Search results for ""iste ltd""

Origin of Life studies have a nearly-impossible goal: understanding nature through the comprehension of its origins and its complexities. As a growing field with poorly-defined borders, Origin of Life studies profit from progress in other disciplines. This book proposes both an overview of this large area and an in-depth look at the opinions and results obtained by some of the active contributors of this fascinating and deeply thought-provoking matter. The topics are presented in a bottom-up order, first touching on the habitability of the universe, then the rationale behind meaningful prebiotic chemistry, the possible or probable prebiotic chemical frames, the problem of chirality, and moving on through the role of minerals in biogenesis, biogenic fertile environments, the in-and-out problem as solved by vesicles physics, the evolution of the codes, the structure of LUCA and its proto metabolisms and the meaning of complex extant biological biomorphs, as exemplified by viroids. These topics and the reasoning within the chapters are provided against the backdrop of the evolution of information and complexity.

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This book presents the Rock-Eval® method, which was invented in France in the 1970s and is used by the oil industry worldwide to characterize source rocks and reservoir rocks as well as their petroleum potential. Rock Eval® has also spread to other fields of application, including soil science, paleoceanography, paleoclimatology, environmental science (i.e. monitoring pollution remediation), material chemistry (i.e. carbonates, microplastics) and many others. The Rock-Eval Method presents a collection of chapters reviewing this method and its fields of application, and examines its possible developments. The authors are from either the academic or applied sector and have all contributed to the development of the Rock Eval® apparatus and method. This instrument, which lies somewhere between a chromatographic, a thermal and an elemental analyzer, is now evolving to be an analytical platform, on which new fields of applications can be tested in the future.

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Symmetric cryptology is one of the two main branches of cryptology. Its applications are essential and vital in the Information Age, due to the efficiency of its constructions. The scope of this book in two volumes is two-fold. First, it presents the most important ideas that have been used in the design of symmetric primitives, their inner components and their most relevant constructions. Second, it describes and provides insights on the most popular cryptanalysis and proof techniques for analyzing the security of the above algorithms. A selected number of future directions, such as post-quantum security or design of ciphers for modern needs and particular applications, are also discussed. We believe that the two volumes of this work will be of interest to researchers, to master’s and PhD students studying or working in the field of cryptography, as well as to all professionals working in the field of cybersecurity.

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How can atmospheric variables such as temperature, wind, rain and ozone be measured by satellites? How are these measurements taken and what has been learned since the first measurements in the 1970s? What data are currently available and what data are expected in the future? The second volume of this encyclopedic book presents each field of application – meteorology, atmospheric composition and climate – with its main aims as well as the specific areas which can be addressed through the use of satellite remote sensing. This book presents the satellite products used for operational purposes as well as those that allow for the advancement of scientific knowledge. The instruments that are at their origin are described, as well as the processing, delivery times and the knowledge they provide. This book is completed by a glossary and appendices with a list of supporting instruments already in use.

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Metallic resources play a huge role in many fields: in the energy transition, the development of new technologies and the production and storage of green energy. Metallic Resources 1 presents various studies in notable European metallogenic regions or deposits that enable us to tackle the question of the concentration of metals, especially strategic metals, in various geodynamic settings. An understanding of the geological processes that lead to the formation of deposits and influence their concentrations in the Earth's crust is of the utmost importance when it comes to uncovering new mineral resources. This book puts forward various different methodological approaches necessary in the study of deposits of metallic resources, from field observations to microanalysis. A study of specific geo-politico-economic frameworks is also presented.

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Heat and Cold Storage 1 is dedicated to sensible and latent heat storage processes. Beginning with some theoretical reminders, this book presents the main situations of low-temperature and high-temperature sensible storage for electricity generation. It also analyzes latent storage on phase-change materials (PCMs) from a fundamental standpoint, presenting the mechanisms to prepare PCMs and their integration into heat and cold storage processes. The most promising materials are presented, along with ways of improving the materials studied. Notions of technico-economic profitability are also defined. Finally, the book looks at heat storage in thermodynamic solar power plants and the wide variety of physical storage principles involved.

