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Nobelpreise: Brisante Affairen, umstrittene Entscheidungen (Erlebnis Wissenschaft)
by Heinrich ZanklDer Nobelpreis ist die wichtigste Ehrung weltweit. Dass bei der Auswahl und Vergabe vielleicht nicht immer alles mit richtigen Dingen zugeht, ist nur menschlich - und dazu kann man viele interessante, witzige und prekäre Geschichten erzählen.
Potzblitz Biologie: Die Höhlenabenteuer von Rita und Robert (Erlebnis Wissenschaft)
by Heinrich Zankl Mark Benecke Hans-Wolfgang Helb Dieter SültemeyerBrother and sister Robert and Rita are just as curious as other children. That is why they have to explore the snake cave, the entrance to which they have rediscovered by chance. After school they sneak off to have many an adventure inside the cave. Not only do thy come across such animals as spiders, foxes, toads and owls, but also a treasure trove and strange graffiti on the walls. This is when they both turn into detectives: Who used to live in the cave? And even the police have to be called when a skeleton is discovered. Gripping entertainment for young readers from 10 onwards. Alongside the well told horror story, topics on nature and history are covered in their own boxes and accompanied by many line drawings. Complete with cross references and recommended further reading.
Trotzdem Genial: Darwin, Nietzsche, Hawking und Co.
by Heinrich Zankl Katja BetzStephen Hawking ist wohl der bekannteste Wissenschaftler mit Handicap weltweit. <P><P>Doch es gibt sehr viele große Denker und Forscher, die körperlich oder psychisch beeinträchtigt waren: Darwins Symptome deuten auf eine Nerven?schwäche hin, bei Einstein vermuten Wissenschaftler eine Variante des Asperger-Syndroms, Freud war suchtkrank und Edison schwerhörig, Marx litt unter Karbunkeln, und Nietzsches Persönlichkeitsverfall könnte an einer Neurosyphilis gelegen haben. DAS >WHO IS WHO Die etwas anderen Paralympics, die uns Zankl und Betz hier präsentieren, sind beeindruckend und überraschend zugleich. Denn in Trotzdem genial ist das Who is Who der Geistes- und Naturwissenschaftler versammelt. Da lernen wir etwa den Kinderarzt Oliver Semler kennen, der zur Glasknochenkrankheit forscht, an der er auch selbst erkrankt ist, oder die Tierwissenschaftlerin Temple Grandin. Sie ist Autistin und bemerkte, dass sie mit Tieren viel besser umgehen konnte als mit Menschen. Sie entwickelte unter Anderem tiergerechtere Anlagen zur Haltung von Kühen. Durch die Verfilmung ihres Lebens wurde sie einem breiten Publikum bekannt, genauso wie John Nash, der schizophrene Nobelpreisträger und Mitentwickler der Spieltheorie.
Caustic Light in Nonlinear Photonic Media (Springer Theses)
by Alessandro ZannottiCaustics are natural phenomena, forming light patterns in rainbows or through drinking glasses, and creating light networks at the bottom of swimming pools. Only in recent years have scientists started to artificially create simple caustics with laser light. However, these realizations have already contributed to progress in advanced imaging, lithography, and micro-manipulation. In this book, Alessandro Zannotti pioneers caustics in many ways, establishing the field of artificial caustic optics. He employs caustic design to customize high-intensity laser light. This is of great relevance for laser-based machining, sensing, microscopy, and secure communication. The author also solves a long standing problem concerning the origin of rogue waves which appear naturally in the sea and can have disastrous consequences. By means of a far-reaching optical analogy, he identifies scattering of caustics in random media as the origin of rogue waves, and shows how nonlinear light-matter interaction increases their probability.
Time-of-Flight and Structured Light Depth Cameras
by Pietro Zanuttigh Giulio Marin Carlo Dal Mutto Fabio Dominio Ludovico Minto Guido Maria CortelazzoThis book provides a comprehensive overview of the key technologies and applications related to new cameras that have brought 3D data acquisition to the mass market. It covers both the theoretical principles behind the acquisition devices and the practical implementation aspects of the computer vision algorithms needed for the various applications. Real data examples are used in order to show the performances of the various algorithms. The performance and limitations of the depth camera technology are explored, along with an extensive review of the most effective methods for addressing challenges in common applications. Applications covered in specific detail include scene segmentation, 3D scene reconstruction, human pose estimation and tracking and gesture recognition. This book offers students, practitioners and researchers the tools necessary to explore the potential uses of depth data in light of the expanding number of devices available for sale. It explores the impact of these devices on the rapidly growing field of depth-based computer vision.
