China Water Forum 2024
With the impacts of global climate change and increasing human activities, water security has become a key issue constraining economic and social development, as well as ecological protection. To help address these challenges, the China Water Forum, as an important academic platform, has long regarded water security as a major topic and collaborated with the journal Water to establish the Special Issue "China Water Forum 2024". A total of nine articles have been included in this Special Issue. These articles focus on topics related to climate change, human-water relationships, and water security. The research includes analyses of hydrological processes and their responses to climate change, examinations of balanced human-water interactions in water resource development and use, and innovations in water security governance strategies. The Reprint serves as a valuable resource for researchers working on water-related studies, policymakers formulating water management strategies, and practitioners engaged in water resource protection and utilization.
Remote Sensing Retrievals of Optical Properties in Inland Waters and the Coastal Ocean
Inland waters and the coastal ocean are vital components of the biosphere, underpinning atmospheric processes and regional climate regulation through primary production, carbon storage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Inland waters also serve economic roles, providing water for agriculture, aquaculture, recreation, and drinking. As the key zone for land-ocean material exchange, the coastal ocean holds immense ecological value. In recent decades, industrial and urban pollution has had a catastrophic impact on these aquatic systems, reducing water transparency, intensifying eutrophication, and triggering frequent cyanobacteria blooms. With large-scale synchronous observation capabilities and long-term datasets, satellite imagery has become a mainstream data source for global and regional aquatic environment research.Water colour remote sensing is a core focus of this journal, and this Special Issue is in close alignment with this theme. The research contained herein primarily involves the retrieval of the optical/non-optical parameters of inland and coastal waters from multispectral or hyperspectral radiance data. These derived products rely on bio-optical models integrating empirical/semi-empirical, analytical/semi-analytical, quasi-analytical, and machine learning algorithms.
Feature Review in Agricultural Soils
This Special Issue covers a wide range of basic and applied research on agricultural soil health spanning from the molecular level to the field level. It also explores the impacts of various soil degradation processes and the effectiveness of soil conservation.
Oxidative Stress and Antioxidant Defense in Crop Plants
This Reprint comprises a collection of interdisciplinary research on oxidative stress and antioxidant defense mechanisms in crop plants, emphasizing their relevance for modern agriculture. The contributions examine how environmental stressors affect plant metabolism and how antioxidant systems contribute to crop tolerance and yield stability. Integrating molecular, physiological, and agronomic perspectives, the Reprint highlights both fundamental discoveries and practical implications for crop improvement. It serves as a reference for researchers, breeders, and agronomists seeking innovative approaches to enhance plant resilience in the face of climate change and environmental stress.
Advances in Computation and Modeling of Materials Mechanics
This Reprint compiles the published articles from the Special Issue "Advances in Computation and Modeling of Materials Mechanics" in the journal Materials. The collection features cutting-edge research contributions in materials mechanics, covering experimental characterization and computational modeling of composite materials, simulation of irradiation effects in nuclear materials for enhanced performance and safety, multi-scale material mechanics simulations, and innovative machine learning approaches for material property prediction and design. The articles highlight significant advancements in computational methodologies, including multi-scale modeling, high-performance computing, and data-driven techniques, which enable a deeper understanding of complex material behavior under diverse conditions. By providing insights into the latest developments, this Reprint serves as a valuable resource for researchers and engineers in materials science and engineering, fostering further innovation in the design and application of advanced materials for critical sectors.
Genetics and Breeding in Aquaculture
This Reprint brings together ten original research articles that represent recent advances in genetics and breeding for aquaculture. Covering a broad range of topics, including sex differentiation, sex-biased gene expression, mutagenesis breeding, growth trait heritability, and immune response mechanisms, the studies highlight both fundamental biological insights and applied breeding strategies. Key model and non-model aquaculture species are featured, including tilapia, grass carp, bullfrog, and zig-zag eel, offering species-specific approaches to genetic improvement. Methodological innovations span from RNA interference and gene expression profiling to mutagenesis and quantitative trait analysis, reflecting the integration of molecular and quantitative tools in aquaculture breeding programs. This collection provides a comprehensive overview of how omics technologies and functional validation are being leveraged to enhance performance traits and disease resistance, paving the way for more precise, sustainable, and efficient aquaculture systems.
Botany.Com. (for NEET & +2)
Botany. Com (For NEET & +2)Success in NEET and board examinations demands not just hard work, but the right guidance and the right resources. The NCERT textbook remains the foundation-it must be your first book and your first priority. Every NEET aspirant is strongly advised to read NCERT line by line, understand it deeply, and revise it repeatedly.Botany. Com has been designed to complement that foundation-clarifying concepts, eliminating confusion, and providing deeper insight where NCERT is brief or abstract. This book offers scientific explanations, exam-focused notes, and a style that simplifies the complex without compromising accuracy.It is not a replacement for NCERT, but a refined extension of it-created with care for those who aim not only to succeed, but to understand.Believe in your preparation, stay consistent, and remember- No one can do better than you.
Common Sense Relativity and Spacetime
Based on simple, common-sense observations, the author introduces spacetime in an easily understandable way. Concepts in and around spacetime are explained first independently of any kind of 'relativity connotation', then in the nonrelativistic context and finally in the special relativistic context. Reference frames, while traditionally foundational, make reasoning about spacetime unnecessarily particular. Thinking in terms of spacetime itself makes us much more confident and creative and this carries over to other branches of physics as spacetime is the stage where 'physics happens'. The consistent mathematical formalism of the textbook is as simple as possible and close to the everyday practice of physicists. It helps readers realize that precise mathematical formulation avoids paradoxes and, in general, it is a valuable guide towards the better understanding of Nature.
Still No Miracles Needed
What if we don't need 'miracle technologies' to solve the climate problem? What if the technologies we need are already available? And what if we can use those existing technologies to ensure reliable electricity, heat supplies, and energy security? In a revised and updated edition of his award-winning climate bestseller, No Miracles Needed, the world's premier thinker on energy futures and one of the world's 100 most impactful people in the world in 2023, Mark Z. Jacobson reveals how nations, communities, and individuals can solve the climate crisis most effectively, while simultaneously eliminating air pollution and providing energy security. Mark explains how existing technologies can harness, store, and transmit energy from wind, water, and solar sources to ensure reliable electricity and heat supplies. It includes new, cutting-edge technologies, additional new real-life case studies about the solutions, and additional references. Written for everyone who cares about the future of our planet, this book advises individuals, policymakers, communities, and nations about what they can do to solve the problems identified, and the economic, health, and climate benefits of the solutions.
