Many professionals and students in engineering, science, business, and other application fields need to develop Windows-based and web-enabled information systems to store and use data for decision support, without help from professional programmers. However, few books are available to train professionals and students who are not professional programmers to develop these information systems. Developing Windows-Based and Web-Enabled Information Systems fills this gap, providing a self-contained, easy-to-understand, and well-illustrated text that explores current concepts, methods, and software tools for developing Windows-based and web-enabled information systems. Written in an easily accessible style, the book details current concepts, methods, and software tools for Windows-based and web-enabled information systems that store and use data. It is self-contained with easy-to-understand small examples to walk through concepts and implementation details along with large-scale case studies. The book describes data modeling methods including entity-relationship modeling, relational modeling and normalization, and object-oriented data modeling, to develop data models of a database. The author covers how to use software tools in the Microsoft application development environment, including Microsoft Access, MySQL, SQL, Visual Studio, Visual Basic, VBA, HTML, and XML, to implement databases and develop Windows-based and web-enabled applications with the database, graphical user interface, and program components. The book takes you through the entire process of developing a computer and network application for an information system, highlighting concepts and operation details. In each chapter, small data examples are used to manually walk through concepts and operational details. These features and more give you the conceptual understanding and practical skill required, even if you don't have a computer science background, to develop Windows-based or web-enabled applications for your specialized information system.

Heat Storage Systems for Buildings provides a unique resource for researchers, scientists, engineers, students, sectoral professional and people who work in the area of heat storage systems and applications for buildings. This book will further provide theoretical and practical materials, systems, applications, case studies and examples about various potential options for buildings. The primary focus is on thermodynamic analyses, performance evaluation, lifecycle assessment, environmental impact assessment and sustainability development criteria.

This book describes a comprehensive selection of ocean processes such as wave phenomena (surface, internal gravitational, and acoustic waves), the influence of surfactants and pollutants on the aquatic environment's dynamics, the models of the stratified natural environment, convective phenomena in the ocean, and the interaction of wave and convective processes. Finally, this book dedicates the last section to unsolved problems in the physics of anomalous waves. Most of the chapters present the most hegemonic theories but also they introduce the revulsive ideas based on alternative approaches. The underlying mathematical models are scientifically justified both at the physical and formal mathematical levels. In all known limiting cases lead to well-known classical results. They are in good agreement with experimental data. Several sections show the application of developed approaches to the description of natural phenomena. The book is of interest to specialists working in the field of ocean physics, as well as undergraduate and graduate students specializing in marine physics and oceanography.

Prevention of Actuator Emissions in the Oil and Gas Industry delivers a critical reference for oil and gas engineers and managers to get up-to-speed on all the factors in actuator fugitive emissions. Packed with a selection process, the benefits of switching to an electric system, and the technology around open and closed loop hydraulic systems helps today's engineer understand all their options. Rounding with a detailed explanation around High Integrity Pressure Protection Systems (HIPPS), this book gives provides the knowledge necessary to lower emissions on today's equipment.

An undeniably rich and thorough guide to satellite communication engineering, Satellite Communication Engineering, Second Edition presents the fundamentals of information communications systems in a simple and succinct way. This book considers both the engineering aspects of satellite systems as well as the practical issues in the broad field of information transmission. Implementing concepts developed on an intuitive, physical basis and utilizing a combination of applications and performance curves, this book starts off with a progressive foundation in satellite technology, and then moves on to more complex concepts with ease. What's New in the Second Edition: The second edition covers satellite and Earth station design; global positioning systems; antenna tracking; links and communications systems; error detection and correction; data security; regulations and procedures for system modeling; integration; testing; and reliability and performance evaluation. Provides readers with the systems building blocks of satellite transponders and Earth stations, as well as the systems engineering design procedure Includes the tools needed to calculate basic orbit characteristics such as period, dwell time, coverage area, propagation losses; antenna system features such as size, beamwidth, aperture-frequency product, gain, tracking control; and system requirements such as power, availability, reliability, and performance Presents problem sets and starred sections containing basic mathematical development Details recent developments enabling digital information transmission and delivery via satellite Satellite Communication Engineering, Second Edition serves as a textbook for students and a resource for space agencies and relevant industries.

