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Discover the transformative power of knowledge mapping with this revolutionary book. You will have access to a rich collection of mapping techniques, technologies, and real-life applications designed for learners of all ages and across disciplines. This book aims to help learners create knowledge with the support of artificial intelligence mapping apps and engage them deeply with sustainable development supported by green digital skills. Experience the dynamic world of mind maps, concept maps, dialogue maps, and more, brought to life by educators, researchers, experts, and young students. This is not just a book; it is a movement toward diverse, interactive learning methods to shape a sustainable future. Perfect for teachers, trainers, nonformal educators, and education professionals, the book embraces the innovative CARE-KNOW-DO framework to transform how young people tackle pressing issues. It combines exploration, understanding, and actionable steps for sustainability. This book offers invaluable resources to help researchers explore trends, connect relevant information, and produce significant narratives supported by AI. It guides the use of knowledge maps in decision-making, sense-making, and inspiring future generations. The book also explores the methodology behind its creation, including case studies, teaching strategies, and learning outcomes, all of which are grounded in extensive literature and ethical standards. Embrace a new era of learning with this open-access book on knowledge mapping. It is set to transform the way we think, research, teach, and learn. It is an open access book.

The book is also a good source for courses in robotics and automation, control engineering, mechanical engineering, and mechatronics. CLAWAR 2024 is the 27th International Conference Series on Climbing and Walking Robots and Mobile Machine Support Technologies. The conference is organized by CLAWAR Association in collaboration with the RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau and FZI Center for Information Technology, Germany, during September 4–6, 2024. CLAWAR 2024 provides the latest research and development findings and state-of-the-art insights into the mobile robotics and associated technologies in a diverse range of application scenarios, within the framework of “walking robots into real world.” The topics covered include AI-based systems and solutions, biologically inspired systems and solutions, human-like robots, innovative grippers, innovative robot design, planetary exploration, planning and control, prosthetics and rehabilitation, quadruped robots, and robotic applications. The intended readership includes participants of CLAWAR 2024 conference, worldwide researchers, scientists, and educators in the areas of robotics and related topics.

This open access book gathers contributions to the EU-funded Horizon 2020 project Shared automation Operating models for Worldwide adoption (SHOW). It reports on technologies and business models focusing on supporting the deployment of shared, connected, and electrified automation in urban transport. Chapters discuss practical issues concerning mobility data management, strategies to improve user acceptance and engagement, and reports on assessment and simulation techniques to test shared automated shuttles in various contexts. Overall, this book offers a timely survey on connected and automated mobility, with extensive and practical information for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, involved in developing user-centred, automated, and sustainable future mobility.

This open access book develops a typology of cities by exploring how current levels of migration-related diversity and segregation relate to three groups of factors: international mobilities, inequalities and political-institutional aspects of local governance. Based on both quantitative and qualitative data from 16 cities in four European countries (France, Germany, The Netherlands, and Italy), the book compares the cities and uses a method of fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. It demonstrates the shared contingencies of factors among the cities within each type and the crucial differences between the types of localities, and offers a more differentiated, holistic understanding of migration-related diversity configurations through the five conceptualised types: (1) Superdiverse cities, (2) Postindustrial diverse cities. (3) Middle class diverse cities, (4) Divided cities, and (5) Marginal migration cities. As such, the book is a valuable read to all those who would like to learn more about urban migration-related diversity and how it is formed and governed.

The three-volume set CCIS 2319-2321 constitutes the proceedings of the 26th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2024, held in Washington, DC, USA, during June 29–July 4, 2024. For the HCII 2024 proceedings, a total of 1271 papers and 309 posters was carefully reviewed and selected from 5108 submissions. Additionally, 222 papers and 104 posters are included in the volumes of the proceedings published after the conference, as “Late Breaking Work”. The posters presented in these three volumes are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: User Interface and Interaction Design; Usability and User Experience Evaluation; Innovative Technologies and Human-Centered Solutions. Part II: Innovations in Extended Reality; Smart Systems and Intelligent Design; AI and Design for Human-Centric Applications. Part III: Design for Health and Well-being; Advanced Interactive Technologies for Learning; Gaming, Gamification, and Immersive Design; Technology-Enhanced Experiences in Cultural Heritage.

This book covers whole Europe within its geographical limits, providing not only an overview about biogeography and recent taxonomic status of Charophyte species but also in-depth information about recent knowledge about ecology, ontogenesis, morphology, palaeontology and systematics of this group of algae. This is the first comprehensive treatment of European Charophytes. In addition, the reader for the first time is provided by definitions of terms applied to Charophytes, sorting out several previous confusions about terminology. Special attention was paid on oospores in order to exploit their potential for supporting species delineation as well as analysis of sediment records. A red list, dealing also with threats and habitat conditions, completes the book.Altogether more than 70 taxon are described in detail, each of the descriptions giving full information about morphology, habitat conditions, distribution as well as variability; important characters for determination are illustrated by photographs and drawings. Hints for correct determination are given in a separate para, allowing correct species delineation even for critical species. This, together with a set of determination keys, will allow beginners and practitioners to get familiar with the determination of Charophytes, being often regarded notoriously difficult in the past.Authored by a large group of 70 specialists from all over Europe and Overseas, a commonly agreed taxonomy is provided, and all debates about taxonomic status and nomenclatural problems have been discussed beforehand extensively. By this, a sound reference for applied aspects is given, allowing for reliable cross-country comparisons especially with respect to bioindication purposes but also serving ground for biogeographical research, biodiversity issues and the emerging field of elucidating the process of territorialisation of land plants. The authors hope that this book will become the reference work for the coming decades it was designed for.

