Technology, Engineering & Agriculture Books

Book SynopsisIn Volume 39 the origin and fundamentals of the electrodeposition technique are introduced, and the characteristics of the nucleation process are described. Additionally, a procedure to analyze the nucleation process in electrodeposition is explained. The authors go on to address the role electropolymerization plays in electrochemical systems in the context of interplay between kinetics and energetics. Next, spherulitic textures of poly[tetrafluoroethylene-co-(perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether)] (PFA) are examined in detail using polarized optical microscopy. The PFA consists of random comonomer units among the tetrafluoroethylene units which crystallize as spherulites composed of lamellae, although polytetrafluoroethylene usually forms extended-chain crystals because of the rigid nature of 13/6 helices. The effect of gluconates as a corrosion inhibitor for mild steel in acidic medium is investigated, as well as the adsorption characteristic of gluconates. Lastly, attempts are made to study the correlation between the corrosion of two classes of mild steels, as well as their corrosion inhibition, versus the chemical compositions of two classes of mild steels suitable for galvanizing.

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Book SynopsisIn the opening study of Agricultural Research Updates. Volume 28, the capillarigation system's applications in vertical gardens were explored. The vertical garden model was designed for growing vegetables in home yards or within the vicinity of farming households, so they can have a regular supply of safe and nutritious food, especially during periods where water supply is scarce, excessive, or when maximizing the use of stored rainwater or kitchen wastewater. Next, this compilation describes recent progress and findings on the physiology of petal growth in cut rose flowers. To increase the ornamental value of cut roses, it is desirable that the timeframe for complete flower opening be relatively slow; therefore, understanding the mechanism by which rose flowers open is necessary to improve flower quality. The objective of the subsquent chapter is to present some recent findings about the influence of processing operations on the properties and bioactive compounds in carrots. To achieve this , different pre-treatments and processing operations are discussed, and their effects on some typical carrot products are described. Additionally, the authors discuss theoretical aspects and recent developments in ready-to-eat spinach, with the goal of improving the preservation of nutritional quality after harvest and extendiung its shelf-life. The authors also analyse 30 samples of fresh, frozen and IV range spinach, with the aim of identifying and quantifying nitrate and nitrite levels. Following this, a study is presented on the scientific validation of the medicinal and edible utility of fruits of A. moschatus using standard protocols sin order to account for potential commercial utilization. About 15 nutritional and five anti-nutritional constituents of the fruits of A. moschatus were tested and compared with those found in A. esculentus. In the penultimate chapter, the authors describe the current global status of conservation of cattle genetic resources and the cryo-technologies that are available to facilitate the protection of bovine genetic diversity. Worldwide adoption of such a policy has led to unique adaptations by cattle to a variety of local environments. The final chapter summarizes the following research progresses: the structure and components of Nox complex, the functions of these components, and control strategies for B. cinerea.Table of ContentsPrefaceThe Capillarigation System: Its Application in Vertical GardensFunction of Sugar Metabolism, Cell WallLoosening Proteins, and Aquaporins in Cut Rose FloweringEffect of Processing Operations on Carrots PropertiesImpact of Postharvest Technologies on Ready-To-Eat Spinach Nutritional QualityQuantification of Nitrate Levels in Spinach and Simualtaneous Determination of NitriteAssessment of the Nutritional Potential of Abelmoschus moschatus (L.) Medik. (Malvaceae)Conservation of Cattle Genetic Resources: Current Global Status and Advancements in CryobiologyFunctions of NADPH Oxidase Complex in Development and Pathogenicity of Botrytis cinereaIndex.

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Book SynopsisIn the past, fossil fuels have been considered a reliable source of energy by many countries. Despite the current measures to reduce the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation, the use of this type of energy source will continue for the foreseeable future. Advances in Energy Research. Volume 31 examines how, if this situation does not change in the future, then all types of fossil fuels, particularly oil, will be exhausted before the end of the current century. The use of microholes may potentially enhance the applications of fossil fuels in various energy fields, especially in thermal power plants. Therefore, the morphology variation of micropunch and microhole during the punching with WC/Co micropunches is investigated in this compilation through scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometer and confocal laser studies. Following this, the authors provide a review on experimental and modeling studies performed with direct fuel cells, starting with the fundamentals and main drawbacks of these systems, followed by an exhaustive review on the different studies performed regarding the effects of operating conditions and design parameters. In the penultimate chapter, a new method for determining the cohesion potential energy in solids is described, and fundamental factors such as internal energy, entropy, temperature and time are examined, in particular the connection of entropy and time to potential energy. The method concerns molecular solids and rests upon measurable thermodynamic quantities: heat of sublimation, heat capacity, and entropy as derived from the latter. The closing chapter provides an overview of three methods (retarded osmosis method, forward osmosis-electrokinetic method, and diffusio-osmotic method) for sustainable power generation from the salinity gradient energy by using osmosis-based processes.

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Book SynopsisFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs are funded under four broad budget accounts: operations and maintenance (such as air traffic control and aviation safety functions); facilities and equipment (such as control towers and navigation beacons); grants for airports under the Airport Improvement Program (AIP); and civil aviation research conducted or sponsored by FAA. Additionally, certain aviation programs are administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of the Secretary, including the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, which subsidizes airline service to certain small or isolated communities as discussed in chapter 1. Chapter 2 reviews airline IT outages and examines DOT''s and FAA''s roles related to airline IT outages and what is known about these outages and their effects on passengers Since 1992, Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) have been collected from airline passengers, as part of the airline ticket purchase, to help commercial service airports pay for capital development projects such as construction or improvement of runways, terminals, and roadways, among other things as reported in chapter 3. Chapter 4 examines, among other issues, trends in DOT''s data on airline service; the effectiveness of DOT''s compliance efforts; and the extent to which DOT''s passenger education efforts align with key practices for consumer outreach. Chapter 5 describes how DOT''s review of antitrust immunity applications considers the potential effects on consumers and evaluates how DOT monitors approved grants of antitrust immunity Chapter 6 examines the extent to which DOT''s process for awarding fiscal year 2014-2016 grants was consistent with its grant notices and recommended practices for awarding discretionary grants, and examines the extent to which fiscal year 2010-2014 grants assisted airports in improving their air service, and identifies factors that affect the success of grant projects. The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 gave airlines almost total freedom to determine which domestic markets to serve and what airfares to charge. This raised the concern that communities with relatively low passenger levels would lose service as carriers shifted their operations to serve larger and often more profitable markets. To address this concern, Congress established the Essential Air Service (EAS) program to ensure that small communities that were served by certificated air carriers before deregulation would continue to receive scheduled passenger service, with subsidies if necessary as discussed in chapter 7. Chapter 8 describes the reasons why TSA established the TSO Basic Training program; discusses factors OTD considers when updating TSO Basic Training curriculum; and assesses the extent to which TSA evaluates its TSO Basic Training program.

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Book SynopsisThis book on the history, breeding, management and diseases of domestic animals is a snapshot of American animal husbandry around the year 1850.

