Nova Science Publishers

Groundwater contamination; discretization and simulation of systems for convection-diffusion-dispersion reactions.

Geiser (scientific computing, U. of Heidelberg, Germany and Humboldt U.) has published these research results on simulation models for severely contaminated groundwater due to radioactive fuels and chemical wastes, especially in regards to weakly coupled systems of equations of convection, diffusion and dispersion reactions. Aimed at researchers and scientists with a strong background in mathematics, this monograph describes the physics of the model before exploring the discretization, operator-splitting methods and analytical solutions of the research. Appendices include mathematical explorations of the Laplace Transformation as well as ordinary differential equations used in these models. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Groundwater; modelling, management and contamination.

Earth, environmental, and physical scientists and engineers describe the computer modeling of ground water under various conditions, including management efforts, pollution, and interaction with surface water. The topics include a modeling approach supporting air spargeing system design, modeling water-solid interactions, contaminants in groundwater and the subsurface, preliminary studies for designing a wetland for arsenic treatment, the hydrogeology and geochemistry of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Plain alluvial aquifers in northeastern Italy, ground-penetrating radar in ground water studies, and the distribution and source of nitrogen compounds in the groundwater of Kuwait. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Gut stem cells; multipotent, clonogenic, and the origin of gastrointestinal cancer.

Tissue stem cells and the earliest progenitor cells of carcinomas share so many important features that cancer could be thought of as a stem cell disease, explain Bamba (gastroenterology, Shiga U., Japan) and Otto (histopathology, Cancer Research UK, London). They review research into the clonal expansion of a single, normal or mutated stem cell in order to bring new insights into both the biology of the gastrointestinal tract and tumorigenesis in the intestine. Their topics include the origin of the intestinal epithelium, gastrointestinal neoplasms and clonal succession, identifying intestinal stem cells, the role of the epithelial stem cells in restoring damaged epithelium, and molecular mechanisms regulating epithelial proliferation and differentiation. Color images are included throughout. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Handbook of compounds with anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet aggregation activities isolated from plants.

Gutíerrez (no affiliations given) has written this handbook on medicinal plants with anti-inflammatory and anti-platelet aggregation capabilities, focusing on the isolation of these natural compounds in the use of prescription medications. Written for scientists and researchers in the area of pharmacology and chemistry, this volume lists 848 of these organic compounds and classifies them according to chemical group and structure. The author also describes the pharmacological activity, action mechanism, spectroscopic dates and other properties of each substance. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Hazardous waste; classifications & treatment technologies.

Sheha and Someda (both nuclear chemistry, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt) synthesize data and standards to provide a basic reference for studying anthropogenic hazardous waste, its impacts, and mediation efforts. They cover identifying the wastes, classifications and sources, the toxicology of common pollutants, managing hazardous wastes, and stages and strategies of hazardous waste treatment. The information comes from several sources, and is tailored for use in Egypt. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Heterogeneous catalysis research progress.

What makes a catalysis heterogeneous is that the catalyst is in a different phase than the reactants, or is otherwise different, such as one being oil and the other vinegar. The catalysts provide a surface for the chemical reaction to take place on, and in order for the reaction to occur, one or more of the reactants must diffuse to the catalyst surface and adsorb into it. Then of course the product of the catalysis can desorb from the surface and get on with its destiny. Here chemists and chemical engineers from a range of countries, describe experiments and applications of such reactions. The lead and by far longest study is by chemical engineers Runduo Zhang (Beijing U. of Chemical Technology) and Serge Kaliaguine (Laval U., Quebec) on applying perovskites for automobile exhaust purification. Other topics include selective aklylation of aromatic substrates on spinels, supported polyoxometalate-based heterogeneous catalysis for liquid phase selective oxidations, and extracting information about surface heterogeneity effects on heterogeneous reactions using multi-fractal scaling analysis. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

High temperature corrosion of intermetallics.

Li and Gao provide an overview of research in the last 20 years relating to high temperature oxidation and protection of intermetallic compounds, including iron and nickel aluminides, and focusing on titanium aluminides. They describe their structural and mechanical properties, oxidation behaviors, and the effects of alloying element, microstructure, and coating/surface treatment. Only high temperature oxidation properties are covered; discussion of hot corrosion, carburization, nitridation, or sulfidation is excluded. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Insect physiology; new research.

