Technology, Engineering & Agriculture Books

Book SynopsisThis book examines the tradeoffs among financing methods for businesses installing onsite photovoltaics (PV). The authors present case studies of PV financing strategies used by two large commercial retailers that have deployed substantial U.S. PV capacity: IKEA, which owns its PV, and Staples, which purchases power generated from onsite PV systems through power purchase agreements (PPAs). The book also analyzes the financial considerations that influence any company''s choice of PV financing strategy. The goal in this book is to clarify the financial and institutional costs and benefits of financing strategies and to inform other companies that are considering launching or expanding similar PV programs. Furthermore, this book provides a high-level overview of the developing U.S. solar loan product landscape, from both a market and economic perspective. It covers current and potential U.S. solar lending institutions; currently available loan products; loan program structures and post-loan origination options; risks and uncertainties of the solar asset class as it pertains to lenders; and an economic analysis comparing loan products to third party-financed systems in California.

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Book SynopsisThere is the conjuncture that 2012 is a special year in the history of physics that cannot go unobserved without celebration: 100 years of cosmic ray discovery, the 75th anniversary of Muon discovery and 70 years of the discovery of relativistic solar particles (Ground Level Enhancements). Several symposiums have been held in this regard, among which can be mentioned is that of the one held in Pollau, Austria in May 2012. There is need of a book that pays homage to these historical discoveries. The aim of this book is to collect some typical papers written for researchers of the international cosmic ray community that many scientists and students would like to have in their libraries. The main market for this book are universities and research institutes throughout the world, and mainly in countries where there is an old tradition in cosmic ray research: Europe, USA, México, Canada, East Europe (mainly Russia), Japan, Australia, China, etc. It should also be of interest in scientific societies, professional organizations, or other groups relevant to the several fields of particle physics: e.g. The Victor F. Hess Society and the European Physical Society/History of Physics Group (EPS/HoP), COSPAR, IUGG, American Geophysical Union, Unión Geofísica Mexicana, and others.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines challenges and applications, as well as principles of capillary electrophoresis. Some of the topics discusses include the preparation and application of photosensitive capillary electrophoresis coatings; the application of capillary zone electrophoresis to trace analyses of inorganic anions in seawater; theoretical principles and applications of high performance capillary electrophoresis; and the application of capillary zone electrophoresis methods for polyphenols and organic acids to separate different extracts.

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Book SynopsisClimate change poses significant risks to future crop productivity as temperatures rise, rainfall patterns become more variable, and pest and disease pressures increase. The use of crop genetic resources to develop varieties more tolerant to rapidly changing environmental conditions will be an important part of agricultural adaptation to climate change. Finding new genetic traits that can facilitate adaptation -- and incorporating them into commercially successful varieties -- is time-consuming, expensive, and technically difficult. This book reviews the types of genetic resources, the ways they have been used, and how they might be used in the future. The book also discusses economic, scientific, and institutional factors that will determine the extent of genetic resource use and the benefits it might bring to climate change adaptation. Moreover, this title evaluates economic and institutional factors influencing the flow of genetic resources, including international agreements, and their significance for agricultural research and development in the United States. Finally, the book examines the composition of U.S. and international seed markets, regulations affecting agricultural seeds, the structure and evolution of the seed industry, and trends in private and public R&D in plant breeding.

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Book SynopsisThe National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS) is the first survey to collect unique and comprehensive data about food purchases and acquisitions for a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. This book compares shopping patterns of (1) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households to low- and higher income nonparticipant households, (2) participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to nonparticipants, and (3) food-insecure to food-secure households. Ensuring that Americans have adequate access to food is an important policy goal. In the 2008 Farm Bill, the U.S. Congress directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) to learn more about food access limitations. The book examines SNAP households'' geographic access. Furthermore, efforts to encourage Americans to improve their diets and to eat more nutritious foods presume that a wide variety of these foods are accessible to everyone. But for some Americans and in some communities, access to healthy foods may be limited. The book concludes with updates on population estimates of indicators of spatial access to healthy and affordable foods in the United States using population data from the 2010 Census, income and vehicle availability data from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey, and a 2010 directory of supermarkets.

