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Early Vascular Aging (EVA): New Directions in Cardiovascular Protection, Second Edition continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative resource on premature alterations in artery structure and function. The book presents a novel approach to the problem of cardiovascular disease, showing it in relation to great vessels disease and revealing a comprehensive approach to the problem of increased rigidity of the great vessels, its causes, and further consequences. This second edition contains completely updated content with expanded coverage of basic and translational research, systematic reviews of the most prominent literature, discussion of applicability of new evidence and more. Written by an international team of clinicians and researchers, this is a valuable resource to basic and translational scientists, clinical researchers and clinicians in the cardiovascular field interested in prevention, diagnosis and treatment of EVA. - Contains all the relevant information available on the main paradigm shifts in vascular aging research, from different fields of knowledge (from basic biology to epidemiology) - Reviews the most prominent evidence produced on early vascular aging (EVA), highlighting recent research advances, clinical applications, and research opportunities - Formulates, in each chapter, a set of research questions that need to be addressed, challenging the vast research community to take on new directions and collaborations

This book covers mechanobiology, growth, remodeling, and clinical implications of coronary artery disease treatment. This volume presents a comprehensive overview of coronary circulation, including growth and remodeling of coronary vasculature, implications to cardiology, and implications to cardiovascular surgery. General principles of biomechanical homeostasis and mechanobiology are outlined. Specifics topics covered include endothelial mechano-transduction, flow reversal, uniform shear, stress & strain hypotheses, scaling laws in coronary artery disease, growth, and aging, and coronary retroperfusion. Coronary Circulation: Mechanobiology, Growth, Remodeling and Clinical Implications is a vital resource for coronary physiologists and cardiovascular disease researchers and bioengineers who want to learn more about mechanobiology and clinical implications to coronary circulation in health and disease.

Modern Permanent Magnets provides an update on the status and recent technical developments that have occurred in the various families of permanent magnets produced today. The book gives an overview of the key advances of permanent magnet materials that have occurred in the last twenty years. Sections cover the history of permanent magnets, their fundamental properties, an overview of the important families of permanent magnets, coatings used to protect permanent magnets and the various tests used to confirm specifications are discussed. Finally, the major applications for each family of permanent magnets and the size of the market is provided. The book also includes an Appendix that provides a Glossary of Magnetic Terms to assist the readers in better understanding the technical terms used in other chapters. This book is an ideal resource for materials scientists and engineers working in academia and industry R&D. - Provides an in-depth overview of all of the important families of permanent magnets produced today - Includes background information on the fundamental properties of permanent magnets, major applications of each family of permanent magnets, and advances in coatings and coating technology - Reviews the fundamentals of permanent magnet design

The investigation of the role of mechanical and mechano-chemical interactions in cellular processes and tissue development is a rapidly growing research field in the life sciences and in biomedical engineering. Quantitative understanding of this important area in the study of biological systems requires the development of adequate mathematical models for the simulation of the evolution of these systems in space and time. Since expertise in various fields is necessary, this calls for a multidisciplinary approach.This edited volume connects basic physical, biological, and physiological concepts to methods for the mathematical modeling of various materials by pursuing a multiscale approach, from subcellular to organ and system level. Written by active researchers, each chapter provides a detailed introduction to a given field, illustrates various approaches to creating models, and explores recent advances and future research perspectives. Topics covered include molecular dynamics simulations of lipid membranes, phenomenological continuum mechanics of tissue growth, and translational cardiovascular modeling. Modeling Biomaterials will be a valuable resource for both non-specialists and experienced researchers from various domains of science, such as applied mathematics, biophysics, computational physiology, and medicine.

Crop management practices are essential techniques and methods used to optimize crop yield, quality, growth, and development. This meticulously crafted book delves into the principles and practices of crop management, offering a comprehensive overview of the strategies and techniques employed to enhance agricultural productivity. With a focus on soil fertility, water and salt stress effects, medicinal plants cultivation, and statistical methods, the book provides valuable insights into the various factors influencing crop performance. From analyzing soil, plant, water, and fertilizers to understanding physiological and biochemical mechanisms, the book covers a wide range of topics crucial for effective crop management. It also explores the use of radioactive isotopes and multiscaling analysis in crop management, shedding light on advanced techniques for optimizing agricultural practices. With detailed procedures for the analysis of plant, soil spatial, and water quality, the book serves as a practical guide for agricultural professionals, researchers, and students alike. Whether you're involved in soil testing, quality control, or laboratory work in allied fields, this book offers extensive material to deepen your understanding of crop management concepts and applications. By serving as a valuable resource guide, it aims to contribute to the growth and advancement of the discipline, ensuring sustainable agricultural practices for the future.

Need to develop strong cardiac nursing skills or advance your practice to a higher level? The newly updated Cardiac Nursing, 7thEdition is the gold standard reference and on-the-unit resource, offering crucial guidance and direction for nurses looking to provide up-to-date, evidence-based cardiac care.

