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Thieves, Deceivers, and Killers: Tales of Chemistry in Nature
by William AgostaThe tobacco plant synthesizes nicotine to protect itself from herbivores. The female moth broadcasts sex pheromones to attract a mate, while a soldier ant deploys an alarm pheromone to call for help. The carbon dioxide on a mammal's breath beckons hungry ticks and mosquitoes, while a flower's fragrance speaks to the honey bee. Indeed, much of the communication that occurs within and between various species of organisms is done not by sight, sound, or touch, but with chemicals. From mating to parenting, foraging to self-defense, plant and animal activities are accomplished largely by the secretion or exchange of organic chemicals. The fascinating and fast-developing science that encompasses these diverse phenomena is introduced here, by William Agosta, in a series of remarkable stories absolutely accessible to the general reader yet revelatory to chemists and biologists. Among Agosta's characters are the organisms that steal, counterfeit, or interpret the chemical signals of other species for their own ends. We learn of seeds that mimic ant odors to facilitate their own dispersion and flies that follow the scent of truffles to lay their eggs. We read about pit vipers that react in terror when their flicking tongues detect a king snake, and slave-making ants incapable of finding their own food. And we meet ice-age people who ate birch fungus to relieve whipworms and early human hunters who used the urine of wolves to maneuver deer to favorable sites. Agosta also chronicles the rapid development of the applied science that makes use of chemical ecology. As researchers deepen our understanding of the biological world, they are making economically significant discoveries (such as enzymes that remain stable in extreme heat), finding ways to reduce our reliance on manufactured pesticides, identifying new uses for traditional medicines, and developing sophisticated new pharmaceuticals effective in treating malaria and several cancers. On the horizon are antiviral agents derived from the chemical defenses of marine species. From the exploits of flies to the high-stakes effort to cure human disease, Agosta's tour of chemical ecology grants any reader entrance to the invisible realm where chemistry determines life and death.
Thieves of Virtue: When Bioethics Stole Medicine (Basic Bioethics)
by Tom KochAn argument against the “lifeboat ethic” of contemporary bioethics that views medicine as a commodity rather than a tradition of care and caring.Bioethics emerged in the 1960s from a conviction that physicians and researchers needed the guidance of philosophers in handling the issues raised by technological advances in medicine. It blossomed as a response to the perceived doctor-knows-best paternalism of the traditional medical ethic and today plays a critical role in health policies and treatment decisions. Bioethics claimed to offer a set of generally applicable, universally accepted guidelines that would simplify complex situations. In Thieves of Virtue, Tom Koch contends that bioethics has failed to deliver on its promises. Instead, he argues, bioethics has promoted a view of medicine as a commodity whose delivery is predicated not on care but on economic efficiency.At the heart of bioethics, Koch writes, is a “lifeboat ethic” that assumes “scarcity” of medical resources is a natural condition rather than the result of prior economic, political, and social choices. The idea of natural scarcity requiring ethical triage signaled a shift in ethical emphasis from patient care and the physician's responsibility for it to neoliberal accountancies and the promotion of research as the preeminent good. The solution to the failure of bioethics is not a new set of simplistic principles. Koch points the way to a transformed medical ethics that is humanist, responsible, and defensible.
Thin Film and Flexible Thermoelectric Generators, Devices and Sensors
by Sergey Skipidarov Mikhail NikitinThis book presents and facilitates new research and development results with hot topics in the thermoelectric generators (TEGs) field. Topics include: novel thin film; multilayer, composite and nanostructured thermoelectric materials; simulation of phenomena related to thermoelectricity; thermoelectric thin film and multilayer materials manufacturing technologies; measurement techniques for characterization; thermoelectric generators; and the simulation, modeling, design, thermal, and mechanical degradation problems. This book helps researchers tackle the challenges that still remain in creating cheap and effective TEGs and presents the latest trends and technologies in development and production of advanced thermoelectric generation devices.
