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Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy
by Marie KondoDiscover the books that inspired the Netflix phenomenon Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, now together in a convenient ebook bundle: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy.Japanese decluttering expert Marie Kondo has taken the world by storm with her Netflix show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Now fans can get the two books that started the movement, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Spark Joy, in one ebook bundle that combines this philosophical wisdom, practical advice, and charming prescriptive illustrations into one master class. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up is Kondo&’s guide to decluttering your home using her famed KonMari Method, and Spark Joy is an illustrated manual with step-by-step instructions for folding clothes and tackling messy areas of the home. With these two books, you can capture the joy of Marie Kondo&’s tidy lifestyle for yourself.
Cold Climate HVAC 2018: Sustainable Buildings in Cold Climates (Springer Proceedings in Energy)
by Dennis Johansson Hans Bagge Åsa WahlströmThis volume presents the proceedings of the 9th Cold Climate HVAC conference, which was held in Kiruna, Sweden in 2018. The conference highlighted key technologies and processes that allow scientists, designers, engineers, manufacturers and other decision makers in cold climate regions to achieve good indoor environmental quality (IEQ) with a minimum use of energy and other resources. The conference addressed various technical, economic and social aspects of buildings and HVAC systems in new and renovated buildings. This proceedings volume gathers peer-reviewed papers by a diverse and international range of authors and showcases perspectives and practices in cold climate building design from around the globe. The following major aspects, which include both fundamental and theoretical research as well as applications and case studies, are covered: (1) Energy and power efficiency and low-energy buildings; (2) Renovating buildings; (3) Efficient HVAC components; (4) Heat pumps and geothermal systems; (5) Municipal and city energy systems; (6) Construction management; (7) Buildings in operation; (8) Building simulation; (9) Reference data; (10) Transdisciplinary connections and social aspects; (11) Indoor environments and health; (12) Moisture safety and water damage; (13) Codes, regulations, standards and policies; and (14) Other aspects of buildings in cold climates.
Advances in Design for Inclusion: Proceedings of the AHFE 2019 International Conference on Design for Inclusion and the AHFE 2019 International Conference on Human Factors for Apparel and Textile Engineering, July 24-28, 2019, Washington D.C., USA (Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing #954)
by Giuseppe Di BucchianicoThis book addresses a range of topics in design, such as universal design; design for all; digital inclusion; universal usability; and accessibility of technologies regardless of users’ age, financial situation, education, geographic location, culture and language. It especially focuses on accessibility for people with auditory, cognitive, neurological, and visual impairments, ageing populations, and mobility for those with special physical needs. The book explores some of the overlaps between inclusive design and web accessibility to help managers, designers, developers, policy makers, and researchers optimize their efforts in these areas. Based on the AHFE 2019 International Conference on Design for Inclusion, held on July 24-28, held in Washington D.C., USA, it discusses new design technologies and highlights the disparate needs of the individuals within a community. Thanks to its multidisciplinary approach, it provides readers with various backgrounds with a timely, practice-oriented guide to design for inclusion.
Perspective on Design: Research, Education and Practice (Springer Series in Design and Innovation #1)
by José Silva Daniel Raposo João NevesThis book presents the outcomes of recent endeavors that are expected to foster significant advances in the areas of communication design, fashion design, interior design, and product design, as well as overlapping areas. The fourteen chapters highlight carefully selected contributions presented during the 6th EIMAD conference, held on February 22–23, 2018 at the School of Applied Arts, Campus da Talagueira, in Castelo Branco, Portugal. They report on outstanding advances that offer new theoretical perspectives and practical research directions in design, and which are aimed at fostering communication in a global, digital world, while also addressing key individual and societal needs.
