Provides a global perspective on drought prediction and management and a synthesis of the recent state of knowledge. Covers a wide range of topics from essential concepts and advanced techniques for forecasting and modeling drought to societal impacts, consequences, and planning. Presents numerous case studies with different management approaches from different regions and countries. Addresses how climate change impacts drought, the increasing challenges associated with managing drought, decision making, and policy implications. Includes contributions from hundreds of experts around the world.

Rural Road Engineering in Developing Countries provides a comprehensive coverage of the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of rural roads in developing countries and emerging nations. It covers a wide range of technical and non-technical problems that may confront road engineers working in the developing world, focusing on rural roads which provide important links from villages and farms to markets and offer the public access to health, education, and other services essential for sustainable development. Most textbooks on road engineering are based on experience in industrialised countries with temperate climates or deal only with specific issues, with many aspects of the design and construction of roads in developing regions stemming from inappropriate research undertaken in Europe and the USA. These approaches are frequently unsuitable and unsustainable for rural road network environments, particularly in low to middle income countries. This book takes on board a more recent research and application focus on rural roads, integrating it for a broad range of readers to access current information on good practice for sustainable road engineering in developing countries. The book particularly suits transportation engineers, development professionals, and graduate students in civil engineering.

Located within the field of environmental humanities, this volume engages with one of the most pressing contemporary environmental challenges of our time: how can we shift our understanding and realign what water means to us? Water is increasingly at the centre of scientific and public debates about climate change. In these debates, rising sea levels compete against desertification; hurricanes and floods follow periods of prolonged drought. As we continue to pollute, canalise and desalinate waters, the ambiguous nature of our relationship with these entities becomes visible. From the paradisiac and pristine scenery of holiday postcards through to the devastated landscapes of post-tsunami news reports, images of waters surround us. And while we continue to damage what most sustains us, collective precarity grows. Breaking down disciplinary boundaries, with contributions from scholars in the visual arts, history, earth systems, anthropology, architecture, literature and creative writing, archaeology and music, this edited collection creates space for less-prominent perspectives, with many authors coming from female, Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ contexts. Combining established and emerging voices, and practice-led research and critical scholarship, the book explores water across its scientific, symbolic, material, imaginary, practical and aesthetic dimensions. It examines and interrogates our cultural construction and representation of water and, through original research and theory, suggests ways in which we can reframe the dialogue to create a better relationship with water sources in diverse contexts and geographies. This expansive book brings together key emerging scholarship on water persona and agency and would be an ideal supplementary text for discussions on the blue humanities, climate change, environmental anthropology and environmental history.

A comprehensive reference book for detailed explanations for every algorithm and techniques related to the transformers. 60+ transformer architectures covered in a comprehensive manner. A book for understanding how to apply the transformer techniques in speech, text, time series, and computer vision. Practical tips and tricks for each architecture and how to use it in the real world. Hands-on case studies and code snippets for theory and practical real-world analysis using the tools and libraries, all ready to run in Google Colab.

Focuses on the definition, engineering, and delivery of AI solutions as opposed to AI itself Reader will still gain a strong understanding of AI, but through the perspective of delivering real solutions Explores the core AI issues that impact the success of an overall solution including i. realities of dealing with data, ii. impact of AI accuracy on the ability of the solution to meet business objectives, iii. challenges in managing the quality of machine learning models Includes real world examples of enterprise scale solutions Provides a series of (optional) technical deep dives and thought experiments.

The most up to date book on the topic Suitable for use as a textbook Contains a systematic description of each technique it describes Covers a broad readership, including nanotechnology, biotechnology, biophysics, analytical chemistry, and chemical biology Provides a highly simplified tutorial protocol at the end of each chapter to help readers obtain hands-on experience

Biohydrogen is a promising gaseous biofuel that has prospective applications in combined heat and power, for fuel cells, or as a precursor for chemicals production. Hydrogen can also be converted to liquid hydrocarbon fuels and value-added chemicals through catalytic thermochemical or through biocatalytic biological pathways. This book covers some the important recent advances in the production and utilization of biohydrogen and its solutions for clean fuel, waste management, waste valorization, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change mitigation. Biohydrogen: Developments and Prospects first covers the basic principles, benefits, and challenges concerning both the biological and thermochemical routes for biohydrogen production and then goes on to address topics such as biomass conversion to hydrogen through gasification with a focus on the process parameters, catalytic reforming technologies for hydrogen production concerning various feedstocks; the co-conversion of plastic wastes and biomass into biohydrogen through co-gasification technology; the effect of process parameters on syngas yields through co-gasification; fermentative hydrogen production technologies; the molecular mechanism of hydrogen production and enhancing the yield in hydrogen production by genetic and metabolic engineering; hydrogen production routes through microbial electrolysis; and much more. Key features: Helps to provide the most up-to-date information addressing solutions for clean fuel, waste management, waste valorization, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change mitigation Offers in-depth knowledge about recent developments on thermochemical methanation technologies and bioreactor and bioprocess design in anaerobic digestion technologies Discusses biotechnological interventions for metabolic engineering of microorganisms towards biohydrogen production Looks at gasification technologies and catalytic reforming technologies for hydrogen production Addressing both the fundamentals as well as advanced new technological research on biohydrogen production by focusing on recent global research with emphasis on the technological, environmental, socioeconomic, and techno-economic aspects, this volume will be a valuable resource for faculty and advanced students, chemical and biochemical engineers, bioprocess technologists, biochemists, environmental scientists and researchers as well as theoretical and applied statisticians and policymakers in this area.

