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Biochemical Mechanisms of Detoxification in Higher Plants : Basis of Phytoremediation
Plants play a key role in purifying the biosphere of the toxic effects of industrial activity. This book shows how systematic application of the results of investigations into the metabolism of xenobiotics (foreign, often toxic substances) in plants could make a vastly increased contribution to planetary well-being. Deep physiological knowledge gained from an accumulation of experimental data enables the great differences between the detoxifying abilities of different plants for compounds of different chemical nature to be optimally exploited. Hence planting could be far more systematically adapted to actual environmental needs than is actually the case at present.
Bioactive Molecules and Medicinal Plants
Use of medicinal plants is as old as human civilization and continuous efforts are being made to improve medicinal plants or produce their products in high amounts through various technologies. About 200,000 natural products of plant origin are known and many more are being identifed from higher plants and microorganisms. Some plant-based drugs have been used for centuries and there is no alternative medicine for many drugs, such as cardiac glycosides. However, natural products research was sidelined to pave the way for com- natorial chemistry, which was expected to produce large numbers of synthetic compounds for high-throughput screening (HTS). This line of work has failed to deliver desirable results. Moreover, it is not possible for all pharmaceutical companies and institutions to adopt costly HTS technology. Therefore, medi- nal plants and their bioactive molecules are always in demand and are a central point of research. While planning this book, we endeavored to incorporate - ticles that cover the entire gamut of current medicinal plants research.
Bioactive Heterocycles II
As part of the series Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry, this volume titled Bio- tive Heterocycles II presents comprehensive and up-to-date reviews on selected topics regarding synthetic as well as naturally occurring bioactive heterocycles. The frst chapter, "High Pressure Synthesis of Heterocycles Related to Bio- tive Molecules" by Kiyoshi Matsumoto, presents a unique high-pressure s- thetic methodology in heterocyclic chemistry. Basic principles and fruitful examples for pericyclic reactions, such as Diels-Alder reactions, 1,3-dipolar reactions, and also for ionic reactions, such as S and addition reactions, are N discussed.
Binocular astronomy
Anyone who has used a binocular telescope or even wide-field binoculars to look at the night sky will know just how breathtakingly beautiful the view can be when you observe with both eyes. Observing galaxies and nebulae with ‘regular’ prismatic binoculars is just a beginning. Binocular eyepieces and adapters can be added to almost any commercially-made astronomical telescope, and of course specialized astronomical binoculars can be assembled or purchased complete. These range from modest instruments to giants that are basically two large telescopes mounted together. Binocular Astronomy contains everything you’ll need to know about this exciting branch of astronomical observing.
Beyond the apparent Banality of the mathematics classroom
New research in mathematics education deals with the complexity of the mathematics’ classroom. The classroom teaching situation constitutes a pertinent unit of analysis for research into the ternary didactic relationship which binds teachers, students and mathematical knowledge. The classroom is considered as a complex didactic system, which offers the researcher an opportunity to gauge the boundaries of the freedom that is left with regard to choices about the knowledge to be taught and the ways of organizing the students’ learning, while giveing rise to the study of interrelations between three main elements of the teaching process the: mathematical content to be taught and learned, management of the various time dimensions, and activity of the teacher who prepares and manages the class, to the benefit of the students' knowledge and the teachers' own experience.
Beyond knowledge : The legacy of competence : Meaningful computer-based learning environments
The edited and peer reviewed volume presents selected papers of the conference "Beyond knowlegde: the legacy of competence" It reflects the current state-of-the-art work of scholars worldwide within the area of learning and instruction with computers. Mainly, areas of computer-based learning environments supporting competence-focused knowledge acquisition but also foundational scientific work are addressed. More specific, contents cover cognitive processes in hypermedia and multimedia learning, social issues in computer-supported collaborative learning, motivation and emotion in Blended Learning and e-Learning.
Beyond Cartesian Dualism : Encountering affect in the teaching and learning of science.