Customarily, the framework of algebraic geometry has been worked over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, say, over the complex number field. However, over a field of positive characteristics, many unpredictable phenomena arise where analyses will lead to further developments.In the present book, we consider first the forms of the affine line or the additive group, classification of such forms and detailed analysis. The forms of the affine line considered over the function field of an algebraic curve define the algebraic surfaces with fibrations by curves with moving singularities. These fibrations are investigated via the Mordell-Weil groups, which are originally introduced for elliptic fibrations.This is the first book which explains the phenomena arising from purely inseparable coverings and Artin-Schreier coverings. In most cases, the base surfaces are rational, hence the covering surfaces are unirational. There exists a vast, unexplored world of unirational surfaces. In this book, we explain the Frobenius sandwiches as examples of unirational surfaces.Rational double points in positive characteristics are treated in detail with concrete computations. These kinds of computations are not found in current literature. Readers, by following the computations line after line, will not only understand the peculiar phenomena in positive characteristics, but also understand what are crucial in computations. This type of experience will lead the readers to find the unsolved problems by themselves.

Advances in Environmental Research. Volume 78 offers a comprehensive critical review of alterations in different lipid classes in response to saline conditions in plants contrasting in salt resistance. A focus is provided on climate change in Odisha, India due to its rich natural and biophysical resources, and the fact that its majority population depends on these resources for survival. Following this, a comprehensive review on process control strategies, biological nutrient removal, effluent quality, electric energy consumption, exploitation problems and recent development in the applications of sequencing batch reactor-membrane bioreactors technology is presented. In the subsequent study, wastewater from the HUST dormitory was treated in a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor-membrane bioreactors system.

Organometallic Chemistry of Five-Membered Heterocycles explores the synthesis, coordination modes, reactivity of coordinated five-membered monoheterocycles, and organometallic complexes of their numerous derivatives, including chelating ligands, oligomers, and macrocycles. Beginning with the introduction of organometallic compounds, this book dives deep into the reactivity of coordinated five-membered monoheterocycles and the derivatives of fundamental ligands. This book is an ideal reference for researchers working in organometallic, heterocyclic, materials, or organic chemistry, and catalysis. The readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of modern synthetic methods, reactivity trends of heteroaromatic ligands, and the methods of modern materials construction. - Includes synthesis, structural features, and coordination modes of five-membered heterocycles - Features a comparative analysis of reactivity of uncoordinated and coordinated ligands - Offers coverage of derivatives of fundamental ligands and examines trends in materials applications

Paracrine and autocrine regulation of cardiac function by'endothelial'mediators is becoming important both physiologically and pathophysiologically. This volume brings the researcher completely up to date with all aspects of endothelial regulation and cardiac function. Acknowledged experts in each field have contributed, making this work indispensable for researchers and of great interest to the clinical cardiologist. The Endothelial Cell Research Series publishes significant reviews by experts in the field. The individual volumes provide invaluable guides to researchers studying endothelial cells and are effective reference texts for anyone working in the general areas of vascular biology and neurotransmission. Endothelium was originally considered to be an inert lining for the blood vessels, but during the last fifteen years, this view has had to be completely revised. It is now accepted that the endothelium plays an important role in many diverse functions. This volume concentrates on the effect of the endothelium on cardiac function. It has been widely demonstrated that the endothelium exerts a paracrine influence on contraction of adjacent cardiac muscle through the release of several mediators, such as endothelin and nitric oxide. Recent studies also show that the effects of such mediators upon the heart are not limited to contraction alone.

This book gathers together contributions from internationally renowned authors in the field of cardiovascular systems and provides crucial insight into the importance of sex- and gender-concepts during the analysis of patient data. This innovative title is the first to offer the elements necessary to consider sex-related properties in both clinical and basic studies regarding the heart and circulation on multiscale levels (i.e. molecular, cellular, electrophysiologically, neuroendocrine, immunoregulatory, organ, allometric, and modeling). Observed differences at (ultra)cellular and organ level are quantified, with focus on clinical relevance and implications for diagnosis and patient management. Since the cardiovascular system is of vital importance for all tissues, Sex-Specific Analysis of Cardiovascular Function is an essential source of information for clinicians, biologists, and biomedical investigators. The wide spectrum of differences described in this book will also act as an eye-opener and serve as a handbook for students, teachers, scientists and practitioners.

Showcases the highly beneficial features arising from the presence of main group elements in organic materials, for the development of more sophisticated, yet simple advanced functional materials Functional organic materials are already a huge area of academic and industrial interest for a host of electronic applications such as Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs), Organic Photovoltaics (OPVs), Organic Field-Effect Transistors (OFETs), and more recently Organic Batteries. They are also relevant to a plethora of functional sensory applications. This book provides an in-depth overview of the expanding field of functional hybrid materials, highlighting the incredibly positive aspects of main group centers and strategies that are furthering the creation of better functional materials. Main Group Strategies towards Functional Hybrid Materials features contributions from top specialists in the field, discussing the molecular, supramolecular and polymeric materials and applications of boron, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and their higher homologues. Hypervalent materials based on the heavier main group elements are also covered. The structure of the book allows the reader to compare differences and similarities between related strategies for several groups of elements, and to draw crosslinks between different sections. The incorporation of main group elements into functional organic materials has emerged as an efficient strategy for tuning materials properties for a wide range of practical applications Covers molecular, supramolecular and polymeric materials featuring boron, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, and their higher homologues Edited by internationally leading researchers in the field, with contributions from top specialists Main Group Strategies towards Functional Hybrid Materials is an essential reference for organo-main group chemists pursuing new advanced functional materials, and for researchers and graduate students working in the fields of organic materials, hybrid materials, main group chemistry, and polymer chemistry.