The process of developing predictive models includes many stages. Most resources focus on the modeling algorithms but neglect other critical aspects of the modeling process. This book describes techniques for finding the best representations of predictors for modeling and for nding the best subset of predictors for improving model performance. A variety of example data sets are used to illustrate the techniques along with R programs for reproducing the results.

This book discusses molecular approaches in plant as response to environmental factors, such as variations in temperature, water availability, salinity, and metal stress. The book also covers the impact of increasing global population, urbanization, and industrialization on these molecular behaviors. It covers the natural tolerance mechanism which plants adopt to cope with adverse environments, as well as the novel molecular strategies for engineering the plants in human interest. This book will be of interest to researchers working on the impact of the changing environment on plant ecology, issues of crop yield, and nutrient quantity and quality in agricultural crops. The book will be of interest to researchers as well as policy makers in the environmental and agricultural domains.

Risk Management in the Oil and Gas Industry: Offshore and Onshore Concepts and Case Studies delivers the concepts, strategies and good practices of offshore and onshore safety engineering that are applicable to petroleum engineering and immediately surrounding industries. Guided by the strategic risk management line, this reference organizes steps in order of importance and priority that should be given to the themes in the practical exercise of risk management activities, from the conceptual and design phase to operational and crisis management situations. Each chapter is packed with practical case studies, lessons learned, exercises, and review questions. The reference also touches on the newest techniques, including liquefied natural gas (cryogenics) operations and computer simulations that contemplate the influence of human behavior. Critical for both the new and experienced engineer, this book gives the best didactic tool to perform operations safely and effectively.

This book presents novel hybrid encryption algorithms that possess many different characteristics. In particular, "Hybrid Encryption Algorithms over Wireless Communication Channels", examines encrypted image and video data for the purpose of secure wireless communications. A study of two different families of encryption schemes are introduced: namely, permutation-based and diffusion-based schemes. The objective of the book is to help the reader selecting the best suited scheme for the transmission of encrypted images and videos over wireless communications channels, with the aid of encryption and decryption quality metrics. This is achieved by applying number-theory based encryption algorithms, such as chaotic theory with different modes of operations, the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), and the RC6 in a pre-processing step in order to achieve the required permutation and diffusion. The Rubik's cube is used afterwards in order to maximize the number of permutations. Transmission of images and videos is vital in today's communications systems. Hence, an effective encryption and modulation schemes are a must. The author adopts Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), as the multicarrier transmission choice for wideband communications. For completeness, the author addresses the sensitivity of the encrypted data to the wireless channel impairments, and the effect of channel equalization on the received images and videos quality. Complete simulation experiments with MATLAB (R) codes are included. The book will help the reader obtain the required understanding for selecting the suitable encryption method that best fulfills the application requirements.

Covers the State of the Art in Superfluidity and Superconductivity Superfluid States of Matter addresses the phenomenon of superfluidity/superconductivity through an emergent, topologically protected constant of motion and covers topics developed over the past 20 years. The approach is based on the idea of separating universal classical-field superfluid properties of matter from the underlying system's "quanta." The text begins by deriving the general physical principles behind superfluidity/superconductivity within the classical-field framework and provides a deep understanding of all key aspects in terms of the dynamics and statistics of a classical-field system. It proceeds by explaining how this framework emerges in realistic quantum systems, with examples that include liquid helium, high-temperature superconductors, ultra-cold atomic bosons and fermions, and nuclear matter. The book also offers several powerful modern approaches to the subject, such as functional and path integrals. Comprised of 15 chapters, this text: Establishes the fundamental macroscopic properties of superfluids and superconductors within the paradigm of the classical matter field Deals with a single-component neutral matter field Considers fundamentals and properties of superconductors Describes new physics of superfluidity and superconductivity that arises in multicomponent systems Presents the quantum-field perspective on the conditions under which classical-field description is relevant in bosonic and fermionic systems Introduces the path integral formalism Shows how Feynman path integrals can be efficiently simulated with the worm algorithm Explains why nonsuperfluid (insulating) ground states of regular and disordered bosons occur under appropriate conditions Explores superfluid solids (supersolids) Discusses the rich dynamics of vortices and various aspects of superfluid turbulence at T 0 Provides account of BCS theory for the weakly interacting Fermi gas Highlights and analyzes the most crucial developments that has led to the current understanding of superfluidity and superconductivity Reviews the variety of superfluid and superconducting systems available today in nature and the laboratory, as well as the states that experimental realization is currently actively pursuing

