Search results for ""InterActions""

In Nervous Device, Catherine Wagner takes inspiration from William Blake's "bounding line" to explore the poem as a body at the intersection between poet and audience. Using this as a figure for sexual, political and economic interactions, Wagner's poems shift between seductive lyricism and brash fragmentation as they negotiate the failure of human connection in the twilight of American empire. Intellectually informed, yet insistent on their objecthood, Wagner's poems express a self-conscious skepticism even as they maintain an optimistically charged eroticism."Wagner's fourth collection contains poems of memory and dark artifice. She writes with an obscure, magnetic lens. . . . Wagner contrasts these complicated poems with short, clean, pieces that offer a kind of breathing space for the reader. Not to be mistaken for trivial, the linguistic tightness of these poems are highlights of Wagner’s collection."—Publishers Weekly"Taking with one hand what they give with the other, Wagner's poems are full of vehemence and disdain and tenderness and somewhere, in some inexpugnable part of the body of language through which so many discomforting feelings pass, a thorny kind of joy. This is my idea of great poetry: in which 'The actual is / flickering a binary / between word and not-word.'"—Barry Schwabsky, Hyperallergic"Nervous Device is such a smart book. You never know where the poems are going to take you, or when some startling, often cringe-making image or thought will intrude. Unable to settle into a comfortable rhetorical space, these poems reject simple claims to knowing something or doing right or changing the world. Rather, they move like an erratic insect stuck in a language bell jar. Brilliant, and disturbing."—Jennifer Moxley"Nervous Device, the human machine, palpitating inside its own little bounding lines. These poems do everything the human device does, vibrating like an electrified tornado inside a glass jar, and make this reader profoundly alive to huge swathes of being. There is no machine for mastering the self (yet), but there are Cathy Wagner's poems."—Eleni Sikelianos"The poems in Nervous Device resonate with a knowing nod to time and the difficulty and struggle of being sentient and intimate—of loving while being human. This is poetry connectivty: sexy, poignant, knowing. And the poems here make me feel possible."—Hoa Nguyen"Wagner's poems contain multitudes, at once overflowing with seductive lyricism only to suddenly shift into brash fragmentation. She is informed, but the word subjective has no place whatsoever in her work. As the cover suggests, the potential for human connection is downright erotic for Wagner."Alexis Coe, SF Weekly"The notion that the audience is 'putting [their] finger in [her] vagina' while reading Nervous Device signals one of Wagner's primary thematic concerns in the collection: the complex relationship between poetry, sex, desire, and the body."—Joshua Ware"Wagner is to be lauded, first and foremost, for her daring, her conceptual eclecticism, and her linguistic range. . . . Nervous Device is a clear-eyed and brave testament to the changing currents of a poet's life."—Seth Abramson, The Huffington Post" . . . the manner in which Wagner structures the language through repetitive dialogue both builds meaning and breaks it apart. . . . Wagner balances disjunction and lucidity, private and public, distant and (riskily) up-close."—Jessica Comola, HTML Giant

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Social psychology has a profound influence on our everyday lives; from our shopping habits to our interactions at a party. It seeks to answer questions that we often think and talk about; questions such as: - What circumstances prompt people to help, or not to help?- What factors influence the ups and downs of our close relationships?- Why do some people behave differently when on their own compared to in a group?- What leads individuals sometimes to hurt, and other times to help one another?- Why are we attracted to certain types of people?- How do some persuade others to do what they want?This new edition of Social Psychology has been revised to introduce a more flexible structure for teaching and studying. It includes up-to-date, international research with an emphasis throughout on its critical evaluation. Applied examples across the chapters help to highlight the relevance, and hence the impact, that the theories and methods of this fascinating subject have upon the social world. Key Features Include: • Research Close-Up: In a brand-new style, this feature matches the layout used in research papers,providing an accessible introduction to journal articles and the methods used by social psychologists.• Focus On: Fully revised, these boxes look at opposing viewpoints, controversial research or alternativeapproaches. This offers a more critical outlook and prompts the questioning of the validity ofpublished research.• Recommended Readings: New to this edition, suggestions for both classic and contemporary literatureare included in each chapter, providing a springboard for further study of the topics.• With chapter contributions from Dr Juliet Wakefield.Connect Psychology is McGraw-Hill’s digital learning and teaching environment. Students – You get easy online access to homework, tests and quizzes designed by your instructor. You receive immediate feedback on how you’re doing, making it the perfect platform to test your knowledge. Lecturers – Connect gives you the power to create auto-graded assignments, tests and quizzes online. The detailed visual reporting allows you to easily monitor your students’ progress. In addition, you can access key support materials for your teaching, including a testbank, seminar materials and lecture support. Professor David N. Myers is the John Dirk Werkman Professor of Psychology at Hope College where he has taught for the past 30 years. David Myers’ love of teaching psychology has been rewarded by students on many occasions with numerous “Outstanding Professor” awards. An award-winning researcher, Professor Myers received the Gordon Allport Prize from Division 9 of the American Psychological Association for his work on group polarization. His scientific articles have appeared in more than two dozen journals, including Science, American Scientist, Psychological Bulletin, and Psychological Science. He has served his discipline as consulting editor to the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.Dr Jackie Abell is a Reader in Social Psychology with the Research Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, based at Coventry University, UK. Her current areas of research interest include the application of social psychology to wildlife conservation and environmental issues to facilitate resilience and sustainable development, place attachment and identity, social cohesion and inclusion.Professor Fabio Sani holds a Chair in Social and Health Psychology at the University of Dundee. His general research interest concerns the mental and physical health implications of gro

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History of Dance, Second Edition, offers readers a panoramic view of dance from prehistory to the present. The text covers the dance forms, designs, artists, costumes, performing spaces, and accompaniments throughout the centuries and around the globe. Its investigative approach engages students in assignments and web projects that reinforce the learning from the text, and its ancillaries for both teachers and students make it easy for students to perceive, create, and respond to the history of dance. New to This EditionHistory of Dance retains its strong foundations from the first edition while adding these new and improved features: • An instructor guide with media literacy assignments, teaching tips, strategies for finding historical videos, and more • A test bank with hundreds of questions for creating tests and quizzes • A presentation package with hundreds of slides that present key points and graphics • A web resource with activities, extensions of chapter content, annotated links to useful websites, and study aids • Developing a Deeper Perspective assignments that encourage students to use visual or aesthetic scanning, learn and perform period dances, observe and write performance reports, develop research projects and WebQuests (Internet-based research projects), and participate in other learning activities • Experiential learning activities that help students dig deeper into the history of dance, dancers, and significant dance works and literature • Eye-catching full-color interior that adds visual appeal and brings the content to life Also new to this edition is a chapter entitled “Global Interactions: 2000–2016,” which examines dance in the 21st century. Resources and Activities The web resources and experiential learning activities promote student-centered learning and help students develop critical thinking and investigative skills.Teachers can use the experiential learning activities as extended projects to help apply the information and to use technology to make the history of dance more meaningful. Three PartsHistory of Dance is presented in three parts. Part I covers early dance history, beginning with prehistoric times and moving through ancient civilizations in Greece, Crete, Egypt, and Rome and up to the Renaissance. Part II explores dance from the Renaissance to the 20th century, including a chapter on dance in the United States from the 17th through 19th centuries. Part III unfolds the evolution of American dance from the 20th century to the present, examining imported influences, emerging modern dance and ballet, and new directions for both American ballet and modern dance. Chapters Each chapter focuses on the dancers and choreographers, the dances, and significant dance works and literature from the time period. Students will learn how dance design has changed through the ages and how new dance genres, forms, and styles have emerged and continue to emerge. The chapters also include special features, such as History Highlight sidebars and Time Capsule charts, to help students placee dancers, events, and facts in their proper context and perspective. Vocabulary words appear at the end of each chapter, as do questions that prompt review of the chapter’s important information. The text is reader-friendly and current, and it is supported by the national standards in dance, arts education, social studies, and technology education. Through History of Dance, students will acquire a well-rounded view of dance from the dawn of time to the present day. This influential text offers students a foundation for understanding and a springboard for studying dance in the 21st century.

