Technology, Engineering & Agriculture Books

Book SynopsisThis book explores the prospects and processes of offshore oil and gas resources in the U.S., Cuba and Israel. Access to potential oil and gas resources under the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf continues to be controversial. The oil spill that occurred on April 20th, 2010, in the Gulf of Mexico brought increased attention to off-shore drilling risks. Cuba is moving toward development of its offshore oil resources. While the country has proven oil reserves of just 0.1 billion barrels, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that offshore reserves in the North Cuba Basin could contain an additional 4.6 billion barrels of undiscovered technically recoverable crude oil. Israel has been dependent on energy imports since it became a nation in 1948, but recent offshore natural gas discoveries could change that and possibly make Israel an exporter of natural gas.

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Book SynopsisMunicipal solid waste (MSW) is a commodity resulting from human endeavour and will always exist in the world''s cities. It comprises of material originating from households, commercial and medical establishments, construction and demolition activities, street cleaning, and park maintenance. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of municipal solid waste, including its management in developing countries; the synchronization of solid waste management in urban centres with integrated nutrient management in Indian agriculture; NO and N2O emissions during fluidised bed combustion of lignite and the use of industrial waste and municipality solid waste as an aggregate, filler or fibre in cement mortar and concrete.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents topical research in the study of climatology. Topics discussed include the investigation of possible causative mechanisms behind the Houston cloud-to-ground lightning anomaly; the effects of heat stress on beef cattle production; the detection of five-day to one-month surface air temperature predictability using information theory and tropical cyclone-ocean interaction.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including cotton growth, seed yield, seed viability, and seedling vigour as affected by plant nutrition and plant growth retardants; salmonella sp. in the pork production chain; health effects of kiwi fruit; developing biomarkers to improve, detect and monitor high pork quality; methods to study the seed production of semi-natural grasslands; and the use of live food for larval peneids.

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Book SynopsisAs demand for energy increases, many communities are seeking ways to meet this demand with clean, safe, reliable energy from renewable sources such as sun and wind. Fortunately, many of the key technologies that can unlock the power of these renewable resources are available on the market today. While the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continues to fund research and development (R&D) to improve solar technologies, DOE is also focusing on accelerating a robust nation-wide market for the currently available technologies. Advances in solar technology, an increase in federal and state tax incentives, and creative new financing models have made solar projects including community solar projects, more financially feasible. This book focuses on the availability of solar power for communities along with a guidance for local stockholders.

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Book SynopsisThe discovery of fullerenes, a new allotropic modification of carbon, is a prominent achievement of the late 20th century in chemistry. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of the synthesis, properties and applications of fullerene. Topics discussed include phase equilibria in the fullerene-containing system; ionic compounds of fullerenes obtained by synthesis in solution; symmetrical features of fullerene structures in the fundamental domains theory of point symmetry groups; the biomedical application of fullerene; metal complex catalysts in the chemistry of fullerenes; functionalised nanofullerenes for hydrogen storage; self-assembly properties of fullerenes and the radiation induced phenomena in fullerenes.

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Book SynopsisGrazing management is one of the most important management activities world-wide, and it has been a traditional sustainable land use in many areas of the planet. This book demonstrates the poor extrapolation capacity that grazing studies have due to site-dependent effects and sensitivity to changes in weather conditions and soil characteristics. Therefore, researchers should be cautious when suggesting management recommendations, such as removing all grazing animals or reducing grazing activities. A highly variable ecological force such as grazing, with important environmental and social implications, should be analysed deeply before extrapolated results or suggesting management practices.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of the prediction, formation and environmental impact of precipitation. Topics discussed in this compilation include the precipitation of anions in aqueous systems; inter-decadal trend turnings of climate modes and dynamic/thermodynamic structures associated with a series of winter precipitation events over China; stochastic modelling and simulation of daily precipitation for weather generation; anion intercalation during Mg-Al LDH precipitation and main water-soluble ions in precipitation of the central Mediterranean region.

