Technology, Engineering & Agriculture Books

Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present topical research in the study of aldehydes. Topics discussed in this compilation include the synthesis and properties of intermediates in reactions of aldehydes with P(III) chlorides; synthesis of heterocyclic compounds by interaction of aldehydes with monoterpenoids; update on aliphatic aldehydes in lipid foods; inhibition of microbial biocatalysts by biomass-derived aldehydes and methods for engineering tolerance; co-oxidation processes promoted by N-hydroxyphthalimide/aldehyde systems; and the structure of gossypol condensation bis-product with 2-amino-4,6-dioxypyrimidine in acidic environment.

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Book SynopsisThis new book is a collection of research and review articles from authors involved in diverse aspects of cultivar research. This volume discusses the agronomic, biochemical and nutritional aspects of a wide range of plant cultivars, including aspects related to the use of genetic tools for the production of vaccines as well as new molecular techniques available for product traceability. Also reviewed is the comprehensive treatment of the physiological effects of foods and food components capable of promoting good health and preventing or alleviating disease. Moreover, this volume will be of great help to undergraduate and graduate level students in Genetics, Agriculture, Phytochemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, Plant Physiology and Crop Development, and an excellent reference material for plant researchers.

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Book SynopsisRural development is still an important policy goal in most developing countries where a high proportion of the population lives and works in rural areas. This book provides in-depth empirical discussions of contemporary development issues of rural development in northern Ghana with wider applicability in terms of the processes, needs, strategies, and recommendations for policy for most of the savannah ecological zone of Africa. Although the rest of Ghana is developing much faster than northern Ghana, its people perceive substantial positive changes in their conditions of life as prosperity trickles, albeit slowly down and out to them. Environmental change and economic globalization is rendering ineffective the adaptive strategies of poor farmers in northern Ghana. This book is an important resource for students, researchers, policy makers and NGOs with interest in rural development, dry land areas, marginalized areas and general development. The descriptions and discussions of contemporary challenges of rural development issues using vivid case studies are of relevance for comparison to different and similar country situations.

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Book SynopsisWater quality is fundamental for our health and affects the environment we share with other animals including marine, freshwater and terrestrial species. Water quality is often managed based on indicators for levels of bacteria and other chemical/physical contents. To assist in better management and monitoring of water quality, this book provides an overview of state of the art assessments of water quality; with an understanding how water quality is affected, and improving water quality for irrigation, drinking and recreation activities.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research on the types, design and safety issues of railways. Topics discussed include the acoustic characteristics of noise in train stations; monitoring railway structure conditions and opportunities to use wireless sensor networks as tools to improve the monitoring process; hydraulic absorbers as dampers to dissipate the energy of oscillations in railway electric equipment; development of train fare calculation and adjustment systems using VDM++; efficient development and verification of safe railway control software; and evolution of the connectivity of the Portuguese broad gauge railway network (1948-2012).

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Book SynopsisPolypropylene (PP) is one of the most largely used man-made polymeric materials. This synthetic stereo-regular polymer has a high tensile strength combined with a low cost, which could explain it''s wide usage and application. This book covers some important advances in PP research, including its synthesis, characterizations, modifications, and applications. A thorough understanding of propylene polymerization, mainly concerning its physical and chemical features, as crystalline morphology, for instance, is useful to understand how it could influence PP mechanical properties and heat resistance. These characteristics are directly related to PP rheology and consequently the tendencies to form composites or blends. PP hybrid materials amplify the possibilities of obtaining new useful supplies, and also allow recycling or reusing wastes or low cost resources, as ashes, besides increasing its value.

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Book SynopsisSince the 1960s, the U.S. electric power system has experienced a major blackout about once every 10 years. Each has been a vivid reminder of the importance society places on the continuous availability of electricity and has led to calls for changes to enhance reliability. At the root of these calls are judgements about what reliability is worth and how much should be paid to ensure it. In principle, comprehensive information on the actual reliability of the electric power system and on how proposed changes would affect reliability ought to help inform these judgements. Yet, comprehensive, national-scale information on the reliability of the U.S. electric power system is lacking. This book helps to address this gap by assessing trends in U.S. electricity reliability based on information reported by electric utilities on power interruptions experienced by their customers.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of middle income households across the United States, which are under significant financial strain, and rising energy bills are a contributor to this stress. Energy efficiency improvements have the potential to provide significant benefits to these households, by lowering bills, increasing the structural integrity of homes, improving health and comfort, and reducing exposure to volatile, and rising, energy prices. Middle income households are also responsible for a third of U.S. residential energy use. Increasing the energy efficiency of their homes would deliver substantial public benefits: reducing power system costs, easing congestion on the grid, and avoiding emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants. To achieve those goals, utilities and governments are beginning to look beyond typical residential energy efficiency programs and are turning to programs that improve the energy efficiency of the entire house by sealing the leaks, reducing plug loads, adding insulation, and replacing inefficient heating and cooling systems.