This book brings together research from around the world on the physiology and biochemistry of insect organ systems. Ten research and review articles are complemented by two short communications. Some specific topics covered include plant-herbivore interaction, hydrocarbons and insects' social physiology, addiction to pyrrolizidine alkaloids in male Danaine butterflies, and physiology related to choices in feeding, mating, and oviposition. Other subjects examined include biogenic amines and division of reproduction in social insects, sexual differences in seasonal adaptations of the rice bug, and photoperiodic host-seeking behavioral patterns of mosquitoes of medical importance. Color and b&w photos, micro images, and illustrations are included. Information on the editor is not given. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Lake pollution research progress.

Scientists from a wide range of countries examine the pollution of lakes by human activity from a number of perspectives. Among them are the water chemistry of lakes in central Italy, environmetrics as a tool for assessing lake pollution, fish assemblage subjected to strong anthropogenic stress in the Barrra Bonita Reservoir of Brazil's Teitê River Basin, health effects of lake pollution, internal phosphorus loading in White Lake in Michigan, and the hydraulic characterization of deep aquifers in the arsenic affected Meghna Floodplain of southeastern Bangladesh. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Lectures on the differential equations of mathematical physics; a first course.

Freiling (U. of Duisberg-Essen, Germany) and Yurko (mathematics, Saratov U., Russia) do not spend a lot of time on general theory, focusing instead on fundamental concepts, underlying principles, and techniques and methods for solving partial differential equations in the pursuit of mathematical physics. They cover hyperbolic, parabolic, and elliptic equations, and the Cauchy-Kowalevsky theorem. Students are assumed to be graduate or advanced undergraduate students in applied mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering, or related disciplines and to have completed a standard basic course in mathematical analysis or advanced calculus including elementary ordinary differential equations. A knowledge of physics, on the other hand, is not required. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Linear energy relationships to chemical kinetics.

This work describes the use of methods based on linear free energy relationships for investigating solvent effects on chemical reaction rates. Heterolytic, hemolytic, and catalytic reactions are examined. The authors are affiliated with the L. V. Pisarzhevskii Institute of Physical Chemistry, the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences, the N. M. Emanuel Institute of Biochemical Physics, and the Russian Academy of Sciences. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Mathematical modeling and characterization of wireless network traffic.

This book presents new tools and concepts for modeling and analysis of wireless Internet traffic. The first part of the book, written for an audience of teletraffic engineers and researchers, offers an in-depth, tutorial style review of mathematical concepts germane to characterization of modern wireless network traffic, covering scale invariance, long-range dependence, heavy-tailed distributions, and fractals and multifractals. Material in this section draws not only on the networking literature, but also on the literature in physics, finance, and economics. The second part of the book focuses on the application of mathematical concepts to wireless TCP/IP traffic; specifically, actual packet level analysis and modeling of wireless traffic trace collected from a fully deployed IEEE 802.11b wireless local area network, collected over a one-year span at the University of Calgary. A mathematical appendix on Bartlett-Lewis cluster processes is included. The book is for wireless teletraffic researchers with only rudimentary knowledge of probability theory. The authors are affiliated with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Calgary, Canada. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Medicinal chemistry research progress.

Editors Columbo and Ricci (no affiliations listed) have collected the latest research in medicinal chemistry, and how the design, synthesis and development of these compounds is vital to the treatment of such diseases as Alzheimer's and cancer. Experts from all over the world present the latest research in the field regarding topics such as multifunctional delivery vehicles for biomedical applications, the use of polyethylenimine in medicinal chemistry and progress in the discovery of SERCA inhibitors. An expert commentary is provided on the current "trend of sloppiness" in medicinal chemistry research. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Mental health of college students.

This collection of research articles on the mental health of college students address the "massive inputs of stress" these individuals experience as well as the results of unsuccessful coping such as substance use, depression and anxiety. Editor Morrow (no affiliation listed) gathers research from all over the world on such issues as anger control behaviors of Turkish students, the consequences of text anxiety and alcohol and tobacco use in pharmacy students. Practitioners and researchers in mental health fields will also be interested in studies that explore sexual behavior determinants for students who are concerned with HIV. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Methods of bosonic and fermionic path integrals representations; continuum random geometry in quantum field theory.

