Science & Nature - Books

Bioreactors

Science & Nature

Bioreactors: Sustainable Design and Industrial Applications in Mitigation of GHG Emissions presents and compares the foundational concepts, state-of-the-art design and fabrication of bioreactors. Solidly based on theoretical fundamentals, the book examines various aspects of the commercially available bioreactors, such as construction and fabrication, design, modeling and simulation, development, operation, maintenance, management and target applications for biofuels production and bio-waste management. Emerging issues in commercial feasibility are explored, constraints and pathways for upscaling, and techno-economic assessment are also covered. This book provides researchers and engineers in the biofuels and waste management sectors a clear, at-a-glance understanding of the actual potential of different advanced bioreactors for their requirements. It is a must-have reference for better-informed decisions when selecting the appropriate technology models for sustainable systems development and commercialization. - Focuses on sustainable bioreactor processes and applications in bioenergy and bio-waste management - Explores techno-economic and sustainability assessment aspects through a comparative approach, catering to diverse arrays and applications - Offers comprehensive coverage of the most recent technology, from fundamentals to applications

Monkey Trouble

Science & Nature

According to scholars of the nonhuman turn, the scandal of theory lies in its failure to decenter the human. The real scandal, however, is that we keep trying.The human has become a conspicuous blind spot for many theorists seeking to extend hospitality to animals, plants, and even insentient things. The displacement of the human is essential and urgent, yet given the humanist presumption that animals lack a number of allegedly unique human capacities, such as language, reason, and awareness of mortality, we ought to remain cautious about laying claim to any power to eradicate anthropocentrism altogether. Such a power risks becoming yet another self-accredited capacity thanks to which the human reaffirms its sovereignty through its supposed erasure.Monkey Trouble argues that the turn toward immanence in contemporary posthumanism promotes a cosmocracy that absolves one from engaging in those discriminatory decisions that condition hospitality as such. Engaging with recent theoretical developments in speculative realism and object-oriented ontology, as well as ape and parrot language studies, the book offers close readings of literary works by J.M. Coetzee, Charles Chesnutt, and Walt Whitman and films by Alfonso Cuarón and Lars von Trier.Anthropocentrism, Peterson argues, cannot be displaced through a logic of reversal that elevates immanence above transcendence, horizontality over verticality. This decentering must cultivate instead a human/nonhuman relationality that affirms the immanent transcendency spawned by our phantasmatic humanness.

The Global Warming Reader

Science & Nature

Van Jones, Al Gore, Elizabeth Kolbert, Naomi Klein, and other essential voices on global warming, from its 19th-century discovery to the present, in a volume edited by Bill McKibben, our most widely respected environmental writerWith the rise of extreme weather events worldwide--witness the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Sandy, Irene, and Katrina, and the sustained drought across the American West--global warming has become increasingly difficult to deny.What is happening to our planet? And what can we do about it? The Global Warming Reader provides more than thirty-five answers to these burning questions, from more than one hundred years of engagement with the topic. Here is Elizabeth Kolbert's groundbreaking essay "The Darkening Sea," Michael Crichton's skeptical view of climate change, George Monbiot's biting indictment of those who are really using up the planet's resources, NASA scientist James Hansen's testimony before the U.S. Congress, and clarion calls for action by Al Gore, Arundhati Roy, Naomi Klein, Van Jones, and many others. The Global Warming Reader is a comprehensive resource, expertly edited by someone who lives and breathes this defining issue of our time.

Solving Problems with NMR Spectroscopy

Science & Nature

Solving Problems with NMR Spectroscopy presents the basic principles and applications of NMR spectroscopy with only as much math as is necessary. It shows how to solve chemical structures with NMR by giving clear examples and solutions. This text will enable organic chemistry students to choose the most appropriate NMR techniques to solve specific structures. The problems to work and the discussion of their solutions and interpretations will help readers becomeproficient in the application of important, modern 1D and 2D NMR techniques to structural studies.Key Features* Presents the most important NMR techniques for structural determinations* Offers a unique problem-solving approach* Uses questions and problems, including discussions of their solutions and interpretations, to help readers grasp NMR* Avoids extensive mathematical formulas* Forewords by Nobel Prize winner Richard R. Ernst and Lloyd M. Jackman

Next Generation (E-Book)