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Book SynopsisFederal assistance to public transportation is provided primarily through the public transportation program administered by the Department of Transportation''s Federal Transit Administration (FTA). The federal public transportation program was authorized from FY2016 through FY2020 as part of the Fixing America''s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the program as authorized by the FAST Act. Unless legislative action is taken, formula funding for the federal transit program could be decreased by approximately $1 billion in FY2020, roughly 12% from the amount authorized in the FAST Act as reported in chapter 2. Almost every conversation about surface transportation finance begins with a two-part question: What are the "needs" of the national transportation system, and how does the nation pay for them? Chapter 3 is aimed at discussing the "how to pay for them" question. The 116th Congress is expected to address surface transportation reauthorization, including consideration of how to deal with the persistent gap between projected HTF revenues and program costs as discussed in chapter 4 and 5. Chapter 6 begins by discussing FHWA assistance for the repair and reconstruction of highways and bridges damaged by disasters (such as the 2017 Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria) or catastrophic failures (such as the collapse of the Skagit River Bridge in Washington State in 2013). This is followed by a discussion of FTA''s assistance program, established in 2012, which has provided assistance to public transportation systems on two occasions, once after Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and again after the 2017 hurricanes. The focus of chapter 7 is how best to implement and finance a system of deterrence, protection, and response that effectively reduces the possibility and consequences of terrorist attacks without unduly interfering with travel, commerce, and civil liberties. The focus of chapter 8 is on truck freight and that portion of the rail and port industries that transports truck trailers and containers (intermodal freight). The Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) program provides long-term, low-interest loans and other types of credit assistance for the construction of surface transportation projects as reported in chapter 9. DOT opened the Build America Bureau in July 2016. Chapter 10 assesses, progress DOT made to establish the Bureau and carry out its responsibilities, the Bureau''s process for evaluating applications, and whether the Bureau provided a clear rationale for decisions in that process. Chapter 11 examines the implications for federal transit policy of the current weakness and possible future changes in transit ridership. Chapter 12 discusses the extent to which information exists about future transit workforce needs and FTA assists with addressing current and future transit workforce needs.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a comprehensive compilation of all reports, testimony, correspondence and other publications issued by the Congressional Research Service on International Relations during the month of May.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a comprehensive compilation of all reports, testimony, correspondence and other publications issued by the Congressional Research Service during the month of May, grouped according to topics. This book is focused on the following topics: Agriculture Environment

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Book SynopsisWastewater Treatment: Processes, Uses and Importance begins by providing information about wastewater treatment and its various application, especially in agriculture sectors. Some information about wastewater use and regulation in Saudi Arabia is also discussed. The main characteristics of the natural oxidizing pond system and the activated sludge procedure are described and their performance in the abatement of physico-chemical, bacteriological and virological pollution is discussed. Next, the authors describe and discuss the most common wastewater treatment processes and the importance of the activated sludge process in wastewater treatment, as well as introduce the idea of implementing microbial fuel cells into the procedural design of wastewater treatment for resource recovery. This compilation also covers strategies aimed at minimizing the expense of water during every stage of energy and biofuel production, as well as forms of reuse and recycling that guarantee the utilization of wastewater in order to develop the circular economy in biogas and bioethanol plants. Characteristics of cultivated bio-granules including the number of granules, density, sludge volume index, settling velocity, and physical strength are studied and their performance in treating petroleum and other types of wastewater is investigated. Following this, the authors provide an overview of the achievements of studies in which anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactors have been used to co-digest agro-industrial wastes for the production of methane, with a focus on operational strategy and perspectives for energy estimations. The closing study discusses the characteristics of grey water and available methods for its recycling and reuse. Grey water is the wastewater from homes, excluding black water, which typically makes up 50 to 80% of wastewater.

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Book SynopsisLegumes are an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Chickpea is one of the most consumed legumes in the world. It is an affordable food product for people who cannot get animal protein, giving them a nutritious substitute in their diet. As such, Handbook of Chickpeas: Nutritional Value, Health Benefits and Management discusses the current information regarding the nutritional value of chickpea. Following this, the authors highlight the nutritional value of domesticated Kabuli chickpeas used in different forms, as well as the impact of different factors which regulate the nutritional value. The authors then explore the nutritional value, health benefits, and uses of desi chickpeas in comparison to Kabuli chickpeas. Current information is presented regarding the amino acid profile and nutritional protein quality in raw and processed chickpea seeds and flours, the health or nutraceutical effects of chickpea protein isolates, hydrolysates or bioactive peptides and the generation of selenized proteins during sprouting and their antioxidant and anticancer potential. The demand for gluten-free products is increasing since the prevalence of gluten-related disorders is rising. As such, chickpea is studied in the context of replacing wheat/gluten in some types of gluten-free food to improve the quality of the gluten-free diet. Chickpea is also studied as a dairy-product substitute since it represents a good source of protein, iron, and fiber. Chickpeas are composed of interesting amounts of protein, fibers, iron, zinc, and others, arousing interest by vegetarians. Therefore, the use of chickpeas is studied as an important ingredient in a vegetarian diet to contribute to nutritional quality. The authors present the way in which legume proteins can be used to fortify some foods to increase nutritional value and balance amino acid content. The most important of these foods are bakery products. Current information related to starch digestion and glycemic index of raw/processed chickpea flours and starch isolates, undigested carbohydrates content in raw/processed chickpea and health effects of chickpea digestible and undigestible carbohydrates is also presented. Chickpea seeds are vulnerable, both in the field and in storage conditions to attack by several insect pests of economic importance, whereby infested grains lose their viability. Therefore, basic steps in order to control insects in warehouse or processing plants that must be followed are: monitoring for infestation detection, identification of the problem and insect control measures. Traditionally, preferred control options are carbamate and pyrethroid sprays as soon as the threshold has been reached, as insects grow rapidly and a few days delay in spraying can result in major crop damage and increased difficulty in control. The final study proposes that chickpea protease inhibitor concentrates exerted anti-genotoxic effects on LNCaP cells, supporting previous findings that Bowman-Birk inhibitors and protease inhibitors have a protective effect on oxidative damage. Chickpea may therefore play a role in prostate cancer prevention, however, further research is needed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms involved.