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Everyday mobility is neither favorable nor unfavorable to health. While it can facilitate social interactions, increase access to remote services, or encourage physical activity, it can also generate pollution, promote the spread of epidemics or cause traffic accidents. This book presents different facets of the relationship between daily mobility and health, focusing on the environments (geographical, social and political) that people live and move around in. It analyzes the role of mobility in the mechanisms of environmental exposure and diffusion, as well as the resulting health inequalities. It deals with active modes of travel (mainly walking and cycling) and the local contexts that are conducive to them. Finally, it offers a critical reading of the place given to everyday mobility in policies to combat obesity and rationalize regional healthcare provision.

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From a cluster of interconnected HTML pages to online service platforms, websites are constantly changing in form and function. These transformations have led, on the one hand, to human and social sciences renewing or inventing analytical methodologies; and on the other hand, to a reconsideration of the practices of non-specialists and digital professionals. The Web factory is equally included on the agenda of communication training, according to an alternative approach that is complementary to the one that has been implemented for computer scientists. From these two perspectives and drawing upon several case studies, Analyzing Websites presents epistemological and methodological contributions from researchers in Information and Communication Sciences exploring websites as sociotechnical, semi-discursive and communicational devices. This study covers website design as well as their integration into the digital strategies of organizations in the public, associative and private sectors.

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This book deals with the geological record and the evolution of ideas concerning the Variscan orogenic belt in France and neighboring regions. Volume 1 is based on a general introduction concerning the imprint of the Variscan period on the geology of France, as well as on the particularities of the study of this ancient orogen. A history of the concepts applied to the Variscan belt is proposed in order to consider this orogen in the history of Earth Sciences. A paleogeodynamic analysis of the Variscan cycle sets the general framework for the evolution of the orogen, which is then tackled through the prism of the magmatic, metamorphic and tectonic record of the early phases (from Cambrian to Lower Carboniferous). Volume 2 proposes an analysis of the late evolution of the Variscan orogenic belt, reflecting its dismantling in a high-temperature context during the Upper Carboniferous and Permian. The sedimentary archives are described, as well as the questions raised by the specificities of this ancient orogen.

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This book presents the factual, precise, complete and accessible economic elements of nuclear energy in order to contribute to an informed and dispassionate debate. It analyzes the economic aspects of spent fuel management, including the costs and financing of long-term storage and deep geological disposal. The economic costs of a nuclear accident are also discussed from both theoretical and applied angles, based on the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Nuclear Economy 2 also examines the industrial and political aspects of the future energy mix. Nuclear energy is thus placed in the more global context of the European electricity market. Finally, this book offers a panorama of energy scenarios on the scale of France, but also of the world.

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Although the development of lead crystal was a major step in the history of glass in the late 17th century, the presence of lead in vitreous matrices (glass and glazes) is much older, dating back to the second millennium BCE. Lead in Glassy Materials in Cultural Heritage traces the history of these skills and also looks at the most recent developments in materials science concerning the role played by lead in the properties of glass, including coloring. It develops an understanding of weathering processes and notions of the durability of leaded glass. It also examines public health issues and current recommended standards for the use of lead in industrial glass. This multidisciplinary book is intended for a wide audience: art and technical historians, museum curators, restorers, materials specialists, manufacturers and engineers.

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The sciences are, in essence, highly semiotized. Our ways of thinking and communicating about science are based on permanent transformations from one system of signs to another, such as scriptural, graphic, symbolic, oral and gestural signs. The semiotic focus studied in this book makes it possible to grasp part of the complexity of teaching and learning phenomena by focusing on the variety of possible interpretations of the signs that circulate within the science classroom. Semiotic Approaches in Science Didactics brings together contributions from didactic research involving various disciplines such as mathematics, chemistry, physics and geography, which mobilize different types of semiotic support. It offers the key to understanding and even reducing some of the misunderstandings that can arise between a speaker and a receiver in scientific teaching situations.

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This book presents recent advances in fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant control of dynamic processes. Its impetus derives from the need for an overview of the challenges of the fault diagnosis technique and sustainable control, especially for those demanding systems that require reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety to ensure efficient operations. Moreover, the need for a high degree of tolerance with respect to possible faults represents a further key point, primarily for complex systems, as modeling and control are inherently challenging, and maintenance is both expensive and safety-critical.Diagnosis and Fault-tolerant Control 2 also presents and compares different fault diagnosis and fault-tolerant schemes, using well established, innovative strategies for modeling the behavior of the dynamic process under investigation. An updated treatise of diagnosis and fault-tolerant control is addressed with the use of essential and advanced methods including signal-based, model-based and data-driven techniques. Another key feature is the application of these methods for dealing with robustness and reliability.