Thin-Film Catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers and Unitized Regenerative Fuel Cells (Springer Theses)
by Peter KúšThis work revolves around the hydrogen economy and energy-storage electrochemical systems. More specifically, it investigates the possibility of using magnetron sputtering for deposition of efficient thin-film anode catalysts with low noble metal content for proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEM-WEs) and unitized regenerative fuel cells (PEM-URFCs). The motivation for this research derives from the urgent need to minimize the price of such electrochemical devices should they enter the mass production. Numerous experiments were carried out, correlating the actual in-cell performance with the varying position of thin-film catalyst within the membrane electrode assembly, with the composition of high-surface support sublayer and with the chemical structure of the catalyst itself. The wide arsenal of analytical methods ranging from electrochemical impedance spectroscopy through electrochemical atomic force microscopy to photoelectron spectroscopy allowed a description of the complex phenomena behind different obtained efficiencies. Systematic optimizations led to the design of a novel PEM-WE anode thin-film iridium catalyst which performs similarly to the standard counterparts despite using just a fraction of their noble metal content. Moreover, the layer-by-layer approach allowed the design of a Pt/TiC/Ir bi-functional anode for PEM-URFC which is able to operate in both the fuel cell and electrolyzer regime and thus helps to cut the cost of the whole conversion system even further.
Thin Film Coatings: Properties, Deposition, and Applications (Emerging Materials and Technologies)
by Fredrick Madaraka Mwema Tien-Chien Jen Lin ZhuThin Film Coatings: Properties, Deposition, and Applications discusses the holistic subject of conventional and emerging thin film technologies without bias to a specific technology based on the existing literature. It covers properties and delves into the various methods of thin film deposition, including the most recent techniques and a direction for future developments. It also discusses the cutting-edge applications of thin film coatings such as self-healing and smart coatings, biomedical, hybrid, and scalable thin films. Finally, the concept of Industry 4.0 in thin film coating technology is examined. This book: Explores a wide range and is not specific to material and method of deposition Demonstrates the application of thin film coatings in nearly all sectors, such as energy and anti-microbial applications Details the preparation and properties of hybrid and scalable (ultra) thin materials for advanced applications Provides detailed bibliometric analyses on applications of thin film coatings Discusses Industry 4.0 and 3D printing in thin film technology With its broad coverage, this comprehensive reference will appeal to a wide audience of materials scientists and engineers and others studying and developing advanced thin film technologies.
Thin Film Deposition Techniques: Thin Film Deposition Techniques and Its Applications in Different Fields
by Tahir Iqbal Awan Sumera Afsheen Sabah KausarThis book describes the basics and historical aspects of thin film. The introductory chapter of this book contains various aspects about thin-film deposition methods, significance of nanomaterials in the fabrication of thin film, certain fundamental characteristics of thin films (electrical, optical, and morphological), some challenges (thickness uniformity, film adhesion issues, temperature-related challenges, film defects and quality control, preparation of the surface of the substrate before deposition, etc.) faced during the formation of thin film, significance, and different types of deposition techniques along with their basic introduction, working principle, construction, merits/demerits, and also application in specific fields. This book specifically works on the techniques of thin-film deposition and role of the thin film in the formation of these deposition methods.
Thin Film Magnetoresistive Sensors (Series in Sensors)
by S TumanskiThin Film Magnetoresistive Sensors presents a comprehensive review of thin film magnetoresistive (MR) sensors, including the theory of MR effects as well as the design, fabrication, properties, and applications of MR sensors. With over 1,000 references, the book fully reviews the theory, development, and use of these sensors. It provides essential information about the performance of various kinds of sensors, including permalloy magnetoresistors, spin valve sensors, multilayer sensors, colossal effect sensors, spin dependent tunneling sensors, and magnetoimpedance sensors.
