Search results for ""TAYLOR FRANCIS""

Contact urticaria syndrome was first defined in 1975 and since then scientific interest has steadily increased. New cases are continuously being reported furnishing information on novel clinical features. A large number of compounds could be responsible for triggering the syndrome including fragrances, cosmetics, latex, preservatives, flavorings, and disinfectants.However, contact urticaria syndrome is often misdiagnosed in part due to a misinterpretation of its clinical manifestation and lack of knowledge of appropriate testing protocols and diagnostic programs. The latter have to be individualized for each patient based on the substance in question, medical history, possible concomitant disease, and clinical symptoms reported after exposure to the suspected culprit. Contact Urticaria Syndrome explains various aspects of this syndrome. The book discusses its definition, history, epidemiology, and occupational relevance. It also provides a detailed discussion of various triggers including proteins, chemical compounds, agricultural chemicals, metals, plants, foods, and other substances. The book describes known immunological and nonimmunological reactions along with diagnostic tools and test procedures. This comprehensive text is a helpful resource for dermatologists, toxicologists, immunologists, physicians, and other health care providers diagnosing and treating patients with contact urticaria syndrome. It summarizes clinical experience that makes it easier for providers to select the appropriate diagnostic tools and therapeutic approaches.

Read more less

Understanding the Basics of Nanoindentation and Why It Is ImportantContact damage induced brittle fracture is a common problem in the field of brittle solids. In the case of both glass and ceramics—and as it relates to both natural and artificial bio-materials—it has triggered the need for improved fabrication technology and new product development in the industry. The Nanoindentation Technique Is Especially Dedicated to Brittle Materials Nanoindentation of Brittle Solids highlights the science and technology of nanoindentation related to brittle materials, and considers the applicability of the nanoindentation technique. This book provides a thorough understanding of basic contact induced deformation mechanisms, damage initiation, and growth mechanisms. Starting from the basics of contact mechanics and nanoindentation, it considers contact mechanics, addresses contact issues in brittle solids, and explores the concepts of hardness and elastic modulus of a material. It examines a variety of brittle solids and deciphers the physics of deformation and fracture at scale lengths compatible with the microstructural unit block. Discusses nanoindentation data analysis methods and various nanoindentation techniques Includes nanoindentation results from the authors’ recent research on natural biomaterials like tooth, bone, and fish scale materials Considers the nanoindentation response if contact is made too quickly in glass Explores energy issues related to the nanoindentation of glass Describes the nanoindentation response of a coarse grain alumina Examines nanoindentation on microplasma sprayed hydroxyapatite coatings Nanoindentation of Brittle Solids provides a brief history of indentation, and explores the science and technology of nanoindentation related to brittle materials. It also offers an in-depth discussion of indentation size effect; the evolution of shear induced deformation during indentation and scratches, and includes a collection of related research works.

Read more less

Industrial Applications of High-Performance Computing: Best Global Practices offers a global overview of high-performance computing (HPC) for industrial applications, along with a discussion of software challenges, business models, access models (e.g., cloud computing), public-private partnerships, simulation and modeling, visualization, big data analysis, and governmental and industrial influence. Featuring the contributions of leading experts from 11 different countries, this authoritative book: Provides a brief history of the development of the supercomputer Describes the supercomputing environments of various government entities in terms of policy and service models Includes a case study section that addresses more subtle and technical aspects of industrial supercomputing Shows how access to supercomputing matters, and how supercomputing can be used to solve large-scale and complex science and engineering problems Emphasizes the need for collaboration between companies, political organizations, government agencies, and entire nations Industrial Applications of High-Performance Computing: Best Global Practices supplies computer engineers and researchers with a state-of-the-art supercomputing reference. This book also keeps policymakers and industrial decision-makers informed about the economic impact of these powerful technological investments.

Read more less

This book contains the most comprehensive reviews on the latest development of switchgrass research including the agronomy of the plant, the use of endophytes and mycorrhizae for biomass production, genetics and breeding of bioenergy related traits, molecular genetics and molecular breeding, genomics, transgenics, processing, bioconversion, biosystem and chemical engineering, biomass production modeling, economics of switchgrass feedstock production etc. The book will be of interest and great value to the switchgrass research communities in both academia and industry and a handbook for agronomists, geneticists, breeders, molecular biologists, physiologists, biosystems engineers and chemical engineers.

Read more less

This innovative textbook is modelled on problem-based learning. It bridges the gap between academic neuroanatomy and clinical neurology and effectively takes the reader from the classroom to the clinic, so that learning can be applied in practice.This second edition has been updated and expanded to include many more clinical cases within both the book and the accompanying Wweb site. This book and the associated Web site will be of practical value to all the professionals who deal with people who have neurological conditions, as well as being invaluable to medical students and residents. This includes physiatrists (rehabilitation medicine specialists), physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists, and nurses who specialize in the care of neurological patients. We think that this text will also be of value for family physicians and specialists in internal medicine and pediatrics, all of whom must differentiate between organic pathology of the nervous system and other conditions.

Read more less

The State of the Art in Transcriptome Analysis RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data offers unprecedented information about the transcriptome, but harnessing this information with bioinformatics tools is typically a bottleneck. RNA-seq Data Analysis: A Practical Approach enables researchers to examine differential expression at gene, exon, and transcript levels and to discover novel genes, transcripts, and whole transcriptomes.Balanced Coverage of Theory and Practice.Each chapter starts with theoretical background, followed by descriptions of relevant analysis tools and practical examples. Accessible to both bioinformaticians and nonprogramming wet lab scientists, the examples illustrate the use of command-line tools, R, and other open source tools, such as the graphical Chipster software.The Tools and Methods to Get Started in Your Lab. Taking readers through the whole data analysis workflow, this self-contained guide provides a detailed overview of the main RNA-seq data analysis methods and explains how to use them in practice. It is suitable for researchers from a wide variety of backgrounds, including biology, medicine, genetics, and computer science. The book can also be used in a graduate or advanced undergraduate course.

Read more less

Immunity studies in sharks over the past three decades have produced some remarkable discoveries. If one message rings true, it is that alternative animal model systems, such as sharks and their relatives, have contributed very substantially to a better understanding of the development evolution of our own immune system.Immunobiology of the Shark describes the cellular, genetic, and molecular specifics of immune systems in sharks. Diverse approaches were employed to study the immunobiology of the shark from basic microscopic observations to detailed genome annotation. The book also raises a series of fascinating questions, which can be addressed experimentally using today’s technology. This book will be a valuable resource for mainstream immunologists, comparative immunologists, geneticists, ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and investigators engaged in shark research. The book also aims to illustrate the magnificence of these animals as model systems and underscores the importance of their study to further understand their complex, and often enigmatic, biology.