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Change Detection and Image Time Series Analysis 2 presents supervised machine-learning-based methods for temporal evolution analysis by using image time series associated with Earth observation data. Chapter 1 addresses the fusion of multisensor, multiresolution and multitemporal data. It proposes two supervised solutions that are based on a Markov random field: the first relies on a quad-tree and the second is specifically designed to deal with multimission, multifrequency and multiresolution time series.Chapter 2 provides an overview of pixel based methods for time series classification, from the earliest shallow learning methods to the most recent deep-learning-based approaches.Chapter 3 focuses on very high spatial resolution data time series and on the use of semantic information for modeling spatio-temporal evolution patterns.Chapter 4 centers on the challenges of dense time series analysis, including pre processing aspects and a taxonomy of existing methodologies. Finally, since the evaluation of a learning system can be subject to multiple considerations,Chapters 5 and 6 offer extensive evaluations of the methodologies and learning frameworks used to produce change maps, in the context of multiclass and/or multilabel change classification issues.

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Natural history collections have recently acquired an unprecedented place of importance in scientific research. Originally created in the context of systematics and taxonomy, they are now proving to be fundamental for answering various scientific and societal questions that are as significant as they are current.Natural History Collections in the Science of the 21st Century presents a wide range of questions and answers raised by the study of collections. The billions of specimens that have been collected from all around the world over more than two centuries provide us with information that is vital in our quest for knowledge about the Earth, the universe, the diversity of life and the history of humankind.These collections also provide valuable reference points from the past to help us understand the nature and dynamics of global change today. Their physical permanence is the best guarantee we have of a return to data and to information sources in the context of open science.

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We live in a world of major disruption, where the individual and the collective stand in opposition against the backdrop of globalization, digital revolution, community development, growing concerns around health and the planet, and now an unprecedented global health crisis.This book explores how these phenomena influence the social ties that surround food and the way we eat together. Extensive research is presented on institutional recommendations concerning eating together, the role of online communities in supporting weight loss, the perceived consequences of diets, the social phenomena involved in vegetarianism, market segmentation in the case of ritual and religious practices, and the rising tendency to "buy local" and to value local identity. As the Covid-19 crisis adds to the complexity of these issues, its impact is also taken into account.For both interested readers and the many players involved in the agri-food industry, these reflections shed light on the current developments in "eating together".

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The public space of democracies is constructed in a context that is marked by the digital transformation of the economy and society. This construction is carried out primarily through deliberation. Deliberation informs and guides both individual and collective action. To shed light on the concept of deliberation, it is important to consider the rationality of choice; but what type of rationality is this? References to economic reason are at once widespread, crucial and controversial. This book therefore deals with arguments used by individuals based on the notions of preferential choice and rational behavior, and also criticizes them. These arguments are examined in the context of the major themes of public debate that help to construct the contemporary public space: "populism", social insurance, social responsibility and environmental issues. Economic Reason and Political Reason underlines the importance of the pragmatist shift of the 2000s and revisits, through the lens of this new approach, the great utilitarian and Rawlsian normative constructs that dominated normative political economics at the end of the 20th century. Alternative approaches, based on the concept of deliberative democracy, are proposed and discussed.

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The Anthropocene refers to all societies’ current era of environmental challenges. For the social sciences, the Anthropocene represents a historical “moment” with huge potential: it offers people new ways of considering the human condition, as well as how they interact with the rest of the living world and with the planet on all levels. At the turn of the 21st century, the idea of the Anthropocene burst onto the older, diverse and varied scene of risk studies.This “new geological era”, which is entirely created by humanity, went on to revive our understanding of environmental issues, as well as the analysis of the social and political problems that constitute risk situations.Drawing together contributions from specialists in social sciences concerning risks and the environment, Risks and the Anthropocene explores the advantages that the idea of the Anthropocene can offer in understanding risks and their management, as well as the limitations it presents.

