Open Access Books - Technology - 2017
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PublicationRangeland Systems( 2017)David D. Briske (editors)This book provides an unprecedented synthesis of the current status of scientific and management knowledge regarding global rangelands and the major challenges that confront them. It has been organized around three major themes. The first summarizes the conceptual advances that have occurred in the rangeland profession. The second addresses the implications of these conceptual advances to management and policy. The third assesses several major challenges confronting global rangelands in the 21st century. This book will compliment applied range management textbooks by describing the conceptual foundation on which the rangeland profession is based. It has been written to be accessible to a broad audience, including ecosystem managers, educators, students and policy makers. The content is founded on the collective experience, knowledge and commitment of 80 authors who have worked in rangelands throughout the world. Their collective contributions indicate that a more comprehensive framework is necessary to address the complex challenges confronting global rangelands. Rangelands represent adaptive social-ecological systems, in which societal values, organizations and capacities are of equal importance to, and interact with, those of ecological processes. A more comprehensive framework for rangeland systems may enable management agencies, and educational, research and policy making organizations to more effectively assess complex problems and develop appropriate solutions.
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PublicationSustainable Manufacturing( 2017)Rainer Stark, Günther Seliger, Jérémy Bonvoisin (Editors)This edited volume presents the research results of the Collaborative Research Center 1026 “Sustainable manufacturing - shaping global value creation”. The book aims at providing a reference guide of sustainable manufacturing for researchers, describing methodologies for development of sustainable manufacturing solutions. The volume is structured in four chapters covering the following topics: sustainable manufacturing technology, sustainable product development, sustainable value creation networks and systematic change towards sustainable manufacturing. The target audience comprises both researchers and practitioners in the field of sustainable manufacturing, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students. This work is licensed under a CC BY
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PublicationEvaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development( 2017)Juha I. Uitto, Jyotsna Puri, Rob D. van den Berg (editors)This authoritative book presents the ever progressing state of the art in evaluating climate change strategies and action. It builds upon a selection of relevant and practical papers and presentations given at the 2nd International Conference on Evaluating Climate Change and Development held in Washington DC in 2014 and includes perspectives from independent evaluations of the major international organisations supporting climate action in developing countries, such as the Global Environment Facility. The first section of the book sets the stage and provides an overview of independent evaluations, carried out by multilateral development banks and development organisations. Important topics include how policies and organisations aim to achieve impact and how this is measured, whether climate change is mainstreamed into other development programs, and whether operations are meeting the urgency of climate change challenges.
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PublicationTheory and Applications of Ordered Fuzzy Numbers( 2017)Piotr Prokopowicz, Jacek Czerniak, Dariusz Mikołajewski, Łukasz Apiecionek, Dominik Ślȩzak (editors)This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This open access book offers comprehensive coverage on Ordered Fuzzy Numbers, providing readers with both the basic information and the necessary expertise to use them in a variety of real-world applications. The respective chapters, written by leading researchers, discuss the main techniques and applications, together with the advantages and shortcomings of these tools in comparison to other fuzzy number representation models. Primarily intended for engineers and researchers in the field of fuzzy arithmetic, the book also offers a valuable source of basic information on fuzzy models and an easy-to-understand reference guide to their applications for advanced undergraduate students, operations researchers, modelers and managers alike. This work is licensed under a CC BY
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PublicationFinite Difference Computing with PDEs( 2017)Hans Petter Langtangen, Svein LingeThis easy-to-read book introduces the basics of solving partial differential equations by means of finite difference methods. Unlike many of the traditional academic works on the topic, this book was written for practitioners. Accordingly, it especially addresses: the construction of finite difference schemes, formulation and implementation of algorithms, verification of implementations, analyses of physical behavior as implied by the numerical solutions, and how to apply the methods and software to solve problems in the fields of physics and biology.
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PublicationAquaculture Perspective of Multi-Use Sites in the Open Ocean( 2017)Bela H. Buck, Richard Langan (editors)This volume addresses the potential for combining large-scale marine aquaculture of macroalgae, molluscs, crustaceans, and finfish, with offshore structures, primarily those associated with energy production, such as wind turbines and oil-drilling platforms. The volume offers a comprehensive overview and includes chapters on policy, science, engineering, and economic aspects to make this concept a reality. The compilation of chapters authored by internationally recognized researchers across the globe addresses the theoretical and practical aspects of multi-use, and presents case studies of research, development, and demonstration-scale installations in the US and EU.
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PublicationResilience: A New Paradigm of Nuclear Safety( 2017)Joonhong Ahn, Franck Guarnieri, Kazuo Furuta (editors)This book summarizes presentations and discussions from the two-day international workshop held at UC Berkeley in March 2015, and derives questions to be addressed in multi-disciplinary research toward a new paradigm of nuclear safety. The consequences of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in March 2011 have fuelled the debate on nuclear safety: while there were no casualties due to radiation, there was substantial damage to local communities. The lack of common understanding of the basics of environmental and radiological sciences has made it difficult for stakeholders to develop effective strategies to accelerate recovery, and this is compounded by a lack of effective decision-making due to the eroded public trust in the government and operators. Recognizing that making a society resilient and achieving higher levels of safety relies on public participation in and feedback on decision-making, the book focuses on risk perception and mitigation in its discussion of the development of resilient communities.
