Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Principles of Economics
Steven Greenlaw; David Shapiro; Daniel MacDonald · OpenStax · 2022
Principles of Economics 3e covers the scope and sequence of most introductory economics courses. The third edition takes a balanced approach to the theory and application of economics concepts. The text uses conversational language and ample illustrations to explore economic theories, and provides a wide array of examples using both fictional and real-world scenarios. The third edition has been carefully and thoroughly updated to reflect current data and understanding, as well as to provide a deeper background in diverse contributors and their impacts on economic thought and analysis. For example, the third edition highlights the research and views of a broader group of economists. Brief references and deeply explored socio-political examples have been updated to showcase the critical – and sometimes unnoticed – ties between economic developments and topics relevant to students. A fuller list of changes made in Principles of Economics 3e are described in the preface and the transition guide to help instructors transition to the third edition.
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Arcade Expression Crash Course with COVID-19 data
Wing Cheung · Wing Cheung · 2022
Written for ArcGIS Pro 2.5
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Climate Toolkit: A Resource Manual for Science and Action
Frank Granshaw · Portland State University Library · 2020
The Climate Toolkit is a resource manual designed to help the reader navigate the complex and perplexing issue of climate change by providing tools and strategies to explore the underlying science. As such it contains a collection of activities that make use of readily available on-line resources developed by research groups and public agencies. These include web-based climate models, climate data archives, interactive atlases, policy papers, and “solution” catalogs. Unlike a standard textbook, it is designed to help readers do their own climate research and devise their own perspective rather than providing them with a script to assimilate and repeat. The activities in the manual are divided into five sections that include weather and climate basics, present climate impacts, past climate change, future change and impacts, and strategies for climate mitigation and adaptation. These are followed by three appendices which contain information about the on-line tools used in the activities in this manual; a catalog of on-line and print resources produced by research groups, government agencies, and community groups involved in climate and sustainability work; and background on the history and key players in the international climate negotiation process. Though originally aimed at undergraduate non-science majors, the manual has been broadened for a wider audience in non-academic settings like community groups, service organizations, workplace study groups, and faith communities.
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World Regional Geography - People, Places and Globalization
University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing · 2016
World Regional Geography: People, Places and Globalization is designed for students to experience and study as much of the world as possible within a limited amount of time. It gives students the fundamental concepts and the latest data regarding world places in a concise, easy-to-read format. This World Regional Geography textbook focuses on the primary issues that have created our cultural and societal structures, and presents them within a framework for global understanding. A pattern of development is outlined from the imprint that European colonialism had on culture to the impact that giant retail corporations like Wal-Mart have on consumerism. Within this framework, the textbook takes a regional approach to globalization and world geography, as each chapter focuses on one subject or region. The first unit covers the basic concepts of location, the environment, and global economic dynamics. Then, these basic concepts, theories, and principles are presented for each region on a chapter-by-chapter basis. The basic concepts are covered using real world examples to provide purpose and relevance for the students. And each lesson begins with learning objectives and ends with key takeaways to stimulate critical thinking about each topic or region. Basic spatial concepts are also tracked throughout the text to connect ideas and apply concepts to every region of the world. Special sections on relevant topics are also distributed throughout the book. With each chapter focused on one region, the textbook provides professors with some course management and flexibility. The text is also brief enough to provide additional flexibility if professors want to include specialized information from outside sources. World Regional Geography: People, Places and Globalization provides students with a working knowledge of world geography in an easy-to-read format. Basic geographic concepts of world places are presented in concise chapters, and each chapter provides a foundational frame
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The Delft Sand, Clay & Rock Cutting Model
Sape Miedema · TU Delft Open · 2019
In dredging, trenching, (deep sea) mining, drilling, tunnel boring and many other applications, sand, clay or rock has to be excavated. This book gives an overview of cutting theories. It starts with a generic model, which is valid for all types of soil (sand, clay and rock) after which the specifics of dry sand, water saturated sand, clay, atmospheric rock and hyperbaric rock are covered. For each soil type small blade angles and large blade angles, resulting in a wedge in front of the blade, are discussed. For each case considered, the equations/model for the cutting forces, power and specific energy are given. The models are verified with laboratory research, mainly at the Delft University of Technology, but also with data from literature.