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Book SynopsisThe authors of this book discuss the latest advances in materials science research. The chapters include a discussion on a mathematical model used to study the behavior of piezoelectric materials and its applications in energy harvesting; the highly reactive etchant gas, chlorine trifluoride, and its applications relating to the silicon carbide (SiC) device process; the rheological properties and structure of poly(vinyl chloride)(PVC)/plasticizer systems; a comprehensive review of ultrafine grained TiNi-based SMAs presented in terms of processing techniques, microstructure evolution, thermo-mechanical properties, biocompatibility and applications; and a chapter on the properties of silk/lyocell blended fabrics and the applications of selected functional finishes.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides selected authorship on anthropogenic impacts caused by arsenic, lead, chromium and other pollutants and contaminants emanating from identified activities (e.g. tanning industry, effect of irrigation water and exposure to living tissue). The basis of the study is to improve on the knowledge and spread awareness to the general public. In this book, identified impacts associated with arsenic, chromium, lead, salinity induced processes, effluents and selected synthetic tannins provide a preview of how identified anthropogenic activities can degrade and affect terrestrial, aquatic and human health. In light of this, the individual chapters pursue (to some extent) an experimental and descriptive approach in explaining these aspects. All the contributors of these chapters are specialists in their areas of specialization with very strong research backgrounds. Thus, the book has a formidable basis of communicating the science that is relevant for agronomical activities when evaluating the effluent generation from anthropogenic view, its disposal, potential impacts towards irrigation related to specific geographical areas and the human occupational risks involved overall. It is, therefore, apparent that identifying the denudating aspects of the ecosystems is a paramount step towards building appropriate diagnostic, preventive and curative capabilities in managing the environmental sustainably.

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Book SynopsisWaste biomass includes agricultural residues, livestock wastes, municipal wastes and industrial organic wastes. It should be utilised or otherwise, it will cause the pollution of water, soil and even the atmosphere. Gas biofuels have attracted growing attention as a renewable and clean energy carrier. Gas biofuels include biogas, biohydrogen and its mixture i.e. biohythane, which can be produced via anaerobic fermentation or other processes from waste biomass. This book focuses on the principles of gas biofuels in terms of types of biofuels, biomass species, and reactor configuration and production pathway. A number of books focus on the production of biogas or biohydrogen alone. In comparison, this book emphasizes the interactions and common knowledge of both. In addition, the potential of new technologies, such as microbial electrochemical technologies, and two-stage fermentation on gas biofuel production are highlighted and specifically discussed based on the authors'' research basis. This book provides a state-of-the-art technological insight into the production of gas biofuels from waste biomass. Specifically, this book consists of three parts. In Part I, the principles for gas biofuels production from waste biomass, including biogas production (Chapter 1) and biohydrogen production (Chapter 2). Part II focuses on the technical advances on gas biofuels production. Pre-treatment of biomass was firstly introduced in Chapter 3, whereas the advances of biogas production from high-solid wastes were discussed in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. In comparison, biohydrogen production is reviewed not only through dark fermentation (Chapter 6) but also emerging microbial electrochemical technology (Chapter 7). The co-production of biohydrogen and biomethane is reviewed in Chapter 8. In addition to the utilisation of carbon and hydrogen stored in biomass, nutrients recycling through algae technology is discussed in Chapter 9. Part III discusses the scale-up and industrialization of biofuels. An industrial case is introduced to analyse the bottlenecks and perspectives for development of gas biofuels.

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Book SynopsisAccording to the Census Bureau, approximately 27 percent of the U.S. population lives in a rural area. The smallest water systems account for 77 percent of all systems, and many water systems are not in compliance with drinking water regulations. Seven federal agencies provide funding or technical assistance to rural communities in developing drinking water and wastewater systems and complying with federal regulations. The nation faces costly upgrades to aging and deteriorating drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Many rural communities face significant challenges in financing the costs of replacing or upgrading aging and obsolete drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. This book focuses on the federal agencies that provide funding or technical assistance to rural communities and fiscal year 2014 funding; and issues identified that affect rural communities'' ability to obtain funding for water and wastewater infrastructure. Furthermore, this book summarises the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and its major programs and regulatory requirements. 

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Book SynopsisOver 100 irrigation projects and systems can be found on Indian reservations primarily across the western United States. The scarcity of water in much of the western United States makes irrigation critical to agricultural activities. The Department of the Interior''s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) manages 16 irrigation projects on Indian reservations in the western United States. This book focuses on BIA''s estimated deferred maintenance cost for its irrigation projects; shortcomings that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) identified in BIA''s management of its irrigation projects; and issues GAO identified that needed to be addressed to determine the long-term direction of BIA''s irrigation program.

