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This book compiles selected publications authored or co-authored by the editor to present a comprehensive understanding of following topics: (1) density functional theory and CALPHAD modeling; (2) computational tools; and (3) applications of computational thermodynamics. It is noted that while entropy at one scale is well represented by standard statistical mechanics in terms of probability of individual configurations at that scale, the theory capable of counting total entropy of a system from different scales is lacking. The zentropy theory provides a nested form for configurational entropy enabling multiscale modeling to account for disorder and fluctuations from the electronic scale based on quantum mechanics to the experimental scale based on statistical mechanics using free energies of individual configurations rather than their total energies in standard statistical mechanics. The predictions from the zentropy theory demonstrate remarkable agreements with experimental observations for magnetic transitions and associated emergent behaviors of strongly correlated metals and oxides, including singularity and instability at critical points and positive and negative thermal expansions, without the need of additional truncated models and fitting model parameters beyond density function theory. This paves the way to provide the predicted phase equilibrium data for high throughput predictive CALPHAD modeling of complex material systems, and those individual configurations may thus be considered as the genomic building blocks of individual phases in the spirit of Materials Genome®.

This book compiles selected publications authored or co-authored by the editor to present a comprehensive understanding of following topics: (1) fundamentals of thermodynamics, Materials Genome®, and zentropy theory; (2) zentropy theory for prediction of positive and negative thermal expansions. It is noted that while entropy at one scale is well represented by standard statistical mechanics in terms of probability of individual configurations at that scale, the theory capable of counting total entropy of a system from different scales is lacking. The zentropy theory provides a nested form for configurational entropy enabling multiscale modeling to account for disorder and fluctuations from the electronic scale based on quantum mechanics to the experimental scale based on statistical mechanics using free energies of individual configurations rather than their total energies in standard statistical mechanics. The predictions from the zentropy theory demonstrate remarkable agreements with experimental observations for magnetic transitions and associated emergent behaviors of strongly correlated metals and oxides, including singularity and instability at critical points and positive and negative thermal expansions, without the need of additional truncated models and fitting model parameters beyond density function theory. This paves the way to provide the predicted phase equilibrium data for high throughput predictive CALPHAD modeling of complex material systems, and those individual configurations may thus be considered as the genomic building blocks of individual phases in the spirit of Materials Genome®.

This book could not have been timelier. It describes a multidisciplinary experimental work reported in the literature from 2015 to 2022, supported by a theoretical proposal from 2006, exploiting random lasers and random fiber lasers as a photonic platform to perform statistical physics, as Lévy-like statistics and extreme events, as well as complex systems, including turbulence, replica symmetry breaking (RSB) and Floquet states. Most of the theoretical grounds for these subjects date back to the 1970s. Of particular relevance for the timing for this book is the fact that two of the Nobel Prize winners of 2021 have their work connected through the experimental and theoretical work exploiting random lasers. In fact, the very first demonstration of RSB, a theory proposed by Giorgio Parisi, one of the 2021 Nobel winners, was first experimentally demonstrated in 2015 using random lasers. The scope of the book relies on the description of the already vast literature starting in 2006, but with an experimental explosion since 2015. The book describes the basis of random lasers and random fibers, theoretical background and connection between magnetism and photonics related to RSB, and theoretical backgrounds for experiments in Lévy statistics, turbulence, and Floquet states. The contributors are from three of the groups with most contributions in the field.

The North American Forests: Geography, Ecology, and Silviculture describes where, why, and how the many kinds of trees found on this continent grow in silvical associations - called forest cover types. Thirteen chapters describe more than 100 forest cover types, involving several times that many species. Diverse woodlands discussed include: o The Arctic tundra o Florida's tropics o The Atlantic's coastal pond pines o The Pacific's Monterey pines o The summits of Englemann spruce o Sea-Level swamps of baldcypress The text acts as a singular guidebook for specialists and students in natural resource disciplines examining the geography, ecology, and silvicultural practices for sustaining North American forests; students in curriculum's involving regional silviculture; and persons examining the goods and services from this varied, fascinating renewable resource. Benefiting from the author's five decades of practicing forestry, the reader will trek into virtually every'neck of the woods'- perusing exceptional field notes and photographs of the continent's forests. Featureso Offers a summary of forests in North America, ecological positions, and best management approaches for the benefit of mankind o Contains a readable language for both college students and professionals o Provides information covering the forests of Canada and the US o Lists'Further Readings'and'Subjects for Discussion and Essay'at the end of each chapter o Includes more than 100 photographs Audience o Foresters o Ecologists o Natural Resource Managers o Forestry Students

Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review remains one of the most cited sources in marine science and oceanography. The ever-increasing interest in work in oceanography and marine biology and its relevance to global environmental issues, especially global climate change and its impacts, creates a demand for authoritative refereed reviews summarizing and synthesizing the results of recent research. For more than 50 years, OMBAR has been an essential reference for research workers and students in all fields of marine science.If you are interested in submitting a review for consideration for publication in OMBAR, please email the Editor in Chief, Stephen Hawkins, at S.J.Hawkins@soton.ac.uk.This volume considers such diverse topics as optimal design for ecosystem-level ocean observatories, the oceanography and ecology of Ningaloo, human pressures and the emergence of novel marine ecosystems and priority species to support the functional integrity of coral reefs. Six of the nine peer-reviewed contributions in Volume 58 are available to read Open Access via the links on the Routledge.com webpage.An international Editorial Board ensures global relevance and expert peer review, with editors from Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Singapore, South Africa and the United Kingdom. The series volumes find a place in the libraries of not only marine laboratories and oceanographic institutes, but also universities worldwide.Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 of this book are freely available as downloadable Open Access PDFs at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

This book presents cascading effects of ecological disturbances on a multitude of ecosystem components. It includes agricultural development, large infrequent disturbances, forest harvesting, non-native grazing in deserts, ground transportation, powerline corridors, fires, urban ecology, disturbance in aquatic ecosystems, land-use dynamics on diversity, habitat fragmentation, sedimentation of wetlands, and contemporary climate change. The book facilitates users in understanding why disturbances are occurring while recommending mitigation and remediation strategies.

Biology and Physiology of Freshwater Neotropical Fish is the all-inclusive guide to fish species prevalent in the neotropical realm. It provides the most updated systematics, classification, anatomical, behavioral, genetic, and functioning systems information on freshwater neotropical fish species. This book begins by analyzing the differences in phylogeny, anatomy, and behaviour of neotropical fish. Systems such as cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, digestive, reproductive, muscular, and endocrine are described in detail. This book also looks at the effects of stress on fish immune systems, and how color and pigmentation play into physiology and species differentiation. Biology and Physiology of Freshwater Neotropical Fish is a must-have for fish biologists and zoologists. Students in zoology, ichthyology, and fish farming will also find this book useful for its coverage of some of the world's rarest and least-known fish species. - Features chapters written by top neotropical fish researchers and specialists - Discusses environmental effects on neotropical fishes, including climate change and pollution - Details the phylogenetic occurrence of electroreceptors and electric organs in fish

Inland West, their historical origins, assessments of available management tools, and analyses of the various choices available to policymakers. Its goal is to help people understand the Inland West forests so that public policies can reflect a constructive and realistic framework in which forests can be managed for sustained health. This resource is the product of a scientific workshop where 35 participants, including scientists, resource managers, administrators, and environmentalists, addressed the forest health problem in the Inland West. Synthesis chapters integrate the diverse knowledge and experience which participants brought to the workshop. They identify and link together many of the ecological, social, and administrative conditions which have created the forest health problem in the West. The book is unique in that it reflects a process that fostered the use of academic research, field realities, and industrial knowledge to define an interdisciplinary problem, establish rational policy objectives, and set-up “do-able” management approaches.The following topics are analyzed: Assessing forest ecosystem health in the Inland West Historical and anticipated changes in forest ecosystems in the Inland West Defining and measuring forest health Historical range of variability as a tool for evaluating ecosystem change Administrative barriers to implementing forest health problems Economic and social dimensions of the forest health problem Fire management Ecosystem and landscape management

Ecological Restoration and Management of Longleaf Pine Forests is a timely synthesis of the current understanding of the natural dynamics and processes in longleaf pine ecosystems. This book beautifully illustrates how incorporation of basic ecosystem knowledge and an understanding of socioeconomic realities shed new light on established paradigms and their application for restoration and management. Unique for its holistic ecological focus, rather than a more traditional silvicultural approach, the book highlights the importance of multi-faceted actions that robustly integrate forest and wildlife conservation at landscape scales, and merge ecological with socioeconomic objectives for effective conservation of the longleaf pine ecosystem.

Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) is a unique technique for characterizing the response of materials and devices in the far-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Based on the measurement of transmitted or reflected ultra-short electromagnetic pulses and on a Fourier-transform of the recorded waveforms, THz-TDS permits fast and precise determination of the permittivity or permeability of materials over a wide bandwidth. This book is devoted to the determination of this spectral response of samples from the recorded waveforms.

