ALBERT

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: 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: This book covers the latest developments in remote sensing theory and applications by numerous researchers, experts and collaborators of the Remote Sensing and Geo-Environment Lab of the Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics of the Cyprus University of Technology. The main highlight of this book is combination of several techniques such as satellite remote sensing, field spectroscopy, smart sensors, ground techniques for achieving an integrated method for the systematic monitoring of the environment.

Description / Table of Contents: Our knowledge of mass transfer processes has been extended and applied to various fields of science and engineering including industrial processes in recent years. Since mass transfer is primordial phenomenon, it plays a key role in the scientific researches and fields of mechanical, energy, environmental, materials, bio, and chemical engineering. In this book, energetic authors especially provide advances in scientific findings and technologies, and develop new theoretical models concerning mass transfer for sustainable energy and environment. This book brings valuable references for research engineers working in the variety of mass transfer sciences and related fields. Since the constitutive topics cover the advances in broad research areas, the topics will be mutually stimulus and informative not only to research engineers, but also to university professors and students.

Description / Table of Contents: Climate scenarios suggest that current forest stands will face radically different temperature and precipitation conditions in the future. Developing future strategies for forest management in the face of uncertain and highly variable forecasts of future site conditions is a great challenge. Here we have analyzed transnational case studies dealing with different manifestations of climate change effects. We intend to stimulate the discussion on management strategies to adapt forests in the Alps to climate change risks. The presented results are derived from the INTERREG project “Management Strategies to Adapt Alpine Space Forests to Climate Change Risks” that was implemented within the framework of the European Territorial Cooperation “Alpine Space Programme 2007-2013.

Description / Table of Contents: Magnetostratigraphy is best known as a technique that employs correlation among different stratigraphic sections using the magnetic directions defining geomagnetic polarity reversals as marker horizons. The ages of the polarity reversals provide common tie points among the sections, allowing accurate time correlation. Recently, studies of magnetic methods and the timing of geological processes have acquired a broader meaning, now referring to many types of magnetic measurements within a stratigraphic sequence. Many of these measurements provide correlation and age control not only for the older and younger boundaries of a polarity interval, but also within intervals. Thus, magnetostratigraphy no longer represents a dating tool based only on geomagnetic polarity reversals, but comprises a set of techniques that includes measurements of geomagnetic field parameters, environmental magnetism, rock-magnetic properties, radiometric dating and astronomically forced palaeoclimatic change recorded in sedimentary rocks, and key corrections to magnetic directions related to geodynamics, palaeocurrents, tectonics and diagenetic processes.

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: Top space experts from around the world have collaborated to produce this comprehensive, authoritative, and clearly illustrated reference guide to the fast growing, multi-billion dollar field of satellite applications and space communications. This handbook, done under the auspices of the International Space University based in France, addresses not only system technologies but also examines market dynamics, technical standards and regulatory constraints. The handbook is a completely multi-disciplinary reference book that covers, in an in-depth fashion, the fields of satellite telecommunications, Earth observation, remote sensing, satellite navigation, geographical information systems, and geosynchronous meteorological systems. It covers current practices and designs as well as advanced concepts and future systems. It provides a comparative analysis of the common technologies and design elements for satellite application bus structures, thermal controls, power systems, stabilization techniques, telemetry, command and control (TTC), and orbital configurations. These common aspects are addressed in an integrated fashion to explain how all these space systems share similar design features, but also have quite specialized application packages to carry out their various missions. No other reference in print today provides such a comprehensive and in-depth guide to all forms of application satellites, including small sats as used by countries just beginning space application programs.

Description / Table of Contents: The Great Lagoon is a central part of the Szczecin Lagoon, a major component in the Odra River estuary system. It is also an important European natural heritage site and one of the largest resting places for migratory birds in the Baltic Sea area. The first part of Wolnomiejski's and Witek’s book gives a thorough overview of the most up-to-date knowledge of this region, including the assessment of its biological production. Based on these findings authors develop a food web model of the Polish part of the Szczecin Lagoon, identifying a total of 45 trophic-functional components. The model describes a variety of features ranging from the magnitude of consumption, to the amount of unassimilated food and export of individual system components, and serves as an invaluable source, helping researchers to estimate various ecological indicators of The Great Lagoon’s ecosystem.

Description / Table of Contents: Giulia Parola’s Environmental Democracy at the Global Level: Rights and Duties for a New Citizenship can be seen as a manifesto that is both traditional and revolutionary at the same time. It calls for the construction of a new civilisation centred on the environment, while drawing on the traditional notions of democratic government. It adopts an approach that is focused on the power of individuals rather than governments, as ways to protect and improve the environment. It proposes that environmental rights and ecological duties are self-evident and inalienable, and should be treated as the cornerstones of a new democracy. Parola’s book is a thought provoking and intriguing work that will be of interest to scholars of environmental studies as well as to legal practitioners and non-specialists. Giulia Parola has studied Environmental Law at the University of Torino, at the University of René Descartes in Paris, (where she obtained PhD in Public Law) and at the University of Iceland ( LLM in Natural Resources Law and International Environmental Law). In 2011, she was appointed by the University of Laval (Canada, Quebec) as a researcher and a lecturer in Environmental Law.

Description / Table of Contents: The Medium-Term Coal Market Report 2013 provides IEA forecasts on coal markets for the coming five years as well as an in-depth analysis of recent developments in global coal demand, supply and trade. This third annual report shows that while coal continues to be a growing source of primary energy worldwide, its future is increasingly tied to developments in non-OECD countries, led by China. Coal is both the leading fuel source behind the growth of OECD non-members and the leading source of power generation in OECD countries. Yet the current low prices for coal add a new challenge to the sector, which is facing uncertainty due to increasing environmental legislation and competition from other fuels, like US shale gas or European renewables. This report examines, among other things, how coal producers will be affected by such low prices; whether those depressed prices will boost the fuel’s consumption; if other developing countries will follow in China’s footsteps by increasingly relying on coal to fuel economic growth; and, above all, whether the strong growth of coal in China will continue between now and 2018.

