Climate change is expected to modify the hydrological cycle and affect freshwater resources. Groundwater is a critical source of fresh drinking water for almost half of the world's population and it also supplies irrigated agriculture. Groundwater is also important in sustaining streams, lakes, wetlands, and associated ecosystems. But despite this, knowledge about the impact of climate change on groundwater quantity and quality is limited. Direct impacts of climate change on natural processes (groundwater recharge, discharge, storage, saltwater intrusion, biogeochemical reactions, chemical fate and transport) may be exacerbated by human activities (indirect impacts). Increased groundwater abstraction, for example, may be needed in areas with unsustainable or contaminated surface water resources caused by droughts and floods. Climate change effects on groundwater resources are, therefore, closely linked to other global change drivers, including population growth, urbanization and land-use change, coupled with other socio-economic and political trends. Groundwater response to global changes is a complex function that depends on climate change and variability, topography, aquifer characteristics, vegetation dynamics, and human activities. This volume contains case studies from diverse aquifer systems, scientific methods, and climatic settings that have been conducted globally under the framework of the UNESCO-IHP project Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change (GRAPHIC). This book presents a current and global synthesis of scientific findings and policy recommendations for scientists, water managers and policy makers towards adaptive management of groundwater sustainability under future climate change and variability.

Food Microbiology and Biotechnology: Safe and Sustainable Food Production explores the most important advances in food microbiology and biotechnology, with special emphasis on the challenges that the industry faces in the era of sustainable development and food security problems. Chapters cover broad research areas that offer original and novel highlights in microbiology and biotechnology and other related sciences. The authors discuss food bioprocesses, fermentation, food microbiology, functional foods, nutraceuticals, extraction of natural products, nano- and micro-technology, innovative processes/bioprocesses for utilization of by-products, alternative processes requiring less energy or water, among other topics. The volume relates some of the current developments in food microbiology that address the relationship between the production, processing, service and consumption of foods and beverages with the bacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology, and immunology. Demonstrating the potential and actual developments across the innovative advances in food microbiology and biotechnology, this volume will be of great interest to students, teachers, and researchers in the areas of biotechnology and food microbiology.

Food Microbiology and Biotechnology: Safe and Sustainable Food Production explores the most important advances in food microbiology and biotechnology, with special emphasis on the challenges that the industry faces in the era of sustainable development and food security problems. Chapters cover broad research areas that offer original and novel highlights in microbiology and biotechnology and other related sciences. The authors discuss food bioprocesses, fermentation, food microbiology, functional foods, nutraceuticals, extraction of natural products, nano- and micro-technology, innovative processes/bioprocesses for utilization of by-products, alternative processes requiring less energy or water, among other topics. The volume relates some of the current developments in food microbiology that address the relationship between the production, processing, service and consumption of foods and beverages with the bacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology, and immunology. Demonstrating the potential and actual developments across the innovative advances in food microbiology and biotechnology, this volume will be of great interest to students, teachers, and researchers in the areas of biotechnology and food microbiology.

Climate change is expected to modify the hydrological cycle and affect freshwater resources. Groundwater is a critical source of fresh drinking water for almost half of the world's population and it also supplies irrigated agriculture. Groundwater is also important in sustaining streams, lakes, wetlands, and associated ecosystems. But despite this, knowledge about the impact of climate change on groundwater quantity and quality is limited. Direct impacts of climate change on natural processes (groundwater recharge, discharge, storage, saltwater intrusion, biogeochemical reactions, chemical fate and transport) may be exacerbated by human activities (indirect impacts). Increased groundwater abstraction, for example, may be needed in areas with unsustainable or contaminated surface water resources caused by droughts and floods. Climate change effects on groundwater resources are, therefore, closely linked to other global change drivers, including population growth, urbanization and land-use change, coupled with other socio-economic and political trends. Groundwater response to global changes is a complex function that depends on climate change and variability, topography, aquifer characteristics, vegetation dynamics, and human activities. This volume contains case studies from diverse aquifer systems, scientific methods, and climatic settings that have been conducted globally under the framework of the UNESCO-IHP project Groundwater Resources Assessment under the Pressures of Humanity and Climate Change (GRAPHIC). This book presents a current and global synthesis of scientific findings and policy recommendations for scientists, water managers and policy makers towards adaptive management of groundwater sustainability under future climate change and variability.

This book recognizes Mexico's effects and challenges in a natural disaster and offers empirical risk-reduction methods in critical cases. The proposals considered here include real and detailed analysis, a set of models, frameworks, strategies, and findings in the three stages of the disaster (before-during-after). This book: describes the methodology to find secure locations for the Regional Humanitarian Response Depot; offers recommendations for the sites and creation of an Export Logistics Cluster; shows how to use available technology and information to locate volunteers in the right spots describes mathematical models to help to allocate procedure of resources for restoring the affected community and proposes actions to create resilience in the country's main economic sectors, including agriculture and industry. The processes applied at recent disasters such as the 19S earthquake and their results are used as case studies, identifying possibilities for further improvement. The book also describes new trends for Mexico due to climate change and makes suggestions for mitigating future disasters. The proposals are also replicable to other highly populated societies with similar socio-economic structures. Finally, this book is the basis for generating more innovative recommendations by researchers, graduate students, academics, professionals, and practitioners to obtain better planning and better collaboration between all the humanitarian chain actors. This book intends to be of interest as a fundamental tool for decision-makers, governments, non-governmental organizations, and enterprises.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Industrial Applications of Holonic and Multi-Agent Systems, HoloMAS 2013, held in Prague, Czech Republic, in August 2013, in conjunction with DEXA 2013. The 25 revised full papers presented together with two invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 37 submissions. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: MAS in automation and manufacturing; design, simulation and validation; MAS in transportation systems; industrial applications; and new trends.

