New Releases by Leszek

Insulin is an anabolic hormone, involved in the regulation of glucose, lipid and protein metabolism. Its action is also associated with several other processes, such as cell division, cell differentiation, cell growth, cytoskeletal reorganization and so on. This book discusses a series of up-to-date topics around the role of insulin in the human body as well as the association of disturbances in the insulin signaling pathway, caused by insulin resistance, with diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancers, impaired functions of the kidney and liver, etc. It describes types of insulin resistance and their pathogenesis. One chapter describes therapeutic strategy of insulin resistance. This book is written by a scientist with expertise in the study of the cellular role of insulin in physiological and pathological conditions. By presenting a clear and exhaustive review of the correlation between insulin and health/disease, it is expected to draw attention from biomedical scientists, physicians, pharmacologists, physiologists, and students who wish to dedicate their research in uncovering the role of insulin in human health and diseases.

Powers and compensation in circuits with nonsinusoidal currents discusses one of the most controversial problems in electrical engineering; the definitions of electrical powers and compensation. Many approaches to explain the power properties of electrical circuits and their compensation has occurred over a vast number of publications and referred to as the "schools of power theory (PT)". These debates have caused substantial confusion in the electrical engineering community. The development of the Current''s Physical Components (CPC)-based power theory by the author of this book was a major contribution to the debate on powers and compensation. This book explains all the power-related physical phenomena in electrical circuits and creates fundamentals for compensation in circuits of any complexity with linear and nonlinear loads in single- and three-phase circuits using reactance, switching and hybrid compensators in terms of CPC-power based theory. It also discusses some common misinterpretations of power related phenomena. This book was written as a ''by-product'' of more than 30 years of teaching at Louisiana State University of undergraduate and graduate courses on powers and compensation and supervising the development of graduate Msc. theses and Ph.D. dissertations. Therefore, this book can serve as a major reference for teaching power courses and for those involved in studies on powers and compensation in circuits with nonsinusoidal currents.

This book presents the geological evolution of the Baltic Sea area since its inception, i.e., from the Late Glacial to the present day. The geological history of all evolutionary stages of the Baltic Sea is discussed in detail, from the Baltic Ice Lake, through the Yoldia Sea, Ancylus Lake, Littorina Sea and Lymnaea Sea, to the Mya Sea as the modern stage of the Baltic Sea development. The author presents palaeoecological and palaeosedimentological analyses of various evolutionary stages of the Baltic Sea. Detailed paleogeographic maps of the development of the Littorina Sea, Lymnaea Sea and Mya Sea are displayed, with particular focus on the Polish Baltic Sea area. Moreover, characteristic geological cross-sections and synthetic stratigraphic profiles representing individual areas of the Polish Baltic Sea coast are also shown. Each transgressive cycle of the various developmental stages of the Baltic Sea is characterized in terms of the average rate of marine transgression, the fluctuation of Baltic levels and the average rate of marine abrasion of the then cliff and spit shores, as well as the evolutionary changes of the area. In addition, the lithostratigraphic characteristics of the various marine sediment complexes and dune sediments (brown dune spits, yellow dune spits, light yellow-grey dune spits and grey dune spits) are also presented. Individual chapters address key aspects of: • Litho-stratigraphical analysis of the Baltic Ice Lake deposits. • Litho-stratigraphical analysis of the Yoldia Sea deposits. • Litho-stratigraphical analysis of the Ancylus Lake deposits. • Paleogeography, litho-stratigraphy and transgressive cycles of the Littorina Sea. • Paleogeography, litho-stratigraphy and transgressive cycles of the Lymnaea Sea. • Paleogeography, litho-stratigraphy and transgressive cycles of the Mya Sea. • New stratigraphic division of the southern Baltic deposits along the Polish coast. The book will be useful for students and scientists of marine geology, oceanography, geography and environmental engineering. It will also be of practical use for all specialists dealing with marine basins and coastal zones, including marine geologists, coastal geologists and geomorphologists, geographers, as well as engineering geologists, geotechnicians and civil engineers. The book is generally related to the discipline of marine geology, and deals directly with the Baltic Sea basin.