Description / Table of Contents: Few subjects have caught the attention of the entire world as much as those dealing with natural hazards. The first decade of this new millennium provides a litany of tragic examples of various hazards that turned into disasters affecting millions of individuals around the globe. The human losses (some 225,000 people) associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the economic costs (approximately 200 billion USD) of the 2011 Tohoku Japan earthquake, tsunami and reactor event, and the collective social impacts of human tragedies experienced during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 all provide repetitive reminders that we humans are temporary guests occupying a very active and angry planet. Any examples may have been cited here to stress the point that natural events on Earth may, and often do, lead to disasters and catastrophes when humans place themselves into situations of high risk. Few subjects share the true interdisciplinary dependency that characterizes the field of natural hazards. From geology and geophysics to engineering and emergency response to social psychology and economics, the study of natural hazards draws input from an impressive suite of unique and previously independent specializations. Natural hazards provide a common platform to reduce disciplinary boundaries and facilitate a beneficial synergy in the provision of timely and useful information and action on this critical subject matter. As social norms change regarding the concept of acceptable risk and human migration leads to an explosion in the number of megacities, coastal over-crowding and unmanaged habitation in precarious environments such as mountainous slopes, the vulnerability of people and their susceptibility to natural hazards increases dramatically. Coupled with the concerns of changing climates, escalating recovery costs, a growing divergence between more developed and less developed countries, the subject of natural hazards remains on the forefront of issues that affect all people, nations, and environments all the time. This treatise provides a compendium of critical, timely and very detailed information and essential facts regarding the basic attributes of natural hazards and concomitant disasters. The Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards effectively captures and integrates contributions from an international portfolio of almost 300 specialists whose range of expertise addresses over 330 topics pertinent to the field of natural hazards. Disciplinary barriers are overcome in this comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. Clear illustrations and numerous color images enhance the primary aim to communicate and educate. The inclusion of a series of unique “classic case study” events interspersed throughout the volume provides tangible examples linking concepts, issues, outcomes and solutions. These case studies illustrate different but notable recent, historic and prehistoric events that have shaped the world as we now know it. They provide excellent focal points linking the remaining terms in the volume to the primary field of study. This Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards will remain a standard reference of choice for many years.

Description / Table of Contents: Ensuring energy security and addressing climate change cost-effectively are key global challenges. Tackling these issues will require efforts from stakeholders worldwide. To find solutions, the public and private sectors must work together, sharing burdens and resources, while at the same time multiplying results and outcomes. Through its broad range of multilateral technology initiatives (Implementing Agreements), the IEA enables member and non-member countries, businesses, industries, international organisations and non-governmental organisations to share research on breakthrough technologies, to fill existing research gaps, to build pilot plants and to carry out deployment or demonstration programmes across the energy sector. This publication highlights the most significant recent achievements of the IEA Implementing Agreements. At the core of the IEA energy technology network, these initiatives are a fundamental building block for facilitating the entry of new and improved energy technologies into the marketplace.

Description / Table of Contents: Energy Policy Highlights showcases recent developments in energy policies among all 28 IEA member countries. Each contribution underscores the changing nature of both global and domestic energy challenges, as well as the commonality of energy concerns among member countries. The policies highlighted in this publication identify an urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a clear policy objective. Electricity, enhancing energy efficiency and increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix in a cost effective manner are likewise areas of common focus. On the end-user side, increasing public awareness of domestic energy policies through improved transparency and engagement is an important facet of policy support among IEA member countries. The successful implementation of policies and other initiatives benefitted from efforts to inform the public.

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: The IEA Wind Power Technology Roadmap 2013 Edition recognises the very significant progress made since the first edition was published in 2009. The technology continues to improve rapidly, and costs of generation from land-based wind installations continue to fall. Wind power is now being deployed in countries with good resources without any dedicated financial incentives. The 2013 Edition targets an increased share (15% to 18%) of global electricity to be provided by wind power in 2050, compared to 12% in the original roadmap of 2009. However, increasing levels of low-cost wind still require predictable, supportive regulatory environments and appropriate market designs. The challenges of integrating higher levels of variable wind power into the grid need to be addressed. For offshore wind, much remains to be done to develop appropriate large-scale systems and to reduce costs. The 2013 Wind Power Roadmap also provides updated analysis on the barriers that exist for the technology and suggests ways to address them, including legal and regulatory recommendations.

Description / Table of Contents: Electricity shortages can paralyse our modern economies. All governments fear rolling black-outs and their economic consequences, especially in economies increasingly based on digital technologies. Over the last two decades, the development of markets for power has produced cost reduction, technological innovation, increased cross border trade and assured a steady supply of electricity. Now, IEA countries face the challenge of maintaining security of electricity supply during the transition to low-carbon economies. Low-carbon policies are pushing electricity markets into novel territories at a time when most of the generation and network capacity will have to be replaced. Most notably, wind and solar generation, now an integral part of electricity markets, can present new operating and investment challenges for generation, networks and the regional integration of electricity markets. In addition, the resilience of power systems facing more frequent natural disasters is also of increasing concern. IEA Ministers mandated the Secretariat to work on the Electricity Security Action Plan (ESAP), expanding to electricity the energy security mission of the IEA. This paper outlines the key conclusions and policy recommendations to “keep the lights on” while reducing CO2 emissions and increasing the efficiency.

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: Earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions: the extent of certain recent natural disasters and their dramatic consequences have reminded us of the power of terrestrial phenomena and of the need for scientific research to understand the Earth’s dynamics more fully. Over the last twenty years the study of the Earth’s interior has witnessed a real revolution, owing in particular to the development of increasingly sophisticated seismic tomography techniques and the powerful computations made possible by progress in numerical methods and computer technology. Barbara Romanowicz presents us with the current progress and challenges of global seismology.

Description / Table of Contents: Katastrophen stellen eine Herausforderung für gesellschaftliches Handeln dar. Der Autor zeigt, auf welche Weise die politischen und wissenschaftlichen Strukturen des Deutschen Kaiserreiches dieser Herausforderung begegneten und sich im Sinne des Fortschrittsdenkens zu Nutze machten. Es wird deutlich, dass Naturkatastrophen wie das Jahrhunderthochwasser am Rhein für den jungen Nationalstaat nicht nur ein bedrohliches Risiko darstellten, sondern auch eine Chance für gesellschaftlichen Wandel. So stärkten sie das Zusammengehörigkeitsgefühl und lieferten einen Anlass für regionale Entwicklungshilfeprogramme sowie wissenschaftliche Forschung.

Description / Table of Contents: Oceanography is the par excellence interdisciplinary science thanks to its peculiar setting within a fluid environment that makes connections extremely efficient. The oceans connections are well mirrored in the chapters of this book that share a quite explicit multidisciplinary and multi-environmental character. The book provides chapters on very different topics under very different settings, some with a focused angle, others with a broader approach, yet all sharing the idea that we need to understand the small pieces in order to put together the big picture for a much larger mechanism, the functioning of the ocean as a whole.

