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Playing with Fire
by Chicago Tribune StaffThe average American baby is born with 10 fingers, 10 toes, and the highest recorded levels of flame retardants among infants in the world. How could it possibly be in the US that children are already contaminated at birth with such disturbingly high levels of toxic chemicals? The truth lies in the greed and deception of two powerful industries-Big Tobacco and chemical manufacturers.In a groundbreaking piece of investigative journalism by the Chicago Tribune, Playing with Fire exposes the realities about the ineffectiveness and potential health risks caused by the flame retardants that are pervasive in American homes. Big Tobacco and large chemical companies used fear, exaggerated scientific claims, and shady deal-making to serve their own interests at the expense of consumer safety.Playing with Fire is an extremely significant, revelatory piece of watchdog journalism that is a must-read for anyone with small children and for citizens who demand responsibility of big businesses and their governments. The investigation, launched in May 2012, prompted two US Senate hearings, and the US Environmental Protection Agency announced it would launch an investigation of flame retardants. Also, California's governor said the state would scrap the rule responsible for flame retardants' presence in furniture.
Playthrough Poetics: Gameplay as Research Method
by Milena DroumevaGame streamers and live commentators are producing increasingly comprehensive analyses of gameplay, yet scholarship still tends to flatten the experiential media of video games into text for close reading. By shifting focus toward the immersiveness of video games, Playthrough Poetics makes the case for gameplay as a necessary, alternate method. Contributors to this volume engage widely with the activity of play through autoethnographies, meta-analyses of self-broadcasting, new procedural methods like gamespace soundwalking, as well as the affective aspects of games research. In doing so, they model new possibilities for academic players and gamers alike. Rigorous scholarship meets cultural practice in this innovative, multi-modal edited collection that includes video essays and offers transcripts of the playthroughs themselves. Readers (and viewers) will come away with a toolkit of models, case studies, and conceptual frameworks for analyzing video games through gameplay. This volume is a fresh return to the joy of play: the poetics of games as contemporary forms of storytelling and interactivity. With contributions from Ashlee Bird, Brandon Blackburn, Milena Droumeva, Kishonna Gray, Robyn Hope, Ben Scholl, Maria Sommers, Ashlyn Sparrow, Christine Tran, and Aaron Trammell.
Pleasure With Products: Beyond Usability
by Patrick W. Jordan William S. GreenThe last five years have seen a major paradigm shift in the role of human factors in product design. Previously this was seen as pertaining almost exclusively to product usability, but new recognition is being given to "pleasure-based" human factors. This emphasizes the holistic nature of the experience of person-product interaction. While traditio
Plenoptic Imaging and Processing (Advances in Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition)
by Lu FangThis open access book delves into the fundamental principles and cutting-edge techniques of plenoptic imaging and processing. Derived from the Latin words "plenus" (meaning "full") and "optic," plenoptic imaging offers a transformative approach to optical imaging. Unlike conventional systems that rely solely on the pinhole camera model to capture spatial information, plenoptic imaging aims to detect and reconstruct multidimensional and multiscale information from light rays in space. Chapter 1 begins with the introduction of the basic principle of the plenoptic function and the historical development of plenoptic imaging. Next, Chapter 2 describes representative plenoptic sensing systems, including single-sensor devices with lenslet arrays, coded-aperture masks, structured camera arrays, and unstructured camera arrays. Then, Chapter 3 introduces gigapixel plenoptic sensing techniques capable of capturing large-scale dynamic scenes with extremely high resolution. Further, chapter 4 examines typical plenoptic reconstruction methods, including light-field image reconstruction, image-based, and RGBD-based geometry reconstruction. After that, chapter 5 tackles the challenges of large-scale plenoptic reconstruction by introducing sparse-view priors, high-resolution observations, and semantic information. Finally, chapter 6 discusses the frontier issues of plenoptic processing, including the gigapixel-level video dataset PANDA and corresponding visual intelligent algorithms.
