Search results for ""nova""

Some years ago, while a Senior Lecturer-in-Law at BPP University, one of my Master of Laws' students asked if he could write a dissertation in Maritime Law. He wanted to do a survey of the rules of both Admiralty Law and the Law of the Sea. The department contained no specialist in either of these fields, and I taught neither. As he could not be dissuaded from this plan, I had to undertake a rapid, informal, self-directed learning programme in the subjects in order to gain sufficient professional skill to be able to supervise, and, later, assess the dissertation. His project was surprisingly good -- and I had my first contact with rules concerning territorial seas, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones, continental shelves and high seas. My interest in these topics grew and, eventually, flourished in the project of this monograph. The book covers the laws in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 that concern baselines and boundary delimitation, together with cases which relate to these topics. There is also a major input to the monograph from procedural matters pertaining to the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea and arbitration under Annex VII to the Convention, with an example case provided for each of these mechanisms. As States Parties to the Convention may make a Declaration under its Article 287 for the settlement of their disputes by one or more of these methods -- together with special arbitration under Annex VIII to the Convention for four issues specified therein -- this Article, together with the methods and the remainder of Part XV of the Convention, are core material for a systematic review of the Law of the Sea. In instances in which it is possible, comparisons are made between: (i) the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its predecessors, i.e., the Geneva Conventions from 1958, and (ii) the rules of the International Court of Justice and those of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. In essence, the Convention builds upon its precursory instruments, which tend to be simpler than the former, and the procedural rules for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea are similar or identical to those of the International Court of Justice, other than a few provisions that are new or materially modified from the terms of the Court, but with the necessary changes from the latter being made. The cases at this level are fewer than in black-letter subjects of the law, but tend to be complex and, for the legal scholar, very interesting. This is especially true of the South China Sea Arbitration, which was a judgment of pioneering brilliance from an Annex VII arbitral tribunal composed of one academic and four experienced judges, to which a substantial literature has-in the short period since this case's resolution -- been devoted. The very best of luck with your reading!

Read more less

This book introduces the main waste heat sources that come from the industrial, electric, commercial, residential and transportation sectors of society. The wide applications of waste heat through heat pumps are then detailed, mainly including gas heating, hot water production, and steam production (for sterilization, distillation, rectification, etc.). A summary of the main findings and trends in the area of ejector-enhanced efficiency of waste heat recovery cycles and systems using low boiling point working fluids. Following a brief overview of the ejector, selected configurations of interest are presented and discussed in a variety of applications. The purpose of the following chapter is to provide a concise overview of waste heat availability and energy capturing potential, and the different technologies available for its recovery as well as their advantages and challenges. In closing, the different types of waste heat recovery technologies that are used in cement plants to produce electricity are reviewed, and the potential for electricity production from heat exhaust gases of three cement plants by using waste heat recovery technology is discussed.

Read more less

Population growth, increasing living standards, and rapidly changing climate have resulted in an increasing demand for freshwater, accelerating the water degradation challenges. There is a compelling need to minimize water consumption and develop approaches to effectively manage existing water resources. On a positive note, water resource management strategies discussed in this book present innovative ways to conserve both quality and quantity. Chapter 1 discusses decentralized water management approaches for intervening the urban water cycle to minimize the environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This chapter concludes with a need to use a suite of tools based on decision support systems for managing urban water resources. Chapter 2 discusses the need for assessing suitability of various types of models for a specific scenario based on the required level of complexity. This chapter discusses in detail the underlying criteria behind model selection, validation, and uncertainty analysis. Urban watersheds can be more challenging compared to natural watersheds. The urban watersheds include parking lots, roads, and developed structures, all of which contribute to a myriad of anthropogenic pollutants through stormwater runoff. Computer-based models can be used to study water quality issues and to develop a plan to manage watershed level resources. Chapter 3 compares pros and cons of the state-of-the-art watershed models used for managing water resources. Numerical simulations can be performed to compare the current and future water quality scenarios of a given watershed and to estimate the impact of potential water resource management strategies. Chapter 4 presents a case study of an urban region in Hanoi, Vietnam. Water evaluation and planning simulation tool was used to predict the trends and drivers of wastewater generation. Considering rapidly changing climate and associated weather impacts, it is critical to secure water resources in addition to dealing with the water quality issues. Chapter 5 suggests that climate change models and watershed and precipitation models should be jointly used in order to capture uncertainties in ecological functions, energy and food production and water supply sources. Chapter 6 presents a water use estimation and management tool that examines the effect of climate change and drought conditions on water supplies to ensure adequate buffalo forage. Sustaining both buffalo forage and water supplies during drought conditions requires preparedness and adaptation in response to unfavorable conditions. Finally, water reuse can alleviate the stress on available water resources. For example, effluents from wastewater treatment plants and desalination plants can be treated and reused for managing water crisis. Chapter 7 emphasizes that it is critical to optimize both economical and sustainability parameters during treatment of wastewater effluents and desalination concentrate. In certain cases, valuable metals can be recovered from the concentrate.

Read more less

Before the ACA, sick people often couldn't get health insurance due to a pre-existing condition. If they were able to get coverage, they often paid significantly more for it than someone without a pre-existing condition. Today, millions of Americans no longer have to worry about large bills due to annual or lifetime limits on benefits. Yet, there is still a serious affordability problem in the individual market, especially for those who rely on the individual market for coverage but are not eligible for financial assistance and those facing rising deductibles. Chapters 1 discuss ways to stabilize premiums and help individuals obtain affordable insurance through the individual insurance market. Healthcare reform should empower individuals and families to make decisions for themselves based on what fits their needs and their budget. One of the best tools we have to accomplish this goal is consumer-directed health plans that are paired with health savings accounts, or HSAs. These plans offer lower premiums and a higher deductible to encourage better use of healthcare services as examined in chapter 2 IHS provides care to American Indians and Alaska Natives through a system of health care facilities. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) provided states with the option to expand their Medicaid programs, and created new coverage options beginning in 2014, including for American Indians and Alaska Natives. Chapter 3 describes (1) trends in health insurance coverage and third-party collections at federally operated and tribally operated facilities from fiscal years 2013 through 2018, and (2) the effects of any changes in coverage and collections on these facilities.

