The main focus of this book is the transport mechanics of sediment particles coated with microbial biofilm, which is called bio-sediment. The book also addresses the question of how to measure and simulate the considerable variation in the properties of natural sediment associated with microbial biofilm, ranging from the micro-scale surface morphology to the macro-scale sediment transport. Nowadays most studies to elucidate the mechanisms of sediment transport have concentrated on physical-chemical sediment properties, little work explicitly coupled sediment dynamics and the environmental effects under the influence of micro-ecosystem, thus leaving a serious gap in water and sediment sciences as well as water ecological research. With respect to physical-chemical sediment properties, this book has been undertaken to evaluate and quantify the effect of biological factors - biofilm on sediment transport mechanics. The chapters cover topics including development of bio-sediment and its properties; model of biofilm growth on sediment substratum; bedform and flow resistance of bio-sediment bed; incipient velocity and settling velocity of bio-sediment; bedload and suspended load transport for bio-sediment; numerical simulation of bio-sediment transport. Besides, the measurement technology, analysis method and expression approach introduced in this book combine the characteristics of hydraulic, environmental and microbial research, having more immediate innovation. This book will be of interest to researchers, managers, practitioners, policy and decision makers, international institutions, governmental and non-governmental organizations, educators, as well as graduate and undergraduate students in the field of hydraulics and river dynamics. It will help to understand the relevance of sediment transport and biofilm growth under the role of aqueous micro-ecosystem, to introduce better tools for the simulation and prediction of bio-sediment transport, and to provide a scientific basis and application foundation for the research of interaction between sediment particles and ecological and environmental factors.

Microfluidics for Biological Applications provides researchers and scientists in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and life science industries with an introduction to the basics of microfluidics and also discusses how to link these technologies to various biological applications at the industrial and academic level. Readers will gain insight into a wide variety of biological applications for microfluidics. The material presented here is divided into four parts, Part I gives perspective on the history and development of microfluidic technologies, Part II presents overviews on how microfluidic systems have been used to study and manipulate specific classes of components, Part III focuses on specific biological applications of microfluidics: biodefense, diagnostics, high throughput screening, and tissue engineering and finally Part IV concludes with a discussion of emerging trends in the microfluidics field and the current challenges to the growth and continuing success of the field.

This book investigates Reliability-based Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (RBMDO) theory and its application in the design of deep manned submersibles (DMSs). Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) is an effective design method for large engineering systems like aircraft, warships, and satellites, which require designers and engineers from various disciplines to cooperate with each other. MDO can be used to handle the conflicts that arise between these disciplines, and focuses on the optimal design of the system as a whole. However, it can also push designs to the brink of failure. In order to keep the system balanced, Reliability-based Design (RBD) must be incorporated into MDO. Consequently, new algorithms and methods have to be developed for RBMDO theory. This book provides an essential overview of MDO, RBD, and RBMDO and subsequently introduces key algorithms and methods by means of case analyses. In closing, it introduces readers to the design of DMSs and applies RBMDO methods to the design of the manned hull and the general concept design. The book is intended for all students and researchers who are interested in system design theory, and for engineers working on large, complex engineering systems.

This collection features five peer-reviewed reviews on ensuring the welfare of laying hens. The first chapter highlights the key welfare issues in poultry housing and management, focussing on the use of conventional cages to house laying hens. The chapter then explores the emergence of enriched cages and cage-free housing, as well as the benefits and risks of each system on bird health and welfare. The second chapter reviews the range of welfare issues affecting free range laying hens. The chapter also highlights the need to improve current understanding of how laying hens behave in free range systems to be able to adequately meet their health and welfare needs. The third chapter discusses the use of beak trimming methods, as well as the welfare concerns that arise as a result of their use. The chapter highlights alternative strategies to reduce the need for these practices which are known to incur acute pain. The fourth chapter reviews the impact of housing and management systems on the skeletal and cognitive development of laying hens. It discusses how nutrition and housing can be optimised to reduce the occurrence of bone health issues. The final chapter reviews current research on the genetics of behavioural traits in poultry, focussing on how breeding can be optimised to reduce aggressive behaviour in laying hens.

This book investigates Reliability-based Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (RBMDO) theory and its application in the design of deep manned submersibles (DMSs). Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) is an effective design method for large engineering systems like aircraft, warships, and satellites, which require designers and engineers from various disciplines to cooperate with each other. MDO can be used to handle the conflicts that arise between these disciplines, and focuses on the optimal design of the system as a whole. However, it can also push designs to the brink of failure. In order to keep the system balanced, Reliability-based Design (RBD) must be incorporated into MDO. Consequently, new algorithms and methods have to be developed for RBMDO theory. This book provides an essential overview of MDO, RBD, and RBMDO and subsequently introduces key algorithms and methods by means of case analyses. In closing, it introduces readers to the design of DMSs and applies RBMDO methods to the design of the manned hull and the general concept design. The book is intended for all students and researchers who are interested in system design theory, and for engineers working on large, complex engineering systems.

