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Elsevier

Elsevier Science

  • Agriculture and the Environment

    Papers presented at the International Conference, 10-13 November 1991
    • 1st Edition
    • C.A. Edwards + 3 more
    • English
    Until the 1980s, global increases in food production exceeded the concomitant growth of human populations. However, progressively agriculture is becoming unable to meet the world-wide per capita needs for food. Unless there is major international cooperation in addressing the problems associated with population control, it is predicted that the global human population will reach more than 14 billion by the year 2050, with provision of adequate food, fuel and space for such an increased population unachievable.These problems are accentuated by factors such as world-wide reductions in soil fertility, the accelerating degradation of land that is suitable for food production through soil erosion, the world-wide trend for migration of human populations from rural habitats to cities and extremely rapid rates of global deforestation.Possib... solutions to global sustainability in agriculture and natural resources must involve an integration of ecological, sociological, cultural, and economic considerations, as well as mandated international and national policies. This publication outlines these problems and attempts to seek solutions.

  • Duplex Systems

    Hot-dip Galvanizing Plus Painting
    • 1st Edition
    • J.F.H. van Eijnsbergen
    • English
    This book is unique in several aspects.• It is the first comprehensive text ever written on the subject of duplex systems, which is the generic term for painted hot-dip galvanized steel.• Both the traditional batch hot-dip galvanizing process and the modern sheet galvanizing processes are covered.• The author offers a combination of practical information, which will enable the engineer to select the proper materials, and scientific background information.• The practical guidelines are backed up and supported by an impressive amount of technical and scientific discussions and justifications.• Modern surface analysis tools and recent applications are described.• The world literature on the subject matter is covered and is up to date.Duplex systems, which are based on the synergistic effect of galvanizing and painting, offer maximum protection against corrosion of steel surfaces in environments where galvanized steel alone cannot offer a sufficiently long resistance against rust formation. Since adhesion problems can be eliminated by the correct application of special paint products, and by sophisticated surface pretreatment and modern surface analyzing methods, duplex systems are nowadays used in a large number of industrial and domestic applications. Major savings can thus be achieved on materials and maintenance cost. Duplex systems serve also where colour is required, e.g. for aesthetic reasons, for enhancing visibility or for camouflaging.The author of this book has an unsurpassed experience in this field and the many case histories of successful (and unsuccessful) use of duplex systems for corrosion prevention provide a wealth of practical information. Including 108 colour illustrations, the book will be useful to a large group of industries, such as the paint, metallurgical, galvanizing, building, automotive, electrical and chemical industries.

  • Properties of Polymers

    • 3rd Edition
    • D.W. van Krevelen
    • English
    Properties of Polymers: Their Correlation with Chemical Structure; Their Numerical Estimation and Prediction from Additive Group Contributions summarizes the latest developments regarding polymers, their properties in relation to chemical structure, and methods for estimating and predicting numerical properties from chemical structure. In particular, it examines polymer electrical properties, magnetic properties, and mechanical properties, as well as their crystallization and environmental behavior and failure. The rheological properties of polymer melts and polymer solutions are also considered. Organized into seven parts encompassing 27 chapters, this book begins with an overview of polymer science and engineering, including the typology of polymers and their properties. It then turns to a discussion of thermophysical properties, from transition temperatures to volumetric and calorimetric properties, along with the cohesive aspects and conformation statistics. It also introduces the reader to the behavior of polymers in electromagnetic and mechanical fields of force. The book covers the quantities that influence the transport of heat, momentum, and matter, particularly heat conductivity, viscosity, and diffusivity; properties that control the chemical stability and breakdown of polymers; and polymer properties as an integral concept, with emphasis on processing and product properties. Readers will find tables that give valuable (numerical) data on polymers and include a survey of the group contributions (increments) of almost every additive function considered. This book is a valuable resource for anyone working on practical problems in the field of polymers, including organic chemists, chemical engineers, polymer processers, polymer technologists, and both graduate and PhD students.

  • Theory of Electric Polarization

    Dielectrics in Static Fields
    • 2nd Edition
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    Theory of Electric Polarization: Dielectrics in Static Fields: Second Edition concerns the theory of the static behavior of dielectrics. The book reviews electric moment, electric dipoles, some concepts of, and problems of electrostatics. One problem concerns the phenomena of a conducting sphere in a homogeneous external field which was resolved using Laplace's equation. The text also discusses the work required to assemble a charge distribution, the energy of a dialectric or an induced dipole in an external field, and the electrostatic interaction of two particles. The book explores the reaction field of a polarizable or non-polarizable point dipole, the reaction field in an ellipsoidal cavity, the reaction field of an eccentric dipole in a spherical cavity, and the contribution of the permanent dipoles to the cohesion energy of a liquid. The text tackles the Onsager equation, the Debye equation, a correction to the Clausius-Mossotti equation, and the Kirkwood correlation factor. The book explains normal and anomalous saturation, electrostriction, as well as the non-linear effect due to the anisotropy of polarizability and hyperpolarizabilitie... The text can prove beneficial for researchers, investigators or scientists whose work involve organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and inorganic chemistry.