Infinity
What if human history did not begin on Earth... and has never truly ended?For centuries, the people of Gradious believed they were native to their world. Their religions spoke of prophets, miracles, divine interventions, and celestial messengers. Their science reached astonishing heights-yet their past remained a beautifully crafted illusion.Until a lone scientist breaks a two-thousand-year silence.During a forbidden expedition into a sacred cave, Remingwe discovers an ancient robotic entity-Saprial-entombed in layers of stone. What awakens is not just a machine, but the last surviving witness of humanity's forgotten origin. Through Saprial's recovered recordings, a shattering truth emerges: Gradious was seeded by astronauts who escaped a collapsing Earth one hundred thousand years earlier.Before the revelation can settle, nature unleashes its own verdict. Gradious enters a catastrophic geological collapse-volcanoes rupture, continents split, oceans swallow cities, and an apocalyptic ash-age begins. The end of civilisation is no longer theory; it is now.With their home world dying around them, Remingwe, Lizian, and a multi-national team of experts confront the same impossible choice their ancestors once faced: to stay and perish... or attempt a desperate galactic leap to a new world.Armed with ancient knowledge, modern science, and two advanced AI units, they plan the most dangerous interstellar mission ever attempted. But survival is not guaranteed. And the deeper question remains: Are they forging a future-or simply continuing an ancient cycle that no civilisation has ever escaped?Blending archaeology, astrophysics, mythology, and human emotion, Infinity: The Cycle of Civilizations is a sweeping saga that spans planets, epochs, and belief systems. It challenges everything we assume about humanity's past-and everything we fear about its future.
Asteroid YR4-11 Ways the World Could End
December 2032. The asteroid 2024 YR4, roughly fifty meters across, could strike Earth. The odds are low-3% as of now. But if it hit Paris or New York, either city would be annihilated, releasing hundreds of times the energy of Hiroshima.Earth has already faced five mass extinctions. Colossal volcanic eruptions and giant asteroid impacts wiped out up to 90% of species. These cataclysms are not myths-they are etched in our planet's rocks and fossils.In this eye-opening book, the author explores eleven scientifically plausible, if unlikely, ways the world could end: asteroid impact, supervolcano eruption, wandering planet, solar storm, nearby supernova, shift of Earth's orbit, rotation halt, Sun's extinction, a passing neutron star, or a rogue black hole.A gripping and thought-provoking examination of our planet's fragility in the face of cosmic threats.
Gravity
The entirety of general relativity hinges on gravity being the curvature of space-time itself, that gravity directly bends light and warps orbits. This book proves that model false - revealing a new mechanism for gravity as an emission, similar to light. This approach has paradigm-shattering consequences for physics and energy technologies. GRAVITY, the second volume of Galilean Variance - The Rebirth of Classical Physics, builds on Volume 1's demolition of light-speed invariance and now dismantles even more of general relativity's core tenants. This book is yet another rude awakening, exposing black holes, gravitational waves, and the cosmic microwave background as mathematical artifacts devoid of physical reality.Jason Verbelli demonstrates why space-time curvature is an unnecessary fiction; though, it has approximated some phenomena, general relativity's predictions repeatedly fail when scrutinized, as rigorously documented here. He reveals how those apparent successes stem from contrived adjustments that have stalled true progress for decades, and makes the case that Galilean variance - free of both relativity and aether - provides a simpler, more accurate framework that explains the same observations through classical mechanisms.Readers will uncover the flaws in iconic claims for the M87 "black hole", Stephen Hawking's erroneous evaporation math, LIGO's false detections, and introducing alternative explanations for the same data. The content in this book may also reveal part of the reason for Dr. Paul Brown's mysterious death regarding his resonant nuclear battery. The author also details Professor John Searl's unconventional magnetic technology and gives context for its significance.Packed with sharp philosophical critiques of scientific dogma, calls for returning to empirical reason, and technical depth accessible to both curious lay readers and advanced physicists, this volume provides more tools to rethink the mechanism for gravity and energy entirely - clearing the path for Book 3 on TIME.
Feature Papers in Bone Biomaterials
Bone is a typical mineralized tissue that plays a critical role in protecting and maintaining the shape of the human body. Meanwhile, bone is also a place where inorganic ions are stored and various blood cells are produced. The treatment of bone diseases is one of the most important issues in the clinical work of orthopedics, in which the use of biomaterials is becoming increasingly important. In terms of chemical composition, the types of bone biomaterials include metals, inorganic non-metals, natural polymers, synthetic polymers, and cell-derived materials, which are used in the form of porous scaffolds, membranes, hydrogels, nanomaterials, etc. In recent decades, the development of bone biomaterials has rapidly promoted the clinical treatment strategies of orthopedic diseases.This Reprint hosts papers (communications, articles, and reviews) related to the latest findings and trends in the field of bone biomaterials. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: bone implants, metal/ceramic biomaterials, surface modification, biomimetic materials, biomineralization, bone/cartilage regeneration, 3D/4D printed scaffolds, biosafety/bioactivity evaluation, and bone tumor-related nanomedicine.
