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The oceans and atmosphere interact through various processes, including the transfer of momentum, heat, gases and particles. In this book leading international experts come together to provide a state-of-the-art account of these exchanges and their role in the Earth-system, with particular focus on gases and particles. Chapters in the book cover: i) the ocean-atmosphere exchange of short-lived trace gases; ii) mechanisms and models of interfacial exchange (including transfer velocity parameterisations); iii) ocean-atmosphere exchange of the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide; iv) ocean atmosphere exchange of particles and v) current and future data collection and synthesis efforts. The scope of the book extends to the biogeochemical responses to emitted / deposited material and interactions and feedbacks in the wider Earth-system context.
This work constitutes a highly detailed synthesis and reference; of interest to higher-level university students (Masters, PhD) and researchers in ocean-atmosphere interactions and related fields (Earth-system science, marine / atmospheric biogeochemistry / climate). Production of this book was supported and funded by the EU COST Action 735 and coordinated by the International SOLAS (Surface Ocean- Lower Atmosphere Study) project office.
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In this Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology on “High Density Lipoproteins – from biological understanding to clinical exploitation” contributing authors (members of COST Action BM0904/HDLnet) summarize in more than 20 chapters our current knowledge on the structure, function, metabolism and regulation of HDL in health and several diseases as well as the status of past and ongoing attempts of therapeutic exploitation.
The book is of interest to researchers in academia and industry focusing on lipoprotein metabolism, cardiovascular diseases and immunology as well as clinical pharmacologists, cardiologists, diabetologists, nephrologists and other clinicians interested in metabolic or inflammatory diseases.
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Electrical, optical, ionic and magnetic properties of ceramics are primarily dictated by their crystal structure. They can be improved by introducing impurities, creating long range order/short range order/disorder, engineering defects and utilising specific crystal anisotropy and orientation. This Special Issue is aimed at manuscripts focusing on the recent development of electroceramics and its relation to the crystallography, including the characterisation aspect. In particular, the topic of interest covers the review paper on principles, difficulties and progress of crystal structure determination and refinement from powder diffraction, and ferroelectricity in binary crystals. Other interesting piezoelectric, electrical conducting, dielectric and ferroelectric ceramics are reported with various crystal structural characterisation and microscopy techniques.
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Dear Colleagues, Determinations of the indentation hardness properties of crystals have expanded to cover the full characterizations of their important elastic, plastic and cracking behaviors, particularly as accomplished with the increased measuring capabilities of nanoindentation hardness testing. No crystal structure of any bonding type is either too soft or too hard to prevent measurement with a suitable probing indenter. The current Special Issue is devoted to surveying the topic with emphasis given in a collection of reports to: (1) the diversity of crystals being tested; (2) the variety of measuring techniques; and (3) the wealth of information being obtained. Prof. Dr. Ron Armstrong Dr. Stephen Walley Prof. Dr. Wayne L. Elban Guest Editors
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Today, the development of active and stable catalysts still represents a challenge to overcome in the research field of low temperature fuel cells. Operation at low temperatures demands the utilization of highly active catalysts to reduce the activation energy of the electrochemical reactions involved at the electrodes, and thus obtain practical performances and high efficiencies. At present, the most practical catalysts in low temperature fuel cells are highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles. However, these present several drawbacks such as high cost, limited earth resources, sensitivity to contaminants, low tolerance to the presence of alcohols and stability due to carbon support corrosion and Pt dissolution. In the search for alternative catalysts, researchers have looked at several strategies: increase of the utilization of Pt catalysts by means of novel structures (metal/support), alloying with non-platinum metals, new carbon and non-carbon supports, cheaper platinum-group-metals like Pd, non-platinum-group metals catalysts (Fe-N-C, Co-N-C, etc.), etc. This book is intended to cover the most recent progresses in advanced electro-catalysts from the synthesis and characterization to the evaluation of performance and degradation mechanisms, in order to gain insights towards the development of highly active fuel cells.
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Thermochemical conversion processes convert biomass into gaseous, liquid and solid products named, syngas, bio-oil and char, respectively. Syngas and bio-oil are considered as alternative biofuels to fossil fuels and wide investigations are implemented currently on their production, purification, modification, and applications. Biomass chars have receiving an increasing attention since they lead to carbon sequestration, reduction of the amount of carbon rejected into the atmosphere and represent an friendly carbon source for numerous applications. In particular, biomass chars could be an efficient materials for energy production, syngas production and upgrading, water and air pollutants removal, soil amendment, fuel cells and supercapacitors development, and gas storage. Improving the knowledge of biomass chars elaboration techniques such as pyrolysis, gasification and hydrothermal carbonization is essential to determine the optimal production strategies for their economic viability. Furthermore, the characterization of the physicochemical, textural, structural and surface chemistry properties of the derived chars guide the selection of the suitable recovery processes in order to maximize their utility and therefore the benefits for the environment as well as for industries and agriculture.
