Because of their photosynthetic activity, plants represent the most important form of life on earth, and thus provide a rich and important source for investigation. By studying the levels of elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury in plants, vital information on background concentrations of such elements in the environments can be obtained. The growth in the use of instrumental multi-element techniques, such as neutron activation, X-ray fluorescence and atomic emission spectroscopy in the analysis of plant samples has led to significant advances in our ability to determine accurately the quantities of such elements present in plant samples. Instrumental Element and Multi-Element Analysis of Plant Samples: Methods and Applications presents the latest key advances that have taken place in a wide range of instrumentation, such as improvements in detection limits, reproducibility and accuracy. Potential problem areas such as representative sampling, sampling processes and accuracy are discussed in detail. Although concentrating on the analysis of plant samples, the book also considers general issues associated with multi-element analysis of environmental analysis in general. Instrumental Element and Multi-Element Analysis of Plant Samples: Methods and Applications will be of great interest to all those working in environmental analysis, particularly in the area of plant sample analysis. Its highly practical and inter-disciplinary approach will make it indispensable to chemists, biochemists, biologists and geologists interested in these areas.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. THE DEFINITIVE CHEMICAL PROCESS INDUSTRY REFERENCE--FULLY REVISED Updated to reflect the latest developments in operational procedures for today's sophisticated chemical technologies, Chemical Technicians' Ready Reference Handbook, Fifth Edition, remains the undisputed classic in the field. Expanded to include coverage for process operators, this authoritative resource contains in-depth details on chemical safety, laboratory procedures, chemical nomenclature, basic electricity, laboratory statistics, and instrumental techniques. Step-by-step directions for performing virtually every laboratory task are also included in this practical guide. COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE INCLUDES: Chemical process industry workers and government regulations Chemical plant and laboratory safety Chemical handling and hazard communication Handling compressed gases Pressure and vacuum Mathematics review and conversion tables Standard operating procedures Laboratory glassware pH measurement Basic electricity Sampling Laboratory filtration Recrystallization The balance Gravimetric analysis Preparation of solutions Process analyzers Plumbing, valves, and pumps Physical properties and determinations Extraction Distillation and evaporation Inorganic and organic chemistry review Chemical calculations and concentration expressions Volumetric analysis Chromatography Spectroscopy Atomic absorption spectroscopy

The wildly popular DIY dad follows up his instant "New York Times" bestseller with a fresh batch of geeky weekend science projects for the whole family to enjoy.
Ken Denmead struck a chord with parents and kids across America with his GeekDad blog on Wired.com, which receives more than one million page views per month. His debut book, "Geek Dad," was on bestseller lists and in its seventh printing just two months after hitting store shelves. With "The Geek Dad's Guide to Weekend Fun," he keeps the nerdtastic novelties coming, with projects that teach readers how to:
-Build homemade robots from scratch
-Write and direct simple stop-motion movies
-Hack into mechanical toys to add cool electronic twists, and more
United by the premise that to really understand science and how something works you must design and build it yourself or remake it better, Geek Parents everywhere will celebrate this latest installment of weekend workshop wonders.
Watch a Video

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. 125 Wickedly Fun Ways to Test the Laws of Physics! Now you can prove your knowledge of physics without expending a lot of energy. 125 Physics Projects for the Evil Genius is filled with hands-on explorations into key areas of this fascinating field. Best of all, these experiments can be performed without a formal lab, a large budget, or years of technical experience! Using easy-to-find parts and tools, this do-it-yourself guide offers a wide variety of physics experiments you can accomplish on your own. Topics covered include motion, gravity, energy, sound, light, heat, electricity, and more. Each of the projects in this unique guide includes parameters, a detailed methodology, expected results, and an explanation of why the experiment works. 125 Physics Projects for the Evil Genius: Features step-by-step instructions for 125 challenging and fun physics experiments, complete with helpful illustrations Allows you to customize each experiment for your purposes Includes details on the underlying principles behind each experiment Removes the frustration factor--all required parts are listed, along with sources 125 Physics Projects for the Evil Genius provides you with all of the information you need to demonstrate: Constant velocity Circular motion and centripetal force Gravitational acceleration Newton's laws of motion Energy and momentum The wave properties of sound Refraction, reflection, and the speed of light Thermal expansion and absolute zero Electrostatic force, resistance, and magnetic levitation The earth's magnetic field The size of a photon, the charge of an electron, and the photoelectric effect And more