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Book SynopsisMachining is a science and technology that holds great interest in industrialised countries (G7) and countries with emerging economies (BRICS). Nowadays, several important and advanced industries such as the automotive, aeronautic, aerospace, alternative energy, moulds and dies, and biomedical industries, use machining. Machining is a manufacturing process in which parts are shaped by removal of unwanted material. Interest for this topic has increased over the last twenty years, with rapid advances in materials science, micro and nanotechnology, automation, electronics and computer technology. This book aims to provide research and review studies on machining operations, technology and management. This research book can be used for final undergraduate engineering courses (for example, mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, materials, etc.,) or as a subject on machining at the postgraduate level. Also, this book can serve as a useful reference for academics, manufacturing researchers, mechanical, manufacturing and industrial engineers, and professionals in related industries with machining operations, technology and management.

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Book SynopsisThe United States is richly endowed with forests, and their care and conservation have been a national concern for more than half a century. This book provides data and analysis aimed at addressing this concern by enhancing dialogue and decisions in pursuit of the goal of forest sustainability. On the whole, no evidence suggests that we are "using up" our forests. In fact, the total area of forests has been stable, and the volume of wood found on them increasing. But a number of issues cause significant concern which range from regional forest fragmentation and loss to widespread increases in forest insect infestation and other disturbances. Potential changes in climate compound the risks and uncertainties associated with these issues.

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Book SynopsisThe majority of Chinese steel has been used to meet domestic demand in China. However, as its steel production continues to grow, over-capacity is becoming a major concern to Chinese industrial policy makers, as well as steelmakers outside China. Although industry statistics indicate that the Chinese steel industry is not export-oriented, its consistently high output keeps U.S. steelmakers concerned that excess Chinese steel might overwhelm the global market once domestic demand is adequately met. These concerns become increasingly acute as the United States and the rest of the world are in the middle of a slow recovery from the economic recession started in December 2007. This book provides an overview of China''s steel industry and discusses the issues and implications with regard to the U.S. steel sector.

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Book SynopsisThis book is a general introduction to the use of the silkworm and its products for the textile industry and in the human body for the purposes of aiding healing and correcting deformities. In addition, this book provides a familiarity with the uses of silk materials in textile and biological applications and also the rational basis for these applications. It covers subjects such as silkworm silk fibre composites, silk materials in medicine and cellular immunological responses to silk materials.

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Book SynopsisThe main theme of this book is to examine the globalisation of the South Pacific region and Fiji and more particularly the globalisation of Fiji by examining the supply chain of garment industry. This book will not only attempt to explain how Fiji and the South Pacific region are integrated into the global economy, but also how they are influenced by sub-regional, regional and global forces. This book will demonstrate the analytical tools of ''the State'', ''the firm'', and ''the global forces'' to the centre stage of discussion and analysis. This focus allows the unravelling of the key element in the global commodity supply chain analysis advanced in this book.

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Book SynopsisThis book covers leading-edge research in a cross-section of fields centring on engineering applications including current research data on the environmental impacts of future technologies of commercial aircraft; health and safety in engineering; high temperature degradation of plasma sprayed thermal barrier coatings in the oxidising environment; neutrino telescopes and neutrino interactions and a rotocraft trim procedure for the prediction of fuselage vibrations.

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Book SynopsisMaterials science encompasses four classes of materials, the study of each of which may be considered a separate field: metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. This volume gathers important research from around the globe in this dynamic field including research on resin-based dental composites; controlled delivery materials; DC art plasma jet; organic potential of rubber tyre wastes; limestone as sorbent for toxic species in energy production; recycling of rubber; fire-induces colour modifications on limestones used as building materials in monuments; poly (vinyl alcohol) ferrogels and electrowinning of precious metals using a modified electrochemical cyclone reactor.

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Book SynopsisOlive oil, which has been part of the human diet for more than 5,000 years, is almost unique among oils in that it can be consumed in the crude form without refining. This has the effect of conserving all its vitamins, essential fatty acids, and other nutrients. In addition to the fatty acid profile of olive oil, which is high in the monounsaturated oleic acid and appears to be beneficial in reducing several risk factors for coronary heart disease and certain cancers, extra virgin olive oil contains powerful antioxidants. In this book, the authors present topical research on the health benefits of olive consumption. Some of the topics discussed include dynamic rheology and sensory properties determined by inulin/extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil antioxidants; olive oil and postprandial lipemia.

