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Stable Isotope Forensics
by Wolfram Meier-AugensteinThis book provides the first comprehensive, overview and guide to forensic isotope analysis, an exciting new application of stable isotope analytical techniques. Topics are introduced using examples and real-life case studies such as food quality control where isotope analysis has already had a major impact, in terms of consumer protection, These examples illustrate the underlying principles of isotope profiling or fingerprinting. A section comprising actual criminal case work is used to build a bridge between the introduction and the technical section to encourage students to engage with this novel departure for analytical sciences while at the same time providing hands-on examples for the experienced researcher and forensic practitioner to match problems and success stories encountered with the topics discussed in the technical section.What little information is available on the subject in book form so far, has been published as individual chapters in books dealing either with mass spectrometry, forensic geoscience or environmental forensics, this is the first book to focus on the entire spectrum of forensic isotope analysis and will be an invaluable reference to both researchers in the field and forensic practitioners.
Stable Isotope Geochemistry (Springer Textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment)
by Jochen HoefsThis classic textbook is an introduction to the systematics and the use of stable isotopes in geosciences. It is subdivided into three parts: i) theoretical and experimental principles, ii) fractionation processes of light and heavy elements, iii) the natural variations of geologically important reservoirs. Since the publication of the previous edition improvements in multi-collector ICP mass-spectrometry have increased the ability to measure isotope ratios with very high precision for many elements of the periodic table. The amount of published data has increased tremendously in the last years; thus, conclusions based on a limited database are now better constrained. In this new edition, therefore, 47 elements with resolvable natural variations in isotope composition are discussed. This increase of elements, together with advances in the calculation of equilibrium isotope fractionation using ab initio methods, has led to an unbelievable rise of publications, making substantial major revisions and extensions of the last edition necessary. Many new references have been added, which enable quick access to recent literature.
Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC)
by Bettina WarscheidStable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC): Methods and Protocols provides a synopsis of a large array of different SILAC methods by presenting a set of protocols that have been established by renowned scientists and their working groups. These include methods and protocols for the labeling of various model organisms as well as advanced strategies relying on SILAC, e. g. for the analysis of protein interactions, the mapping of posttranslational modifications or the characterization of subcellular proteomes. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Stable Isotope Labeling by Amino Acids in Cell Culture (SILAC): Methods and Protocols will serve students and experienced scientists alike as a valuable reference of how to make use of the SILAC technology for their own research.
Stable Isotope Probing: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology #2046)
by Marc G. Dumont Marcela Hernández GarcíaThis book provides definitive methods to perform stable isotope probing (SIP) experiments, covering a wide spectrum of stable isotope techniques used in microbial ecology, such as methods to target and analyze labeled DNA, rRNA, mRNA, protein, and PLFA. Protocols to study stable isotope fractionation by microbial pathways, the analysis of labeled communities with Raman microscopy, Chip-SIM, as well as quantitative SIP (qSIP) and high-resolution SIP (HR-SIP) are also featured. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Stable Isotope Probing: Methods and Protocols provides readers with up-to-date protocols ranging from basic to the most sophisticated applications of SIP and will benefit anyone pursuing this exciting area of study.
Stable Isotopes: The Integration of Biological, Ecological and Geochemical Processes
by H. GriffithsIn this authoritative review, leading international researchers explore the growing range of applications of stable isotope techniques for probing and integrating biological processes and palaeoclimatic cycles. The interdisciplinary approach covers a wide range of issues, opportunities and developments, setting interactions with plants in the context of water and nutrient cycles, exchanges with the atmosphere and modelling past and present climate change.This important book will appeal to those requiring an overview of the use of stable isotopes in aquatic, terrestrial and climatic processes and is in tune with current global concerns. In addition postgraduates and research scientists will find an extensive guide to more specialist disciplines, including developing mass spectrometer technologies, compound-specific and cellular-discrimination processes or whole organism and ecosystem responses.
Stable Isotopes in Tree Rings: Inferring Physiological, Climatic and Environmental Responses (Tree Physiology #8)
by Rolf T. W. Siegwolf J. Renée Brooks John Roden Matthias SaurerThis Open Access volume highlights how tree ring stable isotopes have been used to address a range of environmental issues from paleoclimatology to forest management, and anthropogenic impacts on forest growth. It will further evaluate weaknesses and strengths of isotope applications in tree rings. In contrast to older tree ring studies, which predominantly applied a pure statistical approach this book will focus on physiological mechanisms that influence isotopic signals and reflect environmental impacts. Focusing on connections between physiological responses and drivers of isotope variation will also clarify why environmental impacts are not linearly reflected in isotope ratios and tree ring widths. This volume will be of interest to any researcher and educator who uses tree rings (and other organic matter proxies) to reconstruct paleoclimate as well as to understand contemporary functional processes and anthropogenic influences on native ecosystems. The use of stable isotopes in biogeochemical studies has expanded greatly in recent years, making this volume a valuable resource to a growing and vibrant community of researchers.