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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 amorphous calcium orthophosphates and their biomedical applications; hydroxyapatite synthesis and characterization; luminescent carbon nanomaterials; Ag/PDA composite nonlinear optical materials; activated carbons from wooden precursors; composite PVA hydrogels application in biomedicine; tailoring glass fibre sizings from the mechanical characterization of the fibers; degradation of composite materials by the effect of water; the microhardness of photoplymerization commercial composite of resin; and potassium catalyzed degradation of wood under nitrogen and air.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors discuss the occurrences, physical properties and applications of spinels. Topics include optical spectroscopy of transition metals in a-ZnAl2S4 wide band gap semiconductors; development of spinel NiZn ferrites for power field applications; spinel ferrites as catalysts for light alkanes combustion; application of magnesium spinel nanometric coating on aluminum oxide as an ionizing radiation sensor for personal and environmental dosimetry; chromium spinel oxides in high magnetic fields; the structural behavior of natural Cr-bearing spinels compared with synthetic ones; negative temperature coefficient thermistors based on spinel-type ceramics; and synthesis of high surface area MgAl2O4 spinel particles by a new method.

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Book SynopsisFor over 55 years, the United States has played a leading role in global efforts to alleviate hunger and malnutrition and to enhance world food security through international food aid activities. The development and implementation of a U.S. global food security initiative, and commitments made by global leaders to support agricultural development, have increased Congress''s focus on U.S. international food aid programs. The primary objectives for foreign food aid include providing emergency and humanitarian assistance in response to natural or man-made disasters, and promoting agricultural development and food security. The United States provides food aid for emergency food relief and to support development projects. This book examines the programs, donors, and world food program controls in support of international food aid currently being enacted to deal with this global crisis.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors discuss the structure, technology and applications of sapphire. Topics include the advances in machining technology of sapphire wafers; the growth and surface investigations of synthetic sapphire; laser-assisted micro-fabrication of sapphire; and the heat-physical processes of sapphire crystal growth by horizontal directed crystallisation.

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Book SynopsisThis book takes an incisive, political ecology perspective of the development of agriculture in the West African nation of Ghana (formerly the British colony of the Gold Coast), focusing on agricultural, socio-cultural, economic, political and environmental issues during the pre-colonial (pre-16th century), colonial and post colonial periods (after 1957, up until 1992, the start of the last Republic). This integrated approach for the study of agricultural development and environmental change is very relevant to the Ghanaian context. Here, complex historical, political and socio-cultural factors have been combined, within a fairly short period, to contribute to an environmental metamorphosis. A complicated mosaic of indeterminate vegetation climaxes, such as depleted and secondary forests, derived savannah and savannah woodland, has gradually replaced the primeval rain forest, deciduous forest and savannah. Problems include soil erosion and desertification risk. This, largely due to human agency, is explainable by examining the political and economic relations behind the resource exploitation methods devised by the different actors in the political, economic and social system.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of bioenergy systems and their biological sources and environmental impact. Topics discussed include the assessment of sustainability of bioenergy systems; soil loss as a forgotten aspect of biofuel production; effective biocatalysts for lignocellulosic biofuel by a proteomics study of fungal secretome; enhancing the interface between agricultural production, and tree biomass/bioenergy systems to improve farm-scale productivity in Western Australia; hydrogen and ethanol comparison as fuels for internal combustion engines; and hydrogen production by mixed cultures.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of biomimetics. Topics include the recent advances of microsystems and their application in developing new tools and techniques for investigating bone and bone-related phenomena; adhesives inspired in biological systems; biomimetic photonic crystal from butterfly wings; biomimetic molecular switches; a voltammetric sensor based on a hemin modified multi-walled carbon nanotube for hydroquinome determination in pharmaceutical samples; and trajectory formation of biomimetic robot arms with redundancy.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors discuss the control, manipulation and behavioural applications of microfluidics. Topics include dielectrophoresis based droplet microfluidic devices for on-chip bioassays; microfluidic biosensor systems for cell biology and drug discovery; controllable microfluidic generation of monodisperse multiple emulsion droplets; an alternative method to predict wettability for microfluidics; integration of capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducers to microfluidic devices; selection of easily accessible PCR-and bio-compatible materials for microfluidic chips; and electrokinetic manipulation of biomolecules.

