This volume brings together international experts to explore land misuse and mismanagement that is compromising soil qualtiy across the globe. The book assesses farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa with emphasis on land degradation, examines soil management in Brazil and China, and provides a comparison of systems in India and Ohio. It also looks at how culture and spiritual beliefs contribute to the problem. Ultimately, the book helps us understand that the situation is not beyond remediation were we to act with urgency and details achievable methods for improving soil quality.
• Advances in Soil Science
Agriculture
Soil Science
Ecology - Environment Studies
Reference

Since the first edition of this volume was published in 1983, it has retained its unique status of being the only book in the field of public administration that analyzes how constitutional law regulates and informs the way administrators interact with each other and the public. Examining First, Fourth, Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights as they pertain to these encounters, it explains how public administrators must do their jobs and how administrative systems must operate in order to comply with constitutional law. Supplemented with case citations and lists of articles, books and documents, this text is designed to facilitate further study in a constantly evolving area.
• Public Administration and Public Policy
Government
Public Administration & Management
Reference

Bioactive peptides are used to enhance the body’s antioxidant status, antisepsis capacity, immune function, anti-inflammatory capacity, mineral absorption, and appetite. They can also mitigate major metabolic derangements arising from chronic illnesses which result in unwanted weight loss. Presenting data from human studies, clinical trials, and recent research findings, this work summarizes the applications and benefits of this therapy. The book covers host response, quality factors, protein economics, and muscle loss. It includes case studies on aging, AIDS, COPD, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney failure, and tuberculosis.
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Nutrition
Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods
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Although many references cover ethnoveterinary medicine in some form or another, none give it the intense and scientific scrutiny found in this book. With chapters on biological assays, efficacy testing, and phytochemistry, the book presents hard scientific information in accessible and readable language. It features a multidisciplinary approach to examining the role of herbal medicines in companion and pet animals. Tthe text also discusses access benefit sharing, the Convention of Biodiversity, intellectual property, and the skills required to navigate the minefield of bioprospecting.
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Botany
Natural History
Animal Physiology
Reference
Professional

This timely three-volume set captures novel developments in the films and coatings area in relation to nanoscience and nanotechnology. For newcomers to the field, the books serve as introductions and stepping-stones to enter the field with little confusion. For experts, the books provide up-to-date information that can assist them in their research and help them contribute to the advancement of the technology. Figures, tables, and images are included in all three volumes. The first book concentrates on the mechanical properties of thin films and coatings, the second focuses on functional properties as well as related devices and applications, and the final volume examines organic thin films, devices, and coatings for clean energy applications.
• Hndbk of Nanostructured Thin Films & Coatings
Ceramics & Glasses
Materials Science
Renewable & Sustainable Energy
Reference
Professional

The first volume in the Handbook of Nanostructured Thin Films and Coatings set, this book concentrates on the mechanical properties, such as hardness, toughness, and adhesion, of thin films and coatings. It discusses processing, properties, and performance and provides a detailed analysis of theories and size effects. The book presents the fundamentals of hard and superhard nanocomposites and heterostructures, assesses fracture toughness and interfacial adhesion strength of thin films and hard nanocomposite coatings, and covers the processing and mechanical properties of hybrid sol-gel-derived nanocomposite coatings. It also uses nanomechanics to optimize coatings for cutting tools and explores various other coatings, such as diamond, metal-containing amorphous carbon nanostructured, and transition metal nitride-based nanolayered multilayer coatings.
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Ceramics & Glasses
Materials Science
Reference
Professional

The second volume in the Handbook of Nanostructured Thin Films and Coatings set, this book focuses on functional properties, including optical, electronic, and electrical properties, as well as related devices and applications. It explores the large-scale fabrication of functional thin films with nanoarchitecture via chemical routes, the fabrication and characterization of SiC nanostructured/nanocomposite films, and low-dimensional nanocomposite fabrication and applications. The book also presents the properties of sol-gel-derived nanostructured thin films as well as silicon nanocrystals embedded in SiO 2 matrix and amorphous SiO 2 matrix. It concludes with chapters on controlled micro/nanostructured films and devices and thin film shape memory alloy for microsystem applications.
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Ceramics & Glasses
Materials Science
Reference
Professional

Nanotechnology is set to have a profound impact on telecommunications leading to easier convergence of related technologies, massive storage data, compact storage devices, and higher performance computing. Nanotechnology for Telecommunications covers research and developmental issues as well as future directions of MEMS and nanotechnology as they apply to telecommunications. It discusses the impact of nanotechnology on devices such as photonic crystals lasers, light emitters, and sensors. The authors also include a discussion on the challenges associated with the system integration of nano-, micro-, and macro-components in component modules, and telecommunication networks.
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Telecommunications
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Optics & optoelectronics
Reference
Professional

The final volume in the Handbook of Nanostructured Thin Films and Coatings set, this book examines the processing and properties of organic thin films, devices, and coatings for clean energy applications. It presents thin film solar cells based on the use of polycrystalline thin film materials, explores anodized titania nanotube array and its application in dye-sensitized solar cells, and reviews the progress and challenges of photovoltaic applications of silicon nanocrystalline materials. The book also looks at semiconductive nanocomposite films for a clean environment, thin coating technologies and applications in high temperature solid oxide fuel cells, and nanoscale organic molecular thin films for information memory applications.
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Ceramics & Glasses
Materials Science
Renewable & Sustainable Energy
Reference
Professional

Compatible with SAS version 9, SAS Enterprise Guide, and SAS Learning Edition, this resource describes statistical data mining concepts and methods and includes 13 user-friendly SAS macro applications for performing complete data mining tasks. Along with many new features in the SAS-specific macro applications, this second edition now provides access to SAS macros directly from your desktop and offers the ability to create publication quality graphics. Each chapter emphasizes step-by-step instructions for using SAS macros and interpreting the results. Compiled data mining SAS macro files are available for download on the author’s website.
• Chapman & Hall/CRC Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery Series
Data Preparation & Mining
Statistics
Reference