With growing concern for the environment and the rising price of crude oil, there is increasing demand for non-petroleum-based polymers from renewable resources. Recognizing emerging developments in biopolymer systems research, this book brings together a number of key biopolymer and bioplastic topics in one place. The book highlights the importance and impact of eco-friendly green biopolymers and bioplastics, both environmentally and economically. It provides important insight into the diversity of polymers obtained directly from, or derived from, renewable resources. This volume, Applied Biopolymer Technology and Bioplastics: Sustainable Development by Green Engineering Materials, will be valuable for a broad audience of engineers and scientists, especially those designing with biopolymers and biodegradable plastics, or evaluating the options for switching from traditional plastics to biopolymers. The content of this book will prove useful for students, researchers, and professionals working in the field of green technology.

The only pocket guide to the UK building regulations on the market Succinct, portable, reliable guide to UK Building regulations Essential for anyone involved in building works or renovations in the UK

- First book to focus on deep learning-based approaches in the field of cancer diagnostics. - Covers the state of the art across a wide-range of topics. - Topics include preprocessing data, prediction of cancer susceptibility and reoccurence, detection of different cancers, complexity and challenges.

This book explores the potential for public banks to help finance the expansion, democratization and sustainability of public water services in Europe, with implications for public water financing elsewhere in the world. Financing the UN's Sustainable Development Goal 6 for water and sanitation will be enormously expensive and will also depend largely on public water operators. Where will this money to fund public water services come from? One option is public banks. These state-owned institutions constitute just under 20% of global banking assets, holding close to $50 trillion in assets. Many public banks have explicit mandates to finance public water management and related public goods, and they have been doing so for decades. And yet, despite a resurgence of interest in public banks, their roles and potential in funding public water services have been largely ignored by researchers and policy makers. This book aims to measure the scale and nature of interactions between public banks and public water operators in the European region; identify challenges and opportunities for deeper engagement between public banks and public water operators; recognize promising practices and how these might be transferred elsewhere in the world; and assess possibilities for more democratic forms of public bank and public water interactions. This volume will be of great use to students and researchers interested in political ecology and economy, development and cooperation, public policy as well as water governance and management. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Water International.

Topical and transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDs) have several advantages over traditional drug delivery methods, as they can be less invasive, more sanitary, more cost-effective, and may result in better patient compliance. TDDs play a significant role in therapeutics with a variety of preparations and approaches designed by expert formulation scientists. This volume integrates a wide variety of case studies, research, and theories to reveal their diversity and capture the novel approaches of transdermal and topical drug delivery employed by developers and content experts in the field. It provides an abundance of important information and state-of-the-art research on topical and transdermal drug delivery systems and addresses the basics of drug delivery systems, strategies to enhance permeation across membranes, and formulation and evaluation of diverse dosage forms. The volume presents an evaluation of the pros and cons of conventional drug delivery systems against TDDs and discusses the nuances of micro- and nano-systems in TDDs. The extraordinary packages of nano systems (vesicular systems, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsion and dendrimers) are broadly discussed, and their applications are reviewed through a transdermal route. The book looks at TDDs and the main nanoparticles used in skin diseases and lesions of the aging, such as psoriasis, vitiligo, cancer, lesions of the aging and others. Chapters also discuss polymeric micelles in topical and transdermal delivery; microneedles; emulsion, nanoemulsion and microemulsion; TDDs in pulmonary drug delivery systems; nanoencapsulated nasal drug delivery systems; skin sensitivity and irritation testing for transposing transdermal drug delivery systems; and regulatory aspects of drug development for dermal products. Topical and Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems: Applications and Prospects will be a valuable resource for pharmaceutical scientists and researchers, industry professionals, and academicians and students of the pharmaceutical and biomedical sciences.

