Open Access Books

In order to be able to analyze and give proper advice on sport techniques, it is important to understand the biomechanical and physiological demands of different sports. In a coaching situation, feedback to the athlete should be given without too much delay. Over the past decades, sensor technology-related to sports monitoring has developed with huge steps. Senors are lighter, data transmission is mostly wireless, and software applications are more user-friendly. This reprint is addressed to all kinds of sensors that are currently being used for monitoring different sports.

This book covers the most recent scientific and technological developments in the field of chemical oxidation processes applicable for the efficient treatment of biologically-difficult-to-degrade, toxic and/or recalcitrant effluents originating from different manufacturing processes. It is a comprehensive review of process and pollution profiles as well as conventional, advanced and emerging treatment processes & technologies developed for the most relevant and pollution (wet processing)-intensive industrial sectors. It addresses chemical/photochemical oxidative treatment processes, case-specific treatability problems of major industrial sectors, emerging (novel) as well as pilot/full-scale applications, process integration, treatment system design & sizing criteria (figure-of-merits), cost evaluation and success stories in the application of chemical oxidative treatment processes.

This present book covers a series of outstanding reputation researchers’ contributions on the topic of ICS Materials: a new class of emerging materials with properties and qualities concerning interactivity, connectivity and intelligence. In the general framework of ICS Materials’ domain, each chapter deals with a specific aspect following the characteristic perspective of each researcher. As result, methods, tools, guidelines emerged that are relevant and applicable to several contexts such as product, interaction design, materials science and many more.

This open access book is a pedagogical text on nuclear reactor experiments, covering almost all the experiments that can be carried out at the University Training Reactor, Kindai University (UTR-KINKI) with respect to reactor physics and radiation detection, and additionally including academic materials of test and research reactors, nuclear instrumentation, nuclear laws and regulations, in this main body. The book is an excellent primer for students who are interested in reactor physics, radiation detection, nuclear laws and regulations at universities, and the best textbook for students who have started to study the nuclear energy related fields to understand the basic theories and principles of the experiments in the fields of reactor physics and radiation detection. UTR-KINKI has been used for educational reactor experiments and basic research in a wide range of fields related to the use of radiation (neutrons, gamma-ray, beta-ray, alpha-ray, and X-ray), including reactor physics, radiation detection, radiation health physics, activation analysis, radiation biology, medical applications and archaeology. Also, UTR-KINKI has been actively engaged in nuclear education with its long history of operation, and has gained extensive experience in educational activities for undergraduate and graduate students, elementary, junior high and high school teachers, junior high and high school students, and general audiences.

What is the role of architecture – and the architect – in the Anthropocene? It’s an immutable fact: human activity is driving the climate and biodiversity crises that now threaten all life. The damage we inflict on the planet undermines basic human rights, displaces millions, and intensifies structural racism, sexism and segregation, with the greatest burden falling on the most vulnerable people and ecosystems. Architects must act. The design and construction of most buildings and urban environments today are rooted in an economic model that pursues infinite growth. Our profession is embedded in a paradigm that favours individual gain over collective benefit. We are rewarded for overlooking the interdependence between people and the natural world. Architecture contributes directly to environmental degradation and social injustice. Architects agree that the profession must change. But we lack the tools and knowledge to undertake the transformations that are urgently needed. This book aims to address that need through 15 chapters illustrating how we can act collectively to make a difference. Architectural Thinking in a Climate Emergency brings together writers, researchers, educators, students and practitioners working at the forefront of this transformation. Contributors come from fourteen countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America and Oceania. Many are leading voices in their fields; others are emerging thinkers introducing fresh perspectives from both academia and practice. Above all, they each affirm the architect’s responsibility to help transition toward carbon-neutral, sustainable practices that advance social and environmental justice.

Legume crops are grown worldwide and provide a major source of protein, oil, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and dietary minerals. Legume crops also play an important role in international trade. Genetic improvement has been a key to the growth of crop production, and it continuously contributes to sustainable agriculture and food security. Presently, plant genetic improvement is in the middle of evolution from field-based traditional breeding to a new era of application of multiple novel techniques such as marker-assisted selection, genomic prediction, and gene editing, which are integrated with conventional methods in practical breeding. This Reprint contains fifteen research articles and a review paper that address a wide range of research topics in legume crops. The research involved all the traits of importance, including yield, quality, resistance to pests and diseases, and abiotic stresses. This Reprint can be used as a source of information for future work.

