ALBERT

Description / Table of Contents: Over the past 20 years there has been a major growth in efforts to quantify the geometry and dimensions of sediment bodies from analogues to provide quantitative input to geological models. The aim of this volume is to examine the current state of the art, from both an industry and an academic perspective. Contributions discuss the challenges of extracting relevant data from different types of sedimentary analogue (outcrop, process models, seismic) and the application and significance of such information for improving predictions from subsurface static and dynamic models. Special attention is given to modelling reservoir properties and gridding issues for predicting subsurface fluid flow. As such, the volume is expected to be of interest to both the geoscience community concerned with the fundamentals of sedimentary architecture as well as geological modellers and engineers interested in how these characteristics are modelled and influence subsurface predictions.

Description / Table of Contents: The mitigation of earthquake-related hazards represents a key role in the modern society. The mitigation of such kind of hazards spans from detailed studies on seismicity, evaluation of site effects, and seismo-induced landslides, tsunamis as well as and the design and analysis of structures to resist such actions. The study of earthquakes ties together science, technology and expertise in infrastructure and engineering in an effort to minimize human and material losses when they inevitably occur. Chapters deal with different topics aiming to mitigate geo-hazards such as: Seismic hazard analysis, Ground investigation for seismic design, Seismic design, assessment and remediation, Earthquake site response analysis and soil-structure interaction analysis.

Description / Table of Contents: Sediment Transport Processes and their Modelling Applications is a book which covers a wide range of topics. The effective management of many aquatic environments, requires a detailed understanding of sediment dynamics. This has both environmental and economic implications, especially where there is any anthropogenic involvement. Numerical models are often the tool used for predicting the transport and fate of sediment movement in these situations, as they can estimate the various spatial and temporal fluxes. However, the physical sedimentary processes can vary quite considerably depending upon whether the local sediments are fully cohesive, non-cohesive, or a mixture of both types. For this reason for more than half a century, scientists, engineers, hydrologists and mathematicians have all been continuing to conduct research into the many aspects which influence sediment transport. These issues range from processes such as scour, erosion and deposition, to how sediment process observations can be applied in sediment transport modelling frameworks. This book reports the findings from recent research in applied sediment transport which has been conducted in a wide range of aquatic environments. The research was carried out by researchers who specialise in the transport of sediments and related issues.

Description / Table of Contents: Studies of herbivory provide important insights into fundamental questions in many areas of the biological sciences. The focus on natural systems is more effective for the prediction of potential changes in ecosystems, given that agricultural systems are designed to create an equilibrium that optimizes the productive process. Given the ramifications of the processes related to herbivory, studies based on complementary approaches are necessary for a better understanding of the different aspects of the ecological process. This book attempts to expand on these different aspects of herbivory by presenting a multidisciplinary approach to a number of different themes, focusing on topics that range from basic research in natural habitats to the intrinsic relationships between animals and plants in agricultural systems.

Description / Table of Contents: Human society depends on liquid freshwater resources to meet drinking, sanitation and hygiene, agriculture, and industry needs. Improved resource monitoring and better understanding of the anthropogenic threats to freshwater environments are critical to efficient management of freshwater resources and ultimately to the survival and quality of life of the global human population. This book helps address the need for improved freshwater resource monitoring and threat assessment by presenting current reviews and case studies focused on the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment and on the sustainability of groundwater and surface-water resources around the world. It is intended for students and professionals working in hydrology and water resources management.

Description / Table of Contents: This book comprises the proceedings for the International Conference for Effective and Sustainable Hydraulic Fracturing (HF2013) which was held 20-22 May 2013 in Brisbane, Australia. The conference goal was to advance hydraulic fracturing technology that is effective in its purpose and sustainable in its impacts on communities and environments by bringing together hydraulic fracturing experts not only from the petroleum industry, but also from other application areas of hydraulic fracturing such as mining and geothermal energy production. Topics include hydraulic fracturing of naturally fractured formations, well completions and fracture initiation, induced seismicity, experimental investigations, and coupled modelling. Beyond this mix of traditional hydraulic fracturing research topics, this book includes papers on applications in mining and also on regulations, risk, and communities.

Description / Table of Contents: This volume presents a selection of papers showing the current focus of studies of deformation structures and processes within the continental crust. The selected contributions use a large range of analytical techniques suited to the full range of structure sizes and fine-tuned to the physical process that controls the deformation, from the grain boundary at the micro-scale, the lithological contact at the meso-scale to the plate boundary at the global scale. The papers in the volume are grouped into three sections relating to specific lines of research within the analysis of rock deformation structures and processes, in particular in respect to the continental crust: structures within shear zones and faults; magmatic structures, and microstructures and rheology. These sections include papers describing field studies, experimental rock deformation and numerical modelling of deformation processes.

Description / Table of Contents: An introduction to the Anthropocene: case for and against a new epoch --- A stratigraphical basis for the Anthropocene? / Colin N. Waters, Jan A. Zalasiewicz, Mark Williams, Michael A. Ellis and Andrea M. Snelling / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 1-21, 24 March 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.18 --- The ‘Anthropocene’ as a ratified unit in the ICS International Chronostratigraphic Chart: fundamental issues that must be addressed by the Task Group / S. C. Finney / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 23-28, 24 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.9 --- The term ‘Anthropocene’ in the context of formal geological classification / P. L. Gibbard and M. J. C. Walker / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 29-37, 25 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.1 --- Can an Anthropocene Series be defined and recognized? / Jan Zalasiewicz, Mark Williams and Colin N. Waters / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 39-53, 10 March 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.16 --- The nature of anthropogenic deposits and landscape modification --- An assessment of lithostratigraphy for anthropogenic deposits / J. R. Ford, S. J. Price, A. H. Cooper and C. N. Waters / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 55-89, 8 April 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.12 --- The relationship between archaeological stratigraphy and artificial ground and its significance in the Anthropocene / M. Edgeworth / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 91-108, 25 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.3 --- The mineral signature of the Anthropocene in its deep-time context / Jan Zalasiewicz, Ryszard Kryza and Mark Williams / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 109-117, 19 December 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.2 --- Geomagnetic and mineral magnetic characterization of the Anthropocene / Ian Snowball, Mark W. Hounslow and Andreas Nilsson / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 119-141, 19 December 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.13 --- A biostratigraphical signature for the Anthropocene --- Is the fossil record of complex animal behaviour a stratigraphical analogue for the Anthropocene? / M. Williams, J. A. Zalasiewicz, C. N. Waters and E. Landing / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 143-148, 25 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.8 --- Palaeontological evidence for defining the Anthropocene / Anthony D. Barnosky / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 149-165, 24 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.6 --- Coral reefs in the Anthropocene: persistence or the end of the line? / O. Hoegh-Guldberg / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 167-183, 20 March 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.17 --- Microbiotic signatures of the Anthropocene in marginal marine and freshwater palaeoenvironments / I. P. Wilkinson, C. Poirier, M. J. Head, C. D. Sayer and J. Tibby / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 185-219, 31 January 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.14 --- Geochemical signatures and catastrophic events --- Assessing the Anthropocene with geochemical methods / Agnieszka Gałuszka, Zdzisław M. Migaszewski and Jan Zalasiewicz / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 221-238, 24 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.5 --- Definition of the Anthropocene: a view from the underworld / Ian J. Fairchild and Silvia Frisia / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 239-254, 24 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.7 --- Ice Sheets and the Anthropocene / Eric W. Wolff / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 255-263, 25 November 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.10 --- The release and persistence of radioactive anthropogenic nuclides / Gary J. Hancock, Stephen G. Tims, L. Keith Fifield and Ian T. Webster / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 265-281, 28 February 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.15 --- Volcanic markers for dating the onset of the Anthropocene / Victoria C. Smith / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 283-299, 21 November 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.11 --- The technosphere concept --- Technology as a geological phenomenon: implications for human well-being / P. K. Haff / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 395, 301-309, 24 October 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP395.4

Description / Table of Contents: Space geodetic techniques, e.g., global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), satellite gravimetry and altimetry, and GNSS Reflectometry & Radio Occultation, are capable of measuring small changes of the Earth's shape, rotation, and gravity field, as well as mass changes in the Earth system with an unprecedented accuracy. This book is devoted to presenting recent results and development in space geodetic techniques and sciences, including GNSS, VLBI, gravimetry, geoid, geodetic atmosphere, geodetic geophysics and geodetic mass transport associated with the ocean, hydrology, cryosphere and solid-Earth. This book provides a good reference for geodetic techniques, engineers, scientists as well as user community.

Description / Table of Contents: For decades gas chromatography has been and will remain an irreplaceable analytical technique in many research areas for both quantitative analysis and qualitative characterization/identification, which is still supplementary with HPLC. This book highlights a few areas where significant advances have been reported recently and/or a revisit of basic concepts is deserved. It provides an overview of instrumental developments, frontline and modern research as well as practical industrial applications. The topics include GC-based metabolomics in biomedical, plant and microbial research, natural products as well as characterization of aging of synthetic materials and industrial monitoring, which are contributions of several experts from different disciplines. It also contains best hand-on practices of sample preparation (derivatization) and data processing in daily research. This book is recommended to both basic and experienced researchers in gas chromatography.

Description / Table of Contents: This book presents some innovative developments in sustainable aquaculture practices in the context of environmental protection and seafood production techniques. The chapters are written by experts in their respective areas, so that their contribution represents the progress of their research, which is intended to mark the current frontier in aquaculture practices. Every chapter presents techniques that contribute to good aquaculture practices, where direct and vital nutrition and food, as a source of energy and biomass generation, is fundamentally based. We hope this book supports producers and researchers in their activities and helps to maintain a spirit of environmental protection in the context of production of high quality, nutritional food.

Description / Table of Contents: This book is a research publication that covers original research on developments within the Hydraulic Conductivity field of study. The book is a collection of reviewed scholarly contributions written by different authors. Each scholarly contribution represents a chapter and each chapter is complete in itself but related to the major topics and objectives.

Description / Table of Contents: Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, and/or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the desired outcome. The scope of the profession includes: urban design; site planning; town or urban planning; environmental restoration; parks and recreation planning; visual resource management; green infrastructure planning and provision; and private estate and residence landscape master planning and design - all at varying scales of design, planning and management. This book contains chapters on recent developments in studies of landscape architecture. For this reason I believe the book would be useful to the relevant professional disciplines.

Description / Table of Contents: Today, satellite navigation offers convenient alternative to terrestrial and stellar navigation methods that is not only ubiquitous and easy to operate but also available day and night. The radio navigation technology, first appeared in the 1930s and matured in the 1940s, did not take off until the late 1960s and 1970s with the launch of the first navigation satellites by the US Naval and Air Forces, resulting from the NAVSTAR GPS program. The end user navigation equipment, bulky and expensive at the beginning, did not emerge until the microprocessor became viable during the late 1970s. Now-a-day three other global navigation satellite systems are fully or partially operational: the Russian GLONASS, the European Union Galileo, and the Chinese BeiDou. Where does the future lie? Probably in a network of global satellite navigation systems, with increase in satellite coverage and improved accuracy, integrity, and reliability, as these systems further mature. End user equipment will continue to be smaller, more accurate and cheaper. Yet in many respects, satellite navigation systems owe most to the old-time stellar navigation, by keeping man look up to the sky for help.

Description / Table of Contents: Environments around the globe are undergoing human-induced change. Human population growth, rapid urbanization, expanding global economy, and the diffusion of western consumer lifestyles are placing increasing pressure on natural and social systems. Global institutions, nation-states, and local communities are seeking to identify and employ sustainable solutions to these environmental and socio-economic challenges. Sustainability has emerged as a policy discourse that seeks to balance the desire and need for economic growth with the protection of the environment, and the promotion of social and environmental justice. This book contributes to the study and search for sustainable responses to global environmental change. The authors of this volume explore environmental change in different places around the world and the diverse responses to such changes. The chapters demonstrate the need for place-specific sustainable development; the authors suggest the need to see sustainable responses to environmental change as a negotiated outcome between various social actors living and working in diverse spatial, environmental and socio-economic contexts. Environmental Change and Sustainability is a timely international examination of the relationship between environmental change and sustainability. As an InTech open source volume, current and cutting edge research methodologies and research results are quickly published for the academic policy-making communities. Dimensions of environmental change and sustainability explored in this volume include: Natural science approaches to study of environmental change Importance of perception in human understanding of environmental change Role of external events and institutions in shaping sustainable responses to environmental change Importance of bottom-up sustainable development as key to reducing environmental risk and community vulnerability The need for place-based sustainable development that combines local conditions with global processes Creation of a sustainable development model that synthesizes local, traditional knowledge of the environment and environmental management with the techniques and understandings generated by modern environmental science.

Description / Table of Contents: 1. A global outlook on urbanization --- 2. History of urbanization and the missing ecology --- 3. Urbanization and global trends in biodiversity and ecosystem services --- 4. Regional assessment of Asia.- 5. Sub-regional assessment of China: Urbanization in biodiversity hotspots --- 6. Sub-regional assessment of India --- 7. Local assessment of Bangalore.- 8. Local assessment of Tokyo --- 9. Local assessment of Shanghai --- 10. Patterns and trends in urban biodiversity and landscape design --- 11. Urban ecosystem services.- 12. Shrinking cities, biodiversity and ecosystem services --- 13. Regional assessments of Europe --- 14. Regional assessment of North America --- 15. Regional assessment of Oceania --- 16. Local assessment of Istanbul: Biodiversity and ecosystem services --- 17. Local assessment of Stockholm --- 18. Local assessment of Chicago --- 19. Local assessment of New York City.-20. Local assessment of Melbourne --- 21. A synthesis of global urbanization projections --- 22. Urbanization forecasts, effects on land use, biodiversity, and ecosystem services --- 23. Regional assessment of Africa --- 24. Local assessment of Cape Town.- 25. Climate change and urban biodiversity vulnerability --- 26. Feeding cities --- 27. Urban governance of biodiversity and ecosystem services --- 28. Regional assessment of Latin America --- 29. Local assessment of Rio de Janeiro.- 30. Urban landscapes as learning arenas for biodiversity and ecosystem services management --- 31. Restoration ecology in an urbanizing world --- 32. Indicators for management of urban biodiversity and ecosystem services --- 33. Stewardship of the Biosphere in the Urban Era

Description / Table of Contents: Over the next four decades, global passenger and freight travel is expected to double over 2010 levels. In order to accommodate this growth, it is expected that the world will need to add nearly 25 million paved road lane-kilometres and 335 000 rail track kilometres. In addition, it is expected that between 45 000 square kilometres and 77 000 square kilometres of new parking spaces will be added to accommodate vehicle stock growth. These land transport infrastructure additions, when combined with operations, maintenance and repairs, are expected to cost as much as USD 45 trillion by 2050. This publication reports on the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) analysis of infrastructure requirements to support projected road and rail travel through 2050, using the IEA Mobility Model. It considers land transport infrastructure additions to support travel growth to 2050. It also considers potential savings if countries pursue “avoid and shift” policies: in this scenario, cumulative global land transport infrastructure spending could decrease as much as USD 20 trillion by 2050 over baseline projections.