Description / Table of Contents: Unsere Autoren zeigen Ihnen, wie Sie schnell zur eigenen App kommen. Dabei werden alle wichtigen Themen in der gebotenen Tiefe mit viel Hintergrundwissen beschrieben. Praktische und direkt nachvollziehbare Beispiele helfen beim Verständnis. Natürlich kommt in diesem Buch auch die Programmierung nicht zu kurz. Grundkenntnisse sollten jedoch vorhanden sein. Eine kurze Einführung in Objective-C und Cocoa vermittelt Ihnen alles, was Sie wissen müssen. Inkl. Schnittstellen zum Datenaustausch, Events, Alerts, Datenverwaltung mit Core Data, Sicherheit und die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten der Netzwerkprogrammierung.

Description / Table of Contents: Wenn Sie ein Buch suchen, dass Ihnen bei allen Fragen der C#-Entwicklung zuverlässig mit Rat und Tat zur Seite steht, dann ist unser bewährtes Kompendium genau das Richtige für Sie. Mittlerweile in der 6. Auflage dient es ambitionierten Ein- und Umsteigern durch seine strukturierte Vorgehensweise und die zahlreichen Anwendungsbeispiele als praxisorientierte Einführung; Fortgeschrittene und Profis unterstützt es als Nachschlagewerk optimal bei ihrer täglichen Arbeit. In den ersten Kapiteln werden zunächst die Grundlagen von C#, .NET und der objektorientierten Programmierung vermittelt. Es folgen Kapitel zur effizienten Entwicklung mit Visual Studio 2012, zur Fehlerbehandlung sowie zu fortgeschrittenen C#-Themen wie LINQ, Multithreading, Serialisierung u. v. m. Den größten Themenblock bildet die Entwicklung von grafischen Benutzeroberflächen. Neben einer fundierten Einführung in die WPF und XAML erfahren Sie hier alles Notwendige, um auch komplexe Anwendungen zu gestalten. Anschließend wird die Datenbankprogrammierung mit ADO.NET ausführlich behandelt und zu guter Letzt die Weitergabe von .NET-Anwendungen thematisiert. So sind Sie für Ihren Arbeitsalltag bestens gerüstet!

Description / Table of Contents: The School of Pharmacy, University of London: Medicines, Science and Society, 1842-2012 represents the rich history of the University of London School of Pharmacy through numerous color photographs, important advances in the pharmacy profession, cultural milestones, biographies and more. Written in an engaging and authoritative style, this book depicts the chronological history of the school from its establishment in 1842 to the present day with a nod toward its aspirations for the future. By highlighting key periods in the school’s history and showing their connection to the wider world, this book truly commemorates the heritage of the School of Pharmacy and its cutting-edge role in pharmacy innovation, research and education.

Description / Table of Contents: To understand the emission reduction potential of carbon capture and storage (CCS), decision makers need to understand the amount of CO2 that can be safely stored in the subsurface and the geographical distribution of storage resources. Estimates of storage resources need to be made using reliable and consistent methods. Previous estimates of CO2 storage potential for a range of countries and regions have been based on a variety of methodologies resulting in a correspondingly wide range of estimates. Consequently, there has been uncertainty about which of the methodologies were most appropriate in given settings, and whether the estimates produced by these methods were useful to policy makers trying to determine the appropriate role of CCS. In 2011, the IEA convened two workshops which brought together experts for six national surveys organisations to review CO2 storage assessment methodologies and make recommendations on how to harmonise CO2 storage estimates worldwide. This report presents the findings of these workshops and an internationally shared guideline for quantifying CO2 storage resources.

Description / Table of Contents: Growing innovation capacity among emerging markets and increasing investment flows between them are creating new, reciprocal opportunities through the deployment of technological innovations and knowledge transfer. The case of Brazil and China is particularly relevant in this context. Between 2005 and 2012, the Brazilian energy sector absorbed USD 18.3 billion worth of investments from China. Sino-Brazilian trade and political relations have intensified over the past decade. This report focuses on three main questions: What are the drivers behind Chinese investment in the Brazilian energy sector? What potential exists for inter-firm technology transfer between the Chinese and Brazilian companies involved? Do government-sponsored activities and academic exchanges complement inter-firm technology transfer? The analysis highlights the potential of energy technology co-operation between Brazil and China, the deployment of innovations in third countries and, more generally, the intensification of global co-operation in energy-related research and development.

Description / Table of Contents: The global oil market will undergo sweeping changes over the next five years. The 2013 Medium-Term Oil Market Report evaluates the impact of these changes on the global oil system by 2018 based on all that we know today – current expectations of economic growth, existing or announced policies and regulations, commercially proven technologies, field decline rates, investment programmes (upstream, midstream and downstream), etc. The five-year forecast period corresponds to the length of the typical investment cycle and as such is critical to policymakers and market participants. This Report shows, in detailed but concise terms, why the ongoing North American hydrocarbon revolution is a “game changer”. The region’s expected contribution to supply growth, however impressive, is only part of the story: Crude quality, infrastructure requirements, current regulations, and the potential for replication elsewhere are bound to spark a chain reaction that will leave few links in the global oil supply chain unaffected. While North America is expected to lead medium-term supply growth, the East-of- Suez region is in the lead on the demand side. Non-OECD oil demand, led by Asia and the Middle East, looks set to overtake the OECD for the first time as early as 2Q13 and will widen its lead afterwards. Non-OECD economies are already home to over half global refining capacity. With that share only expected to grow by 2018, the non-OECD region will be firmly entrenched as the world’s largest crude importer. These and other changes are carefully laid out in this Report, which also examines recent and future changes in global oil storage, shifts in OPEC production capacity and crude and product trade, and the consequences of the ongoing refinery construction boom in emerging markets and developing economies. It is required reading for anyone engaged in policy or investment decision-making in the energy sphere, and those more broadly interested in the oil market and the global economy.

Description / Table of Contents: Governments have decided collectively that the world needs to limit the average global temperature increase to no more than 2°C and international negotiations are engaged to that end. Yet any resulting agreement will not emerge before 2015 and new legal obligations will not begin before 2020. Meanwhile, despite many countries taking new actions, the world is drifting further and further from the track it needs to follow. The energy sector is the single largest source of climate-changing greenhouse-gas emissions and limiting these is an essential focus of action. The World Energy Outlook has published detailed analysis of the energy contribution to climate change for many years. But, amid major international economic preoccupations, there are worrying signs that the issue of climate change has slipped down the policy agenda. This Special Report seeks to bring it right back on top by showing that the dilemma can be tackled at no net economic cost.