Stromspeicher und Power-to-Gas im deutschen Energiesystem: Rahmenbedingungen, Bedarf und Einsatzmöglichkeiten
by Martin ZapfDieses Fachbuch gibt Aufschluss über die Grundzüge des deutschen Stromsystems und geht auf aktuelle Entwicklungen ein. Unter Berücksichtigung zahlreicher beeinflussender Faktoren und eines Literaturreviews wird der Stromspeicherbedarf in Deutschland abgeschätzt und zusammen mit Berechnungen zu Stromspeicherkosten ausgewählte Technologien beurteilt. In diesem Rahmen wird die aktuelle Gesetzeslage sowie die Netzdienlichkeit bzw. Netzverträglichkeit von Stromspeichern beleuchtet. Power-to-Gas inkl. der vorhandenen Erdgasinfrastruktur ist ein eigenes Kapitel gewidmet. Letztlich werden die Potenziale synthetischer Gase im Verkehrsektor aufgezeigt sowie die Erdgas- und Elektromobilität gegenübergestellt.
Kosteneffiziente und nachhaltige Automobile: Bewertung der realen Klimabelastung und der Gesamtkosten – Heute und in Zukunft
by Martin Zapf Hermann Pengg Thomas Bütler Christian Bach Christian WeindlFür repräsentative Fahrzeugmodelle mit unterschiedlichen Antriebskonzepten sind die Gesamtkosten bezogen auf deren Klimabelastung in diesem Buch vorgestellt. Sie sind zum einen aus Kundensicht, aber auch unabhängig von der nationalen Steuerbelastung ermittelt. Die Autoren betrachten sowohl fossile als auch erneuerbare Energieträger. Auf Basis systemtheoretischer Grundlagen wird die Vorgehensweise entwickelt und es kommen beispielsweise folgende Methoden zum Einsatz: Lebenszyklusanalysen, Total-Cost-of-Ownership und modellierte Verbrauchswerte, die Realverbräuche besser widerspiegeln als die Normverbrauchswerte. Anhand realer Fahrzeugmessungen im WLTP-Zyklus leiten sich für verschiedene Antriebskonzepte Verbrauchsfunktionen ab (Willans-Ansatz). Damit werden reale TTW-Energieverbräuche in Funktion der Antriebsleistung berechnet und unterschiedliche Fahrprofile, wie z. B. reiner Innenstadtbetrieb, Außerorts- oder Autobahnbetrieb sowie gemischte Anteile für verschiedene Fahrzeuge verglichen.
Kosteneffiziente und nachhaltige Automobile: Bewertung der realen Klimabelastung und der Gesamtkosten – Heute und in Zukunft
by Martin Zapf Hermann Pengg Thomas Bütler Christian Bach Christian WeindlIn diesem Buch werden für repräsentative Fahrzeuge mit unterschiedlichen Antriebskonzepten Gesamtkosten und Treibhausgasemissionen vorgestellt. Die Gesamtkosten sind zum einen aus Kundensicht, aber auch unabhängig von der nationalen Steuerbelastung ermittelt. Es werden sowohl fossile als auch erneuerbare Energieträger betrachtet. Auf Basis systemtheoretischer Grundlagen und wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse zum Klimawandel wird die Vorgehensweise entwickelt. Es kommen beispielsweise folgende Methoden zum Einsatz: Lebenszyklusanalysen, Total-Cost-of-Ownership, CO2-Vermeidungskosten und Verbrauchswerte, die Realverbräuche besser widerspiegeln als Normverbrauchswerte. Letztere sind anhand von Verbrauchsfunktionen (Willans-Ansatz) für unterschiedliche Fahrprofile modelliert. Es wird zudem ein politisches Instrument vorgestellt, mit welchem die Temperaturziele des Abkommens von Paris möglichst treffsicher und kosteneffizient eingehalten werden können.