Description / Table of Contents: In the lead-up to the UN climate negotiations in Warsaw, the latest information on the level and growth of CO2 emissions, their source and geographic distribution will be essential to lay the foundation for a global agreement. To provide input to and support for the UN process, the IEA is making available for free download the "Highlights" version of CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion now for sale on IEA Bookshop. This annual publication contains, for more than 140 countries and regions: • estimates of CO2 emissions from 1971 to 2011 • selected indicators such as CO2/GDP, CO2/capita, CO2/TPES and CO2/kWh • a decomposition of CO2 emissions into driving factors • CO2emissions from international marine and aviation bunkers, key sources, and other relevant information. The nineteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP-19), in conjunction with the ninth meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 9), will be meeting in Warsaw, Poland from 11 to 22 November 2013. This volume of "Highlights", drawn from the full-scale study, was specially designed for delegations and observers of the meeting in Warsaw.

Description / Table of Contents: Carbon pricing can be a key policy tool to help countries move their energy sectors onto a cleaner development path. One important issue to consider when introducing carbon pricing is how it will integrate with other energy policies that also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including policies to support low-carbon technologies (such as renewable energy) and energy efficiency programmes. Poor policy integration can undermine energy security and affordability, and affect the performance of renewable energy policies and energy markets. Climate objectives can also be undermined, through low and uncertain carbon prices and the risk of stop-start policy. Understanding how to manage policy interactions can improve the climate and energy policy package, reducing the trade-offs and advancing the synergies between energy and climate objectives. This will benefit the country in terms of a more effective and lower-cost low-carbon development path, as well as supporting a more energy-secure future.

Description / Table of Contents: From Challenges to Sustainable Solutions for Upland Agriculture in Southeast Asia --- Beyond the Horizons - Challenges and Prospects for Soil Science and Soil Care in Southeast Asia --- Water and Matter Flows in Mountainous Watersheds of Southeast Asia: Processes and Implications for Management --- Agricultural Pesticide Use in Mountainous Areas of Thailand and Vietnam: Towards Reducing Exposure and Rationalizing Use --- Linkages between Agriculture, Poverty and Natural Resource Use in Mountainous Regions of Southeast Asia --- Mango and Longan Production in Northern Thailand: the Role of Water Saving Irrigation and Water Stress Monitoring --- Soil Conservation on Sloping Land: Technical Options and Adoption Constraints --- Improved Sustainable Aquaculture Systems for Small-scale Farmers in Northern Vietnam --- Participatory Approaches to Research and Development in the Southeast Asian Uplands: Potential and Challenges --- Integrated Modeling of Agricultural Systems in Mountainous Areas --- Rethinking Knowledge Provision for the Marginalized: Rural Networks and Novel Extension Approaches in Vietnam --- Policies for Sustainable Development: The Commercialization of Smallholder Agriculture

Description / Table of Contents: Part 1 Sperm Attraction, Activation and Acrosome Reaction --- 1 Sperm Chemotaxis: The First Authentication Events Between Conspecific Gametes Prior to Fertilization (Manabu Yoshida) --- 2 Respiratory CO2 Mediates Sperm Chemotaxis in Squids (Noritaka Hirohashi) --- 3 Specific Mechanism of Sperm Storage in Avian Oviducts (Tomohiro Sasanami) --- 4 Allurin: Exploring the Activity of a Frog Sperm Chemoattractant in Mammals (Douglas E. Chandler) --- 5 Structure, Function and Phylogenetic Consideration of Calaxin (Kazuo Inaba) --- 6 Cl- Channels and Transporters in Sperm Physiology (Alberto Darszon) --- 7 Equatorin-related Subcellular and Molecular Events During Sperm Priming for Fertilization in Mice (Kiyotaka Toshimori) --- 8 Acrosome Reaction-mediated Motility Initiation that is Critical for the Internal Fertilization of Urodele Amphibians (Akihiko Watanabe) --- 9 Analysis of the Mechanism that Brings Protein Disulfide Isomerase-P5 to Inhibit Oxidative Refolding of Lysozyme (Miho Miyakawa) --- Part 2 Gametogenesis, Gamete Recognition, Activation, and Evolution --- 10 Effect of Relaxin-like Gonad-Stimulating Substance (GSS) on Gamete Shedding and 1-Methyladenine Production in Starfish Ovaries (Masatoshi Mita) --- 11 Incapacity of 1-Methyladenine Production to Relaxin-like Gonad-Stimulating Substance (GSS) in Ca2+-free Seawater-treated Starfish Ovarian Follicle Cells (Masatoshi Mita) --- 12 Novel Isoform of Vitellogenin Expressed in Eggs is a Binding Partner of the Sperm Proteases, HrProacrosin and HrSermosin, in the Ascidian Halocynthia roretzi (Hitoshi Sawada) --- 13 Actin Cytoskeleton and Fertilization in Starfish Eggs (Luigia Santella) --- 14 Focused Proteomics on Egg Membrane Microdomains to Elucidate the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Fertilization in the African Clawed Frog Xenopus laevis (Ken-ichi Sato) --- 15 Egg Activation in Polyspermy: Its Molecular Mechanisms and Evolution in Vertebrates (Yasuhiro Iwao ) --- 16 ATP Imaging in Xenopus laevis Oocyte (Takashi Ijiri) --- 17 Mitochondrial Activation and Nitric Oxide (NO) Release at Fertilization in Echinoderm Eggs (Tatsuma Mohri) --- 18 Functional Roles of Spe Genes in the Male Germline During Reproduction of Caenorhabditis elegans (Hitoshi Nishimura) --- 19 Origin of Female/Male Gender as Deduced by the Mating Type Loci of the Colonial Volvocalean Greens (Hisayoshi Nozaki) --- Part 3 Allorecognition in Male–Female Interaction --- 20 Allorecognition and Lysin Systems During Ascidian Fertilization (Hitoshi Sawada) --- 21 Self-incompatibility in the Brassicaceae (Megumi Iwano) --- 22 Signalling Events in Pollen Acceptance or Rejection in the Arabidopsis Species (Daphne R. Goring) --- 23 Papaver rhoeas S-Determinants and the Signaling Networks they Trigger (Vernonica E. Franklin-Tong ) --- 24 S-RNase-based Self-incompatibility in Petunia: A Complex Non-self Recognition System Between Pollen and Pistil (Teh-hui Kao) --- 25 Self-incompatibility System of Ipomoea trifida, a Wild-type Sweet Potato (Tohru Tsuchiya) --- Part 4 Male–Female Interaction and Gamete Fusion --- 26 Profiling the GCS1-based Gamete Fusion Mechanism (Toshiyuki Mori) --- 27 Fertilization Mechanisms of the Rodent Malarial Parasite Plasmodium berghei (Makoto Hirai) --- 28 Sexual Reproduction of a Unicellular Charophycean Alga, Closterium peracerosum-strogosum-littorale Complex (Hiroyuki Sekimoto) --- 29 Fertilization of Brown Algae: Flagellar Function in Phototaxis and Chemotaxis (Taizo Motomura ) --- 30 Gene and Protein Expression Profiles in Rice Gametes and Zygotes: A Cue for Understanding the Mechanisms of Gametic and Early Zygotic Development in Angiosperms (Takashi Okamoto) --- 31 Role of CD9 in Sperm-Egg Fusion and Virus-induced Cell Fusion in Mammals (Kenji Miyado) --- 32 The Mechanism of Sperm-Egg Fusion in Mouse and the Involvement of IZUMO1 (Naokazu Inoue) --- 33 A ZP2 Cleavage Model of Gamete Recognition and the Post-fertilization Block to Polyspermy (Jurrien Dean) --- 34 Involvement of Carbohydrate Residues of the Zona Pellucida in In Vitro Sperm Recognition in Pigs and Cattle (Naoto Yonezawa) --- Part 5 Organella, Proteolysis, and New Techniques --- 35 The Role of Peroxisomes in Plant Reproductive Processes (Shoji Mano) --- 36 Regulation of Vacuole-mediated Programmed Cell Death During Innate Immunity and Reproductive Development in Plants (Tomoko Koyano) --- 37 Sperm Proteasomes as a Putative Egg Coat Lysin in Mammals (Peter Sutovsky) --- 38 Germline Transformation in the Ascidian Ciona intestinalis (Yasunori Sasakura) --- BM Index.  

Description / Table of Contents: 1. The overview of our research (Tomoko M. Nakanishi) --- 2. Behavior of radiocesium adsorbed by the leaves and stems of wheat plant during the first year after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident (K. Tanoi) --- 3. Radiocesium Absorption by Rice in Paddy Field Ecosystems (K. Nemoto and J. Abe) --- 4. Cesium uptake in rice: possible transporter, distribution and variation (T. Fujiwara) --- 5. Time-course Analysis of Radiocesium Uptake and Translocation in Rice by Radioisotope Imaging (N. I. Kobayashi) --- 6. Vertical migration of Radiocesium fallout in soil in Fukushima (S. Shiozawa) --- 7. Radioactive Nuclides in Vegetables and Soil Resulting from Low-Level Radioactive Fallout after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident: Case Studies in Tokyo and Fukushima (S. Oshita) --- 8. Radioactivity in agricultural products in Fukushima (N. Nihei) --- 9. Changes in the transfer of fallout radiocesium from pasture harvested in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, to cow milk two months after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident (N. Manabe, T. Takahashi, J.-Y. Li, K. Tanoi, and T. M. Nakanishi) --- 10. Radiocesium contamination of marine fish muscle and its effective elimination (S. Watabe, H. Ushio, D. Ikeda) --- 11. Excretion of cesium through potassium transport pathway in the gills of a marine teleosts (T. Kaneko, F. Furukawa and S. Watanabe) --- 12. Contamination of wild animals: Effects on wildlife on high radioactivity areas of the agricultural and forest landscape (K. Ishida) --- 13. Remediation of paddy soil contaminated by radiocesium in Iitate Village in Fukushima Prefecture (M. Mizoguchi) --- 14. Distribution of radiocesium from the radioactive fallout in fruit trees (D. Takata) --- 15. Mushrooms¬: Radioactive Contamination of Widespread Mushrooms in Japan (T. Yamada) --- 16. Diffusion and transportation dynamics of 137Cs deposited on the forested area in Fukushima after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011 (N. Ohte, M. Murakami, T. Suzuki, K. Iseda, K. Tanoi, and N. Ishii) --- 17. Developing an information package of radiation risk in beef after Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident (H. Hosono)

Description / Table of Contents: Soil is an irreplaceable resource that sustains life on the planet, challenged by food and energy demands of an increasing population. Therefore, soil contamination constitutes a critical issue to be addressed if we are to secure the life quality of present and future generations. Integrated efforts from researchers and policy makers are required to develop sound risk assessment procedures, remediation strategies and sustainable soil management policies. Environmental Risk Assessment of Soil Contamination provides a wide depiction of current research in soil contamination and risk assessment, encompassing reviews and case studies on soil pollution by heavy metals and organic pollutants. The book introduces several innovative approaches for soil remediation and risk assessment, including advances in phytoremediation and implementation of metabolomics in soil sciences.

Description / Table of Contents: A sustainable future for our information society relies on bridging the gap between the energy required to operate portable ICT devices with the energy available from portable/mobile sources. The only viable solution is attacking the gap from both sides, i.e. to reduce the amount of energy dissipated during computation and to improve the efficiency in energy harvesting technologies. This requires deeper and broader knowledge of fundamental processes and thorough understanding of how they apply to materials and engineering at the nanoscale, all the way up to the design of energy-efficient electronics. This textbook is a first attempt to discuss such concepts towards Zero-Power ICT. The content is accessible to advanced undergraduates and early year researchers fascinated by this topic. The book is realized through the EU-funded ZEROPOWER project.

Description / Table of Contents: Organic agriculture combines tradition, innovation and science to benefit the shared environment and promotes fair relationships and a good quality of life. This book is a compilation of 11 chapters focused on development of organic agriculture, the role of sustainability in ecosystem and social community, analysis of environmental impacts of the organic farming system and its comparison with the conventional one, crop growing and weed control technologies, organic production, effective microorganisms technology. Continuously, a wide range of research experiments focus on organic agriculture technologies, quality of production, environmental protection and non-chemical, ecologically acceptable alternative solutions. In the book Organic Agriculture Towards Sustainability, contributing researchers cover multiple topics respecting modern, precious organic agriculture research.

Description / Table of Contents: Starting from the premise that electricity will be an increasingly important vector in energy systems of the future, Energy Technology Perspectives 2014 (ETP 2014) takes a deep dive into actions needed to support deployment of sustainable options for generation, distribution and consumption. In addition to modelling the global outlook to 2050 under different scenarios for more than 500 technology options, ETP 2014 explores the possibility of “pushing the limits” in six key areas: - Solar Power: Possibly the Dominant Source by 2050 - Natural Gas in Low-Carbon Electricity Systems - Electrifying Transport: How Can E-mobility Replace Oil? - Electricity Storage: Costs, Value and Competitiveness - Attracting Finance for Low-Carbon Generation - Power Generation in India Since it was first published in 2006, ETP has evolved into a suite of publications that sets out pathways to a sustainable energy future in which optimal policy support and technology choices are driven by economics, energy security and environmental factors. - Topic-specific books and papers explore particularly timely subjects or cross-cutting challenges. - Tracking Clean Energy Progress provides a yearly snapshot of advances in diverse areas, while also showing the interplay among technologies. - Supported by the ETP analysis, IEA Technology Roadmaps assess the potential for transformation across various technology areas, and outline actions and milestones for deployment. Collectively, this series lays out the wide range of necessary and achievable steps that can be taken in the near and medium terms to set the stage for long-term energy policy objectives, clearly identifying the roles of energy sector players, policy makers and industry. Next editions will examine the role of technology innovation to meet climate goals (2015) and urban energy systems (2016). Who will benefit from using ETP 2014? Past experience shows that ETP publications attract wide and varied audiences, including experts in the energy field (e.g. technology analysts and academics), policy makers and heads of governments, as well as business leaders and investors. This reflects the value of the series’ detailed and transparent quantitative modelling analysis and well–rounded commentary, which ultimately support high-level policy messages.

Description / Table of Contents: Preface --- Foreword by Keith Solomon and John Giesy --- Foreword by Coordinating Board of Editors --- Ecological Risk Assessment for Chlorpyrifos in Terrestrial and Aquatic Systems in The United States – Overview and Conclusions --- Properties and Uses of Chlorpyrifos in the United States --- Fate in the Environment and Long-Range Atmospheric Transport of the Organophosphorus Insecticide, Chlorpyrifos and its Oxon in the United States --- Exposures of Aquatic Organisms to the Organophosphorus Insecticide, Chlorpyrifos Resulting from Use in the United States --- Risks to Aquatic Organisms from Use of Chlorpyrifos in the United States --- Refined Avian Risk Assessment for Chlorpyrifos in the United States --- Risk to Pollinators from the Use of Chlorpyrifos in the United States --- Index

Description / Table of Contents: Asian Program for Incubation of Environmental Leaders --- Concepts of EL --- How to teach EL in a class room - Environmental Challenges and Leadership in Asia --- APIEL resonance --- Leadership Education tackling Water Environmental Issues in Arid Regions --- IPoS: Intensive Program on Sustainability --- Cambodia Considering their sustainable future --- BKK: Sustainable solid waste management in Asian developing countries --- Sustainable urban development toward Green City of the Greater Pearl River Delta, China

Description / Table of Contents: Natural hazards and anthropic activities threaten the human environment. The gathering of field data is needed so as to quantify the impact of such activities. To gather the necessary data researchers nowadays use a great variety of new instruments based on electronics. Yet, the working principles of this new instrumentation might not be well understood by some potential users. All operators of these new tools must gain proper insight so as to be able to judge whether the instrument is selected appropriately and functions adequately. This book attempts to demonstrate some characteristics that are not easy to understand by the uninitiated in the use of electronic instruments. The material presented in this book was prepared with the purpose of reflecting the technological changes that have occurred in environmental modern instrumentation in the last few decades. The book is intended for students of hydrology, hydraulics, oceanography, meteorology and environmental sciences. Basic concepts of electronics, special physics principles and signal processing are introduced in the first chapters in order to enable the reader to follow the topics developed in the book, without any prior knowledge of these matters. The instruments are explained in detail and several examples are introduced to show their measuring limitations. Enough mathematical fundamentals are given to allow the reader to reach a good quantitative knowledge.