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Nanocomposites are one of the major advances in the field of materials. They have applications in sectors as varied as aeronautics, energy and the environment. However, the effective use of nanocomposites requires new knowledge and tools in order to overcome the difficulties and benefit from the advantages. Nanocomposites presents recent academic and industrial progress in this field, as well as the latest research on the effective use of nanoscale fillers and reinforcements to improve the performance of advanced nanocomposites. It also describes the techniques and tools used to prepare nanocomposites, including the latest techniques for synthesis and surface treatment of nanofillers for different applications. Finally, it details the role of nanoscience in the design, characterization and multi-scale modeling of these materials, with a focus on nanoscale phenomena.

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Galaxies are vast ensembles of stars, gas and dust, embedded in dark matter halos. They are the basic building blocks of the Universe, gathered in groups, clusters and super-clusters. They exist in many forms, either as spheroids or disks. Classifications, such as the Hubble sequence (based on mass concentration and gas fraction) and the colormagnitude diagram (which separates a blue cloud from a red sequence) help to understand their formation and evolution. Galaxies spend a large part of their lives in the blue cloud, forming stars as spiral or dwarf galaxies. Then, via a mechanism that is still unclear, they stop forming stars and quietly end in the red sequence, as spheroids. This transformation may be due to galaxy interactions, or because of the feedback of active nuclei, through the energy released by their central super-massive black holes. These mechanisms could explain the history of cosmic star formation, the rate of which was far greater in the first half of the Universe�s life. Galaxies delves into all of these surrounding subjects in six chapters written by dedicated, specialist astronomers and researchers in the field, from their numerical simulations to their evolutions.

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Electromagnetic Waves 2 examines antennas in the field of radio waves. It analyzes the conditions of use and the parameters that are necessary in order to create an effective antenna. This book presents antennas’ definitions, regulations and fundamental equations, and describes the various forms of antennas that can be used in radio: horns, waveguides, coaxial cables, printed and miniature antennas. It presents the characterization methods and the link budgets as well as the digital methods that make the fine calculation of radio antennas possible. Electromagnetic Waves 2 is a collaborative work, completed only with the invaluable contributions of Ibrahima Sakho, Hervé Sizun and JeanPierre Blot, not to mention the editor, Pierre-Noël Favennec. Aimed at students and engineers, this book provides essential theoretical support for the design and deployment of wireless radio and optical communication systems.

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Since the HMS Challenger expedition of 1872–1876, our vision of the ocean has changed completely. We now understand that it plays a key role in biodiversity, climate regulation, and mineral and biological resources, and as such, the ocean is a major service provider for humanity. Oceans draws on data from new oceanographic and satellite tools, acquired through international interdisciplinary programs. It describes the processes that control how the ocean functions, on different spatial and temporal scales. After considering the evolution of concepts in physical, chemical and biological oceanography, the book outlines the future of a warmer, acidified, less oxygenated ocean. It shows how a view of the ocean at different scales changes how we understand it. Finally, the book presents the challenges facing the ocean in terms of the exploitation of biological and mineral resources, in the context of sustainable development and the regulation of climate change.

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Instabilities Modeling in Geomechanics describes complex mechanisms which are frequently met in earthquake nucleation, geothermal energy production, nuclear waste disposal and CO2 sequestration. These mechanisms involve systems of non-linear differential equations that express the evolution of the geosystem (e.g. strain localization, temperature runaway, pore pressure build-up, etc.) at different length and time scales. In order to study the evolution of a system and possible instabilities, it is essential to know the mathematical properties of the governing equations. Therefore, questions of the existence, uniqueness and stability of solutions naturally arise. This book particularly explores bifurcation theory and stability analysis, which are robust and rigorous mathematical tools that allow us to study the behavior of complex geosystems, without even explicitly solving the governing equations. The contents are organized into 10 chapters which illustrate the application of these methods in various fields of geomechanics.