The first systematic, hands-on auditing guide for today's pharmaceutical laboratories
In today's litigious environment, pharmaceutical laboratories are subject to ever stricter operational guidelines as mandated by the FDA, and must be able to establish and demonstrate sustainable operational practices that ensure compliance with the current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations. David Bliesner's Establishing a CGMP Laboratory Audit System: A Practical Guide is designed to provide laboratory supervisors and personnel with a step-by-step, hands-on audit system that they can rely on to ensure their facility remains compliant with all current and future requirements. Focusing on a "team approach," the author uses detailed flowcharts, checklists, and descriptions of the auditing process to help readers develop a new audit system or upgrade their current system in order to:
* Improve current compliance
* Demonstrate sustainable compliance
* Produce data for federal inspections
* Avoid regulatory action
Enhanced with detailed checklists and a wealth of practical and flexible auditing tools on CD-ROM, this book provides an ideal resource for new and future laboratory personnel, and an excellent means for keeping existing industry practitioners up to date on the nuances of operating a consistently compliant pharmaceutical laboratory.

Gas chromatography has been the most widely used technique in analytical chemistry for over three decades. It offers unchallenged resolving power for closely related volatile compounds and high sensitivity and selectivity with many of the detector systems. This technique is very accurate and precise when used in the laboratory. This guide begins by looking at the basic theory behind gas chromatography, then goes on to examine injection and sampling methods and the chromatographic column. Sections on detection, data handling, calibration and standards are followed by problem-solving and practical exercises. Gas Chromatography is one of the Practical Laboratory Skills Training Guides, a series that aims to make achieving best practice easy. These invaluable manuals will enable both experienced and inexperienced staff to get the essential basics of any experiment right simply by following the clear and easy to use instructions provided. The guides are written by experienced scientists and include minimal theory, plenty of practical exercises in order to assess competence, and trouble shooting information. Other titles are: Measurement of Mass; Measurement of Volume; Measurement of pH; and High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

Whether pH is being used to test a sample against a legal requirement or specification; as part of an analytical method; for monitoring and controlling a reaction; as a process control in the chemical industry; or for the environmental monitoring of waste and effluents, it is important that all pH measurements are carried out in a logical and consistent manner, paying careful attention to experimental procedures, in order to obtain reliable results. This guide provides scientists with the knowledge of how to do just that, first by outlining the principles of pH measurement and buffer solutions. pH meters and electrodes are then discussed, including selection criteria and the care of electrodes. Finally, sections on making pH measurements and uncertainty are followed by a set of practical exercises. Measurement of pH is one of the Practical Laboratory Skills Training Guides, a series that aims to make achieving best practice easy. These invaluable manuals will enable both experienced and inexperienced staff to get the essential basics of any experiment right simply by following the clear and easy to use instructions provided. The guides are written by experienced scientists and include minimal theory, plenty of practical exercises in order to assess competence, and trouble shooting information. Other titles are: Measurement of Mass; Measurement of Volume; High Performance Liquid Chromatography; and Gas Chromatography.

For those new to this technique, this guide provides basic tips, key skills, awareness and guidance on good practice of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). It will help build understanding of the important issues to consider during analysis and how to develop further skills. HPLC is one of the most widely used techniques in industry to separate and analyse compounds through the mass transfer of analytes between stationary and mobile phases. This guide will prove an invaluable introduction to the technique. Starting with a look at the basic theory, the guide goes on to describe HPLC components, system parameters, suitability checks and testing. Later sections cover calibration, problem solving and data handling. High Performance Liquid Chromatography is one of the Practical Laboratory Skills Training Guides, a series that aims to make achieving best practice easy. These invaluable manuals will enable both experienced and inexperienced staff to get the essential basics of any experiment right simply by following the clear and easy to use instructions provided. The guides are written by experienced scientists and include minimal theory, plenty of practical exercises in order to assess competence, and trouble shooting information. Other titles are: Measurement of Mass; Measurement of Volume; Measurement of pH; and Gas Chromatography.