Description / Table of Contents: Death of the PostHuman undertakes a series of critical encounters with the legacy of what had come to be known as 'theory', and its contemporary supposedly post-human aftermath. There can be no redemptive post-human future in which the myopia and anthropocentrism of the species finds an exit and manages to emerge with ecology and life. At the same time, what has come to be known as the human - despite its normative intensity - can provide neither foundation nor critical lever in the Anthropocene epoch. Death of the PostHuman argues for a twenty-first century deconstruction of ecological and seemingly post-human futures.

Description / Table of Contents: Research regarding the significance and consequence of anthropogenic transformations of the earth’s land, oceans, biosphere and climate have demonstrated that, from a wide variety of perspectives, it is very likely that humans have initiated a new geological epoch, their own. First labeled the Anthropocene by the chemist Paul Crutzen, the consideration of the merits of the Anthropocene thesis by the International Commission on Stratigraphy and the International Union of Geological Sciences has also garnered the attention of philosophers, historians, and legal scholars, as well as an increasing number of researchers from a range of scientific backgrounds. Architecture in the Anthropocene: Encounters Among Design, Deep Time, Science and Philosophy intensifies the potential of this multidisciplinary discourse by bringing together essays, conversations, and design proposals that respond to the “geological imperative” for contemporary architecture scholarship and practice. Contributors include Nabil Ahmed, Meghan Archer, Adam Bobbette, Emily Cheng, Heather Davis, Sara Dean, Seth Denizen, Mark Dorrian, Elizabeth Grosz, Lisa Hirmer, Jane Hutton, Eleanor Kaufman, Amy Catania Kulper, Clinton Langevin, Michael C.C. Lin, Amy Norris, John Palmesino, Chester Rennie, François Roche, Ann-Sofi Rönnskog, Isabelle Stengers, Paulo Tavares, Etienne Turpin, Eyal Weizman, Jane Wolff, Guy Zimmerman.

Description / Table of Contents: Sand, clay and rock have to be excavated for a variety of purposes, such as dredging, trenching, mining (including deep sea mining), drilling, tunnel boring and many other applications. Many excavations take place on dry land, but they are also frequently required in completely saturated conditions, and the methods necessary to accomplish them consequently vary widely. This book provides an overview of cutting theories. It begins with a generic model, valid for all types of soil (sand, clay and rock), and continues with the specifics of dry sand, water-saturated sand, clay, atmospheric rock and hyperbaric rock. Small blade angles and large blade angles are discussed for each soil type, and for each case considered the equations/model for cutting forces, power and specific energy are given. With models verified by laboratory research, principally from the Delft University of Technology, and data from other recognized sources, this book will prove an invaluable reference for anybody whose work involves major excavations of any kind.

Description / Table of Contents: Remote sensing has been used for water management purposes over the years. This book describes the combination of satellite imagery, in-situ spectroradiometric data and radar techniques for the identification of water leakages in the water supply network in both rural and urban areas in Cyprus. This book presents a holistic approach combining new technologies for a complete system of water distribution network leakage detection management, by combining Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Satellite Remote Sensing techniques as well Geophysical surveys such as ground penetrating radar (GPR), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and spectro-radiometric measurements, which can be used to effectively identify and monitor water leakages.

Description / Table of Contents: The major goal of this laboratory manual is to teach students how to identify minerals. As such, we developed a lab manual integrated closely with the textbook and DVD by Dyar and Gunter (2008) illustrated by Dennis Tasa, with focus on the authors' "Big Ten" minerals. This lab manual puts more emphasis on understanding the relationships between a mineral’s structure and composition with its properties and the procedure in identifying minerals than memorizing a hundred minerals. The manual acts as a skeleton to build upon as the instructor sees fit, allowing the addition of mineral samples and exercises. Labs concentrate on four topics: 1) analytical equipment, 2) physical and optical properties, 3) mineral identification, and 4) special projects. The first two labs introduce the students to the different instruments used for mineral identification: 1) a tour of the X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM) facilities with brief explanations of the concepts driving them and 2) an introduction to the polarizing light microscope (PLM). The next section of labs focuses on defining and learning the techniques to identify the physical and optical properties of minerals. Lab exercises begin with students comparing the properties of two or three different known minerals and then lead to observing the properties of and identifying an unknown mineral using the DVD’s mineral database. The students then apply their knowledge of mineral properties to the "Big Ten" minerals divided into labs by class (framework silicates, sheet silicates, etc.). Students use the DVD database and lab materials to observe and measure the properties of the minerals and to build their own mineral lab manual, which they can later use in Petrology. The pages in the manual can either be printed, or the students can fill them in electronically. The semester ends with two projects: 1) building a spindle stage and using it with the EXCALIBR program to expand the student’s understanding of optical properties of minerals and to aid in mineral identification and 2) assemble a collection of 20 minerals that must be identified by the students using the techniques and resources learned over the semester.

Description / Table of Contents: Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable, an ApressOpen title, describes the changing risk environment and why a fresh approach to information security is needed. Because almost every aspect of an enterprise is now dependent on technology, the focus of IT security must shift from locking down assets to enabling the business while managing and surviving risk. This compact book discusses business risk from a broader perspective, including privacy and regulatory considerations. It describes the increasing number of threats and vulnerabilities, but also offers strategies for developing solutions. These include discussions of how enterprises can take advantage of new and emerging technologies—such as social media and the huge proliferation of Internet-enabled devices—while minimizing risk. With ApressOpen, content is freely available through multiple online distribution channels and electronic formats with the goal of disseminating professionally edited and technically reviewed content to the worldwide community. Here are some of the responses from reviewers of this exceptional work: "Managing Risk and Information Security is a perceptive, balanced, and often thought-provoking exploration of evolving information risk and security challenges within a business context.  Harkins clearly connects the needed, but often-overlooked linkage and dialog between the business and technical worlds and offers actionable strategies.   The book contains eye-opening security insights that are easily understood, even by the curious layman." Fred Wettling, Bechtel Fellow, IS&T Ethics & Compliance Officer, Bechtel "As disruptive technology innovations and escalating cyber threats continue to create enormous information security challenges, Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable provides a much-needed perspective. This book compels information security professionals to think differently about concepts of risk management in order to be more effective. The specific and practical guidance offers a fast-track formula for developing information security strategies which are lock-step with business priorities." Laura Robinson, Principal, Robinson Insight Chair, Security for Business Innovation Council (SBIC) Program Director, Executive Security Action Forum (ESAF) "The mandate of the information security function is being completely rewritten. Unfortunately most heads of security haven’t picked up on the change, impeding their companies’ agility and ability to innovate. This book makes the case for why security needs to change, and shows how to get started. It will be regarded as marking the turning point in information security for years to come." Dr. Jeremy Bergsman, Practice Manager, CEB     "The world we are responsible to protect is changing dramatically and at an accelerating pace. Technology is pervasive in virtually every aspect of our lives. Clouds, virtualization and mobile are redefining computing – and they are just the beginning of what is to come. Your security perimeter is defined by wherever your information and people happen to be. We are attacked by professional adversaries who are better funded than we will ever be. We in the information security profession must change as dramatically as the environment we protect. We need new skills and new strategies to do our jobs effectively. We literally need to change the way we think.   Written by one of the best in the business, Managing Risk and Information Security challenges traditional security theory with clear examples of the need for change. It also provides expert advice on how to dramatically increase the success of your security strategy and methods – from dealing with the misperception of risk to how to become a Z-shaped CISO.   Managing Risk and Information Security is the ultimate treatise on how to deliver effective security to the world we live in for the next 10 years. It is absolute must reading for anyone in our profession – and should be on the desk of every CISO in the world."   Dave Cullinane, CISSP CEO Security Starfish, LLC "In this overview, Malcolm Harkins delivers an insightful survey of the trends, threats, and tactics shaping information risk and security. From regulatory compliance to psychology to the changing threat context, this work provides a compelling introduction to an important topic and trains helpful attention on the effects of changing technology and management practices." Dr. Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar Professor, Stanford Law School Co-Director, Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University     "Malcolm Harkins gets it. In his new book Malcolm outlines the major forces changing the information security risk landscape from a big picture perspective, and then goes on to offer effective methods of managing that risk from a practitioner's viewpoint. The combination makes this book unique and a must read for anyone interested in IT risk." Dennis Devlin AVP, Information Security and Compliance, The George Washington University    "Managing Risk and Information Security is the first-to-read, must-read book on information security for C-Suite executives.  It is accessible, understandable and actionable. No sky-is-falling scare tactics, no techno-babble – just straight talk about a critically important subject. There is no better primer on the economics, ergonomics and psycho-behaviourals of security than this." Thornton May, Futurist, Executive Director & Dean, IT Leadership Academy     "Managing Risk and Information Security is a wake-up call for information security executives and a ray of light for business leaders.  It equips organizations with the knowledge required to transform their security programs from a "culture of no" to one focused on agility, value and competitiveness. Unlike other publications, Malcolm provides clear and immediately applicable solutions to optimally balance the frequently opposing needs of risk reduction and business growth. This book should be required reading for anyone currently serving in, or seeking to achieve, the role of Chief Information Security Officer." Jamil Farshchi, Senior Business Leader of Strategic Planning and Initiatives, VISA     "For too many years, business and security – either real or imagined – were at odds. In Managing Risk and Information Security: Protect to Enable, you get what you expect – real life practical ways to break logjams, have security actually enable business, and marries security architecture and business architecture. Why this book?  It's written by a practitioner, and not just any practitioner, one of the leading minds in Security today." John Stewart, Chief Security Officer, Cisco     "This book is an invaluable guide to help security professionals address risk in new ways in this alarmingly fast changing environment. Packed with examples which makes it a pleasure to read, the book captures practical ways a forward thinking CISO can turn information security into a competitive advantage for their business.    This book provides a new framework for managing risk in an entertaining and thought provoking way. This will change the way security professionals work with their business leaders, and help get products to market faster.   The 6 irrefutable laws of information security should be on a stone plaque on the desk of every security professional." Steven Proctor, VP, Audit & Risk Management, Flextronics

Description / Table of Contents: The InfoSec Handbook offers the reader an organized layout of information that is easily read and understood. Allowing beginners to enter the field and understand the key concepts and ideas, while still keeping the experienced readers updated on topics and concepts. It is intended mainly for beginners to the field of information security, written in a way that makes it easy for them to understand the detailed content of the book. The book offers a practical and simple view of the security practices while still offering somewhat technical and detailed information relating to security. It helps the reader build a strong foundation of information, allowing them to move forward from the book with a larger knowledge base. Security is a constantly growing concern that everyone must deal with. Whether it’s an average computer user or a highly skilled computer user, they are always confronted with different security risks. These risks range in danger and should always be dealt with accordingly. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the dangers or how to prevent them and this is where most of the issues arise in information technology (IT). When computer users do not take security into account many issues can arise from that like system compromises or loss of data and information. This is an obvious issue that is present with all computer users. This book is intended to educate the average and experienced user of what kinds of different security practices and standards exist. It will also cover how to manage security software and updates in order to be as protected as possible from all of the threats that they face

Description / Table of Contents: For cloud users and providers alike, security is an everyday concern, yet there are very few books covering cloud security as a main subject. This book will help address this information gap from an Information Technology solution and usage-centric view of cloud infrastructure security. The book highlights the fundamental technology components necessary to build and enable trusted clouds. Here also is an explanation of the security and compliance challenges organizations face as they migrate mission-critical applications to the cloud, and how trusted clouds, that have their integrity rooted in hardware, can address these challenges. This book provides: Use cases and solution reference architectures to enable infrastructure integrity and the creation of trusted pools leveraging Intel Trusted Execution Technology (TXT). Trusted geo-location management in the cloud, enabling workload and data location compliance and boundary control usages in the cloud. OpenStack-based reference architecture of tenant-controlled virtual machine and workload protection in the cloud. A reference design to enable secure hybrid clouds for a cloud bursting use case, providing infrastructure visibility and control to organizations. "A valuable guide to the next generation of cloud security and hardware based root of trust. More than an explanation of the what and how, is the explanation of why. And why you can’t afford to ignore it!" —Vince Lubsey, Vice President, Product Development, Virtustream Inc. " Raghu provides a valuable reference for the new 'inside out' approach, where trust in hardware, software, and privileged users is never assumed—but instead measured, attested, and limited according to least privilege principles." —John Skinner, Vice President, HyTrust Inc. "Traditional parameter based defenses are in sufficient in the cloud. Raghu's book addresses this problem head-on by highlighting unique usage models to enable trusted infrastructure in this open environment. A must read if you are exposed in cloud." —Nikhil Sharma, Sr. Director of Cloud Solutions, Office of CTO, EMC Corporation

Description / Table of Contents: Global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients are increasingly affected by human activities. So far, modeling has been central for our understanding of how this will affect ecosystem functioning and the biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients. These models have been forced to adopt a reductive approach built on the flow of carbon and nutrients between pools that are difficult or even impossible to verify with empirical evidence. Furthermore, while some of these models include the response in physiology, ecology and biogeography of primary producers to environmental change, the microbial part of the ecosystem is generally poorly represented or lacking altogether. The principal pool of carbon and nutrients in soil is the organic matter. The turnover of this reservoir is governed by microorganisms that act as catalytic converters of environmental conditions into biogeochemical cycling of carbon and nutrients. The dependency of this conversion activity on individual environmental conditions such as pH, moisture and temperature has been frequently studied. On the contrary, only rarely have the microorganisms involved in carrying out the processes been identified, and one of the biggest challenges for advancing our understanding of biogeochemical processes is to identify the microorganisms carrying out a specific set of metabolic processes and how they partition their carbon and nutrient use. We also need to identify the factors governing these activities and if they result in feedback mechanisms that alter the growth, activity and interaction between primary producers and microorganisms. By determining how different groups of microorganisms respond to individual environmental conditions by allocating carbon and nutrients to production of biomass, CO2 and other products, a mechanistic as well as quantitative understanding of formation and decomposition of organic matter, and the production and consumption of greenhouse gases, can be achieved. In this Research Topic, supported by the Swedish research councils' programme "Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Landscape" (BECC), we intend to promote this alternative framework to address how cycling of carbon and nutrients will be altered in a changing environment from the first-principle mechanisms that drive them – namely the ecology, physiology and biogeography of microorganisms – and on up to emerging global biogeochemical patterns. This novel and unconventional approach has the potential to generate fresh insights that can open up new horizons and stimulate rapid conceptual development in our basic understanding of the regulating factors for global biogeochemical cycles. The vision for the research topic is to facilitate such progress by bringing together leading scientists as proponents of several disciplines. By bridging Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemistry, connecting microbial activities at the micro-scale to carbon fluxes at the ecosystem-scale, and linking above- and belowground ecosystem functioning, we can leap forward from the current understanding of the global biogeochemical cycles.