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PublicationThe Interconnected Arctic — UArctic Congress 2016( 2017)Kirsi Latola, Hannele Savela (editors)This open access book presents the most current research results and knowledge from five multidisciplinary themes: Vulnerability of Arctic Environments, Vulnerability of Arctic Societies, Local and Traditional Knowledge, Building Long-term Human Capacity, New Markets for the Arctic, including tourism and safety. The themes are those discussed at the first ever UArctic Congress Science Section, St. Petersburg, Russia, September 2016. The book looks at the Arctic from a holistic perspective; how the environment (both marine and terrestrial) and communities can adapt and manage the changes due to climate change. The chapters provide examples of the state-of-the-art research, bringing together both scientific and local knowledge to form a comprehensive and cohesive volume.
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PublicationHabitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill( 2017)C. Herb Ward (editors)The Gulf of Mexico is an open and dynamic marine ecosystem rich in natural resources but heavily impacted by human activities, including agricultural, industrial, commercial and coastal development. The Gulf of Mexico has been continuously exposed to petroleum hydrocarbons for millions of years from natural oil and gas seeps on the sea floor, and more recently from oil drilling and production activities located in the water near and far from shore. Major accidental oil spills in the Gulf are infrequent; two of the most significant include the Ixtoc I blowout in the Bay of Campeche in 1979 and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. Unfortunately, baseline assessments of the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before these spills either were not available, or the data had not been systematically compiled in a way that would help scientists assess the potential short-term and long-term effects of such events.This 2-volume series compiles and summarizes thousands of data sets showing the status of habitats and biota in the Gulf of Mexico before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Volume 1 covers: water and sediment quality and contaminants in the Gulf; natural oil and gas seeps in the Gulf of Mexico; coastal habitats, including flora and fauna and coastal geology; offshore benthos and plankton, with an analysis of current knowledge on energy capture and energy flows in the Gulf; and shellfish and finfish resources that provide the basis for commercial and recreational fisheries.
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PublicationHigh Mountain Conservation in a Changing World( 2017)Jordi Catalan, Josep M Ninot, M. Mercè Aniz (editors)This book provides case studies and general views of the main processes involved in the ecosystem shifts occurring in the high mountains and analyses the implications for nature conservation. Case studies from the Pyrenees are preponderant, with a comprehensive set of mountain ranges surrounded by highly populated lowland areas also being considered.The introductory and closing chapters will summarise the main challenges that nature conservation may face in mountain areas under the environmental shifting conditions. Further chapters put forward approaches from environmental geography, functional ecology, biogeography, and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Organisms from microbes to large carnivores, and ecosystems from lakes to forest will be considered.This interdisciplinary book will appeal to researchers in mountain ecosystems, students and nature professionals. This book is open access under a CC BY license.
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PublicationAC Circuits( 2017)Chad DavisThis eBook was written as the sequel to the eBook titled DC Circuits, which was written in 2016 by Chad Davis. This eBook covers Alternating Current (AC) circuit theory as well as a brief introduction of electronics. It is broken up into seven modules. Module 1 covers the basic theory of AC signals. Since only DC sources are used in the first eBook, details of AC signals such as sinusoidal waveforms (or sine waves), square waves, and triangle waves are provided. Module 2, titled AC Circuits Math Background, covers the mathematics background needed for solving AC circuit problems. The background material in Modules 1 and 2 are combined in Module 3 to solve circuits with AC sources that include resistors, inductors, and capacitors (RLC circuits).
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PublicationBiomimetic and Bioinspired Membranes for New Frontiers in Sustainable Water Treatment Technology( 2017)Amira Abdelrasoul, Huu Doan, Ali Lohi (Editors)Biomimetic and bioinspired membranes are the most promising type of membrane for multiple usage scenarios, including commercial separation applications as well as water and wastewater treatment technologies. In recent years, aquaporin biomimetic membranes (ABMs) for water purification have raised considerable interest. These membranes display uniquely favorable properties and outstanding performances, such as diverse interactions, varied selective transport mechanisms, superior stability, high resistance to membrane fouling, and distinct adaptability. Biomimetic membranes would make a significant contribution to alleviate water stress, environmental threats, and energy consumption.
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PublicationPhysico-Chemical Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery( 2017)Robina Farooq, Zaki Ahmad (Editors)The book on Physico-Chemical Treatment of Wastewater and Resource Recovery provides an efficient and low-cost solution for remediation of wastewater. This book focuses on physico-chemical treatment via advanced oxidation process, adsorption, its management and recovery of valuable chemicals. It discusses treatment and recovery process for the range of pollutants including BTX, PCB, PCDDs, proteins, phenols, antibiotics, complex organic compounds and metals. The occurrence of persistent pollutants poses deleterious effects on human and environmental health. Simple solutions for recovery of valuable chemicals and water during physico-chemical treatment of wastewater are discussed extensively. This book provides necessary knowledge and experimental studies on emerging physico-chemical processes for reducing water pollution and resource recovery.