Hinduism and Quantum Theory
Comparing Eastern philosophies and quantum physics reveals fascinating similarities that invite us to reconsider our understanding of reality.The intent of the book is to explore the surprising connection between the ancient philosophical traditions of Hinduism and the principles of quantum physics. An initial part explains in a totally understandable way the basic principles of quantum physics and the philosophy related to this new science. In the sequel, an evocative journey, leads the reader to discover how these two seemingly distant realities can interact and influence each other.Hinduism, with its profound metaphysical principles, offers a framework that seems to anticipate in many respects the discoveries of quantum physics. The book compares some of the major themes of Hinduism with their corresponding quantum notions.Brahman represents ultimate reality, an interconnected whole that permeates everything. This aligns with the concept of quantum entanglement, in which particles can remain connected regardless of the distance between them, and suggests that separation at the fundamental level may just be an illusion. One of the Upanishads reads, "All this is Brahman," highlighting universal interconnectedness, and recalls the Higgs field, which gives mass and wave nature to particles.Atman, the individual soul that is a manifestation of Brahman, can be viewed through the lens of quantum superposition, in which one particle exists in multiple states simultaneously. This reflects the idea that the true essence of the self exists on multiple planes of reality.The concept of Karma is based on the law of cause and effect, parallel to Heisenberg's indeterminacy, where the precision of one measure affects that of another. Actions in the present can thus influence future outcomes in ways that are not always predictable.Moksha, liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth, finds a parallel in quantum decoherence, the process by which a quantum system loses its quantum properties. This transition represents the transformation of consciousness from one state to another, analogous to the quest for spiritual liberation.Dharma, or each person's ethical duty, is reflected in correlations between particles, where interactions influence the behavior of a complex system. Any action taken in accordance with Dharma can have long-term effects; similarly, quantum relationships shape our universe.It should be pointed out that this book deals with Hindu philosophy, not Hindu religion. This distinction takes on particular relevance in the context of quantum physics. While Hindu religion deals with devotion and the cosmic order established by deities, Hindu philosophy offers a framework for understanding a complex, interconnected and constantly changing reality. For example, the idea of Maya-the illusory perception of the material world-has parallels with the uncertainty principle in quantum physics, according to which we cannot simultaneously know precisely the position and velocity of a particle.Finally, religion is a collective and ritual path, while philosophy is a more individual and contemplative path. Both enrich Hinduism, but with different perspectives and goals. In religion one seeks union with the divine. In philosophy one seeks an understanding of being. The two dimensions, therefore, coexist but offer different tools for exploring the same reality. As Swami Vivekananda told the World Parliament of Religions in 1893, "Hinduism is not a religion, but an infinite wealth of human experience." A phrase that perfectly sums up this richness and complexity.
Lady Gaia Speaks
What does the planet think?Lady Gaia is an organism made up of every living thing, from prions and viruses to blue whales and red sequoias, and in this imaginative tour de force of a polemic against human-made global warming and habitat destruction, Patricia Finney gets the views of the world we should love, on our prospects for survival, departure into space - or replacement.There are other species that could become dominant, if our planet turns against us...Patricia Finney is an environmental activist and historical novelist. Her novels featuring James Enys, lawyer, friend of Shakespeare and (when necessary) sleuth - who is never seen at the same time as his sister but who possesses a rare insight into the world of Elizabethan women - are available from Climbing Tree Books.
Satellite Remote Sensing for Ocean and Coastal Environment Monitoring
Knowledge of the ocean environment, especially in coastal regions, is essential for numerous human activities, such as tidal power, navigation, and ocean engineering. Remote sensing technologies like satellite altimeters and GNSS can transform traditional ocean research through providing observations with nearly global coverage. Nowadays, nearly all ocean environment elements, including sea level anomalies, sea surface temperature, winds, chlorophyll-a concentrations, water transparency, and sea waves, can be observed using remote sensing technologies. Evidently, remote sensing observations provide valuable opportunities to explore basin-wide changes in the ocean environment and ocean dynamic processes at different scales of space and time, such as ocean tides, mesoscale eddies, coastal currents, sea level rise, and ocean circulation. Furthermore, remote sensing observations have been assimilated into numerical models and thus greatly improve model performance. This Reprint endeavors to collect novel research works that utilize multi-source remote sensing observations, as well as numerical models, to explore diverse ocean dynamic processes and their influences on the changing ocean environment in the global ocean, especially in coastal areas with complicated hydrodynamic contexts and vital socio-economic roles.
Biology, Ecology and Management of Aquatic Macrophytes and Algae
Aquatic macrophytes and algae play a significant role in improving water quality and inhibiting microalgal blooms. Simultaneously, they can provide critical habitats and foraging grounds for aquatic animals, effectively maintaining the stability of ecosystems and biodiversity levels. Therefore, aquatic macrophytes and algae are often used in the restoration of intertidal zones, lakes, and river ecosystems. Conversely, some aquatic macrophytes and algae in natural ecosystems form dominant species, triggering large-scale ecological disasters such as green tides and golden tides, having a significant impact on the management and sustainable development of regional ecosystems.The dual nature of aquatic macrophytes and algae, as both beneficial and potentially problematic components of aquatic ecosystems, underscores the complexity of their ecological roles. Understanding these roles requires a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, which is precisely what this Reprint aims to facilitate.To address this need, this Reprint establishes an inclusive platform for scholarly discourse on the ecology of macrophytes and algae, including various living environments of macrophytes and algae, systematically exploring their interactions with diverse habitats (marine, coastal zones, and climate-vulnerable ecosystems) through interdisciplinary lenses encompassing biology, systematics, environmental science, and aquaculture management.
Topoisomerases as Targets for Novel Drug Discovery
Topoisomerases play a crucial role in controlling DNA topology and have long been established as the therapeutic targets of several clinically successful antibacterial and anticancer drugs. Despite decades of clinical use, topoisomerase-targeting agents still face several limitations, including antibiotic resistance, off-target toxicity, the induction of secondary malignancies, cardiotoxicity, and limited tumor selectivity. These challenges have driven extensive research toward elucidating novel inhibitory mechanisms, designing more selective or multitarget topoisomerase inhibitors, and developing combination strategies that enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxicity.Topoisomerases as Targets for Novel Drug Discovery is a Reprint of the Special Issue in Pharmaceuticals and contains a collection of review and research articles highlighting recent progress made in overcoming these challenges. The contributions explore the discovery and development of new topoisomerase inhibitors, innovative strategies to improve therapeutic selectivity and safety, and novel insights into the management of chemotherapy-induced toxicities. Overall, these articles highlight emerging trends in topoisomerase research and emphasize the importance of interdisciplinary approaches that connect structural biology, chemistry, and pharmacology to advance the next generation of topoisomerase-targeting therapies.
How Does Forest Management Affect Soil Dynamics?