In the last decades, several in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed the existence of a very complex network between the neuroendocrine and immune system. Important molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions, in both physiological and pathological conditions, have also been described. Indeed, hormones play a pivotal role in the development and functional regulation of the immune system – both innate and acquired responses. Immune system cells present specific hormone receptors and themselves produce some hormones, thus influencing hormone secretion. More recently, the modulation of hormone secretion has been attempted for treating associated autoimmune disorders, further supporting the strong interplay between the endocrine and immune system. Distinguished experts, who have published extensively in their fields, have contributed comprehensive chapters to this volume. The focus is on the various aspects of endocrine-neuro-immune connections, providing an updated panorama - from basics to clinical applications - of current knowledge and still debated issues.

Cardioskeletal Myopathies in Children and Young Adults focuses on plaques that kill people in their 40's-50's and the way they start to form in young adulthood. The Annals of Family Medicine report that approximately half of young adults have at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor (Mar 2010), and an increase in cardiovascular mortality rates in young adults was substantiated in a study at Northwestern Medicine (Nov 2011). Given the increasing recognition of genetic triggers behind all types of cardiovascular disease, and the growing population of young adults with primary or acquired myocardial disease, the need has arisen for a reference that offers a comprehensive approach to the understanding of basic, translational, and clinical aspects of specific muscle diseases while making the link between young adult and adult health. - Reveals the link between cardiac muscle disease and skeletal muscle disease - Explains how genetics and environmental factors effect muscle function of diverse origins - Designates current and novel therapeutic strategies that target both cardiac and skeletal muscle systems

This work presents a new universal data management approach for eRobotics applications using distributed databases. The development and lifecycle of robotic systems features a high degree of complexity, made manageable by the eRobotics approach that combines electronic media, 3D simulation and robotics. The basis for any eRobotics application is a comprehensive 3D model of the system and its environment. Such highly complex models require an efficient data management provided in this thesis

The chapters in this volume present the latest developments in medicine and biology. Chapters One discusses the utility of negative pressure therapy in the treatment of chronic resistant venous ulceration by reviewing the current available literature on this topic. Chapter Two reviews telemedicine in chronic respiratory diseases. Chapter Three investigates in vitro and in vivo studies of prolonged dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) treatment. Chapter Four analyzes superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) based magnetic hypothermia as a promising therapy in cancer treatment. Finally, Chapters Five and Six discuss the prevalence, risk factors, potential complications, and psychological impacts of miscarriage and perinatal mortality.

The Molecular Nutrition of Amino Acids and Proteins provides an in-depth look at the involvement and role of amino acids and proteins in molecular nutrition. Editor Dominique Dardevet has assembled a collection of chapters written by leading researchers and top professors that provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of amino acids and proteins. The book provides an introduction to the fundamentals of amino acids and proteins as well as the composition of food. It then delves into the molecular biology of the cell and genetic machinery and its function. The Molecular Nutrition of Amino Acids and Proteins also features reference guides for terms and bullet-point summaries, making it readily accessible to novices while still providing the most up-to-date and detailed information that experienced researchers need. - Provides a gentle introduction to the subject by first addressing nutritional information and then building in molecular aspects, clearly establishing fundamental information for the reader - Facilitates reader comprehension by including succinct summary points in each chapter - Contains a glossary of definitions that allows readers to easily reference terms - Provides both a deep and broad understanding of the subject by containing overviews as well as detail-focused chapters

Insights to Neuroimmune Biology, Second Edition discusses the systemic regulatory network, coordination, organization, and interpretation of the rapidly accumulating knowledge on the topic of neuroimmune biology, with an ultimate goal of helping readers understand the function of higher organisms, including man, in their entire complexity. This publication provides assessments and interpretations of accumulated experimental evidence, enabling the scientific community to keep abreast of essential advancements of existing knowledge as we search for greater understanding of the biology of higher organisms. - Provides information on the importance and applicability of the field of neuroimmunology - Describes subjects that have shown significant recent developments - Introduces a whole new dimension to neuroimmunology by discussing Epigenetic Immunoregulation - Investigates the mechanisms and functions of the Neuroimmune Regulatory Supersystem - Promotes translational research in the field of neuroimmune biology - Covers challenges, such as dealing with problems of e.g., hypothalamic regulation of immune functions, interrelationships of stress and disease, epigenetic immunoregulation, neuroprotection, and neuroimmune regulation in pregnancy.

The number of new applications in need of database support is exploding and there is an increasing need to link and access database systems supporting these new applications via computer networks. End-users and non-computer experts are becoming heavily involved in the set-up, management and use of database systems and this book provides the important database design methodologies and implementation technology which should be available for them as well as for computer experts.