This pioneering work offers a meticulous exploration of Scandinavian presence in Viking Age Poland. Unveiling the complexities and controversies of past research and delving into the nuances of reciprocal interactions between Western Slavic and Scandinavian populations as revealed through archaeology and medieval texts, the book casts genuinely new light on a previously overlooked part of the Viking world. In setting the stage for these investigations, the monograph traces the evolution of Viking and Old Norse studies in Poland. It covers the romanticisation of Norse culture and literature, the dark days of the Second World War when archaeology was strongly driven by violent ideologies, and the profound changes that occurred in academia after the fall of communism and Poland’s accession to the European Union. At the core of this book are thorough investigations into cross-cultural interactions along the shores of the southern Baltic as well as in the interior of Poland. Using first-hand analyses of archaeological evidence from bustling ports of trade, settlement sites, silver hoards, and burial grounds, it is argued that the relationship between the local Western Slavic population and the Scandinavian migrants was highly complex but overall very symmetrical. Crucial notions such as the construction of identity in diasporic communities, ritual behaviour, and the symbolic content of Viking Age material culture are also discussed at length, offering new insights into Scandinavian and Slavic minds. Enriched with high-quality illustrations, photographs, as well as artistic reconstructions, this book fills many blank spaces in the field of Viking studies and is intended both for professional audiences and general readers interested in the intricacies of our shared past.

Leszek Kolakowski delves into some of the most intellectually vigorous questions of our time in this remarkable collection of essays garnished with his characteristic wit. Ten of the essays have never appeared before in English. "Exemplary. . . . It should be celebrated." —Arthur C. Danto, New York Times Book Review "This book . . . express[es] Kolakowski''s thought on God, man, reason, history, moral truth and original sin, prompted by observation of the dramatic struggle among Christianity, the Enlightenment and modern totalitarianism. It is a wonderful collection of topics." —Thomas Nagel, Times Literary Supplement "No better antidote to bumper-sticker thinking exists than this collection of 24 ''appeals for moderation in consistency,'' and never has such an antidote been needed more than it is now." —Joseph Coates, Chicago Tribune "Whether learned or humorous, these essays offer gems in prose of diamond hardness, precision, and brilliance." —Thomas D''Evelyn, The Christian Science Monitor A "Notable Books of the Year 1991" selection, New York Times Book Review—a "Noted with Pleasure" selection, New York Times Book Review—a "Summer Reading 1991" selection, New York Times Book Review—a "Books of the Year" selection, The Times.

The founders of the Red Cross/ Red Crescent Movement proceeded from their involvement in specific experience to develop a series of Fundamental Principles. In Health and Humanitarian Concerns: Principles and Ethics, Dr. Henryk Leszek Zielinski proceeds from experience to Fundamental Principles and back again, providing health professionals with clear guidance for confronting specific problems - including natural disasters, forced feeding, torture, biomedical research and HIV and AIDS discrimination - while simultaneously presenting these medical and social dilemmas in the context of the broader humanitarian principles which underlie the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Upon reading Dr. Zielinski''s book, health professionals will either change their approach to complex humanitarian solutions by following Dr. Zielinski''s systematic approach, or they will maintain the same course of action but with a deeper understanding and a firmer commitment to the spirit and the letter of the Movement. In either case, Dr. Zielinski''s book is an invaluable guide for all who seek to make a personal contribution to the relief of suffering in the modern world.

This book discusses the foundations of the mathematical theory of finite element methods. The focus is on two subjects: the concept of discrete stability, and the theory of conforming elements forming the exact sequence. Both coercive and noncoercive problems are discussed.. Following the historical path of development, the author covers the Ritz and Galerkin methods to Mikhlin’s theory, followed by the Lax–Milgram theorem and Cea’s lemma to the Babuska theorem and Brezzi’s theory. He finishes with an introduction to the discontinuous Petrov–Galerkin (DPG) method with optimal test functions. Based on the author’s personal lecture notes for a popular version of his graduate course on mathematical theory of finite elements, the book includes a unique exposition of the concept of discrete stability and the means to guarantee it, a coherent presentation of finite elements forming the exact grad-curl-div sequence, and an introduction to the DPG method. Intended for graduate students in computational science, engineering, and mathematics programs, Mathematical Theory of Finite Elements is also appropriate for graduate mathematics and mathematically oriented engineering students. Instructors will find the book useful for courses in real analysis, functional analysis, energy (Sobolev) spaces, and Hilbert space methods for PDEs.