Stable Isotopes to Trace Migratory Birds and to Identify Harmful Diseases
by I. Naletoski A. G. Luckins G. J. ViljoenThis manuscript discusses the potentials of the approaches as mentioned below to monitor the AIVs in WMW. Molecular diagnostic platforms enable for accurate detection of the AIVs in the feces of infected birds. Similar technologies can be used to determine the bird species through DNA barcoding, enabling non-invasive research on the epidemiology of the disease. Wild migratory waterfowl (WMW) play significant role in the transmission of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) on large distances. Understanding bird migrations may therefore significantly contribute towards understanding of the disease epidemiology, however most conventional approaches to trace WMW migrations are based on capturing, tagging (mostly ringing or GPS devices) and their re-capturing to link the departure and arrival places. Stable isotope ratios in metabolically inert tissues (feathers, beaks, claws) reflect the ratios present at the point of intake (drinking or feeding), thus enabling for tracing bird origins at stopover places. Molecular diagnostic platforms such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enable for accurate detection of the AIVs in the feces of infected birds. Similar technologies (genetic sequencing) can be used to determine the bird species through DNA barcoding. Simple and easy collection of feather and fecal samples at the stopover places may generate a full information package on which species of WMW carries the AIVs (PCR+DNA barcoding on the feces), as well as the origin of these species (SI+DNA barcoding on the feathers). Therefore, such approaches enable for research on the epidemiology and the ecology of the AIVs in WMW using a non-invasive platform, which does not require capturing of WMW. This manuscript discusses the potentials of these approaches to monitor the AIVs in WMW. p>
Stable Isotopes to Trace Migratory Birds and to Identify Harmful Diseases: An Introductory Guide
by G.J. Viljoen A.G. Luckins I. NaletoskiThis manuscript discusses the potentials of the approaches as mentioned below to monitor the AIVs in WMW. Molecular diagnostic platforms enable for accurate detection of the AIVs in the feces of infected birds. Similar technologies can be used to determine the bird species through DNA barcoding, enabling non-invasive research on the epidemiology of the disease. Wild migratory waterfowl (WMW) play significant role in the transmission of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) on large distances. Understanding bird migrations may therefore significantly contribute towards understanding of the disease epidemiology, however most conventional approaches to trace WMW migrations are based on capturing, tagging (mostly ringing or GPS devices) and their re-capturing to link the departure and arrival places. Stable isotope ratios in metabolically inert tissues (feathers, beaks, claws) reflect the ratios present at the point of intake (drinking or feeding), thus enabling for tracing bird origins at stopover places. Molecular diagnostic platforms such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) enable for accurate detection of the AIVs in the feces of infected birds. Similar technologies (genetic sequencing) can be used to determine the bird species through DNA barcoding. Simple and easy collection of feather and fecal samples at the stopover places may generate a full information package on which species of WMW carries the AIVs (PCR+DNA barcoding on the feces), as well as the origin of these species (SI+DNA barcoding on the feathers). Therefore, such approaches enable for research on the epidemiology and the ecology of the AIVs in WMW using a non-invasive platform, which does not require capturing of WMW. This manuscript discusses the potentials of these approaches to monitor the AIVs in WMW.p>
Stable Radicals
by Robin HicksStable radicals - molecules with odd electrons which are sufficiently long lived to be studied or isolated using conventional techniques - have enjoyed a long history and are of current interest for a broad array of fundamental and applied reasons, for example to study and drive novel chemical reactions, in the development of rechargeable batteries or the study of free radical reactions in the body.In Stable Radicals: Fundamentals and Applied Aspects of Odd-Electron Compounds a team of international experts provide a broad-based overview of stable radicals, from the fundamental aspects of specific classes of stable neutral radicals to their wide range of applications including synthesis, materials science and chemical biology. Topics covered include:triphenylmethyl and related radicalspolychlorinated triphenylmethyl radicals: towards multifunctional molecular materialsphenalenyls, cyclopentadienyls, and other carbon-centered radicalsthe nitrogen oxides: persistent radicals and van der Waals complex dimersnitroxide radicals: properties, synthesis and applicationsthe only stable organic sigma radicals: di-tert-alkyliminoxyls.delocalized radicals containing the hydrazyl [R2N-NR] unitmetal-coordinated phenoxyl radicalsstable radicals containing the thiazyl unit: synthesis, chemical, and materials propertiesstable radicals of the heavy p-block elementsapplication of stable radicals as mediators in living-radical polymerizationnitroxide-catalyzed alcohol oxidations in organic synthesismetal-nitroxide complexes: synthesis and magneto-structural correlationsrechargeable batteries using robust but redox-active organic radicalsspin labeling: a modern perspectivefunctional in vivo EPR spectroscopy and imaging using nitroxides and trityl radicalsbiologically relevant chemistry of nitroxidesStable Free Radicals: Fundamentals and Applied Aspects of Odd-Electron Compounds is an essential guide to this fascinating area of chemistry for researchers and students working in organic and physical chemistry and materials science.