This work presents original research on continuum quantum geometric path integrals applied to Yang-Mills theory and variants, such as QCD, Chern-Simons theory, and Ising Models. Some areas explored include loop space path integral representations for Euclidean quantum field path integrals, Abelian Wilson loops, fermions on the lattice by means of Mandelstam-Wilson phase factors, string wave equations in Polyakov's path integral framework, a covariant path integral for Nambu-Goto string theory, and domains of bosonic functional integrals. The book will be useful to graduate students of quantum physics and applied mathematics, especially those interested in applying the concepts of continuum quantum geometry to other branches of modern physics, like superconductivity, nuclear physics, polymer theory, and string theory. Botelho is affiliated with Universidade Federal Fluminense, Brazil. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Microbes in sustainable agriculture.

This book brings together work by researchers in India, Korea, Spain, Pakistan, and Nigeria, looking at the role of microbes in maintaining the sustainability of agronomic practices, and especially at the essential nutrients (phosphorous and nitrogen) they provide to growing plants. Environmental approaches and bioremediation technologies are emphasized. Microbe-plant interactions are highlighted through discussion of endophytes and mycorrhizal partners, genetic instability of rhizoba, and the role of siderophores and actinomyces in disease suppression. Some other areas discussed include the role of growth-promoting rhizobacteria and symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria in the improvement of plant health in metal contaminated soils, and pesticides affecting both microbial communities of soils and certain agronomic crops. The book will be of interest to researchers in microbiology, biotechnology, environmental biology, agronomy, and plant physiology, as well as policy makers. The editor is affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Microbiology at Aligarh Muslim University, India. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Modeling of photonic devices.

All 13 chapters in this collection were written by members of the Photonoics Research Group at Politecnico di Bari in Italy. The opening lengthy chapter reviews integrated optical circuits and devices for optical signal processing and sensing, and describes applications in microwave photonics, optical telecommunications, space engineering, biochemistry, and medicine. Other topics include slot and hollow waveguides, directional couplers, ring resonators, silicon modulators, diffraction gratings, silicon-on-insulator waveguides, Bragg gratings, and multi-quantum-well solar cells. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Molecular and supramolecular bioinorganic chemistry; applications in medical sciences.

Designed for researchers in the scientific fields of bioinorganic chemistry and metal coordination, this collection of research studies addresses the links between metal ions in the environment and water and soil contamination that can lead to biological disorders in human populations. Editors Mercê (chemical engineering, Federal U. de Paraná, Brazil), Felcman (chemistry, Pontifical Catholic U. of Rio De Janiero) and Recio (sanitary engineering, U. Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil) have collected articles that bridge the gap between chemistry and medical research, covering such issues as the evolution of chemotypes, the role of metals in neurotoxicity and neurodegenerative disorders and supramolecular porphyrin model compounds for photosynthetic systems. A strategy for drug designed based upon research in metal coordination is also discussed. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Monomers, oligomers, polymers, composites and nanocomposites research: synthesis, properties and applications.

Recent work by international authors highlights the latest developments and applications in polymer science. Some specific topics examined include preparation of poly(lactic acid) and pectin composite films used in antimicrobial packaging, free radical initiation in polymers under exposure to nitrogen oxides, a novel technique for measurement of electrospun nanofiber, and technological advances in geotextiles. Other subjects investigated include image analysis of pore size distribution in electrospun nanofiber webs, heat flow during drying of porous structures, and a novel polymer carrier for controlled drug delivery systems. The book's opening chapter, advice for foreigners doing business in China, is rife with grammatical and punctuation errors, but the rest of the book (30 chapters) has been more carefully edited. Pethrick is affiliated with the University of Strathclyde, Scotland. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

MOSFETS; properties, preparations and performance.

A MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transmitter) is a device used to amplify or switch electronic signals, as in integrated computer circuits and high-speed switching applications. But conventional MOSFETS with a drift-diffusion driven current transport mechanism, which have long dominated silicon semiconductor technology, suffer limitations in high temperature electronics and are radiation-sensitive. The editors (for whom credentials are not given) thus introduce 13 chapters by international contributors that present approaches to overcoming problems with MOSFETS as they shrink to the nano-scale. Candidates using alternative current transport mechanisms, their modeling, and potential applications discussed include: e.g., the Tunneling Field Effect Transistor (TFET), vertical Impact Ionization MOSFET (vertical I-MOS), and lateral Impact Ionization MOSFET (lateral I-MOS). Some illustrations are in color. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)