Sacred Landscapes of Imperial China: Astronomy, Feng Shui, and the Mandate of Heaven
by Giulio MagliThis book analyses the magnificent imperial necropolises of ancient China from the perspective of Archaeoastronomy, a science which takes into account the landscape in which ancient monuments are placed, focusing especially but not exclusively on the celestial aspects. The power of the Chinese emperors was based on the so-called Mandate of Heaven: the rulers were believed to act as intermediaries between the sky gods and the Earth, and consequently, the architecture of their tombs, starting from the world-famous mausoleum of the first emperor, was closely linked to the celestial cycles and to the cosmos. This relationship, however, also had to take into account various other factors and doctrines, first the Zhao-Mu doctrine in the Han period and later the various forms of Feng Shui. As a result, over the centuries, diverse sacred landscapes were constructed. Among the sites analysed in the book are the “pyramids” of Xi’an from the Han dynasty, the mountain tombs of the Tang dynasty, and the Ming and Qing imperial tombs. The book explains how considerations such as astronomical orientation and topographical orientation according to the principles of Feng Shui played a fundamental role at these sites.
Cities’ Vocabularies: The Influences and Formations (Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation)
by Nabil Mohareb Antonella Versaci Yasser Mahgoub Sreetheran Maruthaveeran Francesco AlbertiThis book discusses several topics regarding different vocabularies, such as sacred architecture, heritage buildings, open spaces, landmarks, and street escapes, all of which have a direct influence on the city form. The city form is also affected by the indirect impact of the citizens themselves, for example their culture, which in turn depends on the arts, as can be seen and embodied in morals, paintings, media, digital art, and sculpture. The book also examines the fundamental elements that are responsible for the identity of the city. Presenting case studies that demonstrate the how implementing the concept of the responsibility of architecture and arts affects the development of our cities, the book offers a new approach that is based on the available features of a city and explores how planners and decision-makers can use these features to address the myriad problems that our cities are facing.
Suburban Retail Spaces: Formative and Transformative Process (SpringerBriefs in Geography)
by Vincenzo BuongiornoThis book derives from observations of the contemporary built environment and its contradictions. The suburban retail spaces, specifically the suburban shopping mall, and the changes caused by them within urban organisms are the object of the investigation synthesized in the volume. The topic is very crucial for the development of the contemporary city. It constitutes at the same time a problem (large commercial structures' spread is 'destroying' traditional commercial urban fabrics) and an opportunity (shopping malls are the most vital parts of the new suburbs and can play the role of community nucleus in urban and suburban areas). Furthermore, the spread of e-commerce forces these structures to functional and spatial transformations that brings also a new relationship with the city.The analytical reading, supplemented by generative and design projections, is carried out by using the conceptual and methodological tools of urban morphology, specifically those of the typological processual approach. From this specific point of view, the suburban shopping mall is read as an organism (a complex system characterized by mutual solidarity and interdependence among component elements) in itself, and as a sub-organisms belonging to the largest territorial organism.The book is intended to offer, to operators, scholars, researchers, professionals and students, a reading and design method, to interpret an important aspect of the contemporary built environment by analyzing the suburban commercial space case. It offers at the same time a model applicable to other specific not-commercial cases, to defining paths for further research and design developments.
Sustainable Land Management for NEOM Region
by Mashael M. Al SaudThis book is the first of its type on NEOM Region, NW of Saudi Arabia. This region has been designated in 2017 to be an international economic hub. However, no studies have been done on this region which occupies several natural resources including remarkable landscape with unique ecological species, ores and water resources. The region is also vulnerable to many aspects of threatening natural hazards.Based on her expertise, namely geomorphological processes, earth sciences, space techniques and natural risk assessment, the author made an initiative to produce this book using advanced tools, specifically satellite images and geo-information system. The book introduces several thematic maps obtained for the first time for NEOM Region. Hence, it represents a scientific guide for land management and urban planning approaches. This book is a very significant document for a variety of readers and researchers including decision makers, land managers and planners, as well as geographers and geologists. In addition, the basic concepts and new approaches attract researchers and academic teams including students, universities and research centers not only in Saudi Arabia, but in different parts of the World.
Houses in Transformation
by Tareef Hayat KhanThis book analyzes the reasons of spontaneous transformation in self-built houses in the context of developing countries. Recognizing Housing Transformation as a natural phenomenon, the book focuses on self-built houses in the city of Dhaka. Firstly, it explains the explicit reasons behind spontaneous housing transformations. Then the book carefully unveils the implicit values that are hidden behind those explicit reasons. The entire book is an ethnographic journey, which expresses unique stories behind houses in transformation.