Thin-Film Organic Photonics: Molecular Layer Deposition and Applications (Optics and Photonics)
by Tetsuzo YoshimuraAmong the many atomic/molecular assembling techniques used to develop artificial materials, molecular layer deposition (MLD) continues to receive special attention as the next-generation growth technique for organic thin-film materials used in photonics and electronics. Thin-Film Organic Photonics: Molecular Layer Deposition and Applications describes how photonic/electronic properties of thin films can be improved through MLD, which enables precise control of atomic and molecular arrangements to construct a wire network that achieves "three-dimensional growth". MLD facilitates dot-by-dot—or molecule-by-molecule—growth of polymer and molecular wires, and that enhanced level of control creates numerous application possibilities. Explores the wide range of MLD applications in solar energy and optics, as well as proposed uses in biomedical photonics This book addresses the prospects for artificial materials with atomic/molecular-level tailored structures, especially those featuring MLD and conjugated polymers with multiple quantum dots (MQDs), or polymer MQDs. In particular, the author focuses on the application of artificial organic thin films to: Photonics/electronics, particularly in optical interconnects used in computersOptical switching and solar energy conversion systems Bio/ medical photonics, such as photodynamic therapy Organic photonic materials, devices, and integration processes With its clear and concise presentation, this book demonstrates exactly how MLD enables electron wavefunction control, thereby improving material performance and generating new photonic/electronic phenomena.
Thin Film Shape Memory Alloys
by Shuichi Miyazaki Yong Qing Fu Wei Min HuangThis book, the first dedicated to this exciting and rapidly growing field, enables readers to understand and prepare high-quality, high-performance TiNi shape memory alloys (SMAs). It covers the properties, preparation and characterization of TiNi SMAs, with particular focus on the latest technologies and applications in MEMS and biological devices. Basic techniques and theory are covered to introduce new-comers to the subject, whilst various sub-topics, such as film deposition, characterization, post treatment, and applying thin films to practical situations, appeal to more informed readers. Each chapter is written by expert authors, providing an overview of each topic and summarizing all the latest developments, making this an ideal reference for practitioners and researchers alike.
Thin Films: Processes and Characterization Techniques
by Nicoleta NedelcuThe book provides research scientists and engineers in industry information and data on the materials processing, characterization, and determination of materials’ physical-chemical properties. The book highlights optical and chemical properties obtained on novel materials using a range of deposition methods by two different spectroscopic techniques: SE and UV-VIS-NIR. Emphasizing applications from across a number of domains including Healthcare, Opto-Electronic, and Defense, the book is ideal for academic researchers, graduate/undergraduate students, and practicing engineers concerned with optical coating technologies.
Thin Films and Coatings: Engineering Applications (Engineering Materials)
by Ali Dad Chandio Iftikhar Ahmed ChannaThis book highlights the fundamentals of thin films and coatings, including deposition techniques and material properties. The book showcases real-world applications in electronics, optics, nanotechnology, and aerospace, highlighting how these materials improve performance and durability. It also explores emerging trends such as smart coatings and sustainable options, making it a comprehensive resource for those seeking to leverage the potential of thin films and coatings in engineering. With both theoretical foundations and practical insights, it is a valuable reference for researchers and professionals in this dynamic field.
Thin Films and Coatings: Toughening and Toughness Characterization (Advances in Materials Science and Engineering)
by Ian MuehlenhausThin Films and Coatings: Toughening and Toughness Characterization captures the latest developments in the toughening of hard coatings and in the measurement of the toughness of thin films and coatings. Featuring chapters contributed by experts from Australia, China, Czech Republic, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and the United Kingdom, this book: Presents the current status of hard-yet-tough ceramic coatings Reviews various toughness evaluation methods for films and hard coatings Explores the toughness and toughening mechanisms of porous thin films and laser-treated surfaces Examines adhesions of the film/substrate interface and the characterization of coating adhesion strength Discusses nanoindentation determination of fracture toughness, resistance to cracking, and sliding contact fracture phenomena Toughening and toughness measurement (of films and coatings) are two related, yet separate, fields of great importance in today’s nanotechnology world. Thin Films and Coatings: Toughening and Toughness Characterization is a timely reference written in such a way that novices will find it a stepping stone to the field and veterans will find it a rich source of information for their research.