Science & Nature

Dieses E-Book enthält komplexe Grafiken und Tabellen, welche nur auf E-Readern gut lesbar sind, auf denen sich Bilder vergrössern lassen. Was zeichnet eine innovative Lernkultur aus? Wer einen Einblick in den Ausbildungsbetrieb bei Swisscom wagt, gerät ins Staunen: Hier ziehen die Lernenden eigene Projekte auf, verwirklichen ihre Ideen und lassen ihrer Kreativität freien Lauf. Sie sind agil, übernehmen Verantwortung und lernen aus ihren Fehlern. Die "Next Generation" lernt und arbeitet selbstgesteuert und projektbasiert in Teams. Sei es im Betrieb, in Coworking-Spaces, von unterwegs oder im Homeoffice. Kein Wunder, dass die Lernenden bei Swisscom hochmotiviert sind.

Dove sono?

Science & Nature

Partendo dalla pandemia, Bruno Latour, il piú importante filosofo francese contemporaneo, ci indica il disegno piú ampio sotteso a ciò che sta accadendo intorno a noi: il Nuovo Regime Climatico. Il suo è un appello appassionato e poetico a ripensare il piccolo spazio in cui viviamo, a percepirne la bellezza e l'unicità. «Latour ci insegna ad atterrare, vivere e pensare su questa nostra Terra».Donna Haraway«Una metafisica del confinamento che ci invita a rompere con il mondo di prima».Le Monde«Una straordinaria riflessione su come la vera libertà provenga dalla conoscenza».The New York Times«In questo libro Latour ci invita a una metamorfosi. Per riorganizzare la società intorno alle urgenze ecologiche è necessario ripensare il nostro rapporto con il vivente».Libération«Comincio a situarmi come un terrestre fra altri terrestri ma, una volta passata la sorpresa, mi accorgo che i terrestri non si spostano mai ovunque "liberamente" in uno spazio indifferenziato, ma che questo spazio se lo costruiscono pezzo per pezzo. Stranamente, è proprio il fatto di sentirsi "confinati" a darci questa libertà di muoverci infine "liberamente"».

Emocional

Science & Nature

Do aclamado autor de O andar do bêbado e Subliminar, uma jornada pela nova ciência das emoções.Durante muito tempo acreditamos que o pensamento racional era a influência dominante em nossos comportamentos. As emoções, por sua vez, seriam prejudiciais nas tomadas de decisão. Agora, graças ao enorme progresso das pesquisas em neurociência e psicologia, sabemos que a emoção é tão importante quanto a razão para orientar nossas escolhas e atitudes.Mas o que é a emoção? Como nossas ideias sobre os sentimentos evoluíram? Como regular as emoções para utilizá-las a nosso favor? Estas são as grandes questões abordadas em Emocional, do brilhante físico Leonard Mlodinow, que nos orienta aqui por uma novíssima área de pesquisa: a neurociência afetiva.De laboratórios de cientistas pioneiros a cenários do mundo real em que o domínio sobre as emoções foi decisivo para evitar uma tragédia, Mlodinow mostra o quanto essa revolução científica tem implicações significativas também na vida cotidiana, no tratamento de doenças, na compreensão das relações pessoais e em nossa percepção a respeito de nós mesmos.

L'équation de Dieu - En quête d'une théorie universelle

Science & Nature

BEST-SELLER DU NEW YORK TIMESLe récit épique de la plus grande quête de toute l'histoire des sciences – le saint graal de la physique qui expliquerait la création de l'univers – par Michio Kaku, célèbre physicien théoricien et auteur deL'Avenir de l'humanitéet deLa Destinée du cerveau humain.Lorsque Newton a découvert la loi de la gravitation, il a unifié les règles qui régissent les cieux et la Terre. Depuis lors, les physiciens ont intégré de nouvelles forces dans des théories toujours plus vastes.Mais peut-être que le défi ultime consiste à parvenir à une synthèse monumentale de deux grandes théories : la théorie de la relativité et la théorie quantique. Ce serait le couronnement de la science, une profonde fusion de toutes les forces de la nature en une belle et magnifique équation qui percerait les mystères les plus fondamentaux de la science : que s'est-il passé avant le Big Bang ? Qu'y a-t-il de l'autre côté d'un trou noir ? Existe-t-il d'autres univers et dimensions ? Le voyage dans le temps est-il possible ? Pourquoi sommes-nous ici ?Dans cet ouvrage, Michio Kaku présente également l'intense controverse qui entoure cette théorie, une controverse dans laquelle des lauréats du prix Nobel prennent des positions antagonistes sur cette question vitale. C'est une histoire captivante et passionnante, et ce qui est en jeu n'est rien de moins que notre conception de l'univers.Écrit avec l'enthousiasme et la clarté qui caractérisent Kaku, ce voyage épique et captivant est l'histoire deL'Équation de Dieu.