Managing and Breeding Wheat for Organic Systems
by Muhammad Asif Muhammad Iqbal Harpinder Randhawa Dean SpanerGenetically uniform cultivars in many self-pollinated cereal crops dominate commercial production in high-input environments especially due to their high grain yields and wide geographical adaptation. These cultivars generally perform well under favorable and high-input farming systems but their optimal performance cannot be achieved on marginal/organic lands or without the use of external chemical inputs (fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides). Cereal breeding programs aim at evaluating candidate lines/cultivars for agronomic, disease and quality traits in a weed free environment that makes it impossible to identify traits conferring competitive ability against weeds. Moreover, quantification of competitive ability is a complex phenomenon which is affected by range of growth traits. Above (e. g. light) and below (e. g. water and nutrients) ground resources also influence competitiveness to a greater extent. Competitiveness is quantitatively inherited trait which is heavily influenced by many factors including genotype, management, environment and their interaction. Sound plant breeding techniques and good experimental designs are prerequisites for maximizing genetic gains to breed cultivars for organically managed lands. The brief is focused on breeding wheat for enhanced competitive ability along with other agronomic, genetic and molecular studies that have been undertaken to improve weed suppression, disease resistance and quality in organically managed lands. The examples from other cereals have also been highlighted to compare wheat with other cereal crops.
Human Migration to Space
by Elizabeth Song LockardHuman migration to space will be the most profound catalyst for evolution in the history of humankind, yet this has had little impact on determining our strategies for this next phase of exploration. Habitation in space will require extensive technological interfaces between humans and their alien surroundings and how they are deployed will critically inform the processes of adaptation. As humans begin to spend longer durations in space--eventually establishing permanent outposts on other planets--the scope of technological design considerations must expand beyond the meager requirements for survival to include issues not only of comfort and well‐being, but also of engagement and negotiation with the new planetary environment that will be crucial to our longevity beyond Earth. Approaching this question from an interdisciplinary approach, this dissertation explores how the impact of interior space architecture can meet both the physical and psychological needs of future space colonists and set the stage for humankind to thrive and grow while setting down new roots beyond Earth.
Eco-Landscape Design
by John A. Flannery Karen M. SmithThe ability to adapt to a changing environment has ensured the continued survival of the human race into the 21st century. The challenges to be faced in this century are now well documented by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The effects of drought, melting polar ice and increased incidences of extreme weather events will impact on the diverse landscapes of the earth and a human population predicted to be 9 billion by the middle of the 21st century, a three-fold increase in less than one hundred years. This book provides a valuable insight into landscaping activity worldwide by those tasked with housing, feeding and nurturing all species that share the planet. Research for this publication reveals the growth of non-anthropized design philosophies, acknowledging that humanity cannot be indefinitely sustained if animal, bird and plant life are excluded. The precious resources of water and the air that we breathe are no longer taken for granted; rivers flowing through the world's mega-cities are now being cleaned, restored and given pride of place in the landscapes they flow through. Conservation projects provide evidence that even fragile island and desert landscapes can be protected from the negative impacts of population. Eco-Landscape Design demonstrates that an intelligent and thoughtful approach to landscape design can not only ensure survival, it can reap compound benefits and rewards far in excess of those originally envisaged.
Wood Characteristics
by Christoph RichterThis book offers a broad range of options for technically adapting, handling and processing wood with specific wood characteristics It starts by discussing wood anatomy and the general factors leading to the formation of wood characteristics. The individual characteristics are then categorized into four groups: 1. Wood characteristics inherent in a tree's natural growth. 2 Biotically-induced wood characteristics. 3 Abiotically-induced wood characteristics. 4 Types and causes of cracks. New to this English edition is a comparison of wood characteristics found in trees from the boreal, temperate and tropical climate zones. The results show a clear relationship between the effects of sunshine duration, the vertical and horizontal angle of radiation, and crown coverage and the way wood characteristics form. The book addresses all those who work with wood professionally: foresters, gardeners and arborists who want to be able to observe a living tree and identify its internal features and the causes of its prominent wood characteristics. Based on the findings described in this book they can determine how to avoid certain undesirable characteristics, or alternatively how to promote favorable ones as the tree and stand grow. Botanists and dendrologists will learn how wood characteristics arise, and how they affect living trees and wood products. The needs of wood technologists seeking to prevent adverse wood characteristics from influencing wood processing, or to enhance favorable wood characteristics, are also addressed.