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Introduction to Physical Oceanography
Robert Stewart · 2008
This textbook covers physical-oceanographic processes, theories, data, and measurements, targeted at upper-division undergraduates and graduate students in oceanography, meteorology, and ocean engineering. In addition to the classical topics, the author includes discussions of heat fluxes, the role of the ocean in climate, the deep circulation, equatorial processes including El Nino, data bases used by oceanographers, the role of satellites and data from space, ship-based measurements, and the importance of vorticity in understanding oceanic flows. Students should have studied differential equations and introductory college physics, although math is de-emphasized.
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Unfolding the Mystery of Life, Biology Lab Manual for Non-Science Majors
Ellen Genovesi; Laura Blinderman; Patrick Natale · Ellen Genovesi, Laura Blinderman and Patrick Natale · 2019
This laboratory manual is intended for use in a biology laboratory course taken by non-science majors, pre-biology, and pre-allied health majors. Laboratory exercises provide students with experience in basic laboratory skills, gathering and organizing data, measuring and calculating, hypothesis testing, analysis of data, writing, and laboratory safety. The skill sets are designed to promote the development of critical thought and analysis. Students work with living and preserved specimens, and laboratory reagents and equipment.
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Evaluating Renal Function in Humans
Louise Robson · University of Sheffield · 2026
This is an intermediate level book aimed at undergraduate and graduate students following human biology programmes who have a basic understanding of renal physiology. It covers the clearance technique, and how it can be used to evaluate renal function in humans. It goes through the different calculations, before giving you an opportunity to have a go at some calculations using real data. It finishes by evaluating the values from a clearance experiment, where the effect of the drug ACTZ was investigated.
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General Biology Laboratory Booklet
Martilias Farrell · The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) · 2025
This laboratory manual provides a diverse collection of experiments designed to immerse students in techniques mirroring those used in professional biomedical research. Students will explore fundamental enzyme kinetics, investigating how varying amylase concentrations and the introduction of chemical modifiers influence starch digestion rates. These labs emphasize quantitative analysis through colorimetric assays and densitometry using ImageJ software. The booklet also features studies with planaria, where students will assess how common substances affect locomotor activity and screen compounds for their impact on the remarkable regenerative abilities of these organisms, including generating concentration-effect curves. Additional activities guide students in using microscopy to observe microscopic life. Throughout these hands-on investigations, students will develop and refine crucial laboratory skills such as preparing serial dilutions, mastering precise pipetting techniques, and maintaining detailed, reproducible laboratory notebooks, thereby building a robust foundation in experimental design, data analysis, and the scientific method.