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Since their discovery by Barbara McClintock in the mid-20th century, the importance of transposable elements in shaping the architecture, function and evolution of genomes has gradually been unveiled. These DNA sequences populate nearly all genomes and are viewed as genomic parasites. They are mobile, capable of proliferating within genomes and also commonly travel between species. These elements are mutagenic and are responsible for several human genetic disorders, but they also constitute a major source of genetic diversity. Some insertions have beneficial effects for the host and are selected for, giving rise to significant evolutionary innovations. Their dynamics within genomes are intricate, as are their interactions with other genome components. To limit their proliferation, the genome has evolved sophisticated defense mechanisms. While researchers commonly use these elements as genetic tools, their identification in newly sequenced genomes remains a chall

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Urban Mobility Systems in the World provides insight into the geographical organization of urban mobility systems around the world. These "systems" consist of infrastructure networks, existing transport services and people's travel practices. Adopting a comparative approach, the book highlights the geographical diversity of mobility systems, based on case studies from Africa, North and South America, Asia and Europe. This multi-disciplinary book is organized into twelve chapters, divided into four parts. The first part gives an overview of urban mobility, and then examines the factors that determine everyday mobility in cities, revealing different travel practices among populations (poor, elderly and children). Parts 2 and 3, respectively, focus on urban public transport (trains, metros, minibuses) and active modes of transport (walking, cycling), and the related infrastructure policies. The final section examines the circulation of urban mobility analysis tools and public policy models.

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Sustainable urban planning and urban renewal are major challenges of the 21st century. In this context, Urbanism and Town Planning proposes a geohistorical approach to urban construction. The city and its neighborhoods are studied through their materials and general layout, which sometimes reveal a logic of economic profitability, prestige and social equity, and sometimes a more innovative approach from an environmental perspective. Across these elements, unbuilt spaces (distinctive streets and squares) and built spaces (commercial and residential areas, both individual and collective) form a three-dimensional grid of "voids" and "solids", characteristic of urban landscapes and lifestyles. Supported by numerous original examples, this book is a comprehensive summary of the most tangible elements of urban planning and development; elements that must be put into context in order to think concretely about the development of the cities of the future.

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Outer space is subject to a legal framework; there is a set of rules specifically dedicated to outer space and to the activities carried out there. These rules have developed since 1957, the year the first artificial satellite was launched. Major changes have also affected the technology used and the actors involved, as well as the domains concerned by the exploration and use of outer space. Space Law will lay out the progressive densification of the legal framework that is applicable to outer space and the activities that are carried out there. Without claiming to be exhaustive, the aim of this book is to present the main primary sources of space law, its main principles, the diversity of its fields of application and the challenges and issues that the development of space activities inevitably raises.

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This book offers a state-of-the-art analysis on the main challenges facing the aquatic products processing industry. The topics explored are particularly relevant to the issues faced by European consumers and processors, but the information provided within this book can be widely extrapolated. This book should be helpful for processors, fish traders, consumers, scientists and students. The first chapter is dedicated to the sociological definition of "fish" and consumers’ perceptions. The following chapters deal with the notions of quality sensu lato, biological risks and their control, as well as the risks linked to the pollution of oceans and ecosystems by microplastics. Two types of processes and processed products – smoked fish and surimi products – which are of great economic importance to the European market, are also presented. The process of adding value to co-products, including the "blue biorefinery" and the innovative pH-shift technology are also covered in this book.

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At every stage of the fuel cycle, the materials used are at the heart of nuclear energy safety issues. These materials, which range from steel to polymers, including ceramics, glass, concrete and graphite, are submitted to extreme stresses combining mechanical, thermal and irradiation constraints. The objective of this book is to provide a basis for the research of nuclear materials subjected to irradiation, with the desire to contextualize them in the industrial environment. Therefore, most of the chapters are co-authored and contain a mix of basic and applied research. The reader will find chapters on nuclear reactor materials (structural materials, neutron absorbers, moderators and nuclear fuel) and on materials in waste management (glass, concrete and organic materials). These material chapters are complemented by more general information on defects and their creation, radiolysis and irradiation and characterization tools.