Composting for Sustainable Agriculture (Sustainable Development and Biodiversity #3)
by Dinesh K. MaheshwariThe dramatic worldwide increase in agricultural and industrial productivity has created severe environmental problems. Soil and groundwater reservoirs have been polluted with pesticides, xenobiotics and agro-chemicals. The global consensus to reduce inputs of chemical pesticides and agrochemical fertilizers, which are perceived at being hazardous by some consumers, has provided opportunities for the development of novel, benign sustainable crop management strategies. The future of agricultural depends upon our ability to enhance the productivity without damage to their long-term production potential. One of the strategies is the application of effective microbial products beneficial for both farmers and ecosystems. This kind of approach can ensure both ecological and economic sustainability. Soil microbial populations are immersed in framework of interactions, which are known to affect plant fitness and soil quality. For betterment of life of human being, improved quality and variety of products are formed due to versatile action of different group of microorganisms, Microbes are able to degrade solid waste material into compost which is a mixture of decayed organic matter, manure etc. Incomplete microbial degradation of organic waste where the microbial process varies aerobic to anaerobic form is stated as compost, if added to soil improves plant growth and development. The biological activities and microbial metabolism in the soil contribute to alter its mixture and fertility. Incorporation of organic remain in the form of compost is known to influence favourably the physio-chemical and biological properties of soil. The beneficial activities bestowed upon plants by compost utilization are multifaceted, hence most promising alternatives for achieving sustainable agricultural production. An increased awareness on compost has led to their use in agricultural concern. Contents in the present book will comprised various chapters on the role of beneficial bacteria in the composting process. The application is depicted to achieve the attainable productivity besides, in disease management and suppressiveness of organisms of phytopathogenic in nature. Significance of the compost elicits certain responses e. g. soil reclamation, soil fertility, soil health and disease management exhibit due to quality compost amendment in soil. It serves as low cost prospective option for sustainable crop production and protection.
Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) in the Permo-Carboniferous
by Kate HoranThis book focuses on the sedimentology of the Hells Kitchen Member of the Port Sussex Formation in East Falkland (Isla Soledad, Las Malvinas). It closely examines two sediment cores spanning these formations that were recovered from the Falkland Islands in 2008 following a mineral exploration programme. The integrated approach of this research, which combines sedimentological data with geochemistry, makes it a robust insight into this past climatic transition and may help to evaluate and inform predictions of future climate change.
Modeling and Control of Greenhouse Crop Growth
by Manuel Berenguel José Luis Guzmán Francisco Rodríguez Armando Ramírez-AriasA discussion of challenges related to the modeling and control of greenhouse crop growth, this book presents state-of-the-art answers to those challenges. The authors model the subsystems involved in successful greenhouse control using different techniques and show how the models obtained can be exploited for simulation or control design; they suggest ideas for the development of physical and/or black-box models for this purpose. Strategies for the control of climate- and irrigation-related variables are brought forward. The uses of PID control and feedforward compensators, both widely used in commercial tools, are summarized. The benefits of advanced control techniques'event-based, robust, and predictive control, for example'are used to improve on the performance of those basic methods. A hierarchical control architecture is developed governed by a high-level multiobjective optimization approach rather than traditional constrained optimization and artificial intelligence techniques. y Reference trajectories are found for diurnal and nocturnal temperatures (climate-related setpoints) and electrical conductivity (fertirrigation-related setpoints). The objectives are to maximize profit, fruit quality, and water-use efficiency, these being encouraged by current international rules. Illustrative practical results selected from those obtained in an industrial greenhouse during the last eight years are shown and described. The text of the book is complemented by the use of illustrations, tables and real examples which are helpful in understanding the material. Modeling and Control of Greenhouse Crop Growth will be of interest to industrial engineers, academic researchers and graduates from agricultural, chemical, and process-control backgrounds. "
Responses of Fruit Trees to Global Climate Change
by Fernando Ramírez Jose KallarackalGlobal climate change is expected to produce increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, higher temperatures, aberrant precipitation patterns and a host of other climatic changes that would affect all life on this planet. This review article addresses the impact of climate change on fruit trees and the response of the trees to a changing environment. The response of fruit trees to increasing carbon dioxide levels, phenological changes occurring in the trees themselves due to increased temperature and the lower chilling hours especially in the temperate regions, ecophysiological adaptations of the trees to the changing climate, impact of aberrant precipitation, etc. are reviewed. There is very little data on the impact of rising CO2 levels on fruit tree performance or productivity including the temperate region. Based on a large number of observations on the phenology, there is reason to believe that the flowering and fruiting of most species have advanced by quite a few days, but with variations in different crops and on different continents. The chilling hours have also grown shorter in many regions, causing considerable reductions in yield for several species. In the tropics, there is very little work on fruit trees; however, the available data show that precipitation is a major factor regulating their phenology and yield. The ecophysiological adaptations vary from species to species, and there is a need to develop phenological models in order to estimate the impact of climate change on plant development in different regions of the world. More research is also called for to develop adaptation strategies to circumvent the negative impacts of climate change.