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Book SynopsisThe rapid developments in nanostructured materials and nanotechnology will have a profound impact in many areas of biomedical applications including delivery of drugs and biomolecules, tissue engineering, detection of biomarkers, cancer diagnosis, cancer therapy, and imaging. This field is expanding fast, and a lot of work is in progress in terms of design, characterisation, synthesis, and application of materials, for controlling shape and size at nanometer scale to develop highly advanced materials for biomedical application and even to design better pharmaceutical products. In recent years, specific attempts have been made to acquire multi-functional nanostructures that could possibly solve the plethora of issues and voids often encountered in both medicinal and biological researches. This book, comprising six chapters, emphasises the practical implementation of few well-known as well as advanced nanostructured materials for the betterment of human health and diagnostic tools. Each chapter emphasises a single aspect of the nanostructures in broader context, providing a brief history, current status, and emerging trends in the same field. In Chapter 1, authors have provided a detailed account of the implementation of nanostructures in the sensing of several key biomolecules, which can detect the well-being of both internal and external structures of the human body. Chapter 2 presents a brief analysis of the current therapeutics focusing on their viability and shortcomings, and addressing the same through the implementation of nanotechnology. Chapter 3 encompasses the challenges in the field of cell-imaging and detection of biomarkers. Authors have provided a vivid explanation regarding the solution of such challenges through designing and functionalisation of several metallic nanoparticles including quantum dots. In Chapter 4, a brief account of the application of nanostructures in the area of tissue engineering and magnetic resonance imaging has been discussed. In Chapter 5, nanomedicines have been introduced by the authors as an advanced diagnostic and therapeutic option as compared to the traditionally available solutions for oral cancer treatment. Finally, Chapter 6 discusses the application of nanotechnology (both organic and inorganic nanoparticles) in restorative dentistry. Also, possible biocompatibility and toxicity of the nanostructures have been discussed so as to streamline the process of selection of suitable tooth implants and oral cleansing techniques.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation opens with a discussion on the state of the art of the most representative mesostructured materials based on silicon dioxide used in diverse applications, and focusing on the synthesis, functionalization, and characterization of such materials. Following this, the authors present examples of success in using polymeric nanoparticles, as well as methods for their formation and physicochemical analysis required prior to perform safety and efficacy biological tests. Various mechanisms of silver nanoparticles contribute to their cytotoxicity, including generation of reactive oxygen species, DNA damage, and activation of signaling events leading to inflammation, apoptosis, and necrosis. As such, the authors propose that future efforts be focused on the development of less toxic silver nanoparticles. Continuing, graphene and its by-products are defined and the mechanism of electromagnetic waves absorption via graphene-based substrates and nanocomposites is presented. Various kinds of graphene-based electromagnetic shields are examined and their performances compared. Physicochemical characterizations of the nanoemulsions are performed, including analysis over a period time to monitor the maintenance of these characteristics during storage. Next, a series of topics regarding electromagnetic wave shielding theory, sample fabrication methods, and characterization of the shielding materials are presented and experimental programs reported in the literature are reviewed. In conclusion, the authors present results of investigations concerned with the impact of rhodamine-B deposition on the surface of porous silicon on the chemical composition and optical properties of this system.Table of ContentsPrefaceMesostructured Porous Nanoparticles Based on SiO2. Synthesis, Characterization and ApplicationsPolymeric Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications: From Bench to ShelfApplications of Silver Nanoparticles in Medicine and DentistryGraphene-Based Nanocomposites as Potential Electromagnetic ShieldsPhysicochemical Evaluations for Nanoemulsion CharacterizationElectromagnetic Interference Shielding Cementitious Materials with Carbon Nanomaterials: A ReviewThe Study of Distinctions in the Deposition of Organic Dye Rhodamine-B on the Surface of Porous Silicon with Different Pore SizesIndex.

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Book SynopsisAdvances in Engineering Research. Volume 32 opens by describing a general strategy for building Markov chain models and performing computational analysis of characteristics of the process, as well as showing a few examples of applying this approach to modeling mixing, grinding, fluidized bed, etc. Next, the configurations of gas channels and gas diffusion layers influences on the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are investigated. Additionally, a numerical method and an experimental method are realized to predict aeroelastic response and characteristic parameters of wing structure. The numerical method is based on coupled algorithms between computational fluid dynamics and computational structural dynamics. A Lagrangian expression based on the state equation of a class of nonlinear system is proposed to develop the corresponding functional. From this, a control law is developed, and by employing the classical Euler-Lagrange approach, the operation of the system was led to a critical point with success. Following this, a roadmap is presented to directly transition from cutting edge experimental and in-situ geospatial data-collection technology to a predictive computational model for volcanic lahars. The soil-pile-structure interaction plays an important role in assessing the vibrations internally generated within structures due to dynamic loads that could bring significant impacts on the structural behavior. As such, the effects of forces on the seismic response of three tall and massive building cases are investigated. In conclusion, research is presented on the joint effect of silica fume and nanosilica on the fresh and hardened properties of natural hydraulic lime-based grouts for mechanical strengthening of old stone masonry walls.

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Book SynopsisIn this collection, the authors begin by presenting recent progress and preparation of cellulose nanocrystals. Additionally, different applications of cellulose nanocrystals as polymeric scaffold material, reinforcement fillers, rheology modifiers, and in electronics are reviewed and discussed. Also provided are detailed descriptions on: cellulose nanocrystals isolation methods, characterization, and properties; current and future trends in terms of development of cellulose nanocrystals for various applications; concluding remarks on cellulose nanocrystals major uses in advanced engineering applications. In view of the rising interdisciplinary research being carried out on cellulose nanocrystals, the authors assemble the knowledge available about the chemical structure, sources, physical and chemical procedures for the isolation of cellulose nanocrystals. In closing, this book gives a brief, up-to-date introductory review on cellulose nanocrystals synthesis, up research in polymer-based cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposites, and their applications and challenges.Table of ContentsPrefaceCellulose Nanocrystals -- Sources, Preparation, and Applications: Research AdvancesReview On: Current Research Applications of Cellulose Nanocrystals, Its Sources, Fabrication Methods, and PropertiesCellulose Nanocrystals from Bioresources and Their ApplicationsCellulose Nanocrystals and Its Application in Polymer Nanocomposite for Drug DeliveryIndex.

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Book SynopsisThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for overseeing the safety of about 80 percent of the nation''s food supply and for promoting good nutrition. Chapter 1 reviews FDA''s food safety- and nutrition-related activities and resources. Arsenic, an element in the earth''s crust, can be harmful to human health and may be present in water and certain foods, such as rice. Chapter 2 examines what the National Research Council (NRC) and recent key scientific reviews have reported about the effects of ingestion of arsenic on human health, the extent to which FDA and USDA have managed the risk to human health from arsenic in rice, and the extent to which FDA has coordinated with USDA and other federal agencies on actions to manage the risk. Most seafood consumed in the United States is imported, and about half of it is raised on fish farms. Because farmed seafood is raised in confined areas and susceptible to infections, farmers may use drugs like antibiotics. The use of unapproved drugs or the misuse of approved drugs may result in unsafe residues in seafood that can cause cancer or allergic reactions, according to FDA, which is charged with ensuring the safety of most seafood. Chapter 3examines how FDA helps ensure the safety of imported seafood from unsafe drug residues and ways the agency could strengthen its efforts; how FSIS helps ensure the safety of imported catfish from unsafe drug residues and ways the agency could strengthen its efforts; and the extent to which FDA and FSIS coordinate their oversight efforts. The U.S. food supply is generally considered safe, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that Salmonella and Campylobacter in food cause about 2 million human illnesses per year in the United States. Chapter 4 reviews USDA''s approach to reducing pathogens in meat and poultry products. The produce industry continues to be associated with a series of foodborne illness outbreaks across multiple U.S. states and Canada, resulting in hundreds of illnesses and hospitalizations, as well as kidney failure and death in some cases as reported in chapter 5. The Trump Administration is proposing to consolidate the federal government''s primary food safety functions into a single federal agency based in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as reported in chapter 6.