Forest ecosystems represent an important biodiversity resource worldwide and provide numerous important services. Their status is under constant change due to the applied management practices, which can exert both positive and negative effects. Forest soils have a complex microbiome and show variable activity dynamics in relation to soil structure, nutrient cycling, and organic matter content. There is a constant need for research oriented towards a better understanding of how these ecosystems respond to current management practices and to forecast their evolution and to optimize them to achieve resilience. Soil microbiomes occupy a key position within forest ecosystems, being responsible for nutrient cycling and vegetation maintenance. Microbial communities are suitable indicators for applied management and show rapid reactions to both biotic and abiotic factors. The ecosystem specificity of soil microbiome is an important trait to deepen understanding of their site-specific reaction to management procedures and enable the identification of new and more performant indicators that bring understanding of forest soils. Techniques like reforestation or regeneration imply great changes in soil microbiomes and change the diversity and assemblage of microbial communities. Clearing, thinning, or prescribed burning produce a different effect on the soil microbiome, along with climatic context and rainwater quality. Post-disturbance microbial dynamics are important in understanding the direction of ecosystem regeneration, the flow of biogeochemical cycles, and the assurance of growth conditions for tree species.
Veterinary Pathology and Veterinary Anatomy
This Special Issue, "Veterinary Anatomy and Veterinary Pathology: 2nd Edition", aimed to publish original research works, reviews and case reports within these topics, highlighting their importance in the search for new diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic strategies for animal diseases. This Reprint consists of 12 articles that present recent insights and advancements in the fields of animal anatomy and pathology, addressing contemporary issues through multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary methods, from the anatomy of the monkey to modern imagistic methods (computed tomography, endoscopy, ultrasonography, electrophysiology) used in the diagnosis and treatment of various animal pathology, or the biocompatibility of some new biomaterials on animal experimental models. Other subjects of interest include the use of infrared thermography for rapid diagnostic orientation in acute intervertebral disc extrusion in dogs, ultrasonography of the liver in hepatocutaneous syndrome of dogs, electroencephalography in a dog with seizures consequent to a portosystemic shunt, the protective effect of 1% hyaluronic acid ophthalmic gel against corneal abrasion during general anaesthesia, a rapid method for the determination of ochratoxins in maize, and a first case report of intoxication with copper bilysinate in sheep.
Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing
This Reprint, entitled "Recent Researches in Polymer and Plastic Processing", presents a curated selection of ten scientific articles from the journal Materials, offering a comprehensive overview of current trends and innovations in polymer science. Under the guiding theme of Polymers Reimagined-From Surface Engineering to Sustainable Recycling, this publication explores the following: Plasma-based surface treatments to enhance coating adhesion; The inkjet printability of biodegradable starch-based films; The impact of infill density reduction on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed PLA structures within a circular economy framework; The optimization of injection molding parameters using BP neural networks and NSGA-II algorithms; The strengthening of SGFRP-BMC composites through fiber shortening and electron beam irradiation; The use of asphalt as a low-cost plasticizer in polyacrylonitrile-based synthetic fiber production; The development of hydrogels incorporating plant-based ashes for internal curing in cementitious materials; UV-assisted degradation of PET using nonmetallic dibasic ionic liquids; Advanced recycling techniques for recovering EVA, PVDF, and PET from end-of-life photovoltaic modules.This volume is an essential resource for researchers, engineers, and students interested in advanced polymer processing, sustainable materials, and industrial applications. It highlights the transformative potential of polymers in shaping a more efficient and environmentally responsible future.
Current Advances in Oxytocin Research
In 1950, the amino acid sequences of vasopressin and oxytocin were determined, and both peptides were chemically synthesised. This characterisation of oxytocin led to the Nobel Prize being awarded to Vincent du Vigneaud in 1955. The common evolutionary origin of vasopressin and oxytocin dates back to millions of years ago, which suggests that oxytocin has effects that go beyond uterine contractions and pregnancy. Nevertheless, such evidence was uncovered only in early 2000, when mice depleted of either oxytocin or its receptor were observed to develop late-onset obesity and metabolic syndrome, thus establishing the involvement of oxytocin in the regulation of energy and metabolism. The effects of oxytocin on fat and energy are both direct, since oxytocin is anorexigenic, and indirect, since oxytocin regulates the lean/fat mass composition in skeletal muscle. Peripheral oxytocin promotes osteoblast differentiation and function. Oxytocin acts on fat, muscle, and bone. Evolutionarily, the anabolic effect of oxytocin on bone and muscle makes sense since oxytocin concentrations increase during stressful physiological situations, including pregnancy and lactation in mammals, and triggers aggressive behaviour that, in females, is important for the protection of offspring after labour, when they are most vulnerable to predators and plasma oxytocin is at its peak. This demonstrates that the effects of oxytocin are beneficial in the management of osteoporosis, body fat gain, and sarcopenia, indicating the therapeutic potential but also challenges, namely, to find a single route able to reach all the targets.
W5 of Fly Fishing
Love and Passion have neither bounds nor borders. The love in this case is the love of fly-fishing and he passion is in the pursuit of the sport.Fly-fishing is a recreational sport unlike any other. There is an almost mythological and spiritual connection with the earth and the water. That connection nurtures a new respect for nature and an environmental awareness that may not have been there before.There is NO secret code to fly-fishing. This becomes apparent as you learn about where your quarry lives, what they eat, and what cast to use. This is the book I wish I had when I started out to be a Fisher of Flies, also known as a Bugslinger.
The Application of EEG in Neurorehabilitation
The integration of electroencephalography (EEG) into neurorehabilitation practices has emerged as a promising avenue for enhancing our understanding of brain function and facilitating recovery following neurological injury or disease. This special edition of Brain Sciences explores the diverse applications of EEG in neurorehabilitation, exploring its role in assessing neural plasticity, guiding personalized treatment strategies, monitoring therapeutic interventions and developing EEG-based brain-computer interfaces. Through a collection of scholarly articles, this volume aims to illuminate the latest advancements, challenges and future directions in the use of EEG technologies to optimize rehabilitation outcomes and promote neurological recovery.
Multifunctional Application of Electrospun Fiber
This Special Issue compiles collective contributions that comprehensively reflect the versatile applications and cutting-edge advancements of electrospun nanofibers across diverse fields. These include biomedicine and drug delivery, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, environmental remediation and adsorption materials, air filtration and protective technologies, antibacterial and antifungal applications, and flexible electronics and energy devices. Each study offers a distinct perspective, which deepens the scientific and engineering insights into the design and fabrication of next-generation electrospun materials. It is anticipated that through the industry-academia-research collaborative model of "scientific breakthroughs led by universities and industrialization practices driven by enterprises", more electrospun nanofiber materials will transition from laboratory-scale research to real-world market applications. This will ultimately facilitate the full realization of the industrial value inherent in electrospun nanofibers.
