الصفحة 10
الصفحة 10
Microbial Sulfur Metabolism
In nature, sulfur occurs in many different oxidation states and is one of the most versatile elements in life. It is an integral part of many important cell constituents, such as the amino acids cysteine and methionine, and many sulfur compounds serve as the basis for energy-related processes in prokaryotes. In recent years, new methods have been applied to study the biochemistry and molecular biology of reactions of the global sulfur cycle, the microorganisms involved and their physiology, metabolism and ecology. These activities have uncovered fascinating new insights for the understanding of aerobic and anaerobic sulfur metabolism.
Microbial Siderophores
"Microbial Siderophores" presents an up-to-date overview of the chemistry, biology and biotechnology of these iron chelators. Following an introduction to the structure, functions and regulation of fungal siderophores, several chapters focus on siderophores of pseudomonads. Here, the technique of siderotyping, which has proved to be a rapid, accurate and inexpensive tool for pseudomonad characterization and identification, is described.
Microbial Root Endophytes
Plant roots may not only be colonized by mycorrhizal fungi, but also by a myriad of bacterial and fungal root endophytes that are usually not considered by the investigators of classic symbioses. This is the first book dedicated to the interactions of non-mycorrhizal microbial endophytes with plant roots. The phenotypes of these interactions can be extremely plastic, depending on environmental factors, nutritional status, genetic disposition and developmental stages of the two partners. The book deals with diversity, life history strategies, interactions, applications in agriculture and forestry, methods for isolation, cultivation, and both conventional and molecular methods for identification and detection of these endophytes. The comprehensive reviews demonstrate the high diversity of interactions and will provoke further studies to better understand the mechanisms which determine whether a plant-microbial interaction remains asymptomatic, leads to disease or to a mutualistic interaction.
Microbial Processing of Metal Sulfides
The application of microbiological methods to the extraction of metals from minerals has definitely gained a prominent role and is supported by the several bioleaching and biooxidation processes operating in different sites over the world. In recent years new techniques and new results about proteomic and bioinformatics are bringing a new perspective on the microbial processes.This book focuses on the basic aspects of the process with special emphasis on recent contributions regarding the chemical and microbial aspects of the bioleaching process and the use of microorganisms in the treatment of complex ores and concentrates.
Microbial Phosphate Solubilization
Last decade has seen a significantly increased knowledge about phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. Sixty specialists from thirteen countries met in Salamanca to discuss the problems of the high P-unavailability as a soil nutrient for crops, and the hazards of an increasing phosphate input to aquatic habitats from industrial and mining activities, sewage disposal, detergents, and other sources. Updated solutions to enhance P-uptake by plants, bioremediation potential in the rehabilitation of ecosystems, taxonomic characterization interactions with mycorrizae, the physiological and molecular basis of PSM, and possibilities of genetic modifications of rhizospheric microorganisms were among the contributions presented. Challenges in commercializing a phosphate solubilizing microorganism were also outlined by a relevant biotech company.
Microbial bioprocessing of agri-food wastes : food ingredients
Food ingredients are important molecules of the most diverse chemical classes responsible for conferring nutrition, stability, color, flavor, rheological and sensorial characteristics, in addition to several other important uses in the food industry. In this way, the production routes of these ingredients have gained more and more attention from consumers and producing industries, who expect that, in addition to their technological properties, these ingredients are still obtained without synthetic means, with savings of natural resources and mainly with less environmental impact.
Microbial Activity in the Rhizosphere
The rhizosphere is a very complex environment in which the effects of the plant on soil microorganisms and the effects of the microorganisms on the plant are interacting and are interdependent. Plant root exudates and breakdown products attract microbes and feed them and, in turn, the plants often benefit from the microbes. Interactions among microorganisms and plant roots are essential for nutritional requirements of the plant. Plant growth, development and productivity are largely dependent on the soil environment in the root region rhizosphere. The new techniques of studying the rhizosphere enables us to get a much better understanding of the dynamics of the rhizosphere population, such rhizosphere studies being of interest to agriculturists, soilbiologists, chemists, microbiologists and molecular biologists. The rhizosphere microbes in?uence the root environment in several ways. They may change the oxidation-reduction potential, influence the availability of moisture and nutrients, produce growth inhibiting or growth promoting substances in the form of exudates, provide competition and possibly induce many other effects. My corrhizal associations are beneficial in mineral uptake and in increasing root surface area for effective ion absorption. Antagonism, ompetition and synergism in soil and the rhizoplane (rhizosphere) are the most important microbial interactions to consider in the study of rhizosphere biology. With the growing information on the production of growth regulators, competitiveness of the microbes in the rhizosphere, microsymbionts, and other factors, their effect upon plant growth will become more evident. Experiments on the introduction of microbes or their products in the rhizosphere will help to improve our understandingofthebiologyoftherhizosphere.