Read more less

A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels by Robert Kerr is an 18 volume set that contains the complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land. In determining upon an era for the commencement of this work, Kerr was led, from a consideration of the accidental discovery of Iceland by the Norwegians in the ninth century, to adopt that period as the beginning of the series, both because the commencement of modern maritime discovery took place during the reign of a British sovereign, and because we derive the earliest written accounts of any of these discoveries from the pen of that excellent prince. It is true that the first accidental discovery of Iceland appears to have been made in 861, eleven years before the accession of Alfred to the throne; yet, as the actual colonization of that island did not take place till the year 878, the seventh of his glorious reign, we have been induced to distinguish the actual commencement of maritime discovery by the modern European nations as coinciding with his era.

Read more less

The book first reviews the main advances in methods of obtaining synthetic montmorillonite for environmental and biomedical areas. The perspectives and main challenges in the application of these materials is critically analysed. The authors next study Polyhydroxy metal complexes of Al, Fe, Zr, Cr and Ti (inorganic pillarizing agents) for the synthesis of pillared clays. Information is provided on the possibility of using amorphous aluminosilicates as a modifying additive in the formulation of cement-based dry building mixtures. The physicochemical properties of the additive are considered, and the results of XRD and DTA analyzes are presented. The authors investigate the molecular orientation and surface morphology of organized molecular films with regard to solid-state structures for organo-modified aluminosilicates by a surface pressure-area isotherm, in-plane and out-of plane X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy. A new method for the synthesis of amorphous mesoporous aluminosilicates with acidic properties and a narrow pore size distribution in the range of 2-7 nm is also explored. The urease immobilization of composite adsorbents polyacrylamide -- bentonite, polyacrylamide -- chitosan, and polyacrylamide chitosan -- bentonite is assessed, produced from polyacrylamide as a hydrogel, bentonite as an aluminosilicate mineral, and chitosan as a polysaccharide. Following this, the authors provide a brief overview of literature data where crystalline aluminosilicates have been utilized for the capture and immobilization of radionuclides. The physiochemical properties of as-synthesized layered aluminosilicate are characterized by small angle PXRD, FTIR, porosity studies, thermal studies, 27Al MAS NMR, and morphological studies. Subsequently, this compilation addresses the way in which magnetic nanoparticles have proven to be frequently occurring building blocks for hybrid structure construction and, moreover, have shown innovative prospects as multifunctional adsorbents. Modern methods for the synthesis of highly dispersed micro- and micromesoporous mordenite with a high degree of crystallinity, as well as high crystallinity mordenite with a hierarchical porous structure, methods for modifying the mentioned crystalline aluminosilicates as a result of postsynthetic treatments, and modern adsorption and catalytic systems based on them are described. Next, the high activity and selectivity of high crystallinity zeolite Y with a hierarchical porous structure in the synthesis of practically important oligomers of various unsaturated compounds is established. The authors highlight that the aluminosilicate present in kaolin may also be used in the production of zeolitic materials, and some details of this application are explained. The adsorptive features of PAAm-Ch-Z for Th4+ are investigated in view of its dependency on pH, concentration, time, temperature and ionic strength. The parameters derived from the compatibility of experimentally obtained data to Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich, van t'Hoff, pseudo frist-/second-order and Weber Morris models are utilized in the evaluation of adsorption and its thermodynamics and kinetics. Lastly, the authors consider a possible mechanism for the generation of an acetyl-zeolite intermediate via transfer from different acetyl donors through theoretical studies using a cluster model of H-ZSM-5 zeolite designed by three TO4 tetrahedral units.

Read more less

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is a well-known zinc-metallopeptidase that converts angiotensin I to the potent vasoconstrictor angiotensin II and degrades bradykinin, a powerful vasodilator, both for the regulation of vascular tone and cardiac functions. Other natural substrates of ACE were identified broadening the functions of this enzyme within different physiological contexts such as neuronal metabolism, hematopoiesis, digestion, and reproduction. In this context, ACE has an essential role in diseases, for instance, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease, oxidative stress, sperm maturation and fertility, intraocular pressure, bone metabolism, fibrillary glomerulonephritis, among others. This book describes the role of ACE as a part of the Renin-Angiotensin-System, on different metabolic processes related to some diseases, such as the examples already mentioned. Moreover, ACE is related to adipose tissue. The modulation of ACE can modulate hypertension and diseases related to this enzyme. Captopril is the first successful ACE inhibitor in the treatment of hypertension; however, it has adverse effects such as dry cough, dizziness, lightheadedness or loss of taste and others. The search for alternatives to Captopril has increased research on bioactive peptides. Then, several book chapters describe how ACE can be modulated by bioactive peptides, which are short amino acid sequences previously encrypted in whole proteins and liberated through the digestion process. Animal and vegetal proteins can be used as a source of bioactive peptides. Milk, milk-derived food products and lionfish are examples of animal proteins, while several legumes such as beans and peanuts are vegetable sources of bioactive peptides.

Read more less

This book is an attempt to present to the reader a critical summary of the results of the science now commonly called criminal anthropology. In other words, it deals briefly with the problems connected with the criminal as he is in himself and as he becomes in contact with society; it also tries to indicate some of the practical social bearings of such studies.

Read more less

It was Solomon's fortune, during his captivity, to be owned by several masters. The treatment he received while at the "Pine Woods" shows that among slaveholders there are men of humanity as well as of cruelty. Some of them are spoken of with emotions of gratitude-others in a spirit of bitterness. It is believed that the following account of his experience on Bayou BÅuf presents a correct picture of Slavery, in all its lights and shadows, as it now exists in that locality. Unbiased, as he conceives, by any prepossessions or prejudices, the only object of the editor has been to give a faithful history of Solomon Northup's life, as he received it from his lips.