This work focuses on the structural and functional description of the microtubule proteins. The objective of the authors is to establish a relationship between the structure of microtubule proteins and the functions in which these polymers are involved. This book covers topics which have been treated only in a preliminary manner in previous works, such as microtubule dynamics and microtubule poisons. Microtubules display a variety of cellular roles and are vital for the separation and correct distribution of chromosomes during cell division. They also play an important role in morphogenesis, intracellular transport, secretion, and motility. Microtubule Proteins is a concise, easy-to-read text which is particularly of interest to cell biologists, chemists, neurochemists, and graduate students interested in cell biology.

Ultrafast Dynamics at the Nanoscale provides a combined experimental and theoretical insight into the molecular-level investigation of light-induced quantum processes in biological systems and nanostructured (bio)assemblies. Topics include DNA photostability and repair, photoactive proteins, biological and artificial light-harvesting systems, plasmonic nanostructures, and organic photovoltaic materials, whose common denominator is the key importance of ultrafast quantum effects at the border between the molecular scale and the nanoscale. The functionality and control of these systems have been under intense investigation in recent years in view of developing a detailed understanding of ultrafast nanoscale energy and charge transfer, as well as fostering novel technologies based on sustainable energy resources. Both experiment and theory have made big strides toward meeting the challenge of these truly complex systems. This book, thus, introduces the reader to cutting-edge developments in ultrafast nonlinear optical spectroscopies and the quantum dynamical simulation of the observed dynamics, including direct simulations of two-dimensional optical experiments. Taken together, these techniques attempt to elucidate whether the quantum coherent nature of ultrafast events enhances the efficiency of the relevant processes and where the quantum–classical boundary sets in, in these high-dimensional biological and material systems. The chapters contain well-illustrated accounts of the authors'research work, including didactic introductory material, and address a multidisciplinary audience from chemistry, physics, biology, and materials sciences. The book is, therefore, a must-have for graduate- and postgraduate-level researchers who wish to learn about molecular nanoscience from a combined spectroscopic and theoretical viewpoint.

'…a number of chapters provide excellent summaries of the modern methods available for studying fungal ecology, along with those more traditional methods that are still extremely valuable…overall it is a hugely valuable compendium of fungal ecology research. It is a must for the library shelf.'-Lynne Boddy, Cardiff University, UK, Mycological Research, 2006'These 44 chapters are an excellent starting point for anyone interested in fungal communities, in the broadest sense of the term. It is a book for dipping into…may be the last comprehensive treatment of fungal communities before the molecular revolution.'-Meriel Jones, University of Liverpool, UK, Microbiology Today'… the scope of the work is tremendous. … Excellent chapters providing overviews of methods … provide a snap shot of the current approaches used to understand fungal communities at several levels of organization. This book should probably be on the shelf of every student of mycology, and many ecologists too. For all students, this book should be a valuable resource and source of inspiration.'-Daniel Henk, Imperial College Faculty of Medicine, London, in Inoculum, Vol. 59, No. 3, May 2008'Thorough taxonomic and subject indices further aid the reader in navigating through multiple authors'treatments of subjects of interest.'- Anthony Amend, Department of Botany, University of Hawaii at Manoa in Economic Botany, V. 61In all subjects in science, new findings and the use of new technologies allow us to develop an ever-greater understanding of our world. Expanded and updated coverage in the fourth edition includes: Adds new sections on Integrating Genomics and Metagenomics into Community Analysis, Recent Advances in Fungal Endophyte Research, Fungi in the Built Environment, and Fungal Signaling and Communication Includes a broader treatment of fungal communities in natural ecosystems with in-depth coverage of fungal adaptations to stress and conservation Expands coverage of the influence of climate change on fungi and the role of fungi in organically polluted ecosystems Includes contributions from scientists from 20 nations to illustrate a true global approach for bridging gaps between ecological concepts and mycology

This compendium of accounts reveals the unique perspectives of many scientists who made major contributions to the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of C60 buckminsterfullerene but who have not previously published personal accounts. The introduction attempts to provide a rational framework for understanding how this discovery came about and how firmly

Sustainable polymers play an indispensable role in the emergence of green materials, and the 21st century is an era of sustainable polymeric materials. Sustainable polymer-based materials have attracted considerable interest because of the energy crisis and ecological concerns as well as the potential to substitute certain petroleum-derived materia