Mechanisms Linking Aging, Diseases and Biological Age Estimation
by Sara C. ZapicoThis book focuses on four of the hallmarks of aging: aspartic acid racemization, advanced glycation end products, telomere shortening and mitochondrial mutations; describing their role in aging and diseases; and their application to age-at-death estimation in forensic sciences in greater depth, displaying the interconnecting pathways among these processes. An additional chapter related to Epigenetics and its role in aging, diseases, and forensic age estimation is also included. This book is aimed at a broad audience: from students being introduced to aging, diseases, and forensic science research to scientists in biomedicine and forensics complementing their knowledge in their respective fields while also increasing their knowledge in other disciplines.
Control of Fuel Combustion in Boilers (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control #287)
by Artur O. ZaporozhetsThis book examines key issues in improving the efficiency of small and medium power boiler units by adding control systems for the fuel combustion process. The original models, algorithms, software and hardware of the system developed for controlling the fuel combustion process are presented. In turn, the book presents a methodology for assessing the influence of climatic factors on the combustion process, and proposes new methods for measuring the thermophysical characteristics, which require taking into account the concentration of oxygen in the air. The system developed here was implemented on a boiler of the NIISTU-5 type, which is widely used for heat power engineering in Ukraine and other Eastern European countries. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable asset for researchers and engineers, as well as lecturers and graduate students at higher education institutions dealing with heat engineering equipment.
Advances in Nutrition and Cancer (Cancer Treatment and Research #159)
by Vincenzo Zappia Salvatore Panico Gian Luigi Russo Alfredo Budillon Fulvio Della RagioneThis book comprises proceedings from the Third International Conference on Advances in Nutrition and Cancer, held in Naples in May 2012. This highly multidisciplinary meeting analyzed "nutrition and cancer" from different perspectives and on the basis of distinct and up-to-date experimental approaches. Knowledge on the relation between lifestyle, diet, and cancer is explored in a number of contributions, and the role of dietary intervention in cancer patients is discussed. Issues of vital interest to the research community, such as epidemiological and experimental oncology (genetics, epigenetics, and the mechanisms of action of natural compounds in the diet), receive detailed consideration. A further key topic is the emerging molecular technologies (the "omics") that can cast light on the interplay between nutrition and human malignancies. Chapters take the form of reviews that include sections presenting expert opinions.
Heat Transfers and Related Effects in Supercritical Fluids
by Bernard Zappoli Daniel Beysens Yves GarrabosThis book investigates the unique hydrodynamics and heat transfer problems that are encountered in the vicinity of the critical point of fluids. Emphasis is given on weightlessness conditions, gravity effects and thermovibrational phenomena. Near their critical point, fluids indeed obey universal behavior and become very compressible and expandable. Their comportment, when gravity effects are suppressed, becomes quite unusual. The problems that are treated in this book are of interest to students and researchers interested in the original behavior of near-critical fluids as well as to engineers that have to manage supercritical fluids. A special chapter is dedicated to the present knowledge of critical point phenomena. Specific data for many fluids are provided, ranging from cryogenics (hydrogen) to high temperature (water). Basic information in statistical mechanics, mathematics and measurement techniques is also included. The basic concepts of fluid mechanics are given for the non-specialists to be able to read the parts he is interested in. Asymptotic theory of heat transfer by thermoacoustic processes is provided with enough details for PhD students or researchers and engineers to begin in the field. Key spaces are described in details, with many comparisons between theory and experiments to illustrate the topics.
Respuestas a tu ansiedad: Todo lo que necesitas para superar la ansiedad y el miedo
by Gio Zararri¿Sientes que las preocupaciones dominan tu vida? ¿No consigues entender qué te ocurre y todo ello aumenta tus miedos y tu ansiedad? Sé por lo que estás pasando, y también sé que si no respondes con calma a tus miedos, nada cambiará. En este libro encontrarás la respuesta a todas esas preocupaciones que complican tu vida o la de un ser querido. Te ayudará a comprender lo que estás sintiendo y cuál es la realidad de tu ansiedad, una verdad con la que entenderás que no tienes nada que temer, sino mucho que aprender. Este libro puede convertirse en tu mejor aliado contra la ansiedad, la mejor herramienta tanto si la sufres tú como si deseas ayudar a un hijo, a tu pareja o a un familiar o amigo que padece este trastorno. Gracias a Respuestas a tu ansiedad, pronto podrás responder, con calma y objetividad, a las muchas preocupaciones que genera este trastorno y que te llevan a sentir verdadero pánico. No esperes más para cambiar tu vida o la de un ser querido. No existe mejor momento para conseguirlo que ahora. Utiliza estas respuestas como el mejor remedio para eliminar esos miedos irracionales y sin sentido que acompañan tu vida.
