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Toward a Unified Ecology (Complexity in Ecological Systems)
By Timothy Allen, Thomas Hoekstra. 2015
The first edition of Toward a Unified Ecology was ahead of its time. For the second edition, the authors present…
a new synthesis of their core ideas on evaluating communities, organisms, populations, biomes, models, and management. The book now places greater emphasis on post-normal critiques, cognizant of ever-present observer values in the system. The problem it addresses is how to work holistically on complex things that cannot be defined, and this book continues to build an approach to the problem of scaling in ecosystems. Provoked by complexity theory, the authors add a whole new chapter on the central role of narrative in science and how models improve them. The book takes data and modeling seriously, with a sophisticated philosophy of science.Toxic Exposures: Contested Illnesses and the Environmental Health Movement
By Phil Brown. 2007
The increase in environmentally induced diseases and the loosening of regulation and safety measures have inspired a massive challenge to…
established ways of looking at health and the environment. Communities with disease clusters, women facing a growing breast cancer incidence rate, and people of color concerned about the asthma epidemic have become critical of biomedical models that emphasize the role of genetic makeup and individual lifestyle practices. Likewise, scientists have lost patience with their colleagues' and government's failure to adequately address environmental health issues and to safeguard research from corporate manipulation.Focusing specifically on breast cancer, asthma, and Gulf War-related health conditions-"contested illnesses" that have generated intense debate in the medical and political communities-Phil Brown shows how these concerns have launched an environmental health movement that has revolutionized scientific thinking and policy. Before the last three decades of widespread activism regarding toxic exposures, people had little opportunity to get information. Few sympathetic professionals were available, the scientific knowledge base was weak, government agencies were largely unprepared, laypeople were not considered bearers of useful knowledge, and ordinary people lacked their own resources for discovery and action.Brown argues that organized social movements are crucial in recognizing and acting to combat environmental diseases. His book draws on environmental and medical sociology, environmental justice, environmental health science, and social movement studies to show how citizen-science alliances have fought to overturn dominant epidemiological paradigms. His probing look at the ways scientific findings are made available to the public and the changing nature of policy offers a new perspective on health and the environment and the relationship among people, knowledge, power, and authority.Compliant Mechanisms: Design of Flexure Hinges
By Nicolae Lobontiu. 2021
With a rigorous and comprehensive coverage, the second edition of Compliant Mechanisms: Design of Flexure Hinges provides practical answers to…
the design and analysis of devices that incorporate flexible hinges. Complex-shaped flexible-hinge mechanisms are generated from basic elastic segments by means of a bottom-up compliance (flexibility) approach. The same compliance method and the classical finite element analysis are utilized to study the quasi-static and dynamic performances of these compliant mechanisms. This book offers easy-to-use mathematical tools to investigate a wealth of flexible-hinge configurations and two- or three-dimensional compliant mechanism applications. FEATURES Introduces a bottom-up compliance-based approach to characterize the flexibility of new and existing flexible hinges of straight- and curvilinear-axis configurations Develops a consistent linear lumped-parameter compliance model to thoroughly describe the quasi-static and dynamic behavior of planar/spatial, serial/parallel flexible-hinge mechanisms Utilizes the finite element method to analyze the quasi-statics and dynamics of compliant mechanisms by means of straight- and curvilinear-axis flexible-hinge elements Covers miscellaneous topics such as stress concentration, yielding and related maximum load, precision of rotation of straight- and circular-axis flexible hinges, temperature effects on compliances, layered flexible hinges and piezoelectric actuation/sensing Offers multiple solved examples of flexible hinges and flexible-hinge mechanisms. This book should serve as a reference to students, researchers, academics and anyone interested to investigate precision flexible-hinge mechanisms by linear model-based methods in various areas of mechanical, aerospace or biomedical engineering, as well as in robotics and micro-/nanosystems.Luminescent Materials in Display and Biomedical Applications
By Vikas Dubey; Sudipta Som; Vijay Kumar. 2020
Luminescent materials with advanced performance are in the research hot spot with the recent technical developments of the display, lighting,…