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This revised second edition presents 15 years of data on Virtual Distance metrics and their predictive impact on organizational success factors shedding new light on how to correct for communication challenges that often show up as a foggy set of digital disconnects where the vitality of the virtual workforce often gets lost in transmission. This still-evolving Digital Age conundrum continues to present new complications. The rise of remote work which rests on an increasing reliance on electronic communication and the overall growth of virtual interactions has led to the escalation of a phenomenon called Virtual Distance. Virtual Distance, which influences our behavior through three components Physical Distance, Operational Distance, and Affinity Distance affects not only how we relate to others thousands of miles away but even to co-workers sitting right next to each other! Perhaps even more problematic, Virtual Distance causes measureable malfunctions in teamwork, innovation, leader effectiveness and overall performance. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The Power of Virtual Distance offers specific, proven and predictable solutions that can reverse these trends and turn Virtual Distance into a unification strategy to capture untapped competitive advantage. Surprised? The Power of Virtual Distance, 2nd Edition is a must-read for leadership who want to understand the true and quantifiable costs of the virtual workplace. For the first time ever, readers can take the guesswork out of managing the virtual workforce by applying a mathematical approach derived from the extensive Virtual Distance data set: The Virtual Distance Ratio. The Virtual Distance Ratio can precisely pinpoint the particular impacts of Virtual Distance on the organization’s critical success factors. Beyond business metrics, Virtual Distance solutions also detail ways to restore meaningfulness and well-being into people’s experience of work, enhancing life lived in the Digital Age. The Power of Virtual Distance reveals an updated set of data, including the first award-winning analysis, collected from an extended range of executives to individual contributors, that represent situations and solutions in more than 36 industries in 55 countries across the globe. Readers will get a “first look” at the data and its revelations on how to be less isolated and more integrated. Helping managers globally, this book: Offers new, real-world case studies and a chance for readers to participate in thought experiments to help with personal performance, group synergy and by extension, relationship dynamics of all kinds Demonstrates (with statistically significant trend analyses) that Virtual Distance is growing at exponential rates in every corner of communities worldwide Offers expert advice on how to manage the “unintended human consequences” of today’s digital technologies Companies that successfully harness the power of Virtual Distance demonstrate better performance. The second edition of The Power of Virtual Distance is a valuable, one-of-a-kind resource for everyone – from the C-suite to human resource professionals; from divisional leaders to project managers. Everyone in the organization can benefit by discovering how to improve financials, innovation, trust, employee engagement, satisfaction, organizational citizenship and other key performance indicators. And perhaps best of all, by following the prescriptions on how to reduce Virtual Distance, the entire workforce will have the tools they need to bring about a revival of meaning, purpose and an enlivened sense of “humanhood” back into everyday work and everyday life.

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With a history of attracting French tourists since the 19th century and particularly during the colonial period, Vietnam has re-emerged as one of the most popular Asian destinations for the French. A number of factors augur well for a further increase in visitation. As a former colony, Vietnam has nostalgic appeal for many French visitors. After the release of the films L' lndochine, L 'amant, Le Cyclo, Papaye Vert, and the documentary-drama Dien Bien Phu in 1993, France became the main tourism source market for Vietnam. As the ethnic composition of France has changed, the French are interested in learning about cultures generally and Asian cultures, in particular. The prospect of discovering new destinations and cultures encourages them to travel long-haul. They are quality conscious and culture loving, and prefer to use their own language when traveling overseas, favouring their own cuisine even though they do enjoy the cuisine of the host countries .Travel to Vietnam offers the prospect of fulfilling a number of their preferences. Another attraction for French tourists is that Vietnam is a member of the Francophone Community. Since 1988, the French legacy has experienced a resurgence with the renovation of colonial-style properties and restaurants. Tourists have been impressed by the French-style architecture, accommodation and cuisine that is available. Despite Vietnam's long history of contact with France, Vietnamese service providers are relatively ignorant about Western countries, their people and their values. Up to now Vietnam's tourism authorities have paid little attention to the role of cultural understanding in the tourism development process and Vietnam's overseas tourism promotions have given minimal acknowledgement of the cultural characteristics of source markets including those conducted in France. Servicing French tourists is likely to be a challenge for Vietnamese service providers because of the substantial differences between the respective host and guest cultures and rules of behaviour. International tourism generally involves a cross-cultural component, particularly in the case of encounters between tourists and service providers. If it is accepted that the cultural values of Western travellers are different, it seems reasonable to conclude that the Vietnamese service providers need to consider the effect of this cultural dissimilarity on touristâhost mutual perceptions and social interaction in the intercultural service encounters. An understanding of areas of potential tourist dissatisfaction may assist the service providers to anticipate prospective negative perceptions and to address them, thereby contributing to overall holiday satisfaction, and improve the prospects of repeat visitation. It is common for destinations to attract visitation from different source countries and cultures. Nonetheless, consumer behaviour literature on cross-cultural perceptions and interaction have been largely limited to homogeneous sample populations from Western countries. Furthermore, until now there are no published studies have specifically examined touristâhost service encounters interaction and mutual perceptions in the context of Vietnam as a holiday destination. Consequently, this research has both practical and academic significances. From the theoretical perspectives, this study provides an augmented comprehension on Argyle's, Rokeach and SERVQUAL models. From the practical standpoints, this study offers service managers and marketers a heightened understanding of cross-cultural awareness for improving customer satisfaction. It acclaims an evidence base that can guide provision to meet the needs of international tourists with particular reference to the impact of rules of behaviour on touristâhost service encounters interaction. It accentuates the effect of cultural backgrounds on tourists' perceptions towards and satisfaction with service quality. By this means, it applies the empirically based models to development related challenges confronting the tourism sector in the cross-cultural settings for designing appropriate strategies with the aim of gaining a competitive advantage. Keywords: French Guests, Vietnamese Hosts, Cultural Values, Rules of Behaviour, Interactions, Satisfaction, Service Attributes and Performances.

