This book discusses bioavailability concepts and methods, summarizing the current knowledge on bioavailability science, as well as possible pathways for integrating bioavailability into risk assessment and the regulation of organic chemicals. Divided into 5 parts, it begins with an overview of chemical distribution in soil and sediment, as well as the bioavailability and bioaccumulation of chemicals in plants, soil, invertebrates and vertebrates (including humans). It then focuses on the impact of sorption processes and reviews bioavailability measurement methods. The closing chapters discuss the impact of bioavailability studies on chemical risk assessment, and highlights further research needs. Written by a multi-disciplinary team of authors, it is an essential resource for scientists in academia and industry, students, as well as for authorities.

Transdisciplinarity is a new way of scientifically meeting the challenges of sustainability. Indeed, interdisciplinary collaboration and co-operation with non-academic 'practice partners' is at the core of this; creating contextualised, socially relevant knowledge about complex real-world problems. Transdisciplinary Research and Sustainability breaks new ground by presenting transdisciplinary research in practice, drawing on recent advances by the vibrant transdisciplinary research communities in the German-speaking world. It describes methodological innovations developed to address wide-ranging contemporary issues including climate change adaptation, energy policy, sustainable agriculture and soil conservation. Furthermore, the authors reflect on the challenges involved in integrating non-academic actors in scientific research, on the tensions that arise in the encounter of theory and praxis, and on the inherently normative, political nature of sustainability research. Highlighting the need for academic institutions to be transformed to reflect transdisciplinarity, this timely volume will appeal to postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers interested in fields such as Sustainability Science, Transdisciplinary Studies and Philosophy of Science.

This book highlights the various types of polymer and nanocomposites that can be derived from biorenewable resources. It covers various aspects of biobased polymers and nanocomposites, including preparation, processing, properties, and performance, and the latest advances in these materials. It also includes recent findings from leading researchers in academia and industry, government, and private research laboratories around the globe, providing the latest information on biobased polymers and nanocomposites. Offering an overview of the entire production process, it guides readers through all stages, from the raw source materials, processing and property characterization to application performance. This book is suitable for professionals and researchers seeking in-depth practical information as well as the fundamental science behind this. It also serves as a point of reference for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral researchers working in the area of polymer and composites with a special emphasis on biobased materials.

This book presents chemical analyses of our most pressing waste, pollution, and resource problems for the undergraduate or graduate student. The distinctive holistic approach provides both a solid ground in theory, as well as a laboratory manual detailing introductory and advanced experimental applications. The laboratory procedures are presented at microscale conditions, for minimum waste and maximum economy. This work fulfills an urgent need for an introductory text in environmental chemistry combining theory and practice, and is a valuable tool for preparing the next generation of environmental scientists.

Sliding Mode Control of Switching Power Converters: Techniques and Implementation is perhaps the first in-depth account of how sliding mode controllers can be practically engineered to optimize control of power converters. A complete understanding of this process is timely and necessary, as the electronics industry moves toward the use of renewable energy sources and widely varying loads that can be adequately supported only by power converters using nonlinear controllers. Of the various advanced control methods used to handle the complex requirements of power conversion systems, sliding mode control (SMC) has been most widely investigated and proved to be a more feasible alternative than fuzzy and adaptive control for existing and future power converters. Bridging the gap between power electronics and control theory, this book employs a top-down instructional approach to discuss traditional and modern SMC techniques. Covering everything from equations to analog implantation, it: Provides a comprehensive general overview of SMC principles and methods Offers advanced readers a systematic exposition of the mathematical machineries and design principles relevant to construction of SMC, then introduces newer approaches Demonstrates the practical implementation and supporting design rules of SMC, based on analog circuits Promotes an appreciation of general nonlinear control by presenting it from a practical perspective and using familiar engineering terminology With specialized coverage of modeling and implementation that is useful to students and professionals in electrical and electronic engineering, this book clarifies SMC principles and their application to power converters. Making the material equally accessible to all readers, whether their background is in analog circuit design, power electronics, or control engineering, the authors-experienced researchers in their own right-elegantly and practically relate theory, application, and mathematical concepts and models to corresponding industrial targets.