This book is the first comprehensive account of large-scale ecosystems (biomes) of Southern Africa (defined as area south of the Kunene and Zambezi Rivers). It addresses the diversity of biomes in one of the most biodiverse regions of the world, comprising South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, southern part of Mozambique, Eswatini, and Lesotho. It has adopted a novel, hierarchical biome-classification approach. The biomes at four levels of complexity are identified, described, and mapped using modern GIS-assisted mapping technology. The structure of the book and its comprehensive nature makes this product of prime interest to teachers and students of all tertiary education levels as well as to scientists in the fields of ecology, biodiversity science, and bioclimatology. It is poised to serve as a major reference book and handbook for the users in these scientific fields.

This book provides simultaneously, a cross-sectoral, multi-scale assessment of climate change issues in Morocco and proposes levers of action and innovative practices to be used to strengthen the resilience and adaptation strategies. The book offers the opportunity to debate contemporary mutations, the paradigms of change as a complex process, the dynamics of values, the complexity of the issues and the opportunities for transformation, starting from a reflective approach on the historical, scientific, theoretical and strategic dimensions of action, creativity and environmental innovation in a perspective of sustainability.

This edited book describes novel human-systems integration approaches to improve acceptance, safety, and comfort of automated vehicles. Each chapter analyses different aspects in the development of automated driving systems such as: assessing needs and opportunities of specific user populations i.e. elderly drivers and truck drivers; creating fluid human-systems interactions in the vehicle to answer specific driver needs; developing an automated driving tutoring application; and identifying benefits of including road infrastructure sensors to support automated driving predictability. A detailed description of the assessment of the above-described solutions in real-world situations is also included. Written by both researchers and professionals, this book offers timely and practice-oriented information concerning the development of automated driving systems that better adapt to the users'needs.

The multi-volume set of LNCS books with volume numbers 15059 up to 15147 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Computer Vision, ECCV 2024, held in Milan, Italy, during September 29–October 4, 2024. The 2387 papers presented in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 8585 submissions. They deal with topics such as computer vision; machine learning; deep neural networks; reinforcement learning; object recognition; image classification; image processing; object detection; semantic segmentation; human pose estimation; 3d reconstruction; stereo vision; computational photography; neural networks; image coding; image reconstruction; motion estimation.

This edited book addresses various aspects of sustainable land management, including existing policy norms and indigenous knowledge. It focuses on how sustainable land management can combat desertification, increase livelihood opportunities, mitigate poverty and hunger, and conserve biodiversity. The book explores different sustainable land management practices and policy frameworks in India aimed at achieving land degradation neutrality. Sustainable land management (SLM) encompasses Nature-based Solutions for restoring degraded landscapes, mitigating and adapting to climate change, ensuring water and food security, alleviating poverty, promoting economic growth, and conserving biodiversity. This book is suitable for academicians, researchers, and policymakers involved in developing roadmaps and policies to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

This book presents the proceedings of CRIOCM 2023, sharing the latest developments in real estate and construction management around the globe. The conference was organized by the Chinese Research Institute of Construction Management (CRIOCM) and Southeast University. Written by international academics and professionals, the proceedings discuss the latest achievements, research findings and advances in frontier disciplines in the field of construction management and real estate, covering a wide range of topics, including new theory and practice of engineering management, smart construction and maintenance, green low-carbon building and sustainable development, big data and blockchain, construction and real estate economy, real estate finance and investment, real estate management and housing policy, innovative theory and practice of urban governance, land use and urban planning, and other related issues. The discussions provide valuable insights into the implementation of advanced construction project management and real estate market in China and abroad. The book offers an outstanding resource for academics and professionals.

This eleven-volume set LNCS 14815 – 14825 constitutes the refereed workshop proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications, ICCSA 2024, held at Hanoi, Vietnam, during July 1–4, 2024. The 281 full papers, 17 short papers and 2 PHD showcase papers included in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 450 submissions. In addition, the conference consisted of 55 workshops, focusing on very topical issues of importance to science, technology and society: from new mathematical approaches for solving complex computational systems, to information and knowledge in the Internet of Things, new statistical and optimization methods, several Artificial Intelligence approaches, sustainability issues, smart cities and related technologies.

This book provides a comprehensive overview and critical evaluation of the emerging and exciting topic of interoception – the perception of the body's internal state. Interest in the topic has been driven by the observation that interoception appears to affect fundamental psychological processes and numerous physical and mental health conditions. In this book, the major authorities in the field present a discussion of the history of interoception, the neural basis of interoception, and the measurement and models of interoception conceptualization. This is followed by a consideration of the many domains that interoception appears to impact (including social and cognitive abilities and mental and physical health conditions) and differences across demographic groups. Interoception: A Comprehensive Guide also explores real world applications, including training for interoception, the modulation of interoception and the impact of such interventions, and future research directions.