This guide explains the best methods for undertaking the measurement of mass, one of the most frequent operations in the analytical laboratory. It is a technique required when obtaining a known quantity of a sample for analysis; for preparation of analytical reagents; and for preparation of calibration standards etc. After an initial discussion of the units of mass and other terminology, the guide goes on to look at the types of balance and their features, followed by coverage of location, calibration, accuracy and use of the balance. Practical exercises are then provided. Measurement of Mass is one of the Practical Laboratory Skills Training Guides, a series that aims to make achieving best practice easy. These invaluable manuals will enable both experienced and inexperienced staff to get the essential basics of any experiment right simply by following the clear and easy to use instructions provided. The guides are written by experienced scientists and include minimal theory, plenty of practical exercises in order to assess competence, and trouble shooting information. The other titles are: Measurement of Volume; Measurement of pH; High Performance Liquid Chromatography; and Gas Chromatography.

This book aims to provide scientists with information about a series of techniques that can be used with a view to facilitating the transformation of the sample to an appropriate state for subsequent detection or quantitation of its components of interest. The techniques dealt with range from the very simple ones (e.g. freeze-drying) to other more complex ones (e.g. glow discharge and laser-induced breakdown sampling).

This is the first compilation ever on the subjects of acceleration of solid sample pretreatment; automation of solid sample pretreatment; and integration of solid sample pretreatment and detection. Readers will find here the information required to compare and select the best choice for each sample treatment need and ways to facilitate or automate the most complex and time-consuming step of the analytical process when solid samples are involved.

Flow Analysis (FA) offers a very convenient and fast approach to enhance and automate 'preliminary steps' of analysis (sample dissolution, pretreatments, preconcentrations, etc.) for atomic spectrometric detectors (ASD). Moreover, flow manifolds can ease the well-known problem of sample introduction/presentation to atomisers or even expand the classical scope of atomic/elemental information, characterizing atomic spectrometry, into the realm of molecules and metal-compounds analysis (e.g. by resorting to coupled separation techniques). All these facts could explain both the extraordinary interest for research and the great importance for practical problem-solving achieved nowadays by FA-ASD.

On the threshold of the new millennium when plasma emission and mass spectrometry are so important and popular, the editor considered it timely to produce a book which covers all present atomic detectors and techniques where FA has been or can be advantageously employed. The book has been conceived in three separate parts:
Part I gives the fundamental, instrumentation and potential of FIA as a most versatile sample presentation/introduction system for atomic spectrometry.
Part II provides a modern account of fundamentals, possibilities and applications offered by flow analysis to atomic spectrometry for on-line sample pretreatments, separations and preconcentrations.
Part III deals with applications of FA-ASD combinations to analytical problem-solving in most varied fields and situations.

This monograph integrates the most popular aspects of FIA, its new developments for sample on-line treatments and on-line non-chromatographic and chromatographic separations (all typical 'flowanalysis') in connection with all branches of analytical atomic spectrometry. Thus, academics, researchers and routine users of analytical atomic spectrometry will find this book invaluable.

This book synthesizes a diverse literature on scale in ecology. David L. Peterson and V. Thomas Parker gather contributions from scholars and resource managers representing a wide range of disciplines, including soil science, plant ecology, animal ecology, and aquatic ecology. They assist ecologists in developing new strategies for more accurate interpretations of data using a variety of scales. The distinguished contributors in "Ecological Scale" address the theoretical and methodological relevance of scale within a broad multidisciplinary context. Together, the chapters present convincing evidence that the integration of scale concepts into ecological study is of imminent global concern. Indeed, the understanding of such issues as global warming, the protection of biological diversity, and ecosystem management is affected by interpretation of scale. "Ecological Scale" provides invaluable perspectives on the application of the concepts of measurement, analysis, and inference in both theoretical and applied ecology, ultimately providing a broad-based understanding for resource managers and other ecological professionals.