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Omnidirectional cameras, vision sensors that can capture 360° images, have in recent years had growing success in computer vision, robotics and the entertainment industry. In fact, modern omnidirectional cameras are compact, lightweight and inexpensive, and are thus being integrated in an increasing number of robotic platforms and consumer devices. However, the special format of output data requires tools that are appropriate for camera calibration, signal analysis and image interpretation. This book is divided into six chapters written by world-renowned scholars. In a rigorous yet accessible way, the mathematical foundation of omnidirectional vision is presented, from image geometry and camera calibration to image processing for central and non-central panoramic systems. Special emphasis is given to fisheye cameras and catadioptric systems, which combine mirrors with lenses. The main applications of omnidirectional vision, including 3D scene reconstruction and robot localization and navigation, are also surveyed. Finally, the recent trend towards AI-infused methods (deep learning architectures) and other emerging research directions are discussed.

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How can atmospheric variables such as temperature, wind, rain and ozone be measured by satellites? How are these measurements taken and what has been learned since the first measurements in the 1970s? What data are currently available and what data are expected in the future? The first volume of this encyclopedic book answers these questions by reporting the history of satellite meteorology and addresses how national and international agencies define coordinated programs to cover user needs. It also presents the principles of satellite remote sensing to deliver products suited to user requirements. This book is completed by a glossary and appendices with a list of supporting instruments already in use.

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The Himalaya is well known as the largest and highest mountain belt on Earth. Advances in geoscience over the past few decades have revealed a complex picture of the dynamics of this giant, opening up questions about the initial stages of Himalayan building, lateral variations in its structures, variations in tectonic forcing, tectonic-climate coupling and assessments of the natural hazards affecting this area. In this three-volume book, we present the current knowledge on the building and present-day behavior of the Himalayan range. The objective is not to be exhaustive, but to provide some key elements used by researchers to unravel the many processes acting in the Himalayan dynamics. Mountain environments are at the forefront of climate change with glacier retreat, landslides, flash floods and water availability. Understanding the delicate balance that controls the dynamics of the Himalayan giant is now, more than ever, a major challenge for the scientific community.

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In recent years, significant developments have been made to increase the mechanical strength of steels in order to reduce the overall weight of structures, particularly in motor vehicles. Depending on the application, the increase in strength should not be at the expense of forming and in-use properties. The development of ultra-high strength steels requires a search for new trade-offs between these properties in order to optimize the final microstructure. New Advanced High Strength Steels analyzes the interactions between tensile mechanical properties and properties such as work hardening, anisotropy, resistance to rupture, fatigue life, corrosion resistance, crashworthiness, edge retention, hydrogen resistance and weldability. It also examines the links between the microstructural parameters of high-strength steels and the properties mentioned above. It highlights the metallurgical developments that have been necessary for the emergence of these new generations of steels. The book concludes with a look ahead to future developments in ultra-high strength steels.

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The genome of a living being is composed of DNA sequences with diverse origins. Beyond single-copy genes, whose product has a biological function that can be inferred by experimentation, certain DNA sequences, present in a large number of copies, escape the most refined approaches aimed at elucidating their precise role. The existence of what 20th century geneticists had already perceived (and wrongly described as "junk DNA"!) was confirmed by the sequencing of the first complex genomes, including that of Homo sapiens. A large part of what defines a living thing is not unique, but repeated, sometimes a very large number of times, increasing in complexity with successive duplications and multiplication. Understanding and defining the many functions of this myriad of repeated sequences, as well as their evolution through natural selection, has become one of the major challenges for 21st century genomics.

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Spatial planning has embraced the idea of dealing with territorial inequalities by focusing on equipment logic on a national scale, and then economic development on a local scale. Today, this issue is creating new angles of debate with strong political resonances (e.g. Brexit, French gilets jaunes movement). Interpretations of these movements are often quick and binary, such as: the contrast between metropolises and peripheries, between cities and the countryside, between the north and the south or between the east and the west of the European Union. Territorial Inequalities sheds light on the social, political and operational implications of these divergences. The chapters cover the subject at different scales of action and observation (from the neighborhood to the world), but also according to their interdependences. To deal with such a vast and ambitious theme, the preferred approach is that of territorial development in terms of public policy, namely spatial planning.

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This book presents the factual, precise, complete and accessible economic elements of nuclear energy in order to contribute to an informed and dispassionate debate. It begins with an in-depth analysis of the strategic policies relating to nuclear energy in France and around the world. The methodological aspects are presented exhaustively and illustrated with detailed examples and case studies. This book provides a relevant economic study of the fuel component of nuclear energy. In this context, aspects of the uranium market are presented, before describing in detail the technical and economic components upstream of the nuclear cycle.