Read more less

An increasing number of technologies are being used to detect minute quantities of biomolecules and cells. However, it can be difficult to determine which technologies show the most promise for high-sensitivity and low-limit detection in different applications.Microfluidics and Nanotechnology: Biosensing to the Single Molecule Limit details proven approaches for the detection of single cells and even single molecules—approaches employed by the world’s foremost microfluidics and nanotechnology laboratories. While similar books concentrate only on microfluidics or nanotechnology, this book focuses on the combination of soft materials (elastomers and other polymers) with hard materials (semiconductors, metals, and glass) to form integrated detection systems for biological and chemical targets. It explores physical and chemical—as well as contact and noncontact—detection methods, using case studies to demonstrate system capabilities. Presenting a snapshot of the current state of the art, the text: Explains the theory behind different detection techniques, from mechanical resonators for detecting cell density to fiber-optic methods for detecting DNA hybridization, and beyond Examines microfluidic advances, including droplet microfluidics, digital microfluidics for manipulating droplets on the microscale, and more Highlights an array of technologies to allow for a comparison of the fundamental advantages and challenges of each, as well as an appreciation of the power of leveraging scalability and integration to achieve sensitivity at low cost Microfluidics and Nanotechnology: Biosensing to the Single Molecule Limit not only serves as a quick reference for the latest achievements in biochemical detection at the single-cell and single-molecule levels, but also provides researchers with inspiration for further innovation and expansion of the field.

Read more less

The Paradox: Americans are not as healthy as people in dozens of comparable countries that spend 30 percent less on health care, and our medical marketplace overall is plagued by persistent problems of cost, quality, and access. Yet, the world’s best individual health systems are located in the U.S.—each a unique result of visionary leadership and private initiative, not government-driven health reform.The Imperatives: Due to powerful new forces explained in this book, medical spending has stopped growing. Purchasers, payers, and patients are no longer willing or able to keep paying more. To stay in business and improve population health, providers and their business partners must eliminate the shameful waste generated by inefficient and ineffective production processes.The Solution: Simply repairing or repealing the Affordable Care Act will not get us where we want to go. The fundamental roadblock is a wasteful system, not uninsured Americans. Reform needs to be immediately redirected to creating the best health care system that 17 percent of GDP can buy. Money saved by taking the new path to reform can then be used to improve population health through access for all. Paradox and Imperatives in Health Care is the roadmap for getting there. Supplies updated perspectives on health care’s problems and solutions Details the reasons why government-driven reform does not solve problems Provides a justification for regulatory relief tied to performance improvement Suggests specific new policies for a better approach to desired outcomes Presents content written expressly for busy executives and policy makers

Read more less

In recent years, rapid strides have been made in the fields of microbiological aspects of food safety and quality, predictive microbiology and microbial risk assessment, microbiological aspects of food preservation, and novel preservation techniques. Written by the experts and pioneers involved in many of these advances, Microbial Food Safety and Preservation Techniques gives you an in-depth look at the fundamental and applied aspects of food safety. It describes the control measures employed and emphasizes the food preservative techniques that are used to ensure high-quality and safe foods.The book elucidates the hazards caused by food-borne pathogens and assesses the microbiological risk of raw, fresh produce, ready-to-eat (RTE), minimally processed, and processed foods. It then discusses the detection of pathogens using advanced molecular techniques, biosensors, and nanotechnology. The topics covered include smart/intelligent and active packaging techniques, hurdle technology, plasma technology, nanotechnology, use of natural flora belonging to lactic acid bacteria, and antimicrobials such as phytochemicals and essential oils, as well as novel food preservatives based on quorum sensing inhibitors. The inclusion of chapters on modeling microbial growth in food enhancing the safety and quality of foods makes the book especially practical.Examining the advantages and limitations of these new preservation techniques, the book highlights the trends and hot topics that help you face the challenges of food safety. With coverage of food safety issues, including detection, identification, and prevention of food-borne illness disease agents, as well as preservation techniques, the book provides a comprehensive resource for tackling current and future food safety issues.

Read more less

Photon-in-photon-out core level spectroscopy is an emerging approach to characterize the electronic structure of catalysts and enzymes, and it is either installed or planned for intense synchrotron beam lines and X-ray free electron lasers. This type of spectroscopy requires high-energy resolution spectroscopy not only for the incoming X-ray beam but also, in most applications, for the detection of the outgoing photons. Thus, the use of high-resolution X-ray crystal spectrometers whose resolving power ΔE/E is typically about 10–4, is mandatory.High-Resolution XAS/XES: Analyzing Electronic Structures of Catalysts covers the latest developments in X-ray light sources, detectors, crystal spectrometers, and photon-in-photon-out core level spectroscopy techniques. It also addresses photon-in-photon-out core level spectroscopy applications for the study of catalytic systems, highlighting hard X-ray measurements primarily due to probe high penetration, enabling in situ studies. This first-of-its-kind book: Discusses high-resolution X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) in terms of time-resolved and surface enhancement Supplies an understanding of catalytic reactivity essential for capitalizing on core level X-ray spectroscopy at fourth-generation light sources (XFELs) Describes all spectrometers developed to perform core level X-ray spectroscopy, considering the advantages and disadvantages of each Details methods to elucidate aspects of catalysts under working conditions, such as active sites and molecule adsorption Introduces theoretical calculations of spectra and explores biological as well as heterogeneous catalysts Complete with guidelines and warnings for the use of this type of spectroscopy, High-Resolution XAS/XES: Analyzing Electronic Structures of Catalysts provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of this exciting field.

Read more less

This book develops a rational design and systematic approach to construct a gene network with desired behaviors. In order to achieve this goal, the registry of standard biological parts and experimental techniques are introduced at first. Then these biological components are characterized by a standard modeling method and collected in the component libraries, which can be efficiently reused in engineering synthetic gene networks. Based on the system theory, some design specifications are provided to engineer the synthetic gene networks to robustly track the desired trajectory by employing the component libraries.

