The method of densities for non-isotropic Boolean models
This book deals with the Boolean model, a basic model of stochastic geometry for the description of porous structures like the pore space in sand stone. The main result is a formula which gives in two and three dimensions a series representation of the most important model parameter, the intensity, using densities of so-called harmonic intrinsic volumes, which are new observable geometric quantities.
Mathematics --- Statistics --- Philosophy
This volume is the first ever collection devoted to the field of proof-theoretic semantics. Contributions address topics including the systematics of introduction and elimination rules and proofs of normalization, the categorial characterization of deductions, the relation between Heyting's and Gentzen's approaches to meaning, knowability paradoxes, proof-theoretic foundations of set theory, Dummett's justification of logical laws, Kreisel's theory of constructions, paradoxical reasoning, and the defence of model theory.
Thomas Piecha --- Peter Schroeder-Heister
Neutrosophic Multi-Criteria Decision Making
Neutrosophic logic and set are gaining significant attention in solving many real-life problems that involve uncertainty, impreciseness, vagueness, incompleteness, inconsistency, and indeterminacy. A number of new neutrosophic theories have been proposed and have been applied in Multi-Criteria Decision-Making, computational intelligence, multiple-attribute decision-making, image processing, medical diagnosis, fault diagnosis, optimization design, and so on. Neutrosophic logic, set, probability, statistics, etc., are, respectively, generalizations of fuzzy and intuitionistic fuzzy logic and set, classical and imprecise probability, classical statistics and so on.
Florentin Smarandache (Ed.) --- Jun Ye (Ed.) --- Yanhui Guo (Ed.)
MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
New Trends in Differential and Difference Equations and Applications
This Special Issue aims to be a compilation of new results in the areas of differential and difference Equations, covering boundary value problems, systems of differential and difference equations, as well as analytical and numerical methods. The objective is to provide an overview of techniques used in these different areas and to emphasize their applicability to real-life phenomena, by the inclusion of examples. These examples not only clarify the theoretical results presented, but also provide insight on how to apply, for future works, the techniques used.
New Trends in Statistical Physics of Complex Systems
A topical research activity in statistical physics concerns the study of complex and disordered systems. Generally, these systems are characterized by an elevated level of interconnection and interaction between the parts so that they give rise to a rich structure in the phase space that self-organizes under the control of internal non-linear dynamics. These emergent collective dynamics confer new behaviours to the whole system that are no longer the direct consequence of the properties of the single parts, but rather characterize the whole system as a new entity with its own features, giving rise to the birth of new phenomenologies. As is highlighted in this collection of papers, the methodologies of statistical physics have become very promising in understanding these new phenomena.
Operators of Fractional Calculus and Their Applications
During the past four decades or so, various operators of fractional calculus, such as those named after Riemann–Liouville, Weyl, Hadamard, Grunwald–Letnikov, Riesz, Erdelyi–Kober, Liouville–Caputo, and so on, have been found to be remarkably popular and important due mainly to their demonstrated applications in numerous diverse and widespread fields of the mathematical, physical, chemical, engineering, and statistical sciences. Many of these fractional calculus operators provide several potentially useful tools for solving differential, integral, differintegral, and integro-differential equations, together with the fractional-calculus analogues and extensions of each of these equations, and various other problems involving special functions of mathematical physics, as well as their extensions and generalizations in one and more variables.
Mathematical optimization is the selection of the best element in a set with respect to a given criterion. Optimization has become one of the most-used tools in modern control theory for computing the control law, adjusting the controller parameters (tuning), model fitting, and finding suitable conditions in order to fulfill a given closed-loop property, among others. In the simplest case, optimization consists of maximizing or minimizing a function by systematically choosing input values from a valid input set and computing the function value.
Guillermo Valencia-Palomo (Ed.) --- Francisco Ronay López-Estrada (Ed.)
This book by Helmut Wiedemann is a well-established, classic text, providing an in-depth and comprehensive introduction to the field of high-energy particle acceleration and beam dynamics.The present 4th edition has been significantly revised, updated and expanded. The newly conceived Part I is an elementary introduction to the subject matter for undergraduate students. Part II gathers the basic tools in preparation of a more advanced treatment, summarizing the essentials of electrostatics and electrodynamics as well as of particle dynamics in electromagnetic fields.
Problem Solving in Mathematics Education
This survey book reviews four interrelated areas: (i) the relevance of heuristics in problem-solving approaches – why they are important and what research tells us about their use; (ii) the need to characterize and foster creative problem-solving approaches – what type of heuristics helps learners devise and practice creative solutions; (iii) the importance that learners formulate and pursue their own problems; and iv) the role played by the use of both multiple-purpose and ad hoc mathematical action types of technologies in problem-solving contexts – what ways of reasoning learners construct when they rely on the use of digital technologies, and how technology and technology approaches can be reconciled.
Peter Liljedahl --- Manuel Santos-Trigo --- Uldarico Malaspina --- Regina Bruder
Mathematical ecology is an area of applied mathematics concerned with the application of mathematical concepts, tools and techniques, usually in the form of mathematical models, to problems arising in population dynamics, ecology and evolution. This Special Issue is designed to provide a snapshot of the state of the art in mathematical ecology. Topics of interest are (in no particular order) biological invasions, biological control, ecological pattern formation, ecologically relevant multiscale models, food webs, individual movement and dispersal, eco-epidemiology, evolutionary ecology, agroecosystems, regime shifts and early warning signals, synchronization and chaos.
Finite Difference Computing with Exponential Decay Models
This text provides a very simple, initial introduction to the complete scientific computing pipeline: models, discretization, algorithms, programming, verification, and visualization. The pedagogical strategy is to use one case study – an ordinary differential equation describing exponential decay processes – to illustrate fundamental concepts in mathematics and computer science. The book is easy to read and only requires a command of one-variable calculus and some very basic knowledge about computer programming
The book serves both as a reference for various scaled models with corresponding dimensionless numbers, and as a resource for learning the art of scaling. A special feature of the book is the emphasis on how to create software for scaled models, based on existing software for unscaled models. Scaling (or non-dimensionalization) is a mathematical technique that greatly simplifies the setting of input parameters in numerical simulations.
Hans Petter Langtangen --- Geir K. Pedersen
Social and Political Dimensions of Mathematics Education: Current Thinking
This book examines the current thinking on five critical social and political areas in mathematics education. It focuses on material conditions in teaching and learning, and details features of social life and their influence on mathematics teaching, learning and achievement. Following an introduction, the first section addresses equitable access and participation in quality mathematics education. It explores this issue in different contexts and from different ideological perspectives. The second section traces the emergence and development of the notion of activism in mathematics education in theory, in the literature, in research and in practice
Murad Jurdak --- Renuka Vithal --- Elizabeth de Freitas --- Peter Gates --- et al.
Stark Broadening of Spectral Lines in Plasmas
Experimental and theoretical studies of Stark broadening of spectral lines in plasmas are the cornerstone of a large number of spectroscopic diagnostics of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas. As such, they are very important both fundamentally and practically, the latter being due to the numerous practical applications of plasmas. Examples are studies dealing with: controlled thermonuclear fusion (that would provide a virtually unlimited source of energy), plasma-based lasers for medical and other purposes, technological microwave discharges (especially those used for manufacturing microchips), a better understanding of solar activity, other astrophysical objects (white dwarfs, flare stars, and so on).
Stochastic processes have wide relevance in mathematics both for theoretical aspects and for their numerous real-world applications in various domains. They represent a very active research field which is attracting the growing interest of scientists from a range of disciplines.This Special Issue aims to present a collection of current contributions concerning various topics related to stochastic processes and their applications.
Di Crescenzo, Antonio --- Macci, Claudio --- Martinucci, Barbara
Stochastic Processes: Theory and Applications
The aim of this special issue is to publish original research papers that cover recent advances in the theory and application of stochastic processes. There is especial focus on applications of stochastic processes as models of dynamic phenomena in various research areas, such as queuing theory, physics, biology, economics, medicine, reliability theory, and financial mathematics. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Markov chains and processes; large deviations and limit theorems; random motions; stochastic biological model; reliability, availability, maintenance, inspection; queueing models; queueing network models; computational methods for stochastic models; applications to risk theory, insurance and mathematical finance.
Zeifman, Alexander --- Korolev, Victor --- Sipin, Alexander
Symmetries of Nonlinear PDEs on Metric Graphs and Branched Networks
his Special Issue focuses on recent progress in a new area of mathematical physics and applied analysis, namely, on nonlinear partial differential equations on metric graphs and branched networks. Graphs represent a system of edges connected at one or more branching points (vertices). The connection rule determines the graph topology. When the edges can be assigned a length and the wave functions on the edges are defined in metric spaces, the graph is called a metric graph.
This book contains the successful invited submissions to a Special Issue of Symmetry on the subject of ""Graph Theory"". Although symmetry has always played an important role in Graph Theory, in recent years, this role has increased significantly in several branches of this field, including but not limited to Gromov hyperbolic graphs, the metric dimension of graphs, domination theory, and topological indices. This Special Issue includes contributions addressing new results on these topics, both from a theoretical and an applied point of view.
Symmetry has a central role in the study of vision. The concept of symmetry has an ancient origin in considerations of visual appearance; in modern times, abstracted and formalized into Group Theory, it has found spectacular applications, far beyond the visible; but its importance for vision persists in many ways including: • As a non-accidental feature of an image that cues affordances, 3D structure or the semantic categories of object present. • As a redundant aspect of an image which many be exploited for simplicity and compactness of encoding.
Marco Bertamini (Ed.) --- Lewis Griffin (Ed.)
Symmetry is found everywhere, to a greater or lesser degree. It is essential in all sciences and also as the basic substrate in all arts. The same happens with Complex Networks, which are the majority of all those that interest for advanced knowledge, that is, for research. That is why these two themes have been unified here, whose intersection we are dealing with: in its first part, of fundamentals, and in its second part of applications, which are multiple in the world today.
Symmetry with Operator Theory and Equations
A plethora of problems from diverse disciplines such as Mathematics, Mathematical: Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Physics, Scientific Computing and also Engineering can be formulated as an equation defined in abstract spaces using Mathematical Modelling. The solutions of these equations can be found in closed form only in special case. That is why researchers and practitioners utilize iterative procedures from which a sequence is being generated approximating the solution under some conditions on the initial data. This type of research is considered most interesting and challenging. This is our motivation for the introduction of this special issue on Iterative Procedures.
Teaching and Learning About Whole Numbers in Primary School
This book offers a theory for the analysis of how children learn and are taught about whole numbers. Two meanings of numbers are distinguished – the analytical meaning, defined by the number system, and the representational meaning, identified by the use of numbers as conventional signs that stand for quantities. This framework makes it possible to compare different approaches to making numbers meaningful in the classroom and contrast the outcomes of these diverse aspects of teaching. The book identifies themes and trends in empirical research on the teaching and learning
Terezinha Nunes --- Beatriz Vargas Dorneles --- Pi-Jen Lin --- Elisabeth Rathgeb-Schnierer
This survey focuses on the main trends in the field of calculus education. Despite their variety, the findings reveal a cornerstone issue that is strongly linked to the formalism of calculus concepts and to the difficulties it generates in the learning and teaching process. As a complement to the main text, an extended bibliography with some of the most important references on this topic is included. Since the diversity of the research in the field makes it difficult to produce an exhaustive state-of-the-art summary, the authors discuss recent developments that go beyond this survey and put forward new research questions.
David Bressoud --- Imène Ghedamsi --- Victor Martinez-Luaces --- Günter Törner
Theories in and of Mathematics Education
This survey provides an overview of German meta-discourse on theories and mathematics education as a scientific discipline, from the 1970s to the 1990s. Two theory strands are offered: a semiotic view related to Peirce and Wittgenstein (presented by Willibald Dörfler), and the theory of learning activity by Joachim Lompscher (presented by Regina Bruder and Oliver Schmitt). By networking the two theoretical approaches in a case study of learning fractions, it clarifies the nature of the two theories, how they can be related to inform practice and renew
Angelika Bikner-Ahsbahs --- Andreas Vohns --- Oliver Schmitt --- Regina Bruder --- et al.
Theory and Applications of Ordered Fuzzy Numbers: A Tribute to Professor Witold Kosiński
This open access book offers comprehensive coverage on Ordered Fuzzy Numbers, providing readers with both the basic information and the necessary expertise to use them in a variety of real-world applications. The respective chapters, written by leading researchers, discuss the main techniques and applications, together with the advantages and shortcomings of these tools in comparison to other fuzzy number representation models.
Piotr Prokopowicz --- Jacek Czerniak --- Dariusz Mikołajewski --- Łukasz Apiecionek --- et al.
This book examines the kinds of transitions that have been studied in mathematics education research. It defines transition as a process of change, and describes learning in an educational context as a transition process. The book focuses on research in the area of mathematics education, and starts out with a literature review, describing the epistemological, cognitive, institutional and sociocultural perspectives on transition. It then looks at the research questions posed in the studies and their link with transition, and examines the theoretical approaches and methods used.
Ghislaine Gueudet --- Marianna Bosch --- Andrea A. diSessa --- Oh Nam Kwon --- et al.
Turbulence: Numerical Analysis, Modelling and Simulation
The problem of accurate and reliable simulation of turbulent flows is a central and intractable challenge that crosses disciplinary boundaries. As the needs for accuracy increase and the applications expand beyond flows where extensive data is available for calibration, the importance of a sound mathematical foundation that addresses the needs of practical computing increases. This Special Issue is directed at this crossroads of rigorous numerical analysis, the physics of turbulence and the practical needs of turbulent flow simulations.
Uses of Technology in Upper Secondary Mathematics Education
This survey addresses the use of technology in upper secondary mathematics education from four points of view: theoretical analysis of epistemological and cognitive aspects of activity in new technology mediated learning environments, the changes brought by technology in the interactions between environment, students and teachers, the interrelations between mathematical activities and technology, skills and competencies that must be developed in teacher education.
Stephen Hegedus --- Colette Laborde --- Corey Brady --- Sara Dalton --- et al.
Wearable Electronics and Embedded Computing Systems
Wearable electronics and embedded computing systems have been receiving a great deal of interest over the last two decades in research and commercial fields, with a special focus on biomedical applications. The key benefits introduced by these systems include their small size, lightweight, low-power consumption, and, of course, wearability. Major human-centered applications are related to medicine, enabling outpatient care and enhancing the quality of life for chronic disease patients, maybe preventing unnecessary hospitalization.
Enzo Pasquale Scilingo --- Gaetano Valenza
Contested Childhoods: Growing up in Migrancy
This open access book explores specific migration, governance, and identity processes currently involving children and ideas of childhood. Migrancy as a social space allows majority populations to question the capabilities of migrants, and is a space in which an increasing number of children are growing up. In this space, families, nation-states, civil society, as well as children themselves are central actors engaged in contesting the meaning of childhood. Childhood is a field of conceptual, moral and political contestation, where the ‘battles’ may range from minor tensions and everyday negotiations of symbolic or practical importance involving a limited number of people, to open conflicts involving violence and law enforcement.
Marie Louise Seeberg --- Elżbieta M. Goździak
The quality of drinking water is paramount for public health. Despite important improvements in the last decades, access to safe drinking water is not universal. The World Health Organization estimates that almost 10% of the population in the world do not have access to improved drinking water sources. Among other diseases, waterborne infections cause diarrhea, which kills nearly one million people every year, mostly children under 5 years of age. On the other hand, chemical pollution is a concern in high-income countries and an increasing problem in low- and middle-income countries.
Levallois, Patrick --- Villanueva Belmonte, Cristina
Eating Disorders and Obesity: The Challenge for Our Times
Eating Disorders have traditionally been considered apart from public health concerns about increasing obesity. It is evident that these problems are, however, related in important ways. Comorbid obesity and eating disorder is increasing at a faster rate than either obesity or eating disorders alone and one in five people with obesity also presents with an Eating Disorder, commonly but not limited to Binge Eating Disorder. New disorders have emerged such as normal weight or Atypical Anorexia Nervosa.
Emerging Technology Applications to Promote Physical Activity and Health
As technology becomes an ever-more prevalent part of everyday life, and population-based physical activity programs seek new ways to increase life-long engagement with physical activity, these two ideas have become increasingly linked. This Special Issue attempts to offer a thorough and critical examination of emerging technologies in physical activity and health promotion, considering technological interventions in different contexts (communities, clinics, schools, homes, etc.) among various populations, exploring the challenges of integrating technology into physical activity promotion, and offering solutions for its implementation.
Advances in Discrete Differential Geometry
This is one of the first books on a newly emerging field of discrete differential geometry and an excellent way to access this exciting area. It surveys the fascinating connections between discrete models in differential geometry and complex analysis, integrable systems and applications in computer graphics. The authors take a closer look at discrete models in differential geometry and dynamical systems. Their curves are polygonal, surfaces are made from triangles and quadrilaterals, and time is discrete. Nevertheless, the difference between the corresponding smooth curves, surfaces and classical dynamical systems with continuous time can hardly be seen
Cohabitation and Marriage in the Americas: Geo-historical Legacies and New Trends
This open access book presents an innovative study of the rise of unmarried cohabitation in the Americas, from Canada to Argentina. Using an extensive sample of individual census data for nearly all countries on the continent, it offers a cross-national, comparative view of this recent demographic trend and its impact on the family. The book offers a tour of the historical legacies and regional heterogeneity in unmarried cohabitation, covering: Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central America, Colombia, the Andean region, Brazil, and the Southern Cone.
Communicating, Networking: Interacting: The International Year of Global Understanding - IYGU
This book illustrates the benefits to be gained from digitally networked communication for health, education and transitioning economies in developing nations (Sierra Leone and Papua New Guinea) and developed nations. Growing powers of e-citizenship can help build sustainable futures. This small volume provides a collection of examples and ideas from which the authors hope will help build a wider resource. Understanding how to link everyday lives with global networks in the digital world in ways that add benefit for the world’s people, and the health of the planet, is an ongoing project.
Governance for Drought Resilience: Land and Water Drought Management in Europe
This book presents the findings of a team of scientists and practitioners who have been working on the project “Benefits of Governance in Drought Adaptation” (in short: the DROP project), which is included in the European Union’s INTERREG IVB NWE programme. The DROP governance team developed a Governance Assessment Tool (GAT), which allows the governance setting of a given region for planning and realizing drought adaptation measures to be assessed
Hans Bressers --- Nanny Bressers --- Corinne Larrue
This open access book provides a comprehensive European perspective on the concept of ageism, its origins, the manifestation and consequences of ageism, as well as ways to respond to and research ageism. The book represents a collaborative effort of researchers from over 20 countries and a variety of disciplines, including, psychology, sociology, gerontology, geriatrics, pharmacology, law, geography, design, engineering, policy and media studies. The contributors have collaborated to produce a truly stimulating and educating book on ageism which brings a clear overview of the state of the art in the field.
Control Theory Tutorial: Basic Concepts Illustrated by Software Examples
This open access Brief introduces the basic principles of control theory in a concise self-study guide. It complements the classic texts by emphasizing the simple conceptual unity of the subject. A novice can quickly see how and why the different parts fit together. The concepts build slowly and naturally one after another, until the reader soon has a view of the whole. Each concept is illustrated by detailed examples and graphics. The full software code for each example is available, providing the basis for experimenting with various assumptions, learning how to write programs for control analysis, and setting the stage for future research projects.
Atlas of Challenges and Opportunities in European Neighbourhoods
This atlas provides a macro-regional overview of the areas that surround the European Union, from the Sahara to the Middle East, Western Balkans to European Russia, Turkey to the Arctic. Detailing key socio-economic data as well as developmental trends, the maps provide a comprehensive territorial analysis at a local scale and explore the potential for regional integration and cooperation.
Pierre Beckouche --- Pierre Besnard --- Hugues Pecout
Education and Skills for Inclusive Growth, Green Jobs and the Greening of Economies in Asia: Case Study Summaries of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam
This book presents an overview of the main research findings and case studies concerning education and skills for inclusive growth, green jobs and the greening of economies. Focusing on India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam, it discusses government and business sector responses to these issues and how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) systems and institutions are addressing both the renewal of curricula in the context of green growth dynamics, and patterns of training and skills development to meet demands.
Rupert Maclean --- Shanti Jagannathan --- Brajesh Panth
Education for Children with disabilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The book discusses the influence of environmental factors, especially relationships and attitudes, on the education for children with disabilities in Addis Ababa/ Ethiopia. By including the voices of children, parents and teachers, a special focus has been put on family and issues of educational equity. Additionally, the significance of looking at cultural and societal backgrounds when analysing the efforts of implementing inclusive education is emphasised.
This book presents good practices in Asia and ASEAN countries for effectively promoting advances in response to climate change, which can help to achieve sustainable development in Asia and around the world. As a proposal, the aim is to influence the discussions at COP 21 by providing a positive agenda with concrete actions from an Asian perspective. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 describes the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction scenario from an Asian perspective and in line with global 2 ° targets.
Collider Physics within the Standard Model: A Primer
With this graduate-level primer, the principles of the standard model of particle physics receive a particular skillful, personal and enduring exposition by one of the great contributors to the field. In 2013 the late Prof. Altarelli wrote: The discovery of the Higgs boson and the non-observation of new particles or exotic phenomena have made a big step towards completing the experimental confirmation of the standard model of fundamental particle interactions. It is thus a good moment for me to collect, update and improve my graduate lecture notes on quantum chromodynamics and the theory of electroweak interactions, with main focus on collider physics.
This open access book provides a set of conceptual, empirical, and comparative chapters that apply a public policy perspective to investigate the political and institutional factors driving the use of evidence to inform health policy in low, middle, and high income settings. The work presents key findings from the Getting Research Into Policy (GRIP-Health) project: a five year, six country, programme of work supported by the European Research Council. The chapters further our understanding of evidence utilisation in health policymaking through the application of theories and methods from the policy sciences.
Parkhurst, Justin --- Ettelt, Stefanie --- Hawkins, Benjamin
Food Price Volatility and Its Implications for Food Security and Policy
This book provides fresh insights into concepts, methods and new research findings on the causes of excessive food price volatility. It also discusses the implications for food security and policy responses to mitigate excessive volatility. The approaches applied by the contributors range from on-the-ground surveys, to panel econometrics and innovative high-frequency time series analysis as well as computational economics methods. It offers policy analysts and decision-makers guidance on dealing with extreme volatility.
Matthias Kalkuhl --- Joachim von Braun --- Maximo Torero
This book establishes the foundations needed to realize the ultimate goals for artificial intelligence, such as autonomy and trustworthiness. Aimed at scientists, researchers, technologists, practitioners, and students, it brings together contributions offering the basics, the challenges and the state-of-the-art on trusted autonomous systems in a single volume. The book is structured in three parts, with chapters written by eminent researchers and outstanding practitioners and users in the field.
Hussein A. Abbass --- Jason Scholz --- Darryn J. Reid
The Internet of Things (IoT) is an emerging network superstructure that will connect physical resources and actual users. It will support an ecosystem of smart applications and services bringing hyper-connectivity to our society by using augmented and rich interfaces. Whereas in the beginning IoT referred to the advent of barcodes and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which helped to automate inventory, tracking and basic identification, today IoT is characterized by a dynamic trend toward connecting smart sensors, objects, devices, data and applications.
Alessandro Bassi --- Martin Bauer --- Martin Fiedler --- Rob van Kranenburg --- et al.
This book provides insight into the Life Cycle Management (LCM) concept and the progress in its implementation. LCM is a management concept applied in industrial and service sectors to improve products and services, while enhancing the overall sustainability performance of business and its value chains. In this regard, LCM is an opportunity to differentiate through sustainability performance on the market place, working with all departments of a company such as research and development,
The Future of the Law of the Sea: Bridging Gaps Between National, Individual and Common Interests
It explores the diverse phenomena which are challenging the international law of the sea today, using the unique perspective of a simultaneous analysis of the national, individual and common interests at stake. This perspective, which all the contributors bear in mind when treating their own topic, also constitutes a useful element in the effort to bring today’s legal complexity and fragmentation to a homogenous vision of the sustainable use of the marine environment and of its resources, and also of the international and national response to maritime crimes.
The GEO Handbook on Biodiversity Observation Networks
Biodiversity observation systems are almost everywhere inadequate to meet local, national and international (treaty) obligations. As a result of alarmingly rapid declines in biodiversity in the modern era, there is a strong, worldwide desire to upgrade our monitoring systems, but little clarity on what is actually needed and how it can be assembled from the elements which are already present. This book intends to provide practical guidance to broadly-defined biodiversity observation networks at all scales, but predominantly the national scale and higher.
Global Perspectives on Recognising Non-formal and Informal Learning: Why Recognition Matters
This book deals with the relevance of recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning education and training, the workplace and society. In an increasing number of countries, it is at the top of the policy and research agenda ranking among the possible ways to redress the glaring lack of relevant academic and vocational qualifications and to promote the development of competences and certification procedures which recognise different types of learning, including formal, non-formal and informal learning.
The Great Mindshift: How a New Economic Paradigm and Sustainability Transformations go Hand in Hand
This book describes the path ahead. It combines system transformation research with political economy and change leadership insights when discussing the need for a great mindshift in how human wellbeing, economic prosperity and healthy ecosystems are understood if the Great Transformations ahead are to lead to more sustainability. It shows that history is made by purposefully acting humans and introduces transformative literacy as a key skill in leading change.
Greening the Financial Sector: How to Mainstream Environmental Finance in Developing Countries
Environmental finance, particularly energy efficiency and renewable energy (EERE) finance, can and should serve as an interface to other sub-sectors of financial sector promotion such as microfinance, housing finance or agricultural finance. For example, existing clients of financial institutions include small and medium-sized enterprises and households, and these are often suffering from high energy prices or have no access to sustainable energy supply.
High Mountain Conservation in a Changing World
This book aims to provide case studies and a general view of the main processes involved in the ecosystem shifts occurring in the high mountains, and to analyse the implications for nature conservation. Although case studies from the Pyrenees are preponderant, conclusions are aimed at any mountain range surrounded by highly populated lowland areas. The chapters give emphasis to approaches from environmental geography, functional ecology, biogeography, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions.
Jordi Catalan --- Josep M Ninot --- M. Mercè Aniz
Evolution, Monitoring and Predicting Models of Rockburst: Precursor Information for Rock Failure
This open access book focuses on investigating predicting precursor information and key points of rockburst in mining engineering through laboratory experiment, theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and case studies. Understanding the evolution patterns for the microstructure instability of rock is a prerequisite for rockburst prediction. The book provides a guide for readers seeking to understand the evolution patterns for the microstrucure of rock failure, the predicting key point of rock failure and the rockburst predicting model.
Infrastructure and Economic Growth in Asia
Public spending on infrastructure plays an important role in promoting economic growth and poverty alleviation. Empirical studies unequivocally show that under-investment in infrastructure limit economic growth. At the same time, numerous other studies have shown that investment in infrastructure can be a highly effective tool in fighting poverty reduction1. In that context, the financing of infrastructure has been a critical element of most economic growth and poverty reduction strategies in developing countries, since the start of this millennium.
Jean-Yves Duclos --- John M. Cockburn --- Luca Tiberti --- Yazid Dissou
Methodological Investigations in Agent-Based Modelling: With Applications for the Social Sciences
This open access book examines the methodological complications of using complexity science concepts within the social science domain. The opening chapters take the reader on a tour through the development of simulation methodologies in the fields of artificial life and population biology, then demonstrates the growing popularity and relevance of these methods in the social sciences. Following an in-depth analysis of the potential impact of these methods on social science and social theory, the text provides substantive examples of the application of agent-based models in the field of demography.
Innovative Medicine: Basic Research and Development
This book is devoted to innovative medicine, comprising the proceedings of the Uehara Memorial Foundation Symposium 2014. It remains extremely rare for the findings of basic research to be developed into clinical applications, and it takes a long time for the process to be achieved. The task of advancing the development of basic research into clinical reality lies with translational science, yet the field seems to struggle to find a way to move forward. To create innovative medical technology, many steps need to be taken: development and analysis of optimal animal models of human diseases, elucidation of genomic and epidemiological data, and establishment of “proof of concept”.
Kazuwa Nakao --- Nagahiro Minato --- Shinji Uemoto
Instructional Scaffolding in STEM Education: Strategies and Efficacy Evidence
This book uses meta-analysis to synthesize research on scaffolding and scaffolding-related interventions in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Specifically, the volume examines the extent to which study quality, assessment type, and scaffolding characteristics (strategy, intended outcome, fading schedule, scaffolding intervention, and paired intervention) influence cognitive student outcomes. It includes detailed descriptions of the theoretical foundations of scaffolding, scaffolding strategies that have been proposed to meet different intended learning outcomes in STEM, and associated efficacy information.
The aim of this book is to document for the first time the dimensions and requirements of effective integrated groundwater management (IGM). Groundwater management is a formidable challenge, one that remains one of humanity’s foremost priorities. It has become a largely non-renewable resource that is overexploited in many parts of the world. In the 21st century, the issue moves from how to simply obtain the water we need to how we manage it sustainably for future generations, future economies, and future ecosystems. The focus then becomes one of understanding the drivers and current state of the groundwater resource, and restoring equilibrium to at-risk aquifers.
Anthony J. Jakeman --- Olivier Barreteau --- Randall J. Hunt --- Jean-Daniel Rinaudo --- et al.
Biotechnologies for Plant Mutation Breeding: Protocols
This book offers 19 detailed protocols on the use of induced mutations in crop breeding and functional genomics studies, which cover topics including chemical and physical mutagenesis, phenotypic screening methods, traditional TILLING and TILLING by sequencing, doubled haploidy, targeted genome editing, and low-cost methods for the molecular characterization of mutant plants that are suitable for laboratories in developing countries
Joanna Jankowicz-Cieslak --- Thomas H. Tai --- Jochen Kumlehn --- Bradley J. Till
Sexual Reproduction in Animals and Plants
This book contains the proceedings of the International Symposium on the Mechanisms of Sexual Reproduction in Animals and Plants, where many plant and animal reproductive biologists gathered to discuss their recent progress in investigating the shared mechanisms and factors involved in sexual reproduction. This now is the first book that reviews recent progress in almost all fields of plant and animal fertilization. It was recently reported that the self-sterile mechanism of a hermaphroditic marine invertebrate (ascidian) is very similar to the self-incompatibility system in flowering plants.
Hitoshi Sawada --- Naokazu Inoue --- Megumi Iwano
This volume starts with an elementary introduction covering stem cell methodologies used to produce specific types of neurons, possibilities for their therapeutic use, and warnings of technical problems. In addition the authors report successes in achieving the derivation of a specific type of neuron. The dopamine neuron offers an important example and is discussed in more detail. Additional chapters cover problems obviously approachable with cells derived from stem cells, including their need in surgeries for pituitary cancers
This book describes how man-made litter, primarily plastic, has spread into the remotest parts of the oceans and covers all aspects of this pollution problem from the impacts on wildlife and human health to socio-economic and political issues. Marine litter is a prime threat to marine wildlife, habitats and food webs worldwide. The book illustrates how advanced technologies from deep-sea research, microbiology and mathematic modelling as well as classic beach litter counts by volunteers contributed to the broad awareness of marine litter as a problem of global significance
Melanie Bergmann --- Lars Gutow --- Michael Klages
Mergers and Alliances in Higher Education: International Practice and Emerging Opportunities
This volume casts light on mergers and alliances in higher education by examining developments of this type in different countries. It combines the direct experiences of those at the heart of such transformations, university leaders and senior officials responsible for higher education policy, with expert analysts of the systems concerned. Higher education in Europe faces a series of major challenges. The economic crisis has accelerated expectations of an increased role in addressing economic and societal challenges while at the same time putting pressure on available finances. Broader trends such as shifting student demographics and expectations, globalisation and mobility and new ways of working with business have contributed to these increased pressures.
Adrian Curaj --- Luke Georghiou --- Jennifer Casenga Harper --- Eva Egron-Polak
Methods for Measuring Greenhouse Gas Balances and Evaluating Mitigation Options in Smallholder Agriculture
This book provides standards and guidelines for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and removals in smallholder agricultural systems and comparing options for climate change mitigation based on emission reductions and livelihood trade-offs. Globally, agriculture is directly responsible for about 11% of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and induces an additional 17% through land use change, mostly in developing countries. Farms in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are predominately managed by smallholders, with 80% of land holdings smaller than ten hectares.
Todd S. Rosenstock --- Mariana C. Rufino --- Klaus Butterbach-Bahl --- Lini Wollenberg --- et al.
Migration, Gender and Social Justice: Perspectives on Human Insecurity
This book is the product of a collaborative effort involving partners from Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America who were funded by the International Development Research Centre Programme on Women and Migration (2006-2011). The International Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam spearheaded a project intended to distill and refine the research findings, connecting them to broader literatures and interdisciplinary themes. The book examines commonalities and differences in the operation of various structures of power (gender, class, race/ethnicity, generation) and their interactions within the institutional domains of intra-national and especially inter-national migration that produce context-specific forms of social injustice
Tanh-Dam Truong --- Des Gasper --- Jeff Handmaker --- Sylvia I. Bergh
Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change Adaptation in Urban Areas: Linkages between Science, Policy and Practice
This book brings together research findings and experiences from science, policy and practice to highlight and debate the importance of nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in urban areas. Emphasis is given to the potential of nature-based approaches to create multiple-benefits for society. The expert contributions present recommendations for creating synergies between ongoing policy processes, scientific programmes and practical implementation of climate change and nature conservation measures in global urban areas.
Nadja Kabisch --- Horst Korn --- Jutta Stadler --- Aletta Bonn
Ranaviruses: Lethal Pathogens of Ectothermic Vertebrates
This is the first book on ranaviruses. Ranaviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that cause hemorrhagic disease in amphibians, reptiles, and fish. They have caused mass die-offs of ectothermic vertebrates in wild and captive populations around the globe. There is evidence that this pathogen is emerging and responsible for population declines in certain locations. Considering that amphibians and freshwater turtles are suitable hosts and the most imperiled vertebrate taxa in the world, ranaviruses can have significant impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function.
This in-depth survey of salutogenesis shows the breadth and strengths of this innovative perspective on health promotion, health care, and wellness. Background and historical chapters trace the development of the salutogenic model of health, and flesh out the central concepts, most notably generalized resistance resources and the sense of coherence, that differentiate it from pathogenesis. From there, experts describe a range of real-world applications within and outside health contexts, from positive psychology to geriatrics, from small towns to corrections facilities, and from school and workplace to professional training.
Maurice B. Mittelmark --- Shifra Sagy --- Monica Eriksson --- Georg F. Bauer --- et al.
Hormones, Metabolism and the Benefits of Exercise
The world is faced with an epidemic of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is due to changes in dietary habits and the decrease in physical activity. Exercise is usually part of the prescription, the first line of defense, to prevent or treat metabolic disorders. However, we are still learning how and why exercise provides metabolic benefits in human health. This open access volume focuses on the cellular and molecular pathways that link exercise, muscle biology, hormones and metabolism.
Perspectives on European Earthquake Engineering and Seismology: Volume 2
This book collects 4 keynote and 15 theme lectures presented at the 2nd European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (2ECEES), held in Istanbul, Turkey, from August 24 to 29, 2014. The conference was organized by the Turkish Earthquake Foundation - Earthquake Engineering Committee and Prime Ministry, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency under the auspices of the European Association for Earthquake Engineering (EAEE) and European Seismological Commission (ESC).
The Cellular Automaton Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
This book presents the deterministic view of quantum mechanics developed by Nobel Laureate Gerard 't Hooft. Dissatisfied with the uncomfortable gaps in the way conventional quantum mechanics meshes with the classical world, 't Hooft has revived the old hidden variable ideas, but now in a much more systematic way than usual. In this, quantum mechanics is viewed as a tool rather than a theory. The author gives examples of models that are classical in essence, but can be analysed by the use of quantum techniques, and argues that even the Standard Model, together with gravitational interactions, might be viewed as a quantum mechanical approach to analysing a system that could be classical at its core
This survey provides a brief and selective overview of research in the philosophy of mathematics education. It asks what makes up the philosophy of mathematics education, what it means, what questions it asks and answers, and what is its overall importance and use? It provides overviews of critical mathematics education, and the most relevant modern movements in the philosophy of mathematics. A case study is provided of an emerging research tradition in one country.
Paul Ernest --- Ole Skovsmose --- Jean Paul van Bendegem --- Maria Bicudo --- et al.
Plant Selection for Bioretention Systems and Stormwater Treatment Practices
As cities develop, more land is converted into impervious surfaces, which do not allow water to infiltrate. Careful urban planning is needed to ensure that the hydrologic cycle and water quality of the catchment areas are not affected. There are techniques that can attenuate peak flow during rain events and reduce the amount of metals, nutrients, and bacteria that enter the urban water cycle.
William F. Hunt --- Bill Lord --- Benjamin Loh --- Angelia Sia
Programming for Computations - MATLAB/Octave
This book presents computer programming as a key method for solving mathematical problems. There are two versions of the book, one for MATLAB and one for Python. The book was inspired by the Springer book TCSE 6: A Primer on Scientific Programming with Python (by Langtangen), but the style is more accessible and concise, in keeping with the needs of engineering students. The book outlines the shortest possible path from no previous experience with programming to a set of skills that allows the students to write simple programs for solving common mathematical problems with numerical methods in engineering and science courses.
Programming for Computations - Python: A Gentle Introduction to Numerical Simulations with Python
Today, most people are experienced with computer programs, typically programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, and Photoshop. The interaction with such programs is usually quite simple and intuitive: you click on buttons, pull down menus and select operations, drag visual elements into locations, and so forth. The possible operations you can do in these programs can be combined in seemingly an infinite number of ways, only limited by your creativity and imagination. Nevertheless, programs often make us frustrated when they cannot do what we wish. One typical situation might be the following. Say you have some measurements from a device, and the data are stored in a file with a specific format.
Projection-Based Clustering through Self-Organization and Swarm Intelligence: Combining Cluster Analysis with the Visualization of High-Dimensional Data
This book covers aspects of unsupervised machine learning used for knowledge discovery in data science and introduces a data-driven approach to cluster analysis, the Databionic swarm (DBS). DBS consists of the 3D landscape visualization and clustering of data. The 3D landscape enables 3D printing of high-dimensional data structures.The clustering and number of clusters or an absence of cluster structure are verified by the 3D landscape at a glance.
Protecting the Rights of People with Autism in the Fields of Education and Employment: International, European and National Perspectives
Fundamental rights for all people with disabilities, education and employment are key for the inclusion of people with autism. They play as facilitators for the social inclusion of persons with autism and as multipliers for their enjoyment of other fundamental rights. After outlining the international and European dimensions of the legal protection of the rights to education and employment of people with autism, the book provides an in-depth analysis of domestic legislative, judicial and administrative practice of the EU Member States in these fields.
Self-Reported Population Health: An International Perspective based on EQ-5D
The EQ-5D instrument, as a standardized, cross-culturally validated measure of self-assessed health has a hugely important role in understanding population health within and across countries. Over the past two decades a wealth of international population health survey data have been accumulated by the EuroQol Group from research conducted in many countries across four continents. One of the success factors of the EQ-5D instruments has been the easy availability of national or international sets of EQ-5D data, as well as clear explanations and guidance for users.
Agota Szende --- Bas Janssen --- Juan Cabases
Clinical Text Mining: Secondary Use of Electronic Patient Records
This open access book describes the results of natural language processing and machine learning methods applied to clinical text from electronic patient records. It is divided into twelve chapters. Chapters 1-4 discuss the history and background of the original paper-based patient records, their purpose, and how they are written and structured. These initial chapters do not require any technical or medical background knowledge. The remaining eight chapters are more technical in nature and describe various medical classifications and terminologies such as ICD diagnosis codes, SNOMED CT, MeSH, UMLS, and ATC.
Re-engineering the Uptake of ICT in Schools
This book reports on a novel and comprehensive approach to the uptake of ICT in Schools. It focuses on key questions, pedagogically sound ways of introducing ICT, new technical artifacts supporting the approach, the evaluation in a large-scale validator, and future work. While many innovations in Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) have emerged over the last two decades, the uptake of these innovations has not always been very successful, particularly in schools. The transition from proof of concept to integration into learning activities has been recognized as a bottleneck for quite some time.
Frans Van Assche --- Luis Anido --- David Griffiths --- Cathy Lewin --- et al.
Research on Teaching and Learning Mathematics at the Tertiary Level
This topical survey focuses on research in tertiary mathematics education, a field that has experienced considerable growth over the last 10 years. Drawing on the most recent journal publications as well as the latest advances from recent high-quality conference proceedings, our review culls out the following five emergent areas of interest: mathematics teaching at the tertiary level; the role of mathematics in other disciplines; textbooks, assessment and students’ studying practices; transition to the tertiary level; and theoretical-methodological advances.
Irene Biza --- Victor Giraldo --- Reinhard Hochmuth --- Azimeh Sadat Khakbaz --- et al.
Responsive Open Learning Environments: Outcomes of Research from the ROLE Project
This book presents the outcomes of four years of educational research in the EU-supported project called ROLE (Responsive Online Learning Environments). ROLE technology is centered around the concept of self-regulated learning that creates responsible learners, who are capable of critical thinking and able to plan their own learning processes. ROLE allows learners to independently search for appropriate learning resources and then reflect on their own learning process and progress. To accomplish this, ROLE´s main objective is to support the development of open personal learning environments (PLEs)
Sylvana Kroop --- Alexander Mikroyannidis --- Martin Wolpers
Cognitive Supervision for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Laser Surgery
This thesis lays the groundwork for the automatic supervision of the laser incision process, which aims to complement surgeons’ perception of the state of tissues and enhance their control over laser incisions. The research problem is formulated as the estimation of variables that are representative of the state of tissues during laser cutting. Prior research in this area leveraged numerical computation methods that bear a high computational cost and are not straightforward to use in a surgical setting.
Ecological Risk Assessment for Chlorpyrifos in Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems in North America
This book attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.
Riverine Ecosystem Management: Science for Governing Towards a Sustainable Future
This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming.
MARE-WINT: New Materials and Reliability in Offshore Wind Turbine Technology
This book provides a holistic, interdisciplinary overview of offshore wind energy, and is a must-read for advanced researchers. Topics, from the design and analysis of future turbines, to the decommissioning of wind farms, are covered. The scope of the work ranges from analytical, numerical and experimental advancements in structural and fluid mechanics, to novel developments in risk, safety & reliability engineering for offshore wind.The core objective of the current work is to make offshore wind energy more competitive, by improving the reliability, and operations and maintenance (O&M) strategies of wind turbines.
Wiesław Ostachowicz --- Malcolm McGugan --- Jens-Uwe Schröder-Hinrichs --- Marcin Luczak
Satellite Earth Observations and Their Impact on Society and Policy
he result of a workshop bringing together an international advisory board of experts in science, satellite technologies, industry innovations, and public policy, this book addresses the current and future roles of satellite Earth observations in solving large-scale environmental problems. The book showcases the results of engaging distinct communities to enhance our ability to identify emerging problems and to administer international regimes created to solve them. It also reviews the work of the Policy and Earth Observation Innovation Cycle (PEOIC) project, an effort aimed at assessing the impact of satellite observations on environmental policy and to propose a mission going forward that would launch an “innovation cycle”.
Scaling a Software Business: The Digitalization Journey
Software has changed the rules of the game. The world talks about the digitalization in industry and society – how the focus has shifted from producing tangible things towards software and services. This trend started many years ago, but is now affecting every company, whether it’s a software company or not. There are many companies that have already made a digitalization journey – and many are about to embark on this journey – like you. How do you transform your organization when software is becoming a critical part of your business?
Brian Fitzgerald --- Klaas-Jan Stol --- Sten Minör --- Henrik Cosmo
Recent years have seen spectacular advances in the field of circadian biology. These have attracted the interest of researchers in many fields, including endocrinology, neurosciences, cancer, and behavior. By integrating a circadian view within the fields of endocrinology and metabolism, researchers will be able to reveal many, yet-unsuspected aspects of how organisms cope with changes in the environment and subsequent control of homeostasis. This field is opening new avenues in our understanding of metabolism and endocrinology. A panel of the most distinguished investigators in the field gathered together to discuss the present state and the future of the field.
This volume discusses semiotics in mathematics education as an activity with a formal sign system, in which each sign represents something else. Theories presented by Saussure, Peirce, Vygotsky and other writers on semiotics are summarized in their relevance to the teaching and learning of mathematics. The significance of signs for mathematics education lies in their ubiquitous use in every branch of mathematics. Such use involves seeing the general in the particular, a process that is not always clear to learners.
Norma Presmeg --- Luis Radford --- Wolff-Michael Roth --- Gert Kadunz
Skills Development for Inclusive and Sustainable Growth in Developing Asia-Pacific
Focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, which in recent years has been the engine of global economic growth , this volume surveys trends and prospects in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) with particular reference to achieving inclusive growth and the greening of economies. Underlying the increasing pressure for new models of TVET provision is the rapid pace of technological change, demand for a work force which is highly responsive to evolving needs and a transforming market place that calls for higher order skills and lifelong learning.
Rupert Maclean --- Shanti Jagannathan --- Jouko Sarvi
This book addresses the practice of social innovation, which is currently very much in the public eye. New ideas and approaches are needed to tackle the severe and wicked problems with which contemporary societies are struggling. Especially in times of economic crisis, social innovation is regarded as one of the crucial elements needed to move forward.
Taco Brandsen --- Sandro Cattacin --- Adalbert Evers --- Annette Zimmer
Social Statistics and Ethnic Diversity: Cross-National Perspectives in Classifications and Identity Politics
This open access book examines the question of collecting and disseminating data on ethnicity and race in order to describe characteristics of ethnic and racial groups, identify factors of social and economic integration and implement policies to redress discrimination. It offers a global perspective on the issue by looking at race and ethnicity in a wide variety of historical, country-specific contexts, including Asia, Latin America, Europe, Oceania and North America. In addition, the book also includes analysis on the indigenous populations of the Americas
Patrick Simon --- Victor Piché --- Amélie A. Gagnon
Solving PDEs in Python: The FEniCS Tutorial I
This book offers a concise and gentle introduction to finite element programming in Python based on the popular FEniCS software library. Using a series of examples, including the Poisson equation, the equations of linear elasticity, the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations, and systems of nonlinear advection–diffusion–reaction equations, it guides readers through the essential steps to quickly solving a PDE in FEniCS, such as how to define a finite variational problem, how to set boundary conditions, how to solve linear and nonlinear systems, and how to visualize solutions and structure finite element Python programs.
How can we design more sustainable industrial and urban systems that reduce environmental impacts while supporting a high quality of life for everyone? What progress has been made towards reducing resource use and waste, and what are the prospects for more resilient, material-efficient economies? What are the environmental and social impacts of global supply chains and how can they be measured and improved? Such questions are at the heart of the emerging discipline of industrial ecology, covered in Taking Stock of Industrial Ecology.
Teacher Quality, Instructional Quality and Student Outcomes: Relationships Across Countries, Cohorts and Time
This volume offers insights from modeling relations between teacher quality, instructional quality and student outcomes in mathematics across countries. The relations explored take the educational context, such as school climate, into account. The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement’s Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) is the only international large-scale study possessing a design framework that enables investigation of relations between teachers, their teaching, and student outcomes in mathematics.
This book offers a theory for the analysis of how children learn and are taught about whole numbers. Two meanings of numbers are distinguished – the analytical meaning, defined by the number system, and the representational meaning, identified by the use of numbers as conventional signs that stand for quantities. This framework makes it possible to compare different approaches to making numbers meaningful in the classroom and contrast the outcomes of these diverse aspects of teaching. The book identifies themes and trends in empirical research on the teaching and learning of whole numbers since the launch of the major journals in mathematics education research in the 1970s.
This survey focuses on the main trends in the field of calculus education. Despite their variety, the findings reveal a cornerstone issue that is strongly linked to the formalism of calculus concepts and to the difficulties it generates in the learning and teaching process. As a complement to the main text, an extended bibliography with some of the most important references on this topic is included.
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Signaling in Neuroprotection
This open access book presents the roles and mechanisms of signal transduction triggered by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) stimulation in neuroprotection against toxic effects of risk factors of neurodegenerative diseases. Accumulating evidence suggests that nAChRs in the CNS play important roles not only in excitatory neurotransmission but also in neuronal survival and related functions. Neuroprotection mediated by nAChRs in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease is the major topic of this book.
Akinori Akaike --- Shun Shimohama --- Yoshimi Misu
The Troika of Adult Learners, Lifelong Learning, and Mathematics
This book presents a synopsis of six emerging themes in adult mathematics/numeracy and a critical discussion of recent developments in terms of policies, provisions, and the emerging challenges, paradoxes and tensions. It also offers an extensive review of the literature adult mathematics education. Why do adults want to learn mathematics? Did they enjoy mathematics at school so much that they want to continue? NO! Most of these adults have to learn mathematics because it is part of a formal qualification they need, because their job demands the ability to apply mathematics, or because they need basic numeracy in their daily lives
Katherine Safford-Ramus --- Pradeep Kumar Misra --- Terry Maguire
This work contains updated and clinically relevant information about tuberculosis. It is aimed at providing a succinct overview of history and disease epidemiology, clinical presentation and the most recent scientific developments in the field of tuberculosis research, with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment. It may serve as a practical resource for students, clinicians and researchers who work in the field of infectious diseases.
Caws, Maxine --- Marais, Ben --- Heemskerk, Dorothee --- Farrar, Jeremy
Understanding Society and Natural Resources: Forging New Strands of Integration Across the Social Sciences
In this edited volume leading scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds wrestle with social science integration opportunities and challenges. This book explores the growing concern of how best to achieve effective integration of the social science disciplines as a means for furthering natural resource social science and environmental problem solving. The chapters provide an overview of the history, vision, advances, examples and methods that could lead to integration. The quest for integration among the social sciences is not new.
Rechkemmer, Andreas --- J. Manfredo, Michael --- J. Vaske;, Jerry --- A. Duke, Esther
The Impact of Food Bioactives on Health: In Vitro and Ex Vivo Models
Infogest' (Improving Health Properties of Food by Sharing our Knowledge on the Digestive Process) is an EU COST action/network in the domain of Food and Agriculture. Infogest aims at building an open international network of institutes undertaking multidisciplinary basic research on food digestion gathering scientists from different origins (including food scientists, gut physiologists and nutritionists). The network gathers 70 partners from academia, corresponding to a total of 29 countries.
Kitty Verhoeckx --- Paul Cotter --- Iván López-Expósito --- Charlotte Kleiveland --- et al.
Uses of Technology in Lower Secondary Mathematics Education: A Concise Topical Survey
This topical survey provides an overview of the current state of the art in technology use in mathematics education, including both practice-oriented experiences and research-based evidence, as seen from an international perspective. Three core themes are discussed: Evidence of effectiveness; Digital assessment; and Communication and collaboration.
Paul Drijvers --- Lynda Ball --- Bärbel Barzel --- M. Kathleen Heid --- et al.
This survey addresses the use of technology in upper secondary mathematics education from four points of view: theoretical analysis of epistemological and cognitive aspects of activity in new technology mediated learning environments, the changes brought by technology in the interactions between environment, students and teachers, the interrelations between mathematical activities and technology, skills and competencies that must be developed in teacher education. Research shows that the use of some technologies may deeply change the solving processes and contribute to impact the learning processes.
Visualizing Mortality Dynamics in the Lexis Diagram
The goal of this book is simple: We would like to show how mortality dynamics can be visualized in the so-called Lexis diagram. To appeal to as many potential readers as possible, we do not require any specialist knowledge. This approach may be disappointing: Demographers may have liked more information about the mathematical underpinnings of population dynamics on the Lexis surface as demonstrated, for instance, by Arthur and Vaupel in 1984
Bohk-Ewald, Christina --- M. Muszynska, Magdalena --- Rau, Roland --- W. Vaupel, James --- et al.
Vocational Teacher Education in Central Asia: Developing Skills and Facilitating Success
This open access volume presents papers on vocational education, project-based learning and science didactic approaches, illustrating with sample cases, and with a special focus on Central Asian states. Thematically embedded in the area of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), the book examines the following main topics: project-based learning (PBL), specific didactics with a linkage to food technologies and laboratory didactics, media and new technologies in TVET, evaluation of competencies including aspects of measurement, examination issues, and labour market and private sector issues in TVET, and research methods with a focus on empirical research and the role of scientific networks.
Jens Drummer --- Gafurjon Hakimov --- Mamatair Joldoshov --- Thomas Köhler --- et al.
Addressing Food and Nutrition Security in Developed Countries
The Addressing Food and Nutrition Security in Developed Countries Special Issue is a collection of papers from researchers in counties with developed economies who are responding to increasing prevalence of food insecurity. Food insecurity is relatively hidden, and the real extent of the problem is likely to be underestimated in many of these countries. Novel methods to estimate the prevalence of food insecurity in the face of no routine measurement are presented. Population surveys highlight adverse mental health outcomes and new and emerging subgroups that are experiencing food insecurity.
Anthropometry, Body Composition and Resting Energy Expenditure in Human
Data on nutritional status of human populations are periodically needed, as well as their relationships with anthropometry, body composition, body image and energy expenditure, and also with health lifestyle outcomes. All these parameters contribute jointly to give a complete knowledge on dietary and lifestyle habits, and hence how to proceed to improve it in order to enjoy an optimal healthy status. So, you are kindly invited to submit proposals for manuscripts that fit the objectives and the topics of this Nutrients Special issue.
Tur, Josep A. --- Mar Bibilonic, Maria del
Grammatical theory: From transformational grammar to constraint-based approaches
This book introduces formal grammar theories that play a role in current linguistic theorizing (Phrase Structure Grammar, Transformational Grammar/Government & Binding, Generalized Phrase Structure Grammar, Lexical Functional Grammar, Categorial Grammar, Head-​Driven Phrase Structure Grammar, Construction Grammar, Tree Adjoining Grammar). The key assumptions are explained and it is shown how the respective theory treats arguments and adjuncts, the active/passive alternation, local reorderings, verb placement, and fronting of constituents over long distances. The analyses are explained with German as the object language.
This book compares the lessons learned from a wetland-perspective approach to the changing climate and the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) with regard to environmental conservation. Examples from Germany and Poland are discussed due to the efficiency of their respective implementations of water conservation policies
This publication addresses the global challenges of food and water security in a rapidly changing and complex world. The essays highlight the links between bio-physical and socio-cultural processes, making connections between local and global scales, and focusing on the everyday practices of eating and drinking, essential for human survival. Written by international experts, each contribution is research-based but accessible to the general public.