Stable Supported Gold Nanoparticle Catalyst for Environmentally Responsible Propylene Epoxidation (Springer Theses)
by Nidhi KapilThis book describes a detailed multi-scale approach integrating nano- (active site), meso- (porous catalyst architecture) and macroscale (reactor) efforts, to address the challenges of producing a better epoxidation catalyst. It contains an in-depth study of the design and synthesis of gold nanoparticles and their application as a catalyst for direct gas phase propylene epoxidation. “Direct” means using only hydrogen and oxygen in one step, which is key for sustainable manufacturing, as opposed to commercialised, more complex production routes requiring multiple steps, or integration with another chemical plant. The insights gained can be used for rational design for stable and selective catalysts for other reactions. It also details the step-by-step process to build an epoxidation reactor system with a focus on safety aspects, which can be used as a guidebook for undergraduate and graduate students in chemical engineering. Beyond heterogeneous catalysis, the new, easily accomplished methodology for synthesising atomically precise nanoparticles is shown to be relevant to electrocatalysis and to healthcare applications, such as anti-microbial surfaces. This book will be of interest to researchers, engineers and experts in the related areas of chemical engineering, chemistry, material science and electrochemistry.
Städtebaulicher Schallschutz (Fachwissen Technische Akustik)
by Michael Möser Gerhard MüllerIn diesem Band der Reihe Fachwissen Technische Akustik werden die Beeinträchtigungen durch Umgebungslärm dargestellt und aus den Lärmwirkungen Zielwerte für den Lärmschutz abgeleitet. Die Methodik des städtebaulichen Lärmschutzes wird erläutert. Das aktuell gültige Immissionsschutzrecht wird beschrieben und bewertet. Für den Straßenverkehrslärm als relevanteste Quelle werden Instrumente und Maßnahmen zur Minderung vorgestellt.
Staffing Standards for Aviation Safety Inspectors
by National Research Council of the National AcademiesThe National Academies Press (NAP)--publisher for the National Academies--publishes more than 200 books a year offering the most authoritative views, definitive information, and groundbreaking recommendations on a wide range of topics in science, engineering, and health. Our books are unique in that they are authored by the nation's leading experts in every scientific field.
Stages of Emergency: Cold War Nuclear Civil Defense
by Tracy C. DavisIn an era defined by the threat of nuclear annihilation, Western nations attempted to prepare civilian populations for atomic attack through staged drills, evacuations, and field exercises. In Stages of Emergency the distinguished performance historian Tracy C. Davis investigates the fundamentally theatrical nature of these Cold War civil defense exercises. Asking what it meant for civilians to be rehearsing nuclear war, she provides a comparative study of the civil defense maneuvers conducted by three NATO allies--the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom--during the 1950s and 1960s. Delving deep into the three countries' archives, she analyzes public exercises involving private citizens--Boy Scouts serving as mock casualties, housewives arranging home protection, clergy training to be shelter managers--as well as covert exercises undertaken by civil servants. Stages of Emergency covers public education campaigns and school programs--such as the ubiquitous "duck and cover" drills--meant to heighten awareness of the dangers of a possible attack, the occupancy tests in which people stayed sequestered for up to two weeks to simulate post-attack living conditions as well as the effects of confinement on interpersonal dynamics, and the British first-aid training in which participants acted out psychological and physical trauma requiring immediate treatment. Davis also brings to light unpublicized government exercises aimed at anticipating the global effects of nuclear war. Her comparative analysis shows how the differing priorities, contingencies, and social policies of the three countries influenced their rehearsals of nuclear catastrophe. When the Cold War ended, so did these exercises, but, as Davis points out in her perceptive afterword, they have been revived--with strikingly similar recommendations--in response to twenty-first-century fears of terrorists, dirty bombs, and rogue states.
