This book explains physical principles, unique benefits, broad categories, implementation aspects, and performance criteria of distributed optical fiber sensors (DOFS). For each kind of sensor, the book highlights industrial applications, which range from oil and gas production to power line monitoring, plant and process engineering, environmental monitoring, industrial fire and leakage detection, and so on. The text also includes a discussion of such key areas as backscattering, launched power limitations, and receiver sensitivity, as well as a concise historical account of the field’s development.

Structural health monitoring is an extremely important methodology in evaluating the 'health' of a structure by assessing the level of deterioration and remaining service life of civil infrastructure systems. This book reviews key developments in research, technologies and applications in this area of civil engineering. It discusses ways of obtaining and analysing data, sensor technologies and methods of sensing changes in structural performance characteristics. It also discusses data transmission and the application of both individual technologies and entire systems to bridges and buildings.With its distinguished editors and international team of contributors, Structural health monitoring of civil infrastructure systems is a valuable reference for students in civil and structural engineering programs as well as those studying sensors, data analysis and transmission at universities. It will also be an important source for practicing civil engineers and designers, engineers and researchers developing sensors, network systems and methods of data transmission and analysis, policy makers, inspectors and those responsible for the safety and service life of civil infrastructure. - Reviews key developments in research, technologies and applications - Discusses systems used to obtain and analyse data and sensor technologies - Assesses methods of sensing changes in structural performance

M. C. Roco and W.S. Bainbridge In the early decades of the 21st century, concentrated efforts can unify science based on the unity of nature, thereby advancing the combination of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and new technologies based in cognitive science. With proper attention to ethical issues and societal needs, converging in human abilities, societal technologies could achieve a tremendous improvement outcomes, the nation's productivity, and the quality of life. This is a broad, cross cutting, emerging and timely opportunity of interest to individuals, society and humanity in the long term. The phrase "convergent technologies" refers to the synergistic combination of four major "NBIC" (nano-bio-info-cogno) provinces of science and technology, each of which is currently progressing at a rapid rate: (a) nanoscience and nanotechnology; (b) biotechnology and biomedicine, including genetic engineering; (c) information technology, including advanced computing and communications; (d) cognitive science, including cognitive neuroscience. Timely and Broad Opportunity. Convergence of diverse technologies is based on material unity at the nanoscale and on technology integration from that scale.

The big stories -- The skills of the new machines : technology races ahead -- Moore's law and the second half of the chessboard -- The digitization of just about everything -- Innovation : declining or recombining? -- Artificial and human intelligence in the second machine age -- Computing bounty -- Beyond GDP -- The spread -- The biggest winners : stars and superstars -- Implications of the bounty and the spread -- Learning to race with machines : recommendations for individuals -- Policy recommendations -- Long-term recommendations -- Technology and the future (which is very different from "technology is the future").

Serving as a unique, efficient solution to modern demands for security and safety sensing, distributed optical fiber sensing are critical components in areas such as natural disaster prevention and civil engineering. The unique book provides detailed explanations on how to install early warning systems for the prevention of natural disasters, flaws in civil engineering structures (dams, bridges, tunnels), and issues in the oil industry (pipeline leakage detection, off-shore platform anchoring.) Addressing the principles and specificities of distributed fiber sensing, this resource shows different possible implementations, their potential, and their limitations.

Monthly. Papers presented at recent meeting held all over the world by scientific, technical, engineering and medical groups. Sources are meeting programs and abstract publications, as well as questionnaires. Arranged under 17 subject sections, 7 of direct interest to the life scientist. Full programs of meetings listed under sections. Entry gives citation number, paper title, name, mailing address, and any ordering number assigned. Quarterly and annual indexes to subjects, authors, and programs (not available in monthly issues).