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PublicationHousehold Hazardous Waste Management( 2017)Daniel Mmereki (Editor)Rapid global urbanization and increases in living standards in recent decades have led to changes in the household hazardous waste (HHW) generation characteristics due to increases in buying power and easier access to products that are convenient but not always safe. In recent years, the amount of diversified hazardous materials and/or potentially hazardous materials, such as cleaning products, medicines, personal care products, packaging and container products, phthalates, and antibacterial agents, poses a serious threat to the environment and public health. As a result developed countries have adopted well-functioning policy measures and innovative technologies to deal with HHW. On the other hand, developing countries have weak institutional structures and poor policy performance and have adopted ad hoc approaches to manage HHW. The book contains five chapters covering topics of household hazardous waste management and exposure assessment. This book will be useful to many research scientists, solid and hazardous waste managers, administrators, librarians, and students in the scope of development in solid and hazardous waste management program including sources of household hazardous waste, exposure assessment, and government policies on waste generation and treatment and processing of HHW.
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PublicationRenewable Hydropower Technologies( 2017)Basel Ismail (Editor)For many years, hydropower played an essential role in the development of humanity and has a long and successful track record. It is a conventional renewable energy source for generating electricity in small- and large-scale production. Due to its important utilization and future prospects, various interesting topics of research related to hydroelectric power generation are covered in this book. This book is the result of significant contributions from several researchers and experts worldwide. It is hoped that the book will become a useful source of information and basis for extended research for researchers, academics, policy makers, and practitioners in the area of renewable hydropower technologies.
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PublicationEngineering Applications of Biochar( 2017)Wu-Jang Huang (Editor)This book has included the following major sections: "Introduction", "History of Biochar," "Preparation of Biochar," and "Applications of Biochar." The editor and authors hope that the development of biochar can cross its application field from agriculture into engineering.
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PublicationIntelligent Human Computer Interaction( 2017)Patrick Horain, Catherine Achard, Malik Mallem (editors)This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Intelligent Human Computer Interaction, IHCI 2017, held in Evry, France, in December 2017.The 15 papers presented together with three invited papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 25 submissions. The conference is forum for the presentation of technological advances and research results at the crossroads of human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, signal processing and computer vision. This book is open access under a CC BY license.
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PublicationWater Resource Systems Planning and Management( 2017)
;Daniel P. LoucksEelco van BeekThis book is open access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This revised, updated textbook presents a systems approach to the planning, management, and operation of water resources infrastructure in the environment. Previously published in 2005 by UNESCO and Deltares (Delft Hydraulics at the time), this new edition, written again with contributions from Jery R. Stedinger, Jozef P. M. Dijkman, and Monique T. Villars, is aimed equally at students and professionals. It introduces readers to the concept of viewing issues involving water resources as a system of multiple interacting components and scales. It offers guidelines for initiating and carrying out water resource system planning and management projects. It introduces alternative optimization, simulation, and statistical methods useful for project identification, design, siting, operation and evaluation and for studying post-planning issues. The authors cover both basin-wide and urban water issues and present ways of identifying and evaluating alternatives for addressing multiple-purpose and multi-objective water quantity and quality management challenges. Reinforced with cases studies, exercises, and media supplements throughout, the text is ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses in water resource planning and management as well as for practicing planners and engineers in the field. This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC -
PublicationThe Illusion of Risk Control( 2017)Gilles Motet, Corinne Bieder (Editors)This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This book explores the implications of acknowledging uncertainty and black swans for regulation of high-hazard technologies, for stakeholder acceptability of potentially hazardous activities and for risk governance. The conventional approach to risk assessment, which combines the likelihood of an event and the severity of its consequences, is poorly suited to situations where uncertainty and ambiguity are prominent features of the risk landscape. The new definition of risk used by ISO, “the effect of uncertainty on [achievement of] one’s objectives”, recognizes this paradigm change. What lessons can we draw from the management of fire hazards in Edo-era Japan? Are there situations in which increasing uncertainty allows more effective safety management? How should society address the risk of potentially planet-destroying scientific experiments?
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PublicationOpen Source Systems: Towards Robust Practices( 2017)Federico Balaguer, Roberto Di Cosmo, Alejandra Garrido, Fabio Kon, Gregorio Robles, Stefano Zacchiroli (editors)This book is open access under a CC BY license. This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 13th IFIP WG 2.13 International Conference on Open Source Systems, OSS 2017, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in May 2017. The 16 revised full papers and 3 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 32 submissions. The papers cover a wide range of topics related to free, libre, and open source software (FLOSS), including: licensing, strategies, and practices; case studies; projects, communication, and participation; tools; and project management, development and evaluation