and fluorescence labeling. Rare-earth-doped luminescent materials have been the focus of the research community owing to their wide applications in display devices, temperature sensors, solar cells, biomedical fields, optoelectronics, etc. This book covers the broad aspects of organic and inorganic materials based phosphors. The purpose of this book is to provide an up-to-date account of the present status and advancement of various techniques of synthesis of luminescent materials and their advanced applications in different areas. This book will cover all the experimental and theoretical approaches related to the rare-earth-doped luminescent materials. It also contains all the necessary information about the rare-earth-doped luminescent materials that were used in the past few years. In a nutshell, this book provides a unique platform to the newcomers who are planning to do research on rare-earthdoped luminescent materials as well as the researchers who are well established in this field.Food Practices and Family Lives in Urban China
By Chen Liu. 2021
This book explores the emergent relationship between food and family in contemporary China through an empirical case study of Guangzhou,…
a typical city, to understand the texture of everyday life in the new consumerist society. The primary focus of this book is on the family dynamics of middle-income households in Guangzhou, where everyday food practices, including growing food, shopping, storing, cooking, feeding, and eating, play a pivotal role. The book aims to conduct a comprehensive and integrated analysis of themes such as material and emotional domestic cultures, family relationships, and social connections between the domestic and the public, based on a discussion of family food practices. These topics will not only offer academic readers a full understanding of the most innovative recent critical engagements with urban Chinese families but also provide more general readers with a broader view of food consumption patterns within the scope of domestic and family issues. This book will be of interest to sociologists, anthropologists, and human geographers as well as post graduate students who are interested in food studies and Chinese studies.Inventing the Internet (Inside Technology)
By Janet Abbate. 2000
Janet Abbate recounts the key players and technologies that allowed the Internet to develop; but her main focus is always…
on the social and cultural factors that influenced the Internet's design and use.Since the late 1960s the Internet has grown from a single experimental network serving a dozen sites in the United States to a network of networks linking millions of computers worldwide. In Inventing the Internet, Janet Abbate recounts the key players and technologies that allowed the Internet to develop; but her main focus is always on the social and cultural factors that influenced the Internets design and use. The story she unfolds is an often twisting tale of collaboration and conflict among a remarkable variety of players, including government and military agencies, computer scientists in academia and industry, graduate students, telecommunications companies, standards organizations, and network users.The story starts with the early networking breakthroughs formulated in Cold War think tanks and realized in the Defense Department's creation of the ARPANET. It ends with the emergence of the Internet and its rapid and seemingly chaotic growth. Abbate looks at how academic and military influences and attitudes shaped both networks; how the usual lines between producer and user of a technology were crossed with interesting and unique results; and how later users invented their own very successful applications, such as electronic mail and the World Wide Web. She concludes that such applications continue the trend of decentralized, user-driven development that has characterized the Internet's entire history and that the key to the Internet's success has been a commitment to flexibility and diversity, both in technical design and in organizational culture.Milestones in the Evolving Theory of Evolution
By David Wool. 2020
The book illustrates how Darwin's theory has evolved, about the development of the biological world before Darwin, and great changes…
that took place with the incorporation of statistics, and after Darwin's death of genetics and mathematics. The formation of ‘Modern Synthesis’, protein electrophoresis, Discovery of DNA opened new avenues for the study of evolution.Polymer Coatings: Technologies And Applications
By Jyotishkumar Parameswaranpillai, Suchart Siengchin, Sanjay Mavinkere Rangappa. 2021
Polymer Coatings: Technologies and Applications provides a comprehensive account of the recent developments in polymer coatings encompassing novel methods, techniques,…
and a broad spectrum of applications. The chapters explore the key aspects of polymer coatings while highlighting fundamental research, different types of polymer coatings, and technology advances. This book also integrates the various aspects of these materials from synthesis to application. Current status, trends, future directions, and opportunities are also discussed. FEATURES Examines the basics to the most recent advances in all areas of polymer coatings Serves as a one-stop reference Discusses polymer-coated nanocrystals and coatings based on nanocomposites Describes morphology, spectroscopic analysis, adhesion, and rheology of polymer coatings Explores conducting, stimuli-responsive, self-healing, hydrophobic and hydrophilic, antifouling, and antibacterial polymer coatings Covers modeling and simulation With contributions from the top international researchers from industry, academia, government, and private research institutions, both new and experienced readers will benefit from this applications-oriented book. Sanjay Mavinkere Rangappa is a research scientist at the Natural Composites Research Group Lab, Academic Enhancement Department, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand. Jyotishkumar Parameswaranpillai is a research professor at the Center of Innovation in Design and Engineering for Manufacturing, King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand. Suchart Siengchin is a professor at and president of King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok, Thailand.Antoine Lavoisier: Scientist, Economist, Social Reformer (Series In Science)
