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Elsevier

Elsevier Science

  • Trickle Irrigation for Crop Production

    Design, Operation and Management
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 9
    • F.S. Nakayama + 1 more
    • English
    An entirely new agricultural technology, trickle or drip irrigation, began its development in the early 1960's. Initial progress was sporadic even though the advantages in water management with trickle systems were recognized. Operators were reluctant to use the system because of its high initial cost and questions regarding its reliability. Once the main problems were isolated and solutions developed to make the system reliable, rapid acceptance by the growers resulted. Today, trickle irrigation is being used on crops that were earlier considered to be uneconomical. This multi-purpose handbook brings together current knowledge from various engineering and scientific disciplines (crop, hydraulic, irrigation and soil sciences) needed for understanding the trickle irrigation system for crop production. The two dozen contributors are experts on the various subjects, which range from the basic to the more practical aspects of trickle irrigation. Major topics include design, operation and management - with individual chapters covering historical development, emitter construction and clogging, system design, water and salt distribution, automation, water treatment, irrigation scheduling, maintenance, fertilization and salinity.The book greatly expands the scope of research papers, reviews, extension bulletins, and updates earlier text with new information on trickle systems. A multi-disciplinary approach has been taken on a multi-faceted subject. The material contained in the book is the most comprehensive yet developed on the topic. Illustrative sample problems and solutions provide field operators and extension personnel with information needed to install and maintain trickle systems. As it is up-to-date, it is useful as a teaching and reference source for students, manufacturers and irrigation system operators as well as irrigation and crop specialists, and consultants.

  • Grain Handling and Storage

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 5
    • G. Boumans
    • English
    Here, for the first time, is a single source of ordered, coherent information about the handling and storage of grain, grain derivatives and substitutes. The author has had a lifetime's experience in this field and the book is the culmination of six years spent compiling the valuable technical information gained from his extensive know-how. The book surveys various techniques and practical engineering options for the study, design, construction, safety, operation and maintenance of grain handling and storage facilities. An extensive bibliography permits direct access to the primary literature and the text is supplemented throughout by numerous illustrations, line drawings and photographs.With its complete and comprehensive coverage and systematic layout, the book provides a wealth of information on the basic technology and the latest developments in this field. It will be welcomed by a wide readership, including general managers, plant and engineers, manufacturers, insurance companies and all technicians and professionals involved in the daily operation, maintenance and safety of such facilities.

  • Molecular Action of Toxins and Viruses

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • P. Cohen + 1 more
    • English
    Molecular Action of Toxins and Viruses investigates the molecular action of bacterial toxins and viruses and its striking similarity to the mechanisms by which many neural and hormonal stimuli control normal cell functions. Topics covered include the biological activity of diphteria toxin; the role of cholera toxin in the regulation of hormone-sensitive adenylate cyclase; toxic lectins and related proteins; and bacterial cytolysins (membrane-damaging toxins). Comprised of nine chapters, this volume begins with a discussion on the biosynthesis and biological activity of diphtheria toxin, toxin-resistant mutant cells, and the entry of toxin into cells and fragment A in the cytoplasm of living cells. The reader is then systematically introduced to the use of cholera toxin as a probe to study the regulation and interaction of adenylate cyclase components; the toxic action of lectins and related proteins such as abrin, ricin, and modeccin; and the ability of bacterial cytolysins to damage cell membranes. The remaining chapters focus on the mechanism of action of colicin E2, colicin E3, and cloacin DF13; similarities in the action of different bacterial toxins; the role of cell membranes in infection with bacterial viruses and colicins; and the life cycle and infection mechanisms of bacteriophage T4. The book concludes with an analysis of the involvement of protein kinases in viral transformation. This monograph will be of interest to students, practitioners, and researchers in fields ranging from molecular biology and biochemistry to cell biology, bacteriology, and physiology.

  • Wetland Modelling

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • W.J. Mitsch + 2 more
    • English
    The study of wetlands is a relatively new field and the modelling of these systems is still in its formative stages. Nevertheless, the editors felt compelled to assemble this volume as a first statement of the state of the art of modelling approaches for the quantitative study of wetlands. A global approach has been adopted in this book, not only by including a wide geographic distribution of wetlands, but also by including papers on both freshwater and saltwater wetlands. Wetlands are defined as systems intermediate between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and include ecosystems under a wide range of hydrologic and ecologic conditions. The wetland types discussed in this book reflect that heterogeneity, ranging from intermittently flooded wet meadows to permanently flooded shallow reservoirs and lakes. Also included are modelling examples from coastal salt marshes, shallow estuaries, mesotrophic bogs, reedswamps, forested swamps, and regional wetlands. In summary, the book presents ecological modelling as a tool for management of these sensitive ecosystems, and for studying their structure and function. Each chapter has extensive references related to the modelling approach and wetland type discussed. It will be useful for wetland scientists and managers, and could also serve as a supplemental text on courses in wetland ecology.