Proceedings of CASICAM 2022 (Springer Tracts in Additive Manufacturing)
by Khalid Zarbane Zitouni BeidouriThis book contains selected papers from the conference CASICAM'22, presenting the latest advancements and discoveries in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology. The chapters cover a wide range of topics related to AM, including design for additive manufacturing, functionally graded additive manufacturing (FGAM), new and innovative materials for AM, AM parts/processes modeling and simulation, AM process optimization, monitoring, and qualification, 4D printing, AM post-processing operations, AM product metrology and quality control, AM standards and certification, health, safety, and environment challenges, education, training, and research strategy, and AM applications and challenges.
Neglected and Underutilized Crops - Towards Nutritional Security and Sustainability
by Sajad Majeed Zargar Antonio Masi Romesh Kumar SalgotraThis book covers important topics on various neglected and underutilised crops (vegetables, cereals, fruit crops). It gives an overview of the potential, availability of genetic and genomic resources, and the future prospects of these food crops. The book presents different chapters on the importance of underutilised crops with respect to sustainable agriculture and describes the approaches that must be followed for improving the yield and production of these crops. It covers a wide range of food crops such as millet, buckwheat, underutilised spices, underutilised vegetables and underutilised fruit crops. It also provides insights on what smart foods are? And, whether these neglected crops qualify as smart foods?This up-to-date and informative book is meant for food scientists, geneticists, breeders and biotechnologists. It is of interest to students, researchers and course instructors in these fields.
Abiotic Stress-Mediated Sensing and Signaling in Plants: An Omics Perspective
by Sajad Majeed Zargar Mohammad Yousuf Zargar<P>The natural environment for plants is composed of a complex set of abiotic and biotic stresses; plant responses to these stresses are equally complex. Systems biology allows us to identify regulatory hubs in complex networks. It also examines the molecular “parts” (transcripts, proteins and metabolites) of an organism and attempts to combine them into functional networks or models that effectively describe and predict the dynamic activities of that organism in different environments. <P>This book focuses on research advances regarding plant responses to abiotic stresses, from the physiological level to the molecular level. It highlights new insights gained from the integration of omics datasets and identifies remaining gaps in our knowledge, outlining additional focus areas for future crop improvement research. <P>Plants have evolved a wide range of mechanisms for coping with various abiotic stresses. In many crop plants, the molecular mechanisms involved in a single type of stress tolerance have since been identified; however, in order to arrive at a holistic understanding of major and common events concerning abiotic stresses, the signaling pathways involved must also be elucidated. To date several molecules, like transcription factors and kinases, have been identified as promising candidates that are involved in crosstalk between stress signalling pathways. However, there is a need to better understand the tolerance mechanisms for different abiotic stresses by thoroughly grasping the signalling and sensing mechanisms involved. <P>Accordingly, this book covers a range of topics, including the impacts of different abiotic stresses on plants, the molecular mechanisms leading to tolerance for different abiotic stresses, signaling cascades revealing cross-talk among various abiotic stresses, and elucidation of major candidate molecules that may provide abiotic stress tolerance in plants.
Ecologies Design: Transforming Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism (Routledge Research in Sustainable Urbanism)
by Maibritt Pedersen Zari Peter Connolly Mark SouthcombeThe notion of ecology has become central to contemporary design discourse. This reflects contemporary concerns for our planet and a new understanding of the primary entanglement of the human species with the rest of the world.The use of the term ‘ecology’ with design tends to refer to how to integrate ecologies into design and cities and be understood in a biologically-scientific and technical sense. In practice, this scientific-technical knowledge tends to be only loosely employed. The notion of ecology is also often used metaphorically in relation to the social use of space and cities. This book argues that what it calls the ‘biological’ and ‘social’ senses of ecology are both important and require distinctly different types of knowledge and practice. It proposes that science needs to be taken much more seriously in ‘biological ecologies’, and that ‘social ecologies’ can now be understood non-metaphorically as assemblages. Furthermore, this book argues that design practice itself can be understood much more rigorously, productively and relevantly if understood ecologically. The plural term ‘ecologies design’ refers to these three types of ecological design. This book is unique in bringing these three perspectives on ecological design together in one place. It is significant in proposing that a strong sense of ecologies design practice will only follow from the interconnection of these three types of practice. Ecologies Design brings together leading international experts and relevant case studies in the form of edited research essays, case studies and project work. It provides an overarching critique of current ecologically-oriented approaches and offers evidence and exploration of emerging and effective methods, techniques and concepts. It will be of great interest to academics, professionals and students in the built environment disciplines.