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Have Real Conversations With Your Kids About Sex The old ways of having the "sex talk" just won't cut it anymore. Sadly, the number one place today's young people go to for answers about sex is Google. Meanwhile, kids view nearly 14,000 sexual references a year on television, and 70 percent of teenagers have encountered pornography on the Internet. If we want our children to know the truth about healthy sexuality, we need to create a comfortable climate of continual conversations. Jonathan McKee will show you how to move beyond the initial awkwardness of this subject into an ongoing communication with your kids about God's amazing gift of sex. He equips you with what you need to talk openly about dating, temptation, porn, and purity, and you will find answers to tough questions and relevant Scripture on sexual issues. It's normal for kids to be curious about sexuality, and they need to know that their parents are the most reliable source of information. Be the one your kids turn to on this crucial topic. "In a world full of explicit lies, today's kids need parents who aren't afraid to tell them the explicit truth. This book provides parents with the tools they need to have these candid and continual conversations."--Dr. Kevin Leman, New York Times bestselling author of Have a Happy Family by Friday "Jonathan McKee is one of America's premier youth specialists, and this book will help you navigate the rough waters of teaching your kids healthy sexuality."--Jim Burns, PhD, president, HomeWord and author "Parents, take a deep breath. This book pulls no punches. But it will give you exactly what you need to walk alongside your kids at this time when they most need it."--Shaunti Feldhahn, social researcher, speaker, and bestselling author "A thorough, straightforward, and engaging resource that will both equip and inform a parent for effective, culturally relevant, and God-honoring conversations about sexuality and all its implications. It is a critical read in critical times."--Brian Berry, generation ministries pastor, Journey Community Church, La Mesa, California; and author "SO many parents I know don't feel equipped to talk to their kids about sex. This book helps you overcome the (guaranteed) awkwardness of conversations like that, and provides both tools AND motivation. I wish every parent would read it."--Scott Rubin, director of middle school ministry, Willow Creek Community Church "Jonathan McKee provides clarity and practical knowledge so that you and I can do more than just give a nervous 'talk' to our kids; we can be loving and consistent parents for them as well."--Terry Linhart, PhD, educator, author, Bethel College--Indiana "Kids need parents who are educated, aware, and relevant when it comes to sex. Thankfully, Jonathan McKee gives us powerful, poignant, and practical tools to help us win in this delicate and scary parenting arena."--Doug Fields, co-founder of DownloadYouthMinistry.com, youth pastor for thirty years at Saddleback & Mariners Church, speaker, and author "McKee is a frontline youth worker with current and regular interactions with Christian teenagers wrestling with the intersection of their faith and their sexuality. Never condescending, Jon brings his writing style to a subject I wish more parents were talking about with their teens."--Mark Oestreicher, partner, The Youth Cartel and author "Jonathan McKee's book helps us to remember that 'the talk' is a myth at best, and a terrible strategy at worst. A lifestyle of preparation, a strategic series of discussions, and a proactive commitment to conversation is what our kids need, and this book will help any parent to walk with their kids in confidence."--Chap Clark, professor of youth, family, and culture, Fuller Theological Seminary

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Lawyers—pardon me, attorneys—may be portrayed in fiction as the good guys (and gals) or as greedy conniving shysters. In mundane fiction, the former are represented ably by Earle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason and by Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird (we’ll pass over her other novel, Go Set a Watchman, with a less inspiring portrait — consider it obviously set in a parallel world). The less favorable view was expressed by Edgar Rice Burroughs in his SF classic, A Princess of Mars, in which his doubly immortal John Carter observes that the Martians are very fortunate in that, while they may behave with savage cruelty, and are constantly at war, at least they have no lawyers. Both views of the legal profession have been explored in science fiction and fantasy since John Carter set foot on the Red Planet, as well as looking into possible ways that future punishment for crimes may change, not necessarily for the better. Some of science fiction’s greatest talents are included in this book, including classics by Robert A. Heinlein, Larry Niven, Clifford D. Simak, Robert Silverberg, and more, and newer stories by Sarah A. Hoyt, Alex Shvartsman, and Alvaro Zinos-Amaros, and still other stellar talents bringing down the judge’s gavel with a verdict of excellent entertainment. Praise for the contributors: Robert A. Heinlein: “[Stories] as sleekly engineered as a starship.” –Publishers Weekly Larry Niven: “[A] writer of supreme talent . . .” –Tom Clancy Clifford D. Simak: “[W]armth, imaginative detail . . . finely rendered . . .” –John Cllute, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Robert Silverberg: “. . . when Silverberg is at the top of his form, no one is better.” –George R. R. Martin Sarah A. Hoyt: “. . . fanciful and charming.” –Library Journal Praise for previous anthologies edited by Hank Davis: In Space No One Can Hear You Scream: “. . . the 13 tales in this collection blend sf with horror to demonstrate the resiliency of both genres . . . offers strong tales by the genre’s best storytellers.” —Library Journal “. . . first-rate science fiction, demonstrating how short stories can still entertain.” —Galveston County Daily News A Cosmic Christmas 2 You: “This creative and sprightly Christmas science fiction anthology spins in some surprising directions. . . . A satisfying read for cold winter evenings . . . a great stocking stuffer for SF fans.” —Publishers Weekly As Time Goes By: “As Time Goes By . . . does an excellent job of exploring not only romance through time travel—relationships enabled or imperiled by voyaging through time—but the intrinsic romance of time travel itself. . . . The range of styles and approaches is as wide as the authors' sensibilities and periods might suggest . . . full of entertaining and poignant stories . . .” —Alvaro Zinos-Amaro, IntergalacticMedicineShow.com About Star Destroyers, coedited by Christopher Ruocchio: “. . . spectacular space battles and alien contacts . . . themes of military ethics, the uses of artificial intelligence, and the limits of the capacity of the human mind. . . . It is the human interactions and decisions that ultimately drive the stories. . . . Will appeal to fans of military and hard science fiction and any readers fascinated by the possibilities of space travel.”—Booklist “. . . stories of giant spaceships at war, at peace, and in the often-gray areas between. . . . A worthy addition to a long tradition of ship-based fiction, and its authors portray captains, arcane astrogators, and civilian child passengers with equal depth. It’s recommended for fans of military SF and space adventure.”—Publishers Weekly “. . . you’d probably expect some tight, action-filled space opera stories of giant space battles . . . and there’s some of that. But there are also espionage stories, rescue missions, political conflicts, alternate histories, even a few humorous tales. . . . Each author took the premise in a different direction . . . if I had to identify one common feature to all the stories, it would be that they’re all fun. . . . Like it says, big ships blowing things up. What’s not to like?”—Analog