Dynamic Modeling of Environmental Systems is a primer on using models to understand environmental problems. With their many natural, economic, political, and technical aspects, environmental problems require a systems approach. This book provides an introduction to modeling concepts and applications that is specifically geared toward the environmental field. Sections on modeling terminology, the uses of models, the model-building process, and the interpretation of output provide the foundation for detailed applications. After an introduction to the basics of dynamic modeling, the book leads students through an analysis of several environmental problems, including surface-water pollution, matter-cycling disruptions, and global warming. The scientific and technical context is provided for each problem, and the methods for analyzing and designing appropriate modeling approaches is provided. An accompanying CD for both Macintosh and Windows computers contains a run-time version of STELLA modeling software with models from the text. While the mathematical content does not exceed the level of a first-semester Calculus course, the book gives students all of the background, examples, and practice exercises needed both to use and understand environmental modeling. It is suitable for upper-level undergraduate and beginning-graduate-level environmental science courses. The text is also useful for environmental professionals seeking an introduction to modeling in their field. About the Series: The availability of powerful, intuitive software for developing and running simulation models of real-world phenomena promises a revolution in studying, teaching, and thinking about complex problems that range from the functioning of a cell to that of an ecosystem to that of a national economy. The books in the series Modeling Dynamic Systems will promote the spread of "systems thinking" by integrating state-of-the-art modeling techniques with the theories and concepts of specific disciplines or interdisciplinary topics. The unifying theme of the series is the ease, power, and transparency of model-building.

This book analyses the drivers of specific common pool resource problems, particularly in fisheries and forestry, examining the way in which private and public regulation have intervened to fight the common pool resource problem by contributing to the establishment and maintenance of property rights. It focuses on the various forms of regulation that have been put in place to protect fisheries and forestry over the past decades - both from a theoretical as well as from a policy perspective - comparing the concrete interaction of legal and policy instruments in eight separate jurisdictions.

Natural and agro-ecosystems are frequently exposed to natural or synthetic substances, which, while they have no direct nutritional value or significance in metabolism, may negatively affect plant functioning. These, xenobiotics, may originate from both natural (fires, volcano eruptions, soil or rock erosion, biodegradation) and anthropogenic (air and soil pollution, herbicides) sources. And, while affected plants have only a limited number of possibilities for avoiding accumulation of these compounds, they do exhibit several enzymatic reactions for detoxification including oxidation, reduction, hydrolysis and conjugation reactions. In agro-ecosystems in particular these mechanisms have great significance in relation to herbicide detoxification and tolerance. In this volume an international group of experts present an overview of the nature and distribution of organic xenobiotics, including their uptake, effects on plant functioning and detoxification mechanisms. The particular significance of glutathione S-transferases in bio-indication and bio-monitoring, and in the detoxification of volatile organic air pollutants and herbicides is evaluated, and their potential significance in phytoremediation and bioaccumulation will be discussed. This volume will be of interest to a wide audience, from graduate students to senior researchers in a wide range of disciplines including plant ecology, plant biochemistry, agriculture and environmental management. It will also be of practical interest to environmentalists, policy makers and resource managers.

Specifically written for contractors and small businesses carrying out small works, this second edition of Spon's Estimating Cost Guide to Small Groundworks, Landscaping Work and Gardening contains accurate information on thousands of rates, each broken down to labour, material overheads and profit.This is the first book to focus on this range of external work, including garden maintenance work on blocks of flats and individual houses, schools and sports fields, garden makeovers, laying patios and paths, small land drainage schemes on farmland, and small-scale local authority maintenance work.

This book contains contributions from inorganic, organic and polymer chemists, who report on the state of the art in ring opening metathesis polymerization, acyclic diene metathesis and alkyne polymerization. Topics covered are: mechanism of ROMP reactions, new catalysts for ROMP, new products by ROMP, new catalysts for ADMET, new products by ADMET, degradation of polymers by metathesis reactions, alkyne polymerization and metathesis, and industrial applications of metathesis reactions.

All the cost data you need to keep your estimating accurate, competitive and profitable. Do you work on jobs between 50 and 50,000? Then this book is for you. Specially written for contractors, quantity surveyors and clients carrying out small works, this book contains accurate information on thousands of rates each broken down to labour, material overheads and profit.More than just a price book, it gives easy-to-read professional advice on setting up and running a business.

This exciting book presents diverse applications of microalgal renewable resources to meet modern demands for energy and value-added products. It also comprehensively describes the role of algae in sustainable and cost-effective wastewater treatment strategies, and highlights the latest research on, advances in and biotechnological relevance of algae in the areas of bioenergy, bioremediation, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and green economy. The book addresses gaps in the fields of bioenergy, waste management, health and economy by providing broad information on bioenergy production, management strategies, drug development, nutraceuticals products and biobased economy using algae at the commercial level. The book introduces researchers to key and emerging innovations in the field of algal biology research and will assist policymakers, environmentalists, scientists, students and global thinkers in defining sustainable developmental goals for the future. Accordingly, it is an extremely important read for researchers and students in the environmental sciences, life sciences and chemistry, experts in the energy sector and policymakers alike.

