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Metabolic engineering has been studied extensively to improve microbial hydrogen (H2) production. Elimination or modification of carbon metabolic pathways, incorporation of nonnative metabolic pathways leading to H2 production, utilization of various carbon substrates, and improvement of H2-producing enzymes (hydrogenase and nitrogenase) were the major focuses of these studies. This chapter highlights recent developments with metabolic engineering toward improving the yield and rate of microbial biohydrogen production.

China’s trade patterns are evolving. While it started in light manufacturing and the assembly of more sophisticated products as part of global supply chains, China is now moving up the value chain, “onshoring” the production of higher-value-added upstream products and moving into more sophisticated downstream products as well. At the same time, with its wages rising, it has started to exit some lower-end, more labor-intensive sectors. These changes are taking place in the broader context of China’s rebalancing—away from exports and toward domestic demand, and within the latter, away from investment and toward consumption—and as a consequence, demand for some commodity imports is slowing, while consumption imports are slowly rising. The evolution of Chinese trade, investment, and consumption patterns offers opportunities and challenges to low-wage, low-income countries, including China’s neighbors in the Mekong region. Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Myanmar, and Vietnam (the CLMV) are all open economies that are highly integrated with China. Rebalancing in China may mean less of a role for commodity exports from the region, but at the same time, the CLMV’s low labor costs suggest that manufacturing assembly for export could take off as China becomes less competitive, and as China itself demands more consumption items. Labor costs, however, are only part of the story. The CLMV will need to strengthen their infrastructure, education, governance, and trade regimes, and also run sound macro policies in order to capitalize fully on the opportunities presented by China’s transformation. With such policy efforts, the CLMV could see their trade and integration with global supply chains grow dramatically in the coming years.

The exceptional properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), including their high mechanical strength, electron mobility, and thermal conductivity, make them promising candidates for various applications. One possible application is the sensing of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic pollutant with significant implications for air quality monitoring, pollution control, and medical applications. Existing sensor technologies often fail to meet the stringent requirements for power consumption, shelf life, readout speed, and limit of detection (LOD) necessary for mobile applications. CNT-based gas sensors offer substantial potential to address these limitations, yet several challenges must be overcome to utilize their full potential. One major technological hurdle is the high-volume fabrication of CNT devices, in particular that of suspended CNT devices, which demonstrate several advantages as sensors. This thesis presents an approach to address this challenge, focusing on the scalable batch growth of suspended CNTs and their automated assembly into functional devices. Through systematic multi-parameter optimization and the development of large-scale growth substrates, the optimal growth conditions for CNTs were identified, leading to a significant increase in the number of individual CNTs available for device integration. An automated nanoassembly machine was employed to transfer pre-selected CNTs from growth substrates to device substrates. The process flow designed around automated robotic assembly demonstrates a production rate - mechanical transfer rate for carbon nanotubes - of approximately 46 CNTs per hour, with a 70 % yield of electrically active devices. The assembled devices were characterizedelectrically to understand the performance of devices fabricated by this method.

The success of individualized medicine, advanced crops, and new and sustainable energy sources requires thoroughly annotated genomic information and the integration of this information into a coherent model. A thorough overview of this field, Genome Annotation explores automated genome analysis and annotation from its origins to the challenges of next-generation sequencing data analysis. The book initially takes you through the last 16 years since the sequencing of the first complete microbial genome. It explains how current analysis strategies were developed, including sequencing strategies, statistical models, and early annotation systems. The authors then present visualization techniques for displaying integrated results as well as state-of-the-art annotation tools, including MAGPIE, Ensembl, Bluejay, and Galaxy. They also discuss the pipelines for the analysis and annotation of complex, next-generation DNA sequencing data. Each chapter includes references and pointers to relevant tools. As very few existing genome annotation pipelines are capable of dealing with the staggering amount of DNA sequence information, new strategies must be developed to accommodate the needs of today’s genome researchers. Covering this topic in detail, Genome Annotation provides you with the foundation and tools to tackle this challenging and evolving area. Suitable for both students new to the field and professionals who deal with genomic information in their work, the book offers two genome annotation systems on an accompanying downloadable resources.