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THE UNIVERSE IS OLDER AND MORE ALIEN THAN WE CAN EVER UNDERSTAND We were not alone. The farther we push into the universe, the more obvious it becomes. The signs are everywhere: canals and pyramids on Mars, old roads on the moons of Jupiter, ruined cities on worlds about the nearer stars. The galaxy once teemed with life, or so it seems. Which begs the question: What happened to it all? These stories explore the ruins of lost civilizations, solve ancient mysteries . . . and awaken horrors from beyond the dawn of time. Featuring stories by Orson Scott Card, Griffin Barber, Adam Oyebanji, Jessica Maguire, Patrick Chiles, and an all-new entry in the Sun Eater universe from editor Christopher Ruocchio. Join us for your next adventure to Worlds Long Lost! Praise for Worlds Long Lost: "Editors Christopher Ruocchio and Sean CW Korsgaard have given fans of this venerable genre something special… Worlds Long Lost definitely has something for everyone who loves a touch of the crawling chaos." —The Wall Street Journal "Ruocchio (the Sun Eater series) and Korsgaard bring together 14 mind-bending and often disturbing tales of ancient extraterrestrial civilizations throughout the universe . . . Full of creepy flights of imagination and thought-provoking science, this will be a hit with fans of first contact sci-fi." —Publishers Weekly "Ruocchio and Korsgaard have shown themselves to have the taste and the discernment of master vintners, going through the grapevine of the science fiction genre to find the sweetest berries. Worlds Long Lost is no mere vinegar, but the finest vintage you can find today. If science fiction were wine, this anthology sparkles, both like champagne, and like the stars in the heavens." —Warped Factor "Readers are treated to tales of wonder and horror of ancient alien civilizations, from mischievous youngsters to curses of long-lost gods… For readers looking to escape to another galaxy, prepare to be rocketed to Worlds Long Lost." —Portland Book Review "Fourteen new stories involving the discovery of ancient alien artifacts, on Earth or elsewhere in the universe, appear in this anthology. The pieces range from intellectual puzzles to tales of adventure, with a fair amount of horror thrown into the mix." —Tangent Online About Star Destroyers, coedited by Christopher Ruocchio: “. . . spectacular space battles and alien contacts . . . themes of military ethics, the uses of artificial intelligence, and the limits of the capacity of the human mind. . . . it is the human interactions and decisions that ultimately drive the stories. . . . will appeal to fans of military and hard science fiction and any readers fascinated by the possibilities of space travel.” —Booklist “. . . stories of giant spaceships at war, at peace, and in the often-gray areas between. . . . a worthy addition to a long tradition of ship-based fiction, and its authors portray captains, arcane astrogators, and civilian child passengers with equal depth. It’s recommended for fans of military SF and space adventure.” —Publishers Weekly “. . . you’d probably expect some tight, action-filled space opera stories of giant space battles . . . and there’s some of that. But there are also espionage stories, rescue missions, political conflicts, alternate histories, even a few humorous tales. . . . each author took the premise in a different direction . . . if I had to identify one common feature to all the stories, it would be that they’re all fun. . . . Like it says, big ships blowing things up. What’s not to like?” —Analog About Sword & Planet, edited by Christopher Ruocchio: ". . . the wide mix of stories, and the surprising places they go make this anthology a particular joy from start to finish . . . offers a glimpse into everything that made stories like these a popular standby since the pulp era, with enough creativity, variety and talent showcased to prove that there's still plenty of life in the century-old genre . . . I recommend it heartily." —Analog "Sword & Planet breathes new life into a genre that many understandably felt was left moldering in the grave. It’s old-school wonder with twenty-first century polish—what’s not to like?" —Warped Factor

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SPACE PIRATES! Words that conjure up rousing tales of adventure, derring-do, and brave heroes battling the scurvy vermin of the galaxy. Those vermin have taken to pillaging cargo ships and, even worse, space liners, relieving the helpless passengers of their valuables, and worse with the comely women passengers, then spacing the lot—unless one or more of the aforementioned brave heroes arrive in the nick of time and turn the tables, making the spaceways safe again for the innocent and helpless. On the other hand, perhaps the pirate captain is a woman, and it’s the comely male passengers who need rescuing. And on the third hand (we’re talking space pirates here, possibly aliens with four or more arms), perhaps those ships traversing the interstellar void are not so innocent, and the pirates, fighting an evil despotic star empire and defending the freedom of the space lanes, are the good guys and gals. The possibilities are many, and the daring exploits set the blood racing in the veins of any reader with even a trace of buccaneering spirit in their hidden self. So board a battered but spaceworthy fighting starship with such star-spanning and award-winning crewmates as Robert Silverberg, Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette, Larry Niven, Fritz Leiber, and Sarah A. Hoyt, plus James H. Schmitz, Leigh Brackett, Stanley G. Weinbaum, and more, and set sail—er, thrusters—for a universe of freebooting adventure! About Cosmic Corsairs: “Who doesn’t like space pirates? (Well, their victims I guess, but that’s beside the point.) . . . Hank Davis has a fine sense for choosing a wide mix of stories, and this book is no exception. No story is like another, yet they manage to form a whole greater than the parts. From sapient ships to piratical sibling rivalry, pirate detectives to ingenious captives seeking freedom, from alien biology to orbital mechanics, the stories share some of the same elements—pragmatic thinking, moral complexity, loyalty, and betrayal. Definitely a fun one.”—Analog Praise for previous anthologies edited by Hank Davis: In Space No One Can Hear You Scream: “[T]he 13 tales in this collection blend sf with horror to demonstrate the resiliency of both genres . . . offers strong tales by the genre’s best storytellers.” —Library Journal “[F]irst-rate science fiction, demonstrating how short stories can still entertain.” —The Galveston County Daily News A Cosmic Christmas 2 You: “This creative and sprightly Christmas science fiction anthology spins in some surprising directions. . . . A satisfying read for cold winter evenings . . . a great stocking stuffer for SF fans.” —Publishers Weekly As Time Goes By: “As Time Goes By . . . does an excellent job of exploring not only romance through time travel—relationships enabled or imperiled by voyaging through time—but the intrinsic romance of time travel itself. . . . The range of styles and approaches is as wide as the authors' sensibilities and periods might suggest . . . full of entertaining and poignant stories . . . ” —Alvaro Zinos-Amaro, IntergalacticMedicineShow.com About Star Destroyers, coedited by Christopher Ruocchio: “[S]pectacular space battles and alien contacts . . . themes of military ethics, the uses of artificial intelligence, and the limits of the capacity of the human mind. . . . It is the human interactions and decisions that ultimately drive the stories. . . . Will appeal to fans of military and hard science fiction and any readers fascinated by the possibilities of space travel.”—Booklist “[S]tories of giant spaceships at war, at peace, and in the often-gray areas between. . . . A worthy addition to a long tradition of ship-based fiction, and its authors portray captains, arcane astrogators, and civilian child passengers with equal depth. It’s recommended for fans of military SF and space adventure.”—Publishers Weekly “[Y]ou’d probably expect some tight, action-filled space opera stories of giant space battles . . . and there’s some of that. But there are also espionage stories, rescue missions, political conflicts, alternate histories, even a few humorous tales. . . . Each author took the premise in a different direction . . . if I had to identify one common feature to all the stories, it would be that they’re all fun. . . . Like it says, big ships blowing things up. What’s not to like?”—Analog