Microalgae Building Enclosures : Design and Engineering Principles
Aims to provide design, engineering, and biotechnical guidelines for microalgae building enclosures that need to be considered for symbiotic relations among the built environment, humans, and ecosystems. Introduces the theoretical background of microalgae as a bioremediator and future energy system and their potential roles toward sustainable and healthy built environments. Part II exemplifies interventions and multiple benefits of microalgae systems in product, architecture, urban, and infrastructure applications across the globe including Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America, and North America. Part III explains the design and engineering criteria, biotechnical design requirements, and various performance metrics for microalgae architecture. Finally, Part IV investigates potential building applications in low-rise buildings, high-rise buildings, and energy-efficient retrofitting. The book also includes international case studies of microalgae building systems within various building types and climates.
Micro Cogeneration : Towards Decentralized Energy Systems
The need for replacement is an extremely important driving force for the current transformation, forcing conventional and new technologies to compete for a role in the future energy supply. The overall transformation of electricity systems is neither driven nor shaped by technical or societal modifications alone, but rather by a rich diversity of processes in the realms of technology, politics, society and economy.
Metric Driven Design Verification : An Engineer's and Executive's Guide to First Pass Success
A metric based flow is described that focuses on the four steps of: 1. Planning: Defining what needs to be done and the automatically trackable metrics that will be used to measure progress. 2. Execution: Implementing verification environments and then extensively exercising the device under verification utilizing comprehensive, massively parallel regression strategies. 3. Measurement: Automatically capturing the metrics defined in planning to provide objective data with which to manage the verification project. Custom tailoring those metrics through an automated reporting framework to provide all stakeholders a real-time meaningful view of project status. 4. Response: Utilizing the returned metrics to effectively adapt to changing project conditions. Making use of automated response mechanisms to automate engineering processed and management response to streamline project management processes
Methods to study litter decomposition : A practical guide
Decomposition of organic matter is a major ecosystem process involving an array of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi and invertebrates. The main objective of this book is to provide students and laboratory instructors at universities and professional ecologists with a broad range of established methods to study plant litter decomposition. Detailed protocols for direct use in the field or laboratory are presented in an easy to follow step-by-step format. A short introduction to each protocol reviews the ecological significance and principles of the technique and points to key references. Although most methods are described for freshwater ecosystems, many will work equally well in the presented or slightly modified form for studies in marine and terrestrial environments.
Methods in Gut microbial ecology for ruminants
As a result of various human activities, such as increase in human population,decrease in arable land due to soil degradation, urbanization, industrialization and associated increase in the demand for livestock products, dramatic changes are occurring in the global ruminant livestock sector. These changes includeshift inthesize of regional livestock populations and in the types of management and feeding systems under which ruminant livestock are held, and increased demand of a wider range of quality attributes from animal agriculture, not just of the products themselves but also of the methods used in their production. The livestock sector will need to respond to new challenges of increasing live stock productivity while protecting environment and human health and conservingbiodiversity and natural resources. The micro-organisms in the digestive tracts of ruminant livestock have a profound in?uence on the conversion offeedinto end products, which can impact on the- imal and theenvironment. As the livestock sector grows particularly in developing countries, there will be an increasing need to understand these processes for b- ter management and use ofbothfeed and other natural resources that underpinthe development of sustainable feeding systems.
Methods for measuring greenhouse Gas balances and evaluating mitigation options in smallholder agriculture
This book provides standards and guidelines for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and removals in smallholder agricultural systems and comparing options for climate change mitigation based on emission reductions and livelihood trade-offs. Globally, agriculture is directly responsible for about 11% of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and induces an additional 17% through land use change, mostly in developing countries. Farms in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are predominately managed by smallholders, with 80% of land holdings smaller than ten hectares. However, little to no information exists on greenhouse gas emissions and mitigation potentials in smallholder agriculture.