This text provides an in-depth overview of sustainability in machining processes, challenges during machining of difficult-to-cut materials and different ways of green machining in achieving sustainability. It discusses important topics including green and sustainable machining, dry machining, textured cutting coated tools for machining, solid lubricants-based machining, gas-cooled machining, cryogenic cooling for intelligent machining, artificial neural network for machining, big data based machining, and hybrid intelligent machining. This book- Covers advances in sustainable machining such as gas-cooled machining, near dry machining, and minimum quantity lubrication. Explores use of big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence for machining processes. Provides case studies and experimental design as well as results with analysis focusing on achieving sustainability. Discusses artificial intelligence and machine learning based machining processes. Cover the latest applications of sustainable manufacturing for a better understanding of the concepts. The text is primarily written for senior undergraduate, graduate students, and researchers in the fields of mechanical, manufacturing, industrial, production engineering and materials science.

1 The first book on data-driven national assessment of social, ecological, and economic rangeland sustainability 2 Written by leading experts who include real community case studies to personalize the assessment and impacts 3 Highlights data needs for future assessments to spur innovation in development of new techniques and technologies 4 Explains web-based mapping tools to help users create maps of sustainability metrics at their preferred scale of interest 5 Introduces a novel 3-dimensional triangle to depict sustainability ratings at variable scales

In this book, the authors examine the governance of marine protected areas (MPA), and in particular they compare two different forms of governance - co-management (CM) and adaptive co-management (ACM). CM is characterized by the decentralization of the decision-making process, incorporating the governed as well as the government. ACM is characterized by the dynamic process whereby co-management decision-making is made continuously responsive to the changing ecological and socio-economic circumstances of the MPA. The authors carry out a comprehensive critical analysis of CM and ACM before applying these concepts to the case study of the Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area off Honduras to assess two successive management cycles, 2004-9 and 2008-13. The area was designated as an MPA in 1993, a governmental decision which was met with resentment by local communities. CM was introduced in 2004 to involve these local stakeholders in the decision-making process, but achieved limited success. In an attempt to deal with these deficiencies, ACM was adopted in the second management plan in 2008, but whereas the position of the local communities improved, it tipped the scales too far away from conservation. A third management plan is currently being prepared that promises to strike a better balance between ecological and socio-economic objectives. A central theme of the book is to examine how far the CCMPA adhered to the principles of CM and ACM respectively in its first two management plans.

Humans have long neglected to fully consider the impact of their behaviour on the environment. From excessive consumption of fossil fuels and natural resources to pollution, waste disposal, and, in more recent years, climate change, most people and institutions lack a clear understanding of the environmental consequences of their actions. The new field of behavioural environmental economics seeks to address this by applying the framework of behavioural economics to environmental issues, thereby rationalizing unexplained puzzles and providing a more realistic account of individual behaviour. This book provides a complete and rigorous overview of environmental topics that may be addressed and, in many instances, better understood by integrating a behavioural approach. This volume features state-of-the-art research on this topic by influential scholars in behavioural and environmental economics, focussing on the effects of psychological, social and cognitive factors on the decision-making process. It presents research performed using different methods and data collection mechanisms (e.g. laboratory experiments, field experiments, natural experiments, online surveys) on a variety of environmental topics (e.g. sustainability, natural resources). This book is a comprehensive and innovative tool for researchers and students interested in the behavioural economics of the environment and in the design of policy interventions aimed at reducing the human impact on the environment.

By proposing and forming a mobile manipulator for modern multi-floor buildings, A Robotic Framework for the Mobile Manipulator: Theory and Application helps readers visualize an end-to-end workflow for making a robot system work in a targeted environment. From a product-oriented viewpoint, this book is considered as a bridge from theories to real products, in which robotic software modules and the robotic system integration are mainly concerned. In the end, readers will have an overview of how to build and integrate various single robotic modules to execute a list of designed tasks in the real world, as well as how to make a robot system work independently, without human interventions. With references and execution guidelines provided at the end of each chapter, the book will be a useful tool for developers and researchers looking to expand their knowledge about the robotics and the robotic software.

This book is for anyone who wants to gain an understanding of Blockchain technology and its potential. The book is research-oriented and covers different verticals of Blockchain technology. It discusses the characteristics and features of Blockchain, includes techniques, challenges, and future trends, along with case studies for deeper understanding. Blockchain Technology: Exploring Opportunities, Challenges, and Applications covers the core concepts related to Blockchain technology starting from scratch. The algorithms, concepts, and application areas are discussed according to current market trends and industry needs. It presents different application areas of industry and academia and discusses the characteristics and features of this technology. It also explores the challenges and future trends and provides an understanding of new opportunities. This book is for anyone at the beginner to intermediate level that wants to learn about the core concepts related to Blockchain technology.

This book makes an important and timely contribution to debates about the relationship between climate change and security in Southeast Asia. It does so through a human security lens, drawing on local and regional expertise to discuss the threats that climate change poses to human security in Southeast Asia and to show how a human security approach draws attention to the importance of adaptation and strategies for social resilience. In doing so, it exposes the consequences of climate change, the impact on community rights and access, the special problem of border areas, before going on to investigate local and regional strategies for addressing the human security challenges of climate change.