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The purpose of this volume is to trace the development of the theoretical understanding of quark-gluon plasma, both in terms of theequation of state and thermal correlation functions and in terms ofits manifestation in high energy nuclear collisions. Who among us hasnot wondered how tall a mountain is on a neutron star, what happenswhen matter is heated and compressed to higher and higher densities,what happens when an object falls into a black hole, or what happenedeons ago in the early universe? The study of quark-gluon plasma is related in one way or another to these and other thought provoking questions. Oftentimes the most eloquent exposition is given in theoriginal papers. To this end a selection is made of what are themost important pioneering papers in this field. The early 1950s wasan era when high energy multiparticle production in cosmic rayinteractions attracted the attention of some of the brightest minds in physics, and so it should be no surprise that the first reprinted papers deal with the introduction of statistical models of particleproduction. The quark model arose in the 1960s, while QCD as suchwas recognized as the theory of the strong interactions in the1970's. The behavior of matter at high temperatures and supranucleardensities became of wide interest in the nuclear and particle physicscommunities starting in the 1970s, which is when the concept ofquark-gluon plasma became established. The history of the field hasbeen traced up to the early 1990s. There are three reasons forstopping at that point in time. First, most of the key theoreticalconcepts and formalisms arose before 1993, although many of themcontinue to be developed today and hopefully well into the future. Second, papers written after 1992 are much more readily availablethan those writen before due to the advent of the World Wide Web andits electronic preprint databases and journals. Finally, in makingthis collection of reprints available as hardcopy one is limited inthe number of pages, and some papers in the present selection shouldhave been deleted in order to make room for post-1993 papers. For thesame reason the subject focus must of necessity be limited, whichmeans that in this reprint collection two wide subject areas are not addressed: the behavior of nuclear matter under extreme conditionsis not reported, nor is quark matter in neutron stars. The broadcategories into which the material has been placed, reflect thediverse studies of quark-gluon plasma and its manifestation. They are: phase-space models of particle production, perturbative QCDplasma, lattice gauge theory, fluid dynamics and flow, strangeness, heavy flavor (charm), electromagnetic signals, parton cascade andminijets, parton energy loss and jet quenching, Hanbury Brown--Twiss(HBT) interferometry, disoriented chiral condensates, phasetransition dynamics and cosmology, and color superconductivity. Eachchapter is prefaced by an introduction, which contains a list ofsignificant papers which is more complete than the reprinted papers,though by no means exhaustive. It also contains citations to mostrelevant papers published up to the date of completion of this volume(fall 2002). It is hoped that the short reviews will help bring thereader up to date on the latest developments. The selection ofpapers cited in each chapter, and in particular the ones selected forreprinting, is solely the responsibility of the Editors. It is basedon their best judgement and experience in this field dating back tothe mid-1970s. In order to be reprinted a paper must have beenpioneering in the sense of originality and impact on the field.Generally they have been cited over a hundred times by other paperspublished in refereed journals. The final selection was reviewed anddiscussed among the Editors repeatedly. Just because a paper is not included does not mean they do not know of it or do not have a highregard for it. All of the papers cited or reprinted are originalresearch contributions. There are three other types of publicationslisted. The first is a compilation of books. The second is a listof reviews, many of which contain a significant amount of original material. The third is a list of the proceedings of the series ofQuark Matter meetings, the primary series of internationalconferences in this field that is attended by both theorists andexperimentalists.

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Mechatronics represents a unifying interdisciplinary and intelligent engineering science paradigm that features an interdisciplinary knowledge area and interactions in terms of the ways of work and thinking, practical experiences, and theoretical knowledge. Mechatronics successfully fuses (but is not limited to) mechanics, electrical, electronics, informatics and intelligent systems, intelligent control systems and advanced modeling, intelligent and autonomous robotic systems, optics, smart materials, actuators and biomedical and biomechanics, energy and sustainable development, systems engineering, artificial intelligence, intelligent computer control, computational intelligence, precision engineering and virtual modeling into a unified framework that enhances the design of products and manufacturing processes. Interdisciplinary Mechatronics concerns mastering a multitude of disciplines, technologies, and their interaction, whereas the science of mechatronics concerns the invention and development of new theories, models, concepts and tools in response to new needs evolving from interacting scientific disciplines. The book includes two sections, the first section includes chapters introducing research advances in mechatronics engineering, and the second section includes chapters that reflects the teaching approaches (theoretical, projects, and laboratories) and curriculum development for under- and postgraduate studies. Mechatronics engineering education focuses on producing engineers who can work in a high-technology environment, emphasize real-world hands-on experience, and engage in challenging problems and complex tasks with initiative, innovation and enthusiasm. Contents: 1. Interdisciplinary Mechatronics Engineering Science and the Evolution of Human Friendly and Adaptive Mechatronics, Maki K. Habib. 2. Micro-Nanomechatronics for Biological Cell Analysis and Assembly, Toshio Fukuda, Masahiro Nakajima, Masaru Takeuchi, Tao Yue and Hirotaka Tajima. 3. Biologically Inspired CPG-Based Locomotion Control System of a Biped Robot Using Nonlinear Oscillators with Phase Resetting, Shinya Aoi. 4. Modeling a Human’s Learning Processes toward Continuous Learning Support System, Tomohiro Yamaguchi, Kouki Takemori and Keiki Takadama. 5. PWM Waveform Generation Using Pulse-Type Hardware Neural Networks, Ken Saito, Minami Takato, Yoshifumi Sekine and Fumio Uchikoba. 6. Parallel Wrists: Limb Types, Singularities and New Perspectives, Raffaele Di Gregorio. 7. A Robot-Assisted Rehabilitation System – RehabRoby, Duygun Erol Barkana and Fatih Özkul. 8. MIMO Actuator Force Control of a Parallel Robot for Ankle Rehabilitation, Andrew Mcdaid, Yun Ho Tsoi and Shengquan Xie. 9. Performance Evaluation of a Probe Climber for Maintaining Wire Rope, Akihisa Tabata, Emiko Hara and Yoshio Aoki. 10. Fundamentals on the Use of Shape Memory Alloys in Soft Robotics, Matteo Cianchetti. 11. Tuned Modified Transpose Jacobian Control of Robotic Systems, S. A. A. Moosavian and M. Karimi. 12. Derivative-Free Nonlinear Kalman Filtering for PMSG Sensorless Control, Gerasimos Rigatos, Pierluigi Siano and Nikolaos Zervos. 13. Construction and Control of Parallel Robots, Moharam Habibnejad Korayem, Soleiman Manteghi and Hami Tourajizadeh. 14. A Localization System for Mobile Robot Using Scanning Laser and Ultrasonic Measurement, Kai Liu, Hongbo Li and Zengqi Sun. 15. Building of Open-Structure Wheel-Based Mobile Robotic Platform, Aleksandar Rodic and Ivan Stojkovic. 16. Design and Physical Implementation of Holonomous Mobile Robot–Holbos, Jasmin Velagic, Admir Kaknjo, Faruk Dautovic, Muhidin Hujdur and Nedim Osmic. 17. Advanced Artificial Vision and Mobile Devices for New Applications in Learning, Entertainment and Cultural Heritage Domains, Gian Luca Foresti, Niki Martinel, Christian Micheloni and Marco Vernier. 18. Application of Stereo Vision and ARM Processor for Motion Control, Moharam Habibnejad Korayem, Michal Irani and Saeed Rafee Nekoo. 19. Mechatronics as Science and Engineering – or Both, Balan Pillai and Vesa Salminen. 20. A Mechatronic Platform for Robotic Educational Activities, Ioannis Kostavelis, Evangelos Boukas, Lazaros Nalpantidis and Antonios Gasteratos. 21. The Importance of Practical Activities in the Formation of Mechatronic Engineers, Joao Carlos M. Carvalho and Vera Lúcia D.S. Franco About the Authors Maki K. Habib is Professor of Robotics and Mechatronics in the School of Science and Engineering, at the American University in Cairo, Egypt. He has been regional editor (Africa/Middle East,) for the International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems (IJMMS) since 2010. He is the recipient of academic awards and has published many articles and books. J. Paulo Davim is Aggregate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Aveiro, Portugal and is Head of MACTRIB (Machining and Tribology Research Group). His main research interests include manufacturing, materials and mechanical engineering.