Mercury

Science & Nature

The Sun may be a mass of incandescent gas, but in the plasmatic reaches of its solar winds spins another seemingly glowing (but relatively minute) orb. The last of the five naked-eye planets discovered in ancient times, Mercury has long been an elusive, enigmatic world. As seen from the Earth, it never emerges far from the Sun, and astronomers in the telescopic era found it challenging to work out basic data such as its rotation period, the inclination of its axis, and whether or not it possessed an atmosphere.In this fully up-to-date and beautifully illustrated account, William Sheehan describes the growth of our knowledge of planet Mercury. From the puzzles it posed for early astronomers to radar studies in the 1960s, and from the first spacecraft fly-bys by the Mariner 10 probe in the 1970s to the latest images from the Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) orbital mission between 2011 and 2015, Mercury has slowly been brought into clear focus. But although we have now mapped its surface in exquisite detail, revealing strange features like volcanic plains and water-ice deposits in craters near the poles, mysteries remain—such as why its core has the highest iron content of any body of the Solar System. Rather than growing duller on closer acquaintance, this most mercurial of planets continues to fascinate us, offering important clues to scientists as they seek to better understand the origin and evolution of the Earth.

Climate-Resilient Crops

Science & Nature

Climate-Resilient Crops: Challenges and Opportunities offers a clear and concise guide to the development of crops that can withstand the increasing threats of climate change. With rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events, this book highlights innovative approaches in breeding, biotechnology, and crop management to meet future food demands.Covering a range of important crops—including cereals, oilseeds, fiber, and vegetables—the book integrates current research on stress tolerance, genetic resource utilization, root systems, and the role of plant metabolites. It also explores cutting-edge tools such as omics and genome editing for crop improvement.Designed for students, young researchers, and agricultural professionals, this book delivers practical insights into how science can contribute to climate-smart agriculture. By bridging gaps between disciplines and highlighting new breeding strategies, it serves as a valuable resource for those working to build sustainable food systems in an era of climate uncertainty.

Energia e civiltà

Science & Nature

L’energia è l’unica moneta universale, necessaria per ottenere qualsiasi cosa. In questa storia monumentale, Vaclav Smil offre un racconto complessivo di come l’energia abbia plasmato la società, dalla preistoria in cui si scopre il fuoco alla società moderna che dipende dalle fonti fossili. Gli uomini sono l’unica specie capace di imbrigliare energia al di fuori del proprio corpo, usando le capacità dell’intelletto e un gran numero di strumenti – dai più semplici attrezzi fino ai motori a combustione interna e ai reattori nucleari. La transizione epocale verso l’uso delle fonti fossili ha riguardato ogni aspetto della vita umana: agricoltura, industria, trasporti, armi, comunicazione, economia, urbanizzazione, qualità della vita, politica e ambiente. Come scrive Alessandro Lanza nell’introduzione, «Energia e civiltà di Vaclav Smil rappresenta la sintesi cronologica del rapporto inscindibile tra uomo ed energia nella storia, ma anche una fondamentale messa a fuoco di come questo rapporto sia destinato a svilupparsi, illuminando i punti critici e le sfide sociali e antropologiche che attendono l’umanità per la salvaguardia delle fonti naturali – dalle quali proprio quell’energia scaturisce – principale fonte di ricchezza e sviluppo della nostra specie».

Ethnomedicinal Plants for Drug Discovery

Science & Nature

This book explains the translational aspects of ethnomedicinal plants of different geographical regions including India by explaining the medicinal properties against several diseases, genomic evolution in changing environments, metabolic profiling for biomarker discovery, the role of non-coding RNA in the synthesis of secondary metabolites, genome-wide transcriptome profiling, application of pluripotent stem cells for drug discovery, the importance of high-throughput omics, and genome-editing techniques. In addition, some of the chapters have been designed to describe the role of artificial intelligence, plant database, and network-based drug discovery to explore the medicinal importance of compounds as well as challenges and opportunities in drug discovery from ethnomedicinal plants. The book serves as a great source of information for the students, researchers/scientists of diverse fields such as pharmacognosy, plant physiologists, biotechnologists, and pharmaceutical scientists etc., working in the areas of phytotherapy from ethnomedicinal plants.