  • The Penetrometer and Soil Exploration

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • G. Sanglerat
    • English
    The Penetrometer and Soil Exploration: Interpretation of Penetration Diagrams—Theory presents the many uses of the penetrometer for investigating soil conditions. Testing methods include the following: (1) in situ load tests on full-scale foundations; (2) laboratory testing of undisturbed samples, and (3) in situ testing of soils. The book regards the advantages of using the penetrometer as a handy tool in drilling and sampling. The text emphasizes that the investigator should never rely entirely on the analogy or the extrapolation of information pertaining to a nearby site. The text describes the different shapes of the penetrometer diagrams obtained from tests in homogeneous cohesionless soil, as well as the significance of the embedment of a pile into the bearing stratum for deep foundation designs. The paper discusses the De Beer theory, Kerisel's theory, and the theory developed at the Delft Laboratory of Soil Mechanics. The laboratory determines the maximum soil pressure and the corresponding embedment of the pile. According to Professor L'Herminier, "the bearing capacity of a pile may be determined...from laboratory tests on soil samples, the other by extrapolating penetrometer data." The book is suitable for structural engineers, civil engineers, geologists, architects, and students of soil mechanics.

  • Polymer Solutions, Blends, and Interfaces

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 11
    • I. Noda + 1 more
    • English
    The behaviour of polymers in multi-component and multiphase systems such as solutions, blends and interfaces derived from both natural and synthetic sources and the subsequent influence of this on their physical properties is the theme of this book. Important new material on multiphase polymer systems such as block copolymers and liquid crystalline polymers is provided, and the solution and surface properties of enzymes and surface active polymers is described both theoretically and experimentally. The application of theory to the development of new cellulosic materials is particularly noteworthy. The relationship between end-use properties, such as adhesion, wetting, and colloidal stability, and molecular structure at the interface is addressed. Examples include the capillary pressure of nylon microporous membranes, a new technique for characterizing the adhesion between incompatible polymers, and the influence of the glass transition temperature at the fiber/matrix interface on interfacial shear strength.Characteriz... of polymer films, both electrochemically and via optical techniques is covered and the interactions of amphiphilic ions with polyacrylate polymer are described. The final two chapters introduce the topic of enzyme mobility at an interface and show how this may affect their role as biological catalysts.

  • Phase Transitions and Adsorbate Restructuring at Metal Surface

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 7
    • D.A. King + 1 more
    • English
    The objective in initiating this series in 1980 was to provide an in-depth review of advances made in the understanding key aspects of surface chemistry and physics through the application of new techniques to the study of well-defined surfaces. Since then the field of surface science has greatly matured, and further important techniques, particularly scanning probe microscopies, have been successfully assimilated into the applications armoury of the surface scientist.The present volume is a series of timely reviews by many of the current experts in the field of phase transitions and adsorbate-induced surface restructuring. No aspect of the science of solid surfaces can be fully understood without accounting for the structural diversity of surfaces, now revealed in atomic detail by techniques based on diffraction and scanning probe microscopies. For example, it is now clear to those working in heterogeneous catalysis that adsorbate-induced restructuring of surfaces can play a critical role in phenomena such as bistability, kinetic oscillations, and promotion and poisoning. Structural transitions at surfaces can also play a key role in determining the electronic properties of surfaces, reviewed in volume 5.

  • Taigu Genic Male-Sterile Wheat

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 9
    • Deng Deng Jingyang
    • English
    This book deals with the theoretical background and breeding methods of the single dominant male sterile gene, a spontaneous mutant discovered for the first time in wheat.The book is divided into three sections: the discovery of Taigu genic male-sterile wheat and its determination, such as genetic analysis, cytological observation, location of the gene, etc.; theory and method of the new way of breeding, such as recurrent selection, creating and developing the gene-pool; mechanism of male-sterility, for example morphological anatomy, cytochemistry and bio-chemical analysis.The book will prove valuable to plant breeders, agronomists, bio-technicians, botonists, geneticists and cytologists.

  • Inulin and Inulin-containing Crops

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 3
    • A. Fuchs
    • English
    The topics dealt with in this book cover a broad range of disciplines, such as agronomy and processing; analysis; chemistry and non-food applications; biochemistry; microbiology and molecular biology; and food and medical applications. Although emphasis is put on inulin and inulin-containing crops, the scope of the book is much wider, encompassing other fructans and fructan-containing plants, and even microorganisms producing and/or degrading fructans. It also deals with the possibiltiy of inulin-containing crops as alternatives in agricultural practice.This volume is recommended to those working in such diverse fields as agronomy and process technology, food science, analytical and organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology and molecular biology, and medical sciences, as well as to industries involved in the research and development of carbohydrate-based novel chemicals.

  • Before Water Management Measures

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 15A
    • English
    The ultimate motivation for the study which is the subject of this book was the need to draw conclusions on the impact of man's activity on natural ecosystems. The results characterize the situation of the south-Moravian floodplain forest in the period of fading uncontrolled floods before the extensive technical measures successively changed the moisture regime by eliminating inundation and lowering the level of underground water. This publication is unique in Czechoslovakia as it records the ecological situation in the floodplain forest prior to the major and irreversible changes. The study also documents the exceptional role played by the Central-European floodplain forest in maintaining the gene pool and structure of the one thousand or so species in flora and fauna of an agricultural region.

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