This book explores the functional materials derived from biomass for environmental remediation applications. It covers different sources of biomass, its classification, production and various functional materials that are derived from them and suitable for energy production. Various topics covered in this book include classification of biomass, conversion and utilization techniques, functional materials, different applications in environmental remediation, biofuels and many more. This book is highly useful for students, researchers and professionals working in the field of materials and environmental science.

This book offers an in-depth analysis of and multidisciplinary insights into the latest trends in biodiversity laws, policies and science in Europe, the United States, and China. The loss of biodiversity and degradation of ecosystems continues at an alarming rate, harming people, the economy, and the climate. As biodiversity cannot be meaningfully addressed by any single field, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to attain a better understanding of its complexity and to identify prevention and protection systems. Each chapter addresses a specific aspect of biodiversity. Taken together, they provide an innovative exploration of the various facets of biodiversity from the perspectives of law, the social sciences and natural sciences. As such, the book offers an essential theoretical and practical guide for academics, experts, policymakers, and students alike.

This book provides for the first time an integrative analysis of the major drivers of decline and threats of insects and related arthropods in the Neotropical region. Thus, it is an urgent first step towards filling an information gap in this region. It identifies the main causes of decline, provides and discusses examples from the better-studied insect faunas to develop and advance principles and practical conservation management for the rich Neotropical insect faunas. The book is aimed at students, naturalists, environmental managers, and others who have training in entomology/insect ecology and can apply the results of surveys of key insect faunas to assess their vulnerability to environmental change and establish guidelines for their conservation.

This book explores the fragile Arctic marine environment from the perspective of marine toxicology, shedding light on the intricate relationship between pollution, contaminants, and Arctic ecosystems. It examines the challenges of preserving this delicate habitat and the need to conserve the inherent lifeforms found there. The book introduces the unique characteristics of Arctic marine life. It delineates climate change and the effects of pollutants, analyzing their far-reaching impacts on the complex waters of Arctic marine toxicology. It also examines the regulatory frameworks required to safeguard these vulnerable ecosystems and presents case studies and ethical considerations. Fundamentals of Arctic Marine Toxicology: Climate Change, Pollutants, and Their Far-Reaching Effects is a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, industry professionals, and environmental stewards. Its interdisciplinary approach encompasses climate change, conservation, biology, environmental science, and toxicology. It offers a holistic understanding of the Arctic's ecological intricacies and the challenges posed by anthropogenic disturbances caused by human activities motivated by economic gain. The book serves as a guide towards a future of eco-friendly innovations that align with environmental stewardship. It envisions a world of sustainable Arctic marine ecosystems achieved through responsible and sustainable practices.

This book contributes significantly to the international literature by bringing forth a novel and comprehensive exploration of urban resilience in the face of climate change and environmental pollution. Its focus on integrating physiological, biochemical, and molecular dimensions distinguishes it from existing literature. The book offers several key contributions, including an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complex interactions within urban ecosystems. It includes cutting-edge insights that have not been extensively explored in existing literature, practical applications, and evidence-based strategies to enhance urban sustainability and resilience. The book has a global relevance to a diverse international readership and provides strategic guidance to policymakers and urban planners when making decisions to develop evidence-based strategies that cater to the specific challenges of cities. Urban forests play a critical role in enhancing the resilience of cities by providing numerous benefits, including improved air quality, reduced urban heat island effect, and enhanced biodiversity, ultimately improving urban health. Besides, urban forests are a crucial natural-based solution (NbS) to mitigate air pollution and climate change impacts in cities. However, in the face of climate change and environmental pressures, urban forests face significant challenges to their survival and functionality. This book explores the complex morpho-physio-biochemical and molecular changes that enable urban forests to flourish amidst climate change and environmental pollution. It examines how urban trees modulate their morphological structures, including root systems and physiological and biochemical functioning, and molecular alterations to withstand changing urban climatic and environmental conditions.

This book is a comprehensive collection of extended contributions from the 3rd International Conference on Environmental Protection and Disaster Risks and the 12th Annual CMDR COE Conference on Crisis Management and Disaster Response held in the period June 4–6, 2024, in Sofia, Bulgaria, as a hybrid participation event. Environmental protection and disaster risk topics are challenging fields, that scientific world is trying to address. Earthquakes, floods, fires, droughts, blizzards, dust storms, natural releases of toxic gases and liquids, diseases, and other environmental variations affect hundreds of millions of people each year. Many disaster events are triggered by human activities. Dealing with these problems requires a multidisciplinary scientific approach. Actions in these directions are taken more and more in the recent years by political bodies, NGOs, and scientific groups trying to find sustainable solutions for the future generations. Every point of view matters when it comes to our global home—The Planet Earth. This book presents recent advances in the topics: disaster management, natural hazards, risk reduction, and building resilience; climate change challenges and security implications; resilience and business continuity management; high-performance computing, modeling and simulations, GIS for environmental monitoring and artificial intelligence. The book is focused on important large-scale applications like environmental and climate modeling, computational optimizations and algorithms for specific hazard situations analyses.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 20th International Forum on Digital Multimedia Communication, IFTC 2023, held in Beijing, China, December 21–22, 2023. The 57 full papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 150 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: CCIS 2066: Image Processing, Media Computing, Metaverse and Virtual Reality, and Multimedia Communication. CCIS 2067: Quality Assessment, Source Coding, and Application of AI.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 6th International Conference on HCI in Mobility, Transport, and Automotive Systems, MobiTAS 2024, held as part of the 26th HCI International Conference, HCII 2024, which took place in Washington, DC, USA, during June 29-July 4, 2024. The total of 1271 papers and 309 posters included in the HCII 2024 proceedings was carefully reviewed and selected from 5108 submissions. The MobiTAS 2024 proceedings were organized in the following topical sections: Part I: Driver behavior and safety; human factors in automated vehicles; Part II: Urban mobility and public transportation; user experience and inclusivity in MobiTAS.