Recent years have seen a paradigm shift in our understanding of groundwater–surface water interactions: surface water and aquifers were long considered discrete, separate entities; they are now understood as integral components of a surface–subsurface continuum. This book provides an overview of current research advances and innovative approaches in groundwater–surface water interactions. The 20 research articles and 1 communication cover a wide range of thematic scopes, scales, and experimental and modelling methods across different disciplines (hydrology, aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, and environmental pollution). The book identifies current knowledge gaps and reveals the challenges in establishing standardized measurement, observation, and assessment approaches. It includes current hot topcis with environmental and societal relevance such as eutrophication, retention of legacy, and emerging pollutants (e.g., pharmaceuticals and microplastics), urban water interfaces, and climate change impacts. The book demonstrates the relevance of processes at groundwater–surface water interfaces for (1) regional water balances and (2) quality and quantity of drinking water resources. As such, this book represents the long-awaited transfer of the above-mentioned paradigm shift in understanding of groundwater–surface water interactions from science to practice.

La création de l’Office national interprofessionnel du blé (ONIB) par le gouvernement du Front populaire à l’été 1936 est l’accomplissement d’un élément du programme socialiste, mais il est surtout une réponse à la grave crise du marché du blé qui frappe le pays. Cette crise agricole de surproduction à l’échelle mondiale entraîne en France, malgré la mobilisation parlementaire, des réponses politiques longtemps tâtonnantes, qui ne parviennent pas à lutter contre les fraudes et les scandales provoqués par la spéculation. Ainsi la loi sur le prix minimum de l’été 1933 est un échec tant les intérêts des producteurs, des consommateurs et des différents intermédiaires sont en contradiction. La création de l’ONIB est difficile et témoigne aussi de ces oppositions. L’Office est modifié dans son fonctionnement dès 1938 pour faire face aux enjeux financiers. Transformé en Office national interprofessionnel des céréales (ONIC), l’Office est maintenu sous l’Occupation puis à la Libération pour faire face aux difficultés du ravitaillement. Fondée sur des archives diverses et méconnues, cette étude se veut une illustration de l’entremêlement de l’histoire économique et de l’histoire sociale avec l’histoire politique. Elle permet aussi de revenir aux sources des mécanismes de régulation des marchés agricoles qui ont été très influents dans la seconde moitié du XXe siècle et en particulier pour la politique agricole commune (PAC).

« Le 11 mars 2011, le district Nord-Est du Japon a été frappé par un tremblement de terre massif suivi d’un tsunami majeur et d’une série d’accidents à la centrale nucléaire de Fukushima avec fuites d’éléments radioactifs ». Tel est le message que le professeur Kanazawa, président du Science Council of Japan (SCJ) adressa quelques jours après la catastrophe aux présidents des académies des sciences étrangère …

This collection highlights diverse epistemological perspectives in original research on the important role of multimodality in second language contexts. The volume explores a wide range of theoretical and methodological traditions toward foregrounding the notion that bodily action is not merely an add-on to the modality of talk but an integral part of second language teaching, learning, and interaction. Following an introductory chapter, 18 empirical chapters feature either classroom or non-classroom research, which shed light on different dimensions of multimodality in second language contexts, including learning reflected in gesture, learning gesture across languages, the role of bodily action in language teaching, and the role of movement in configuring space for effective communication. Each empirical chapter follows a consistent structure detailing the research focus, the background to each study, methodology, and findings. A concluding synthesis chapter braids the insights of these chapters, drawing parallels across different methods, and pointing toward crosscutting areas for future research. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in applied linguistics, multilingualism, bilingualism, gesture studies, cognitive science, and psychology. Chapter 10 of this book is available for free in PDF format as Open Access at www.taylorfrancis.com. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC-BY-NC-SA) 4.0 International license.

Desenvolvimento regional: um problema político vem a público em época oportuna, na medida em que contribui para a discussão da política econômica brasileira, notadamente a orientada para o desenvolvimento regional. Trata, pela primeira vez, em conjunto, dos dois mais importantes experimentos de desenvolvimento regional realizados no Ocidente: o da Cassa per il Mezzogiorno e o da SUDENE. Analisa-se aqui o processo de esvaziamento político e institucional a que foram submetidas a “Cassa” e a SUDENE, destacando-se suas causas e consequências para a economia dessas regiões. Apresenta as perspectivas de renovação da SUDENE, dependentes de decisões eminentemente políticas, incluindo também o exame do atual Sistema Brasileiro de Planejamento.