Despite of many years of studies, predicting fluid flow, heat, and chemical transport in fractured-porous media remains a challenge for scientists and engineers worldwide. This monograph is the third in a series on the dynamics of fluids and transport in fractured rock published by the American Geophysical Union (Geophysical Monograph Series, Vol. 162, 2005; and Geophysical Monograph, No. 122, 2000). This monograph is dedicated to the late Dr. Paul Witherspoon for his seminal influence on the development of ideas and methodologies and the birth of contemporary fractured rock hydrogeology, including such fundamental and applied problems as environmental remediation; exploitation of oil, gas, and geothermal resources; disposal of spent nuclear fuel; and geotechnical engineering. This monograph addresses fundamental and applied scientific questions and is intended to assist scientists and practitioners bridge gaps in the current scientific knowledge in the areas of theoretical fluids dynamics, field measurements, and experiments for different practical applications. Readers of this book will include researchers, engineers, and professionals within academia, Federal agencies, and industry, as well as graduate/undergraduate students involved in theoretical, experimental, and numerical modeling studies of fluid dynamics and reactive chemical transport in the unsaturated and saturated zones, including studies pertaining to petroleum and geothermal reservoirs, environmental management and remediation, mining, gas storage, and radioactive waste isolation in underground repositories. Volume highlights include discussions of the following: Fundamentals of using a complex systems approach to describe flow and transport in fractured-porous media. Methods of Field Measurements and Experiments Collective behavior and emergent properties of complex fractured rock systems Connection to the surrounding environment Multi-disciplinary research for different applications

This handbook (55 chapters) provides a comprehensive roadmap of basic research in nanomedicine as well as clinical applications. However, unlike other texts in nanomedicine, it not only highlights current advances in diagnostics and therapeutics but also explores related issues like nomenclature, historical developments, regulatory aspects, nanosim

While the effects of pressure change are readily quantified in physics, chemistry, and engineering applications, the physiology, medicine, and biology of pressure changes in living systems are much more complicated. This complex science translated to technical diving is discussed in a five-part series, with each topic self-contained and strategical

This book is a comprehensive collection of known results about the Lozi map, a piecewise-affine version of the Henon map. Henon map is one of the most studied examples in dynamical systems and it attracts a lot of attention from researchers, however it is difficult to analyze analytically. Simpler structure of the Lozi map makes it more suitable fo

This book is a compendious collection of papers designed to expose the current trends in mathematical modeling. It details current research on models of in-host dynamics, epidemics, population dynamics and psycho-social dynamics. The chapters are written in a simple and concise way for readers who are familiar with basic mathematical modeling offered in undergraduate courses. The main objective of this book is to detail various applications of mathematics in biomedical sciences, resources management and social settings. Many of the book chapters contain current contentious issues in mathematical modeling and as such, the book can be used to generate projects for bio-mathematic students. Graduate students wishing to acquire and consolidate knowledge in mathematical modeling will find this an excellent text for their research.

The first edition of this book, published in 1994, began with the statement that the new science of complexity would characterize the scientific develop­ ment of the 21st century. In the first decade of this century, this prediction has been confirmed by overwhelming new empirical results and theoretical insights the of physical and biological sciences, cognitive and computer sci­ ences, and social and economic sciences. Complexity and nonlinearity are still prominent features in the evolution of matter, mind, and human society. Thus, the science of complexity still aims at explanations for the emergence of order in nature and mind and in the economy and society by common principles. But a new engineering view has focused the exploration of complexity. On the one hand, we need new computational instruments to analyze com­ plex data and recognize future trends. On the other hand, the principles of complex dynamics are increasingly becoming the blueprints of gene, bio, and computer technology. Life and computer sciences are growing into a new kind of complex engineering, changing the basic conditions of human life and society. Nonlinear dynamics are implemented in nonlinear computer chips of high speed and miniaturized size, which are not only distributed in our technical equipment and environment, but also in our body and brain.

Humanoid robots are highly sophisticated machines equipped with human-like sensory and motor capabilities. Today we are on the verge of a new era of rapid transformations in both science and engineering-one that brings together technological advancements in a way that will accelerate both neuroscience and robotics. Humanoid Robotics and Neuroscienc

Coordination represents one of the most striking, most taken for granted, but least understood features of living things. Recently a new foundation for understanding coordination has emerged called Coordination Dynamics. This book brings together scientists from all over the world who have defined and developed the field of Coordination Dynamics. Grounded in the concepts of self-organization and the tools of nonlinear dynamics, appropriately extended to handle informational aspects of living things, Coordination Dynamics aims to understand the coordinated functioning of a variety of different systems at multiple levels of description. The book addresses the themes of Coordination Dynamics and Dynamic Patterns in the context of the following topics: Coordination of Brain and Behavior, Perception-Action Coupling, Control, Posture, Learning, Intention, Attention, and Cognition.

