Science & Nature - Books

Production of Organic Acids and Alcohols from Agricultural Residues and Food Wastes

Science & Nature

This book is a collection of studies on recent technological developments and related challenges in laboratory and industrial applications and processes for the production of biomass-derived organic acids and alcohols. By exploring topics in catalysis, hydrothermal processes, fermentation, and anaerobic digestion, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of how biomass-derived compounds can be transformed into organic acids and essential chemicals. Focusing on laboratory and industrial applications, it highlights advantages and limitations of established methods while presenting innovative techniques for producing biomass-derived organic acids and alcohols.This book provides diverse examples of applications in producing biomass-derived organic acids, alcohols, and biogas, such as polymer enhancement additives, food waste amino acid recovery, and effective use of wastes for nutrient recycling. The scope of the text encompasses lignocellulosic biomass, agricultural residues, food wastes, biomass-derived compounds, and fundamental carbohydrates to develop overall production strategies for organic acids and alcohols. This book is tailored for professionals in academia and industry working with natural renewable materials, platform chemicals, polymers, and materials science. It also serves as a valuable reference for university students studying chemical engineering or environmental sciences. It offers critical insights into sustainable chemical production practices that are crucial for advancing renewable energy solutions.

Production of N-containing Chemicals and Materials from Biomass

Science & Nature

This book is a collection of studies on state-of-art techniques developed for producing value-added N-containing chemicals and N-doped carbon materials from renewable sources via sustainable technologies. Aiming to improve conversion effectiveness and develop innovative techniques for new value-added N-containing products, topics in the text address recent advances, assess and highlight promising methods or technological strategies, and outline direct conversion routes for conversion of renewable resources to N-containing chemicals and materials. World-renowned authorities, experts, and professionals have contributed individual chapters in selected areas to cover the overall topic comprehensively. In addition to researchers and professionals in the field, educators teaching university courses on biomass transformation, biomass energy, energy materials, heterocyclic chemistry, resource materials and sustainable development and green chemistry will find the text informative with new international perspectives.

Scatter, Adapt, and Remember

Science & Nature

In its 4.5 billion–year history, life on Earth has been almost erased at least half a dozen times: shattered by asteroid impacts, entombed in ice, smothered by methane, and torn apart by unfathomably powerful megavolcanoes. And we know that another global disaster is eventually headed our way. Can we survive it? How?As a species, Homo sapiens is at a crossroads. Study of our planet’s turbulent past suggests that we are overdue for a catastrophic disaster, whether caused by nature or by human interference.It’s a frightening prospect, as each of the Earth’s past major disasters—from meteor strikes to bombardment by cosmic radiation—resulted in a mass extinction, where more than 75 percent of the planet’s species died out. But in Scatter, Adapt, and Remember, Annalee Newitz, science journalist and editor of the science Web site io9.com explains that although global disaster is all but inevitable, our chances of long-term species survival are better than ever. Life on Earth has come close to annihilation—humans have, more than once, narrowly avoided extinction just during the last million years—but every single time a few creatures survived, evolving to adapt to the harshest of conditions. This brilliantly speculative work of popular science focuses on humanity’s long history of dodging the bullet, as well as on new threats that we may face in years to come. Most important, it explores how scientific breakthroughs today will help us avoid disasters tomorrow. From simulating tsunamis to studying central Turkey’s ancient underground cities; from cultivating cyanobacteria for “living cities” to designing space elevators to make space colonies cost-effective; from using math to stop pandemics to studying the remarkable survival strategies of gray whales, scientists and researchers the world over are discovering the keys to long-term resilience and learning how humans can choose life over death. Newitz’s remarkable and fascinating journey through the science of mass extinctions is a powerful argument about human ingenuity and our ability to change. In a world populated by doomsday preppers and media commentators obsessively forecasting our demise, Scatter, Adapt, and Remember is a compelling voice of hope. It leads us away from apocalyptic thinking into a future where we live to build a better world—on this planet and perhaps on others. Readers of this book will be equipped scientifically, intellectually, and emotionally to face whatever the future holds.