Staging Science
by Martin WillisThis book considers scientific performances across two centuries, from the early nineteenth century to the present day. Performances include demonstrations of technologies, experiments that look like theatre, theatre that looks like science, tourist representations and natural history film-making. Its key aim is to open debate on how scientific activity, both historical and contemporary, might be understood in the context of performance studies and the imaginative acts required to stage engaging performances. Scientific performances have become increasingly of interest to historians of science, literature and science scholars, and in the field of science studies. As yet, however, no work has sought to examine a range of scientific performances with the aim of interrogating and illuminating the kinds of critical and theoretical practices that might be employed to engage with them. With scientific performance likely to become ever more central to scholarly study in the next few years this volume offer a timely, and early, intervention in the existing debates, and aims, too, to be a touchstone for future work.
Stahlerzeugung: Integrierte Hüttenwerks- und Gasreinigungsanlagen
by Karl-Rudolf Hegemann Ralf GuderDieses Buch gibt einen Überblick über die Stahlerzeugung von den Anfängen bis zu den heutigen Verfahren. Es erklärt die Verfahrenstechnik, Berechnungsgrundlagen und den aktuellen Stand der Technik sowohl für Rohstahl als auch für Stahlrecycling.
Stakeholder Engagement Analyse: Eine Meso-Mikro-Makro-Analyse nachhaltigkeitsthemenorientierter Stakeholderkommunikation am Fallbeispiel Volkswagen AG (AutoUni – Schriftenreihe #153)
by Thomas LangAm Fallbeispiel der Volkswagen AG Nachhaltigkeit werden erstmalig auf der Grundlage eines sozialtheoretisch inspirierten Mehrebenen-Analysemodells die Wahrnehmungen und Zuschreibungen von Unternehmensverantwortung (Corporate Responsibility) durch 33 nichtmarktliche Stakeholder aus den drei Bezugsgruppen Wissenschaft und Forschung, Politik und Verbände sowie NGOs untersucht. Die qualitative Fallstudie beschreibt kenntnisreich und detailliert, wie der Volkswagen-Konzern mit seinen wesentlichen, nichtmarktlichen Stakeholdergruppen interagiert. Den theoretischen Bezugsrahmen der Arbeit bilden Anthony Giddens Theorie der Strukturation, Edward R. Freemans Stakeholder-Management- und Amartya Sens Capability-Ansatz.
Stakeholder Relationships And Sustainability: The Case Of Health Aid To The Kyrgyz Republic (Global Dynamics of Social Policy)
by Gulnaz IsabekovaThis open-access book analyses how stakeholder relationships impact the sustainability of health aid. It does this by providing an overarching analytical framework, which allows for a systematic analysis of sustainability, relationships, and a possible causal link between these phenomena. The book goes beyond universal paradigms and detailed single-case studies by offering a thorough analysis of development projects to identify the factors that are also applicable to similar initiatives in comparable contexts.Empirically, it focuses on two health initiatives, both implemented in the Kyrgyz Republic, a country pursuing a sector-wide approach to health aid. Unique primary material provides insights into a geographic region that is mostly neglected, and will be of interest to students and researchers of social policy, development studies, international health and those focusing on the post-Soviet region and Central Asia.
Stakeholders and Scientists
by Joanna BurgerNation and the World must move forward with development of a range of energy sources and savings, all with attendant environmental problems. Solving these problems, and those remaining from past energy-related activities, will require iteration, inclusion, and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including U.S., State and local governmental agencies, Tribal Nations, scientists, environmentalists, public policy makers, and the general public.
Stakeholders, Sustainable Development Policies and the Coal Mining Industry: Perspectives from Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (Routledge Studies of the Extractive Industries and Sustainable Development)
by Izabela Jonek-Kowalska Radosław Wolniak Oksana A. Marinina Tatyana V. PonomarenkoThis book identifies the impact of internal and external stakeholders on the implementation of sustainable development policies in the coal mining sector in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. The book assesses what activities and conditions need to be improved so that sustainable development policies can be more effectively and efficiently implemented. With a specific focus on the hard coal and lignite mining sectors, it examines a broad range of case studies from Eastern European countries and the Commonwealth of Independent States, including Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan, Germany, Spain, France and the United Kingdom, among many more. Beginning with an introduction to sustainable development and stakeholder theory, Part II then examines internal stakeholders, including owners, managers, employees and trade unions. Part III examines external stakeholders, touching upon those directly related to the mining industry, such as customers and mining enterprises, and those not directly associated such as local and regional communities and environmental organisations. The book concludes by proposing a model approach to the management of stakeholders involved in mining enterprises, focusing on improving the process of implementing sustainable development in the mining sector and strengthening the effects of this process. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of the extractive industries, natural resource management and policy and sustainable development.
