Böcker utgivna av Springer Verlag, Singapore

This book provides two state-of-the-art quantitative techniques to determine ultra-trace rare earth elements (REEs) in natural carbonates using solution nebulization-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SN-ICPMS) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) with respective applications were presented in this dissertation. These techniques were applied to natural carbonates, including corals and stalagmites, to understand volcano eruptions and the impacts on modern biosystem and paleoclimate regimes.In the first SN-ICPMS protocol, direct measurements for femtogram quantity carbonate samples without chemical separation steps can offer accurate and high-precision analysis (±1.9-6.5%, 2¿) with a high sample throughput of 8-10 samples/hr routinely. Application to modern Porites corals collected from South China Sea region, the anomalies of REE contents and Al/Ca ratios associated with micro-domain images, register modern coral reefs could be exacerbated by volcanic eruptions.In the second protocol, a high-sensitivity quantitative open-cell LA-ICPMS technique has been established to allow direct sampling on stalagmite surface in the atmospheric air. This technique improved limits of detection down to sub-ng/g range and promises analyses of carbonate REE profiles at the single digit parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. Application to a 15-cm stalagmite collected from East Timor reveals two peaks of REE contents by at least one order of magnitude, possibly due to volcanic ash preserved in stalagmite. Both improved SN-ICPMS and LA-ICPMS techniques highlight the high-sensitivity and high-temporal-resolution carbonate REE analyses for corals and stalagmites, with great potential to other natural carbonates such as travertine, tufa, and flowstone, benefit our understanding of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental dynamics.

This book provides new roads, perspectives, and a synthesis for tourism and regional science research.

This thesis details the novel preparation methods and the improved properties of two-dimentional (2D) black phosphorene (BP) and the polymer nanocomposites.

In this book, we introduce different types of biological data missing scenarios and propose machine learning models to improve the data analysis, including deep recurrent neural network recovery for feature missings, robust information theoretic learning for label missings and structure-aware rebalancing for minor sample missings.

This second volume continues the study on asymptotic convergence of global solutions of parabolic equations to stationary solutions by utilizing the theory of abstract parabolic evolution equations and the Lojasiewicz-Simon gradient inequality.

This book presents the better understanding of infrared structures of particle scattering processes in quantum electrodynamics (QED) in four-dimensional spacetime. An S-matrix is the fundamental quantity in scattering theory. However, if a theory involves massless particles, such as QED and gravity, the conventional S-matrix has not been well defined due to the infrared divergence, and infrared dynamics thus needs to be understood in-depth to figure out the S-matrix.The book begins with introducing fundamental nature of the charge conservation law associated with asymptotic symmetry, and explaining its relations to soft theorems and memory effect. Subsequently it looks into an appropriate asymptotic state of the S-matrix without infrared divergences. The Faddeev-Kulish dressed state is known as a candidate of such a state, and its gauge invariant condition and its relation to the asymptotic symmetry are discussed. It offers an important building blocks for constructing the S-matrix without infrared divergences.

Some of the themes covered are anthropometry and workplace design, biomechanics and modelling in ergonomics, cognitive and environmental ergonomics, ergonomic intervention and productivity, ergonomics in transport, mining, agriculture and forestry, health systems, work physiology and sports ergonomics, etc.

This book studies four types of newly detected outbursts in dwarf novae through optical observations and/or numerical simulations and puts forward physical interpretations of these outbursts on the basis of the disk instability model, the most plausible model for dwarf-nova outbursts.

This book studies four types of newly detected outbursts in dwarf novae through optical observations and/or numerical simulations and puts forward physical interpretations of these outbursts on the basis of the disk instability model, the most plausible model for dwarf-nova outbursts.

This book discusses new cognitive informatics tools, algorithms and methods that mimic the mechanisms of the human brain which lead to an impending revolution in understating a large amount of data generated by various smart applications.

Some of the areas covered include control of linear and nonlinear systems, intelligent systems, stochastic control, knowledge-based systems applications, fault diagnosis and tolerant control, and real-time control applications.

¿Chinäs e-Science Blue Book 2020¿ has been jointly compiled by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Education of the PRC, Ministry of Science and Technology of the PRC, China Association for Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. It was focusing on the new situation, new progress and new achievements of China's e-Scientific in the past two years. During the ¿13th Five-Year Plan¿ period, Chinese scholars make full use of advanced information technology to carry out scientific research work, and have achieved a series of major scientific and technological achievements. This book has collected 28 research reports about Chinäs e-Science application in the past two years to introduce the application in the frontier research of science and technology, the progress of e-Science in major projects and the achievements of informatization in interdisciplinary. As such it provides a valuable reference resource for researchers and students in this area and promotes further e-Science research.