Methods and Tools for Drought Analysis and Management
Implementation of effective drought management policies requires both advanced technologies and appropriate methods. Monitoring and forecasting systems, practical tools for risk assessment, as well as simple and objective criteria to select and implement appropriate drought mitigation measures are key elements for a successful drought management strategy.These key issues have been tackled by universities and public agencies involved in the EU projects Sedemed and Sedemed II (Programme Interreg IIIB MEDOCC), aimed at the definition of an integrated network for real time monitoring of drought, the development of common methodologies for drought analysis and forecasting, as well as the definition of proper mitigation strategies for the Mediterranean countries.The book presents the main outcomes of such projects with a special focus on: drought monitoring and forecasting echniques at different spatial scales; new or modified agrometeorological indices and remote sensing technique for drought identification and characterization; tools to improve surface water resources management under drought conditions; methods and tools for groundwater resources monitoring and management, based on hydrogeological and hydrodynamics characteristics of aquifers; general criteria to select and implement mitigation strategies to prevent or minimize drought impacts.
Methods and Techniques for Cleaning-up Contaminated Sites
This publication is meant to foster links between groups facing challenges cleaning up contaminated sites through presentations that explore the problems currently being addressed and solutions that are emerging in the field.
Metals in Society and in the Environment : A Critical Review of Current Knowledge on Fluxes, Speciation, Bioavailability and Risk for Adverse Effects of Copper, Chromium, Nickel and Zinc
In 2002, the Swedish Metal Information Task Force (MITF) engaged the Environmental Research Group (MFG) to update previous monographs on copper, zinc and major alloying metals (such as chromium, nickel and molybdenum) in society and in the environment. This book presents new results on metal fluxes from society to the environment, on metal speciation in water, soil and sediment, and its interpretation in terms of mobility, biological uptake and toxicity. The scientific fundamentals of new approaches, like the Acid Volatile Sulphide (AVS) concept to predict metal bioavailability in sediments, and the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) to calculate the toxicity of metals to aquatic organisms, are critically evaluated, with a focus on copper, nickel, zinc, and, in part, chromium.
Metalliferous Sediments of the World Ocean : Fundamental Theory of Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Sedimentation
Dramatic advances in understanding global tectonics have been made in the last half century and the information and specific data acquired on the floor of the World Ocean by the scientific community probably has exc- ded that available in all previous time. With the benefit of new technology and advanced concepts in the earth sciences extensive exploration of the deep seabed became possible, and has been carried out in many parts of the world. Many features have been recognized and data recorded that are vital for understanding the fundamental processes that shape the earth=s surface and control the habitable environment. The data collected to date on the o- an floor and its physical environment greatly exceeds our understanding and appreciation of their fundamental importance in the earth sciences, and our ability to apply this knowledge effectively in improving our way of life.
Metal Forming Practise : Processes - Machines - Tools
Economical and flexible, advanced metal-forming processes form the core of modern industrial production. This professional sourcebook presents the most important metal-working and shearing processes and the related machines and tooling - in a concise form that is supplemented by ample illustrations, tables and flow charts. Practical examples show how to calculate the forces and strain energy of the processes and the specific parameters of the machines, while exercises enable readers to check their comprehension.
Metaheuristics for Scheduling in Distributed Computing Environments
This volume presents meta-heuristics approaches for Grid scheduling problems. Due to the complex nature of the problem, meta-heuristics are primary techniques for the design and implementation of efficient Grid schedulers. The volume brings new ideas, analysis, implementations and evaluation of meta-heuristic techniques for Grid scheduling, which make this volume novel in several aspects. The 13 chapters of this volume have identified several important formulations of the problem, which we believe will serve as a reference for the researchers in the Grid computing community.
Messung von Ressourceneffizienz mit der ESSENZ-Methode : Integrierte Methode zur ganzheitlichen Bewertung = Measuring resource efficiency with the ESSENCE method : Integrated method for holistic evaluation
Develops a reliable method for evaluating the use of resources. This is necessary because the strong economic growth of the last decades has led to an intensive use of natural resources. With their increasing use, there are also additional burdens on the environment and restrictions on the availability of resources. For these reasons, efficient use of resources is required as an important contribution to sustainable development.