A pioneering and lavishly illustrated monograph which provides an in-depth exploration of women''s associations with the martial sphere of life in the Viking Age.

Polish philosopher Leszek Kolakowski is renowned worldwide for wrestling with serious philosophical conundrums with dazzling elegance. In this new book, he turns his characteristic wit to important themes of ordinary life, from the need for freedom to the wheel of fortune, from the nature of God to the ambiguities of betrayal. Extremely lucid and l

This textbook addresses graduate students starting to specialize in theoretical physics. It provides didactic introductions to the main topics in the theory of fields, while taking into account the contemporary view of the subject. The student will find concise explanations of basic notions essential for applications of the theory of fields as well as for frontier research in theoretical physics. One third of the book is devoted to classical fields. Each chapter contains exercises of varying degree of difficulty with hints or solutions, plus summaries and worked examples as useful. It aims to deliver a unique combination of classical and quantum field theory in one compact course.

This work provides a user-friendly, species level taxonomic key based on morphology, current nomenclature, and modern taxonomy using molecular tools which fulfill the most pressing needs of both researchers and environmental managers. This key arms the reader with the tools necessary to improve their species identification abilities. This book resolves another issue as well: the mix of female and male characters used in keys to the calanoid copepods. Often, during the identification process, both calanoid copepod sexes are not available, and the user of such a key is stuck with an uncertain identification. Here, separate male and female keys to the calanoid copepods are provided for both the genera and species levels.

This second of two Exercises in Analysis volumes covers problems in five core topics of mathematical analysis: Function Spaces, Nonlinear and Multivalued Maps, Smooth and Nonsmooth Calculus, Degree Theory and Fixed Point Theory, and Variational and Topological Methods. Each of five topics corresponds to a different chapter with inclusion of the basic theory and accompanying main definitions and results,followed by suitable comments and remarks for better understanding of the material. Exercises/problems are presented for each topic, with solutions available at the end of each chapter. The entire collection of exercises offers a balanced and useful picture for the application surrounding each topic. This nearly encyclopedic coverage of exercises in mathematical analysis is the first of its kind and is accessible to a wide readership. Graduate students will find the collection of problems valuable in preparation for their preliminary or qualifying exams as well as for testing their deeper understanding of the material. Exercises are denoted by degree of difficulty. Instructors teaching courses that include one or all of the above-mentioned topics will find the exercises of great help in course preparation. Researchers in analysis may find this Work useful as a summary of analytic theories published in one accessible volume.

In the span of a century, radio technology advanced from spark transmitters, through analog radios based on vacuum tubes to solid state radios to finally software defined radios where most of the transmit and receive functionalities are implemented as programs running on specialized microprocessors. In recent years, cognitive radio emerged, which combines a software-defined radio with an intelligent agent, and promises to deliver a new level of functionality. This new resource addresses cognitive radio design from the perspective of interoperability with an emphasis on waveform configuration for increased flexibility and enhanced performance. The book provides readers with an extensive discussion of the concept of interoperability, as well as discusses some of the languages that could potentially be used for exchanging descriptions of waveforms.

Stochastic Analysis for Gaussian Random Processes and Fields: With Applications presents Hilbert space methods to study deep analytic properties connecting probabilistic notions. In particular, it studies Gaussian random fields using reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHSs).The book begins with preliminary results on covariance and associated RKHS

North Korea’s nuclear weapons program has provoked much apprehension in the international community in recent years. The Six Party Talks were convened in 2003 to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. They brought together the US, China, Russia, Japan as well as North and South Korea in the effort to negotiate a multilateral resolution of North Korea’s nuclear program but the parties had widely different views and approaches. This book will examine the Six Party Talks as a study in multilateral negotiation highlighting the expectations vested in them and their inability to develop a common approach to the issue. It holds out some important lessons for multilateral negotiation, diplomacy and dealing with North Korea.