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Book SynopsisThe dominant theme of this book is to introduce the different path planning methods and present some of the most appropriate ones for robotic routing; methods that are capable of running on a variety of robots and are resistant to disturbances; being real-time, being autonomous, and the ability to identify high-risk areas and risk management are the other features that will be mentioned in the introduction of the methods. The introduction of the profound significance of the robots and delineation of the navigation and routing theme is provided in the first chapter of the book. The second chapter is concerned with the subject of routing in unknown environments. In the first part of this chapter, the family of bug algorithms including are described. In the following, several conventional methods are submitted. The last part of this chapter is dedicated to the introduction of two recently developed routing methods. In Chapter 3, routing is reviewed in the known environment in which the robot either utilizes the created maps by extraneous sources or makes use of the sensor in order to prepare the maps from the local environment. The robot path planning relying on the robot vision sensors and applicable computing hardware are concentrated in the fourth chapter. The first part of this chapter deals with routing methods supported mapping capabilities. The second part manages the routing dependent on the vision sensor, typically known as the best sensor, within the routing subject. The movement of two-dimensional robots with two or three degrees of freedom is analyzed within the third part of this chapter. In Chapter 5, the performance of a few of the foremost important routing methods initiating from the second to fourth chapters is conferred regarding the implementation in various environments. The first part of this chapter is engaged in the implementation of the algorithms Bug1, Bug2, and Distbug on the pioneering robot. In the second part, a theoretical technique is planned to boost the robot's performance in line with obstacle collision avoidance. This method, underlying the tangential escape, seeks to proceed with the robot through various obstacles with curved corners. In the third and fourth parts of this chapter, path planning in different environments is preceded in the absence and the presence of danger space. Accordingly, four approaches, named artificial fuzzy potential field, linguistic technique, Markov decision making processes, and fuzzy Markov decision making have been proposed in two following parts and enforced on the Nao humanoid robot.Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroductionPath Planning in Unknown EnvironmentsPath Planning in Known EnvironmentsPath Planning and Robots HardwareImplementation of Path Planning AlgorithmsIndex.

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Book SynopsisLayer-by-layer self-assembly is the most widely used strategy for the production of functional surfaces with tailored structures and chemical, biological, optical and electrical properties. Layer-by-layer approaches allow for the loading of bioactive molecules for tissue scaffolds, cardiovascular devices, implants, wound healing dressing, bone grafts, biosensors, drug delivery, and release systems. Layer-By-Layer Deposition: Development and Applications also examines the physico-chemical bases underlying the fabrication of materials by the layer-by-layer method. Understanding the forces involved in the control of the assembly process is essential for the fabrication of materials with controlled properties, and structures. Following this, the main principles and latest strategies of functionalized films, diamond core-shell structures, and graphene/graphene oxide nanocomposites by layer-by-layer self-assembly technology are extensively reviewed in detail, and these composites have been applied in the fields of biology, catalysis, and dye degradation. The authors study the layer-by-layer growth of quasiperiodic structures that are mathematical models of quasicrystals. This study is based on the concept of model sets proposed by Moody and generalizing the well-known "cut-and-project" method. This compilation also reviews the current state of the art uses of the layer-by-layer strategy for providing natural and synthetic textile materials with flame retardant properties, reviewing and discussing the current advances. The penultimate study focuses on how nisin peptides can be entrapped and released, creating an antibacterial food-contacting textile membrane. Biocatalytic membranes can be fabricated using entrapped enzymes. Lastly, the different issues of multilayer emulsions with flaxseed and chia seed oil as omega-3 sources will be discussed, including their formation, composition, stability, characterization, and application.Table of ContentsPreface; Biomedical Applications of Layer-By-Layer Self Assembly; Physico-Chemical Foundations of Polyelectrolytes LbL Assembly; Self-Assembled Nanocomposites via Layer-By-Layer Strategy toward Photodynamic Therapy, Adsorption, and Catalytic Applications; Mathematical Model of Layer-By-Layer Growth of Packings, Tilings and Graphs; Layer-By-Layer: An Effective Surface Engineered Strategy for Flame Retardant Textiles; Layer-By-Layer Deposition on Fibrous Textile Structures Using Padding Technique: Some Applications; Application of Layer-By-Layer Technique on Emulsions as Delivery Systems of Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Vegetable Oils; Index.

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Book SynopsisAdvances in Engineering Research. Volume 33 opens by describing a general strategy for building Markov chain models and performing a computational analysis of characteristics of the process, as well providing a few examples of the applications of this approach. Adaptive differential evolution algorithms are compared with the conventional genetic algorithm in the optimization and identification of the parameters of power electronics systems and electric drives. The authors investigate the impact of a particular flow parameter on mixed flow turbine loss generation and performance, aiming to determine the optimum condition of the turbine operation with respect to the Reynolds number. The effect of the rotor trailing-edge blade angle on mixed flow turbine performance under steady flow conditions is examined. For this end, six mixed flow rotors having different trailing-edge blade angles are numerically designed. Computational fluid dynamics simulations are carried out using the Ansys CFX package. Lastly, a preliminary evaluation and analysis of the structural condition of the Old Church of Saint Andrew is examined. The current study is beset with a multitude of difficulties due to insufficient of technical data. For this reason, an in situ detailed drawing survey is conducted, and the mechanical characteristics of the structure are determined.Table of ContentsPrefaceApplication of the Theory of Markov Chains to Model Different Processes in Particle TechnologyApplications of Adaptive Differential Evolution to Optimize and Identify the Parameters of Power Electronics and Electric MachinesStudy of Reynolds Number Effect on Loss Generations and Performance of One Turbocharger Mixed Flow TurbineEffect of the Trailing-Edge Blade Angle on Mixed Flow Turbine Performance and Flow Structure under Steady Flow ConditionsEvaluation and Diagnosis of Damages of the Old Church of Saint AndrewIndex.

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Book SynopsisLand use is one of the most important aspects of the study of natural resources management and environmental change. Today, recognizing these changes is possible by comparing the differences between images taken in several specified periods in a specific region. The details of these changes are Nunderstandable by mapping the components of land resources into more than one period. Next, agricultural land use in Ukraine is explored. Providing general characteristics of processes in the Ukrainian agrarian sector witnessed over the past two decades, the authors estimate long-term trends and recent changes in agricultural land use and describe their drivers. A framework is provided which addresses sustainable land management through ecosystem services provided by healthy soils. This conceptual tool is designed to support policy makers in the management of five selected soil functions and demands: productivity, water availability, nutrients, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. In the closing study, the authors design a statistical model using atmospheric forcing to predict soil water storage for spring. The analysis of the efficiency of different models takes into account the adjusted squared correlation coefficient and cross-validation coefficient values.

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Book SynopsisAdvances in Materials Science Research. Volume 40 first summarizes the recently published literature regarding modern applications of lignocellulosic materials. Lignocellulosic materials were conventionally treated as wastes for disposal, but are gaining recognition for their role in the supply of renewable resources. The authors discuss in detail the material attributes of pullulan and their correlation with the quality attributes of finished formulation, including: assay, dissolution, related substances and content uniformity. Additionally, this compilation presents the development of a dip-coating instrument and its applications in the thin film deposition of colloidal nanocrystals. The instrument was based on an Arduino microcontroller, a stepper motor and a mechanical structure using a belt and pulley connection from motor to substrate holder. Silicone oil emulsions stabilized by various emulsifiers, such as surfactants, polymers, and solid particles (with and without pre-adsorbed surfactants or polymers) are also reviewed. Emulsion stability, interfacial properties, and rheological properties as a function of the emulsifier concentration in the complete emulsification of silicone oil are discussed. Next, the wet-chemical method was used to prepare various ZnO coated carbon nanotube nanocomposites, ZnO coated carbon black, ZnO coated graphene oxide, and ZnO nanoparticles in higher pH mediums. This approach was used to detect and quantify the xanthine in real samples. The concluding chapter highlights the results of studies on structure transformations in amorphous Fe-based alloys induced by laser irradiation, the kinetics and mechanisms of structure phase transitions, and the irradiation influence on magnetic and mechanical properties of the alloy.Table of ContentsPrefaceModern Applications of Lignocellulosic BiomaterialsPullulan: A Versatile Polymer for Casting Orodispersible FilmDevelopment of a Dip-Coating Instrument Based on an Arduino Microcontroller for Deposition of Cerium-Doped Titanium Dioxide Semiconductor Thin FilmsSilicone Oil EmulsionsXanthine Sensor with ZnO-Conjugated Carbon MaterialsEffect of Laser Irradiation on the Structure of IRON-Based Amorphous AlloysIndex.