There is surprisingly little known about affect in science education. Despite periodic forays into monitoring students’ attitudes-toward-science, the effect of affect is too often overlooked. Beyond Cartesian Dualism gathers together contemporary theorizing in this axiomatic area. In fourteen chapters, senior scholars of international standing use their knowledge of the literature and empirical data to model the relationship between cognition and affect in science education. Their revealing discussions are grounded in a broad range of educational contexts including school classrooms, universities, science centres, travelling exhibits and refugee camps, and explore an array of far reaching questions. What is known about science teachers’ and students’ emotions? How do emotions mediate and moderate instruction? How might science education promote psychological
Basic Electromagnetism and Materials
This textbook can be used to teach electromagnetism to a wide range of undergraduate science majors in physics, electrical engineering or materials science. However, by making lesser demands on mathematical knowledge than competing texts, and by emphasizing electromagnetic properties of materials and their applications, this textbook is uniquely suited to students of materials science. Many competing texts focus on the study of propagation waves either in the microwave or optical domain, whereas Basic Electromagnetism and Materials covers the entire electromagnetic domain and the physical response of materials to these waves.
Barriers and Biases in Computer-Mediated Knowledge Communication : And How They May Be Overcome
This books deals with computer-mediated cooperation and communication scenarios in teaching and learning situations, leisure activities (e.g. laypersons looking for expert information on the internet), and net-based communication at work. Such scenarios will become increasingly important. But the successful use of such computer-mediated settings is not trivial. Cooperative learning and work itself requires special skills and strategies. And the technical settings with sometimes restricted, sometimes new possibilities for communication add problems on top of the cooperation itself. What are the barriers in computer-mediated communication for cooperative learning and work? Which are the most relevant biases in computer-mediated information processing? Based on empirical research the contributors from psychology, education and computer sciences offer different perspectives on the nature and causes of such barriers.
Bandwidth Extension of Speech Signals
Bandwidth Extension of Speech Signals provides discussion on different approaches for efficient and robust bandwidth extension of speech signals while acknowledging the influence of noise corrupted real-world signals. The book describes the theory and methods for quality enhancement of clean speech signals and distorted speech signals.
Autonomous Robots and Agents
This book deals with the theoretical and methodological aspects of incorporating intelligence in Autonomous Robots and Agents. Challenges faced in the real world to accomplish complex tasks, which require collaborative efforts, and methods to overcome them, are detailed. Several informative articles deal with navigation, localization and mapping of mobile robots, a problem that engineers and researchers are grappling with all the time.This edited volume is targeted to present the latest state-of-the-art methodologies in Robotics. It is a compilation of the extended versions of the very best papers selected from the many that were presented at the 3rd International Conference on Autonomous Robots and Agents (ICARA 2006) which was held at Palmerston North, New Zealand from 11-14 December, 2006. Scientists and engineers who work with mobile robots will find this book very useful and stimulating.
Automotive Lighting and Human Vision
Visual perception is the most important of the human senses. Lack of visual perception is one of the main causes of accidents. The safety of vehicle traffic depends on how well automotive lighting supports the visual perception of the driver. This book explains the fundamentals of visual perception, like e.g. physiology of eye and brain, as well as those of automotive lighting technology, like e.g. design of headlamps and signal lights. It is an interdiciplinary approach to a fastly evolving field of science and technology, answering questions like "How does information enter our brain when driving a car?" and "What are the benefits and dangers of LED signal lighting?"
Attitudes and changing contexts
In this book, the author defends a unified externalists account of propositional attitudes and reference, and formalizes this view within possible world semantics.
Atomistic modeling of materials failure
Atomistic Modeling of Materials Failure is an introduction to molecular and atomistic modeling techniques applied to solid deformation and fracture. Focusing on a variety of brittle, ductile and geometrically confined materials, this detailed overview includes computational methods at the atomic scale, and describes how these techniques can be used to model the dynamics of cracks, dislocations and other deformation mechanisms.