Recent results on the nature of low-, intermediate- and high-energy nuclear forces as well as on the internal structure of nucleons and atomic nuclei are presented. Prospects to find a new state of the nuclear matter at extreme conditions that existed in the early Universe and the utilisation of the nuclear energy are discussed.

The question of what environmental statistics is about is particularly important when it comes to the formulation of relevant research and training, whether in academia, agencies, or industries. This volume aims to give a new perception on the subject with some examples that are of concern and interest today. Environmental statistics is in a take-off stage both for reasons of societal challenge and statistical opportunity, and is demanding more and more from non-traditional and innovative statistical approaches. The chapters in this volume, which are specially prepared by several outstanding professionals involved in statistics and the environment, discuss the current state of the art in diverse areas of environmental statistics. The volume provides new perspectives and problems for future research, training, policy and regulation. It will be valuable to researchers, teachers, consultants and graduate students in statistics, environmental statistics, statistical ecology, and quantitative environmental sciences in academia, industries, governmental agencies, laboratories and libraries.

The potential application areas for polymer composites are vast. While techniques and methodologies for composites design are relatively well established, the knowledge and understanding of post-design issues lag far behind. This leads to designs and eventually composites with disappointing properties and unnecessarily high cost, thus impeding a wider industrial acceptance of polymer composites. Manufacturing of Polymer Composites completely covers pre- and post-design issues. While the book enables students to become fully comfortable with composites as a possible materials choice, it also provides sufficient knowledge about manufacturing-related issues to permit them to avoid common pitfalls and unmanufacturable designs. The book is a fully comprehensive text covering all commercially significant materials and manufacturing techniques while at the same time discussing areas of research and development that are nearing commercial reality.

Although world-class firms like GE and Motorola have relied on Six Sigma to build their performance cultures, these processes are all too often left out of human resources (HR) functions. This lack of Six Sigma principles is even more surprising because preventing errors and improving productivity are so critical to the people management processes of hiring, retention, appraisal, and development.From the history and evolution of the Total Quality movement to initiatives for introducing a Six Sigma continuous process improvement strategy in your HR department, Achieving HR Excellence through Six Sigma introduces a new way to envision your role within the organization. It explains how this powerful methodology works and supplies a roadmap to help you find and eliminate waste in your HR processes.Describing exactly what HR excellence means, the book outlines dozens of proven approaches as well as a hierarchy of the exact steps required to achieve it. It illustrates the Six Sigma methodology from the creation of a project to its successful completion. At each stage, it describes the specific tools currently available and provides examples of organizations that have used Six Sigma within HR to improve their organizations.The text presents proven approaches that can help you solve and even eliminate people management problems altogether. Filled with real-world examples, it demonstrates how to implement six sigma into the transformational side of your organization. It also includes a listing of additional resources to help you along your Six Sigma journey.Explaining how to build a new business model for your HR organization, the book supplies the new perspective and broad view you will need to discover and recommend game-changing alternatives to traditional HR approaches in your organization.

This book is the result of a conference held biannually at the Goodwin-Niering Center for Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies at Connecticut College. It uses an interdisciplinary approach to focus on important ecological impacts of acid deposition, the transboundary nature of the pollutants that cause acid rain, and domestic and international policies designed to reduce the emission of these pollutants. The book combines research findings and the policy analyses of experts from different academic disciplines with the positions advanced by representatives of various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Because the volume explores many aspects of the acid rain issue, it will be of interest to a diverse audience that includes researchers, students, concerned citizens, policy analysts, and members of NGOs and government agencies who could use the text as background for discussion pertaining to the science and policy of acid deposition.

The rapid growth of the discipline of aquatic ecology has been driven both by scientific interest in the complexities of aquatic ecosystems and by their enormous environmental importance and sensitivity. This book focuses on the remarkably diverse roles played by underwater plants, and is divided into three parts: 10 thematic chapters, followed by 18 case studies, and rounded off by three integrative chapters. The topics range from macrophytes as fish food to macrophytes as mollusc and microbe habitat, making this of interest to aquatic ecologists as well as limnologists, ecosystem ecologists, microbial ecologists, fish biologists, and environmental managers.