Read more less

A User's Guide to Business Analytics provides a comprehensive discussion of statistical methods useful to the business analyst. Methods are developed from a fairly basic level to accommodate readers who have limited training in the theory of statistics. A substantial number of case studies and numerical illustrations using the R-software package are provided for the benefit of motivated beginners who want to get a head start in analytics as well as for experts on the job who will benefit by using this text as a reference book.The book is comprised of 12 chapters. The first chapter focuses on business analytics, along with its emergence and application, and sets up a context for the whole book. The next three chapters introduce R and provide a comprehensive discussion on descriptive analytics, including numerical data summarization and visual analytics. Chapters five through seven discuss set theory, definitions and counting rules, probability, random variables, and probability distributions, with a number of business scenario examples. These chapters lay down the foundation for predictive analytics and model building.Chapter eight deals with statistical inference and discusses the most common testing procedures. Chapters nine through twelve deal entirely with predictive analytics. The chapter on regression is quite extensive, dealing with model development and model complexity from a user’s perspective. A short chapter on tree-based methods puts forth the main application areas succinctly. The chapter on data mining is a good introduction to the most common machine learning algorithms. The last chapter highlights the role of different time series models in analytics. In all the chapters, the authors showcase a number of examples and case studies and provide guidelines to users in the analytics field.

Read more less

Detailing the active and passive aspects of microwaves, Microwave Engineering: Concepts and Fundamentals covers everything from wave propagation to reflection and refraction, guided waves, and transmission lines, providing a comprehensive understanding of the underlying principles at the core of microwave engineering. This encyclopedic text not only encompasses nearly all facets of microwave engineering, but also gives all topics—including microwave generation, measurement, and processing—equal emphasis. Packed with illustrations to aid in comprehension, the book: Describes the mathematical theory of waveguides and ferrite devices, devoting an entire chapter to the Smith chart and its applications Discusses different types of microwave components, antennas, tubes, transistors, diodes, and parametric devices Examines various attributes of cavity resonators, semiconductor and RF/microwave devices, and microwave integrated circuits Addresses scattering parameters and their properties, as well as planar structures including striplines and microstrips Considers the limitations of conventional tubes, behavior of charged particles in different fields, and the concept of velocity modulation Based on the author’s own class notes, Microwave Engineering: Concepts and Fundamentals consists of 16 chapters featuring homework problems, references, and numerical examples. PowerPoint® slides and MATLAB®-based solutions are available with qualifying course adoption.

Read more less

Mobile commerce transactions continue to soar, driven largely by the ever-increasing adoption and use of smartphones and tablets. The use of this technology gives consumers the flexibility to shop whenever and wherever they want. Mobile Electronic Commerce: Foundations, Development, and Applications addresses the role of industry, academia, scientists, engineers, professionals, and students in developing innovative new mobile commerce technologies and systems to further improve the consumer experience. It also discusses the impact of mobile commerce on society, economics, culture, organizations, government, industry, and our daily lives.This book brings together experts from multiple disciplines in industry and academia to stimulate new thinking in the development and application of mobile commerce technology. The book covers important mobile commerce topics, such as critical infrastructure management, mobile security issues, new applications and services, emerging development architectures, mobile business solutions, and future research opportunities.In addition to its multidisciplinary approach, the book also provides a cross-cultural approach intended to overcome cultural barriers and accelerate mobile commerce advancement in the global economy. Authors and researchers from around the world discuss a broad spectrum of methods, tools, and guidelines for designing mobile commerce systems and services in different cultures.

Read more less

Green Power: Perspectives on Sustainable Electricity Generation provides a systematic overview of the current state of green power and renewable electrical energy production in the world. Presenting eight in-depth case studies of green power production and dissemination, it illustrates the experiences and best practices of various countries on this topic of critical importance.The book’s case studies provide readers with policy, business, and societal perspectives. They examine the differences in each country’s natural endowments, cultural make-up, technological development, public-policy concerns, and institutional incentive structures relative to the advancement of green and sustainable energy. Considers China’s energy profile and what is being done to reduce the country’s reliance on coal Describes the cultural foundations and institutional environment that gave birth to Germany’s energy revolution Supplies an overview of the renewable energy sector in Spain and analyzes its future prospects in light of recent economic difficulties Reports on French Polynesia’s progress in its quest to generate half of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020 Investigates the feasibility of biomass as a large-scale electricity generation option Explores the vision of power generation in space that could solve mankind’s energy needs permanently By illustrating the experiences of other nations, the book outlines valuable lessons learned and best practices that can be extremely helpful to other countries as they seek a greener energy profile. Supplying a timely overview of renewable and non-renewable electric power sources, it provides in-depth analysis of the key factors that affect success. It also identifies practices that have been precursors to failure so you can avoid making the same mistakes in your quest to contribute to the long-overdue advancement of green energy.

Read more less

The Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science draws together the interface-related aspects of chemistry, materials sciences and engineering, biology, physics, computer sciences, and applied mathematics. This new edition discusses important advancements made in the last decade or so, namely, the understanding of the fundamental theories in colloid and surface science, the development of new and improved methods, and the design of particlesnanoparticles. With an emerging impetus on topics such as health care and renewable energy, this edition also addresses many fundamental aspects, as well as applications, related to drug design and delivery and the development of highly efficient catalysts including novel ways to generate renewable energy. Researchers who are pioneers in their respective disciplines provide the current state of knowledge from their research findings, as well as other valuable information, in the introductory sections of ea

Read more less

Three-dimensional (3D) integration of microsystems and subsystems has become essential to the future of semiconductor technology development. 3D integration requires a greater understanding of several interconnected systems stacked over each other. While this vertical growth profoundly increases the system functionality, it also exponentially increases the design complexity. Design of 3D Integrated Circuits and Systems tackles all aspects of 3D integration, including 3D circuit and system design, new processes and simulation techniques, alternative communication schemes for 3D circuits and systems, application of novel materials for 3D systems, and the thermal challenges to restrict power dissipation and improve performance of 3D systems. Containing contributions from experts in industry as well as academia, this authoritative text: Illustrates different 3D integration approaches, such as die-to-die, die-to-wafer, and wafer-to-wafer Discusses the use of interposer technology and the role of Through-Silicon Vias (TSVs) Presents the latest improvements in three major fields of thermal management for multiprocessor systems-on-chip (MPSoCs) Explores ThruChip Interface (TCI), NAND flash memory stacking, and emerging applications Describes large-scale integration testing and state-of-the-art low-power testing solutions Complete with experimental results of chip-level 3D integration schemes tested at IBM and case studies on advanced complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) integration for 3D integrated circuits (ICs), Design of 3D Integrated Circuits and Systems is a practical reference that not only covers a wealth of design issues encountered in 3D integration but also demonstrates their impact on the efficiency of 3D systems.

Read more less

Despite a growing body of research and targeted remediation, teenage and novice drivers continue to be six to nine times more likely to die in a crash than they are when they are just a few years older. The World Health Organization reports that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death globally among 15 to 19 year olds. In light of these crash statistics, understanding the teen driver problem remains of paramount public health importance around the world. The Handbook of Teen and Novice Drivers: Research, Practice, Policy, and Directions provides critical knowledge for a broad range of potential readers, including students, teachers, researchers in academics, industry and the federal government, public policy makers at all levels, insurance companies and automobile manufacturers, driving instructors, and parents and their teens.