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Book SynopsisThe Transportation Security Administration (TSA), within the Department of Homeland Security, screens or oversees the screening of over 650 million air passengers annually at over 450 airports nationwide, and attempts to balance its aviation security mission with the freedom of movement for people and commerce. In 2011, TSA began developing new security procedures intended to strengthen security and improve the passenger experience by shortening lines and wait times. These new procedures apply risk-based, intelligence-driven screening concepts and enhance the use of technology to determine passenger risk prior to travel. As part of its responsibilities for securing civil aviation, TSA ensures that all passengers and their accessible property are screened and prohibits individuals from carrying onto aircraft items that it determines to be a threat. TSA maintains a public list of such items, known as the Prohibited Items List (PIL), and updates it as necessary. This book examines, among other things, how TSA has developed, implemented, and used expedited screening; how TSA assesses passenger risk; and the extent to which TSA has determined the Managed Inclusion system''s effectiveness. Furthermore, the book examines on what basis TSA modifies the PIL and the extent to which TSA assessed risk when considering recent modifications to the PILl; and the extent to which TSA involved stakeholders when considering these modifications.

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Book SynopsisThe advanced materials, based on piezoelectric and nanotechnology approaches and their numerous applications are very important for modern science and techniques. Fast development of used theoretical, experimental and numerical methods caused by improvement of experimental equipment, theoretical and numerical approaches and computer hard- and software are analysed. These achievements allow us to understand and estimate very fine processes and transformations occurring during processing, loading and operation of modern materials and devices under intense internal and external influences. This edited book, divided in ten chapters, is devoted to the fundamentals, developments and applications of modern piezoelectrics and nanomaterials.

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Book SynopsisThe use of additive manufacturing has increased significantly in previous years. Additive manufacturing is used by multiple industry subsectors, including motor vehicles, aerospace, machinery, electronics, and medical products. Currently, however, additive manufactured products represent less than one percent of all manufactured products in the U.S. As the costs of additive manufacturing systems decrease, this technology may change the way that consumers interact with producers. Additive manufacturing technology opens up new opportunities for the economy and society. It can facilitate the customized production of strong light-weight products and it allows designs that were not possible with previous manufacturing techniques. This book provides aggregate manufacturing industry data and industry subsector data to develop a quantitative depiction of the U.S. additive manufacturing industry.

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Book SynopsisDepartment of Defense (DOD) development work on high-energy military lasers, which has been underway for decades, has reached the point where lasers capable of countering certain surface and air targets at ranges of about a mile could be made ready for installation on Navy surface ships over the next few years. More powerful shipboard lasers, which could become ready for installation in subsequent years, could provide Navy surface ships with an ability to counter a wider range of surface and air targets at ranges of up to about 10 miles. This book focuses on potential Navy shipboard lasers for countering surface, air, and ballistic missile threats.

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Book SynopsisThis book focuses on the latest developments in the field of engineering. The first chapter presents a state-of-the-art review on the potential issues to be solved in the design, manufacture and maintenance of the full ocean depth manned cabin. Only in the past 100 years, has the technological capability matched the human desire to deep dive into the ocean and discover its true mysteries. The authors of the second chapter focus on a different type of engineering and proposes a design method of observers used in induction motor systems by utilising non-singular terminal sliding-mode control. The third chapter is focused on styrene, a high value chemical widely used as feedstock for the commercial manufacture of a large variety of polymers, synthetic rubbers and polymeric resins. The poorest-vanadium catalyst is the most promising for producing styrene without steam, being the most active and selective to styrene. Chapter Four presents a straightforward compromising methodology of dynamic economic and emission active-reactive optimal power flow (AROPF). The remaining chapters of this book provide a review and discussion along with practical guidelines on the application of metamodels in real-world optimisation problems; a framework which employs multiple metamodels concurrently, thereby benefiting from the different approximations; a metamodel-assisted framework which adds a dimensionality-reduction component based on variable selection; a new, simple and efficient method for modifying motor fuel through the dynamic cavitation of motor fuel with hydrogen peroxide using a dynamic cavitation reactor; and a discussion on the principles of different Ensemble Methods (EMs) (bagging, boosting, random subspaces, combined approach) by illustrating their applications in the field of feature selection for linear regression.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides the most recent developments in the field of materials science, with chapters focused on advances in thermoluminescence research; a new structural explanation for plastic deformation behavior, including yielding and necking, using in situ Raman spectroscopy to investigate the uniaxial drawing and stress relaxation processes; an examination of the fast pyrolysis of woody biomass carried out with and without a zeolite catalyst; a review of proposals that have been made for the assessment of geologic materials in relation to their contribution to external gamma dose radiation; a comprehensive summary of practical X-ray analysis applied to the study of welding fluxes at high temperatures; and state-of-the-art research on calcium orthophosphate-containing biocomposites and hybrid biomaterials suitable for biomedical applications.