Gradually-varied flow (GVF) is a steady non-uniform flow in an open channel with gradual changes in its water surface elevation. The evaluation of GVF profiles under a specific flow discharge is very important in hydraulic engineering. This book proposes a novel approach to analytically solve the GVF profiles by using the direct integration and Gaussian hypergeometric function. Both normal-depth- and critical-depth-based dimensionless GVF profiles are presented. The novel approach has laid the foundation to compute at one sweep the GVF profiles in a series of sustaining and adverse channels, which may have horizontal slopes sandwiched in between them.

Statistics is strongly tied to applications in different scientific disciplines, and the most challenging statistical problems arise from problems in the sciences. In fact, the most innovative statistical research flows from the needs of applications in diverse settings. This volume is a testimony to the crucial role that statistics plays in scientific disciplines such as genetics and environmental sciences, among others. The articles in this volume range from human and agricultural genetic DNA research to carcinogens and chemical concentrations in the environment and to space debris and atmospheric chemistry. Also included are some articles on statistical methods which are sufficiently general and flexible to be applied to many practical situations. The papers were refereed by a panel of experts and the editors of the volume. The contributions are based on the talks presented at the Workshop on Statistics and the Sciences, held at the Centro Stefano Franscini in Ascona, Switzerland, during the week of May 23 to 28, 1999. The meeting was jointly organized by the Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology in Lausanne and Zurich, with the financial support of the Minerva Research Foundation. As the presentations at the workshop helped the participants recognize the po tential role that statistics can play in the sciences, we hope that this volume will help the reader to focus on the central role of statistics in the specific areas presented here and to extrapolate the results to further applications."

Ecological biochemistry concerns the biochemistry of interactions between animals, plants and the environment, and includes such diverse subjects as plant adaptations to soil pollutants and the effects of plant toxins on herbivores. The intriguing dependence of the Monarch butterfly on its host plants is chosen as an example of plant-animal coevolution in action.
The ability to isolate trace amounts of a substance from plant tissues has led to a wealth of new research, and the fourth edition of this well-known text has consequently been extensively revised. New sections have been provided on the cost of chemical defence and on the release of predator-attracting volatiles from plants. New information has been included on cyanogenesis, the protective role of tannins in plants and the phenomenon of induced defence in plant leaves following herbivory.
Advanced level students and research workers aloke will find much of value in this comprehensive text, written by an acknowledged expert on this fascinating subject.
* The book covers the biochemistry of interactions between animals, plants and the environment, and includes such diverse subjects as plant adaptations to soil pollutants and the effects of plant toxins on herbivores.
* The intriguing dependence of the Monarch butterfly on its host plants is chosen as an example of plant-animal coevolution in action
* New sections have been added on the cost of chemical defence and on the release of predators attracting volatiles from plants
* New information has been included on cyanogenesis, the protective role of tannins in plants and the phenomenon of induced defence in plant leaves following herbivory.

The book covers contemporary environmental issues related to such subjects such as: drinking water, air pollution, waste water, hazardous waste and groundwater, and it focusses on current research activities, emerging technologies and future trends.
For each major topic area, an overview paper covers the current state of the technology. The individual papers were independently reviewed by scientists and engineers knowledgeable in the field and complemented by summaries that include references to other related work, and additional technical discussion or comments about the subject matter. An introductory chapter in English and French provides an overview of all the papers and summarizes crucial issues presented in the papers and their interrelationship.

International concern in scientific, industrial, and governmental communi ties over traces of xenobiotics in foods and in both abiotic and biotic envi ronments has justified the present triumvirate of specialized publications in this field: comprehensive reviews, rapidly published research papers and progress reports, and archival documentations. These three international publications are integrated and scheduled to provide the coherency essential for nonduplicative and current progress in a field as dynamic and complex as environmental contamination and toxicology. This series is reserved ex clusively for the diversified literature on "toxic" chemicals in our food, our feeds, our homes, recreational and working surroundings, our domestic animals, our wildlife and ourselves. Tremendous efforts worldwide have been mobilized to evaluate the nature, presence, magnitude, fate, and toxi cology of the chemicals loosed upon the earth. Among the sequelae of this broad new emphasis is an undeniable need for an articulated set of authoritative publications, where one can find the latest important world literature produced by these emerging areas of science together with docu mentation of pertinent ancillary legislation. Research directors and legislative or administrative advisers do not have the time to scan the escalating number of technical publications that may contain articles important to current responsibility. Rather, these individu als need the background provided by detailed reviews and the assurance that the latest information is made available to them, all with minimal literature searching."