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Book SynopsisChapter 1 develops a better understanding of the health impacts of wildfires and what should be done to minimise those impacts. It looks closely at the mitigation and management strategies for reducing air quality risks from wildfire smoke. In large part, these strategies involve efforts to reduce the intensity and frequency of wildfires that threaten communities. Chapters 2-7 contain U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fact sheets on how to reduce your risks to wildfire smoke and ash.Table of ContentsPreface; Air Quality Impacts of Wildfires: Mitigation and Management Strategies; Prepare for Fire Season; Reduce Your Smoke Exposure; Protect Yourself from Ash; Protecting Children from Wildfire Smoke and Ash; Protect Your Pets from Wildfire Smoke; Protect Your Large Animals and Livestock from Wildfire Smoke; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Environmental Health Mission Area (EHMA) is providing comprehensive science on sources, movement, and transformation of contaminants and pathogens in watershed and aquifer drinking-water supplies and in built water and wastewater infrastructure in the Greater Chicago Area. The focus of chapter 1 is on assessing point-of-use (tapwater) drinking-water exposure pathways for a broad range of potential environmental contaminants and exploring infrastructure-related factors that could alter or transform chemical constituents or microbial communities in drinking water (such as treatment plant technology, distribution system characteristics, private plumbing components, and point-of-use treatment) Pennsylvania has the second highest number of residential wells of any state in the Nation with approximately 2.4 million residents that depend on groundwater for their domestic water supply. The groundwater used for domestic water supply in Bradford County is obtained primarily from shallow bedrock and from unconsolidated (glacial) deposits that overlie the bedrock. As reported in chapter 2, data for 72 domestic wells were collected and analyzed for a wide range of constituents that could be evaluated in relation to drinking water health standards, geology, land use, and other environmental factors. The occurrence of arsenic and uranium in groundwater at concentrations that exceed drinking-water standards is a concern because of the potential adverse effects on human health. The Connecticut Department of Public Health reported that there are about 322,600 private wells in Connecticut. The State does not require that existing private wells be routinely tested for arsenic, uranium, or other contaminants. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed an assessment in 2016 on the distribution of concentrations of arsenic and uranium in groundwater from bedrock in Connecticut. Chapter 3 presents the major findings for arsenic and uranium concentrations from water samples collected from 2013 to 2015 from private wells. The circumstances and response to Flint's drinking water contamination involved implementation and oversight lapses at the EPA, the state of Michigan, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), and the city of Flint. Chapter 4 evaluates additional matters concerning the agency's management controls when responding to the Flint contamination incident. Federal agencies have identified several billion dollars in existing and future tribal drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs. Chapter 5 examines the extent to which selected federal agencies identified tribes' drinking water and wastewater infrastructure needs and funded tribal water infrastructure projects, including tribes' most severe sanitation deficiencies.Table of ContentsPreface; Concentrations of Lead and Other Inorganic Constituents in Samples of Raw Intake and Treated Drinking Water From the Municipal Water Filtration Plant and Residential Tapwater in Chicago, Illinois, and East Chicago, Indiana, July-December 2017; Drinking Water Health Standards Comparison and Chemical Analysis of Groundwater for 72 Domestic Wells in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, 2016; Arsenic and Uranium in Private Wells in Connecticut, 2013-15; Management Weaknesses Delayed Response to Flint Water Crisis; Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: Opportunities Exist to Enhance; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe built environment is witnessing a worldwide concern followed by intensive consideration of its environmental impacts on the one hand and influence on public health and wellbeing on the other. Respecting both priorities mentioned above, the trends in current design tend to be in line with multiple dimensions of sustainability. Next to its occurrence in scientific research and practice, the topic of sustainable design is ever more emerging within the courses at universities, whereby the educational approaches can be beneficial if interrelated to different scientific or expert disciplines. As universities are recognized as complex organizations inevitably evolving over a long period of time period and responding to changes in society and environment, attempts to improve the efficiency of academic teaching have been intensively introduced also in the study programs of the University of Maribor, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture (UM FGPA) through implementation of various activities related to development of innovative approaches towards education on sustainable design of built environment. The publication presents the interdisciplinary approach to the academic education on sustainable building design through integration of different activities. In addition to basic educational courses, the transfer of latest research findings, implementation of practical student workshops, development projects and various activities aiming at integration of different knowledge transfers makes the level of academic teaching more active and efficient. The book consists of six chapters. The first chapter describes the general aspect of the integrative approach to education on sustainable built environment through the experience of the interdisciplinary course. Chapter 2 introduces a comprehensive set of urban design criteria for creating residential neighbourhoods and emphasizes the role of high-quality open space and green areas, which significantly contributes to liveability. Chapter 3 deals with sustainable transport in connection with the living environment, and emphasises the interdisciplinary approach. Chapter 4 presents the inclusion of energy-efficient building design with the integrated use of new digital technologies, such as building information and energy modelling. Chapter 5 describes the main types of timber structural systems and presents a sustainable design perspective of contemporary prefabricated timber-glass buildings with further development of multi-storey prefabricated timber buildings with enlarged glazing areas. The last chapter is prepared as a graphic summary of interdisciplinary workshop projects which demonstrate the complexity of design and the respect for diverse interdisciplinary principles of sustainable planning.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Interdisciplinarity in Academic Education on Sustainable Built Environment; Creating a Liveable Neighbourhood; Sustainable Traffic and the Living Environment; Building Energy Modelling in Sustainable Design Process; Structural Design of Sustainable Timber Buildings; Application of Interdisciplinary Approach: Punkt Podlehnik Workshop; About the Authors; Index.