This book explores the benefits of teaching reflection upon one¿s own culture to develop intercultural competence and looks into the relationship between the proficiency level of the second language and the target culture. It introduces new debates on the concept of ¿critical cultural awareness¿ in intercultural learning and teaching, for example the indiscriminate use of terminologies related to the idea of ¿intercultural encounters¿. Also, it provides insight into the relationship between language and culture using a new tool such as the Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters through Visual Media. The presentation of different approaches, tools, barriers, educational and cultural realities, online intercultural exchange projects and concepts such as motivation, attitudes, stereotyping, otherization, and critical cultural awareness makes this book an excellent instrument not only for teachers but also for researchers, policy-makers and private and public institutions that want to explore culture and interculturality and to promote an intercultural competence and global citizenship among its learners / users / clients and / or an interculturally-oriented language education.

The book examines the role of artificial intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic, including its application in i) early warnings and alerts, ii) tracking and prediction, iii) data dashboards, iv) diagnosis and prognosis, v) treatments, and cures, and vi) social control.

This book addresses the contributions of design thinking to higher education and explores the benefits and challenges of design thinking discourses and practices in interdisciplinary contexts.

This book comprises selected papers from the Fourth International Conference on Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (ICMME 2019). The contents focus on the latest developments in the synthesis and characterization of new materials, and highlights the challenges involved in the manufacturing and machinability of different materials.

Bringing together researchers and professionals in the area of urban planning and development to better understand the growing need for sustainable urban life, it covers topics such as climate change and urban resilience;

Bringing together researchers and professionals in the area of urban planning and development to better understand the growing need for sustainable urban life, it covers topics such as climate change and urban resilience;

This book discusses imaginary future generations and how current decision-making will influence those future generations. Markets are excellent devices to equate supply and demand in the short term, but not for allocating resources between current and future generations, since future generations do not exist yet.

The book also covers studies in geotechnical engineering, hydraulic engineering, road and bridge engineering, building services design, engineering management, water resource engineering and renewable energy.

This book addresses major issues such as a growing world energy demand, environmental degradation due to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, and risk management of disastrous events such as pandemics, abnormal climate, and earthquakes.

This book focuses on privacy and security concerns in big data and differentiates between privacy and security and privacy requirements in big data.

Each chapter presented in the book proposes new dimension in the sliding mode control theory such as higher order sliding mode control, event triggered sliding mode control, networked control, higher order discrete-time sliding mode control and sliding mode control for multi-agent systems.

The book then discusses various techniques, mechanisms and services that could be implemented to provide effective learning support for learners, especially in learning environments that they do not daily use, such as physical classrooms.

Chapter 1  Measurement of environmental parameters affecting marine plankton physiology.- Chapter 2    Plankton culture techniques.- Chapter 3   Determination of Key Enzymes involved in primary productivity.- Chapter 4    Analyses of pigments.- Chapter 5    Measurements and analyses of photosynthesis and respiration.- Chapter 6     Chlorophyll fluorescence techniques and applications.- Chapter 7    Biochemical and molecular methods.- Chapter 8    Research methods for animal and virus.

This book explains transparency in biology with emphasis on bending and absorption, which together are the essence of transparency. Based on the principle of transparency, emerging imaging techniques using near-infrared light to view the body transparently are explained with examples such as cancer detection and temperature imaging of deep tissues.

This book is intended for engineer¿s in automotive industry and in research community of electrical machines. This book systematically focus on all the major aspects of switched reluctance motor for intelligent electric vehicle applications, including optimization design, drive system control, regenerative braking control, and motor-suspension system control, which is particularly suited for readers who are interested to learn the theory of the motor used for intelligent electric vehicles.The comprehensive and systematic treatment of practical issues around switched reluctance motor considering vehicle requirments is one of the major features of the book. The book can benefit researchers, engineers, and graduate students in fields of switched reluctance motor, electric vehicle drive system, regenerative braking system, motor-suspension system, etc.

This edited book aims to address challenges facing the deployment of autonomous vehicles. Further, it provides insight into how regulators are responding to the insufficiently tested technology and how lawyers try to answer the liability question for accidents with these autonomous vehicles.

Polymer-based advanced functional materials are one of most sought after products of this global high performance material demand as polymer-based materials guarantee both processing ease and mechanical flexibilities.