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BATTLEZONE: ETERNITY Once, military actions were entirely two dimensional, confined to the surface of land and sea, but then submarines and aircraft added a third dimension, vastly extended by spaceflight. Now, consider that if time travel is possible, the fourth dimension of time opens up new possibilities for combat, necessitating new defenses, new strategies and tactics. A battle that was once decisively won might be refought, or a narrow victory might be subtly tilted to the other side. Never mind the history books, they’re only works in progress. There might be even more than four dimensions involved, if parallel universes and alternate realities exist and can be accessed. Imagine a universe where Rome never fell and its troops want to do something about our universe, where it did fall. Or another where more recent wars turned out very differently. Battle is a recurrent motif in the Earth of this universe, and would alternate realities be different or all too similar, with the tune the same, but different lyrics. Supplying the lyrics for spacetime combat in these pages is an all-star general staff including Robert Silverberg, Poul Anderson, Fritz Leiber, John C. Wright, H. Beam Piper and more. It’s zero hour, in whatever time stream, so grab your time-appropriate weapon, be it sword or ray blaster, buckle on your general issue timeporter belt, and follow the Time Troopers into action across strange aeons! Praise for previous anthologies edited by Hank Davis: Cosmic Corsairs: “Who doesn’t like space pirates? (Well, their victims I guess, but that’s beside the point.) . . . Hank Davis has a fine sense for choosing a wide mix of stories, and this book is no exception. No story is like another, yet they manage to form a whole greater than the parts. From sapient ships to piratical sibling rivalry, pirate detectives to ingenious captives seeking freedom, from alien biology to orbital mechanics, the stories share some of the same elements—pragmatic thinking, moral complexity, loyalty, and betrayal. Definitely a fun one.”—Analog In Space No One Can Hear You Scream: “[T]he 13 tales in this collection blend sf with horror to demonstrate the resiliency of both genres . . . offers strong tales by the genre’s best storytellers.” —Library Journal “[F]irst-rate science fiction, demonstrating how short stories can still entertain.” —The Galveston County Daily News A Cosmic Christmas 2 You: “This creative and sprightly Christmas science fiction anthology spins in some surprising directions. . . . A satisfying read for cold winter evenings . . . a great stocking stuffer for SF fans.” —Publishers Weekly As Time Goes By: “As Time Goes By . . . does an excellent job of exploring not only romance through time travel—relationships enabled or imperiled by voyaging through time—but the intrinsic romance of time travel itself. . . . The range of styles and approaches is as wide as the authors' sensibilities and periods might suggest . . . full of entertaining and poignant stories . . . ” —Alvaro Zinos-Amaro, IntergalacticMedicineShow.com About Star Destroyers, coedited by Christopher Ruocchio: “. . . spectacular space battles and alien contacts . . . themes of military ethics, the uses of artificial intelligence, and the limits of the capacity of the human mind. . . . it is the human interactions and decisions that ultimately drive the stories. . . . will appeal to fans of military and hard science fiction and any readers fascinated by the possibilities of space travel.”—Booklist “. . . stories of giant spaceships at war, at peace, and in the often-gray areas between. . . . a worthy addition to a long tradition of ship-based fiction, and its authors portray captains, arcane astrogators, and civilian child passengers with equal depth. It’s recommended for fans of military SF and space adventure.”—Publishers Weekly “. . . you’d probably expect some tight, action-filled space opera stories of giant space battles . . . and there’s some of that. But there are also espionage stories, rescue missions, political conflicts, alternate histories, even a few humorous tales. . . . each author took the premise in a different direction . . . if I had to identify one common feature to all the stories, it would be that they’re all fun. . . . Like it says, big ships blowing things up. What’s not to like?”—Analog

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Of related interest... SOCIAL ORIGINS OF MENTAL ABILITY —Gary Collier This volume is the first comprehensive, systematic survey of research into the non-hereditary influences on intelligence. Focusing on the cultural, environmental, and social influences on the development of mental abilities, Dr. Collier helps to advance the nurture side of the "nature vs. nurture" debate. He also offers a viable synthesis of supporting facts and ideas from the worlds of psychology, the psychology of personality, and cognitive psychology. This book will have a profound influence upon academe, the psychological community, educators, and policymakers. 1993 (0-471-30407-7) 320 pp. EGO DEFENSES: Theory and Measurement —Edited by Hope R. Conte and Robert Plutchik This book explores the nature and manifestations of defense mechanisms and traces ego defense theory and research from Freud's initial conceptualization through recent work in object-relations theory and other psychoanalytically oriented approaches. It provides clinical guidelines for diagnosing, assessing, and dealing with defenses, reviews empirical research techniques, and indicates their value in development and in psychotherapy. This volume should be of value to theoreticians, clinicians, and researchers interested in finding appropriate tools for measurement of defense mechanisms. 1994 (0-471-05233-7) 352 pp. A THEORY OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT —Luciano L'Abate with Charles H. Bryson Luciano L'Abate's theories are rooted in social interactions and life experiences, unlike the more traditional, somewhat metaphysical theories of personality development. In this groundbreaking work, he brings to light the heart of his theory, that the ability to love and to negotiate are the sine qua non of personal competence, with the family as the major determinant of both. This book is essential reading for personality researchers, students, and all psychologists in clinical, developmental, abnormal, and social psychology. 1993 (0-471-30303-8) 336 pp. Handbook of Self-Concept "If we could see ourselves as others see us, we would vanish on the spot." —E. M. Cioran It is one of the most intimate of realities and the slipperiest of abstractions. For Sartre it was a double negative and for B. F. Skinner, a set of learned responses. Among exponents of artificial intelligence it is the Oz at the end of the rainbow, while for Voltaire it was an unavoidable pathology. And, ever since William James first identified consciousness of self as a discrete psychological phenomenon, more than a century ago, it has been the source of intense speculation and debate among psychologists. In the past twenty years alone, over 11,000 studies have been conducted on various aspects of self-concept. Much progress has been made, and a general consensus has been reached about many of its aspects, yet, many fundamental questions remain unanswered, such as: What exactly do we mean when we say "self"? Is self-concept an aspect of a broader cognitive self-system, or is it best defined in behavioral terms? How valuable is self-concept to clinical practice? What roles do age, race, gender, and sociocultural variables play in self-concept? Bringing together contributions from leading researchers and clinicians from a broad range of psychological disciplines, this book provides answers to these and other important questions concerning self-concept. It explores all theoretical and applied aspects of self-concept, offering a balanced synthesis of the vast body of information on the subject that has accumulated since the 1970s. Chapters address each of the six primary self-concept domains (competence, social, affect, academic, family, and physical) with an emphasis on the clinical significance of each. In the chapter on clinical assessment, existing self-concept scales are subjected to in-depth quantitative and qualitative review, and readers are provided with standardized tables for organizing the principal characteristics reviewed and comparing individual test results. In the concluding chapter, Dr. Bracken describes the clinical applications of a multidimensional, context-dependent model that facilitates the synthesis of information across instruments (including more than 70 psychoeducational tests and scales provided in an appendix) and informants. Providing practical answers to many of the most important questions about self-concept, Handbook of Self-Concept is essential reading for personality psychologists as well as researchers and educators in developmental, clinical, and social psychology.

