From medicinal, industrial, and culinary uses to cutting-edge laboratory techniques in modern research and plant conservation strategies,...

Standard advice for writing a preface tells the author to begin by answering the question, “Why did you write this book?” The published answers almost always include an explanation of how something is still missing in the already vast body of existing literature, and how the book in question represents a valiant attempt to...

Beginning HTML with CSS and XHTML: Modern Guide and Reference incorporates practical examples that will show you how to...

Protocells offers a comprehensive resource on current attempts to create simple forms of life from scratch in the laboratory. These minimal versions of cells, known as protocells, are entities with lifelike properties created from nonliving materials, and the book provides in-depth investigations of processes at the interface between...

IN TRADITIONAL COMPUTER GRAPHICS, 3D objects are created using highlevel surface representations such as polygonal meshes, NURBS (nonuniform rational B-spline) patches, or subdivision surfaces. Using this modeling paradigm, visual properties of surfaces, such as color, roughness, and reflectance, are described by means of a shading...

Planetary Science is an exciting, fast-moving, interdisciplinary field with courses taught in a wide range of departments, including astronomy, physics, chemistry, earth sciences and biology. Planets and Planetary Systems is a well-written, concise introductory textbook on the science of planets within our own and other solar...

Understanding the sustainable use of energy in various processes is an integral part of engineering and scientific studies, which rely on a sound knowledge of energy systems. Whilst many institutions now offer degrees in energy-related programs, a comprehensive textbook, which introduces and explains sustainable energy systems and can be used...

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Tropical rainforests are disappearing due to agricultural intensification and climate change, causing irreversible losses in biodiversity and associated ecosystem functioning. Ecosystem properties and human well-being are profoundly influenced by environmental change, which is often not considered during land use intensification....

Presents a thorough overview of the major topics of digital image processing, beginning with the basic mathematical tools needed for the subject. Includes a comprehensive chapter on stochastic models for digital image processing. Covers aspects of image representation including luminance, color, spatial and temporal properties of vision, and...