Read more less

The primary purpose of control is to force desired behavior in an unpredictable environment, under the actions of unknown, possibly unmeasurable disturbances and unpredictable, and therefore probably nonzero, initial conditions. This means that tracking and tracking control synthesis are fundamental control issues. Surprisingly, however, tracking theory has not been well developed, and stability theory has dominated. Tracking Control of Linear Systems presents the fundamentals of tracking theory for control systems. The book introduces the full transfer function matrix F(s), which substantially changes the theory of linear dynamical and control systems and enables a novel synthesis of tracking control that works more effectively in real environments.An Introduction to the New Fundamentals of the Theory of Linear Control SystemsThe book begins by re-examining classic linear control systems theory. It then defines and determines the system full (complete) transfer function matrix F(s) for two classes of systems: input-output (IO) control systems and input-state-output (ISO) control systems. The book also discusses the fundamentals of tracking and trackability. It presents new Lyapunov tracking control algorithms and natural tracking control (NTC) algorithms, which ensure the quality of the tracking under arbitrary disturbances and initial conditions. This natural tracking control is robust, adaptable, and simple to implement.Advances in Linear Control Systems Theory: Tracking and TrackabilityThis book familiarizes readers with novel, sophisticated approaches and methods for tracking control design in real conditions. Contributing to the advancement of linear control systems theory, this work opens new directions for research in time-invariant continuous-time linear control systems. It builds on previous works in the field, extending treatment o

Read more less

Despite the vast knowledge accumulated on silicon, germanium, and their alloys, these materials still demand research, eminently in view of the improvement of knowledge on silicon–germanium alloys and the potentialities of silicon as a substrate for high-efficiency solar cells and for compound semiconductors and the ongoing development of nanodevices based on nanowires and nanodots.Silicon, Germanium, and Their Alloys: Growth, Defects, Impurities, and Nanocrystals covers the entire spectrum of R&D activities in silicon, germanium, and their alloys, presenting the latest achievements in the field of crystal growth, point defects, extended defects, and impurities of silicon and germanium nanocrystals.World-recognized experts are the authors of the book’s chapters, which span bulk, thin film, and nanostructured materials growth and characterization problems, theoretical modeling, crystal defects, diffusion, and issues of key applicative value, including chemical etching as a defect delineation technique, the spectroscopic analysis of impurities, and the use of devices as tools for the measurement of materials quality.

Read more less

For the Movers, Shakers, and Policy Makers in Energy Engineering and Related IndustriesThe latest version of a bestselling reference, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Handbook, Second Edition covers the foremost trends and technologies in energy engineering today. This new edition contains the latest material on energy planning and policy, with a focus on renewable and sustainable energy sources. It also examines nuclear energy and its place in future energy systems, includes a chapter on natural gas, and provides extensive coverage of energy storage for numerous forms of energy generation. The text also provides energy supply, demand, and pricing factor projections for the future.Explore the Future of Global EnergyThe authors address problems that industry now faces, including the limited availability of conventional energy resources such as oil, natural gas, and coal, and considers renewable energies such as wind power, solar energy, and biomass. They also illustrate the economics of energy efficiency, discuss the financial energy policies of various countries, consider the role of energy conservation in energy strategies, and examine the future of renewable energy technologies to build a sustainable energy system. This book is divided into five sections, providing a comprehensive look at renewable energy technologies and systems: Global Energy Systems, Policy, and Economics Energy Generation through 2025 Energy Infrastructure and Storage Renewable Technologies Biomass Energy Systems Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Handbook, Second Edition focuses on the successful promotion of a sustainable energy supply for the future, and offers new and relevant information providing a clear reference to sustainable-development goals.

Read more less

Surface science and tribology play very critical roles in many industries. Manufacture and use of almost all consumer and industrial products rely on the application of advanced surface and tribological knowledge. The fourth in a series, Surfactants in Tribology, Volume 4 provides an update on research and development activities connecting surfactants and tribological phenomena. Written by renowned subject matter experts, the book demonstrates how improved design of surfactants can be harnessed to control tribological phenomena. Profusely illustrated and copiously referenced, the chapters also discuss novel approaches to control tribological phenomena using surfactants including green surfactants. It also discusses the underlying tribological and surface science issues relevant to many situations in diverse industries. The information in this volume provides a cutting-edge reference connecting the fields of surfactants and tribology as a way forward to novel, enhanced methods of controlling lubrication, friction, and wear. It reflects the latest developments, highlighting the relevance of surfactants in tribological phenomena in a broad range of industries. As we learn more about the connection between surfactants and tribology, new and improved ways to control lubrication, friction, and wear utilizing surfactants will emerge. This book takes us farther on the path towards this goal.

Read more less

Using a multidisciplinary approach, Human Respiratory Viral Infections is set at the level between the definitive reference work and an essential clinical manual. Exploring recent advances in human respiratory viral research, the text builds on the basic sciences of epidemiology, virology, molecular biology, and immunology to cover clinical diagnosis, mechanism of pathogenesis, manifestations of disease, impact, treatment, and management strategies. Provides a comprehensive review of all the major human respiratory viral infections Supplies a detailed description of the anatomy of the respiratory system Discusses the salient features of specific viruses Examines the latest diagnostic tools Covers risk factors associated with incidence of respiratory viral infections in children and adults in different occupational and environmental settings Presenting the latest knowledge in human respiratory viral infections, this text will be immensely valuable for pulmonologists, biomedical scientists, research scholars, virologists, vaccinologists, immunologists, clinicians, pharmacologists, and public health specialists.

Read more less

Although biometric systems present powerful alternatives to traditional authentication schemes, there are still many concerns about their security. Advances in Biometrics for Secure Human Authentication and Recognition showcases some of the latest technologies and algorithms being used for human authentication and recognition.Examining the full range of biometrics solutions, including unimodal and multimodal biometrics, the book covers conventional techniques as well as novel systems that have been developed over the past few years. It presents new biometric algorithms with novel feature extraction techniques, new computer vision approaches, soft computing approaches, and machine learning techniques under a unified framework used in biometrics systems. Filled with comprehensive graphical and modular illustrations, the text covers applications of affective computing in biometrics, matching sketch to photograph, cryptography approaches in biometrics, biometrics alteration, heterogeneous biometrics, and age invariant biometrics. It also presents biometrics algorithms with novel feature extraction techniques, computer vision approaches, soft computing approaches, and machine learning techniques under a unified framework used in biometrics systems.Containing the work of some of the world’s most respected biometrics researchers, the book includes model question papers, mathematical notations, and exercises to reinforce understanding. Providing an up-to-date review of intelligence techniques and theories used in biometric technologies for secure human authentication and identification, this is an essential reference for researchers, scholars, graduate students, engineers, practitioners, and developers in the field of biometrics and its related fields.