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A review of current (education) policy and practice endorses the view of an apparent paradox in policy implementation. Although tremendous investments (in terms of energy, time and financial resources) are made in enacting policies, there is ample evidence to suggest that policy actors are impervious to policy information. Change agents and implementers of policy are often seen as pursuing different agendas when it comes to the task policy implementation. As aptly asserted by Sabatier and Jenkins-Smith (1993, cited by Shulock, 1999, p. 228), âpolicymakers and implementers' core beliefs are unaffected by policy information, major policy change results rather from external factors such as inflation and elections'. This book re-conceptualizes this policy phenomenon for rumination. The book essentially unravels perspectives on the policy implementation paradox, and through that exemplifies the âbest' suited approach for demystifying the policy/practice gap to bring understanding to the messiness and contested nature of (education) policy processes. To help draw conceptual leverage on the phenomenon described as the âpolicy implementation paradox', this eight chapter book performs two major functions. First, Chapters 1 to 4 set the context for the book. Chapter 1 defines (education) policy, and in the process, the traditional problem-solving definition of policy is juxtaposed with the process model, and through that a third conception (i.e. the theoretical eclecticism approach) is gauged to help provide both practical and theoretical bases for understanding how policy and practice exist in dynamic and iterative relationships. Chapters 2 and 3 give insights into how education policy-making is made and implemented respectively to unravel some of the influences on policy processes. Chapter 4 explicates (from within relevant literature) the policy paradox to assist readers to understand perspectives that are advanced in latter chapters to unravel and/or explain the existence or occurrence of this policy phenomenon. Second, Chapters 5 to 7 draw on literature from disparate sources to unravel perspectives on the policy implementation paradox, whilst Chapter 8 presents the key messages that are tangential to achieving the objectives of the book. Overall, the Chapter 8 performs three functions, namely it: summarizes perspectives presented in the scholarly literature to demystify and unravel the policy implementation paradox illustrates the reasons for the choice of the post-modernist perspective as the most appropriate and/or best suited perspective for unravelling this policy phenomenon; and outlines the relevance (and/or justifications) of the post-modernist conception of policy as both âtext' and âdiscourse' as a framework for understanding the policy implementation paradox and the dynamism of policy processes at large. The contribution of this book is seen particularly in its ability to leverage the post-modernist conception of policy as both âtext' and âdiscourse' to stress the importance of recognizing the role of implementation in actually changing policy. Brought directly into the context of the policy implementation paradox, the book (drawing on the post-modernist conception of policy) clearly propels the dynamism of policy processes, and uses this to explain the reasons why policy implementation outcomes most often differ from policy-makers' intentions. First, the book makes the point aptly and forcefully that because policy processes are dynamic, there is usually conflicts among those who make policy as well as those who put policy provisions into practice, about what the important issues or problems for policy are and what the desired policy goals ought to be. Second, it puts down the issue of disconnect between policy intentions in theory and policy implementation outcomes in practice invariably to the active processes involved in interpreting policy. Policy statements, in the view of the book and in the post-modernist tradition, are almost always subject to multiple interpretations and re-interpretations depending upon the standpoint of the people doing the interpretive 'work'. Third, the policy/practice gap is explained as existing and/or occurring because the practice of policy on the ground is extremely complex, both that which is being 'described' by policy and those that are 'intended' to put policy into effect or practice. The point, according to the post-modernist thinking on which this book draws, is that simple policy descriptions of practice do not capture the multiplicity and complexity of the practice of policy on the ground, as such, the implementation of policy in practice almost always means outcomes differ from policy-makers' intentions. Against the backdrop of these three reasons alluded to, the book attributes the underlying causes of the policy implementation paradox to two interrelated factors. One, it is argued that the paradox in policy implementation occurs mainly because of what post-modernist thinkers call policy refraction. That is to say, because policies in practice tend to evolve through the interactions of a multiplicity of actors, they become distorted and less coherent as they are interpreted and put into practice by the 'ground-level' actors and implementers. Two, it is contended that the emergence of post-modern theory (with its contemporary understanding of the nature of reality and how to 'go on' in life) has undermined the 'modernist' philosophy to such an extent that older ideas of fixed structures conditioning behaviour and imposing regularity and predictability on social life have become considerably weakened, if not demolished completely. Essentially, the book argues that the post-modern theoretical movement has had tremendous effect of stressing the unpredictability of human behaviour in policy implementation processes, and by extension, the unpredictability of policy outcomes as against policy intentions.

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This chapter is a monography concerning the possible role of tissue stiffness in the human carcinogenesis as well as its possible impact in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of the malignancies. Cancer is a very serious health problem in mankind, with an increasing prevalence and incidence worldwide. Although in the last years, several diagnostic and therapeutic approaches were suggested and made available for managing human malignancies, the outcome of patients and their quality of life are still poor for most of these different forms of neoplasms (Torre LA, Siegel RL, Ward EM, Jemal A., Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2016;25(1):16-27. doi: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-15-0578). Several reasons may explain this dismal prognosis: the aggressive biological behavior of some histological subtypes, the acute-, intermediate- or late- side effects of systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy, including toxicity of organs, diarrhea, skin irritation, nausea, mucositis, alopecia, vomiting, intestinal discomfort, asthenia, the arising of immunosuppression with neutropenia, the increased risk of infections as well as the occurrence of secondary cancers, at variable time intervals, either within a few weeks or months/years after the end of anticancerous treatments. From chemotherapy to biological therapy: A review of novel concepts to reduce the side effects of systemic cancer treatment (Review). Int J Oncol.] 2019;54(2):407-419. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2018.4661). 1) Novel strategies and methodological approaches are strongly required to determine an effective improvement in the management of these diseases. It is conceivable to suppose that not only the genetic alterations, but also further important factors may be involved in determining the prognosis of patients, suffering from malignancies. 2) Extracellular matrix (ECM) represents a crucial and key component of tissue structure contributing to the initiation, growth, and progression of human carcinoma. This last consists of a three-dimensional and highly dynamic macromolecular network, supporting the structure of all mammalian cells and modulating their function. ECM is characterized by well-defined physical, biochemical and biomechanical properties and plays multiple functions, such as: a) the maintenance of cellular, tissue and organ homeostasis, b) the regulation of both the amounts and the activities of growth factors and receptors c) the preservation of an adequate hydration status and pH level in the tissue microenvironment. It undergoes a continuous but tightly regulated remodeling and several mechanisms participate in the control of its adequate composition and structural organization. Therefore, ECM regulates a wide series of distinct cell activities, such as differentiation, apoptosis, proliferation and migration as well as energy production and availability. In normal conditions, a dynamic interplay is established among mammalian cells and ECM, surrounding them. The result of this cooperation is the maintenance of a proper ECM composition, morphology, disposition and activity in all tissues and a correct intracellular structure and function, both in the cytoplasm and in micro-organelles, such as nucleus. In the last years, a large series of studies are focusing on a better understanding of ECM alterations and abnormalities, that emerge in its structure, shape and spatial organization, during the occurrence of different pathological conditions, such as inflammation and cancer. 3) ECM contributes to regulate and modulate a wide series of distinct cell activities, such as differentiation, apoptosis, proliferation, and migration as well as energy production and availability. In normal conditions, a dynamic interplay is established among mammalian cells and ECM, surrounding them. It involves soluble factors, such as chemokines, cytokines, costimulatory molecules, additional biological mediators (oxidants and prostaglandins) and physical stimuli (microenvironment stiffness and tensional/compression forces). The result of this cooperation is the maintenance of a proper ECM composition, morphology, disposition and activity in all tissues and a correct intracellular structure and function, both in the cytoplasm and in micro-organelles, such as nucleus. In the last years, a large series of studies are focusing on a better understanding of ECM alterations and abnormalities, that emerge in its structure, shape and spatial organization, during the occurrence of different pathological conditions, such as inflammation and cancer. To date, some studies are investigating the mutual interactions among the cells, that are progressively acquiring a cancerous phenotype, and the stroma surrounding them as well as the changes in physical properties of nucleus- and cytoplasmic- microenvironment. It has been shown that the ability of malignant cells to grow and to metastasize depends on several factors, such as the relationship occurring between the stroma stiffness as well as the nucleus and cytoplasm rigidity. Since 2003, Professor Donald Ingber published some interesting papers about tensegrity and tissue stiffness as a possible risk factor for cancer development (Ingber DE. Tensegrity I. Cell structure and hierarchical systems biology. ] J Cell Sci. 2003;116(Pt 7):1157-73; Ingber DE. Tensegrity II. How structural networks influence cellular information processing networks] J Cell Sci. 2003;116(Pt 8):1397-408). He has shed new light on this topic. Taking advantage from these experimental evidences, this paper describes the state of the art concerning this topic and the diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic use in clinical practice in the last years as well as the possible future application of these evidences. We performed this chapter to identify the available studies, assessing: 1) the possible association between tissue stiffness and risk of cancer development; up to now a rather high number of malignant tumoralhistotypes have been identified in the different human organs and have been included in our anatomopathological classifications. Therefore, we decided to consider in our review only the following organs: brain, breast, colon, esophagus, kidney. liver, lung, prostate, stomach, thyroid and uterus and for each of them we have analyzed the most frequent, aggressive and lethal malignancies as paradigm; 2) the "state of art" for this topic with clinical (diagnostic and therapeutic management) purpose; 3) the potential relationship between the values of tissue stiffness and prognosis in patients with cancers involving the above reported organs and the current use as well as their potential future application in clinical practice.