  • Tropical Rain Forest Ecosystems

    Biogeographical and Ecological Studies
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 14B
    • H. Lieth + 1 more
    • English
    After publication of the first volume of the Tropical Rain Forest, the International Journal of Mycology and Lichenology commented ``This is a welcome addition to the literature on the ecology of tropical rain forests. The book provides a wealth of data and stimulating discussions and is of great interest to ecologists interested in tropical areas.'' Whereas the first volume dealt with system-ecological aspects such as community organization and processes, the present volume concentrates on biogeographical aspects such as species composition, diversity, and geographical variation.Recent ecological research in the tropical rain forest has greatly extended our understanding of biogeographical patterns of variation in the various groups of organisms, and has revealed many of the ecological and evolutionary forces that led to the present patterns of variation. Many important systems of co-evolution between the tropical rain forest ecosystems have also come to light, and the loss of species and related damage is better understood in quantitative terms.This volume presents a comprehensive review of these and other features of the rain forest ecosystem structure, and the ecological processes operating that system. General chapters on abiotic and biotic factors are followed by specific chapters on all major groups of organisms. Prospects for the future are discussed and research needs clearly stated. Also the human exploitation of the system, its effects and its limits are discussed. The book is extensively illustrated by photographs, graphs, and tables, and comprehensive bibliographies follow each chapter. Author, systematic and subject indices complete the book.It is a must for all ecologists, agriculturists, foresters, agronomists, hydrologists, soil scientists, entomologists, human ecologists, nature conservationists, and planners dealing with tropical areas. Biologists and environmentalists will also find the volume of great interest.

  • Crop Production and Crop Protection

    Estimated Losses in Major Food and Cash Crops
    • 1st Edition
    • E.-C. Oerke + 3 more
    • English
    The objective of this book is to provide information to be used as a basis for evaluating the fragile, shaky structure of global food production. The volume analyses the data by region and by intensity of cultivation; and furnishes information about the yield response, giving some indication of the health of the plants. It will be invaluable to all plant and crop scientists as well as to agriculturalists.

  • EPMESC VII

    International Conference on Enhancement and Promotion of Computational Methods in Engineering and Science, 2-5 August 1999, Macao
    • 1st Edition
    • E. Arantes e Oliveira + 2 more
    • English
    The first EPMESC Conference took place in 1985. It was during the Conference, recognising the success it had been, that the promoters decided to organise other EPMESC conferences, giving birth to a new series of international meetings devoted to computational methods in engineering. The variety of subjects covered by the papers submitted to the 7th Conference demonstrates how much computational methods expanded and became richer in their applications to Science and Technology. New paradigms are being cultivated as non-numerical applications started to compete with the more traditional numerical ones. The scientific and technological communities to which the EPMESC Conferences used to be addressed themselves have changed.The two-volume Proceedings that we achieved to gather represent many of the interesting developments that are taking place, not only in the Asia Pacific Region, but also in some other scientifically advanced parts of the World, and cover a vast list of subjects grouped under the following headings: Applied Mathematics; Physics and Materials Science; Solid Mechanics; Finite Element and Boundary Element Methods; Structural Analysis; Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering; Structural Engineering; Reinforced Concrete; Knowledge-Based Systems; Artificial Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms; Computer-Aided Instruction; Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Engineering; Geographic Information Systems; Environmental Applications; Road Engineering; Geotechnics; Soil Mechanics; Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulics.Two hundred and fifty one summaries were accepted, many of them with comments and restrictions, by the Programme Committee.From these, 153 papers resulted, many of them from Portuguese and Chinese origin, that were submitted to the revision of an international panel of referees from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, China, Italy, Macao, Portugal, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States, to which we gladly acknowledge our gratitude and appreciation.

  • Gap Junctions

    • 1st Edition
    • J.E. Hall + 2 more
    • English
    Gap junctions are present in nearly all tissues, regardless of their embronic origin and have long been of great interest to scientists from many different disciplines. The international meeting on which this book is based brought together 157 scientists from 12 countries and almost as many scientific disciplines. The papers presented at the meeting were reviewed and updated prior to publication in this book. The seven parts of the book progress from general topics to the more specific ones (role of gap junctions in various tissues, regulation and biochemistry, and cancer).

  • Nitrogen, the Confer-N-s

    • 1st Edition
    • K. van der Hoek + 3 more
    • English
    The First International Nitrogen Conference provided an opportunity for researchers and decision-makers to exchange information on environmental pollution by nitrogen compounds on three scales: global, continental/regional and local. The main topics were air, ground water and surface water pollution; emission sources, atmospheric chemistry, deposition processes and effects; disturbance of nitrogen cycles, critical loads and levels; assessments, policy development and evaluation; target groups and abatement techniques; and new approaches leading to an integrated abatement strategy.The peer-reviewed papers from the Conference presented in this volume will provide readers with a comprehensive review of the transport, deposition and impact on ecosystems of nitrogen.

  • Heat Pumps for Energy Efficiency and Environmental Progress

    • 1st Edition
    • J. Bosma
    • English
    The 70 papers collected in this volume present an up to date review of the trends in heat pump technology. The heat pump is reviewed both as being part of a more comprehensive system, and as a refined device providing energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions. Its implementation in a system or process must be carefully considered at an early stage of design or development, and process integration is discussed in detail as a valuable tool for industry.The heat pump is proving to be a highly effective energy conserving tool, particularly when designed and used as an integral part of a system. Environmental benefits are gained when energy is conserved, and heat pumps can make a major contribution in this area. However, some heat pumps use working fluids which are environmentally unfriendly, and the progress that has been made in the field of alternative refrigerants is reported on. The volume will prove an indispensable reference source on the wide-ranging applications that have been developed since the last international conference, on such topics as heat pump field trials, pilot plants and development programmes.

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