Offer of a selection of essays on communism and other ideologies, religion, and other topics, some available in English for the first time, by the Polish philosopher who experienced the Nazi occupation and communist rule in his country.

The basic questions of this book concern the contemporary role and importance of the presidency in the European Union. How has the presidency - initially quite a modest function - been able to gain such a significant role for the EU proceedings? It managed to initiate far-reaching projects, solve basic negotiating problems, or - until the Lisbon treaty - to represent the Union externally. What are the main challenges related to its preparations and how it is run? Answers to these questions seem to be necessary to capture the elements of the contemporary dispute over the political leadership in the European Union, narrowed down to the issue of the presidency and its institutional role in the EU decision-making system. Hence, another question arises: What is the significance of the presidency for the general models of European integration? Understanding that would help us not only to explain the long-term integration trends, but would also provide a reference framework for practical projects that might be undertaken by future presidencies. The basic theory of European integration tested here is institutionalism in its various formulations.

God Owes Us Nothing reflects on the centuries-long debate in Christianity: how do we reconcile the existence of evil in the world with the goodness of an omnipotent God, and how does God''s omnipotence relate to people''s responsibility for their own salvation or damnation. Leszek Kolakowski approaches this paradox as both an exercise in theology and in revisionist Christian history based on philosophical analysis. Kolakowski''s unorthodox interpretation of the history of modern Christianity provokes renewed discussion about the historical, intellectual, and cultural omnipotence of neo-Augustinianism. "Several books a year wrestle with that hoary conundrum, but few so dazzlingly as the Polish philosopher''s latest."—Carlin Romano, Washington Post Book World "Kolakowski''s fascinating book and its debatable thesis raise intriguing historical and theological questions well worth pursuing."—Stephen J. Duffy, Theological Studies "Kolakowski''s elegant meditation is a masterpiece of cultural and religious criticism."—Henry Carrigan, Cleveland Plain Dealer

The book is a new comprehensive textbook about creating and publishing geoinformation metadata. It is a compendium of knowledge about geoinformation metadata in INSPIRE Directive and Spatial Information Infrastructures. It contains the knowledge necessary to understand prior to the creation of geoinformation metadata. Metadata – “data about data” - describe the layers of spatial data (data series, services) responding to the questions: what?, why?, when?, who?, how? and where? Geoinformation metadata allows for exact search of the spatial data according to given criteria, regardless of where this data is located. On 15 May 2007 the EU Directive 2007/2/EC came into force establishing Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe - INSPIRE. The proper functioning of the infrastructure for spatial information would not be possible without the metadata.

"Glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance presents a broad overview of the molecular, biochemical and clinical aspects of glucose metabolism and glucose resistance. The book serves to acquaint the reader with recent information on topics ranging from the"

Through numerous illustrative examples and comments, Applied Functional Analysis, Second Edition demonstrates the rigor of logic and systematic, mathematical thinking. It presents the mathematical foundations that lead to classical results in functional analysis. More specifically, the text prepares students to learn the variational theory of partial differential equations, distributions and Sobolev spaces, and numerical analysis with an emphasis on finite element methods. While retaining the structure of its best-selling predecessor, this second edition includes revisions of many original examples, along with new examples that often reflect the authors’ own vast research experiences and perspectives. This edition also provides many more exercises as well as a solutions manual for qualifying instructors. Each chapter begins with an extensive introduction and concludes with a summary and historical comments that frequently refer to other sources. New to the Second Edition Completely revised section on lim sup and lim inf New discussions of connected sets, probability, Bayesian statistical inference, and the generalized (integral) Minkowski inequality New sections on elements of multilinear algebra and determinants, the singular value decomposition theorem, the Cauchy principal value, and Hadamard finite part integrals New example of a Lebesgue non-measurable set Ideal for a two-semester course, this proven textbook teaches students how to prove theorems and prepares them for further study of more advanced mathematical topics. It helps them succeed in formulating research questions in a mathematically rigorous way.