Stalin and the Scientists: A History of Triumph and Tragedy, 1905–1953
by Simon Ings&“One of the finest, most gripping surveys of the history of Russian science in the twentieth century.&” —Douglas Smith, author of Former People: The Final Days of the Russian Aristocracy Stalin and the Scientists tells the story of the many gifted scientists who worked in Russia from the years leading up to the revolution through the death of the &“Great Scientist&” himself, Joseph Stalin. It weaves together the stories of scientists, politicians, and ideologues into an intimate and sometimes horrifying portrait of a state determined to remake the world. They often wreaked great harm. Stalin was himself an amateur botanist, and by falling under the sway of dangerous charlatans like Trofim Lysenko (who denied the existence of genes), and by relying on antiquated ideas of biology, he not only destroyed the lives of hundreds of brilliant scientists, he caused the death of millions through famine. But from atomic physics to management theory, and from radiation biology to neuroscience and psychology, these Soviet experts also made breakthroughs that forever changed agriculture, education, and medicine. A masterful book that deepens our understanding of Russian history, Stalin and the Scientists is a great achievement of research and storytelling, and a gripping look at what happens when science falls prey to politics. Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction in 2016 A New York Times Book Review &“Paperback Row&” selection &“Ings&’s research is impressive and his exposition of the science is lucid . . . Filled with priceless nuggets and a cast of frauds, crackpots and tyrants, this is a lively and interesting book, and utterly relevant today.&” —The New York Times Book Review &“A must read for understanding how the ideas of scientific knowledge and technology were distorted and subverted for decades across the Soviet Union.&” —The Washington Post
Stalin and the Soviet Science Wars
by Ethan PollockBetween 1945 and 1953, while the Soviet Union confronted postwar reconstruction and Cold War crises, its unchallenged leader Joseph Stalin carved out time to study scientific disputes and dictate academic solutions. He spearheaded a discussion of "scientific" Marxist-Leninist philosophy, edited reports on genetics and physiology, adjudicated controversies about modern physics, and wrote essays on linguistics and political economy. Historians have been tempted to dismiss all this as the megalomaniacal ravings of a dying dictator. But in Stalin and the Soviet Science Wars, Ethan Pollock draws on thousands of previously unexplored archival documents to demonstrate that Stalin was in fact determined to show how scientific truth and Party doctrine reinforced one another. Socialism was supposed to be scientific, and science ideologically correct, and Stalin ostensibly embodied the perfect symbiosis between power and knowledge. Focusing on six major postwar debates in the Soviet scientific community, this elegantly written book shows that Stalin's forays into scholarship can be understood only within the context of international tensions, institutional conflicts, and the growing uncertainty about the proper relationship between scientific knowledge and Party-dictated truths. The nature of Stalin's interventions makes clear that more was at stake than high politics: these science wars were about asserting that the Party was rational and modern, and about codifying the Soviet worldview in a battle for the hearts and minds of people around the globe during the early Cold War. Ultimately, however, the effort to develop a scientific basis for Soviet ideology undermined the system's legitimacy.
