In this book, the authors present the latest research results in the multimedia and semantic web communities, bridging the «Semantic Gap» This book explains, collects and reports on the latest research results that aim at narrowing the so-called multimedia «Semantic Gap»: the large disparity between descriptions of multimedia content that can be computed automatically, and the richness and subjectivity of semantics in user queries and human interpretations of audiovisual media. Addressing the...
The Moss Physcomitrella patens has rapidly become an experimental model of choice for many aspects of molecular, cell and developmental biology in plant sciences. With a recently sequenced genome, which has further fuelled interest and research, Physcomitrella is accruing various new labels, from ‘a green yeast’ to the Drosophila, Caenorhabditis or Zebra fish of plant sciences. A truly international collaboration, this timely volume brings together a selection of chapters each composed by...
"I have no dress except the one I wear every day. If you are going to be kind enough to give me one, please let it be practical and dark so that I can put it on afterwards to go to the laboratory", said Marie Curie about her wedding dress. According to her lecture notes, Gertrude B. Elion is quoted a few decades later: «Don't be afraid of hard work. Don't let others discourage you, or tell you that you can't do it. In my day I was told women didn't go into chemistry. I saw no reason why we...
This volume provides a one-stop resource, compiling current research on ceramic coatings and interfaces. It is a collection of papers from The American Ceramic Society s 32nd International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, January 27-February 1, 2008. Papers include developments and advances in ceramic coatings for structural, environmental, and functional applications. Articles are logically organized to provide insight into various aspects of ceramic coatings and interfaces. This...
This second edition of Clinical Nutrition, in the acclaimed textbook series by the Nutrition Society, has been revised and updated in order to: Provide students with the required scientific basis in nutrition, in the context of a systems and health approach. Enable teachers and students to explore the core principles of nutrition and to apply these throughout their training to foster critical thinking at all times. Each chapter identifies the key areas of knowledge that must be understood and...
Commissioned to celebrate the 40th year of Antipode: A Radical Journal of Geography, this book evaluates the role of the critical social scientist and how the point of their work is not simply to interpret the world but to change it Brings together leading critical social scientists to consider the major challenges of our time and what is to be done about them Applies diagnostic and normative reasoning to momentous issues including the global economic crisis, transnational environmental...
The quantitative assessment of the impact of climate change on water availability and water resources management requires knowledge of climate, hydro(geo)logical and water resources models, and particularly the relationships between each of them. This book brings together world experts on each of these aspects, distilling each complex topic into concise and easy to understand chapters, in which both the uses and limitations of modelling are explored. The book concludes with a set of case studies...
An up-to-date overview of current progress in improving crop quality and quantity using modern methods. With a particular emphasis on genetic engineering, this text focusses on crop improvement under adverse conditions, paying special attention to such staple crops as rice, maize, and pulses. It includes an excellent mix of specific examples, such as the creation of nutritionally-fortified rice and a discussion of the political and economic implications of genetically engineered food. The result...
This book presents results of projects carried out by both scientific and industry researchers into the techniques to help in maintenance, control, supervision and security of systems, taking into account the technical environmental and human factors. This work is supported by the Scientific Group GIS 3SGS. It is a collaborative work from 13 partners (academic and industrial) who have come together to deal with security problems. The problems and techniques discussed mainly focus on stochastic...