaßnahmen usw. Geeignete Analyse- und Betrachtungsmethoden werden dazu vorgestellt, die sich in langjähriger Planungs- und Betriebspraxis herausgebildet haben. Hierzu zählen u.a. Risikoanalysen, Zeitdynamik- und Zuverlässigkeitsmethoden; deren theoretischer Ansatz wird mit ihrer praktischen Anwendbarkeit verbunden. Auch Aspekte wie Industrie 4.0 und Prozessänderungen bei laufenden Anlagen werden betrachtet. Damit soll ein Beitrag sowohl für die Ingenieurausbildung, die technische Betriebsbetreuung als auch für die Projektabwicklung geleistet werden.
Szegő's Theorem and Its Descendants: Spectral Theory for L2 Perturbations of Orthogonal Polynomials (Porter Lectures #6)
by Barry SimonThis book presents a comprehensive overview of the sum rule approach to spectral analysis of orthogonal polynomials, which derives from Gábor Szego's classic 1915 theorem and its 1920 extension. Barry Simon emphasizes necessary and sufficient conditions, and provides mathematical background that until now has been available only in journals. Topics include background from the theory of meromorphic functions on hyperelliptic surfaces and the study of covering maps of the Riemann sphere with a finite number of slits removed. This allows for the first book-length treatment of orthogonal polynomials for measures supported on a finite number of intervals on the real line. In addition to the Szego and Killip-Simon theorems for orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle (OPUC) and orthogonal polynomials on the real line (OPRL), Simon covers Toda lattices, the moment problem, and Jacobi operators on the Bethe lattice. Recent work on applications of universality of the CD kernel to obtain detailed asymptotics on the fine structure of the zeros is also included. The book places special emphasis on OPRL, which makes it the essential companion volume to the author's earlier books on OPUC.
T. Rex and the Crater of Doom
by Walter AlvarezA geologist describes his research into the extinction of Tyrannosaurus rex and all dinosaurs, caused by a comet or asteroid hitting the Earth.
Tachyonen: Partikel mit Überlichtgeschwindigkeit in Einsteins Relativitätstheorie (essentials)
by Helmut GüntherPartikel, die sich permanent mit Überlichtgeschwindigkeit bewegen, heißen Tachyonen. Die zeitliche Reihenfolge der Endpunkte ihrer Bewegung ist vom Bezugssystem abhängig. Tachyonen können keine Nachricht übertragen, vermitteln aber über beliebig große Entfernungen einen Zusammenhang, ohne dass die Kausalität verletzt wird. Damit besprechen wir das Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Paradoxon. Ein Teilchen wird durch seine Ruhmasse definiert, ein Tachyon durch einen Impulsparameter. Wir untersuchen Stoßprozesse mit Tachyonen. In Anlehnung an den Begriff des Quasiteilchens betrachten wir über einem Gitter auch Quasitachyonen. Wir erklären die Geschichte mit Schrödingers Katze.
Tackling Marine Debris In The 21st Century
by National Research Council of the National AcademiesMarine debris from ships and other ocean-based sources-including trash and lost fishing gear-contributes to the spoiling of beaches, fouling of surface waters and the seafloor, and harm to marine animals, among other effects. Unfortunately, international conventions and domestic laws intended to control marine debris have not been successful, in part because the laws, as written, provide little incentive to change behavior. This book identifies ways to reduce waste, improve waste disposal at ports, and strengthen the regulatory framework toward a goal of zero waste discharge into the marine environment. Progress will depend on a commitment to sustained funding and appropriate institutional support. The Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee should, through planning and prioritization, target research to understand the sources, fates, and impacts of marine debris. It should support the establishment of scalable and statistically rigorous protocols that allow monitoring at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. These protocols should contain evaluative metrics that allow assessment of progress in marine debris mitigation. The United States, through leadership in the international arena, should provide technical assistance and support for the establishment of additional monitoring and research programs worldwide.