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Catechols are widely found in nature taking part in a variety of biological functions, ranging from the aqueous adhesion of marine organisms to the storage of transition metal ions. Catechol-based natural and biomimetic molecules have thus been the focus of intense research aimed at mimicking and translating this nature-inspired chemistry into new functional materials and systems with tailored properties. The aim of this book is to present a concise survey of the state-of-the-art of basic and applied research on bioinspired catechol systems. It collects several cutting-edge contributions from leading laboratories with a unifying theme of biomimetic principles and approaches. It is hoped that both practitioners and newcomers to the field will by fascinated by the unique potential of biomimetics to pursue new research and innovative solutions in biomedicine and technology.
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The interest in biocompatible and biodegradable metals, such as magnesium, is mainly related to their potential use as structural material for orthopedic and cardiovascular applications where a temporary medical device is required. However, in the case of magnesium, in vivo experiments have clearly shown that the corrosion degradation rate of magnesium and its alloys is too high and, hence, results in producing gas cavities that can promote the danger of gas embolism, tissue separation, and premature loss of mechanical integrity. The aim of this Special Issue on Biodegradable Metals is to explore and introduce innovative strategies to overcome the current limitations of magnesium.
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Bacterial proliferation is a severe and increasing concern in everyday life, which accounts for important damage in a number of industries, from textile and marine transport to medicine and food packaging. Despite the huge efforts by academic and industry researchers, a universal solution for controlling bacterial colonization has not been established yet. In this regard, nanomaterials are more and more used to target bacteria as an alternative to antibiotics. Examples include the use of nanomaterials in antibacterial coatings for implantable devices and other materials to prevent infection and promote wound healing and in antibiotic delivery systems to treat diseases. By exploiting the excellent antibacterial properties of some materials at the nanoscale, namely ZnO, TiO2, Ag, Au, nanodiamond and graphene, effective strategies for the prevention of infections can be developed. The main focus of this book is, therefore, to present selected examples of the most recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of nanomaterials with antibacterial activity. The book is addressed to scientists and industry researchers, as well as to master and degree students in chemistry, pharmacy, bioengineering, biology and materials science. The Editor would like to thank the staff of Nanomaterials Editorial Office for the constant help and support.
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There is no doubt that the hydrogen bond is one of the most-often analyzed interactions, and there is also no doubt that experimental studies, especially those based on the determination of crystal structures are very important since they deliver valuable information on the nature of this interaction, on different types of the hydrogen bonds, and also on reactions where a hydrogen bond may be treated as the preliminary step. Since the role of the analysis of crystal structures for investigations concerning hydrogen-bonded systems is valuable, the Editorial Board of Crystals, thus, decided to devote a Special Issue of the journal to the analysis of hydrogen bonds in crystals.
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Air quality is personal. Its management is highly so. Asthmatic or air-pollutant-sensitive individuals depend on accurate air quality forecasts to help manage their daily activities. However, the adverse effects of poor air quality on public health and visibility extend far beyond the daily time horizon. Pneumonic and cardiac vascular responses of individuals in all age groups can be both acute, episodic and short-term, as well as chronic, accumulative and long-term. Urban haze resulting from stagnant poor air can linger for many days. In this Special Issue, seven papers cover a wide range of air pollution forecasting technology and emission control responses. It is paramount to verify and improve air quality forecast modeling systems constantly by as many quality-assured and cross-calibrated measurements as possible. Improvements from national centers such as the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) research arms must produce verification statistics satisfying operational center performance metrics over multiple seasons before implementation is possible. High quality, compact, and mobile monitors are a significant player in air quality and atmospheric composition continuous measurements and are poised to become even more important. Five papers in this issue provide insight on observation technological advances and data assimilation. Air quality monitoring and forecasting sciences necessarily advance in lock-step and improvements for one benefit the other.