Peter Jackson --- Walter E.L. Spiess --- Farhana Sultana
Physical (A)Causality: Determinism, Randomness and Uncaused Events
This book addresses the physical phenomenon of events that seem to occur spontaneously and without any known cause. These are to be contrasted with events that happen in a (pre-)determined, predictable, lawful, and causal way. All our knowledge is based on self-reflexive theorizing, as well as on operational means of empirical perception
Error-Correction Coding and Decoding: Bounds, Codes, Decoders, Analysis and Applications
This book discusses both the theory and practical applications of self-correcting data, commonly known as error-correcting codes. The applications included demonstrate the importance of these codes in a wide range of everyday technologies, from smartphones to secure communications and transactions. Written in a readily understandable style, the book presents the authors’ twenty-five years of research organized into five parts:
Martin Tomlinson --- Cen Jung Tjhai --- Marcel A. Ambroze --- Mohammed Ahmed --- et al.
Resilience: A New Paradigm of Nuclear Safety: From Accident Mitigation to Resilient Society Facing Extreme Situations
This book summarizes presentations and discussions from the two-day international workshop held at UC Berkeley in March 2015, and derives questions to be addressed in multi-disciplinary research toward a new paradigm of nuclear safety. The consequences of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March 2011 have fuelled the debate on nuclear safety: while there were no casualties due to radiation, there was substantial damage to local communities.
Joonhong Ahn --- Franck Guarnieri --- Kazuo Furuta
Snow Sports Trauma and Safety: Conference Proceedings of the International Society for Skiing Safety: 21st Volume
This book covers the latest in snow sport epidemiology, snow sport injuries and treatment, and biomechanical/mechanical engineering related to snow sports injuries (mechanisms of injury, injury prevention by equipment design, injury prevention by design of resort features, and more). It brings together a collection of papers from the International Congress on Ski Trauma and Safety (the biennal meeting of the International Society for Skiing Safety) and presents the latest research on the effectiveness of winter sports equipment, the behavior of winter sports participants, and the epidemiology and biomechanics of winter sports injuries.
Irving S. Scher --- Richard M. Greenwald --- Nicola Petrone
Non-Equilibrium Social Science and Policy: Introduction and Essays on New and Changing Paradigms in Socio-Economic Thinking
The overall aim of this book, an outcome of the European FP7 FET Open NESS project, is to contribute to the ongoing effort to put the quantitative social sciences on a proper footing for the 21st century. A key focus is economics, and its implications on policy making, where the still dominant traditional approach increasingly struggles to capture the economic realities we observe in the world today - with vested interests getting too often in the way of real advances. Insights into behavioral economics and modern computing techniques have made possible both the integration of larger information sets and the exploration of disequilibrium behavior.
Jeffrey Johnson --- Andrzej Nowak --- Paul Ormerod --- Bridget Rosewell --- et al.
Abiotic Stress Signaling in Plants: Functional Genomic Intervention
Abiotic stresses such as high temperature, low-temperature, drought and salinity limit crop productivity worldwide. Understanding plant responses to these stresses is essential for rational engineering of crop plants. In Arabidopsis, the signal transduction pathways for abiotic stresses, light, several phytohormones and pathogenesis have been elucidated. A significant portion of plant genomes (Arabidopsis and rice were mostly studied) encodes for proteins involves in signaling such as receptor, sensors, kinases, phosphatases, transcription factors and transporters/channels.
Girdhar K. Pandey --- Manoj Prasad --- Amita Pandey --- Maik Boehmer
Abiotic Stresses in Agroecology: A Challenge for Whole Plant Physiology
Understanding plant responses to abiotic stresses is central to our ability to predict the impact of global change and environmental pollution on the production of food, feed and forestry. Besides increasing carbon dioxide concentration and rising global temperature, increasingly frequent and severe climatic events (e.g. extended droughts, heat waves, flooding) are expected in the coming decades. Additionally, pollution (e.g. heavy metals, gaseous pollutants such as ozone or sulfur dioxide) is an important factor in many regions, decreasing plant productivity and product quality.
Urs Feller --- Alison H. Kingston-Smith --- Mauro Centritto
Abiotic Stress Effects on Performance of Horticultural Crops
Horticultural crop yield and quality depend on genotype, environmental conditions, and production management. In particular, adverse environmental conditions may greatly affect crop performance, reducing crop yield by 50%–70%. Abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, drought, flooding, salinity, nutrient deficiency, and ultraviolet radiation affect multiple physiological and biochemical mechanisms in plants as they attempt to cope with the stress conditions. However, different crop species can have different sensitivities or tolerances to specific abiotic stresses
Francini, Alessandra --- Sebastiani, Luca
Acoustic and Elastic Waves: Recent Trends in Science and Engineering
The present Special Issue intends to explore new directions in the field of acoustics and ultrasonics. The interest includes, but is not limited to, the use of acoustic technology for condition monitoring of materials and structures. Topics of interest (among others): • Acoustic emission in materials and structures (without material limitation)
Dimitrios G. Aggelis (Ed.) --- Nathalie Godin (Ed.)
Actuarial and Financial Risks in Life Insurance, Pensions and Household Finance
The recent regulatory changes, together with the increasing awareness of the variety of sources of uncertainty that affect the activities of insurance and pension funds, have generated increasing attention towards insurance risk management theory and practice. Against this background, this Special Issue collects relevant contributions on a variety of issues encompassing longevity risk modelling, solvency requirements, risk management, and risk sharing.
Acupuncture – Basic Research and Clinical Application
This book focuses on the investigation, development, and modernization of acupuncture in basic research settings as well as in clinical applications. The book contains 13 chapters reporting the latest evidence-based results of acupuncture research and exploring acupuncture in general. Altogether, 44 authors from all over the world contributed to this book.
Adaptive Catchment Management and Reservoir Operation
River catchments and reservoirs play a central role in water security, food supply, flood risk management, hydropower generation, and ecosystem services; however, they are now under increasing pressure from population growth, economic activities, and changing climate means and extremes in many parts of the world. Adaptive management of river catchments and reservoirs requires an in-depth understanding of the impacts of future uncertainties and thus the development of robust, sustainable solutions to meet the needs of various stakeholders and the environment.
Fu, Guangtao --- Ni, Guangheng --- Zhang, Chi
Additive Manufacturing Technologies and Applications
The present Special Issue proposes articles in the area of Additive Manufacturing with particular attention to the different employed technologies and the several possible applications. The main investigated technologies are the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). These methodologies, combined with the Computer Aided Design (CAD), provide important advantages. Numerical, analytical and experimental knowledge and models are proposed to exploit the potential advantages given by 3D printing for the production of modern systems and structures in aerospace, mechanical, civil and biomedical engineering fields.
Salvatore Brischetto (Ed.) --- Paolo Maggiore (Ed.) --- Carlo Giovanni Ferro (Ed.)
Adolescent Pregnancy: Past, Present and Future Trends and Issues
This collection provides a forum for leading scholars to examine theoretical insights and empirical findings associated with the recent decline in adolescent pregnancy and childbearing internationally, with special attention given to the United States. This recent shift in the incidence of adolescent fertility is notable in its consistency and magnitude; at the same time, however, continuing historic disparities require focused attention on the contemporary meaning of early childbearing in the U.S. as well as across the globe.
Advance of Polymers Applied to Biomedical Applications: Cell Scaffolds
Since Langer’s seminal work, polymers have been on every corner of tissue engineering. The roles of bioresorbable polymers, as a scaffold, are not merely structural, providing three-dimensional (3D) homing sites to cells, but also functional at their interface with the cells. The polymeric scaffolds actively act as both biochemical and physical cues for cell behaviors, such as adhesion, growth, proliferation, and differentiation. Polymers and cells could interact further with each other mutually, sensing and responding to the signals from the partner.
Insung S. Choi (Ed.) --- João F. Mano (Ed.)
Advanced Applications for Smart Energy Systems Considering Grid-Interactive Demand Response
This book covers applied research on smart energy systems, smart grids, smart energy homes, smart energy products and services, and the advanced applications thereof, in the context of demand response and grid interactions. In particular, this book is focused on interdisciplinary research results that combine technical, social, environmental, and economic aspects of smart energy systems and smart energy products
Advanced Asphalt Materials and Paving Technologies
There has been significant research progress in the area of pavement materials and paving technologies in the past decade. This includes the use of warm mix asphalt technologies, rubber asphalt, bio asphalt, nanomaterial applications, new construction technologies, innovative concrete materials, as well as the application of mechanistic–empirical pavement design. With all these developments, a collection of peer-reviewed articles with the theme of advanced asphalt materials and paving technologies is necessary for industry, researchers, government agencies, and other stakeholders.
Zhanping You (Ed.) --- Qingli Dai (Ed.) --- Feipeng Xiao (Ed.)
Advanced DSP Techniques for High-Capacity and Energy-Efficient Optical Fiber Communications
The rapid proliferation of the Internet has been driving communication networks closer and closer to their limits, while available bandwidth is disappearing due to an ever-increasing network load. Over the past decade, optical fiber communication technology has increased per fiber data rate from 10 Tb/s to exceeding 10 Pb/s. The major explosion came after the maturity of coherent detection and advanced digital signal processing (DSP).
Advanced Glasses, Composites and Ceramics for High Growth Industries
Advanced Glasses, Composites and Ceramics for High-Growth Industries (CoACH) was a European Training Network (ETN) project (http://www.coach-etn.eu/) funded by the Horizon 2020 program. CoACH involved multiple actors in the innovation ecosystem for advanced materials, composed of five universities and ten enterprises in seven different European countries. The project studied the next generation of materials that could bring innovation in the healthcare, construction, and energy sectors, among others, from new bioactive glasses for bone implants to eco-friendly cements and new environmentally friendly thermoelectrics for energy conversion.
Salvo, Milena --- Reece, Mike --- Boccaccini, Aldo
Advanced Hydroinformatic Techniques for the Simulation and Analysis of Water Supply and Distribution Systems
The overall objective of this Special Issue is to improve knowledge on developing and using advanced simulation tools in water supply and distribution systems. The final aim is to propose a suitable framework supporting insightful hydraulic mechanisms to help the decision-making processes of water utility managers and practitioners. Contributions to this Special Issue, exploring new research avenues on urban hydraulics and hydroinformatics, will be of great value for both Academia and those water utility stakeholders.
Manuel Herrera (Ed.) --- Silvia Meniconi (Ed.) --- Stefano Alvisi (Ed.) --- Joaquín Izquierdo (Ed.)
Advanced Memristor Modeling: Memristor Circuits and Networks
The investigation of new memory schemes, neural networks, computer systems, and many other improved electronic devices is very important for the future generation’s electronic circuits and for their widespread application in all the areas of industry. In this respect, the analysis of new efficient and advanced electronic elements and circuits is an essential field of highly developed electrical and electronic engineering. The resistance-switching phenomenon, observed in many amorphous oxides, has been investigated since 1970 and is a promising technology for constructing new electronic memories.
Advanced Numerical Methods in Applied Sciences
The use of scientific computing tools is currently customary for solving problems at several complexity levels in Applied Sciences. The great need for reliable software in the scientific community conveys a continuous stimulus to develop new and better performing numerical methods that are able to grasp the particular features of the problem at hand. This has been the case for many different settings of numerical analysis, and this Special Issue aims at covering some important developments in various areas of application.
Advances and Applications of Nano-antimicrobial Treatments
Nowadays, great concerns are associated with the resistance demonstrated by many microorganisms towards the conventional antibiotic therapies. The failure of traditional antimicrobials, and the increasing healthcare costs, have encouraged scientific research and the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Particularly, there is a great deal of interest in nanotechnologies and in antibacterial products obtained through the incorporation of antibacterial agents or the deposition of antibacterial coatings for prevention of biofilm-associated infections.
Mauro Pollini Sciprofile, Alessandro Sannino Sciprofile and Federica Paladini Sciprofile, (Eds.)
Advances in Airborne Lidar Systems and Data Processing
Presented to audience as “Airborne Laser Systems and Data Processing”, this book collects the papers in the Remote Sensing special issue “ Airborne Laser Scanning” (November 2016) and several other papers selected from recent, previous Remote Sensing issues. We were approached by Remote Sensing late 2015 to edit a special issue on Lidar remote sensing. After some literature review and careful thinking, we selected the theme for the special issue as “Airborne Laser Scanning”. Having this focus in mind, we made a call for papers and spread it well over Internet and social media. In the meantime, a number of leading experts in their fields were reached out for contribution.
Catalyst deactivation, the loss over time of catalytic activity and/or selectivity, is a problem of great and continuing concern in the practice of industrial catalytic processes. Costs to industry for catalyst replacement and process shutdown total tens of billions of dollars per year. While catalyst deactivation is inevitable for most processes, some of its immediate, drastic consequences may be avoided, postponed, or even reversed. Accordingly, there is considerable motivation to better understand catalyst decay and regeneration
Calvin H. Bartholomew (Ed.) --- Morris D. Argyle (Ed.)
Advances in Computer Simulation Studies on Crystal Growth
Crystals are indispensable in technology, nature, and our daily lives. For example, cooking uses many kinds of crystallized products, such as salt, sugar, and fat crystals; electronic devices contain semiconductor crystals; living organisms produce mineral crystals to maintain biological processes; and snow and ice crystals play a crucial role in climate change. For these and other topics related to crystals, an especially important area of research is crystal growth. Computer simulations of crystal growth have become increasingly important as a result of rapid increases in available computing power.
This Topical Collection of Molecules provides the most recent advancements and trends within the framework of food analysis, confirming the growing public, academic, and industrial interest in this field. The articles broach topics related to sample preparation, separation science, spectroscopic techniques, sensors and biosensors, as well as investigations dealing with the characterization of macronutrients, micronutrients, and other biomolecules. It offers the latest updates regarding alternative food sources (e.g., algae), functional foods, effects of processing, chiral or achiral bioactive compounds, contaminants, and every topic related to food science that is appealing to readers.
The book presents research papers addressing a wide range of environmental topics: water and wastewater treatment and management, soil degradation and conservation, sediment pollution control, environmental impacts of technologies, life cycle analysis (LCA), air quality and indoor environment, and advanced environmental materials. The contributions provide novel and significant scientific results and advanced applications in the field of environmental engineering and provide an integrated view of the trends in solving the problems associated with the achievement of sustainability.
Adriana Estokova (Ed.) --- Magdalena Balintova (Ed.)
Advances in Groundwater Flow and Solute Transport: Pushing the Hidden Boundary
In recent decades, the study of groundwater flow and solute transport has advanced into new territories that are beyond conventional theories, such as Darcy’s law and Fick’s law. The studied media have changed from permeable porous and fractured ones to much less permeable ones, such as clay and shale. The studied pore sizes have also changed from millimetres to micro-meters or even nano-meters.
Zhan, Hongbin --- Wang, Quanrong --- Wen, Zhang
Advances in Micro-Bioreactor Design for Organ Cell Studies
Micro-bioreactors offer unique opportunities to study biological systems under fluidic conditions. The concept of micro-bioreactors suggests that biological reaction conditions on a large scale can be scaled down to micro-volumes while maintaining performance and functionality. Models and operation principles can be simulated at a smaller scale, either by scaling down organs in the human body, or using bioreactors for the production of biologics. This book highlights these issues with a strong focus on new engineering design.
Advances in Multi-Sensor Information Fusion: Theory and Applications 2017
The information fusion technique can integrate a large amount of data and knowledge representing the same real-world object and obtain a consistent, accurate and useful representation of that object. The data may be independent or redundant, and can be obtained by different sensors at the same time or at different times. A suitable combination of investigative methods can substantially increase the profit of information in comparison with that from a single sensor. Multi-sensor information fusion has been a key issue in sensor research since the 1970s and it has been applied in many fields, such as geospatial information systems, business intelligence, oceanography, discovery science, intelligent transport systems, wireless sensor networks, etc.
Xue-Bo Jin (Ed.) --- Shuli Sun (Ed.) --- Hong Wei (Ed.) --- Feng-Bao Yang (Ed.)
Antioxidants in Health and Disease Volume 1
Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress is associated with a number of health disorders, including cardiovascular malfunction, certain types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, many other auto-immune diseases, and even ageing. The body possesses multiple mechanisms to counteract oxidative stress, which employ antioxidant compounds that are either naturally generated in situ (endogenous antioxidants) or externally supplied through food (exogenous antioxidants). These antioxidants are able to counteract oxidative stress, thanks to their ability to neutralize excess free radicals and protect the cellular lipids, proteins, and DNA from molecular damage.
Maurizio Battino (Ed.) --- Francesca Giampieri (Ed.)
Antioxidants in Health and Disease Volume 2
Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress is associated with a number of health disorders, including cardiovascular malfunction, certain types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, many other auto-immune diseases, and even ageing. The body possesses multiple mechanisms to counteract oxidative stress, which employ antioxidant compounds that are either naturally generated in situ (endogenous antioxidants) or externally supplied through food (exogenous antioxidants).
Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Syndrome
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder caused by antiphospholipid antibodies. It was characterized by excessive clotting of blood and/or certain complications of pregnancy (premature miscarriages, unexplained fetal death, or premature birth) and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (such as anti-cardiolipin antibodies or lupus anticoagulant) in the blood. Fifty percent of people with lupus have APS. The exact pathogenesis of APS is inadequately understood, so no specific treatment is available.
Application and Behavior of Nanomaterials in Water Treatment
The book compiles scientific articles describing advances in nanomaterial synthesis and their application in water remediation. The publications treat diverse problems such as dye degradation, heavy metal ion, as well as radioactive element capture and sequestration. There are 10 original research articles and one review article. The latter proposes graphene/CNT and Prussian blue nanocomposites for radioactive 137-cesium extraction from aqueous media. All reports thoroughly characterize the nanomaterials post-synthesis and describe their catalytic, photocatalytic, or ion exchange activities in contaminated water.
Rauwel, Protima --- Rauwel, habil. Erwan --- Uhl, Wolfgang
Application of Artificial Neural Networks in Geoinformatics
Recently, a need has arisen for prediction techniques that can address a variety of problems by combining methods from the rapidly developing field of machine learning with geoinformation technologies such as GIS, remote sensing, and GPS. As a result, over the last few decades, one particular machine learning technology, known as artificial neural networks, has been successfully applied to a wide range of fields in science and engineering. In addition, the development of computational and spatial technologies has led to the rapid growth of geoinformatics, which specializes in the analysis of spatial information.
Application of Bioinformatics in Cancers
This collection of 25 research papers comprised of 22 original articles and 3 reviews is brought together from international leaders in bioinformatics and biostatistics. The collection highlights recent computational advances that improve the ability to analyze highly complex data sets to identify factors critical to cancer biology. Novel deep learning algorithms represent an emerging and highly valuable approach for collecting, characterizing and predicting clinical outcomes data. The collection highlights several of these approaches that are likely to become the foundation of research and clinical practice in the future.
Application of Essential Oils in Food Systems
This Special Issue will look at the advances made in the essential oils. Essential oils have received increasing attention as natural additives for the shelf-life extension of food products, due to the risk in using synthetic preservatives. Synthetic additives can reduce food spoilage, but the present generation is very health conscious and believes in natural products rather than synthetic ones due to their potential toxicity and other concerns. Therefore, one of the major emerging technologies is the extraction of essential oils from several plant organs and their application to foods.
Juana Fern´andez-L´opez (Ed.) --- Manuel Viuda-Martos (Ed.)
Applications of Computational Intelligence to Power Systems
Electric power systems around the world are changing in terms of structure, operation, management and ownership due to technical, financial, and ideological reasons. Power systems keep on expanding in terms of geographical areas, asset additions, and the penetration of new technologies in generation, transmission, and distribution. The conventional methods for solving the power system design, planning, operation, and control problems have been extensively used for different applications, but these methods suffer from several difficulties, thus providing suboptimal solutions.
Applications of Remote Sensing/ GIS in Water Resources and Flooding Risk Managements
Remote sensing and GIS play critical roles in water resource and flood inundation mapping and risk management. Remote sensing provides data sources for mapping water resources (snow and glaciers, water bodies, soil moisture and groundwater), measuring hydrological fluxes (ET, precipitation and river discharge), and monitoring drought and flooding inundation, while GIS provides the best tools for water resources, drought and flooding risk management and for setting up hydrologic models, inputting data processing and output analyses and visualizations
Hongjie Xie (Ed.) --- Xianwei Wang /Ed.)
Applications of Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers
ca. 200 words; this text will present the book in all promotional forms (e.g. flyers). Please describe the book in straightforward and consumer-friendly terms. [Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) are considered a key enabling technology for the design and implementation of photonic circuits, subsystems, and networks. Owing to the attractive features of low power consumption, compactness, broad gain bandwidth and ability for integration with affordable cost, SOAs enjoy continuous popularity as core versatile devices within the optical communications research and industrial sector for the accomplishment of critical and indispensable tasks at fundamental and system-oriented level.
This Special Issue is focused on breakthrough developments in the field of biosensors, as well as on the current scientific progress in biomedical signal processing. The papers address innovative solutions in assistance robotics based on bioelectrical signals, including the following: affordable biosensor technology, affordable assistive-robotics devices, new techniques in myoelectric control, and advances in brain–machine interfacing.
Fernando Torres (Ed.) --- Santiago Puente (Ed.) --- Andrés Ubeda (Ed.)
Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the West, and vascular disease is the most common cardiovascular clinical problem. The disease results in serious morbidity and mortality, and carries economic cost implications. While conventional risk factors are well established, and their biomarkers regularly monitored, patients may continue to suffer subclinical active disease, even in the absence of risk factors, until they present with sudden cardiac death or stroke. Early disease detection using direct imaging has shown to be more accurate in identifying vulnerable patients and unstable plaques than conventional risk factors.
The composition of the atmosphere is a critical factor in understanding the nature and magnitude of processes associated with the planet’s energy balance, clouds and precipitation, biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, and public health and welfare. A detailed understanding of trace gases, aerosol particles, and hydrometeors is challenging due to the combination of their physicochemical complexity, variable lifetimes, and spatial inhomogeneity. Recent advances in instrumentation have resulted in improved measurements and an increased understanding of atmospheric composition.
Portillo, María P. --- Fernandez-Quintela, Alfredo
Berry Antioxidants in Health and Disease
During the last decade, a high volume of work has been published on the health-promoting effects of berries (e.g., blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, etc.) that are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals, polyphenols. Consuming a diet rich in polyphenols has been documented to attenuate the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes mellitus, and neurodegenerative disorders. Recent evidence also reveals that the biological effects of polyphenols extend beyond their traditional antioxidant role.
Beverage Consumption Habits around the World: Association with Total Water and Energy Intakes
Fluid intake has barely been assessed, and hydration status has only rarely been measured in epidemiological studies. This hampers attempts to assess the adequacy of water intake at a population level. However, although guidelines have been established to determine how much water humans require to avoid dehydration and to optimize physical and psychological function, limited data are available on the total water and beverages intake.
Lluis Serra-Majem (Ed.) --- Mariela Nissensohn (Ed.)
Modern robotic technologies have enabled robots to operate in a variety of unstructured and dynamically-changing environments, in addition to traditional structured environments. Robots have, thus, become an important element in our everyday lives. One key approach to develop such intelligent and autonomous robots is to draw inspiration from biological systems. Biological structure, mechanisms, and underlying principles have the potential to provide new ideas to support the improvement of conventional robotic designs and control.
Toshio Fukuda (Ed.) --- Fei Chen (Ed.) --- Qing Shi (Ed)
Bioactive and Therapeutic Dental Materials
This book focus principally on ions-releasing and other smart dental materials for application in preventive and restorative dentistry, as well as in endodontics in the form of adhesives, resin-based composites, pastes, varnishes, liners and dental cements. Special attention has been given to bioactive materials developed to induce cells differentiation/stimulation, hard tissue formation and exert antimicrobial actions. New innovations are necessary to continue to help reinforcing existing technologies and to introduce new paradigms for treating dental disease and restoring teeth seriously compromised by caries lesions via biomimetic and more biological operative approaches.
Biocatalysis and Pharmaceuticals: A Smart Tool for Sustainable Development
Biocatalysis, that is, the use of biological catalysts (enzymes, cells, etc.) for the preparation of highly valuable compounds is undergoing a great development, being considered an extremely sustainable approach to undertaking environmental demands. In this scenario, this book illustrates the versatility of applied biocatalysis for the preparation of drugs and other bioactive compounds through the presentation of different research articles and reviews, in which several authors describe the most recent developments in this appealing scientific area.
Compared to conventional chemical technologies and other similar industrial processes, bioprocesses represent a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative for the production of fuels and platform chemicals. In biorefineries, different kinds of feedstocks, such as biomass or lignocellulosic materials in general, can be used and fermented by microorganisms
The interest in biocompatible and biodegradable metals, such as magnesium, is mainly related to their potential use as structural material for orthopedic and cardiovascular applications where a temporary medical device is required. However, in the case of magnesium, in vivo experiments have clearly shown that the corrosion degradation rate of magnesium and its alloys is too high and, hence, results in producing gas cavities that can promote the danger of gas embolism, tissue separation, and premature loss of mechanical integrity.
Biodiversity and Conservation in Forests
Global forest communities cover only about 30% of land areas, but they provide important ecosystem services, such as watershed protection, carbon sequestration, and oxygen production, as well as renewable forest products for human subsistence and markets. Forests also support the majority of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Although land conversion for agriculture and pastureland has historically resulted in fragmentation and declining forested areas, forests worldwide are now experiencing change at an unprecedented rate due to various anthropogenic activities and growing human populations.
Biodiversity of Vegetable Crops, A Living Heritage
Intensive agriculture has generally resulted in higher productivity, but also in a trend towards decreasing levels of agro-biodiversity, which represents a key point in ensuring the adaptability and resilience of agro-ecosystems in the global challenge to produce more and better food in a sustainable way. The biodiversity of vegetable crops includes genetic diversity—both as species diversity (interspecific diversity) and as a diversity of genes within a species (intraspecific diversity) with regard to the vegetable varieties grown—and the diversity of agro-ecosystems (agro-biodiversity).
Renna, Massimiliano --- Santamaria, Pietro --- Signore, Angelo --- Montesano, Francesco Fabiano --- et al.
BioEnergy and BioChemicals Production from Biomass and Residual Resources
Research and technology developments in bioenergy and biochemical production systems are of the utmost importance for the development of next generation, highly efficient biomass conversion concepts, maximizing the total energy and chemical output. The utilization of non-conventional biomasses and unexploited residual resources (e.g., agriculture and agroindustry wastes), innovative solutions for online monitoring and process control, novel biochemical pathways, microbial platforms and reactor technologies are key issues to be addressed.
Dimitar Karakashev (Ed.) --- Yifeng Zhang (Ed.)
The high demand and depletion of petroleum reserves and the associated impact on the environment, together with volatility in the energy market price over the past three decades, have led to tremendous efforts in bio-based research activities, especially in biofuels and biochemicals. Most people associate petroleum with gasoline, however, approximately 6000 petroleum-derived products are available on the market today. Ironically, these petroleum-derived products have not elicited a high level of interest among the populace and media due, in part, to little awareness of the origins of these important products
Biological Activity of Natural Secondary Metabolite Products
this text will present the book in all promotional forms (e.g. flyers). Please describe the book in straightforward and consumer-friendly terms. [Natural secondary metabolite products, which are isolated from plants, animals, microorganisms, etc., are classified as polyketides, isoprenoids, aromatics (phenylpropanoids), alkaloids, etc. Their chemical diversity and variety of biological activities have attracted the attention of chemists, biochemists, biologists, etc. The Special Issue on "Biological Activity of Natural Secondary Metabolite Products" is intended to offer biological active natural products as candidates and/or leads for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, functional foods, cosmetics, food additives, etc.
The intention of the Special Issue ""Biological and Biogenic Crystallization"" was to create an international platform aimed at covering a broad field of results involving the crystallization of biological molecules, including virus and protein crystallization, biogenic crystallization including physiological and pathological crystallization taking place in living organisms (human beings, animals, plants, bacteria, etc.), and bio-inspired crystallization. Despite many years of research on biological and biogenic crystals, there are still open questions as well as hot and timely topics.
For at least six hundred million years, life has been a fascinating laboratory of crystallization, referred to as biomineralization. During this huge lapse of time, many organisms from diverse phyla have developed the capability to precipitate various types of minerals, exploring distinctive pathways for building sophisticated structural architectures for different purposes. The Darwinian exploration was performed by trial and error, but the success in terms of complexity and efficiency is evident.
Morales, Jaime Gómez --- Falini, Giuseppe --- García Ruiz, Juan Manuel
The Biology and Treatment of Myeloid Leukaemias
There has been an observed decrease in the global mortality from cancer, mostly atributable to improved, particularly early, detection and prevention. For many carcinomas and leukaemias in adults, once the disease has reached a certain stage there are no therapies that are able to erradicate the cancer cells and cure patients. There has been progress in the treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and remissions are achievable; however, the presence of chemoresistent blast cells leads to most patients relapsing, and relapse is difficult to treat and thus patients die due to their disease
Geoffrey Brown (Ed.) --- Ewa Marcinkowska (Ed.)
Biomass Chars: Elaboration, Characterization and Applications
Thermochemical conversion processes convert biomass into gaseous, liquid and solid products named, syngas, bio-oil and char, respectively. Syngas and bio-oil are considered as alternative biofuels to fossil fuels and wide investigations are implemented currently on their production, purification, modification, and applications. Biomass chars have receiving an increasing attention since they lead to carbon sequestration, reduction of the amount of carbon rejected into the atmosphere and represent an friendly carbon source for numerous applications.
Mejdi Jeguirim (Ed.) --- Lionel Limousy (ed.)
Biomass for Energy Country Specific Show Case Studies
In many domestic and industrial processes, vast percentages of primary energy are produced by the combustion of fossil fuels. Apart from diminishing the source of fossil fuels and the increasing risk of higher costs and energy security, the impact on the environment is worsening continually. Renewables are becoming very popular, but are, at present, more expensive than fossil fuels, especially photovoltaics and hydropower. Biomass is one of the most established and common sources of fuel known to mankind, and has been in continuous use for domestic heating and cooking over the years, especially in poorer communities.
Sensitive assays are often based on molecular recognition. Often stability problems have limited the use of such assays. The introduction of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) eliminates such limitations. With the introduction of biosensors combined with MIPs, one gets a strong combination. This volume presents how MIPs are being produced, how MIPs are integrated in different sensor concepts and finally highlights some results in certain applications.
Bo Mattison (Ed.) --- Gizem Ertürk (Ed.)
Biotechnological Applications of Phage and Phage-Derived Proteins
Phages have shown a high biotechnological potential with numerous applications. The advent of high-resolution microscopy techniques aligned with omic and molecular tools have revealed innovative phage features and enabled new processes that can be further exploited for biotechnological applications in a wide variety of fields. The high-quality original articles and reviews presented in this Special Issue demonstrate the incredible potential of phages and their derived proteins in a wide range of biotechnological applications for human benefit.
The research topic of this Special Issue will consider (i) the design of nanostructured boron nitride nanostructures with controlled crystal structures, porosity, and dimensionality, (ii) the functionalization of boron nitride, and (iii) prospective applications of boron nitride nanostructures and materials. It contains six papers dealing with (i) the exfoliation of hexagonal Boron Nitride (h-BN) in liquid phase by ion intercalation, (ii) effective mechanical properties and thickness determinations of Boron Nitride nanosheets using molecular dynamics simulation,
Philippe Miele (Ed.) --- Mikhael Bechelany (Ed.)
Human lactation has evolved to produce a milk composition that is uniquely-designed for the human infant. Not only does human milk optimize infant growth and development, it also provides protection from infection and disease. More recently, the importance of human milk and breastfeeding in the programming of infant health has risen to the fore. Anchoring of infant feeding in the developmental origins of health and disease has led to a resurgence of research focused in this area.
Brain Asymmetry of Structure And/Or Function
This edited book brings together research reports on the asymmetry of brain function in various species, including humans, dogs, birds, lizards and bees. As shown in a wide range of species, and, as we now know, not solely in humans, the left and right sides of the brain process information in different ways and control different responses or patterns of behaviour. Since this discovery, many new methods have become available to reveal the processes involved in the development, function and evolution of this important attribute of the brain.
Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental toxicant of continuing public health concern worldwide, because total diet studies have shown that Cd is present in virtually all foodstuffs. Consequently, foods that are frequently consumed in large quantities, such as rice, potatoes, wheat, leafy salad vegetables, and other cereal crops, are the most significant dietary Cd sources. Moreover, Cd has chemical propensities that confer the potential to interfere with the physiological functions of calcium and zinc. Evidence of a wide range of diverse, toxic effects of Cd is increasingly apparent.
Cancer Biomarkers and Targets in Digestive Organs
Identification and development of cancer biomarkers and targets have greatly accelerated progress towards precision medicine in oncology. Studies of tumor biology have not only provided insights into the mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis, but also led to discovery of molecules that have been developed into cancer biomarkers and targets. Multi-platforms for molecular characterization of tumors using next-generation genomic sequencing, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and blood-based biopsies have greatly expanded the portfolio of potential biomarkers and targets.
Carbohydrate Intake in Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Treatment
In 2011, carbohydrates provided 63% of the dietary energy intake to the world’s population. Historically, carbohydrate-rich diets have been associated with good health and longevity but there has been a move away from traditional carbohydrate-rich diets, with refined carbohydrate taking much criticism for contributing to non-communicable disease. The aim of this Special Issue is to discuss the appropriate use of environmentally sustainable carbohydrate-rich foods in the modern diet in developing and developed countries in the context of prevention and treatment of non-communicable disease.
Carbohydrate Metabolism in Health and Disease
Carbohydrate metabolism is a fundamental aspect of health and a crucial function in a variety of species, including humans. A primary disfunction in major global diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is dysregulation of thecarbohydrate metabolism. Furthermore, certain disease outcomes may be impacted by the amount and type of dietary carbohydrates consumed. Finally, carbohydrate obtainability is essential for optimal performance and endurance during sporting events. This book collates articles that either describe original research, or review the scientific literature on the topic of carbohydrate metabolism in health and disease. .
Climate change is one of the main threats to modern society. This phenomenon is associated with an increase in greenhouse gas (GHGs, mainly carbon dioxide—CO2) emissions due to anthropogenic activities. The main causes are the burning of fossil fuels and land use change (deforestation). Climate change impacts are associated with risks to basic needs (health, food security, and clean water), as well as risks to development (jobs, economic growth, and the cost of living).
Carbon Fibers and Their Composite Materials
Carbon fiber is an oft-referenced material that serves as a means to remove mass from large transport infrastructure. Carbon fiber composites, typically plastics reinforced with the carbon fibers, are key materials in the 21st century and have already had a significant impact on reducing CO2 emissions. Though, as with any composite material, the interface where each component meets, in this case the fiber and plastic, is critical to the overall performance.
Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycling in Forest Soils
The majority of carbon stored in the soils of the world is stored in forests. The refractory nature of some portions of forest soil organic matter also provides the slow, gradual release of organic nitrogen and phosphorus to sustain long term forest productivity. Contemporary and future disturbances, such as climatic warming, deforestation, short rotation sylviculture, the invasion of exotic species, and fire, all place strains on the integrity of this homeostatic system of C, N, and P cycling.
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes present in all kingdoms of life, as they equilibrate the reaction between three simple but essential chemical species: CO2, bicarbonate, and protons. Discovered more than 80 years ago, in 1933, these enzymes have been extensively investigated due to the biomedical application of their inhibitors, but also because they are an extraordinary example of convergent evolution, with seven genetically distinct CA families that evolved independently in Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
Carboxylic acids are truly central compounds in cellular metabolism. Carbon dioxide is captured from the atmosphere through formation of carboxylic groups and is also released, in part, by decarboxylation reactions. The reactivity of the carboxylic group with amino- or hydroxyl-groups enables the formation of peptide and ester bonds. The functionality of the carboxylic group is also of huge importance in our industrial world for a wide range of applications. The loosely bound hydrogen provides weak acid functionality, much desired for food industry applications in preservatives and flavour compounds.
Carotenoids are a group of approximately 600 compounds synthesized by photosynthetic organisms. These pigments are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in certain animal products such as eggs and salmon, being responsible for their colorful appearance. The bioactive properties of certain carotenoids in human health are clear, as some of these compounds have antioxidant properties and serve as the only precursors of vitamin A in nature. The aim of this Special Issue entitled “Carotenoids and Human Health” is to provide the scientific community with an updated perspective of this exciting and growing research area.
Catalysts Deactivation, Poisoning and Regeneration
Catalyst lifetime represents one of the most crucial economic aspects in industrial catalytic processes, due to costly shutdowns, catalyst replacements, and proper disposal of spent materials. Not surprisingly, there is considerable motivation to understand and treat catalyst deactivation, poisoning, and regeneration, which causes this research topic to continue to grow. The complexity of catalyst poisoning obviously increases along with the increasing use of biomass/waste-derived/residual feedstocks and with requirements for cleaner and novel sustainable processes.
Catalytic Processes for The Valorisation of Biomass Derived Molecules
In the last decades, inedible lignocellulosic biomasses have attracted significant attention for being abundant resources that are not in competition with agricultural land or food production and, therefore, can be used as starting renewable material for the production of a wide variety of platform chemicals. The three main components of lignocellulosic biomasses are cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, complex biopolymers that can be converted into a pool of platform molecules including sugars, polyols, alchols, ketons, ethers, acids and aromatics. Various technologies have been explored for their one-pot conversion into chemicals, fuels and materials.
Mauriello, Francesco --- Galvagno, Signorino --- Espro, Claudia
Catalytic, Photocatalytic and Electrocatalytic Processes for the Valorisation of CO2
Increasing attention is being paid to the development of effective technologies for the sequestration of CO2 and its storage. Hopefully, this will result in processes that can lead to its valorisation as a chemical, e.g., for the regeneration of fuels, but also for the production of intermediates. These are usually energy demands and rather slow processes, requiring energy input and catalysts.
Natural products have been a source of inspiration for chemists and chemical biologists for many years, and have a special relevance in the chemical space. In recent years, several novel synthetic strategies have appeared, such as diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS), biological-oriented synthesis (BiOS), and function-oriented synthesis (FOS), for accessing complex and functionally diverse molecules. In this manner, the synthesis of natural products has evolved towards simpler and ecological methods using biotransformation, combinatorial chemistry, or organocatalysts.
Causes and Consequences of Species Diversity in Forest Ecosystems
What are the causes and consequences of species diversity in forested ecosystems, and how is this species diversity being affected by rapid environmental and climatic change, movement of invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores into new biogeographic regions, and expanding human populations and associated shifts in land-use patterns? In this book, we explore these questions for assemblages of forest trees, shrubs, and understory herbs at spatial scales ranging from small plots to large forest dynamics plots, at temporal scales ranging from seasons to centuries, in both temperate and tropical regions, and across rural-to-urban gradients in land use.
Cellular Entry of Binary and Pore-Forming Bacterial Toxins
Bridging cellular membranes is a key step in the pathogenic action of both binary and pore-forming bacterial toxins. The former use their translocation domains, containing various structural motifs, to ensure efficient delivery of the toxic component into the host cell, while the latter act on the cellular membrane itself. In either case, the integrity of the membrane is compromised via targeted protein–lipid and protein–protein interactions triggered by specific signals, such as proteolytic cleavage or endosomal acidification.
Central Places and Un-Central Landscapes. Political Economies and Natural Resources in the Longue Durée
Modern developments of Fourier analysis during the 20th century have explored generalizations of Fourier and Fourier–Plancherel formula for non-commutative harmonic analysis, applied to locally-compact, non-Abelian groups. In parallel, the theory of coherent states and wavelets has been generalized over Lie groups. One should add the developments, over the last 30 years, of the applications of harmonic analysis to the description of the fascinating world of aperiodic structures in condensed matter physics.
Papantoniou, Giorgos --- Vionis, Athanasios
Chemical and Molecular Approach to Tumor Metastases
Dear Colleagues, Malignant tumors develop distant metastases, e.g., small clusters of cells that detach from the primitive site and colonize distant organs and tissues. Unlike the primary masses, metastases are often difficult to fully eradicate by surgery ablation and are almost always the primary object of chemo- and/or immune-therapies. The presence of metastases at tumor diagnosis is responsible for the unfavorable prognosis and of relapses even after initially successful tumor therapies.
Gianni Sava (Ed.) --- Alberta Bergamo (Ed.)
Clean Energy and Fuel (Hydrogen) Storage
Clean energy and fuel storage are often required for both stationary and automotive applications. Some of these clean energy and fuel storage technologies currently under extensive research and development include hydrogen storage, direct electric storage, mechanical energy storage, solar–thermal energy storage, electrochemical (batteries and supercapacitors), and thermochemical storage. The gravimetric and volumetric storage capacity, energy storage density, power output, operating temperature and pressure, cycle life, recyclability, and cost of clean energy or fuel storage are some of the factors that govern efficient energy and fuel storage technologies for potential deployment in energy harvesting (solar and wind farms) stations and onboard vehicular transportation
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation—ZEMCH 2016
This book explores the current issues around sustainable design and energy efficiency within the construction industry in both developed and developing countries. Sustainable housing; thermal comfort; daylighting; low-income housing; green roofs; energy efficient retrofitting and photovoltaic façades are some of the subjects discussed in the book.
Climate Variability and Climate Change Impacts on Land Surface, Hydrological Processes and Water Management
During the last several decades, Earth´s climate has undergone significant changes due to anthropogenic global warming, and feedbacks to the water cycle. Therefore, persistent efforts are required to improve our understanding of hydrological processes and to engage in efficient water management strategies that explicitly consider changing environmental conditions. The twenty-four contributions in this book have broadly addressed topics across
Zhang, Yongqiang --- Li, Hongxia --- Reggiani, Paolo
Coastal Resources Economics and Ecosystem Valuation
The practical importance of economic valuation information can hardly be overstated. Coastal and marine resource policy planning and management benefit from complete information on the impact of policy decisions.
The Special Issue Colloid Chemistry presents a comprehensive overview of what opportunities the colloidal scale, i.e., the nanoscale, offers to scientists from chemistry, physics, materials sciences, and biomedicine. Sophistically designed colloids are used for studying physical and physicochemical phenomena to gain a deeper understanding of interparticle interactions, not forgetting that such insights can be used to create tailored materials for a variety of applications. This Issue covers aspects from the synthesis to the analysis of colloidal properties and presents opportunities for their further application.
Clemens K. Weiss (Ed.) --- José Luis Toca-Herrera (Ed.)
It is well-known that colloid and interface science and petroleum production are inextricably linked. Whether in the reservoir, with its porous structure, or during recovery, crude oil is intimately associated with rock surfaces and with water, often in the form of emulsions. This situation leads to highly complex systems, comprising multiple colloids and interfaces, which require to be optimized if oil is to be recovered efficiently, both in terms of economic cost and with due concern for the environment.
This reprint book ‘Communication in Pharmacy Practice’ is launched to help improve communication practices by increasing knowledge of different aspects of communication in pharmacy practice. The book consists of recently published research articles and illustrates that pharmacy communication is a research subject that is investigated globally and from many perspectives. The overall pharmacy communicational themes investigated and discussed in this book are as follows: Communication between health care professionals; communication between pharmacists and patients in the context of both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines; and factors impacting communication
Sofia Kälvemark Sporrong (Ed.) --- Susanne Kaae (Ed.)
The educational system leading up to the pharmacy degree, student training, and the continuing personal development of pharmacists are being more and more mapped to the competences pharmacists require to provide the relevant safe and efficient pharmaceutical services to meet the health needs of patients. This book draws on the experience of experts involved in the develoment of competence training for pharmacy education and training in Europe, North America, and Australia. It discusses the philosophy and implications of such an approach, as well as the production and development of models, and their application to existing courses.
This book offers a collection of 17 scientific papers about the computational modeling of fracture. Some of the manuscripts propose new computational methods and/or how to improve existing cutting edge methods for fracture. These contributions can be classified into two categories: 1. Methods which treat the crack as strong discontinuity such as peridynamics, scaled boundary elements or specific versions of the smoothed finite element methods applied to fracture and 2. Continuous approaches to fracture based on, for instance, phase field models or continuum damage mechanics.
Computational Methods of Multi-Physics Problems
This book offers a collection of six papers addressing problems associated with the computational modeling of multi-field problems. Some of the proposed contributions present novel computational techniques, while other topics focus on applying state-of-the-art techniques in order to solve coupled problems in various areas including the prediction of material failure during the lithiation process, which is of major importance in batteries; efficient models for flexoelectricity, which require higher-order continuity; the prediction of composite pipes under thermomechanical conditions; material failure in rock; and computational materials design.
Computer Algebra in Scientific Computing
Although scientific computing is very often associated with numeric computations, the use of computer algebra methods in scientific computing has obtained considerable attention in the last two decades. Computer algebra methods are especially suitable for parametric analysis of the key properties of systems arising in scientific computing. The expression-based computational answers generally provided by these methods are very appealing as they directly relate properties to parameters and speed up testing and tuning of mathematical models through all their possible behaviors.
Control and Nonlinear Dynamics on Energy Conversion Systems
The ever-increasing need for higher efficiency, smaller size, and lower cost make the analysis, understanding, and design of energy conversion systems extremely important, interesting, and even imperative. One of the most neglected features in the study of such systems is the effect of the inherent nonlinearities on the stability of the system. Due to these nonlinearities, these devices may exhibit undesirable and complex dynamics, which are the focus of many researchers. Even though a lot of research has taken place in this area during the last 20 years, it is still an active research topic for mainstream power engineers.
Iu, Herbert Ho-Ching --- El Aroudi, Abdelali
The chemistry of silicon has always been a field of major concern due to its proximity to carbon on the periodic table. From the molecular chemist's viewpoint, one of the most interesting differences between carbon and silicon is their divergent coordination behavior. In fact, silicon is prone to form hyper-coordinate organosilicon complexes, and, as conveyed by reports in the literature, highly sophisticated ligand systems are required to furnish low-coordinate organosilicon complexes.
Crystal Chemistry of Zinc, Cadmium and Mercury
This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Crystal Chemistry of Zinc, Cadmium and Mercury that was published in Crystals
Current Aspects of Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry
Positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are in vivo molecular imaging techniques which are widely used in nuclear medicine for the diagnosis and treatment follow-up of many major diseases. They use biomolecules as probes, which are labeled with radionuclides of short half-lives, synthesized prior to the imaging studies. These probes are called radiopharmaceuticals. Their design and development require a rather interdisciplinary process involving many different disciplines of natural and health sciences.
Current Strategies for the Biochemical Diagnosis and Monitoring of Mitochondrial Disease
Mitochondrial disease constitutes a complex and heterogeneous group of disorders resulting from a defect in mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) enzyme activity. In view of the dual regulation of the MRC, exercised by both the mitochondrial and nuclear genome, mutations in either mitochondrial or nuclear DNA can result in a MRC deficiency. Whilst a single organ can be affected, MRC disorders often result in a multi-organ system presentation with prominent neurological and myopathic features.
Design and Applications of Coordinate Measuring Machines
Coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) have been conventionally used in industry for 3-dimensional and form-error measurements of macro parts for many years. Ever since the first CMM, developed by Ferranti Co. in the late 1950s, they have been regarded as versatile measuring equipment, yet many CMMs on the market still have inherent systematic errors due to the violation of the Abbe Principle in its design. Current CMMs are only suitable for part tolerance above 10 μm. With the rapid advent of ultraprecision technology, multi-axis machining, and micro/nanotechnology over the past twenty years, new types of ultraprecision and micro/nao-CMMs are urgently needed in all aspects of society.
Development and Application of Herbal Medicine from Marine Origin
Marine herbal medicine generally refers to the use of marine plants as original materials to develop crude drugs, or for other medical purposes. The term ‘marine plants’ usually denotes macroalgae grown between intertidal and subintertidal zones, including Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta, and Rhodophyta. Considerable progress has been made in the field of biomedical research into marine microalgae and microorganisms in the past decade.
Hwang, Tsong-Long --- Sung, Ping-Jyun --- Liaw, Chih-Chuang
Development and Application of Nonlinear Dissipative Device in Structural Vibration Control
This book entitled Development and Application of Nonlinear Dissipative Device in Structural Vibration Control contains contributions that focus on the development and application of innovative nonlinear dissipative systems that mitigate the potentially catastrophic effects of extreme loading by incorporating new materials or effective mechanical control technologies. Moreover, new nonlinear analytical methods for distinctive vibrating structures under different excitations are also highlighted in this book.
Zheng Lu (Ed.) --- Tony Yang (Ed.) --- Ying Zhou (Ed.) --- Angeliki Papalou (Ed.)
his Special Issue of Nutrients, entitled "DHA for Optimal Health", consists of evidence-based original research or reviews of the scientific literature. Manuscripts focus on the evidence that underpins dietary requirements throughout the lifespan (from in-utero to the elderly) for optimal brain function and/or prevention (or treatment) of disease.
Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Diseases
A screenshot of some the most rapidly evolving fields in Neonatology and Pediatrics with articles reviewing some metabolic dysregulations as well as non-oncologic diseases that may occur in infancy, childhood, youth. The illustrative material with original photographs and drawings highlighting some pathogenetic concepts are keystones of this book.
Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common neurological disease that can affect all ages. Although the majority of people with epilepsy can have excellent seizure control with medication, about 30% will fail anti-epileptic drugs. For those with medically intractable epilepsy, recurrent seizures lead to elevated mortality and injury risks, and the seizures themselves are socially disabling. Fortunately, for many people with intractable epilepsy, epilepsy can be cured or seizures better controlled with surgery. Localization of the seizure focus followed by surgical resection provide the best opportunities to cure epilepsy.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is a spectrum of disorders resulting from the compression of the neurovascular structures within the thoracic outlet. The three main subtypes of TOS are defined by the anatomic structure affected by the extrinsic compression. In the most common subtype—neurogenic TOS—the brachial plexus is compressed and symptoms include pain, arm paresthesias, and sometimes weakness. Venous TOS is characterized by the compression of the subclavian vein and its resultant thrombosis. Arterial TOS is the least common and is distinguished by the compression of the subclavian artery and the development of aneurysms or stenoses with distal embolization.
Julie Ann Freischlag (Ed.) --- Natalia O. Glebova (Ed.)
Diagnosis of Neurogenetic Disorders: Contribution of Next Generation Sequencing and Deep Phenotyping
The contribution of genomic variants to the aetiopathogenesis of both paediatric and adult neurological disease is being increasingly recognized. The use of next-generation sequencing has led to the discovery of novel neurodevelopmental disorders, as exemplified by the deciphering developmental disorders (DDD) study, and provided insight into the aetiopathogenesis of common adult neurological diseases. Despite these advances, many challenges remain.
The purpose of these books is to have an updated systematic overview examining, in detail, the functional role of different diets and dietary components in maintaining glucose homeostasis and preventing long-term complications. The first book includes experimental evidence from preclinical research, whereas the second book provides studies in the clinical scenario.
Dietary and Non-Dietary Phytochemicals and Cancer
The role of many phytochemicals in the modulation of the carcinogenesis process has been well documented by combining in vitro and animal studies, as well as epidemiological evidence. When acting in synergy, phytochemicals exert potential anti-cancer properties and much progress has been made in defining their many biological activities at the molecular level. However, an interesting feature in the field of phytochemicals and cancer is the role of some phytochemicals in promoting cancer development.
Dietary Antioxidants and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases
Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated the association between oxidative stress and non-communicable disease, including cardiovascular disorders, mental disease, and several types of cancer. Oxidative stress is commonly known as an imbalance in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the biological antioxidant defense system. Exogenous antioxidants have gained great attention because of their beneficial role in preventing chronic disease.
Dietary Behavior and Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents
In recent years, diet- and lifestyle-related disorders have become a major health threat in Europe and worldwide. The contributions in this monograph include 2 review articles and 19 original contributions from several countries that provide new information on the existing research elucidating important aspects of children’s and adolescents’ nutrition and lifestyle behavior. The data included in this Special Issue are from large epidemiological studies, including several multicenter and multinational studies, as well as datasets from surveillance initiatives.
Hebestreit, Antje --- Bogl, Leonie-Helen
Dietary fiber has long been recognized for its role in digestive function. However, currently there is scientific debate about definitions (descriptive and analytical), optimal intake, and essentiality in the human diet. Dietary fiber is a key substrate for bacterial metabolism in the colon, which makes research on dietary fiber an important issue that complements current interest in the gut microbiota. Dietary fiber is also important for prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases.
Dietary intake in children is not only associated with current and future health, but also with behavior and learning. Especially during early childhood and throughout the school-age years, adequate food and nutrient intake to support brain development and function are critical. Data on the effect of sugar intake on children’s activity levels, or their ability to focus on cognitive tasks, are mixed. Overall, more research into nutrition and children’s behavior is needed to address the questions: How does behavior affect children’s nutrition and how does nutrition affect children’s behavior?
The prevalence of diabetes is on the increase in the UK and worldwide, partly due to changes in lifestyle which predispose individuals to overweight and obesity. It is estimated that about 90% of the currently diagnosed adults have type 2 diabetes, and based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, about 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014 compared with 108 million in 1980; this condition caused about 1.5 million deaths in 2012
Design and analysis of a content-based image retrieval system
The automatic retrieval of images according to the similarity of their content is a challenging task with many application fields. In this book the automatic retrieval of images according to human spontaneous perception without further effort or knowledge is considered. A system is therefore designed and analyzed. Methods for the detection and extraction of regions and for the extraction and comparison of color, shape, and texture features are also investigated.
Design and Application of Quantified Self Approaches for Reflective Learning in the Workplace
Learning by reflection is one of the core processes for improving work performance. We provide a novel approach for reflective learning support by transferring and adapting practices from the Quantified Self to workplace settings. This book contributes with an integrated model for technical support of reflective learning, mobile and web-based applications designed for quantifying and gathering data in the workplace, and empirical insights from thirteen studies in three different use cases.
Design for Stability in Transport Logistics - Definition, Concepts and Evaluation
Lean management describes a set of methods combined with a management philosophy which aims at eliminating waste in logistics processes. In production logistics, lean is already widespread and applied successfully. Research has shown that lean also works in a warehousing environment. In transport logistics, lean is still at a low level of maturity in both research and practice. This work contributes to closing this gap by introducing Heijunka leveling to transport logistics.
Detection and characterization of inclusions in impedance tomography
The topic of this work are two further developments of the Factorization method for electrical impedance tomography.We present a modification of this method that is capable of detecting mixed inclusions, i.e. both inclusions with a higher as well as inclusions with a lower conductivity than the background medium. In addition, we derive a new method to compute the conductivity inside inclusions after they have been localized.
