This volume of selected articles is being released in light of the new economic, social and environmental challenges Europe and the United States have been faced with following the end of the Cold War and in the evolving era of globalization. National security, immigration and the provision of health and other key social services call for a radically different outlook in terms of policy discuss…
This comprehensive book covers flexible fiber-shaped devices in the area of energy conversion and storage. The first part of the book introduces recently developed materials, particularly, various nanomaterials and composite materials based on nanostructured carbon such as carbon nanotubes and graphene, metals and polymers for the construction of fiber electrodes. The second part of the book fo…
This book assesses the potential effects of biotechnological approaches, particularly genetic modification, on the present state of fiber crop cultivation and sustainable production. Leading international researchers discuss and explain how biotechnology can affect and solve problems in connection with fiber crops. The topics covered include biology, biotechnology, genomics and applications of …
Provides innovative techniques for solving complex nonlinear partial differential equations, previously only available to scientists involved in classified government funded projects. · Goes beyond the traditional Pi (Buckingham) Theorem method to apply dimensional analysis to gas dynamics and thermal hydraulics problems where both laminar and turbulent fluids come into play · Includes specif…
Hydrometallurgy, which involves the use of aqueous solutions for the recovery of metals from ores, concentrates, and recycled or residual material, plays an integral role in the multi-billion dollar minerals processing industry. There are numerous hydrometallurgical process technologies used for recovering metals, such as: agglomeration; leaching; solvent extraction/ion exchange; metal recovery…
The field of robotic vision has advanced dramatically recently with the development of new range sensors. Tremendous progress has been made resulting in significant impact on areas such as robotic navigation, scene/environment understanding, and visual learning. This edited book provides a solid and diversified reference source for some of the most recent important advancements in the field of …
Since the 2008 economic crisis, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have faced serious financial problems and have been looking to financial institutions and governments for solutions and new proposals to address these issues. This book examines the new challenge in which firms receive sustainable funding that is in alignment with the company’s spending capacity. The purpose of this boo…
Situated at the forefront of interdisciplinary research on ferromagnetic microwires and their multifunctional composites, this book starts with a comprehensive treatment of the processing, structure, properties and applications of magnetic microwires. Special emphasis is placed on the giant magnetoimpedance (GMI) effect, which forms the basis for developing high-performance magnetic sensors. Af…
There appears to be an interaction between the loading states in tissues and cells and these chronic conditions, as well as with factors such as age, gender and genetics of the individual. Bioengineering has made key contributions to this research field in providing technologies for cell biomechanics experimentation, microscopy and image processing, tissue engineering and multi-scale, multi-phy…
This volume summarizes recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms that produce successful symbiotic partnerships involving microorganisms. It begins with a basic introduction to the nature of and mechanistic benefits derived from symbiotic associations. Taking that background knowledge as the starting point, the next sections include chapters that examine representative examples of …