Read more less

Recent advances in technology and manufacturing have made it possible to create small, powerful, energy-efficient, cost-effective sensor nodes for specialized telecommunication applications—nodes "smart" enough to be capable of adaptation, self-awareness, and self-organization.Sensor Networks for Sustainable Development examines sensor network technologies that increase the quality of human life and encourage societal progress with minimal effect on the earth’s natural resources and environment. Organized as a collection of articles authored by leading experts in the field, this valuable reference captures the current state of the art and explores applications where sensor networks are used for sustainable development in: Agriculture Environment Energy Healthcare Transportation Disaster management Beneficial to designers and planners of emerging telecommunication networks, researchers in related industries, and students and academia seeking to learn about the impact of sensor networks on sustainable development, Sensor Networks for Sustainable Development provides scientific tutorials and technical information about smart sensor networks and their use in everything from remote patient monitoring to improving safety on the roadways and beyond.

Read more less

The best time to stop projects or programs that will not be successful is before they are ever started. Research has shown that the focused use of realistic business case analysis on proposed initiatives could enable your organization to reduce the amount of project waste and churn (rework) by up to 40 percent, potentially avoiding millions of dollars lost on projects, programs, and initiatives that would fail to produce the desired results. This book illustrates how to develop a strong business case which links investments to program results and, ultimately, with the strategic outcomes of the organization. In addition, the book provides a template and example case studies for those seeking to fast-track the development of a business case within their organization.Making the Case for Change: Using Effective Business Cases to Minimize Project and Innovation Failures provides executive teams and change agents with the information required to make better business case decisions. This book can be used throughout the life cycle of the project to assist with gaining a better understanding of the following key knowledge areas for developing a business case: Understanding the present problem/improvement opportunity Documenting how the project, program, or initiative will add value to the organization Validating the data and the assumptions that the projected improvements are based upon Calculating the level of confidence that can be placed upon the conclusions that are reached Assessing the alternative solutions that were considered Weighing the costs vs. the benefits of the proposed initiative Analyzing and mitigating the risks to completing 100 percent of the project’s goals Eliciting and prioritizing the requirements of key stakeholders and subject matter experts Identifying the key people that are involved in the proposed project and the skills needed to implement the proposed change Obtaining consensus on the decision to move forward, as well as on the methods used and the conclusions specified in the analysis Ideal for executives and project/initiative managers seeking approval of an activity, initiative, program, or project, the book presents proven tips, advice, suggestions, and recommended courses of action for developing effective business cases. In addition, suggestions for recruiting a responsible senior officer or sponsor for the project and for engaging an audience are provided.The authors combine their own experience in business case development with approaches used by world-class organizations. They provide a general range of assessment criteria that can be applied to almost any type of project business cases.The text discusses each of the 8 activities and the 35 tasks that make up the business case development process. This process supplies you with a proven approach for creating comprehensive and well-constructed business case evaluations that will either ensure the success of your project, or eliminate unsuccessful projects, programs, and initiatives before they start.

Read more less

Juvenile justice has been and remains a topical issue at national and international levels. There are various standards and guidelines for administration, but six major models characterize juvenile justice systems worldwide: participatory, welfare, corporatism, modified justice, justice, and crime control. Juvenile Justice: International Perspectives, Models, and Trends presents contributions by authors from different countries in all five continents employing these six models.The book begins with a comprehensive overview of the topic and the various international standards and guidelines designed to inform juvenile justice practices. This introduction is followed by chapters on individual countries covered independently by resident experts, allowing readers to appreciate a range of comparisons and to critically reflect on the relative merits of the different models. Topics presented in each chapter include: The country’s history of juvenile justice The nature and status of delinquency Current legislation on juvenile justice How well the legislation complies with the Standard Minimum Rules of the Administration of Juvenile Justice as defined by the United Nations The type of juvenile justice model followed Age limits for male and female juvenile offenders Legal and social issues confronting juvenile offenders Current theoretical biases used to explain and justify response to delinquency Future issues, challenges, and/or initiatives Text boxes supply current and relevant examples to contextualize key issues and themes. Each chapter features discussion questions and helpful web links to facilitate further research. Presented in an unbiased manner, the book is a consolidated yet comprehensive overview of juvenile justice models and practices worldwide. It enables readers to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of different juvenile justice models/systems and to evaluate all countries in light of the larger international phenomena of delinquency.

Read more less

Global Cases in Best and Worst Practice in Crisis and Emergency Management is the first book to focus on select global cases from the perspective of best and worst practices in the context of crisis and emergency management. Bringing together the most established scholars and experts in the field, it offers theories along with an empirical, success-and-failure analysis. It presents the cases using a "lessons learned" approach, highlighting the good, the bad, and the ugly for the benefit of future crisis and emergency management.The book is divided into three sections with chapters that focus on Macro-level emergency policy cases addressing policy design and decisions with long- and short-term impact Cases giving instructive examples of prevention, leadership, coordination, mitigation, organization, planning, and supplies Cases and discussions of chaos and transformation theories, surprise management theory, and applying theories to building capacity and resilience in governance The book also includes chapter objectives, analysis points, questions, key terms, presentation and lesson exercises, references, and additional reading lists.Policy experts, researchers, practitioners, instructors, and students will find the case studies in this book illuminating. With its combination of theory and practice and coverage of a wide range of disciplines, it provides an ideal primary or companion text for courses in emergency and disaster management, public administration, political science, and global crisis studies.

Read more less

Comprehensive and accessible, this book presents fundamental principles and applications that are essential for food production and food service safety. It provides basic, practical information on the daily operations in a food processing plant and reviews some of the industry's most recent developments. Formerly titled Food Plant Sanitation, this second edition discusses nine additional food processing industries and contains 14 new chapters. Among others, new topics include sanitation in food transportation and sanitation of fresh produce in retail establishments.

Read more less

The book explores the role of miRNAs in the development, progression, invasion, and metastasis of diverse types of cancer. It reviews their potential for applications in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targets. In addition it discusses the potential use in translational medicine. Chapters present comprehensive and expert perspectives on the roles of miRNAs in most common cancers from bench to bedside applications and are written by an international team of renowned experts in the field. This book is a landmark work providing up-to-date research on miRNAs and their important roles in cancer translational research.