Read more less

The book is the first attempt to connect the natural sciences into a history of creation. The idea is a bold one, and there are many circumstances of time and place to render its boldness more than usually conspicuous. The author's desire in the composition of the book was to give the true view of the history of nature, with as little disturbance as possible to existing beliefs, whether philosophical or religious.

Read more less

Chapter 1 develops a better understanding of the health impacts of wildfires and what should be done to minimise those impacts. It looks closely at the mitigation and management strategies for reducing air quality risks from wildfire smoke. In large part, these strategies involve efforts to reduce the intensity and frequency of wildfires that threaten communities. Chapters 2-7 contain U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fact sheets on how to reduce your risks to wildfire smoke and ash.

Read more less

Advances in Medicine and Biology. Volume 157 opens with a study wherein the authors use guinea pig airway smooth muscle to demonstrate that testosterone blocks L type voltage dependent Ca2+ channels. Furthermore, in vivo experiments with sensitized guinea pigs show that bronchospasm induced by antigenic challenge was abolished by testosterone and its 5α and 5β-dihydrotestosterone metabolites. Following this, the authors evaluate the structural features of skeletal muscles in children and adults with various pathologies of the musculoskeletal system based on ultrasonography, considering periods of natural growth and involutive changes. An overview of the current state of research on fluoxetine for the treatment of anxiety alone or combined with depression is provided, along with its possible side effects. Also provided is scientific information is regarding the neurobiological bases of depression and therapeutic effects of fluoxetine during the different periods of menopause. This information could be useful in pharmacological strategies for the treatment of depression occurring in the menopausal women. One chapter focuses on how improved direct access to the liver protected inside the rib cage can be obtained in laparoscopic liver resection using its specific "Caudal approach", decreasing the risk of refractory ascites and liver failure, especially in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with chronic liver diseases. The nucleolus is packed with proteins involved in ribosome function and biogenesis, as well as other proteins involved in cell-cycle regulation, senescence and stress response. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism of protein turnover in the nucleolus. As such, the authors discuss the nucleolus-localized protein degradation pathway, which is essential to ribosome production and cell-cycle progression. The concluding chapter focuses on the dye Congo red, which is used as a stain in microscopy to detect an abnormal material called amyloid. Amyloid consists of misfolded proteins that form fibrils which bind molecules of Congo red and orientate the molecules parallel to the long axis of the fibrils.

Read more less

In the present volume an attempt is made to trace the growth of the general principles of medieval fortification, with special reference to castles, in which, within their limited area, the most complete illustration of those principles is given. In order to give greater clearness to the account of their evolution, a prefatory chapter deals generally with earlier types of fortification in Britain, and the critical period of Saxon and Danish warfare is treated in the second chapter with some detail. This leads us to the early Norman castle of earthwork and timber; and the stone fortifications to which this gave place are introduced by a brief account of the progress of siegecraft and siege-engines. The Norman castle and its keep or great tower are then described. The developments of the later part of the twelfth century and the arrangements of the thirteenth-centuryviii castle, with those of the dwelling-house within its enceinte, follow and prepare the way for the castles of the reign of Edward I. which represent the highest effort of military planning. In the last two chapters is related the progress of the transition from the castle to the fortified manor-house, which followed the introduction of fire-arms into warfare and preceded the Renaissance period. It will be seen that the castle is taken as the unit of military architecture throughout; but illustrations are constantly drawn from walled towns, which are, in fact, the castles of communities, and in the eleventh chapter extended allusion is made to the chief features of their plan and defences.

Read more less

Contemporary society, the society of the future, will require us to develop entirely new knowledge, skills and competences. In this respect, functional literacies are among the key competences for the 21st century society, which is known in Japan as Society 5.0, or the so-called super-smart society. The qualitative leap from Society 3.0, the industrial society, to Society 4.0, known also as the information society, has already been marked by computers and their processing power in the form of virtually unlimited memory capacity. Humans as intelligent beings, on the other hand, have made little progress over the last few centuries in terms of information processing power and storage capacity. The shift to a super-smart society, i.e., Society 5.0, can hardly be imagined with just humans as the central characters in these changes, given their limited processing power and memory capacity. The society of the future, the super-smart society, is surely going to be a technological society, a society of independent and smart systems, which are going to be managed and directed more or less by artificial intelligence (AI), because this is the only way to arrive to the so-called super-smart society. In such an environment it will be vital for humans, who will be increasingly dependent on technology, not only to be able to communicate with their equals, i.e., other humans, but also to be able to understand technology and AI, and communicate with it in some way or another. This book focuses on literacy for the 21st century and/or Society 5.0 in the narrow sense. In other words, the focus is on the reading, writing and communication processes as part of digital literacy, or, indeed, as part of the digital, technological and engineering literacy 4.0/5.0 paradigm. The latter includes competences required for the three main ways of communication in the 21st century, which are: human-human communication via the Internet of Things (IoT) or/and the Internet of People (IoP); human-machine communication, directly and via the IoT; communication between humans and artificial intelligence (AI). In these three types of communication, humans will be expected to apply particular ways of thinking and reasoning when addressing a problem, and to acquire and demonstrate three kinds of practices/skills in particular: understanding technological principles; developing solutions and achieving goals and communicating and collaborating. The main topics in this book are organized into nine core chapters, including the following: Development of Human Society and the Function of Communication Skills and Media, Historical Development of Communication Media, Literacy and Artificial Intelligence, and The Direction of Society's Development in the 21st Century. It seems fair to assume that some of the explanations, points of view and parts of content presented in this book will be different from notions generally true. We hope that because of this, we will be able to provoke cognitive dissonance/intellectual unease in the reader, thus encouraging them to update and/or internalize some of the "theories inside their heads", which have been embedded there since their school years.