Mathematical biomedicine is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary field of research that connects the natural and exact sciences in an attempt to respond to the modeling and simulation challenges raised by biology and medicine. There exist a large number of mathematical methods and procedures that can be brought in to meet these challenges and this book presents a palette of such tools ranging from discrete cellular automata to cell population based models described by ordinary differential equations to nonlinear partial differential equations representing complex time- and space-dependent continuous processes. Both stochastic and deterministic methods are employed to analyze biological phenomena in various temporal and spatial settings. This book illustrates the breadth and depth of research opportunities that exist in the general field of mathematical biomedicine by highlighting some of the fascinating interactions that continue to develop between the mathematical and biomedical sciences. It consists of five parts that can be read independently, but are arranged to give the reader a broader picture of specific research topics and the mathematical tools that are being applied in its modeling and analysis. The main areas covered include immune system modeling, blood vessel dynamics, cancer modeling and treatment, and epidemiology. The chapters address topics that are at the forefront of current biomedical research such as cancer stem cells, immunodominance and viral epitopes, aggressive forms of brain cancer, or gene therapy. The presentations highlight how mathematical modeling can enhance biomedical understanding and will be of interest to both the mathematical and the biomedical communities including researchers already working in the field as well as those who might consider entering it. Much of the material is presented in a way that gives graduate students and young researchers a starting point for their own work.

The second edition of'Thinking in Complexity', like the first edition, was also sold out in less than one year. Meanwhile, Japanese and Chinese translations of the sec­ ond editon have been published. Once more I have taken the opportunity provided by a new edition to revise and extend the text. A new Sect. 2. 5'Complex Systems and the Self­ Construction of Materials'is included, in order to ana­ lyze the role of complex systems in the dramatic success of supramolecular chemistry, nanotechnology, and the technology of smart ('intelligent') materials. These top­ ics lie at the boundary between materials science and life science. In recent years, life science and computer science have been growing together in a common field of research called'artificial life'. A further new Sect. 5. 5'From Artificial Intelligence to Artificial Life'has been added, in which the role of complex systems in the field of arti­ ficiallife is discussed. I also use the opportunity of the new edition to make some remarks about the relationship between the Santa Fe approach to complex systems and the methods of synergetics and order parameters which are key concepts in this book. Research into complex systems continues world­ wide. I have to thank the readers who have written friendly and inspiring letters from all over the world. Some months ago, a German Society of Complex Sys­ tems and Nonlinear Dynamics was founded.

Masters Theses in the Pure and Applied Sciences was first conceived, published, and disseminated by the Center for Information and Numerical Data Analysis and Synthesis (CINDAS)• at Purdue University in 1957, starting its coverage of theses with the academic year 1955. Beginning with Volume 13, the printing and dis­ semination phases of the activity were transferred to University Microfilms/Xerox of Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the thought that such an arrangement would be more beneficial to the academic and general scientific and technical community. After five years of this joint undertaking we had concluded that it was in the interest of all concerned if the printing and distribution of the volumes were handled by an international publishing house to assure improved service and broader dissemination. Hence, starting with Volume 18, Masters Theses in the Pure and Applied Sciences has been disseminated on a worldwide basis by Plenum Publishing Corporation of New York, and in the same year the coverage was broadened to include Canadian universities. All back issues can also be ordered from Plenum. We have reported in Volume 39 (thesis year 1994) a total of 13,953 thesis titles from 21 Canadian and 159 United States universities. We are sure that this broader base for these titles reported will greatly enhance the value of this impor­ tant annual reference work. While Volume 39 reports theses submitted in 1994, on occasion, certain uni­ versities do report theses submitted in previous years but not reported at the time.

This volume contains the proceedings of the workshop held in March 1990 at Austin, Texas on Self-Organization, Emerging Properties and Learning. The workshop was co-sponsored by NATO Scientific Affairs Division, Solvay Institutes of Physics and Chemistry, the University of Texas at Austin and IC2 Institute at Austin. It gathered representatives from a large spectrum of scientific endeavour. The subject matter of self-organization extends over several fields such as hydrodynamics, chemistry, biology, neural networks and social sciences. Several key concepts are common to all these different disciplines. In general the self-organization processes in these fields are described in the framework of the nonlinear dynamics, which also governs the mechanisms underlying the learning processes. Because of this common language, it is expected that any progress in one area could benefit other fields, thus a beneficial cross fertilization may result. In last two decades many workshops and conferences had been organized in various specific fields dealing with self-organization and emerging properties of systems. The aim of the workshop in Austin was to bring together researchers from seemingly unrelated areas and interested in self-organization, emerg{ng properties and learning capabilities of interconnected multi-unit systems. The hope was to initiate interesting exchange and lively discussions. The expectations of the organiziers are materialized in this unusual collection of papers, which brings together in a single volume representative research from many related fields. Thus this volume gives to the reader a wider perspective over the generality and ramifications of the key concepts of self­ organization.