Read more less

Biosensors are poised to make a large impact in environmental, food, and biomedical applications, as they clearly offer advantages over standard analytical methods, including minimal sample preparation and handling, real-time detection, rapid detection of analytes, and the ability to be used by non-skilled personnel. Covering numerous applications of biosensors used in food and the environment, Portable Biosensing of Food Toxicants and Environmental Pollutants presents basic knowledge on biosensor technology at a postgraduate level and explores the latest advances in chemical sensor technology for researchers.By providing useful, state-of-the-art information on recent developments in biosensing devices, the book offers both newcomers and experts a roadmap to this technology. In the book, distinguished researchers from around the world show how portable and handheld nanosensors, such as dynamic DNA and protein arrays, enable rapid and accurate detection of environmental pollutants and pathogens.The book first introduces the basic principles of biosensing for newcomers to the technology. It then explains how the integration of a "receptor" can provide analytically useful information. It also describes trends in biosensing and examines how a small-sized device can have portability for the in situ determination of toxicants. The book concludes with several examples illustrating how to determine toxicants in food and environmental samples.

Read more less

Improved communication in business means higher profits. Improved communication in government means happier citizens. Improved communication in healthcare means quicker recoveries, fewer lawsuits, and happier nurses and patients.Closing the Communication Gap can help readers improve communication by closing the gap between what the communicator means and what the listener actually understands. It supplies a complete overview of the various elements and dimensions of effective communication needed to stop talking and start communicating.Defining and discussing both the formal and the informal communication systems within an organization, the book demonstrates the importance of good communication and details the four types of poor-quality communication. It explains how to create a climate of communication in your organization. It describes how this climate of communication encourages the development of quality relationships as well as what it takes to maintain this culture of communication.After reading this book, you will understand how to be a better listener, how to use social media in marketing, how to deal with difficult people, and helpful tips for public speaking. You will gain valuable insights on how to talk to your employees, how to talk to your boss, and the best ways to communicate with a corporation.This book can be read for personal growth or it can be used by a company to teach employees the importance of quality communication. Quality assurance departments will find this book useful in lowering errors and waste in the workplace. The book is also suitable as a communication textbook or supplemental text at the introductory university level.If a corporation were a person, communication would be the bloodstream.—Lee Iacocca, Former CEO, Chrysler Corporation

Read more less

An Active Learning Approach to Teaching the Main Ideas in Computing Explorations in Computing: An Introduction to Computer Science and Python Programming teaches computer science students how to use programming skills to explore fundamental concepts and computational approaches to solving problems. Tbook gives beginning students an introduction to computer science concepts and computer programming. Designed for CS0 and CS1 courses, it is very well suited for alternative lecture styles, including flipped classrooms.Prepares Students for Advanced Work in Computer ScienceA revised and updated version of the author’s Explorations in Computing: An Introduction to Computer Science, this text incorporates two major differences. It now uses Python, instead of Ruby, as the lab software so that students can seamlessly transition from introductory projects to more advanced studies in later courses. The book also introduces Python programming, providing students with sufficient programming skills so they can implement their own programs.Practical, Step-by-Step ProjectsThe interactive lab projects in each chapter allow students to examine important ideas in computer science, particularly how algorithms offer computational solutions to problems. Students can type expressions, view results, and run experiments that help them understand the concepts in a hands-on way.Web ResourcesThe Python software modules for each lab project are available on the author’s website. The modules include data files and sample Python code that students can copy and modify. In addition, the site provides a lab manual of installation instructions and tips for editing programs and running commands in a terminal emulator.

Read more less

This textbook is designed for an introductory course at undergraduate and graduate levels for bioengineering students. It provides a systematic way of examining bioengineering problems in a multidisciplinary computational approach. The book introduces basic concepts of multidiscipline-based computational modeling methods, provides detailed step-by-step techniques to build a model with consideration of underlying multiphysics, and discusses many important aspects of a modeling approach including results interpretation, validation, and assessment.

Read more less

New, significant scientific discoveries in laser and photonic technologies, systems perspectives, and integrated design approaches can improve even further the impact in critical areas of challenge. Yet this knowledge is dispersed across several disciplines and research arenas. Laser and Photonic Systems: Design and Integration brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts to increase understanding of the ways in which systems perspectives may influence laser and photonic innovations and application integration.By bringing together chapters from leading scientists and technologists, industrial and systems engineers, and managers, the book stimulates new thinking that would bring a systems, network, and system-of-systems perspective to bear on laser and photonic systems applications. The chapters challenge you to explore opportunities for revolutionary and broader advancements. The authors emphasize the identification of emerging research and application frontiers where there are promising contributions to lasers, optics, and photonics applications in fields such as manufacturing, healthcare, security, and communications.The book contains insights from leading researchers, inventors, implementers, and innovators. It explains a variety of techniques, models, and technologies proven to work with laser and photonic systems, their development, design, and integration. Such systems are of growing interest to many organizations, given their promise and potential solutions of grand societal challenges. Lastly, the book helps you leverage the knowledge into exciting new frontiers of successful solutions.

Read more less

Risk Assessment and Security for Pipelines, Tunnels, and Underground Rail and Transit Operations details a quantitative risk assessment methodology for systematically analyzing various alternatives for protecting underground rail, oil and gas pipelines, pipeline freight transportation, and other tunnel systems from terrorism threats and other disasters. It examines the engineering, environmental, and economic impacts and addresses both direct and collateral damage.The book describes how to employ the methodology of quantitative psychology for effectively assessing risk in homeland security, defense actions, and critical infrastructure protection. Using pipelines, tunnels, underground rapid rail, and transit systems as examples, it maintains an emphasis on applying quantitative psychology to risk management in the areas of homeland security and defense. Outlines the background and system operations of pipelines, tunnels, underground rail, and transit systems as well as other super-speed futuristic trains Covers materials used for fabricating weapons of mass destruction and operations for terrorism Deals with the probabilistic risk estimation process, event tree analysis, and fault tree analysis Discusses the risk and vulnerability assessment tools and methodologies used by experts and governmental agencies Approved for public release by the U.S. Federal Government, this book presents regulations, standard processes, and risk assessment models recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other federal and state agencies. Describing how to evaluate terrorism threats and warnings, it details protocols for preventive measures and emergency preparedness plans that are based on economic analysis.With comprehensive coverage that includes risk estimation and risk acceptability analysis, the book provides a foundational understanding of risk and the various defensive systems that can improve safety and security as well as thwart terrorists’ efforts to sabotage critical infrastructure.