The zero article is a staple element of any description of English article usage from advanced research publications down to student grammars, but there has been very little inquiry into its meaning and its other properties. There are copious amounts of publications dealing with the definite and indefinite articles but none about the zero article. Berezowski investigates the origin of the concept of the zero article and shows that it has roots both in structural linguistics of the 1940s and earlier historical linguistics. Structural linguists went on to claim that, since the use of articles in English is deemed ''obligatory'', the zero article exists but it has no overt form. Looking through earlier attempts at analyzing the meaning of the zero article, from Jespersen to Chesterman, Berezowksi shows how they all fail. An answer to theoretical problems of grammaticalization are developed; it is shown that English articles have not yet reached a stage in their development where their use has spread to all grammatical environments. Thus, a model is developed for determining when there is no article in English. The new model is tested against a commonly occurring case of zero article, using a corpus-based approach. The Myth of the Zero Article will appeal to academics and students interested in grammar and syntax. It covers an issue recurrent in the teaching and learning of English as Second/Foreign language, and will also appeal to teacher trainers and trainee teachers.

What has really happened in Poland since the election of 2005? After such spectacular events as the practice of lustration and the questioning of solidarity with the European Union, one has to ask: what is the nature of this newly emerging society? As with many of the recent developments in former communist countries that seem to be mysterious and irrational, the situation and ensuing problems are complex and the answers neither trivial nor easy. This book, by the distinguished Polish philosopher, addresses these complexities through the role of the communist past in post-communist Poland. It describes the events that led to the collapse of the Solidarity program and the growing influence of the nationalistic and religious parties in the government. The author investigates the nature of social and political temporality and develops a theoretical framework that allows him to apply his conclusions not only to Poland but also to other formerly communist countries.

Publication of this book is a special event. This valuable title ?lls a se- ous gap in domestic science and technical literature. At the same time it introduces a reader to the most recent achievements in the quickly dev- oping branch of knowledge which the computational intelligence has been for several years. The ?eld, which is a subject of this book, is one of those important ?elds of science which enable to process information included in data and give their reasonable interpretation programmed by a user. Recent decades have brought a stormy development of computer te- niquesandrelatedcomputationalmethods.Togetherwiththeirappearance and quick progress, theoretical and applied sciences developed as well, - ablingtheusertofullyutilizenewlycreatedcomputationalpotentialandto getknowledgeoutofincreasingwealthofdata.Thedevelopmentofcom- tational intelligence is then strictly connected with the increase of available data as well as capabilities of their processing, mutually supportive factors. Without them the development of this ?eld would be almost impossible, and its application practically marginal. That is why these techniques have especially developed in recent years. The development of computational intelligence systems was inspired by observable and imitable aspects of intelligent activity of human being and nature. Nature when undertakes intelligent actions processes data in p- allel regulating and adjusting these actions through feedback mechanisms.

Leszek Ko±akowski explores 23 questions asked by great philosophers, introducing us to the great ideas and philosophers of Western thought.

This study analyzes the performance of social assistance and family benefit programs in eight new member states of the European Union from the perspective of fiscal impact and effectiveness. It is based on household survey data for six of the countries, as well as budget data and information on program design collected at the national level. The paper finds that, although social assistance programs in the new member states are small in terms of coverage and expenditure levels (reaching 2 to 5 percent of the population), the programs are an important safety net for the poor. Programs are relatively well targeted, with between 30 and 60 percent of resources going to the poorest quintile of the population. For those who receive them, benefits can make up as much as 37 percent of average consumption of the poor.

Offering the only existing finite element (FE) codes for Maxwell equations that support hp refinements on irregular meshes, Computing with hp-ADAPTIVE FINITE ELEMENTS: Volume 1. One- and Two-Dimensional Elliptic and Maxwell Problems presents 1D and 2D codes and automatic hp adaptivity. This self-contained source discusses the theory and implementat

Nonlinear analysis is a broad, interdisciplinary field characterized by a remarkable mixture of analysis, topology, and applications. Its concepts and techniques provide the tools for developing more realistic and accurate models for a variety of phenomena encountered in fields ranging from engineering and chemistry to economics and biology. Thi

The commanding study of Marxism, now in one masterful volume with a new preface and epilogue by the author.