Description / Table of Contents: Transport currently accounts for half of global oil consumption and nearly 20% of world energy use, of which approximately 40% is used in urban transport alone. The IEA expects urban transport energy consumption to double by 2050, despite ongoing vehicle technology and fuel-economy improvements. While increased mobility brings many benefits, the staggering rate of this increase creates new challenges. Urgent energy-efficiency policy attention will be needed to mitigate associated negative noise, air pollution, congestion, climate and economic impacts, all of which can cost countries billions of dollars per year. This report highlights lessons learned and examples of good practice from countries with experience implementing a wide range of measures to improve energy efficiency in urban transport systems. Part of the IEA Policy Pathway series, A Tale of Renewed Cities sets out key steps in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation to achieve improved energy efficiency in urban transport systems. The Policy Pathway series aims to help policy makers implement the IEA 25 Energy Efficiency Policy Recommendations.

Description / Table of Contents: The chemical industry is a large energy user; but chemical products and technologies also are used in a wide array of energy saving and/or renewable energy applications so the industry has also an energy saving role. The chemical and petrochemical sector is by far the largest industrial energy user, accounting for roughly 10% of total worldwide final energy demand and 7% of global GHG emissions. The International Council of Chemical Associations (ICCA) has partnered with the IEA and DECHEMA (Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology) to describe the path toward further improvements in energy efficiency and GHG reductions in the chemical sector. The roadmap looks at measures needed from the chemical industry, policymakers, investors and academia to press on with catalysis technology and unleash its potential around the globe. The report uncovers findings and best practice opportunities that illustrate how continuous improvements and breakthrough technology options can cut energy use and bring down greenhouse gas (GHG) emission rates. Around 90% of chemical processes involve the use of catalysts – such as added substances that increase the rate of reaction without being consumed by it – and related processes to enhance production efficiency and reduce energy use, thereby curtailing GHG emission levels. This work shows an energy savings potential approaching 13 exajoules (EJ) by 2050 – equivalent to the current annual primary energy use of Germany.

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 Indian cement industry is one of the most efficient in the world. Its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by adopting the best available technologies and environmental practices are reflected in the achievement of reducing total CO2 emissions to an industrial average of 0.719 tCO2/t cement in 2010 from a substantially higher level of 1.12 tCO2/t cement in 1996. However, because the manufacturing process relies on the burning of limestone, it still produced 137 MtCO2 in 2010 – approximately 7% of India’s total man-made CO2 emissions. Yet opportunity for improvement exists, particularly in relation to five key levers that can contribute to emissions reductions: alternative fuel and raw materials; energy efficiency; clinker substitution; waste heat recovery and newer technologies. This roadmap sets out one pathway by which the Indian cement industry can reach its targets to improve energy efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by 2050, thereby laying the foundation for low-carbon growth in the years beyond. The Technology Roadmap: Low-Carbon Technology for the Indian Cement Industry builds on the global IEA technology roadmap for the cement sector developed by the IEA and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Cement Sustainability Initiative. It outlines a possible transition path for the Indian cement industry to reduce its direct CO2 emissions intensity to 0.35 tCO2/t cement and support the global goal of halving CO2 emissions by 2050

Description / Table of Contents: WOR 1 provided a panoptic overview. The following report (WOR 2), the second in the series, focuses on the future of fish and their exploitation. Fish have always been a vital source of life for mankind – not only as a food. Fish continue to be essential to the daily diet of people in most regions of the world. At the same time fisheries provide a livelihood to entire coastal regions and still have great economic clout. All this, however, is in jeopardy and is coming under close scrutiny. Fish stocks are declining worldwide, entire marine regions are overfished and some species are already red-listed.

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: 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: 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: 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: Introduction to the Internet of Things --- The Need for a Common Ground for the IoT — The History and Reasoning Behind the IoT — A Project --- The IoT Architectural Reference Model as Enabler --- IoT in Practice: Examples — IoT in Logistics and Health --- IoT — A Guidance to the ARM --- A Process to Generate Concrete Architectures --- IoT Reference Model --- IoT Reference Architecture --- The IoT ARM Reference Manual --- Interactions --- Toward a Concrete Architecture --- ARM Testimonials --- Summary and Outlook

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: 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: Apress is proud to announce that Rethinking the Internet of Things was a 2014 Jolt Award Finalist, the highest honor for a programming book. And the amazing part is that there is no code in the book. Over the next decade, most devices connected to the Internet will not be used by people in the familiar way that personal computers, tablets and smart phones are. Billions of interconnected devices will be monitoring the environment, transportation systems, factories, farms, forests, utilities, soil and weather conditions, oceans and resources. Many of these sensors and actuators will be networked into autonomous sets, with much of the information being exchanged machine-to-machine directly and without human involvement. Machine-to-machine communications are typically terse. Most sensors and actuators will report or act upon small pieces of information - "chirps". Burdening these devices with current network protocol stacks is inefficient, unnecessary and unduly increases their cost of ownership. This must change. The architecture of the Internet of Things must evolve now by incorporating simpler protocols toward at the edges of the network, or remain forever inefficient. Rethinking the Internet of Things describes reasons why we must rethink current approaches to the Internet of Things. Appropriate architectures that will coexist with existing networking protocols are described in detail. An architecture comprised of integrator functions, propagator nodes, and end devices, along with their interactions, is explored

Description / Table of Contents: About Data --- Identifying Data Problems --- Getting Started with R --- Follow the Data --- Rows and Columns --- Beer, Farms and Peas --- Sample in a Jar --- Big Data? Big Deal! --- Onward with R-Studio --- Tweet, Tweet! --- Popularity Contest --- String Theory --- Word Perfect --- Storage Wars

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: The Earth is the only planet in our solar system that supports life. The complex process of evolution occurred on Earth only because of some unique environmental conditions that were present: water, an oxygen-rich atmosphere, and a suitable surface temperature. Climate change refers to a statistically significant variation in either the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer). Thus, it requires field of attention towards reduction in the rise in atmospheric temperature, by controlling emitted greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in order to preserve natural resources and by introducing new technologies on alternative fuels. This book presents the fundamental effect on the origin of climate change, impacts over ice cap, melting of Arctic ice, rise in sea level and related technologies that can be implemented to cultivate our land for agriculture, growing forestation to reduce the impact of temperature rise and disaster on human being as well as on other livelihood. This also need to strive for novel policies that world leader should adopt.