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Book SynopsisEarly people confronted with illness and disease, discovered a wealth of useful therapeutic agents in the plant kingdoms. The term "phytochemicals" that occur naturally refers to a wide variety of compounds with biological significance produced by plants. They are found in fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and other plants. Scientists have identified thousands of phytochemicals, although only a small fraction have been studied closely, which have the potential to affect diseases such as cancer, stroke or metabolic syndrome. This book is devoted to the publication of original articles concerning phytochemicals and their biological and pharmacological effects. The spectrum of coverage is broad, encompassing extraction, separation, purification, structure identification, bioactivity and quantification of compounds in plants, the food sciences and agriculture.

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Book SynopsisRegional and bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) have taken on greater significance amidst an evolving international trading environment. Member countries in FTAs agree to eliminate trade barriers on all or most goods and services traded among them. Uncertainties associated with global negotiations under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Development Agenda, along with other factors, have contributed to an upsurge in bilateral and regional trade agreements. This book examines the possible impacts on U.S. agricultural trade of two recently implemented FTAs in which the United States is not a partner; the FTAs between the ASEAN countries and China and between the ASEAN countries and Australia/New Zealand. Also discussed is the potential effects on U.S. agricultural exporters of pending bilateral TAs between the United States and Korea, Colombia, and Panama.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors discuss the sources, biotechnology applications and health challenges of functional foods. Topics discussed include the health potential of pulses and their bioactivity; health promoting phytonutrients and lactic acid bacteria in olives; health benefits of the Mediterranean diet; European consumers acceptance of healthy food products; fermentation of tomato juice with the probiotic yeast saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii; and market strategies to maximise consumer acceptance of functional dairy-based foods and beverages.

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Book SynopsisNew applications of horizontal drilling techniques and hydraulic fracturing, in which water, sand, and chemical additives are injected under high pressure to create and maintain fractures in underground formations, allow oil and natural gas from shale formations to be developed. As exploration and development of shale oil and gas have increased, including in areas of the country without a history of oil and natural gas development, questions have been raised about the estimates of the size of these resources, as well as the processes used to extract them. This book examines the environmental and public health requirements, risks, and size of shale resources of unconventional oil and gas development.

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Book SynopsisForty years after the Clean Water Act set a national goal of eliminating the discharge of pollutants into navigable U.S. waters, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made significant progress in reducing pollution from industrial facilities; nevertheless, pollution from these facilities continues to cause concern. EPA''s actions to reduce this pollution have included establishing national technology-based regulations, or effluent guidelines, for separate industrial categories, such as petroleum refining, fertiliser manufacturing, coal mining, and metal finishing. Relatively few effluent guidelines have been revised or created in recent years and environmental advocacy groups continue to raise concerns because industrial facilities annually discharge hundreds of billions, and perhaps trillions of pounds of pollutants to U.S. waters. This book examines water pollution controls with a focus on effluent guidelines, total maximum daily loads and stormwater permits.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present new satellite development research. Topics discussed include satellite-linked GPS collars deployed on elephants in Tsavo ecosystems in Kenya; enhancing resiliency of broadband satellite communication emergency networks through propagation impairment mitigation techniques; satellite applications for very short range weather forecasting systems in Southern African developing countries; eliminating ionospheric effects in multi-frequency global navigation satellite systems; attitude control systems for arc-second stabilization of 30-kg micro astronomy satellites; and third generation GPS systems.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of adhesions. Topics discussed in this compilation include surface analysis techniques for root canal filling adhesion studies; polysialylated-neural cell adhesion molecules in the human nervous system at prenatal, postnatal and adult ages; surgical adhesives; interaction of diamond-transition metal substrates and interfacial adhesion enhancement/failure mechanisms; inhibition and impairment of cell adhesions; and effects of anti-cell adhesion molecules to prevent heart transplant rejection.