L'appel pour le climat du Dalaï-Lama - Entretiens avec Franz Alt

Science & Nature

Protégeons ensemble notre environnement ! L'appel vibrant du Dalaï-Lama en faveur du climat.Comment va notre planète ? Sécheresse et feux de forêt provoquent d'épouvantables dégâts. Des réfugiés climatiques se noient. La disparition des espèces prend des proportions consternantes. Le changement climatique est désormais indéniable... Il y va finalement de la survie de l'humanité !Dans son nouveau livre, le Dalaï-Lama nous exhorte à regarder en face notre responsabilité universelle et à agir ensemble pour la protection du climat. Il met notamment l'accent sur l'arrière-plan spirituel du problème actuel : nous devons ré-examiner sur un plan éthique ce dont nous avons hérité, ce pour quoi nous sommes responsables et ce que nous laisserons aux générations futures." Nous, les hommes, sommes l'unique espèce qui détient le pouvoir de détruire notre planète – ou au contraire de la sauver. " Le Dalaï-Lama plaide avec plus de conviction que jamais pour que les politiques agissent enfin véritablement après d'innombrables conférences sur le climat. Son appel s'adresse simultanément au monde afin qu'il joue un rôle plus actif dans le sauvetage de notre planète. Un appel à nous tous, pour nous ouvrir les yeux et nous inspirer !

Core Curriculum for Nephrology Nursing, 6th edition, Complete Set

Science & Nature

Comprising six individual modules written by experts in the field, this revised and expanded edition presents the newest information regarding kidney disease, its treatment, and the nursing care involved. Designed to provide information for the novice as well as the experienced health professional, this edition provides information not published in previous editions. Each module offers self-assessment questions and CNE credit opportunities.

Ciencia de datos

Science & Nature

"El crecimiento en el uso de la ciencia de datos en nuestras sociedades está impulsado por la aparición del big data y las redes sociales, la aceleración de la potencia informática, la reducción masiva en el costo de la memoria de la computadora y el desarrollo de métodos más potentes para el análisis y modelado de datos, como el aprendizaje profundo. Todos estos factores juntos hacen que nunca haya sido tan fácil para las organizaciones recopilar, almacenar y procesar datos. Al mismo tiempo, estas innovaciones técnicas y la aplicación más amplia de la ciencia de datos hacen que los desafíos éticos relacionados con el uso de datos y la privacidad individual nunca han sido tan apremiantes."

Hear Eye Fooled You! The World's Best Optical and Auditory Illusions and the Science Behind Them

Science & Nature

Al Seckel is internationally recognized as one of the world's leading authorities and authors on visual and sensory illusions. In this volume, Seckel provides over 200 examples of the most powerful illusions known, many of which appear here for the first time. This book also presents powerful auditory illusions, which were not formerly presentable in a traditional printed format. Some of the illusions are so convincing that you may perceive nothing wrong with, or strange, about them. Only after you have read the explanation of the illusion, will you develop an awareness that your perceptual system is misleading you. Even then, the effect can be so powerful that you may doubt the written description! This volume focuses primarily on representative illusions and their explanations which provide insights into how our perceptions are formed, and showcase recent work in vision and perception laboratories worldwide, along with the author's own original contributions to the field. The field of cognitive science has been rapidly undergoing a revolution, and it is exciting to experience it here. Illusions are a wonderful window into perception, because they can reveal the hidden constraints and rules of the perceptual system in a way that our normal perceptual processing does not. The rich assortment of presented illusions can be appreciated by people of all ages, backgrounds, and professions. It will act as a handy reference tool for artists, as well as any serious student and researcher of human perception. The explanations are augmented by many video interviews with leading scientists, some made especially for this volume. Hear Eye Fooled You contains interviews relating to perception with such noted scientists as Richard Feynman, Vilyanur Ramachandran, Arthur Shapiro, Roger Penrose, Jerry Andrus, and Richard Gregory. The purpose of this eBook is to provide an enjoyable experience for the reader while sparking their intellectual and creative thinking, and that's no illusion!

Handbook of Nanomaterials for Industrial Applications

Science & Nature

Handbook of Nanomaterials for Industrial Applications explores the use of novel nanomaterials in the industrial arena. The book covers nanomaterials and the techniques that can play vital roles in many industrial procedures, such as increasing sensitivity, magnifying precision and improving production limits. In addition, the book stresses that these approaches tend to provide green, sustainable solutions for industrial developments. Finally, the legal, economical and toxicity aspects of nanomaterials are covered in detail, making this is a comprehensive, important resource for anyone wanting to learn more about how nanomaterials are changing the way we create products in modern industry. - Demonstrates how cutting-edge developments in nanomaterials translate into real-world innovations in a range of industry sectors - Explores how using nanomaterials can help engineers to create innovative consumer products - Discusses the legal, economical and toxicity issues arising from the industrial applications of nanomaterials