The sirtuin family of proteins (SIRT1-7) received a lot of attention in recent years as they serve as metabolic sensors that control not only metabolism, but also aging and lifespan regulation. As such, sirtuins are strong targets for the treatment of age-related metabolic diseases, including obesity, diabetes, and cancer. Indeed, many research groups as well as pharmaceutical companies discovered food components and/or drugs that target the sirtuins and provide significant health benefits. This book focuses on various aspects of sirtuin biology, from basic biochemistry, via molecular function, to its role in (fighting) human disease.

Cardiology Science and Technology comprehensively deals with the science and biomedical engineering formulations of cardiology. As a textbook, it addresses the teaching, research, and clinical aspects of cardiovascular medical engineering and computational cardiology. The books consists of two sections. The first section deals with left ventricular

Early Vascular Aging (EVA): New Directions in Cardiovascular Protection brings together the last decade of research related to the characterization of EVA, as well as the predictive power of pulse wave velocity (PWV). The book presents a novel approach to the problem of cardiovascular disease, showing it in relation to great vessels disease and revealing a comprehensive approach to the problem of increased rigidity of the great vessels, its causes, and further consequences. Information provided is accompanied by online access to a supplemental website with video clips of anatomic specimens, cardiac imaging, and surgical procedures. - Introduces the latest information on early vascular aging (EVA), complete with summaries of recent evidence and guidelines for relevant risk factor control - Ideal reference for the study of vascular aging, pulse wave velocity, arteriosclerosis, EVA, arterial stiffness, vascular, PWV biomarkers, and cardiovascular disease - Contains all the relevant information available from different fields of knowledge (from basic biology to epidemiology) in regard to EVA - Provides evidence that leads to a new target for interventions, early vascular aging (EVA) in subjects with early onset increased arterial stiffness - Includes online access to a supplemental website with video clips of anatomic specimens, cardiac imaging, and surgical procedures

Menorrhagia is defined as heavy menstrual loss. Its main determinant of management is the impact of menorrhagia on the woman's quality of life. This book examines the history of menorrhagia, which should elucidate the temporal aspects of the heavy menstrual blood loss and may shed light on the etiology of menorrhagia. The authors further provide instructions on how to examine and treat women with menorrhagia. Furthermore, the book outlines a diagnostic approach and concentrates on different therapies like combined oral contraceptive pills in contrast with surgical management. With an effective treatment management, it is possible to better achieve the diagnostics of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) although areas that need further research are highlighted. The clinical use of NF-kappaB (NF-kB) inhibitors, which play an important role in the regulation of the amount of menstrual bleeding and pain are also explored. In addition to menorrhagia, the authors of this book examine dysmenorrhea, pain associated with menstruation. It is also the most prevalent symptom in women with the painful condition of endometriosis. Ilaria Erasmo and Simone Ferrero examine the types of therapy for endometriosis-related dysmenorrhea and the various hormonal treatments shown to effectively and safely relieve pain, which they argue should be based on the preference of the patients, on the incidence of adverse effects and on the costs of treatment.

Following the burst of the “economic bubble” in the 1990s, many Japanese companies were required to reform their management systems. Changes in corporate governance were widely discussed during that decade in studies on “Japanese management.” These discussions have resulted in little progress, however, since Americanization became the dominant discourse concerning governance and the management system. There have been few studies conducted from an academic point of view on the internal aspects of organizations that practice traditional Japanese management theory.This book examines how, and the degree to which, the development of market principles accompanying the advances of globalization has affected the traditional Japanese system. It focuses on four aspects of corporate management: management institutions, strategy, organization, and human resource management. The aggregation of the new management system in Japanese companies is regarded as a distinctive Japanese-style system of management. With emphasis on these four aspects, research was conducted on the basic structure of that system, following changes in the market,technology, and society. Further, specific functions of the basic structure of the Japanese-style management system were studied. Those findings are included here, along with a discussion and analysis of the direction of future changes.

Pseudo-reductive groups arise naturally in the study of general smooth linear algebraic groups over non-perfect fields and have many important applications. This monograph provides a comprehensive treatment of the theory of pseudo-reductive groups and gives their classification in a usable form. In this second edition there is new material on relative root systems and Tits systems for general smooth affine groups, including the extension to quasi-reductive groups of famous simplicity results of Tits in the semisimple case. Chapter 9 has been completely rewritten to describe and classify pseudo-split absolutely pseudo-simple groups with a non-reduced root system over arbitrary fields of characteristic 2 via the useful new notion of'minimal type'for pseudo-reductive groups. Researchers and graduate students working in related areas, such as algebraic geometry, algebraic group theory, or number theory will value this book, as it develops tools likely to be used in tackling other problems.