The Empirical Validation of House Energy Rating (HER) Software for Lightweight Housing in Cool Temperate Climates
by Mark Andrew DewsburyThis book reports on the first empirical validation of "AccuRate," Australia's national benchmark software tool for house energy ratings. The validation was conducted by the University of Tasmania in collaboration with Forest and Wood Products Australia, the Australian Government, the CSIRO and industry partners. The study presented here describes the results of graphical and statistical analysis of variations observed between the measured and simulated data from three different test buildings in Launceston, Tasmania. It shows that, while the AccuRate software is well suited to modeling energy flows, there are discrepancies between the simulated and measured temperatures of the test buildings. Moreover, it highlights possible connections between the discrepancies in all zones and the outside air temperature, wind speed, global and diffuse solar radiation, and possibly the ground model. Beyond its contribution to further investigations into the ongoing improvement and calibration of the Australian NatHERS-supported AccuRate software, this book also meticulously describes the methodology used in conducting the research, which is expected to pave the way for further studies of this type.
Green Roof Ecosystems
by Richard K. SuttonThis book provides an up-to-date coverage of green (vegetated) roof research, design, and management from an ecosystem perspective. It reviews, explains, and poses questions about monitoring, substrate, living components and the abiotic, biotic and cultural aspects connecting green roofs to the fields of community, landscape and urban ecology. The work contains examples of green roof venues that demonstrate the focus, level of detail, and techniques needed to understand the structure, function, and impact of these novel ecosystems. Representing a seminal compilation of research and technical knowledge about green roof ecology and how functional attributes can be enhanced, it delves to explore the next wave of evolution in green technology and defines potential paths for technological advancement and research.
The Breeder's Exception to Patent Rights
by Viola PriftiThis book is the first to analyze the compliance of different types of a breeder's exception to patent rights with article 30 of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. This type of exception allows using protected biological matter for breeding new varieties of plants. The breeder's exception is widely accepted under plant variety legislation, but it is not common under patent laws despite the fact that patent rights often cover plant varieties. Only few European countries have adopted such an exception. After the entry into force of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court, the exception will be mandatory for all European Union Member states. Based on a legal and economic approach, this book offers guidance to those countries that need to incorporate a breeder's exception into their national patent systems and suggests the importance of the exception for promoting plant breeding activities.
Historical Earthquake-Resistant Timber Frames in the Mediterranean Area
by Nicola Ruggieri Gennaro Tampone Raffaele ZinnoThis book presents a selection of the best papers from the HEaRT 2013 conference, held in Cosenza, Italy, which provided a valuable forum for engineers and architects, researchers and educators to exchange views and findings concerning the technological history, construction features and seismic behavior of historical timber-framed walls in the Mediterranean countries. The topics covered are wide ranging and include historical aspects and examples of the use of timber-framed construction systems in response to earthquakes, such as the gaiola system in Portugal and the Bourbon system in southern Italy; interpretation of the response of timber-framed walls to seismic actions based on calculations and experimental tests; assessment of the effectiveness of repair and strengthening techniques, e. g. , using aramid fiber wires or sheets; and modelling analyses. In addition, on the basis of case studies, a methodology is presented that is applicable to diagnosis, strengthening and improvement of seismic performance and is compatible with modern theoretical principles and conservation criteria. It is hoped that, by contributing to the knowledge of this construction technique, the book will help to promote conservation of this important component of Europe's architectural heritage.