Viral Crossroads
This Reprint explores the intricate and evolving interactions between wildlife and domestic animals, emphasizing how these relationships drive the spread and evolution of viral diseases. As human activities lead to habitat encroachment, agricultural expansion, and climate change, the boundaries between wildlife and domestic animal populations blur, heightening the risk of cross-species viral transmission. This Reprint explores critical topics such as viral spillover events, the intricate pathways and mechanisms that enable cross-species transmission, and the significant role played by environmental changes in accelerating these processes. Additionally, it examines the broader implications for public health, agriculture, and biodiversity conservation, highlighting the interconnectedness of these fields. This Reprint deepens our understanding of the complex factors driving these viral interfaces by featuring cutting-edge research and diverse perspectives. It also addresses the development of robust strategies for monitoring, preventing, and controlling disease spread, thereby safeguarding wildlife and domestic animal health at this pivotal crossroads.
God Is
GOD IS: A Matter of Fact. Therefore, God not only withstands but clearly emerges from a rigorous Scientific Study of the Laws of Nature. The Theory of Fundamental Intelligence provides a valid, supportable, and elegant solution to many of the questions regarding the Forces that drive the Universe, Intelligent Behavior, and Human Interaction. GOD IS: A Matter of Fact overcomes the barriers of Restricted Science and allows Scientific Study of all reasonable theories for the Origin of the Universe and the Creation of Life. Fundamental Intelligence is the key to unlocking the secrets behind such theories as the Big Bang, the Grand Unified Theory, and the Theory of Everything. It also reconciles Charles Darwin's observations regarding Man's Selection and Natural Selection, and the corresponding hypothesis of Inclusive Fitness. GOD IS: A Matter of Fact validates that the "Blessings of Liberty", a founding principle of the U.S. Constitution, flow from the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God." The Scientific Study of a Supreme Intelligent Being and the Theory of Fundamental Intelligence offers the greatest opportunity to advance our understanding of the Universe, our World, and Human Behavior; and to avoid the disastrous consequences of the godless Social Science experiments of the 20th Century.
God Is
GOD IS: A Matter of Fact. Therefore, God not only withstands but clearly emerges from a rigorous Scientific Study of the Laws of Nature. The Theory of Fundamental Intelligence provides a valid, supportable, and elegant solution to many of the questions regarding the Forces that drive the Universe, Intelligent Behavior, and Human Interaction. GOD IS: A Matter of Fact overcomes the barriers of Restricted Science and allows Scientific Study of all reasonable theories for the Origin of the Universe and the Creation of Life. Fundamental Intelligence is the key to unlocking the secrets behind such theories as the Big Bang, the Grand Unified Theory, and the Theory of Everything. It also reconciles Charles Darwin's observations regarding Man's Selection and Natural Selection, and the corresponding hypothesis of Inclusive Fitness. GOD IS: A Matter of Fact validates that the "Blessings of Liberty", a founding principle of the U.S. Constitution, flow from the "Laws of Nature and Nature's God." The Scientific Study of a Supreme Intelligent Being and the Theory of Fundamental Intelligence offers the greatest opportunity to advance our understanding of the Universe, our World, and Human Behavior; and to avoid the disastrous consequences of the godless Social Science experiments of the 20th Century.
What Does Life Do?
What is the nature of life? How did life on Earth begin? How is life connected to the Earth and the Universe? How have humans altered the course of life? In this book, Kennedy changes our vies of life by asking a simple question, "what does it do?" With this one question, Kennedy takes you on a journey from life's origins, through its evolution and diversification to speculating about the future of life. Along the way, you see that life is connected to the Earth, and nowhere is that more true than today as humans are rapidly degrading the planet. What Does Life Do captures Kennedy's passion for biology and the importance of science for understanding the natural world.
Science of Seeing
Welcome to the first in a series of books that showcases writings from Zygote Quarterly magazine. The Science of Seeing collects firsthand reports from the field by ZQ columnist Adelheid Fischer. Whether tromping across the slopes of the Mount St. Helens volcano, bending into a listening crouch in the night-time desert, or peering into an ephemeral pool, Fischer compounds our awe for the natural world and deepens our admiration for the men and women who study it."Once you meet the stars of these essays--outrageously tactile moles, volcano-healing spiders, old-growth forests that hide in plain sight, and deserts that sparkle at dawn--you'll never watch nor see the natural world in the same way again. Adelheid Fischer's singular voice will make you feel you have stumbled upon a memento box filled with thank you notes for all the natural world has given her. Welcome to the poetry of gratitude."Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
Handbook for the Brain Dynamics Toolbox
The official guide to the Brain Dynamics Toolbox.The Brain Dynamics Toolbox is open-source matlab software for simulating dynamical systems in neuroscience. Specifically, initial-value problems in systems of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODEs), Delay Differential Equations (DDEs), Stochastic Differential Equations (SDEs) and Partial Differential Equations (PDEs). Users define their system of equations as a custom function. Interchangeable solvers and graphical plotting tools can then be applied to that system with no additional programming effort. The graphical interface allows the dynamics to be explored interactively, while the command-line tools allow large-scale simulations to be scripted.This book is for researchers and students who wish to use the toolbox to simulate their own dynamical models in matlab. It describes how to program the dynamical equations and run them using both the graphical interface and the command-line tools. The source code for the finished model can be disseminated independently of the toolbox. Dr Stewart Heitmann is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute. He uses computer simulations of cardiac cell electrophysiology to study the genesis of arrhythmias in the heart.Professor Michael Breakspear is Head of the Systems Neuroscience Group at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He studies the principles of adaptive large-scale brain dynamics in health, and the impact of their disturbance in brain disorders.