Information acquisition and management has always had a profound impact on societal and organizational progression. However, as computing dramatically advances the level of intelligence associated with management technologies, the breadth of their dispersal, and ultimately the impact of the information itself, the utilization and management of information science and technology also gains profound importance. This change-driven environment creates a critical need for a comprehensive, up-to-date reference encompassing the full range of concepts, issues, methods, technologies, and trends associated with the field. The Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition is a 10-volume compilation of authoritative, research-based articles contributed by thousands of researchers and experts from all over the world. This discipline-defining encyclopedia will serve research needs in numerous fields that are affected by the rapid pace and substantial impact of technological change. With an emphasis on modern issues and the presentation of potential opportunities, prospective solutions, and future directions in the field, it is a relevant and essential addition to any academic library's reference collection.

This book is an overview of our current understanding of aluminium toxicity and tolerance in plants. It covers all relevant aspects from molecular and cellular biology, to genetic approaches, root biology and plant physiology. The contribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to alleviating aluminium toxicity is also discussed. Over 40% of total agricultural land resources are acidic in nature, with aluminium being the major toxicant. Plant roots are particularly susceptible to aluminium stress, but much of the complex mechanism underlying its toxicity and tolerance is unknown and aluminium stress perception in plants remains poorly understood. The diverse facets of aluminium stress adaptation covered in this book are relevant to plant biology students at all levels, as well researchers and it provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of plant adaptation to the changing environment.

This periodical edition includes peer-reviewed scientific and engineering papers on all aspects of research in the area of nanoscience and nanotechnologies and wide practical application of the achieved results.

ICSCRM 2015Selected, peer reviewed papers from the 16th International Conference on Silicon Carbide and Related Materials, October 4-9, 2015, Giardini Naxos, Italy

Uncovering and analyzing data associated with the current business environment is essential in maintaining a competitive edge. As such, making informed decisions based on this data is crucial to managers across industries. Integration of Data Mining in Business Intelligence Systems investigates the incorporation of data mining into business technologies used in the decision making process. Emphasizing cutting-edge research and relevant concepts in data discovery and analysis, this book is a comprehensive reference source for policymakers, academicians, researchers, students, technology developers, and professionals interested in the application of data mining techniques and practices in business information systems.

Hypoparathyroidism, a condition in which insufficient parathyroid hormone (PTH) is produced to maintain normocalcemia is associated with a variety of acute and chronic symptoms and complications due to hypocalcemia. Replacement therapy utilizing PTH has long been awaited, and this book is new and very timely as it coincides with the publication of results on the role of the PTH molecule in the pharmacological management of this disorder. This advance is sparking renewed interest in hypoparathyroidism, which is attributable to neck surgery in most cases and to inherited disorders in a minority.Hypoparathyroidism has been written by acknowledged experts in the field and provides essential, up-to-date information on the pathology, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition. It opens by addressing in detail the anatomy and physiology of the parathyroids and describing the epidemiology and clinical presentation of hypoparathyroidism. The full range of hypoparathyroid disorders are then discussed, including the various genetic forms, postoperative hypoparathyroidism, and other forms of acquired hypoparathyroidism. Individual chapters focus on refractory disease, the impact of the condition on bone, and the management of acute hypocalcemia. Both conventional treatment for hypoparathyroidism and the novel replacement therapy with PTH peptides are then thoroughly examined. Pseudohypoparathyroidism is also extensively discussed, with information on the various forms, differential diagnosis, and genetic testing. This book will be of interest to all endocrinologists, and also to surgeons and internal medicine physicians.

The main focus of this volume is on the problem of describing the automorphism groups of affine and projective varieties, a classical subject in algebraic geometry where, in both cases, the automorphism group is often infinite dimensional. The collection covers a wide range of topics and is intended for researchers in the fields of classical algebraic geometry and birational geometry (Cremona groups) as well as affine geometry with an emphasis on algebraic group actions and automorphism groups. It presents original research and surveys and provides a valuable overview of the current state of the art in these topics.Bringing together specialists from projective, birational algebraic geometry and affine and complex algebraic geometry, including Mori theory and algebraic group actions, this book is the result of ensuing talks and discussions from the conference “Groups of Automorphisms in Birational and Affine Geometry” held in October 2012, at the CIRM, Levico Terme, Italy. The talks at the conference highlighted the close connections between the above-mentioned areas and promoted the exchange of knowledge and methods from adjacent fields.

Acclaimed for its unsurpassed readability and manageable scope, Ashcraft's Pediatric Surgery presents authoritative, practical guidance on treating the entire range of general surgical and urological problems in infants, children, and adolescents. State-of-the-art, expert coverage equips you to implement all the latest approaches and achieve optimal outcomes for all of your patients. Consult this title on your favorite e-reader, conduct rapid searches, and adjust font sizes for optimal readability. Make the most effective use of today's best open and minimally invasive techniques, including single-site umbilical laparoscopic surgery, with guidance from internationally recognized experts in the field. Focus on evidence-based treatments and outcomes to apply today's best practices. Stay current with timely topics thanks to brand-new chapters on Choledochal Cyst and Gallbladder Disease, Tissue Engineering, and Ethics in Pediatric Surgery, plus comprehensive updates throughout. Hone and expand your surgical skills by watching videos of minimally invasive procedures for recto urethral fistula, biliary atresia, laparoscopic splenectomy, uterine horn, and more. Grasp the visual nuances of surgery from over 1,000 images depicting today's best surgical practices.