FinTech transformations have brought changes to the global financial markets and merit the attention of financial regulators across jurisdictions. This book is one of the first ones of its kind to look at open banking (OB). It examines regulatory approaches to OB by taking a broad view of comparative legal systems and through perspectives of transaction costs, public choice, and institutional design. The book looks at the legal implications by engaging in a two-tiered comparative analysis: comparing between compulsory and voluntary approaches to OB policies and comparing the legal systems between the West (i.e., the EU and the UK) and an Asian economy (i.e., Taiwan).

Reviews our current understanding of the role of protein oxidation in aging and age-related diseases Protein oxidation is at the core of the aging process. Setting forth a variety of new methods and approaches, this book helps researchers conveniently by exploring the aging process and developing more effective therapies to prevent or treat age-related diseases. There have been many studies dedicated to the relationship between protein oxidation and age-related pathology; now it is possible for researchers and readers to learn new techniques as utilizing protein oxidation products as biomarkers for aging. Protein Oxidation and Aging begins with a description of the tremendous variety of protein oxidation products. Furthermore, it covers: Major aspects of the protein oxidation process Cellular mechanisms for managing oxidized proteins Role of protein oxidation in aging Influence of genetic and environmental factors on protein oxidation Measuring protein oxidation in the aging process Protein oxidation in age-related diseases References at the end of each chapter serve as a gateway to the growing body of original research studies and reviews in the field.

This guide offers a clear step-by-step approach for graduate students and early-career researchers, especially non-native English speakers, seeking to publish in international journals in the social sciences. It provides practical strategies for preparing, submitting, and refining research papers, helping researchers navigate the challenges of academic publishing. With 21 chapters, the guide covers every stage of writing, revising, and submission, while addressing the unique obstacles faced by non-native English speakers. The guide helps researchers identify reputable journals, avoid predatory ones, and use digital tools to meet international standards. It then provides a structured roadmap that simplifies the publication process, covering steps like journal selection, writing compelling abstracts, and drafting the methods and results sections. By the end of the guide, it is expected that researchers will have a strong first draft or, ideally, a submission-ready manuscript. The guide also addresses language barriers, cultural differences, and unfamiliarity with international conventions. It offers practical solutions for improving English writing, utilizing digital tools, responding to peer reviews, and managing revisions effectively. It emphasizes ethical guidelines like avoiding plagiarism, properly crediting co-authors, and ensuring research transparency to help researchers meet global standards. Unlike other research guides, this one is specifically tailored to early career and non-native English researchers working in social science disciplines. It offers practical strategies and real-world examples to equip researchers—and teachers of research methods and academic writing—with a framework for achieving publishing success in global academia.

This volume tackles perceived myths surrounding the academic excellence of East Asian students, and moves beyond Western understanding to offer in-depth analysis of the crucial role that shadow education plays in students’ academic success. Featuring a broad range of contributions from countries including Japan, China, Taiwan, and Singapore, chapters draw on rich qualitative research to place in the foreground the lived experiences of students, teachers, and parents in East Asian countries. In doing so, the text provides indigenous insights into the uses, values, and meanings of shadow education and highlights unknown cultural and regional aspects, as well as related phenomena including trans-boundary learning culture, nomadic learning, individualized learning, and the post-schooling era. Ultimately challenging the previously dominating Western perspective on shadow education, the volume offers innovative theorization to highlight shadow education as a phenomenon which cannot be overlooked in broader discussion of East Asian educational performance, systems, and policy. Offering pioneering insights into the growing phenomenon of shadow education, this text will benefit researchers, academics, and educators with an interest in international and comparative education, curriculum studies, and East Asian educational practices and policy. Those interested in the sociology of education and educational policy will also benefit from this book.