Atmospheric Boundary Layers : Nature, Theory, and Application to Environmental Modelling and Security
This collection of peer reviewed papers represents a concise, up-to-date summary of our current knowledge of planetary boundary layer (PBL) physics and parameterization. As such, it makes a major contribution to the interchange of knowledge and ideas between physicists, meteorologists and environmental modellers and sets out the course to be followed in subsequent research to improve PBL parameterizations in climate, numerical weather prediction, air quality, and emergency preparedness models. Major themes covered are: Nature and theory of turbulent boundary layers, Boundary layer flows - modelling and applications to environmental security, Nature, theory and modelling of boundary-layer flows, and Air flows within and above urban and other complex canopies - air-sea-ice interactions.
Asymptotic Analysis and Boundary Layers
Presents a new method of asymptotic analysis of boundary-layer problems, the Successive Complementary Expansion Method (SCEM). The first part is devoted to a general comprehensive presentation of the tools of asymptotic analysis. It gives the keys to understand a boundary-layer problem and explains the methods to construct an approximation. The second part is devoted to SCEM and its applications in fluid mechanics, including external and internal flows. The advantages of SCEM are discussed in comparison with the standard Method of Matched Asymptotic Expansions. In particular, for the first time, the theory of Interactive Boundary Layer is fully justified. With its chapter summaries, detailed derivations of results, discussed examples and fully worked out problems and solutions, the book is self-contained.
Astronomy with a home computer
Here is a one-volume guide to just about everything computer-related for amateur astronomers!Today’s amateur astronomy is inextricably linked to personal computers. Computer-controlled "go-to" telescopes are inexpensive. CCD and webcam imaging make intensive use of the technology for capturing and processing images. Planetarium software provides information and an easy interface for telescopes. The Internet offers links to other astronomers, information, and software. The list goes on and on.
Assessment and future directions of nonlinear model predictive control
Thepastthree decadeshaveseenrapiddevelopmentin the areaofmodelpred- tive control with respect to both theoretical and application aspects. Over these 30 years, model predictive control for linear systems has been widely applied, especially in the area of process control. However, today’s applications often require driving the process over a wide region and close to the boundaries of - erability, while satisfying constraints and achieving near-optimal performance. Consequently, the application of linear control methods does not always lead to satisfactory performance, and here nonlinear methods must be employed. This is one of the reasons why nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) has - joyed signi?cant attention over the past years,with a number of recent advances on both the theoretical and application frontier. Additionally, the widespread availability and steadily increasing power of today’s computers, as well as the development of specially tailored numerical solution methods for NMPC, bring thepracticalapplicabilityofNMPCwithinreachevenforveryfastsystems.This has led to a series of new, exciting developments, along with new challenges in the area of NMPC.
Assessing and Managing Earthquake Risk : Geo-scientific and Engineering Knowledge for Earthquake Risk Mitigation: developments, tools, techniques
This book points out the need of a multidisciplinary approach in the field of risk assessment and management. It provides an overview of the problems, approaches and common practices directly related to earthquake risk mitigation and, in particular, to the preparation of earthquake emergency plans. Written by a team of specialists from different disciplines, the authors worked together extensively in order to create unity and continuity in the text as a whole. Each topic is illustrated with examples of actual applications taken from the bibliography – including websites with available relevant information. Case studies and information on some relevant international projects are given.
As Pastoralists settle : Social, health, and economic consequences of the pastoral Sedentarization in Marsabit District, Kenya
Formerly nomadic livestock-keeping pastoralists have settled in many regions of the world in the past century. Some groups, including those in the former Soviet Union, Iran, and Israel, have settled in response to state-enforced measures; others including Saami in Norway or Bedouins in Saudi Arabia, in response to changing economic opportunities. East Africa, home to many cattle- and camel-keeping pastoral societies, has been among the most recent to change. The shift to sedentism by East African pastoralists increased d- matically in the late 20th century as a result of sharp economic, political, demographic, and environmental changes.