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Book SynopsisWater pollution occurs when toxic pollutants of varying kinds (organic, inorganic, radioactive and so on) are directly or indirectly discharged into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove such potential pollutants. Today''s sources of these potential pollutants, which cause high deterioration of freshwater quality, are city sewage and industrial waste discharge, human agricultural practices, industrial waste disposal practices, mining activities, civil and structural work activities and obviously natural contamination with climate change. When our water is polluted, it is not only devastating to the environment but also to human health. Therefore, development of water and wastewater treatment processes to alleviate water pollution has been a challenging and demanding task for engineers, scientists and researchers. Perhaps this is even more challenging for underdeveloped and developing countries, where water and wastewater treatment facilities, knowledge and infrastructure are limited. Water and wastewater treatment processes are broad and often multidisciplinary in nature, comprising a mixture of research areas including physical, chemical and biological methods to remove or transform various potential pollutants. This is in hopes to achieve acceptable water quality and satisfy governmental and environmental protection agencies'' laws and regulations. With these objectives, this book has been written in order to provide various research results and compilation and up-to-date development on the current states of knowledge and techniques in the broad field of water and wastewater treatment processes. Basically, this book will give a comprehensive understanding and advancement and application of various physical, chemical and biological treatment methods in the reduction of potential pollutants (inorganics/organics) from water and wastewater. There are a total 18 book chapters contributed by large number of expert authors around the world, covering the following main research areas: Physical, chemical and biological water treatment processes such as adsorption, biosorption, coagulation/flocculation, electrocoagulation, denitration, membrane filtration/separation, photo-catalytic reduction, advanced oxidation, nutrients removal by struvite crystallisation and nanotechnology; Physical, chemical and biological methods for municipal wastewater and industrial wastewater treatment plants such as primary-secondary sludge treatments, anaerobic digestions, aerobic treatment, activated sludge processes, dewaterability by flocculants, pre-treatments of sludge and rheology of sludge in wastewater treatment; Various operational units/equipment and process control of wastewater treatment plant.

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Book SynopsisThis book includes research from selected international authors and institutions that consider land use management to be an important aspect in the context of climate change and development. Our team of editors and authors hope to add a valuable contribution to the literature to address global climate change in relation to agricultural-forestry ecosystems and development in vulnerable locations. Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry book chapters include a wide variety of topics on changes in land use practices, carbon sequestration, forest degradation, as well as polices that affect land use and development. It also includes a description of the current state of land use, land-use change and forestry in South Asian countries (Chapter 1); an evaluation of biodiversity and peoples'' willingness to pay (Chapter 2); modelling of carbon sequestration in forests (Chapter 3); trade-off analysis in economic and environmental objectives (Chapter 4); use of radar imagery in detecting forest degradation (Chapter 5); assessment of carbon sequestration in woodlots (Chapter 6); solutions for improved survival of ruminants in arid and semi-arid environments and associated carbon sequestration (Chapter 7); policy interventions for land use changes (Chapter 8); accomplishing land use change from subsistence to commercial farming in Mozambique (Chapter 9); and an international and multi-sectoral approach for partnering to achieve positive agricultural developmental land use change (Chapter 10). Our team of editors, reviewers, and authors are honored to be part of this project; truly an example of international cooperation and articulation within the climate change community. The chapters and authors of Land Use, Land-Use and Forestry were carefully selected through a rigorous peer review process considering publication records, relevant and high quality contributions to this topic, and priming international cooperation. For this book and its contents, the intended audience includes the international climate change community including: contributors to the UNFCCC-IPCC process, policymakers, consultants, project developers, researchers and their institutions. Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry aims to be a valuable addition to multidisciplinary and international cooperation efforts (policies, cultural practices, new technologies, and adaptation measures), to development of land use policies, governmental and nongovernmental agencies worldwide and the general public. The editors of Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry believe the book is an effective tool to help the international community progress in understanding and management of land use changes in addressing climate change through international collaboration and cooperation.