Thin Films and Coatings in Biology
by Soroush NazarpourThe surface of materials is routinely exposed to various environmental influences. Surface modification presents a technological challenge for material scientists, physicists, and engineers, particularly when those surfaces are subjected to function within human body environment. This book provides a comprehensive coverage of the major issues and topics dealing with interaction of soft living matter with the surface of implants. Fundamental scientific concepts are embedded through experimental data and a broad range of case studies. First chapters cover the basics on biocompatibility of many different thin films of metals, alloys, ceramics, hydrogels, and polymers, following with case studies dealing with orthopedic and dental coatings. Next, a novel and low-cost coating deposition technique capable of production of several types of nanostructures is introduced through simple calculations and several illustrations. Moreover, chapter 6 and 7 present important topics on surface treatment of polymers, which is a subject that has seen many developments over the past decade. The last chapters target mainly the applications of coatings in biology such as in bio-sensing, neuroscience, and cancer detection. With several illustrations, micrographs, and case studies along with suitable references in each chapter, this book will be essential for graduate students and researchers in the multidisciplinary field of bio-coatings.
Thin Ice: Unlocking the Secrets of Climate in the World's Highest Mountains
by Mark Bowen"One of the best books yet published on climate change . . . The best compact history of the science of global warming I have read."—Bill McKibben, The New York Review of BooksThe world's premier climatologist, Lonnie Thompson has been risking his career and life on the highest and most remote ice caps along the equator, in search of clues to the history of climate change. His most innovative work has taken place on these mountain glaciers, where he collects ice cores that provide detailed information about climate history, reaching back 750,000 years. To gather significant data Thompson has spent more time in the death zone—the environment above eighteen thousand feet—than any man who has ever lived.Scientist and expert climber Mark Bowen joined Thompson's crew on several expeditions; his exciting and brilliantly detailed narrative takes the reader deep inside retreating glaciers from China, across South America, and to Africa to unravel the mysteries of climate. Most important, we learn what Thompson's hard-won data reveals about global warming, the past, and the earth's probable future.
Thin Impedance Vibrators
by Mikhail V. Nesterenko Yuriy M. Penkin Victor A. Katrich Sergey L. Berdnik Victor M. DakhovThe book is devoted to exploring the foundations of the theory of thin impedance vibrator antennas. The text provides a continuation of the classic theory of thin perfectly conducting vibrators. Many consider impedance conception one of the most universal models in the theory of wave processes, as it informs such a wide spectrum of uses in solving practical problems of electrodynamics. This topic provides an opportunity to further search analytical solutions, allowing a simplification of the mathematical formulation of the boundary problem. The theory strives to widen the boundaries of the impedance vibrator antennas application in complex modern radio-and-electronic systems and devices. The results of much original research conducted by the authors will be useful for practicing engineers and designers of antenna and waveguide systems. The book is written in an academic style, and can be used to teach students and post graduates about radiotechnical and radiophysical specialities. The conclusion of the book lists many actual applied problems, which can provide inspiration for several potential PhD projects. Topics covered in this book are: *general questions of the theory of impedance vibrators in the spatial-frequency representation *electromagnetic waves radiation by impedance vibrators in free space and material mediums *electromagnetic waves radiation by impedance vibrators in material mediums over the perfectly conducting plane *electromagnetic waves scattering by irregular impedance vibrators in free space *generalized method of induced electromotive forces for investigation of the characteristics of impedance vibrators *radiation of electromagnetic waves by radial impedance vibrators on the perfectly conducting sphere *electromagnetic waves scattering by impedance vibrators in the rectangular waveguide
Thin Layer Chromatography in Chiral Separations and Analysis