Description / Table of Contents: It is well known that several climatic, environmental and socio-demographic changes that have occurred in the last years are some of the most important causes for the emergence/resurgence of vector-borne diseases worldwide. Global change can be defined as the impact of human activity on the fundamental mechanisms of biosphere functioning. Therefore, global change includes not only climate change, but also habitat transformation, water cycle modification, biodiversity loss, synanthropic incursion of alien species into new territories, or introduction of new chemicals in nature. On this respect, some of the effects of global change on vector-borne diseases can be currently evaluated. Globalization has enabled the movement of parasites, viruses and vectors among different countries, or even at intercontinental level. On this regard, it is important to note that the increase of imported malaria cases in different Southern European countries has led to the re-appearance of autochthonous cases of disease transmission. Moreover, the used tire trade, together with global warming, have facilitated the introduction, spread and establishment of potential Dengue tropical vectors, such as Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus in temperate areas. Consequently, recently the first Dengue indigenous cases in the last decades have been reported in different Southern areas of North America and Europe. Furthermore, habitat modification, mainly deforestation and transformation of aquatic environments, together with the changes in thermal and rainfall patterns, are two of the key factors to explain the increasing incidence of Leishmaniasis and several tick-borne diseases. The aim of this Research Topic is to cover all related fields with the binomial vector-borne diseases / global change, including basic and applied research, approaches to control measures, explanations of new theories, opinion articles, reviews, etc. To discuss these issues, a holistic and integrative point of view is necessary, which only would be achieved by the close and active participation of specialists on entomology, parasitology, virology and epidemiology. Our objective is to use a systems approach to the problem of global change and vector-borne diseases. To achieve this ambitious goal and to comply with a demand of first-rate scientific and medical interest, we are very keen on asking for the participation of multiple contributors.

Description / Table of Contents: Rock fractures play a major role in many geological processes, such as plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and fluid transport in the earth’s crust. The present volume contains the abstracts of all presentations of the symposium „Rock Fractures in Geological Processes“, held on 26-27 November 2013 in London honouring the 60th birthday of Agust Gudmundsson, chair in Structural Geology, Royal Holloway University of London, a leading expert in the field and author of a well known text book of the same title. The symposium covered all topics related to fractures in the earth’s crust, e.g., crustal stresses, rock mechanical properties, field analysis of fractures – from joints and faults to mineral veins and dykes -, analytical, analogue and numerical models of fractures and related fluid transport, as well as the activity of faults and volcanoes including calderas, and economic aspects such as exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons and geothermal energy.

Description / Table of Contents: This volume contains papers presented in part at a symposium held in May 2012 at Göttingen University, to honour Professor Joachim Reitner for his numerous contributions to the fields of geobiology, geology, and palaeontology. Our present volume reflects the breadth of Reitner’s interests and accomplishement with tributes and research or review papers by his students, former students, collaborators, and friends. The symposium was held in conjunction with Joachim Reitner’s 60th birthday. | Contents --- Hansen, B. T.: Preface --- Wiese, F.; Reich, M. & Arp, G.: Introduction --- Keupp, H. & Fuchs, D.: Different regeneration mechanisms in the rostra of aulacocerids (Coleoidea) and their phylogenetic implications --- Fuchs, D.: First evidence of Mastigophora (Cephalopoda: Coleoidea) from the early Callovian of La Voulte-sur- Rhône (France) --- Luo Cui; Schäfer, N.; Duda, J.-P. & Li Li-xia: Preservation of organic matter in sponge fossils: a case study of ‘round sponge fossils’ from the Cambrian Chengjiang Biota with Raman spectroscopy. --- Sánchez-Beristain, F.; Duda, J.-P.; López-Esquivel Kransksith, L. & García-Barrera, P.: A brief synopsis on the history of sponge research in the Upper Triassic St. Cassian Formation (Dolomites, NE Italy) --- Afşar, F.; Duda, J.-P.; Zeller, M.; Verwer, K.; Westphal, H. & Eberli, G. P.: First report of sponge rhaxes in the Picún Leufú Formation (Tithonian–Berriasian), Neuquén Basin, Argentina --- Janussen, D.: The second fossil Hyalonema species (Porifera: Hexactinellida), from the Late Cretaceous Arnager limestone, Bornholm, Denmark --- Riegel, W.; Wiese, F.; Arp, G. & Wilde, V.: Microphytoplankton from the Jena Formation (Lower Muschelkalk Subgroup, Anisian) in the forestry quarry at Herberhausen near Göttingen, Germany --- Arp, G. & Reimer, A.: Hydrochemistry, biofilms and tufa formation in the karstwater stream Lutter (Herberhausen near Göttingen) --- Dreier, A. & Hoppert, M.: Following the traces of symbiont bearing molluscs during earth history --- Heim, C.; Quéric, N.-V.; Ionescu, D.; Simon, K. & Thiel, V.: Chemolithotrophic microbial mats in an open pond in the continental subsurface – implications for microbial biosignatures --- Leefmann, T.; Blumenberg, M.; Schmidt, B. C. & Thiel, V.: Raman spectroscopy of biosignatures in methanerelated microbialites --- Cangemi, M. & Madonia, P.: Mud volcanoes in onshore Sicily: a short overview --- Haude, R.; Corriga, M. G.; Corradini, C. & Walliser, O. H.: Bojen-Seelilien (Scyphocrinitidae, Echinodermata) in neudatierten Schichten vom oberen Silur bis untersten Devon Südost- Marokkos --- Reich, M. & Ansorge, J.: Santonian sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) from Sierra del Montsec, Spain --- Reich, M.: Supplement to: ‘How many species of fossil holothurians are there? --- Thuy, B.; Gale, A. S.; Stöhr, S. & Wiese, F.: Shallow- water brittle-star (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea) assemblages from the Aptian (Early Cretaceous) of the North Atlantic: first insights into bathymetric distribution patterns --- Hornung, J. J.: A new species of the barnacle genus Tesseropora (Crustacea: Cirripedia: Tetraclitidae) from the Early Pliocene of Fuerteventura (Canary Islands, Spain) --- Karl, H.-V.; Arp, G.; Siedersbeck, E. & Reitner, J.: A large ichthyosaur vertebra from the lower Kössen Formation (Upper Norian) of the Lahnewiesgraben near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

Description / Table of Contents: Exceptionally preserved fossils from Fossil Lagerstätten contribute greatly to resolving details on the history of life on Earth. For the first time, the “Paläontologische Gesellschaft” (PalGes) and the “Palaeontological Society of China” (PSC) combined forces to jointly present an international conference aimed to highlight and encourage the study of exceptionally well-preserved fossil sites worldwide. The conference focused on all aspects of palaeontology and geobiology, also incorporating related fields like biogeochemistry, biology, sedimentology and stratigraphy. The present volume contains the abstracts of more than 275 lectures and posters presented during the joint international conference “Palaeobiology & Geobiology of Fossil Lagerstätten through Earth History”. This year’s conference was held at the northern campus of the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany, from September 23-27, 2013. More than three hundred palaeontologists, biologists, geologists and other scientists and researchers from sixteen countries, mainly from Germany and the P. R. of China, participated.

Description / Table of Contents: The Carbiocial Project investigates viable carbon-optimized land management strategies for maintaining tropical ecosystem services under land use change and changing climate conditions in Southern Amazonia – a hotspot of global change. The project aims at understanding the vital natural processes and socio-economic driving forces in the region and develops strategies to enhance and protect carbon stocks in the recently deforested agroscapes of Central/Northern Mato Grosso and South Pará. That is why Carbiocial analyzes and models soil, water and climate as well as agro-economics, social and political transformations. Based on detailed storylines, the project aims at identifying possible entry-points for a necessary change in local and regional production patterns, considering local livelihoods as well as the present national and global economic, legal and political situation. This book gives an overview of the first results of the multi-disciplinary Carbiocial Project by publishing the main presentations, held on the Carbiocial Status Conference, on October 7-8, 2013, in Cuiabá. In sixteen chapters the authors elucidate the project‘s current state of knowledge, illustrating adapted methods for regional modeling and promising strategies for the Amazon development. | Contents --- Stefan Hohnwald & Gerhard Gerold: Carbon-Optimized Land Management Research for the Southern Amazon-Geographical and Organizational Settings of the Carbiocial-Carbioma Project Consortium --- Philip M. Fearnside, Aurora M. Yanai & Claudia S. M. N. Vitel: Modeling Baselines for REDD Projects in Amazonia: Is the Carbon Real? --- Jens Boy, Charlotte Schumann, Simone Strey, Robert Strey, Georg Guggenberger & Regine Schönenberg: Digging Deeper – Biographic Interviews as a Promising Tool for the Joint Dissemination of Natural- and Social Science Results in REDD Contexts --- Carlos E. P. Cerri, Thalita F. Abbruzzini, Carolina B. Brandani, Mariana R. Durigan & Denise Signor: Soil Carbon Stocks and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Agrosystems in Brazil --- Karl M. Wantzen, Malte Unger, Eduardo G. Couto, Ricardo S. S. Amorim, Karina P. Peña & Ulrich Irmler: Carbon Farming: Enriching Tropical Farm Soils with Organic Matter --- Alphonce C. Guzha, Ricardo S. S. Amorim, Rodolfo Nóbrega, Gabriele Lamparter, Kristof Kovacs, Norma Bertão & Gerhard Gerold: Impacts of Land Cover and Climate Change on Hydrology and Hydrochemistry in Selected Catchments in Southern Amazonia: Preliminary Analysis and Results --- Marcus Schindewolf, Daniela Schönke, Ricardo S. S. Amorim & Jürgen Schmidt: Effects of Contour Banks and No-Till Measures on Run-Off and Sediment Yield in Campo Verde Region, Mato Grosso --- Alessandra R. Gomes, César G. Diniz & Cláudio A. Almeida: Amazon Regional Center (INPE/CRA) Actions for Brazilian Amazon Forest: TerraClass and Capacity Building Projects --- Patrick Hostert, Tobia Lakes, Hannes Müller, Florian Gollnow & Letícia B. V. Hissa: Land-Use Monitoring and Change Detection --- Jürgen Böhner, Helge Dietrich, Klaus Fraedrich, Tobias Kawohl, Markus Kilian, Valerio Lucarini & Frank Lunkeit: Development and Implementation of a Hierarchical Model Chain for Modelling Regional Climate Variability and Climate Change Over Southern Amazonia --- Claas Nendel, Hermann Jungkunst & Adriano M. R. Figueiredo: Intercol and Steps Towards a Simplified DSS --- Neli A. de Mello-Théry & Paulo R. Cunha: Environmental Policies and Forest Code: Changes and Repercussions on the Agriculture in Mato Grosso --- Regine Schönenberg, Korbinian Hartberger & Charlotte Schumann: Challenges and Chances of Social Transformation for GHG-Optimized Land- and Natural Resource Management Strategies: Stakeholder-Dialogues as Prerequisite for the Elaboration of Applicable Results --- José H. Benatti & Luly R. da Cunha Fischer: Land Use Regulations in the State of Pará: An Introductory Approach of Its Guidelines --- Martin Coy, Michael Klingler, Matthias Siebold & Thomas Berger: Socio-Economic Regional Change and Agro-Economic Development Along the BR-163 --- Edna Castro: Deforestation Along the BR-163: Socio-Environmental Conflicts and Ignored Governmental Politics

Description / Table of Contents: 1. Raw Material Change in the Chemical Industry and the Role of Biomass / Friedrich Seitz --- 2. The Role of Startup Companies in the Conversion of Biomass to Renewable Fuels and Chemicals / Leo E. Manzer --- 3. Nutrient Cycling in the Bioeconomy: A Life Cycle Perspective / Robert Anex --- 4. Plant Growth: Basic Principles and Issues Relating to the Optimization of Biomass Production and Composition as a Feedstock for Energy / Mark Stitt --- 5. Biomass Chemistry / Michael Ladisch, Eduardo Ximenes, Youngmi Kim, Nathan S. Mosier --- 6. Chemical and Biological Deconstruction of Aqueous Phase Processing / Charles E. Wyman, Carol J. Wyman --- 7. Analytical Approaches in the Catalytic Transformation of Biomass: What Needs to be Analyzed and Why? / Dmitry Murzin, Bjarne Holmbom --- 8. Methods for Biomass Compositional Analysis / Amie Sluiter, Justin Sluiter, Edward J. Wolfrum --- 9. Reaction Engineering Concepts for the Catalytic Conversion of Biorenewable Molecules / Robert J. Davis --- 10. Catalytic Strategies and Chemistries Involved in the Conversion of Sugars to Liquid Transportation Fuels / Elif I. Gürbüz, James A. Dumesic --- 11. Design of Heterogeneous Catalysts for the Conversion of Biorenewable Feedstocks / Brent H. Shanks --- 12. Tailor-Made Fuels and Chemicals from Biomass / Thorsten vom Stein, Jürgen Klankermayer, Walter Leitner --- 13. Solution-Based Deconstruction of (Ligno)-Cellulose / Roberto Rinaldi, Jennifer Reece

Description / Table of Contents: The profound impact of glaciers on the development of the landscape in Norway has become common knowledge among most geologists during the last centuries. For example, the alpine landscape, the U-formed valleys with deep basins and bedrock thresholds, the fjords, the strandflat, the glacially polished and striated rock surfaces, and the various and numerous glacial deposits all bear clear evidence of strong glacier influence. Glaciers have advanced and retreated in Norway and adjacent areas a number of times during the last 2–3 million years, and therefore it is commonly thought that the present-day landscape was formed mainly during this very young period of the geological time scale. There are, however, several preglacial landscape features that are preserved or only slightly changed during these young glaciations. Both types of landscape, i.e., the glacially formed landscape and the preglacial landscape, are presented in the first chapter of this volume. This chapter deals with both the processes and their products in the history of landscape development. Starting with the preglacial development, it continues through the ice ages, and ends with processes and landscape development in the Holocene time period. The second chapter discusses the glacial history of Norway during the Quaternary time period, and describes the glacier variations with advance and retreat of the glaciers and ice sheets. The third chapter presents the record of deposits from the represented stadials, interstadials and interglacials during the last 300,000 years in Norway and adjacent areas, and the suggested correlations between these deposits. The fourth chapter deals with neotectonics in Norway and adjacent areas, which are also largely a result of ice-sheet advance, erosion, sedimentation and retreat. The pressure variations on the ground surface as a result of variable ice weight, glacier erosion and accumulation have led to many earthquakes and large faults, such as the postglacial Stuoragurra fault on Finnmarksvidda. This compilation of the present knowledge of the Quaternary geology of Norway will be of use to several of our fellow colleagues of geology, students, and other dedicated, non-professional readers.

Description / Table of Contents: Organic pollutants cause several environmental problems if discharged to air or water body. The occurrence of organic pollutants in the ecosystem, their risk and removal methods are very important issues .This book deals with several aspects of organic pollutants, especially in the light of organic pollutants monitoring, risk assessment as well as the practical application of different techniques for removing it from the environment. The book is divided into three sections contains 9 chapters. The first section explains monitoring of organic pollutants in soil and water. The second section discusse its risk to human, soil and plants. The third section focuse on the different treatment process for the removal of organic pollutants.