Read more less

Boron carbide is a superhard and lightweight ceramic material. As a result of these characteristics, it used as a protective component in bulletproof vests, tank armour and also has many other industrial applications (e.g., tooling, abrasives). Research on boron carbide remains active given a long-standing challenge to understand its complex failure behavior in extreme environments owing to its unique microstructure and mechanical properties, where many current efforts are underway to improve its behavior through microstructure alteration via additives that form secondary phases, chemical doping, and altering the chemical composition of the boron-to-carbon ratio in the crystal structure. This book covers some of the key challenges involving boron carbide that are currently being studied by many materials scientists and ceramists. The authors who are active in this research field have prepared the chapters for this book and specific topics covered highlight the state-of-the art research in structure, processing, properties and applications. The organization of the book is designed to provide an easy understanding for students and professionals interested in advanced material for novel applications.

Read more less

This book covers a wide field of theoretical and experimental investigations of organic and inorganic systems: preparation methods, functional properties characterization and modification and practical applications. The first section includes studies in carbon structures of reduced dimensionality. Covered topics are: thermodynamic modeling of the behavior of fullerenes at heating in Argon, studying carbon nanotubes by X-ray diffraction, modelling of oscillating systems by cognitive digital systems. The number of chapters describes the structural investigations of a wide variety of materials such as different sorts of steel in grained modification for mining equipment, elements of rock-breaking, crushing and grinding equipment; degradation of dielectrics, including nanostructured dielectrics, by migratory polarization. Quantum chemical calculations were traditionally of a special interest of modelling nanostructured nuclei's. This method was applied to study titanium and vanadium nanocoating's formation from gas phase and to study quaternary ammonium compounds for modification of metal surfaces. Quantum-chemical calculations in bio-medical aspect made possible visualization ischemia-reperfusion injury using indocyanine green. The final paper in the section contains a scientific essay, where peculiarities of quantum mechanics are traversed through findings of nanotechnology. Section 2 includes the chapters related to preparation methods for the materials containing various components. It is opened by research of nanoporous alumina, which is a promising material for printed circuit boards. Heat flow distribution was found to possess some interesting features. Physical properties of electrochemically grown metallic filaments studied by electron microscopy anddiversity from dendritic to fractal structure was described. Fractal thematic was also addressed with simulation of breakdown in plasma channel. Section 3 is focused on the possibility of using new nanomaterials of different composition and design as powders for corundum ceramics, perfluorsulfonic membranes, refining noble methods from ultrafine valuable components, metals regeneration from oxide, and surface nanostructuring laser mechanisms. Mentoring aspect - education of the young researchers involved in nanoscience and technology -- is covered in chapter "Students Training on "Nanoengineering", which is also a very important and promising scientific field.

Read more less

The Peninsular War (1807-1814) was a military conflict for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic War, where the French were opposed by British, Spanish, and Portuguese forces. The war began when the French and Spanish armies invaded and occupied Portugal in 1807 and lasted until the Napoleon's defeat in 1814.

Read more less

The book "The Fundamentals of Hypersensitivity and Allergy" comprises of seven chapters and describes the historical perspective, causes and classification of hypersensitivities, which are important in understanding the current issues regarding conditions in which the immune system which normally serves a protective role has a harmful effect. This book describes the original concept of hypersensitivity and allergy and how sensitive individuals respond to different allergens, drugs and other agents, where the body reacts with an exaggerated immune response that ultimately results in tissue damage. The classification of hypersensitive reactions given by Gell and Coombs with the modifications made to the previous classification are described in detail. Different types of hypersensitivities, their process, the contribution of various cells and molecules to normal immune responses and to hypersensitive reactions are discussed separately. The examples for different types of immune responses are described thoroughly to get a proper understanding of the topic. The clinical manifestations of different types of hypersensitivities and their means of prevention, evaluation and management are also depicted in separate chapters with clear insight. Lastly, the airborne allergens responsible for the allergy, different types of aeroallergens, their effects and allergies caused by them are described. The effect of climate change on aeroallergen production, various diagnostic tests for detection of aero-allergy with their prevention and control are discussed in detail separately. The book contains a reasonable number of diagrams, flowcharts and tables. Besides this, various interesting and self-explanatory illustrations are incorporated to make the book useful to the students for whom it is written. The question bank, which includes long answer type, short answer type and multiple choice questions with their answers at the very end of each chapter, is developed to get a full grasp of the topic.

Read more less

Deep brain Stimulation (DBS) is being increasingly carried out for several neurological disorders, the most common being Parkinson's disease. This handbook on Deep brain Stimulation will serve as a quick reference manual for those who want to gain expertise on this advanced neurosurgical technique wherein neurologists, neurosurgeons and neurophysiologists play key roles. The indications, procedures, complications and scientific trials to substantiate the evidence for the use of DBS are dealt with under different headings by experts in the respective fields. This will serve more as a practical guide than a theoretical text book as it is written based on the hands on experience of the respective authors.

Read more less

Benzimidazole: Preparation and Applications first defines the structure, physical and chemical properties of the benzimidazole compound class. Further conventional and alternative synthesis methods and important reactions of these compound derivatives are illustrated with examples. The authors provide an overview of benzimidazole-based synthetic medicine and their significant applications in treating various ailments. The chemical reactions of benzimidazole with other heterocyclic compounds/chemical reagents produce a lot of new substituted molecules, which have potential pharmaceutical applications. A literature review is presented focusing on the synthesis of chiral compounds and their subsequent applications as therapeutic compounds in order to better evaluate the results so far. Additionally, the authors discuss how nenzimidazole derivatives play a vital role in organic light emitting diodes as emissive materials, host materials, electron transport materials, hole blocking materials, etc., and have pharmaceutical applications such as antimicrobial, antihypertensive, anti-HIV and anticancer. Following this, this collection examines classes of potential chemosensors possessing benzimidazole moieties which are capable of both visual and optical estimation of target analytes over a broad concentration range and without interference of contemporary analytes. Important methodologies used for the synthesis of variedly substituted benzimidazoles are presented along with their multi-target therapeutic uses. The latest research on anti-tumor and antimicrobial benzimidazole compounds, as well as structure-activity correlations, drug design, clinical and preclinical studies is also presented. Benzimidazole-based polymers with various architecture and copolymers are discussed with a variation of properties such as mechanical, thermal stability, thermo-oxidative stability and enhanced performance. The penultimate chapter covers a critical analysis of the recent developments in benzimidazole framework research and the future scope of benzimidazole framework in ligand designing. In closing, the synthesis and biological properties of coordination compounds containing benzimidazole derivatives are presented and discussed.