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Book SynopsisPopulation growth, increasing living standards, and rapidly changing climate have resulted in an increasing demand for freshwater, accelerating the water degradation challenges. There is a compelling need to minimize water consumption and develop approaches to effectively manage existing water resources. On a positive note, water resource management strategies discussed in this book present innovative ways to conserve both quality and quantity. Chapter 1 discusses decentralized water management approaches for intervening the urban water cycle to minimize the environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This chapter concludes with a need to use a suite of tools based on decision support systems for managing urban water resources. Chapter 2 discusses the need for assessing suitability of various types of models for a specific scenario based on the required level of complexity. This chapter discusses in detail the underlying criteria behind model selection, validation, and uncertainty analysis. Urban watersheds can be more challenging compared to natural watersheds. The urban watersheds include parking lots, roads, and developed structures, all of which contribute to a myriad of anthropogenic pollutants through stormwater runoff. Computer-based models can be used to study water quality issues and to develop a plan to manage watershed level resources. Chapter 3 compares pros and cons of the state-of-the-art watershed models used for managing water resources. Numerical simulations can be performed to compare the current and future water quality scenarios of a given watershed and to estimate the impact of potential water resource management strategies. Chapter 4 presents a case study of an urban region in Hanoi, Vietnam. Water evaluation and planning simulation tool was used to predict the trends and drivers of wastewater generation. Considering rapidly changing climate and associated weather impacts, it is critical to secure water resources in addition to dealing with the water quality issues. Chapter 5 suggests that climate change models and watershed and precipitation models should be jointly used in order to capture uncertainties in ecological functions, energy and food production and water supply sources. Chapter 6 presents a water use estimation and management tool that examines the effect of climate change and drought conditions on water supplies to ensure adequate buffalo forage. Sustaining both buffalo forage and water supplies during drought conditions requires preparedness and adaptation in response to unfavorable conditions. Finally, water reuse can alleviate the stress on available water resources. For example, effluents from wastewater treatment plants and desalination plants can be treated and reused for managing water crisis. Chapter 7 emphasizes that it is critical to optimize both economical and sustainability parameters during treatment of wastewater effluents and desalination concentrate. In certain cases, valuable metals can be recovered from the concentrate.Table of ContentsPreface; Integrated Approaches toward Sustainable Urban Water Resources Management; Water Resources Modeling: Model Selection, Validation and Uncertainty Analysis; Computer Tools for Urban Hydrology and Water Quality Management; Numerical Simulation to Quantify Present Status and Future Prediction of Water Quality of To-Lich River, Hanoi, Vietnam; Uncertainties in Water Supplies Due to Changing Climate and Extreme Weather Events; Buffalo Forage and Water Estimation: Management Decisions and Assisting Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments and Drought Management Adaptation; Resource Recovery from Reverse Osmosis Concentrate as a Solution to Water Crisis: A Technological Assessment; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn this compilation, after considering solid-liquid transition, techniques required to obtain phase change materials are discussed. Various material combinations based on chemical and physical methods are also discussed, which are adopted to form solid-solid phase change. Following this, a non-parity-time-symmetric three-layer structure is introduced, consisting of a gain medium layer sandwiched between two phase-change medium layers for switching the direction of reflectionless light propagation. The concluding chapter discusses the effectiveness of phase change materials in building roofs for the reduction of energy consumption and the improvement of indoor comfort conditions.Table of ContentsPreface; Organic Phase Change Materials: Synthesis, Processing and Applications; Compact Reconfigurable Optical Devices Using Phase-Change Materials; A Review on the Thermal Behavior of Phase Change Materials Integrated in Building Roofs; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn the opening study of Advances in Engineering Research. Volume 34, five probability distributions which are currently used by researchers, including Normal, Log-Normal II, Gumbel, Pearson type III and Log-Pearson type III, are fitted to the values of ET0 and precipitation related to 30 synoptic stations of Iran with different climates. The authors discuss an energy efficient envelope tracking solution in a power amplifier system for demanding wireless standards. In a wireless transmitter, a huge portion of power is consumed by the power amplifier, and this generates the need for a power-efficient amplifier for longer battery run-time. The authors discuss the ways that may change the way air traffic controllers and others learn and work in air navigation, as well as how they can improve their workload thanks to the implementation of holographic radars. The various methods for the detection of accidental island formation are discussed, as well as the differences between the detection methodologies. Some of the main anti-islanding algorithms are evaluated by means of a MatLab/Simulink® platform employing a single-phase voltage source inverter designed for active power injection into the low-voltage distribution network, using solar photovoltaic as an energy source. The authors survey cryptographic keys management issues related to cloud computing deployment. This provides a critical analysis of cryptographic keys management in the cloud, and explores the most valuable solutions and recommendations used in real-world applications. This compilation also explores the design, preparation, testing and applications of thin-film thermocouples, particularly the tungsten-rhenium thin-film thermocouples proposed by Xi'an Jiaotong University. Later, the best probability distribution function is combined with a suitable plotting position formula in estimating the annual reference evapotranspiration. For this purpose, using meteorological data reported in 30 synoptic stations (1960-2014), the values of reference evapotranspiration were calculated by the FAO56 Penman-Monteith method based on reference conditions. The penultimate chapter studies how to realize double station navigation under the condition that we only know the path difference and the length of baseline between two stations. A one-dimensional equidistant double-base array is directly constructed, and the azimuth angle of the target is solved using the redundant calculation. The final study proposes a technique called "Data as a Service using Data Hibernation and Service Oriented Architecture" that plays a key role in the improvement of the cloud network by enforcing a pay-as-you-go concept.Table of ContentsPreface; The Application of PPCC and L-Moment Methods in Frequency Analysis; An Energy Efficient Envelope Tracking Technique for Demanding Wireless Standards; How Holograms Change the Way of Working and Air Navigation; Accidental Islanding Detection; Comparisons of Anti-Island Strategies Applied at Power Distributed Generation Systems; Cryptographic Key Management Issues in Cloud Computing; Thin-Film Thermocouples for In-Situ Measurement: Design, Preparation, Testing and Applications; Combining the Best Probability Distribution and Plotting Position Formula for Estimating Annual Reference Evapotranspiration; A Two-Station Radio Navigation Method Using the Solution of Redundant Equation; Data Hibernation Concept and Service Oriented Architecture in Cloud Computing; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe Quantum Wires (QWs) occupy a central position in the whole field of nanoscience and technology. In this edited book, in Chapter 1, the Fowler-Nordheim Field Emission from QWs has been studied and, in Chapter 2, the Effective Mass in Heavily Doped (HD) QWs has been investigated. The importance of Dispersion Relations is already well-known since the inception of Solid State Science, which has been studied in Chapter 3 in QWs of technologically important Non- Parabolic compounds. The Diffusivity Mobility Ratio and the Magneto Thermoelectric Power in QWs have been investigated in Chapters 4 and 5, respectively. In Chapters 6 and 7, the density-of-states function in HD superlattices in the presence of electric field has been explored as well as the Quantum Capacitance in Quantum Wire Field Effect Transistors. The importance of Einstein's Photoemission is already well-known and has been studied from Heavily Doped QWs in Chapter 8. In Chapter 9, the Magnetic susceptibility in the Magnetic Susceptibilities in QWs has been explored and, lastly, Chapter 10 discusses the Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle (HUP) and the Carrier Contribution to the Elastic Constants in HD Opto electronic QWs. This edited book is written for graduate and post graduate students, researchers, engineers and professionals in the fields of mechanical engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, semiconductors and related areas, nano-electronics, condensed matter physics, solid state sciences, materials science, nanoscience and technology and nano-structured materials in general.Table of ContentsDedication; Preface; Acknowledgements; Quantum Wires and Fowler-Nordheim Field Emission; The Effective Mass in Heavily Doped Quantum Wires; Dispersion Relations in Quantum Wires of Non-Parabolic Semiconductors; The Diffusivity Mobility Ratio in Quantum Wire Superlattices; The Magneto Thermoelectric Power in Quantum Wires in the Presence of Microwave Radiation; On the Simplified Expression of the Density-Of-States Function in Heavily Doped Superlattices in the Presence of Electric Field; The Quantum Capacitance in Quantum Wire Field Effect Transistors; Einsteins Photoemission from Heavily Doped Quantum Wires; Quantum Wires and Magnetic Susceptibilities; The Heisenbergs Uncertainty Principle and the Carrier Contribution to the Elastic Constants in Heavily Doped Opto Electronic Quantum Wires; About the Editor; Index.