Description / Table of Contents: Orogenic andesites have long intrigued scientists because of their remarkable compositional similarities to the continental crust. The significance of orogenic andesites as proxies to continental crust formation has been recognized for over 30 years, but no consensus model of andesite genesis exists. Much of the controversy revolves around whether orogenic andesites are primary melts of slab and mantle materials, or instead evolve from basaltic mantle melts at shallower crustal levels. In three sections, this book provides an overview of andesite genesis at convergent margins that focuses on the slab–mantle interaction, crustal processing and andesite evolution through the life of volcanic arcs. Without favouring a particular view, the books aims to engender cross-fertilization and discussion that will smooth the pathway towards a holistic communal model of andesite petrogenesis and its role within the broader geochemical cycles of the Earth.

Description / Table of Contents: Sediment provenance studies concern the origin, composition, transportation and deposition of detritus and therefore are an important part of understanding the links between basinal sedimentation, and hinterland tectonics and unroofing. Such studies can add value at many stages of hydrocarbon exploitation, from identifying regional-scale crustal affinities and sediment dispersal patterns during the earliest stages of exploration, to detailed correlation in producing reservoirs and understanding the impact of mineralogy on reservoir diagenesis. The volume showcases the wide variety of techniques available, using examples and applications from all aspects of sediment provenance research. The papers are organized into four sets around the following themes: Overview: applications of provenance information in hydrocarbon reservoir sandstones Provenance, diagenesis and reservoir quality Provenance studies linking sediment to source Looking forward: development of techniques and data handling This book is dedicated to the memory of Maria Mange and Robert A. Scott.

Description / Table of Contents: Anatolia and the easternmost Mediterranean region, especially Turkey, Cyprus and northern Syria, represent an excellent natural laboratory for the study of fundamental geological processes (e.g. rifting, seafloor spreading, ophiolite genesis and emplacement, subduction, exhumation and collision). Their interaction has created an intriguing array of deep-sea basins, microcontinents and suture zones. The volume's 22 papers include a large amount of new field-based information (much of it multidisciplinary and the product of teamwork). After an overview, the volume is divided into four sections: Late Palaeozoic–Early Cenozoic of the Pontides (northern Turkey); Late Palaeozoic–Early Cenozoic of the Taurides–Anatolides (central and southern Turkey); Late Cretaceous–Pliocene sedimentary basins and structural development (central Anatolia to the Mediterranean); Late Miocene–Recent Neotectonics (southern Turkey, Cyprus and northern Syria). The volume will interest numerous academic researchers, those concerned with resources (e.g. hydrocarbons; mineral deposits) and also hazards (e.g. earthquakes), as well as advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Description / Table of Contents: This volume presents results of a variety of case studies documenting the Late Palaeozoic climate changes and cyclicity of deposition. The collected papers cover many aspects related to palaeoenvironmental analysis with sedimentological, stratigraphic, palaeobiological, geochemical, and palaeomagnetic studies of the fossil record around the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age and soon after. They span a stratigraphic interval from Carboniferous to Permian–Triassic transition around the world. This book comprising results for a range of disciplines, is a valuable source for not only researchers who are actively working on specific aspects of the Late Palaeozoic and looking for an up-to-date reference on this inhospitable time in the Earth's history. It is also of interest to climate modellers and the wider scientific community with an interest in the latest research on the decline of the Palaeozoic World.

Description / Table of Contents: This volume studies the driving dynamic for thick-skin tectonics. It evaluates the role of various factors that control the development of thick-skin architecture. The studied driving dynamics include individual plate movement rates, overall convergence rates, orogen movement sense with respect to mantle flow and pro-wedge versus retro-wedge location. Numerous internal factors that influence the architecture of thick-skinned dominated orogens have been considered. These include the role of the rheology of the deforming layers, the presence or absence of potential detachment horizons, basement buttresses, crustal thickness variations, inherited strength contrasts and the impact of pre-existing anisotropy in thick-skin orogenic deformation. External factors discussed include the role of both syn-tectonic erosion and deposition in deformation. The study areas begin with worldwide examples and close with a detailed coverage of the Northern Andes natural laboratory, which is characterized by particularly robust data coverage.

Description / Table of Contents: Advances in the study of naturally fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs: a broad integrated interdisciplinary applied topic / Guy H. Spence, Gary D. Couples, Tim G. Bevan, Roberto Aguilera, John W. Cosgrove, Jean-Marc Daniel and Jonathan Redfern / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 1-22, 9 July 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.19 --- Investigating fracture networks using outcrop, core and geophysical data --- Sedimentological controls on the fracture distribution and network development in Mesaverde Group sandstone lithofacies, Uinta Basin, Utah, USA / Ryan Sonntag, James P. Evans, Paul La Pointe, Meagan Deraps, Hope Sisley and David Richey / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 23-50, 10 September 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.4 --- Comparison of digital outcrop and conventional data collection approaches for the characterization of naturally fractured reservoir analogues / Thomas D. Seers and David Hodgetts / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 51-77, 19 April 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.13 --- Fault linkage and damage zone architecture in tight carbonate rocks in the Suez Rift (Egypt): implications for permeability structure along segmented normal faults / A. Rotevatn and E. Bastesen / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 79-95, 10 September 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.12 --- Quantifying fracture density and connectivity of fractured chalk reservoirs from core samples: implications for fluid flow / D. A. Sagi, M. Arnhild and J. F. Karlo / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 97-111, 26 June 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.16 --- Characterizing discontinuities in naturally fractured outcrop analogues and rock core: the need to consider fracture development over geological time / S. R. Hencher / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 113-123, 9 May 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.15 --- Numerical and statistical simulations and models --- What can we learn from high-resolution numerical simulations of single- and multi-phase fluid flow in fractured outcrop analogues? / Sebastian Geiger and Stephan Matthäi / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 125-144, 5 September 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.8 --- Geomechanical impacts on flow in fractured reservoirs / Gary D. Couples / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 145-172, 25 June 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.17 --- Geomechanical mechanisms involving faults and fractures for observed correlations between fluctuations in flowrates at wells in North Sea oilfields / Kes J. Heffer / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 173-186, 28 August 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.2 --- Fluid flow through porous sandstone with overprinting and intersecting geological structures of various types / Xiaoxian Zhou, Mohammad Karimi-Fard, Louis J. Durlofsky and Atilla Aydin / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 187-209, 14 March 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.11 --- Influences of nodular chert rhythmites on natural fracture networks in carbonates: an outcrop and two-dimensional discrete element modelling study / Guy H. Spence and Emma Finch / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 211-249, 7 March 2014, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.18 --- Sills as fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs: examples and models / Agust Gudmundsson and Ingrid F. Løtveit / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 251-271, 10 September 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.5 --- A methodology to characterize fractured reservoirs constrained by statistical geological analysis and production: a real field case study / Matthieu Delorme, Rosane Oliveira Mota, Nina Khvoenkova, André Fourno and Benoit Nœtinger / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 273-288, 29 July 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.14 --- Case studies --- Characterization of highly fractured basement, Say'un Masila Basin, Yemen / Ann Murray and David W. Montgomery / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 289-310, 27 July 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.1 --- Characterizing seismic-scale faults pre- and post-drilling; Lewisian Basement, West of Shetlands, UK / Clare Slightam / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 311-331, 11 September 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.6 --- Integration of outcrop and subsurface data during the development of a naturally fractured Eocene carbonate reservoir at the East Ras Budran concession, Gulf of Suez, Egypt / William Bosworth, Samir Khalil, Alan Clare, Joe Comisky, Hany Abdelal, Tom Reed and George Kokkoros / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 333-360, 31 July 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.3 --- The Machar Oil Field, UK Central North Sea: impact of seismic reprocessing on the development of a complex fractured chalk field / M. V. Ward, C. Pearse, Y. Jehanno, M. O'Hanlon, A. Zett and D. Houliston / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 361-377, 17 October 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.10 --- Dual-porosity fractured Miocene syn-rift dolomite reservoir in the Issaran Field (Gulf of Suez, Egypt): a case history of the zonal isolation of highly fractured water carrier bed / Ati Saoudi, Adel R. Moustafa, Ramadan I. Farag, Maher M. Omara, Hossam Wally, Ahmed Fouad, Amr Tag and Ramy Z. Ragab / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 379-394, 5 September 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.7 --- The importance of natural fractures in a tight reservoir for potential CO2 storage: a case study of the upper Triassic–middle Jurassic Kapp Toscana Group (Spitsbergen, Arctic Norway) / K. Ogata, K. Senger, A. Braathen, J. Tveranger and S. Olaussen / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 374, 395-415, 10 September 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP374.9

Description / Table of Contents: Geology as medicine and medics as geologists / Christopher J. Duffin / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 1-6, 23 August 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.29 --- Lithotherapeutical research sources from antiquity to the mid-eighteenth century / Christopher J. Duffin / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 7-43, 4 September 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.25 --- Cryptopalaeontology / Eladio Liñán, María Liñán and Joaquín Carrasco / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 45-64, 10 May 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.14 --- The stomatological use of stones cited in the Kitab al-tasrif treatise (Abulcasis, 1000 CE) / Joaquín Carrasco and María Liñán / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 65-80, 11 December 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.7 --- The gem electuary / Christopher J. Duffin / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 81-111, 17 December 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.9 --- Medicinal terra sigillata: a historical, geographical and typological review / Arthur Macgregor / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 113-136, 15 November 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.1 --- Materia medica in the seventeenth-century Paper Museum of Cassiano dal Pozzo / W. D. Ian Rolfe / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 137-156, 15 November 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.3 --- History of the pharmaceutical use of pumice / Christopher J. Duffin / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 157-169, 17 December 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.8 --- Pharmaceutical use of gold from antiquity to the seventeenth century / Renzo Console / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 171-191, 2 April 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.12 --- Bezoar stones, magic, science and art / Maria Do Sameiro Barroso / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 193-207, 26 February 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.11 --- Some early eighteenth century geological Materia Medica / Christopher J. Duffin / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 209-233, 2 April 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.13 --- Religiosity and magic in some lithoiatric practices of European folk medicine / Massimo Aliverti / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 235-242, 23 August 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.27 --- Britain’s spa heritage: a hydrogeological appraisal / John D. Mather / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 243-260, 2 April 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.16 --- Groundwater – Medicine by the Glassful? / N. S. Robins and P. L. Smedley / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 261-267, 2 April 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.17 --- Sunday Stone: an enduring metaphor of mining diseases and underground mining conditions / John H. Pearn and Christopher Gardner-Thorpe / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 269-278, 11 July 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.22 --- The influence of geology in the development of public health / Beverly P. Bergman / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 279-287, 15 November 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.6 --- From flesh to fossils – Nicolaus Steno’s anatomy of the Earth / Jakob Bek-Thomsen / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 289-305, 2 April 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.15 --- Diagnosing fossilization in the Nordic Renaissance: an investigation into the correspondence of Ole Worm (1588–1654) / Ella Hoch / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 307-327, 17 September 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.26 --- Education forms the tender mind / Christopher Gardner-Thorpe / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 329-337, 23 August 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.28 --- James Parkinson’s ‘system of successive creations’ / Cherry Lewis / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 339-348, 15 May 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.18 --- From obstetrics to oryctology: inside the mind of William Hunter (1718–1783) / J. J. Liston / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 349-373, 15 May 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.21 --- John Jeremiah Bigsby, MD: British Army physician and pioneer North American geologist / Leonard G. Wilson / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 375-394, 15 May 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.20 --- Five eighteenth-century medical polymaths / Gillian C. Hull / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 395-407, 15 November 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.5 --- John Whitaker Hulke, surgeon and palaeontologist / Simon Wills / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 409-427, 22 February 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.10 --- Dr Arthur Conan Doyle’s contribution to the popularity of pterodactyls / David M. Martill and Tony Pointon / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 429-443, 15 May 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.19 --- Physicians and their contribution to the early history of earth sciences in Austria / Daniela Claudia Angetter, Bernhard Hubmann and Johannes Seidl / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 445-454, 15 November 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.4 --- Medical geologists during the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration / Henry Guly / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 455-462, 15 November 2012, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.2 --- Vomiting stones: mental illness and forensic medicine in 18th century Italy / Alessandro Porro, Carlo Cristini, Bruno Falconi, Antonia Francesca Franchini and Lorenzo Lorusso / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 463-468, 4 July 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.23 --- Geology, conservation and dissolution of corpses by Paolo Gorini (1813–1881) / Lorenzo Lorusso, Bruno Falconi, Francesca Antonia Franchini and Alessandro Porro / Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 375, 469-474, 9 July 2013, https://doi.org/10.1144/SP375.24

Description / Table of Contents: Volcanoes have played a profound role in shaping our planet, and volcanic activity is a major hazard locally, regionally and globally. Many volcanoes are, however, poorly accessible and sparsely monitored. Consequently, remote sensing is playing an increasingly important role in tracking volcano behaviour, while synoptic remote sensing techniques have begun to make major contributions to volcanological science. Volcanology is driven in part by the operational concerns of volcano monitoring and hazard management, but the goal of volcanological science is to understand the processes that underlie volcanic activity. This volume shows how we may reach a deeper understanding by integrating remote sensing measurements with modelling approaches and, if available, ground-based observations. It includes reviews and papers that report technical advances and document key case studies. They span a range of remote sensing applications to volcanoes, from volcano deformation, thermal anomalies and gas fluxes, to the tracking of eruptive ash and gas plumes. The result is a state-of-the-art overview of the ever-growing importance of remote sensing to volcanology.

Description / Table of Contents: The IEA Executive Director’s Annual Report 2012 is the first of a regular annual series reporting on the IEA’s operational and organisational achievements, as well as challenges and events over the year. It is presented to the IEA Governing Board and released publicly to ensure transparency and also to take stock of the organisation’s activities from a strategic perspective. 2012 was a transitional year for the IEA, given fundamental changes in the global energy economy as well as internal management and budget issues. At the same time demand for IEA products set new records, and the public and political impact of IEA work through effective communication was measured as high.

Description / Table of Contents: We are facing a global energy crisis caused by world population growth, an escalating increase in demand, and continued dependence on fossil-based fuels for generation. It is widely accepted that increases in greenhouse gas concentration levels, if not reversed, will result in major changes to world climate with consequential effects on our society and economy. This is just the kind of intractable problem that Purdue University’s Global Policy Research Institute seeks to address in the Purdue Studies in Public Policy series by promoting the engagement between policy makers and experts in fields such as engineering and technology. Major steps forward in the development and use of technology are required. In order to achieve solutions of the required scale and magnitude within a limited timeline, it is essential that engineers be not only technologically-adept but also aware of the wider social and political issues that policy-makers face. Likewise, it is also imperative that policy makers liaise closely with the academic community in order to realize advances. This book is designed to bridge the gap between these two groups, with a particular emphasis on educating the socially-conscious engineers and technologists of the future. In this accessibly-written volume, central issues in global energy are discussed through interdisciplinary dialogue between experts from both North America and Europe. The first section provides an overview of the nature of the global energy crisis approached from historical, political, and sociocultural perspectives. In the second section, expert contributors outline the technology and policy issues facing the development of major conventional and renewable energy sources. The third and final section explores policy and technology challenges and opportunities in the distribution and consumption of energy, in sectors such as transportation and the built environment. The book’s epilogue suggests some future scenarios in energy distribution and use.