This book highlights the significance of using sustainable energy to prevent the deterioration of our planet using heat pumps. Energy sustainability can be achieved through improved energy efficiency. In this regard, heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative for heating and cooling. To drive the adoption of heat pumps as a key component of sustainable buildings, the authors focus on examining sustainable practices in heat pump operations and innovative system design. In view of the growing desire to use sustainable energy to meet heating and cooling demands and improve indoor air quality, this book offers a valuable reference guide to the available options in HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning) system design. To begin with, the authors define sustainable energy and discuss the trend of "thinking green" in building design. They then discuss sustainable practices and heat pump applications in mapping out HVAC systems. In turn, they examine the use of green operations to promote sustainable practices and, in order to highlight the importance of innovative design, discuss the configuration options and precision control aspects. In closing, the authors illustrate innovative sustainable design on the basis of several energy-efficient cases. The book's main goal is to drive the adoption of sustainable energy solutions. Heat pumps, it argues, represent the most efficient system for meeting commercial/recreational/residential heating and cooling demands. The book not only examines industrial practices in heat pump application, but also discusses advanced heat pump technologies and innovative heat pump designs.

Energy Storage in Energy Markets reviews the modeling, design, analysis, optimization and impact of energy storage systems in energy markets in a way that is ideal for an audience of researchers and practitioners. The book provides deep insights on potential benefits and revenues, economic evaluation, investment challenges, risk analysis, technical requirements, and the impacts of energy storage integration. Heavily referenced and easily accessible to policymakers, developers, engineer, researchers and students alike, this comprehensive resource aims to fill the gap in the role of energy storage in pool/local energy/ancillary service markets and other multi-market commerce. Chapters elaborate on energy market fundamentals, operations, energy storage fundamentals, components, and the role and impact of storage systems on energy systems from different aspects, such as environmental, technical and economics, the role of storage devices in uncertainty handling in energy systems and their contributions in resiliency and reliability improvement.

Natural Resource Governance in Asia: From Collective Action to Resilience Thinking identifies key leverage points where interventions can be made surrounding current and future impacts of ongoing environmental and sociopolitical challenges. The book utilizes case studies from Asia, a key demographic for natural resource management, that can be applied globally in understanding solutions and the current state of knowledge in natural resource dynamics. Users will find valuable sections on community forestry and socioecological systems, community irrigation, competing water demand, robustness issues, climate change, and natural resource dynamics and challenges. This interdisciplinary tome on the topic is invaluable to researchers and policymakers alike.

In the past decade, the field of physics has witnessed renewed advances in physical systems without mirror (parity) symmetry. Experimentally, chiral magnetic skyrmions discovered in real materials have stirred a great deal of interest in future spintronic applications due to their nanoscale size, topological protection, and energy efficiency. Theoretically, the Hall viscosity, a new universal transport coefficient, through the progress in hydrodynamics has triggered extensive theoretical investigation in quantum Hall systems. This book provides an extensive account of skyrmion dynamics, using various analytical tools, especially the field theory Ward identity that is a first principle method using symmetries and the associated conservation equations. The identity revealed that Hall viscosity is a universal part of skyrmion motion. This book leads readers to frontline research in searching for the role of the mysterious Hall viscosity in skyrmion physics, using the interdisciplinary point of view that encompasses high-energy physics, condensed matter, and materials science. It also provides the necessary backgrounds and physical clarity for advanced undergraduates to meaningfully explore its contents through mathematical expressions conveyed in both vector and index notations.

Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Technology: Principles and Applications consists of the construction and working details of all modern additive manufacturing and 3D-printing technology processes and machines, while also including the fundamentals, for a well-rounded educational experience. The book is written to help the reader understand the fundamentals of the systems. This book provides a selection of additive manufacturing techniques suitable for near-term application with enough technical background to understand the domain, its applicability, and to consider variations to suit technical and organizational constraints. It highlights new innovative 3D-printing systems, presents a view of 4D printing, and promotes a vision of additive manufacturing and applications toward modern manufacturing engineering practices. With the block diagrams, self-explanatory figures, chapter exercises, and photographs of lab-developed prototypes, along with case studies, this new textbook will be useful to students studying courses in Mechanical, Production, Design, Mechatronics, and Electrical Engineering.