Covers modeling, optimization and control of energy system, and data analysis, collected using SCADA system Uses system dynamics methodology (based on control systems theory) in addition to other modeling tools Focusses on energy and environmental issues Provides optimal operational planning and management of integrated electric power systems and smart grids Describes simulated planning and management of integrated national electric power systems using system dynamics

Learning Strategies for Sustainable Organisations explores sustainability in the context of organisational practice and its implications for learning. Based on a systems thinking approach, it provides a thorough grounding in the principles of systems thinking and tools that can be used to help implement sustainability-focused learning strategies. Increasingly, organisations are recognising the importance of adapting their practices to become more sustainable. Drawing on the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, new knowledge, skills and attitudes are required to help provide products and services that align with changing social and ecological environments and better serve the communities of which they are a part. This book is a practical guide showing how to facilitate sustainability learning and development within organisations, explaining how to identify gaps in current practice, take into account different contexts and perspectives about what sustainability means, and evaluate results following implementation. Learning resources include chapter summaries, illustrations, reflection points, mind maps and further reading. Written by an independent performance and learning consultant with extensive experience working with international organisations, this book provides a necessary toolkit for human resource development directors, training managers, chief sustainability officers and management consultants specialising in sustainable development.

This reference text introduces the classical probabilistic model, deep learning, and big data techniques for improving medical imaging and detecting various diseases. The text addresses a wide variety of application areas in medical imaging where deep learning techniques provide solutions with lesser human intervention and reduced time. It comprehensively covers important machine learning for signal analysis, deep learning techniques for cancer detection, diabetic cases, skin image analysis, Alzheimer's disease detection, coronary disease detection, medical image forensic, fetal anomaly detection, and plant phytology. The text will serve as a useful text for graduate students and academic researchers in the fields of electronics engineering, computer science, biomedical engineering, and electrical engineering.

Presents reasons for the supply chain disruption from various perspective and includes case studies along with an historical perspective for guidance Explores how the supply chain will take shape post COVID-19 Discusses likely future scenarios of new and emerging supply chains Describes various MCDM tools used to make complex decisions by companies to stay ahead Offers domain experts' opinions and views to help in formulating real-time strategies

As the broad challenges around energy and the environment have become the focus of much research, scientists and experts have dedicated their efforts to developing more active and selective catalytic systems for key chemical transformations. For many decades environmentally viable protocols for the synthesis of fine chemicals have been the crux of academic and industrial research. Heterogeneous Catalysis in Organic Transformations serves as an overview of this work, providing a complete description of role of heterogeneous catalysis in organic transformations and offering a review of the current and near future technologies and applications. Discusses the fundamentals of catalysis and compares the advantages and disadvantages of different types of catalyst systems Examines oxide nanoparticles and noble metal nanoparticles Consider organometallic compounds, solid-supported catalysts, and mesoporous materials Describes recent advances in metal-based heterogeneous catalysts and new reactions with possible mechanistic pathways Providing a comprehensive review of heterogeneous catalysis from the basics through recent advances, this book will be of keen interest to undergraduates, graduates, and researchers in chemistry, chemical engineering, and associated fields.

Secure data science, which integrates cyber security and data science, is becoming one of the critical areas in both cyber security and data science. This is because the novel data science techniques being developed have applications in solving such cyber security problems as intrusion detection, malware analysis, and insider threat detection. However, the data science techniques being applied not only for cyber security but also for every application area-including healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and marketing-could be attacked by malware. Furthermore, due to the power of data science, it is now possible to infer highly private and sensitive information from public data, which could result in the violation of individual privacy. This is the first such book that provides a comprehensive overview of integrating both cyber security and data science and discusses both theory and practice in secure data science. After an overview of security and privacy for big data services as well as cloud computing, this book describes applications of data science for cyber security applications. It also discusses such applications of data science as malware analysis and insider threat detection. Then this book addresses trends in adversarial machine learning and provides solutions to the attacks on the data science techniques. In particular, it discusses some emerging trends in carrying out trustworthy analytics so that the analytics techniques can be secured against malicious attacks. Then it focuses on the privacy threats due to the collection of massive amounts of data and potential solutions. Following a discussion on the integration of services computing, including cloud-based services for secure data science, it looks at applications of secure data science to information sharing and social media. This book is a useful resource for researchers, software developers, educators, and managers who want to understand both the high level concepts and the technical details on the design and implementation of secure data science-based systems. It can also be used as a reference book for a graduate course in secure data science. Furthermore, this book provides numerous references that would be helpful for the reader to get more details about secure data science.