The present case studies on early modern travelers, dispersed often by unintended consequences of war, curiosity, economic or political reasons in the Mediterranean, the Americas and Japan, ask for what ́power(s) ́ and agency they still had, perhaps counterintuitively, abroad.

Less expensive, lighter, and smaller than its electromechanical counterparts, power electronics lie at the very heart of controlling and converting electric energy, which in turn lies at the heart of making that energy useful. From household appliances to space-faring vehicles, the applications of power electronics are virtually limitless. Until now, however, the same could not be said for access to up-to-date reference books devoted to power electronics. Written by engineers for engineers, The Power Electronics Handbook covers the full range of relevant topics, from basic principles to cutting-edge applications. Compiled from contributions by an international panel of experts and full of illustrations, this is not a theoretical tome, but a practical and enlightening presentation of the usefulness and variety of technologies that encompass the field. For modern and emerging applications, power electronic devices and systems must be small, efficient, lightweight, controllable, reliable, and economical. The Power Electronics Handbook is your key to understanding those devices, incorporating them into controllable circuits, and implementing those systems into applications from virtually every area of electrical engineering.

Dedicated to Dr. Alain Guyot who played an important role in setting up and the development of Polymer Science in Lyon, and on the occasion of his formal retirement, the 4th International Symposium "Polymers in Dispersed Media" took place in April 1999 in Lyon, France. The present two volumes of Macromolecular Symposia contain 83 invited and contributed papers which are classified according to the three main topics of the symposium. Articles in volume 150 deal with "Polymerization in Dispersed Media", whereas volume 151 comprises contributions to "Non-Conventional Dispersion of Polymers", as well as "Properties and Applications of Dispersed Media".

Over the last decade, the biggest advances in physical chemistry have come from thinking smaller. The leading edge in research pushes closer to the atomic frontier with every passing year. Collecting the latest developments in the science and engineering of finely dispersed particles and related systems, Finely Dispersed Particles: Micro-, Nano-, a

Written by the founder of the field, this practice-oriented guide summarizes the author's breakthrough research results and their applications in chemical technology. The book adopts an entirely novel approach, describing the physical chemistry of structure formation and materials synthesis under dynamic conditions. It begins by developing the general theory in the first two chapters with as little mathematics as necessary and substantiated by experimental results in each case. The following chapters deal with the fundamental aspects of rheology, vibrorheology, and superfluidity of structured dispersed systems within the framework of physicochemical dynamics, while the final chapter exemplifies the technological applications of the developed methodology using real-life problems of materials science and chemical engineering. The authoritative guide to physicochemical dynamics.

The series Advances in Polymer Science presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in polymer and biopolymer science. It covers all areas of research in polymer and biopolymer science including chemistry, physical chemistry, physics, material science.The thematic volumes are addressed to scientists, whether at universities or in industry, who wish to keep abreast of the important advances in the covered topics.Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Single contributions can be specially commissioned.Readership: Polymer scientists, or scientists in related fields interested in polymer and biopolymer science, at universities or in industry, graduate students.