change is simply described by the rate of income and rate of loss. Our home's energy budget, our firm's inventory, our nation's debt, and humanity's numbers all have accounts that change at rates that are equal to the inputs minus the outputs. Jenny's "system view" of the soil was carried into the fertile fields of Midwestern American prairies from the laboratories of Switzerland in the late 1920s. Jenny's rate equations provided the other paradigm or world view that, I recall, brought us to the threshold of systems ecology as it later evolved in the second half of the twentieth century. As if world renown in the specialties of pedology and soil chemistry were not enough for one lifetime, excerpts below remind us that Hans Jenny has also been a perceptive outdoor field ecologist since his early Alpine expeditions with Braun Blanquet in the mid 1920s. Jenny's ecosystem studies in the pygmy forest, a further classic example of a soil-plant system "run down" over hundreds of thousands of years since its origin, continue to occupy some of the vigorous retirement time near his farm in Mendocino County. But each specific, quantitative case study, and each research area conserved (with additional hard work) for further study by future generations, fits into Jenny's coherent world view. It is that view, and its legacies of discovery and of tangible landscape preserves, which we are privileged to share with their originator in this volume.

Proceedings of the 42nd OHOLO Conference held in Eilat, Israel, May 3-7, 1998

Phase transfer catalysis is a sophisticated chemical technique which can be used to perform a variety of chemical reactions under mild conditions and with improved control. Since the concept was developed, both the theoretical and practical synthetic applications have seen considerable development, to the point where the technique can be applied to many areas of chemistry. Thus, phase transfer methods are now utilized in many applications, from research chemistry to full-scale production, where the benefits of faster, cleaner and more selective reactions are required. In this new book, the editors have brought together a range of contributors, each of whom is working at the forefront of the technology, to provide a clear, concise and ahtoritative review of this important area of chemistry. Industrial and academic chemists working on the synthesis, scale-up, production or analysis of a wide range of chemical products will find this book an essential reference on phase transfer technology.

* Offers detailed description of process chemistry and thermodynamics and product by-product specifications of plants * Contributors are drawn from the largest petroleum producers in the world, including Chevron, Mobil, Shell, Exxon, UOP, and Texaco * Covers the very latest technologies in the field of petroleum refining processes * Completely updated 3rd Edition features 50% all new material

A superior new replacement to traditional discounted cash flow valuation models Executives and corporate finance practitioners now have a more reliable discount rate to value companies and make important business and investment decisions. In today's market, it’s free cash flow, cost of capital and return on invested capital that really matters, and now there's a superior tool to help analyze these metrics—Security Valuation and Risk Analysis. In this pioneering book, valuation authority Kenneth Hackel presents his next-generation methodology for placing a confident value on an enterprise and identifying discrepancies in value—a system that will provide even the most well-informed investor with an important competitive advantage. At the core of Security Valuation and Risk Analysis is Hackel's successful credit model for determining an accurate fair value and reliable discount rate for a company. Using free cash flow as the basis for evaluating return on invested capital is the most effective method for determining value. Hackel takes you step by step through years of compelling evidence that shows how his method has earned outsized returns and helped turn around companies that were heading toward failure. Whether used for corporate portfolio strategy, acquisitions, or performance management, the tools presented in Security Valuation and Risk Analysis are unmatched in their accuracy and reliability. Reading through this informative book, you'll discover how to: Take advantage of early warning signs related to cash flow and credit metrics Estimate the cost of equity capital from which free cash flows are discounted Identify where management can free up resources by using a better definition of free cash flow Security Valuation and Risk Analysis provides a complete education on cash flow and credit, from how traditional analysts value a company and spot market mispricing (and why many of those traditional methods are obsolete) to working with the most recent financial innovations, including derivatives, special purpose entities, pensions, and more. Security Valuation and Risk Analysis is your answer to a credit market gone bad, from an expert who knows bad credit from good.

A celebration of Taoist art traces the influence of philosophy on the visual arts in China.

Forty years after Ziegler's discovery of the "Aufbaureaktion" and low-pressure ethene polymerization, transition metal catalyzed olefin and diolefin polymerization continues to represent one of the most active and exciting areas. Since the 1980s, outstanding scientific innovations and process improvements have revolutionized polyolefin technology and greatly simplified polymerization processes. Well-defined catalyst systems are now at hand and facilitate the understanding of basic reaction mechanisms and correlations between catalyst structures, polymer microstructures, and polymer properties. This book reviews some of the modern approaches in organometallic chemistry, Ziegler-Natta catalysis, polymerization processes, design of novel materials, and the modelling in catalyst and process development.

Volume 1 of a set of 4.