Description / Table of Contents: Dutch waters lack an accurate and easily accessible 3D description of the lowest astronomical tide (LAT) surface, i.e., a so-called “separation model”. This tidal datum, defined as “the lowest tide level that can be predicted to occur under average meteorological conditions and under any combination of astronomical conditions” (International Hydrographic Organization 2011a, Technical Resolution 3/1919), is, in those regions where tides have an appreciable effect on the water level, adopted as chart datum (CD) by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO). Having an accurate separation model of LAT provides numerous benefits to a variety of commercial and non-commercial users, including faster, cheaper, and more accurate hydrographic survey data for nautical charts; more precise navigation, even over areas with submarine hazardous objects; merging of depth data with height data for coastal zone management; and an accurate planning of depth maintenance in port approach areas. The current practice to obtain a coastal-waters-inclusive continuous (CWIC) separation model of LAT is to express it as the sum of LAT values derived from a global/regional ocean tide model and an altimeter-derived mean sea level (MSL) model, complemented by LAT values derived from water level observations and GNSS ellipsoidal heights at tide gauges. The latter are the sole information source for deriving the separation model of LAT in coastal waters. This is due to the lack of information about the MSL in these waters as a consequence of the degrading accuracy of radar altimeter data in the vicinity of land (e.g., Andersen & Knudsen 2000, Deng et al. 2002). To obtain a continuous surface in coastal waters out of these point data, strong interpolation is required. This interpolation is not trivial as the tidal behavior at a particular tide gauge location, and hence the LAT value, is not necessarily representative for nearby locations. Furthermore, significant gaps may exist between the tide gauge locations. Alternatively, information about the MSL can be derived from GNSS surveys (e.g., Pineau-Guillou & Dorst 2011). These are, however, expensive and therefore this approach is not preferable. To derive an accurate and continuous separation model of LAT in Dutch waters including the coastal waters, Wadden Sea, and Eastern and Western Scheldt estuaries, avoiding interpolation, we developed an alternative approach. In this approach, the ellipsoidal heights of LAT are computed as the sum of the quasi-geoid heights and the heights of LAT relative to this quasi-geoid. The latter can be derived from modeled water levels of a vertically referenced hydrodynamic model, which comprise the tide and the time-averaged meteorological and steric contributions. In this study, a new quasi-geoid model is estimated that covers the whole Netherlands Continental Shelf and the Dutch mainland, because the European Gravimetric Geoid 2008 (EGG08) lacks accuracy for two reasons. First, EGG08 does not include data acquired by the Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite; these data have become publicly available in May 2010. Second, in the estimation of EGG08, satellite radar altimeter data have been corrected for using a global ocean tide model. In this study, we use a shallow water hydrodynamic model which provides apart from tides also the surge and steric contributions to the dynamic topography corrections. The fact that all contributions are obtained from the same model has the additional advantage that any non-linear interaction between the three contributions (e.g., between tide and surge (Prandle & Wolf 1978)) is accounted for. The fact that we have to use a hydrodynamic model both in deriving the separation between the quasi-geoid and LAT and in estimating the quasi-geoid itself requires a small, but important, change of our approach to derive a separation model of LAT. Instead of a one-way link between the quasi-geoid and the hydrodynamic model, a two-way link exists. This two-way link results in a chicken-and-egg problem. On the one hand, we aim to use a hydrodynamic model to derive a proper quasi-geoid, while on the other hand this quasi-geoid needs to be the model’s reference surface. The development of a methodology that solves this problem is our main research objective. In this thesis, we first present the overall procedure by means of a flowchart. Three steps can be distinguished: (i) the data preprocessing; (ii) the estimation of the quasigeoid and the realization of a hydrodynamic model that provides water levels relative to this quasi-geoid; and (iii) the realization of the LAT and mean dynamic topography (MDT) surfaces once the final quasi-geoid and the vertically referenced hydrodynamic model are available. The latter surface can be used to produce the ellipsoidal heights of the MSL (as the sum of quasi-geoid and MDT), which is often used as a vertical reference surface in the offshore industry. The model used in this study is the Dutch Continental Shelf Model version 5 (DCSM), which is a 2D storm surge model. In the remainder of the thesis, we elaborate on four key elements of this procedure.

Description / Table of Contents: Hydrothermal ore deposits that are exploited for gold include both gold-only deposits, such as orogenic deposits, and gold-bearing examples of the common hydrothermal deposits types that are formed around upper-crustal magmatic centres, in particular porphyry and epithermal deposits. Fluid-inclusion data have shown that ore fluids of gold-only deposits are compositionally distinct compared to fluids of other deposit types. This Special Publication includes an up-to-date summary of thermodynamic parameters of aqueous Au species at high temperatures and pressures; a dataset of fluid inclusion properties and compositions from orogenic deposits of different parts of the world; several comprehensive case studies of different types of gold deposits and their fluids from USA, Brazil, Egypt, Slovakia and Bulgaria; and numerical modelling aimed to define key parameters that affect fluid flow and gold deposition at a range of scales.

Description / Table of Contents: Modelling the Earth's static and time-varying gravity field using a combination of GRACE and GOCE data The main focus of the thesis is modelling the static and time-varying parts of the Earth's gravity field at the global scale based on data acquired by the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE). In addition, a new methodology is proposed to validate global static gravity field models. Furthermore, the added value of GOCE data to the static and time-varying gravity field retrieval is assessed. Finally, low-frequency noise in GRACE observables derived from its K-band ranging (KBR) data is studied and a new way to cope with it is proposed. GRACE/GOCE global static gravity field modelling: DGM-1S A new global static gravity field model entitled DGM-1S (Delft Gravity Model, release 1, Satellite-only) is computed by a statistically optimal combination of GRACE and GOCE data. The model is based on seven years of GRACE KBR data, four years of GRACE satellites' kinematic orbits, 14 months of GOCE kinematic orbits, and 10 months of GOCE Satellite Gravity Gradiometry (SGG) data. Kinematic orbit and KBR data are processed with a variant of the acceleration approach, in which these data are respectively transformed into "three-dimensional (3-D) average acceleration vectors" and "range combinations" (≈ inter-satellite accelerations) with a three-point differentiation. Gravity gradients are processed in the instrument frame. Stochastic models of data noise are built with an auto-regressive moving-average (ARMA) process. The usage of ARMA models ensures that (i) coloured noise in data is appropriately dealt with; and (ii) data are combined in a statistically optimal manner. DGM-1S is compiled up to spherical harmonic degree 250 with a Kaula regularization applied above degree 179. It is found that (a) the usage of GOCE kinematic orbits may not lead to an improvement of a static gravity field model if GRACE data and GOCE gravity gradients are already incorporated; and (b) GOCE gravity gradients manifest their contribution in a combined GRACE/GOCE model above degree 150. For the purpose of an assessment, the DGM-1S, GOCO01S, EIGEN-6S (only its static part), and GOCO02S geoid models are used to compute the corresponding oceanic mean dynamic topography models by subtracting the DNSC08 mean sea surface model. The results are confronted with the state-of-the-art CNES-CLS09 mean dynamic topography model, which shows the best agreement for DGM-1S. Furthermore, the test suggests that the GRACE/GOCE satellite-only models are addition, the test indicates that problems still seem to exist in satellite-only GRACE/GOCE models over the Pacific ocean, where considerable deviations of these models from EGM2008 are detected. Validating global static gravity field models: quantifying GOCE mission's added value and inspecting data combination optimality in models produced with surface data The ability of satellite gravimetry data to validate global static gravity field models is studied. Two types of control data are considered: GRACE KBR data and GOCE gravity gradients. The validation is based on an analysis of misfits computed as differences between data observed and those computed with a force model that includes, in particular, a static gravity field model to be assessed. Only "independent" data are used in the model validation, i.e., those that were not used in the production of models under assessment. The methodology is applied to eight models: EGM2008 (truncated at degree 250), EIGEN-6C (only its static part and truncated at degree 250), two GRACE-only models (ITGGrace03 and ITG-Grace2010s), and four GRACE/GOCE models: GOCO01S, EIGEN-6S (only its static part), GOCO02S, and DGM-1S. The validation shows that independent data of both types allow a difference in performance of the models to be observed, despite the fact that the duration of these data is much shorter than that of data used to produce those models. The KBR and SGG control data demonstrate relatively high inaccuracies of EGM2008 in 5 – 22 mHz (27 – 120 cycles-per-revolution, cpr) and 10 – 28 mHz (54 – 150 cpr) frequency ranges, respectively. The latter data also reveal inaccuracies of ITG-Grace2010s in 25 – 37 mHz (135 – 200 cpr) frequency range. The validation in the spatial domain shows that EGM2008 performs weaker than the GRACE/GOCE models. Considering root mean square (RMS) misfits related to the zz gravity gradient component (with z being the nadir axis of the instrument frame), the performance difference in the continental areas poorly covered by terrestrial gravimetry data (Himalayas, South America, and Equatorial Africa) is 76 – 83 %. This difference is explained mostly by a loss of information content of ITG-Grace03 when it was combined with terrestrial gravimetry/satellite altimetry data to produce EGM2008. Furthermore, the revealed performance differences are 4 – 16 % in the continental areas well covered by those data (Australia, North Eurasia, and North America) and 11 % in the world's oceans. These differences are related to the GOCE mission's added value to the static gravity field retrieval. It is shown that EIGEN-6C also suffers from a loss of information during data combination, but in a much less pronounced manner. In South America, for instance, this model is found to perform poorer than its satellite-only counterpart, i.e., EIGEN-6S, by only 12 %. The GRACE/GOCE models show in the poorly surveyed continental areas a higher accuracy than ITG-Grace2010s: by 23 – 36 %, which is attributed to the GOCE mission's added value. The quantified added value is shown to be almost entirely related to the coefficients below degree 200. DGM-1S and GOCO02S show an almost similar performance against GOCE control gravity gradients. Nevertheless, the former model shows a slightly better agreement with KBR control data. Both models agree with control data of both types better than EIGEN-6S. Assessing GOCE mission's added value to time-varying gravity field modelling Temporal gravity field variations recovered from KBR data suffer, among others, from a limited spatial resolution and a relatively low accuracy of the East-West changes. I investigate whether a retrieval of these variations can be improved by incorporating GOCE data. To that end, I compare monthly solutions up to degree 120 computed (i) from KBR data alone and (ii) using a statistically optimal combination of KBR data with GOCE kinematic orbit and gravity gradients. The impact of GOCE data is analysed in the context of unconstrained solutions and after an optimal anisotropic filtering. This impact in these two cases is found to be radically different. In the case of unconstrained solutions, a usage of GOCE data allows the noise in these solutions to be reduced by 1 – 2 orders of magnitude. I demonstrate, however, that this reduction is a stabilization effect and is not driven by the information content in GOCE data. In the case of the filtered solutions, the impact stays, in average, at sub-millimeter level in terms of equivalent water heights. This is below the GRACE noise level. The peak impacts reach about 1 cm. This holds true for the combined impact of GOCE kinematic orbit data and gravity gradients as well as for the impact of these data types individually. Relatively, the peak impacts do not exceed 5 – 7 % of the signal amplitude, because they always occur at locations where the time-varying gravity field signal is strong. Nevertheless, I refrain from concluding that added value of GOCE data to the retrieval of temporal gravity changes is always negligible. A number of scenarios are discussed, in which the impact of GOCE data may exceed the level quantified in the study presented. GRACE global time-varying gravity field modelling: DMT-2 The Delft Mass Transport model, release 2 (DMT-2), similar to its predecessor, i.e., DMT-1, is produced from KBR data. The model consists of a time series of 94 monthly solutions (February 2003 – December 2010). Each solution consists of spherical harmonic coefficients up to degree 120 with respect to DGM-1S. Both unconstrained and optimally filtered solutions are produced. The improvements applied in the production of this new model as compared to its predecessor are usage of: (i) an improved estimation and elimination of the low-frequency noise in residual range combinations, so that strong mass transport signals are not damped; (ii) an improved frequency-dependent data weighting, which allows statistically optimal solutions to be compiled; (iii) release 2 of GRACE level-1B data; (iv) a recent a priori static gravity field model, i.e., DGM-1S; (v) release 5 of the AOD1B model of non-tidal mass re-distribution in the atmosphere and ocean; (vi) the recent ocean tide model EOT11a; and (vii) an improved calibration scheme of the satellites' accelerometers. It is shown that DMT-2 substantially outperforms its predecessor in terms of spatial resolution, which is proven to be mainly associated with the usage of a more advanced frequency-dependent data weighting. Furthermore, it is confirmed that the usage of release 2 of GRACE level-1B data leads to an elimination of the East-West artifacts. Finally, it is shown that choosing the maximum spherical harmonic degree lower than 120 in the context of monthly gravity field modelling could lead to an underestimation of the signal amplitude and the presence of the so-called "Gibbs" phenomenon in the vicinity of areas with strong mass variations. However, the higher spatial resolution of models produced up to degree 120 is almost entirely attributed to the optimal filtering and is not driven by the information content in unconstrained spherical harmonic coefficients. The contributions of the thesis The primary contributions of this thesis are as follows: 1 Computing new global static gravity models of a competitive quality. 2 Development of a new methodology to validate global static gravity field models. 3 Quantification of the GOCE mission's added value to the static and time-varying gravity field modelling. 4 Inspection of data combination optimality in models produced with satellite gravimetry and surface data. This paves the way to developing better strategies to combine satellite and surface gravimetry data in the production of future models. 5 Computing a new GRACE time-varying gravity field model, DMT-2. 6 Demonstrating the importance of an accurate computation and a proper exploitation of stochastic models of noise in satellite gravimetry data in the context of global gravity field modelling. 7 Identifying the origin of low-frequency noise in GRACE KBR-based observables and proposing a new way to cope with it.

Description / Table of Contents: Although there are many books on project management, few address the issues associated with scientific research. This work is based on extensive scientific research and management experiences and is designed to provide an introduction to planning and managing scientific research for the beginning researcher. The aim is to build an understanding of the nature of scientific research, and the way in which research projects can be developed, planned and managed to a successful outcome. The book is designed to help the transition from being a member of a research team to developing a project and making them work, and to provide a framework for future work. The emphasis of the book is on broadly applicable principles that can be of value irrespective of discipline. It should be of value to researchers in the later stages of Ph.D. work and Postdoctoral workers, and also for independent researchers.