Determining Cycle Times for Packing in Distribution Centres
Scope of this work is to determine cycle time formulas for packing in distribution centres. No such formulas exist today, even if it is the second most important process after picking. Based on examining packing, morphological boxes showing time influencing parameters are derived. The most significant parameters are identified using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Cycle times are determined and applied to cases. These prove that the formulas can be used to calculate the time required for packing.
Discrete time analysis of batch processes in material flow systems
Scope of this work is the development of appropriate models for the evaluation of batch processes in material flow systems. The presented analytical methods support the long range planning in an early planning stage, in which capacities are determined to minimize the facility costs under the condition of cycle time targets.
Discrete Time Analysis of Consolidated Transport Processes
The objective of this work is to develop models for the analysis of consolidated transport processes. With the discrete time queuing models developed for inventory and vehicle consolidation, in particular milkrun systems, a detailed performance evaluation of different design scenarios can be conducted faster than with simulation. Moreover, it is demonstrated how the models can be connected with each other in form of a network analysis, in order to analyze hub-and-spoke networks.
Discrete Time Analysis of Multi-Server Queueing Systems in Material Handling and Service
In this doctoral thesis, performance parameters of multi-server queueing systems are estimated under general stochastic assumptions. We present an exact calculation method for the discrete time distribution of the number of customers in the queueing system at the arrival moment of an arbitrary customer. The waiting time distribution and the sojourn time distribution are estimated exactly, as well. For the calculation of the inter departure time distribution, we present an approximation method.
Distributed Transformers for Broadband Monolithic Millimeter-Wave Integrated Power Amplifiers
This work presents methods and techniques to optimize and implement distributed magnetic transformers for their application in matching networks of Monolithic Millimeter-wave Integrated Circuits (MMICs). It describes strategies for the efficiency and bandwidth optimization of the transformers and demonstrates their potential based on an optimized transformer geometry as well as two MMIC power amplifiers.
Divertor Development for a Future Fusion Power Plant
Nuclear fusion is considered as a future source of sustainable energy supply. Since the H-mode discovery in ASDEX experiment ""Divertor I"" in 1982, the divertor has been an integral part of all modern tokamaks and stellarators. The major goal of this thesis is to develop a feasible divertor design for a fusion power plant to be built after ITER. The thesis describes the approach in the conceptual development of a helium-cooled divertor and the methods of verification and validation of the design.
The book develops a unifying perspective on how learning influences evolutionary dynamics which for the first time explains seemingly contradicting results from the literature. It also reveals formerly unknown facets of the complex interplay of the two major biological adaptation mechanisms. The results apply to models from computational intelligence and evolutionary biology alike, thus contribute to the transfer of principles of biological adaptation to digital processing system.
ECG Imaging of Ventricular Activity in Clinical Applications
ECG imaging was performed in humans to reconstruct ventricular activation patterns and localize their excitation origins. The precision of the non-invasive reconstructions was evaluated against invasive measurements and found to be in line with the state-of-the-art literature. Statistics were produced for various excitation origins and reveal the beat-to-beat robustness of the imaging method.
ECG Based Analysis of the Ventricular Repolarisation in the Human Heart
ECG recordings provide diagnostic relevant information on the de- and repolarisation sequences of the heart. A modification of the repolarisation sequence is assumed to cause Torsades de Pointes. Especially drug induced effects on the repolarisation processes are in focus, since some non-cardiac drugs have been associated with sudden cardiac death in the 1990s. The analysis of the ventricular repolarisation using a set of parameters depicting the morphology of the T-wave is introduced in this work. Therefore, new methods of fully automatic patient-specific QRS detection, beat classification and precise T-wave delineation are presented.
Economics of Distributed Storage Systems : an economic analysis of arbitrage-maximizing storage systems at the end consumer level
Increasing the shares of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Distributed Energy Resources (DER) is one of the most important levers in many countries to cope with the environmental, political, and economic challenges of future energy supply. The underlying research question of this thesis is whether Distributed Storage Systems (DSS) at the end consumer level can economically foster the integration of intermittent and non-dispatchable resources by providing demand-side flexibility.
Efficient Algorithms for Large-Scale Image Analysis
This work develops highly efficient algorithms for analyzing large images. Applications include object-based change detection and screening. The algorithms are 10-100 times as fast as existing software, sometimes even outperforming FGPA/GPU hardware, because they are designed to suit the computer architecture. This thesis describes the implementation details and the underlying algorithm engineering methodology, so that both may also be applied to other applications.
Efficiently Conducting Quality-of-Service Analyses by Templating Architectural Knowledge
Previously, software architects were unable to effectively and efficiently apply reusable knowledge (e.g., architectural styles and patterns) to architectural analyses. This work tackles this problem with a novel method to create and apply templates for reusable knowledge. These templates capture reusable knowledge formally and can efficiently be integrated in architectural analyses.
Electrofiltration of Biopolymers : Spatially Distributed Process Analysis
In biotechnology the current downstream processing trends are directed towards integrated, faster and more effective processes. Electrofiltration is a hybrid method which is a combination of membrane filtration and electrophoresis in a dead-end process. Spatially distributed process analysis together with the applicability of electrofiltration for technically important biopolymers such as PHB, chitosan and hyaluronic acid enables the implementation of the technology into industry.
Financial markets and public information
The last decades have seen dramatic changes in trading technology and the way that financial markets operate. As trading technology advances, news providers have kept pace and deliver news to market participants around the world within fractions of a second using electronic systems. Currently, most news is still interpreted by humans but news providers have started to offer newswire products with machine learning systems that specifically cater to algorithmic traders. In practice, newswire messagesmake up a major part of the public information set available to investors.
Finite Element Method (FEM) Model and Performance Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
This work presents a numerical FEM framework, capable of predicting SOFC performance under technically relevant, planar stack contacting conditions. A high level of confidence in the model predictions is supplied by using exclusively experimentally determined material/kinetic parameters and by a comprehensive validation. The presented model aids SOFC stack development by pre-evaluating possible material choices and design combinations for cells/interconnectors without any experimental effort.
Flexible Integration and Efficient Analysis of Multidimensional Datasets from the Web
If numeric data from the Web are brought together, natural scientists can compare climate measurements with estimations, financial analysts can evaluate companies based on balance sheets and daily stock market values, and citizens can explore the GDP per capita from several data sources. However, heterogeneities and size of data remain a problem. This work presents methods to query a uniform view - the Global Cube - of available datasets from the Web and builds on Linked Data query approaches.
Flow control : theoretical concept of absolute instability
At the 37th Prandtl memorial lecture on Regions of Viccous Flow, H.Oertel 1994 developed for the first time the stability theory of local perturbations in boundary layers and wake flows, as well as their practical application in the flow control of vehicle flows and the boundary layer of civil aircraft wings.This work presents how the stability theory concept of absolute instability has advanced and proven in practice in the last 15 years in terms of the efficient flow control.
Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer in Cellular Solids
To determine the characteristics and properties of cellular solids for an application, and to allow a systematic practical use by means of correlations and modelling approaches, we perform experimental investigations and develop numerical methods. In view of coupled multi-physics simulations, we employ the phase-field method. Finally, the applicability is demonstrated exemplarily for open-cell metal foams, providing qualitative and quantitative comparison with experimental data.
Formation of Intracardiac Electrograms under Physiological and Pathological Conditions
This work presents methods to advance electrophysiological simulations of intracardiac electrograms (IEGM). An experimental setup is introduced, which combines electrical measurements of extracellular potentials with a method for optical acquisition of the transmembrane voltage in-vitro. Thereby, intracardiac electrograms can be recorded under defined conditions. Using experimental and clinical signals, detailed simulations of IEGMs are parametrized, which can support clinical diagnosis.
The formation of patterns in subaqueous sediment
This book investigates the formation of subaqueous patterns by means of high-fidelity numerical simulations which resolve all the relevant scales of the flow and the sediment bed. This is required to provide a space- and time-resolved information on the flow field and the sediment bed. Secondly, detailed analysis of the generated data allows to address the different governing mechanisms involved in the formation of patterns as well as to access the validity of various existing models.
Forward and inverse problems of electrocardiography : clinical investigations
The non-invasive reconstruction of cardiac activity can significantly improve the quality of cardiac diagnostics. Two major approaches are considered. The model-based method consists in the optimization of an electrophysiological cardiac model until the measured and simulated ECGs are similar. The inverse problem of electrocardiography is solved to compute the cardiac sources distributions from body surface potential maps. The results and their interpretation are shown for several patients.
Framework for Analysis and Identification of Nonlinear Distributed Parameter Systems using Bayesian Uncertainty Quantification based on Generalized Polynomial Chaos
In this work, the Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) approaches combined systematically to analyze and identify systems. The generalized Polynomial Chaos (gPC) expansion is applied to reduce the computational effort. The framework using gPC based on Bayesian UQ proposed in this work is capable of analyzing the system systematically and reducing the disagreement between the model predictions and the measurements of the real processes to fulfill user defined performance criteria.
Gravity forward modeling with a tesseroid-based Rock-Water-Ice approach – Theory and applications in the context of the GOCE mission and height system unification
Detailed information on the gravitational effect of the Earth’s topographic and isostatic masses can be calculated by gravity forward modeling. Within this book, the tesseroid-based Rock-Water-Ice (RWI) approach is developed, which allows a rigorous separate modeling of the Earth’s rock, water, and ice masses with variable density values. Besides a discussion and evaluation of the RWI approach, applications in the context of the GOCE satellite mission and height system unification are presented.
High Performance Light Water Reactor : Design and Analyses
The High Performance Light Water Reactor is a nuclear reactor concept of the 4th generation which is cooled and moderated with supercritical water. The concept has been worked out by a consortium of European partners, co-funded by the European Commission. It features a once through steam cycle, a pressure vessel type reactor, and a compact containment with pressure suppression pool. The conceptual design enables to assess its feasibility, its safety features and its economic potential.
Schulenberg, ThomasStarflinger, Jörg [Hrsg.]
High Temperature Superconductor Cable Concepts for Fusion Magnets
Three concepts of high temperature superconductor cables carrying kA currents (RACC, CORC and TSTC) are investigated, optimized and evaluated in the scope of their applicability as conductor in fusion magnets. The magnetic field and temperature dependence of the cables is measured; the thermal expansion and conductivity of structure, insulation and filling materials are investigated. High temperature superconductor winding packs for fusion magnets are calculated and compared with corresponding low temperature superconductor cases.
High-resolution sensitivity studies with the regional climate model COSMO-CLM
High-resolution regional ensemble climate simulations with the regional climate model COSMO-CLM are performed for Southwest Germany to study the sensitivity of meteorological and hydrological variables to parameter settings. The soil-vegetation model VEG3D is implemented into COSMO-CLM to assess the impact of the lower atmospheric boundary on simulation results. A statistical-dynamical downscaling method is tested to shorten the simulation time for regional climate studies.
Human-Inspired Balancing and Recovery Stepping for Humanoid Robots
Robustly maintaining balance on two legs is an important challenge for humanoid robots. The work presented in this book represents a contribution to this area. It investigates efficient methods for the decision-making from internal sensors about whether and where to step, several improvements to efficient whole-body postural balancing methods, and proposes and evaluates a novel method for efficient recovery step generation, leveraging human examples and simulation-based reinforcement learning.
Hybrid routing in delay tolerant networks
This work addresses the integration of today's infrastructure-based networks with infrastructure-less networks. The resulting Hybrid Routing System allows for communication over both network types and can help to overcome cost, communication, and overload problems. Mobility aspect resulting from infrastructure-less networks are analyzed and analytical models developed. For development and deployment of the Hybrid Routing System an overlay-based framework is presented.
The impact of inter-vehicle communication on vehicular traffic
The work addresses communication networks established over radio equipped vehicles in our everyday road traffic, so called Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs), and discusses their impact on two major goals, namely traffic safety and traffic efficiency. For both objectives, the thesis proposes an appropriate modeling of the essential building blocks Traffic, Communication and Application and enables impact assessment studies by means of implemented simulation tools.
The impact of interfaces on the performance of organic photovoltaic cells
Organic photovoltaic is an attractive technology to solve future energy supply scenarios. To further increase the potential of this technology novel absorber materials and interface materials have to be developed. In this work the paramount importance of interface materials for efficient as well as stable organic photovoltaic cells and modules is demonstrated. The general requirements of interface materials are elaborated and properties of a novel interface material which meets the demands are investigated experimentally and by simulations.
Improving the Spectral Bandwidth of Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors (SNSPDs)
This work presents a comprehensive investigation of the influence of geometry-dependent factors on performance metrics of superconducting single-photon detectors. With fundamental knowledge, main investigations are focused to extend the spectral bandwidth and to enhance the detection efficiency, especially in infrared range. The developed technology of single-spiral detectors and unconventional electron-beam lithography allows to improve the performance of superconducting detectors.
Information Management and Market Engineering. Vol. II
The research program Information Management and Market Engineering focuses on the analysis and the design of electronic markets. Taking a holistic view of the conceptualization and realization of solutions, the research integrates the disciplines business administration, economics, computer science, and law. Topics of interest range from the implementation, quality assurance, and advancement of electronic markets to their integration into business processes and legal frameworks.
Dreier, Thomas Krämer, Jan Studer, Rudi Weinhardt, Christof [Hrsg.]
Information Management and Market Engineering. [Vol. I]
The research program �Information Management and Market Engineering� focuses on the analysis and the design of electronic markets. Taking a holistic view of the conceptualization and realization of solutions, the research integrates the disciplines business administration, economics, computer science, and law. Topics of interest range from the implementation, quality assurance, and further development of electronic markets to their integration into business processes, innovative business models, and legal frameworks.
Dreier, ThomasStuder, RudiWeinhardt, Christof [Hrsg.]
Geothermal Energy: Delivering on the Global Potential
After decades of being largely the preserve of countries in volcanic regions, the use of geothermal energy—for both heat and power applications—is now expanding worldwide. This reflects its excellent low-carbon credentials and its ability to offer baseload and dispatchable output - rare amongst the mainstream renewables. Yet uptake of geothermal still lags behind that of solar and wind, principally because of (i) uncertainties over resource availability in poorly-explored reservoirs and (ii) the concentration of full-lifetime costs into early-stage capital expenditure (capex).
Abstract Microtechnology has changed our world since the last century, when silicon microelectronics revolutionized sensor, control and communication areas, with applications extending from domotics to automotive, and from security to biomedicine. The present century, however, is also seeing an accelerating pace of innovation in glassy materials; as an example, glass-ceramics, which successfully combine the properties of an amorphous matrix with those of micro- or nano-crystals, offer a very high flexibility of design to chemists, physicists and engineers, who can conceive and implement advanced microdevices.
Righini, Giancarlo --- Righini, Nicoletta
Global Indigeneities and the Environment
Global Indigeneities and the Environment—covering fields from American Indian Studies, anthropology, communications, ethnoecology, ethnomusicology, geography, global studies, history, and literature, the purpose of the Special Issue is to give new understandings of the concept of global indigeneities and to showcase some of the most promising work in the field to date.
Karen L. Thornber (Ed.) --- Tom Havens (Ed.)
Gluten Related Disorders: People Shall not Live on Bread Alone
Once upon a time, gluten was not part of the human diet, and therefore, there were no gluten-related disorders. With the advent of agriculture 10,000 years ago, the introduction of gluten-containing grains in the human diet created conditions for human diseases related to gluten exposure. These diseases, including celiac disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and wheat allergy, have distinct pathophysiological mechanisms, serological markers, and long-term treatments, but similar, often overlapping clinical presentations.
In the last few years, an increasing number of individuals have adopted a gluten free diet (GFD). A significant proportion of that includes patients affected by celiac disease (CD), who have to follow a strict GFD for medical purposes. However, a high number of individuals are currently following a GFD without medical counseling and without a specific diagnosis needing a gluten withdrawal from the diet. This is due to the frequently incorrect information diffused on the Internet and mass media on the topic of GFD.
Grain-based Foods: Processing, Properties, and Heath Attributes
The Special Issue aims to provide a complete exploration of the scientific principles related to processing, fermentation/malting, and nutrition of cereal grains. It also describes their physical and chemical characteristics and explains how these properties relate to health and nutritional value of the final grain-based products. Indeed, while grains remain the world’s largest food yield—with more than 2.4 billion metric tons produced annually—consumer demands are on the rise for grain products sustainable from an environmental, social and economic viewpoint, in order to meet the growing demand for healthy and nutritious foods.
Emanuele Zannini (Ed.) --- Raffaella di Cagno (Ed.)
Graphene and Other 2D Layered Nanomaterial-Based Films: Synthesis, Properties and Applications
This book is dedicated to highlighting some relevant advances in the field of thin films and coatings based on two-dimensional crystals and layered nanomaterials. Due to their layered structure, graphene and a variety of new 2D inorganic nanosystems, called “graphene analogues”, have all attracted tremendous interest due to their unprecedented properties/superior performance, and may find applications in many fields from electronics to biotechnology.
Nanomaterials possess astonishing physical and chemical properties. They play a key role in the development of novel and effective drugs, catalysts, sensors, and pesticides, to cite just a few examples. Notably, the synthesis of nanomaterials is usually achieved with chemical and physical methods needing the use of extremely toxic chemicals or high-energy inputs. To move towards more eco-friendly processes, researchers have recently focused on so-called “green synthesis”, where microbial, animal-, and plant-borne compounds can be used as cheap reducing and stabilizing agents to fabricate nanomaterials.
Groundwater Resources and Salt Water Intrusion in a Changing Environment
This Special Issue presents the work of 30 scientists from 11 countries. It confirms that the impacts of global change, resulting from both climate change and increasing anthropogenic pressure, are huge on worldwide coastal areas (and critically so on some islands in the Pacific Ocean), with highly negative effects on coastal groundwater resources, which are widely affected by seawater intrusion.
Polemio, Maurizio --- Walraevens, Kristine
Growth and Ecosystem Services of Urban Trees
Numerous studies indicate an accelerated growth of forest trees, induced by ongoing climate change. Similar trends were recently found for urban trees in major cities worldwide. Studies frequently report about substantial effects of climate change and the urban heat island effect (UHI) on plant growth. The combined effects of increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extended growing season lengths, in addition to increasing nitrogen deposition and higher CO2 concentrations, can increase but also reduce plant growth.
Growing evidence shows that a dietary pattern inspired by Mediterranean dietprinciples is associated with numerous health benefits. A Mediterranean-typediet has been demonstrated to exert a preventive effect toward cardiovasculardiseases, in both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations. Part ofthese properties may depend on a positive action toward healthier metabolism,decreasing the risk of diabetes and metabolic-syndrome-related conditions.
Health-Promoting Components of Fruits and Vegetables in Human Health
Diet and lifestyle choices can substantially predispose an individual to, or protect against, many age- and obesity-related chronic diseases. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, dietary bioactives arecompounds in foodsnot needed for basic human nutrition but responsible for changes in health status.1 These compounds are safe at normal food consumption levels (e.g., anthocyanins in berries) and their biological activities may come from a single compound (e.g., lutein in spinach) or a class of compounds (e.g., avenanthramides in oats) even if the exact identity and composition are unknown
M. Monica Giusti (Ed.) --- Taylor C. Wallace (Ed.)
Heat and Mass Transfer in Building Energy Performance Assessment
The building industry is influenced by many factors and trends reflecting the current situation and developments in social, economic, technical, and scientific fields. One of the most important trends seeks to minimize the energy demand. This can be achieved by promoting the construction of buildings with better thermal insulating capabilities of their envelopes and better efficiency in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
Robert Černý Sciprofile link ,Ákos Lakatos Sciprofile link andVáclav Kočí Sciprofile link (Eds.)
Heat Transfer Processes in Oscillatory Flow Conditions
Heat exchange processes in steady flows have been studied extensively over the last two hundred years, and are now a part of undergraduate syllabi in most engineering courses. However, heat transfer processes in oscillatory flow conditions are still not very well understood. Their importance is well recognized in applications including Stirling machines, thermoacoustic engines, and refrigerators or pulsed-tube coolers in cryogenics.
Watershed hydrology is driven by climate forcing, near ground surface characteristics, and human activities, addressing a wide spectrum of environmental and water resource problems regarding both scientific-driven questions and practical engineering issues. This book collates watershed problems and solutions from around the world covering diverse climate types. These cases show complex interactions between hydrological processes and environmental conditions and scientific methods for understanding the hydrological regime and management of human activities.
Christopher J. Duffy (Ed.) --- Xuan Yu (Ed.)
Human and Animal Sensitivity: How Stock-People and Consumer Perception Can Affect Animal Welfare
This book presents cross-discipline studies covering aspects ranging from animal science to social/consumer sciences and psychology, with the aim to collect and disseminate information promoting the continuous enhancement of animal welfare by improving stakeholders’ perception of animal welfare. Although animal welfare is about how the animals perceive the surrounding environment, the actual welfare of the animals is dependent on how the stakeholders perceive and weigh animal welfare.
World Green Building Council suggests that health, well-being and productivity should be the next chapter for green building. There is an obvious shift of green building movement from technology-centric towards human-centric, which culminates in recent WELL Building Standard, focusing exclusively on human health and wellness. This special issue aims to push forward the research, discourse and practice of green building towards more human-oriented design solutions.
Humidity Sensors. Advances in Reliability, Calibration and Application
Humidity detection has deep significance for the scientific research surrounding medical care and human performance, and the industrial development of agriculture, geography and automated instruments. This special issue aims to showcase some of the advancements in humidity sensor design and calibration, and its applications. The selected papers cover a variety of humidity sensor-related topics including material science, chemistry and industrial engineering.
McCarthy, Peter W. --- Liu, Zhuofu --- Cascioli, Vincenzo
Craig M. Jensen --- Etsuo Akiba --- Hai-Wen Li
Hydrogels are the foundation of regenerative medicine as a supportive matrix for cell immobilization and growth factor delivery. The fate of implanted cells is mediated by cell-matrix interaction at multiple scales and timed-release of growth factors to guide the differentiation and maturation of cells. Recently, there has been great interest in hydrogels with a hierarchical structure that mimics the complex interaction of cells with a microenvironment that can locally release growth factors to specific cells.
Hydrological Hazard: Analysis and Prevention
Due to the considerable impacts of hydrological hazards on water resources, natural environments, and human activities, as well as on human health and safety, climate variability and climate change have become key issues for the research community. In fact, a warmer climate, with its heightened climate variability, will increase the risk of hydrological extreme phenomena, such as droughts and floods. The Special Issue “Hydrological Hazard: Analysis and Prevention” presents a collection of scientific contributions that provides a sample of the state-of-the-art and forefront research in this field.
Identification and Characterization of Antimicrobial Peptides with Therapeutic Potential
Antimicrobial peptides are key defense molecules adopted by all life forms to prevent infection. They also have other beneficial effects such as boosting immune response, anticancer, and wound healing. The antiviral effects of antimicrobial peptides have laid the foundations for developing new agents to combat seasonal Flu, HIV-1, RSV, Zika, and Ebola. This eBook is constructed to systematically deal with antimicrobial peptides from a variety of natural sources, including fungi, plants, and animals (insects, fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles).
This book provides different technologies and procedures related to imaging sensors. Active or passive imaging sensors capture electromagnetic radiation across the whole spectra or acoustic echoes, which, conveniently arranged in images, allow the extraction of useful information. Researchers, engineers and industry professionals can find the most advanced imaging technologies and developments, together with dedicated image processing and computer vision-based approaches.
Impact of Bioactive Peptides on Human Health
Food-derived bioactive peptides or dietary peptides are increasingly becoming recognized as major food compounds for human health promotion, which prevent the occurrence of chronic diseases through their impacts on the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, immune, and nervous systems. Further bioactive peptide discoveries are essential for maintaining human health and commercial development in the area of functional foods and nutraceuticals.
The Impact of Caffeine and Coffee on Human Health
The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a thorough and up-to-date presentation of research investigating the impact of coffee and/or caffeine intake on various health outcomes. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics: Human clinical trials of coffee or caffeine use in relation to disease or intermediate phenotypes. Epidemiological studies of habitual coffee or caffeine intake in relation to human health, among the general public, as well as, among special populations (i.e., children, pregnant women, diabetics, cancer patients, hypertensives, etc.).
Based on the most recent clinical and epidemiologic information, one out of seven newly diagnosed epithelial malignancies worldwide result from infection and chronic inflammation in conjunction with cancer. This book draws contributions from international expert researchers from diverse disciplines, who addressed various aspects of experimental and clinical cancer biology, by selectively focusing on inflammation-mediated oncogenesis to debate these and related issues.
Masahito Shimizu (Ed.) --- Takuji Tanaka (Ed.)
As the ultimate information processing device, the brain naturally lends itself to being studied with information theory. The application of information theory to neuroscience has spurred the development of principled theories of brain function, and has led to advances in the study of consciousness, as well as to the development of analytical techniques to crack the neural code—that is, to unveil the language used by neurons to encode and process information.
Innovation Issues in Water, Agriculture and Food
In a worldwide context of ever-growing competition for water and land, climate change, droughts and man-made water scarcity, and less-participatory water governance, agriculture faces the great challenge of producing enough food for a continually increasing population. In this line, this book provides a broad overview of innovation issues in the complex water–agriculture–food nexus, thus also relative to their interconnections and dependences. Issues refer to different spatial scales, from the field or the farm to the irrigation system or the river basin.
Cameira, Maria do Rosario --- Pereira, Luis Santos
Innovative Extraction Techniques and Hyphenated Instrument Configuration for Complex Matrices Analysis
The present Special Issue, “Innovative Extraction Techniques and Hyphenated Instrument Configuration for Complex Matrices Analysis”, aims to collect and to disseminate some of the most significant and recent contributions in the interdisciplinary area of innovative extraction procedures from complex matrices followed by validated analytical methods using hyphenated instrument configurations to support the optimization of the whole process and the scale-up possibility
Locatelli, Marcello --- Carradori, Simone --- Mocan, Andrei
Innovative Technologies and Services for Smart Cities
A smart city is a modern technology-driven urban area which uses sensing devices, information, and communication technology connected to the internet of things (IoTs) for the optimum and efficient utilization of infrastructures and services with the goal of improving the living conditions of citizens. Increasing populations, lower budgets, limited resources, and compatibility of the upgraded technologies are some of the few problems affecting the implementation of smart cities. Hence, there is continuous advancement regarding technologies for the implementation of smart cities.
The Insecticidal Bacterial Toxins in Modern Agriculture
Increased awareness about environmental adverse effects of human activities has prompted the use of insecticides with low impact on systems associated to agriculture. Currently, the most successful biological products are based on protein toxins from the bacterial species Bacillus thuringiensis. Because of the remarkable properties of these proteins, their encoding genes were introduced into farming species (the so called Bt-crops), in such a way, that these plants are self-protected against some key insect pests.
Juan Ferré (Ed.) --- Baltasar Escriche (Ed.)
Integral Transforms and Operational Calculus
Researches and investigations involving the theory and applications of integral transforms and operational calculus are remarkably wide-spread in many diverse areas of the mathematical, physical, chemical, engineering and statistical sciences.
Integrated Role of Nutrition and Physical Activity for Lifelong Health
As computer and space technologies have been developed, geoscience information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technologies, which deal with the geospatial information, have been rapidly maturing. Moreover, over the last few decades, machine learning techniques including artificial neural network (ANN), deep learning, decision tree, and support vector machine (SVM) have been successfully applied to geospatial science and engineering research fields.
Integration of 2D Materials for Electronics Applications
Two-dimensional (2D) materials and their vertical/lateral heterostructures are currently the subject of massive research interests, both for fundamental science and for technological applications in diverse fields, such as electronics, optoelectronics, quantum metrology, spintronics, membranes, energy conversion/storage, and sensing. Integration of 2D materials within real device structures currently represents the main challenge to move from the laboratory stage to industrial applications, especially in the fields of electronics/optoelectronics.
Filippo Giannazzo (Ed.) --- Samuel Lara Avila (Ed.) --- Jens Eriksson (Ed.) --- Sushant Sonde (Ed.)
The editors of this Special Issue titled “Intelligent Control in Energy Systems” have attempted to create a book containing original technical articles addressing various elements of intelligent control in energy systems. In response to our call for papers, we received 60 submissions. Of those submissions, 27 were published and 33 were rejected. In this book, we offer the 27 accepted technical articles as well as one editorial. Authors from 15 countries (China, Netherlands, Spain, Tunisia, United Sates of America, Korea, Brazil, Egypt, Denmark, Indonesia, Oman, Canada, Algeria, Mexico, and the Czech Republic) elaborate on several aspects of intelligent control in energy systems.
Interface Circuits for Microsensor Integrated Systems
this text will present the book in all promotional forms (e.g. flyers). Please describe the book in straightforward and consumer-friendly terms. [Recent advances in sensing technologies, especially those for Microsensor Integrated Systems, have led to several new commercial applications. Among these, low voltage and low power circuit architectures have gained growing attention, being suitable for portable long battery life devices. The aim is to improve the performances of actual interface circuits and systems, both in terms of voltage mode and current mode, in order to overcome the potential problems due to technology scaling and different technology integrations.
Giuseppe Ferri (Ed.) --- Vincenzo Stornelli (Ed.)
Intermittency and Self-Organisation in Turbulence and Statistical Mechanics
There is overwhelming evidence, from laboratory experiments, observations, and computational studies, that coherent structures can cause intermittent transport, dramatically enhancing transport. A proper description of this intermittent phenomenon, however, is extremely difficult, requiring a new non-perturbative theory, such as statistical description. Furthermore, multi-scale interactions are responsible for inevitably complex dynamics in strongly non-equilibrium systems
Kernel Methods and Hybrid Evolutionary Algorithms in Energy Forecasting
The development of kernel methods and hybrid evolutionary algorithms (HEAs) to support experts in energy forecasting is of great importance to improving the accuracy of the actions derived from an energy decision maker, and it is crucial that they are theoretically sound. In addition, more accurate or more precise energy demand forecasts are required when decisions are made in a competitive environment. Therefore, this is of special relevance in the Big Data era. These forecasts are usually based on a complex function combination. These models have resulted in over-reliance on the use of informal judgment and higher expense if lacking the ability to catch the data patterns.
Landscape Urbanism and Green Infrastructure
This volume examines the applicability of landscape urbanism theory in contemporary landscape architecture practice by bringing together ecology and architecture in the built environment. Using participatory planning of green infrastructure and application of nature-based solutions to address urban challenges, landscape urbanism seeks to reintroduce critical connections between natural and urban systems. In light of ongoing developments in landscape architecture, the goal is a paradigm shift towards a landscape that restores and rehabilitates urban ecosystems.
Learning to Understand Remote Sensing Images
With the recent advances in remote sensing technologies for Earth observation, many different remote sensors are collecting data with distinctive properties. The obtained data are so large and complex that analyzing them manually becomes impractical or even impossible. Therefore, understanding remote sensing images effectively, in connection with physics, has been the primary concern of the remote sensing research community in recent years. For this purpose, machine learning is thought to be a promising technique because it can make the system learn to improve itself
Lie and non-Lie Symmetries: Theory and Applications for Solving Nonlinear Models
Since the end of the 19th century when the prominent Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie created the theory of Lie algebras and Lie groups and developed the method of their applications for solving differential equations, his theory and method have continuously been the research focus of many well-known mathematicians and physicists. This book is devoted to recent development in Lie theory and its applications for solving physically and biologically motivated equations and models.
Life Cycle Assessment on Green Building Implementation
Greenhouse-gas emissions have become one of the most impacting environmental issues in today’s society. A rapidly increasing trend in global CO2emissions particularly since the early nineties (23.64% since 1990) has led to the generation of about 50,000 million tons of CO2–equivalent (eqv) worldwide in 2010. According to mainstream climate experts, the increasing concentration of greenhouse-gases is having a warming effect on the world climate. To slow down global warming, there is a global focus on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions
Liquid Crystal on Silicon Devices: Modeling and Advanced Spatial Light Modulation Applications
Liquid Crystal on Silicon (LCoS) has become one of the most widespread technologies for spatial light modulation in optics and photonics applications. These reflective microdisplays are composed of a high-performance silicon complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) backplane, which controls the light-modulating properties of the liquid crystal layer. State-of-the-art LCoS microdisplays may exhibit a very small pixel pitch (below 4 ?m), a very large number of pixels (resolutions larger than 4K), and high fill factors (larger than 90%). They modulate illumination sources covering the UV, visible, and far IR. LCoS are used not only as displays but also as polarization, amplitude, and phase-only spatial light modulators, where they achieve full phase modulation.
Machine Learning and Embedded Computing in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)
This book contains the latest research on machine learning and embedded computing in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It encompasses research in detection, tracking, LiDAR
Machine Learning Techniques Applied to Geoscience Information System and Remote Sensing
As computer and space technologies have been developed, geoscience information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technologies, which deal with the geospatial information, have been rapidly maturing. Moreover, over the last few decades, machine learning techniques including artificial neural network (ANN), deep learning, decision tree, and support vector machine (SVM) have been successfully applied to geospatial science and engineering research fields. The machine learning techniques have been widely applied to GIS and RS research fields and have recently produced valuable results in the areas of geoscience, environment, natural hazards, and natural resources.
Machining—Recent Advances, Applications and Challenges
The Special Issue Machining—Recent Advances, Applications and Challenges is intended as a humble collection of some of the hottest topics in machining. The manufacturing industry is a varying and challenging environment where new advances emerge from one day to another. In recent years, new manufacturing procedures have retained increasing attention from the industrial and scientific community. However, machining still remains the key operation to achieve high productivity and precision for high-added value parts.
López de Lacalle, Luis Norberto --- Urbicain, Gorka
Magnesium is universally recognized as an essential nutrient for human life and health. Indeed, magnesium plays an important physiologic role in every organ of the human body. Disturbances of Mg homeostasis have been implicated in the pathophysiology of several diseases, and Mg supplementation has been evaluated in numerous large-scale clinical trials. The World Health Organization has listed magnesium as among those essential nutrients that are consumed in suboptimal amounts by the general population.
Federica Wolf (Ed.) --- Valentina Trapani (Ed.)
[Selective and quantitative detection of different kinds of biocomponents plays an important role in biomedical applications, clinical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, toxicology, regenerative medicine and drug delivery. Therefore, multidisciplinary area of magnetic biosensing have been extensively developed in recent years, aiming to create compact analytical devices for non-expensive and low time consuming analysis provided at the point of care by non-skilled personnel.
The desired properties of surface components include the improvement of different properties, such as aesthetic appearance, oxidation resistance, wear resistance, mechanical properties, electronic or electrical properties, thermal insulation, wear, triboemission and corrosion resistance through barriers. These properties can be enhanced using different methods, such as by adding a coating. Nevertheless, the bulk of the material or substrate cannot be considered independent of the surface treatment.
Marine Bioactive Peptides: Structure, Function, and Therapeutic Potential
Book, “Marine Bioactive Peptides: Structure, Function, andTherapeutic Potential"" includes up-to-date information regarding bioactivepeptides isolated from marine organisms. Marine peptides have been found invarious phyla, and their numbers have grown in recent years. These peptidesare diverse in structure and possess broad-spectrum activities that have greatpotential for medical applications. Various marine peptides are evolutionaryancient molecular factors of innate immunity that play a key role in host defense.A plethora of biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral,anticancer, anticoagulant, endotoxin-binding, immune-modulating, etc., makemarine peptides an attractive molecular basis for drug design.
In Western countries, cancer is among the most frequent causes of death. Despite striking advances in cancer therapy, especially by the so called “targeted agents”, there is still an urgent need for new drugs in oncology. Hope comes from the marine environment, which is a rich source of natural compounds showing anti-cancer activity. To date, four marine cytotoxic substances, namely cytarabine, trabectidine, eribulin, and monomethyl auristatin E (as a drug-antibody conjugate named vedotin) have made it into clinical routine. Many more are in all phases of clinical testing, and a plethora of substances has already been examined for in vitro and in vivo activity.
Friedemann Honecker (Ed.) --- Sergey A. Dyshlovoy (Ed.)
Obesity and related co-morbidities are increasing worldwide and pose a serious health problem. Changes in lifestyle and diet would be the best remedies to fight obesity; however, many people will still rely on medical aid. Marine organisms have been prolific in the production of bioactive compounds for many diseases, e.g., cancer, and promise to be an excellent source for natural-derived molecules and novel nutraceuticals. Bioactive compounds with beneficial activities towards obesity have been described from diverse marine organism including marine algae, bacteria, sponges, fungi, crustaceans or fish.
Hybrid quantum system based on rare earth doped crystals
Hybrid quantum circuits interfacing rare earth spin ensembles with microwave resonators are a promising approach for application as coherent quantum memory and frequency converter. In this thesis, hybrid circuits based on Er and Nd ions doped into Y?SiO? and YAlO? crystals are investigated by optical and on-chip microwave spectroscopy. Coherent strong coupling between the microwave resonator and spin ensemble as well as a multimode memory for weak coherent microwave pulses are demonstrated.
Identifying and Harnessing Concurrency for Parallel and Distributed Network Simulation
Although computer networks are inherently parallel systems, the parallel execution of network simulations on interconnected processors frequently yields only limited benefits. In this thesis, methods are proposed to estimate and understand the parallelization potential of network simulations. Further, mechanisms and architectures for exploiting the massively parallel processing resources of modern graphics cards to accelerate network simulations are proposed and evaluated.
Indicator-based Sustainability Assessment of the German Energy System and its Transition
The energy transition not only has an impact on technical infrastructures but also leads to socio-economic changes. To evaluate the sustainability aspects of the German Energiewende, the authors have developed a monitoring system which includes 45 indicators and their corresponding target values for 2020, 2030, and 2050 as well as a rating system for the year 2020 based on a distance-to-target approach and traffic color lights.
Rösch, ChristineBräutigam, Klaus-RainerKopfmüller, JürgenStelzer, VolkerLichtner, PatrickFricke, Annika
Influence of fully miscible lubrication oil on flow boiling of CO? inside horizontal evaporator tubes
Flow boiling heat transfer, pressure drop and flow pattern of CO?-POE oil mixtures were experimentally investigated in smooth and micro-fin tubes. The POE oil used features full miscibility in the range of operation investigated. The experimental data was evaluated based on mixture properties, used to evaluate and improve established predictive methods. The knowledge obtained contributes to understanding the influence of oil, which is essential for achieving an efficient evaporator design.
Information flow control for java : a comprehensive approach based on path conditions in dependence Graphs
nformation flow control (IFC) is a technique to assert the security of a given program with respect to a given security policy. The classical policy noninterference requires that public output of a program may not be influenced from secret input. This work leverages a technique called program slicing, which is closely connected to IFC and offers many dimensions for improving analysis precision, the most powerful are Path Conditions. Our evaluation shows scalability with a low annotation burden.
Integrated Software Architecture-Based Reliability Prediction for IT Systems
With the increasing importance of reliability in business and industrial IT systems, new techniques for architecture-based software reliability prediction are becoming an integral part of the development process. This dissertation thesis introduces a novel reliability modelling and prediction technique that considers the software architecture with its component structure, control and data flow, recovery mechanisms, its deployment to distributed hardware resources and the system´s usage profile.
Intelligent Business Process Optimization for the Service Industry
The company's sustainable competitive advantage derives from its capacity to create value for customers and to adapt the operational practices to changing situations. Business processes are the heart of each company. Therefore process excellence has become a key issue. This book introduces a novel approach focusing on the autonomous optimization of business processes by applying sophisticated machine learning techniques such as Relational Reinforcement Learning and Particle Swarm Optimization.
Investigations of Angular Light Scattering by Complex Atmospheric Particles
This book experimentally investigates the angular light scattering properties of three atmospherically relevant particles: ice crystals, dust particles and secondary organic aerosol particles. Key optical quantities under examination are the near-backscattering depolarisation properties and the angular light scattering function. The main question is how these parameters are related to the particle microphysical properties, such as particle size and complexity.
Magnetization of High Temperature Superconducting Trapped-Field Magnets
High temperature superconducting (HTS) bulks and stacks of coated conductors can be magnetized to become trapped-field magnets that provide much stronger magnetic fields than those reachable with conventional permanent magnets. This work investigates the flux dynamics during the magnetization of HTS trapped-field magnets and proposes possible strategies to improve the trapped field produced by the pulsed field magnetization method that is promising for practical applications.
Mapping and Localization in Urban Environments Using Cameras
In this work we present a system to fully automatically create a highly accurate visual feature map from image data aquired from within a moving vehicle. Moreover, a system for high precision self localization is presented. Furthermore, we present a method to automatically learn a visual descriptor. The map relative self localization is centimeter accurate and allows autonomous driving.
Market engineering. A structured design process for electronic markets
In this book, the author provides a complete process for electronic markets design together with the required en-gineering methods. As such the book is unique applying tech-niques from engineering design to modern Information Systems and Economics. Mr. Neumann succeeds in presenting a generic but coherent approach that is an indispensable aid in designing markets.
Micromechanical Modeling and Simulation of Forming Processes
The deep drawing of an aluminum alloy used in the packaging industry for the beverage can manufacturing process is investigated. In this work, the effective constitutive behavior is based on a crystal plasticity model in combination with a non-linear Hashin-Shtrikman type homogenization scheme in which a reference stiffness controls the stress and strain fluctuations. The simulation results are compared to experiments in terms of deep drawing earing profiles, texture evolution, and localization.
Modeling of electrophysiology and tension development in the human heart
Comprehension of the beating of the human heart is important for cardiac research and will improve many clinical applications. Simulations based on models describing cardiac electro-mechanics can acquire insights into this behavior. This work focuses on the mathematical reconstruction of electrophysiology, excitation conduction, and tension development in the human heart on the cellular and the tissue level. The tissue models represent accurate anatomical shapes of the atria and the ventricles and incorporate electrophysiological heterogeneity and anisotropic conduction.
Modelling the human cardiac fluid mechanics
We present a virtual heart model simulating the flow in the left human ventricle and in the aorta. Because of the lack of in vivo structure data of the human ventricle, the active ventricle movement is given by a time-dependent ventricle model that is derived from in vivo image data of a nuclear spin MRT tomograph of a healthy human heart.
Modified mass-spring system for physically based deformation modeling
Mass-spring systems are considered the simplest and most intuitive of all deformable models. They are computationally efficient, and can handle large deformations with ease. But they suffer several intrinsic limitations. In this book a modified mass-spring system for physically based deformation modeling that addresses the limitations and solves them elegantly is presented. Several implementations in modeling breast mechanics, heart mechanics and for elastic images registration are presented.
Network Structures of Cargo Airlines - An Empirical and a Modelling Approach
The development of efficient air freight networks is an upcoming challenge. The present book approaches this problem for cargo airlines by characterising and classifying their network structures and by developing a model for an airline's strategic network design. The book provides results which are of value for airline professionals (network efficiency analysis), policy makers (policy impact assessment) and researchers (cargo airline network design model).
A New Concept for Mobile Environmental Education
The new concept for mobile environmental education extends the traditional media-based environmental interpretation by means of a mobile context-aware computer. This mobile nature guide system can assist its user during self-determined exploration by adapting its presentation to the usage situation, preferences and current environmental conditions. The impact of the prototype mobile nature guide on environmental literacy and user satisfaction has been compared to traditional media in the field.
New Methods to Improve Large-Scale Microscopy Image Analysis with Prior Knowledge and Uncertainty
Multidimensional imaging techniques provide powerful ways to examine various kinds of scientific questions. The routinely produced data sets in the terabyte-range, however, can hardly be analyzed manually and require an extensive use of automated image analysis. The present work introduces a new concept for the estimation and propagation of uncertainty involved in image analysis operators and new segmentation algorithms that are suitable for terabyte-scale analyses of 3D+t microscopy images.
Nonlinear Gaussian Filtering : Theory, Algorithms, and Applications
By restricting to Gaussian distributions, the optimal Bayesian filtering problem can be transformed into an algebraically simple form, which allows for computationally efficient algorithms. Three problem settings are discussed in this thesis: (1) filtering with Gaussians only, (2) Gaussian mixture filtering for strong nonlinearities, (3) Gaussian process filtering for purely data-driven scenarios. For each setting, efficient algorithms are derived and applied to real-world problems.
Numerical Haemodynamics in the Human Heart
The characteristic vortex formation in the ventricles is believed to be affected at an early stage of heart diseases. First, post-processing of patient-specific data has to be standardised. The chosen methods, a combination of Eulerian and Lagrangian techniques, are characterised by means of necessary spatial and temporal resolutions. Second, the goal is to find the best cost-benefit approach for modelling of the mitral valve, as it affects vortex formation and progression in the left ventricle.
Numerical Modeling of Stagnation Flows over Porous Catalytic Surfaces
In this book, stagnation flows on a catalytic porous plate is modeled one-dimensionally coupled with multi-step surface reaction mechanisms and molecular transport (diffusion and conduction) in the flow field and in the porous catalyst. Internal and external mass transfer limitations as well as possible reaction routes in the catalyst are investigated for CO oxidation, WGS reaction, partial and steam reforming of methane over Rh/Al?O?.
Optical antennas : linear and nonlinear excitation and emission
The linear and nonlinear resonance behaviour of optical antennas (metallic nanostructures showing resonance behaviour at optical frequencies) made of gold and aluminum using electron-beam lithography is investigated. Specifically, it is of interest how the emission behaviour is changed by the coupling of two antenna arms via a small gap. Experimental techniques applied include dark-field spectroscopy and two-photon luminescence.
Optical Coherence Tomography guided Laser-Cochleostomy
Despite the high precision of laser, it remains challenging to control the laser-bone ablation without injuring the underlying critical structures. Providing an axial resolution on micrometre scale, OCT is a promising candidate for imaging microstructures beneath the bone surface and monitoring the ablation process. In this work, a bridge connecting these two technologies is established. A closed-loop control of laser-bone ablation under the monitoring with OCT has been successfully realised.
Optically Powered Highly Energy-efficient Sensor Networks
In optically powered networks, both, communication signals and power for remotely located sensor nodes, are transmitted over an optical fiber. Key features of optically powered networks are node operation without local power supplies or batteries as well as operation with negligible susceptibility to electro-magnetic interference and to lightning. In this book, different kinds of optically powered devices and networks are investigated, and selected applications are demonstrated.
Optimal Sequence-Based Control of Networked Linear Systems
In Networked Control Systems (NCS), components of a control loop are connected by data networks that may introduce time-varying delays and packet losses into the system, which can severly degrade control performance. Hence, this book presents the newly developed S-LQG (Sequence-Based Linear Quadratic Gaussian) controller that combines the sequence-based control method with the well-known LQG approach to stochastic optimal control in order to compensate for the network-induced effects.
Optimisation of hysteretic losses in high-temperature superconducting wires
Hysteretic loss optimisations through numerical simulation and subsequent experimental confirmation in transport current and background field measurements: ferromagnetic shielding and topological geometry optimisation is used to reduce energy dissipation in HTS coated conductor geometries. Single tapes and coil geometries are investigated. A 3D model capable of taking into account contact resistances is also presented for the Twisted Stacked Tape Conductor cable.
Optimization of Hot-Electron Bolometers for THz Radiation
Hot-electron bolometers are fast and low noise radiation detectors which can be used for many different applications. The aim of this work was to optimize the fabrication process of hot-electron bolometers and gain a deeper understanding of the underlying processes. To achieve this, the fabrication of the superconducting thin films was optimized and the superconducting properties of the films were analyzed. Detectors fabricated using the results showed a record value for the noise temperature.
Organic Semiconductor Lasers and Tailored Nanostructures for Raman Spectroscopy
This work presents the application of organic semiconductor distributed feedback laser as free-space excitation source in Raman spectroscopy. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering effect is exploited to improve the detection sensitivity. The SERS conditionis achiedved by using substrates consisting of gold-coated polymeric nanopillar arrays. The organic-laser-excited SERS measurements are applied to verify the concentration variation of biomolecule adenosine in aqueous solutions.
Organic Service-Level Management in Service-Oriented Environments
Dynamic service-oriented environments (SOEs) are characterised by a large number of heterogeneous service components that are expected to support the business as a whole. The present work provides a negotiation-based approach to facilitate automated and multi-level service-level management in an SOE, where each component autonomously arranges its contribution to the whole operational goals. Evaluation experiments have shown an increased responsiveness and stability of an SOE in case of changes.
Photonic crystal slabs for low-cost biosensors
Biosensors are devices that utilize biological recognition elements to selectively detect and analyze specific biological and chemical analyte substances. In this work a technology platform for label-free optical biosensors based on surface-functionalized photonic crystal slabs is proposed. Using this technology platform, low-cost solutions for three biotechnical questions are presented.
Planning the Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles in Cities and Regions
Planning the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is a new challenging task. This book treats all involved aspects: charging technologies and norms, interactions with the electricity system, electrical installation, demand for charging infrastructure, economics of public infrastructure provision, policies in Germany and the EU, external effects, stakeholder cooperation, spatial planning on the regional and street level, operation and maintenance, and long term spatial planning.
Possibly imperfect ontologies for effective information retrieval
Ontologies and semantic metadata can theoretically solve all problems of traditional full-text search engines. In practice, however, they are always imperfect. This work analyzed whether the negative effect of ontology imperfection is higher than the positive effect of exploiting the ontology features for IR. To answer this question, a complete ontology-based information retrieval system was implemented and thoroughly evaluated.
Process Simulation of Technical Precipitation Processes - The Influence of Mixing
This work develops and shows up methods to tackle multi-scale challenges in particle formation during precipitation crystallization. Firstly, molecular, micro- and meso-scale interactions in confined impinging jet mixers are investigated and simulatively predicted. Secondly, to build up on developed methods, macroscale as present for instance in stirred tank reactors is added to the considerations.
Product lines for digital information products
Digital information products are an important class of widely used digital products, whose core benefit is the delivery of information or education (e.g., electronic books, online newspapers, e-learning courses).This book introduces a novel and systematic approach, Product Lines for Digital Information Products (PLANT), which focuses on the creation of variants of such products within a product line, and which extends concepts from the area of software product lines.
Production cost models with regard to liberalised electricity markets
This book makes a contribution to the formulation and implementation of production cost models for the modelling of liberalized electricity markets by addressing issues associated with the level of detail in the representation of the underlying power system, the accuracy of the results and the modelling effort. To this end a production cost model was formulated and applied to estimate the short-run marginal cost of the power systems of three important European electricity markets.
Production process design using Multi-Criteria Analysis
Intra- and inter-company production networks have gained increased importance in developed and industrialising countries. By reusing waste of industrial sites as a valuable input within the production network, material cycles can be closed and resource efficiency can be improved.In order to improve the performance of a production process, a detailed mapping of the mass and energy flows is the basis to understand which process characteristics are the main drivers for resource efficiency.The objective of this book is to develop an integrated multi-criteria decision support model for production process design.
Quantum simulation experiments with superconducting circuits
While the universal quantum computer seems not in reach for the near future, this work focusses on analog quantum simulation of intriguing quantum models of light-matter interactions, with the goal of achieving a computational speed-up as compared to classical hardware. Existing building blocks of quantum hardware are used from superconducting circuits, that have proven to be a very suitable experimental platform for the implementation of model Hamiltonians at a high degree of controllability.
Ranking for Web Data Search Using On-The-Fly Data Integration
Ranking - the algorithmic decision on how relevant an information artifact is for a given information need and the sorting of artifacts by their concluded relevancy - is an integral part of every search engine. In this book we investigate how structured Web data can be leveraged for ranking with the goal to improve the effectiveness of search. We propose new solutions for ranking using on-the-fly data integration and experimentally analyze and evaluate them against the latest baselines.
Reactive Control of Turbulent Wall-Bounded Flows for Skin Friction Drag Reduction
The work presents an attempt to improve the understanding of reactive drag reducing control of near-wall turbulence with respect to limitations present in a realistic application scenario. The reference reactive control scheme of opposition control is studied using direct numerical simulation through the consideration of various application oriented restrictions, i.e. local control application, limited spatial and temporal resolution of the scheme, sensor noise and control elements arrangement.
Real-time Biomechanical Modeling for Intraoperative Soft Tissue Registration
Computer assisted surgery systems intraoperatively support the surgeon by providing information on the location of hidden risk and target structures during surgery. However, soft tissue deformations make intraoperative registration (and thus intraoperative navigation) difficult. In this work, a novel, biomechanics based approach for real-time soft tissue registration from sparse intraoperative sensor data such as stereo endoscopic images is presented to overcome this problem.
Real-time Digital Signal Processing for Software-defined Optical Transmitters and Receivers
A software-defined optical Tx is designed and demonstrated generating signals with various formats and pulse-shapes in real-time. Special pulse-shapes such as OFDM or Nyquist signaling were utilized resulting in a highly efficient usage of the available fiber channel bandwidth. This was achieved by parallel data processing with high-end FPGAs. Furthermore, highly efficient Rx algorithms for carrier and timing recovery as well as for polarization demultiplexing were developed and investigated
In photon science more and more data are taken. It is not possible anymore to store and process all data offline. In this book, we explore strategies for handling this large amount of data. A neural network as well as techniques from image processing are used to efficiently categorize and select useful data. We also indicate why many sophisticated algorithms cannot be used in this context. In addition, a prototype for data selection is presented, discussed, and benchmarked.
Role and dynamics of 'Late-comers' in the global technology competition
Faster developing cycles and economic developments created many emerging economies in the 20th century. For sustainable economic growth, however, the construction and constant preservation of a profound knowledge base and technological pool is crucial. Brazil, China, India and Russia, experienced constant high economic growth rates and begun to evolve to solid economies which are challenging the established players. This book consists of a profound empirical analysis of these emerging economies.
The role of indicators in decisions of technology innovation
There are thousands of indicators produced to understand and govern our societies. Studies about the way indicators are used in technological innovation are significantly rare, despite the centrality of these decisions to promote growth in our technology-intensive civilization. This book presents what is known and what was discovered in a doctoral research, which analysed innovative business leaders, policymakers and public researchers responsible for technological innovations.
Scanning Tunneling Spectroscopy on Electron-Boson Interactions in Superconductors
This work describes the experimental study of electron-boson interactions in superconductors by means of inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy performed with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) at temperatures below 1 K. This new approach allows the direct measurement of the Eliashberg function of conventional superconductors as demonstrated on lead (Pb) and niobium (Nb). Preparative experiments on unconventional iron-pnictides are presented in the end.
This book presents a process-oriented business modeling framework based on semantic technologies. The framework consists of modeling languages, methods, and tools that allow for semantic modeling of business motivation, business policies and rules, and business processes. Quality of the proposed modeling framework is evaluated based on the modeling content of SAP Solution Composer and several real-world business scenarios.
Situation Interpretation for Knowledge- and Model Based Laparoscopic Surgery
To manage the influx of information into surgical practice, new man-machine interaction methods are necessary to prevent information overflow. This work presents an approach to automatically segment surgeries into phases and select the most appropriate pieces of information for the current situation. This way, assistance systems can adopt themselves to the needs of the surgeon and not the other way around.