This book focuses on monitoring and assessing various environmental processes in Tunisia using state-of-the-art remote sensing and GIS technologies. In addition to addressing the diversity of Tunisian landscapes and providing spatial analysis of natural, cultivated and urbanized environments. It presents and discusses several case studies on integrated RS / GIS approaches for mapping, modeling, monitoring and evaluation. Moreover, in this volume authored by experts in the topic from Tunisia and other countries, authors assess the agro-environmental applications from Tunisia and offer different methods and applications to environmental processes and risks including drought, degradation, flood, planning, Yield estimation, dust storm detection, dry land vulnerability, wetland dynamics and others. The material presented here will help decision-makers plan sustainable landscape and agricultural management policies that preserve biodiversity and contribute to achieving sustainability goals and for researchers, it will expose methodological approaches used in different fields of research. Graduate students and Practionioner engineers working in the field of RS/GIS will also benefit from the book. The book ends with a set of conclusions and recommendations to support researchers underscoring the need for further research in this area.

This volume presents a timely recognition, warning and mapping of the fast approaching wave, or "bio-tsunami", of global socio-technical transformation, built by a much wider spectrum of converging powers, including biotechnology, new agriculture, novel foods, health, quality of life, environment, energy, sustainability, education, knowledge management, and design of smart applications. The book contains eight sections corresponding to different clusters of bioeconomic and socio-technical change, as identified by the editors' "Scanning the Horizon" foresight research; it also offers an integrated view of the future bioeconomy landscape though the convergence of several technologies that affect everyday life. The clusters offer methodologies for forecasting the future bioeconomy, and how these predictions can affect target-setting and the orientation of policies and actions to manage cultural and societal change, and achieve sustainable development in less developed areas. The book will be of interest to researchers, producers, logistics experts, policy makers, regulators, business and financial institutions, and biotechnologists (e.g. geneticists, food experts, etc.).

This book collects the latest results and new trends in the application of mathematics to some problems in control theory, numerical simulation and differential equations. The work comprises the main results presented at a thematic minisymposium, part of the 9th International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM 2019), held in Valencia, Spain, from 15 to 18 July 2019. The topics covered in the 6 peer-review contributions involve applications of numerical methods to real problems in oceanography and naval engineering, as well as relevant results on switching control techniques, which can have multiple applications in industrial complexes, electromechanical machines, biological systems, etc. Problems in control theory, as in most engineering problems, are modeled by differential equations, for which standard solving procedures may be insufficient. The book also includes recent geometric and analytical methods for the search of exact solutions for differential equations, which serve as essential tools for analyzing problems in many scientific disciplines.

Product longevity is one of the cornerstones in the transition towards a more sustainable society and a key driver for the circular economy model. This book provides designers, developers, and creators with five distinctive expert strategies, detailed case studies, action guides and worksheets that support both beginning and advanced design practitioners in creating new product concepts with long-lasting strategic fits. Designing for Longevity shows how expert design teams create original and long-lasting product concepts from the early development phase. It focuses on integrating business knowledge, market conditions, company capabilities, technical possibilities and user needs into product concepts to make better strategic decisions. It demonstrates how, for products to be durable, designers must create a long-lasting strategic fit for the customer, company, and market. Key case studies of products such as Bang & Olufsen's A9, LEGO Ninjago and Friends and Coloplasts' Sensura Mio, among others, offer readers inspiration, guidance and real-world insights from design teams showing how the strategies can be applied in practice. Action guidelines and worksheets encourage broad, analytical problem-solving to identify and think through challenges at the early concept stage. Beautifully designed and illustrated in full colour throughout, this book combines original research and the hands-on tools and strategies that design practitioners need to create useful, sustainable products.