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Book SynopsisFlavonoids and organosulfur compounds are the two major classes of secondary metabolites found in onions that are believed to play a role as health-promoting, disease-preventing dietary supplements, including antioxidant activity. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of onion consumption and health effects. Topics include an overview on the bioactivity of onions; an ultrasound-assisted flavonoid extraction from onions; and the physiological attributes of GST, Gly I, Gly II and allinase in onion bulbs and cultured cells.

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Book SynopsisHeat treatment is one of the most common practices used to produce safe and shelf stable foods or otherwise stated, to reduce the probability of survival and/or growth of the micro-organisms in a particular food to a tolerable level. This book covers the advances in thermobacteriology, including technological and engineering aspects of thermal processes targeting on the production of food safe products. Overall the objective of this book is to provide a comprehensive overview of innovations in assessing thermal processes while considering integrated information from the field of microbiology of thermal processes and engineering of these processes. The book has a strong focus on statistical and mathematical methods in order to be a useful reference for food microbiologists, food technologists and engineers.

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Book SynopsisMembers of the genus Vibrio are natural habitants of the marine environments. Many of them are human pathogens and can cause illness associated with seafood consumption. Infections caused by pathogenic vibrios are consistently reported in countries around the world, which is a major food safety concern for consumers and the food industry. Understanding the characteristics, virulence factors, methods for detection, and strategies for prevention is critical to minimize infection caused by vibrios. This book is a comprehensive guide to the understanding of infectious vibrios and application of control measures to prevent food-borne Vibrio infections.

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Book SynopsisThe production and purification technology of syngas has received huge attention from researchers and industries for the last few years because its development represents one of the major efforts toward more efficient, sustainable, and environmentally benign use of the fossil hydrocarbon resources. The decline of global fossil fuels -- petroleum, natural gas, and coal supplies and the need for clean and alternative energy have become major motives of research world-wide for sustainable energy development. The energy supply of the world today still heavily relies on combustion of fossil fuels for stationary systems, domestic use, and transportation vehicles. Alternative fuels, are needed to fill the supply gap that will continue to grow. This book focuses on syngas technology as well as its production, applications and impact on the environment.

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Book SynopsisAs chemistry becomes more and more amenable to mathematically rigorous study, it is likely that chemistry will also become an alert and demanding consumer of new mathematical results. From theoretical chemistry and quantum chemistry to applied fields such as molecular modelling, drug design, molecular engineering, and the development of supramolecular structures, mathematical chemistry is an important discipline providing both explanations and predictions. This book reviews research on chemoinformatics and chemical engineering that has an important role in advancing chemistry to an era of detailed understanding of molecules and reactions.

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Book SynopsisGrasslands provide both ecological and economic benefits. The importance of grasslands lies not only in the areas they cover, but also in the diversity of environmental benefits they produce. The lands provide forage for livestock, water for urban and rural uses, flood protection, wildlife habitat, purification of air, and carbon sequestration. The lands also provide aesthetic values and open space. This book discusses the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), which provides assistance to landowners and operators to protect grazing uses and related conservation values on eligible private range and pasture lands. The program emphasises support of grazing operations, maintaining and improving plant and animal biodiversity, and protecting grasslands and shrublands under threat of conversion to cropping, urban development, and other non-grazing uses.

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Book SynopsisLithium has a number of uses but one of the most valuable is a component of high energy-density rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Because of concerns over carbon dioxide footprint and increasing hydrocarbon fuel cost (reduced supply), lithium may become even more important in large batteries for powering all-electric and hybrid vehicles. Estimates of future lithium demand vary, based on numerous variables. Some of those variables include the potential for recycling, widespread public acceptance of electric vehicles, or the possibility of incentives for converting to lithium-ion-powered engines. This book addresses some of the issues raised by the increased focus on lithium, including the context of the lithium market into which future lithium-based large batteries must fit, the projected effect of electric and hybrid cars on lithium demand, various estimates for future lithium demand, and obstacles to reaching the more optimistic estimates.