Pleural Ultrasound for Clinicians: A Text and E-book
by Claire L Tobin Y C Gary LeeWith a large volume of ultrasound images and teaching videos, Pleural Ultrasound for Clinicians: A Text and E-book is a print and interactive digital resource that provides practical guidance for all those undertaking pleural ultrasound investigations and procedures. With clear, precise instructions for clinical practice, it will help clinicians:Re
Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions
by Karen K. Will Oscar H. WillFueled by a failing economy and a passionate desire for a return to simpler times, a new wave of homesteaders is seeking the good life and the kind of true satisfaction that can only be built, not bought. Many of these modern pioneers are cash poor, but rich in energy and creativity. Plowing with Pigs and Other Creative, Low-Budget Homesteading Solutions offers them a set of fresh ideas for achieving independence through sweat equity and the use of unconventional resources. This highly readable and entertaining guide brings together answers to common problems faced by homesteaders young and old, urban, suburban, and rural. Traditional knowledge is combined with MacGyver-style ingenuity to create projects that maximize available resources, including: Animal management strategies for the yard, garden, and field Pole building and construction techniques from woodlot materials Replacing farm machinery with homemade hand tools and implements Leveraging increased self-sufficiency into a home-based business Whether you are a dreamer or a doer, Plowing with Pigs will inspire, challenge, and enable you to do more with less (and have fun doing it). Oscar H. (Hank) Will III is a farmer, scientist, and author, known for seeking and implementing creative farmstead solutions. The editor of Grit magazine, Hank has published hundreds of articles and five books on a range of topics including antique farm machinery. Karen K. Will is editor of The Heirloom Gardener magazine and author of Cooking with Heirlooms: Seasonal Recipes with Heritage-Variety Vegetables and Fruits. She operates Prairie Turnip Farm with her husband Oscar H. Will III.
Plucked: Chicken, Antibiotics, and How Big Business Changed the Way We Eat
by Maryn McKennaIn this eye-opening exposé, acclaimed health journalist and National Geographic contributor Maryn McKenna documents how antibiotics transformed chicken from local delicacy to industrial commodity—and human health threat—uncovering the ways we can make America's favorite meat safer again. What you eat matters—for your health, for the environment, and for future generations. In this riveting investigative narrative, McKenna dives deep into the world of modern agriculture by way of chicken: from the farm where it's raised directly to your dinner table. Consumed more than any other meat in the United States, chicken is emblematic of today's mass food-processing practices and their profound influence on our lives and health. Tracing its meteoric rise from scarce treat to ubiquitous global commodity, McKenna reveals the astounding role of antibiotics in industrial farming, documenting how and why "wonder drugs" revolutionized the way the world eats—and not necessarily for the better. Rich with scientific, historical, and cultural insights, this spellbinding cautionary tale shines a light on one of America's favorite foods—and shows us the way to safer, healthier eating for ourselves and our children. This book was previously published in hardcover with the title Big Chicken: The Incredible Story of How Antibiotics Created Modern Agriculture and Changed the Way the World Eats.
Plug-and-Play Education: Knowledge and Learning in the Age of Platforms and Artificial Intelligence
by Carlo PerrottaPlug-and-Play Education: Knowledge and Learning in the Age of Platforms and Artificial Intelligence documents and critiques how the education sector is changing with the advancement of ubiquitous edtech platforms and automation. As programmability and computation reengineer institutions towards efficiency and prediction, the perpetual collection of and access to digital data is creating complex opportunities and concerns. Drawing from research into secondary and higher education settings, this book examines the influence of digital “infrastructuring”, the automation of teaching and learning, and the very purpose of education in a context of growing platformisation and artificial intelligence integration. These theoretical, practical, and policy-oriented insights will offer educational technologists, designers, researchers, and policymakers a more inclusive, diverse, and open-ended perspective on the design and implementation of learning technologies.