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Book SynopsisThe aim of this monography is to summarise the fundamentals and technical approaches in the processing and behavior of nanostructured materials in the textile industry, to provide a comprehensive assessment of exciting opportunities for diversification in the textile industry, upgrading the existing functions and performance of textile materials, developing smart and intelligent textiles with unprecedented functions. This book mainly focuses on zinc oxide architectures with regard to their syntheses, characteristics and responses to environmental factors (UV radiation, water and water vapors, and heat, under controlled laboratory conditions). Several new concepts and models are introduced by synthesising ZnO nano and bulk (micron) powders using simple and facile methods. Two new ZnO nanostructures are discovered and analysed. In addition, the monography was oriented in achieving a textile nanocomposite with a surface architecture allowing blocking/fixing/adhesion of different guest compounds, resulting in different properties like: water repellence/washing resistance, antimicrobial activity, photoprotection, etc.)

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Book SynopsisRed light running is one of the major causes of crashes, deaths, and injuries at signalised intersections. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) support a comprehensive approach to intersection safety that incorporates engineering, education, and enforcement countermeasures to prevent red light running and improve intersection safety. Red light cameras can be a very effective countermeasure to prevent red light running. There are a number of studies that indicate reduction in crashes at signalised intersections due to red light cameras. The fundamental objective of the research in this book is to determine the effectiveness of RLC systems in reducing crashes. A description of all project efforts is described in this book.

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Book SynopsisThe consumption of phytosterols (plant sterols and/or stanols) can reduce cardiovascular risk by reducing hypercholesterolemia. In addition to reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption, phytoserols (PS), which are structurally similar to cholesterol, have other potential beneficial effects in humans. There are a wide range of plants that have phytosterols in their composition. In this book, the food sources of phytosterols are explored. The authors evaluate whether a decrease in carotenoids associated with the consumption of a therapeutic dose of PS alters oxidative stress parameters. Furthermore, the characterisation of oils by phytosterols analysis was studied and is examined in this book. An overview of phytosterols in olive oil is given as well, particularly, the use of HPLC and GC coupled to various detection systems to isolate sterols from olive oil in order to focus on the occurrence of phytosterols and their role in human health.

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Book SynopsisThe federal government collects, maintains, and uses geospatial information -- data linked to specific geographic locations -- to help support varied missions, including national security and natural resources conservation. To coordinate geospatial activities, in 1994 the President issued an executive order to develop a National Spatial Data Infrastructure -- a framework for coordination that includes standards, data themes, and a clearinghouse. This book describes the geospatial data that selected federal agencies and states use and how much is spent on geospatial data; assess progress in establishing the National Spatial Data Infrastructure; and determine whether selected federal agencies and states invest in duplicative geospatial data.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a comprehensive review of recent advances in materials science research. The chapters included in this volume are conductive composites as versatile substrates for modeling of interfaces and sensors; the use of fiber reinforced polymers to improve load carrying capacity of damaged concrete; functionally graded materials in dentistry; electrochemical synthesis and characterization of electroactive copolymers deriving from five-ring with six-ring aromatic compounds and their perspectives for cost-effective optoelectronic applications; structural health monitoring of composite aircraft; semiconductor nanomaterials for water splitting; dendrimer and its role for the advancement of nanotechnology and bioengineering; parametric identification of nonlinear model of hydrogen thermal desorption from structural materials; testing 1D ternary photonic band gap material structure for use in temperature unstable environments; the effect of temperature variation on transmission properties of 1D photonic band gap material structure and random multilayer structure; and altering spectrum tuning capability, and temperature sensitivity in 1D ternary photonic band gap material structures.

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Book SynopsisNanomaterials represent a world of new possibilities and exciting opportunities. The problems facing mankind currently and those it will face in the future are and will be incredibly complex. As such, novel and innovative solutions to these problems will have to be explored. Problems centered, for example, in supplying enough energy or water in the future will have to be solved via sustainable solutions, as it is now clear that the continuation of current practices for an ever-increasing load will mean irreparable damage to the planet. The solutions to these challenges and others will have to be based on new approaches. These novel approaches will have their foundations in the development of new materials and protocols. The rise of nanotechnology over the last fifteen years or so now provides the opportunity for development of innovative and ground breaking approaches to society''s pressing problems. This book provides a snapshot of the current development of new materials, ranging from nanoparticles to nanotubes to graphene to various hybrid materials and composites. These materials will without a doubt be the cornerstones of the novel approaches used to tackle mankind''s most pressing problems in the 21st century. Specifically, this book explores the application of graphene in membranes, electrodes, biological applications and catalysis. There is also a basic exploration of nanocarbon chemistry. Biological interactions with nanomaterials are explored to develop bionics, sensors, medicines or imaging agents, and to detect and assess the materials'' toxicity in various environments. Some fundamental work exploring nanostructures and transport properties is included and the use for such material as sensors, membranes or electrodes is discussed extensively.