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Book SynopsisAt the end of the 20th century, it was discovered that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up. This acceleration is attributed to dark energy, which seems to be distributed uniformly almost everywhere and thus essentially influences the Hubble parameter H = H(t) characterising this expansion. In this book, the authors present current research in the study of the theory, implications and roles in cosmology of dark energy. Topics include gravitational aberration and the origin of dark energy; the role of dark energy in the evolution of the universe; the importance of supernova observations for exploring the nature of dark energy; and deformed quantum field theory, thermodynamics at low and high energies, and the dark energy problem.

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Book SynopsisDue to their one-dimensional structures and novel physical properties, nanofibrous materials have been extensively investigated and hold promising applications in various fields, including electronic, optical, semiconductors, sensors, polymer fillers and non-woven porous membranes. This book presents current research in the study of the synthesis, properties and application of nanofibres. Topics include the functionalisation and activation of carbon nanofibres; fabrication of aligned polymer and metal oxide nanofibres by electrospinning; inorganic nanofibres for novel separation membranes; the physics behind the vapor-liquid-solid route and carbon nanofibre formation; preparation and modification of chitin nanofibres; and the synthesis of composite carbon nanofibres with macroscopic shaping.

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Book SynopsisThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called the Food Stamp Program) plays a vital role in the social safety net in the United States, providing almost $72 billion in benefits in 2011. An important measure of SNAP''s effectiveness is the extent to which the program reduces poverty. Evaluations of antipoverty effect of safety net programs often focus on the rate of poverty. However, the poverty rate reflects only one aspect of the antipoverty effect of a safety net program, whether or not adding program benefits to a family''s resources lifts them above the poverty threshold. This book examines SNAP''s role in poverty reduction with a focus on increased food security.

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Book SynopsisIn this volume of Primordial Space it is explained how unpredictable quanta of the strong and electroweak force can bring forth both a macro-space-time as we perceive it and a pattern of material phenomena with which we have been familiarized by the standard model of particle physics. However, there is a price we have to pay for this. The Heisenberg uncertainty relation discloses itself in the fancy dress of a set of irregular locations: the deadlock singularity for particle fields at rest and the topological defect structure of the boson field where the zero norm signifies a turnover of the time-like base unit into a nilpotent isotropic direction field. Time does not go without saying. But where the time-arrow is created within the strong force, there emerge anti-reflexive neighbourhoods in the multivector fields of space-time. Hyperbolic neighbourhood systems of primordial phenomena carry those waves that decompose time and energy. Primordial space helps you to look at events with a fresh mind without entirely destroying traditional physics.

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Book SynopsisThe 21st century is widely heralded as the century of biology. Building on the fundamental understanding achieved in the second half of the last century, revolutionary advances are expected to improve many aspects of our lives, from clean energy and targeted, safer medicines to new industries. Prominent among emerging technologies is "synthetic biology," which aims to apply standardised engineering techniques to biology and thereby create organisms or biological systems with novel or specialised functions to address countless needs. This book examines the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues review on the developing field of synthetic biology which researches and identifies appropriate ethical boundaries to maximise public benefits and minimise risks.

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Book SynopsisFormaldehyde is a building block in the synthesis of many other compounds of specialised and industrial significance. It exhibits most of the chemical properties of other aldehydes but is more reactive. In this book, the authors discuss the chemistry, applications and role in polymerisation of formaldehyde. Topics discussed include the properties of urea-formaldehyde resins for wood-based composites; electronic spectra of formaldehyde in aqueous solution; decontamination of indoor air pollutants of formaldehyde through catalytic oxidation over oxide supported noble metal nanocatalysts; indoor air monitoring using newly developed formaldehyde sensor elements and portable monitoring devices; unusual behaviour during the electrochemical oxidation of formaldehyde; and an algebraic approach to estimate the PES of formaldehyde through the study of vibrational excitations.

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Book SynopsisFluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control, and transmission of power by the use of pressurised liquids. This book discusses hydraulic mechanical applications and roles in engineering. Topics include axial piston pumps; turbulence structure and related mass transfer mechanisms in vegetated canopy open-channel flows; the hydraulic mechanism features of jet-curtain operation; experimental design and calibration of grid gates used in open channels; surface runoff simulation models; and applications of static and dynamic infinite elements to hydraulic engineering problems involving infinite domains.