Interior Design: Conceptual Basis
by Anthony SullyMaximizing reader insights into interior design as a conceptual way of thinking, which is about ideas and how they are formulated. The major themes of this book are the seven concepts of planning, circulation, 3D, construction, materials, colour and lighting, which covers the entire spectrum of a designer's activity. Analysing design concepts from the view of the range of possibilities that the designer can examine and eventually decide by choice and conclusive belief the appropriate course of action to take in forming that particular concept, the formation and implementation of these concepts is taken in this book to aid the designer in his/her professional task of completing a design proposal to the client. The purpose of this book is to prepare designers to focus on each concept independently as much as possible, whilst acknowledging relative connections without unwarranted influences unfairly dictating a conceptual bias, and is about that part of the design process called conceptual analysis. It is assumed that the site, location, building and orientation, as well as the client's brief of activities and needs have been digested and analysed to provide the data upon which the design process can begin. Designed as a highly visual illustrative book, as the interior design medium demands, the hands-on creative process of designing is detailed with original drawn illustrations. Concentrating on the conceptual process of designing interiors, and defining what these concepts are, this book will help the designer to organise his/her process of designing and to sharpen the links between the various skill bases necessary to do the job. This book will be stimulating for students and instructors alike and is aimed at any student who maybe majoring in interior design, interior architecture, architecture, design thinking or furniture design. It could also be a useful reference for students of design management and design leadership.
Biotechnological strategies for the conservation of medicinal and ornamental climbers
by Anwar Shahzad Shiwali Sharma Saeed A. SiddiquiThe book provides an overview on adoption of biotechnological approaches for the conservation, micropropagation, synseed production of various medicinal and ornamental climbers. The work includes a brief chapter on evolution and diversification of climbers. Other chapters give insights on protocols for in vitro propagation and synseed production of selected threatened medicinal and ornamental climbers. Informative chapter on the production of bioactive compound and their enhancement through genetic transformation and elicitation have been incorporated to cover latest advancement in the field of plant biotechnology. This book also explores the use of molecular marker technique for the desired improvement/magnification of medicinal and aesthetic value of climbing plants.
Furniture Design
by Jerzy SmardzewskiMaximizing reader insights into the principles of designing furniture as wooden structures, this book discusses issues related to the history of furniture structures, their classification and characteristics, ergonomic approaches to anthropometric requirements and safety of use. It presents key methods and highlights common errors in designing the characteristics of the materials, components, joints and structures, as well as looking at the challenges regarding developing associated design documentation. Including analysis of how designers may go about calculating the stiffness and endurance of parts, joints and whole structures, the book analyzes questions regarding the loss of furniture stability and the resulting threats to health of the user, putting forward a concept of furniture design as an engineering processes. Creating an attractive, functional, ergonomic and safe piece of furniture is not only the fruit of the work of individual architects and artists, but requires an effort of many people working in interdisciplinary teams, this book is designed to add important knowledge to the literature for engineer approaches in furniture design.
Postharvest Quality Assurance of Fruits
by Mohammed Wasim Siddiqui Mohammad Shamsher AhmadThis book presents a comprehensive study of the handling of fresh fruits in the developing world from harvesting to the shelf. With annual losses ranging from 30-40% due to lack of knowledge on proper handling practices and value addition, this book's information on postharvest handling and quality testing is crucial for reducing these losses and improving the quality and safety of fresh fruits in these areas. With its added focus on marketing and organized retail aspects, Postharvest Quality Assurance of Fruits: Practical Approaches for Developing Countries covers the entire range of fruit handling, from transportation and packaging to quality assessment and commercial preparation. In presenting a fully comprehensive outline of the factors affecting postharvest quality and marketability of fruits, this work lays the foundation for understanding the proper storage, transportation and packaging methods to prevent losses and increase quality. With its study of prevailing marketing systems, supply chains and retail methods, the book presents the complete picture for the postharvest handling of fruits in the developing world.