by Teresa Kowalska Joseph ShermaThin layer chromatography (TLC) is well suited for performing enantioseparations for research as well as larger-scale applications. A fast, inexpensive, and versatile separation technique, there are many practical considerations that contribute to its effectiveness. Thin Layer Chromatography in Chiral Separations and Analysis is the first bo
Thin Layer Chromatography in Drug Analysis (Chromatographic Science Series)
by Łukasz Komsta Monika Waksmundzka-Hajnos Joseph ShermaUsed routinely in drug control laboratories, forensic laboratories, and as a research tool, thin layer chromatography (TLC) plays an important role in pharmaceutical drug analyses. It requires less complicated or expensive equipment than other techniques, and has the ability to be performed under field conditions. Filling the need for an up-to-date
Thin Layer Chromatography in Phytochemistry (Chromatographic Science Series)
by Monika Waksmundzka-Hajnos Joseph Sherma Teresa KowalskaThin layer chromatography (TLC) is increasingly used in the fields of plant chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. Advantages such as speed, versatility, and low cost make it one of the leading techniques used for locating and analyzing bioactive components in plants.Thin Layer Chromatography in Phytochemistry is the first sourc
Thin-Layer Chromatography, Revised And Expanded
by Bernard Fried Bernard ShermaThe fourth edition of this work emphasizes the general practices and instrumentation involving TLC and HPTLC, as well as their applications based on compound types, while providing an understanding of the underlying theory necessary for optimizing these techniques. The book details up-to-date qualitative and quantitative densitometric experiments on organic dyes, lipids, antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, organic acids, insecticides, and more.
Thin Liquid Films
by Ralf BlosseyThis book is a treatise on the thermodynamic and dynamic properties of thin liquid films at solid surfaces and, in particular, their rupture instabilities. For the quantitative study of these phenomena, polymer thin films (sometimes referred to as "ultrathin") have proven to be an invaluable experimental model system. What is it that makes thin film instabilities special and interesting? First, thin polymeric films have an important range of applications. An understanding of their instabilities is therefore of practical relevance for the design of such films. The first chapter of the book intends to give a snapshot of current applications, and an outlook on promising future ones. Second, thin liquid films are an interdisciplinary research topic, which leads to a fairly heterogeneous community working on the topic. It justifies attempting to write a text which gives a coherent presentation of the field which researchers across their specialized communities might be interested in. Finally, thin liquid films are an interesting laboratory for a theorist to confront a well-established theory, hydrodynamics, with its limits. Thin films are therefore a field in which a highly fruitful exchange and collaboration exists between experimentalists and theorists. The book stretches from the more concrete to more abstract levels of study: we roughly progress from applications via theory and experiment to rigorous mathematical theory. For an experimental scientist, the book should serve as a reference and guide to what is the current consensus of the theoretical underpinnings of the field of thin film dynamics. Controversial problems on which such a consensus has not yet been reached are clearly indicated in the text, as well as discussed in a final chapter. From a theoretical point of view, the field of dewetting has mainly been treated in a mathematically 'light' yet elegant fashion, often making use of scaling arguments. For the untrained researcher, this approach is not always easy to follow. The present book attempts to bridge between the 'light' and the 'rigorous', always with the ambition to enhance insight and understanding - and to not let go the elegance of the theory.
Thin Liquid Films
by I. B. IvanovThis comprehensive reference provided a systematic examination of both the theory and applications of thin liquid films - giving a critical review of major concepts and unresolved or controversial problems, as well as revealing experimental methods. It includes results previously unpublished. Combining the work of 20 leading researchers, Thin Liquid Films furnishes a fundamental overview of thermodynamics of thin liquid films. Generously illustrated with equations, tables and drawling and containing more than 2,200 citations to pertinent literature, this is an authoritative reference for physical, surface, and colloid chemists, biophysicists and physicists; chemical engineers and advanced graduate students in chemistry, chemical engineering, biophysics and physics.