Plugged In: Cybersecurity in the Modern Age
by University of Florida Jon SilmanThe University of Florida has an ambitious goal: to harness the power of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni to solve some of society’s most pressing problems and to become a resource for the state of Florida, the nation, and the world. Cybersecurity is the most pressing issue of our increasingly interconnected and networked lives. Recent estimates predict that worldwide the number of connected devices—everything from computers and mobile phones to traffic cameras and pacemakers—will reach 50 billion by 2050. That number is staggering, and so are the vulnerabilities. Networked devices like smart power grids and TVs need to be easily accessible, but they also need to be secure. The more access points a device like a self-driving car has, the more susceptible points adversaries, cyber terrorists or hackers, can attack. Yet device manufacturers mostly favor usability, and security is all too often sacrificed. At the University of Florida some of the brightest minds in cybersecurity related fields have teamed together to form the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research. From industry, academe, and government, members of the FICS Research collaborate and bring together expertise in all aspects of cybersecurity and assurance, including hardware, network, mobile, big data, the internet of things (IOT), applied cryptography, social sciences, law, and more. In Plugged In, we meet the men and women at the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research who have devoted their careers to studying and staying one step ahead of the bad guys. The stories chronicled in GATORBYTES span all colleges and units across the UF campus. They detail the far-reaching impact of UF’s research, technologies, and innovations—and the UF faculty members dedicated to them. Gatorbytes describe how UF is continuing to build on its strengths and extend the reach of its efforts so that it can help even more people in even more places.
Plumber's Licensing Exam
by Learningexpress StaffWhether you're just starting out in the plumbing trade or are a seasoned veteran looking for career enhancement, successful completion of the plumber's licensing exam is an important step in your career. Comprehensive and in-depth, Plumber's Licensing Exam provides: - Review of the technical expertise you'll need, such as key terms, plumbing codes, general regulations on bathrooms, kitchens, and more, water heater installation, venting, traps, sanitary drainage, and more - Thorough familiarization with the plumbing codebook so you know where to find the answers to questions during the test - Hundreds of multiple-choice questions based on the actual exam - Guidelines for each state's requirements licensing - And much more!
Plumbing
by Michael A. JoyceRESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY: PLUMBING, 2E is the ideal book to create a direct link between readers' education/training program and the residential construction industry. The result of a strategic partnership between the National Association of Home Builder's (NAHB) Home Builders Institute and Delmar, Cengage Learning, the Residential Construction Academy Series is the perfect way to learn essential workplace skills for readers new to the building trades. Written in partnership with the Home Builders Institute, and endorsed by NAHB, RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION ACADEMY: PLUMBING, 2E provides a step-by-step approach to residential plumbing installations based on national skill standards. Focusing on "Green" advancement in the plumbing trades, this book thoroughly explains the process of installing residential plumbing systems by exploring topics such as tools of the trade and proper safety measures and by offering various tips to increase readers' on-the-job productivity. Logically organized to build a foundation of knowledge, this book progresses from the installation of common fixtures to troubleshooting techniques that will aid readers. An emphasis on creative layout and the importance of understanding code variations will foster readers' understanding of plumbing system installation that is based on typical situations as well as unique jobsite conditions.
Plumbing
by R. D. TreloarThe 4th edition of Plumbing continues to provide the definitive single volume text on plumbing, heating and gas installation work, ideal for students working towards their Diploma in plumbing or NVQ/SVQ at levels 2 and 3. Highly illustrated and easy to read and understand, it tackles plumbing topic by topic, in double page spreads with text, full colour illustrations, and clear photographs, enabling the reader to grasp the essentials quickly and easily. This approach ensures it also provides a concise reference for the trained plumber. Special features include: concise text many clear, full colour illustrations around 140 photographs topics focussed on the needs of NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3 additional topics beyond levels 2 and 3 a self-assessment section a problem-solving section This new edition has been thoroughly updated to take account of changes to the Building Regulations, including changes to the following approved documents: Part F: Ventilation; Part G: Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency; Part H: Drainage and waste disposal; Part L: Conservation of fuel and power and Part P: Electrical safety. A significant new section on energy conservation & sustainability has been added, and additional related material introduced where relevant. The extensive coverage with new, full colour illustrations to enhance legibility and understanding, and the emphasis on safety in the work place ensure this remains the definitive single volume for both student and trained plumbers.