Conserving Oregon's Environment
Conserving Oregon's Environment traces the arc of successes in conserving Oregon's environment, beginning in the 1880s and continuing to 2013. It answers the questions: Where did this program or reserve come from? Who led the way, and who opposed it? What difference has it made?It deals with the breadth of modern environmentalism: protecting nature, habitat, purifying ambient media, eliminating unsafe operations, and promoting energy efficiency. It is organized around themes, such as public lands, state parks, rivers, wilderness, environmental laws and turning points on such issues, modern reserves, new refuges, breakthroughs on national forests; each chapter tells its story chronologically. Two appendices accompany the text: a timeline of accomplishments, and a list of organizations providing leadership. In addition, maps show the location of reserves.It concludes that Oregon occupies a special place in the history of conservation because of the degree of innovation here and the continuity of progress. For its size, no state has done more to make history in protecting its environment.
A Student Guide to Man's Selection
A Student Guide to Man's Selection: Charles Darwin's Theory of Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design provides a scientific inquiry into two competing theories regarding the creation and evolution of life - the Case for Chance and the Case for Design. Scientists with starkly different opinions on the subject, from Dr. Wernher von Braun to Dr. Richard Dawkins, have stated that both theories are a matter for scientific study. However, most public school science curriculum does not consider the Case for Design out of the misguided belief that it is incompatable with secularism. Instead, some in the scientific community insist that theories of creation and evolution must align with the Case for Chance, and have advanced neo-Darwinism as the basis for the Modern Evolution Science Synthesis. However, this directly contradicts what Charles Darwin observed and documented in his trilogy of publications, The Origin of Species, The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, and The Descent of Man. Charles Darwin observed that several forms of Variation were the catalyst for creation. He also observed that multiple types of Selection preserved the most favorable variations for adaptation by the organism, preserving traits that could be inherited by its offspring and passed along to future generations. Complex combinations of variation and selection, governed by "laws impressed on matter by the Creator," result in the creation and evolution of life. Darwin's findings were based on rigourous scientific observation and therefore can serve as the basis for inquiry into this phenomenal and mainly unknown area of science. Darwin bridged the "case for chance" with the "case for design" through his analogy of an architect who masterfully creates noble and purposeful edifices from seemingly meaningless uncut stones produced by natural laws unrelated to the edifice created. The Student Guide to Man's Selection addresses the following student concerns. What do you think? Two different theories attempt to explain the creation and evolution of life; the Case for Chance and the Case for Design. These competing theories have prompted two opposing sides of the most fundamental questions of humanity. Who or what created life? Why are we here? How are we supposed to behave? Is there a plan of creation? Why does this matter? The answers to these questions have driven human behavior and shaped civilization. Was life spawned as a happenstance of matter and natural law, or was it "originally breathed by the Creator" into one or more forms, as Darwin observed. Are humans simply a twig on the evolutionary tree - a meaningless form of ape? Or were we created for a higher pupose through a process analogous to what Darwin called "man's power of accumulated selection," or Man's Selection. The answers to such questions compel consideration of moral and ethical behavior as the foundation of a rule of law and human rights that transcend the singular law of nature and the natural right of the Survival of the Fittest - the driving force of Natural Selection. Darwin asserted that through the study of Man's Selection, we may reveal what he called the "plan of creation." How is this book different? Today's students are our future. They are SMART learners - endowed with Singular Intelligence and the capacity to use Science, Math, Art, Reason, and Tradition to advance their understanding of the complex issues that shape our world. This scientific inquiry will take a fresh look at Darwin's observations. Students will be challenged to consider the evidence on both sides of the question - the Case for Chance and the Case for Design.
Earthquakes in Human History
On November 1, 1755--All Saints' Day--a massive earthquake struck Europe's Iberian Peninsula and destroyed the city of Lisbon. Churches collapsed upon thousands of worshippers celebrating the holy day. Earthquakes in Human History tells the story of that calamity and other epic earthquakes. The authors, Jelle Zeilinga de Boer and Donald Theodore Sanders, recapture the power of their previous book, Volcanoes in Human History. They vividly explain the geological processes responsible for earthquakes, and they describe how these events have had long-lasting aftereffects on human societies and cultures. Their accounts are enlivened with quotations from contemporary literature and from later reports. In the chaos following the Lisbon quake, government and church leaders vied for control. The Marqu礙s de Pombal rose to power and became a virtual dictator. As a result, the Roman Catholic Jesuit Order lost much of its influence in Portugal. Voltaire wrote his satirical work Candide to refute the philosophy of "optimism," the belief that God had created a perfect world. And the 1755 earthquake sparked the search for a scientific understanding of natural disasters. Ranging from an examination of temblors mentioned in the Bible, to a richly detailed account of the 1906 catastrophe in San Francisco, to Japan's Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, to the Peruvian earthquake in 1970 (the Western Hemisphere's greatest natural disaster), this book is an unequaled testament to a natural phenomenon that can be not only terrifying but also threatening to humankind's fragile existence, always at risk because of destructive powers beyond our control.
Man's Selection
Man's Selection sets the scientific record straight by taking a fresh look at Charles Darwin's phenomenal theories regarding Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design. In The Origin of Species, Darwin stated that "the Creator" originated one or more forms of life, that "the Creator" established the laws governing nature, and that "the works of the Creator" were superior to those of man. Darwin also addressed intelligent Design through the inclusion of Joseph Butler's affirmation that "what is natural as much requires and presupposes an intelligent agent to render it so." Darwin used his observations regarding Man's Selection to build the case for his theory of Natural Selection. He discovered other powerful creative forces at work, such as Individual, Spontaneous, and Correlated Variation; without which Natural Selection is powerless. Most importantly, Darwin insisted that Natural Selection was not the exclusive means of evolution, and that "other agencies more important" were responsible for the development of the noblest traits of human behavior. Yet these observations are rarely included in science text books today. For over 150 years, Darwin's observations regarding Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design have been redacted and misrepresented by a cadre of scientists who have limited evolution science to theories that align with the philosophy of Materialism and the religion of Atheism. Darwin protested such misrepresentation, but to no avail. Today, public school science curriculum is governed by the Modern Evolution Science Synthesis (MESS), which focuses almost exclusively on Natural Selection and Mendelian Inheritance, ignoring much of Darwin's work. Man's Selection promotes an open scientific inquiry into all of Darwin's observations regarding Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design without the restrictive lens of Materialism or Atheism.