Learn to reduce joint pain and inflammation—while avoiding surgery and medication—with this proven eight-week program!In this groundbreaking book, leading orthopedic surgeon and former NFL player Richard Diana, M.D., applies his unique experience and training to tackle the problem of joint pain. Dr. Diana draws on cutting-edge research to provide a comprehensive eight-week program proven to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and rejuvenate your joints at the cellular level.THIS VOLUME INCLUDES: • An accessible overview of the science behind joint pain and inflammation• Which delicious foods reduce inflammation• Simple exercises tailored to your ability• The right supplements to help increase your mobility

The high breakdown field from WBG materials allows the construction of unipolar devices with very low specific chip resistance mainly characterized by very low conduction and switching losses, even at high blocking voltages. Suitable concepts for SiC and GaN range from traditional FET structures driven by a MOS interface or a PN-Junction, bipolar devices and even high-electron mobility transistors (HEMT). A detailed revision of the literature will be performed in this work with the objective of providing a broad overview of possible approaches, along with inherent advantages and limitations. In addition to this, a benchmarking of several SiC-based devices technologies rated for 1200V and 1700V will be performed against their state-of-the-art Silicon-counterparts. Concerning the application of wide band gap devices in renewable energy systems, a significant cost reduction potential can be obtained due to smaller expenditure with magnetic filters and cooling, alongside higher efficiency levels. These aspects will be discussed in details in order to identify constraints and bottlenecks at application level with special focus on photovoltaic and wind power systems.

The general theme of MEDICON 2013 is'Research and Development of Technology for Sustainable Healthcare'. This decade is being characterized by the appearance and use of emergent technologies under development. This situation has produced a tremendous impact on Medicine and Biology from which it is expected an unparalleled evolution in these disciplines towards novel concept and practices. The consequence will be a significant improvement in health care and well-fare, i.e. the shift from a reactive medicine to a preventive medicine. This shift implies that the citizen will play an important role in the healthcare delivery process, what requires a comprehensive and personalized assistance. In this context, society will meet emerging media, incorporated to all objects, capable of providing a seamless, adaptive, anticipatory, unobtrusive and pervasive assistance. The challenge will be to remove current barriers related to the lack of knowledge required to produce new opportunities for all the society, while new paradigms are created for this inclusive society to be socially and economically sustainable, and respectful with the environment. In this way, these proceedings focus on the convergence of biomedical engineering topics ranging from formalized theory through experimental science and technological development to practical clinical applications.

Der Übergang der Calciumantagonisten in die zweite und dritte Generation macht eine genaue Bestandsaufnahme des experimentellen und klinischen Stellenwertes ihres Wirkprinzips erforderlich.Das vorliegende Buch bietet das gesicherte Wissen von der Grundlagenforschung bis zur angewandten klinischen Forschung mit dem Ziel, das handlungsrelevante Know-how für den klinischen Einsatz der Calciumantagonisten zu vermitteln.

Three days in Madison have thoroughly modified my view on clostridial neurotoxins. While still realizing the numerous activating, modifying and protective inputs, I cannot judge the meaningfulness of the meeting impartially. Neither may the reader expect a complete summary of all presentations. Collected in this volume, they speak for themselves without requiring an arbiter. Instead I shall write down my very personal opinions as a researcher who has studied clostridial neurotoxins for nearly 25 years. Comparable conferences have been rare during this time. A comprehensive symposium 4 on C. botulinum neurotoxins has been organized at Ft. Detrick. International conferences on tetanus have been held regularly under the auspices of the Wodd Health Organization. One or maximally two days of these meetings have been devoted to tetanus toxin and its actions whereas the sponsor and the majority of the participants have been interested mainly in epidemiology, prevention and treatment of tetanus as a disease (see refs. 5,6). Some aspects of clostridial neurotoxins have been addressed in the context of bacterial toxins, in particular in the biennial European workshops. 1-3,7,8 The Madison meeting differed from the previous ones in three aspects. First, it covered both tetanus and botulinum neurotoxins. The fusion was justified because of their huge similarities in primary structure, in their mode of action and in their cellular targets. Second, the meeting was not limited to toxins but drew some lines on which modern neurobiology might proceed.

Enterprises have to react instantly to changing market conditions and disturbances that occur during execution of value creation processes. Depending upon the processes'context, the goal is to significantly reduce lead times, reaction times, and time-to-market, among others. The vision of a real-time enterprise (RTE), which is able to sense and analyze events from internal and external sources, and perform adequate (re-)actions, has been envisaged by manufacturing enterprises. Daniel Metz presents a framework based on EDA and CEP towards the realization of RTE in manufacturing. The framework closes the vertical integration gap, and further, establishes feedback in (near) real-time among enterprise levels. As such, the framework provides a holistic and closed-loop control of (manufacturing) processes, and encompasses results and insights from management, engineering, and computer science. The framework has been implemented for a small and medium sized foundry in Germany. The developed control approach has led to a significant increase in (manufacturing) processes'efficiency (i.e., performance, quality, and availability).

