Geographic Information Systems

The emergence of technological systems with computerized cartographic application allowed the resolution of certain military problems between the 1950s and 1960s. The first GIS was created in Canada Geographic Information Systems in 1964 for Tomlinson. At this time, GIS was in a consolidation phase in multiple areas and for various purposes. The geographical science growth with the development of GIS were in connection to the subject of the new geography, justified by the application of the methods of quantitative analysis in various spatial nature of research. In this context, the GIS feature a number of operational advantages and have allowed the proliferation of new fields of endeavor in open access systems across multiple forms of acquisition, management, interpretation, and spatial information analysis. The main goal of this chapter is to underwrite the concept of GIS, as well as distinguish the diversity of applications from the past until the present, and to identify new paths to accommodate recent scientific approaches with extensive range of application possibilities.

Identification of Green Procurement Drivers and Their Interrelationship Using Fuzzy TISM and MICMAC Analysis

The objective of the chapter is to identify the leading green procurement drivers and identify the interrelationships using fuzzy total interpretive structural modeling and MICMAC approach. For the purpose of this study, 25 drivers were identified from existing literature that influence green procurement practices. These are finally refined through experts' opinions. The final fuzzy model consists of fuzzy relationships between one-to-one criteria. The key drivers which emerged from fuzzy TISM and MICMAC analyses are government policy and regulations, total quality environmental management, management support, management review, continuous education of employees, cross-functional team building, organization culture, and green process and technology. The green procurement model may assist supply chain practitioners in better decision making and successful implementation of green procurement programs.

Green IT and the Struggle for a Widespread Adoption

Increasing pollution levels, consumption of electricity as well as other natural resources, and the continuous buildup of outdated computer systems in landfills are plaguing the computer systems industry. Green information technology (IT) is a sensible solution providing multiple resources and alternatives for day-to-day computer use that could reduce the negative impact on our environment without reducing the effectiveness and capabilities of the technology. This chapter describes the struggle of adoption and provides basic concepts and sustainable solutions of green IT for businesses and individuals.

Mechanisms of Electrical Conductivity in Carbon Nanotubes and Graphene

There is enormous interest in carbon nanomaterials due to their exceptional physical properties, from the perspective of science and engineering of materials applied to the electronics industry. Significant progress has been made towards understanding the mechanisms of electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes and graphene. However, scientists around the world continue studying these mechanisms to exploit them fully in different electronic applications with a high technological impact. This chapter discusses the mechanisms of electrical conductivity of both nanomaterials, analyzes the present implications, and projects its importance for future generations of electronic devices. In particular, it is important to note that different mechanisms may be identified when these nanomaterials are used individually, when they are incorporated as fillers in composite materials or hybrid materials, or even when they are doped or functionalized. Finally, other electrical variables with important role in electrical conductivity of these materials are also explored.

Visible Light Communication Numerous Applications

Visible light communication (VLC) is a promising research topic that aims at utilizing the visible light spectrum for data communication, which in turn off-loads the heavily utilized wireless radio spectrum. VLC can take advantage of the increased use of light emitting diodes (LED) for lighting purposes in different fields, such as automotive headlights, traffic signals, advertising, aviation, and general lighting. Utilizing solid-state LEDs for lighting purposes not only saves energy but also can be used for data communication since LEDs can be easily modulated by switching the light on and off in frequencies above the human eye perception. This data can be transmitted in addition to the main lighting functionality of these devices. VLC is relatively easy to implement and safe, as it does not have potential side effects like the radio signals. As such, this new technology has a great potential for adoption in several applications. This chapter will briefly introduce the technology and discuss some potential indoors and outdoors applications.

The Trends and Challenges of 3D Printing

3D printing is a type of additive manufacturing technology where a 3D object is created by laying down subsequent layers of material at the mm scale. It is also known as rapid prototyping. 3D printing is now applied in various industries such as footwear, jewelry, architecture, engineering and construction, aerospace, dental and medical industries, education, consumer products, automotive, and industrial design. Some claim that 3D printing will put an end to traditional manufacturing, primarily since 3D printing imposes a tool-less process. Though 3D printing technology is used in weapon manufacturing, it is also being used to improve the lives of mankind. In the future, 3D printing will most probably be used to print human organs. The chapter discusses the trends and challenges faced by this exciting technology.

Use of GIS and Remote Sensing for Landslide Susceptibility Mapping

In recent years, geographical information systems (GISs) and remote sensing (RS) have proven to be common tools adopted for different studies in different scientific disciplines. GIS is defined as a set of tools for the input, storage, retrieval, manipulation, management, modeling, analysis, and output of spatial data. RS, on the other hand, can play a role in the production of a data and in the generation of thematic maps related to spatial studies. This study focuses on use of GIS and RS data for landslide susceptibility mapping. Five factors including normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and topographic wetness index (TWI), slope, lineament density, and distance to roads were used for the grid-based approach for landslide susceptibility mappings. Results of this study suggest that geographic information systems can effectively be used to obtain susceptibility maps by compiling and overlaying several data layers relevant to landslide hazards.

Model for Assessment of Environmental Responsibility in Health Care Organizations

Sustainability is considered a paradigm for businesses in the 21st century. Despite this, the existing tools for helping to introduce strategies and manage activities to promote sustainable business are few. These deficiencies become more important in healthcare organizations owing to their particular conditions of resource consumption and waste production. It is, therefore, essential to have objective tools to assist in monitoring environmental sustainability in this type of organization. This chapter therefore sets out a multicriteria assessment system constructed by extension to a fuzzy environment of the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal situation (TOPSIS) to assess the environmental responsibility of a healthcare organization. This model allows joint evaluation of a significant number of decision criteria. The aim is to provide a hospital with a model that is easy to apply, with criteria specific to healthcare, and that allows its responsibility with regard to the environment to be monitored over time. The model has been used in a public hospital.

E-Waste, Chemical Toxicity, and Legislation in India

In present digital age, we constantly upgrade or replace our numerous electronic devices due to continuous technological advances and short product life cycles. With increasing “market penetration” in developing countries, “replacement market” in developed countries, and “high obsolescence rate,” a large pile of e-waste is generated either internally or it is generated in developed countries and often ends up for recycling in developing countries. The current practices of e-waste management and poor awareness in India is posing a huge challenge to the environment regulators, governments, and policy makers as much work needs to be done at ground level to achieve sustainable results This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of India's current e-waste scenario, analyzes hazardous metals and considers environmental and health risks posed by them, understands existing legal framework and strategic interventions, and explores immediate technical solutions to manage and minimize its impact on all.

The Principle and Process of Digital Fabrication of Biomedical Objects

Biomedical objects are used as prostheses to repair damaged bone structures and missing body parts, as well as to study complex human organs and plan surgical procedures. They are, however, not economical to make by traditional manufacturing processes. Researchers have therefore explored the multi-material layered manufacturing (MMLM) technology to fabricate biomedical objects from CAD models. Yet, current MMLM systems remain experimental with limited practicality; they are slow, expensive, and can only handle small, simple objects. To address these limitations, this chapter presents the multi-material virtual prototyping (MMVP) technology for digital fabrication of complex biomedical objects cost-effectively. MMVP integrates MMLM with virtual reality to fabricate biomedical objects for stereoscopic visualization and analyses to serve biomedical engineering purposes. This chapter describes the principle of MMVP and the processes of digital fabrication of biomedical objects. Case studies are presented to demonstrate these processes and their applications in biomedical engineering.