Yellow River Basin Management under Pressure
This Special Issue marks the third edition in a series dedicated to the sustainable management and development of the Yellow River Basin, following successful publications in 2022 and 2023. The Yellow River, as a vital ecological and economic region in China, faces ongoing challenges such as human-water relationship coordination, water security, resource allocation, ecological restoration, pollution control, and emerging contaminants. These issues significantly constrain the basin's high-quality growth and ecological integrity. This collection brings together ten innovative research papers predominantly authored by researchers from Chinese universities and research institutions, providing in-depth insights into the region's unique environmental and socio-economic context. The contributions are categorized into five themes: resource endowment and basic characteristics, management strategies and opportunities, harmony between human activities and water systems, pollution governance, and ecological restoration. Topics include developing advanced water indexing methods, optimizing reservoir operations, constructing basin simulation platforms, assessing water security, analyzing pollution trends, and evaluating soil erosion risks. By sharing cutting-edge methodologies, technological advances, and policy suggestions, this Special Issue aims to foster ecological protection and support high-quality regional development. The ongoing interest in this topic underscores its importance for ecological resilience, social stability, and sustainable progress in one of China's most significant river.
Advances in Research for Horticultural Crops Breeding and Genetics
Horticultural crops are excellent sources of carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals, as well as a major source of most dietary antioxidants. With the growing world population and the effects of climate change, there is a need to enhance production and the quality of horticultural products. To meet future ecological and economic demands, conventional breeding methods, combined with new biological technologies such as the high throughput technologies, molecular markers, genetic engineering and genome editing and phenomics, have been widely applied to lead the improvement of yield, quality, abiotic and biotic stresses in horticultural crops and accelerate the development of new or improved cultivars.The purpose of this Reprint is to report the advances research for horticultural crops breeding and genetics, including 13 original research papers to highlight innovative research on improving horticultural crops, and to enrich the knowledge of various agronomic traits and functions of horticultural crops.
Buffalo Lessons
The breathtaking true story of the return of wild bison to the Rockies, as told by the wildlife biologist who helped lead them there. Featuring behind-the-scenes photographs from one of North America's most ambitious conservation projects. For thousands of years, wild bison numbering in the millions roamed across a range spanning half of North America. Then, in the 1800s, they were nearly exterminated by European settlers. Buffalo Lessons shares the story of their triumphant return to a mountainous corner of their historic range, nearly a century and a half after they last walked the land. Karsten Heuer, the conservationist tasked with leading the project, chronicles the groundbreaking reintroduction of plains bison to Banff National Park, beginning in 2017, when ten pregnant females and six males were airlifted into an enclosed pasture. It was a complex and ambitious project, designed to restore North America's largest land mammal to its important ecological role in the landscape and its cultural role for Indigenous peoples. Despite meticulous planning, Heuer and his team found themselves repeatedly "buffaloed" by the animals, who had a knack for doing the unexpected, and teaching the humans lessons along the way. Heuer packs his narrative with thrilling moments: a horseback chase to tranquilize a bison, a helicopter-assisted translocation into the rugged backcountry, and the tense tracking of wayward bulls that scale steep, treacherous terrain. Throughout, his encounters with these massive creatures--both awe-inspiring and humbling--force him to confront his assumptions about control, nature, and conservation. In 2024, Heuer was diagnosed with a terminal brain condition, and he completed the manuscript for Buffalo Lessons in the weeks and days before his death. His narrative ends seven years after the initial introduction, with a thriving population of around one hundred bison and the organization of the first Indigenous hunt in the region in over 150 years. Buffalo Lessons stands as a testament to the resilience of bison, and as the culmination of a life's work in conservation. Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute
Polymeric Materials in Energy Conversion and Storage, 2nd Edition
This reprint provides a comprehensive overview of the current advancements and emerging roles of polymer-based materials in energy conversion and storage technologies. Each chapter highlights recent findings on the design, synthesis, and functional optimization of novel polymers and polymer composites exhibiting superior electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties. The discussed materials demonstrate significant potential for applications in sensors, energy harvesting systems, batteries, supercapacitors, and various electronic devices. Emphasis is placed on understanding the structure-property-performance relationships that govern the efficiency and stability of these systems. Collectively, the contributions in this volume offer valuable insights into the development of next-generation polymeric materials for sustainable and high-performance energy technologies.
Computational Analysis and Conformational Modeling for Protein Structure and Interaction
Protein structure and interactions underpin the molecular logic of life, driving essential processes such as signal transduction, molecular recognition, and catalysis. Insights into this domain are pivotal for elucidating biological mechanisms, advancing therapeutic discovery, and enabling the rational design of engineered proteins. Experimental approaches notably X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and cryo-EM together with recent AI-driven tools such as AlphaFold3, ESMFold, and RoseTTAFold All-Atom, have transformed protein structure determination. Nonetheless, these methods often struggle to capture the atomistic conformational dynamics that govern protein interactions. Computational analysis and conformational modelling bridge this gap, offering robust frameworks to simulate dynamics, predict conformational transitions, and interrogate molecular interactions at exceptional resolution. This Reprint, drawn from the Special Issue on "Computational Analysis and Conformational Modeling of Protein Structure and Interaction," showcases cutting-edge research that extends the frontiers of structural biology, computational chemistry, and drug design. It highlights advances in modelling protein flexibility, exploring complex formation, integrating computational predictions with experimental validation, and harnessing AI for structure and interaction forecasting, collectively providing a timely resource for innovation in biotechnology and medicine.
The Kite and the Snail
The unexpected comeback of the endangered Everglade snail kite and what it means for other species facing extinction todayWhen a bird of prey known as the Everglade snail kite became hard to find in the wetlands of South Florida where it was once abundant, scientist Hilary Flower sought answers, tracking the kite far from its ancestral home to tell a surprising story of survival and hope. The Kite and the Snail reveals how one species made a comeback from the brink of extinction through resilience and change--and what this means for the future of conservation.From remote sawgrass marshes to abandoned mining pits, from flooded cattle pastures to water-treatment impoundments, Flower meets field biologists, tribal elders, environmental advocates, and other key players who help her piece together the kite's past and present. The Everglade snail kite has traditionally fed on only the native Florida apple snail, which declined in population as wetland habitats decreased during the mid- to late twentieth century. But the kite shocked scientists by adapting to a new food source--an invasive, exotic snail that is now common across the Everglades and beyond--and quadrupling the kites' population.A rare success story in an age of increasing threats of extinction, this book traces the evolutionary and ecological factors that have allowed the kite to thrive against the odds. The Kite and the Snail asks: How can endangered species be saved when the world around them keeps shifting? Part natural history, part investigative journey, and part personal meditation, this story shows that flexibility, surprise, and human-altered habitats may play unexpected roles in saving species at risk, pointing to new approaches to conservation in the age of the Anthropocene.