Model-Based Reinforcement Learning

Science & Nature

Model-Based Reinforcement Learning Explore a comprehensive and practical approach to reinforcement learning Reinforcement learning is an essential paradigm of machine learning, wherein an intelligent agent performs actions that ensure optimal behavior from devices. While this paradigm of machine learning has gained tremendous success and popularity in recent years, previous scholarship has focused either on theory—optimal control and dynamic programming – or on algorithms—most of which are simulation-based. Model-Based Reinforcement Learning provides a model-based framework to bridge these two aspects, thereby creating a holistic treatment of the topic of model-based online learning control. In doing so, the authors seek to develop a model-based framework for data-driven control that bridges the topics of systems identification from data, model-based reinforcement learning, and optimal control, as well as the applications of each. This new technique for assessing classical results will allow for a more efficient reinforcement learning system. At its heart, this book is focused on providing an end-to-end framework—from design to application—of a more tractable model-based reinforcement learning technique. Model-Based Reinforcement Learning readers will also find: A useful textbook to use in graduate courses on data-driven and learning-based control that emphasizes modeling and control of dynamical systems from data Detailed comparisons of the impact of different techniques, such as basic linear quadratic controller, learning-based model predictive control, model-free reinforcement learning, and structured online learning Applications and case studies on ground vehicles with nonholonomic dynamics and another on quadrator helicopters An online, Python-based toolbox that accompanies the contents covered in the book, as well as the necessary code and data Model-Based Reinforcement Learning is a useful reference for senior undergraduate students, graduate students, research assistants, professors, process control engineers, and roboticists.

Energy

Science & Nature

With one famous equation, E=mc2, Einstein proved all matter can be described as energy. It is everywhere and it is everything.In this newly updated and engaging introduction, renowned scientist Vaclav Smil explores energy in all its facets – from the inner workings of the human body to what we eat, the car we drive and the race for more efficient and eco-friendly fuels.Energy: A Beginner's Guide highlights the importance of energy in both past and present societies, by shedding light on the science behind global warming and efforts to prevent it, and by revealing how our daily decisions affect energy consumption. Whether you're looking for dinner table conversation or to further your own understanding, this book will amaze and inform, uncovering the truths and exposing the myths behind one of the most important concepts in our universe.

The Mind

Science & Nature

Who am “I”?How is happiness achieved? What is the key to memory?How do babies become adults?Is personality determined?What function do emotions serve?Are we hardwired to be moral?The mind is a riddle that has vexed philosophers, psychologists, biologists, and artists for thousands of years. In this invaluable volume, John Brockman, editor and publisher of Edge, gathers the world’s most influential scientists and thinkers to present their deepest thoughts and cutting-edge theories in short, accessible essays about the essential aspects of human consciousness and the complex workings of the brain.Contributors and topics includeSteven Pinker on how the human brain works • Martin Seligman on happiness and what it means to live a good life • Philip Zimbardo on the impact of environment on personality • V. S. Ramachandran on the question of self—who “you” are • Simon Baron-Cohen on the innate differences between boys and girls • George Lakoff on the role of the body and brain on different types of reasoning • Alison Gopnik on why human children are the best learning machines in the universe • Jonathan Haidt on the connection between emotions, morality, and religious belief

Of Ants and Men

Science & Nature

Why do things go wrong? Why, despite all the planning and care in the world, do things go from bad to worse? This book argues that it is because we are like the ants. Just as ants create an anthill without being aware of it, unintended side effects of human activity create all manner of social trends and crises. The book traces the way these trends emerge and the role they play in some of the major issues of our time. One of the greatest challenges today is the complexity of our social and economic systems. Every action has side effects that people often ignore or fail to see. The book examines the ways in which limitations in our thinking and behaviour lead to unintended side effects. It looks at the role played by complex networks of interactions. Finally, it looks at the way side effects of new technologies, especially computers and communication, have created an Information Revolution, the full repercussions of which are yet to be seen. In our race to create new technologies and sustain indefinite economic growth, we are at best dimly aware of the ways in which we are transforming society and threatening our environment.