The Database and Expert Systems Applications - DEXA - conferences are dedi­ cated to providing an international forum for the presentation of applications in the database and expert systems field, for the exchange of ideas and experiences, and for defining requirements for the future systems in these fields. After the very promising DEXA 90 in Vienna, Austria, we hope to have successfully established wjth this year's DEXA 91 a stage where scientists from diverse fields interested in application-oriented research can present and discuss their work. This year there was a total of more than 250 submitted papers from 28 different countries, in all continents. Only 98 of the papers could be accepted. The collection of papers in these proceedings offers a cross-section of the issues facing the area of databases and expert systems, i.e., topics of basic research interest on one hand and questions occurring when developing applications on the other. Major credit for the success of the conference goes to all of our colleagues who submitted papers for consideration and to those who have organized and chaired the panel sessions. Many persons contributed numerous hours to organize this conference. The names of most of them will appear on the following pages. In particular we wish to thank the Organization Committee Chairmen Johann Gordesch, A Min Tjoa, and Roland Wag­ ner, who also helped establishing the program. Special thanks also go to Gabriella Wagner and Anke Ruckert. Dimitris Karagiannis General Conference Chairman Contents Conference Committee.

5. 2. Distinction between thick- and thin-film devices.................... 109 5. 3. I-V Characteristics................................................................................. 112 5. 3. 1. Threshold voltage................................................................... 11 2 5. 3. 2. Body effecL................................................................................ 1 1 8 5. 3. 3. Short-channel effects............................................................ 120 5. 3. 4. Output characteristics........................................................... 1 24 5. 4. Transconductance and mobility....................................................... 129 5. 4. 1 Transconductance.................................................................... 129 5. 4. 2. Mobility....................................................................................... 130 5. 5. Subthreshold slope................................................................................. 132 5. 6. Impact ionization and high-field effects...................................... 13 9 5. 6. 1. Kink effecL................................................................................. 1 39 5. 6. 2. Hot-electron degradation..................................................... 143 5. 7. Parasitic bipolar effects....................................................................... 145 5. 7. 1. Anomalous subthreshold slope......................................... 1 45 5. 7. 2. Reduced drain breakdown voltage.................................. 14 7 5. 8. Accumulation-mode p-channel MOSFET....................................... 14 9 CHAPTER 6 - Other SOl Devices............................................................................. 1 5 9 6. 1. Non-conventional devices adapted from bulk........................... 159 6. 1. 1. COMFET........................................................................................ 160 6. 1. 2. High-voltage lateral MOSFET.............................................. 1 6 1 6. 1. 3. PIN photodiode........................................................................ 162 6. 1. 4. JFET............................................................................................... 163 6. 2. Novel SOl devices................................................................................... 164 6. 2. 1. Lubistor..............................................................

Silicon on Insulator is more than a technology, more than a job, and more than a venture in microelectronics; it is something different and refreshing in device physics. This book recalls the activity and enthu­ siasm of our SOl groups. Many contributing students have since then disappeared from the SOl horizon. Some of them believed that SOl was the great love of their scientific lives; others just considered SOl as a fantastic LEGO game for adults. We thank them all for kindly letting us imagine that we were guiding them. This book was very necessary to many people. SOl engineers will certainly be happy: indeed, if the performance of their SOl components is not always outstanding, they can now safely incriminate the relations given in the book rather than their process. Martine, Gunter, and Y. S. Chang can contemplate at last the amount of work they did with the figures. Our SOl accomplices already know how much we borrowed from their expertise and would find it indecent to have their detailed contri­ butions listed. Jean-Pierre and Dimitris incited the book, while sharing their experience in the reliability of floating bodies. Our families and friends now realize the SOl capability of dielectrically isolating us for about two years in a BOX. Our kids encouraged us to start writing. Our wives definitely gave us the courage to stop writing. They had a hard time fighting the symptoms of a rapidly developing SOl allergy.

As we began to plan this book about 10 years ago, we wanted to write a practical book for medical students, doctors in training, internists, gas­ and surgeons faced with everyday clinical problems in troenterologists, the care of patients with acute and chronic pancreatitis. Now, 10 years lat­ er, our book has become much more than what we had originally intend­ ed, with so many new findings that have expanded our knowledge of pancreatic diseases, not to mention new imaging procedures and con­ trolled studies on the effectiveness of various therapies. Consequently, we decided to include: • The state-of-the-art on diagnosis and therapy in inflammatory pan­ creatic diseases • Recommendations for diagnosis and therapy based on the published results from experienced clinicians. In the many areas still untested we have relied on the decades of experience of the two authors on both sides of the Atlantic • A discussion of unanswered questions for future research by physi­ cians interested in pancreatitis who can draw upon our bibliography of almost 1900 references complete through 1996. We also wanted to demonstrate with this work that two authors from two continents can come to common conclusions that can help physicians and students in their everyday clinical work and their clinical research. It is with deep gratitude that we acknowledge the assistance of Mrs. Gisela Ropte for years of patient cooperation, great precision, and initia­ tive, as well as that of Dr. Dr.