In Our Own Image: Savior or Destroyer? The History and Future of Artificial Intelligence
by George ZarkadakisA timely and important book that explores the history and future, as well as the societal and ethical implications, of Artificial Intelligence as we approach the cusp of a fourth industrial revolution Zarkadakis explores one of humankind's oldest love-hate relationships—our ties with artificial intelligence, or AI. He traces AI's origins in ancient myth, through literary classics like Frankenstein, to today's sci-fi blockbusters, arguing that a fascination with AI is hardwired into the human psyche. He explains AI's history, technology, and potential; its manifestations in intelligent machines; its connections to neurology and consciousness, as well as—perhaps most tellingly—what AI reveals about us as human beings. In Our Own Image argues that we are on the brink of a fourth industrial revolution—poised to enter the age of Artificial Intelligence as science fiction becomes science fact. Ultimately, Zarkadakis observes, the fate of AI has profound implications for the future of science and humanity itself.
Issues In Indian Agricultural Development
by M. ZarkovicThis work analyzes growth and structural change in Indian agriculture over the last three decades. In order to develop a global perspective, the Indian agricultural growth experience is introduced using parallels and contrasts with other parts of the Third World. The book is characterized by an empirical approach to the underlying economic data and a multi-disciplinary approach to the ramifications of agricultural growth. Considered among these are the transformation of the female labor force, population migrations and changes in human welfare. This book differs from the numerous others on Indian agriculture insofar as it takes a regional perspective, focusing on the causes and effects of inter-state variations.
The Neuropsychology of Men
by Charles M. Zaroff Rik Carl D'AmatoThis timely text examines normative and pathological brain/behavior connections across the male lifespan, and how these findings can best inform research, intervention, and prevention. It spotlights possible etiologies for male-dominated pathology, including academic deficits and disorders relating to violence, as well as identifying men's psychological resilience and vulnerabilities throughout life. Clinical and social issues are intricately linked here, particularly in areas such as substance abuse, emotion processing, and sequelae of brain trauma. In these ways, the text moves on from the simplistic view of males as the standard in psychological studies while respecting complicated questions about biology and environment that have yet to be resolved. Since the inception of psychology, much research has focused specifically on men but few studies have offered distinctive interventions developed to help this unique male population. This volume fills the chasm left from many seminal studies. Among the featured topics: · Imaging and development: relevant findings in males. · Understanding the neuropsychology of autism spectrum disorders in men. · Understanding disorders of defiance, aggression, and violence in males. · Serving men with traumatic brain injuries. · Men at risk: special education and incarceration. · The neuropsychological basis of emotion and social cognition in men. The Neuropsychology of Men offers neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists an evidence-based framework for understanding male-specific cognitive and behavioral trends in the normative population, and for identifying and addressing challenges in boys and men outside the norm.
Odour Impact Assessment Handbook
by Tiziano Zarra Vincenzo Naddeo Vincenzo BelgiornoOdours have become a priority concern for facility operators, engineers and urban planners who deal with waste and industrial treatment plants. The subjectivity of smell perception, its variability due to frequency and weather conditions, and the complex nature of the substances involved, has long hampered the regulation of odour emissions.This book provides a comprehensive framework for the assessment, measurement and monitoring of odour emissions, and covers: Odour characterization and exposure effectsInstruments and methods for sampling and measurementStrategies for odour controlDispersion modelling for odour exposure assessmentOdour regulations and policiesProcedures for odour impact assessmentCase studies: Wastewater treatment, composting, industrial and CAFO plants, and landfillIntended for researchers in environmental chemistry, environmental engineering, and civil engineering, this book is also an invaluable guide for industry professionals working in wastewater treatment, environmental and air analysis, and waste management.