Soft Magnetic Composites in Novel Designs of Electrical Traction Machines
Nowadays, the manufacturing of electrical machines based on electrical steel laminations has been well established worldwide. Compared with the electrical steel, the soft magnetic composites (SMC) shows magnetic isotropy and lower eddy current losses. Thus, it becomes an important impulse promoting the development of new topologies of electrical machine. The application of SMC in the electrical traction machine for hybrid electrical vehicle or electrical vehicle has been researched in the work.
Stability of cooperation in the international climate negotiations - An analysis using cooperative game theory
International cooperation on greenhouse gas emission reductions is needed to avoid dangerous climate change. This work analyses the stability of global cooperation on climate change using cooperative game theory. Numerical and theoretical models are applied to evaluate the impact of several real-world properties. It is shown that the introduction of these properties into the game-theoretical model substantially affects the results and can make global climate cooperation unstable.
Sulfur-tolerant natural gas reforming for fuel-cell applications
An attractive simplification of PEM-FC systems operated with natural gas would be the use of a sulfur tolerant reforming catalyst, but such a catalyst has not been available thus far. In this work it is demonstrated that a tailor made rhodium catalyst retains useful activity for typical sulfur levels in the feed. A brief economic comparison showed however that this alternative process is still less economical than the traditional process employing removal of sulfur components by adsorption.
Surface wave driven molecular low pressure plasmas for general lighting
Nowadays, compact fluorescent lamps are widely-used in general lighting applications. However, they still struggle with acceptance problems due to the hazardous mercury, which serves as the radiant component inside the lamp. The presented work deals with the development of a mercury-free, electrodeless, low pressure plasma based on a molecular filling and driven by microwaves, which may represent a viable alternative to the conventional CFLs.
Thermochemistry and Kinetics for the Oxidative Degradation of Dibenzofuran and Precursors
The emission of dibenzofurans and dioxins from industrial processes is a major environmental concern. Focussing on dibenzofuran, this study tend to improve our understanding of the general oxidation chemistry and to provide a mechanism suitable for future modelling studies.Based on quantum chemical methods, energies, chemical structures and reactions are calculated numerically. Not only stable molecules and radicals, but also transition states are reported in this work.
Timber Engineering - Principles for Design
This comprehensive book provides in-depth knowledge and understanding of design rules according to Eurocode 5. It is based on the first edition of the STEP (Structural Timber Education Programme) series, which was prepared in 1995 by about 50 authors from 14 European countries. The present work updates and extends the STEP compilation and is aimed at students, structural engineers and other timber structure professionals.
Tracking Extended Objects in Noisy Point Clouds with Application in Telepresence Systems
We discuss theory and application of extended object tracking. This task is challenging as sensor noise prevents a correct association of the measurements to their sources on the object, the shape itself might be unknown a priori, and due to occlusion effects, only parts of the object are visible at a given time. We propose an approach to track the parameters of arbitrary objects, which provides new solutions to the above challenges, and marks a significant advance to the state of the art.
Tracking Extended Objects with Active Models and Negative Measurements
Extended object tracking deals with estimating the shape and pose of an object based on noisy point measurements. This task is not straightforward, as we may be faced with scarce low-quality measurements, little a priori information, or we may be unable to observe the entire target. This work aims to address these challenges by incorporating ideas from active contours and exploiting information from negative measurements, which tell us where the target cannot be.
Transient behaviour of ITER poloidal field coils
Transient voltages occur on the terminals of superconducting coils and may lead to internal over-voltages. The main objective of this work was to calculate the transient electrical behaviour and internal voltage distribution within the ITER poloidal field (PF) coils at four scenarios and was made using the PF 3 and PF 6 coils as examples. The calculated maximum voltages will be used for definition of amplitudes and voltage waveforms for the tests of the high-voltage insulation of the coils.
Tunable Diode-Laser Absorption Spectroscopy for Trace-Gas Measurements with High Sensitivity and Low Drift
This book discusses the mechanical and opto-electronic design of laser spectrometers for measuring two very important atmospheric gases, namely water vapor and its isotopic ratios, and formaldehyde. For measuring water vapor, shot-noise limited sensitivity has been achieved by a careful choice of system components and data processing. For measuring formaldehyde, a selective sample modulation exploiting the Stark effect has been used to greatly improve the sensitivity.
Tunable Security for Deployable Data Outsourcing
Security mechanisms like encryption negatively affect other software quality characteristics like efficiency. To cope with such trade-offs, it is preferable to build approaches that allow to tune the trade-offs after the implementation and design phase. This book introduces a methodology that can be used to build such tunable approaches. The book shows how the proposed methodology can be applied in the domains of database outsourcing, identity management, and credential management.
Turbulent open channel flow, sediment erosion and sediment transport
This thesis aims to contribute to a better understanding of turbulent open channel flow, sediment erosion and sediment transport. The thesis provides an analysis of high-fidelity data from direct numerical simulation of (i) open channel flow over an array of fixed spheres, (ii) open channel flow with mobile eroding spheres, (iii) open channel flow with sediment transport of many mobile spheres. An immersed boundary method is used to resolve the finite-size particles.
Two-Scale Thermomechanical Simulation of Hot Stamping
Hot stamping is a hot drawing process which takes advantage of the polymorphic steel behavior to produce parts with a good strength-to-weight ratio. For the simulation of the hot stamping process, a nonlinear two-scale thermomechanical model is suggested and implemented into the FE tool ABAQUS. Phase transformation and transformation induced plasticity effects are taken into account. The simulation results regarding the final shape and residual stresses are compared to experimental findings
Ultrafast photophysics and photochemistry of radical precursors in solution
The photoinduced dynamics of radical precursors in solution were investigated by means of femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy assisted by quantum chemical calculations. The investigated systems show a wide range of excited state lifetimes ranging from tens of femtoseconds to nanoseconds. Thus, in the first case, on the investigated time scale the dynamics of the generated radicals can be additionally investigated. In the latter case only the excited singlet lifetime is observable.
Uncertainty handling in multi-attribute decision support for industrial risk management
The complexity of today's industrial production networks constitutes a new challenge for industrial risk and safety management. In order to handle potential risks to and emanating from industry and their respective impact on mankind as well as the environment, an integrated approach to industrial risk management is needed, since complex decision situations need to be resolved requiring input from diverse scientific disciplines and the consideration of various often conflicting criteria.
Usage Policies for Decentralised Information Processing
Owners impose usage restrictions on their information, which can be based e.g. on privacy laws, copyright law or social conventions. Often, information is processed in complex constellations without central control. In this work, we introduce technologies to formally express usage restrictions in a machine-interpretable way as so-called policies that enable the creation of decentralised systems that provide, consume and process distributed information in compliance with their usage restrictions.
How can the Web be made situation-aware? Event processing is a suitable technology for gaining the necessary real-time results. The Web, however, has many users and many application domains. Thus, we developed multi-schema friendly data models allowing the re-use and mix from diverse users and application domains. Furthermore, our methods describe protocols to exchange events on the Web, algorithms to execute the language and to calculate access rights.
Methods and Concepts for Designing and Validating Smart Grid Systems
Energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies are key contributors to curtailing the emission of greenhouse gases that continue to cause global warming. The efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions also strongly affect electrical power systems. Renewable sources, storage systems, and flexible loads provide new system controls, but power system operators and utilities have to deal with their fluctuating nature, limited storage capabilities, and typically higher infrastructure complexity with a growing number of heterogeneous components.
Strasser, Thomas --- Rohjans, Sebastian --- Burt, Graeme
Modern biology is rapidly becoming a study of large sets of data. Understanding these data sets is a major challenge for most life sciences, including the medical, environmental, and bioprocess fields. Computational biology approaches are essential for leveraging this ongoing revolution in omics data. A primary goal of this Special Issue, entitled “Methods in Computational Biology”, is the communication of computational biology methods, which can extract biological design principles from complex data sets, described in enough detail to permit the reproduction of the results.
Micro/Nano Materials for Clean Energy and Environment
The research center serves as a platform for researchers at both universities to conduct joint research in the targeted areas, and to meet regularly for information exchange, talent exchange, and knowledge mobilization, especially in the fields of micro/nano, energy, and environmental technologies. The center focuses on three main interests: micro/nano energy technology, micro/nano pollution control technology, and relevant fundamental research.
Micro/nanofluidic chips have found increasing applications in the analysis of chemical and biological samples over the past two decades. Electrokinetics has become the method of choice in these micro/nano-chips for transporting, manipulating and sensing ions, (bio)molecules, fluids and (bio)particles, etc., due to the high maneuverability, scalability, sensitivity, and integrability.
Microbial Community Modeling: Prediction of Microbial Interactions and Community Dynamics
It has the potential to resolve many issues in the realms of energy, food, human health, the environment, and biotechnology. Scientists are trying to understand, in a fundamental way, how microbes influence each other and how they organize into interaction networks. These are the keys to predicting and engineering community function and properties of the microbiome. In this regard, mathematical modeling and computational analysis play an increasing role. This book is a collection of contributions from lead scientists in the field.
Microdevices and Microsystems for Cell Manipulation
Microfabricated devices and systems capable of micromanipulation are well-suited for the manipulation of cells. These technologies are capable of a variety of functions, including cell trapping, cell sorting, cell culturing, and cell surgery, often at single-cell or sub-cellular resolution. These functionalities are achieved through a variety of mechanisms, including mechanical, electrical, magnetic, optical, and thermal forces. The operations that these microdevices and microsystems enable are relevant to many areas of biomedical research, including tissue engineering, cellular therapeutics, drug discovery, and diagnostics.
Microfluidics for Cells and Other Organisms
Microfluidics-based devices play an important role in creating realistic microenvironments in which cell cultures can thrive. They can, for example, be used to monitor drug toxicity and perform medical diagnostics, and be in a static-, perfusion- or droplet-based device. They can also be used to study cell-cell, cell-matrix or cell-surface interactions. Cells can be either single cells, 3D cell cultures or co-cultures. Other organisms could include bacteria, zebra fish embryo, C. elegans, to name a few.
Micronutrients Intake and Status during Pregnancy and Lactation
Optimal nutrition is important during pregnancy and lactation for the health of both the mother and infant. Chronic deficiencies of both macronutrients and micronutrients are well established in developing countries. Although in developed countries overconsumption of macronutrients is a major issue, micronutrient deficiencies which occur concomitantly are no less of a concern. Furthermore in developed countries there is also the risk of excessive micronutrient intake from dietary supplements. Micronutrients have a role in fetal and neonatal health and also health in later life.
Microscale Surface Tension and Its Applications
Building on advances in miniaturization and soft matter, surface tension effects are a major key to the development of soft/fluidic microrobotics. Benefiting from scaling laws, surface tension and capillary effects can enable sensing, actuation, adhesion, confinement, compliance, and other structural and functional properties necessary in micro- and nanosystems. Various applications are under development: microfluidic and lab-on-chip devices, soft gripping and manipulation of particles, colloidal and interfacial assemblies, fluidic/droplet mechatronics. The capillary action is ubiquitous in drops, bubbles and menisci, opening a broad spectrum of technological solutions and scientific investigations.
Lambert, Pierre --- Mastrangeli, Massimo
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Structural Metals and Alloys
The papers collected in this special issue clearly reflect the modern research trends in materials science. These fields of specific attention are high-Mn TWIP steels, high-Cr heat resistant steels, aluminum alloys, ultrafine grained materials including those developed by severe plastic deformation, and high-entropy alloys. The major portion of the collected papers is focused on the mechanisms of microstructure evolution and the mechanical properties of metallic materials subjected to various thermo-mechanical, deformation or heat treatments.
Microwave Indices from Active and Passive Sensors for Remote Sensing Applications
Past research has comprehensively assessed the capabilities of satellite sensors operating at microwave frequencies, both active (SAR, scatterometers) and passive (radiometers), for the remote sensing of Earth’s surface. Besides brightness temperature and backscattering coefficient, microwave indices, defined as a combination of data collected at different frequencies and polarizations, revealed a good sensitivity to hydrological cycle parameters such as surface soil moisture, vegetation water content, and snow depth and its water equivalent.
Middleware Solutions for Wireless Internet of Things
Bellavista, Paolo --- Giannelli, Carlo --- Das , Sajal K. --- Cao, Jiannong
Milk: Bioactive Components and Role in Human Nutrition
Milk is a nutritious food item with various beneficial properties and has a long tradition in nutrition, having been part of human diet for thousands of years. The composition of milk varies among different species, and milk quality is affected by several factors, i.e., season, climate, feeding management, and stage of lactation, as well as heat-treatments and technological processes. Milk is a valuable source of bioactive components and its role and function in human diet has been increasingly investigated by epidemiological and experimental studies
Mineral Matter and Trace Elements in Coal
Minerals are very significant components of coal from both academic and practical perspectives. Minerals may react when the coal is burned, either forming an ash residue, or, in many cases, releasing volatile components, or being needed to be removed as slag from the blast furnace during metallurgical processing. Minerals in coal can also be a source of unwanted abrasion, stickiness, corrosion, or pollution associated with coal handling and use.
Shifeng Dai (Ed.) --- Xibo Wang (Ed.) --- Lei Zhao (Ed.)
Mineralogy of Quartz and Silica Minerals
The present book reports recent contributions from research in the field of quartz and other silica minerals. The various forms of silica (SiO2) represent important constituents of the Earth crust and play a central role in the composition of geological materials. In particular, quartz is widely used as a raw material in numerous industrial sectors. The knowledge of the formation and specific properties of SiO2 rocks and minerals is indispensable for the understanding and reconstruction of geological processes, as well as for specific technical applications.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Ageing and Diseases
The past decade has witnessed an explosion of knowledge regarding how mitochondrial dysfunction may translate into ageing and disease phenotypes, as well as how it is modulated by genetic and lifestyle factors. Impairment of the mitochondria may be caused by mutations or deletions in nuclear or mitochondrial DNA. Hallmarks of mitochondrial dysfunction include decreased ATP production, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, swollen mitochondria, damaged cristae, increased oxidative stress, and decreased mitochondrial DNA copy number.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Aging and Diseases of Aging
Mitochondria are vitally important cellular organelles and undergo their own aging process becoming less efficient in aged animals including humans. These changes have wide-ranging significance contributing to immune dysfunction (autoimmunity and immune deficiency), inflammation, delayed healing, skin and retinal damage, cancer and most of the degenerative diseases of aging. Mitochondrial aging predisposes to drug toxicity in the geriatric population and to many of the features of normal aging.
Mobile Mapping technologies have seen a rapid growth of research activity and interest in the last years, due to the increased demand of accurate, dense and geo-referenced 3D data. Their main characteristic is the ability of acquiring 3D information of large areas dynamically. This versatility has expanded their application fields from the civil engineering to a broader range (industry, emergency response, cultural heritage...), which is constantly widening.
Rodríguez-Gonzálvez, Pablo --- Nocerino, Erica --- Toschi, Isabella --- Chiang, Kai-Wei
Modeling and Practice of Erosion and Sediment Transport under Change
Climate and anthropogenic changes impact the conditions of erosion and sediment transport in rivers. Rainfall variability and, in many places, the increase of rainfall intensity have a direct impact on rainfall erosivity. Increasing changes in demography have led to the acceleration of land cover changes in natural areas, as well as in cultivated areas, and, sometimes, in degraded areas and desertified landscapes. These anthropogenized landscapes are more sensitive to erosion. On the other hand, the increase in the number of dams in watersheds traps a great portion of sediment fluxes, which do not reach the sea in the same amount, nor at the same quality, with consequences on coastal geomorphodynamics.
Mahé, Gil --- Aksoy, Hafzullah --- Meddi, Mohamed
Modeling and Simulation of Carbon Emission Related Issues
Modeling and Simulation of Energy Systems
Energy Systems Engineering is one of the most exciting and fastest growing fields in engineering. Modeling and simulation plays a key role in Energy Systems Engineering because it is the primary basis on which energy system design, control, optimization, and analysis are based. This book contains a specially curated collection of recent research articles on the modeling and simulation of energy systems written by top experts around the world from universities and research labs, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, National Energy Technology Laboratory of the US Department of Energy, University of Technology Sydney, McMaster University, Queens University, Purdue University, the University of Connecticut, Technical University of Denmark, the University of Toronto, Technische Universität Berlin, Texas A&M, the University of Pennsylvania, and many more.
This specialist edition features key innovations in the science and engineering of new grinding processes, abrasives, tools, machines, and systems for a range of important industrial applications. Topics written by invited, internationally recognized authors review the advances and present results of research over a range of well-known grinding processes. A significant introductory review chapter explores innovations to achieve high productivity and very high precision in grinding.
Modern Sample Preparation Approaches for Separation Science
This book will provide the most recent knowledge and advances in Sample Preparation Techniques for Separation Science. Everyone working in a laboratory must be familiar with the basis of these technologies, and they often involve elaborate and time-consuming procedures that can take up to 80% of the total analysis time. Sample preparation is an essential step in most of the analytical methods for environmental and biomedical analysis, since the target analytes are often not detected in their in-situ forms, or the results are distorted by interfering species.
The Molecular and Cellular Basis for Parkinson's Disease
The focus on dopamine-sensitive motor symptoms, in association with the improvement of motor complications in the heterogeneous disease entity Parkinson's disease, has led to a certain standstill in research. This Special Issue provides new concepts and new ideas on the pathogenesis, genetics, and clinical maintenance of Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Not only new experimental findings, but also clinical outcomes, case series, and research on alternative, non-pharmacological therapies are included. The objective is to bridge the currently increasing gap between experimental and clinical research on Parkinson's disease and related disorders.
Molecular Basis of Cardiovascular Diseases: Implications of Natriuretic Peptides
The natriuretic peptides (NPs) family includes a class of hormones and their receptors needed for the physiological control of cardiovascular functions. The discovery of NPs provided a fundamental contribution into our understanding of the physiological regulation of blood pressure, and of heart and kidney functions. NPs have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart failure, and stroke. A fine comprehension of the molecular mechanisms dependent from NPs and underlying the promotion of cardiovascular damage has contributed to improve our understanding of the molecular basis of all major CVDs.
Molecular Magnetism of Lanthanides Complexes and Networks
Over the last ten years a fresh air has been blowing in the field of molecular magnetism with the re-introduction of lanthanides ions as spin carriers in magnetic molecules. The strong magnetic moment and huge magnetic anisotropy of lanthanide ions has enabled significant breakthroughs in magnetic blocking temperature and related phenomena. The chemical versatility of these ions is also a strong asset as easy substitution among the lanthanides series enables isotropic, anisotropic or solid-solutions of magnetic molecules. Additionally, their outstanding luminescent properties are key features in rationalizing the single-molecule magnet (SMM) behavior and paving the way toward production of multifunctional materials.
This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Molecular Modeling in Drug Design that was published in Molecules
Molecular Pharmacology and Pathology of Strokes
Stroke, a progressively non-communicable disease, is the second leading cause of death after coronary heart disease in developed countries. The present treatment options for stroke are adapting lifestyle practices, diabetes treatment, drugs, and the management of other factors, but no cure is yet available, despite new insights into molecular and therapeutic targets. Discoveries related to explicating the molecular pharmacology in cerebrovascular function and thrombosis have led to significant advancements in the current treatment paradigm for patients with stroke.
Joen-Rong Sheu (Ed.) --- Howard Prentice (Ed.)
Molecular Science for Drug Development and Biomedicine
With the avalanche of biological sequences generated in the postgenomic age, molecular science is facing an unprecedented challenge, i.e., how to timely utilize the huge amount of data to benefit human beings. Stimulated by such a challenge, a rapid development has taken place in molecular science, particularly in the areas associated with drug development and biomedicine, both experimental and theoretical. The current thematic issue was launched with the focus on the topic of “Molecular Science for Drug Development and Biomedicine”, in hopes to further stimulate more useful techniques and findings from various approaches of molecular science for drug development and biomedicine.
Multi-Objective and Multi-Attribute Optimisation for Sustainable Development Decision Aiding
Optimization is considered as a decision-making process for getting the most out of available resources for the best attainable results. Many real-world problems are multi-objective or multi-attribute problems that naturally involve several competing objectives that need to be optimized simultaneously, while respecting some constraints or involving selection among feasible discrete alternatives. In this Reprint of the Special Issue, 19 research papers co-authored by 88 researchers from 14 different countries explore aspects of multi-objective or multi-attribute modeling and optimization in crisp or uncertain environments by suggesting multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) and multi-objective decision-making (MODM) approaches.
Zavadskas, Edmundas Kazimieras --- Antuchevi?ien?, Jurgita --- Kar, Samarjit
Multifunctional Oxide-Based Materials: From Synthesis to Application
The book deals with novel aspects and perspectives in metal oxide and hybrid material fabrication.
Jesionowski, Teofil --- Ciesielczyk, Filip
Multiscale and Innovative Kinetic Approaches in Heterogeneous Catalysis
Kinetics and reactor modeling for heterogeneous catalytic reactions are prominent tools for investigating and understanding catalyst functionalities at nanoscale and the related rates of complex reaction networks. This book illustrates some examples related to the transformation of simple to more complex feedstocks, including different types of reactor designs, i.e., steady-state, transient plug flow reactors, and TAP reactors for which there is sometimes a strong gap in the operating conditions from ultra-high-vacuum to high-pressure conditions.
Nano- and Microcomposites for Electrical Engineering Applications
In a dedicated Special Issue, the journal Polymers has compiled papers on the current trends and research directions within the preparation, characterization and application of polymer-based composite materials in electrical engineering applications. In recent times, this type of material has evolved to become one of the most thoroughly investigated materials, stimulated by the demand for the resource-efficient assembly of generators, transformers, communication devices, etc. Novel composites are to be used as insulating materials with high thermal conductivity and excellent temperature stability, through which premature ageing and degradation of devices shall be avoided or at least reduced.
Nanocolloids for Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery
This Special Issue highlights novel nanocolloids like magnetic nanoparticles, nanomicelles, nanoliposomes, nanocapsules, and nanoclays, stimulating novel interests and ideas in research groups involved in the development of novel nanotools within the different areas of nanomaterials. The publication of original articles contributes to scientific progress in the area of personalized medicine and further stimulates the entering into clinical praxis of such new nanosystems.
Nanoelectronic Materials, Devices and Modeling
As CMOS scaling is approaching the fundamental physical limits, a wide range of new nanoelectronic materials and devices have been proposed and explored to extend and/or replace the current electronic devices and circuits so as to maintain progress with respect to speed and integration density. The major limitations, including low carrier mobility, degraded subthreshold slope, and heat dissipation, have become more challenging to address as the size of silicon-based metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) has decreased to nanometers, while device integration density has increased.
Nanogrids, Microgrids, and the Internet of Things (IoT): Towards the Digital Energy Network
Driven by new regulations, new market structures, and new energy resources, the smart grid has been the trigger for profound changes in the way that electricity is generated, distributed, managed, and consumed. The smart grid has raised the traditional power grid by using a two-way electricity and information flow to create an advanced, automated power supply network. However, these pioneering smart grid technologies must grow to adapt to the demands of the current digital society. In today’s digital landscape, we can access feasible data and knowledge that were merely inconceivable.
The dispersion of nanomaterials in liquid crystals, both of the thermotropic and the lyotropic kind, has attracted much interest over recent years. This is in part related to the success of liquid crystals in several applications, in particular flat screen displays, besides others. The dispersion of nanoparticles allows the fine-tuning of liquid crystalline properties and the addition of functionalities associated with the properties of the nanoparticles
Nanostructure Based Sensors for Gas Sensing: from Devices to Systems
The development of solid state gas sensors based on microtransducers and nanostructured sensing materials is the key point in the design of portable measurement systems able to reach sensing and identification performance comparable with analytical ones. In such a context several efforts must be spent of course in the development of the sensing material, but also in the choice of the transducer mechanism and its structure, in the electrical characterization of the performance and in the design of suitable measurement setups.
Natural Compounds as New Cancer Treatments
Cancer remains one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although many pharmacological and clinical advances have been made, there is a constant need for new molecules to improve the overall options for treatment. Natural compounds from animal, microbial, vegetal, or fungal origin represent countless sources of new compounds that can be used as anticancer drugs, provided their activity, bioavailability, and toxicity are adequate. This book aims to compile both original articles and reviews that cover the most recent advances in the use of natural compounds for cancer treatment, and provide new objectives and advice for future research in the field of biological activity of natural compounds.
Natural Products for Cancer Prevention and Therapy
This Special Issue book, “Natural Products for Cancer Prevention and Therapy”, is based on recent advances in natural products for cancer prevention and therapy. For this purpose, the authors of this book have been organizing a biennial international conference series. The first meeting (First International Conference on Natural Products for Cancer Prevention and Therapy) was held in Istanbul between 31 August and 2 September 2015, with the support and contribution of many valuable researchers in this field
Anupam Bishayee (Ed.) --- Mukerrem Betul Yerer-Aycan (Ed.)
Natural Stone and Architectural Heritage
This book is made up of contributions dealing with heritage stones from different countries around the world. The stones are described, as well as their use in vernacular and contemporaneous architecture. Heritage stones are those stones that have special significance in human culture. Examples include some very important stones that have been either neglected because they are no longer extracted, or stones that have great significance in commercial terms but knowledge of their national and/or international heritage has not been well documented.
Pereira, Lola --- Catarino, Lidia --- Dino, Giovanna
Neglected and Emerging Tropical Diseases in South and Southeast Asia and Northern Australia
This Special Issue focuses on recent research on the important emerging and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in South and South East Asia and Northern Australia. This region stretches from Afghanistan in the west to Papua New Guinea in the east, and includes the Indian subcontinent, mainland South-East Asia (Indo China), maritime South East Asia, and the tropical regions of Australia. Many of these areas are highly endemic for important NTDs and emerging infectious diseases including lymphatic filariasis, leprosy, soil-transmitted helminthiases (hookworm, Trichuris, Ascaris, and Strongyloides), food-borne trematodiases, schistosomiasis, dengue/chikungunya/zika, leptospirosis, meloidosis, scabies, trachoma, and yaws. Several of these diseases are targeted for elimination or enhanced control by the World Health Organization in the next 5 to 10 years, although some have chronic lasting sequelae needing lifelong management.
Patricia Graves (Ed.) --- Thewarach Laha (Ed.) --- Peter A. Leggat (Ed.) --- Khin Saw Aye (Ed.)
New Developments in Statistical Information Theory Based on Entropy and Divergence Measures
This book presents new and original research in Statistical Information Theory, based on minimum divergence estimators and test statistics, from a theoretical and applied point of view, for different statistical problems with special emphasis on efficiency and robustness. Divergence statistics, based on maximum likelihood estimators, as well as Wald’s statistics, likelihood ratio statistics and Rao’s score statistics, share several optimum asymptotic properties, but are highly non-robust in cases of model misspecification under the presence of outlying observations.
New Lipid Lowering Therapies for Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases: Lessons from the Past and Future Challenges
This book illustrates some of the most recent research efforts that have been made in lowering plasma cholesterol levels in patients with CVD. Selected articles aimed to illuminate advances and urgent challenges in the management of CVD, including disease management using statin-combined therapeutic strategies.
New Mineral Species and Their Crystal Structures
One last comment concerns the fundamental contributions of Fourier analysis to quantum physics: Quantum mechanics and quantum field theory.
New Research in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Major Depression
Major depression and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) are now recognized among the most frequent psychiatric disorders, affecting 16–17% and 2–3% of the general population, respectively. They are commonly characterized by: i) a high level of psychiatric and somatic comorbidities; ii) a recurrence or chronic profile; and iii) a negative impact on daily functions, thereby leading to a profound impairment of quality of life. Despite significant advances in pharmacological and psychological therapies over the last decades, unsuccessful responses to standard treatment strategies are classically observed in approximately 20–30% of cases.
Noise and Vibration Control in the Built Environment
With global urbanization rapidly rising and the increasing need of high-quality built environments, the requirement of achieving improved sound quality, both for outdoor and indoor environments, has received a lot of attention. This Special Issue collection reflects the current state of the art, with 12 papers covering environmental acoustics; the influence of soundscapes on people’s behavior; soundscape pleasantness estimation; tranquility; perceived quality of sonic environments; sound and vibration-related health complaints concerning tramways; and the disturbance of construction machines; as well as in building and room acoustics, including natural ventilation-enabling façade noise control devices; the effect of external shading devices; rating method of airborne sound insulation; water supply and drainage noise, and the effect of diffusive surfaces in auditoria.
Non-destructive Testing of Materials in Civil Engineering
This book was proposed and organized as a means to present recent developments in the field of nondestructive testing of materials in civil engineering. For this reason, the articles highlighted in this editorial relate to different aspects of nondestructive testing of different materials in civil engineering—from building materials to building structures. The current trend in the development of nondestructive testing of materials in civil engineering is mainly concerned with the detection of flaws and defects in concrete elements and structures, and acoustic methods predominate in this field.
Novel Advances in Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring in Ocean, Lakes and Rivers
In recent decades, there has been an increase in the development of strategies for water ecosystem mapping and monitoring. Overall, this is primarily due to legislative efforts to improve the quality of water bodies and oceans. Remote sensing has played a key role in the development of such approaches—from the use of drones for vegetation mapping to autonomous vessels for water quality monitoring. Within the specific context of vegetation characterization, the wide range of available observations—from satellite imagery to high-resolution drone aerial imagery—has enabled the development of monitoring and mapping strategies at multiple scales (e.g., micro- and mesoscales).
Novel Biocomposite Engineering and Bio-Applications
The engineering and utilization of biocomposites is a research field of major scientific and industrial interest worldwide. The biocomposite area is extensive and spans from structured and solid biocomposites (e.g., reinforced bioabsorbable polymers), films (e.g., antimicrobial barriers), to soft biocomposites (e.g., use of alginates, collagen and nanocellulose as components in bioinks for 3D bioprinting). Key aspects in this respect are the appropriate engineering and production of biomaterials, nanofibres, bioplastics, their functionalization enabling intelligent and active materials, processes for effective manufacturing of biocomposites and the corresponding characterization for understanding their properties.
Novel Insights into Orbital Angular Momentum Beams: From Fundamentals, Devices to Applications
It is well-known by now that the angular momentum carried by elementary particles can be categorized as spin angular momentum (SAM) and orbital angular momentum (OAM). In the early 1900s, Poynting recognized that a particle, such as a photon, can carry SAM, which has only two possible states, i.e., clockwise and anticlockwise circular polarization states. However, only fairly recently, in 1992, Allen et al. discovered that photons with helical phase fronts can carry OAM, which has infinite orthogonal states.
Yue, Yang --- Huang, Hao --- Ren, Yongxiong --- Pan, Zhongqi --- et al.
Novel Membrane Technologies for Traditional Industrial Processes
Through reading this book, you will obtain information on: (1) the main problems in air separation and natural gas treatment by membrane separation and how to solve them; (2) processes involving membranes and new membrane materials for the more economical utilization of bio-resources; (3) energy selection and membrane development for more expedient and stable harnessing of the natural osmosis phenomenon; (4) many excellent contributions about catalytic membrane bioreactors; (5) how to fine-tune the arrangement of aquaporins (i.e., proteins identified in biological cells) to achieve superior water treatment efficiency.
Li, Pei --- Wang, Yan --- Jiang, Lan-Ying --- Chung, Neal Tai-Shung
Novel Pharmacological Inhibitors for Bacterial Protein Toxins
Many medically relevant bacteria cause severe human and animal diseases because they produce and release protein toxins that target mammalian cells. Because the toxin-induced cell damage is the reason for the clinical symptoms, the targeted pharmacological inhibition of the cytotoxic mode of action of bacterial toxins should prevent or cure the respective toxin-associated disease. Toxin inhibitors might be beneficial when the toxin acts in the absence of the producing bacteria (e.g., food poisoning), but also in combination with antibiotics in infectious diseases when the toxin-producing bacteria are present.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a nondestructive technique that can be used to characterize a wide variety of systems. Sustained development of both methodology and instrumentation have allowed NMR to evolve as a powerful technology, with applications in pure sciences, medicine, drug development, and important branches of industry. NMR provides precise structural information down to each atom and bond in a molecule, and is the only method for the determination of structures of molecules in a solution. This book compiles a series of articles describing the application of NMR in a variety of interesting scientific challenges. The articles illustrate the versatility and flexibility of NMR.
Nucleation of Minerals: Precursors, Intermediates and Their Use in Materials Chemistry
Nucleation is the key event in mineralisation, but a general molecular understanding of phase separation mechanisms is still missing, despite more than 100 years of research in this field. In recent years, many studies have highlighted the occurrence of precursors and intermediates, which seem to challenge the assumptions underlying classical theories of nucleation and growth. This is especially true for the field of biomineralisation, where bio-inspired strategies take advantage of the special properties of the precursors and intermediates for the generation of advanced materials. All of this has led to the development of "non-classical" frameworks, which, however, often lack quantitative expressions for the evaluation and prediction of phase separation, growth and ripening processes, and are under considerable debate.
This book was established after the 6th International Workshop on Numerical and Evolutionary Optimization (NEO), representing a collection of papers on the intersection of the two research areas covered at this workshop: numerical optimization and evolutionary search techniques. While focusing on the design of fast and reliable methods lying across these two paradigms, the resulting techniques are strongly applicable to a broad class of real-world problems, such as pattern recognition, routing, energy, lines of production, prediction, and modeling, among others.
Lara, Adriana --- Quiroz, Marcela --- Mezura-Montes, Efrén --- Schütze, Oliver
Nutraceuticals and the Skin: Roles in Health and Disease
he skin is the largest organ of the body and serves as a barrier between the inner and external environments. As such, any problems in the skin can have serious effects on systemic health and well-being. Several studies have established that both nutritional and dietary factors play an important role in the maintenance of normal skin integrity, and can execute a causative, preventative and/or treatment role in a number of skin related conditions.
Jean Christopher Chamcheu (Ed.) --- Deeba Nadeem Syed (Ed.) --- G. Kerr Whitfield (Ed.)
Infants are not just small adults; they have a complex set of nutrient requirements and interactions to account for the high metabolic rate, growth, immunological and cognitive development, etc. Each year there are 138 million births, including 30 million from the least developed countries, where health is most at risk. Nutrition during infancy establishes growth patterns and development which moderate short term and long term health and life expectancy. There is continuing progress in understanding the nutrient composition of breastmilk and the importance nutritious and timely complementary foods.
Colin Binns (Ed.) --- Mi Kyung Lee (Ed.) --- Masaharu Kagawa (Ed.)
Nutrients, Infectious and Inflammatory Diseases
Foodborne disease like salmonellosis and toxoplasmosis are amongst the most significant causes of hospitalization in the U.S. and globally. Gastrointestinal infections alter gut microbiomes and increase permeability to toxins. Various invasions by microbial, fungal, viral and parasitic agents stimulate inflammation, a defensive mechanism of the body’s immune system. Other stimuli include environmental stimuli, oxidative stress, aging and the physiological process. A long-lasting, persistent and excessive inflammatory response is a significant risk factor for developing various chronic inflammatory and infectious diseases.
The purpose of this Special Issue, “Nutrition and Allergic Diseases”, is to provide an overview of the role of nutrition in allergy. The prevalence of asthma, rhinitis, and food allergy has increased tremendously over the last few decades. Is there a role for nutrition to help managing this global challenge? This Special Issue touches upon the many aspects that relate to nutrition and allergy and focuses on two fundamental questions: 1) Can nutrition play a role in allergy prevention and induction? 2) Can nutrition play a role in managing allergies?
Joost van Neerven (Ed.) --- Huub Savelkoul (Ed.)
The development and treatment of cancer presents a complex interaction between tumor and host. Provision of nutrients not only enables the maintenance of nutritional status, but also provides substrates and signals for immunity, tumor metabolism and protection of the host from treatment toxicities. Fat is one dietary element that has been explored for its role in cancer development. While the bulk of these studies have been observational or experimental, the evidence assembled suggests that dietary lipids behave uniquely to prevent or promote cancers
The effects of nutrition in chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, and inflammatory bowel disease continue to generate interest among researchers. This stems from the fact that diet is a modifiable risk factor for these diseases, which manifest either as single entities or in co-morbid states in individuals and populations around the world. In particular, the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease is on the rise, especially in developed countries, but also in developing economies, partly due to lifestyle changes, including diet.
Nutrition and Diet Factors in Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health burden. Approximately seven million people develop diabetes in both developed and developing countries every year, with the most dramatic increases occurring in Type 2 Diabetes. Especially alarming, is the rising incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in obese children before puberty.
Peter Pribis (Ed.) --- Hana Kahleova (Ed.)
Blindness and visual impairment impact significantly on an individual’s physical and mental well-being. Loss of vision is a global health problem, with approximately 250 million of the world’s population currently living with vision loss, of which 36 million are classified as blind. Visual impairment is more frequent in the elderly, with cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) accounting for over 50% of cases globally.
Malnutrition in people with liver disease is a challenging issue due to its multifactorial nature, which includes hypermetabolism, increased energy needs, malabsorption, and anorexia. Despite advances in both assessment and management, correct nutritional support is still an often-unanswered need in the care of these patients to avoid poor outcomes. One of the central issues remains how to improve muscolar mass of sarcopenic chronically malnourished individuals with end stage liver diseases and cirrhosis, as only a correct nutritional assessment and subsequent nutritional handling may enhance quality of life and disease outcome.
Pietro Vajro (Ed.) --- Claudia Mandato (Ed.)
Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation: Implications for Maternal and Infant Health
Pregnancy is a viewed as a window to future health. With the birth of the developmental origins of human adult disease hypothesis, research and clinical practice has turned its attention to the influence of maternal factors such as health and lifestyle surrounding pregnancy as a means to understand and prevent the inter-generational inheritance of chronic disease susceptibility. Outcomes during pregnancy have long-lasting impacts on both women on children.
Nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
The purpose of this Special Issue “Nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)” is to increase knowledge regarding the role of dietary composition and effects in IBD, describing the prevalence of malnutrition in IBD and the effect on clinical outcomes, discussing methods of nutrition risk screening and assessment in IBD, and reviewing mechanisms through which diet and dietary components may affect disease severity
Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is of considerable interest to women, their partners and their health care professionals. In developing countries, maternal undernutrition is a major concern. However, with the increased prevalence of abundant high calorie diets, their impact upon pregnancy outcome is of concern. In addition to the amount of nutrition available and its macronutrient composition within a diet, there is emerging evidence highlighting important roles for the lesser studied micronutrients. Added to this complexity is the distinction between maternal and fetal nutrition and the impact the placenta plays in nutrient metabolism and overall nutrient supply to the fetus.
Janna L. Morrison --- Timothy R.H. Regnault
Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is of considerable interest to women, their partners and their health care professionals. In developing countries, maternal undernutrition is a major concern. However, with the increased prevalence of abundant high calorie diets, their impact upon pregnancy outcome is of concern. In addition to the amount of nutrition available and its macronutrient composition within a diet, there is emerging evidence highlighting important roles for the lesser studied micronutrients.
Nutrition, Health and Athletic Performance
Optimal nutrition is fundamental for enhancing training, recovery and performance in sport. Therefore, research has aimed to determine the efficacy of appropriate intake of nutrients, fluids, and supplements and their role in exercise performance. The purpose of this Special Issue entitled “Nutrition, Health and Athletic Performance” is to highlight recent research examining aspects of sports nutrition and exercise performance. Manuscript submissions of original research, meta-analyses, or reviews of the scientific literature, which targets nutritional strategies to benefit performance and health, are welcome. Studies performed in humans are preferred given the applied nature of this issue.
Kelly Pritchett (Ed.) --- Enette Larson Meyer (Ed.)
The One Health concept recognizes that the health of humans, animals, and their ecosystems are interconnected, and that a coordinated, collaborative, multidisciplinary, and cross-sectoral approach is necessary to fully understand and respond to potential or existing risks that originate at the animal–human–ecosystems interfaces. Thus, the One Health concept represents a holistic vision for addressing some of the complex challenges that threaten human and animal health, food safety, and the environments in which diseases flourish.
Libraries are places of learning and knowledge creation. Over the last two decades, digital technology—and the changes that came with it—have accelerated this transformation to a point where evolution starts to become a revolution.The wider Open Science movement, and Open Access in particular, is one of these changes and is already having a profound impact. Under the subscription model, the role of libraries was to buy or license content on behalf of their users and then act as gatekeepers to regulate access on behalf of rights holders
Open-source electronics are becoming very popular, and are integrated with our daily educational and developmental activities. At present, the use open-source electronics for teaching science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has become a global trend. Off-the-shelf embedded electronics such as Arduino- and Raspberry-compatible modules have been widely used for various applications, from do-it-yourself (DIY) to industrial projects. In addition to the growth of open-source software platforms, open-source electronics play an important role in narrowing the gap between prototyping and product development
Optics and Spectroscopy for Fluid Characterization
All over the world, there is a huge and ever-increasing interest in the development and application of optical and spectroscopic techniques to characterize fluids in engineering and science. The large number of review articles that are frequently published in these areas is evidence of this. Recent examples have focused on applications of optical diagnostics to gas phase environments, liquids, and multiphase systems. A key feature of such light-based methods is that they are usually non-intrusive, and hence they do not notably affect the system under investigation.
Optimisation Models and Methods in Energy Systems
Challenging problems arise in all segments of energy industries—generation, transmission, distribution and consumption. Optimization models and methods play a key role in offering decision/policy makers better information to assist them in making sounder decisions at different levels, ranging from operational to strategic planning.
Physical Metallurgy of High Manganese Steels
The Special Issue ‘Physical Metallurgy of High Manganese Steels’ addresses the highly fascinating class of manganese-alloyed steels with manganese contents well above 3 mass%. The book gathers manuscripts from internationally recognized researchers with stimulating new ideas and original results. It consists of fifteen original research papers. Seven contributions focus on steels with manganese contents above 12 mass%. These contributions cover fundamental aspects of process-microstrcuture-properties relationships with processes ranging from cold and warm rolling over deep rolling to heat treatment.
Physiological Responses to Abiotic and Biotic Stress in Forest Trees
As sessile organisms, plants have to cope with a multitude of natural and anthropogenic forms of stress in their environment. Due to their longevity, this is of particular significance for trees. As a consequence, trees develop an orchestra of resilience and resistance mechanisms to biotic and abiotic stresses in order to support their growth and development in a constantly changing atmospheric and pedospheric environment.
Planning, Development and Management of Sustainable Cities
The concept of ‘sustainable urban development’ has been pushed to the forefront of policymaking and politics as the world wakes up to the impacts of climate change and the destructive effects of the Anthropocene. Climate change has emerged to be one of the biggest challenges faced by our planet today, threatening both built and natural systems with long-term consequences, which may be irreversible. While there is a vast body of literature on sustainability and sustainable urban development, there is currently limited focus on how to cohesively bring together the vital issues of the planning, development, and management of sustainable cities.
Yigitcanlar, Tan --- Kamruzzaman, Md. (Liton)
Currently, in the cosmetic industry, there is an increasing interest in natural extracts, particularly plant extracts. The inclusion of antioxidants in topical formulations may contribute to minimize skin oxidative stress, which has been associated with aging. Many herbal agents used in cosmetics have been selected by a process of ‘trial and error’ and, thus, are used on the basis of experience rather than of experimental investigation. Nevertheless, there is now a growing scientific evidence that plants possess a vast and complex arsenal of active ingredients able not only to calm or smooth but also to actively restore, heal, and protect the human skin.
Beatriz P.P. Oliveira (Ed.) --- Francisca Rodrigues (Ed.)
Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in Biodiversity
Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) have been collected and exchanged for centuries. The rapid development of novel tools for genetic and phenotypic analysis is changing the way we can uncover diversity and exploit its value in modern agriculture. The integration of novel analytical tools is crucial for translating research into much-needed, more efficient management and use of PGRFA. This Special Issue provides an overview of recent topics on plant genetics and biotechnology in biodiversity.
Rosa Rao (Ed.) --- Giandomenico Corrado (Ed.)
Plant medicines are the original medicines that humans have always used. Many people continue to use plant medicines today including teas, coffee, chocolate, ginger, and other medicines. Traditional medicine is based on plant medicines and is the primary form of medicine for many people throughout the world. The current volume discusses traditional medicines and presents various plant medicines that could be tested in clinical trials. Modern medicine continues to use many drugs that are derived from plants. The current work has much to teach modern medicine about the treatment of several diseases.
Plants have served mankind as an important source of foods and medicines. While we all consume plants and their products for nutritional support, a majority of the world population also rely on botanical remedies to meet their health needs, either as their own “traditional medicine” or as “complementary and alternative medicine”. From a pharmaceutical point of view, many compounds obtained from plant sources have long been known to possess bio/pharmacological activities, and historically, plants have yielded many important drugs for human use, from morphine discovered in the early nineteenth century to the more recent paclitaxel and artemisinin.
Plant Nutrient Dynamics in Stressful Environments
The papers included in this special issue cover a broad range of aspects ranging from genetics and breeding to crop production in the field. Climate change, intensified agriculture, modifications of land use, or pollution are often accompanied by larger fluctuations including extreme events. The growing world’s population and nutrient deficiencies in agricultural products for human or animal nutrition, or pollutants in harvested products in some regions (quality of yield), are important points to be integrated in a comprehensive analysis aimed at supporting agriculture on the way into a challenging future.
Urs Feller (Ed.) --- Stanislav Kopriva (Ed.) --- Valya Vassileva (Ed.)
Plasma catalysis is gaining increasing interest for various gas conversion applications, such as CO2 conversion into value-added chemicals and fuels, N2 fixation for the synthesis of NH3 or NOx, methane conversion into higher hydrocarbons or oxygenates. It is also widely used for air pollution control (e.g., VOC
Plasma Nanoengineering and Nanofabrication
With the recent advances in nanotechnology, plasma nanofabrication has become an exciting new niche because plasma-based approaches can deliver unique structures at the nanoscale that cannot be achieved by other techniques and/or in a more economical and environmentally friendly manner. Over the last decade, there have been exiting breakthroughs in the utilization of plasma processes in the fabrication of a rich diversity of nanomaterials and nanoengineered coatings. Examples include nanowires, nanotubes, nanoparticles, and nanotextured coatings. Some of these materials can simply not be derived by conventional means while many others have remarkable plasma-induced properties setting them apart from their traditional analogue.
Krasimir Vasilev (Ed.) --- Melanie Ramiasa (Ed.)
Plasma Processes for Renewable Energy Technologies
The use of renewable energy is an effective solution for the prevention of global warming. On the other hand, environmental plasmas are one of powerful means to solve global environmental problems on nitrogen oxides, (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and carbon dioxides (CO2) in the atmosphere. By combining both technologies, we can develop an extremely effective environmental improvement technology. Based on this background, a Special Issue of the journal Energies on plasma processes for renewable energy technologies is planned.
Plasmonics is a rapidly developing field that combines fundamental research and applications ranging from areas such as physics to engineering, chemistry, biology, medicine, food sciences, and the environmental sciences. Plasmonics appeared in the 1950s with the discovery of surface plasmon polaritons. Plasmonics then went through a novel propulsion in the mid-1970s, when surface-enhanced Raman scattering was discovered. Nevertheless, it is in this last decade that a very significant explosion of plasmonics and its applications has occurred. Thus, this book provides a snapshot of the current advances in these various areas of plasmonics and its applications, such as engineering, sensing, surface-enhanced fluorescence, catalysis, and photovoltaic devices.
Polarimetric SAR Techniques and Applications
Polarimetry allows sensitivity to the structural and geometric properties of the scene, making it possible a more accurate identification and classification than non-polarimetric systems. Then, polarimetry makes possible new applications, especially in quantitative extraction of bio and geophysical variables. Also, the combination of polarimetry and interferometry allows also to explore the vertical structure of semi-transparent media, like crops and forests. SAR polarimetry is an active field of research in Earth observation. Besides the development of applications, researchers have also focused in theory or physical modelling to make SAR polarimetry an operational technique.
Carlos López-Martínez (Ed.) --- Juan Manuel Lopez-Sanchez (Ed.)
Polyamine Metabolism in Disease and Polyamine-Targeted Therapies
Polyamines are ubiquitous polycations essential for all cellular life. The most common polyamines in eukaryotes, spermine, spermidine, and putrescine, exist in millimolar intracellular concentrations that are tightly regulated through biosynthesis, catabolism, and transport. Polyamines interact with, and regulate, negatively charged macromolecules, including nucleic acids, proteins, and ion channels. Accordingly, alterations in polyamine metabolism affect cellular proliferation and survival through changes in gene expression and transcription, translation, autophagy, oxidative stress, and apoptosis
Polyhedral Structures, Symmetry, and Applications
Symmetry is an intriguing phenomenon manifesting itself in art, nature, and the mind. This Special Issue book features 19 articles about discrete geometric and combinatorial polyhedral structures, with symmetry as the unifying theme. These articles present an attractive mix of topics and have appeared in two related Special Issues of Symmetry, on "Polyhedra" in 2012/2013 and on "Polyhedral Structures" in 2016/2017.
The Role of Pregnancy Nutrition in Maternal and Offspring Health
In pregnancy, maternal nutrition sustains and nourishes the developing child. Imbalances in either the direction of nutritional excess or deficiency can have adverse consequences for child health. In addition, more research now suggests that good pregnancy nutrition influences child health beyond pregnancy and delivery. This includes modifying the risk of child health outcomes as they enter childhood and adulthood through influences on placental development, hormonal pathways, and organ structure and function. Poor pregnancy nutrition may also compromise maternal health during pregnancy, which may have long-term consequences for women’s health.
Roles of NF-κB in Cancer and Their Therapeutic Approaches
Although mortality rates have declined in recent years, the majority of cancers are still difficult to treat and the medical need for better cancer treatment is evident. The current anticancer armamentarium includes many active agents that are applied across tumor types. However, most of these broadly-active anticancer drugs have a small therapeutic index and barely discriminate between malignant and normal cells. In recent years the focus has shifted to the development of rationally designed, molecularly-targeted therapy for the treatment of a specific cancer, therefore offering the promise of greater specificity coupled with reduced systemic toxicity.
The safety and microbiological quality of fermented foods covers complementary aspects of such products. Food fermentation is primary intended to improve food preservation, thereby modifying food properties. However, the management of chemical and microbiological hazards is a leading aspect for innovative processing in this domain. Similarly, microbiological quality in fermented foods is of peculiar importance: all microorganisms with a positive effect, including probiotic bacteria, fermentative bacteria, Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts, can be relevant.
Satellite altimetry is a radar technique for measuring the topography of the Earth’s surface. It was initially designed for measuring the ocean’s topography, with reference to an ellipsoid, and for the determination of the marine geoid. Satellite altimetry has provided extremely valuable information on ocean science (e.g., circulation surface geostrophic currents, eddy structures, wave heights, and the propagation of oceanic Kelvin and Rossby waves). With more than 25 years of observations, it is also becoming vital to climate research, providing accurate measurements of sea level variations from regional to global scales
Frappart, Frédéric --- Andersen, Ole --- Lebedev, Sergey --- Ramillien, Guillaume
Sea Surface Roughness Observed by High Resolution Radar
Changes in sea surface roughness are usually associated with a change in the sea surface wind field. This interaction has been exploited to measure sea surface wind speed by scatterometry. A number of features on the sea surface associated with changes in roughness can be observed by synthetic aperture radar (SAR) because of the change in Bragg backscatter of the radar signal by damping of the resonant ocean capillary waves.
Fujimura, Atsushi --- Lehner, Susanne --- Soloviev, Alex --- Li, Xiaofeng
Security and Privacy in Wireless and Mobile Networks
Currently, at the dawn of 5G networks, and the era of the Internet-of-Things, wireless and mobile networking is becoming increasingly ubiquitous. In this landscape, security and privacy turn into decisive factors. That is, the mobile and wireless ecosystem is an ideal playground for many perpetrators: (a) handheld devices are used for critical tasks, such as e-commerce, bank transactions, payments, application purchases, as well as social interaction; (b) such devices uniquely identify their users and store sensitive and detailed information about them; and (c) despite all their sophistication, native security mechanisms of mobile operating systems can be bypassed, and several wireless interfaces and protocols have been proven to be vulnerable to attack.
Georgios Kambourakis (Ed.) --- Félix Gómez Mármol (Ed.) --- Guojun Wang (Ed.)
The interface of 440,000 km long coastline in the world is subject to global change, with an increasing human pressure (land use, buildings, sand mining, dredging) and increasing population. Improving our knowledge on involved mechanisms and sediment transport processes, monitoring the evolution of sedimentary stocks and anticipating changes in littoral and coastal zones is essential for this purpose.
Selected Problems in Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer
Fluid flow and heat transfer processes play an important role in many areas of science and engineering, from the planetary scale (e.g., influencing weather and climate) to the microscopic scales of enhancing heat transfer by the use of nanofluids; understood in the broadest possible sense, they also underpin the performance of many energy systems. This topical Special Issue of Energies is dedicated to the recent advances in this very broad field.
Agriculture requires technical solutions for increasing production while lessening environmental impact by reducing the application of agro-chemicals and increasing the use of environmentally friendly management practices. A benefit of this is the reduction of production costs. Sensor technologies produce tools to achieve the abovementioned goals. The explosive technological advances and developments in recent years have enormously facilitated the attainment of these objectives, removing many barriers for their implementation, including the reservations expressed by farmers.
The sharing economy and collaborative consumption are attracting a great deal of interest due to their business, legal and civic implications. The consequences of the spreading of practices of sharing in urban environments and under daily dynamics are underexplored. This Special Issue aims to address if and how sharing shapes cities, the way that spaces are designed and lived in if social interactions are escalated, and the ways that habits and routines take place in post-individualistic society.
Salvia, Giuseppe --- Morello, Eugenio --- Arcidiacono, Andrea
Short Rotation Woody Crop Production Systems for Ecosystem Services and Phytotechnologies
While international efforts in the development of short rotation woody crops (SRWCs) have historically focused on the production of biomass for bioenergy, biofuels, and bioproducts, research and deployment over the past decade has expanded to include broader objectives of achieving multiple ecosystem services. In particular, silvicultural prescriptions developed for SRWCs have been refined to include woody crop production systems for environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration, water quality and quantity, and soil health.
Zalesny, Jr., Ronald S. --- Headlee, William L. --- Soolanayakanahally, Raju --- Richardson, Jim
Short-Term Load Forecasting by Artificial Intelligent Technologies
In last few decades, short-term load forecasting (STLF) has been one of the most important research issues for achieving higher efficiency and reliability in power system operation, to facilitate the minimization of its operation cost by providing accurate input to day-ahead scheduling, contingency analysis, load flow analysis, planning, and maintenance of power systems. There are lots of forecasting models proposed for STLF, including traditional statistical models (such as ARIMA, SARIMA, ARMAX, multi-variate regression, Kalman filter, exponential smoothing, and so on) and artificial-intelligence-based models (such as artificial neural networks (ANNs), knowledge-based expert systems, fuzzy theory and fuzzy inference systems, evolutionary computation models, support vector regression, and so on).