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This textbook evolves from the intersection between ‘Research’, ‘Educational Information Technologies’ and recent ‘Best Practices’. It offers diplomacy and erudite rhetoric in order to harvest from innovation projects and see how new professional needs for teachers are emerging day by day. The volume launches the compact background for the 21st century education that every teacher faces after being in charge for 3 or 6 years after pre-service training. ‘Sources for a better education’ refers to the deep understanding and to the incentives for encouraging teachers to leave the comfort zone and experiment the next steps into a further sophisticated professionalism, without the threat of feeling in a ‘Dilemma’.The first candidate for extending one’s teaching effectiveness is to tailor one’s teaching to the test to be expected. ‘Teaching to the Test’ is an understandable tactic, however it endangers the students’ full understanding of underlying concepts and analogies. The second candidate for professionalism is the deeper layer of knowledge on how curricular domains are related. In simpler terms: better teachers know how to ‘bridge’ topics and subjects so that students develop a deeper understanding on the patterns and structure in knowledge. The 21st century education prioritizes higher degrees of flexible-, divergent and abstract thinking, so that creative problem solving comes into reach. ICT tools for making prior knowledge explicit is a major example on how learners harvest upon prior knowledge, thinking and intuition. The third source for a better education is the courage to envisage one’s meta knowledge in order to see patterns in learning and understanding. The more conscious prior knowledge gets decompiled into genetic metaphors; the better future learning can be anticipated. The fourth asset for meta-cognitive skills is the wide spectrum of tools that the web offers for building knowledge infra-structures so that knowledge becomes transformed into problem solving skills; the availability of knowledge is no longer sufficient for finding creative and authentic solutions in future situations. This is the case for both students and teachers. By tradition, the bottom-up strategy from reproductive factual learning up to the levels of problem solving and creative thinking has been favoured. The ‘one-click away’ access to information on the web asks a more strategic attitude from learners and practitioners to cope with the periphery between known and unknown, so that a more effective meta-cognition develops. The fifth stimulus for more effective learning is the expanding impact of social media. Social media tend to intimidate learners with incomplete understanding to jump on biases as delivered through political and conspiracy agendas. This books aims at the challenge to build upon learners’ existential needs and developing interest for a longer-term learning perspective.“Renaissance man and philosopher Piet Kommers presents us with an interesting question: What makes education exciting? His book covers a range of lessons learnt through research and practice, covering philosophies and paradoxes, ranging from learning to learn to machine learning for learning. In 35 chapters he takes us on an exciting, comprehensive journey of just about every conceivable aspect of technology and education. This is a must-have for every 21st Century bookshelf!” By: Johannes Cronjé, professor of Digital Teaching and Learning in the Department of Information Technology at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa.“Piet Kommers has in 400 pages provided an overview of teaching based on practical experience. It is not a summary of pedagogic models, but a guide to important factors in how to motivate students and thus improve their learning. New technologies changes teaching, and we need to understand how application of such technologies can improve the learning. This book provides such knowledge and I wish I had it when I started teaching at university many years ago.” By: Jan Frick, Professor Business School, University of Stavanger, Norway."Piet Kommers delivers a very thorough book with a holistic perspective on Learning Technologies. This book is a result of many years of experience that the author has in Higher Education. It comprises lessons learned from the author´s professional career, including inputs from European Union research projects, as well as diversified interactions with a wide range of Peoples and Cultures. The result is a unique perspective that is a must-read for anyone interested in Learning Technologies, past, present, and future!" By: Pedro Isaias, associate professor at the Information Systems & Technology Management School of The University of New South Wales (UNSW – Sydney), Australia. “Distinguished Professor and Thinker Dr. Piet Kommers presents the academic community with a new horizon on education that reflects the current and future technology trends in the e-Learning and Fast Internet ubiquity. The Book discusses the current and most recent advances in research and application of most effective learning methods in conjunction with the future directions in machine learning in support of learning. The Book's 35 chapters present cutting-edge technologies and state-of-the-art learning methods in support of best educational practices and the student's best learning experience. The Book is most valuable asset to educator's community pursuing the mission of excellence in the Third Millennium!” By: Eduard Babulak, Professor, Computational Sciences, Liberty University, Lynchburg, USA."Well-known scientist, (e-)learning expert and philosopher Piet Kommers presents us with an interesting question: What makes education exciting? His book covers a range of lessons learnt through research and practice, covering philosophies and paradoxes, ranging from ‘learning to learn’ to ‘machine learning for learning’. In 35 chapters he takes us on an exciting, comprehensive journey of just about every conceivable aspect of technology and education. This is an interesting and useful publication for all educators as well as learners and must-have for every 21st Century bookshelf!" By: Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska, Dr. hab., associate professor, Institute of Pedagogy, Faculty of Art and Sciences of Education, University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.“The book presents a mosaic of assets reflecting the vast international experience in research and realization of learning technologies of the author, honourable professor of the UNESCO Chair in New information technologies in education for all, Piet Kommers. Describing various aspects of learning strategies, approaches, techniques and technologies in a concise way, he engages the readers into the mental construction of a "big picture" and makes them reconsider routine processes of teaching and learning. Exciting and thought-provoking reading for educators, researchers, and devoted learners.” By: professor Volodymyr Gritsenko, Director of the International Research and Training Centre for Information Technologies and Systems, National Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Head of the UNESCO Chair.

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