Tackling the Inverse Problem for Non-Autonomous Systems: Application to the Life Sciences
by Tomislav StankovskiThis thesis presents a new method for following evolving interactions between coupled oscillatory systems of the kind that abound in nature. Examples range from the subcellular level, to ecosystems, through climate dynamics, to the movements of planets and stars. Such systems mutually interact, adjusting their internal clocks, and may correspondingly move between synchronized and non-synchronized states. The thesis describes a way of using Bayesian inference to exploit the presence of random fluctuations, thus analyzing these processes in unprecedented detail. It first develops the basic theory of interacting oscillators whose frequencies are non-constant, and then applies it to the human heart and lungs as an example. Their coupling function can be used to follow with great precision the transitions into and out of synchronization. The method described has the potential to illuminate the ageing process as well as to improve diagnostics in cardiology, anesthesiology and neuroscience, and yields insights into a wide diversity of natural processes.
Tagging and Tracking of Marine Animals with Electronic Devices
by Alistair Hobday Molly Lutcavage Haritz Arrizabalaga Nuno Fragoso Jennifer L. Nielsen John SibertThe 2nd international tagging and tracking symposium was held in San Sebastian, Spain, in October 2007, seven years after the first symposium was held in Hawaii in 2000 (Sibert and Nielsen 2001). In the intervening seven years, there have been major advances in both the capability and reliability of electronic tags and analytical approaches for geolocation of tagged animals in marine habitats. Advances such as increased data storage capacity, sensor development, and tag miniaturization have allowed researchers to track a much wider array of marine animals, not just large and charismatic species. Importantly, data returned by these tags are now being used in population analyses and movement simulations that can be directly utilized in stock assessments and other management applications. Papers in this volume are divided into three sections, the first describing insights into behavior achieved using acoustic, archival, and novel tags, the second reporting on advances in methods of geolocation, while the final section includes contributions where tag data have been used in management of marine species. Accurate documentation of animal movements and behaviors in critical marine habitats are impossible to obtain with other technologies. The management and conservation of marine species are critical in today's changing ocean environment and as electronic tags become more accurate and functional for a diversity of organisms their application continues to grow, setting new standards in science and technology.
Tailings and Mine Waste '04: Proceedings of the Eleventh Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, 10-13 October 2004, Vail, Colorado, USA
by Linda HinshawWritten by specialists from the mining industry, this collection of over sixty papers from the eleventh annual Tailings and Mine Waste Conference deals with technical capabilities and developments, as well as regulations and environmental concerns. It includes papers on topics such as site characterization, radioactivity and ris
Tailings and Mine Waste '08
by UnknownTailings and Mine Waste08 contains papers from the twelfth annual Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, held by Colorado State University of Fort Collins, Colorado. The purpose of this series of conferences is to provide a forum for discussion and establishment of dialogue among all people in the mining industry and environmental community regardin
Tailings and Mine Waste 1996
by Colorado State UniversityPresents papers on mine and mill tailings and mine waste, as well as current and future issues facing the mining and environmental communities. Subjects related to technical capabilities and developments, regulations and environmental concerns are included.
Tailings and Mine Waste 2000
by A. A. BalkemaThe objective of this text is to provide information on mill tailings and mine waste, and to discuss current and future issues facing the mining and environmental communities. With over 60 papers included.
Tailings and Mine Waste 2001
by NoneThese papers focus on mine and mill tillings and mine waste. The work also contains information on subjects related to: regulations, technical capacities and developments. This guide identifies the current and future issues facing the mining and enviromental concerns.
Tailings and Mine Waste 2002: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference, Fort Collins, Colorado,
by Symposium EditorsThe proceedings in this work present 60 papers on mine and mill tailings and mine waste, as well as current and future issues facing the mining and environmental communities. This includes matters dealing with technical capabilities and developments, regulations, and environmental concerns.
Tailings and Mine Waste 2010
by Chippenham WiltshireTailings and Mine Waste 10 contains the contributions from the 14th annual Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, held by Colorado State University of Fort Collins, Colorado in conjunction with the University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia. The purpose of this series of conferences is to provide a forum for discussion and establish