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The forming of metals through plastic deformation comprises a family of methods that produce components through the re-shaping of input stock, oftentimes with little waste. Therefore, forming is one of the most efficient and economical manufacturing process families available. A myriad of forming processes exist in this family. In conjunction with their countless existing successful applications and their relatively low energy requirements, these processes are an indispensable part of our future. However, despite the vast accumulated know-how, research challenges remain, be they related to the forming of new materials (e.g., for light-weight transportation applications), pushing the boundaries of what is doable, reducing the intermediate steps and/or scrap, or further enhancing the environmental friendliness. The purpose of this book is to collect expert views and contributions on the current state-of-the-art of plastic forming, thus highlighting contemporary challenges and offering ideas and solutions.
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Crystalline conductors and superconductors based on organic molecules are a rapidly progressing field of solid-state science, comprising chemists, and experimental and theoretical physicists from all around the world. In focus are solids with electronic properties governed by delocalized π-electrons. Although carbon-based materials of various shades have gained enormous interest in recent years, charge transfer salts are still paradigmatic in this field. Progress in molecular design is achieved via tiny but ingenious modifications, as well as by fundamentally different approaches. The wealth of exciting physical phenomena is unprecedented and could not have been imagined when the field took off almost half a century ago. Organic low-dimensional conductors are prime examples of Luttinger liquids, exhibit a tendency toward Fermi surface instabilities, but can also be tuned across a dimension¬a¬lity-driven phase diagram like no other system. Superconductivity comes at the border to ordered phases in the spin and charge sectors, and, at high fields, the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state is well established. The interplay between charge and magnetic order is still under debate, but electronic ferroelectricity is well established. After decades of intense search, the spin liquid state was first discovered in organic conductors when the amount of geometrical frustration and electronic correlations is just right. They drive the metal and superconductor into an insulating Mott state, solely via electron–electron interactions. However, what do we know about the effect of disorder? Can we tune the electronic properties by pressure, by light, or by field? Research is still addressing basic questions, but devices are not out of reach. These are currently open questions, as well as hot and timely topics. The present Special Issue on “Advances in Organic Conductors and Superconductors” provides a status report summarizing the progress achieved in the last five years.
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As a result of our call in 2014 for submissions to a Special Issue, Advances in Marine Chitin and Chitosan in Marine Drugs, we are now pleased to tell you that this issue has been published. Twenty high class papers were included in this issue, which we now plan to publish as a book. In addition we now seek to publish a further Special Issue, Advances in Marine Chitin and Chitosan II, 2017, in Marine Drugs. As before, we plan to produce a strong, very exciting issue that will encompass breakthroughs in high value, scientific and industrial chitin and chitosan research. Despite significant advances in chitin and chitosan research since the 1970s, current overviews in recent publications involving chitin and chitosan research advances need reporting.
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Crystals are indispensable in technology, nature, and our daily lives. For example, cooking uses many kinds of crystallized products, such as salt, sugar, and fat crystals; electronic devices contain semiconductor crystals; living organisms produce mineral crystals to maintain biological processes; and snow and ice crystals play a crucial role in climate change. For these and other topics related to crystals, an especially important area of research is crystal growth. Computer simulations of crystal growth have become increasingly important as a result of rapid increases in available computing power. Computer simulations can analyze and predict various aspects of crystal growth, including molecular-scale growth and nucleation mechanisms, the structure and dynamics of surfaces and interfaces, and pattern formation. This book presents state-of-the-art research and reviews of computer simulation studies on crystal growth for hard-sphere particles, organic molecules, ice, and functional materials. The studies use a variety of simulation methodologies, including molecular simulations, first-principles simulations, continuum simulations, and multiscale simulations. This book will interest graduate students and researchers in crystal growth science and technology and will provide a helpful reference for scientists who want to familiarize themselves with computer simulations of crystal growth.
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Nowadays, great concerns are associated with the resistance demonstrated by many microorganisms towards the conventional antibiotic therapies. The failure of traditional antimicrobials, and the increasing healthcare costs, have encouraged scientific research and the development of novel antimicrobial agents. Particularly, there is a great deal of interest in nanotechnologies and in antibacterial products obtained through the incorporation of antibacterial agents or the deposition of antibacterial coatings for prevention of biofilm-associated infections. The main focus of the forthcoming Special Issue is, therefore, to present the most recent efforts in scientific research in the development of advanced antimicrobial materials, with special attention to nature-inspired antimicrobial agents and antimicrobials nanomaterials and nanocoatings. For this purpose, we intend to collect original research articles and reviews on the synthesis and characterization of antimicrobial agents, as well as on the development of antimicrobial products for different applications.