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Book SynopsisThe book first explores previously studied supercritical processes for the production of biodiesel. Two of the main drawbacks of said processes are discussed: the high energy requirements and the hazards due to the conditions under which the processes are operated. The authors present a review of the experimental excess enthalpy of mixtures of dibutyl ether or butanol, with representative hydrocarbons. The most relevant functional groups of gasoline hydrocarbon types are considered: heptane, iso-octane, 1-hexene, cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, benzene, and toluene. Continuing, this compilation briefly explores the production of biofuel from different edible and non-edible feedstock, mentioning the various types of homogeneous and heterogeneous acid or base catalysts applied for reactions. The benefits and drawbacks of biodiesel as compared to diesel fuel are also described. Several yeasts are examined for their capability to produce xylanolytic enzymes that degrade xylan, the major polysaccharide in the hemicellulose structure. The production of hydrolytic enzymes for the enzymatic hydrolysis process is reported by optimizing lignocellulose degradation and increasing the yield of simple sugars.Table of ContentsPreface; Non-Catalytic Production of Biodiesel: Energy and Safety Considerations; Thermodynamic Properties of Biofuels: Comparison and Review of Excess Enthalpy of Mixtures of Butanol, or Dibutylether, with Representative Hydrocarbons; Environmental Aspects of Using Biodiesel as a Sustainable Energy Source: Current Situation and Future Trends; Non-Conventional Yeasts with Potential for Production of Second-Generation Ethanol; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation reports on the use of chemical modification as a complementary methodology in the study of various organic compounds by matrix-activated laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, particularly focusing on results obtained since the last decade of the 20th century. The influence of a three-phase contact line on extrinsic-substrate-induced nucleation is discussed in detail, and various geometric configurations corresponding to certain scenarios are also identified. The authors explore the synthesis and phase transitions in hexaferrites of Y-type, and emphasis is placed on the magnetic phase transition leading to the observation of magneto-electric effects. Features of the structure, properties and synthesis of various modifications of vanadium dioxide are discussed, and the effects of doping with hydrogen by means of plasma-immersion ion implantation are explored. Additionally, the structural, electronic, magnetic and optical properties of BiFeO3 and its doped sister compounds are studied experimentally using density functional theory calculations.Table of ContentsPreface; Complementary Derivatization in Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry; Thermostability Analyses of Substrate-Geometry-Associated Physical Models of Heterogeneous Nucleation; Preparation and Phase Transitions in Y-Type Magneto-Electric Hexaferrites; Vanadium Oxide Thin Films: Metal-Insulator Transition, Electrical Switching, and Modification of the Properties by Ion Implantation; Doping in Multiferroic BiFeO3; Index.

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Book SynopsisHydrogeochemistry is of great application in reconstructing the previous groundwater circulation under ice sheets due to meltwater recharging the subsurface having a geochemical signature that could be discriminated from the other sources of water produced under warmer climates. Many hydrogeological factors could affect the geochemical composition of groundwater. These include the climate conditions, the lithology of the substrate and its hydraulic conductivity, the weathering, the length of the flow path, the penetration depth, the groundwater flow velocity and the residence time of groundwater. In recent years, hydrogeochemistry advances in analytical technology have allowed hydrogeochemical surveys to become a very powerful exploration technique. The new research works in this area are very broad and extensive. In this mini book, it is impossible to bring all of these novel techniques. The current Advances in Hydrogeochimistry Research book is limited to some diverse examples in different regions of the earth. As an introduction, chemical interaction between surface water and groundwater has been explained and discussed. A hydrogeochemical perspective of the wetland systems is then drawn. It has been combined with the biological remediation. Contaminant fate and transport in both groundwater and soil are also studied using different image analysis techniques. A case study in an Arab region of the world is comprehensively undertaken and the impact of groundwater pollution and quality on regional economics has been investigated. The concepts, classifications and applications of the groundwater modeling for solute transport simulation have been defined in the saturated porous media of the earth. An African analysis was done on assessing the microbiological quality of potable groundwater from the selected protected and unprotected wells in Zimbabwe. 36Cl for dating groundwater was contributed on the Guarani Aquifer System, located beneath the surface of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay and is the second largest known aquifer system in the world and is attributed as an important source of freshwater. For semi-arid and arid zones of Iran, geospatial techniques in hydrogeochemistry have been used by intersecting the layers and statistical analysis. Then, a hydrochemical analysis of the bottled mineral waters has been comparatively studied. In another part of Africa, a semiarid part of North Eastern Nigeria, physicochemical characteristics of groundwater are widely determined. It has been also shown that the hydraulic fracking associated with the coalbed methane production has a great impact on water resources. Finally, various case studies have been done on the environmental state of freshwater, natural resources and mine waters in the some parts of Serbia, Spain and Central Asia. In addition, the implications on regional water resources management have been indicated. This book is intended primarily as a textbook at the graduate/research level and as a guide for field engineers, enabling them to remain current with scientific developments. As a simple prerequisite, the readers should have basic background knowledge in groundwater engineering and a general understanding of environmental and geological processes.Table of ContentsPreface; Chemical Interaction between Groundwater and Surface Waters; Biological Remediation Using Wetland Systems: A Hydro-Geochemical Perspective; Impact of Groundwater Pollution-Quality on Regional Economics: A Case Study in the Arab Region; Groundwater Modeling and Its Concepts, Classifications, and Applications for Solute Transport Simulation in Saturated Porous Media; Assessing the Microbiological Quality of Potable Groundwater from Selected Protected and Unprotected Wells in Murehwa District, Zimbabwe; 36Cl Contribution for Dating Groundwaters from the Guarani Aquifer System; Geospatial Techniques in Hydrogeochemistry by Intersecting the Layers and Statistical Analysis, Mashhad, Iran; A Comparative Hydrochemical Study of Bottled Mineral Waters; Physicochemical Assessment of Groundwater Quality in a Semiarid Part of North East Nigeria; Impact on Water Resources by Hydraulic Fracking Associated with Coalbed Methane Production; The Environmental State of Freshwater Resources in Man-Made Lakes of Serbia; Hydrogeochemistry of Circum-Neutral Mine Waters in the Anglès Old Mining Area, North Eastern Spain; Evaluation of Natural Water Quality in the Jungar Basin in Central Asia and Its Implications on Regional Water Resource Management; Evolution and Characteristics of Natural Waters under Arid Climate in Northern Tianshan Mountains, Central Asia; Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom the past decade vehicular ad hoc networks got tremendous attention from the industry, academia and research community. According to US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are more than 30 thousands fatalities caused by the vehicle accidents in the U.S. each year, which worth around $250 billion economic cost annually. Research shows that 82% of these accidents can be reduced by the successful deployment of vehicular networks, because nearly 75% percent of vehicular crashes are caused by inattentive drivers. Literally, vehicular ad hoc networks means a network forms by the vehicles. But it has been evolved to network with the infrastructure as well due to the inherent intermittent nature of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) connection. The high mobility of vehicles, wireless communication loss and range constraints are the main reason for this intermittent V2V connection. So, now vehicular networks means communication between vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I). There are billions of dollars invested to research, deployment and testing of vehicular networks. For the emerging connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV), a stable vehicular networks is the foremost requirement. It is now very much visible that CAV will be the future of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS). The book is dedicated to discuss for the techniques, applications and relevant technologies of vehicular ad hoc networks and its challenges. The first chapter discuss about the routing protocols of vehicular networks. It focuses on different position-based routing protocols and their mechanisms for the successful use of vehicular networks for different applications. The second chapter discusses on the security and privacy issues on vehicular networks. A well-known security technique called Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is discussed to secure vehicular data from various tampering attacks. The third chapter discusses on the on-demand wireless broadcasting mechanism for improving data dissemination performance in terms of data delivery ratio and response time. A network-coding based approach has been investigated for improving the overall performance of existing classical data broadcast algorithms. The fourth chapter describes how to get a dependable system in the lossy communication medium. This chapter discusses on a number of fault diagnosis techniques, their strengths and weaknesses, and it reviews their implementations in mobile wireless networks. The fifth chapter discusses the basics of Blockchain technology, applications, research challenges and opportunities in the field. Finally, chapter six discuss about the identification and mitigation of the faulty nodes in the wireless network.