Description / Table of Contents: Crystal growth is the key step of a great number of very important applications. The development of new devices and products, from the traditional microelectronic industry to pharmaceutical industry and many others, depends on crystallization processes. The objective of this book is not to cover all areas of crystal growth but just present, as specified in the title, important selected topics, as applied to organic and inorganic systems. All authors have been selected for being key researchers in their field of specialization, working in important universities and research labs around the world. The first section is mainly devoted to biological systems and covers topics like proteins, bone and ice crystallization. The second section brings some applications to inorganic systems and describes more general growth techniques like chemical vapor crystallization and electrodeposition. This book is mostly recommended for students working in the field of crystal growth and for scientists and engineers in the fields of crystalline materials, crystal engineering and the industrial applications of crystallization processes.

Description / Table of Contents: A wave is one of the basic physics phenomena observed by mankind since ancient time. The wave is also one of the most-studied physics phenomena that can be well described by mathematics. The study may be the best illustration of what is “science”, which approximates the laws of nature by using human defined symbols, operators, and languages. Having a good understanding of waves and wave propagation can help us to improve the quality of life and provide a pathway for future explorations of the nature and universe. This book introduces some exciting applications and theories to those who have general interests in waves and wave propagations, and provides insights and references to those who are specialized in the areas presented in the book.

Description / Table of Contents: The mitigation of earthquake-related hazards represents a key role in the modern society. The main goal of this book is to present 9 scientific papers focusing on new research and results on earthquake seismology. Chapters of this book focus on several aspect of seismology ranging from historical earthquake analysis, seismotectonics, and damage estimation of critical facilities.

Description / Table of Contents: Evapotranspiration - An Overview contains recent advances in the physics of evaporation and transpiration from a typical experimental site to large scale areas. It incorporates many years of authors experience with the latest research on the methods and the models used worldwide, engaging advanced technology and modern instrumentation. The reader benefits from the in-depth analysis and the diverse sites and settings, where the models, applications and methods are tested. Weather conditions, soil moisture, geology, climatic systems are examined for their role and influence on the theoretical and actual water demand by the atmosphere in the earth's ecosystem. This book not only provides students and scientists with the information to improve the procedures for estimating evapotranspiration, but will also help them to manage and evaluate the observed data.

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: 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 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: The main focus of the book is the geological and geophysical interpretation of sedimentary basins along the South, Central and North Atlantic conjugate margins, but concepts derived from physical models, outcrop analogues and present-day margins are also discussed in some chapters. There is an encompassing description of several conjugate margins worldwide, based on recent geophysical and geological datasets. An overview of important aspects related to the geodynamic development and petroleum geology of Atlantic-type sedimentary basins is also included. Several chapters analyse genetic mechanisms and break-up processes associated with rift-phase structures and salt tectonics, providing a full description of conjugate margin basins based on deep seismic profiles and potential field methods.

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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: This volume presents an extended review of the topics conveyed in a short course on Geothermal Fluid Thermodynamics held prior to the 23rd Annual V.M. Goldschmidt Conference in Florence, Italy (August 24–25, 2013). Geothermal fluids in the broadest sense span large variations in composition and cover wide ranges of temperature and pressure. Their composition may also be dynamic and change in space and time on both short and long time scales. In addition, physiochemical properties of fluids such as density, viscosity, compressibility and heat capacity determine the transfer of heat and mass by geothermal systems, whereas, in turn, the physical properties of the fluids are affected by their chemical properties. Quantitative models of the transient spatial and temporal evolution of geochemical fluid processes are, therefore, very demanding with respect to the accuracy and broad range of applicability of thermodynamic databases and thermodynamic models (or equations of state) that describe the various datasets as a function of temperature, pressure, and composition. The application of thermodynamic calculations is, therefore, a central part of geochemical studies of very diverse processes ranging from the aqueous geochemistry of near surface geothermal features including chemosynthesis and thermal biological activity, through the utilization of crustal reservoirs for CO2 sequestration and engineered geothermal systems to the formation of magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits and, even deeper, to the de-volatilization of subducted oceanic crust and the transfer of subduction fluids and trace elements into the mantle wedge. Application of thermodynamics to understand geothermal fluid chemistry and transport requires essentially three parts: first, equations of state to describe the physiochemical system; second, a geochemical model involving minerals and fluid species; and, third, values for various thermodynamic parameters from which the thermodynamic and chemical model can be derived. The two biggest current hurdles for comprehensive geochemical modeling of geothermal systems are …

Description / Table of Contents: Introduction to the Internet of Things --- The Need for a Common Ground for the IoT — The History and Reasoning Behind the IoT — A Project --- The IoT Architectural Reference Model as Enabler --- IoT in Practice: Examples — IoT in Logistics and Health --- IoT — A Guidance to the ARM --- A Process to Generate Concrete Architectures --- IoT Reference Model --- IoT Reference Architecture --- The IoT ARM Reference Manual --- Interactions --- Toward a Concrete Architecture --- ARM Testimonials --- Summary and Outlook

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: 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: Das Buch ist sowohl eine Einführung in die Themen Linked Data, Open Data und Open Linked Data als es auch den konkreten Bezug auf Bibliotheken behandelt. Hierzu werden konkrete Anwendungsprojekte beschrieben. Der Band wendet sich dabei sowohl an Personen aus der Bibliothekspraxis als auch an Personen aus dem Bibliotheksmanagement, die noch nicht mit dem Thema vertraut sind. Das Buch ist eine Einführung in die Themen Data.

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: The IEA produced its first handy, pocket-sized summary of key energy data in 1997 and every year since then it has been more and more successful. Key World Energy Statistics contains timely, clearly-presented data on supply, transformation and consumption of all major energy sources. The interested businessman, journalist or student will have at his or her fingertips the annual Canadian production of coal, the electricity consumption in Thailand, the price of diesel oil in Spain and thousands of other useful energy facts.

Description / Table of Contents: This study addresses the most important legal issues when implementing an open access e-infrastructure for research data. It examines the legal requirements for different kinds of usage of research data in an open access infrastructure, such as OpenAIREplus, which links them to publications. The existing legal framework regarding potentially relevant intellectual property (IP) rights is analysed from the general European perspective as well as from that of selected EU Member States. Various examples and usage scenarios are used to explain the scope of protection of the potentially relevant IP rights. In addition different licence models are analysed in order to identify the licence that is best suited to the aim of open access, especially in the context of the infrastructure of OpenAIREplus. Based on the outcomes of these analyses, some recommendations to the European legislator as well as data- and e-infrastructure providers are given on improving the rights situation in relation to research data.