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This Special Issue "Advanced Nanoindentation in Materials" contains some of the latest developments in the field of small-scale contact mechanics for a wide range of materials and biological cells. The featured manuscript revealed a new ultra-high strain rate nanoindentation method that will enable new scientific understanding of time-dependent material properties. The book also presents unique material properties of super alloys and other structural materials characterized by indentation methods. In addition to engineering materials, deformation behaviors of live cancer cells on sharp pillar structures were discussed in this book with the hope to stimulate interest in the mechanical contact behaviors of biological cells.
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Three-dimensional printing is a futuristic technology capable of transforming the ways in which we make components and devices. It is almost certain that this technique will find its niche in the manufacturing sector in the very near future. In view of the growing importance of 3D printing, this book addresses key issues related to emerging science and technology in this area. Detailed and informative articles are presented in relation to a wide variety of materials, including those based on critical engineering metals such as aluminum, magnesium, titanium and composites. Advances in various techniques, such as electron beam melting and selective laser melting are discussed. Of key importance in the area of materials science is the end properties of the materials following processing. Accordingly, the articles presented critically discuss the effects of microstructural features such as porosity, forming defects and the heat treatment induced effects on the mechanical properties. Applications covered in these articles are targeted at the aerospace, automobile, defense and aerospace sectors. Overall, the information presented in this book is of significant importance for academic and industrial-based researchers who wish to inform themselves regarding this upcoming highly promising manufacturing technique.
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This book analyzes the possibilities for effective global governance of science in Europe, India and China. Authors from the three regions join forces to explore how ethical concerns over new technologies can be incorporated into global science and technology policies. The first chapter introduces the topic, offering a global perspective on embedding ethics in science and technology policy. Chapter Two compares the institutionalization of ethical debates in science, technology and innovation policy in three important regions: Europe, India and China. The third chapter explores public perceptions of science and technology in these same three regions. Chapter Four discusses public engagement in the governance of science and technology, and Chapter Five reviews science and technology governance and European values. The sixth chapter describes and analyzes values demonstrated in the constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Chapter Seven describes emerging evidence from India on the uses of science and technology for socio-economic development, and the quest for inclusive growth. In Chapter Eight, the authors propose a comparative framework for studying global ethics in science and technology. The following three chapters offer case studies and analysis of three emerging industries in India, China and Europe: new food technologies, nanotechnology and synthetic biology. Chapter 12 gathers all these threads for a comprehensive discussion on incorporating ethics into science and technology policy. The analysis is undertaken against the backdrop of different value systems and varying levels of public perception of risks and benefits. The book introduces a common analytical framework for the comparative discussion of ethics at the international level. The authors offer policy recommendations for effective collaboration among the three regions, to promote responsible governance in science and technology and a common analytical perspective in ethics.
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The forming of metals through plastic deformation comprises a family of methods that produce components through the re-shaping of input stock, oftentimes with little waste. Therefore, forming is one of the most efficient and economical manufacturing process families available. A myriad of forming processes exist in this family. In conjunction with their countless existing successful applications and their relatively low energy requirements, these processes are an indispensable part of our future. However, despite the vast accumulated know-how, research challenges remain, be they related to the forming of new materials (e.g., for light-weight transportation applications), pushing the boundaries of what is doable, reducing the intermediate steps and/or scrap, or further enhancing the environmental friendliness. The purpose of this book is to collect expert views and contributions on the current state-of-the-art of plastic forming, thus highlighting contemporary challenges and offering ideas and solutions.
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Catalyst deactivation, the loss over time of catalytic activity and/or selectivity, is a problem of great and continuing concern in the practice of industrial catalytic processes. Costs to industry for catalyst replacement and process shutdown total tens of billions of dollars per year. While catalyst deactivation is inevitable for most processes, some of its immediate, drastic consequences may be avoided, postponed, or even reversed. Accordingly, there is considerable motivation to better understand catalyst decay and regeneration. Indeed, the science of catalyst deactivation and regeneration has been developing rapidly as evidenced by the considerable literature addressing this topic, including 21,000 journal articles, presentations, reports, reviews, and books; and more than 29,000 patents for the period of 1980 to 2012. This developing science provides the foundation for continuing, substantial improvements in the efficiency and economics of catalytic processes through development of catalyst deactivation models, more stable catalysts, and regeneration processes. This special issue focuses on recent advances in catalyst deactivation and regeneration, including advances in (1) scientific understanding of mechanisms; (2) development of improved methods and tools for investigation; and (3) more robust models of deactivation and regeneration.
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This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art sensors technology in France. It includes research articles that consolidate our understanding of the state-of-the-art in this area and also four reviews on hot fields in sensor technology (nanomaterials, electronic tongue and optical fibre networks).