This book presents a select group of papers that provide a comprehensive view of the models and applications of chaos theory in medicine, biology, ecology, economy, electronics, mechanical, and the human sciences. Covering both the experimental and theoretical aspects of the subject, it examines a range of current topics of interest. It consid

The book investigates QDs and SWCNTs using quantum-chemical calculations that describe intricate details of excited-state phenomena and provides information about the mechanisms that occur on the atomic level and that are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to probe experimentally. It delivers, consistently and coherently, a novel approach to nanomaterials which is promising for today's technologies as well as their future. This approach elegantly overcomes computational difficulties known in the field and shares ways to reach top performance in the description of combined quantum effects of molecular vibrations and exciton formation on realistic-size numerical models. The reader will acquire an understanding of the pioneering methodolo

The groundbreaking Encyclopedia of Ecology provides an authoritative and comprehensive coverage of the complete field of ecology, from general to applied. It includes over 500 detailed entries, structured to provide the user with complete coverage of the core knowledge, accessed as intuitively as possible, and heavily cross-referenced. Written by an international team of leading experts, this revolutionary encyclopedia will serve as a one-stop-shop to concise, stand-alone articles to be used as a point of entry for undergraduate students, or as a tool for active researchers looking for the latest information in the field.Entries cover a range of topics, including:Behavioral EcologyEcological ProcessesEcological ModelingEcological EngineeringEcological IndicatorsEcological InformaticsEcosystemsEcotoxicologyEvolutionary EcologyGeneral EcologyGlobal EcologyHuman EcologySystem Ecology - The first reference work to cover all aspects of ecology, from basic to applied - Over 500 concise, stand-alone articles are written by prominent leaders in the field - Article text is supported by full-color photos, drawings, tables, and other visual material - Fully indexed and cross referenced with detailed references for further study - Writing level is suited to both the expert and non-expert - Available electronically on ScienceDirect shortly upon publication

Mycorrhizal fungi are microbial engines which improve plant vigor and soil quality. They play a crucial role in plant nutrient uptake, water relations, ecosystem establishment, plant diversity, and the productivity of plants. Scientific research involves multidisciplinary approaches to understand the adaptation of mycorrhizae to the rhizosphere, mechanism of root colonization, effect on plant physiology and growth, biofertilization, plant resistance and biocontrol of plant pathogens. This book discusses and goes into detail on a number of topics: the molecular basis of nutrient exchange between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and host plants; the role of AM fungi in disease protection, alleviation of soil stresses and increasing grain production; interactions of AM fungi and beneficial saprophytic mycoflora in terms of plant growth promotion; the role of AM fungi in the restoration of native ecosystems; indirect contributions of AM fungi and soil aggregation to plant growth and mycorrhizosphere effect of multitrophic interaction; the mechanisms by which mycorrhizas change a disturbed ecosystem into productive land; the importance of reinstallation of mycorrhizal systems in the rhizosphere is emphasized and their impact on landscape regeneration, and in bioremediation of contaminated soils; Ectomycorrhizae (ECM) and their importance in forest ecosystems and associations of ECM in tropical rain forests function to maintain tropical monodominance; in vitro mycorrhization of micro-propagated plants, and visualizing and quantifying endorhizal fungi; the use of mycorrhizae, mainly AM and ECM, for sustainable agriculture and forestry.

The Pacific Symposium on Biocomputing (PSB) 2008 is an international, multidisciplinary conference for the presentation and discussion of current research in the theory and application of computational methods in problems of biological significance. Presentations are rigorously peer reviewed and are published in an archival proceedings volume. PSB 2008 will be held on January 4-8, 2008 at the Fairmont Orchid, Big Island of Hawaii. Tutorials will be offered prior to the start of the conference.PSB 2008 will bring together top researchers from the US, the Asian Pacific nations, and around the world to exchange research results and address open issues in all aspects of computational biology. It is a forum for the presentation of work in databases, algorithms, interfaces, visualization, modeling, and other computational methods, as applied to biological problems, with emphasis on applications in data-rich areas of molecular biology.The PSB has been designed to be responsive to the need for critical mass in sub-disciplines within biocomputing. For that reason, it is the only meeting whose sessions are defined dynamically each year in response to specific proposals. PSB sessions are organized by leaders of research in biocomputing's “hot topics.” In this way, the meeting provides an early forum for serious examination of emerging methods and approaches in this rapidly changing field.