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Book SynopsisFarmers and ranchers have had to adjust to significant changes in the structure and business methods of the livestock and meat sectors in recent decades. At the farm level, animal production in general and hog production in particular have undergone significant consolidation since 1980. Beef and pork packing (slaughtering) and processing have consolidated rapidly since 1980 into fewer and larger plants. As an industry consolidates, it can become highly concentrated, with a relatively small number of firms accounting for most of the production or sales. This book examines the USDA''s "GIPSA Rule" on livestock and poultry marketing practices and competition issues.

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Book SynopsisThis book identifies issues relevant to the debate over the role of the environmental review process in transportation project delivery. It identifies social and environmental issues that led Congress to enact the range of requirements that now make up the environmental review process, as well as selected requirements applicable to its implementation. Also discussed are the complexities in tying the environmental review process to federal-aid highway project delivery time. Issues that make it difficult to determine the time it takes to complete the project development, in general or individual stages of development (e.g., activities related explicitly to environmental reviews); or to identify root causes of project delays tied to specific elements of the environmental review process, are also explored.

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Book SynopsisEnergy storage technology has great potential to improve electric power grids, to enable growth in renewable electricity generation, and to provide alternatives to oil-derived fuels in the nation''s transportation sector. In the electric power system, the promise of this technology lies in its potential to increase grid efficiency and reliability, optimizing power flows and supporting variable power supplies from wind and solar generation. In transportation, vehicles powered by batteries or other electric technologies have the potential to displace vehicles burning gasoline and diesel fuel, reducing associated emissions and demand for oil. This book summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding energy storage technologies for both electric power grid and electric vehicle applications. It also addresses the significant policy, market, and other non-technical factors that may impede storage adoption, and considers eight major categories of storage technology; pumped hydro, compressed air, batteries, capacitors, superconducting magnetic energy storage, flywheels, thermal storage, and hydrogen.

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Book SynopsisThe edited book volume "Land Use: Planning, Regulations, and Environment" is a diverse compilation of ten chapters covering different facets of the field of land use research with a particular focus on planning aspects. The contributions were selected by the guest editors after passing a thorough peer review process involving selected international subject experts. Besides the planning component which is considered the central theme of the book volume, articles also address risk and climate change as well as local land use development and sustainable management aspects. Contributions include application-oriented case studies, as well as conceptual approaches and data simulation and modelling-driven elaborations. In terms of land use planning and its implications on society and the environment, recommendations are provided that show how proper strategies help in avoiding negative effects and provide improved decision support on multiple levels.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed include the trade and food security implications from the Indonesian agricultural experience; the remarkable growth in China''s apple juice concentrate exports since the 1990s; the U.S. and Mexican dry bean sectors; and Peru as an emerging exporter of fruits and vegetables.

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Book SynopsisThis compilation examines agricultural research from across the globe and covers a broad spectrum of related topics. In this book, the authors discuss research including breeding improved cassava cultivars in tropical/subtropical bio-systems; sluggish alcoholic fermentations during wine production; agricultural productivity and poverty in Vietnam; the role of eco-management for sustainable agricultural production; molecular marker assisted selection for disease resistance breeds of cattle; an improved in vitro method for isolated microspore culture of durum wheat; modelling crop water requirements in the Upper Indus Basin of Pakistan for enhancing food security; and agricultural practices for sustainable crop production and soil health.

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Book SynopsisThis series covers leading-edge research focusing on the environment, including current research data on habitat degradation and changes in Lake Victoria fisheries; conservation status of zostera marina populations in the Mexican Pacific; sustainable water resources management in the Sudan; organic and inorganic particulate matter in urban ambient air; the distribution of organic carbon and composition of the carboniferous mud in the Baltic Sea; heavy metals in the environment; outdoor air pollution and total suspended particles concentration; toxic metalloid arsenic contaminants; and post dam hydro-geomorphic alteration of the Dwarka River in Eastern India.

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