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The traditional approach to teaching Organic Chemistry, taken by most of the textbooks that are currently available, is to focus primarily on the reactions of laboratory synthesis, with much less discussion - in the central chapters, at least - of biological molecules and reactions. This is despite the fact that, in many classrooms, a majority of students are majoring in Biology or Health Sciences rather than in Chemistry, and are presumably taking the course in order to learn about the chemistry that takes place in living things.
In an effort to address this disconnect, I have developed a textbook for a two-semester, sophomore-level course in Organic Chemistry in which biological chemistry takes center stage. For the most part, the text covers the core concepts of organic structure, structure determination, and reactivity in the standard order. What is different is the context: biological chemistry is fully integrated into the explanation of central principles, and as much as possible the in-chapter and end-of-chapter problems are taken from the biochemical literature. Many laboratory synthesis reactions are also covered, generally in parallel with their biochemical counterparts - but it is intentionally the biological chemistry that comes first.
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David W. Ball of Cleveland State University brings his new survey of general chemistry text, Introductory Chemistry, to the market with a fresh theme that will be sure to hold student interest: "Chemistry is Everywhere." Introductory Chemistry is intended for a one-semester introductory or preparatory chemistry course. Throughout the chapters, David presents two features that reinforce the theme of the textbook, that chemistry is everywhere.
The first is the boxed feature titled, appropriately, ”Chemistry is Everywhere“. This feature takes a topic of the chapter and demonstrates how this topic shows up in everyday life. In the introductory chapter, ”Chemistry is Everywhere“ focuses on the personal hygiene products that students may use every morning: toothpaste, soap, shampoo among others. These products are chemicals, aren't they? This book explores some of the chemical reactions like the ones that give students clean and healthy teeth, and shiny hair. This feature makes it clear to students that chemistry is, indeed, everywhere, and it will promote student retention in what is sometimes considered an intimidating course.
The second boxed feature focuses on chemistry that students likely indulge in every day: eating and drinking. In the ”Food and Drink App“, David discusses how the chemistry of the chapter applies to things that students eat and drink every day. Carbonated beverages depend on the behavior of gases, foods contain acids and bases, and everyone actually eats certain rocks. (Yikes!) Cooking, eating, drinking, metabolism — all chemical processes students are involved with all the time.
These features allow students to see the things we interact with every day in a new light — as chemistry.
Just like many of the one-semester chemistry books you may be used to, each section in David Ball's starts with one or more Learning Objectives, which list the main points of the section. Each section ends with Key Takeaways, which are reviews of the main points of the section. Each chapter is full of examples to illustrate the key points of the materials, and each example is followed with a similar ”Test Yourself“ exercise to see if the student understands the concept. Each section ends with its own set of paired exercises to practice the material from that section, and each chapter ends with a section of ”Additional Exercises“ that are more challenging or require multiple steps or skills to answer.
David took the time to treat mathematical problems in Introductory Chemistry one of two ways, either as a conversion-factor problem or as a formula problem. David believes having two basic mathematical approaches (converting and formulas) allows the text to focus on the logic of the approach and not tricks or shortcuts; which speaks to the final point about Introductory Chemistry. You'll notice that David took no shortcuts with the material in this text, his inviting writing style, concise approach, consistent presentation, and interesting pedagogy have given it some of the best peer reviews we've seen at Flat World. So, order a desk copy or dive in now to see for yourself.
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As currently taught in the United States, introductory courses in analytical chemistryemphasize quantitative (and sometimes qualitative) methods of analysis along with a heavydose of equilibrium chemistry. Analytical chemistry, however, is much more than a collection ofanalytical methods and an understanding of equilibrium chemistry; it is an approach to solvingchemical problems. Although equilibrium chemistry and analytical methods are important, theircoverage should not come at the expense of other equally important topics.
The introductorycourse in analytical chemistry is the ideal place in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum forexploring topics such as experimental design, sampling, calibration strategies, standardization,optimization, statistics, and the validation of experimental results. Analytical methods comeand go, but best practices for designing and validating analytical methods are universal. Becausechemistry is an experimental science it is essential that all chemistry students understand theimportance of making good measurements.
My goal in preparing this textbook is to find a more appropriate balance between theoryand practice, between “classical” and “modern” analytical methods, between analyzing samplesand collecting samples and preparing them for analysis, and between analytical methods anddata analysis. There is more material here than anyone can cover in one semester; it is myhope that the diversity of topics will meet the needs of different instructors, while, perhaps,suggesting some new topics to cover.