By Douglas McKie. 2020
ANTOINE LAURENT LAVOISIER is heralded as the founder of modern chemistry whose genius was cut short by the brutal Revolutionary…
terror of the French Revolution. "Only a moment to chop off that head," said Lagrange the mathematician to Delambre, one of the inventors of the metric system, "and a hundred years may not give us another like it."Until Antoine Lavoisier, all matter was believed to be composed of four elements: earth, water, air and fire. It was Lavoisier who first showed that Nature was made out of much more complicated stuff, and that bodies burn not by releasing their fire element, but by combining with the element oxygen, the same element that enables plants and animals to breathe.Biotechnological Approaches in Food Adulterants
By Madan L Verma. 2020
The book highlights the biotechnological advancement in the area of food adulterants and outlines the current state of art technologies…
in the detection of food adulterants using omics and nanobiotechnology. The book provides insights to the most recent innovations, trends, concerns, and challenges in food adulterants. It identifies key research topics and practical applications of modern cutting-edge technologies employed for detection of food adulterants including: expansion of food adulterants market, potential toxicity of food adulterants and the prevention of food adulteration act, cutting-edge technology for food adulterants detection, and biosensing and nanobiosensing based detection of food adulterants. There is need for new resources in omics technologies for the application of new nanobiotechnology. Biotechnological Approaches in Food Adulterants provides an overview of the contributions of food safety and the most up-to-date advances in omics and nanobiotechnology approaches to a diverse audience from postgraduate students to researchers in biochemical engineering, biotechnology, food technologist, environmental technologists, and pharmaceutical professionals.Remediation Engineering: Design Concepts, Second Edition
By John Horst, Suthan S. Suthersan, Matthew Schnobrich, Nicklaus Welty, Jeff McDonough. 2016
"This second edition of Remediation Engineering will continue to be the seminal handbook that regulators must have on-hand to address…
any of the remediation issues they are grappling with daily. The book is wide-ranging, but specific enough to address any environmental remediation challenge." —Patricia Reyes, Interstate Technology Regulatory Council, Washington, DC, USA "This book offers the researcher, teacher, practitioner, student, and regulator with state-of-the-art advances in conducting site investigations and remediation for common and emerging contaminants. It is revolutionary in its approach to conducting subsurface investigation, which greatly influences a successful and appropriate response in assessing and addressing environmental risk. This book is a giant leap forward in understanding how contaminates behave and how to reduce risk to acceptable levels in the natural world." —Daniel T. Rogers, Amsted Industries Incorporated, Chicago, Illinois, USA "This text is a superb reference and a good tool for learning about state-of-the-art techniques in remediation of soil and groundwater. [It] will become a ready reference at many companies as the engineering community creates increased value from remediation efforts around the world." —John Waites, AVX Corporation, Fountain Inn, South Carolina, USA Remediation Engineering was first published in 1996 and quickly became the go-to reference for a relatively young industry, offering the first comprehensive look at the state-of-the-science in treatment technologies of the time and the contaminants they applied to. This fully updated Second Edition will capture the fundamental advancements that have taken place during the last two decades within all the subdisciplines that form the foundation of the remediation engineering platform. It covers the entire spectrum of current technologies that are employed in the industry and also discusses future trends and how practitioners should anticipate and adapt to those needs. Features: Shares the latest paradigms in remediation design approach and contaminant hydrogeology Presents the landscape of new and emerging contaminants Details the current state of the practice for both conventional technologies, such as sparging and venting Examines newer technologies such as dynamic groundwater recirculation and injection-based remedies to address both organic and inorganic contaminants. Describes the advances in site characterization concepts such as smart investigations and digital conceptual site models. Includes all-new color photographs and figures.Environmental and Architectural Acoustics
By Jens Rindel, P. Lord, Z. Maekawa. 2011
Adopting a multi-disciplinary approach to the practice of achieving a more acceptable acoustic environment, this book draws on the same…
basic principles to cover both the outdoors and indoor space. It starts with the fundamentals of sound waves and hearing and goes on to the measurement of noise and vibration, room acoustics, sound absorption, airbConcrete Petrography: A Handbook of Investigative Techniques, Second Edition