This volume comprises selected peer-reviewed proceedings of 15th International Congress on Advances in Civil Engineering (ACE 2023) was held in Famagusta, North Cyprus in September 2023. This proceedings covers all disciplines of Civil Engineering classified under six main topics: Construction Management, Hydraulics, Geotechnics, Materials, Structures, Transportation, and Civil Engineering Education. It covers highly diverse research topics including investigation in the areas of innovative materials in concrete production, recycling of waste in the construction industry, fibre reinforced and high strength concrete, soil stabilization, problematic soils of semi-arid and arid regions, deep foundations, staged construction modelling, repair and maintenance of reinforced concrete, earthquake engineering and seismic retrofitting, coastal and harbour engineering, water resources management, hydrology & hydraulics engineering, traffic engineering and urban transport, life cycle cost analysis, decision making strategies.

This book addressed the pressing challenges of climate change, land scarcity, and food security, offering a comprehensive synthesis of research on using, managing, and reclaiming marginal lands in Africa. Unfavourable climatic conditions and rapid population growth intensify competition for land, putting pressure on traditional agricultural soils thus necessitating a transition towards underutilized marginal lands. Reclaiming these damaged and undervalued areas through various technologies presents a promising path not only to food independence but also to second-generation biofuel feedstock production, utilizing excess biomass from these revived lands. While recent years have seen increased focus on restoring degraded lands, a crucial gap remains i.e. a unified knowledge base detailing the efficacy of various reclamation technologies. This book fills that void, empowering farmers and policymakers with the insights they need to make informed decisions, mobilize resources effectively, and ultimately help Africa meet its projected 60% food demand increase.

People in highly developed countries are getting older and older. They want to be mobile in old age, but often have problems in road traffic. Even though they often pay a premium for age-appropriate products that increase safety, the demand for driver assistance systems among older drivers has so far been low. This book summarises the results of the ALFASY (ALtersgerechte FAhrerassistenzSYsteme) project, in which an acoustic driver assistance system is being developed and built to meet the needs of the steadily growing group of older drivers. Technical, psychological and economic aspects were investigated.

This book discusses a crucial paradigm shift in urban planning and architectural design, addressing the urgent need for sustainability and adaptation in the face of rapidly changing climate and urban landscapes. Ideal for urban planners, architects, researchers, and policymakers, this book weaves together cutting-edge research and innovative applications from the 7th edition of the international conference on Urban Planning and Architectural Design for Sustainable Development organized by IEREK in collaboration with the Architecture Department at the University of Florence, Italy. Through a collection of double-blind peer-reviewed papers, it offers a cohesive narrative emphasizing the vital role of spatial design at all scales. Readers will explore diverse case studies, from bustling megacities to forgotten villages, showcasing the local impacts of global challenges and the efforts to prevent, neutralize or mitigate them. With an insightful blend of qualitative and quantitative methods, the book uncovers the multi-functionality of blue-green infrastructure, the potentials of urban voids, and the urgent need for ecological transition. Unveiling the gap between current governance instruments and pressing challenges, this book serves as a compass for crafting inclusive, livable, and environmentally conscious cities and communities.

When our food items become contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, these microorganisms secrete microbial toxins which promote infection by attacking the host tissue's immune system, thereby leading to foodborne intoxication, or poisoning, in consumers. Because these toxic microorganisms are not typically identifiable by taste, smell or sight, it is crucial to the safety of our food systems that they be detected through microbial testing. As the title suggests, Microbial Toxins: Causes, Mechanisms, Complications and Metabolism is a comprehensive overview of the life of these toxins from their pathogenesis through to their implications for human and environmental health. Including examples of salmonella, botulism, listeria and more, as well as various mycotoxins, this text will appeal to both microbiology researchers as well as food industry professionals. Beyond foodborne illness, this text also unpacks environmental toxicology and the role of microbial toxins in the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Emerging techniques in the detection of microbial toxins will be discussed, setting this text apart from existing books on the subject. The use of proteomics in toxin identification, for example, allows for the determination of metabolic pathways and biomarkers of pathogenicity and resistance of biotoxins. This text furthers the study of foodborne hazards and has important implications for the improvement of safety in the food industry.

During the last few years, Greece has become a subject of increasing attention worldwide. Once praised for its ability to innovate and reform during the EU integration process, applauded for its remarkable job in managing the 2004 Olympics, the country fell into a financial crisis of unprecedented magnitude in 2008. Much has been said on this matter, and amid the morass of information a staggering number of untruths have been disseminated.In fact, the challenges of vulnerability and the paradigms of adaptation go way beyond finance and economy in Greece. Mega-fires, earthquakes, landslides and floods, migrations, sociopolitical upheavals, and armed conflicts generate emergency situations repeatedly. Because of its bridging role between natural and social sciences, geography can provide insights into the entire breadth of hazardous and chaotic events driving adaptation and change. Against all these threats, Greece has developed an enhanced resilience capacity. The purpose of this book is to help unravel the complexities of a fascinating country beyond clichés.This book is intended for students, researchers, scholars, and engineers interested in geography, land planning, urban studies, and environmental management. The crises issue intended as a guideline allows widening the audience to include the media, governmental and non-governmental agencies, and the public at large.