This book constitutes the proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Wireless Algorithms, Systems, and Applications, WASA 2018, held in Tianjin, China, in June 2018. The 59 full papers and 18 short papers presented in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 197 submissions. The papers cover various topics such as cognitive radio networks; wireless sensor networks; cyber-physical systems; distributed and localized algorithm design and analysis; information and coding theory for wireless networks; localization; mobile cloud computing; topology control and coverage; security and privacy; underwater and underground networks; vehicular networks; internet of things; information processing and data management; programmable service interfaces; energy-efficient algorithms; system and protocol design; operating system and middle-ware support; and experimental test-beds, models and case studies.

In order to apply the damage tolerance design philosophy to design marine structures, accurate prediction of fatigue crack growth under service conditions is required. Now, more and more people have realized that only a fatigue life prediction method based on fatigue crack propagation (FCP) theory has the potential to explain various fatigue phenomena observed. In this book, the issues leading towards the development of a unified fatigue life prediction (UFLP) method based on FCP theory are addressed. Based on the philosophy of the UFLP method, the current inconsistency between fatigue design and inspection of marine structures could be resolved. This book presents the state-of-the-art and recent advances, including those by the authors, in fatigue studies. It is designed to lead the future directions and to provide a useful tool in many practical applications. It is intended to address to engineers, naval architects, research staff, professionals and graduates engaged in fatigue prevention design and survey of marine structures, in fatigue studies of materials and structures, in experimental laboratory research, in planning the repair and maintenance of existing structures, and in rule development. The book is also an effective educational aid in naval architecture, marine, civil and mechanical engineering. Prof. Weicheng Cui is the Dean of Hadal Science and Technology Research Center of Shanghai Ocean University, China. Dr. Xiaoping Huang is an associate professor of School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Dr. Fang Wang is an associate professor of Hadal Science and Technology Research Center of Shanghai Ocean University, China.

Microfluidics for Biological Applications provides researchers and scientists in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and life science industries with an introduction to the basics of microfluidics and also discusses how to link these technologies to various biological applications at the industrial and academic level. Readers will gain insight into a wide variety of biological applications for microfluidics.

The material presented here is divided into four parts, Part I gives perspective on the history and development of microfluidic technologies, Part II presents overviews on how microfluidic systems have been used to study and manipulate specific classes of components, Part III focuses on specific biological applications of microfluidics: biodefense, diagnostics, high throughput screening, and tissue engineering and finally Part IV concludes with a discussion of emerging trends in the microfluidics field and the current challenges to the growth and continuing success of the field.

This book focuses on the under-explored significance of materials throughout Chinese art. Since the inventions of porcelain and gunpowder, Chinese artists have experimented with unconventional artistic materials and used conventional materials in unorthodox ways. This groundbreaking volume is the first publication to expound the trans-historical importance of materiality in Chinese art by bringing together essays from leading scholars, curators, and conservators. Essayists Anne Feng, Yuhang Li, Wei-Cheng Lin, Catherine Stuer, and Yusen Yu examine how materials including lacquer, crystal, paper, and gold stimulated advances in premodern Chinese art. Alex Burchmore, Orianna Cacchione, Nancy P. Lin, Sara Moy, and Rachel Rivenc analyze several instances of material experimentation in contemporary Chinese art in essays that consider materials as varied as gunpowder, plastic, and water. This book builds upon scholarship originally presented at the Art and Materiality Symposium, held on the occasion of the Smart Museum of Art's exhibition The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China.

A beautifully illustrated study of the caves at Dunhuang, exploring how this important Buddhist site has been visualized from its creation to today Situated at the crossroads of the northern and southern routes of the ancient silk routes in western China, Dunhuang is one of the richest Buddhist sites in the world, with more than 500 richly decorated cave temples constructed between the fourth and fourteenth centuries. The sculptures, murals, portable paintings, and manuscripts found in the Mogao and Yulin Caves at Dunhuang represent every aspect of Buddhism. From its earliest construction to the present, this location has been visualized by many individuals, from the architects, builders, and artists who built the caves to twentieth-century explorers, photographers, and conservators, as well as contemporary artists. Visualizing Dunhuang: Seeing, Studying, and Conserving the Caves is a paperback edition of the ninth volume of the magnificent nine-volume hardback set, and examines how the Lo Archive, a vast collection of photographs taken in the 1940s of the Mogao and Yulin Caves, inspires a broad range of scholarship. Lavishly illustrated with selected Lo Archive and modern photographs, the essays address three main areas-Dunhuang as historical record, as site, and as art and art history. Leading experts across three continents examine a wealth of topics, including expeditionary photography and cave architecture, to demonstrate the intellectual richness of Dunhuang. Diverse as they are in their subjects and methodologies, the essays represent only a fraction of what can be researched about Dunhuang. The high concentration of caves at Mogao and Yulin and their exceptional contents chronicle centuries of artistic styles, shifts in Buddhist doctrine, and patterns of political and private patronage-providing an endless source of material for future work. Contributors include Neville Agnew, Dora Ching, Jun Hu, Annette Juliano, Richard Kent, Wei-Cheng Lin, Cary Liu, Maria Menshikova, Jerome Silbergeld, Roderick Whitfield, and Zhao Shengliang. Published in association with the Tang Center for East Asian Art, Princeton University