Thin Places: A Pilgrimage Home
by Ann ArmbrechtThin Places is an eloquent meditation on what it means to move between cultures and how one might finally come home, a particular paradox in a culture that lacks deep ties to the natural world. During the 1990s, Ann Armbrecht, an American anthropologist, made several trips to northeastern Nepal to research how the Yamphu Rai acquired, farmed, and held onto their land; how they perceived their area's recent designation as a national park and conservation area; and whether-as she believed-they held a wisdom about living on the earth that the industrialized West had forgotten. What Armbrecht found instead were men and women who shared her restlessness, people also driven by the feeling that there must be more to life than they could find in their village. "We each blamed our dissatisfaction on something in the world," she writes, "not something in ourselves or in the stories we told ourselves about that world. If only we lived elsewhere, then we would be at home." Charting Armbrecht's travels in the mountains of Nepal and in the United States and her disintegrating marriage back home, Thin Places is ultimately an exploration not of the sacred far-off but of the sacredness of places that are between-between the internal and external landscape, the self and others, and the self and the land. She finds that home is not a place where we arrive but a way of being in place, wherever that place may be. Along the way, Armbrecht explores the disconnections in our most intimate relationships, how they stem from the same disconnections that create our destruction of the land, and how one cannot be healed without attending to the other.
Thin Plates and Shells: Theory: Analysis, and Applications
by Eduard Ventsel Theodor KrauthammerPresenting recent principles of thin plate and shell theories, this book emphasizes novel analytical and numerical methods for solving linear and nonlinear plate and shell dilemmas, new theories for the design and analysis of thin plate-shell structures, and real-world numerical solutions, mechanics, and plate and shell models for engineering applications. It includes computer processes for finite difference, finite element, boundary element, and boundary collocation methods as well as other variational and numerical methods. It also contains end-of-chapter examples and problem/solution sets, a catalog of solutions for cylindrical and spherical shells, and tables of the most commonly used plates and shells.
Thin-Walled Structures: Advances in Research, Design and Manufacturing Technology
by J. LoughlanThis volume contains the papers presented at the Fourth International Conference of Thin-Walled Structures (ICTWS4), and contains 110 papers which, collectively, provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art review of the progress made in research, development and manufacture in recent years in thin-walled structures.The presentations at the conference had representation form 35 different countries and their topical areas of interest included aeroelastic response, structural-acoustic coupling, aerospace structures, analysis, design, manufacture, cold-formed structures, cyclic loading, dynamic loading, crushing, energy absorption, fatigue, fracture, damage tolerance, plates, stiffened panels, plated structures, polymer matrix composite members, sandwich structures, shell structures, thin-walled beams, columns and vibrational response. The range of applications of thin-walled structures has become increasingly diverse with a considerable deployment of thin-walled structural elements and systems being found in a wide range of areas within Aeronautical, Automotive, Civil, Mechanical, Chemical and Offshore Engineering fields. This volume is an extremely useful reference volume for researchers and designers working within a wide range of engineering disciplines towards the design, development and manufacture of efficient thin-walled structural systems.
Thing Explainer
by Randall MunroeHave you ever tried to learn more about some incredible thing, only to be frustrated by incomprehensible jargon? Randall Munroe is here to help. In Thing Explainer, he uses line drawings and only the thousand (or, rather, "ten hundred") most common words to provide simple explanations for some of the most interesting stuff there is, including:food-heating radio boxes (microwaves)tall roads (bridges)computer buildings (datacenters)the shared space house (the International Space Station)the other worlds around the sun (the solar system)the big flat rocks we live on (tectonic plates)the pieces everything is made of (the periodic table)planes with turning wings (helicopters)boxes that make clothes smell better (washers and dryers)the bags of stuff inside you (cells) How do these things work? Where do they come from? What would life be like without them? And what would happen if we opened them up, heated them up, cooled them down, pointed them in a different direction, or pressed this button? In Thing Explainer, Munroe gives us the answers to these questions and so many more. Funny, interesting, and always understandable, this book is for anyone--age 5 to 105--who has ever wondered how things work, and why.