This book focuses exclusively on the welfare of goats, which have peculiar behavioral characteristics and needs, and distinct individual personalities. Despite the many differences between goats and sheep, welfare and health issues of small ruminants have often been addressed together. Goats are extremely adaptable, now widespread and farmed all over the world. Usually bred for economic purposes (milk, meat and/or fibre), goats are also occasionally kept as pet animals, in educational farms, in zoos or for animal-assisted therapy. This wide range of conditions may elicit different challenges for their welfare. Readers of this volume are introduced to the goat species, starting from its origin and domestication process, and presentation of its natural behaviour and characteristics, including recent data on goats'ability to communicate, cognition capabilities and personality. Knowledge of these features is indispensable to allow a welfare-friendly approach to goat management. The authors then address all relevant aspects of goat welfare, covering issues related to housing, feeding, painful procedures and end-of-life management, with special emphasis on welfare challenges in adverse environments. An additional chapter is dedicated to the main health problems that can jeopardize goats'welfare. Finally, this volume highlights the latest research to on-farm welfare assessment with indicators and protocols for evaluation. This work will appeal to scholars of animal welfare science and biology, stakeholders in the livestock industry, as well as experts in goat-assisted interventions and pet owners. Video and audio files enrich the reading experience and can also be played from the print book using the free Springer Nature More Media app.

This two-volme set CCIS 1957-1958 is part of the refereed proceedings of the 25th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2023, which was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July 2023. A total of 5583 individuals from academia, research institutes, industry, and governmental agencies from 88 countries submitted contributions, and 1276 papers and 275 posters were included in the proceedings that were published just before the start of the conference. Additionally, 296 papers and 181 posters are included in the volumes of the proceedings published after the conference, as “Late Breaking Work” (papers and posters). The contributions thoroughly cover the entire field of human-computer interaction, addressing major advances in knowledge and effective use of computers in a variety of application areas.

This edited book provides an ensemble of contemporary research related to the challenges, impacts and precautionary measures for tackling plant invasions in the context of changing climate in different regions of the world. In current scenario, plant invasions are expansive and significant component of anthropogenic global climate change. Temperature variations may compromise the adaptability of native species, thereby stressing them and decreasing the resistance potential of natural communities to invasion. Invasive alien species under the current scenario have been suggested as a major threat to biodiversity. It is also predicted that increasing disturbances or extreme events such as fires, floods, cyclones, storms, heat-waves, droughts, etc. will be direct consequences of changing climate supporting the invasive alien species. A comprehensive understanding of the interaction between species invasion and climate change will be supplemental in forecasting future shifts in biodiversity. Further, different predictive models indicate a plausible increase in the abundance and impact of invasive alien species which may have direct implications for future research and target-oriented policy and decision making. However, these predictions become more complicated considering the complexity of interactions between the impacts of changing climate with other components of global change (changes in land use, nitrogen deposition, etc.) which are affecting the distribution of native plant species, ecosystem dynamics as well as non-native/invasive species. This book will be suitable for students (undergraduate and postgraduates) of agriculture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences; teachers, researchers, and climate change scientists in academic and research institutions. It will also be applicable to environmental management agencies, government agencies and policy makers.

This book describes the environment in Galicia (NW Spain), with researchers and professors presenting their own photographs of relevant aspects. This richly illustrated book explains atmospheric, geologic, water, soils, landscapes, and environmental issues and treatments for a broad audience, including students and the general public, to raise awareness and effectively develop strategies to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.

This book attempts to move the family of squirrels (Sciuridae) out of the shadow of large charismatic mammals and to highlight management failures with the goal of moving towards an improved conservation approach. Particular attention is paid to the influence of taxonomic science on squirrel conservation. In addition, the authors show how human-driven climate change, global change and modern politics are shaping global squirrel populations as well as their surrounding environments and ecosystems.Squirrels are widespread around the globe, naturally occurring on every continent except Antarctica and Oceania, and they are certainly among the animals most commonly encountered in everyday life. Despite this, the authors of this volume identify worrying gaps in squirrel conservation. Squirrels are often hunted, trapped, poached, and stressed, and management strategies andlegislation are often devised in the absence of proper knowledge of issues such as population sizes, taxonomies, and trends. Together, this can result in severe population declines and even species extinction. By assessing their taxonomic situation, ecology, the evolution and divergence of Sciuridae around the globe, and squirrels'well-being across habitats, the authors set a baseline from which to launch future investigations into the conservation of squirrels and other species. Additionally, the authors highlight the influences of climate change, unsustainable growth, and various man-made threats to the future of this family.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Persuasive Technology, PERSUASIVE 2023, held in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, April 19–21, 2023.The 24 full papers and 2 short papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 69 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: Persuasive Technologies in Virtual and Augmented Reality; Persuasive Strategies; Persuasive Design and Applications; Methods for Tailoring and Personalisation; Artificial Persuasive Agents; Gamification; and Personal Factors in Persuasion.