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 invites readers to explore the nature of qualitative research, and to recognise the varied and conflicting forms it can take. It examines how these contrast with quantitative work, as well as how they differ from journalism and imaginative literature. The book describes various methodological philosophies that have shaped qualitative work, as well as different types of orientation to be found within it today. It offers clear definitions of key terms and concepts, and also a detailed exploration of recent disputes among qualitative researchers, with a view to showing how differences in practice relate to underlying commitments. This book will be a vital resource for both new and experienced researchers.

Description / Table of Contents: What is Discourse Analysis? is an accessible introduction to an empirical research approach which is widely used in the social sciences and related disciplines. This book explores the idea of how meaning is socially constructed and how "talk" and text can be interpreted. The challenges of discourse analysis are outlined as well as helpful ways to approach them - from finding the right starting point, processing and interpreting data through to building an argument. Discourse analysts work with language data, including talk, documents and broadcast material. Researchers in different traditions study interactions and social practices, meaning-making and larger meaning systems, and contests and conflicts around collective identities, social norms and subjectification. What is Discourse Analysis? addresses new researchers and other academics interested in language and its associated practices. The book outlines the history of discourse analysis, its key concepts and theorists and its uses and challenges. Discussions of published studies illustrate the use of the approach to investigate a range of research topics, such as gender, health and national identities. The book also addresses the practical aspects of discourse analysis, providing clear guidance on data collection and data processing, including transcription and selection. Covering important topics, What is Discourse Analysis? draws from recent articles to show how discourse analysis works in action. Common questions about discourse analysis are presented in a lively and accessible Q&A format. This book will be an essential resource for all researchers working with discourse analysis.

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: 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 --- 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: Energy efficiency has been referred to as a "hidden fuel", one that extends energy supplies, increases energy security, lowers carbon emissions and generally supports sustainable economic growth. Yet it is hiding in plain sight: in 2011, investments in the energy efficiency market globally were at a similar scale to those in renewable energy or fossil-fuel power generation. The Energy Efficiency Market Report provides a practical basis for understanding energy efficiency market activities, a review of the methodological and practical challenges associated with measuring the market and its components, and statistical analysis of energy efficiency and its impact on energy demand. It also highlights a specific technology sector in which there is significant energy efficiency market activity, in this instance appliances and ICT. The report presents a selection of country case studies that illustrate current energy efficiency markets in specific sectors, and how they may evolve in the medium term. The energy efficiency market is diffuse, varied and involves all energy-consuming sectors of the economy. A comprehensive overview of market activity is complicated by the challenges associated with quantifying the components of the market and the paucity of comparable reported data. This report underscores how vital high-quality and timely energy efficiency data is to understanding this market. This first Energy Efficiency Market Report sits alongside IEA market reports for oil, gas, coal and renewable energy, highlighting its place as a major energy resource. It summarises in one place the trends and prospects for investment and energy cost savings in the medium term, up to 2020.

Description / Table of Contents: Representing one-fifth of total global CO2 emissions currently, industrial sectors such as cement, iron and steel, chemicals and refining are expected to emit even more CO2 over the coming decades. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is currently the only large-scale mitigation option available to cut the emissions intensity of production by over 50% in these sectors. CCS is already proven in some industrial sectors, such as natural gas processing. Yet, the commercial-scale demonstration stage in key sectors such as iron and steel, cement or some processes in the refining sector has not been reached. To achieve decarbonisation goals, policy makers must pay more attention to industrial applications of CCS, while not undermining the global competitiveness of these sectors.

Description / Table of Contents: As long as fossil fuels and carbon-intensive industries play dominant roles in our economies, carbon capture and storage (CCS) will remain a critical greenhouse gas reduction solution. This CCS roadmap aims at assisting governments and industry in integrating CCS in their emissions reduction strategies and in creating the conditions for scaled-up deployment of all three components of the CCS chain: CO2 capture, transport and storage. To get us onto the right pathway, this roadmap highlights seven key actions needed in the next seven years to create a solid foundation for deployment of CCS starting by 2020. IEA analysis shows that CCS is an integral part of any lowest-cost mitigation scenario where long-term global average temperature increases are limited to significantly less than 4 °C, particularly for 2 °C scenarios (2DS). In the 2DS, CCS is widely deployed in both power generation and industrial applications. The total CO2 capture and storage rate must grow from the tens of megatonnes of CO2 captured in 2013 to thousands of megatonnes of CO2 in 2050 in order to address the emissions reduction challenge. A total cumulative mass of approximately 120 GtCO2 would need to be captured and stored between 2015 and 2050, across all regions of the globe.

Description / Table of Contents: The Global Tracking Framework, a multi-agency effort led by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Bank, calculates the starting point against which the SE4ALL initiative can benchmark progress towards its three objectives of achieving universal access to modern energy services, doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix (all by 2030). The Global Tracking Framework estimates that, as of 2010, 17% of the global population did not have access to electricity while 41% still relied on wood or other biomass to cook and heat their homes. Renewable energy accounted for 18% of the global energy mix in 2010, while global energy efficiency had improved by 1.3% per year on average since 1990. Global action is required, but the nature of the challenge differs across countries and, for each of the SE4ALL goals, the report identifies 20 “high-impact” countries that are crucial to making major progress. The report also finds that achievement of the SE4ALL goals requires energy investments to increase by at least USD 600 billion per year until 2030, compared with the level currently expected. But the costs are not spread evenly, with universal access to modern cooking needing an additional USD 4.4 billion per year and electricity access needing USD 45 billion per year, while renewables need an additional USD 174 billion per year and energy efficiency USD 394 billion per year. This investment must be accompanied by a comprehensive package of policy measures, including fiscal, financial and economic incentives, phasing out fossil-fuel subsidies, and pricing of carbon.

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: The five Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have announced ambitious goals towards decarbonising their energy systems by 2050. Based on the scenarios and analysis of Energy Technology Perspectives 2012, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and leading Nordic research institutions jointly assess how the Nordic region can achieve a carbon-neutral energy system by 2050. To achieve ambitious 2050 goal, Nordic Energy Technology Perspectives, the first regional edition of the series, details how countries can decarbonise power sector and electrify transport. The report lists best ways to reduce emissions and offers important lessons for other countries by expanding on the Energy Technology Perspectives 2012 global scenarios for energy policies that would limit average global temperature increase to 2°C. Without doubt, the Nordic countries are front-runners in taking decisive action toward clear, long-term energy targets. In examining their approach, the Nordic Energy Technology Perspectives aims to provide objective analysis that will increase the Nordic region’s chances of success. A secondary – but ultimately more important – aim is to prompt other countries and regions to follow their lead.