The only laboratory manual available for the study of microbial physiology, it includes 19 experiments, as well as suggested independent projects. Reagents and organisms are all readily available, and the experiments have been polished and tested over several years of practice.

This text aims to evaluate the actual impact of high-performance capillary electrophoresis on analytical biotechnology and environmental analysis. The first part of the book presents a survey of present innovations in instrument design and different methods of pre-concentration techniques in order to obtain increased separations at higher sensitivities. The second part contains articles on applications of HPCE to protein and peptide analysis. In the third part, applications of HPCE in the investigation of drug abuse and drug interactions are presented. The last two parts of the book deal with the use of HPCE at low-UV wavelengths and negative-UV absorption. The book should be of interest to those working in HPCE research and applications.

Lab Tutor provides a hands-on instruction to the use of laboratory computers for data acquisition, experimental control, and on-line data analysis. It can be used as a primary textbook for a course on laboratory computers, as a supplement in traditional laboratory courses, or as a self-guided tutorial for those learning to use laboratory computers on their own. Lab Tutor covers the basic concepts applicable to any hardware/software system and also includes specific instruction and examples in the use of National Instruments' LabView graphical programming language. Topics covered include digital-to-analog conversion, analog-to-digital conversion, digital interfacing, GPIB, and conventional laboratory instruments. There is also a practical discussion of statistics and simple digital signal processing including extensive examples. Lab Tutor allows new users to make effective use of laboratory computers with as little as 10 hours of effort and to be quite accomplished practitioners with less than 40 hours of effect. Lab Tutor comes in both printed book and hypercard formats. The printed version offers the convenience and readability of an ordinary book. This book is intended for studen

THE SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE presents a systematic account of the cognitive and social features of science. Written by an experimental biologist actively engaged in research, the work is unique in its attempt to understand science in terms of day-to-day practice. The book goes beyond the traditional description of science that focuses on method and logic to characterize the scientific attitude as a way of looking at the world.
Professor Grinnell uses examples from biomedical research to describe science at three interdependent levels. At the first level, the individual scientist makes observations, formulates hypotheses, and does experiments. The scientist's thought style determines what can be seen and what it will appear to mean. At the second level, scientists participate in social institutions such as graduate programs, research groups, journal editorial boards, and grant review panels. Each of these institutions tries to promote its own distinctive collective thought style. Finally, at the third level, scientists participate in the world of everyday life beyond science, a world that continuously influences and is influenced by the activities and discoveries of science.

Designed for physics students treating the underlying basis for modern techniques and the devices used, this timely survey describes current experimental methods in a clear and accessible text. This up-to-date volume provides an essential part of undergraduate physics training; until now, students were often expected to learn many of these methods in the laboratory without proper introduction. The broad coverage of available techniques includes discussion of state-of-the-art electronic equipment, as well as such topics as discrete semiconductor devices, signal processing, thermometry, optical components, nuclear instrumentation, and x-ray diffraction methods. Professor Dunlap's text will serve not only as a complete introduction for majors but also as a reference work for technicians throughout a professional career. In addition to tutorial discussions presented, tables of numerical data and constants are included, further enhancing the book as a permanent reference.

"Testing Scientific Theories " was first published in 1984. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions.

Since much of a scientist's work consists of constructing arguments to show how experiments and observation bear on a particular theory, the methodologies of theory testing and their philosophical underpinnings are of vital concern to philosophers of science. Confirmation of scientific theories is the topic of Clark Glymour's important book "Theory and Evidence," published in 1980. His negative thesis is that the two most widely discussed accounts of the methodology of theory testing - hypothetico-deductivism and Bayesianism - are flawed. The issues Glymour raises and his alternative "bootstrapping" method provided the focus for a conference sponsored by the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science and for this book. As editor John Earman says in his preface, the papers presented in "Testing Scientific Theories " germinate so many new ideas that philosophers of science will reap the harvest for years to come.