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Book SynopsisSince 11 September 2001, when communication failures contributed to the tragedies of the day, Congress has passed several laws intended to create a nationwide emergency communications capability. The United States has continued to strive for a solution that assures seamless communications among first responders and emergency personnel at the scene of a major disaster. To address this problem, Congress included provisions in the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, for planning, building, and managing a new, nationwide, broadband network for public safety communications, and assigned additional spectrum to accommodate the new network. This book explores public safety broadband and communication networks with a focus on new policies for spectrum management and wireless innovation that would facilitate the transition to IP-enabled networks. Acceleration of innovation in next-generation wireless technologies would likely benefit not only public safety communications but also all consumers of wireless service and the American economy.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of research in the study of household food security in the United States and India. An estimated 85.1 percent of American households were food secure throughout the entire year in 2011, meaning that they had access at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The remaining households (14.9 percent) were food insecure, meaning that the food intake of one or more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food. Comparatively, this book provides a quantitative assessment of food security using a large household-level expenditure survey conducted by the Government of India during 2004/2005. The analysis tests the impact of several key assumptions required to estimate actual calories consumed from the expenditure data.

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Book SynopsisEvery dollar an executive proposes to spend or proposes not to spend has to be subjected to economic decision making. Expenditure and investment proposals can be for cost reduction or income expansion. In some cases, both may be realized. For both the proposals, economic decision making is essential. The goal of equipment selection in a business system is acceptable financial efficiency, not engineering efficiency. The engineering economic analysts test the profitability of a proposed operation, or choose the best option among the existing alternatives. The book "Principles and Practices of Engineering & Industrial Economics" covers issues ranging from project formulation steps - through data collection, costing of project, detail financial analysis, decision rules, risk analysis and environmental considerations to model study for financial and scenario analysis for decision making.

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. electric power system has historically operated at such a high level of reliability that any major outage, either caused by sabotage, weather, or operational errors, makes new headlines. The transmission system is extensive, consisting mainly of transformers, switches, transmission towers and lines, control centers, and computer controls. A spectrum of threats exists to the electric system ranging from weather-related to terrorist attacks. The main risk from weather-related damage or terrorist attack against the electric power industry is a widespread power outage that lasts for an extended period of time. This book explores the infrastructure reliability and vulnerabilities in the electric system; who should be responsible for implementing appropriate actions; who should pay; and should reliability guidelines or standards be implemented by the federal government or industry groups.

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Book SynopsisGelatine has been the focus of many scientific studies recently published, as it is widely used not only in foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals but also in paints, fertilisers, and photographs. In this book, a discussion of the chemistry and cross-linking of gelatine is explored, in addition to the methods used for determination of gelatine quality. This book also discusses the applications of gelatine in neurosurgery, laboratory methods, and forensic applications; gelatine as a carrier matrix for drug delivery applications; recently developed techniques for improving the mechanical strength of gelatine-based films; alternative raw material used in gelatine production; and current discussions on the religious status of gelatine and religious requirements for kosher and halal gelatine production.

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Book SynopsisLithium is a chemical element with unique properties. Its applications in today''s world are countless, from psychiatry to cell phones, and we are still far from exploiting all the exotic signatures of this amazing metal. Even so, the reader will find here a good sample of what is being investigated at present in the field of lithium chemistry and future applications in the new energy supply concepts. From carbon sequestration to fusion energy research, from lithium mining to your cell phone battery, this book will guide you through the fascinating world of the lightest solid element in earth.

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Book SynopsisProper tire inflation is important for several reasons. Underinflated tires experience a greater amount of sidewall flexion than properly inflated tires, resulting in decreased fuel economy, sluggish handling, longer stopping distances, increased stress to tire components, and heat build-up that can lead to catastrophic failure of the tire, such as cracking, component separation, or blow-out. These catastrophic failures can cause loss of vehicle control and may result in a crash. This book presents an analysis of the data collected through the Tire Pressure Monitoring System-Special Study (TPMS-SS) as it pertains to the effectiveness of TPMS in promoting proper tire inflation.

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Book SynopsisAccording to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), per vehicle mile travelled in 2010, motorcyclists were about 30 times more likely to die in a traffic crash than passenger car occupants. States have implemented various strategies to address the factors contributing to motorcycle crashes and fatalities, and NHTSA has assisted these efforts through guidance, grants, and research. This book examines motorcycle crashes and state safety efforts.

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Book SynopsisNatural gas is the second largest primary source of energy consumed in the United States, exceeded only by petroleum. A primary energy source is an energy source that can be consumed directly or converted into something else, like electricity. Roughly a third of the natural gas consumed in the United States goes into power plants for the production of electricity. Electricity, a secondary energy source, results from the conversion of primary fuels such as fossil fuels, uranium or wind, into a flow of electrons used to power modern life. This book explores the workings of the wholesale markets for these two forms of energy, as well as energy-related financial markets.