This publication is a compilation of studies on religious instruction in state schools. As Europe goes through a "social revolution" with the influence of the church and religious instruction in state schools being opened to discussion, this book describes the diversity between states and analyzes the legislative basis of religious instruction in various countries. The comparative analyses will be of value to researchers in educational research and to educational policymakers.

This publication is a compilation of studies on religious instruction in state schools. As Europe goes through a "social revolution" with the influence of the church and religious instruction in state schools being opened to discussion, this book describes the diversity between states and analyzes the legislative basis of religious instruction in various countries. The comparative analyses will be of value to researchers in educational research and to educational policymakers.

This book recognizes Mexico's effects and challenges in a natural disaster and offers empirical risk-reduction methods in critical cases. The proposals considered here include real and detailed analysis, a set of models, frameworks, strategies, and findings in the three stages of the disaster (before-during-after). This book: describes the methodology to find secure locations for the Regional Humanitarian Response Depot; offers recommendations for the sites and creation of an Export Logistics Cluster; shows how to use available technology and information to locate volunteers in the right spots describes mathematical models to help to allocate procedure of resources for restoring the affected community and proposes actions to create resilience in the country's main economic sectors, including agriculture and industry. The processes applied at recent disasters such as the 19S earthquake and their results are used as case studies, identifying possibilities for further improvement. The book also describes new trends for Mexico due to climate change and makes suggestions for mitigating future disasters. The proposals are also replicable to other highly populated societies with similar socio-economic structures. Finally, this book is the basis for generating more innovative recommendations by researchers, graduate students, academics, professionals, and practitioners to obtain better planning and better collaboration between all the humanitarian chain actors. This book intends to be of interest as a fundamental tool for decision-makers, governments, non-governmental organizations, and enterprises.

The Chaco War was the first modern conflict in South America. Over time, it became the topic of many volumes published in both Bolivia and Paraguay - first by veterans, such as the commanders-in-chief, and the commanders of army corps', regiments or battalions, and by other ranks, in the form of personal memoirs or wider histories, and using a wide variety of sources. Subsequently, the conflict attracted attention of many foreign writers, foremost from the United States of America and Europe, who researched it with great interest. Hundreds of related articles have also been published. Nevertheless, 'The Chaco War, 1932-1935' is the first ever concise history of this conflict, providing the reader with the full background to this conflict, the military build-up of the Bolivian and Paraguayan armed forces, a blow-by-blow account of Bolivian penetration of this territory since the early 20th Century, precise details on troops mobilised for the war by both sides, all of the battles fought between the belligerents, and their casualties. Two very different military concepts faced each other: the German General Hans Kundt, a First World War veteran, hired by the Bolivian Government, was a proponent of the typical Prussian tactics of front attacks regardless of cost, but also of the strategy of taking and controlling as much territory as possible without annihilating the enemy. The Paraguayan Lieutenant-Colonel Jose Felix Estigarribia (later promoted to Colonel, and then General), took his specialization courses in Chile and France, and was a proponent of tactics of using trench warfare for defence, and flanking the enemy when in the offensive. Eventually, Estigarribia's ideas proved their worth - partially because his forces managed to capture huge stocks of Bolivian arms and ammunition throughout the war. This is also the first book to provide an exclusive collection of photographs from the archives of the Institute of History and Military Museum of Ministry of National Defence of Paraguay, and several private archives in Paraguay and Bolivia. Perfectly complementing the earlier volume The Chaco Air War of the Latin America@War series, The Chaco War provides an indispensable, single-point-source-of-reference for enthusiasts and professionals alike.

A las luz de los eventos de las crisis financieras que se han iniciado en los primeros once anos del siglo XXI. Estas las analizamos en el presente libro con base en el estudio que se presenta en el manejo de la politica monetaria, haciendose enfasis desde el enfoque neoclasico de los fondos prestables, hasta llegar al enfoque poskeynesiano. en donde se presenta la importancia de financiar a la inversion para mejorar la produccion y empleo en las economias en donde el papel del Estado. Por ello, este libro representa una importante reflexion sobre la problematica del mercado financiero y como el Estado puede convertirse en un factor determinante para lograr la mejora del empleo, consumo y produccion en la economia mundial actual. Con lo anterior se propone la Refuncionalizacion del Papel del Estado en la Economia de Mercado para hacer frente a las crisis economicas."

In the middle of ordinary life, both amid happy events and hard times, to find reasons to keep on loving is still possible. In each one of the sixty-five chapters, J. L. Martin Descalzo helps us find the truth of it.