Plumbing Design and Installation (4th Edition)
by L. V. RipkaPlumbing Design and Installation, 4th Edition, provides an extensive overview of the tools, materials, and practices commonly used in the plumbing trade. This book is designed to develop the basic competencies by providing comprehensive coverage of the plumbing trade including the design, installation, testing, and repair of plumbing systems in residential and commercial structures.
Plumbing Principles and Practice
by Syed Azizul HaqThis book provides a complete introduction to plumbing services. It explains the principles and provides practical examples of the planning, design, installation and maintenance of the plumbing technologies applicable to single-storey buildings, skyscrapers and everything in between. The book begins with an introduction to plumbing technology, the trade and its evolution. Chapters then cover: Pipes, fittings and accessories and their installation and testing Pumps and pumping systems Hydraulic principles Hot and cold water supply systems Fixtures and appliances Sanitary and storm drainage systems Special concerns such as seismic issues, safety, security and the state of the art. Written and the figures drawn by a registered professional engineer and experienced teacher, this book is suitable for use on a wide range of courses from building services engineering, civil engineering, construction technology, plumbing services, environmental engineering, water engineering and architectural technology.
Plumbing Technology: Design and Installation
by Lee Smith Michael A. JoyceIntroduces readers to all aspects of the commercial and residential plumbing trade, including home building. Safety practices are emphasized throughout. Projects provide opportunities for hands-on plumbing practice and actual application. Coverage includes basic knowledge, threaded pipe, waste systems, water systems, heating water, special cases, and fixture installation. This third edition covers current plumbing codes, and adds new pedagogical features. Useful for plumbers preparing to pass the Master Plumber exam. Annotation c. Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
Plumbing, Level 1
by NccerThis exceptionally produced trainee guide features a highly illustrated design, technical hints and tips from industry experts, review questions and a whole lot more! Key content includes: Introduction to the Plumbing Profession, Plumbing Safety, Tools of the Plumbing Trade, Introduction to Plumbing Math, Introduction to Plumbing Drawings, Plastic Pipe and Fittings, Copper Pipe and Fittings, Cast-Iron Pipe and Fittings, Carbon Steel Pipe and Fittings, Introduction to Plumbing Fixtures, Introduction to Drain, Waste, and Vent (DWV) Systems, and Introduction to Water Distribution Systems.
Plumbing: For Level 2 Technical Certificate And Nvq
by Steve MuscroftStudents setting out for a career in plumbing need a clear, concise and comprehensive textbook to help them study for their Technical Certificate and Level 2 NVQ – and this book meets all those needs.Steve Muscroft expertly guides you through each of the key areas and processes in plumbing, from the basics through cold and hot water systems to health and safety and best practice on site.The best way to learn something is to do it for yourself – so along with the theory this book is full of practical advice and guidance on how to get the job done. Every chapter is packed with colour photographs and diagrams to make learning easier. To help reinforce understanding each section features self-test exercises based on the standard City and Guilds assessment method. Steve Muscroft’s Plumbing isn’t just a guide to passing the exam – it goes into much more detail than other textbooks, Extra material on key topics outside the core syllabus, and references to additional resources and organisations make this book a handy companion as you begin your plumbing career. For the price of a spanner, can you afford to be without it!
Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapy for Diabetes
by Jon Odorico Lorenzo Piemonti Timothy J. Kieffer Valeria Sordi Eelco De KoningThis is a unique book containing comprehensive coverage of pluripotent stem cell therapies for the treatment of diabetes. The greatest enthusiasm for treatment lies in the possibility of using stem cells to overcome the limits of islet transplantation. Organized into six parts, this book covers the development and differentiation of beta cells, bioengineering, immunoescape, preclinical model and translational approaches, beta cell replacement, and disease modeling. This is an ideal book for scientists, researchers, and clinicians working in the area of stem cell technology in the treatment of diabetes.
Pluripotent Stem Cells in Eye Disease Therapy (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology #1186)
by Kapil BhartiThis book discusses applications of pluripotent stem cells to study eye disease in vitro and to create novel therapies for degenerative eye diseases. Chapters are contributed by experts in the field and cover such topics as the use of pluripotent stem cells in 2D and 3D engineering of ocular tissues for disease modelling and drug testing as well as approaches to replace degenerated RPE and photoreceptors in macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. Pluripotent Stem Cells in Eye Disease Therapy presents a comprehensive discussion of basic science and clinical applications and is an indispensable resource for everyone from advanced graduate students to advanced professionals who want to learn about the potential of stem cell biology and its role in the field of retinal diseases.