Description / Table of Contents: The first ever SOIL ATLAS OF AFRICA uses striking maps, informative texts and stunning photographs to answer and explain these and other questions. Leading soil scientists from Europe and Africa have collaborated to produce this unique document. Using state-of-the-art computer mapping techniques, the Soil Atlas of Africa shows the changing nature of soil across the continent. It explains the origin and functions of soil, describes the different soil types that can be found in Africa and their relevance to both local and global issues. The atlas also discusses the principal threats to soil and the steps being taken to protect soil resources. The Soil Atlas of Africa is more than just a normal atlas. It presents a new and comprehensive interpretation of an often neglected natural resource. The Soil Atlas of Africa is an essential reference to a non-renewable resource that is fundamental for life on this planet.

Description / Table of Contents: Approaches to Disaster Management regards critical disaster management issues. Ten original research reports by international scholars centered on disaster management are organized into three general areas of hazards and disaster management. The first section includes discussions of perspectives on vulnerability and on evolving approaches to mitigation. The second section highlights approaches to improve data use and information management in several distinct applications intended to promote prediction and communication of hazard. The third section regards the management of crises and post-event recovery in the private sector, in the design of urban space and among the victims of disaster. This volume contributes both conceptual and practical commentary to the disaster management literature.

Description / Table of Contents: Alles unterliegt einem Wandel, so auch die klimatischen Bedingungen in den Alpen. Vor allem in den letzten Jahrzehnten war dieser Wandel gut zu beobachten: Das deutliche Abschmelzen der Gletscher ist ein unübersehbares Zeichen für ein Ansteigen der Temperatur. Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler haben über Jahre hinweg im inneren Ötztal Daten gesammelt, um Veränderungen zu dokumentieren. Seit 1953 werden an der Alpinen Forschungsstelle Obergurgl Klimaparameter erhoben. Die Langzeit-Datenreihen umfassen aber auch Gletschermassenbilanzen und -längenänderungen, hydrographische Messungen an der Ötztaler Ache sowie mikroklimatische Untersuchungen von der subalpinen bis zur subnivalen Stufe. Das innere Ötztal ist damit eine Modellregion des Langzeitmonitorings.

Description / Table of Contents: This book is a collection of 19 articles which reflect the courses given at the Collège de France/Summer school “Reconstruction d'images − Applications astrophysiques“ held in Nice and Fréjus, France, from June 18 to 22, 2012.The articles presented in this volume address emerging concepts and methods that are useful in the complex process of improving our knowledge of the celestial objects, including Earth.The book contains three parts.The first part is titled “Physical bases and new challenges in high resolution imaging“. This part draws a picture of some of the high angular resolution instruments of the near to far future, and of the issues to overcome to make this picture real. It deals with hypertelescopes, optical interferometry, adaptive optics, wavefront coding, and with polychromatic astrophysical models.The point of view of the articles of the second part, titled “Physical models and data processing“ embraces not only the description of data using physical modeling, but also the resulting data processing in radio and optical interferometry, including hypertelescopes.The third part is titled “Statistical models in signal and image processing“. These contributions cover past and recent developments in multiresolution analysis, Bayesian modeling, sparsity, convex optimization and hyperspectral data.While reading, the alert reader will notice that the successful realization of future observation technologies and the best extraction of the astrophysical information encapsulated in their data involve the joint expertise of several research communities. The various articles collected in this book may contribute to such a synergy.

Description / Table of Contents: 1.Abstract --- 2.Introduction --- 3.Climate Change and Variability --- 4.Changes in Wind, Waves and Sea Water Level in the 20th Century --- 5.Expected Changes in Wind, Waves and Sea Water Level in the 21st Century --- 5.1. Changes in the Average Values and Extremes --- 5.2 .Uncertainties --- 6.Potential Impact on Design of Marine Structures --- 6.1. Met-ocean Design Bases --- 6.2.Risk-based Approach --- 6.3.Illustration of Application --- 7.Conclusions and Recommendations

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: Intel® Xeon Phi™ Coprocessor Architecture and Tools: The Guide for Application Developers provides developers a comprehensive introduction and in-depth look at the Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor architecture and the corresponding parallel data structure tools and algorithms used in the various technical computing applications for which it is suitable. It also examines the source code-level optimizations that can be performed to exploit the powerful features of the processor. Xeon Phi is at the heart of world’s fastest commercial supercomputer, which thanks to the massively parallel computing capabilities of Intel Xeon Phi processors coupled with Xeon Phi coprocessors attained 33.86 teraflops of benchmark performance in 2013. Extracting such stellar performance in real-world applications requires a sophisticated understanding of the complex interaction among hardware components, Xeon Phi cores, and the applications running on them. In this book, Rezaur Rahman, an Intel leader in the development of the Xeon Phi coprocessor and the optimization of its applications, presents and details all the features of Xeon Phi core design that are relevant to the practice of application developers, such as its vector units, hardware multithreading, cache hierarchy, and host-to-coprocessor communication channels. Building on this foundation, he shows developers how to solve real-world technical computing problems by selecting, deploying, and optimizing the available algorithms and data structure alternatives matching Xeon Phi’s hardware characteristics. From Rahman’s practical descriptions and extensive code examples, the reader will gain a working knowledge of the Xeon Phi vector instruction set and the Xeon Phi microarchitecture whereby cores execute 512-bit instruction streams in parallel