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Investigations in Experimental Physics
Peter Polito; James Walsh; Jeff Gagnon · Peter J. Polito, James E. Walsh, and Jeff L. Gagnon · 2025
As stated in previous editions, the purpose of the physics laboratory is not only to reinforce the physical principles studied in the classroom but also to stimulate the development of skills and techniques required to carry out well-designed experimental investigations. It is the hope of the authors that the experimental skills and techniques acquired in this laboratory will be carried over by the student to their respective areas of interest. It is, in fact, strongly suggested that the student make an effort early in their undergraduate career to become familiar with the current research problems in their area of interest. The student should always be aware of the applicability of skillsand techniques developed in this laboratory to their field of study. This manual can be used in a one semester or two semester course. At our institution, we use it in a two semester General Physics course designed primarily for health science majors (Physical Therapy, Biology, Physician Assistant, etc.). It it also used in a one semester Physics for Movement Science course designed for movement science majors (Exercise Science, Athletic Training, Physical Education, etc.). The tenth edition of the manual is a major revision of the ninth edition. Nearly all of the diagrams were updated, pictures of the lab equipment were included for every lab, and more tables were added to record data for each lab. Six new labs on Vector Addition and Subtraction with Applications, Graphical Interpretation, Motion Analysis, Applications of Rotational Equilibrium, Impulse-Momentum Vertical Jump Application, and Basic Exploration of Electric Fields Due to Point Charges were added. In addition, three older labs that we no longer have equipment to perform were removed (Hygrometry, Measurement of the Speed of Sound in Air by Kundt’s Method, and Spectrometry). Many of the other labs were also updated and supplemented by adding a simulation component using the Phet online simulations. The student is requi
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Molecular Plant Breeding
Walter Suza; Kendall Lamkey; William Beavis · Iowa State University Digital Press
This book focuses on genomics and plant biotechnology approaches used in plant breeding, the analysis of genomic data, and their application in quality control measures. The application of alternative genomic technologies to enhance conventional breeding strategies is also presented.
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Surveying and Mapping
Christian Tiberius; Hans van der Marel; René Reudink; Freek van Leijen · TU Delft Open · 2021
This book provides an introduction, at academic level, into the field of surveying and mapping. The book has been compiled based on hand-outs and readers written for the third-year course Surveying and Mapping, in the bachelor program Civil Engineering at Delft University of Technology. This book covers a wide range of measurement techniques, from land surveying, GPS/GNSS and remote sensing to the associated data processing, the underlying coordinate reference systems, as well as the analysis and visualization of the acquired geospatial information.
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Future Energy: Opportunities & Challenges
Thomas Kerlin · The University of Tennessee Libraries · 2013
How can we produce enough sustainable energy while avoiding unacceptable environmental consequences? To evaluate the various energy options, we must understand the science of each potential energy source and energy use technology. This book presents the science in an easy-to-understand way to enable readers to make informed decisions about what is possible and practical, and to choose lifestyle options to implement in their personal lives. America and the world face daunting questions about how we produce energy and how we use it. Conservation and improved energy efficiency can help reduce energy requirements, but cannot halt the steady increase in energy consumption. An increasing world population and increasing energy appetites in emerging economies will create competition for energy resources for all nations. The possibilities for future energy production include fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal, oil sands, and oil shale), biofuels, solar, wind, hydro-energy, geothermal, and nuclear (probably fission and possibly fusion). Each of these sources has relative advantages and disadvantages. The problem is to produce enough sustainable energy while avoiding unacceptable environmental consequences, especially climate change. In order to evaluate the potential of the various energy options, one must understand the basic science that underlies each potential energy source and energy use technology. This knowledge will enable us to determine what is possible and practical and, maybe more importantly, what is impossible or impractical. Fortunately most of the pertinent science is old, well established and, for the most part, quite simple. This science provides a framework into which one can insert real data and draw conclusions. Without such quantitative assessments, claims about capabilities of the various energy options must be viewed as unverified assumptions rather than hard facts. This book presents the essential science in an easy-to-understand, yet comprehensive
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A Mixed Course-Based Research Approach to Human Physiology
Karri Haen Whitmer · Iowa State University · 2021
The Biology 256 Laboratory course was designed to provide students with hands-on access to modern techniques in human physiological analyses using the course-based research pedagogical approach. In this course, students will learn how to perform literature searches; generate research questions and hypotheses; design experiments; collect, analyze, visualize and interpret data; and present scientific findings to others. The Biol 256L curriculum offers a high-impact human physiology experience that fosters the critical thinking skills required to be a successful citizen in a modern world filled with misinformation.
