Travelers to the Holy Land can all attest ... this truly is a land of “hills and valleys” (Deuteronomy 8:7, 11:11) and so is life! Hills and valleys, highs and lows, peaks and pits—whatever one chooses to call them, every person has some good days and some bad ones. In this inspirational Christian book, Roger D. Mardis, a seasoned pastor, preacher, writer, and traveler, reflects on the many places and locations in Israel (mountains and/or valleys), to take you on a thirty-day journey to learn about the Holy Land—and life. As you read this devotional guide, you’ll consider questions such as: •What is the problem with pride? •When were you tested in life—and what did you learn? •What is the purpose of God’s law? •What does it mean to “abide” in Christ? At the conclusion of each day’s reading, you’ll find questions like the ones above that will help you make your way on your journey—whether you’re enjoying a peak or trying to slog through a pit. Embark on a journey that will challenge your life and bring you closer to the Lord with the lessons in this book.

In Geography and GIS, surfaces can be analysed and visualised through various data structures, and topological data structures describe surfaces in the form of a relationship between certain surface-specific features. Drawn from many disciplines with a strong applied aspect, this is a research-led, interdisciplinary approach to the creation, analysis and visualisation of surfaces, focussing on topological data structures. Topological Data Structures for Surfaces: an introduction for Geographical Information Science describes the concepts and applications of these data structures. The book focuses on how these data structures can be used to analyse and visualise surface datasets from a range of disciplines such as human geography, computer graphics, metrology, and physical geography. Divided into two Parts, Part I defines the topological surface data structures and explains the various automated methods used for their generation. Part II demonstrates a number of applications of surface networks in diverse fields, ranging from sub-atomic particle collision visualisation to the study of population density patterns. To ensure that the material is accessible, each Part is prefaced by an overview of the techniques and application. Provides GI scientists and geographers with an accessible overview of current surface topology research. Algorithms are presented and explained with practical examples of their usage. Features an accompanying website developed by the Editor - http://geog.le.ac.uk/sanjayrana/surface-networks/ This book is invaluable for researchers and postgraduate students working in departments of GI Science, Geography and Computer Science. It also constitutes key reference material for Masters students working on surface analysis projects as part of a GI Science or Computer Science programme.

This book is now available online too! Click here for the Table of Contents.

The quantitative revolution in geography has passed. The spirited debates of the past decades have, in one sense, been resolved by the inclusion of quantitative techniques into the typical geographer's set of methodological tools. A new decade is upon us. Throughout the quantitative revolution, geographers ransacked related disciplines and mathematics in order to find tools which might be applicable to problems of a spatial nature. The early success of Berry and Marble's Spatial Analysis and Garrison and Marble's volumes on Quantitative Geog raphy is testimony to their accomplished search. New developments often depend heavily on borrowed ideas. It is only after these developments have been established that the necessary groundwork for true innovation ob tains. In the last decade, geographers significantly -augmented their methodologi cal base by developing quantitative techniques which are specifically directed towards analysis of explicitly spatial problems. It should be pointed out, however, that the explicit incorporation of space into quantitative techniques has not been the sole domain of geographers. Mathematicians, geologists, meteorologists, economists, and regional scientists have shared the geo grapher's interest in the spatial component of their analytical tools.

Advanced Metrology: Freeform Surfaces provides the perfect guide for engineering designers and manufacturers interested in exploring the benefits of this technology. The inclusion of industrial case studies and examples will help readers to implement these techniques which are being developed across different industries as they offer improvements to the functional performance of products and reduce weight and cost. - Includes case studies in every chapter to help readers implement the techniques discussed - Provides unique advice from industry on hot subjects, including surface description and data processing - Features links to online content, including video, code and software

This fully illustrated text explains the basic measurement techniques, describes the commercially available instruments and provides an overview of the current perception of 3-D topography analysis in the academic world and industry, and the commonly used 3-D parameters and plots for the characterizing and visualizing 3-D surface topography. It also includes new sections providing full treatment of surface characterization, filtering technology and engineered surfaces, as well as a fully updated bibliography.

The subject of this book is surface metrology, in particular two major aspects: surface texture and roundness. It has taken a long time for manufacturing engineers and designers to realise the usefulness of these features in quality of conformance and quality of design. Unfortunately this awareness has come at a time when engineers versed in the use and specification of surfaces are at a premium. Traditionally surface metrology usage has been dictated by engineers who have served long and demanding apprenticeships, usually in parallel with studies leading to technician-level qualifications. Such people understood the processes and the achievable accuracies of machine tools, thereby enabling them to match production capability with design requirements. This synergy, has been made possible by the understanding of adherence to careful metrological procedures and a detailed knowledge of surface measuring instruments and their operation, in addition to wider inspection room techniques. With the demise in the UK of polytechnics and technical colleges, this source of skilled technicians has all but dried up. The shortfall has been made up of semi skilled craftsmen, or inexperienced graduates who cannot be expected to satisfy tradition al or new technology needs. Miniaturisation, for example, has had a pro found effect. Engineering parts are now routinely being made with nanometre surface texture and fiatness. At these molecular and atomic scales, the engineer has to be a physicist.

It was an honor and a pleasure to organizethe 13th International Conference on Computer Analysis of Images and Patterns (CAIP 2009) in Mu ̈nster, Germany. CAIP has been held biennially since 1985: Berlin (1985), Wismar (1987), Leipzig (1989), Dresden (1991), Budapest (1993), Prague (1995), Kiel (1997), Ljubljana (1999), Warsaw (2001), Groningen (2003), Paris (2005), and Vienna (2007). Initially, this conference series served as a forum for getting together s- entistsfromEastandWestEurope.Nowadays,CAIPenjoysahighinternational visibility and attracts participants from all over the world. For CAIP 2009 we received a record number of 405 submissions. All papers were reviewed by two, and in most cases, three reviewers. Finally, 148 papers were selected for presentation at the conference, resulting in an acceptance rate of 36%. All Program Committee members and additional reviewers listed here deserve a great thanks for their timely and competent reviews. The accepted papers were presented either as oral presentations or posters in a single-track program.In addition, wewereveryhappyto haveAljoscha Smolicand David G. Storkasourinvitedspeakerstopresenttheirworkintwofascinatingareas.With this scienti?c program we hope to continue the tradition of CAIP in providing a forum for scienti?c exchange at a high quality level. A successful conference like CAIP 2009 would not be possible without the support of many institutions and people. First of all, we like to thank all the authors of submitted papers and the invited speakers for their contributions. The Steering Committee members were always there when advice was needed.