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the welfare of cattle. It starts with a consideration of animal welfare science and its application to the management of cattle and moves through to discussions of the challenges and opportunities for providing good welfare for cattle in farming and husbandry systems across the globe. The first section comprises three chapters that discuss the social, behavioural and physiological methods that can be used to assess welfare in cattle. The second section considers the welfare challenges of beef and dairy cattle in extensive and intensive systems. The third section details welfare challenges such as at slaughter, during handling and in the growing period and details solutions such as the use of sensors and application of animal breeding techniques. The final section addresses welfare challenges and solutions in achieving sustainability, in smallholder farms in Africa and new entrant dairying in Asia and cow shelters in India. This work makes a valuable contribution to the field of animal welfare and modern livestock farming. It is a must-read for researchers and students, veterinarians as well as industry personnel and informed farmers and producers.

This protocol book provides detailed procedures for the isolation of cyanobacteria, extraction, quantification, and detection of cyanotoxins. It illustrates the sampling and processing of toxin-producing cyanobacteria in water and aquatic animal samples, detection of cyanotoxins from Anabaena, Anabaenopsis, Cylindrospermopsis, Microsystis, Microcystis, Nodularia, Nostoc, Schizotrix, Lyngbya, Raphidiopsis, Oscillatoria, Planktothrix in aquatic resources. It also covers toxicity analysis by various bioassay protocols, and in vitro and insilico analysis methods. The book also reviews the methods for cyanotoxin extraction, detection, and quantification by various tools including LC-MS/MS, HPLC, NMR, PCR, and HESI-MS/MS. A separate section is dedicated to the advanced methods in Cyanotoxin analysis including the Molecular Imprinting Method (MIM), Cellular signaling biosensor, Electrochemical sensor, Nanosensors, and screening of Polyketide synthase gene. The analysis of various toxin-producing genes like sxtA and mcy is also accounted for in this book. In a nutshell, the book gives comprehensive procedures about the basics and preliminary processes that are involved in sample collection to advanced methods incorporated into the well-explored and unexplored Cyanobacterial toxin. Consequently, this manual is useful for both beginners and advanced researchers, including postgraduate students, academicians, researchers, and scientists in the field of Cyanobacterial research. ​

In this exciting update, readers will learn how feeding direct-fed microbials (including eubiotics, postbiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics) is becoming increasingly widespread during food animal production. Animal production must improve efficiency of growth, and the use of direct-fed microbial and prebiotic additives to domestic animals has become widely accepted and utilized. The benefits of probiotic-type approaches in cattle, pigs, fish, and poultry, include improved general animal health, reduced foodborne pathogen populations, increased growth rate and feed efficiency, improved milk and egg production, and have been reported world-wide. Successes from probiotic approaches in multiple species have ensured their adoption; however, several fundamental questions remain. Early establishment and retention of an ecological balance in the gastrointestinal tract is an important first step for an external biological additive to be effective in young animals, suggesting that some of the benefits of direct-fed microbials may be due to an early establishment of a “normal” native gut microbial population. Research has indicated that the establishment of a normal population can enhance gut epithelial integrity, preventing inflammation and improving animal health. Thus, it is important that we understand the key processes that occur during the establishment of the gut microbial population that can impact gastrointestinal fermentation and provide protection against pathogens of the animals and of human consumers. Knowing how these processes work and how they impact animal energy and protein expenditures can guide further improvements of available and future commercial products. Exciting research opportunities are discussed in this book, examining different characteristics of DFMs that are fed to animals to meet different production demands in different production scenarios (e.g., beef versus dairy versus swine versusfin fish). The advent of molecular and next-generation sequencing offers methods of developing tailored DFMs, and of early detection of successful DFM establishment in the gut. These techniques will further deepen our insight into understanding the microbial population of the gut and how these populations impact animal health, food safety, and sustainability of animal-derived protein production.

This two-volume set provides an extensive review of the abundant past and recent literature on the atmospheric chemistry in the Mediterranean region. ­The books document the experience gained on the atmospheric composition over the Mediterranean basin and close areas after almost six decades of studies, starting from early studies of radioactive aerosol fallouts and intense desert dust events in the 1960s, aerosol samples collected during oceanographic cruises in the early 1980s and including discoveries from subsequent surface monitoring stations, intensive campaigns, satellite climatologies, laboratory studies, as well as chemistry-transport and climate models. Through ten thematic sections, the authors examine the sources and fates of atmospheric pollutants over the Mediterranean basin and what we know about their major impacts on air quality and health, on the radiative budget and climate, on marine chemistryand biogeochemistry. ­ This overview not only considers the full cycle of both aerosol and reactive gases including emissions, transport, transformation, and sinks, but also addresses the main impacts of the regional atmospheric chemistry.­ The volumes are an initiative from the ending ChArMEx project that has federated many studies on those topics in the past decade, and update the scientific knowledge by integrating the ChArMEx and non-ChArMEx literature. The books are contributed by a large pool of well-known authors from the respective fields, mainly from France and Greece, but also from fourteen other countries. All chapters have been peer-reviewed by international scientific experts in the corresponding domains. Volume 1 provides background information on the Mediterranean atmosphere, and focuses on the synoptic and dynamic conditions affecting pollutant concentrations over the Mediterranean basin,aerosol concentrations and variability, and reactive gas concentrations and variability. ­ The targeted audience is the academic community working on atmospheric chemistry and its impacts on climate, air quality and marine biogeochemistry, especially teams having a special interest in the Mediterranean region, which includes many countries and institutes worldwide.