The theory of nonlinear, complex systems has become by now a proven problem-solving approach in the natural sciences. And it is now also recognized that many if not most of our social, ecological, economical and political problems are essentially of a global, complex and nonlinear nature. And it is now further accepted than any holistic perspective of the human mind and brain can hardly be achieved by any other approach. In this wide-ranging, scholarly but very concise treatment, physicist, computer scientist and philosopher Klaus Mainzer discusses, in essentially nontechnical language, the common framework behind these ideas and challenges. Emphasis is given to the evolution of new structures in natural and cultural systems and we are lead to see clearly how the new integrative approach can give insights not available from traditional reductionistic methods. The fifth edition enlarges and revises almost all sections and supplements an entirely new chapter on the complexity of economic systems. From the reviews of the fourth edition:'… this highly recommended book is a wonderful resource for intuitive basic ideas in the need of rigorous formulation.'(Albert A. Mullin, Zentralblatt MATH)

Monitoring Nature Conservation in Cultural Habitats presents monitoring as an integral component of responsible conservation management and as a catalyst for decision making. The early sections of the book cover key areas in the development of a monitoring project, including: - The roles of survey and surveillance- Incorporating knowledge from existing research- Identifying the conservation priority on sites- Minimising observer error- Identifying site-specific condition indicators for habitats- Collecting monitoring data. The later sections of the book comprise a series of case studies covering a wide range of habitats and species. These case studies focus mostly, though not exclusively, on sites that form part of the Natura 2000 series in Europe.

Self-organization constitutes one of the most important theoretical debates in contemporary life sciences. The present book explores the relevance of the concept of self-organization and its impact on such scientific fields as: immunology, neurosciences, ecology and theories of evolution. Historical aspects of the issue are also broached. Intuitions relative to self-organization can be found in the works of such key western philosophical figures as Aristotle, Leibniz and Kant. Interacting with more recent authors and cybernetics, self-organization represents a notion in keeping with the modern world's discovery of radical complexity. The themes of teleology and emergence are analyzed by philosophers of sciences with regards to the issues of modelization and scientific explanation. The implications of self-organization for life sciences are here approached from an interdisciplinary angle, revealing the notion as already rewarding and full of promise for the future.

This review volume is devoted to a discussion of analogies and differences of complex production systems — natural, as in biological cells, or man-made, as in economic systems or industrial production. Taking this unified look at production is based on two observations: Cells and many biological networks are complex production units that have evolved to solve production problems in a reliable and optimal way in a highly stochastic environment. On the other hand, industrial production is becoming increasingly complex and often hard to predict. As a result, modeling and control of such production networks involve many different spatial and temporal scales and decision policies for many different structures. The common themes of industrial and biological production include evolution and optimization, synchronization and self-organization, robust operation despite high stochasticity, and hierarchical dynamics. The mathematical techniques used come from dynamical systems theory, transport equations, control theory, pattern formation, graph theory, discrete event simulations, stochastic processes, and others. The application areas range from semiconductor production to supply chains, protein networks, slime molds, social networks, and whole economies.

Since the days of Galileo, time has been a fundamental variable in scientific attempts to understand the natural world. Once the first recordings of electrical activity in the brain had been made, it became clear that electrical signals from the brain consist of very complex temporal patterns. This can now be demonstrated by recordings at the singl

Today, efforts are being made to rehabilitate badly degraded ecosystems and protect areas which have important ecological value, such as national parks, critical fish and wildlife habitats, natural communities and endangered species.Since human values are an integral part of the decisions to protect or rehabilitate-the goals and objectives for such actions are often unclear. Concepts of'health,''integrity'and'diversity'express important values associated with management actions but they do not provide clear guidelines for these actions.The criteria developed and applied in this book provide guidelines and serve as a road map to anyone involved in ecosystem management-scientists, land managers and policy makers.