An increasing population has put tremendous pressure on agricultural productivity to fulfill the demands of human consumption. Numerous agricultural activities and techniques have been developed to raise annual crop production globally. While agriculture has succeeded in enhancing the yearly crop productivity, this achievement is at the cost of environmental degradation by applying synthetic persistent substances, such as industrial fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, etc. Chemical fertilizers are nearly as destructive as they are productive, causing monocultures and consequences associated with elimination of diversity, nutrient pollution as evidenced by algae blooms, eutrophication, water quality issues, lower oxygen levels and dangers to fish stocks. Therefore, the scientific approach to maintain sustainable fertility in soil and plants is to switch over to biofertilisers.Biofertilisers are compounds of organic matter that are applied to crops for growth and health. Their constituent micro-organisms interact in an ecofriendly manner with the soil, root and seeds of plants, promoting the growth of micro-flora that enhances soil fertility. They are known to play a number of vital roles in soil fertility, crop productivity and production in agriculture. Application of biofertilisers results in increased mineral and water uptake, root development, vegetative growth and nitrogen fixation. They liberate growth promoting substances and vitamins and help to maintain soil fertility. They act as antagonists and play a pivotal role in neutralising the soil borne plant pathogens, thereby assisting in the bio-control of diseases. Application of biofertilisers in lieu of synthetic fertilizers could be the promising technique to raise agricultural productivity without degrading the environmental quality. The present book focuses on the latest research approaches and updates from the microbiota ecosystem and their applications in agriculture industry. It also highlights the great potential and possible future of action of microbiota in the development of sustainable agricultural systems.

The market and policy impetus to install increasingly utility-scale solar systems, or solar farms (sometimes known as solar parks or ranches), has seen products and applications develop ahead of the collective industry knowledge and experience. Recently however, the market has matured and investment opportunites for utility-scale solar farms or parks as part of renewable energy policies have made the sector more attractive. This book brings together the latest technical, practical and financial information available to provide an essential guide to solar farms, from design and planning to installation and maintenance. The book builds on the challenges and lessons learned from existing solar farms, that have been developed across the world, including in Europe, the USA, Australia, China and India. Topics covered include system design, system layout, international installation standards, operation and maintenance, grid penetration, planning applications, and skills required for installation, operation and maintenance. Highly illustrated in full colour, the book provides an essential practical guide for all industry professionals involved in or contemplating utility-scale, grid-connected solar systems.

Complex Systems lie at the heart of a variety of large-scale phenomena of great significance - global warming, ice ages, water, poverty, pandemics - and this text uses these case studies as motivations and contexts to explore complex systems and related topics of nonlinear dynamics and power-law statistics. Although detailed mathematical descriptions of these topics can be challenging, the consequences of a system being nonlinear, power-law, or complex are in fact quite accessible. This book blends a tutorial approach to the mathematical aspects of complex systems together with a complementary narrative on the global/ecological/societal implications of such systems. Nearly all engineering undergraduate courses focus on mathematics and systems which are small scale, linear, and Gaussian. Unfortunately there is not a single large-scale ecological or social phenomenon that is scalar, linear, and Gaussian. This book offers insights to better understand the large-scale problems facing the world and to realize that these cannot be solved by a single, narrow academic field or perspective. Instead, the book seeks to emphasize understanding, concepts, and ideas, in a way that is mathematically rigorous, so that the concepts do not feel vague, but not so technical that the mathematics get in the way. The book is intended for students in technical domains such as engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, and environmental studies. This second edition adds nine new examples, over 30 additional problems, 50 additional figures, and three new chapters offering a detailed study of system decoupling, extensive solutions to chapter problems, and a timely discussion on the complex systems challenges associated with COVID-19 and pandemics in general.

Plastic is one of the widely used polymers around the globe since its discovery. It is highly impossible to think the ease of life without the aid of plastic. Every year billion tons of plastic waste gets accumulated in the environment and leads to death of both marine and terrestrial animals. Plastic is very durable and needs around 1000 years to degrade under the natural environment. The present book illustrates the importance and significance of the bioremediation to tackle the problem of plastic waste. Previously, we have reported elite rhizobacterial isolates (Lysinibacillus fusiformis strain VASB14/WL and Bacillus cereus strain VASB1/TS) of Avicennia marina Vierh (Forsk.) from the West Coast of India with the potential to degrade plastic (polythene). The present book attempted to address the bioremediation scenario of plastic waste (including micro plastic) using microbes with bacteria in particular. Various strategies used to tackle with the plastic waste were highlighted with case studies of plastic waste management, including in vitro, in situ and ex situ with a special reference to biodegradation technology. After the biodegradation of the plastic using microbes, the generated plastic (polythene) degradation products (PE-DPs) were also documented using GC-MS technique followed by their deleterious effect on both animal and plant systems. The book also enhances the awareness of the plastic-free society and also suggests some alternative materials to be used instead of plastic. Lastly, the book suggests/recommends the strategies to be followed by the lawmakers in the government organizations/non-government organizations/social organizations to frame the regulations and guidelines to implement at mass level to reduce the generation of plastic waste.