This textbook covers topics in sport and exercise psychology for students of psychology and sport science, as well as for sport practitioners who want to understand topics in sport psychology in more detail and depth.The book is divided into two main parts: Theory and Application. The first part covers the theoretical facets of sport and exercise psychology, and the close link between theory and practice, divided into the sub-disciplines of psychology (cognition, motivation, emotion, personality and development, and social processes). The second part focuses on the applications of sport and exercise psychology in the context of performance and health.With contributions from scholars across the globe, the book offers an international and timely perspective on the key fundaments of sport psychology. Taken together, these chapters provide a challenging yet accessible overview of the larger field of sport and exercise psychology. This book issuitable for readers at different levels of competence, supported with didactic elements (learning objectives and learning control questions) to find the right learning level.

This book provides a comprehensive reference for various plant bioactive compounds for research and pharmacological significance across the entire spectrum of phytochemical genomics. The book opens with general information on diversity, analysis and genomic basis of phytochemicals, computational approaches, databases for responsible genes, and biosynthetic pathways, and it delves very much into the details behind phytochemical diversity and diverse roles of plant metabolites. The later parts of the book also explore the direct drug discovery and omics approaches including metabolomics, transcriptomics, as well as gene editing technology experiments to further inspire readers into its unlimited potentials. Each chapter includes detailed analysis and relevant experiments for better and deeper understanding of the concepts. The book will be an invaluable aid for medicinal plant researchers and a rich source of information and advice for advanced undergraduates and graduates in the fields of medicine, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, flavor, and fragrance studies.

This book gathers extended versions of the best papers presented at the Global Joint Conference on Industrial Engineering and Its Application Areas (GJCIE), held as a hybrid event on October 29–30, 2022, in/from Istanbul Technical University. Continuing the tradition of previous volumes, it highlights recent developments of industrial engineering at the purpose of using and managing digital and intelligent technologies for application to a wide range of field, including manufacturing, healthcare, e-commerce and sustainable development. A special emphasis is given to engineering methods and strategies for managing pandemics and reducing their adverse effects on businesses.

This book aims to provide a deeper understanding of Third Mobile Window Syndrome and its various forms beyond just Superior Canal Dehiscence. It will illuminate the various presentations of Third Mobile Window Syndrome, provide the means for diagnosis, and elucidate treatments. The disorder Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence Syndrome was discovered in 1995 by Dr Lloyd Minor at The John Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Though he published his findings in 1998, there remains no book wholly devoted to the topic. For this reason, many neurotologists and otorhinolaryngologists still misunderstand this condition and its presentation. Structured in six parts, the first part will be important in providing a context, and drawing together all of the learning that has been acquired since 1998, as well as explaining the complexities of the condition. The second and third parts will set out to detail all the aspects that are necessary for diagnosing a patient and then deciding on the best form of treatment, surgical or otherwise. Part four covers special situations, including bilateral SCDS and the pediatric patient. In part five, Philippa Thomson, a patient herself, will describe the patient perspective of symptoms and the complicated journey of identifying a diagnosis and securing expert care. Finally, part six covers future research. Third Mobile Window Syndrome of the Inner Ear: Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence and Associated Disorders will provide clinicians involved in the treatment of inner ear disorders, balance dysfunction, and dizziness with the expertise they need to assist patients with Third Mobile Window Syndrome. It will also supply useful information to neurotologists/otologists, otolaryngologists, and neurologists. Researchers in the field of inner ear disorders will also find this to be a valuable text.

This book describes new theories and applications of artificial neural networks, with a special focus on answering questions in neuroscience, biology and biophysics and cognitive research. It covers a wide range of methods and technologies, including deep neural networks, large-scale neural models, brain–computer interface, signal processing methods, as well as models of perception, studies on emotion recognition, self-organization and many more. The book includes both selected and invited papers presented at the XXV International Conference on Neuroinformatics, held on October 23-27, 2023, in Moscow, Russia.

T​his book contains selected papers presented during the World Renewable Energy Network's biannual World Med Green Forum (MGF). The 2022 MGF highlights the role of renewable energy applications in the sustainable building sector with a focus on the Mediterranean region as a foundation for a truly positive energy future. MGF is an open roundtable for an international community of researchers, practitioners, and experts to discuss the most innovative and promising sustainable building technologies. The papers presented explore the intersection between twin transitions in policies, programs, projects, and experimentation, with the digital domain innovating the green building sector towards more reliable and inclusive planning and design practices in order to collectively envision future buildings and cities.