Desde os anos 1960, os ambientalistas e cientistas vêm alertando sobre o perigo do colapso ambiental. Os relatórios das agência da onu e de instituições como o World Watch Institute mostram de forma contundente a urgência de uma mudança radical para evitar esse colapso. A novidade è que um número crescente de economistas, até então defensores do crescimento como panaceia para resol ver todos os problemas, agora fala dos limites do crescimento e da necessidade de “mudar de economia”, tanto para evitar o colapso como para alcançar a justiça social. O mais recente relatório da ocde (Previsões ambientais para 2050: as consequências da inação”, de 2012) faz um alerta dramático nesse sentido. Entretanto, tanto a postura dos responsáveis políticos quanto as sohições que vêm sendo propostas (do desenvolvimento sustentável à economia verde) estão muito aquém do esperado. Não atacam a raiz do problema: o atual mo delo de produção e consumo já é insustentável, e o será ainda mais quando for generalizado. Esta evidência leva a uma conclusão incontornãvel: a necessidade de justiça social e ambiental nas relações entre os países e no interior de cada país, única forma de tornar aceitáveis (ética, social e politicamente) as mudanças indispensáveis. Para sobreviver, o nosso sistema econômico précisa oferecer cada vez mais objetos com obsolescência cada vez mais precoce, consumindo assim cada vez mais recursos e produzindo mais lixo. A eficiência produtiva crescente (fazer mais com menos matéria e menos energia) é uma realidade, mas essa eficiêticia tem poucos resultados em face do aumento do consumo global. Portanto, é urgente passarmos da competição para a colaboração; sem isto, os conflitos em torno de recursos cada vez mais raros e mais caros serão devastadores. É urgente passarmos de um mundo que estimula uma busca frustrante e sem fim por mais consumo para uma sociedade de consumo baixo, mas de qualidade, que se oriente para a felicidade individual e coletiva. Normalmente tais mudanças requereriam séculos, mas não dispomos desse tempo. O futuro é hoje! Os textos reunidos neste livro apresentam análises sobre várias dimensões desta problemática, tentando entender as lógicas e interesses em jogo, as causas da inação atual e os possíveis caminhos para sair do impasse.

Crop plants are continuously under attack by pathogens, both during pre and post-harvest stages, often causing economically important food losses. Chemical treatments can pose a serious treat to human health and the environment. Furthermore, there is an increasing market, especially in OECD countries for organic produce, for which most pesticides and inorganic fertilisers are unacceptable. There is therefore a pressing need to develop more effective, sustainable and environmentally friendly tools for disease control. The use of beneficial microorganisms for the control of plant pathogens is very attractive, and the availability of novel molecular techniques and a plethora of genomic information open unexplored avenues for plant protection approaches. Genome-enabled integration of research became a major strategy in the era of the 2000’s (the post-genomic era) and set the basis for a different way to understand interactions in plant-pathogen-beneficial microorganisms systems. In recent decades we have moved from the sequencing of single genomes, to the comparison of different genomes, their expression (from single organism to communities) and, more recently, we can apply novel techniques to edit a genome in a precise manner. Together with the complete sequencing of plant genomes, the genome sequences of plant pathogens as well as that of some beneficial organisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses), and the furnished information on their virulence, gave support to relatively new strategies such as transcriptome, proteome, metabolome and secretome analysis. Analyses of avirulence and resistance genes, their products and the cross-talking mechanisms, as well as proteins and metabolites – at an “omics” level – in highly performing beneficial microorganisms/pathogens interactions, represents a major contribution to plant protection, providing information at an unprecedented level of resolution. While single genomes are explored to infer the range of biological activities accomplished by a single organism or species, and comparative genomics allows evaluating the diversity and evolution of biochemical pathways adopted by individual species to perform a common function, information is being obtained about processes carried out by a diverse set of organisms interacting with each other. Environmental genomics, popularized by the metagenome concept, can generate billions of DNA sequences from a given environment furnishing a comparative assessment of a community in situ. Metagenomics (sequence-based approaches applied across genomes in an environment) provides information about functional capabilities and responses of organism (plant, pathogen and beneficial agent) assemblages in different niches, giving a different perspective in the management of plant diseases at a multitrophic level. Advances in functional genomics and genome editing approaches have recently provided new tools to manage the plant-pathogen-beneficial microorganism system, for preventing or controlling disease. The use of RNA-based technologies is extremely appealing, and these include artificial micro-RNA and transacting small interfering RNA, which are currently being used for generating plant virus-resistant plants, thus fostering plant virus control researches. Finally, targeted genome editing strategies – exemplified by, but not limited to, the CRISPR-Cas technique – are among the most modern ways for inducing targeted deletions, insertions and precise changes in the genome of host plants or pathogens, as well as in the genomes of beneficial microorganisms. The aim of the present Research Topic is to give an exhaustive and up to date overview of examples of genomic techniques (genome sequencing, genome comparison, transcriptomics, metagenomics, RNA based technologies and genome editing strategies) applied to plants, pathogens or beneficial microorganisms to promote the exploitation of these modern tools as a new frontier in plant disease management.