Optoelectronic Properties of Organic Semiconductors: Charge Generation and Recombination in Next-Generation Photovoltaic Devices (SpringerBriefs in Materials)
by Nasim ZarrabiThis book focuses on organic semiconductors with particular attention paid to their use as photovoltaic devices. It addresses a fundamental and hitherto overlooked concept in the field of organic optoelectronics, namely the role that sub-gap states play in the performance of organic semiconducting devices. From a technological point of view, organic semiconductor-based devices are of significant interest due to their lightweight, ease of processability, conformal flexibility, and potentially low cost and low embodied energy production. Motivated by these rather unique selling points, the performance of organic semiconductors has been a subject of multidisciplinary study for more than 60 years with steady progress in applications such as solar cells, transistors, light emitting diodes, and various sensors.The book begins with a review of the main electro-optical phenomena in organic solar cells and presents a new method for measuring exciton diffusion lengths based on a low-quencher-content device structure. Furthermore, the book reveals how mid-gap trap states are a universal feature in organic semiconductor donor–acceptor blends, unexpectedly contributing to charge generation and recombination, and having profound impact on the thermodynamic limit of organic photovoltaic devices. Featuring cutting-edge experimental observations supported with robust and novel theoretical arguments, this book delivers important new insight as to the underlying dynamics of exciton generation and diffusion, charge transfer state dissociation, and indeed the ultimate fate of photogenerated free carriers.
Integration of Low Carbon Technologies in Smart Grids (Springer Theses)
by Donato ZarrilliThe thesis provides different opportunities and ideas to face some current challenges in the electricity systems. It focuses on the effective and efficient integration of distributed low carbon technologies in the grid of the future. Planning and operation problems for different clean solutions, such as market bidding strategies for intermittent energy producers, demand side management algorithms for smart buildings, and electrical storage options for network operators, are studied for facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources in the power system chain.
Pure and Functionalized Carbon Based Nanomaterials: Analytical, Biomedical, Civil and Environmental Engineering Applications
by Paweł K. ZarzyckiThis book describes in a comprehensive manner latest studies conducted by various research groups worldwide focusing on carbon and related nanomaterials. Fourteen chapters of this book deal with a number of key research topics and applications of pure and functionalized carbon nanomaterials and their hybrid nanocomposites. Specifically, the authors have presented interdisciplinary investigations including: (i) carbon nanoparticles and layers synthesis, (ii) analytical aspects of carbon nanomaterials and their characterisation under different conditions as well as (iii) various applications of carbon nanoparticles. They have reported and summarised key applications of carbon particles or nanoobjects in pharmacy, biomedicine, agriculture and food industry, water treatment, physicochemical analysis, optoelectronics, electronic and magnetic materials for supercapacitors or radar adsorbing materials, tribology, chromatography, electrophoresis, bioanalysis, nanobiocatalysis, biofuels production as well as environmental remediation.
Stability of the Turnpike Phenomenon in Discrete-Time Optimal Control Problems
by Alexander J. ZaslavskiThe structure of approximate solutions of autonomous discrete-time optimal control problems and individual turnpike results for optimal control problems without convexity (concavity) assumptions are examined in this book. In particular, the book focuses on the properties of approximate solutions which are independent of the length of the interval, for all sufficiently large intervals; these results apply to the so-called turnpike property of the optimal control problems. By encompassing the so-called turnpike property the approximate solutions of the problems are determined primarily by the objective function and are fundamentally independent of the choice of interval and endpoint conditions, except in regions close to the endpoints. This book also explores the turnpike phenomenon for two large classes of autonomous optimal control problems. It is illustrated that the turnpike phenomenon is stable for an optimal control problem if the corresponding infinite horizon optimal control problem possesses an asymptotic turnpike property. If an optimal control problem belonging to the first class possesses the turnpike property, then the turnpike is a singleton (unit set). The stability of the turnpike property under small perturbations of an objective function and of a constraint map is established. For the second class of problems where the turnpike phenomenon is not necessarily a singleton the stability of the turnpike property under small perturbations of an objective function is established. Containing solutions of difficult problems in optimal control and presenting new approaches, techniques and methods this book is of interest for mathematicians working in optimal control and the calculus of variations. It also can be useful in preparation courses for graduate students.