Read more less

In distributed, open systems like cyberspace, where the behavior of autonomous agents is uncertain and can affect other agents' welfare, trust management is used to allow agents to determine what to expect about the behavior of other agents. The role of trust management is to maximize trust between the parties and thereby provide a basis for cooperation to develop.Bringing together expertise from technology-oriented sciences, law, philosophy, and social sciences, Managing Trust in Cyberspace addresses fundamental issues underpinning computational trust models and covers trust management processes for dynamic open systems and applications in a tutorial style that aids in understanding. Topics include trust in autonomic and self-organized networks, cloud computing, embedded computing, multi-agent systems, digital rights management, security and quality issues in trusting e-government service delivery, and context-aware e-commerce applications. The book also presents a walk-through of online identity management and examines using trust and argumentation in recommender systems. It concludes with a comprehensive survey of anti-forensics for network security and a review of password security and protection.Researchers and practitioners in fields such as distributed computing, Internet technologies, networked systems, information systems, human computer interaction, human behavior modeling, and intelligent informatics especially benefit from a discussion of future trust management research directions including pervasive and ubiquitous computing, wireless ad-hoc and sensor networks, cloud computing, social networks, e-services, P2P networks, near-field communications (NFC), electronic knowledge management, and nano-communication networks.

Read more less

A great deal of progress has been made in the development of materials, their application to structures, and their adaptation to a variety of systems and integrated across a wide range of industrial applications. This encyclopedia serves the rapidly expanding demand for information on technological developments. In addition to providing information for manufacturers and assemblers of materials, components, systems. and structures, it is for use by managers responsible for technology development, research projects, R&D programs, business development and strategic planning in the various industries that are considering using these technologies.

Read more less

Winner of a 2014 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Award!Reaching America’s true potential to deliver and receive exceptional health care will require not only an immense and concerted effort, but a fundamental change of perspective from medical providers, government officials, industry leaders, and patients alike. The Institute of Medicine set forth six primary "aims" to which every participant in the American healthcare system must contribute: health care must be safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and patient-centered. Presented as the acronym STEEEP, the collective realization of these goals is to reduce the burden of illness, injury, and disability in our nation. Baylor Health Care System is committed to doing its part and has adopted these six aims as its own. Achieving STEEEP Health Care tells the story of Baylor Health Care System’s continuing quality journey, offering practical strategies and lessons in the areas of people, culture, and processes that have contributed to dramatic improvements in patient and operational outcomes. This book also discusses newer approaches to accountable care that strive to simultaneously improve the patient experience of care, improve population health, and reduce per capita costs of health care. Provides the perspectives of senior leaders in the areas of corporate governance, finance, and physician and nurse leadership Supplies strategies for developing and supporting a culture of quality, including systems and tools for data collection, performance measurement and reporting Includes service-line examples of successful quality improvement initiatives from reducing heart failure readmissions to coordinating cancer care Outlines approaches to accountable care and improved population health and well-being

Read more less

For four decades, Petroleum Refining has guided thousands of readers toward a reliable understanding of the field, and through the years has become the standard text in many schools and universities around the world offering petroleum refining classes, for self-study, training, and as a reference for industry professionals. The sixth edition of this perennial bestseller continues in the tradition set by Jim Gary as the most modern and authoritative guide in the field. Updated and expanded to reflect new technologies, methods, and topics, the book includes new discussion on the business and economics of refining, cost estimation and complexity, crude origins and properties, fuel specifications, and updates on technology, process units, and catalysts.The first half of the book is written for a general audience to introduce the primary economic and market characteristics of the industry and to describe the inputs and outputs of refining. Most of this material is new to this edition and can be read independently or in parallel with the rest of the text. In the second half of the book, a technical review of the main process units of a refinery is provided, beginning with distillation and covering each of the primary conversion and treatment processes. Much of this material was reorganized, updated, and rewritten with greater emphasis on reaction chemistry and the role of catalysis in applications. Petroleum Refining: Technology, Economics, and Markets is a book written for users, the practitioners of refining, and all those who want to learn more about the field.

Read more less

This book, the first in The One-Day Expert series dedicated to Standardized Work, is about operator performance measurement. Implementing Standardized Work: Measuring Operators’ Performance explains how to measure the performance of operators quickly and simply without sacrificing accuracy.Detailing how to identify the most efficient operators and how to monitor their improvement over time, it describes a method that has been applied with success for years in the automotive industry. Grounded in one of the basic laws of factory physics—mastery of variability—this method can be automated very easily and thereby requires no labor consumption.In this episode of The One-Day Expert, Thomas, a plant director in an industrial group, is reassigned to another plant that is losing money. Morale in the plant is very low and the staff is pessimistic about the plant’s future and is distrustful of senior management. Thomas’ urgent mission is to turn the plant around. Previous plant managers have tried several initiatives with limited results. To face these challenges, Thomas has decided to use Standardized Work deployment to achieve quick and visible results while rebuilding a real team. This book recounts these initial steps of the Standardized Work deployment. It explains how to find and apply the best operational method that will lead to cost reductions, better product quality, and increased operator safety. Additional steps will be detailed in forthcoming books in the series.

Read more less

For many civilian, security, and military applications, distributed and networked coordination offers a more promising alternative to centralized command and control in terms of scalability, flexibility, and robustness. It also introduces its own challenges. Distributed Networks: Intelligence, Security, and Applications brings together scientific research in distributed network intelligence, security, and novel applications. The book presents recent trends and advances in the theory and applications of network intelligence and helps you understand how to successfully incorporate them into distributed systems and services.Featuring contributions by leading scholars and experts from around the world, this collection covers: Approaches for distributed network intelligence Distributed models for distributed enterprises, including forecasting and performance measurement models Security applications for distributed enterprises, including intrusion tackling and peer-to-peer traffic detection Future wireless networking scenarios, including the use of software sensors instead of hardware sensors Emerging enterprise applications and trends such as the smartOR standard and innovative concepts for human–machine interaction in the operating room Several chapters use a tutorial style to emphasize the development process behind complex distributed networked systems and services, which highlights the difficulties of knowledge engineering of such systems. Delving into novel concepts, theories, and advanced technologies, this book offers inspiration for further research and development in distributed computing and networking, especially related to security solutions for distributed environments.

