Pro-Metrics Books

The fossil record of grasses preserved in amber

George Poinar — 2025-04-29

This study briefly discusses the role of extant grasses as food (e.g., wheat, corn, rice) and construction crops (e.g., bamboo, reeds). It then examines fossil grasses based on their presence in amber deposits worldwide. Emphasis is placed on the body fossils of grasses, especially those of the genus Programinis, a primitive bamboo dating back to the mid-Cretaceous that suffered from ergot parasitism. It then transitions to the Eocene Baltic amber grass, Eograminis balticus, followed by the Miocene Pharus primuncinatus that was attached to the pelage of a mammal. Also in Dominican amber were the grasses Alarista succina and Panicum sp. whose spikelets were being carried by ants. A discussion on grass phytoliths shows their application in identifying various fossil grasses and their potential role as insecticides.

Exploring the Nexus Between Structure, Properties and Applications in Graphene Conductors

Raghvendra Kumar Mishra — 2024-08-12

The last decade has witnessed considerable advances in research on graphene and substantial progress in the essence of manufacturing this material. Graphene is a wondrous nanomaterial and the first two-dimensional atomic crystal that has outstanding mechanical, electronic, and thermal properties and impermeability to gases, alongside other characteristics. All these properties and characteristics have been exploited by the applications of graphene, specifically at the nanoscale (e.g., nanofilms, nanoparticles, etc.). The progress in this field has amplified the prospective applications, besides fueling numerous other discoveries as well. However, the fabrication of distinct types of graphene-based advanced structures, material modification techniques, and potential applications have not been collectively reviewed. Therefore, in this book, the ultramodern development and new insights into graphene and its derivatives are critically reviewed. First, the progress and concepts to understand the preparation and properties of graphene and its derivatives are discussed. Strategies to improve the performance of materials based on graphene and its derivatives through microstructure control and chemical modification are also introduced. Thereafter, the variety of building blocks and hybrid systems of graphene and its derivatives, along with their underpinning principles, functional characteristics, and properties, are systematically reviewed. The technological application of graphene and its derivatives in different material systems is also discussed. The review culminates by presenting promising areas of application of graphene and its derivatives.

Ancient Fungi Captured in Amber

George Poinar — 2023-12-02

Fungi are ubiquitous organisms such as saprophytes, parasites and inquilines on dead plants and animals. The roles they play in our lives are substantial. Not only do they break down organic matter in the environment and are widespread parasites of plants and animals, including our own bodies, but they are important food items and components of fermentation in many industrial processes. Last but not least, they produce antibiotic drugs like Penicillin and are involved in the production of lysergic drugs such as acid diethylamide (LSD) which is synthesized from an Ergot fungus
alkaloid.

Digital Humanities: Visions and Applications

Edgar Bisset Alvarez — 2023-07-07

The book Digital Humanities: Visions and Applications constitutes a document with different visions to understand the intersection between technology, information science, and humanities. It covers various topics, including data visualization, text mining, network analysis, and digital files. Readers will find particular interest in the further research and examples illustrating how these methods can be applied to real-world problems in the humanities. The book also explores the ethical and social implications of using technology in humanities research. By reading this book, the reader will gain a deeper understanding of how technology is changing how we approach and understand the humanities. They will be equipped with practical tools to apply these methods in their research.

Stratigraphic Lexicon: The Sedimentary Formations of The Republic of Niger, Africa

Jacques LeBlanc — 2022-06-28

The current knowledge of the stratigraphy of Niger benefited greatly from the mining, hydrocarbon, hydrogeological, and paleontological sciences. Exploration by early explorers and studies of the aquifers initially sparked our understanding of the surface and shallow formations. Then, the discoveries in 1957 of important reserves of Uranium and soon after in 1964 of the enormous Lower Cretaceous vertebrate site of Gadoufaoua, stressed the need to undertake serious stratigraphical investigations in the western Iullemmeden Basin. The geologist Hughes Faure then published his important, and still relevant, 1966 thesis on the surface geology of Eastern Niger. From that time onward, the Oil & Gas companies started paying attention to the most prospective areas in the Eastern Niger Basin. During the last decade, these same hydrocarbon companies finally allowed some of their geologists to share their knowledge of the sub-surface in relevant publications. It is from all these studies that the present Lexicon draws its content. When possible, it provides the historical background of all described geological units in Niger and summarizes the lithological and paleontological knowledge of each unit in an easy-to-search format.

Informação, Dados e Tecnologia

Thiago Magela Rodrigues Dias — 2022-06-13

We are pleased to present the proceedings of the IV Workshop on Information, Data, and Technology (WIDaT 2021). We initially planned this event to be held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, hosted by the Federal Center for Technological Education of Minas Gerais (CEFET-MG). Still, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we celebrated it virtually from 20-21 October 2021. In its fourth edition, we aimed at bringing together, through interdisciplinary approaches, researchers and other professionals oriented to data access and use coming from computer science, information science, engineering, mathematics, and related fields. The event also focused on promoting the approximation of research groups that work in the data and information field. We tried to discuss several dispersed initiatives, but of great potential for integration among themselves.

Advanced Notes in Information Science

Elizabeth Huisa Veria — 2022-03-21

This book was born in the classroom, written by undergraduate and postgraduate thesis students from different universities around the world. The authors address diverse topics such as digital humanities, library information services, information asymmetry, digital preservation, D-Space, editorial processes, scientific communication, social media metrics (altmetrics), scientometrics, virtual reality, artificial intelligence; but the common thread is the technological and communicative process around information in current contexts. Among the contributions are the review and updating of the state of the art of the aforementioned topics in society.