High Performance Control of AC Drives with Matlab / Simulink Models

Science & Nature

A comprehensive guide to understanding AC machines with exhaustive simulation models to practice design and control Nearly seventy percent of the electricity generated worldwide is used by electrical motors. Worldwide, huge research efforts are being made to develop commercially viable three- and multi-phase motor drive systems that are economically and technically feasible.Focusing on the most popular AC machines used in industry – induction machine and permanent magnet synchronous machine – this book illustrates advanced control techniques and topologies in practice and recently deployed. Examples are drawn from important techniques including Vector Control, Direct Torque Control, Nonlinear Control, Predictive Control, multi-phase drives and multilevel inverters.Key features include: systematic coverage of the advanced concepts of AC motor drives with and without output filter; discussion on the modelling, analysis and control of three- and multi-phase AC machine drives, including the recently developed multi-phase-phase drive system and double fed induction machine; description of model predictive control applied to power converters and AC drives, illustrated together with their simulation models; end-of-chapter questions, with answers and PowerPoint slides available on the companion website www.wiley.com/go/aburub_control This book integrates a diverse range of topics into one useful volume, including most the latest developments. It provides an effective guideline for students and professionals on many vital electric drives aspects. It is an advanced textbook for final year undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers in power electronics, electric drives and motor control. It is also a handy tool for specialists and practicing engineers wanting to develop and verify their own algorithms and techniques.

La rete della vita

Science & Nature

Che cos'è la vita? Partendo da questo interrogativo fondamentale il grande fisico Fritjof Capra delinea in questo libro una prospettiva rivoluzionaria sugli ecosistemi naturali e sugli esseri viventi, portando alla luce l'incredibile rapporto di interdipendenza tra il singolo individuo e il sistema di relazioni in cui è immerso. La somma di queste relazioni, che legano gli universi della psiche, della biologia e della cultura, è una rete: la rete della vita. Per vincere le sfide che l'impegnano, e che discendono dallo sfruttamento selvaggio delle risorse e dalla nevrosi ormai strutturale del nostro vivere, l'umanità deve studiare e comprendere i meccanismi della trama di relazioni che la circonda. E rendersi infine conto che "la nostra sopravvivenza dipenderà dal nostro grado di competenza ecologica, dalla nostra capacità di comprendere i principi dell'ecologia e di vivere in conformità con essi".

Le prince des profondeurs. L'intelligence exceptionnelle des poulpes

Science & Nature

Il possède un énorme cerveau - quasiment autant de neurones qu’un chat - localisé en partie dans ses huit bras. Il « voit » et « goûte » avec la peau, dont la couleur change instantanément pour mieux le camoufler. Dépourvu d’os, il se faufile à travers la moindre fente. Il joue, adore collectionner les objets, apprend de ses erreurs et reconnaît les humains... Ce prince des profondeurs, c’est le poulpe, dont on prend aujourd’hui la mesure de l’intelligence, déjà pressentie par Charles Darwin. Mais il y a plus extraordinaire encore... En explorant Octopolis, une étrange cité sous-marine fondée par des poulpes, Peter Godfrey-Smith découvre des animaux capables d’interactions complexes et dotés de surprenantes personnalités. De quelle conscience témoignent-ils ? Se pourrait-il que nous ne soyons pas la seule branche du vivant à disposer d’un « moi » intérieur ? Que nous apprennent ces céphalopodes sur notre propre intelligence ? Une fascinante rencontre du troisième type.

IoT-WSN-DT Based Medical Systems and Nanotechnology for Smart Cancer Care

Science & Nature

IoT-WSN-DT Based Medical Systems and Nanotechnology for Smart Cancer Care explores the latest advances in nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), digital twin, and wireless sensor networks for real-time cancer care, enabling efficient decision-making and treatment. The book examines how data from medical nanosensors can be integrated with the technology of digital twins for cancer forecasting and monitoring, providing accessible smart insights via remote and mobile devices. By combining the strengths of smart nanotechnology, IoT-based platforms, WSN technologies, and DT, a powerful medical system can be developed for smart cancer care.This system can help in early diagnosis, targeted drug delivery, real-time monitoring, and personalized treatment, ultimately improving patient outcomes. - Covers how nanosensors and nanodevices can be used in cancer forecasting, detection, and monitoring - Explores how nanomedicines and nanovaccines can be used in cancer treatment and diagnosis - Explains how digital twin, AI, and nanotechnology can be used for the future of cancer diagnostics and treatment

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