Read more less

Love, learn, let go. Three decisions. Three actions. Three habits. Together, these offer leaders insight (Leadersights) into the true nature of leadership and can create the type of workplace that can thrive in a demanding future.Leadersights: Creating Great Leaders Who Create Great Workplaces focuses on how organizations of all types can create a leader-development system that defines critical leader behaviors, provides simple techniques for building and improving the skills that drive those behaviors, and establishes a mechanism for monitoring and enforcing those behaviors. This book details how leaders can do the same for their employees; defining and promoting behaviors required for sustaining continuous change. In addition, it synthesizes current research on change, servant leadership, group and team dynamics, job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, psychological flow, and individual self-efficacy.If you are stuck in a culture of compliance where an increasingly frustrated workforce continues to rely too much on leaders to solve problems, this book will guide you by: Focusing on the critical few leadership skills that provide better results Demonstrating proven improvement techniques, tools, and structures for higher satisfaction levels in colleagues Offering a new leadership model blending existing theories into an integral structure Explaining complex human systems in plain language and how they align with Lean principles Providing several "Leadersights" – simple suggestions for immediate improvement You will understand how to create the structure necessary to engage leaders and colleagues while driving new behavior and culture change. The author builds an effective leader development system based on current research on change, leadership, group and team dynamics, job satisfaction, intrinsic motivation, psychological flow, and self-efficacy to create the kind of workplace where people love coming to work and where they become better thinkers, leaders, and teachers.

Read more less

During the last four decades, tremendous advances have been made towards the understanding of transport characteristics of contaminants in soils, solutes, and tracers in geological media. Transport & Fate of Chemicals in Soils: Principles & Applications offers a comprehensive treatment of the subject complete with supporting examples of mathematical models that describe contaminants reactivity and transport in soils and aquifers. This approach makes it a practical guide for designing experiments and collecting data that focus on characterizing retention as well as release kinetic reactions in soils and contaminant transport experiments in the laboratory, greenhouse), and in the field.The book provides the basic framework of the principals governing the sorption and transport of chemicalsin soils. It focuses on physical processes such as fractured media, multiregion, multiple porosities, and heterogeneity and effect of scale as well as chemical processes such as nonlinear kinetics, release and desorption hysteresis, multisite and multireaction reactions, and competitive-type reactions. The coverage also includes details of sorption behavior of chemicals with soil matrix surfaces as well the integration of sorption characteristics with mechanisms that govern solute transport in soils. The discussions of applications of the principles of sorption and transport are not restricted to contaminants, but also include nitrogen, phosphorus, and trace elements including essential micronutrients, heavy metals, military explosives, pesticides, and radionuclides.Written in a very clear and easy-to-follow language by a pioneer in soil science, this book details the basic framework of the physical and chemical processes governing the transport of contaminants, trace elements, and heavy metals in soils. Highly practical, it includes laboratory methods, examples, and empirical formulations. The approach taken by the author gives you not only the fundamentals of understanding of reactive chemicals retention and their transport in soils and aquifers, but practical guidance you can put to immediate use in designing experiments and collecting data.

Read more less

Professional certification has become a very popular topic and a significant number of individuals are making it a priority. Some people are torn on whether or not to obtain a certification to bolster their career. Others see the advantage of diversifying their professional portfolio and pursuing popular certifications in the areas of Project Management, Information Technology, Quality, or Human Resources. The Basics of Achieving Professional Certification: Enhancing Your Credentials provides clear-cut guidance on how to select a certification that is right for you and how you can continue to build your credentials in support of personal and professional goals. This easy-to-use guide can help anyone looking to achieve professional certification make informed decisions about the many options available. It can also help avoid the pitfalls of making the wrong choice as a result of being incorrectly informed. Examining the range of professional certifications offered by associations and organizations, it explains how to select the right professional certification and outlines best practices for completing the certification process. The book includes a CD that represents more than a year of development between resources in the U.S. and Europe. Packed with tools, it supplies permanent access to a suite of helpful training and development software, including: Library management system to track training material, books, and related items (created in MS Access) Learning management system to ensure training compliance (created in MS Access) A number of project management resources, including a comprehensive exam preparation program Royalty free multimedia resources to add pizzazz to your e-learning programs Forms, templates, and checklists to support training administration Tools to help evaluate training programs Software to make training and certification more interactive and enjoyable Winner of a Cleland Publication Award, Willis H. Thomas, PhD, PMP, CPT, not only outlines the requirements for obtaining professional certification, but also provides a framework for training and development that supports the range of professional certifications. The book includes helpful test-taking tips for oral and written exams and also describes how to find supporting resources for study group participation.Filled with illustrative examples, the text includes testimonials from professional associations on how professional certification has benefited their members—making it helpful to professional associations as a means to encourage association membership and participation.

Read more less

Preoperative imaging is increasingly being adopted for preoperative planning in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Accurate preoperative analysis can reduce the length of operations and maximize surgical design and dissection techniques. Imaging for Plastic Surgery covers the techniques, applications, and potentialities of medical imaging technology in plastic and reconstructive surgery. Presenting state-of-the-art research on evolving imaging modalities, this cutting-edge text: Provides a practical introduction to imaging modalities that can be used during preoperative planning Addresses imaging principles of the face, head, neck, breast, trunk, and extremities Identifies the strengths and weaknesses of all available imaging modalities Demonstrates the added value of imaging in different clinical scenarios Comprised of contributions from world-class experts in the field, Imaging for Plastic Surgery is an essential imaging resource for surgeons, radiologists, and patient care professionals.

Read more less

A Proactive Approach to Improving and Protecting the EnvironmentThe accumulation of pharmaceuticals in the environment is a growing concern, the magnitude of which has not been determined, yet cannot be ignored. Touting the benefits of research and discovery as it relates to a pharmaceutical presence in the environment, Pharmaceutical Accumulation in the Environment: Prevention, Control, Health Effects, and Economic Impact explores ways to effectively minimize the harmful impact of environmental contaminants. It considers current practice in the field, provides a historical reference, and presents effective methods for detecting and containing low levels of environmental contaminants. It also offers practical suggestions for mobilizing private and public resources. Discusses Health Impacts and Risks to Humans and Other Living SpeciesThe contributors of this work consider important environmental contaminants that include pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and special products, such as contrast agents and illicit drugs. This book describes current health impact concerns, methods for assessing risk, and lessening the negative impact on health through research and analysis. It examines the costs of wastewater treatment, and considers ways to potentially reduce the effect of environmental contaminants in treated water and in the soil. It looks at what may be done about contaminated soil and landfills, addresses the costs of contaminant elimination, and suggests ways to get rid of contaminants sensibly and consistently. It also includes case histories and chapters authored by specialists who are experts in their fields.Developed as a reference for professionals and senior undergraduate and graduate students in environmental science/ecotoxicology, the text proposes advancements and applications that can help control pharmaceutical accumulation and improve the environment. It serves as a resource for those in the pharmaceutical industries, personal care product industries, and related areas; scientists and researchers in related areas; as well as environmental protection agencies, physicians, and medical personnel.

Read more less