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Book SynopsisDue to the growth in natural gas production from shale gas, the United States is benefiting from some of the lowest prices for natural gas in the world and faces the question of how to best use this resource. Different segments of the U.S. economy have different perspectives on the role natural gas can play. Suppliers, which have become the victims of their own production success, are facing low prices that are forecast to remain low. Some companies that have traditionally produced only natural gas have even turned their attention to oil in order to improve their financial situation. Smaller companies are having a difficult time continuing operations and larger companies, have bought into many shale gas assets. Prices have remained low even as consumption has increased, in part, because producers have raised production to meet the demand and because companies have improved efficiency and extraction techniques. This book examines what has changed in the natural gas industry and focuses on the demand side and ancillary benefits to the U.S. economy.

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Book SynopsisIn this book, the authors present current research in the study of the crystallography, chemistry and catalytic performance of perovskites. Topics discussed include the defect structure and defect-induced expansion of perovskite oxides; perovskite-based catalysts for transformation of natural gas and oxygenates into syngas; Bi containing multiferroic perovskite oxide thin films; perovskites as catalysts for environmental remediation; microwave-assisted synthesis and characterisation of perovskite oxides; perovskite and lead based ceramic materials; photocatalytic properties of perovskite-type layered oxides; structure of perovskite electron-ionic conductors; and distorted perovskites.

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Book SynopsisBiotechnology is the use of living organisms to enhance products, our lives and our environment. It is a broad and complex discipline that encompasses many specialised areas. The promise that biotechnology holds for developing countries is well recognised and it is an important tool that can be applied to diverse economic sectors with a focus on the production of food crops, livestock management, human health care, the chemical industry and environmental management. This book covers applications of biotechnology in selected areas such as health care, agriculture, microbial systems, "in silico" analysis for drug designing and drug discovery and the environment.

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Book SynopsisToday''s irrigation management faces challenges and competition with other sectors (ie: household, industry, and environmental), quality degradation, and uncertain climatic conditions. To cope with these situations, the irrigation managers need precise estimation/determination of irrigation needs for crops, advance/water-saving techniques for water application, water conservation approaches, economic considerations in irrigation, and potentials for using marginal quality water in irrigation (such as saline water, and waste-water). This book focuses on all of the above issues: starting with irrigation management strategies for field crops -- to suitability of saline and waste-water as irrigation water. The book is useful to identify the need and adopt emerging technologies for irrigation management, as well as to identify appropriate methodologies for social, economic, and environmental benefits of improved irrigation management.

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, interest in space activities has grown more and more and there are future space exploration plans that include human missions to the Moon and Mars. The return to the Moon will rely on a large robotic presence to support exploration and, later, to assist the building of the lunar base. These plans will thus require the availability of intelligent, interactive and co-operative robotic systems since, on space missions, astronaut time is valuable and very scarce (they have to focus on research requiring their expertise rather than on routine procedures). Therefore, there is the need of developing skills, capabilities and operational experience for working in space and on the surface of the Moon (and Mars later) with machines and people, in preparation of further destinations exploration. To this aim, this book examines the future vision, force control and co-ordination strategies of space robotics supporting exploration missions.

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Book SynopsisThis book''s objective is to present a comprehensive, theoretical, practical, and adaptive approach to understanding the issues involved in eco-city planning and green community development. It builds on recent advances in urban theories, environmental science, architectural design, engineering, and geospatial information technologies to provide readers with the scientific foundation needed to understand the major visionary ideas about new urban forms. This book provides a basis of knowledge in planning theory and natural science and a major review of urban forms that have evolved over the past century; its primary emphasis is to describe and explain emerging approaches, methods, and techniques for eco-city. This book also responds to the key questions outlined at the beginning of this introduction: What are the theoretical foundations and historical views of eco-city and green community? What is a green and eco-friendly urban form? How can we find the appropriate approaches to build eco-city and green community? What international experiences and lessons can we learn from?

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Book SynopsisThis book, written by leading experts of the international scientific community, is divided into 10 chapters and gives a comprehensive review of the important aspects of conducting polymers. Synthetic methodologies of these polymers and their nanocomposites along with their electrical and electrochemical properties are described herein. Application of the conducting polymers for sensors, solar cells and lithium batteries are also presented. The editor and all contributors believe the subjects highlighted are important topics in the field of conducting polymers and make this book a very useful scientific support to a large audience of readers, from students to senior researchers in the academic community and from engineers to business people in different industrial sectors.