Read more less

Schizophrenia: Triggers and Treatments is a series of texts that introduces the reader to some of the more recent advances in schizophrenia research. It is concerned with questioning the role of the immune system in the aetiology and course of the disorder, as well as investigating the efficacy of some of the available treatments for schizophrenia. Edited by a leading scholar in the field, and written by researchers at the cutting edge of these developments, each chapter provides details of original works and their theoretical and empirical impact. The theme of cognition is prevalent throughout the book. As a core deficit in schizophrenia, cognition proves to be fundamental to both the mechanisms underlying the disorder, and the treatments used to alleviate symptomatology. It is evident in all subpopulations of schizophrenia patients explored in this collection - from those with early onset schizophrenia, to those being treated in forensic mental health services - and its importance throughout the lifespan of individuals with schizophrenia is highlighted. With a focus on a practical understanding of schizophrenia, this book will be of value to all researchers, psychiatrists and therapists with a clinical or research interest in this subject.

Read more less

A Closer Look at Kinase Inhibition opens with a discussion on the roles of various tyrosine kinases inhibitors and molecular mechanisms of acquired resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs therapy in colon-rectal cancer. The authors summarize host cell and viral protein kinases, the progress in their use, and the repurposing of approved kinase inhibitors as broad-spectrum antivirals. The key kinases, namely CLK1, DYRK1A, CDK5, GSK3 and CK1, are analyzed as data indicate that targeting these proteins may have therapeutic promise against Alzheimer's disease.

Read more less

A Closer Look at Heart Rate opens with an examination of the latent structures underlying short-term heart rate variability indices in a sample of 96 young adults under 4-min eyes-closed followed by 4-min eyes-open resting-state conditions. Electrocardiograms recorded during the two resting-state conditions were then analyzed using a variety of heart rate variability indices in which latent structures were identified using principal component analysis. Additionally, the authors test the hypothesis that the statistical artefact regression to the mean explains part of the baseline effect. To do this, the regression to the mean effect is illustrated through heart rate recording carried out on 1233 volunteers, from which 137 were randomly selected to obtain an estimate of the stress response. Next, 14,000 antepartum fetal heart rate tracings obtained during 2,000 pregnancies are analyzed. After 30 weeks, fetal behavior progressively changes and differentiates into three main states: active sleep, quiet sleep, and active wakefulness. The fetal heart rate pattern during quiet sleep is usually homogeneous. It appears that a heterogeneous pattern reflecting a specific quiet sleep variant has been unrecognized. In the closing chapter, the role of meditation in cardiovascular risk reduction through beneficial modulation in heart rate, and heart-rate variability is reviewed and discussed. Meditative practices are aimed at training the mind to achieve a state of increased consciousness.

Read more less

Recent research supports that sequential forms of Cross-Cultural Training (CCT), which offered pre-departure CCT as well as post-arrival CCT, are more beneficial than nonsequential CCT. This study investigates the impact of sequential CCT upon the level of both sociocultural and psychological adjustment of expatriate managers. This study also aims to enrich the existing literature field with the effectiveness of sequential CCT upon expatriate adjustment. The methodology of the study was mixed methods design. It adopted an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Design, which included a quantitative phase followed by a qualitative phase. On the one hand, the quantitative data and their analysis gave a general overview of the impact of sequential CCT upon the levels of sociocultural and psychological adjustment while on the other hand, the qualitative data obtained more depth to the research and therefore explicated the quantitative results. Surprisingly but significantly, both quantitative and qualitative results supported that sequential CCT has no any significant impact upon the sociocultural and psychological adjustment of the expatriate managers. Despite this result, the qualitative findings showed that CCT has helped the expatriate managers in their sociocultural and psychological adjustment, regardless of whether it was sequential or not. Moreover, the results emphasize the importance of the timing of CCT and not its sequentiality. The important assertion of this study is that the effectiveness of the CCT depends both on its content and on its delivery time. Suggestions refer to the delivery time and the appropriate content of CCT in enhancing sociocultural and psychological adjustment of the expatriates.

Read more less

Background: Diabetic cardiomyopathy is defined as heart failure independent of the coronary artery, valve disease and hypertension. It has multifactorial aetiology but the pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and inflammation with high oxidative stress lead to structural and functional alterations of the left ventricle (LV) and promote diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diastolic dysfunction is an early sign of diabetic cardiomyopathy. It has a long asymptomatic period, but with time leads to loss of contractile function. Hence, the identification of subclinical diabetic cardiomyopathy and correction of potentially modified risk factors are very important to delay the onset of heart failure. The aim: We aimed to assess the LV function in asymptomatic diabetic patients and its correlation with clinical and biochemical parameters. Study design: Cross-sectional study that includes a total number of 137 subjects. The target group consists of 72 asymptomatic normotensive patients with diabetes mellitus type 2, without coronary artery and valve disease. The control group is composed of 65 healthy subjects. Methods: All patients were subject to echocardiography (conventional 2D, M-mode, PW Doppler analysis and contemporary techniques-TDI and 2D-Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography). We evaluate LV diastolic and systolic function and its correlation with basic clinical characteristics (age, gender, BMI, BSA, waist to hip ratio, duration of diabetes) and biochemical analyses (glucose profile, lipid profile, CRP). The correlation between clinical, biochemical and echocardiographic parameters was assessed by the Pearson Product Moment of Correlation. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered to indicate significance. Results: Analysis of deformation identify the greatest number of subjects with abnormal myocardial mechanics (n=45, 62%). Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Test showed a statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction, in each imaging modality-PWD and TDI (Z=2.3, p=0.01; Z=2.9, p=0.003). There were strong negative correlations between clinical, biochemical and echocardiographic parameters of PW Doppler and 2D Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography and strong positive correlation with TDI. Conclusion: Doppler echocardiography is a valuable imaging technique for identifying LV dysfunction in asymptomatic patients with diabetes, and is an important part of the diagnostic algorithm in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Novel Doppler-echocardiographic techniques as are Tissue Doppler Imaging and Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography show superiority over other echocardiographic methods, regarding the early detection of LV functional abnormalities in the asymptomatic diabetic population. Its introduction in daily routine will contribute to the timely initiation of treatment of risk factors, to prevent the development of heart failure