Wei-Chiang Hong (Ed.) --- Ming-Wei Li (Ed.) --- Guo-Feng Fan (Ed.)
Silicon-Based Nanomaterials: Technology and Applications
Silicon has been proven to be remarkably resilient as a commercial electronic material. The microelectronics industry has harnessed nanotechnology to continually push the performance limits of silicon devices and integrated circuits. Rather than shrinking its market share, silicon is displacing “competitor” semiconductors in domains such as high-frequency electronics and integrated photonics. There are strong business drivers underlying these trends; however, an important contribution is also being made by research groups worldwide, who are developing new configurations, designs, and applications of silicon-based nanoscale and nanostructured materials.
Smart and Functional Polymers”. The collected research and review articles focus on the synthesis and characterization of advanced functional polymers, polymers with specific structures and performances, current improvements in advanced polymer-based materials for various applications, and the opportunities and challenges in the future. The topics cover the emerging synthesis and characterization technology of smart polymers, core?shell structure polymers, stimuli-responsive polymers, anhydrous electrorheological materials fabricated from conducting polymers, reversible polymerization systems, and biomedical polymers for drug delivery and disease theranostics.
Ding, Jianxun --- Li, Yang --- Li, Mingqiang
Smart machines, Remote Sensing, Precision Farming, Processes, Mechatronic, Materials and Policies for Safety and Health Aspects
The introduction of "smart machines" for agricultural operations will allow several advantages, such as an increase in their efficiencies, a reduction in environmental impacts and a reduction of work injuries. There are partially- and fully-automatic devices for most aspects of agricultural functions, from seeding and planting to harvesting and postharvesting, from spraying to livestock management, and so on The objectives of this book are: study of man–machine dialogue systems; analysis on towed or carried machines: forestry chippers, manure spreaders, round balers and others; safety and health management system design and engineering
Andrea Colantoni (Ed.) --- Danilo Monarca (Ed.) --- Massimo Cecchini (Ed.) --- Vincenzo Laurendi (Ed.) --- et al.
Smart Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring
Smart sensors are technologies designed to facilitate the monitoring operations. For instance, power consumption can be minimized through on-board processing and smart interrogation algorithms, and state detection enhanced through collaboration between sensor nodes. Applied to structural health monitoring, smart sensors are key enablers of sparse and dense sensor networks capable of monitoring full-scale structures and components. They are also critical in empowering operators with decision making capabilities.
Ubertini, Filippo --- Laflamme, Simon --- Li, Jian
Smart Textiles Production: Overview of Materials, Sensor and Production Technologies for Industrial Smart Textiles
The research field of smart textiles is currently witnessing a rapidly growing number of applications integrating intelligent functions in textile substrates. With an increasing amount of new developed product prototypes, the number of materials used and that of specially designed production technologies are also growing. This book is intended to provide an overview of materials, production technologies, and product concepts to different groups concerned with smart textiles. It will help designers to understand the possibilities of smart textile production, so that they are enabled to design this type of products
Inga Gehrke, Vadim Tenner, Volker Lutz, David Schmelzeisen and Thomas Gries
With the advent of disruptive digital technologies, companies are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Advanced manufacturing systems are of paramount importance in making key enabling technologies and new products more competitive, affordable, and accessible, as well as for fostering their economic and social impact. The manufacturing industry also serves as an innovator for sustainability since automation coupled with advanced manufacturing technologies have helped manufacturing practices transition into the circular economy
Soil Water Conservation. Dynamics and Impact
Human needs like food and clean water are directly related to good maintenance of healthy and productive soils. A good understanding of human impact on the natural environment is therefore necessary to preserve and manage soil and water resources. This knowledge is particularly important in semi-arid and arid regions, where the increasing demands on limited water supplies require urgent efforts to improve water quality and water use efficiency. It is important to keep in mind that both soil and water are limited resources.
Keesstra, Saskia --- Di Prima, Simone --- Castellini, Mirko --- Pirastru, Mario
Sol-Gel Chemistry Applied to Materials Science
Sol–gel technology is a contemporary advancement in science that requires taking a multidisciplinary approach with regard to its various applications. This book highlights some applications of the sol–gel technology, including protective coatings, catalysts, piezoelectric devices, wave guides, lenses, high-strength ceramics, superconductors, synthesis of nanoparticles, and insulating materials. In particular, for biotechnological applications, biomolecules or the incorporation of bioactive substances into the sol–gel matrix has been extensively studied and has been a challenge for many researchers.
Solar Energy Applications in Houses, Smart Cities and Microgrids
Five papers were selected for this Special Issue, with three relating to solar energy applications in houses, smart cities, and microgrids; one studying the relationship between the smart city model and the concept of energy sustainability; and one addressing the following two topics: the lack of effectiveness of detection algorithms based on the voltage/frequency displacement concept under voltage-controlled inverters and the applicability limits of others based on the impedance measurement (IM).
Solar Radiation, Modelling and Remote Sensing
Accurate solar radiation knowledge and its characterization on the Earth’s surface are of high interest in many aspects of environmental and engineering sciences. Modeling of solar irradiance from satellite imagery has become the most widely used method for retrieving solar irradiance information under total sky conditions, particularly in the solar energy community. Solar radiation modeling, forecasting, and characterization continue to be broad areas of study, research, and development in the scientific community. This Special Issue contains a small sample of the current activities in this field.
Solid State Lasers Materials, Technologies and Applications
Solid-state lasers offer unique qualities in terms of flexibility, robustness, efficiency, and wavelength diversity. For these reasons, they are nowadays irreplaceable tools in many scientific and industrial applications. The engineering of new materials, the advances in photonics technologies, and the increasing demand for speed, cleanliness, and high-precision in industrial processes contribute to propel the research in this exciting and quickly developing field
Special Functions: Fractional Calculus and the Pathway for Entropy
This book deals with the connection between entropy, probability, and fractional dynamics as they appeared, for example, in solar neutrino astrophysics since the 1970's (Mathai and Rathie 1975, Mathai and Pederzoli 1977, Mathai and Saxena 1978, Mathai, Saxena, and Haubold 2010). The original solar neutrino problem, experimentally and theoretically, was resolved through the discovery of neutrino oscillations and was recently enriched by neutrino entanglement entropy. To reconsider possible new physics of solar neutrinos, diffusion entropy analysis, utilizing Boltzmann entropy, and standard deviation analysis was undertaken with Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino data.
Statistical Analysis and Stochastic Modelling of Hydrological Extremes
Hydrological extremes have become a major concern because of their devastating consequences and their increased risk as a result of climate change and the growing concentration of people and infrastructure in high-risk zones. The analysis of hydrological extremes is challenging due to their rarity and small sample size, and the interconnections between different types of extremes and becomes further complicated by the untrustworthy representation of meso-scale processes involved in extreme events by coarse spatial and temporal scale models as well as biased or missing observations due to technical difficulties during extreme conditions
The aim of this special issue is to publish original research papers that cover recent advances in the theory and application of stochastic processes. There is especial focus on applications of stochastic processes as models of dynamic phenomena in various research areas, such as queuing theory, physics, biology, economics, medicine, reliability theory, and financial mathematics. Potential topics include, but are not limited
Structural Control of Mineral Deposits. Theory and Reality
Structural Control"" remains a crucial point that frequently lacks in any scientific and/or economic analysis of ore deposits, whatever their type and class. The case of lode deposits is exemplary, although also other deposits, like breccia pipe, stockwerk, massive sulphides, skarn, etc., can, surprisingly, be concerned. Several concepts like the gold-bearing shear zone have not proven valid during the last few decades in terms of our understanding of gold deposit and have been totally abandoned.
Structural Design and Properties of Coordination Polymers
The assembly of organic ligands and metal centres yields coordination polymers, many of which find applications in conductivity, catalysis, magnetism, gas sorption, biological sensing and luminescence. The structure and topology of coordination polymers may be manipulated by changing the reaction conditions, leading to a large variety of structurally and topologically unique products. However, controlling and predicting the final outcome of the self-assembly procedure remains one of the major challenges in the field.
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of Civil Structures
Deficiencies in these areas may be remediated by advancements in structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies that provide sensing systems to automatically and economically diagnose structural integrity. In a sense, SHM technologies will help pave the way to intelligent structures that are able to detect damage by themselves and even warn occupants of any danger due to impending structural failure. Engineering sensors and developing smart algorithms for SHM often involves the close collaboration of a surprisingly large breadth of specialties.
Gangbing Song (Ed.) --- Chuji Wang (Ed.) --- Bo Wang (Ed.)
Structure and Mechanical Properties of Transition Group Metals, Alloys, and Intermetallic Compounds
The aim of this Special Issue is to present the latest theoretical and experimental achievements concerning the mechanisms of microstructural change in metallic materials subject to different processing methods, and their effect on mechanical properties. It is my pleasure to present a series of compelling scientific papers written by scientists from the community of transition group metals, alloys, and intermetallic compounds.
Structure, Chemical Analysis, Biosynthesis, Metabolism, Molecular Engineering and Biological Functions of Phytoalexins
Ever since the concept of phytoalexins was proposed by Müller and Borger in 1940, these compounds have attracted considerable attention due to the central role they play in the defense mechanisms of various plants. Besides displaying antifungal activity in numerous plant–pathogen interactions, phytoalexins have been implicated in human health and disease as antioxidant, anticancer and cardioprotective agents as well as being supposed to act positively in neurodegenerative illnesses.
The present printed edition of the Special Issue “Surface Chemistry and Catalysis” published in Catalysts aims to cover some of the recent advances in the field of heterogeneous catalysis that can be obtained by means of advanced characterization techniques, computational calculations and time-resolved methods, with particular emphasis on structure–activity relationships (SARs). It consists of 14 high-quality theoretical and experimental studies on various aspects on catalysis, involving the electrochemical promotion in catalysis, H2O dissociation, H2 production, Fisher–Tropsch synthesis, CO oxidation, among others.
Surface Modification to Improve Properties of Materials
This book contains selected contributions on surface modification to improve the properties of solid materials. The surface properties are tailored either by functionalization, etching, or deposition of a thin coating. Functionalization is achieved by a brief treatment with non-equilibrium gaseous plasma containing suitable radicals that interact chemically with the material surface and thus enable the formation of rather stable functional groups. Etching is performed in order to modify the surface morphology.
Sustainability in Construction Engineering
The concept of sustainability has been expanding to all areas of economic activity, including construction. The Special Issue “Sustainability in Construction Engineering” provided a possibility for researchers to disseminate their new ideas and findings related to sustainable decisions in construction engineering as a complex discipline that involves designing, planning, construction and management of infrastructures. The topics raised interest of researchers all over the world and the current Special Issue received a great number of submissions from different institutions, countries and continents.
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas (Ed.) --- Jonas Šaparauskas (Ed.) --- Jurgita Antuchevičienė (Ed.)
Sustainability through the Lens of Environmental Sociology
Our planet is undergoing radical environmental and social changes. Sustainability has now been put into question by, for example, our consumption patterns, loss of biodiversity, depletion of resources, and exploitative power relations. With apparent ecological and social limits to globalization and development, current levels of consumption are unsustainable, inequitable, and inaccessible to the majority of humans. Understanding and attaining sustainability is a crucial matter at a time when our planet is in peril—environmentally, economically, socially, and politically.
Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change
Sustainability covers environmental, social and economic dimensions, and requires a multi-disciplinary approach in order to examine, explore and critically engage with issues and advances in its related areas. As we are aware, climate change is a certainty and it affects many economic sectors, including agriculture, particularly production of crop and livestock enterprises. Vast regional differences in these impacts are expected for various parts of the world, culminating in changes in trade patterns, and perhaps eventually even threatening the food security in certain parts of the world
Sustainable Agriculture–Beyond Organic Farming
The current conception of organic farming is the result of nearly a century of intellectual thought and dialogue, field observations and experiences, systematic experimentation, and codification of rules. Debates on the future viability of organic farming often focus on its capacity to produce sufficient food to meet the demands of a growing human population. Yet any thorough examination of the pros and cons of alternative farming approaches should consider much more—for example the side effects on soil, water and air; energy and land-use efficiency; global warming potential; conservation of biodiversity; waste generation and recycling; farmer and community well-being; animal welfare; and the capacity to function and meet demands long into the future.
The dynamically changing world economy, in an era of intensive development and globalization, creates new needs in both the theoretical models of management and in the practical discussion related to the perception of business. Because of new economic phenomena related to the crisis, there is a need for the design and operationalization of innovative business models for companies. Due to the fact that in times of crisis, the principles of strategic balance are particularly important; these business models can be sustainable business models. Moreover, it is essential to skillfully use different methods and concepts of management to ensure the continuity of business.
The dynamically changing world economy, in an era of intensive development and globalization, creates new needs in both the theoretical models of management and in the practical discussion related to the perception of business. Because of new economic phenomena related to the crisis, there is a need for the design and operationalization of innovative business models for companies. Due to the fact that in times of crisis, the principles of strategic balance are particularly important; these business models can be sustainable business models.
Within the framework of tourism companies and tourist destinations, the question of sustainability is gaining importance. Tourists are increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability criteria, awarding greater value to sustainable destinations. Sustainability refers to a wide range of aspects related to climate change, the economic organization of tourism, social values or questions, job creation, and the necessary protection of the culture of destinations and the environment. Therefore, there is a need for studies that consider these aspects in order to achieve the sustainable development of tourist destinations.
This Special Issue of Sustainability reports on recent research aiming to make the freight transport sector more sustainable. The sector faces significant challenges in different domains of sustainability, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the management of health and safety impacts. In particular, the intention to decarbonise the sector’s activities has led to a strong increase in research efforts—this is also the main focus of the Special Issue. Sustainable freight transport operations represent a significant challenge with multiple technical, operational, and political aspects.
The concept of sustainability is important for companies both in the case of SMEs and worldwide multinational companies. Some key factors to help a company achieve its sustainability objectives are based on human resource management. Sustainable human resource management is a typical cross-functional task that becomes increasingly important at the strategic level of a company. Industry 4.0 technologies, Internet of Things, and competitive demands, as signs of globalization, have led to significant changes across the organizational structures and human resource strategies of companies.
Human development has made remarkable social and economic progress possible for most of us but has also entailed a range of serious impacts on natural resources, local communities and the economy at multiple scales. Thus, achieving sustainable territorial management that combines healthy and prosperous societies with the long-term maintenance of biodiversity and productive ecosystem services remains the biggest challenge of our modern world. This Special Issue seeks to collect a coherent set of studies on techniques and experiences (case studies) aimed at increasing the environmental, social, economic &/or institutional sustainability of landscapes and seascapes from a range of geographic and socioeconomic contexts.
David Rodr´ıguez-Rodr´ıguez (Ed.) --- Javier Mart´ınez-Vega (Ed.)
Sustainable Tourism and Natural Resource Conservation in the Polar Regions
In total, 40 papers were presented at the conference which explored how expectations towards tourism development in peripheral places can be managed to contribute to the cultural well-being of peripheral communities and enhance the protection of the environment. The seven papers contained herein, in addition to the editorial, can roughly be grouped into two categories. The first set of four papers deals with methods and key assets for developing sustainable tourism operations in the Polar Regions. The second set of three papers deals more with the implications of different means of access to the more remote parts of the Polar Regions.
Machiel Lamers (Ed.) --- Edward Huijbens (Ed.)
This book presents interesting samples of theoretical and practical advances of symmetry in multidisciplinary engineering applications. It covers several applications, such as accessibility and traffic congestion management, path planning for mobile robots, analysis of shipment service networks, fault diagnosis methods in electrical circuits and electrical machines, geometrical issues in architecture, geometric modeling and virtual reconstruction, design of noise detectors, filters, and segmentation methods for image processing, and cyclic symmetric structures in turbomachinery applications, to name but a few.
Montoya, Francisco G. --- Baños Navarro, Raúl
This book contains the successful invited submissions to a Special Issue of Symmetry on the subject of ""Graph Theory"". Although symmetry has always played an important role in Graph Theory, in recent years, this role has increased significantly in several branches of this field, including but not limited to Gromov hyperbolic graphs, the metric dimension of graphs, domination theory, and topological indices.
Prototypical quantum optics models, such as the Jaynes–Cummings, Rabi, Tavis–Cummings, and Dicke models, are commonly analyzed with diverse techniques, including analytical exact solutions, mean-field theory, exact diagonalization, and so on. Analysis of these systems strongly depends on their symmetries, ranging, e.g., from a U(1) group in the Jaynes–Cummings model to a Z2 symmetry in the full-fledged quantum Rabi model. In recent years, novel regimes of light–matter interactions, namely, the ultrastrong and deep-strong coupling regimes, have been attracting an increasing amount of interest
Synthesis and Applications of New Spin Crossover Compounds
The crystal chemistry of spin crossover (SCO) behavior in coordination compounds can potentially be in association with smart materials—promising materials for applications as components of memory devices, displays, sensors and mechanical devices and, especially, actuators, such as artificial muscles. This Special Issue is devoted to various aspects of SCO and related research, comprising 18 interesting original papers on valuable and important SCO topics
Dear Colleagues, Synthetic biology is a broad and emerging discipline that capitalizes on recent advances in molecular biology, genetics, protein and RNA engineering and omics technologies. These technologies have transformed our ability to reveal the biology of the cell and the molecular basis of disease.
Systems Education for a Sustainable Planet
The issues facing humanity have become increasingly complex due to the fact they are embedded in a global web of ecological, economic, social, cultural and political processes that are dynamically interlinked. The capacity to conceptualise and redesign solutions, in systems and sustainability terms, will increasingly be what society and employers expect. This “expectation” is globally one of the biggest challenges for education. This Special Issue highlights key developments in the area of systems education and how some of the many challenges are currently being addressed.
Ockie Bosch (Ed.) --- Robert Y. Cavana (Ed.)
Tea, made from the leaves of the Camellia senenisis plant, is the second most consumed beverage worldwide after water. Accumulating evidence from cellular, animal, epidemiological and clinical studies have linked tea consumption to various health benefits, such as chemoprevention of cancers, chronic inflammation, heart and liver diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, etc. Although such health benefits have not been consistently observed in some intervention trials, positive results from clinical trials have provided direct evidence supporting the cancer-protective effect of green tea.
Teaching Methods in Science Subjects Promoting Sustainability
In this book, conventional and new methods through which sustainability can be promoted in mathematics and science subjects are described and discussed. The aim of the book is to support teachers and teacher educators in their work, and to create a multi-sided view on sustainability, and on education for sustainable development. Curriculums and teaching approaches for the implementation of sustainability in schools and universities, especially in teacher education, are discussed. The pedagocical studies presented give useful examples of how sustainability can be included in mathematics, physics and biology education.
Teenage Reproductive Health: Pregnancy, Contraception, Unsafe Abortion, Fertility
Maternal mortality is still globally high and reducing it is a top priority. Teenage pregnancies have more complications and are also unwanted in many cases. This contributes to the high maternal mortality with both obstetric complications and burden of unsafe abortion. Additionally, many teenagers live in areas with heavy pollution that affects the mother and the unborn child. Global public health is a very important issue that aims to prevent disease, prolong life, and promote physical, mental and social well-being.
Thermal and Electro-thermal System Simulation
With increasing power levels and power densities in electronics systems, thermal issues are becoming more and more critical. The elevated temperatures result in changing electrical system parameters, changing the operation of devices, and sometimes even the destruction of devices. To prevent this, the thermal behavior has to be considered in the design phase. This can be done with thermal end electro-thermal design and simulation tools
Thermo-Mechanical Behaviour of Structural Lightweight Alloys
The need to reduce the ecological footprint of water/land/air vehicles in this era of climate change requires pushing the limits regarding the development of lightweight structures and materials. This requires a thorough understanding of their thermomechanical behavior at several stages of the production chain. Moreover, during service, the response of lightweight alloys under the simultaneous influence of mechanical loads and temperature can determine the lifetime and performance of a multitude of structural components.
Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics of Small Systems
A challenging frontier in modern statistical physics concerns systems with a small number of degrees of freedom, far from the thermodynamic limit. Beyond the general interest in the foundation of statistical mechanics, the relevance of this subject is due to the recent increase of resolution in the observation and manipulation of biological and man-made objects at micro- and nano-scales. A peculiar feature of small systems is the role played by fluctuations, which cannot be neglected and are responsible for many non-trivial behaviors. The study of fluctuations of thermodynamic quantities, such as energy or entropy, goes back to Einstein, Onsager, and Kubo; more recently, interest in this matter has grown with the establishment of new fluctuation–dissipation relations, and of so-called stochastic thermodynamics.
Andrea Puglisi (Ed.) --- Alessandro Sarracino (Ed.) --- Angelo Vulpiani (Ed.)
Interest in the study of life in hot environments, both with respect to the inhabiting microorganisms and the enzymes they produce, is currently very high. The biological mechanisms responsible for the resistance to high temperatures are not yet fully understood, whereas thermostability is a highly required feature for industrial applications. In this e-book, the invited authors provide diverse evidence contributing to the understanding of such mechanisms and the unlocking of the biotechnological potential of thermophiles and thermozymes.
Thin Films for Energy Harvesting, Conversion, and Storage
Efficient clean energy harvesting, conversion, and storage technologies are of immense importance for the sustainable development of human society. To this end, scientists have made significant advances in recent years regarding new materials and devices for improving the energy conversion efficiency for photovoltaics, thermoelectric generation, photoelectrochemical/electrolytic hydrogen generation, and rechargeable metal ion batteries.
Chen, Zhong --- Tang, Yuxin --- Zhao, Xin
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Nanomedicine
This book focus on the most recent advances related to the design and processing methods of different nanobiomaterials, films, and fibers; surface functionalization strategies, including biological performance assessment and cytocompatibility; and their applications in tissue engineering strategies
Oliveira, Joaquim Miguel --- Reis, Rui L.
Although the seminal work of Fujishima et al. dates back to 1971, TiO2 still remains the most diffused and studied semiconductor, employed in photo-oxidation processes for cleantech (i.e., polluted water and air treatment), in solar fuel production (mainly hydrogen production by water photo splitting), and in Carbon Capture and Utilization (CCU) processes by CO2 photoreduction. The eleven articles, among them three reviews, in this book cover recent results and research trends of various aspects of titanium dioxide photocatalysis, with the chief aim of improving the final efficiency of TiO2-based materials.
Dal Santo, Vladimiro --- Naldoni, Alberto
This book collected studies focused on the management of tourist destinations. Destinations are complex and adaptive systems, where the different elements that make them up have to be oriented towards achieving a common objective that improves the competitiveness of the destination. Five main lines of research on tourist destinations can be established: 1) the management, planning, and marketing of destinations, with special attention to the tourism supply chain, communication, and integral management; 2) the sustainability of resources and capabilities; 3) the renewal of destinations in order to update their offer and main resources to maintain competitiveness; 4) online reputation and communication through social media in order to create and enhance a strong brand image and customer loyalty; and 5) the application of new technologies in order to develop smart destinations.
Rodríguez-Díaz, Manuel --- Espino-Rodríguez, Tomás F.
Toward a Sustainable Agriculture: Farming Practices and Water Use
Globally, the agri-food sector has a major role to play in ensuring food security and economic development, especially for lower income countries. In the increasingly demanding context of environmental risk, exacerbated by climate change, and of environmental degradation, agricultural producers are faced with the challenge to meet the demand of the agri-food sector to feed growing populations in a sustainable manner while still trying to make ends meet. Toward a Sustainable Agriculture: Farming Practices and Water Use
Towards Excellence in Engineering Education
Acquiring knowledge is a life-long process; we constantly need to keep abreast of developments and progress in science and other disciplines. Embracing a scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) means practicing constant self-reflection, involving evaluation of the academic career and the ways in which strategies are designed to examine, interpret, and share learning about teaching. This practice not only yields benefits to the lecturer but also enriches the scholarly community in the discipline.
Towards Sustainable Global Food Systems. Conceptual and Policy Analysis of Agriculture, Food and Environment Linkages
One of the major knowledge challenges in the domain of Resilient and Sustainable Food Systems refers to the integration of perspectives on consumption, patterns that support public health, inclusive value chains, and environmentally sustainable food production. While there is a long record of the analysis of separate interventions, this special issue generates integrated insights, provides cross-cutting perspectives, and outlines practical and policy solutions that address these global challenges.<false,>
Toxins in Drug Discovery and Pharmacology
Venoms from marine and terrestrial animals (cone snails, scorpions, spiders, snakes, centipedes, cnidarian, etc.) can be seen as untapped cocktails of biologically active compounds that are being increasingly recognized as a new emerging source of peptide-based therapeutics. Venomous animals are considered to be specialized predators that have evolved the most sophisticated peptide chemistry and neuropharmacology for their own biological purposes by producing venoms that contain a structural and functional diversity of neurotoxins.
Traditional and Innovative Approaches in Seismic Design
This special issue collects selected papers about a wide range of innovative applications in earthquake engineering. These studies were presented during the 2nd Edition of the International Workshop “Traditional and Innovative Approaches in Seismic Engineering”, held in Pisa in March 2017. The topics refer to the investigation of traditional and innovative materials for earthquake engineering applications: masonry, reinforced concrete, steel, structural glass and timber. In particular, advanced analytical and numerical analyses are described for considering effects of strength and material irregularities and rocking behavior under seismic excitations on historic buildings and industrial facilities
Linda Giresini (ed.) --- Francesca Taddei
Transcultural Literary Studies: Politics, Theory, and Literary Analysis
Witnessing the rise of nationalism, nativism, and xenophobia in many countries, theories of transculturalism arose, in part, out of the concern that multi- and intercultural identity models have not set themselves sufficiently apart from their own culturalist baggage, thus leaving their doors open to strong nationalistic and ethnocentric orientations. But how can we—how can literature—imagine transcultural communities?
Statistical relationships among the variables of a complex system reveal a lot about its physical behavior. Therefore, identification of the relevant variables and characterization of their interactions are crucial for a better understanding of a complex system. Linear methods, such as correlation, are widely used to identify these relationships. However, information-theoretic quantities, such as mutual information and transfer entropy, have been proven to be superior in the case of nonlinear dependencies.
Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) Channels in Drug Discovery: Old Concepts & New Thoughts
The year 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the molecular cloning of the long sought-after capsaicin receptor, now known as TRPV1 (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1). This seminal discovery has opened up a “hot” new field of basic research and launched drug discovery efforts into the large family (by the latest count, 28 mammalian members and 27 in humans) of TRP ion channels. Indeed, it took less than a decade for the first potent, small molecule TRPV1 antagonists to enter phase 1 clinical trials, closely followed by TRPA1 and TRPM8 antagonists. The literature on TRP channels is immense. TRPV1 alone is a keyword in over 5000 publications searchable in PubMed.
Arpad Szallasi (Ed.) --- Susan M. Huang (Ed.)
Transmucosal Absorption Enhancers in the Drug Delivery Field
Development of strategies to assist the movement of poorly permeable molecules across biological barriers has long been the goal of drug delivery science. In the last three decades, there has been an exponential increase in advanced drug delivery systems that aim to address this issue. However, most proprietary delivery technologies that have progressed to clinical development are based on permeation enhancers (PEs) that have a history of safe use in man. This Special Issue entitled “Transmucosal Absorption Enhancers in the Drug Delivery Field” aims to present the current state-of-the-art in the application of PEs to improve drug absorption.
Casettari, Luca --- Maher, Sam --- Illum, Lisbeth
Transport of Fluids in Nanoporous Materials
Fluid transport in narrow pores is central to the design and optimization of nanoporous materials in industrial applications, such as catalysis, nanofluids, electrochemical batteries, and membrane separation. However, due to the strong potential field in nanopores, conventional models and methods have become inadequate for predicting the transport behavior of molecules confined in the pore space. In addition, the inherent complexity of the pore structure in nanomaterials requires consideration of local or nanoscale transport at the single pore level, and averaging over the macroscale, which further impedes the application and validation of the formulated mechanical models
Suresh K. Bhatia (Ed.) --- David Nicholson (Ed.) --- Xuechao Gao (Ed.) --- Guozhao Ji (Ed.)
This collection of papers describes the recent development of travel health and vaccination services delivered by pharmacists. It is the first dedicated collection of its type and provides a template for the continued growth of pharmacy practice in this area. The articles examine and report on aspects of such services in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and South Africa, which will provide useful insight for those in other countries developing such pharmacy-based services.
Trends in Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation Processes
This book gives an overview of the state of the art in Catalytic Wet Peroxide Oxidation research for the treatment of industrial and urban wastewaters and provides novel solutions to overcome the current challenges of this technology. These solutions include tailoring of the catalysts to exploit the use of additional energy sources and oxidants. The collected papers illustrate the high versatility of this low-cost technology, easily adaptable to any kind of wastewater, either polluted by high-loaded recalcitrant organics in industrial wastewaters or by emerging pollutants at microconcentration levels in urban waters.
Quintanilla, Asuncion --- Munoz, Macarena
Trends in Microextraction Techniques for Sample Preparation
Micro-extraction techniques in sample preparation are gaining interest among analytical chemists as they comply with green analytical chemistry demands and ensure environmental protection and public safety. Savings in cost and time are considered as valuable benefits by using novel micro-extraction approaches in sample handling. Selectivity, sensitivity and lower detection limits are also included among the performance characteristics required to meet the legislation criteria. The target of this special issue is to present the state of art in microextraction sample preparation techniques.
Tribological Performance of Artificial Joints
Joint replacement is a very successful medical treatment. However, the survivorship of the implants could be adversely affected due to the loss of materials in the form of particles or ions as the bearing surfaces articulate against earch other. The consequent tissue and immune response to the wear products, remain one of the key factors of their failure. Tribology has been defined as the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion and all related wear products (e.g., particles, ions, etc.).
The Special Issue on Tribology and Surface Engineering includes nine research articles and one review article. It concerns a very important problem of resistance to wear and shaping the properties of the surface layers of different materials by different methods and technologies. The topics of the presented research articles include reactive direct current magnetron sputtering of silicon nitrides on implants, laser surface modification of aeroengine turbine blades, laser micro-texturing of titanium alloy to increase the tribological characteristics, electroplating of Cu–Sn composite coatings incorporated with Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and TiO2 particles, arc spraying of self-lubricous coatings, high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spraying and gas nitriding of stainless steel coatings, HVOF spraying composite WC-Co coatings, testing of coatings deposited by physical vapour deposition (PVD), and also analysis of material removal and surface creation in wood sanding. The special issue provides valuable knowledge based on theoretical and empirical study in the field of coating technologies, as well as characterization of coatings, and wear phenomena.
Tropical Forest Ecology and Management for the Anthropocene
This Special Issue looks forward as well as backward to best analyze the forest conservation challenges of the Caribbean. This is made possible by 75 years of research and applications by the United States Department of Agriculture, International Institute of Tropical Forestry (the Institute) of Puerto Rico. It transforms Holocene-based scientific paradigms of the tropics into Anthropocene applications and outlooks of wilderness, managed forests, and urban environments.
Almost 25 years ago, the first mammalian transient receptor potential (TRP) channel was cloned and published. TRP channels now represent an extended family of 28 members fulfilling multiple roles in the living organism. Identified functions include control of body temperature, transmitter release, mineral homeostasis, chemical sensing, and survival mechanisms in a challenging environment.
Trust Management: Key Factor of the Sustainable Organizations Embedded in Network
Nowadays, trust is an important determinant in the development of modern organizations. Not only is it becoming an increasingly important element of relationships between entities, but, above all, it positively influences the building of an organization's intellectual capital. This capital can be defined in different ways, but its definition always references elements that determine the potential of sustainable organizations, often in human, social, relational, organizational, and innovation dimensions. Trust is increasingly becoming the key determinant of this capita
Earthquake-tsunamis, including the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the 2011 T?hoku Tsunami in Japan, serve as tragic reminders that such waves pose a major natural hazard. Landslide-tsunamis, including the 1958 Lituya Bay case, may exceed 150 m in height, and similar waves generated in lakes and reservoirs may overtop dams and cause significant devastation. This book includes nine peer-review articles from some of the leading experts in the field of tsunami research. The collection represents a wide range of topics covering (i) wave generation, (ii) wave propagation, and (iii) their effects. Within (i), a tsunami source combining an underwater fault rupture and a landslide are addressed in the laboratory.
The Tumor Microenvironment of High Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer
The Special Issue on high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and the contribution of the tumor microenviroment (TME) consists of reviews contributed by leaders in the OC field. As HGSOC metastases have a highly complex TME, there is an urgent need to better understand the TME in general, its distinct components in particular, and the role of the TME in the context of disease recurrence and development of chemoresistance.
M. Sharon Stack (Ed.) --- Kenneth P. Nephew (Ed.) --- Joanna E. Burdette (Ed.) --- Anirban K. Mitra (Ed.)
Turbulence in River and Maritime Hydraulics
Understanding of the role of turbulence in controlling transport processes is of paramount importance for the preservation and protection of aquatic ecosystems, the minimization of the deleterious consequences of anthropogenic activity, and the successful sustainable development of river and maritime areas. In this context, the present Special Issue collects 15 papers which provide a representation of the present understanding of turbulent processes and their effects in river and maritime environments.
Mossa, Michele --- Termini, Donatella --- Davies, Peter A.
Two-Dimensional Electronics - Prospects and Challenges
The first two-dimensional material studied in detail was graphene, and many groups explored its potential for electronic applications. Meanwhile, researchers have extended their work to two-dimensional materials beyond graphene. At present, several hundred of these materials are known and part of them is considered to be useful for electronic applications.
Two-Dimensional Electronics and Optoelectronics
The discovery of monolayer graphene led to a Nobel Prize in Physics being awarded in 2010. This has stimulated further research on a wide variety of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials. The coupling of metallic graphene, semiconducting 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and black phosphorus have attracted a tremendous amount of interest in new electronic and optoelectronic applications. Together with other 2D materials, such as the wide band gap boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs), all these 2D materials have led towards an emerging field of van der Waal 2D heterostructures.
Yoke Khin Yap (Ed.) --- Zhixian Zhou (Ed.)
This open access Nursing Pharmacology textbook is designed for entry-level undergraduate nursing students. It explains basic concepts of pharmacology and describes common medication classes. This book is not intended to be used as a drug reference book, but direct links are provided to DailyMed, which provides trustworthy information about marketed drugs in the United States.
Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, WI
Human Behavior and the Social Environment I
That’s what we are here to find out – Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) – How do they connect? How does it shape us? Why do we think and feel the way we do? This will be explored throughout this course by examining human behavior throughout life stage developments and our interactions with the social environment. This course will explore theoretical perspectives in Social Work to help provide a foundation for organizing thoughts about client needs and issues they are seeking supports for. Theories will then be connected to important developmental, social, and cultural issues that present throughout each stage of life to create an overall picture of a client’s experience and how we can use this information to have a better understanding of how people we work with are influenced and why. Knowledge of typical development in each stage of life will also inform the Social Worker if any other supports, resources, or services may be needed.
Welcome to the wonderful world of microbiology! Yay! So. What is microbiology? If we break the word down it translates to “the study of small life,” where the small life refers to microorganisms or microbes. But who are the microbes? And how small are they? Generally microbes can be divided in to two categories: the cellular microbes (or organisms) and the acellular microbes (or agents). In the cellular camp we have the bacteria, the archaea, the fungi, and the protists (a bit of a grab bag composed of algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water molds). Cellular microbes can be either unicellular, where one cell is the entire organism, or multicellular, where hundreds, thousands or even billions of cells can make up the entire organism. In the acellular camp we have the viruses and other infectious agents, such as prions and viroids. In this textbook the focus will be on the bacteria and archaea (traditionally known as the “prokaryotes,”) and the viruses and other acellular agents.
This open source textbook is derived from many sources, initially from the Principles of Management by Carpenter, Bauer, and Erdogan, but there is abundant new content as well. It is published under a Creative Commons license and as such there is no charge ever for this textbook. The most important change from 1e is that static content was removed to make room for student-generated dynamic content. Throughout the book look for the names of contributing students in the red colored example boxes. As the term progresses, you will see new examples appear as fellow students research and summarize topics for current events, all are curated by the instructor.
Geography is a diverse discipline that has some sort of connection to most every other academic discipline. This connection is the spatial perspective, which essentially means if a phenomenon can be mapped, it has some kind of relationship to geography. Studying the entire world is a fascinating subject, and geographical knowledge is fundamental to a competent understanding of our world. In this chapter, you will learn what geography is as well as some of the fundamental concepts that underpin the discipline. These fundamental terms and concepts will be interwoven throughout the text, so a sound understanding of these topics is critical as you delve deeper into the chapters that follow.
Human Behavior and the Social Environment II
These materials will help students and instructors alike explore human behavior and how it is shaped and impacted by both traditional and non-traditional paradigms. This text will also support the reader in having a deeper understanding of how the environment, in all of its complexity, can affect individuals, families, groups, and communities. It is my hope that the information contained in this book will help you, as a future social worker, approach client systems with empathy, understanding, and a compassionate curiosity that allows for comprehensive assessment, individualized approaches to treatment, and continuity of care.
Welcome to the exciting world of technical theatre. Studying this topic can lead to many different careers in several different sectors of the economy. The general skills needed for any of the careers or sectors have many things in common. Workers need to be dead-line oriented, as most productions have firm timelines that cannot be altered. Critical thinking and analysis are much needed skills. Almost every project in the field is unique and technicians and designers alike must discover the best way of reaching a project’s goal. Creative problem solving is trait successful practitioners have in common. With every project being unique, there are no guaranteed solutions to the problems that are presented. Technicians draw on their vast experience of what worked in the past that can be adapted to be a solution to the current problems. Clear communication and collaboration round out the necessary skills. No technical theatre project is ever handled by one person on their own. Collaboration with many people is the norm, and successful collaboration requires clear written and verbal communication skills.
Permaculture Design: Tools for Climate Resilience
Climate is also where we begin the design process in another tool referenced in the Permaculture design system. This is the Scale of Landscape Permanence, originated by P.A.Yeomans, the founder of Keyline™ Design. Yeomans asserts that the order of design is: Climate Landshape Water Supply Roads/Access Trees Structures Subdivision Fences Soil This book is predominantly about climate, and the macro influences of climate and climate change on design. As we get through the topics of climate analogues and climate change forecasting, we will end up moving down this list to see the climate’s influence on specific design choices.
AC Electrical Circuit Analysis: A Practical Approach
theory and practical application of analysis of AC electrical circuits. It assumes familiarity with DC circuit analysis. If you have not studied DC circuit analysis, it is strongly recommended that you read the companion OER text, DC Electrical Circuit Analysis before continuing. Both texts are offered free of charge under a Creative Commons non-commercial, share-alike with attribution license. For your convenience, along with the free pdf and odt files, print copies are available at a very modest charge. Check my web sites for links. This text is based on the earlier Workbook for AC Electrical Circuits, which it replaces. The original expository text has been greatly expanded and includes many examples along with computer simulations. For the convenience of those who used the Workbook, many of the problem sets are the same, with some re-ordering depending on the chapter.
DC Electrical Circuit Analysis: A Practical Approach
elcome to DC Electrical Circuit Analysis, an open educational resource (OER). The goal of this text is to introduce the theory and practical application of analysis of DC electrical circuits. It is offered free of charge under a Creative Commons non-commercial, share-alike with attribution license. For your convenience, along with the free pdf and odt files, print copies are available at a very modest charge. Check my web sites for links. This text is based on the earlier Workbook for DC Electrical Circuits, which it replaces. The original expository text has been greatly expanded and includes many examples along with computer simulations. For the convenience of those who used the Workbook, many of the problem sets are the same, with some re-ordering depending on the chapter.
Strategic Marketing in the Global Forest Industries - Third Edition
The forest industry is increasingly global and every marketer of forest products should have a global perspective. As a natural resource-based industry, the forest industry has an especially high profile role in environmental protection and is increasingly involved in climate change mitigation and management. Global forests are not only important because they provide a source of industrial raw material, but also because of the various other human needs they satisfy. A forest products marketer should have a basic understanding of the role that global forests play in society. Major societal trends are impacting the external environment within which the forest industry operates. We provide an overview of global forests and a brief description of the markets for the main categories of the forest industry.
Writing Instruction Tips For Automated Essay Graders: How To Design an Essay for a Non-human Reader
As schools, as well as the workplace, become more automated, and remote or distance learning / working becomes the “new normal,” understanding and leveraging artificial intelligence will become a critical skill.
Transition to Higher Mathematics: Structure and Proof - Second Edition
This book is written for students who have taken calculus and want to learn what “real mathematics" is. We hope you will find the material engaging and interesting, and that you will be encouraged to learn more advanced mathematics. This is the second edition of our text. It is intended for students who have taken a calculus course, and are interested in learning what higher mathematics is all about. It can be used as a textbook for an "Introduction to Proofs" course, or for self-study. Chapter 1: Preliminaries, Chapter 2: Relations, Chapter 3: Proofs, Chapter 4: Principles of Induction, Chapter 5: Limits, Chapter 6: Cardinality, Chapter 7: Divisibility, Chapter 8: The Real Numbers, Chapter 9: Complex Numbers. The last 4 chapters can also be used as independent introductions to four topics in mathematics: Cardinality; Divisibility; Real Numbers; Complex Numbers.
OpenStax College Success is a comprehensive and contemporary resource that serves First Year Experience, Student Success, and College Transition courses. Developed with the support of hundreds of faculty and coordinators, the book addresses the evolving challenges and opportunities of today’s diverse students. Engagement, self-analysis, personal responsibility, and student support are reflected throughout the material. College Success also includes an array of student surveys and opinion polls, and OpenStax will regularly provide the results to adopting faculty.
Abnormal Psychology is an Open Education Resource written by Alexis Bridley, Ph.D. and Lee W. Daffin Jr., Ph.D. through Washington State University. The book tackles the difficult topic of mental disorders in 15 modules. This journey starts by discussing what abnormal behavior is by attempting to understand what normal behavior is. Models of abnormal psychology and clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment are then discussed. With these three modules completed, the authors next explore several classes of mental disorders in 5 blocks.
This book was created for an undergraduate Introduction to Industrial Engineering course at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). The chapters give an overview of the profession and an introduction to some of the tools used by industrial engineers in industry. There are interactive content exercises included at the end of most chapters. This interactive content aims to engage students in the content as they are reading. The book will continue to revised and updated with new information as it becomes necessary.
Large Animal Surgery – Supplemental Notes
This textbook includes basic principles of large animal surgery and anesthesia, how to apply those principles to cases and situations, and discover ways of finding answers when you don’t remember the information, are presented with cases that aren’t “textbook” and/or things don’t go as planned.
University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing
The ELC: An Early Childhood Learning Community at Work
The ELC professional development model was designed to improve the quality of teacher candidates’ Practicum field placements and align teaching in field placements with Learning Standards used in the teacher education program. Teams of four educators from varied settings worked in a Practicum placement setting for one semester to improve their teaching and align it with Learning Standards. An action research approach improved teaching challenges teams faced. Research articles were read to improve teams’ teaching challenges by implementing one agreed strategy. Teams video-recorded, assessed, and reflected on the impact of the strategy on their teaching, on teacher candidates’ learning and on children’s learning.
Heather Bridge 'Lorraine Melita , Patricia Roiger
A Primer for Computational Biology aims to provide life scientists and students the skills necessary for research in a data-rich world. The text covers accessing and using remote servers via the command-line, writing programs and pipelines for data analysis, and provides useful vocabulary for interdisciplinary work.
Financial Management for Small Businesses: Financial Statements & Present Value Models
This book is for those whose financial management focus is on small businesses. For you, we adapt the traditional financial management themes emphasized in corporate financial management courses to meet the needs of small businesses. Many financial managers of small businesses come from farms or agribusinesses. Others are interested in working for or starting businesses in the food or retail sectors. In most cases, these businesses aren’t organized as C-corporations impacting things like taxes, depreciation, and legal requirements around compiling and reporting financial data. They are rarely publicly traded which creates unique constraints to raising debt and equity capital and calculating required risk-adjusted returns.
Lindon J. Robinson, Steven D. Hanson, J. Roy Black,
Geological Structures: a Practical Introduction
This manual is about structures that occur within the Earth’s crust. Structures are the features that allow geologists to figure out how parts of the Earth have changed position, orientation, size and shape over time. This work requires careful observation and measurements of features at the surface of the Earth, and deductions about what’s below the surface. The practical skills you will learn in this course form the foundation for much of what is known about the history of the Earth, and are important tools for exploring the subsurface. They are essential for Earth scientists of all kinds.
University 101: Study, Strategize and Succeed
Kwantlen Polytechnic University Learning Centres ,
A modules-based approach to learning research skills that emphasizes the reflective nature of information discovery, the contextual basis for evaluating that information, and a recognition that information has value.
Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships
Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships helps readers examine their own one-on-one communicative interactions using a mindfulness lens. The writing team of Jason S. Wrench, Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, and Katherine Thweatt incorporates the latest communication theory and research to help students navigate everyday interpersonal interactions.
John S. Wrench. Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, Katherine S. Thweatt,
Safety, Health, and Nutrition in Early Childhood Education
Early childhood is a critical time in development. Many outcomes, both positive and negative, have their beginnings in these years. It is vital that children’s health and safety be protected. High-quality early care and education programs can play a valuable role in improving outcomes for children.
Blueprints: Creating, Describing, and Implementing Designs for Larger-Scale Software Projects - version 2.2
Blueprints is a concise yet comprehensive coverage of Object-Oriented Analysis and Design concepts, suitable for a second programming course in Computer Science. It introduces and teaches application development in a command-line environment, and assumes basic expertise with the Java programming language.
The material in this text consists of many screenshots of Microsoft® Office 365 using Windows 10. The goal of this text was to create a resource for students that was effective, concise and cost-effective. This text will not include extra content that does not align with course outcomes. This conciseness is designed to be keep the material on-point, and keep printing costs low.
This Statistics resource was developed under the guidance and support of experienced high school teachers and subject matter experts. It is presented here in multiple formats: PDF, online, and low-cost print. Statistics offers instruction in grade-level appropriate concepts and skills in a logical, engaging progression that begins with sampling and data and covers topics such as probability, random variables, the normal distribution, and hypothesis testing. This content was developed with students in mind, incorporating statistics labs, worked exercises, and additional opportunities for assessment that incorporate real-world statistical applications. For instructors, resources are available to support the implementation of the Statistics textbook, including a Getting Started Guide, direct instruction presentations, and a solutions manual.
Community Resilience to Climate Change: Theory, Research and Practice
This reader is an Open Educational Resource, meant to accompany a graduate or higher-level undergraduate university course in climate change resilience, adaptation, and/or planning. While the material is geared toward students in urban and regional planning, it may also be of interest to students of urban studies, public health, geography, political science, sociology, risk management, and others. Each section of this volume includes (1) an introductory summary, (2) a reading list with full text articles, (3) student exercises meant to enhance understanding and facilitate in-class discussion, and (4) additional discussion prompts or activities for instructors to use in class.
This Open Access book, building on research initiated by scholars from the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Centre for Global Heritage and Development (CHGD) and ICOMOS Netherlands, presents multidisciplinary research that connects water to heritage. Through twenty-one chapters it explores landscapes, cities, engineering structures and buildings from around the world. It describes how people have actively shaped the course, form and function of water for human settlement and the development of civilizations, establishing socio-economic structures, policies and cultures; a rich world of narratives, laws and practices; and an extensive network of infrastructure, buildings and urban form.
This open access book presents a comprehensive and up-to-date collection of knowledge on the state of crowdfunding research and practice. It considers crowdfunding models and their different manifestations across a variety of geographies and sectors, and explores the perspectives of fundraisers, backers, platforms, and regulators. Gathering insights from a wide range of influential researchers in the field, the book balances concepts, theory, and case studies. Going beyond previous research on crowdfunding, the contributors also investigate issues of community, sustainability, education, and ethics
Shneor, Rotem --- Zhao, Liang --- Flåten, Bjørn-Tore
The papers presented in this open access book address diverse challenges in decarbonizing energy systems, ranging from operational to investment planning problems, from market economics to technical and environmental considerations, from distribution grids to transmission grids, and from theoretical considerations to data provision concerns and applied case studies. While most papers have a clear methodological focus, they address policy-relevant questions at the same time. The target audience therefore includes academics and experts in industry as well as policy makers, who are interested in state-of-the-art quantitative modelling of policy relevant problems in energy systems
Bertsch, Valentin --- Ardone, Armin --- Suriyah, Michael --- Fichtner, Wolf --- et al.
Advances in Pharma Business Management and Research
This open access book presents a unique collection of practical examples from the field of pharma business management and research. It covers a wide range of topics such as: 'Brexit and its Impact on pharmaceutical Law - Implications for Global Pharma Companies', 'Implementation of Measures and Sustainable Actions to Improve Employee's Engagement', 'Global Medical Clinical and Regulatory Affairs (GMCRA)', and 'A Quality Management System for R&D Project and Portfolio Management in a Pharmaceutical Company'. The chapters are summaries of master’s theses by "high potential" Pharma MBA students from the Goethe Business School, Frankfurt/Main, Germany, with 8-10 years of work experience and are based on scientific know-how and real-world experience.
Schweizer, Lars --- Dingermann, Theodor --- Russe, Otto Quintus --- Jansen, Christian
This edited volume contains the selected papers presented at the scientific board meeting of the German Cluster of Excellence on “Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries”, held in November 2014. The topical structure of the book is clustered in six sessions: Integrative Production Technology, Individualised Production, Virtual Production Systems, Integrated Technologies, Self-Optimising Production Systems and Human Factors in Production Technology. The Aachen perspective on a holistic theory of production is complemented by conference papers from external leading researchers in the fields of production, materials science and bordering disciplines.
Perspectives on European Earthquake Engineering and Seismology: Volume 1
General and Civil Engineering --- Materials
This book collects 5 keynote and 15 topic lectures presented at the 2nd European Conference on Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (2ECEES), held in Istanbul, Turkey, from August 24 to 29, 2014. The conference was organized by the Turkish Earthquake Foundation - Earthquake Engineering Committee and Prime Ministry, Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency under the auspices of the European Association for Earthquake Engineering (EAEE) and European Seismological Commission (ESC). The book’s twenty state-of-the-art papers were written by the most prominent researchers in Europe and address a comprehensive collection of topics on earthquake engineering, as well as interdisciplinary subjects such as engineering seismology and seismic risk assessment and management.
Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos
This open access book gives an overview of the sessions, panel discussions, and outcomes of the Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference, held in February 2018 in San Antonio, Texas, USA, and hosted by the Mays Cancer Center and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio. Latinos – the largest, youngest, and fastest-growing minority group in the United States – are expected to face a 142% rise in cancer cases in coming years. Although there has been substantial advancement in cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment over the past few decades, addressing Latino cancer health disparities has not nearly kept pace with progress.
Ramirez, Amelie G. --- Trapido, Edward J.
This open access book, inspired by the ICME 13 topic study group “Affect, beliefs and identity in mathematics education”, presents the latest trends in research in the area. Following an introduction and a survey chapter providing a concise overview of the state-of-art in the field of mathematics-related affect, the book is divided into three main sections: motivation and values, engagement, and identity in mathematics education. Each section comprises several independent chapters based on original research, as well as a reflective commentary by an expert in the area.
Hannula, Markku S. --- Leder, Gilah C. --- Morselli, Francesca --- Vollstedt, Maike --- et al.
Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research and Innovation Symposium 2018 (RERIS 2018)
This open access book presents the proceedings of the 2nd Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research and Innovation Symposium (RERIS 18), held in Maseru, Lesotho in January 2018. The symposium aimed to foster research cooperation on renewable energy between Africa and Europe – in academia, as well as the private and public sectors. Addressing thematic areas such as • Grid-connected renewable energy; • Decentralised renewable and household energy solutions; • Energy socioeconomics; and •
Mpholo, Moeketsi --- Steuerwald, Dirk --- Kukeera, Tonny
Accountability in Public Policy Partnerships
Public-private partnerships have become an important tool for delivering essential public goods, but critics fear that they erode public accountability. Making partnerships more accountable requires a clear understanding of what accountability means for partnerships and which mechanisms can be used to strengthen it. Accountability in Public Policy Partnerships develops a new model of accountability based on principal-agent theory. This model provides a firm normative foundation for accountability demands. At the same time, it shows which accountability standards apply to which kinds of partnerships.
Achieving the Paris Climate Agreement Goals
This open access book presents detailed pathways to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2050, globally and across ten geographical regions. Based on state-of-the-art scenario modelling, it provides the vital missing link between renewable energy targets and the measures needed to achieve them. Bringing together the latest research in climate science, renewable energy technology, employment and resource impacts, the book breaks new ground by covering all the elements essential to achieving the ambitious climate mitigation targets set out in the Paris Climate Agreement. For example, sectoral implementation pathways, with special emphasis on differences between developed and developing countries and regional conditions, provide tools to implement the scenarios globally and domestically
Advancing Culture of Living with Landslides: Volume 1 ISDR-ICL Sendai Partnerships 2015-2025
This volume contains peer-reviewed papers from the Fourth World Landslide Forum organized by the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL), the Global Promotion Committee of the International Programme on Landslides (IPL), University of Ljubljana (UL) and Geological Survey of Slovenia in Ljubljana, Slovenia from May 29 to June 2, 2017. The complete collection of papers from the Forum is published in five full-color volumes.
Kyoji Sassa --- Matjaž Mikoš --- Yueping Yin
This open access book advocates for the Social Sciences and Humanities to be more involved in energy policymaking. It forms part of the European platform for energy-related Social Sciences and Humanities’ activities, and works on the premise that crossing disciplines is essential. All of its contributions are highly interdisciplinary, with each chapter grounded in at least three different Social Sciences and Humanities disciplines. These varying perspectives come together to cover an array of issues relevant to the energy transition, including: energy poverty, justice, political ecology, governance, behaviours, imaginaries, systems approaches, modelling, as well as the particular challenges faced by interdisciplinary work.
Agency and Causal Explanation in Economics
This open access book provides an exploration of the consequences of the ontological differences between natural and social objects (sometimes described as objects of nature and objects of thought) in the workings of causal and agency relationships. One of its important and possibly original conclusions is that causal and agency relationships do not encompass all of the dependent relationships encountered in social life. The idea that social reality is contingent has been known (and largely undisputed) at least since Wittgenstein’s “On Certainty”, but social science, and most notably economics has continued to operate on the basis of causal and agency theories borrowed or adapted from the natural sciences.
Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2020, which was planned to be held during June 8-12, 2020, at the IT University of Copenhagen, Denmark. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the conference was postponed until an undetermined date. XP is the premier agile software development conference combining research and practice.
Stray, Viktoria --- Hoda, Rashina --- Paasivaara, Maria --- Kruchten, Philippe
Agile Processes in Software Engineering and Extreme Programming – Workshops
This open access book constitutes the research workshops, doctoral symposium and panel summaries presented at the 20th International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2019, held in Montreal, QC, Canada, in May 2019. XP is the premier agile software development conference combining research and practice. It is a hybrid forum where agile researchers, academics, practitioners, thought leaders, coaches, and trainers get together to present and discuss their most recent innovations, research results, experiences, concerns, challenges, and trends.
This open access book outlines the challenges of supporting the health and wellbeing of older adults around the world and offers examples of solutions designed by stakeholders, healthcare providers, and public, private and nonprofit organizations in the United States. The solutions presented address challenges including: providing person-centered long-term care, making palliative care accessible in all healthcare settings and the home, enabling aging-in-place, financing long-term care, improving care coordination and access to care, delivering hospital-level and emergency care in the home and retirement community settings, merging health and social care, supporting people living with dementia and their caregivers, creating communities and employment opportunities that are accessible and welcoming to those of all ages and abilities, and combating the stigma of aging.
Agricultural and Forestry Reconstruction After the Great East Japan Earthquake
This book summarizes the results of 3 years of agricultural and forestry reconstructive efforts and applied research conducted directly in the affected areas of Fukushima following the Great East Japan Earthquake. It describes fast and effective revival methods and technologies from tsunami and radiation damages, demonstrated through the collaborative efforts of researchers, students, local farmers, forest owners, and municipalities gathered under the Tokyo University of Agriculture East Japan Assistance Project. Consisting of four parts, the first part of the book provides an overview of the damage and measures taken to overcome them by the local municipalities and the Tokyo University of Agriculture.
Toshiyuki Monma --- Itsuo Goto --- Takahisa Hayashi --- Hidekiyo Tachiya --- et al.
Agricultural Implications of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident (III)
This open access book presents the findings from on-site research into radioactive cesium contamination in various agricultural systems affected by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. This third volume in the series reports on studies undertaken at contaminated sites such as farmland, forests, and marine and freshwater environments, with a particular focus on livestock, wild plants and mushrooms, crops, and marine products in those environments. It also provides additional data collected in the subsequent years to show how the radioactivity levels in agricultural products and their growing environments have changed with time and the route by which radioactive materials entered agricultural products as well as their movement between different components (e.g., soil, water, and trees) within an environmental system (e.g., forests).
Nakanishi, Tomoko M. --- O`Brien, Martin --- Tanoi, Keitaro
Agroecological Transitions: From Theory to Practice in Local Participatory Design
This Open Access book presents feedback from the ‘Territorial Agroecological Transition in Action’- TATA-BOX research project, which was devoted to these specific issues. The multidisciplinary and multi-organisation research team steered a four-year action-research process in two territories of France. It also presents: i) the key dimensions to be considered when dealing with agroecological transition
Bergez, Jacques-Eric --- Audouin, Elise --- Therond, Olivier
AI based Robot Safe Learning and Control
This open access book mainly focuses on the safe control of robot manipulators. The control schemes are mainly developed based on dynamic neural network, which is an important theoretical branch of deep reinforcement learning. In order to enhance the safety performance of robot systems, the control strategies include adaptive tracking control for robots with model uncertainties, compliance control in uncertain environments, obstacle avoidance in dynamic workspace. The idea for this book on solving safe control of robot arms was conceived during the industrial applications and the research discussion in the laboratory.
Zhou, Xuefeng --- Xu, Zhihao --- Li, Shuai --- Wu, Hongmin --- et al.
AiREAS: Sustainocracy for a Healthy City
Medicine (General) ---, Environmental Technology
This book describes the coming about and first results of the AiREAS "healthy city" cooperative in the city of Eindhoven and Province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. AiREAS is an initiative focused on the multidisciplinary co-creation of healthy cities using the core human value of human health and air quality as guiding principle for profound regional innovation. The unique group process that followed uses the complexity of the city of Eindhoven as living lab.
AiREAS: Sustainocracy for a Healthy City: Phase 3: Civilian Participation – Including the Global Health Deal Proposition
This volume describes phase 3 of the AiREAS multidisciplinary cocreation effort to produce a Healthy City. Phase 1 referred to making visible the invisible from an air quality and human exposure perspective. Phase 2 studies air quality related to health and Phase 3 looks at air quality, health and lifestyle from the perspective of persuasion to innovative change. The three books together describe the coming about and first results of the AiREAS "healthy city" cooperative in the city of Eindhoven and Province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. AiREAS is an initiative focused on the multidisciplinary co-creation of healthy cities using the core human value of human health and air quality as guiding principle for profound regional innovation.
This open access book presents recent advances in the pure sciences that are of significance in the quest for alternatives to the use of animals in research and describes a variety of practical applications of the three key guiding principles for the more ethical use of animals in experiments – replacement, reduction, and refinement, collectively known as the 3Rs. Important examples from across the world of implementation of the 3Rs in the testing of cosmetics, chemicals, pesticides, and biologics, including vaccines, are described, with additional information on relevant regulations.
Kojima, Hajime --- Seidle, Troy --- Spielmann, Horst
This Open Access book explores questions such as why and how did the first biological cells appear? And then complex organisms, brains, societies and –now– connected human societies? Physicists have good models for describing the evolution of the universe since the Big Bang, but can we apply the same concepts to the evolution of aggregated matter –living matter included? The Amazing Journey analyzes the latest results in chemistry, biology, neuroscience, anthropology and sociology under the light of the evolution of intelligence, seen as the ability of processing information.
This open access book provides a concise explanation of the fundamentals and background of the surround sound recording and playback technology Ambisonics. It equips readers with the psychoacoustical, signal processing, acoustical, and mathematical knowledge needed to understand the inner workings of modern processing utilities, special equipment for recording, manipulation, and reproduction in the higher-order Ambisonic format. The book comes with various practical examples based on free software tools and open scientific data for reproducible research.
Animals and the Shaping of Modern Medicine
This book breaks new ground by situating animals and their diseases at the very heart of modern medicine. In demonstrating their historical significance as subjects and shapers of medicine, it offers important insights into past animal lives, and reveals that what we think of as ‘human’ medicine was in fact deeply zoological. Each chapter analyses an important episode in which animals changed and were changed by medicine.
Woods, Abigail --- Bresalier, Michael --- Cassidy, Angela --- Mason Dentinger, Rachel
Annals of Scientific Society for Assembly, Handling and Industrial Robotics
This Open Access proceedings present a good overview of the current research landscape of industrial robots. The objective of MHI Colloquium is a successful networking at academic and management level. Thereby the colloquium is focussing on a high level academic exchange to distribute the obtained research results, determine synergetic effects and trends, connect the actors personally and in conclusion strengthen the research field as well as the MHI community. Additionally there is the possibility to become acquainted with the organizing institute. Primary audience are members of the scientific association for assembly, handling and industrial robots (WG MHI).
Schüppstuhl, Thorsten --- Tracht, Kirsten --- Henrich, Dominik
International Cooperation for Enhancing Nuclear Safety, Security, Safeguards and Non-proliferation–60 Years of IAEA and EURATOM: Proceedings of the XX Edoardo Amaldi Conference, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome, Italy, October 9-10, 2017
This open access book examines key aspects of international cooperation to enhance nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and non-proliferation, thereby assisting in development and maintenance of the verification regime and fostering progress toward a nuclear weapon-free world. The book opens by addressing important political, institutional, and legal dimensions. Current challenges are discussed and attempts made to identify possible solutions and future improvements.
Luciano Maiani --- Said Abousahl --- Wolfango Plastino
This book discusses a core question in many fields of the social sciences, namely how to create, share and adopt new knowledge. It creates an original space for conversation between two lines of research that have developed largely in parallel for a long time: social network theory and the geography of knowledge. This book considers that relational thinking has become increasingly important for scholars to capture societal outcomes by studying social relations and networks, whereas the role of place, space and spatial scales has been somewhat neglected outside an emergent geography of knowledge.
Johannes Glückler --- Emmanuel Lazega --- Ingmar Hammer
The Archaeology of Europe’s Drowned Landscapes
This open access volume provides for the first time a comprehensive description and scientific evaluation of underwater archaeological finds referring to human occupation of the continental shelf around the coastlines of Europe and the Mediterranean when sea levels were lower than present. These are the largest body of underwater finds worldwide, amounting to over 2500 find spots, ranging from individual stone tools to underwater villages with unique conditions of preservation.
Bailey, Geoff --- Galanidou, Nena --- Peeters, Hans --- Jöns, Hauke --- et al.
This open access book revisits common notions on how to select and recruit the right employees. It reveals that the secret of successful individuals and teams lies in a combination of talent and four important performance indicators, offering an innovative approach that companies can fruitfully adopt. Bas Kodden has studied key performance indicators among over 1,100 executives, senior staff and professionals, including 50 CEOs from leading Dutch companies. His findings put the present recruitment and selection procedures used by many prominent companies in a new light.
This open access book offers a comparative study of eight ambitious national reforms that sought to create opportunities for students to gain the necessary breath of skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world. It examines how national governments transform education systems to provide students opportunities to develop such skills. It analyses comprehensive education reforms in Brazil, Finland, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Portugal and Russia and yields original and important insights on the process of educational change.
Austenitic TRIP/TWIP Steels and Steel-Zirconia Composites
This open access book presents a collection of the most up-to-date research results in the field of steel development with a focus on pioneering alloy concepts that result in previously unattainable materials properties. Specifically, it gives a detailed overview of the marriage of high-performance steels of the highest strength and form-ability with damage-tolerant zirconia ceramics by innovative manufacturing technologies, thereby yielding a new class of high-performance composite materials.
Biermann, Horst --- Aneziris, Christos G.
This open access book presents the first comprehensive overview of general methods in Automated Machine Learning (AutoML), collects descriptions of existing systems based on these methods, and discusses the first series of international challenges of AutoML systems. The recent success of commercial ML applications and the rapid growth of the field has created a high demand for off-the-shelf ML methods that can be used easily and without expert knowledge.
Hutter, Frank --- Kotthoff, Lars --- Vanschoren, Joaquin
AVATAR Therapy for Refractory Auditory Hallucinations (Book chapter)
AVATAR therapy is part of a new and exciting wave of therapies which adopt an explicitly relational and dialogic approach to working with the distressing voices. To understand the AVATAR approach, it is important to consider its position in the evolution of psychological interventions for distressing voices.
Ward, Tom --- Craig, Tom --- Rus-Calafell, Mar
The Beauty of Geology: Art of Geology Mapping in China Over a Century
This open access book contains a collection of rare geologic maps and figures made by Chinese geologists in the last century. Preserved in National Geological Archives of China, these artworks demonstrate the development and innovation of geological mapping technology in China in the past 100 years. The collections are highly scientific and artistic, with most of the hand-drawn maps featured with traditional Chinese painting techniques, while the newer ones being more accurate and embedded with more scientific information with the aid of computer techniques.
Li, Chenyang --- Jia, Liqiong --- Wu, Xuan
Becoming a World-Class University: The case of King Abdulaziz University
This book written by international experts in the field of educational innovation is a guide for universities to become world-class universities. It contributes to the current international intellectual debate on the future of higher education. It also tells the story of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and its effort to become a world-class university. The book discusses excellence in different aspects such as education, research, community services, strategic planning, knowledge economy and international cooperation.
Osama Tayeb --- Adnan Zahed --- Jozef Ritzen
The Behavioral Ecology of the Tibetan Macaque
This open access book summarizes the multi-disciplinary results of one of China’s main primatological research projects on the endemic Tibetan macaque (Macaca thibetana), which had continued for over 30 years, but which had never been reported on systematically. Dedicated to this exceptional Old World monkey, this book makes the work of Chinese primatologists on the social behavior, cooperation, culture, cognition, group dynamics, and emerging technologies in primate research accessible to the international scientific community.
Li, Jin-Hua --- Sun, Lixing --- Kappeler, Peter M.
Belly-Rippers, Surgical Innovation and the Ovariotomy Controversy
This open access book looks at the dramatic history of ovariotomy, an operation to remove ovarian tumours first practiced in the early nineteenth century. Bold and daring, surgeons who performed it claimed to be initiating a new era of surgery by opening the abdomen. Ovariotomy soon occupied a complex position within medicine and society, as an operation which symbolised surgical progress, while also remaining at the boundaries of ethical acceptability. This book traces the operation’s innovation, from its roots in eighteenth-century pathology, through the denouncement of those who performed it as ‘belly-rippers’, to its rapid uptake in the 1880s, when ovariotomists were accused of over-operating.
This open access book offers a critical perspective on intra-European mobility and migration by using new empirical data and theoretical discussions. It develops a theoretical and empirical analysis of the consequences of intra-European movement for sending and receiving urban regions in The Netherlands, Sweden, Austria, Turkey, Poland and Czech Republic. The book conceptualizes Central and Eastern European (CEE) migration by distinguishing between different types of CEE migrants and consequences. This involves a mapping of migration corridors within Europe, a unique empirical analysis of consequences for urban regions, and an analysis of governance responses.
This open access book discusses a variety of important but unprecedented ways in which psychology can be useful to philosophy. The early chapters illustrate this theme via comparisons between Chinese and Western philosophy. It is argued that the Chinese notion of a heart-mind is superior to the Western concept of mind, but then, more even-handedly, the relative strengths and weaknesses of Chinese and Western thought overall are critically examined. In later chapters, the philosophical uses of psychology are treated more specifically in relation to major issues in Western philosophy.
This book provides a compendium of material properties, demonstrates several successful examples of bio-based materials’ application in building facades, and offers ideas for new designs and novel solutions. It features a state-of-the-art review, addresses the latest trends in material selection, assembling systems, and innovative functions of facades in detail. Selected case studies on buildings from diverse locations are subsequently presented to demonstrate the successful implementation of various biomaterial solutions, which defines unique architectural styles and building functions.
Sandak, Anna --- Sandak, Jakub --- Brzezicki, Marcin --- Kutnar, Andreja
Biodiversity and Health in the Face of Climate Change
This open access book identifies and discusses biodiversity’s contribution to physical, mental and spiritual health and wellbeing. Furthermore, the book identifies the implications of this relationship for nature conservation, public health, landscape architecture and urban planning – and considers the opportunities of nature-based solutions for climate change adaptation. This transdisciplinary book will attract a wide audience interested in biodiversity, ecology, resource management, public health, psychology, urban planning, and landscape architecture. The emphasis is on multiple human health benefits from biodiversity - in particular with respect to the increasing challenge of climate change.
Marselle, Melissa R. --- Stadler, Jutta --- Korn, Horst --- Irvine, Katherine N. --- et al.
This open access multi-authored book presents a 'state of the science' synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity of Angola, based on sources in peer-reviewed journals, in books and where appropriate, unpublished official reports. The book identifies Angola as one of the most biologically diverse countries in Africa, but notes that its fauna, flora, habitats and the processes that drive the dynamics of its ecosystems are still very poorly researched and documented. This 'state of the science' synthesis is for the use of all students of Angola's biodiversity, and for those responsible for the planning, development and sustainable management of the country's living resources.
Huntley, Brian J. --- Russo, Vladimir --- Lages, Fernanda --- Ferrand, Nuno
This open access book addresses a variety of issues relating to bioethics, in order to initiate cross-cultural dialogue. Beginning with the history, it introduces various views on bioethics, based on specific experiences from Japan. It describes how Japan has been confronted with Western bioethics and the ethical issues new to this modern age, and how it has found its foothold as it decides where it stands on these issues. In the last chapter, the author proposes discarding the overarching term ‘Global Bioethics’ in favor of the new term, ‘Bioethics Across the Globe (BAG)’, which carries a more universal connotation.
This open access book presents a comprehensive analysis of biofuel use strategies from an interdisciplinary perspective using sustainability science. This interdisciplinary perspective (social science-natural science) means that the strategies and policy options proposed will have significant impacts on the economy and society alike. Biofuels are expected to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, revitalizing economies in agricultural communities and alleviating poverty.
Takeuchi, Kazuhiko --- Shiroyama, Hideaki --- Saito, Osamu --- Matsuura, Masahiro
This Open Access textbook provides students and researchers in the life sciences with essential practical information on how to quantitatively analyze data images. It refrains from focusing on theory, and instead uses practical examples and step-by step protocols to familiarize readers with the most commonly used image processing and analysis platforms such as ImageJ, MatLab and Python. Besides gaining knowhow on algorithm usage, readers will learn how to create an analysis pipeline by scripting language; these skills are important in order to document reproducible image analysis workflows.
The Discipline of Organizing: 4th Professional Edition
We organize things, we organize information, we organize information about things, and we organize information about information. But even though “organizing” is a fundamental and ubiquitous challenge, when we compare these activities their contrasts are more apparent than their commonalities. We propose to unify many perspectives about organizing with the concept of an Organizing System, defined as an intentionally arranged collection of resources and the interactions they support.
This book has been created for students and all individuals who work with children and families (e.g., educators, parents, caregivers, direct support workers, etc.) in diverse contexts. It is imperative to understand how and what factors may influence child outcomes across the lifespan. Therefore, key concepts related to parenting, child-rearing, care-giving, and parenting education are outlined in this textbook to provide historical, theoretical, and practical perspectives across vast settings and developmental domains.
The Crystal Ball Instruction Manual Volume One: Introduction to Data Science
Advanced Community College ESL Composition: An Integrated Skills Approach
This book has been created to provide a framework for building your skills in writing and critical thinking. It provides access to published samples from professional authors along with essay drafts from ESL students who have polished their skills in their respective writing courses. The themes in the readings will give you a variety of topics to discuss with your classmates, which may inspire your own deeper thinking and writing. Overall, we hope that as you proceed through these chapters, you will build confidence and develop your voice in the classroom and beyond.
Academic Senate for California Community Colleges
The Biopsychosocial Model of Health and Disease
This open access book is a systematic update of the philosophical and scientific foundations of the biopsychosocial model of health, disease and healthcare. First proposed by George Engel 40 years ago, the Biopsychosocial Model is much cited in healthcare settings worldwide, but has been increasingly criticised for being vague, lacking in content, and in need of reworking in the light of recent developments. The book confronts the rapid changes to psychological science, neuroscience, healthcare, and philosophy that have occurred since the model was first proposed and addresses key issues such as the model’s scientific basis, clinical utility, and philosophical coherence.
This open access book describes modern applications of computational human modeling with specific emphasis in the areas of neurology and neuroelectromagnetics, depression and cancer treatments, radio-frequency studies and wireless communications. Special consideration is also given to the use of human modeling to the computational assessment of relevant regulatory and safety requirements. Readers working on applications that may expose human subjects to electromagnetic radiation will benefit from this book’s coverage of the latest developments in computational modelling and human phantom development to assess a given technology’s safety and efficacy in a timely manner.
Makarov, Sergey --- Horner, Marc --- Noetscher, Gregory
This open access book describes modern applications of computational human modeling in an effort to advance neurology, cancer treatment, and radio-frequency studies including regulatory, safety, and wireless communication fields. Readers working on any application that may expose human subjects to electromagnetic radiation will benefit from this book’s coverage of the latest models and techniques available to assess a given technology’s safety and efficacy in a timely and efficient manner.
Makarov, Sergey N. --- Noetscher, Gregory M. --- Nummenmaa, Aapo
Brexit and the Control of Tobacco Illicit Trade
This book assesses the consequences of Brexit for the control of illicit trade in tobacco products in the UK and EU. Based on the currently applicable legal framework, it examines the significance of a possible non-application of the acquis communautaire in the UK in matters relating to anti-illicit trade in tobacco legislation. It also analyses the modes of future cooperation between the UK and the EU in this area, as well as possible regulatory scenarios and their consequences.
British Media Coverage of the Press Reform Debate
Media and communication --- Social Sciences
This open access book provides a detailed exploration of the British media coverage of the press reform debate that arose from the News of the World phone hacking scandal and the Leveson Inquiry. Gathering data from a content analysis of 870 news articles, Ogbebor shows how journalists cover debates on media policy and illustrates the impact of their coverage on democracy. Through this analysis, the book contributes to knowledge of paradigm repair strategies; public sphere; gatekeeping theory; the concept of journalism as an interpretive community; political economy of the press; as well as the neoliberal and social democratic interpretations of press freedom.
This open access book tells the story of how Sweden is becoming a virtually cashless society. Its goal is to improve readers’ understanding of what is driving this transition, and of the factors that are fostering and hampering it. In doing so, the book covers the role of central banks, political factors, needs for innovation, and the stakeholders involved in developing a cashless ecosystem. Adopting a historical standpoint, and drawing on a unique dataset, it presents an academic perspective on Sweden’s leading role in this global trend.
This open access book presents theoretical and practical research relating to the vast, publicly financed program for the construction of new schools and the reorganization of existing educational buildings in Italy. This transformative process aims to give old buildings a fresh identity, to ensure that facilities are compliant with the new educational and teaching models, and to improve both energy efficiency and structural safety with respect to seismic activity.
Della Torre, Stefano --- Bocciarelli, Massimiliano --- Daglio, Laura --- Neri, Raffaella
A major objective of this open access book is to summarize the current status of Buruli Ulcer (BU) research for the first time. It will identify gaps in our knowledge, stimulate research and support control of the disease by providing insight into approaches for surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment of Buruli Ulcer. Book chapters will cover the history, epidemiology diagnosis, treatment and disease burden of BU and provide insight into the microbiology, genomics, transmission and virulence of Mycobacterium ulcerans. ; Supports further investigation by summarizing state of the art in the field of Buruli ulcer research Enriches understanding of epidemiology of Buruli ulcer in different geographic regions Reviews exhaustively the characteristics of Mycobacterium ulcerans disease
The Change Laboratory for Teacher Training in Entrepreneurship Education
This open access book illustrates a new type of formative intervention for in-service teacher training in entrepreneurship education. The book describes a Change Laboratory and shows how teachers and workshop assistants develop the idea of a multidisciplinary project entailing the design of a self-service and parking lot in a dismissed area close to the city centre. The multidisciplinary project is taken as example of how an idea is debated and turned into collective action and change, the very essence of initiative and entrepreneurship.
This open access volume is the first academic book on the controversial issue of including spiritual care in integrated electronic medical records (EMR). Based on an international study group comprising researchers from Europe (The Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland), the United States, Canada, and Australia, this edited collection provides an overview of different charting practices and experiences in various countries and healthcare contexts. Encompassing case studies and analyses of theological, ethical, legal, healthcare policy, and practical issues, the volume is a groundbreaking reference for future discussion, research, and strategic planning for inter- or multi-faith healthcare chaplains and other spiritual care providers involved in the new field of documenting spiritual care in EMR.
History; Social history; Great Britain—History; Europe—History—1492-; Social policy; Childhood; Adolescence
Children's Exploration and Cultural Formation
This open access book examines the educational conditions that support cultures of exploration in kindergartens. It conceptualises cultures of exploration, whether those cultures are created through children’s own engagement or are demanded of them through undertaking specific tasks within different institutional settings. It shows how the conditions for children’s exploration form a web of activities in different settings with social relationships, local landscapes and artefacts. The book builds on the understanding of cultural traditions as deeply implicated in the developmental processes, meaning that local considerations must be reflected in education for sustainable futures.
Hedegaard, Mariane --- Eriksen Ødegaard, Elin
What are the most effective methods to study for a test? What are the meanings of dreams? How do illusions work? With whom are you most likely to fall in love? These are just a few of the questions that have been asked by psychologists since the birth of the field as an area of scientific research in the 1870’s. This text surveys the basic concepts, theories, and pivotal findings over the past 100 years in the science of Psychology, with special emphasis on contemporary concepts and findings focused on the relation of the brain to normal and pathological behaviors. Psychology has long evolved past the psychodynamic influence to include biological, social, learning, motivational, and developmental perspectives, to name a few.
What is technical writing? You can think of it as writing about specialized topics or you could also think of it as using technology to communicate your ideas. A science lab report, a specification, a change order for building construction, or patient education materials–just to name a few–are all considered technical writing. Similarly if you design a webpage or a brochure this can also be considered technical writing. Academic writing, the writing you do for school, generally is informative or persuasive writing and usually only comes in a few different genres. In technical writing, on the other hand, one is often documenting what was done (such as a science experiment or auto repair invoice).
Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies , Salt Lake City Community College
First Semester in Numerical Analysis with Python
The book is based on “First semester in Numerical Analysis with Julia”, written by Giray Ökten. The contents of the original book are retained, while all the algorithms are implemented in Python (Version 3.8.0). Python is an open source (under OSI), interpreted, general-purpose programming language that has a large number of users around the world. Python is ranked the third in August 2020 by the TIOBE programming community index, a measure of popularity of programming languages, and is the top-ranked interpreted language. We hope this book will better serve readers who are interested in a first course in Numerical Analysis, but are more familiar with Python for the implementation of the algorithms.
This book is an introduction to philosophical ethics intended for use in introductory college or high school level courses. It has grown out of lecture notes I shared with the first students who took my online Ethics course at the Pennsylvania College of Technology almost 20 years ago. Since then it has seen more development in a variety of forms – starting out as a pdf document, and then evolving into a static set of WordPress pages and finally now as a book written in bookdown and hosted at GitHub. This text represents my attempt to scratch a couple of itches.
A Person-Centered Guide to Demystifying Technology: Working together to observe, question, design, prototype, and implement/reject technology in support of people's valued beings and doings
Digital technologies old and new are not objects that can be packed inside a box. They are a seamless, indivisible combination of people, organizations, policies, economies, histories, cultures, knowledge, and material things that are continuously shaped and reshaped. Every one of us innovates-in-use our everyday technologies, we just do not always know it. Not only are we shaped by the networked information tools in our midst, but we shape them and thereby shape others.
This open access book contributes to the creation of a cyber ecosystem supported by blockchain technology in which technology and people can coexist in harmony. Blockchains have shown that trusted records, or ledgers, of permanent data can be stored on the Internet in a decentralized manner. The decentralization of the recording process is expected to significantly economize the cost of transactions. Creating a ledger on data, a blockchain makes it possible to designate the owner of each piece of data, to trade data pieces, and to market them. This book examines the formation of markets for various types of data from the theory of market quality proposed and developed by M. Yano. Blockchains are expected to give data itself the status of a new production factor.
Yano, Makoto --- Dai, Chris --- Masuda, Kenichi --- Kishimoto, Yoshio
This open access book presents religious literacy as the main explanatory factor when dealing with certain ethnic groups that attract stereotypes which gloss over other personal factors such as age, class, gender and cultural differences. It discusses freedom of religion, and the Christian revival movement. It examines religious literacy and religious diversity in multi-faith schools. It looks into the role of Mosques and Islamic divorce. Finally, it discusses the prevention of violent radicalization and extremism in Finland. Using recent data on Finnish secular society, the book promotes a new understanding which is needed with respect to popular and media portrayal of religion, or with respect to public discussion about religion. It addresses actors in civic society, public servants and higher education.
Sakaranaho, Tuula --- Aarrevaara, Timo --- Konttori, Johanna
The Internet of Things offers massive societal and economic opportunities while at the same time significant challenges, not least the delivery and management of the technical infrastructure underpinning it, the deluge of data generated from it, ensuring privacy and security, and capturing value from it. This Open Access Pivot explores these challenges, presenting the state of the art and future directions for research but also frameworks for making sense of this complex area. This book provides a variety of perspectives on how technology innovations such as fog, edge and dew computing, 5G networks, and distributed intelligence are making us rethink conventional cloud computing to support the Internet of Things. Much of this book focuses on technical aspects of the Internet of Things, however, clear methodologies for mapping the business value of the Internet of Things are still missing.
Lynn, Theo --- Mooney, John G. --- Lee, Brian --- Endo, Patricia Takako
Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society
This open access book attends to the co-creation of digital public services for ageing societies. Increasingly public services are provided in digital form; their uptake however remains well below expectations. In particular, amongst older adults the need for public services is high, while at the same time the uptake of digital services is lower than the population average. One of the reasons is that many digital public services (or e-services) do not respond well to the life worlds, use contexts and use practices of its target audiences. This book argues that when older adults are involved in the process of identifying, conceptualising, and designing digital public services, these services become more relevant and meaningful.
The Codes of the Street in Risky Neighborhoods
This book presents a comparative look at the norms and attitudes related to youth violence. It aims to present a perspective outside of the typical Western context, through case studies comparing a developed / Western democracy (Germany), a country with a history of institutionalized violence (South Africa), and an emerging democracy that has experienced heavy terrorism (Pakistan). Building on earlier works, the research presented in this innovative volume provides new insights into the sociocultural context for shaping both young people's tolerance of and involvement in violence, depending on their environment. This volume covers: Research on interpersonal violence.
Heitmeyer, Wilhelm --- Howell, Simon --- Kurtenbach, Sebastian --- Rauf, Abdul --- et al.
Education; Teaching; Education—History; Communication; Russia—History; Europe, Eastern—History; Historiography
Christophe, Barbara --- Gautschi, Peter --- Thorp, Robert
Collaboration in Designing a Pedagogical Approach in Information Literacy
This Open Access book combines expertise in information literacy with expertise in education and teaching to share tips and tricks for the development of good information literacy teaching and training in universities and libraries. It draws on research, knowledge and pedagogical practice from academia, to teach students how to sift through information to be able to distinguish the important and correct from the unusable. It discusses basic concepts and models of information literacy, as well as strategies for accessing, locating and retrieving information and methods suitable for the assessment and management of information.
Landøy, Ane --- Popa, Daniela --- Repanovici, Angela
Collaborative Curriculum Design for Sustainable Innovation and Teacher Learning
This open access book provides insight into what it takes to actively involve teachers in the curriculum design process. It examines different aspects of teacher involvement in collaborative curriculum design, with specific attention to its implications for sustainable curriculum innovation and teacher learning. Divided into six sections, the book starts out by introducing the notion of collaborative curriculum design and discusses its historical and theoretical foundations. It describes various approaches commonly adopted to actively involve teachers in the (co-)design of curriculum materials. Sections two and three provide examples of what key phases in the curriculum design process - such as needs analysis, design and development, and implementation - look like across various collaborative curriculum design projects.
Pieters, Jules --- Voogt, Joke --- Pareja Roblin, Natalie
Computational Cognitive Modeling and Linguistic Theory
This open access book introduces a general framework that allows natural language researchers to enhance existing competence theories with fully specified performance and processing components. Gradually developing increasingly complex and cognitively realistic competence-performance models, it provides running code for these models and shows how to fit them to real-time experimental data. This computational cognitive modeling approach opens up exciting new directions for research in formal semantics, and linguistics more generally, and offers new ways of (re)connecting semantics and the broader field of cognitive science.
Conceptualizing Environmental Citizenship for 21st Century Education
This Open Access book is about the development of a common understanding of environmental citizenship. It conceptualizes and frames environmental citizenship taking an educational perspective. Organized in four complementary parts, the book first explains the political, economic and societal dimensions of the concept. Next, it examines environmental citizenship as a psychological concept with a specific focus on knowledge, values, beliefs and attitudes. It then explores environmental citizenship within the context of environmental education and education for sustainability. It elaborates responsible environmental behaviour, youth activism and education for sustainability through the lens of environmental citizenship.
Hadjichambis, Andreas Ch. --- Reis, Pedro --- Paraskeva-Hadjichambi, Demetra --- Činčera, Jan --- et al.
This open access book presents an overview and step-by-step explanation of process management. It starts with the individual participants’ perspectives on their work in a process and its structuring and harmonization, and then moves on to its specification in a model and how it is embedded in the organizational and IT environment of the company. Lastly, the book examines the joint processing of instances in the resulting socio-technical systems. A corresponding illustration, which expands with the overview, enables readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of business process management
Fleischmann, Albert --- Oppl, Stefan --- Schmidt, Werner --- Stary, Christian
This open access book explores the synergies and tensions between safety and security management from a variety of perspectives and by combining input from numerous disciplines. It defines the concepts of safety and security, and discusses the methodological, organizational and institutional implications that accompany approaching them as separate entities and combining them, respectively. The book explores the coupling of safety and security from different perspectives, especially: the concepts and methods of risk, safety and security; the managerial aspects; user experiences in connection with safety and security. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in the fields of safety and security, and to anyone working at a business or in an industry concerned with how safety and security should be managed.
Bieder, Corinne --- Pettersen Gould, Kenneth
Craftspeople and Designer Makers in the Contemporary Creative Economy
This open access book explores the experience of working as a craftsperson or designer maker in the contemporary creative economy. The authors utilise evidence from the only major empirical study to explore the skills required and the challenges facing contemporary makers in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Drawing upon 180 interviews with peak organisations, established and emerging makers, and four years of fieldwork across Australia, this book offers a unique insight into the motivations informing those who seek to make an income from their craft or designer maker practice, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing them as they do so at this time of renewed interest internationally in the artisanal and handmade.
This open access book follows the development of the Building Resilience in Teacher Education (BRiTE) project across Australia and internationally. Drawing on the success of this project and the related research collaborations that have since emerged, it highlights the importance of cultivating resilience at various stages of teachers’ careers. Divided into three sections, the book includes conceptual, empirical and applied chapters, designed to introduce readers to the field of research, provide empirical evidence and showcase innovative applications.
Cultural Competence and the Higher Education Sector
This open access book explores cultural competence in the higher education sector from multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary perspectives. It addresses cultural competence in terms of leadership and the role of the higher education sector in cultural competence policy and practice. Drawing on lessons learned, current research and emerging evidence, the book examines various innovative approaches and strategies that incorporate Indigenous knowledge and practices into the development and implementation of cultural competence, and considers the most effective approaches for supporting cultural competence in the higher education sector.
Frawley, Jack --- Russell, Gabrielle --- Sherwood, Juanita
Data Privacy and Trust in Cloud Computing
This open access book brings together perspectives from multiple disciplines including psychology, law, IS, and computer science on data privacy and trust in the cloud. Cloud technology has fueled rapid, dramatic technological change, enabling a level of connectivity that has never been seen before in human history. However, this brave new world comes with problems. Several high-profile cases over the last few years have demonstrated cloud computing's uneasy relationship with data security and trust. This volume explores the numerous technological, process and regulatory solutions presented in academic literature as mechanisms for building trust in the cloud, including GDPR in Europe.
Lynn, Theo --- Mooney, John G. --- van der Werff, Lisa --- Fox, Grace
In the light of better and more detailed administrative databases, this open access book provides statistical tools for evaluating the effects of public policies advocated by governments and public institutions. Experts from academia, national statistics offices and various research centers present modern econometric methods for an efficient data-driven policy evaluation and monitoring, assess the causal effects of policy measures and report on best practices of successful data management and usage. Topics include data confidentiality, data linkage, and national practices in policy areas such as public health, education and employment.
This open access book provides worldwide examples demonstrating the importance of the interplay between demography and disasters in regions and spatially. It marks an advance in practical and theoretical insights for understanding the role of demography in planning for and mitigating impacts from disasters in developed nations. Both slow onset (like the of loss polar ice from climate change) and sudden disasters (such as cyclones and man-made disasters) have the capacity to fundamentally change the profiles of populations at local and regional levels. Impacts vary according to the type, rapidity and magnitude of the disaster, but also according to the pre-existing population profile and its relationships to the economy and society.
Karácsonyi, Dávid --- Taylor, Andrew --- Bird, Deanne
This Open Access book is for scientists and experts who work on urban food policies. It provides a conceptual framework for understanding the urban food system sustainability and how it can be tackled by local governments. Written by a collective of researchers, this book describes the existing conceptual frameworks for an analysis of urban food policies, at the crossroads of the concepts of food system and sustainable city. It provides a basis for identifying research questions related to urban local government initiatives in the North and South. It is the result of work carried out within Agropolis International within the framework of the Sustainable Urban Food Systems program and an action research carried out in support of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole for the construction of its agroecological and food policy.
Brand, Caroline --- Bricas, Nicolas --- Conaré, Damien --- Daviron, Benoit --- et al.
This open access book modifies and revitalizes the concept of the ‘developmental state’ to understand the politics of emerging economy through nuanced analysis on the roles of human agency in the context of structural transformation. In other words, there is a revived interest in the ‘developmental state’ concept. The nature of the ‘emerging state’ is characterized by its attitude toward economic development and industrialization. Emerging states have engaged in the promotion of agriculture, trade, and industry and played a transformative role to pursue a certain path of economic development. Their success has cast doubt about the principle of laissez faire among the people in the developing world.
Takagi, Yusuke --- Kanchoochat, Veerayooth --- Sonobe, Tetsushi
This open access book presents new developments in the field of demographic forecasting, covering both mortality, fertility and migration. For each component emerging methods to forecast them are presented. Moreover, instruments for forecasting evaluation are provided. Bayesian models, nonparametric models, cohort approaches, elicitation of expert opinion, evaluation of probabilistic forecasts are some of the topics covered in the book. In addition, the book is accompanied by complementary material on the web allowing readers to practice with some of the ideas exposed in the book.
Digital Transformation in Semiconductor Manufacturing
This open access book reports on cutting-edge electrical engineering and microelectronics solutions to foster and support digitalization in the semiconductor industry. Based on the outcomes of the European project iDev40, which were presented at the two first conference editions of the European Advances in Digital Transformation Conference (EADCT 2018 and EADTC 2019), the book covers different, multidisciplinary aspects related to digital transformation, including technological and industrial developments, as well as human factors research and applications.
Keil, Sophia --- Lasch, Rainer --- Lindner, Fabian --- Lohmer, Jacob
This open access book brings together a set of original studies that use cutting-edge computational methods to investigate conflict at various geographic scales and degrees of intensity and violence. Methodologically, this book covers a variety of computational approaches from text mining and machine learning to agent-based modelling and social network analysis. Empirical cases range from migration policy framing in North America and street protests in Iran to violence against civilians in Congo and food riots world-wide. Supplementary materials in the book include a comprehensive list of the datasets on conflict and dissent, as well as resources to online repositories where the annotated code and data of individual chapters can be found and where (agent-based) models can be re-produced and altered.
Deutschmann, Emanuel --- Lorenz, Jan --- Nardin, Luis G. --- Natalini, Davide --- et al.
Connecting Mathematics and Mathematics Education
This open access book features a selection of articles written by Erich Ch. Wittmann between 1984 to 2019, which shows how the “design science conception” has been continuously developed over a number of decades. The articles not only describe this conception in general terms, but also demonstrate various substantial learning environments that serve as typical examples. In terms of teacher education, the book provides clear information on how to combine (well-understood) mathematics and methods courses to benefit of teachers. The role of mathematics in mathematics education is often explicitly and implicitly reduced to the delivery of subject matter that then has to be selected and made palpable for students using methods imported from psychology, sociology, educational research and related disciplines.
Creating Healthy and Sustainable Buildings
The open access book discusses human health and wellbeing within the context of built environments. It provides a comprehensive overview of relevant sources of literature and user complaints that clearly demonstrate the consequences of lack of attention to health in current building design and planning. Current designing of energy-efficient buildings is mainly focused on looking at energy problems and not on addressing health. Therefore, even green buildings that place environmental aspects above health issues can be uncomfortable and unhealthy, and can lead to public health problems. The authors identify many health risk factors and their parameters, and the interactions among risk factors and building design elements.
Crisis Reporters, Emotions, and Technology
This open access book explores the emotional labour of crisis reporters in an original style that combines fictional and factual narrative. Exploring how journalists make sense of their emotional experience and development in relation to their professional ideology, it illustrates how media professionals learn to think and act within crisis situations. Drawing on in-depth interviews with journalists reporting on wars, terror attacks and natural disasters, the book rethinks traditional concepts in journalistic thought. Finally, it reflects on the specific, contemporary vulnerabilities of industry professionals, including the impact of new technologies, specific forms of precarity, and a particular strain of cynicism central to the industry.
Data and Text Processing for Health and Life Sciences
This open access book is a step-by-step introduction on how shell scripting can help solve many of the data processing tasks that Health and Life specialists face everyday with minimal software dependencies. The examples presented in the book show how simple command line tools can be used and combined to retrieve data and text from web resources, to filter and mine literature, and to explore the semantics encoded in biomedical ontologies. To store data this book relies on open standard text file formats, such as TSV, CSV, XML, and OWL, that can be open by any text editor or spreadsheet application. The first two chapters, Introduction and Resources, provide a brief introduction to the shell scripting and describe popular data resources in Health and Life Sciences.
This open access book provides worldwide examples demonstrating the importance of the interplay between demography and disasters in regions and spatially. It marks an advance in practical and theoretical insights for understanding the role of demography in planning for and mitigating impacts from disasters in developed nations. Both slow onset (like the of loss polar ice from climate change) and sudden disasters (such as cyclones and man-made disasters) have the capacity to fundamentally change the profiles of populations at local and regional levels.
This Open Access book introduces readers to many new techniques for enhancing and optimizing reliability in embedded systems, which have emerged particularly within the last five years. This book introduces the most prominent reliability concerns from today’s points of view and roughly recapitulates the progress in the community so far. Unlike other books that focus on a single abstraction level such circuit level or system level alone, the focus of this book is to deal with the different reliability challenges across different levels starting from the physical level all the way to the system level (cross-layer approaches). The book aims at demonstrating how new hardware/software co-design solution can be proposed to ef-fectively mitigate reliability degradation such as transistor aging, processor variation, temperature effects, soft errors
Henkel, Jörg --- Dutt, Nikil --- Henkel, Jörg --- Dutt, Nikil
This open access book describes methods for research on and research through design. It posits that ethnography is an appropriate method for design research because it constantly orients itself, like design projects, towards social realities. In research processes, designers acquire project-specific knowledge, which happens mostly intuitively in practice. When this knowledge becomes the subject of reflection and explication, it strengthens the discipline of design and makes it more open to interdisciplinary dialogue.
This open access book explores the global challenges and experiences related to digital entrepreneurial activities, using carefully selected examples from leading companies and economies that shape world business today and tomorrow. Digital entrepreneurship and the companies steering it have an enormous global impact; they promise to transform the business world and change the way we communicate with each other. These companies use digitalization and artificial intelligence to enhance the quality of decisions and augment their business and customer operations.
Soltanifar, Mariusz --- Hughes, Mathew --- Göcke, Lutz --- Soltanifar, Mariusz --- et al.
Digital Transformation of Learning Organizations
This open access volume provides insight into how organizations change through the adoption of digital technologies. Opportunities and challenges for individuals as well as the organization are addressed. It features four major themes: 1. Current research exploring the theoretical underpinnings of digital transformation of organizations. 2. Insights into available digital technologies as well as organizational requirements for technology adoption. 3. Issues and challenges for designing and implementing digital transformation in learning organizations. 4. Case studies, empirical research findings, and examples from organizations which successfully adopted digital workplace learning.
Ifenthaler, Dirk --- Hofhues, Sandra --- Egloffstein, Marc --- Helbig, Christian
Disasters: Core Concepts and Ethical Theories
This Open Access Book is the first to examine disasters from a multidisciplinary perspective. Justification of actions in the face of disasters requires recourse both to conceptual analysis and ethical traditions. Part 1 of the book contains chapters on how disasters are conceptualized in different academic disciplines relevant to disasters. Part 2 has chapters on how ethical issues that arise in relation to disasters can be addressed from a number of fundamental normative approaches in moral and political philosophy. This book sets the stage for more focused normative debates given that no one book can be completely comprehensive.
O’Mathúna, Dónal P. --- Dranseika, Vilius --- Gordijn, Bert
This open access book critiques real world learning across both the curriculum and extracurricular activities. Drawing on disciplines as diverse as business, health, fashion, sociology and geography, the editors and authors employ a cross-disciplinary approach to examine how this concept is being applied in higher education. Divided into three parts, the authors and contributors analyse broader applications of real world learning, student experience of practicing in a real world setting, and how learning strategies can be employed to engage students in real world learning. The editors and contributors provide up-to-date, cross-disciplinary and international insights into how real world learning could be integrated into the higher education curriculum to support effective, relevant and life-long learning for 21st century students.
Morley, Dawn A. (editor), Jamil, Md Golam (editor)
Brain and Human Body Modeling 2020 : Computational Human Models Presented at EMBC 2019 and the BRAIN Initiative® 2019 Meeting
This open access book describes modern applications of computational human modeling in an effort to advance neurology, cancer treatment, and radio-frequency studies including regulatory, safety, and wireless communication fields. Readers working on any application that may expose human subjects to electromagnetic radiation will benefit from this book’s coverage of the latest models and techniques available to assess a given technology’s safety and efficacy in a timely and efficient manner. Describes computational human body phantom construction and application; Explains new practices in computational human body modeling for electromagnetic safety and exposure evaluations; Includes a survey of modern applications for which computational human phantoms are critical.
Makarov, Sergey N. (editor) Noetscher, Gregory M. (editor) Nummenmaa, Aapo (editor)
This textbook was created to provide an introduction to research methods for BSW and MSW students, with particular emphasis on research and practice relevant to students at the University of Texas at Arlington. It provides an introduction to social work students to help evaluate research for evidence-based practice and design social work research projects. It can be used with its companion, A Guidebook for Social Work Literature Reviews and Research Questions by Rebecca L. Mauldin and Matthew DeCarlo, or as a stand-alone textbook.
An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology
This "textbook" is interactive, meaning that although each chapter has text, they also have interactive HTML5 content, such as quizzes, simulations, interactive videos, and images with clickable hotspots. Students receive instant feedback when they complete the interactive content, and therefore, can learn and check their understanding all in one place. The first unit introduces students to the nature of science, including scientific controversies, and information literacy, including how to analyze literature and identify stakeholders. Unit 2 is organismal biology, including carbon cycling and population growth, and unit 3 is molecular biology with a focus on gene expression.
Foundations of Neuroscience is aimed at undergraduate students new to the field of neuroscience. The first edition specifically targets students enrolled in Neurobiology at Michigan State University and primarily contains topics covered in that course.
Humans R Social Media - Open Textbook Edition
Social media and humans exist in a world of mutual influence, and humans play central roles in how this influence is mediated and transferred. Originally created by University of Arizona Information scholar Diana Daly, this Third Edition of the book Humans are Social Media uses plain language and features contributions by students to help readers understand how we as humans shape social media, and how social media shapes our world in turn.
Inventory Analytics provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the theory and practice of inventory control – a significant research area central to supply chain planning. The book outlines the foundations of inventory systems and surveys prescriptive analytics models for deterministic inventory control. It further discusses predictive analytics techniques for demand forecasting in inventory control and also examines prescriptive analytics models for stochastic inventory control.
Foundations of Learning and Instructional Design Technology
What is this field?" "Where have we come from as a discipline, and where are we going?" "What do I want to study?" These and other questions are typical for new students in the field of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. This textbook is designed to help answer these questions and provide the quickest route to understanding the history and current trends in the field. After surveying classic theories and writings, as well as more recent applications of theory and practice, students will be better prepared to chart their own course and careers within the discipline. This book is designed to support foundations courses common in departments, as well as seminars on current trends and issues.
This books is a general introduction to Marine Ecology, accompanying a lecture and excursion. It targets students without prior knowledge of the subject. The content is taken largely from Wikipedia, but curated and augmented by the authors.
This open access Nursing Skills textbook includes physical assessments routinely performed by entry-level registered nurses and basic nursing skills performed by licensed practical nurses. It is based on the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) statewide nursing curriculum for the Nursing Skills course (543-102), the 2019 NCLEX-RN Test Plan, the 2020 NCLEX-PN Test Plan, and the Wisconsin Nurse Practice Act. Learning activities are included to encourage the student to engage in critical thinking and apply the nursing process while analyzing assessment findings.
Kimberly Ernstmeyer, Elizabeth Christman
Optimal, Integral, Likely Optimization, Integral Calculus, and Probability for Students of Commerce and the Social Sciences
Optimal, Integral, Likely is a free, open-source textbook intended for UBC’s course MATH 105: Integral Calculus with Applications to Commerce and Social Sciences. It is shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Bruno Belevan, Parham Hamidi, Nisha Malhotra, and Elyse Yeager
Building Democracy for All: Interactive Explorations of Government and Civic Life
Designed as a core or supplementary text for upper elementary, middle and high school teachers and students, Building Democracy for All offers instructional ideas, interactive resources, multicultural content, and multimodal learning materials for interest-building explorations of United States government as well as students’ roles as citizens in a democratic society. It focuses on the importance of community engagement and social responsibility as understood and acted upon by middle and high school students—core themes in the 2018 Massachusetts 8th Grade Curriculum Framework, and which are found in many state history and social studies curriculum frameworks around the country.
Adhesive Bonding of Aircraft Composite Structures
Structural Materials; Aerospace Technology and Astronautics; Manufacturing, Machines, Tools, Processes; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Surfaces and Interfaces, Thin Films; Ceramics, Glass, Composites, Natural Materials; Machines, Tools, Processes; Characterization and Analytical Technique; Surfaces, Interfaces and Thin Film; Ceramics; NDT composites; NDT aircraft; CFRP NDT testing; innovative lightweight materials; aircraft lifecycle; adhesive bonding; adhesively bonded joints; surface cleaning; ComBoNDT; Open Access; Materials science; Structural engineering; Aerospace & aviation technology; Astronautics; Production engineering; Testing of materials; Surface chemistry & adsorption; Industrial chemistry & chemical engineering
Informal Calculus with Applications to Biological and Environmental Sciences
This book is an approachable introduction to calculus with applications to biology and environmental science. For example, one application in the book is determining the volume of earth moved in the 1959 earthquake that created Quake Lake. Another application uses differential equations to model various biological examples, including moose and wolf populations at Isle Royale National Park, ranavirus in amphibians, and competing species of protozoa. The text focuses on intuitive understanding of concepts, but still covers most of the algebra and calculations common in a survey of calculus course.
Advances on Mechanics, Design Engineering and Manufacturing III
Engineering Design; Manufacturing, Machines, Tools, Processes; Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD, CAE) and Design; Machines, Tools, Processes; Open Access; Additive Manufacturing; Virtual Prototyping; Eco-design; Generative design; Digitalization in Manufacturing; Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems; 3D Modeling; Human-machine Interaction; Sustainable redesign; Stress analysis and simulation; Robost design methods; Topological optimization; NES design; Geometric modelling; Smart tightening; Technical design; Production engineering; Computer-aided design (CAD)
Roucoules, Lionel (editor) Paredes, Manuel (editor) Eynard, Benoit (editor) Morer Camo, Paz (editor) Rizzi, Caterina (editor)
Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Mechanics, Design Engineering & Advanced Manufacturing, JCM 2020, June 2-4, 2020
Engineering Statics: Open and Interactive
Engineering Statics is a free, open-source textbook appropriate for anyone who wishes to learn more about vectors, forces, moments, static equilibrium, and the properties of shapes. Specifically, it has been written to be the textbook for Engineering Mechanics: Statics, the first course in the Engineering Mechanics series offered in most university-level engineering programs.
The Environmental Politics and Policy of Western Public Lands
In this volume, Erika Allen Wolters and Brent Steel have brought together the experts who can explain the evolution of public lands policies and politics in all their complexities. While their subject is complex, their prose is clear, and while their subject is torn by some of the most viciously self-interested, deceitful arguments in politics today, their prose is calm, factual, and evenhanded. No one should underestimate what a rare and valuable gift this is.
This book was written to provide students with an introduction to the field of education. The book is broken into chapters that focus on questions students may have about education in general. Although some chapters may go into more depth than others, this is created as an introductory text.
Small Group Communication: Forming & Sustaining Teams
Small Group Communication: Forming & Sustaining Teams is an interdisciplinary textbook focused on communication in groups and teams. This textbook aims to provide students with theories, concepts, and skills they can put into practice to form and sustain successful groups across a variety of contexts.
Teaching Math for Emergent Bilinguals: Building on Culture, Language, and Identity
This book is designed for pre-service/in-service teachers and others who will work or work with K–12 students who have linguistically and culturally diverse backgrounds, especially students of other languages (English language learners/Emergent bilingual/multilingual). The core concept of this course is helping teachers understand the needs of various Emergent Bilinguals (a.k.a. English language learners (ELLs)/English Learners (ELs), learn to use their language and culture as a resource in mathematics classrooms and implement research-based instructional strategies that are effective to teach mathematics for Emergent Bilinguals.
A practical how-to illustrating the process of developing a new food product from ideation and formulation to processing and lastly commercialization. This book highlights the overall process and gives instructions for each of the steps along the way
Library 160: Introduction to College-Level Research
You will learn how scholarly information is produced, organized, and accessed; how to construct and use effective search strategies in a variety of web tools and scholarly databases; how to choose finding tools appropriate to the type of information you need; critical thinking skills in the evaluation of resources; and best practices in the ethical use of information.
Iowa State University Library Instruction Services
Open Signals and Systems Laboratory Exercises
Open Signals and Systems Laboratory Exercises is a collection of lab assignments that have been used in EE 224: Signals and Systems I in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. These lab exercises have been curated, edited, and presented in a consistent format to improve student learning.
This advanced public speaking textbook is designed to encourage you as a speaker and to help you sharpen your skills. It is written to feel like you are sitting with a trusted mentor over coffee as you receive practical advice on speaking. Grow in confidence, unleash your personal power and find your unique style as you learn to take your speaking to the next level--polished and professional.
Basic Concepts of Structural Design for Architecture Students
This book aims to narrate fundamental concepts of structural design to architecture students such that they have minimum involvement with math problem-solving. Within this book, students learn about different types of loads, forces and vector addition, the concept of equilibrium, internal forces, geometrical and material properties of structural elements, and rules of thumb for estimating the proportion of some structural systems such as catenary cables and arches, trusses, and frame structures.
This text provides a a graduate level introduction to the field of educational technology.
Technical and Professional Writing Genres: A Study in Theory and Practice
This modern, open-source guide to technical and professional writing explores workplace composition through theoretical and practical applications. Discussions of multiple writing genres will assist you in understanding how to apply for jobs, how to compose clear and precise business communications once the job has been acquired, and how to create documents -- such as proposals and reports -- that will be instrumental in helping to advance your career.
This text is for an introductory level probability and statistics course with an intermediate algebra prerequisite. The focus of the text follows the American Statistical Association’s Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE).
This open textbook is designed for Human Development, a core Psychology course. This course provides a bird’s eye view of major milestones and developmental tasks during each age period, starting at conception and ending with old age.
Human Development Teaching and Learning Group
Fundamentals of Aerospace Engineering covers an undergraduate, introductory course to aeronautical engineering and aims at combining theory and practice to provide a comprehensive, thorough introduction to the fascinating, yet complex discipline of aerospace engineering. This book is the ulterior result of three year of teaching a course called Aerospace Engineering in the first year of a degree in aerospace engineering (with a minor in air navigation) at the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, in Madrid, Spain.