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The Sun, our star, has inspired the research of many scientists and engineers and brings hope to many of us for a paradigm shift in energy. Indeed, the applications of solar energy are manifold, primarily because it concerns both light and heat. Photovoltaic (PV) conversion is the most well-known among these, but other modes of conversion include photochemical, photobiological, photoelectrochemical, thermal and thermochemical.This book covers the entire chain of conversion from the Sun to the targeted energy vector (heat, electricity, gaseous or liquid fuels). Beginning with the state of the art, subsequent chapters address solar resources, concentration and capture technologies, the science of flows and transfers in solar receivers, materials with controlled optical properties, thermal storage, hybrid systems (PV-thermal) and synthetic fuels (hydrogen and synthetic gas).Written by a number of experts in the field, Concentrating Solar Thermal Energy provides an insightful overview of the current landscape of the knowledge regarding the most recent applications of concentrating technologies.

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Rifted margins mark the transition between continents and oceans, which are the two first-order types of land masses on Earth. Rifted margins contribute to our understanding of lithospheric extensional processes and are studied by various disciplines of Earth Science (geology, geophysics, geochemistry).Thanks to better and wider public access to high-quality data, our understanding in these areas has improved significantly over these last two decades. This book summarizes this knowledge evolution and details where we stand today, with a series of case examples included. It is structured in a practical way, with concise text descriptions and comprehensive diagrams. Continental Rifted Margins 2 is a useful resource for students and newcomers to the rifted margin community – a "cookbook” of sorts to facilitate the reading of scientific publications and provide basic definitions and explanations.

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Rifted margins mark the transition between continents and oceans, which are the two first-order types of land masses on Earth. Rifted margins contribute to our understanding of lithospheric extensional processes and are studied by various disciplines of Earth Science (geology, geophysics, geochemistry). Thanks to better and wider public access to high-quality data, our understanding in these areas has improved significantly over these last two decades.This book summarizes this knowledge evolution and details where we stand today, with a series of case examples included. It is structured in a practical way, with concise text descriptions and comprehensive diagrams. Continental Rifted Margins 1 is a useful resource for students and newcomers to the rifted margin community - a "cookbook" of sorts to facilitate the reading of scientific publications and provide basic definitions and explanations.

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This book presents recent advances in fault diagnosis strategies for complex dynamic systems. Its impetus derives from the need for an overview of the challenges of the fault diagnosis technique, especially for those demanding systems that require reliability, availability, maintainability and safety to ensure efficient operations. Moreover, the need for a high degree of tolerance with respect to possible faults represents a further key point, primarily for complex systems, as modeling and control are inherently challenging, and maintenance is both expensive and safety-critical.Diagnosis and Fault-tolerant Control 1 also presents and compares different diagnosis schemes using established case studies that are widely used in related literature. The main features of this book regard the analysis, design and implementation of proper solutions for the problems of fault diagnosis in safety critical systems. The design of the considered solutions involves robust data-driven, model-based approaches.

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Change Detection and Image Time Series Analysis 1 presents a wide range of unsupervised methods for temporal evolution analysis through the use of image time series associated with optical and/or synthetic aperture radar acquisition modalities. Chapter 1 introduces two unsupervised approaches to multiple-change detection in bi-temporal multivariate images, with Chapters 2 and 3 addressing change detection in image time series in the context of the statistical analysis of covariance matrices. Chapter 4 focuses on wavelets and convolutional-neural filters for feature extraction and entropy-based anomaly detection, and Chapter 5 deals with a number of metrics such as cross correlation ratios and the Hausdorff distance for variational analysis of the state of snow. Chapter 6 presents a fractional dynamic stochastic field model for spatio temporal forecasting and for monitoring fast-moving meteorological events such as cyclones. Chapter 7 proposes an analysis based on characteristic points for texture modeling, in the context of graph theory, and Chapter 8 focuses on detecting new land cover types by classification-based change detection or feature/pixel based change detection. Chapter 9 focuses on the modeling of classes in the difference image and derives a multiclass model for this difference image in the context of change vector analysis.

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