Read more less

This book presents a selected number of international aviation-specific cases, with an emphasis being placed on Greece, as a number of investment opportunities arise and its economy is recovering from a nine-year turmoil. Aviation has come a long way since its inceptions and is regarded as the safest mode of transport; an achievement that has been built on accumulated experience. The incorporation of redundant systems is aimed at eliminating potential failure causes. Indeed, the introduction of sophisticated computers and cutting-edge technology has led to a decrease in accidents per se. The paper by J.A. Richter though suggests that the "safety-first" culture spearheaded by air carriers may be at risk. Market insighters claim that the aviation sector will continue to grow at a rate around 3% with the Asia-Pacific area showing the highest increase. The latter may be in part due to the introduction of policies that are fostering the role of market forces in the aviation industry. The paper by M. A. Abdullah et al using stochastic frontier analysis argues that production inefficiencies have occurred, which may be the outcome of global competition and suggest that air carriers ought to adjust to a more competitive international market. In anticipation of a constant rise in passenger numbers, aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have opted for different approaches in terms of meeting anticipated market demands. In doing so, Airbus introduced the double-decker A380 aircraft, with Emirates being its main customer followed by the leading European flag carriers. The marketing of the A380 has inadvertently affected airport service providers, Regulatory Bodies and Air carriers. As Greece is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, author S. Topouris examines the possibility of the new Athens International Airport, AIA, to serve as an A380 scheduled airport. Athens International Airport is the successor of the former Hellinikon Airport, which terminated operations on March 28th, 2001, as it had reached its saturation point. Owing to Greece's geographical particularities and the numerous scattered islands, aircraft and vessels are the primary modes of transport showing an increased trend. The study by P. Meimaris et al, provide preliminary data pertaining to the amount of emitted greenhouse gases, GHG, from civil aircraft flying within Hellenic Air Space, HAS. This work equally acknowledges the effect of wildfires in amplifying the percentage of GHGs within a region. Greece's geostrategic location amidst the crossroads of Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle-East is facilitating a higher amount of passenger and freight movements to a number of European metropolises. The cities of Athens and Piraeus act as European gateways for both air carriers and maritime companies, respectively. Acknowledging Europe's White Paper on Transport, this work introduces a bold approach of minimizing greenhouse gases by turning part of Greece's railway system into a high-speed network, which is deemed to augment its economy in the long-term. The work by V. M. Kafasis elaborates on the emerging opportunities in Greece's aviation industry, resulting from the introduction of Law 4568/2018 pertaining to the licensing, operation and utilization of waterdromes. The development and operation of seaplanes is expected to offer a flexible alternative, which, in turn, may foster inter-connectivity and enhance remote area accessibility, while improving financial performance indicators. The successive European Air Liberalisation Acts inadvertently affected a number of European flag carriers. The 2008 financial crisis that spread across Europe had a profound impact on Cypriot Economy, in particular during the (2011-2012) period. Author C. Hailis discusses the effect of the financial crisis in Cyprus' aviation market, while providing an insight on Cyprus Airways.

Read more less

Cloud computing enables on-demand access to shared computing resources providing services more quickly and at a lower cost than having agencies maintain these resources themselves. Chapter 1 discusses selected agencies' progress in implementing cloud services, the extent to which those agencies increased cloud service spending and achieved savings or cost avoidances, and examples of agency-reported cloud investments with notable benefits. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has developed a new strategy to accelerate agency adoption of cloud-based solutions: Cloud Smart. Chapter 2 reports on the strategy of successful cloud adoption: security, procurement, and workforce. The Department of Defense (DoD) has entered the modern age of warfighting where the battlefield exists as much in the digital world as it does in the physical. Cloud is a fundamental component of the global infrastructure that will empower the warfighter with data and is critical to maintaining our military's technological advantage as reported in chapter 3. Chapter 4 discusses accelerated adoption of the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) Cloud program. In the Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act, Congress enacted one of the first major changes in years to U.S. law governing cross-border access to electronic communications held by private companies. Chapter 5 reports on the major components of the CLOUD Act. Chapter 6 discusses United States v. Microsoft Corp as it pertains to the CLOUD Act.

Read more less

Notwithstanding the fact that Egyptology is now recognised as a science, an exact and communicable knowledge of whose existence and scope it behoves all modern culture to take cognisance, Manual of Egyptian Archaeology and Guide to the Study of Antiquities in Egypt remains the Handbook of Egyptian Archaeology. For the skilled archaeologist, its pages contain not only new facts, but new views and new interpretations; while to those who know little, or perhaps nothing, of the subjects under discussion, it will open a fresh and fascinating field of study.

Read more less

Thousands of men, women and children swept to sudden death. Millions of dollars worth of property destroyed. Scenes of suffering and desolation that beggar description. Heroic efforts to save human life. The world shocked by the appalling news. Such is the thrilling story of the Galveston flood, and in this volume it is told with wonderful power and effect. This volume is a complete and authentic account of the great calamity told by the survivors.