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Monitoring Animal Populations and their Habitats: A Practitioner's Guide
Brenda McComb; Benjamin Zuckerberg; David Vesely; Christopher Jordan · Oregon State University · 2020
We designed this book to offer a comprehensive overview of the monitoring process, from start to finish. Although there are books that deal with sampling design and the quantitative analysis of population data, there are few that provide practical advice covering the entire evolution of a monitoring plan from incorporating stakeholder input to data collection to data management and analysis to reporting. This book strives to present an overview of this process. We also acknowledge that any such effort tends to reflect the interests and expertise of the authors, and as such, there is a distinct emphasis on monitoring vertebrate populations and upland habitats. Although many of our examples tend to focus on bird populations and forested habitats, we have made an attempt to cover other taxa and habitat types as well, and many of the recommendations and suggestions that we present are applicable to a diversity of monitoring programs. This book was written to fill a practical need and also to embrace a set of values that we hold dear. We wanted a book that could be used in a classroom because we feel that students in natural resources programs need to know how to design a monitoring program when they enter the workforce. We also realize that many former students now in the workforce did not have that training and may find this book of value to them.
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Analytical Chemistry 2.1
David Harvey · David T. Harvey · 2016
As currently taught in the United States, introductory courses in analytical chemistry emphasize quantitative (and sometimes qualitative) methods of analysis along with a heavy dose of equilibrium chemistry. Analytical chemistry, however, is much more than a collection of analytical methods and an understanding of equilibrium chemistry; it is an approach to solving chemical problems. Although equilibrium chemistry and analytical methods are important, their coverage should not come at the expense of other equally important topics. The introductory course in analytical chemistry is the ideal place in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum for exploring topics such as experimental design, sampling, calibration strategies, standardization, optimization, statistics, and the validation of experimental results. Analytical methods come and go, but best practices for designing and validating analytical methods are universal. Because chemistry is an experimental science it is essential that all chemistry students understand the importance of making good measurements. My goal in preparing this textbook is to find a more appropriate balance between theory and practice, between “classical” and “modern” analytical methods, between analyzing samples and collecting samples and preparing them for analysis, and between analytical methods and data analysis. There is more material here than anyone can cover in one semester; it is my hope that the diversity of topics will meet the needs of different instructors, while, perhaps, suggesting some new topics to cover.
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Forest Measurements: An Applied Approach
Joan DeYoung · Open Oregon Educational Resources · 2016
This is a forest measurements textbook written for field technicians. Silvicultural applications and illustrations are provided to demonstrate the relevance of the measurements. Special “technique tips” for each skill are intended to help increase data collection accuracy and confidence. These include how to avoid common pitfalls, effective short cuts and essentials for recording field data correctly. The emphasis is on elementary skills; it is not intended to be a timber cruising guide.
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Food Preparation Lab Manual for FSHN 1150
Erica Beirman; Kate Gilbert; ISU Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2025
This lab book is intended for use in both the lab and kitchen. Each section of the book contains learning objectives, lab problems to be solved, recipes, questions, and observation charts for the input of data. This book is aligned with the introductory Food Preparation Laboratory course at Iowa State University.
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Basic Scientific Food Preparation Lab Manual
Iowa State University Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2023
This lab book is intended for use in both the lab and kitchen. Each section of the book contains learning objectives, lab problems to be solved, recipes, questions, and observation charts for the input of data.
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Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Booklet
Martilias Farrell · The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) · 2025
This laboratory manual presents a diverse collection of hands-on and interactive activities designed to enhance understanding of human anatomy and physiology. Students will engage with skeletal anatomy by creating and decoding messages using bone terminology with anatomical models and by performing bone measurements to analyze relationships with physical attributes. The manual delves into neuroscience by investigating the perception of binaural beats through auditory experiments and by utilizing the Neuronify simulation tool to construct and analyze neural circuits demonstrating synaptic summation. Physiological concepts are explored through experiments on respiratory rate dynamics in response to exercise and the principles of lung surfactant action. Additionally, students will apply anatomical terminology to describe dance movements. These activities collectively foster skills in data collection, critical analysis, and collaborative learning.