Etre avalé par une baleine, et autres façons improbables de mourir

Science & Nature

Quand Stephen King rencontre Stephen Hawking : des façons farfelues de mourir expliquées scientifiquement et simplement ! Que se passerait-il dans notre corps si nous nous trouvions dans un ascenseur en chute libre ? Dans un avion en dépressurisation ? Ou encore au milieu d'un trou noir dans l'espace ?Bien sûr, on mourrait. Mais de quoi ?C'est à ces questions qu'ont décidé de répondre Paul Doherty et Cody Cassidy dans ce livre, véritable condensé d'humour noir et de rigueur scientifique... En envisageant les scénarios des morts les plus absurdes, ils explorent les phénomènes physiques à l'oeuvre quand le corps humain est soumis à rude épreuve (désagrégation, dislocation, et nous en passons !).Ils nous initient ainsi à la physique, à l'anatomie, ou encore à l'astronomie, pour expliquer avec une précision médicale les raisons de la mort et les phénomènes physiques en conséquences dans toutes ces situations.

Advances in Biomedical Engineering and Technology

Science & Nature

This book comprises select peer-reviewed papers presented at the International Conference on Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology: Roadway from Laboratory to Market (ICBEST 2018) organized by Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. The book covers latest research in a wide range of biomedical technologies ranging from biomechanics, biomaterials, biomedical instrumentation to tele-medicine, internet of things, bioinformatics, medical signal and image processing. The contents aim to bridge the gap between laboratory research and feasible market products by identifying potential technologies to enhance functionalities of diagnostic and therapeutic devices. The book will be of use to researchers, biomedical engineers, as well as medical practitioners.

La diversità della vita

Science & Nature

Introduzione di Telmo PievaniNon si entra mai due volte nella stessa foresta. — Telmo Pievani Una storia della vita – dai fringuelli di Darwin ai “giardini pensili” delle foreste pluviali – dipinta in tutta la sua bellezza e molteplicità, in buona parte ancora sconosciuta. Un libro che è anche un manifesto per la salvaguardia dell’infinita varietà delle specie, sempre più a rischio a causa dell’uomo. Un classico della letteratura scientifica che ha imposto definitivamente all’attenzione del mondo il concetto di biodiversità, quella ricchezza rappresentata dal patrimonio genetico delle diverse forme di vita e dagli habitat in cui esse vivono, ridisegnando alla fine del secolo scorso le basi della biologia della conservazione. E che oggi si rivela di inquietante attualità.

Bio-pigmentation and Biotechnological Implementations

Science & Nature

Recent technological advances have provided unique opportunities for the exploration of alternatives to the industrial use of chemically produced synthetic colors. The most promising developments in this area have been in bio-pigmentation derived from microorganisms. This groundbreaking book reviews the current state of the science of bio-pigmentation, providing important insights into the molecular mechanisms of microbial biosynthesis of industrial pigments. Featuring contributions by leading researchers from both industry and academe, it explores the latest advances in the use of bio-pigments as safe, sustainable alternatives to chemically synthesized pigments, and provides extensive coverage the most promising sources of bio-pigments within the food, feed, and pharmaceutical industries.• Proposes microbial uniqueness of coloration in variety of food, feed and pharmaceuticals• Covers the basic science behind bio-pigmentation as well as the latest advances in the field• Describes detection strategies for screening and identifying color producing microorganisms under varying environmental conditions• Provides an exhaustive review of the literature on color producing extremophiles and offers fascinating insights into color production as a stress response in extremophiles• Explores microbial molecular mechanisms of color production, with special coverage of color production as secondary metabolites under environmental stressBio-pigmentation and Biotechnological Implementations is required reading for professionals and post-doctoral students of microbiology, applied microbiology, food microbiology, food science, and food biochemistry. It is a valuable working resource for scientists working in color-dependent food, feed, and pharmaceuticals.