Read more less

Human life is like a color spectrum. More than merely physiological mechanism, it also involves cognitive, emotional, social, and cultural processes. The complexity of human life also requires a good understanding of such various processes. Therefore, each perspective from the different dimensions will contribute significantly to our scientific efforts to understand and, hopefully, to solve our daily problems. We have selected various interesting studies that might offer new psychological insights into human life. This book will give a new perspective on promoting well-being in every aspect of human life. Several studies employ different psychological perspectives while addressing similar issues. Hopefully, this book can help all psychologists and psychological practitioners in understanding human behavior in the Indonesian context.

Read more less

New Research on Sleep and Sleep Disorders first addresses how excessive daytime sleepiness is highly prevalent among patients with type 2 diabetes and has been associated with poorer glycemic control. Daytime sleepiness is also associated with cognitive and attention impairment which may lead to sub-optimal self-management and increased medication errors in patients with type 2 diabetes. Sleep dysfunction has multiple causes in critically ill patients, some of which are extrinsic to the patient and some which are intrinsic to the patient. The disruption of sleep can further destabilize a patient or complicate their ICU course. In one study, the authors use a network analysis technique to create networks for each of the four "insomnia identity" groups. These findings may help to further understand the role of daytime sleepiness in different insomnia phenotypes and to better target the clinical intervention. Additionally, the results of a Multiple Sleep Latency Test carried out in forty patients diagnosed with narcolepsy-1 are presented, and protocol is reviewed. Later, the role of upper cervical spine morphology in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with obstructive sleep apnea is examined. It is suggested that upper cervical spine morphology contributes to phenotypic differentiations between types of obstructive sleep apnea and thereby to its diagnosis, subdivision and treatment. Some useful knowledge obtained by analyzing the acoustic properties of snoring sounds and the morphological properties of oropharyngeal soft tissues is presented. Snoring sounds and oropharyngeal soft tissues are directly or indirectly related to the severity of sleep apnea syndrome. Many researchers are moving their attention towards the development of applications for the smartphone related to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. As such, this compilation analyzes and investigates the functionality of the most accredited apps available for smartphones. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery recommend surgery as an option for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, when non-invasive treatments such as CPAP or oral appliances have not been successful. Surgical treatment is more effective when there is an evident anatomical deformity that can be corrected to alleviate the respiratory obstruction. The concluding study focuses on drugs which induce sleep, such as propofol and dexmedetomidine. Drug-induced sedation endoscopy is a relatively simple way to explore obstruction sites during induced sleep and to give the most precise indication for surgery.

Read more less

American Indian Life is a picture of native American life, in much the sense that a series of biographies of one statesman, poet, or common citizen from each country of Europe would yield a cross-sectional aspect of the civilization of that continent. It is through the medium of the intensive and special coloring of each tribal civilization, that the common elements of Indian culture are brought out most truthfully, even though somewhat indirectly.

Read more less

Healthcare costs continue to rise in the United States and many Americans are struggling to budget and pay for their healthcare expenses. As healthcare costs continue to rise, many Americans still have no idea how much something will cost them before they receive care. Chapter 1 examines some of the causes of increased healthcare costs, and increasing healthcare costs. One of the biggest challenges for small businesses wishing to help their employees with health care is the cost. Small businesses helping their employees purchase health insurance is discussed in chapter 2. From fiscal years 2009 through 2016, the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) obligated more than $9 billion for the provision of inmate health care and several factors affected these costs. Chapter 3 addresses BOP's costs to provide health care services and factors that affect costs; the extent to which BOP has data to help control health care costs; and the extent to which BOP has planned and implemented cost control efforts.

Read more less

The spatial networks of hydrogen bonds in liquids and solutions are defined and described through a series of diols, aminoalcohols and diamines, and their comparison with the spatial network of water is explored. The authors review the structural and energetic features of classical hydrogen bonds in order to emphasize the most important aspects for rationally designing crystalline and molecular materials. Lastly, the formation of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds in recently synthesized hetarylmethylidene cycloalkanones and their influence on the stabilization of otherwise unstable isomers and tautomers is considered on the basis of experimental and theoretical analyses.

Read more less

The book titled Parental Involvement: Practices, Improvement Strategies and Challenges is a collection of papers focusing on different challenges and practices to obtain greater involvement of parents in the schooling of children and youth. The authors espoused, to varying degrees, the unique and complex patterns of parent-school relationships pointing out two significant areas where parents should become involved, namely home-based and school-based. In their exposition of these two areas, the authors of the various chapters point out both macro and micro antecedents of how parents are involved both at home (home-based) and at school (school-based) supporting their children towards achieving success. At the macro-level, the authors who contributed to this book reflected upon policy issues whereby the Ministries of Education in various countries (i.e., New Zealand, Israel, Finland, South Africa, and the United States) instigated strategies for parental involvement with varying degrees of success. There is also evidence of socio-cultural perspectives and teachers' ethnic and professional identities impacting on attitudes towards parental involvement both at school and at home. In addition, the authors point to the impact of gender differences (fathers and mothers) and at-home engagement with children's educational success. In sum, there are many and variable barriers, obstacles, and challenges towards enabling parents for greater involvement in their children's academic achievements, and a need for more consistency and collaboration across home and school systems. Presenting their most up-to-date research findings, the authors of the various chapters espouse their viewpoints pertaining to parental involvement from the perspective of the parents themselves, the perspective of the teachers, and the views of students both in the home and at the school. For the most part, however, the authors advocate the belief that strengthening parent-teacher relationships will promote the child's development and success in school and in life.

Read more less

This is a comprehensive list of all the significant battles from ancient time through 1904.

Read more less

Sir Walter Scott first published his biography on Napoleon in 1827. The work represents an important contribution to the study of France during the Napoleonic Era. The book provides an honest and thorough account of the man and the society in which he lived.