By ALAN B. POOLE; IAN SIMS. 2016
This classic reference has established the value of petrography as a powerful method for the investigation of concrete as a…
material. It provides an authoritative and well-illustrated review of concrete composition and textures, including the causes of defects, deterioration, and failure that can be identified using a petrological microscope. This new edition is entirely revised and updated and also greatly extended to take account of new scientific developments and significant improvements in instrumentation and to reflect current laboratory working practices, as well as to reflect new understanding of the performance of concrete and related materials. Now in full color throughout, Concrete Petrography, Second Edition provides case study examples, with appropriate explanatory discussions and practical advice on selecting, handling and preparing specimens. It assists and guides the engineer, the trainee and the experienced petrographer in understanding the scientific evidence that is basic to petrographic analysis and so will lead to more accurate and timely diagnosis and treatment of problems in structural concrete. This book includes: Contributions in specialist areas by internationally recognized experts Explanation of computer techniques as an aid to petrography Full coverage of inspection, sampling, and specimen preparation New sections covering recent technological development of equipment Guidance on observation of cement and concrete mineralogy and microfabrics Discussion and illustrative examples of deterioration and failure mechanisms New work and guidance on the determination of water/cement ratio New color illustrations and micrographs throughout Thorough updating of standards, other authoritative publications, and references A fully revised, extended, and updated glossary of optical and other propertiesX-Ray Imaging: Fundamentals, Industrial Techniques and Applications
By Peter J. Shull, Harry E. Martz, Clint M. Logan, Daniel J. Schneberk. 2017
While books on the medical applications of x-ray imaging exist, there is not one currently available that focuses on industrial…
applications. Full of color images that show clear spectrometry and rich with applications, X-Ray Imaging fills the need for a comprehensive work on modern industrial x-ray imaging. It reviews the fundamental science of x-ray imaging and addresses equipment and system configuration. Useful to a broad range of radiation imaging practitioners, the book looks at the rapid development and deployment of digital x-ray imaging system.Seismic Design of Buildings to Eurocode 8
By Ahmed Y. Elghazouli. 2017
This book focuses on the seismic design of building structures and their foundations to Eurocode 8. It covers the principles…
of seismic design in a clear but brief manner and then links these concepts to the provisions of Eurocode 8. It addresses the fundamental concepts related to seismic hazard, ground motion models, basic dynamics, seismic analysis, siting considerations, structural layout, and design philosophies, then leads to the specifics of Eurocode 8. Code procedures are applied with the aid of walk-through design examples which, where possible, deal with a common case study in most chapters. As well as an update throughout, this second edition incorporates three new and topical chapters dedicated to specific seismic design aspects of timber buildings and masonry structures, as well as base-isolation and supplemental damping. There is renewed interest in the use of sustainable timber buildings, and masonry structures still represent a popular choice in many areas. Moreover, seismic isolation and supplemental damping can offer low-damage solutions which are being increasingly considered in practice. The book stems primarily from practical short courses on seismic design which have been run over a number of years and through the development Eurocode 8. The contributors to this book are either specialist academics with significant consulting experience in seismic design, or leading practitioners who are actively engaged in large projects in seismic areas. This experience has provided significant insight into important areas in which guidance is required.Fuel Cells: Dynamic Modeling and Control with Power Electronics Applications, Second Edition (Power Electronics and Applications Series)
By Bei Gou, Woonki Na, Bill Diong. 2016
This book describes advanced research results on Modeling and Control designs for Fuel Cells and their hybrid energy systems. Filled…
with simulation examples and test results, it provides detailed discussions on Fuel Cell Modeling, Analysis, and Nonlinear control. Beginning with an introduction to Fuel Cells and Fuel Cell Power Systems, as well as the fundamentals of Fuel Cell Systems and their components, it then presents the Linear and Nonlinear modeling of Fuel Cell Dynamics. Typical approaches of Linear and Nonlinear Modeling and Control Design methods for Fuel Cells are also discussed. The authors explore the Simulink implementation of Fuel Cells, including the modeling of PEM Fuel Cells and Control Designs. They cover the applications of Fuel cells in vehicles, utility power systems, and stand-alone systems, which integrate Fuel Cells, Wind Power, and Solar Power. Mathematical preliminaries on Linear and Nonlinear Control are provided in an appendix.Advanced DC/DC Converters (Power Electronics and Applications Series)
By Fang Lin Luo, Hong Ye. 2016