Multiscale Modeling of Additively Manufactured Metals: Application to Laser Powder Bed Fusion Process provides comprehensive coverage on the latest methodology in additive manufacturing (AM) modeling and simulation. Although there are extensive advances within the AM field, challenges to predictive theoretical and computational approaches still hinder the widespread adoption of AM. The book reviews metal additive materials and processes and discusses multiscale/multiphysics modeling strategies. In addition, coverage of modeling and simulation of AM process in order to understand the process-structure-property relationship is reviewed, along with the modeling of morphology evolution, phase transformation, and defect formation in AM parts. Residual stress, distortion, plasticity/damage in AM parts are also considered, with scales associated with the spatial, temporal and/or material domains reviewed. This book is useful for graduate students, engineers and professionals working on AM materials, equipment, process, development and modeling. - Includes the fundamental principles of additive manufacturing modeling techniques - Presents various modeling tools/software for AM modeling - Discusses various design methods and how to optimize the AM process using these models

La monumental biografía de una de las mujeres más poderosas y transgresoras de todos los tiempos, por la autora que cautivó a los lectores con Cisnes salvajes. Uno de los mejores libros de 2013 según The New York Times. A los dieciséis años, Cixí fue elegida una de las numerosas concubinas del emperador. Pasó entonces a vivir en la Ciudad Prohibida de Pekín, rodeada de eunucos -de uno de los cuales se enamoraría más tarde, con consecuencias trágicas-, y su astucia le permitió no sólo sobrevivir en la corte sino también escalar posiciones hasta convertirse, tras el nacimiento de su hijo, en segunda consorte. Cuando el emperador murió en 1861, el hijo de ambos, de cinco años, le sucedió en el trono, y Cixí puso en marcha un golpe de Estado contra los regentes propuestos por su marido y tomó así el mando de China. La emperatriz viuda transformó un imperio medieval dándole los atributos de un Estado moderno: industria, ferrocarril, electricidad y un ejército provisto de lo último en armamento. Abolió castigos tan horribles como la «muerte por mil cortes», puso fin al tradicional vendado de pies y dio los primeros pasos hacia la liberación de la mujer. Apoyándose en fuentes hasta hoy desconocidas, Jung Chang, autora de la aclamada novela Cisnes salvajes, no sólo da cuenta magistralmente del astuto y valiente manejo de la política por parte de Cixí, sino que también traslada al lector a los rincones de su espléndido Palacio de Verano y al harén de la Ciudad Prohibida de Pekín y describe con todo lujo de detalles un mundo, mezcla de tradición y modernidad, que hoy resulta casi increíble. La crítica ha dicho... «Cautivadora. Lo que resulta tan provocador de la lectura de esta nueva biografía son las similitudes entre los desafíos que afrontó la corte Qing hace un siglo y los que afronta hoy el Partido Comunista chino. Una historia tan relevante como evocadora.» Orville Schell, The New York Times «Cuando quien escribe es una autora tan completa, competente e inmersa en la cultura china como Chang, tanto los estudiosos como los lectores en general deben tomar nota.» Margaret Flanagan, Booklist «Chang es brillante a la hora de desentrañar las intrigas palaciegas y la política de pasillo. Esta biografía, completa y hermosamente narrada, coloca a Cixí en el corazón mismo de la historia moderna de China.» Frank Dikotter, The Sunday Times «La autora de Cisnes salvajes restaura la reputación de una mujer quecontribuyó a modernizar China, una mujer cuya energía, visión de futuro e implacable pragmatismo transformaron un país.» The New Yorker «Chang hace una singular reivindicación para Cixí, resumida en el subtítulo: La concubina que creó la China moderna. Un libro pionero y persuasivo.» Jonathan Mirsky, The New York Review of Books «Este libro cosechará los aplausos no sólo de los estudiosos de China, sino de cualquier persona interesada en política mundial y el papel de China en el mundo. Un libro valioso y deslumbrante que no da tregua al lector a pesar del impresionante acopio de detalles históricos complejos pasados por el prisma de Cixí.» Jane Haile, New York Journal of Books «Los tiempos en que Cixí gobernó fueron fundamentales para la conformación de la China moderna, un país que tiene mucho en común con la autocracia Qing, salvo por la prensa relativamente libre del imperio y el sufragio, que entonces sí estaba previsto. Hoy los niveles más altos de la política china siguen tan controlados por hombres y tan feroces como siempre, y Cixí sigue siendo un tema fascinante.» Isabel Hilton, The Guardian