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) is responsible for protecting the natural resources and heritage contained on almost 20 percent of the land in the United States. This responsibility requires acquisition of remotely sensed data throughout vast lands, including areas that are remote and potentially dangerous to access. One promising new technology for data collection is unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which may be better suited (achieving superior science, safety, and savings) than traditional methods. UAS, regardless of their size, have the same operational components: aircraft, payloads, communications unit, and operator control unit. This book provides operational procedures and lessons learned from completed proof-of-concept UAS missions in areas such as wildlife management, resource monitoring, and public land inspections. This information provides not only an implementation framework but can also help increase the awareness by resource managers, scientists, and others of the ability of UAS technology to advance data quality, improve personnel safety, and reduce data acquisition costs.

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Book SynopsisRice, an ancient grain, is the primary staple for more than half the world''s population, through its role in the diets of billions of low-income, food-insecure consumers. Its vital role makes its availability and price politically sensitive for governments in several regions. Government intervention is often aimed at keeping prices affordable, especially for low-income consumers. In some cases, government intervention also encourages domestic production to promote national self-sufficiency. The United States faces little direct competition domestically and relies heavily on export markets; exports account for about half of the annual crop each year. This book investigates factors affecting the global competitiveness of the U.S. rice industry. It provides an overview of the rice industry in the United States and other major global producing and exporting countries and provides information on recent trade trends and developments in the global market for rice. It supplies a comparison of the competitive strengths and weaknesses of rice production and exports in the United States and other major exporting countries and assesses the impact of government policies and programs of major producing and exporting countries.

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Book SynopsisThe aim of this book is to illustrate the big opportunity to transfer computational techniques, well accepted and used in medicinal chemistry to food science; through this, we hope to discover new pollutants, possible dangerous food additives, contaminants from industries, xenoestrogens, etc. The paradigm is: if a molecule can interact with a receptor (i.e. a Nuclear Receptor), it can modify the signaling pathway and should be investigated to discover negative effects on food. The interaction can be predicted using in silico techniques well known by medicinal chemists to discover new lead compounds or to study the behavior of a protein ligand interaction. The book starts with an introduction about the computational methods applied to food safety by authors coming from a big food company, who elucidate the importance of this approach for industries and food agencies. In Chapter Two, the authors give an overview of in vivo tests for food contaminant and toxin evaluation. In Chapter Three, in vitro and in silico models of digestion are compared. In Chapter Four, the authors, belonging both to an in silico lab and a wet lab use a case study of poliphenols to show how to merge in silico prediction and in vitro controls to gain time and money in estrogen receptors. Additionally, poliphenol binding studies use a molecule modeling approach. In Chapter Five, a non-typical docking approach is presented: a reverse docking approach. Chapter Six and Seven introduce the problem of receptor flexibility and how to treat this important characteristic that must be considered in computational simulations. Chapter Eight is a review about QSAR methods well considered in this approach. Chapter Nine show a non-conventional informatics approach to ab initio in silico protein structure prediction. The last chapter is dedicated to the informatics requirements for in silico simulations to help researchers approaching this field.

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Book SynopsisQuercetin is a uniquitous phytochemical and a major flavonoid consumed in the human diet. It is also a part of the active principles of several medicinal plants and is used as a supplement for the treatment of several diseases. The authors of this book discuss the latest advances in quercetin research, its antioxidant properties as well as health benefits.

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Book SynopsisThe nuclear industry is in a state of flux. Proclamations of a nuclear renaissance have given way to predictions of the industry''s ultimate decline, and now, in the face of new carbon emissions regulation, renewed optimism for the future. Yet, nuclear plants are currently at-risk due to electricity market design issues and competition with low priced natural gas. This book attempts to provide clarity to the potential outlook for the nuclear industry by examining the factors that influence it. It includes an analysis of recent trends affecting nuclear power generation while focusing on the specific potential impact of the EPA''s proposed Clean Power Program on nuclear power.

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Book SynopsisCoal has long been the major fossil fuel used to produce electricity. The existing coal-fired power generation fleet consists of over fifteen hundred separate units ranging in size from just a few megawatts (MW) to thirteen hundred (1,300) MW. Together these coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) constitute over 300 gigawatts (GW) of installed electric generating capacity and are responsible for generating more electricity than any other fuel type in the United Sates: between thirty-seven and fifty percent of the total kilowatt-hours (kWh) produced annually during the last decade. However, coal-fired electric power plants are one of the largest sources of air pollution in the United States, with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from burning of fossil fuels believed to be the major contributor to global climate change. This book discusses efficiency improvement options of coal-fired power plants.