Plutonium: How Nuclear Power’s Dream Fuel Became a Nightmare
by Jungmin Kang Frank von Hippel Masafumi TakuboThis book provides a readable and thought-provoking analysis of the issues surrounding nuclear fuel reprocessing and fast-neutron reactors, including discussion of resources, economics, radiological risk and resistance to nuclear proliferation. It describes the history and science behind reprocessing, and gives an overview of the status of reprocessing programmes around the world. It concludes that such programs should be discontinued. While nuclear power is seen by many as the only realistic solution to the carbon emission problem, some national nuclear establishments have been pursuing development and deployment of sodium-cooled plutonium breeder reactors, and plutonium recycling. Its proponents argue that this system would offer significant advantages relative to current light water reactor technology in terms of greater uranium utilization efficiency, and that separating out the long-lived plutonium and other transuranics from spent fuel and fissioning them in fast reactors would greatly reduce the duration of the toxicity of radioactive waste. However, the history of efforts to deploy this system commercially in a number of countries over the last six decades has been one of economic and technical failure and, in some cases, was used to mask clandestine nuclear weapon development programs. Covering topics of significant public interest including nuclear safety, fuel storage, environmental impact and the spectre of nuclear terrorism, this book presents a comprehensive analysis of the issue for nuclear engineers, policy analysts, government officials and the general public. "Frank von Hippel, Jungmin Kang, and Masafumi Takubo, three internationally renowned nuclear experts, have done a valuable service to the global community in putting together this book, which both historically and comprehensively covers the “plutonium age” as we know it today. They articulate in a succinct and clear manner their views on the dangers of a plutonium economy and advocate a ban on the separation of plutonium for use in the civilian fuel cycle in view of the high proliferation and nuclear-security risks and lack of economic justification." (Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (1997-2009), Nobel Peace Prize (2005))"The 1960s dream of a ‘plutonium economy’ has not delivered abundant low-cost energy, but instead has left the world a radioactive legacy of nuclear weapons proliferation and the real potential for nuclear terrorism. Kang, Takubo, and von Hippel explain with power and clarity what can be done to reduce these dangers. The governments of the remaining countries whose nuclear research and development establishments are still pursuing the plutonium dream should pay attention.” (Senator Edward Markey, a leader in the US nuclear-disarmament movement as a member of Congress since 1976)"The authors have done an invaluable service by putting together in one place the most coherent analysis of the risks associated with plutonium, and the most compelling argument for ending the practice of separating plutonium from spent fuel for any purpose. They have given us an easily accessible history of the evolution of thinking about the nuclear fuel cycle, the current realities of nuclear power around the world and, arguably most important, a clear alternative path to deal with the spent fuel arising from nuclear reactors for decades to centuries to come." (Robert Gallucci, Chief US negotiator with North Korea (1994); Dean, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (1996-2009); President, MacArthur Foundation (2009-2014))
Plutopia: Nuclear Families, Atomic Cities, and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters
by Kate BrownWhile many transnational histories of the nuclear arms race have been written, Kate Brown provides the first definitive account of the great plutonium disasters of the United States and the Soviet Union. <P><P> In Plutopia, Brown draws on official records and dozens of interviews to tell the extraordinary stories of Richland, Washington and Ozersk, Russia-the first two cities in the world to produce plutonium. To contain secrets, American and Soviet leaders created plutopias--communities of nuclear families living in highly-subsidized, limited-access atomic cities. Fully employed and medically monitored, the residents of Richland and Ozersk enjoyed all the pleasures of consumer society, while nearby, migrants, prisoners, and soldiers were banned from plutopia--they lived in temporary "staging grounds" and often performed the most dangerous work at the plant. Brown shows that the plants' segregation of permanent and temporary workers and of nuclear and non-nuclear zones created a bubble of immunity, where dumps and accidents were glossed over and plant managers freely embezzled and polluted. In four decades, the Hanford plant near Richland and the Maiak plant near Ozersk each issued at least 200 million curies of radioactive isotopes into the surrounding environment--equaling four Chernobyls--laying waste to hundreds of square miles and contaminating rivers, fields, forests, and food supplies. Because of the decades of secrecy, downwind and downriver neighbors of the plutonium plants had difficulty proving what they suspected, that the rash of illnesses, cancers, and birth defects in their communities were caused by the plants' radioactive emissions. Plutopia was successful because in its zoned-off isolation it appeared to deliver the promises of the American dream and Soviet communism; in reality, it concealed disasters that remain highly unstable and threatening today. <P><P> An untold and profoundly important piece of Cold War history, Plutopia invites readers to consider the nuclear footprint left by the arms race and the enormous price of paying for it.