Stalking Crimes and Victim Protection: Prevention, Intervention, Threat Assessment, and Case Management
by Joseph A. DavisAlthough stalking is an age-old phenomenon, it is only recently receiving due attention. In a span of just ten years, all fifty states have passed anti-stalking legislation. For the first time, Stalking Crimes and Victim Protection: Prevention, Intervention, Threat Assessment, and Case Management brings together in one source all the research done
Stalking the Ghost Bird: The Elusive Ivory-Billed Woodpecker in Louisiana
by Michael K. SteinbergWhen a kayaker thought he spotted an ivory-billed woodpecker in 2004, the birding community took notice. Two birders traveled to the bayou where the sighting occurred, well aware that the last confirmed sighting of an ivory-bill had taken place over sixty years ago. Both men caught a glimpse of the bird, and a team began to search the surrounding swamplands. Even after long hours of surveillance and multiple sightings, the scientists cautiously refused to disclose their rediscovery of the extinct bird until they captured it on film. At last, armed with a short video and sound clip, they published their findings in Science, triggering a frenzy of media coverage and sparking a controversy among birders and scientists who continue to disagree about whether the bird really still exists.In Stalking the Ghost Bird, Michael K. Steinberg engages the lengthy debate over the ivory-bill's status by examining the reported sightings and extensive efforts to find the rare bird in Louisiana. Louisiana has long been at the center of the ivory-bill's story. John James Audubon wrote about the bird and its habitat during his stay in St. Francisville, and scientists James Tanner and George Lowery studied the ivory-bill in Louisiana in the 1930s and 1940s. More recently, bird experts have conducted targeted searches in Louisiana. Steinberg discusses these and other scientific expeditions, and he catalogs reported ivory-bill sightings since the 1950s, using a detailed timeline that includes both dates and specific locations.Interviews with conservation officials, ornithologists, and native Louisianans illuminate the ongoing controversy and explore why the ivory-bill, more than any other bird, arouses so much attention. Steinberg meets elderly residents of the Atchafalaya Basin who saw the ivory-bill while hunting in the 1930s and even ate the bird-which they called the "forest turkey"-during hard times. He paddles into Two O'Clock Bayou with one wildlife professor and travels to a cypress-filled wildlife refuge with the director of Louisiana's Nature Conservancy. His interviews illustrate how expert opinions vary, as well as how much local non-experts know.Steinberg also explores in detail the human impact on both the ivory-bill and its bottomland forest habitat, explains how forest-management practices in the South may pose problems for an ivory-bill recovery, and outlines where future searches for the bird should take place. In this absorbing study, Steinberg turns his lifelong interest in the majestic ivory-billed woodpecker into a tale that encapsulates both the mystery and intrigue surrounding the legendary bird and our fascination with it.
Stalking the Riemann Hypothesis: The Quest to Find the Hidden Law of Prime Numbers
by Dan RockmoreLike a hunter who sees 'a bit of blood' on the trail, is how Princeton mathematician Peter Sarnak describes the feeling of chasing an idea that seems to have a chance of success. If this is so, then the jungle of abstractions that is maths is full of frenzied hunters these days. They are out stalking big game: the resolution of 'The Riemann Hypothesis', seems to be in their sights. The Riemann Hypothesis is about the prime numbers, the fundamental numerical elements. Stated in 1859 by Prof Bernhard Riemann, it proposes a simple law which he believed a 'very likely' explanation for the way in which the primes are distributed among the whole numbers, indivisible stars scattered without end throughout a boundless numerical universe. Just 8 years later, at the tender age of 39 Riemann would be dead from TB, cheated of the opportunity to settle his conjecture. For over a century, the Riemann Hypothesis has stumped the greatest of mathematical minds, but these days frustration has begun to give way to excitement. This unassuming comment is revealing astounding connections among nuclear physics, chaos and number theory, creating a frenzy of intellectual excitement amplified by the recent promise of a one million dollar bounty. The story of the quest to settle the Riemann Hypothesis is one of scientific exploration. It is peopled with solitary hermits and gregarious cheerleaders, cool calculators and wild-eyed visionaries, Nobel Prize-winners and Fields Medalists. To delve into the Riemann Hypothesis is to gain a window into the world of modern maths and the nature of maths research. Stalking the Riemann Hypothesis will open wide this window so that all may gaze through it in amazement.
Stalking the Wild Sweetgrass
by Robert J. DufaultStalking the Wild Sweetgrass: Domestication and Horticulture of the Grass Used in African-American Coiled Basketry is concerned with the historical domestication of sweetgrass, the main construction/structural grass used in the three century old African-American tradition of coiled basketry in South Carolina. During the plantation era in southern agriculture, sweetgrass baskets were made for post-harvest processing and storage of rice by enslaved Africans from Lower Cape Fear, North Carolina to northern Florida. Enslaved Africans from the Rice Kingdom in Africa were prized for the basketry and rice agronomic skills and were specially sought by slavery traders. Today, this ancient craft still thrives in the community of Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. Authored by one of the most renowned experts in the field and filled with illuminating color photographs, this volume provides knowledge of the horticulture of an extremely important wild plant and an example of the perils of plant- and people-based research and experimentation. As one of the few authoritative texts on the subject, Stalking the Wild Sweetgrass: Domestication and Horticulture of the Grass Used in African-American Coiled Basketry is a resourceful volume on wild sweetgrass, suitable for researchers and students alike.