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Book SynopsisMost U.S. farms are family operations, and even the largest farms are predominantly family-run. Small farms are less profitable than larger farms, on average, and their operator households tend to rely on off-farm income for their livelihood. Generally speaking, farm operator households cannot be characterised as low-income when both farm and off-farm incomes are considered. Small family farms dominate the farm count, but midsize and large-scale family farms account for the bulk of farm production. Information on the different kinds of farms -- and the farmers who operate them -- is important for understanding the economic wellbeing of farm households and the implications of farm policy. This book proves accurate, detailed, and unbiased information on the structure and finances of U.S. farms, including the relationship of farm size and type to agricultural production, financial performance, sources of farm household income, and the extent of off-farm work. The book provides a sense of the financial position of family farms in general and of different types of family farms.

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Book SynopsisThese 2 volume books strive to provide to our readers the most up-to-date core information available in the published literature as well as our yet to be published studies with ample illustrations (total 416) on biodegradable polymers. Much of the information used in this book is from the authors'' own research activities over the past several decades. These 2 volume books contain a compilation of new developments in the creation and use of biodegradable polymers including the relatively new polymers designed from the ground up (i.e., designing new monomers), the modification of existing biodegradable polymers to achieve particular new goals and functions, new fabrication methods for better efficiency, purity and yields, new engineering methods to formulate existing biodegradable polymers into new physical forms, and new applications of existing or new biodegradable polymers in biomedical and environmental arenas. These 2 volume books contain a total of 28 chapters grouped under 2 volumes. Volume 1 has a total of 14 chapters and 2 sections: Section I Basic degradation study and phenomenon (6 chapters), and Section II Biomedical and environmental applications (8 chapters). Volume 2 has also 14 chapters, and focuses on newly designed biodegradable polymers, and their formulation into different physical forms. The chapters in both volumes have both new original articles and information and review articles with updated and new information. Although the bulk of the chapters in this book (> 90%) deal with issues in biomedical fields which are far more challenging, demanding, and costly to resolve, two chapters deal with use of biodegradable materials for environmental impacts. The books are designed for material and polymer scientists and engineers and biomedical engineers in both universities and in industries with an interest in the biomedical field. Biomaterial scientists and engineers, biomedical engineers and even medical professionals who have used implantable polymeric-based medical devices for their practice will find these books coverage of the latest developments and challenges useful either as a comprehensive review or an up to date report of the developments in the field of biodegradable polymers. The contributors include both academic scientists and research scientists in industry, from 10 different countries in North (USA) and South America (Brazil, Argentina), Asia (China, Korea, Singapore) and Europe (Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal). Therefore, these 2 volume books are truly internationally as well as multidisciplinary-oriented, covering science and engineering without borders.

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Book SynopsisLarge farms now dominate crop production in the United States. Although most cropland was operated by farms with less than 600 crop acres in the early 1980s, today most cropland is on farms with at least 1,100 acres, and many farms are 5 and 10 times that size. This ongoing shift in farm structure raises a host of questions. How extensive is this structural change? What forces have accompanied and contributed to the shift to larger farms? What implications do these structural shifts have for family farms? The shift of acreage to larger farms is part of a complex set of structural changes in crop agriculture. The number of mid-size crop farms has declined, while farm numbers at the extremes (large and small) are growing. Because of these changes, average farm size has changed little in the last three decades, even while cropland and crop production have shifted to much larger farms. This book documents the complex nature of modern farm structure and introduces statistics aimed at better tracking consolidation of land and production. Furthermore, this book looks at small acreage farms having gross sales of $10,000 or more in a given year to better understand the product choices and strategies used by small acreage farms that appear to be operating profitably.

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Book SynopsisFarm businesses'' debt-use decisions can affect their growth and survival, as well as the economic vitality of farm-dependent rural communities. Thus policymakers, agricultural lenders, and other farm-sector participants closely follow trends in farm debt. This book is a primer on the use of debt by U.S. farm businesses for policymakers, researchers, and others interested in the financial well-being of U.S. agriculture. It presents data on basic debt-use patterns by farm businesses (in 2011, over 900,000 farms operated as farm businesses based on their size, organisational structure, or the occupation of their principal operator) and explores key trends over 20 years. U.S. farm debt use varies widely by farm size, specialisation, operator age, and other farm characteristics.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides readers with the latest developments in materials science research. Topics covered include research on the main achievements, drawbacks and applicable scope of two-dimensional layered crystals; polyethylene/sepiolite nanocomposites; the development of ultrasonic signal processing techniques for the testing of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP); analytical techniques for the characterization of historical building materials; precise damage diagnosis as a vital element in stone conservation and sustainable monument preservation; various methods developed for the synthesis and applications of zeolitic materials; a novel tool for tuning optical properties and a review of the importance of pure iron nanophase powders and its various applications.