As a group of organisms that are too small to see and best known for being agents of disease and death, microbes are not always appreciated for the numerous supportive and positive contributions they make to the living world. Designed to support a course in microbiology, Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience permits a glimpse into both the good and the bad in the microscopic world. The laboratory experiences are designed to engage and support student interest in microbiology as a topic, field of study, and career.
This textbook supports the Impact of Materials on Society course and teaching materials, developed with the Materials Research Society. The textbook offers an exploration into materials (including ceramics, clay, concrete, glass, metals, and polymers) and the relationship with technologies and social structures. The textbook was developed by an interdisciplinary team from Engineering and Liberal Arts and Sciences, including anthropologists, sociologists, historians, media studies experts, Classicists, and more.
Sophia Krzys Acord, Kevin S. Jones, Marsha Bryant
Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology - Australian Edition
ght in Australia, aiming to provide students with an increased access to free, high-quality learning materials. The material in this textbook is largely based on OpenStax’s Anatomy & Physiology textbook, however, has been modified for Australian course curriculum.
Ready to find out how plants are grown and function? Take a fantastic voyage through plants. From Growing to Biology: Plants 1e brings the latest information for understanding of traditional and modern plant growing, form, and production. Topics covered in 30 chapters include concise and up-to-date ‘big picture’ infographics, student learning outcomes (SLOs), key vocabulary, assessment, as well as identification of 120 species, and more.
Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction to the Fundamentals
Welcome to Mindful Technical Writing: An Introduction to the Fundamentals, an open textbook designed for use in co-requisite course pairings of developmental writing and introductory technical writing, or indeed in other lower-division college writing courses that focus on building study skills alongside effective workplace and academic writing skills. It offers a no-cost alternative to commercial products, combining practical guidance with interactive exercises and thoughtfully designed writing opportunities.
These and other questions are typical for new students in the field of Learning and Instructional Design Technology. This textbook is designed to help answer these questions and provide the quickest route to understanding the history and current trends in the field. After surveying classic theories and writings, as well as more recent applications of theory and practice, students will be better prepared to chart their own course and careers within the discipline. This book is designed to support foundations courses common in departments,
Integrated and Open Interpreter Education
This Open Educational Resource (OER) on interpreting offers authors and readers free and open access to current, relevant, easy-to-access, and free materials. The editors have created a space where emerging scholars in the field of signed language interpreting make contributions with the ability to revise as the interpreting studies discipline and the scholars, themselves, develop and change. This OER provides faculty and students readings and practical application experiences that connect program specific coursework and concepts across the interpreter education curriculum emphasizing the holistic nature of the field of interpreting.
Elisa Maroney, Amanda Smith, Sarah Hewlett
Traffic Flow Theory: An introduction with exercises
Traffic processes cause several problems in the world. Traffic delay, pollution are some of it. They can be solved with the right road design or traffic management (control) measure. Before implementing these designs of measures, though, their effect could be tested. To this end, knowledge of traffic flow theory is needed.
The discipline of Biosystems Engineering emerged in the 1990s from the traditional strongholds of agricultural engineering and food engineering. Biosystems engineering integrates engineering science and design with applied biological, environmental, and agricultural sciences.
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), Virginia Tech Publishing
Academic Success is designed to help students on their university journey. It is divided into four parts, each reflecting different aspects of a student’s tertiary experience. Part A: Successful Beginnings addresses what it is like to be a new student at an Australian university. Part B: Successful Foundations introduces basic skills in English language, techniques for accessing and working with information, and understanding academic integrity.
Cristy Bartlett, Tyler Cawthray, Linda Clark
Coastal Dynamics focuses on the interrelation between physical wave, flow and sediment transport phenomena and the resulting morphodynamics of a wide variety of coastal systems. The textbook is unique in that it explicitly connects the dynamics of open coasts and tidal basins; not only is the interaction between open coasts and tidal basins of basic importance for the evolution of most coastal systems, but describing the similarities between their physical processes is highly instructive as well. This textbook emphasizes these similarities to the benefit of understanding shared processes such as nonlinearities in flow and sediment transport.
Self-directed multimodal learning in higher education
This book aims to provide an overview of theoretical and practical considerations in terms of self-directed multimodal learning within the university context. Multimodal learning is approached in terms of the levels of multimodality and specifically blended learning and the mixing of modes of delivery (contact and distance education). As such, this publication will provide a unique snapshot of multimodal practices within higher education through a self-directed learning epistemological lens.
Design for Learning: Principles, Processes, and Praxis
Our purpose in this book is twofold. First, we introduce the basic skill set and knowledge base used by practicing instructional designers. We do this through chapters contributed by experts in the field who have either academic, research-based backgrounds, or practical, on-the-job experience (or both). Our goal is that students in introductory instructional design courses will be able to use this book as a guide for completing a basic instructional design project.
A Mixed Course-Based Research Approach to Human Physiology
The Biology 256 Laboratory course was designed to provide students with hands-on access to modern techniques in human physiological analyses using the course-based research pedagogical approach. In this course, students will learn how to perform literature searches; generate research questions and hypotheses; design experiments; collect, analyze, visualize and interpret data; and present scientific findings to others.
Future Energy: Opportunities & Challenges
How can we produce enough sustainable energy while avoiding unacceptable environmental consequences? To evaluate the various energy options, we must understand the science of each potential energy source and energy use technology. This book presents the science in an easy-to-understand way to enable readers to make informed decisions about what is possible and practical, and to choose lifestyle options to implement in their personal lives.
Using natural sensory system concepts to develop and improve sensory systems will continue to thrive for many years to come. Technology advances rapidly (Moore’s Law) as does our understanding of biological principles and designs. These trends fuel the fertile grounds of bio-inspired sensory systems, a topic that is inherently multidisciplinary. This book will serve well as either an academic text on the subject or an introduction to the variety of proven bio-inspired designs.
This developmental-level mathematics textbook is intended for career-technical students. It was made possible by a grant from Open Oregon Educational Resources, which supports the development and implementation of high-quality materials at low or no cost to community college and university students. I hope that this qualifies as a “high quality” textbook, and I hope that it brings a bit of fun to what can often be a boring or intimidating subject. Whether you are a student or instructor, I would love to hear your thoughts on the book and whether it works well for you. Feel free to let me know about any errors you find or suggestions for improvements.
Climate change negotiations have failed the world. Despite more than thirty years of high-level, global talks on climate change, we are still seeing carbon emissions rise dramatically. This edited volume, comprising leading and emerging scholars and climate activists from around the world, takes a critical look at what has gone wrong and what is to be done to create more decisive action.
Learn about entrepreneurship and what makes entrepreneurs successful, all while developing your entrepreneurial skills.
The purpose of this OER is to provide students with a comprehensive textbook aligned with the NDT 130 (Radiographic Testing) course as taught at Linn-Benton Community College.
Technology, Media Literacy, and the Human Subject: A Posthuman Approach
What does it mean to be media literate in today’s world? How are we transformed by the many media infrastructures around us? We are immersed in a world mediated by information and communication technologies (ICTs). From hardware like smartphones, smartwatches, and home assistants to software like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat, our lives have become a complex, interconnected network of relations.
Documentary Making for Digital Humanists
This fluent and comprehensive field guide responds to increased interest, across the humanities, in the ways in which digital technologies can disrupt and open up new research and pedagogical avenues. It is designed to help scholars and students engage with their subjects using an audio-visual grammar, and to allow readers to efficiently gain the technical and theoretical skills necessary to create and disseminate their own trans-media projects.
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a course in first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology.
A Possession Forever: A Guide to Using Commemorative Memorials and Monuments in the Classroom
This open textbook will guide educators and students through the process of using local monuments and memorials to contextualise, interrogate and extend their knowledge of historical events at a national and international level. Students will learn how to use local history to create an organic patchwork of local stories, interviews, photographs and artefacts contributed by, and for, the community and contextualised nationally and internationally.
Ethical Use of Technology in Digital Learning Environments: Graduate Student Perspectives
This book is the result of a co-design project in a class in the Masters of Education program at the University of Calgary. The course, and the resulting book, focus primarily on the safe and ethical use of technology in digital learning environments. The course was organized according to four topics based on Farrow’s (2016) Framework for the Ethics of Open Education.
Barbara Brown , Verena Roberts ,Michele Jacobsen
This textbook covers calculus of a single variable, suitable for a year-long (or two-semester) course. Chapters 1-5 cover Calculus I, while Chapters 6-9 cover Calculus II. The book is designed for students who have completed courses in high-school algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Though designed for college students, it could also be used in high schools. The traditional topics are covered, but the old idea of an infinitesimal is resurrected, owing to its usefulness (especially in the sciences).
Elementary Earth and Space Science Methods
this book to help you as both a college student and a future teacher. Dr. Ted Neal asked us to help him create this resource from the perspective of students who have taken Science Methods II–what would we want in a textbook for this course? With this in mind, we have gathered and created resources to help you better understand science and feel confident in your abilities as a future teacher. This book is divided into five parts which align with the Science Methods
Trauma Informed Behaviour Support: A Practical Guide to Developing Resilient Learners
If we want to impact the world of children who have experienced trauma then we must change not only ourselves and our classroom, but we must change our schools, our organisations, and our systems of care for children. We must all speak out for these children who have no voice to bring awareness of new educational and mental health approaches to children who will become tomorrow’s failed adults unless they receive our understanding and our help.
Introduction to Curriculum for Early Childhood Education
learning about how to effectively plan curriculum for young children.
Jennifer Paris, Kristin Beeve, Clint Springer
intend this work to be less a bestiary of bad ideas about writing than an effort to name bad ideas and suggest better ones. Some of those bad ideas are quite old, such as the archetype of the inspired genius author, the five-paragraph essay, or the abuse of adjunct writing teachers. Others are much newer, such as computerized essay scoring or gamification. Some ideas, such as the supposed demise of literacy brought on by texting, are newer bad ideas but are really instances of older bad ideas about literacy always being in a cycle of decline.
The target audience for this book is college students who are required to learn statistics, students with little background in mathematics and often no motivation to learn more. It is assumed that the students do have basic skills in using computers and have access to one. Moreover, it is assumed that the students are willing to actively follow the discussion in the text, to practice, and more importantly, to think.
Intermediate Microeconomics with Microsoft Excel - 2nd Edition
This book is based on the idea that there is a particular framework used by economists to interpret observed reality. This framework has been called the economic way of thinking, the economic approach, and the method of economics. This book is different from the many other books that attempt to teach microeconomics in three ways
Introduction to Financial Accounting: U.S. GAAP Adaptation
This textbook is an adaptation by D. Marchand and Athabasca University of the original text written by D. Annand and H. Dauderis. It is intended for use in entry-level college and university courses in financial accounting. A corporate approach is utilized consistently throughout the book. The adapted textbook includes multiple ancillary student and instructor resources. Student aids include solutions to all end-of-chapter questions and problems, and randomly-generated spreadsheet problems that cover key concepts of each chapter.
David Annand, Donna Marchand, Henry Dauderis
Intermediate Financial Accounting Volume 2
This new text by G. Arnold and S. Kyle, developed in collaboration by Athabasca University and Lyryx, is intended for the second of two in Intermediate Financial Accounting courses. It presumes that students have already completed the Introductory Financial Accounting, and the first Intermediate Financing Accounting course. The text reflects both current International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and ASPE.
Intermediate Financial Accounting Volume 1
This text is intended for a first course in Intermediate Financial Accounting. It presumes that students have already completed one or two Introductory Financial Accounting courses. The book reflects current International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), such as IFRS 15 - Revenue from Contracts With Customers. It focuses on more difficult intermediate accounting topics that match prerequisite requirements for students advancing to a second level Intermediate Financial Accounting course.
Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning - 2nd Edition
Teachers, instructors and faculty are facing unprecedented change, with often larger classes, more diverse students, demands from government and employers who want more accountability and the development of graduates who are workforce ready, and above all, we are all having to cope with ever changing technology. To handle change of this nature, teachers and instructors need a base of theory and knowledge that will provide a solid foundation for their teaching, no matter what changes or pressures they face.
Foundations of American Education: A Critical Lens
Readers will explore the foundations of American education through a critical lens. Topics include the teaching profession, influences on student learning, philosophical and historical foundations, structures of schools, ethical and legal issues, curriculum, classroom environment, and the path forward.
This textbook covers content relevant to COMS342: Problem Solving in Teams and Groups at the University of Kansas. Content in this textbook is adapted from The Open University, OpenStax, The Noba Project, and Wikipedia. Each chapter presents the source in the top header and each chapter has its own version of the Creative Commons (CC) license, noted at the bottom of the chapter. This book (commonly called an Open Educational Resource, OER) was made possible through a generous grant through the KU Libraries.
Intro to Computer Applications or Business Computers for Office 365
Visuals for influence: in project management and beyond
Visuals for influence: in project management and beyond’ is a practical guide with 24 visuals to download, adapt and deploy to engage your stakeholders. This practical guide will build your confidence and practical skills to quickly and effectively leverage the benefits of visuals to maximise your influence.
An open textbook that is suitable for the first semester of Organic Chemistry. Basic concepts of the structures and reactivities of organic molecules are covered in this open textbook. Besides the fundamental discussions of organic acids-bases, stereochemistry, IR and NMR, this book also includes the topics of substitution and elimination reactions, radical substitution of alkanes, preparation and reactions of alkenes and alkynes
This book discusses what is currently known about software engineering, based on an analysis of all the publicly available data. This aim is not as ambitious as it sounds, because there is not a great deal of data publicly available. The intent is to provide material that is useful to professional developers working in industry; until recently researchers in software engineering have been more interested in vanity work, promoted by ego and bluster.
Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology (1 review)
Introduction to Philosophy: Epistemology engages first-time philosophy readers on a guided tour through the core concepts, questions, methods, arguments, and theories of epistemology—the branch of philosophy devoted to the study of knowledge. The book progresses systematically while placing key ideas and thinkers in historical and contemporary context. Central topics include the analysis of knowledge, the nature of epistemic justification, rationalism vs. empiricism, skepticism, the value of knowledge, the ethics of belief, Bayesian epistemology, social epistemology, and feminist epistemologies
Writing Guide with Handbook aligns to the goals, topics, and objectives of many first-year writing and composition courses. It is organized according to relevant genres, and focuses on the writing process, effective writing practices or strategies—including graphic organizers, writing frames, and word banks to support visual learning—and conventions of usage and style. The text includes an editing and documentation handbook, which provides information on grammar and mechanics, common usage errors, and citation styles.
Michelle Bachelor Robinson, Maria Jerskey, Toby Fulwiller
Goals of preventive medicine are to protect, promote, and maintain health and well-being and to prevent disease, disability, and death. Veterinary preventive medicine is an important component of veterinary training not only to ensure animal health but also to help veterinary students learn necessary information and skills for participation in global animal and human health challenges and disease prevention
Welcome to Early Childhood Mathematics! This course satisfies the Early Childhood Unified requirements in the state of Kansas for a teaching license Birth to Grade 3. Most people agree that early childhood includes the period from infancy until eight years of age, characterized by rapid and complex growth in physical, cognitive, and social domains. Math skills must be taught in early childhood. Children should be provided a foundation to succeed in elementary school and beyond. Teachers should focus lessons in early childhood around the basic skills that will help to advance future mathematics. From preschool to the end of elementary school, children are setting the foundation for future life skills.
Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professions
Medical Terminology for Healthcare Professions is an Open Educational Resource (OER) that focuses on breaking down, pronouncing, and learning the meaning of medical terms within the context of anatomy and physiology. This resource is targeted for Healthcare Administration, Health Sciences, and Pre-Professional students.
Opening Eyes onto Inclusion and Diversity
This book is for any reader who wishes to learn more about the rich tapestry of learners and 3 individuals who make our world such an interesting and diversely textured community. Although our focus is largely on diversity and inclusion in Australian educational contexts we believe that the perspectives and insights presented within each chapter have much to offer the broader community as a whole.
Susan Carter, Lindy Abawi, Jill Lawrence,
My purpose in writing this book is to give readers a view into the work of managing information technology in schools. IT professionals will notice differences (some nuanced and some significant) between the needs and expectations of IT users in business and IT in school. With the more complete and more accurate concept the nature of the computing environment necessary for successful schooling, which I intend to provide through this book, IT professionals will be better prepared to meet those needs. Educators will also benefit from this book by clarifying the nature of their IT needs and how these may be different from those that are familiar to IT professionals who are hired to work in your school.
Gary L Ackerman, Greenfield, Massachusetts
The Internet has transformed how businesses conduct their activities and how consumers go about buying products. This textbook aims to provide a way of conceptualizing how to do marketing online and a strategic framework to do so.
This book fosters the recognition of options for making progress toward increased environmental conservation through an understanding of the underlying science and practice of a variety of conservation techniques. Today, there are expected benefits from integrated science and practice, and many people are promoting this as the way forward to improve our environment. Over time, trends emerge regarding the best way to conserve the environment, but so far an outstanding solution has not emerged. Each conservation technique has its foundational concepts, limitations, and implementation issues.
Research Methods for Criminal Justice Students
This book is based on two open-access textbooks: Bhattacherjee’s (2012) Social science research: Principles, methods, and practices and Blackstone’s (2012) Principles of sociological inquiry: Qualitative and quantitative methods. I first used Bhattacherjee’s book in a graduate-level criminal justice research methods course. I chose the book because it was an open educational resource that covered the major topics of my course. While I found the book adequate for my purposes, the business school perspective did not always fit with my criminal justice focus. I decided to rewrite the textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in my criminal justice research methods courses
Geology Online Lab Activities: An Open Educational Resource for Community College Students and Instructors
The online geology lab for community college students was developed by Dr. Rondi Davies, a faculty member at Queensborough Community College, City University New York, during two years of forced online synchronous learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This open educational resource collects many of Dr. Davies’ favorite open-access materials and supplements them with her own work within a single, cohesive laboratory manual intended for two-year, non-major college students from the New York area.
Case Studies in Community Psychology Practice: A Global Lens
There is no better way to demonstrate the work and impact of community psychologists and allies than by showcasing actual projects conducted in partnership with communities. This textbook displays this work in a dynamic case study format that will ignite students' desire and passion to study and become future community psychologists or those whose heart beats with the beloved community. You can find community psychologists and allies partnering with communities to change racist policies, end health disparities, create alternate settings for youth, foster community-based models to heal trauma, evaluate programs, and much more!
Geraldine L. Palmer, Todd L. Rogers , Judah Viola , Maronica Engel
OpenStax Introduction to Anthropology is a four-field text integrating diverse voices, engaging field activities, and meaningful themes like Indigenous experiences and social inequality to engage students and enrich learning. The text showcases the historical context of the discipline, with a strong focus on anthropology as a living and evolving field.
Jennifer Hasty, David G. Lewis, Marjorie M. Snipes
A Practical Approach to Understanding Music Theory - 1st
A Practical Approach to Understanding Music Theory is a textbook designed for the non-music performance major or music business/audio engineer who needs to professionally interface with musicians without needing to write or compose music. The material is designed around a spiral learning model in which a very simple straightforward concept is introduced, defined and explained. From this point and forward the book adds one element of music theory after another until a broad base of musical understanding and application is achieved
Urban Literacy: Learning to Read the City Around You
This book introduces students to the basic concepts of urban studies. It is an interdisciplinary text that was developed for lower-division undergraduate students. The book is organized into thematic chapters that explore different aspects of urban life, such as the environment, housing, and culture. Each chapter introduces a new way of conceptualizing the city, presents core theories and concepts, and provides examples and case studies from cities around the globe to illustrate the ideas presented in the text.
Reflective Practice in Early Years Education
This resource will provide a context that will allow the reader to consider their obligation to reflect from their own perspective and will explore how to create a practice that best suits their professional setting. This book will bring together in one place the history, the values, the skills and disposition required to be a reflective practitioner. It is a textbook with elements of a workbook, embedded are opportunities to watch, to think, to write, and to listen allowing the reader to become a purposeful and intentional reflective practitioner
Designed to meet the scope and sequence of your course, OpenStax Introduction to Political Science provides a strong foundation in global political systems, exploring how and why political realities unfold. Rich with examples of individual and national social action, this text emphasizes students’ role in the political sphere and equips them to be active and informed participants in civil society. Learn more about what this free, openly-licensed textbook has to offer you and your students
Pulmonary Pathophysiology for Pre-Clinical Students
Pulmonary Pathophysiology for Pre-Clinical Students is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge of pulmonary pathophysiology. This text is designed for a course pre-clinical undergraduate medical curriculum and it is aligned to USMLE(r) (United States Medical Licensing Examination) content guidelines. The text is meant to provide the essential information in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience
Susan Carter; Professor Lindy-Anne Abawi; Professor Jill Lawrence; Associate Professor Charlotte Brownlow; Renee Desmarchelier; Melissa Fanshawe; Kathryn Gilbey; Michelle Turner; and Jillian Guy
Susan Carter, Lindy Abawi, Jill Lawrence
Programming patterns are solutions to problems that require the creation of a small fragment of code that will be part of a larger program. Hence, this book is about teaching you how to write such fragments of code. However, it is not about teaching you the syntax of the statements in the fragments, it assumes that you already know the syntax. Instead, it is about finding solutions to problems that arise when first learning to program.
Properties and Behavior of Soil – Online Lab Manual
Sahadat Hossain, Azijul Islam, Faria Fahim Badhon
Critical Thinking in Academic Research will introduce students to the techniques and principles of critical thinking. However, a commitment to lifelong learning is required for critical thinking, it takes more than a single course or reading a book. In order for students to develop their own arguments, they need to find supporting evidence. This text provides guidance on developing research questions and finding resources to answer the questions
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
This book aims to help you understand and navigate statistical concepts and the main types of statistical analyses essential for research students.
How To Do Science' has been written for students of the life sciences who are actively engaged in the scientific process. This guide introduces you to what it means to be a scientist. You will learn about the scientific method and how to carry out many tasks of a scientist, including: designing experiments, visualising data, accessing scientific literature, communicating science, and writing literature reviews
Most books about epidemiology are written for graduate students but this book is especially designed for undergraduates, who are taking an introductory course in epidemiology, and especially for those students who want to know more about epidemiology. But not because it is directed mainly to undergraduates and not to graduate students the course has less rigour and quality, it is because the concepts are introduced, and presented in an easier and simplified form, so, the study of epidemiology becomes less intimidating.
An approachable guide to the fundamentals of plant science. Created for horticulture students, gardeners, science teachers, and anyone interested in understanding plants and how they grow. This is the required text for HORT 1001/6001 Plant Propagation at the University of Minnesota Department of Horticultural Science.
Intermediate College Writing: Building and Practicing Mindful Writing Skills
Welcome to Intermediate College Writing: Building and Practicing Mindful Writing Skills, an open textbook designed for use in university‐level courses that focus on cultivating study skills alongside effective academic and workplace writing skills. It offers a no‐cost alternative to commercial products, combining practical guidance with interactive exercises and thoughtfully designed writing opportunities.
A Climate of Justice: An Ethical Foundation for Environmentalism
This open access book helps readers combine history, politics, and ethics to address the most pressing problem facing the world today: environmental survival. In A Climate of Justice, Marvin Brown connects the environmental crisis to basic questions of economic, social, and racial justice. Brown shows how our current social climate maintains systemic injustices, and he uncovers resources for change through a civic ethics of repair and reciprocity. A must-read for researchers and educators in the area of environmental ethics and those teaching courses in the fields of public policy and environmental sustainability. With the support of more than 30 libraries, the LYRASIS United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Fund has enabled this publication related to SDG13 (Climate Action) to be available fully open access.
A Guide to Sustainable Corporate Responsibility
This open access book discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by companies in an age that increasingly values sustainability and demands corporate responsibility. Beginning with the historical development of corporate responsibility, this book moves from academic theory to practical application. It points to ways in which companies can successfully manage their transition to a more responsible, sustainable way of doing business, common mistakes to avoid and how the UN Sustainable Development Goals are integral to any sustainability transformation.
A Journey of Embedded and Cyber-Physical Systems
This Open Access book celebrates Professor Peter Marwedel's outstanding achievements in compilers, embedded systems, and cyber-physical systems. The contributions in the book summarize the content of invited lectures given at the workshop “Embedded Systems” held at the Technical University Dortmund in early July 2019 in honor of Professor Marwedel's seventieth birthday. Provides a comprehensive view from leading researchers with respect to the past, present, and future of the design of embedded and cyber-physical systems; Discusses challenges and (potential) solutions from theoreticians and practitioners on modeling, design, analysis, and optimization for embedded and cyber-physical systems; Includes coverage of model verification, communication, software runtime systems, operating systems and real-time computing.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Capability in Age and Ageing
This open access book provides insight on how to interpret capability in ageing – one’s individual ability to perform actions in order to reach goals one has reason to value – from a multidisciplinary approach. With for the first time in history there being more people in the world aged 60 years and over than there are children below the age of 5, the book describes this demographic trends as well as the large global challenges and important societal implications this will have such as a worldwide increase in the number of persons affected with dementia, and in the ratio of retired persons to those still in the labor market. Through contributions from many different research areas, it discussed how capability depends on interactions between the individual (e.g. health, genetics, personality, intellectual capacity), environment (e.g. family, friends, home, work place), and society (e.g. political decisions, ageism, historical period).
Falk Erhag, Hanna (editor), Lagerlöf Nilsson, Ulrika (editor), Rydberg Sterner, Therese (editor) , Skoog, Ingmar (editor)
A Prodigy of Universal Genius: Robert Leslie Ellis, 1817-1859
Places Ellis at the heart of early-Victorian Cambridge with in-depth descriptions on his scientific work and tragic life Provides a unique glimpse into Victorian intellectual culture, based on previously unpublished archival materials This open access book brings together for the first time all aspects of the tragic life and fascinating work of the polymath Robert Leslie Ellis (1817–1859), placing him at the heart of early-Victorian intellectual culture. Written by a diverse team of experts, the chapters in the book’s first part contain in-depth examinations of, among other things, Ellis’s family, education, Bacon scholarship and mathematical contributions. The second part consists of annotated transcriptions of a selection of Ellis’s diaries and correspondence. Taken together, A Prodigy of Universal Genius: Robert Leslie Ellis, 1817–1859 is a rich resource for historians of science, historians of mathematics and Victorian scholars alike. Robert Leslie Ellis was one of the most intriguing and wide-ranging intellectual figures of early Victorian Britain, his contributions ranging from advanced mathematical analysis to profound commentaries on philosophy and classics and a decisive role in the orientation of mid-nineteenth century scholarship.
A Visual Atlas for Soil Micromorphologists
This open access atlas is an up-to-date visual resource on the features and structures observed in soil thin sections, i.e. soil micromorphology. The book addresses the growing interest in soil micromorphology in the fields of soil science, earth science, archaeology and forensic science, and serves as a reference tool for researchers and students for fast learning and intuitive feature and structure recognition. The book is divided into six parts and contains hundreds of images and photomicrographs. Part one is devoted to the way to sample properly soils, the method of preparation of thin sections, the main tool of soil micromorphology (the microscope), and the approach of soil micromorphology as a scientific method. Part two focuses on the organisation of soil fragments and presents the concept of fabric. Part three addresses the basic components, e.g. rocks, minerals, organic compounds and anthropogenic features.
Academic Flying and the Means of Communication
This open access book shines a light on how and why academic work became entwined with air travel, and what can be done to change academia’s flying habit. The starting point of the book is that flying is only one means of scholarly communication among many, and that the state of the planet now obliges us to shift to other means. How can the academic-as-globetrotter become a thing of the past? The chapters in this book respond to this call in three steps. It documents the consequences of academic flying, it investigates the issue of why academics fly, and it begins an effort to think through what can replace flying, and how. Finally, it confronts scholars and scientists, students, activists, research funders, university administrators, and others, with a call to translate this research into action.
Bjørkdahl, Kristian (editor), Franco Duharte, Adrian Santiago (editor)
This open access book presents original contributions and thought leadership on academic integrity from a variety of Canadian scholars. It showcases how our understanding and support for academic integrity have progressed, while pointing out areas urgently requiring more attention. Firmly grounded in the scholarly literature globally, it engages with the experience of local practicioners. It presents aspects of academic integrity that is specific to Canada, such as the existence of an "honour culture", rather than relying on an "honour code". It also includes Indigenous voices and perspectives that challenge traditional understandings of intellectual property, as well as new understandings that have arisen as a consequence of Covid-19 and the significant shift to online and remote learning.
Eaton, Sarah Elaine (editor) , Christensen Hughes, Julia (editor)
This open access book is the outcome of a Global Forum on Innovation, Intellectual Property and Access to Medicines held in December 2019 at the Max Plank Instititute in Munich, organised by the South Centre and the Max Plank Institute. The academics and experts from international organisations participating have contributed chapters to this book. The book is for policy makers (in Ministries of Health, Ministries of Trade, Ministries of Foreign Affairs, patent offices), but also relevant for academics (law, trade, public health), on the flexibilities available in the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organization to promote access to medicines.
Correa, Carlos M. (editor) , Hilty, Reto M. (editor)
Accounting and Statistical Analyses for Sustainable Development
In this Open Access publication Claudia Lemke develops a comprehensive Multi-Level Sustainable Development Index (MLSDI) that is applicable to micro, meso, and macro objects by conducting methodological and empirical research. Multi-level comparability is crucial because the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at macro level can only be achieved if micro and meso objects contribute. The author shows that a novel information-theoretic algorithm outperforms established multivariate statistical weighting methods such as the principal component analysis (PCA). Overcoming further methodological shortcomings of previous sustainable development indices, the MLSDI avoids misled managerial and political decision making.
Adaptive Mediation and Conflict Resolution
This open access book introduces adaptive mediation as an alternative approach that enables mediators to go beyond liberal peace mediation, or other determined-design models of mediation, in the context of contemporary conflict resolution and peace-making initiatives. Adaptive mediation is grounded in complexity theory, and is specifically designed to cope with highly dynamic conflict situations characterized by uncertainty and a lack of predictability. It is also a facilitated mediation process whereby the content of agreements emerges from the parties to the conflict themselves, informed by the context within which the conflict is situated.
de Coning, Cedric (editor), Muto, Ako (editor) , Saraiva, Rui (editor)
This open access book brings together a collection of cutting-edge insights into how action can and is already being taken against climate change at multiple levels of our societies, amidst growing calls for transformative and inclusive climate action. In an era of increasing recognition regarding climate and ecological breakdown, this book offers hope, inspiration and analyses for multi-level climate action, spanning varied communities, places, spaces, agents and disciplines, demonstrating how the energy and dynamism of local scales are a powerful resource in turning the tide. Interconnected yet conceptually distinct, the book’s three sections span multiple levels of analysis, interrogating diverse perspectives and practices inherent to the vivid tapestry of climate action emerging locally, nationally and internationally.
Howarth, Candice (editor), Lane, Matthew (editor), Slevin, Amanda (editor)
Advances in Assessment and Modeling of Earthquake Loss
This open access book originates from an international workshop organized by Turkish Natural Catastrophe Insurance Pool (TCIP) in November 2019 that gathered renown researchers from academia, representatives of leading international reinsurance and modeling companies as well as government agencies responsible of insurance pricing in Turkey. The book includes chapters related to post-earthquake damage assessment, the state-of-art and novel earthquake loss modeling, their implementation and implication in insurance pricing at national, regional and global levels, and the role of earthquake insurance in building resilient societies and fire following earthquakes
Akkar, Sinan (editor), Ilki, Alper (editor) ,Goksu, Caglar (editor) , Erdik, Mustafa (editor)
This open access book discusses service design capabilities in innovation processes, and provides a framework that guides design students, practitioners and researchers towards a better understanding of operational aspects of service design processes. More specifically, it revisits service designers’ capabilities in light of the new roles that have opened up in innovation processes on different scales. After years of being inadequately defined, the professional profile of service designers is now taking shape. Today private and public institutions recognize service designers as essential contributors to their innovation and development processes. What are the capabilities that characterize a service designer?
Morelli, Nicola , de Götzen, Amalia, Simeone, Luca
Boundary Value Problems, Weyl Functions, and Differential Operators
This open access book presents a comprehensive survey of modern operator techniques for boundary value problems and spectral theory, employing abstract boundary mappings and Weyl functions. It includes self-contained treatments of the extension theory of symmetric operators and relations, spectral characterizations of selfadjoint operators in terms of the analytic properties of Weyl functions, form methods for semibounded operators, and functional analytic models for reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. Further, it illustrates these abstract methods for various applications, including Sturm-Liouville operators, canonical systems of differential equations, and multidimensional Schrödinger operators, where the abstract Weyl function appears as either the classical Titchmarsh-Weyl coefficient or the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map.
Behrndt, Jussi , Hassi, Seppo, de Snoo, Henk
This open access book chronicles the rise of a new scientific paradigm offering novel insights into the age-old enigmas of existence. Over 300 years ago, the human mind discovered the machine code of reality: mathematics. By utilizing abstract thought systems, humans began to decode the workings of the cosmos. From this understanding, the current scientific paradigm emerged, ultimately discovering the gift of technology.
Transnational Solidarity in Times of Crises
This open access collection is devoted to an in-depth, qualitative analysis of practices of cross-national solidarity in response to the current political and social crises, from citizens’ initiatives to networks of cooperation among civil society actors. The book analyses existing informal groups at the grassroots, furthering transnational solidarity in three thematic areas: disability, unemployment and immigration. Contributions assess how civic groups respond to the various crises affecting Europe, especially the economic and refugee crises, presenting new findings from a systematic comparative study conducted in eight European countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, and the UK).
Lahusen, Christian (editor), Zschache, Ulrike (editor), Kousis, Maria (editor)
Values and Valuing in Mathematics Education
This engaging open access book discusses how a values and valuing perspective can facilitate a more effective mathematics pedagogical experience, and allows readers to explore multiple applications of the values perspective across different education systems. It also clearly shows that teaching mathematics involves not only reasoning and feelings, but also students’ interactions with their cultural setting and each other. The book brings together the work of world leaders and new thinkers in mathematics educational research to improve the learning and teaching of mathematics.
Clarkson, Philip (editor), Seah, Wee Tiong (editor), Pang, JeongSuk (editor)
The Future of Software Quality Assurance
This open access book, published to mark the 15th anniversary of the International Software Quality Institute (iSQI), is intended to raise the profile of software testers and their profession. It gathers contributions by respected software testing experts in order to highlight the state of the art as well as future challenges and trends. In addition, it covers current and emerging technologies like test automation, DevOps, and artificial intelligence methodologies used for software testing, before taking a look into the future. The contributing authors answer questions like: "How is the profession of tester currently changing? What should testers be prepared for in the years to come, and what skills will the next generation need? What opportunities are available for further training today?
African Land Reform Under Economic Liberalisation
This open access book offers unique in-depth, comprehensive, and comparative analyses of the motivations, context, and outcomes of recent land reforms in Africa. Whereas a considerable number of land reforms have been carried out by African governments since the 1990s, no systematic analysis on their meaning has so far been conducted. In the age of land reform, Africa has seen drastic rural changes. Analysing the relationship between those reforms and change, the chapters in this book reveal not only their socio-economic outcomes, such as accelerated marketisation of land, but also their political outcomes, which have often been contrasting.
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2022, which was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in June 2022. XP is the premier agile software development conference combining research and practice. It is a unique forum where agile researchers, practitioners, thought leaders, coaches, and trainers get together to present and discuss their most recent innovations, research results, experiences, concerns, challenges, and trends. XP conferences provide an informal environment to learn and trigger discussions and welcome both people new to agile and seasoned agile practitioners.
Stray, Viktoria (editor), Stol, Klaas-Jan (editor), Paasivaara, Maria (editor) ,Kruchten, Philippe (editor)
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 22nd International Conference on Agile Software Development, XP 2021, which was held virtually during June 14-18, 2021. XP is the premier agile software development conference combining research and practice. It is a unique forum where agile researchers, practitioners, thought leaders, coaches, and trainers get together to present and discuss their most recent innovations, research results, experiences, concerns, challenges, and trends. XP conferences provide an informal environment to learn and trigger discussions and welcome both people new to agile and seasoned agile practitioners.
Gregory, Peggy (editor), Lassenius, Casper (editor), Wang, Xiaofeng (editor), Kruchten, Philippe (editor)
Agriculture for Economic Development in Africa
This book explores the role of agriculture in long-term economic growth. With a particular focus on Ethiopia, the role of the state in igniting agricultural growth and in sustaining economic growth is highlighted as essential for low-income countries. Taking ideas from both economic history and development economics, the ability of Ethiopia and the rest of Africa to sustain recent rapid growth into something that can tackle the development agenda is discussed, alongside policy suggestions.
Places Ellis at the heart of early-Victorian Cambridge with in-depth descriptions on his scientific work and tragic life Provides a unique glimpse into Victorian intellectual culture, based on previously unpublished archival materials This open access book brings together for the first time all aspects of the tragic life and fascinating work of the polymath Robert Leslie Ellis (1817–1859), placing him at the heart of early-Victorian intellectual culture. Written by a diverse team of experts, the chapters in the book’s first part contain in-depth examinations of, among other things, Ellis’s family, education, Bacon scholarship and mathematical contributions. The second part consists of annotated transcriptions of a selection of Ellis’s diaries and correspondence.
Foundations of Software Science and Computation Structures
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Foundations of Software Science and Computational Structures, FOSSACS 2022, which was held during April 4-6, 2022, in Munich, Germany, as part of the European Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2022. The 23 regular papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 77 submissions. They deal with research on theories and methods to support the analysis, integration, synthesis, transformation, and verification of programs and software systems.
Bouyer, Patricia (editor), Schröder, Lutz (editor)
Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Fundamental Approaches to Software Engineering, FASE 2022, which was held during April 4-5, 2022, in Munich, Germany, as part of the European Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2022. The 17 regular papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 64 submissions. The proceedings also contain 3 contributions from the Test-Comp Competition.
Johnsen, Einar Broch (editor), Wimmer, Manuel (editor)
Integrating Data Science and Earth Science
This open access book presents the results of three years collaboration between earth scientists and data scientist, in developing and applying data science methods for scientific discovery. The book will be highly beneficial for other researchers at senior and graduate level, interested in applying visual data exploration, computational approaches and scientifc workflows.
Bouwer, Laurens M. (editor), Dransch, Doris (editor), Ruhnke, Roland (editor)
International Symposium on Mathematics, Quantum Theory, and Cryptography
This open access book presents selected papers from International Symposium on Mathematics, Quantum Theory, and Cryptography (MQC), which was held on September 25-27, 2019 in Fukuoka, Japan. The international symposium MQC addresses the mathematics and quantum theory underlying secure modeling of the post quantum cryptography including e.g. mathematical study of the light-matter interaction models as well as quantum computing. The security of the most widely used RSA cryptosystem is based on the difficulty of factoring large integers. However, in 1994 Shor proposed a quantum polynomial time algorithm for factoring integers, and the RSA cryptosystem is no longer secure in the quantum computing model.
Takagi, Tsuyoshi (editor), Wakayama, Masato (editor), Tanaka, Keisuke (editor)
In this thesis we adapt fundamental parts of the Graph Minors series of Robertson and Seymour for the study of matching minors and investigate a connection to the study of directed graphs. We develope matching theoretic to established results of graph minor theory: We characterise the existence of a cross over a conformal cycle by means of a topological property. Furthermore, we develope a theory for perfect matching width, a width parameter for graphs with perfect matchings introduced by Norin.
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 31st European Symposium on Programming, ESOP 2022, which was held during April 5-7, 2022, in Munich, Germany, as part of the European Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2022. The 21 regular papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 64 submissions. They deal with fundamental issues in the specification, design, analysis, and implementation of programming languages and systems.
Special Topics in Information Technology
This open access book presents thirteen outstanding doctoral dissertations in Information Technology from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Information Technology has always been highly interdisciplinary, as many aspects have to be considered in IT systems. The doctoral studies program in IT at Politecnico di Milano emphasizes this interdisciplinary nature, which is becoming more and more important in recent technological advances, in collaborative projects, and in the education of young researchers.
This open access book gives an overview of cutting-edge work on a new paradigm called the “sublinear computation paradigm,” which was proposed in the large multiyear academic research project “Foundations of Innovative Algorithms for Big Data.” That project ran from October 2014 to March 2020, in Japan. To handle the unprecedented explosion of big data sets in research, industry, and other areas of society, there is an urgent need to develop novel methods and approaches for big data analysis. To meet this need, innovative changes in algorithm theory for big data are being pursued. For example, polynomial-time algorithms have thus far been regarded as “fast,” but if a quadratic-time algorithm is applied to a petabyte-scale or larger big data set, problems are encountered in terms of computational resources or running time.
Katoh, Naoki (editor), Higashikawa, Yuya (editor), Ito, Hiro (editor), et al.
The Application of Ant Colony Optimization
The application of advanced analytics in science and technology is rapidly expanding, and developing optimization technics is critical to this expansion. Instead of relying on dated procedures, researchers can reap greater rewards by utilizing cutting-edge optimization techniques like population-based metaheuristic models, which can quickly generate a solution with acceptable quality. Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is one the most critical and widely used models among heuristics and meta-heuristics. This book discusses ACO applications in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), multi-robot systems, wireless multi-hop networks, and preventive, predictive maintenance.
Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems, TACAS 2022, which was held during April 2-7, 2022, in Munich, Germany, as part of the European Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2022. The 46 full papers and 4 short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 159 submissions. The proceedings also contain 16 tool papers of the affiliated competition SV-Comp and 1 paper consisting of the competition report. TACAS is a forum for researchers, developers, and users interested in rigorously based tools and algorithms for the construction and analysis of systems.
Fisman, Dana (editor), Rosu, Grigore (editor)
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Tools and Algorithms for the Construction and Analysis of Systems, TACAS 2022, which was held during April 2-7, 2022, in Munich, Germany, as part of the European Joint Conferences on Theory and Practice of Software, ETAPS 2022. The 46 full papers and 4 short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 159 submissions. The proceedings also contain 16 tool papers of the affiliated competition SV-Comp and 1 paper consisting of the competition report.
Computer programming / software development
Control Problems for Conservation Laws with Traffic Applications
Conservation and balance laws on networks have been the subject of much research interest given their wide range of applications to real-world processes, particularly traffic flow. This open access monograph is the first to investigate different types of control problems for conservation laws that arise in the modeling of vehicular traffic. Four types of control problems are discussed - boundary, decentralized, distributed, and Lagrangian control - corresponding to, respectively, entrance points and tolls, traffic signals at junctions, variable speed limits, and the use of autonomy and communication. Because conservation laws are strictly connected to Hamilton-Jacobi equations, control of the latter is also considered.
Bayen, Alexandre, Delle Monache, Maria Laura , Garavello, Mauro., et al.
This open access book is designed as a continuation of the editor’s 2019 book Achieving the Paris Climate Agreement Goals. This volume provides an in-depth analysis of industry sectors globally, and its purpose is to present emission reduction targets in 5-year steps (2025 to 2050) for the main twelve finance sectors per the Global Industry Classification System. This scientific analysis aims to support the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment initiative to give sustainability guidance for the global finance industry. The industry sector pathways presented here are based on the latest global and regional 100% renewable energy and non-energy greenhouse gas Representative Concentration Pathways in order to keep climate change significantly under +1.5 C and thereby achieve the Paris Climate Agreement goals.
This open access book brings together a collection of cutting-edge insights into how action can and is already being taken against climate change at multiple levels of our societies, amidst growing calls for transformative and inclusive climate action. In an era of increasing recognition regarding climate and ecological breakdown, this book offers hope, inspiration and analyses for multi-level climate action, spanning varied communities, places, spaces, agents and disciplines, demonstrating how the energy and dynamism of local scales are a powerful resource in turning the tide.
This open access book provides a clear holistic conceptual framework of CISS-F (competitiveness, inclusiveness, sustainability, scalability and access to finance) to analyse the efficiency of value chains of high value agricultural commodities in India. It is based on the understanding that agriculture is an integrated system that connects farming with logistics, processing and marketing. Farmer’s welfare being central to any agricultural policy makes it very pertinent to study how a value chain works and can be strengthened further to realize this policy goal.
Gulati, Ashok (editor), Ganguly, Kavery (editor),Wardhan, Harsh (editor)
Akkar, Sinan (editor), Ilki, Alper (editor), Goksu, Caglar (editor), Erdik, Mustafa (editor)
Intersections of Open Educational Resources and Information Literacy
The present volume is timely not only because it models creative and effective strategies to advance both open education and information literacy, but especially because it poses critical questions and urges practitioners to go well beyond questions of access to and the use of information. It demands reflection on what is being accessed (and what is not), who is gaining access (and who is not), who is providing access (and who is not), and what the goal is of this access (and what lies beyond access)."—from the Foreword by Rajiv S. Jhangiani Information literacy skills are key when finding, using, adapting, and producing open educational resources (OER).
Association of College and Research Libraries
Intermediate Algebra is the second part of a two-part course in Algebra. Written in a clear and concise manner, it carefully builds on the basics learned in Elementary Algebra and introduces the more advanced topics required for further study of applications found in most disciplines. Used as a standalone textbook, it offers plenty of review as well as something new to engage the student in each chapter. Written as a blend of the traditional and graphical approaches to the subject, this textbook introduces functions early and stresses the geometry behind the algebra
Are you interested in the topic of people learning and development or are tasked to implement learning and training opportunities in your workplace? We invite you to use this resource full of information and tools to help support people and organizations in their learning journey. Learning happens everywhere, and you will explore the different modes of learning on and off the job. But is a training program actually the right solution to address a performance issue in your organization? Learn how to conduct a needs analysis to help you decide what is in the best interest of the organization and people. Training and learning opportunities have to be properly designed to be effective and deliver the results you expect. Find out how adults learn and what motivates them to develop their skills. Discover how learning supports the performance management process and how to ensure that learning gets transferred into the workplace.
Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice
As so often is the case, the idea for this book came from a twisting path. Not long after we began collaborating and presenting together at conferences, we were invited to draft a chapter on critical race theory (CRT) in academic libraries. An invited chapter is, of course, very flattering, so we proceeded without much thought to who the publisher would be. Angela had been working on social justice issues for a while at that point, while CJ had a wealth of expertise on open educational resources (OER). We merged our two areas of expertise in drafting that chapter, discussing OER as an opportunity to not only save students money but incorporate CRT into the curriculum—both in content and in practice.
Kevin Adams, Murray Anderson, Elissah Becknell, et al
This lab manual is designed for the upper division and graduate sports nutrition courses, covering, supporting, and reinforcing fundamental nutritional concepts. This manual provides hands-on experience that will help strengthen student’s knowledge and application of the material. Labs focus on learning areas of exercise intensity and substrate utilization, measuring glycemic responses to selected food items with or without exercise, designing sports drinks and testing rehydration responses, and metabolic health. Additionally, this manual provides a step-by-step guide to strengthen student’s ability to generate data and convey their results in a scientific manner.
Mary P Miles , Stephanie M.G. Wilson , Morgan L Chamberlin,
Places Ellis at the heart of early-Victorian Cambridge with in-depth descriptions on his scientific work and tragic life Provides a unique glimpse into Victorian intellectual culture, based on previously unpublished archival materials This open access book brings together for the first time all aspects of the tragic life and fascinating work of the polymath Robert Leslie Ellis (1817–1859), placing him at the heart of early-Victorian intellectual culture. Written by a diverse team of experts, the chapters in the book’s first part contain in-depth examinations of, among other things, Ellis’s family, education, Bacon scholarship and mathematical contributions.
Abrahamic Reflections on Randomness and Providence
This open access book addresses the question of how God can providentially govern apparently ungovernable randomness. Medieval theologians confidently held that God is provident, that is, God is the ultimate cause of or is responsible for everything that happens. However, scientific advances since the 19th century pose serious challenges to traditional views of providence. From Darwinian evolution to quantum mechanics, randomness has become an essential part of the scientific worldview. An interdisciplinary team of Muslim, Christian and Jewish scholars—biologists, physicists, philosophers and theologians—addresses questions of randomness and providence.
Clark, Kelly James (editor), Koperski, Jeffrey (editor)
Project Management: Navigating the Complexity with a Systematic Approach
The world has become more complicated with the introduction and development of new technologies and methods, and novel risks such as Covid-19 pandemic. Competition has been tougher than it used to be. Organizations strive to keep up with the changes in the internal and external environment. In the light of unprecedented changes, project managers must be prepared in response to the demands from their organizations and key stakeholders like clients, customers and government agencies. This book covers the fundamentals of project management, and aims to guide undergraduate and graduate students to acquire the building blocks of project management. This book also includes Microsoft Project tutorials for project scope, schedule, resources, and cost, and monitoring and controlling.
The Path to Funding: The Artist’s Guide to Building Your Audience, Generating Income, and Realizing Career Sustainability
Based on coursework developed at Peabody Conservatory, this book breaks down the process of developing an artist mission statement, generating new ideas for creative projects, and creating an engaging project description. It also covers methods for artists to identify their audience, generate a comprehensive project budget, collect compelling work samples, and identify potential funders to support their creative work. Written by a team of active artists and educators, this resource provides creatives with tools and strategies to communicate passionately and effectively about their work and take control of their financial and artistic future.
The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University
Critical Perspectives on Technology and the Family
From the perspective of a long time family practitioner, researcher, and educator, and technology innovator, this textbook offers the first comprehensive view of technology in the family for college students, professionals and the public. Each chapter offers content and a complete reference list, learning activities, ideas for critical blog posting and additional readings. The beginning chapters cover foundational information about our societal use of information and communications technology, family theories and ways of understanding families, and how families differ in their use and access to ICT
We believe that calculus can be for students what it was for Euler and the Bernoullis: a language and a tool for exploring the whole fabric of science. We also believe that much of the mathematical depth and vitality of calculus lies in connections to other sciences. The mathematical questions that arise are compelling in part because the answers matter to other disciplines. We began our work with a "clean slate," not by asking what parts of the traditional course to include or discard. Our starting points are thus our summary of what calculus is really about. Our curricular goals are what we aim to convey about the subject in the course.
James Callahan, Northampton, Massachusetts David Cox, Amherst, Massachusetts Kenneth Hoffman, Amherst, Massachusetts
Smith College Open Educational Resources: Textbooks
This publication was produced as a teaching tool for college chemistry.The book is a text for a computer-based unit on the chemistry of acid-base titrations, and is designed for use with FORTRAN or BASIC.computer systems, and with a programmable electronic calculator, in a variety of educational settings. The text attempts to present computer programs that are relatively free of reliance on specialized large computer systems programs. The case-study approach presented is highly research and laboratory oriented. Similar subject matter is conventionally taught in most introductory college chemistry courses, but this text material attempts greater depth of instruction through utilization of the computational resources of a computer.
George Fleck, Northampton, Massachusetts
Introduction to engineering mechanics: statics, for those who love to learn. Concepts include: particles and rigid body equilibrium equations, distributed loads, shear and moment diagrams, trusses, method of joints and sections, & inertia.
Elisabeth (Libby) Osgood, Gayla Cameron, Emma Christensen
Health technology innovation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including countries in Africa, falls far short of meeting the healthcare needs of these settings. The result is a heavy reliance on products and technologies imported from industrialised countries that are often not suited to, or sustainable for, LMICs. Appropriate healthcare products for LMICs are best developed in these countries, where local knowledge and understanding of needs, context and available resources may be incorporated into designs and implementation plans. The objectives for enabling health technology development in LMICs include: 1) expanding the base of expertise through research training programmes with a problem-solving focus; 2) stimulating new knowledge, approaches and solutions by enabling innovation; and 3) integrating research communities within and across institutions to build critical mass.
Singing commercials--Production and direction
Sight reading music can be a daunting endeavor for aspiring, and even experienced, musicians. Foundational Sight Singing was created to provide a systematic approach to learn to read, hear and perform music. The ordered presentation of both melodies and rhythms in this text helps students develop accuracy and fluency in sight singing which is a fundamental skill for all musicians. It is a text for developing proficiency in reading and sight singing that can be used in a variety of contexts from individual practice to choral or instrumental ensemble rehearsals to college ear training courses. Multiple exercises are provided for drilling and practice at each level throughout the text to grow the students’ fluency and proficiency in reading and performing pitch and rhythm.
JEJAK DAKWAH SULTAN MALIKUSSALEH PERMATA ILMU DARI ACEH Di Museum Islam Samudra Pasai
Sultan Malikussaleh atau Sultan Malik as-Saleh adalah seorang pemimpin, negarawan sejati. Saat kerajaan Islam Samudra Pasai mencapai puncak kemajuan, Aceh gemilang dengan kemajuan peradaban ilmu pengetahuan yang tinggi. Rakyat hidup rukun dan damai. Di kerajaan Samudra Pasai banyak melahirkan cerdikpandai, ilmuan, dan sastrawan pun berkilau laksana mutiara. Nama Sultan Malikussaleh dijadikan sebagai salah satu nama universitas di Aceh Utara yaitu Universitas Malikussaleh (Unimal).
SAJAK SECANGKIR AIR MATA (Syair Orang Sehat) ANTOLOGI PUISI
Buku ini penulis rangkai sebagai tanda rasa cinta kepada Nabi mulia yang penulis cintai Rasulullah Muhammad Saw sebagai kekasih Allah. Buku ini merupakan penghargaan penulis kepada para pahlawan dan ulama sebagai waris para Nabi, kepada Guru-guruku dan Murid-muridku sebagai mutiara bangsa, serta kepada wanita shalehah Sri Wahyuni, S.Pd.I istriku dan anak manis tersayang Keisha Elsria Mulya ,Qais Zhafran Mulya, dan Salsabila Qurratuain Mulya.
Supporting Technology Integration for School Leaders
his Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook is written as the primary resource for a 3-hour graduate course delivered online by The Teachers College at Emporia State University. The course is designed to prepare school leaders (teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, etc.) for the integration and application of diverse educational technologies into classrooms and schools in ways that reflect a theoretical, research-based, and practical understanding of curriculum development and the effective uses of technology.
Reframing Digital Humanities: Conversations with Digital Humanists
Growing from Reframing History, a podcast about history theory and practice, Reframing Digital Humanities: Conversations with Digital Humanists, Julian Chambliss, Professor of English at Michigan State University, brings together a diverse group of digital humanities practitioners to reflect on theory and practice. From the question of public engagement and knowledge production to considerations of identity and cultural production, the conversations presented in this work shed light on the ways digital humanities offer scholars tools to ask humane questions.