Read more less

This book is a comprehensive compilation of all reports, testimony, correspondence and other publications issued by the GAO (Government Accountability Office) during the month of July, grouped according to topics. This book is focused on the following topics: Health Care Government Operations Telecommunications

Read more less

Sir Walter Scott first published his biography on Napoleon in 1827. The work represents an important contribution to the study of France during the Napoleonic Era. The book provides an honest and thorough account of the man and the society in which he lived.

Read more less

Sir Walter Scott first published his biography on Napoleon in 1827. The work represents an important contribution to the study of France during the Napoleonic Era. The book provides an honest and thorough account of the man and the society in which he lived.

Read more less

Advances in Engineering Research. Volume 32 opens by describing a general strategy for building Markov chain models and performing computational analysis of characteristics of the process, as well as showing a few examples of applying this approach to modeling mixing, grinding, fluidized bed, etc. Next, the configurations of gas channels and gas diffusion layers influences on the performance of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are investigated. Additionally, a numerical method and an experimental method are realized to predict aeroelastic response and characteristic parameters of wing structure. The numerical method is based on coupled algorithms between computational fluid dynamics and computational structural dynamics. A Lagrangian expression based on the state equation of a class of nonlinear system is proposed to develop the corresponding functional. From this, a control law is developed, and by employing the classical Euler-Lagrange approach, the operation of the system was led to a critical point with success. Following this, a roadmap is presented to directly transition from cutting edge experimental and in-situ geospatial data-collection technology to a predictive computational model for volcanic lahars. The soil-pile-structure interaction plays an important role in assessing the vibrations internally generated within structures due to dynamic loads that could bring significant impacts on the structural behavior. As such, the effects of forces on the seismic response of three tall and massive building cases are investigated. In conclusion, research is presented on the joint effect of silica fume and nanosilica on the fresh and hardened properties of natural hydraulic lime-based grouts for mechanical strengthening of old stone masonry walls.

Read more less

This book is a comprehensive compilation of all reports, testimony, correspondence and other publications issued by the Congressional Research Service on International Relations during the month of June.

Read more less

"Brain mitochondria: Distribution and Function" offers an overview of significant findings regarding physiological, toxicological and pathological aspects of brain mitochondria properties and their relevant role in cellular bioenergetics. Essential physiological processes such as cell respiration and ATP synthesis, the maintenance of calcium homeostasis, reactive oxygen species generation and apoptotic cell signaling performed by mitochondria are described in the different chapters of this volume. In particular, the importance of specific calcium signaling at synaptic level and its relationship with mitochondrial bioenergetics are extensively described. Being that high energy demands are required at synaptic level for neurotransmission, mitochondrial distribution becomes relevant for essential neuronal processes. Differential bioenergetic characteristics of neuronal, astrocytic and glial mitochondria are discussed. Interestingly, new insights on the interaction between neurotensinergic and nitrergic systems are detailed, based on experimental evidences of the effect of neurotensin receptors blockade on nitric oxide production and mitochondrial function. The chapters describing metal neurotoxicity provide a comprehensive view of the effects of different metals on brain mitochondrial function and their consequences for human health. The impact of iron and copper overload on brain oxidative redox balance and mitochondrial function is fully detailed, focusing on the role of metal-induced neuronal damage on the incidence and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, a complete revision of the mechanisms underlying heavy metal-mediated damage to brain mitochondria is presented. Neurotoxic effects of arsenic, thallium, lead, cadmium and mercury have been associated with cell bioenergetics impairment, exacerbated production of oxygen free radicals, and induction of intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Mitochondrial function can also be impaired by treatment with different drugs acting at CNS level. The understanding of the effects of pharmacological agents, abuse drugs, herbicides and insecticides at mitochondrial level can contribute to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration. In this context, the neuroprotective effect of different compounds targeting mitochondrial integrity and function is discussed. Furthermore, mitochondrial alterations, oxygen radicals generation and nitric oxide production are characterized in relation to CNS pathology and hypoxia conditions. Mitochondrial complex I inactivation, oxidative stress and impairment of mitochondrial nitric oxide synthesis are characteristic features of the mitochondrial dysfunction observed in Parkinson's disease and other CNS pathologies. In addition, exposure to hypoxic conditions can affect nitric oxide generation and mitochondrial physiology, with different responses depending on the brain area. As a whole, the understanding of the alterations in mitochondrial distribution and function in the brain associated with neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration may contribute to the knowledge of the role of mitochondria in maintaining the balance between health and disease.

Read more less

This is a first step towards a simple and beautiful theory of everything. The theory, termed "Information Relativity" (IR) takes a novel approach to physics that overlooks all post-Newtonian physics. It stands on the shoulders of Newtonian dynamics, but modifies it by accounting for the time-travel of information from one reference-frame to another, a fact which somehow was ignored by Galileo Galilee and Isaac Newton, and which remained ill-treated by all post-Newtonian theories, including Einstein's relativity and quantum theories. Except for the aforementioned correction of classical physics, IR has no axiomatic presumptions, nor arbitrary free parameters. Astonishingly, accounting for the aforementioned delays in information results in a set of simple and beautiful transformations, which explain and predict a great deal of physical phenomena. Most importantly, IR's transformations reveal the mysteries of dark matter, dark energy, and gravity. They also provide a unifying platform for the physics of the too-big (astrophysics and cosmology), and the too-small (small particles dynamics and quantum mechanics). The phenomena explained and predicted successfully by IR include the "time-dilation" of decaying muons, the neutrino velocities measured by OPERA and other collaborations, particle diffraction in the double-slit experiment, Sagnac Effects, the quantization of orbits in Bohr's hydrogen atom, entanglement, quantum criticality, confinement, asymptotic freedom, solar light bending, gravitational redshift, the Pioneer anomaly, dark matter in galaxies, and the Schwarzschild's black hole.

Read more less