DC/DC conversion techniques have undergone rapid development in recent decades. With the pioneering work of authors Fang Lin Luo and…
Hong Ye, DC/DC converters have now been sorted into their six generations, and by a rough count, over 800 different topologies currently exist, with more being developed each year. Advanced DC/DC Converters, Second Edition offers a concise, practical presentation of DC/DC converters, summarizes the spectrum of conversion technologies, and presents new ideas and more than 200 new topologies. Beginning with background material on DC/DC conversion, the book later discusses both voltage lift and super-lift converters. It then proceeds through each generation, including the groundbreaking sixth generation—converters developed by the authors that can be cascaded for high voltage transfer gain. This new edition updates every chapter and offers three new chapters. The introduction of the super-lift technique is an outstanding achievement in DC/DC conversion technology, and the ultra-lift technique and hybrid split-capacitor/inductor applied in Super-Lift Luo-Converters are introduced in Chapters 7 and 8. In Chapter 9, the authors have theoretically defined a new concept, Energy Factor (EF), researched the relations between EF and the mathematical modelling for power DC/DC converters, and demonstrated the modeling method for two converters. More than 320 figures, 60 tables, and 500 formulae allow the reader to more easily grasp the overall structure of advanced DC/DC converters, provide fast access to precise data, and help them to quickly determine the values of their own circuit components.Handbook of Peridynamic Modeling (Advances in Applied Mathematics)
By Florin Bobaru, John T. Foster, Philippe H. Geubelle, Stewart A. Silling. 2017
This handbook covers the peridynamic modeling of failure and damage. Peridynamics is a reformulation of continuum mechanics based on integration…
of interactions rather than spatial differentiation of displacements. The book extends the classical theory of continuum mechanics to allow unguided modeling of crack propagation/fracture in brittle, quasi-brittle, and ductile materials; autonomous transition from continuous damage/fragmentation to fracture; modeling of long-range forces within a continuous body; and multiscale coupling in a consistent mathematical framework.Analog Electronics Applications: Fundamentals of Design and Analysis
By Hernando Lautaro Fernandez-Canque. 2016
This comprehensive text discusses the fundamentals of analog electronics applications, design, and analysis. Unlike the physics approach in other analog…
electronics books, this text focuses on an engineering approach, from the main components of an analog circuit to general analog networks. Concentrating on development of standard formulae for conventional analog systems, the book is filled with practical examples and detailed explanations of procedures to analyze analog circuits. The book covers amplifiers, filters, and op-amps as well as general applications of analog design.Photocatalysis: Principles and Applications
By Suresh C. Ameta, Rakshit Ameta. 2017
Photocatalysis, reactions carried out in the presence of a semiconductor and light, is rapidly becoming one of the most active…
areas of chemical research, with applications in areas such as electrochemistry, medicine, and environmental chemistry, Photocatalysis: Principles and Applications stresses the development of various types of photocatalytic semiconductors, including binary, ternary, quaternary, and composite, and their modifications by metallization, sensitization, and doping to enhance their photocatalytic activities. In addition to describing the principles and mechanisms of photocatalysis, it also discusses other possible applications of photocatalysis such as use as antifouling agents, controlling air pollution by degrading contaminants present in the environment, self-cleaning of glasses and tiles in the presence of light/artificial light, green composites, wastewater treatment, hydrogen generation, and inactivation of microorganisms. The book also describes medical applications and summarizes efforts in the field of photosplitting of water as a newer energy source and photoreduction of carbon dioxide for providing synthetic fuels and also a step towards mimicking photosynthesis. Introduces the basic principle of photocatalysis. Provides an overview of the types of semiconductors, their immobilization, and modifications to make them more active. Gives possible applications of photocatalysis in wastewater treatment and strategy to combat against different kinds of pollutions like water, air, and soil. Summarizes efforts in the field of photosplitting of water as a newer energy source and photoreduction of carbon dioxide for providing synthetic fuels and as a step towards mimicking photosynthesis. Discusses inactivation of different kinds of microorganisms. Covers medical applications. Features Introduces the basic principle of photocatalysis. Provides an overview of the types of semiconductors, their immobilization, and modifications to make them more active. Gives possible applications of photocatalysis in wastewater treatment and strategy to combat against different kinds of pollutions like water, air, and soil. Summarizes efforts in the field of photosplitting of water as a newer energy source and photoreduction of carbon dioxide for providing synthetic fuels and as a step towards mimicking photosynthesis. Discusses inactivation of different kinds of microorganisms. Covers medical applications.