Introduction to Neuroscience is designed for undergraduate students enrolled in introductory neuroscience courses. This book specifically targets students enrolled in Introduction to Neuroscience 1 and Introduction to Neuroscience 2 at Michigan State University and primarily contains topics covered in those courses. This first edition will guide students through the structure and function of nervous system cells and nervous system structures, signaling within the nervous system, and introduce various sensory systems.
Taking up the challenge of navigating the complex world of digital humanities, Making Sense of Digital Humanities offers readers an exploration of the many ways scholars have employed the diverse toolkit of digital humanities to create a better understanding of the synergies and disruptions created by technological change. Rooted in a concern for the daunting tasks associated with teaching and learning about the digital humanities, this volume hopes to provide easy entry into a complex topic while highlighting how an understanding of digital humanities can transform our thinking about technology in the modern world.
Who Teaches Writing is an open teaching and learning resource being used in English Composition classes at Oklahoma State University. It was authored by contributors from Oklahoma State University and also includes invited chapters from faculty and staff at institutions both inside and outside of Oklahoma. Contributors include faculty from various departments, contingent faculty and staff, and graduate instructors. One purpose of the resource is to provide short, relatively jargon-free chapters geared toward undergraduate students taking First-Year Composition
Earth, Space, and Environmental Science Explorations with ArcGIS Pro - Second Edition
When I first started teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS) over 15 years ago, there were only a handful of GIS tutorial books on the market. While a few of them focused on a particular theme, many of them were mainly technical publications with no unifying theme. These publications are perfect for teaching new users about basic GIS operations and continue to be invaluable to many users today. However, these publications consisted of tutorials focusing on vastly different real-world scenarios, and felt a little disjointed to integrate into a class that focuses on a specific field (e.g. Environmental Science, Geography, Urban Planning).
Practicing and Presenting Social Research
This open-access textbook is for those who want to write exemplary social research. It provides an extensive outline of each step of the research process: outlining practical tools for conceptualizing its beginnings, generating proposals, getting ethics approval, relaxing from the stresses of research, writing academically, conducting a literature review, drafting a methods section, collecting the right data, formulating the findings, and sharing the results.
Rules and Laws for Civil Actions is an open-access resource for law students containing the U.S. Constitution, Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Federal Rules of Evidence, Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure, and selected federal and state statutes. The book was created by a team of faculty members at the University of Iowa College of Law to supplement the study of Civil Procedure, Evidence, Constitutional Law, and other law school courses.
Stella Burch Elias, Derek T. Muller, Jason Rantanen
TheatreAppreciation is a textbook for introductory level lecture classes such as Theatre Appreciation and Introduction to Theatre. It provides insight about the art and craft of theatre, a brief exploration of theatre history, and discussion about the styles and forms of theatre along with an overview of professions in the field.
Bahasa Nenek Moyang (Indatu) Orang Aceh (Bicara sapaan dari Cah cah sampai Nek Tu)
Ciri-ciri bahasa secara umum ada tiga, dan perlu diketahui oleh pengguna bahasa itu sendiri. Baik ciri bahasa daerah, bahasa nasional atau bahasa yang ada di dunia di belahan manapun. Demikian juga ciri-ciri yang dimiliki oleh bahasa Aceh sebagai salah satu corak bahasa yang ada di nusantara dan dunia.
Mental Health is a Verb: A Pocket Guide to Mental Health for Nursing Students
MENTAL HEALTH IS A VERB is an Open Education Resource written by Jake Bush, Ph.D., RN, CNE and Jill Van Der Like, DNP, MSN, RNC through University of West Florida which addresses mental health nursing care. The book reviews the foundations of mental health, phsychopharmacology, and the most common mental health diagnoses.
Basic Engineering Data Collection and Analysis
In Basic Engineering Data Collection and Analysis, Stephen B. Vardeman and J. Marcus Jobe stress the practical over the theoretical. Step by step, students get real engineering data and scenario examples along with chapter-long case studies that illustrate concepts in realistic, thoroughly detailed situations. This approach encourages students to work through the material by carrying out data collection and analysis projects from problem formulation through the preparation of professional technical reports—just as if they were on the job.
This textbook is an open educational resource (OER) with CC-BY licensing aligned with Wisconsin Technical College System’s Nursing Assistant program (30-543-300). The Nursing Assistant program prepares students for employment as nursing assistants as well as for entry to other health-related programs. It is recognized by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services as a nurse aide training program. Upon successful completion of a Nursing Assistant program, the student is eligible to take the Wisconsin Nursing Assistant competency evaluation for inclusion on the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry and employment in nursing homes, hospitals, home health agencies, hospices, community based residential facilities, assisted living centers, and homes for the developmentally disabled.
Principles of Marketing is designed to meet the scope and sequence for a one-semester marketing course for undergraduate business majors and minors. Principles of Marketing provides a solid grounding in the core concepts and frameworks of marketing theory and analysis so that business students interested in a major or minor in marketing will also be prepared for more rigorous, upper-level elective courses.
Maria Gomez Albrecht, Mark Green, Linda Hoffman
Macroeconomic policy is one of the most important policy domains, and the tools of macroeconomics are among the most valuable for policy makers. Yet there has been, up to now, a wide gulf between the level at which macroeconomics is taught at the undergraduate level and the level at which it is practiced. At the same time, doctoral-level textbooks are usually not targeted at a policy audience, making advanced macroeconomics less accessible to current and aspiring practitioners. This book, born out of the Masters course the authors taught for many years at the Harvard Kennedy School, fills this gap. It introduces the tools of dynamic optimization in the context of economic growth, and then applies them to a wide range of policy questions – ranging from pensions, consumption, investment and finance, to the most recent developments in fiscal and monetary policy.
Filipe Campante, Federico Sturzenegger, Andrés Velasco
An open access textbook designed primarily for use by first and second year undergraduate students of British Psychological Society accredited Psychology degree courses in the UK.
Eleanor J Dommett , Jimena Berni , Pete Clifton , Catherine Hall
Contextualised open educational practices: Towards student agency and self-directed learning
This book covers original research on the implementation of open educational practices through the use of open educational resources at the university level. The emphasis on open education in this book is on contextualising resources, supporting student agency and fostering self-directed learning specifically within a South African milieu. The envisaged chapters cover conceptual and review research and empirical work focussing on open educational practices and the use of renewable assessments. The work starts off with an overview of an institutional-wide open education project that prompted the research followed by research on open education in terms of various modules in the health science, music education, law, philosophy, dietetics, anthropology, French language learning, journalism and political science.
Jako Olivier, Charlene du Toit-Brits, Byron J. Bunt, Amit Dhakulkar
Early Childhood Literacy: Engaging and Empowering Emergent Readers and Writers, Birth – Age 5
Engaging and Empowering Emergent Readers and Writers, Birth - Age 5
Christine Pegorraro Schull, Leslie La Croix, Sara E. Miller
This book provides an introduction to genetic concepts such as reproductive systems, recombination, mutation, segregation and linkage analysis, inbreeding, quantitative inheritance, fertility regulation, population genetics and polyploidy.
Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design
A collection of readings and exercises aligned with the course, ME 270, Introduction to Mechanical Engineering Design, at Iowa State University. This course provides an overview of mechanical engineering design with applications to thermal and mechanical systems, and an introduction to current design practices used in industry.
It’s About Them: Public Speaking in the 21st Century
In addition to original material this book is an adaptation of Introduction to Speech Communication authored by Sarah E. Hollingsworth, Kathryn Weinland, Sasha Hanrahan, and Mary Walker with a CC BY-NC-SA license. Introduction to Speech Communication includes original work as well as adapted and remixed material from Exploring Public Speaking: 4th Edition licensed CC BY-NC-SA, Stand Up, Speak Out licensed CC BY-NC-SA, and Fundamentals of Public Speaking licensed CC BY.
Sara Kim, Douglas Marshall, June Pulliam,
Introduction to Intellectual Property provides a clear, effective introduction to patents, copyright, trademarks, and trade secrets. The text may be used by students and instructors in formal courses, as well as those applying intellectual property considerations to entrepreneurship, marketing, law, computer science, engineering, design, or other fields. The luminaries involved with this project represent the forefront of knowledge and experience, and the material offers considerable examples and scenarios, as well as exercises and references.
Common Client Issues in Counselling: An Australian Perspective
Common Client Issues in Counselling: An Australian Perspective focuses on common mental health issues, such as grief and loss, anxiety, and depression, experienced by clients presenting for counselling. The focus throughout is on providing an Australian perspective, highlighting contemporary understandings, as well as suggesting practical and integrative responses to each common issue.
Nathan Beel , Christine Chinchen, Tanya Machin, Carol du Plessis
Introduction to Systems Biology: Workbook for Flipped-Classroom Teaching
This book is an introduction to the language of systems biology, which is spoken among many disciplines, from biology to engineering. Authors Thomas Sauter and Marco Albrecht draw on a multidisciplinary background and evidence-based learning to facilitate the understanding of biochemical networks, metabolic modeling and system dynamics.
Programming Persistent Memory: A Comprehensive Guide for Developers
Beginning and experienced programmers will use this comprehensive guide to persistent memory programming. You will understand how persistent memory brings together several new software/hardware requirements, and offers great promise for better performance and faster application startup times—a huge leap forward in byte-addressable capacity compared with current DRAM offerings.
Transactional Drafting: Introduction to Contract Drafting and Transactional Practice
Transactional Drafting: Introduction to Contract Drafting and Transactional Practice contains a condensed presentation of all of the topics typically covered in an upper-level law school class on contract drafting. The book covers drafting from scratch including writing in plain English (not using legalese), avoiding ambiguity, and drafting covenants, rights and prohibitions consistently (using "will" or "shall" for covenants, "may" for rights, and "will not" or "shall not" for prohibitions). And it covers contract organization, from the title and the exordium to the core covenant, deal provisions and "boilerplate," to the testimonium and the signature blocks.
Legal Writing I & II: Legal Research and Writing & Introduction to Litigation Practice
Legal Writing I & II; Legal Research and Writing & Introduction to Litigation Practice contains a brief discussion of all of the topics covered in a law school courses on legal writing, including a typical first semester course on legal research, analysis and writing an objective memorandum, as well as a second semester course on persuasion and writing an appellate brief, motion to dismiss or motion for summary judgment. The discussion focuses on the basics of analogical reasoning and persuasion and leaves out the minutiae. Each topic is taken one step at a time, with each step building on the step before it.
Cases on Social Issues: For Class Discussion - 2nd Edition
This Open Education resource, “Cases on Social Issues: For Class Discussion – 2nd Edition”, includes valuable cases for student use on issues of discrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion and general social issues in the workplace. Included are cases for discussion on workplace scenarios as follows: homophobia; working with Indigenous communities; oil and gas pipelines and the family ranch; invisible disabilities; employee anxiety; safety for women, transgender women and non-binary people; and the bullying of new immigrants and refugees.
Deidre Maultsaid , Brianna Doyle, Celine Wai Shan Li
Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful Free Software Project
Producing Open Source Software is a book about the human side of open source development. It describes how successful projects operate, the expectations of users and developers, and the culture of free software. The book is released under an open copyright. You can buy it in bookstores, order copies from O'Reilly Media, or browse and download it here
Conflict, War and Revolution: the problem of politics in international political thought
Violence and war were ubiquitous features of politics long before the emergence of the modern state system. Since the late 18th century major revolutions across the world have further challenged the idea of the state as a final arbiter of international order. This book discusses ten major thinkers who have questioned and re-shaped how we think about politics
Introductory Algebra provides a comprehensive introduction of variables, functionsand linear equations and gives students a solid foundation in algebra
21st Century Media and Female Mental Health
This open access book examines the conversations around gendered mental health in contemporary Western media culture. While early 21st century-media was marked by a distinct focus on happiness, productivity and success, during the 2010s negative feelings and discussions around mental health have become increasingly common in that same media landscape. This book traces this turn to sadness in women’s media culture and shows that it emerged indirectly as a result of a culture overtly focused on happiness. By tracing the coverage of mental health issues in magazines, among female celebrities, and on social media this book shows how an increasingly intimate media environment has made way for a profitable vulnerability, that takes the shape of marketable and brand-friendly mental illness awareness that strengthens the authenticity of those who embrace it.
A Practical Guide on Behaviour Change Support for Self-Managing Chronic Disease
This open access book is a valuable resource for students in health and other professions and practicing professionals interested in supporting effective change in self-management behaviors in chronic disease, such as medication taking, physical activity and healthy eating. Developed under the auspices of the Train4Health project, funded by the Erasmus+ program of the European Union, the book contains six chapters written by international contributors from different disciplines. Chapter one introduces the competencies necessary for delivering effective behavior change support, based on an established program of work, and related learning outcomes.
Guerreiro, Mara Pereira, Brito Félix, Isa . Moreira Marques, Marta
This open access book discusses the most modern approach to auditing complex digital systems and technologies. It combines proven auditing approaches, advanced programming techniques and complex application areas, and covers the latest findings on theory and practice in this rapidly developing field. Especially for those who want to learn more about novel approaches to testing complex information systems and related technologies, such as blockchain and self-learning systems, the book will be a valuable resource. It is aimed at students and practitioners who are interested in contemporary technology and managerial implications.
The introduction of permanent cardiac pacing in the late 1950s began the era of cardiac electrotherapy. In the 1980s, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) were introduced. These advances created new challenges for cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Right ventricular pacing was the primary breakthrough; however, over the years, it has become apparent that it can induce cardiac contraction dyssynchrony. Biventricular pacing allowed for the alleviation of dyssynchrony and improved the survival of patients with heart failure and bundle branch block. In recent decades, His bundle pacing has become a new strategy for physiological ventricular activation.
Lewicka, Ewa (editor) , Dąbrowska-Kugacka, Alicja (editor), Liżewska-Springer, Aleksandra
Symbiotic Posthumanist Ecologies in Western Literature, Philosophy and Art: Towards Theory and Practice Volume 11
Through the burgeoning fields of Posthumanities and Environmental Humanities, this edition examines the changing conception of human subjectivity, agency, and citizenship as shaped by the dynamic interplays between nature, technology, science, and culture. The proposed ‘symbiotic turn’, (the awareness of the multitude of interactions and mutual interdependencies among humans, non-humans and their environment) aspires to explore the complex recompositions of the “human” in the 21st century.
Welcome to Human Geography! If you are interested in how humans interact with the environment and how human systems are geographically distributed over space, then you’ve found your place. We hope that find this textbook useful and enjoyable; please dive in by clicking “Contents” to immerse yourself in all-things-human geography.
Supporting English Language Learners in First-Year College Composition
Supporting ELLs in FYC is organized around five key essays, selected to coordinate with the essay styles commonly taught in first-year/first-semester composition courses. This organization is planned to offer instructors the flexibility to best support the pacing of the composition course. There are 2 expository, 1 narrative, and 2 argument essays. Each module includes one essay, with accompanying activities and supporting materials.
Economics for Life: Real World Financial Literacy
America has evolved into an ownership society. Home-buying decisions, resource allocation, debt exposure, and financial planning for the future are now left to individuals, many of whom may lack the financial understanding to evaluate and make sound decisions. Economics, with its insistence on quantifying ideas and putting specific quantitative values on all manner of phenomena, can help sort through the questions. Economics for Life: Real-World Financial Literacy is designed to help soon-to-be college graduates start their "real lives" with a better understanding of how to analyze the financial decisions that they will soon have to make. Written in an easy-to-read, conversational style, this textbook will help students learn how to make decisions on saving and investing for retirement, buying a car, buying a home, as well as how to safely navigate the use of debit and credit cards
Processes: Writing Across Academic Careers
Processes: Writing Across Academic Careers is an edited collection featuring writing from students, faculty, and staff at Farmingdale State College, a State University of New York (SUNY) campus on Long Island. Each contributor reflects on their own writing as well as writing in their fields/disciplines. Namely, they reflect on their writing processes, hence the name of the book
This book offers a wealth of instructional material on the topic of research article writing for publication and thesis or dissertation completion. The text provides graduate student writers with helpful information, strategies, and tips on navigating disciplinary writing in their fields and how to understand, dissect, and ultimately, construct their own research article. The text is organized according to a standard research article format, breaking down each section of the empirical research in a simple and straightforward manner to help graduate students build a quality, argument-driven manuscript as they write up their empirical study findings.
Business Law, Ethics, and Sustainability
Business Law, Ethics, and Sustainability is a textbook for undergraduate law courses. It covers business law topics such as contracts, business organizations, employment law, and torts, as well as a general survey of American law. Additional topics include Constitutional law, civil rights, environmental law, criminal law, and litigation.
This book acknowledges our changing information landscape, covering key concepts in information literacy to support a research process with intention. We start by critically examining the online environment many of us already engage with every day, looking at algorithms, the attention economy, information disorder and cynicism, information hygiene, and fact-checking. We then move into an exploration of information source types, meaningful research topics, keyword choices, effective search strategies, library resources, Web search considerations, the ethical use of information, and citation.
Leading Change in Health Systems: Strategies for RN-BSN Students
Leading Change in Health Systems: Strategies for RN-BSN Students is designed for practicing nurses pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. This book is focused on building upon previous knowledge, skills and attitudes Registered Nurses (RNs) related to leadership in healthcare systems. Readers will be able to apply the theoretical knowledge gained from this course in their clinical practice environment.
Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Manual for Nursing and Allied Health
Authors’ Institution: Norfolk State University, Norfolk, VA, USA , Funding: Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA) Course Redesign Grant, 2020 – 2023
Marz, Kamatchi, D'Silva, Prabhakaran, Chandra, and Isekeije
Reading and Writing Successfully in College: A Guide for Students
This textbook provides students with guidelines for understanding writing tasks as intellectual work using Bloom’s Taxonomy and for treating the writing process as a set of variable activities that move along a trajectory from idea or assignment to a finished product. The book also includes chapters on strengthening reading strategies and on finding, evaluating, and using sources effectively.
Biochemistry (and Molecular Biology) represent one of the fastest-growing fields of scientific research and technical innovation and the resulting biotechnology is increasingly applied to other fields of study. So, an understanding of Biochemistry is increasingly important for students in all biological disciplines. However, at the same time, the content is inherently complex, highly abstract, and often deeply rooted in the pure sciences – mathematics, chemistry, and physics. This makes it difficult to both learn and to teach.
Pakay, Duivenvoorden, Shafee, and Clarke
Nursing Management and Professional Concepts
This book introduces concepts related to nursing leadership and management, prioritization strategies, delegation and supervision, legal implications of nursing practice, ethical nursing practice, collaboration within the interprofessional team, health care economics, quality and evidencebased practice, advocacy, preparation for the RN role, and the avoidance of burnout with self-care. Several online, interactive learning activities are included in each chapter that encourage application of content to patientcare situations. Additionally, the Appendix includes a “suite of patients” with suggested prompts for classroom discussion to assist students in applying concepts from the book to real patient-care situations
This textbook is an open educational resource with CC-BY licensing developed specifically for prelicensure nursing students. The e-book and downloadable versions are free. Affordable print versions are published in collaboration with XanEdu and available on Amazon and in college bookstores. Content is based on the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) statewide nursing curriculum for the Nursing Advanced Skills course (543-112) and the NCLEX-RN Test Plan.
History of the Middle East is a survey of Middle Eastern History from the time of Muhammad in the seventh century until the eve of the War on Terror in 2001. It is designed to meet the requirements of a single-term introductory course and is aimed at students who have no more than a casual understanding of the history, cultures, and societies of the region. It offers a relatively concise narrative of the region’s historical development that seeks to avoid oversimplification on the one hand and overcomplexity on the other.
Introduction to Library and Information Science
This book explores the history, present, and future of library science, both in theory and in practice. It examines the place of the librarian as arbiter of information access in a constantly-changing and modernizing global community
College of Southern Idaho Pressbooks Network (CSI)
Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics - 1st edition
Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics, 1st edition, is an Open Education Resource Textbook that surveys contemporary comparative politics. The textbook is organized thematically and includes chapters that cover a wide range of topics in comparative politics: how and what comparativists study; methods in comparative politics; states and regimes; democracies and democratization; non-democracies and democratic backsliding, political identity, including culture, race and ethnicity, gender, nationalism, religion, and class; political economy; collective action and social movements; comparative public opinion; political violence; and globalization and fragmentation. Each chapter accompanied by a case study or a comparative study, one of the main methodological tools used in comparative politics.
Dino Bozonelos, Julia Wendt, Charlotte Lee
Although “sustainability,” as used in the real estate context, is about preserving the environment, it is about more than that. In sustainable property management, sustainability encompasses three spheres—environmental, social, and economic. Sustainable property management is about reconciling these three spheres throughout the operations and maintenance phase of the building lifecycle in such a way that a balance is achieved between economic development and protection of environmental and social resources.
Crawford Automation – A Guided Application of Structured Problem Solving
his is a multimedia-enabled case in which students will be guided, by an industry expert, to apply structured problem-solving that addresses a typical supply chain problem, missing parts. What first appears as the issue may be a symptom of a root cause(s). The case utilizes videos, data files for analytics, audio recording, and videogame-style exercises to find the missing box of parts. The case is a collaboration between the Conestoga Centre for Supply Chain Innovation and ATS Automation and utilizes the ATS Business Model (ABM) approach to identifying and solving root causes.
Stephen Thomson, Kevin Hollis, Laurie Turnbull,
Fundamentals of Psychological Disorders - 3rd edition
Fundamentals of Psychological Disorders (formerly Abnormal Psychology) is an Open Education Resource written by Alexis Bridley, Ph.D. and Lee W. Daffin Jr., Ph.D. through Washington State University. The book tackles the difficult topic of mental disorders in 15 modules and is updated through the DSM-5-TR. This journey starts by discussing what abnormal behavior is by attempting to understand what normal behavior is.
Rather than working at the usual scales of distant reading, this book shows what happens when we bring techniques from the digital humanities to bear on a single novel for close readings.
This open access book gives both a theoretical and practical overview of several important aspects of additive manufacturing (AM). It is written in an educative style to enable the reader to understand and apply the material. It begins with an introduction to AM technologies and the general workflow, as well as an overview of the current standards within AM. In the following chapter, a more in-depth description is given of design optimization and simulation for AM in polymers and metals, including practical guidelines for topology optimization and the use of lattice structures. Special attention is also given to the economics of AM and when the technology offers a benefit compared to conventional manufacturing processes.
Godec, Damir, Gonzalez-Gutierrez, Joamin, Nordin, Axel .et al
This Open Access book is a guide to good, responsible research at each step of the process of research discovery, so that a researcher at the beginning of a scientific career has a clear pathway to doing good research and producing reliable results. The textbook will give context to the practices described in the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity, guided by the fundamental principles or research integrity – reliability, honesty, respect, and accountability. Although we base the book on the European Code, the principles are the same in the global research community, such as those outlined in Fostering Integrity in Research from the US National Academies; Engineering and Medicine.
This open access book examines the conversations around gendered mental health in contemporary Western media culture. While early 21st century-media was marked by a distinct focus on happiness, productivity and success, during the 2010s negative feelings and discussions around mental health have become increasingly common in that same media landscape. This book traces this turn to sadness in women’s media culture and shows that it emerged indirectly as a result of a culture overtly focused on happiness.
14th International Congress for Applied Mineralogy (ICAM2019)
This open access proceedings of the 14th International Council for Applied Mineralogy Congress (ICAM) in Belgorod, Russia cover a wide range of topics including applied mineralogy, advanced and construction materials, ore and industrial minerals, mineral exploration, cultural heritage, etc. It includes contributions to geometallurgy, industrial minerals, oil and gas reservoirs as well as stone artifacts and their preservation. The International Congress on Applied Mineralogy strengthens the relation between the research on applied mineralogy and the industry.
This open access book highlights Singapore’s development into a city in which water and greenery, along with associated environmental, technical, social and political aspects have been harnessed and cultivated into a liveable sustainable way of life. It is also a story about a unique and thoroughgoing approach to large-scale and potentially transferable water sustainability, within largely urbanized circumstances, which can be achieved, along with complementary roles of environmental conservation, ecology, public open-space management and the greening of buildings, together with infrastructural improvements.
Fundamentals of Psychological Disorders (formerly Abnormal Psychology) is an Open Education Resource written by Alexis Bridley, Ph.D. and Lee W. Daffin Jr., Ph.D. through Washington State University. The book tackles the difficult topic of mental disorders in 15 modules and is updated through the DSM-5-TR. This journey starts by discussing what abnormal behavior is by attempting to understand what normal behavior is. Models of abnormal psychology and clinical assessment, diagnosis, and treatment are then discussed.
A History of Genomics across Species, Communities and Projects
This open access book offers a comprehensive overview of the history of genomics across three different species and four decades, from the 1980s to the recent past. It takes an inclusive approach in order to capture not only the international initiatives to map and sequence the genomes of various organisms, but also the work of smaller-scale institutions engaged in the mapping and sequencing of yeast, human and pig DNA. In doing so, the authors expand the historiographical lens of genomics from a focus on large-scale projects to other forms of organisation.
A Macroeconometric Model for Saudi Arabia
This Open Access Brief presents the KAPSARC Global Energy Macroeconometric Model (KGEMM). KGEMM is a policy analysis tool for examining the impacts of domestic policy measures and global economic and energy shocks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The model has eight blocks (real sector, fiscal, monetary, external sector, price, labor and wages, energy, population, and age cohorts) that interact with each other to represent the Kingdom’s macroeconomy and energy linkages. It captures New Keynesian demand-side features anchored to medium-run equilibrium and long-run aggregate supply. It applies a cointegration and equilibrium correction modeling (ECM) methodology to time series data to estimate the model’s behavioral equations in the framework of Autometrics, a general-to-specific econometric modeling strategy. Hence, the model combines ‘theory-driven’ approach with ‘data-driven’ approach.
A Practical Guide to Atmospheric Simulation Chambers
This open access title presents atmospheric simulation chambers as effective tools for atmospheric chemistry research. State-of-the-art simulation chambers provide unprecedented opportunities for atmospheric scientists to perform experiments that address the most important questions in air quality and climate research. The book covers technical details about chamber preparation and practical guidelines on their usage, while also delivering relevant historical and contextual information.
Thumbnail Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos
This open access book is a collection of articles based on presentations from the 2020 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos conference that gives an overview of conference outcomes. The vision of the conference has been to unite researchers, scientists, physicians and other healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and students from across the world to discuss research advancements, identify gaps, and develop actionable goals to translate basic research findings into clinical best practices, effective community interventions, and professional training programs to decrease cancer risks and eliminate cancer disparities for Latinos.
Agricultural Development in Asia and Africa
This Open Access book explores the multifaceted nature of agricultural and rural development in Asia and examines the extent to which the Asian experience is being replicated in contemporary Africa. This volume compiles the works of top scholars who provided analyses and evidences from household-level surveys collected for many years in several parts of Asia and Africa. The most important finding presented in this book is that African agricultural development has evolved following the pathways of Asian agricultural development.
Estudillo, Jonna P. Kijima, Yoko, Sonobe, Tetsushi
AI Ethics in Higher Education: Insights from Africa and Beyond
This open access book tackles the pressing problem of integrating concerns related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) ethics into higher education curriculums aimed at future AI developers in Africa and beyond. For doing so, it analyzes the present and future states of AI ethics education in local computer science and engineering programs. The authors share relevant best practices and use cases for teaching, develop answers to ongoing organizational challenges, and reflect on the practical implications of different theoretical approaches to AI ethics.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is predicted to radically change teaching and learning in both schools and industry causing radical disruption of work. AI can support well-being initiatives and lifelong learning but educational institutions and companies need to take the changing technology into account. Moving towards AI supported by digital tools requires a dramatic shift in the concept of learning, expertise and the businesses built off of it. Based on the latest research on AI and how it is changing learning and education, this book will focus on the enormous opportunities to expand educational settings with AI for learning in and beyond the traditional classroom.
Niemi, Hannele (editor) Pea, Roy D. (editor) Lu, Yu (editor)
This open access book surveys the progress in addressing selected challenges related to the growth of big data in combination with increasingly complicated hardware. It emerged from a research program established by the German Research Foundation (DFG) as priority program SPP 1736 on Algorithmics for Big Data where researchers from theoretical computer science worked together with application experts in order to tackle problems in domains such as networking, genomics research, and information retrieval.
Large sparse linear systems of equations are ubiquitous in science, engineering and beyond. This open access monograph focuses on factorization algorithms for solving such systems. It presents classical techniques for complete factorizations that are used in sparse direct methods and discusses the computation of approximate direct and inverse factorizations that are key to constructing general-purpose algebraic preconditioners for iterative solvers. A unified framework is used that emphasizes the underlying sparsity structures and highlights the importance of understanding sparse direct methods when developing algebraic preconditioners. Theoretical results are complemented by sparse matrix algorithm outlines.
All-Optical Methods to Study Neuronal Function
This open access volume provides an overview of the latest methods used to study neuronal function with all-optical experimental approaches, where light is used for both stimulation and monitoring of neuronal activity. The chapters in this book cover topics over a broad range, from fundamental background information in both physiology and optics in the context of all-optical neurophysiology experiments, to the design principles and hardware implementation of optical methods used for photoactivation and imaging. In the Neuromethods series style, chapters include the kind of detail and key advice from the specialists needed to get successful results in your laboratory.
This Open Access book presents a pioneering research on brownfield redevelopment in mountain regions, and specifically in the European Alps. The origins and causes, the actual conditions as well as the future challenges and potentials of mountain brownfields are investigated from an interdisciplinary yet landscape-centered perspective. Through the reasoned combination of research-by-design methods and case-study analysis, the book explores the infrastructural relevance of these sites for the specific mountain territory, while advancing an innovative structuralist-systemic approach for their physical and functional transformation. The book includes, among others, a first transnational geo-mapping of Alpine brownfields, whose impressive outcomes in terms of site numbers and distribution can only confirm the urgency of this research.
Fish, Fishing, and Conservation is a 389-page, peer-reviewed open textbook intended for undergraduate students who are exploring majors in Fish & Wildlife. It is also relevant to a general audience or for use in courses which explore social and ethical aspects of fish, fishing and conservation.
This open access book responds to the urgent need to improve how we prevent and resolve conflict. It introduces Adaptive Peacebuilding through evidence-based research from eight case studies across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. It also considers how China and Japan view and practice peacebuilding. The book focuses on how peacebuilders design, implement and evaluate programs to sustain peace, how interactions between external and local actors have facilitated or hindered peacemaking, and how adaptation to complexity and uncertainty occurred in each case study.
de Coning, Cedric (editor) Saraiva, Rui (editor) Muto, Ako (editor)
African Handbook of Climate Change Adaptation
This open access book discusses current thinking and presents the main issues and challenges associated with climate change in Africa. It introduces evidences from studies and projects which show how climate change adaptation is being - and may continue to be successfully implemented in African countries. Thanks to its scope and wide range of themes surrounding climate change, the ambition is that this book will be a lead publication on the topic, which may be regularly updated and hence capture further works. Climate change is a major global challenge. However, some geographical regions are more severly affected than others.
Oguge, Nicholas (editor) Ayal, Desalegn (editor) Adeleke, Lydia (editor) da Silva, Izael (editor)
Medicine Creek (Faulk County-Spink County, S.D.)
This open access book describes the latest advances in the anal incontinence diagnostic and therapeutic processes. Anal incontinence is a devastating condition heavily impacting on the patients’ lives. Those suffering from this disorder are generally very embarrassed and reluctant to undergo an appropriate clinical evaluation, thus becoming more isolated and worsening the quality of their life.
Docimo, Ludovico (editor), Brusciano, Luigi (editor)
Analysis of Reaction-Diffusion Models with the Taxis Mechanism
This open access book deals with a rich variety of taxis-type cross-diffusive equations. Particularly, it intends to show the key role played by quasi-energy inequality in the derivation of some necessary a priori estimates. This book addresses applied mathematics and all researchers interested in mathematical development of reaction-diffusion theory and its application and can be a basis for a graduate course in applied mathematics.
Annual Report on the Big Data of New Energy Vehicle in China (2021)
This open access book, based on static indicators and dynamic big data from local electric vehicles, is the first New-Energy Vehicles (NEVs) research report on the Big Data in China. Using the real-time big data collected by China's National Monitoring and Management Platform for NEVs, this book delves into the main annual technological progress of NEVs, the vehicle operating characteristics, it also anticipates the trend of NEVs industry. Various graphs&charts, detailed data this book offers will familiarize readers with the operation characteristics and practical application of China's NEVs industry and popularize the concept of automobile electrification.
Anthropological Perspectives on Environmental Communication
Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography
In the continuous search for sustainability, the exchange of diverse perspectives, assumptions, and values is indispensable to environmental protection. Through anthropological and ethnographic analyses, this collection addresses how interests, values, and ideologies affect dialogue and sustainability work. Drawing on studies from three continents – Europe, North America, and South America – the paradoxes and the plurality of meanings associated with the creation of sustainable futures are explored. The book focuses on how communication practices collide with organizational frameworks, customary practices, livelihoods, and landscape. In so doing, the authors explore the meanings of environmental communication, pushing beyond environmental advocacy rhetoric to emphasize stronger anthropological engagement within communities to achieve more impactful environmental communication practice.
Sjölander-Lindqvist, Annelie (editor), Murin, Ivan (editor), Dove, Michael E. (editor)
Anthropologies of Global Maternal and Reproductive Health
This open access edited book brings together new research on the mechanisms by which maternal and reproductive health policies are formed and implemented in diverse locales around the world, from global policy spaces to sites of practice. The authors – both internationally respected anthropologists and new voices – demonstrate the value of ethnography and the utility of reproduction as a lens through which to generate rich insights into professionals’ and lay people’s intimate encounters with policy. Authors look closely at core policy debates in the history of global maternal health across six different continents, including: Women’s use of misoprostol for abortion in Burkina Faso The place of traditional birth attendants in global maternal health Donor-driven maternal health programs in Tanzania Efforts to integrate qualitative evidence in WHO maternal and child health policy-making Anthropologies of Global Maternal and Reproductive Health will engage readers interested in critical conversations about global health policy today.
Wallace, Lauren J. (editor) MacDonald, Margaret E. (editor) Storeng, Katerini T. (editor)
As the inequitable impacts of climate change become more evident and destructive, it is essential for climate and environmental justice, as well as methods of civic engagement, to be taught at a high-level to college-level students. This book provides real examples of how professors at the University of Washington integrated these critical issues into their teachings, both in targeted lessons and as throughlines across an entire course
This textbook covers basic principles in the genetic improvement of crop plants. Emphasis is placed on methods of cultivar development in self-pollinating, cross-pollinating, and asexually propagating crops. Relevant examples of crop improvement research in Africa are utilized to cover factors affecting cultivar release, multiplication, and distribution of high-quality seed.
Mathematical modelling plays an increasingly important role in almost any area of life sciences, and this interactive textbook focuses on the areas of population ecology, infectious diseases, immunology and cell dynamics, gene networks and pharmacokinetics. It is aimed at anyone who is interested in learning about how to model biological systems, including undergraduate and postgraduate mathematics students who have not studied mathematical biology before, life-sciences students with an interest in modelling, and post-16 mathematics students interested in university-level material.
The University of Sheffield Pressbooks Network
3rd International Conference on Thermal Issues in Machine Tools (ICTIMT2023)
This open access conference proceedings contains all the papers presented at the ICTIMT 2023, the 3rd International Conference on Thermal Issues in Machine Tools. The event takes place in Dresden, the capital of Saxony, from March 21-23 2023. The conference is organized by the Chair of Machine Tools Development and Adaptive Controls of the Technische Universität Dresden.
50 Years World Heritage Convention: Shared Responsibility – Conflict & Reconciliation
This open access book identifies various forms of heritage destruction and analyses their causes. It proposes strategies for avoiding and solving conflicts, based on integrating heritage into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It reflects on the identity-building role of heritage, on multidimensional conflicts and the destruction of heritage, and considers conflict-solving strategies and future perspectives. Furthermore, it engages theoretically and practically with the concepts of responsibility, reconciliation and sustainability, relating mainly to four Sustainable Development Goals, i.e. SDGs 4 (education), 11 (e.g. World Heritage), 13 (climate action) and 17 (partnerships for the goals).
Albert, Marie-Theres (editor) Bernecker, Roland (editor) Cave, Claire (editor) Prodan, Anca Claudia (editor) Ripp, Matthias (editor)
5th Symposium on Terrestrial Gravimetry: Static and Mobile Measurements (TG-SMM 2019)
This open access volume contains the proceedings of the 5th Symposium on Terrestrial Gravimetry: Static and Mobile Measurements (TG-SMM2019) held in St. Petersburg, Russia, October 1 – 4, 2019. The symposium was hosted by the State Research Center of the Russian Federation Concern CSRI Elektropribor, JSC and was attended by 75 participants from 15 different countries. 32 oral and 20 poster contributions were presented in four different topical sessions: Terrestrial, shipboard and airborne gravimetry, Absolute gravimetry, Relative gravimetry, gravity networks and applications of gravimetry and Cold atom and superconducting gravimeters, gravitational experiments.
Freymueller, Jeffrey T. (editor) Sánchez, Laura (editor)
This open access book explores the environmental, social, and financial challenges of housing provision, and the urgent need for a sustainable housing transition. The authors explore how market failures have impacted the scaling up of sustainable housing and the various policy attempts to address this. Going beyond an environmental focus, the book explores a range of housing-related challenges including social justice and equity issues. Sustainability transitions theory is presented as a framework to help facilitate a sustainable housing transition and a range of contemporary case studies are explored on issues including high performing housing, small housing, shared housing, neighbourhood-scale housing, circular housing, and innovative financing for housing.
Faith Community Nursing ; An International Specialty Practice Changing the Understanding of Health
This book is the work of many. The contributors, each with their own rich experiences in the practice and ministry of faith community nursing, have generously taken the time to work with the editors in making this book a reality. The chapter authors have all practiced or continue to contribute to the specialty of faith community nursing.
P. Ann Solari-Twadell , Deborah Jean Ziebarth,. Editors
The population of the United Kingdom is projected to increase by 4.9 million from an estimated 62.3 million in 2010 to 67.2 million over the 10-year period to 2020. Projected natural increase (more births than deaths) will account for 56% of the projected increase over the next decade, resulting in an overall UK population increase to 73.2 million over the 25-year period to mid-2035. The population is also projected to continue ageing with the average (median) age rising from 39.7 years in 2010 to 39.9 years in 2020 and 42.2 by 2035 (Office for National Statistics 2011).
is a research-based, accessible, relevant, creative, inclusive, empowering textbook for teaching introductory aural skills. The first seven chapters provide thorough instruction in aural fundamentals, allowing students to build their foundations from a variety of starting points. The following chapters address the traditional tasks of sight-reading and dictation, but also improvisation, mimicking music you hear (“playback”), transcription, and ensemble skills. The final two chapters add some basic form- and chord-listening skills. Every section includes creative activities that learners can try out on their own or do in class. Embedded playlists for practicing listening skills include a diverse range of music that will connect with students’ preferences and allow them to experience music they haven’t worked with before. While the text is primarily designed for a first semester or year of instruction, it also includes some instruction on modulation, chromaticism, and mixed meter, and future additions/development will make these advanced applications more robust.
Utah Education Network Digital Press with Pressbooks
This textbook covers theories, teaching strategies, and instructional materials pertinent to teaching reading and writing in grades PK-3, with an emphasis on integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as integration across content areas while addressing diversity and inclusion.
Nandita Gurjar, Sohyun Meacham, Constance Beecher
Adult Education and Lifelong Learning in Europe and Beyond
This volume presents comparisons of adult education and lifelong learning with a focus on educational policies, professionalization in adult education, participation in adult learning and education, quality in adult education, and educational guidance and counselling. The essays are based on comparisons discussed at the international Winter School «Comparative Studies in Adult and Lifelong Learning», held in Würzburg, Germany, February 2015. Sub-topics of lifelong learning were chosen for an in-depth comparison and analysis of the situation in various European countries and beyond.
Peter Lang International Academic Publishing Group
This volume presents comparisons of adult education and lifelong learning with a focus on educational policies, professionalization in adult education, participation in adult learning and education, quality in adult education, and educational guidance and counselling. The essays are based on comparisons discussed at the international Winter School «Comparative Studies in Adult and Lifelong Learning», held in Würzburg, Germany, February 2015. Sub-topics of lifelong learning were chosen for an in-depth comparison and analysis of the situation in various European countries and beyond. URI
Adult Education and Work Contexts: International Perspectives and Challenges
Adult education has deep connections with employment contexts. This volume discusses interrelations within transnational contexts studied during the Würzburg Winter School on Comparative Studies in Adult Education and Lifelong Learning (COMPALL). The book shows that adult education and work contexts are influenced by international and transnational developments. The findings are presented in three chapters: Lifelong Learning Policies Targeting Employment Contexts; Transnational Perspectives on Lifelong Learning Policies; Employment Perspectives and Professionalisation in Adult Education.
Egetenmeyer, Regina (editor) Fedeli, Monica (editor)
Continuity and Discontinuity in Learning Careers
Continuity and Discontinuity in Learning Careers: Potentials for a Learning Space in a Changing World focuses on the continuities and discontinuities of the learning careers and identities of non-traditional adult students in diverse learning contexts. Readership: All those interested in adult education and the challenges facing adult education today such as researchers in education and social sciences, undergraduate and postgraduate students, policy-makers and practitioners.
Merrill, Barbara (editor) Galimberti, Andrea (editor) Nizinska, Adrianna (editor) González-Monteagudo, José (editor)
Developing Educators for The Digital Age
Evaluating skills and knowledge capture lies at the cutting edge of contemporary higher education where there is a drive towards increasing evaluation of classroom performance and use of digital technologies in pedagogy. Developing Educators for the Digital Age is a book that provides a narrative account of teacher development geared towards the further usage of technologies (including iPads, MOOCs and whiteboards) in the classroom presented via the histories and observation of a diverse group of teachers engaged in the multiple dimensions of their profession. Drawing on the insights of a variety of educational theories and approaches (including TPACK) it presents a practical framework for capturing knowledge in action of these English language teachers – in their own voices – indicating how such methods, processes and experiences shed light more widely on related contexts within HE and may be transferable to other situations.
This book discusses disciplinary struggles in education from three perspectives. The chapters in the first section analyse the disciplinary character of educational practice and institutions. The second section focuses on justification of educational knowledge in transmission between theory and practice. The contributions of the third section problematise the aims and functions of educational practice and theory, which are critical for understanding the implications of disciplinary struggles in education for the future. Although the chapters focus on certain historical periods, forms and contexts of education, they provide insights, which are useful and relevant for a wider discussion in the eclectic and diverse theories and practices of education
Anja Heikkinen Jenni Pätäri Gabriele Molzberger
Heikkinen, Anja Pätäri, Jenni Molzberger, Gabriele
Discourses, Dialogue and Diversity in Biographical Research
This book explores how narratives are deeply embodied, engaging heart, soul, as well as mind, through varying adult learner perspectives. Biographical research is not an isolated, individual, solipsistic endeavor but shaped by larger ecological interactions – in families, schools, universities, communities, societies, and networks – that can create or destroy hope. Telling or listening to life stories celebrates complexity, messiness, and the rich potential of learning lives. The narratives in this book highlight the rapid disruption of sustainable ecologies, not only ‘natural’, physical, and biological, but also psychological, economic, relational, political, educational, cultural, and ethical. Yet, despite living in a precarious, and often frightening, liquid world, biographical research can both chronicle and illuminate how resources of hope are created in deeper, aesthetically satisfying ways. Biographical research offers insights, and even signposts, to understand and transcend the darker side of the human condition, alongside its inspirations.
Bainbridge, Alan (editor) Formenti, Laura (editor) West, Linden (editor)
Doing Critical and Creative Research in Adult Education
Doing Critical and Creative Research in Adult Education brings together leading and emerging scholars in adult education in order to capture the vitality and complexity of contemporary adult education research, marked by the desire to conduct critical and creative research with rather than about people.; Readership: Adult education researchers and academics, adult education practitioners, postgraduate students and researchers in adult education and education, social science researchers and academics, arts and humanities researchers and academics.
Grummell, Bernie (editor) Finnegan, Fergal (editor)
Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change
Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change critically appraises current animal use in science and discusses ways in which we can contribute to a paradigm change towards human-biology based approaches. Readership: This volume is intended not only for fellow scholars and scientists, but for the interested public, campaigners, students, academics, researchers, regulators and industry.
Herrmann, Kathrin (editor) Jayne, Kimberley (editor)
In Animal Rationality: Later Medieval Theories 1250-1350, Anselm Oelze offers the first comprehensive and systematic exploration of theories of animal rationality in the later Middle Ages. Readership: Everyone interested in medieval philosophy and psychology in general, as well as the history of the concept of animal rationality and of the animal/human boundary in particular.
Antique Dealing and Creative Reuse in Cairo and Damascus 1850-1890
The commodification of Islamic antiques intensified in the late Ottoman Empire, an age of domestic reform and increased European interference following the Tanzimat (reorganisation) of 1839. Mercedes Volait examines the social life of typical objects moving from Cairo and Damascus to Paris, London, and beyond, uncovers the range of agencies and subjectivities involved in the trade of architectural salvage and historic handicraft, and traces impacts on private interiors, through creative reuse and Revival design, in Egypt, Europe and America. By devoting attention to both local and global engagements with Middle Eastern tangible heritage, the present volume invites to look anew at Orientalism in art and interior design, the canon of Islamic architecture and the translocation of historic works of art. Readership: All interested in tangible heritage in Cairo and Damascus, visual Orientalism (including photography), Islamic art collecting, and anyone concerned with commodification and intercultural contact zones.
Arabic and its Alternatives discusses the complicated relationships between language, religion and communal identities in the Middle East in the period following the First World War, taking its starting point in the non-Arabic and non-Muslim communities of the region. Readership: All those interested in the modern and contemporary history of the Middle East, in religious and linguistic minorities, in identity formation and nationalism and in the relationship between language and religion.
Murre-van den Berg, Heleen (editor) Sanchez, Karène (editor) Baarda, Tijmen C. (editor)
Exploring Nature’s Texture brings together a collection of internationally-known group of artists, theologians, anthropologists and philosophers to look at the imaginative possibilities of using the visual arts to address the breakdown of the human relationship with the environment. ; Readership: Scholars and students in theology/religious studies, art history, artists and curators, environmental humanities, environmental studies, philosophy, anthropology, environmental arts, architecture, sociology.
Bergmann, Sigurd (editor) Clingerman, Forrest (editor)
In A history of Population Health Johan P. Mackenbach offers a comparative study of trends in 40 specific diseases in Europe and their explanation, focusing on the causes of the spectacular improvements in people’s health since the early 18th century. ; Readership: Health care professionals with an interest in medical history, students and scientists in public health, economics, sociology, and related disciplines, and anyone interested in the history of health and disease.
This book investigates and uncover paradoxes and ambivalences that are actualised when seeking to make the right choices in the best interests of the child. The 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child established a milestone for the 20th century. Many of these ideas still stand, but time calls for new reflections, empirical descriptions and knowledge as provided in this book. Special attention is directed to the conceptualisation of children and childhood cultures, the missing voices of infants and fragile children, as well as transformations during times of globalisation and change. All chapters contribute to understand and discuss aspects of societal demands and cultural conditions for modern-day children age 0–18, accompanied by pointers to their future. Readership: All engaged in children’s rights, children’s culture, generations, arts and public health education and those interested in understanding and change the paradoxes and complexity in children’s lives.
Eriksen Ødegaard, Elin (editor) Spord Borgen, Jorunn (editor)
Composition Analysis of Writing Materials in Cairo Genizah Documents
For the first time, a monograph provides a systematic, in-depth account of contract interpretation in investment treaty arbitration and offers a conceptual paradigm that would enhance the quality of the tribunals’ reasoning.; Readership: The monograph is of relevance for legal scholars, practitioners and policymakers in the field of investment treaty arbitration. The book will also be of additional value to postgraduate and doctoral students.
Crime, Gender and Social Control in Early Modern Frankfurt am Main
This book charts the gender differences in crime in early modern Frankfurt. It shows that women’s prosecuted crime patterns in Frankfurt were both similar and different to that of other European cities. ; Readership: All interested in the history of crime and gender in early modern Europe, and anyone concerned with the social history of early modern Frankfurt. URI
Combining Economic and Political Development
Democratic transitions since 2011 in the Middle East and North Africa have mostly failed to consolidate and have been hindered by the difficult economic heritage of previous authoritarian governments. Which short-term economic policies may help consolidate the early democratisation process? Readership: Scholars and policy makers interested in MENA, democratic transition, economic and political development, reform and regional integration
Configuring Masculinity in Theory and Literary Practice
Configuring Masculinity in Theory and Literary Practice combines a critical survey of the most important concepts in Masculinity Studies with a historical overview of how masculinity has been constructed within British Literature and a special focus on developments in the 20th and 21st centuries. Readership: This book is of key interest to students, university teachers, and researchers in the fields of British Literature, Gender, Masculinity, and Cultural Studies as well as Literary Studies generally.
This volume offers a series of short and highly self-reflective essays by leading international lawyers on how global crises inform the functioning and theorizing of international law as well as how international law addresses global crises.; Readership: This book is of immediate interest to a readership of both scholars and practitioners, International lawyers, including scholars, practitionners, PhD students, postgraduate students and International Relations scholars
Mbengue, Makane Moïse (editor) D'Aspremont, Jean (editor)
Critical Perspectives on Interreligious Education
In Experiments in Empathy: Critical Reflections on Interreligious Education, the contributors provide a roadmap for practicing and developing innovative ways to teach religion that promotes interfaith understanding and cooperation. Readership: All interested in interreligious education, interfaith movement, comparative theologies, religious education, religion and politics will find Experiments in Empathy of great use and interest.
Curriculum and Learning for Climate Action
Curriculum and Learning for Climate Action offers researchers, practitioners, donors, and decisionmakers insights into entry points for education systems change needed to reorient human society’s relationship with our planetary systems.; Readership: All interested in Sustainability, International Education, Environmental Education will find this book useful. This includes researchers, students, policy makers, global practitioners, as well as think tanks, and donors.
Domestic Courts and the Interpretation of International Law
In Domestic Courts and the Interpretation of International Law, Odile Ammann examines the methodology and reasoning which domestic courts, including Swiss courts, use to interpret international law. She argues that interpretative methods must be taken more seriously in international law. Readership: Domestic judges, academics working on international law, legal theory, and judicial reasoning, academic libraries, advocates, public servants, diplomats, students, and laypersons interested in the relationship between domestic and international law.
Poverty and Distributional Impact of Economic Policies and External Shocks
Economists have had much to say about the impact of economic policies on growth, but little on their distributional consequences and poverty impact. The reorientation of development policy from structural adjustment to poverty reduction as the central objective thus called for new tools to examine distributional change. This book analyzes the poverty and distributional impact of policy changes and external shocks in three case studies from Latin America: Trade liberalization in Colombia and Brazil, and the gas boom in Bolivia. It uses an innovative approach that combines computable general equilibrium and microsimulation models.
Empirical Analysis of Determinants, Distribution and Dynamics of Poverty
Poverty and inequality persist in many dimensions in the developing world. In order to understand the determinants of poverty and its distribution between and within countries, it is necessary to know its dimensions and the channels through which poverty and inequality affect human well-being. This book analyzes the spatial disparities of the outcomes and determinants of poverty, the interdependencies of dimensions of poverty, the distribution of progress in human development over the population and the dynamics of poverty risk over time.
This open access book provides a cross-sectoral, integrative and multi-scale design and planning approach for adaptive urban transformation of fast urbanising deltas, taking the Pearl River Delta (China) as a case study. Deltaic areas are among the most promising regions in the world. Their strategic location and superior quality of their soils are core factors supporting both human development and the rise of these regions as global economic hubs. At the same time, however, deltas are extremely vulnerable to multiple threats from both climate change and urbanisation. These include an increased flood risk combined with the resulting loss of ecological and social-cultural values. To ensure a more sustainable future for these areas, spatial strategies are needed to strengthen resilience, i.e. help the systems to cope with their vulnerabilities as well as enhance their capacity to overcome natural and artificial threats.
Nijhuis, Steffen (editor) Sun, Yimin (editor) Lange, Eckart (editor)
Advances in Frontier Research on Engineering Structures
This is an open access book. This book focuses on the research of advanced structures and anti-seismic in civil engineering. It features the most cutting-edge research directions and achievements related to civil and structural engineering. Subjects in this book include: ·Engineering Structure and Seismic Resistance ·Structural Mechanics Analysis ·Components and Materials ·Structural Seismic Design ·3D Printing Concrete ·Other Related Topics The works of this book promote development of civil and structural engineering, resource sharing, flexibility, and high efficiency. Thereby, it also promotes scientific information interchange between scholars from the top universities, research centers, and high-tech enterprises working all around the world.
Advances in Intelligent Data Analysis XVIII
This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Intelligent Data Analysis, IDA 2020, held in Konstanz, Germany, in April 2020. The 45 full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 114 submissions. Advancing Intelligent Data Analysis requires novel, potentially game-changing ideas. IDA’s mission is to promote ideas over performance: a solid motivation can be as convincing as exhaustive empirical evaluation.
Berthold, Michael (editor) Feelders, Ad (editor) Krempl, Georg (editor)
Ramirez, Amelie G. (editor) Trapido, Edward J. (editor)
Ageing in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic
This Open Access Book contains reports on the situation of people in the second half of life during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. The analyses are based on the German Ageing Survey (DEAS) and they provide insights on four main areas of life: income and work, subjective health and well-being, social support and loneliness as well as societal participation. This book is useful for scientists as well as political actors by directing attention to the risk groups that have been hard hit by the pandemic while also highlighting the resilience and adaptive capacities of many people in the second half of life.
Simonson, Julia (editor) Wünsche, Jenna (editor) Tesch-Römer, Clemens (editor)
Agential Realism als Basis queer(end)er Experimentalpsychologie
Zentrale These des Open-Access-Buchs von Julia Scholz ist, dass eine queer(end)e Experimentalpsychologie mit der Herangehensweise des Agential Realism kein Widerspruch in sich ist, obwohl verbreitete Verständnisweisen von Queertheorien und von Experimentalpsychologie(n) dies berechtigterweise zunächst nahelegen. Die Autorin konfrontiert experimentalpsychologische Wissensproduktion mit queertheoretischen Kritiken und diskutiert Unvereinbarkeiten der epistemologischen und ontologischen Perspektiven queertheoretischer Kritik mit jenen aktueller akademischer Experimentalpsychologie des europäisch und US-amerikanisch geprägten Raums. Mit der Zugrundelegung von Barads Agential Realism schlägt sie eine wissenschaftstheoretische Position vor, die eine queerende Experimentalpsychologie erlaubt.
Stray, Viktoria (editor) Stol, Klaas-Jan (editor) Paasivaara, Maria (editor) Kruchten, Philippe (editor)