Non-Destructive Inspection and Testing In Instruction and Video Volume II

Science & Nature

OVERVIEW PURPOSE. Nondestructive Inspection (NDI) is the inspection of a structure or component in any manner that will not impair its future usefulness. The purpose of the inspection may be to detect flaws, measure geometric characteristics, determine material structure or composition, or it may characterize physical, electrical, or thermal properties without causing any changes in the part. The five standard NDI disciplines include: Liquid Penetrant Magnetic Particle Eddy Current Ultrasonic Radiography SCOPE. This publication contains the concepts, process controls, and theory of NDI methods and SHALL be used as a guide in development of NDI procedures and manuals. Guidance for development of NDI procedures is contained in MIL-DTL- 87929C, Appendix F. NDI procedures SHALL be detailed step-by-step instructions with illustrations so a qualified NDI technician can perform the required inspection. In addition this manual provides guidance in safety guidelines of these NDI methods. FORMAT OF PROCEDURES. Though MIL-DTL-87929C is a directive for NDI Work Packages, it provides the proper format for detailed/repetitive NDI procedures. To ensure continuity of inspections, all on and off equipment maintenance NDI manuals (e.g. -9, -36, etc.) SHALL be written to adopt the special requirements of MIL-DTL-87929C into MIL-PRF-83495 when writing NDI procedures for these maintenance manuals. An individual qualified and certified to Level 3 in accordance with NAS 410 in the inspection method being used, SHALL approve all written procedures. References to ASTM standards alone SHALL NOT be used since they do not provide any inspection/part/material details. MIL-DTL-87929C also directs that procedures for commodity items and support equipment contained in or on the weapon system SHALL be included in the system peculiar manual. To clarify this, if the part is inspected on the aircraft or removed for inspection without further disassembly, the procedure SHALL be included in the specific aircraft NDI manual; however, if part requires further disassembly, the procedures SHALL be located in the commodity component’s overhaul or maintenance manual. For specific information on the operation, maintenance, or inspection of a particular piece of NDI equipment or a weapons system, consult the appropriate technical manual. SUBJECTS by CHAPTER 1. TEXT - NONDESTRUCTIVE INSPECTION METHODS AND GENERAL INFORMATION 2. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - LIQUID PENETRANT INSPECTION METHOD 3. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - MAGNETIC PARTICLE INSPECTION METHOD 4. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - EDDY CURRENT INSPECTION METHOD 5. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - ULTRASONIC INSPECTION METHOD 6. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - RADIOGRAPHY INSPECTION METHOD 7. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - GLOSSARY 8. TEXT IN SLIDE FORMAT - Dynamics-based Nondestructive Structural Monitoring (184 pages) 9. VIDEO - Criterion Referenced Testing (U.S. Department Of Defense)

Complex Networks and Their Applications XI

Science & Nature

This book highlights cutting-edge research in the field of network science, offering scientists, researchers, students, and practitioners a unique update on the latest advances in theory and a multitude of applications. It presents the peer-reviewed proceedings of the XI International Conference on Complex Networks and their Applications (COMPLEX NETWORKS 2022). The carefully selected papers cover a wide range of theoretical topics such as network models and measures; community structure, network dynamics; diffusion, epidemics, and spreading processes; resilience and control as well as all the main network applications, including social and political networks; networks in finance and economics; biological and neuroscience networks and technological networks.

La fisica del cambiamento climatico

Science & Nature

I media sono pieni di affermazioni contrastanti e accese discussioni sull’impatto e sui rischi associati al cambiamento climatico. Lawrence M. Krauss, fisico e divulgatore scientifico tra i più stimati al mondo, fa chiarezza spiegando in modo conciso la scienza alla base del fenomeno. La fisica del cambiamento climatico fornisce una panoramica chiara e accessibile della scienza del clima e dei rischi associati all’inazione a livello globale. La narrazione di Krauss ripercorre i progressi degli scienziati verso la moderna comprensione del clima terrestre e del futuro del pianeta. Il generoso corredo di grafici e illustrazioni permette ai lettori di distinguere le predizioni saldamente basate sull’analisi di dati empirici da quelle di origine più speculativa. Con 76 figure a colori