Description / Table of Contents: Managing Environmental Risks and Promoting Sustainability: Science Advancement and Leadership Development --- Biodiversity Agriculture Supports Human Populations --- Conservation and Sustainable Management of Soil Biodiversity for Agricultural Productivity --- Conservation Tillage Assessment For Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emission In Rainfed Agro-Ecosystem --- Improving Biodiversity in Rice Paddy Fields to Promote Land Sustainability --- Agroforestry Models for Promoting Effective Risk Management and Building Sustainable Communities --- Managing Environmental Risks and Promoting Sustainability: Conservation of Forest Resources in Madagascar --- Community-Based Mangrove Forest Management in Thailand: Key Lesson Learned for Environmental Risk Management --- Necessity of Adaptive Risk Management for Fisheries and Wildlife --- Valuation of Non-Marketed Agricultural Ecosystem Services and Food Security in Southeast Asia --- Emerging Socio-Economic and Environmental Issues Affecting Food Security: A Case Study of Silang-Santa Rosa Subwatershed --- Strengthening the Capacity of Flood-Affected Rural Communities in Padang Terap, State of Kedah, Malaysia --- Mitigating Coastal Erosion in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar --- Risk Management of Chemical Pollution: Principles from the Japanese Experience --- Research on the Sod Between Chlorophyll-a and Organic Matter BOD, COD, Phosphorus and Total Nitrogen in Stagnant Lake Basins --- Managing Construction Development Risks to the Environment --- Ecosystem Restoration Using the Near-Natural Method in Shanghai --- Sustainable Management of Urban Green Environments: Challenges and Opportunities --- Environment and Social Capacity Assessment for Sustainability Promotion and Risk Management --- Rural Landscape Conservation in Japan: Lessons from the Satoyama Conservation Program in Kanagawa Prefecture --- Enhancing Students’ Ecological Thinking to Improve Understanding of Environmental Risk --- Interactive Multimedia Education System (IMES) as a International Education Platform

Description / Table of Contents: Australia continues to be at the forefront of international work on measuring and promoting wellbeing, Ian Castles being a significant contributor over the last forty years as an official and academic. This book combines a selection of Castles’ important work with contemporary research from a range of contributors.The material is in four parts:1. The role of economics in defining and promoting wellbeing2. Measuring real income and wellbeing3. Measuring inequality4. Climate change and the limits to growth.The issues canvassed are both long-standing and current. Does economic growth contribute to wellbeing? How different is income to wellbeing? How do we measure societal wellbeing and take its distribution into account? The book will be of value to all those looking to informed debate on global challenges such as reducing poverty, sustaining the environment and advancing the quality of life, including politicians, commentators, officials and academics.

Description / Table of Contents: Compact antennas are a subject of growing interest from industry and scientific community to equip wireless communicating objects. The need for high performance small antennas and RF front ends is the challenge for future and next generation mobile devices. This book brings the body of knowledge on compact antennas into a single comprehensive volume. It is designed to meet the needs of electrical engineering and physics students to the senior undergraduate and beginning graduate levels, and those of practicing engineers.

Description / Table of Contents: Being an automotive enthusiast and hobbyist, there is a saying around the race track that speed isnt everything, its just most everything. Similar sentiments can be said about MATLAB. MATLAB isnt everything to a practicing engineer, its just most everything. MATLAB is an indispensable asset for scientists, researchers, and engineers. The richness of the MATLAB computational environment combined with an integrated development environment (IDE) and straightforward interface, toolkits, and simulation and modeling capabilities, creates a research and development tool that has no equal. From quick code prototyping to full blown deployable applications, MATLAB stands as a de facto development language and environment serving the technical needs of a wide range of users. As a collection of diverse applications, each book chapter presents a novel application and use of MATLAB for a specific result.

Description / Table of Contents: Chronology is the backbone of history, and there is a wise saying stating there is no history without a chronology. Earths evolutionary history is built up by geochronology, i.e. time benchmarks upon which the geological history is built up step by step over its total time period of about 4.5 billion years. The first marker in this history is the Jack Hills zircon from Australia dated at about 4.4 GA. The most detailed records come from seasonal changes within annual varves. Stratigraphy provides the basic chronological ordering of layers by layers, units by units, fossil assemblage by assemblage, varves by varves, growth zone by growth zone, etc. The radiometric techniques implied the introduction of absolute age determinations. This book includes a combination of methodological presentations and related case studies, from where we learn about practical problems and achievements. Therefore, the book should be of basic interest both for scientists in their practical in field and laboratory, as well as for general educational purpose.

Description / Table of Contents: This study examines the production costs of a range of transport fuels and energy carriers under varying crude oil price assumptions and technology market maturation levels. An engineering “bottom-up” approach is used to estimate the effect of the input cost of oil and of various technological assumptions on the finished price of these fuels. In total, the production costs of 20 fuels are examined for crude oil prices between USD 60 and USD 150 per barrel. Some fuel pathways can be competitive with oil as their production, transport and storage technology matures, and as oil price increases. Rising oil prices will offer new opportunities to switch to alternative fuels for transport, to diversify the energy mix of the transport sector, and to reduce the exposure of the whole system to price volatility and potential distuption of supply. In a time of uncertainty about the leading vehicle technology to decarbonize the transport sector, looking at the fuel cost brings key information to be considered to keep mobility affordable yet sustainable.

Description / Table of Contents: Electricity security remains a priority of energy policy and continuous electrification will further enhance the importance in the years to come. Market liberalisation has brought substantial benefits to societies, including competition, innovation, more client-oriented services and the reduced needs for public expenditure. Further, the path of decarbonisation is a must but experiences with many new technologies and policies show their many implications on power systems. Electricity networks form the backbone of reliable and affordable power systems and also significantly support the inception of renewable generation. The importance of distribution and transmission networks has to be well understood by policy makers and regulators to maintain the sensitive balance within the policy triangle of reliability, affordability and sustainability as power systems rapidly change. Failures in choosing the right institutions and regulatory frameworks to operate and build networks will put the sensitive balance within the policy triangle at risk. “Too complex for a resource?” identifies the key challenges the electricity distribution and transmission networks face today and in the future. It further provides for best practice examples on institutional design choices and regulatory frameworks for sound network service provision but also highlights the importance of additional responses required. More market-based and dynamic frameworks for various system services, the growing need for active service participation of renewable generators and highly independent and transparent central operators seem to be at the heart of these responses. “Too complex for a resource?” finds that the answer to the challenges ahead is not always more infrastructure and that networks and the services they provide have to be regarded as equal part of the total power system. Thus, accurate and dynamic cost allocation can significantly support to transform public good-type network services into resources with market values.

Description / Table of Contents: Russia is in the process of one of the most ambitious electricity reform programs ever undertaken. The reform is crucial for Russia, with the potential to modernize and transform the sector into a key driver of longer-term economic growth and prosperity. In 2005, the IEA published a study documenting the proposed reform and highlighting some potential implementation issues. Achievements to date have been impressive by international standards, however the outcome remains uncertain. Electricity reform is entering another critical phase in Russia. The 2013 Update examines the key remaining challenges affecting the development of competitive wholesale and retail electricity markets in Russia including: market structure, market design, pricing, investment and related regulation. The report draws extensively on the experience of IEA member countries and on views expressed during consultations with key Russian stakeholders.

Description / Table of Contents: Oil is traded in a market where uncertainty, price volatility, and sudden supply disruptions are common characteristics. Natural disasters, political disagreements and wars can seriously disrupt oil supply and demand with consequent detrimental impacts on economic activity. One particularly powerful policy tool that IEA member countries have to respond to such disruptions is the release of emergency oil stocks. In its 40 year history, the IEA released stocks on three occasions to reduce the supply disruptions and the associated economic damage. This paper provides a general guide to the existing emergency stockholding system for those countries who are considering the introduction of new stockholding systems or changes to their existing emergency stocks. It draws together analysis of the costs and benefits of emergency stocks, in addition to exploring options for financing the establishment of stocks.

Description / Table of Contents: Chapter 1: Preliminaries: concepts, trends and frameworks --- Chapter 2: The participation of Latin America in international supply chains --- Chapter 3: Drivers of global value chain participation: cross-country analyses --- Chapter 4: What does it take to be part of an international value chain: firm-level evidence --- Chapter 5: Conclusions

Description / Table of Contents: Introduction to LOD2, Sören Auer --- Advances in Large-scale RDF Data --- Knowledge Base Creation, Enrichment and Repair --- Interlinking and Knowledge Fusion --- Facilitating the Exploration and Visualization of Linked Data --- Supporting the Linked Data life cycle using an integrated tool stack --- LOD2 for Media and Publishing --- Building Enterprise Ready Applications Using Linked Open Data --- Lifting Open Data Portals to the Data Web --- Linked Open Data for Public Procurement

Description / Table of Contents: As societies transition to evidence-based adaptation and management there is increasing recognition of the need for understanding climate change and variability dynamics and impacts at regional levels and for various activities. This book is a contribution toward that goal. Readers interested in climate change management will find detailed discussions of climatic variability dynamics in selected regions as well as new innovative ways of monitoring climate change, assessing climate risks, and predicting impacts. Those interested in refreshing the fundamentals of climate change and climate variability will find a very accessible review of the status of knowledge on the subject, including a balanced interrogation of available evidence. In an attempt to keep the book accessible, every effort was made to minimize technical jargon without compromising scientific accuracy. The result should be useful to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.

Description / Table of Contents: This book is an overview of the complex and multifaceted topic of natural disasters impact. Several possible approaches can be undertaken to assess economic, psychological, societal or environmental damage caused by natural disasters, aiming to reduce the effects of future events on the whole of these sectors. This book proposes a range of studies realized in different continents, showing various aspects from which natural disasters can be view, thus giving a measure of the complexity and multidisciplinary of the topic. It starts with a paper presenting a possible strategy to either avoid or reduce the vulnerability of concrete buildings during floods. Then, it continues with an insight into the communication during post-disaster emergency phase and with two chapters concerning the assessment of two different kinds of impact on people everyday life. The book ends with an analysis of the role of stakeholder participation in post-disaster reconstruction.

Description / Table of Contents: This book is devoted to the mechanisms of sedimentary basin formation on active plate margins, which show enormous diversity reflecting complex tectonic processes. Multidisciplinary approach pursuing basin-forming mechanism is based on geology, sedimentology, geochronology and geophysics. Some chapters are dedicated to the genetic analysis of sedimentary basins in wrench deformation zones in forearc and intra-arc regions. Another block of chapters deals with basin formation in peripheral regions of Eurasia and intra-arc / foreland basins under the influence of the fluctuation of stress regimes. Finally geophysical approaches to basin analyses are shown in some chapters from microscopic to regional scales. Diverse contents of the chapters provide the audience with the present accomplishments of basin researches on active margins by Earth scientists.

Description / Table of Contents: Software Driven Networks, Virtualisation, Programmability and Autonomic Management --- Towards a Socially-Aware Management of New Overlay Application Traffic Combined with Energy Efficiency in the Internet (SmartenIT) --- The NEBULA Future Internet Architecture --- Open the Way to Future Networks – A Viewpoint Framework from ITU-T --- Towards a Minimal Core for Information-Centric Networking --- Managing QoS for Future Internet Applications over Virtual Sensor Networks --- High Availability in the Future Internet --- Integrating OpenFlow in IMS Networks and Enabling for Future Internet Research and Experimentation --- Computing and Networking Clouds Contrail: Distributed Application Deployment under SLA in Federated Heterogeneous Clouds --- Cloud–Based Evaluation Framework for Big Data --- Optimizing Service Ecosystems in the Cloud --- Resource Optimisation in IoT Cloud Systems by Using Matchmaking and Self-management Principles --- Towards a Secure Network Virtualization Architecture for the Future Internet --- Seeding the Cloud: An Innovative Approach to Grow Trust in Cloud Based Infrastructures --- Internet of Things --- IoT6 – Moving to an IPv6-Based Future IoT --- SmartSantander: Internet of Things Research and Innovation through Citizen Participation --- A Cognitive Management Framework for Empowering the Internet of Things --- Building Modular Middlewares for the Internet of Things with OSGi --- Towards an Architecture for Future Internet Applications --- ComVantage: Mobile Enterprise Collaboration Reference Framework and Enablers for Future Internet Information Interoperability --- Test-Enabled Architecture for IoT Service Creation and Provisioning --- Enabling Technologies and Economic Incentives Sustainable Wireless Broadband Access to the Future Internet --- The EARTH Project --- An Internet-Based Architecture Supporting Ubiquitous Application User Interfaces --- Cooperative Strategies for Power Saving in Multi-standard Wireless Devices --- Counting the Cost of FIRE: Overcoming Barriers to Sustainable Experimentation Facilities --- User Involvement in Future Internet Projects --- Design and Implementation of Cooperative Network Connectivity Proxy Using Universal Plug and Play --- Book Sponsoring Projects Overview 3DLife - Bringing the Media Internet to Life --- CONCORD Project Management of the Future Internet --- FLAMINGO NoE Project Management of the Future Internet --- The GEYSERS Concept and Major Outcomes --- iCore: A Cognitive Management Framework for the Internet of Things --- IoT6 Project in a Nutshell --- Mobile Cloud Networking: Mobile Network, Compute, and Storage as One Service On-Demand --- The SmartenIT STREP Project: Socially-Aware Management of New Overlay Application Traffic Combined with Energy Efficiency in the Internet --- The SmartSantander Project --- UniverSelf, Realizing Autonomics for Future Networks

Description / Table of Contents: TRANSMIT (Training Research and Applications Network to Support the Mitigation of Ionospheric Threats) is an initiative funded by the European Commission through a Marie Curie Initial Training Network. It provided a coordinated program of academic and industrial training, focused on atmospheric phenomena that can significantly impair a wide range of systems and applications that are at the core of several activities embedded in our daily life. TRANSMIT deals with the harmful effects of the ionosphere on these systems. Main aim of the project has been to develop a web based prototype demonstrator aiming to showcase the project research outcomes in a user friendly manner, through a series of model outputs and tools that could serve as the blueprint for a future service to assist users and industry to mitigate the effects of ionospheric threats to GNSS. This book is concerned with the TRANSMIT 2014 Workshop Appraisal of Scientific and Technological Output that took place in Torino (Italy) on February 2014, where a full update on the status of the prototype development and the next steps leading to its full implementation were provided.

Description / Table of Contents: The aim of this book is to demonstrate the use of SAR data in three application domains, i.e. land cover (Part II), topography (Part III), and land motion (Part IV). These are preceded by Part I, where an extensive and complete review on speckle and adaptive filtering is provided, essential for the understanding of SAR images. Part II is dedicated to land cover mapping. Part III is devoted to the generation of Digital Elevation Models based on radargrammetry and on a wise fusion (by considering sensor characteristic and acquisition geometry) of interferometric and photogrammetric elevation data. Part IV provides a contribution to three applications related to land motion.

Description / Table of Contents: Faced with the upcoming serious deficiency of energy, food and water, along with inevitable environmental pollution, much related research has been on the upsurge because Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) seem to be one of the solutions to these concerns in the future. The aim of this book is to describe and consider some concepts regarding MFC application designs for interested colleagues. Five topics regarding the technology of flow control, biocatalysts, biofilms, removal of chemical oxygen demand and biochemical fields are addressed in the book. Considering the low power density and short life span of MFCs, there has been a dramatic increase in funding and research that has led to a greater understanding of the fundamental science behind MFC study. This is driving significant improvements in both the reliability and efficiency of MFCs and hence their future use.

Description / Table of Contents: Nowadays advanced remote sensing technology plays tremendous roles in building a quantitative and comprehensive understanding of how the Earth system works. The advanced remote sensing technology is also used widely to monitor and survey the natural disasters and man-made pollution. Besides, telecommunication is considered as an accuracy remote sensing advanced technology tool. Precise usage of remote sensing and telecommunication cannot be built without comprehensive understanding of mathematics and physics. This book has three parts (i) microwave remote sensing applications, (ii) nuclear, geophysics and telecommunication; and (iii) environment remote sensing investigations.

Description / Table of Contents: The current world biodiversity consists of an inestimable amount of living forms, that at all levels, from genes to biomes, from individuals to populations, from species to communities, are in constant pursuit of the best strategies to react to the natural and anthropic environmental changes. The arrangement of new and dynamic ecosystems balanced by the formation and the vanishing of species, is the direct consequence of these changes. This book contains comprehensive overviews and original studies focused on ecological and ecosystem functioning studies, hazards and conservation management, assessment of environmental variables affecting species diversity, also considering species richness and distribution, in order to identify the best management strategies to face and solve the conservation problems.