Topics covered include a discussion of Glymour's bootstrapping theory of confirmation, the Bayesian perspective and the problems of old evidence, evidence and explanation, historical case studies, alternative views on testing theories, and testing particular theories, including psychoanalytic hypotheses and hypotheses about the completeness of the fossil record.

First developed in the 1880s, repeat photography remains an important and cost-effective technique for scientists and researchers working to track and study landscape change. This volume explores the technical and geographic scope of this important technique. "Repeat Photography" demonstrates the wide range of potential applications, examines new techniques for acquiring data from repeat photography, and clearly shows that repeat photography remains a valuable and cost-effective means of monitoring change in both developed and developing regions. Over 100 sets of photographs, including 32 pages of color photos, serve as examples. Recent concerns about climate change and its effects on natural landscapes, combined with ongoing concerns about land-use practices, make this state-of-the-art review a timely contribution to the literature.

This volume contains a collection of the lectures of the invited speakers and symposium organizers presented at the International Conference of Computational methods in Science and Engineering (ICCMSE 2005), held in Corinth, Greece, October 2005. The content of the papers bears upon new developments of Computational Science pertinent to Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Mathematics and Engineering. Molecular Science is a privileged ground for the application and evaluation of new mathematical tools and computational methods. In recent years, novelty and progress with greatest conceivable speed is common experience. This flavor of research findings carrying many consequences for distant fields is easily evidenced in the lectures collected in this volume.

How can a scientist or policy analyst summarize and evaluate what is already known about a particular topic? This book offers practical guidance. The amount and diversity of information generated by academic and policy researchers in the contemporary world is staggering. How is an investigator to cope with the tens or even hundreds of studies on a particular problem? How can conflicting findings be reconciled? Richard Light and David Pillemer have developed both general guidelines and step-by-step procedures that can be used to synthesize existing data. They show how to apply quantitative methods, including the newest statistical procedures and simple graphical displays, to evaluate a mass of studies and combine separate data sets. At the same time, they insist on the value of qualitative information, of asking the right questions, and of considering the context in which research is conducted. The authors use exemplary reviews in education, psychology, health, and the policy sciences to illustrate their suggestions. Written in nontechnical language and addressed to the beginning researcher as well as to the practicing professional, Summing Up will set a new standard for valid research reviews and is likely to become a methodological classic.

The International Conference of Computational Methods in Sciences and Engineering (ICCMSE) is unique in its kind. It regroups original contributions from all fields of the traditional Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and all branches of Engineering. The aim of the conference is to bring together computational scientists from several disciplines in order to share methods and ideas.
More than 370 extended abstracts have been submitted for consideration for presentation in ICCMSE 2004. From these, 289 extended abstracts have been selected after international peer review by at least two independent reviewers.

The increasingly sophisticated and powerful information technology we are creating plays an ever more prominent role in facilitating interaction and cooperation in everyday life. The time has come to harness it in the service of scientific research. This pathbreaking book describes the technical and social challenges and opportunities of electronic collaboration and offers specific examples of the ways in which it has not only facilitated but in some cases enabled work by scientists. Key players all, the chapter authors illuminate the general issues with their first-hand accounts. Very few researchers today can work in isolation. "Electronic Collaboration in Science" provides the first clear road map for all whose investigations are leading them into this fascinating new multidisciplinary domain.

Describes the latest developments in the scaling-up and application of chromatographic operations and demonstrates that production-scale chromatography is a powerful and invaluable separation process. The book covers every important process design and reveals actual, immediately applicable techniques and is designed to appeal to design, chemical/biochemical, and research and development engineers, process development managers, bioprocess technologists, analytical and clinical chemists and biochemists, pharmacists, and upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education students in these disciplines.