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Book SynopsisThis book addresses the important question of how large a role bioproduction and renewable energy can play in achieving sustainable agricultural practices in the present system of agricultural production. Understanding bioproduction engineering and development can help improve the efficiency of sustainable agriculture and future renewable energy resources. With the aim of understanding this question, this book focuses on bioproduction and sustainability issues, covering sensors, agricultural decision making systems and the relationship between bioproduction and sustainable practices of agriculture. Topics discussed include information oriented technology that can be implemented to address the variability of bioproduction systems; sensors and control systems; precision agricultural technology; decision support systems in agriculture; renewable energy resources; and analytical hierarchy processes for agricultural management. This material will appeal to a wide range of readers and is designed as a resource for graduate and undergraduate students working in any area of agricultural engineering, crop sciences, or environmental science disciplines. The book also includes questions and sample model problems to allow readers to practice implementing the modelling tools.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an overview of the Environmental Protection Agency''s (EPA) National Water Program (NWP). Despite the ongoing effects of climate change, the National Water Program continues to achieve its mission to protect and restore our waters to ensure that drinking water is safe; and that aquatic ecosystems sustain fish, plants, and wildlife, as well as economic, recreational, and subsistence activities. Some of the programs and activities already underway throughout the NWP include protecting healthy watersheds and wetlands; managing stormwater with green infrastructure; and improving the efficiency and sustainability of water infrastructure, including promoting energy and water efficiency, reducing pollutants, and protecting drinking water and public health.

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Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the Australian occidental tourists'' expectations and satisfaction in one of the oriental tourist destinations such as Vietnam. It makes use the HOLSAT model to assess the holiday satisfaction of Australian travellers to Vietnam, and it is the second known application of this model. It seriously looks at the capabilities of the existing theoretical models to assess the tourist expectations and satisfaction and highlight the importance of the HOLSTAT model in understanding explicitly the differences between Expectation and Experience. An examination of various sample segments has tested the effectiveness of the HOLSAT model. Gender and the mode of travel were investigated and have determined the differences amongst various segments of Australian tourists who visited Vietnam. This aspect of using the HOLSAT model to study segmentation was differed from the one undertaken by Tribe and Snaith (1998). From a theoretical point of view, the findings from this study have demonstrated the workability of the HOLSAT model as a useful instrument for measuring holiday satisfaction and also for segmenting tourist market. The HOLSAT model has great potential because it does not require a fixed menu of attributes, generic to all destinations, compared with some other satisfaction models that seek to apply the same attributes to different situations. From a practical approach, this book also looks at the destination marketing implications for the results obtained through the administration of normal parametric measures. This is an important feature of the research findings since it helps the tourism industry at large to design products and services that suit myriad segments of the international, national and regional tourism markets.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents current research related to the synthesis, characterisation, and heat transfer of nanofluids. Nanofluids are stable colloidal suspensions of solid nanomaterials in base fluids. While nanoparticles were first added to base fluids to obtain nanofluids; other nanomaterials, like nanorods, nanotubes, nanowires, nanofibers, nanosheets, or other nanocomposites, are used to synthesise the nanofluids. The types of base fluids cover a wide range of liquids that include water, oil, ethylene-glycol (automotive antifreeze), refrigerants, polymer solutions, or even bio-fluids. The special properties of nanomaterials and their interactions with base fluids lead to substantially different properties of nanofluids compared with that of base fluids. Significant physical insights into complex physical phenomena in nanofluids are gained via the utilisation of advanced theoretical tools and state-of-the-art experimental measurement techniques.

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Book SynopsisForest and woodland ecosystems in the world serve important ecological functions and also contribute to the economic, aesthetic and spiritual health of humans. In this book, the authors discuss the structure, species diversity and sustainable management of woodlands across the globe. Topics include changes in composition and threats to the sustainable management of woodlands in Portugal; the role and diversity of soil fauna in woodlands; climate change and forest fires in the Ave Region of Northwest Portugal; drivers of deforestation and the potential for carbon trading in the Miombo woodlands of Zambia; soil microbial diversity in the dry woodlands of Central-Western Argentina; and developing silvicultural systems based on disturbance-recovery knowledge of the Southern African Miombo woodlands.

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