Description / Table of Contents: Preface --- Part 1 Theory and Methodology --- Part 2 General Report of Global Environment Competitiveness --- Part 3 Sub Report --- Appendix --- Postscript

Description / Table of Contents: The Big Picture: Global Trends Affecting Agricultural Finance --- Institutional and Process Innovations in Serving Rural Clients --- Dealing With Risks in Agricultural Finance --- Using Modern Technology for High-Quality Services in Rural Areas

Description / Table of Contents: Universities and research institutes are increasingly expected to contribute to society by creating innovation from the returns of their research results and the establishment of new technologies. Toward that goal, Keio University in Japan held an international symposium titled "Fulfilling the Promise of Technology Transfer: Fostering Innovation for the Benefit of Society." From that symposium the following contents are included in the present volume: 1) A showcase of ideas and case studies to promote future creation of innovation by universities and research institutes worldwide, including information on the R&D value chain, licensing, income generation, start-ups and mechanisms to encourage entrepreneurship, and the changing role of universities in fostering innovation. 2) Introduction of active research projects that aim to productize successful research results on an international level. For example, the book includes results of research on stem cell technologies and regenerative medicine as well as the realization and application of polymer photonics and the development of the core technology of polymer photonics. 3) Case studies from the U.K. in developing industry–academia collaboration with various business partners ranging from start-ups and spinout companies to large enterprises. 4) Reports of the achievements of the technological transfer activities at Keio University supported by the 5-year public fund, with suggestions for future prospects

Description / Table of Contents: Introduction --- Infrastructure and Growth --- Approach --- China --- Pakistan --- Philippines --- Summary and conclusion

Description / Table of Contents: Natural Computing --- Ethological response to periodic stimulation in Chara and Brepharisma --- Adaptive path-finding and transport network formation by the amoeba-like organism Physarum --- Aggregate "Calculation" in Economic Phenomena: Distributions and Fluctuations --- Towards Co-evolution of Information, Life and Artifcial Life --- Harness the Nature for Computation --- Things Theory of Art Should Learn From Natural Computing --- Study on the use of Evolutionary Techniques for inference in Gene Regulatory Networks --- Reconstruction of Gene Regulatory Networks from Gene Expression Data using Decoupled Recurrent Neural Network Model --- Design and control of synthetic biological systems --- Satellite Symposium on Computational Aesthetics --- Preface–Natural Computing and Computational Aesthetics --- The Significance of Natural Computing for Considering Computational Aesthetics of Nature --- Perceiving the Gap: asynchronous coordination of plural algorithms and disconnected logical types in ambient space --- Aesthetic Aspects of Technology-mediated Self-awareness Experiences

Description / Table of Contents: Key Messages --- Executive Summary --- 1.Introduction --- 2.Multilingual Europe: Facts, Challenges, Opportunities --- 3.Major Trends in Information and Communication Technologies --- 4.Language Technology 2012: Current State and Opportunities --- 5.Language Technology 2020: The META-NET Technology Vision --- 6.Language Technology 2020: Priority Research Themes --- 7.Towards a Shared European Programme for Multilingual Europe 2020: Next Steps --- A.References --- B.List of Key Contributors --- C.Milestones and History of the Strategic Research Agenda --- D.About META-NET --- E.Members of META-NET --- F.Abbreviations and Acroynms

Description / Table of Contents: Microfinance in India: Lessons from the Andhra Crisis --- Armageddon or Adolescence? Making Sense of Microfinance's Recent Travails --- Core Values of Microfinance Under Scrutiny: Back to Basics? --- Microcredit Interest Rates and Their Determinants: 2004 - 2011 --- Financial Services That Clients Need: The 3.0 Business Models, Reconciling Outreach with Sustainability --- "Microfinance 3.0" - Perspectives for Sustainable Financial Service Delivery --- Microfinance Beyond the Standard? Evaluating Adequacy and Performance of Agricultural Microcredit --- The Role of DFIs in the Emerging 3.0 Responsible Funding Landscape - Responsible Corporate Governance and Beyond --- The Microfinance Approach: Does It Deliver on Its Promise?

Description / Table of Contents: Section I: Introduction – migration, gender and social justice: the research and policy agendas --- Section II: Transformation of social reproduction systems and migration: local-global interactions --- Section III: The state and female internal migration: Rights and livelihood security --- Section IV: Complexity of gender: embodiment and intersectionality --- Section V: Liminal legality, citizenship and migrant rights mobilization --- Section VI: Conclusion – the complexities of migration research-policy interactions --- Annex A - Portfolio of Migration Projects, 2006-2009 (21 May 2009) --- Women’s Rights and Citizenship Program --- Annex B - Profile of the Editors

Description / Table of Contents: 1 Marginality—An Overview and Implications for Policy --- Part 1 Concepts and Theory --- 2 Marginality—A Framework for Analyzing Causal Complexities of Poverty --- 3 Exclusion and Initiatives to “Include”: Revisiting Basic Economics to Guide Development Practice --- 4 Marginality from a Socio-ecological Perspective --- Part 2 Dimensions and Prevalence of Marginality --- 5 Mapping Marginality Hotspots --- 6 The Poorest: Who and Where They Are --- 7 Targeting the Poorest and Most Vulnerable: Examples from Bangladesh --- 8 Correlates of Extreme Poverty in Rural Ethiopia --- 9 Examining the Circle of Attachment, Trauma, Shame, and Marginalization: the Unheard Voices of Young Kutchi Girls --- Part 3 Environmental Drivers of Marginality --- 10 Poverty, Agriculture and the Environment: the Case of Sub-Saharan Africa --- 11 The Marginal Poor and their Dependence on Ecosystem Services: Evidence from South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa --- 12 Land Degradation, Poverty, and Marginality --- Part 4     Experiencing Marginality in Africa and Asia --- 13 Tackling Social Exclusion and Marginality for Poverty Reduction: Indian Experiences --- 14 Consumption Behavior of the Poorest and Policy Implications in Indonesia --- 15 Addressing Extreme Poverty and Marginality: Experiences in Rural China --- 16 Experiences in Targeting the Poorest: a Case Study from Bangladesh --- 17 Rural Poverty and Marginalization in Ethiopia: a Review of Development Interventions --- Part 5 Responses to Marginality at Different Levels: State, Business, and Community --- 18 Macro, Fiscal, and Decentralization Options to Address Marginality and Reach the Extremely Poor --- 19 Social Protection, Marginality, and Extreme Poverty: Just Give Money to the Poor --- 20 Innovative Business Approaches for the Reduction of Extreme Poverty and Marginality --- 21 Business Initiatives that Overcome Rural Poverty and Marginality Through Creating Shared Value --- 22 The Marginalized and Poorest in Different Communities and Settings of Ethiopia

Description / Table of Contents: Preface.- Data and Methods.- Population Norms for the EQ-5D --- Cross-Country Analysis of EQ-5D Data --- Socio-demographic Indicators based on EQ-5D --- Annex 1 --- Annex 2

Description / Table of Contents: Introduction --- The Problem - Part I --- The Solution --- Transition --- The Problem - Part II --- The Solution - Part II --- Transition - Part II --- The Problem - Part III --- The Solution - Part III --- Transition - Part III --- The Problem, The Solution and The End - Final Part --- Troubleshooting

Description / Table of Contents: Part I Information Profession and Information Literacy --- Chapter 1 Career and Professional Opportunities and Challenges for Librarians and Other Information Professionals Specializing in Information Literacy and Lifelong Learning --- Chapter 2 So What’s the Big Deal With Information Literacy in the United States? --- Chapter 3 A Group Discussion on Information Literacy --- Part II Trends of Library and Information Sciences Education --- Chapter 4 iSchools & the iSchool at Syracuse University --- Part III Information Seeking and Retrieval --- Chapter 5 Visual Data Mining in a Q&A based Social Media Website --- Chapter 6 Information Seeking Behaviour and Usage on a Multi-media Platform: Case Study Europeana --- Chapter 7 Exploratory Search: a Critical Analysis of the Theoretical Foundations, Systems Features, and Research Trends --- Part IV Informatics --- Chapter 8 Scientific Datasets: Informetric Characteristics and Social Utility Metrics for Biodiversity Data Sources --- Chapter 9 Knowledge Discovery of Complex Networks Research Literature --- Chapter 10 Bibliometrics and University Research Rankings Demystified for Librarians --- Part V Development of World Libraries --- Chapter 11 The Development of East Asian Libraries in North America

Description / Table of Contents: Does growth in North American oil supply herald a new era of abundance - or does turmoil in parts of the Middle East cloud the horizon? How much can energy efficiency close the competitiveness gap caused by differences in regional energy prices? What considerations should shape decision-making in countries using, pursuing or phasing out nuclear power? How close is the world to using up the available carbon budget, which cannot be exceeded if global warming is to be contained? How can sub-Saharan Africa's energy sector help to unlock a better life for its citizens? Answers to these questions and a host of others are to be found in the pages of World Energy Outlook 2014 (WEO-2014), released on 12 November in London. Bringing together the latest data and policy developments, the WEO-2014 presents up to date projections of energy trends for the first time through to 2040. Oil, natural gas, coal, renewables and energy efficiency are covered, along with updates on trends in energy-related CO2emissions, fossil-fuel and renewable energy subsidies, and universal access to modern energy services.

Description / Table of Contents: Capital at the Brink reveals the pervasiveness, destructiveness, and dominance of neoliberalism within American society and culture. The contributors to this collection also offer points of resistance to an ideology wherein, to borrow Henry Giroux’s comment, “everything either is for sale or is plundered for profit.” The first step in fighting neoliberalism is to make it visible. By discussing various inroads that it has made into political, popular, and literary culture, Capital at the Brink is taking this first step and joining a global resistance that works against neoliberalism by revealing the variety of ways in which it dominates and destroys various dimensions of our social and cultural life. With essays by Paul A. Passavant, Noah De Lissovoy, Robert P. Marzec, Jennifer Wingard, Zahi Zalloua, Jodi Dean, Andrew Baerg, Jeffrey R. Di Leo, Christopher Breu and Uppinder Mehan.

Description / Table of Contents: This book argues that climate change has a devastating effect on how we think about the future. Once several positive feedback loops in Earth’s dynamic systems, such as the melting of the Arctic icecap or the drying of the Amazon, cross the point of no return, the biosphere is likely to undergo severe and irreversible warming. Nearly everything we do is premised on the assumption that the world we know will endure into the future and provide a sustaining context for our activities. But today the future of a viable biosphere, and thus the purpose of our present activities, is put into question. A disappearing future leads to a broken present, a strange incoherence in the feel of everyday life. We thus face the unprecedented challenge of salvaging a basis for our lives today. That basis, this book argues, may be found in our capacity to assume an infinite responsibility for ecological disaster and, like the biblical Job, to respond with awe to the alien voice that speaks from the whirlwind. By owning disaster and accepting our small place within the inhuman forces of the biosphere, we may discover how to live with responsibility and serenity whatever may come.

Description / Table of Contents: Sex After Life aims to consider the various ways in which the concept of life has provided normative and moralizing ballast for queer, feminist and critical theories. Arguing against a notion of the queer as counter-normative, Sex After Life appeals to the concept of life as a philosophical problem. Life is neither a material ground nor a generative principle, but can nevertheless offer itself for new forms of problem formation that exceed the all too human logics of survival.

Description / Table of Contents: Life typically becomes an object of reflection when it is seen to be under threat. In particular, humans have a tendency to engage in thinking about life (instead of just continuing to live it) when being confronted with the prospect of death: be it the death of individuals due to illness, accident or old age; the death of whole ethnic or national groups in wars and other forms of armed conflict; but also of whole populations, be they human or nonhuman. Even though Minimal Ethics for the Anthropocene is first and foremost concerned with life—understood as both a biological and social phenomenon—it is the narrative about the impending death of the human population (i.e., about the extinction of the human species), that provides a context for its argument. “Anthropocene” names a geo-historical period in which humans are said to have become the biggest threat to life on earth. However, rather than as a scientific descriptor, the term serves here primarily as an ethical injunction to think critically about human and nonhuman agency in the universe. Restrained in tone yet ambitious in scope, the book takes some steps towards outlining a minimal ethics thought on a universal scale. The task of such minimal ethics is to consider how humans can assume responsibility for various occurrences in the universe, across different scales, and how they can respond to the tangled mesh of connections and relations unfolding in it. Its goal is not so much to tell us how to live but rather to allow us to rethink “life” and what we can do with it, in whatever time we have left. The book embraces a speculative mode of thinking that is more akin to the artist’s method; it also includes a photographic project by the author.

Description / Table of Contents: Carbon in Earth is an outgrowth of the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO), a 10-year international research effort dedicated to achieving transformational understanding of the chemical and biological roles of carbon in Earth (http://dco.ciw.edu). Hundreds of researchers from 6 continents, including all 51 coauthors of this volume, are now engaged in the DCO effort. This volume serves as a benchmark for our present understanding of Earth's carbon - both what we know and what we have yet to learn. Ultimately, the goal is to produce a second, companion volume to mark the progress of this decadal initiative. This volume addresses a range of questions that were articulated in May 2008 at the First Deep Carbon Cycle Workshop in Washington, DC. At that meeting 110 scientists from a dozen countries set forth the state of knowledge about Earth's carbon. They also debated the key opportunities and top objectives facing the community. Subsequent deep carbon meetings in Bejing, China (2010), Novosibirsk, Russia (2011), and Washington, DC (2012), as well as more than a dozen smaller workshops, expanded and refined the DCO's decadal goals. The 20 chapters that follow elaborate on those opportunities and objectives. A striking characteristic of Carbon in Earth is the multidisciplinary scientific approach necessary to encompass this topic. The following chapters address such diverse aspects as the fundamental physics and chemistry of carbon at extreme conditions, the possible character of deep-Earth carbon-bearing minerals, the geodynamics of Earth's large-scale fluid fluxes, tectonic implications of diamond inclusions, geosynthesis of organic molecules and the origins of life, the changing carbon cycle through deep time, and the vast subsurface microbial biosphere (including the hidden deep viriosphere). Accordingly, the collective authorship of Carbon in Earth represents laboratory, field, and theoretical researchers from the full range of physical and biological sciences.

Description / Table of Contents: Global climate change with substantial global warming may be the most important environmental challenge facing the world. Geologic carbon sequestration (GCS), in concert with energy conservation, increased efficiency in electric power generation and utilization, increased use of lower carbon intensity fuels, and increased use of nuclear energy and renewable sources, is now considered necessary to stabilize atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases and global temperatures at values that would not severely impact economic growth and the quality of life on Earth. Geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas fields, unmineable coal beds, and brine aquifers, are likely to provide the first large-scale opportunity for concentrated sequestration of CO2. The specific scientific issues that underlie subsurface sequestration technology involve the effects of fluid flow combined with chemical, thermal, mechanical and biological interactions between fluids and surrounding geologic formations. Complex and coupled interactions occur both rapidly as the stored material is emplaced underground, and gradually over hundreds to thousands of years. The long sequestration times needed for effective storage, the large scale of GCS globally necessary to significantly impact atmospheric CO2 levels, and the intrinsic spatial variability of subsurface formations provide challenges to both scientists and engineers. A fundamental understanding of mineralogical and geochemical processes is integral to the success of GCS. Large scale injection experiments will be carried out and monitored in the next decade provides a unique opportunity to test our knowledge of fundamental hydrogeology, geochemistry and geomechanics.