This book constitutes the refereed post proceedings of the 16th Research Conference onMetadata and Semantic Research, MTSR 2022, held in London, UK, during November 7–11, 2022.The 21 full papers and 4 short papers included in this book were carefully reviewed andselected from 79 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: metadata, linked data, semantics and ontologies - general session, and track on Knowledge IT Artifacts (KITA), Track on digital humanities and digital curation, and track on cultural collections and applications, track on digital libraries, information retrieval, big, linked, social & open data, and metadata, linked data, semantics and ontologies - general session, track on agriculture, food & environment, and metadata, linked Data, semantics and ontologies - general, track on open repositories, research information systems & data infrastructures, and metadata, linked data, semantics andontologies - general, metadata, linked data, semantics and ontologies - general session, and track on european and national projects.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global public health threat. The menace of antimicrobial resistance is present across health, animal, agriculture, food, and environment sectors. It, therefore, requires an inter-disciplinary combat approach- the one health approach, envisaged by the FAO-UNEP-WHO-WOAH Quadripartite (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). This comprehensive reference book provides a thorough understanding of antimicrobial resistance across different sectors. It presents deep insights and gives a global perspective on antimicrobial resistance for policymakers. The book offers essential and up-to-date information that enables researchers from multiple fields to design research on antimicrobial resistance. The book discusses molecular mechanisms and antibiotic resistance genesof significant antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, regulatory frameworks available worldwide, and mitigation strategies across the sectors, including probiotics, prebiotics, antimicrobial peptides, bacteriophages, phytochemical compounds, immunostimulants, vaccines, bacteriocins, etc. It compiles essays from leading experts in the field of antimicrobial resistance research. The book is meant for students and researchers in microbiology, medical microbiology, and public health. It is also helpful for clinicians and policymakers.

The accumulation of large amounts of contaminants occurs in the environment due to industrialization and various other anthropogenic activities. Contaminants ultimately affect human health worldwide. Organic, inorganic, and radioactive substances are the prevalent forms of environmental contaminants and their complete remediation in soils and sediments is rather a difficult task. Concerns of their toxicities led to the emphasis on development of effective techniques to assess the presence and mobility of contaminants in air, water, and soil. Furthermore, the ever-increasing concentration of toxic pollutants in the environment is considered a serious threat to plant, animal, human, and environmental health.Many technologies are in use to clean and eliminate hazardous contaminants from the environment; however, these technologies can be costly, labor intensive, and often distressing to the general public. Phytoremediation is a simple, cost effective, environmentally friendly and fast-emerging new technology for eliminating toxic contaminants from different environments. Phytoremediation refers to the natural ability of certain plants and their associated microbiome (including hyper-accumulators or bio-accumulators) to remove, degrade, or render contaminants harmless. Through this technique, certain species of plants flourish by accumulating contaminants present in the environment. The unique and selective uptake capabilities of plant root and shoot systems, effective translocation, bioaccumulation, and contaminant degradation capabilities of the accumulator plants are utilized in phytoremediation techniques. Phytotechnologies involving the use of plants for contaminant removal gained importance during the last two decades and phytoremediation technology became an effective tool for environmental detoxification because of plants ability to accumulate the contaminants at very high concentrations.Phytoremediation strategies can remove, degrade, or stabilize inorganic and organic contaminants entering a multitude of ecosystems using green plants and their associated microbial communities. The development and use of phytotechnologies continues to move forward at a steady pace. Researchers recognize the potential of phytoremediation to offer a green, cost effective, eco-friendly and feasible application to address some of the world's many environmental challenges. This book provides significant information to add to the previous volumes published on the topic and can serve as the foundation for the development of new applications that feature the integration of modern research discoveries into new methods to remediate contaminated ecosystems. Moreover, this volume brings recent and established knowledge on different aspects of phytoremediation and nano-phytoremediation, providing this information in a single source that offers a cutting-edge synthesis of scientific and experiential knowledge on polluted environments that is useful for policy makers, practitioners and scientists, and engineers.Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants, Volume 7 highlights the various prospects that are involved in current global phytoremediation research. This book delivers a content-rich source to the reader and can act as a platform for further research studies. It should meet the needs of all researchers working in, or have an interest in this particular field.

This volume explores the South Brazilian grasslands, a unique complex of ecosystems in Brazil. Despite high biodiversity and many important ecosystem services, their biodiversity and conservation are neglected, both nationally, and globally. This book provides a state-of-the-art synthesis of knowledge on the biodiversity and its drivers in South Brazilian grasslands and associated ecosystems. Further, the book discusses conservation challenges and options, as well as management strategies that help to maintain the region's uniqueness. The chapters present information on biodiversity and ecological features of the region, and put this information into the context of historical and current human land uses, allowing for links to global discussions of conservation and sustainable development. Altogether, the book contains 20 chapters organized in four sections. The book is directed at researchers, students and professionals working with biodiversity and sustainable development in southern Brazil, as well as to the international scientific and conservation community interested in grasslands and associated ecosystems, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions.

The book aims to serve as a theoretical framework for the socio-cognitive approach (SCA) that is an alternative to the two main lines of pragmatics research: linguistic-philosophical pragmatics and sociocultural-interactional pragmatics. SCA broadens the scope of the field with an intent to incorporate not only L1 communication but also intercultural communication, and communication in a second language. The author integrates the pragmatic view of cooperation and the cognitive view of egocentrism and emphasizes that both cooperation and egocentrism are manifested in all phases of communication, albeit to varying extents. SCA places equal importance on the social and cognitive individual factors in pragmatics. The author claims that while (social) cooperation is an intention-directed practice that is governed by relevance, (individual) egocentrism is an attention-oriented trait dominated by salience.The book serves as a theoretical guide for researchers and students who would like to understand how we need to change first language-based theories to make sense of what happens not only in L1 but also in intercultural and multi-lingual interactions.