These two volumes on Femtochemistry present a timely contribution to a field central to the understanding of the dynamics of the chemical bond. This century has witnessed great strides in time and space resolutions, down to the atomic scale, providing chemists, biologists and physicists with unprecedented opportunities for seeing microscopic structures and dynamics. Femtochemistry is concerned with the time resolution of the most elementary motions of atoms during chemical change - bond breaking and bond making - on the femtosecond (10-15 second) time scale. This atomic scale of time resolution has now reached the ultimate for the chemical bond and as Lord George Porter puts it, chemists are near the end of the race against time. These two volumes cover the general concepts, techniques and applications of femtochemistry.Professor Ahmed Zewail, who has made the pioneering contributions in this field, has from over 250 publications selected the articles for this anthology. These volumes begin with a commentary and a historical chronology of the milestones. He then presents a broad perspective of the current state of knowledge in femtochemistry by researchers around the world and discusses possible new directions. In the words of a colleague,';it is a must on the reading-list for all of my students...; all readers will find this to be an informative and valuable overview.';The introductory articles in Volume I provide reviews for both the non-experts as well as for experts in the field. This is followed by papers on the basic concepts. For applications, elementary reactions are studied first and then complex reactions. Volume I is complete with studies of solvation dynamics, non-reactive systems, ultrafast electron diffraction and the control of chemical reactions.Volume II continues with reaction rates, the concept of elementary intramolecular vibrational-energy redistribution (IVR) and the phenomena of rotational coherence which has become a powerful tool for the determination of molecular structure via time resolution. The second volume ends with an extensive list of references, according to topics, based on work by Professor Zewail and his group at Caltech.These collected works by Professor Zewail will certainly be indispensable to both experts and beginners in the field. The author is known for his clarity and for his creative and systematic contributions. These volumes will be of interest and should prove useful to chemists, biologists and physicists. As noted by Professor J Manz (Berlin) and Professor A W Castleman, Jr. (Penn State): femtochemistry is yielding exciting new discoveries from analysis to control of chemical reactions, with applications in many domains of chemistry and related fields, e.g., physical, organic and inorganic chemistry, surface science, molecular biology,...; etc.

These two volumes on Femtochemistry present a timely contribution to a field central to the understanding of the dynamics of the chemical bond. This century has witnessed great strides in time and space resolutions, down to the atomic scale, providing chemists, biologists and physicists with unprecedented opportunities for seeing microscopic structures and dynamics. Femtochemistry is concerned with the time resolution of the most elementary motions of atoms during chemical change - bond breaking and bond making - on the femtosecond (10-15 second) time scale. This atomic scale of time resolution has now reached the ultimate for the chemical bond and as Lord George Porter puts it, chemists are near the end of the race against time. These two volumes cover the general concepts, techniques and applications of femtochemistry.Professor Ahmed Zewail, who has made the pioneering contributions in this field, has from over 250 publications selected the articles for this anthology. These volumes begin with a commentary and a historical chronology of the milestones. He then presents a broad perspective of the current state of knowledge in femtochemistry by researchers around the world and discusses possible new directions. In the words of a colleague,';it is a must on the reading-list for all of my students...; all readers will find this to be an informative and valuable overview.';The introductory articles in Volume I provide reviews for both the non-experts as well as for experts in the field. This is followed by papers on the basic concepts. For applications, elementary reactions are studied first and then complex reactions. Volume I is complete with studies of solvation dynamics, non-reactive systems, ultrafast electron diffraction and the control of chemical reactions.Volume II continues with reaction rates, the concept of elementary intramolecular vibrational-energy redistribution (IVR) and the phenomena of rotational coherence which has become a powerful tool for the determination of molecular structure via time resolution. The second volume ends with an extensive list of references, according to topics, based on work by Professor Zewail and his group at Caltech.These collected works by Professor Zewail will certainly be indispensable to both experts and beginners in the field. The author is known for his clarity and for his creative and systematic contributions. These volumes will be of interest and should prove useful to chemists, biologists and physicists. As noted by Professor J Manz (Berlin) and Professor A W Castleman, Jr. (Penn State): femtochemistry is yielding exciting new discoveries from analysis to control of chemical reactions, with applications in many domains of chemistry and related fields, e.g., physical, organic and inorganic chemistry, surface science, molecular biology,...; etc.

This is the first truly modern book solely devoted to seed reproduction of forest trees-from flowering to establishment, with emphasis on the interaction of environment with physiological processes.Focus is on seed function in natural settings and the application of information to natural regeneration of forests. This easy-to-read text addresses important principles and provides in-depth coverage of existing literature.Presentation of the information is organized to allow for a natural development of the main theme with full explanations of such important components as seed production, dispersal and germination, as well as the integral parts played by water, temperature, light, chemicals, animals, pathogens and aging.A highly useful book for investigators, practitioners or students.