Mind Wide Open

Science & Nature

BRILLIANTLY EXPLORING TODAY'S CUTTING-EDGE BRAIN RESEARCH, MIND WIDE OPEN IS AN UNPRECEDENTED JOURNEY INTO THE ESSENCE OF HUMAN PERSONALITY, ALLOWING READERS TO UNDERSTAND THEMSELVES AND THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES AS NEVER BEFORE. Using a mix of experiential reportage, personal storytelling, and fresh scientific discovery, Steven Johnson describes how the brain works -- its chemicals, structures, and subroutines -- and how these systems connect to the day-to-day realities of individual lives. For a hundred years, he says, many of us have assumed that the most powerful route to self-knowledge took the form of lying on a couch, talking about our childhoods. The possibility entertained in this book is that you can follow another path, in which learning about the brain's mechanics can widen one's self-awareness as powerfully as any therapy or meditation or drug. In Mind Wide Open, Johnson embarks on this path as his own test subject, participating in a battery of attention tests, learning to control video games by altering his brain waves, scanning his own brain with a $2 million fMRI machine, all in search of a modern answer to the oldest of questions: who am I? Along the way, Johnson explores how we "read" other people, how the brain processes frightening events (and how we might rid ourselves of the scars those memories leave), what the neurochemistry is behind love and sex, what it means that our brains are teeming with powerful chemicals closely related to recreational drugs, why music moves us to tears, and where our breakthrough ideas come from. Johnson's clear, engaging explanation of the physical functions of the brain reveals not only the broad strokes of our aptitudes and fears, our skills and weaknesses and desires, but also the momentary brain phenomena that a whole human life comprises. Why, when hearing a tale of woe, do we sometimes smile inappropriately, even if we don't want to? Why are some of us so bad at remembering phone numbers but brilliant at recognizing faces? Why does depression make us feel stupid? To read Mind Wide Open is to rethink family histories, individual fates, and the very nature of the self, and to see that brain science is now personally transformative -- a valuable tool for better relationships and better living.

Un dinosaurio en un pajar

Science & Nature

Un dinosaurio en un pajar es un volumen de reflexiones sobre historia natural de Stephen Jay Gould, una colección de ensayos tan brillantes en su planteamiento como variados en sus temas. Una explosión de insospechadas conexiones entre teorías científicas, anécdotas históricas y curiosidades de todo género, una importante lección sobre la historia de la vida, pero también sobre el lugar del hombre en el universo, sobre la postergación de la mujer y sobre la mentira del racismo.

The Responsibility of Science

Science & Nature

This open acccess book provides an overview of issues of scientific responsibility. The volume comprises three types of contributions: first, analyses of the responsibility of science; second, analyses of the structural conditions for science and its responsibility; and third, normative versions of scientific responsibility. The questions and problems dealt with include science as a profession, ambivalence of research and dual-use, innovation vs. precaution, notions of responsibility, the role of science within society and its relation to human rights, as well as scientific and public discourses. The book addresses scholars in the fields of Science Studies and Research Policy.

Renewable Energy Sources: overview, technologies, energy storage, terms, and Interview Q&A

Science & Nature

Renewable Energy Sources: Overview, Technologies, Energy Storage, Terms, and Interview Q&A is a complete guide to sustainable energy. The Renewable Energy book provides an overview of renewable energy, including its definition, historical background, and importance. It covers the major types of renewable energy technologies, including solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass energy, along with emerging technologies such as hydrogen fuel cells and ocean energy technologies.The renewable energy sources book explores the advantages and limitations of each technology and provides real-world examples of their applications. It also discusses the challenges of integrating renewable energy into the grid, strategies for grid management, as well as the role of energy storage in enabling a sustainable energy future.In addition to providing an in-depth look at renewable energy technologies, the book also includes a glossary of key terms and a section dedicated to answering common questions about renewable energy. It features interviews with experts in the field, providing readers with valuable insights and perspectives on the future of renewable energy.Whether you are a student, technician, engineer, professional in the field of energy, or simply interested in learning more about sustainable energy, Renewable Energy Sources: Overview, Technologies, Energy Storage, Terms, and Interview Q&A is a must-read. It provides an extensive overview of the current state of renewable energy and offers a glimpse into the exciting future of sustainable energy.

Primary Science Learning for Children, Teachers, and Communities

Science & Nature

This book presents a compelling and transformative exploration of the often-overlooked domain of primary science education. It features contributions from educators and scholars worldwide, and provides a fresh perspective on the subject by highlighting positive and productive narratives, challenging the prevalent deficit perspective that has long characterized discussions around primary science education. The various chapters include a scholarly examination of real-life stories and experiences in primary science education. In doing so, it shifts the narrative from one that emphasizes challenges and shortcomings to one that showcases the richness, potential, and inherent opportunities for interdisciplinary learning and community engagement within this field. This book invites readers to shift their perspective on primary science education from one of deficits to one of possibilities. It empowers educators and researchers to reimagine the potential of primary science education, and serves as a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and policymakers seeking to enrich science education and inspire young learners worldwide.

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