Birds of Prey of the West Field Guide
Identify raptors in the western United States with this easy-to-use field guide, organized by group and featuring full-color photographs and helpful information.Make birdwatching even more enjoyable. With Stan Tekiela's famous field guide, raptor identification is simple and informative. There's no need to look through dozens of photos of birds that don't live in your area. The Birds of Prey of the West Field Guide features 47 species--every type of raptor found in the region. For ease of use, the guide is organized by group: eagles, falcons, hawks, kites, osprey, owls, and vultures. When you see a bird of prey, you can determine its group by common visual characteristics. Then turn to the corresponding section to find out what it is!This second edition includes updated photographs and range maps, expanded information, and even more of Stan's expert insights. So grab the Birds of Prey of the West Field Guide for your next birding adventure--to help ensure that you positively identify the raptors you see in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.Inside you'll find: Only raptors of the region: every species found in the WestSimple organization: identify species by group and then by sizeQuick-compare section: sketches, silhouettes, and photos for side-by-side comparisonsStan's Notes: naturalist tidbits and factsProfessional photos: crisp, stunning images
Physiological and Molecular Biology of Ornamental Plants
Ornamental plants, renowned for their remarkable floral diversity, vivid pigmentation, and characteristic fragrances, possess profound cultural, ecological, and economic significance. Their complex traits are governed by coordinated physiological processes and molecular mechanisms that regulate pigment biosynthesis, secondary metabolism, reproductive development, and stress adaptation. However, many of these mechanisms remain only partially understood.This Special Issue, Physiological and Molecular Biology of Ornamental Plants-2nd Edition, comprises 15 papers, including 13 research articles, 1 review, and 1 essay article, all peer-reviewed and published in Horticulturae with full open access. The studies encompass three major themes: floral traits, floral scent and secondary metabolism, and adaptive responses to environmental stresses. Together, they provide a concise yet comprehensive overview of recent progress in understanding the physiological and molecular bases of ornamental plant biology.Collectively, these contributions deepen knowledge of the regulatory networks that control floral coloration, volatile and non-volatile metabolite formation, and stress-responsive processes. They further exemplify how integrative multi-omics approaches are advancing both fundamental research and the practical improvement of ornamental plant quality and resilience.
Extinctions
Extinctions lays out the latest scientific understanding of mass extinction on our planet. Cutting--edge techniques across biology, chemistry, physics, and geology have transformed our understanding of the deep past, including the discovery of a previously unknown mass extinction. This compelling evidence, revealing a series of environmental crises resulting in the near collapse of life on Earth, illuminates our current dilemmas in exquisite detail.Beginning with the oldest, paleontologist Michael J. Benton takes us through the "big five" die outs: the Late Ordovician, which set the evolution of the first animals on an entirely new course; the Late Devonian, apparently brought on by global warming; the cataclysmic End--Permian, also known as the Great Dying, which wiped out over 90 percent of all life on Earth; the newly discovered Carnian Pluvial Event; and the End-Cretaceous asteroid. He examines how global warming, acid rain, ocean acidification, erupting volcanoes, and meteorite impact have affected conditions on Earth, and how life survived, adapted, and evolved.Benton's expert retelling of scientific breakthroughs in paleobiology is illustrated throughout with photographs of fossils and fieldwork, and artistic reconstructions of prehistoric environments. In Extinctions, readers will learn about the revolutionary new tools used to uncover ancient extinction events and processes in forensic detail. As today's climate scientists and political leaders grapple to understand these processes and our planet enters the sixth great extinction, these insights from the past may hold the key to survival.
Advances in Phage Display
Phage display is a powerful technique that has greatly accelerated progress in multiple fields, including drug discovery, structural biology, biomarker development, and protein domain engineering. This technology leverages bacteriophages-viruses that infect bacteria-to display a wide range of foreign peptides, proteins, or antibody fragments on their surfaces, allowing for the identification of optimal binding molecules.With contributions from instructors and former students from the "Antibody Engineering and Display Technologies" Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory course, this collection features expert reviews and detailed laboratory protocols covering various principles and applications of phage display, and represents an essential resource for those using phage display in molecular biology and biotechnology.
Fungi
Fungi: Their Nature and Uses by M. C. Cooke is a comprehensive study of the biology, classification, and practical applications of fungi. Originally published in the late 19th century, this work explores the diversity of fungal species, their ecological roles, and their importance in medicine, food, and industry.Cooke provides detailed descriptions of various fungi, highlighting their structural characteristics, life cycles, and natural habitats. The book also examines the beneficial uses of fungi, including their nutritional, medicinal, and commercial value, while offering insight into the scientific understanding of mycology at the time.A pioneering reference in the study of fungi, this book remains valuable to botanists, mycologists, and anyone interested in the history of natural science and the practical applications of these fascinating organisms.
Molecular Simulations of Energy Materials
The continuous rise in global energy demand, together with the depletion of conventional resources, places increasing pressure on the scientific community to develop materials that enable clean, efficient, and sustainable energy generation, storage, and utilization. The phenomena underlying these processes are inherently complex, often occurring simultaneously across multiple spatial (from atomic to macroscopic) and temporal (from femtoseconds to years) scales. While experimental investigations remain fundamental to the study of energy and environmental systems, our understanding of material behavior under extreme conditions-particularly at the microscopic level-remains limited. Computational molecular science has therefore become an indispensable complement, offering powerful tools to analyze and describe the mechanisms governing these phenomena.Molecular simulations, including static calculations, Molecular Dynamics, and Monte Carlo methods, rely on intra- and intermolecular forces determined at quantum, classical, or coarse-grained levels. These approaches provide essential insights into the structure and dynamics of energy materials and help interpret experimental data. The integration of particle-based and continuum methods within multiscale frameworks further enhances our ability to capture the hierarchical nature of processes in energy and environmental materials. Collectively, these computational methodologies form a vital foundation for understanding, predicting, and optimizing the behavior of energy materials.