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Book SynopsisVolume 36 explores how the coordinated operation of various sources, usually renewable ones with energy storage, is integral to hybrid power systems. Hybrid power systems may vary from few watts to moment magnitude-scale providing energy services. This compilation also approaches for the optimisation of looped water distribution networks supplied from one or more sources, according to demand variation. In one study, 1-degree of freedom and 2-degree of freedom proportional-intergral-derivative and fractional order proportionalintegral-derivative controllers have been designed and applied for the control of a Maglev system. The parameters of the 1- and 2-degree of freedom proportional-intergral-derivative and fractional order proportional-intergral-derivative controllers are tuned by the Cuckoo Search algorithm based on the swarm intelligence approach. In the penultimate chapter, the effect of neglecting either one accumulation term in the energy balance or the energy balance all together in numerical predictions is investigated. Finally, we consider the batch rectification of an acetic acid-water-ethyl acetate ternary mixture. Additionally, the authors discuss management cost analysis, a procedure that can cause major impacts on the economy of a particular activity. Constant observation and efficient monitoring are important to the estimated costs in the planning of mining.Table of ContentsPreface; Training Needs for Operating and Designing Hybrid Power Systems; Optimisation Models of Looped Urban Water Supply Networks; Optimized PID Based Controllers for Improving Transient and Steady State Response of Maglev System; Batch Distillations of Mixtures Containing Water and Acetic Acid: Experiment and Theory; Analysis of the Operational Costs of Drilling and Rock Blasting from a Limestone Quarry; Index.

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Book SynopsisFormation control is one of the most challenging problems in cooperative multi-robots. It is defined as a coordination of a group of robots to get into and to maintain a formation with a certain shape. The formation control problem has drawn significant attention for many years, and now it is well understood and tends to be mature. This control problem is originated from biological inspires such as flocking and schooling. Its classification includes formation shape generation, formation reconfiguration and selection, formation tracking, and role assignment in formation. It also has potential applications in search and rescue missions, forest fire detection and surveillance, etc. It can be extended to many real-world systems, autonomous robots, such as underwater vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, mobile sensor networks, rectangular agents, nonholonomic mobile robots, to name but a few. Apparently, the book cannot include all research topics. The editor and the authors wish that it could reveal some tendencies on this research field and benefit readers. In this book, different aspects of formation control are explored. Chapters includes some new tendencies and developments in research on several formation methods of multi-robot systems, that is, the 1st-order sliding mode control, the 2nd-order sliding mode control, the integral sliding mode control, the terminal sliding mode control, the sliding model control of multi-agents and the fuzzy-based formation control of multiple quadrotor systems.Table of ContentsPreface; Modelling of Leader-Follower Formations; 1st-Order Sliding Mode-Based Formation Design; Coordinated Formation via an Adaptive-Gain 2nd-Order Sliding Mode Method; Integral Sliding Mode-Based Formation Maneuvers of Multi-Agent Robots; Leader-Following Formation Control of Multiple Agents via Derivative and Integral Terminal Sliding Mode; Extreme Learning Machine-Based Sliding Mode Formation Maneuvers for Multi-Robot Systems; Formation Design of Multiple Agents with Uncertainties by Integral Sliding Mode; A Fuzzy Logic-Based Adaptive Strictly Negative-Imaginary Formation Controller for Multi-Quadrotor Systems; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a better understanding of Fuzzy set theory, Fuzzy logic and Neural Networks and various other techniques seem very well suited for modelling and controlling a real system. Energy is of major importance to civilisation, because it is driving force which binds human race. The estimation of energy in the form of renewable and sustainable is one of the important aspects to understand the how resources are harnessed and to predict what might happen under various possible future conditions. Using available modelling techniques to generate the best algorithms, the objective is to determine the best solution in terms of comparing the performances of the solutions through different parameters for a specific case. Consumption of Fossil fuels at a rapid pace has generated an alarming situation and with the subsequent increase in the number of vehicle the pollution level has reached well beyond human's control. This is frightening enough to observe the fact that the pollution level has surpassed all records and the need of the hour is to find an alternate fuel which can really be of great assistance in reducing the exhaust emission and augment the performance parameters of engine. Major researches are carried out on various engines to draw closer towards a realistic solution. Experiments performed on various engines are considered to be time consuming and the expenses met to perform these experiments are too costly, so the need of soft computing techniques involved in this area. Soft computing can be better described as the process to find the solution to an inexact problem. Soft computing has showed lot of potential in giving the researchers the exact solution may be in case of validating or predicting the performance and emission parameters. Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference system (ANFIS), Fuzzy Expert System (FES), Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) are the various soft computing techniques widely used. This book focuses on to carry out the comprehensive review and various other experimental works of various researchers who have carried out the work on these various soft computing techniques on various engines with various alternative fuels on the basis of modelling techniques, time is saved to a great extent and the capital investment involved is comparably very low. Various modelling techniques are being readily used to predict the performance parameters for various engines and modelling techniques have become the readily available tool to compare and validate the experimental work being carried out by researchers to get accurate matching with the experimental data. The benefit of this issue will be at large in connecting with varieties of work done in the field of Biomass which includes wood and wood waste, municipal solid waste. Landfill gas and biogas. Ethanol, Biodiesel, Hydropower, Geothermal, Wind, Solar. Thus soft computing techniques are fast and reliable hence, they can be a substitute for conventional experiments.Table of ContentsPreface; Investigation of Wind and Photovoltaic Energy Systems for Daily Load Dispatch on Reconfigurable Microgrid through Hybrid Fuzzy-MFO; Biomass; Hydrogen: Present and Future Energy; Safety Aspects in Handling and Storage of Ultra High Purity Gaseous Hydrogen; Review on the Performance, Combustion, and Emissions of Butanol-Diesel Mixes in Compression Ignition Engine; Specific Soft Computing Strategies for Evaluating the Performance and Emissions of a Spark-Ignition Engine Using Alcohol-Gasoline Blended Fuels: A Comprehensive Analysis; Energy Conservation Techniques for Food Processing and Manufacturing Industries; Effect of Biodiesel on Performance, Emissions and Combustion; Sustainable Development through Learning Climate Change: Adaptation Mitigation and Finance; Index.

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