Pneumatic Actuating Systems for Automatic Equipment: Structure and Design
by Igor Lazar Krivts German Vladimir KrejninAutomation is quickly becoming the standard across nearly every area of manufacturing. Pneumatic actuators play a very important role in modern automation systems, yet until now there has been no book that takes into account the recent progress not only in the pneumatic systems themselves but also in the integration of mechatronics, electronic cont
Pneumatic Conveying of Solids
by F. Rizk G. E. Klinzing L. S. Leung R. MarcusPneumatic conveying is one of the most popular methods of handling bulk powdered and granular materials in mining, chemical and agricultural industries. This 3rd edition of this successful book covers both theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. It is unique in its blending of academic materials and good industrial design techniques. Each topic is covered in depth, with emphasis placed on the latest techniques, hardware systems and design and research methodology. Its comprehensive worked examples and table ensure that the reader need not consult any other reference material. In this 3rd edition new sections on simulation and modelling have been added, while the use of tomography as a tool for monitoring pneumatic conveying is also covered.
Pneumatic Conveying: Basics, Design and Operation of Plants
by Peter HilgrafBulk materials are processed and refined in many industrial plants. They are transported back and forth between the various process steps. If bulk materials are dust-fine to coarse-grained, they can be transported pneumatically through pipelines with flowing gas - over distances of several metres to several kilometres.This book introduces the basics of pneumatic conveying, the construction of plants and their operation. The first three chapters deal with the physical properties of the bulk material and the conveying gas as well as their behaviour in gas-solid systems. The following chapter describes the application of these basics in pneumatic conveying: starting with different flow forms, via processes at the plug, up to pressure loss in pneumatic conveying lines. The following sections are devoted, among other things, to calculation approaches for the transfer of test models to large-scale systems, as well as to modern dense-phase conveying methods in which material to be conveyed moves at low speed in the form of threads, plugs or flowing. Separate chapters deal with the design of pneumatic conveying systems and various forms and causes of their wear.The book offers calculation examples for many topics and is state of the art. It is aimed at engineers, plant constructors and operators of product lines with pneumatic conveying. They benefit from the author's decades of experience in the development and design of plants with new conveying processes.
Pneumatic Servo Systems Analysis: Control and Application in Robotic Systems (Advances in Industrial Control)
by Yuanqing Xia Jinhui Zhang Hongjiu Yang Ling ZhaoThis book focuses on pneumatic servo systems analysis, control and application in robotic systems. The pneumatic servo systems are composed by pneumatic artificial muscles or cylinders, which are two important pneumatic actuators in industrial application. The active disturbance rejection control technique is used effectively to solve strong nonlinearity and uncertain factors for the pneumatic servo systems. Nonlinear feedback control, back-stepping control, finite-time control, sliding mode control and several other control laws are proposed to make the pneumatic servo systems have better control performances. The book establishes a fundamental framework for this topic, while emphasizing the importance of integrated analysis. The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in this field and engineers working on the applications of pneumatic servo systems.Advances in Industrial Control reports and encourages the transfer of technology in control engineering. The rapid development of control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline. The series offers an opportunity for researchers to present an extended exposition of new work in all aspects of industrial control.