Description / Table of Contents: Sensor Technologies: Healthcare, Wellness and Environmental Applications explores the key aspects of sensor technologies, covering wired, wireless, and discrete sensors for the specific application domains of healthcare, wellness and environmental sensing.  It discusses the social, regulatory, and design considerations specific to these domains. The book provides an application-based approach using real-world examples to illustrate the application of sensor technologies in a practical and experiential manner. The book  guides the reader from the formulation of the research question, through the design and validation process, to the deployment and management phase of sensor applications.  The processes and examples used in the book are primarily based on research carried out by Intel or joint academic research programs. "Sensor Technologies: Healthcare, Wellness and Environmental Applications provides an extensive overview of sensing technologies and their applications in healthcare, wellness, and environmental monitoring. From sensor hardware to system applications and case studies, this book gives readers an in-depth understanding of the technologies and how they can be applied. I would highly recommend it to students or researchers who are interested in wireless sensing technologies and the associated applications." Dr. Benny Lo Lecturer, The Hamlyn Centre, Imperial College of London     "This timely addition to the literature on sensors covers the broad complexity of sensing, sensor types, and the vast range of existing and emerging applications in a very clearly written and accessible manner.  It is particularly good at capturing the exciting possibilities that will occur as sensor networks merge with cloud-based ‘big data’ analytics to provide a host of new applications that will impact directly on the individual in ways we cannot fully predict at present.  It really brings this home through the use of carefully chosen case studies that bring the overwhelming concept of 'big data' down to the personal level of individual life and health."   Dermot Diamond Director, National Centre for Sensor Research, Principal Investigator, CLARITY Centre for Sensor Web Technologies, Dublin City University                                                                      "Sensor Technologies: Healthcare, Wellness and Environmental Applications takes the reader on an end-to-end journey of sensor technologies, covering the fundamentals from an engineering perspective, introducing how the data gleaned can be both processed and visualized, in addition to offering exemplar case studies in a number of application domains.  It is a must-read for those studying any undergraduate course that involves sensor technologies.  It also provides a thorough foundation for those involved in the research and development of applied sensor systems.  I highly recommend it to any engineer who wishes to broaden their knowledge in this area!" Chris Nugent Professor of Biomedical Engineering, University of Ulster  

Description / Table of Contents: Android on x86: an Introduction to Optimizing for Intel® Architecture serves two main purposes. First, it makes the case for adapting your applications onto Intel’s x86 architecture, including discussions of the business potential, the changing landscape of the Android marketplace, and the unique challenges and opportunities that arise from x86 devices. The fundamental idea is that extending your applications to support x86 or creating new ones is not difficult, but it is imperative to know all of the technicalities. This book is dedicated to providing you with an awareness of these nuances and an understanding of how to tackle them. Second, and most importantly, this book provides a one-stop detailed resource for best practices and procedures associated with the installation issues, hardware optimization issues, software requirements, programming tasks, and performance optimizations that emerge when developers consider the x86 Android devices. Optimization discussions dive into native code, hardware acceleration, and advanced profiling of multimedia applications. The authors have collected this information so that you can use the book as a guide for the specific requirements of each application project. This book is not dedicated solely to code; instead it is filled with the information you need in order to take advantage of x86 architecture. It will guide you through installing the Android SDK for Intel Architecture, help you understand the differences and similarities between processor architectures available in Android devices, teach you to create and port applications, debug existing x86 applications, offer solutions for NDK and C++ optimizations, and introduce the Intel Hardware Accelerated Execution Manager. This book provides the most useful information to help you get the job done quickly while utilizing best practices

Description / Table of Contents: The book is great! It's clear and easy to read, with loads of examples that showed my students what to do. -- Larry Snyder, Emeritus Professor, University of Washington, Department of Computer Science and Engineering "Having the TouchDevelop book available made our events so much easier. Students could figure things out for themselves with help from the book." -- Jennifer Marsman, Microsoft Principal Developer Evangelist Mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are set to become the main computers that virtually all people will own and carry with them at all times. And yet,mobile devices are not yet used for all computing tasks. A project at Microsoft Research was created to answer a simple question: "It is possible to create interesting apps directly on a smartphone or tablet, without using a separate PC or a keyboard?" The result is TouchDevelop, a programming environment that runs on all modern mobile devices such as Windows Phone, iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, and also on PCs and Macs. This book walks you through all of the screens of the TouchDevelop app, and it points out similarities and differences of the TouchDevelop language compared to other programming languages. For users, the book can serve as a handyreference next to the phone. The book systematically addresses all programming language constructs, starting from the very basic constructs such as variables and loops. The book also explores many of the phone sensors and data sources which make creating apps for mobile devices so rewarding. If you are new to programming with TouchDevelop, or if you have not yet worked on touchscreen devices, we suggest that you read the book starting from Chapter 1. If you are already familiar with the basic paradigm of the TouchDevelop programming environment, then feel free to jump ahead to the later chapters that address particular topic areas. This book is written from the perspective of a person developing their code using a web browser. The TouchDevelop Web App runs in many modern browsers on many different devices including smartphones and tablets, Macs, PC. All screenshots and navigation instructions refer to the TouchDevelop Web App running in a browser. For Windows Phone, there is a dedicated TouchDevelop app in the Windows Phone Store which gives access to many more sensors and data sources. Starting with the TouchDevelop app v3.0 for Windows Phone 8, the phone app will share the same look and navigation structure and all features of the Web App

Description / Table of Contents: This book is a must have resource guide for anyone who wants to ...  implement TXT within their environments.  I wish we had this guide when our engineering teams were implementing TXT on our solution platforms!   John McAuley,EMC Corporation "This book details innovative technology that provides significant benefit to both the cloud consumer and the cloud provider when working to meet the ever increasing requirements of trust and control in the cloud."   Alex Rodriguez,  Expedient Data Centers "This book is an invaluable reference for understanding enhanced server security, and how to deploy and leverage computing environment trust to reduce supply chain risk."   Pete Nicoletti. Virtustream Inc. Intel® Trusted Execution Technology (Intel TXT) is a new security technology that started appearing on Intel server platforms in 2010. This book explains Intel Trusted Execution Technology for Servers, its purpose, application, advantages, and limitations. This book guides the server administrator / datacenter manager in enabling the technology as well as establishing a launch control policy that he can use to customize the server’s boot process to fit the datacenter’s requirements. This book explains how the OS (typically a Virtual Machine Monitor or Hypervisor) and supporting software can build on the secure facilities afforded by Intel TXT to provide additional security features and functions. It provides examples how the datacenter can create and use trusted pools. With a foreword from Albert Caballero, the CTO at Trapezoid

Description / Table of Contents: Written for the IT professional and business owner, this book provides the business and technical insight necessary to migrate your business to the cloud using Microsoft Office 365. This is a practical look at cloud migration and the use of different technologies to support that migration. Numerous examples of cloud migration with technical migration details are included. Cloud technology is a tremendous opportunity for an organization to reduce IT costs, and to improve productivity with increased access, simpler administration and improved services. Those businesses that embrace the advantages of the cloud will receive huge rewards in productivity and lower total cost of ownership over those businesses that choose to ignore it. The challenge for those charged with implementing Microsoft Office 365 is to leverage these advantages with the minimal disruption of their organization. This book provides practical help in moving your business to the Cloud and covers the planning, migration and the follow on management of the Office 365 Cloud services

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: 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.