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Book SynopsisFood products are produced and distributed worldwide, leading to very stringent regulations to guarantee food quality and safety. The authors of the first chapter of this book confirm strategies that work in food analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Furthermore, antioxidant activity is well-known to have a great deal of beneficial impacts on health due to the protection against oxidative damage. Novel insights are provided for the methods for measuring the antioxidant capacity in foods, placing particular emphasis on the advantages, pitfalls and possible developments in the various methodologies. The next chapter highlights the interesting role that chirality plays when evaluating the quality and safety of foods and points out the main practical aspects that should be considered to carry out the chiral analysis of food components, additives and pesticides by capillary electrophoresis (CE). Next, authors'' review the literature of the application of chemometric methods and chromatographic data for the characterization and authentication of the geographical origin of olive oil. An identification and comparison of phenolic compounds in different products at the manufacturing stage of olive oil is provided as well. Next, the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids stability of three important fish species are characterized and evaluated by the authors. Fish gender and catching season were taken into account as these factors influence the lipid amounts and compositions. This is followed by a chapter on the validation of a matrix solid phase dispersion methodology for the determination of triazines herbicides in fish. Furthermore, food adulteration is an act of intentionally debasing the quality of food offered by sale either by the admixture of substitution of inferior substances or by the removal of some valuable ingredients. The next chapter examines the use of DNA-based methods for the detection of plant-based adulterants in plant food products. Finally, the interactions among the ingredients in food and beverages are still an open problem. The last chapter is devoted to food safety, with particular attention devoted to the interactions between beverages and food dyes.

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Book SynopsisIn recent years, there has been a growing trend in the consumption of functional foods. Functional foods are those that when consumed regularly produce a specific beneficial health effect beyond their basic nutritional properties. In this book, the authors focus on providing an overview of the current knowledge on technical approaches for the manufacturing of fermented dairy foods, as well as aspects concerning nutrition and health; the effects of supplementation of yogurt with appropriate plant materials for developing novel functional yogurt with antioxidant properties; the role of probiotics applications in fermented foods and the application of probiotic bacteria in foods for promoting health benefits; and finally, the monitoring of microbial volatile organic compounds in traditional fermented foods as well as the strategies of preservation and innovation paths in the field of traditional fermented foods.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents research on superconductivity. The first chapter discusses the physical properties of two nonmagnetic noncentrosymmetric superconductors, LaRhSi3 and LaIrSi3. Chapter two reviews the SrFe2As2 and FeTe0.8S0.2 compounds, which are perspective for developing new superconducting materials on their basis. The possibility of selective excitation of the nonlinear lattice vibrations in high-temperature superconductors formed from layers or thin films opens the new perspectives in the manipulations and control of quantum field in superconducting phase, which is further discussed in chapter three. Chapter four begins with a detailed derivation of the three coupled integral equations associated with the so-called generalised Bose-Einstein condensation formalism of a many-fermion system. Finally, chapter five proposes a microscopic theory of superconductivity based on the spinfluctuation mechanism of pairing.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the most up-to-date research in the agricultural field. The first chapter examines intercropping systems as a way of increasing productivity of land. The following chapter discusses hyperspectral imaging as an emerging and green chemistry technique for non-destructive and rapid food analysis. Chapter three also discusses hyperspectral imaging, with an emphasis on carrots. Chapter four aims to review recent progress and development in hydroxycinnamic acid research in barley seed and barley hull in terms of structure, biodegradation characteristics and its interrelationship to nutrient utilisation and availability in ruminant. Chapter five summarises the use of near-infrared spectroscopy as a cotton fiber quality assessment. Chapter six characterises the mean volatile composition of five distilled alcoholic beverages. Chapter seven summarises challenges associated with the processing of milk naturally enriched with bioactive lipids. Chapter eight shows the possibilities of the use of bamboo in building material and food. The final chapter aims to develop a comprehensive system of control measures against diseases of sugar beets.

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