In 1996, for its 24th scientific meeting, the International Society on Oxygen Trans­ port to Tissue made its third visit to the United Kingdom. The previous two meetings were held in Cambridge in 1977 and 1986, but this was the first meeting to be held'north of the border'in Scotland. It was attended by some 186 delegates and accompanying persons and there were 128 presentations. The venue was the West Park Centre, the University of Dundee's residential conference centre, and ISOTT was only the second major meeting to be held there using the new Villa accommodation. Dundee's slogan is'City of Discovery'since it became the permanent home of the Royal Research Ship Discovery which was built in the city and was used by Captain Scott on his first ex­ pedition to the Antarctic. The ISOTT meeting also fulfilled its promise of being a meeting of dis­ covery with sessions on all aspects of oxygen transport to tissue. The inclusion of a session on oxygen transport in vascular disease reflected the interests of the local participants. All of the manuscripts were reviewed both for their scientific and editorial accept­ ability and in some 50% of cases, revisions were requested from the authors. Some manu­ scripts were ultimately rejected. However, in view of the importance of producing the Proceedings as quickly as possible it is possible that some minor errors may have slipped through, for which the editors apologise.

This book is based on an international meeting organized by the University of Tokyo and the University of Rochester, and is published as one belonging to the series of Rochester International Conferences in Environmental Toxicity. The meeting on'Advances in Mercury Toxicology'was held at the University of Tokyo on August 1 to 3, 1990. The invited papers are published in this book along with an'Overview'chapter that was written by the editors at a meeting held at the University of Rochester on August 1 to 2, 1991. The purpose of the meeting was to assemble leading scientists to discuss their most recent findings on the toxicology of mercury. The time was opportune. Considerable progress has been made on the environmental fate and toxicology of mercury. Recent findings have given new insight into the global model for mercury. Transport in the atmosphere extends great distances resulting in pollution of lakes and rivers far distant from the source of mercury release. The process of methylation leads to accumulation of methylmercury in fish and thus in the human diet. New evidence indicates that acid rain and the impoundment of water for hydroelectric purposes affects the methylation and bioaccumulation processes resulting in higher levels of methylmercury in fish.

Silicon-on-Insulator Technology: Materials to VLSI, 2nd Edition describes the different facets of SOI technology. SOI chips are now commercially available and SOI wafer manufacturers have gone public. SOI has finally made it out of the academic world and is now a big concern for every major semiconductor company. SOI technology has indeed deserved serious recognition: high-temperature (400°C), extremely rad-hard (500 Mrad(Si)), high-density (16 Mb, 0.9-volt DRAM), high-speed (several GHz) and low-voltage (0.5 V) SOI circuits have been demonstrated. Strategic choices in favor of the use of SOI for low-voltage, low-power portable systems have been made by several major semiconductor manufacturers. Silicon-on-Insulator Technology: Materials to VLSI, 2nd Edition presents a complete and state-of-the-art review of SOI materials, devices and circuits. SOI fabrication and characterization techniques, SOI device processing, the physics of the SOI MOSFET as well as that of SOI other devices, and the performances of SOI circuits are discussed in detail. The SOI specialist will find this book invaluable as a source of compiled references covering the different aspects of SOI technology. For the non-specialist, the book serves as an excellent introduction to the topic with detailed, yet simple and clear explanations. Silicon-on-Insulator Technology: Materials to VLSI, 2nd Edition is recommended for use as a textbook for classes on semiconductor device processing and physics. The level of the book is appropriate for teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Silicon-on-Insulator Technology: Materials to VLSI, 2nd Edition includes the new materials, devices, and circuit concepts which have been devised since the publication of the first edition. The circuit sections, in particular, have been updated to present the performances of SOI devices for low-voltage, low-powerapplications, as well as for high-temperature, smart-power, and DRAM applications. The other sections, such as those describing SOI materials, the physics of the SOI MOSFET and other devices have been updated to present the state of the art in SOI technology.

Object-oriented database management systems (OODBMSs) have generated significant excitement in the database community in the last decade. This interest stems from a real need for data management support for what are called'advanced application areas'that are not well-served by relational technology. The case for object-oriented technology has been made on three fronts. First is the data modeling requirements of the new applications. Some of the more important shortcomings of the relational systems in meeting the requirements of these applications include: 1. Relational systems deal with a single object type: a relation. A relation is used to model different real-world objects, but the semantics of this association is not part of the database. Furthermore, the attributes of a relation may come only from simple and fixed data type domains (numeric, character, and, sometimes, date types). Advanced applications require explicit storage and manipulation of more abstract types (e.g., images, design documents) and the ability for the users to define their own application-specific types. Therefore, a rich type system supporting user­ defined abstract types is required. 2. The relational model structures data in a relatively simple and flat manner. Non­ traditional applications require more complex object structures with nested objects (e.g., a vehicle object containing an engine object).

Device and Circuit Cryogenic Operation for Low Temperature Electronics is a first in reviewing the performance and physical mechanisms of advanced devices and circuits at cryogenic temperatures that can be used for many applications. The first two chapters cover bulk silicon and SOI MOSFETs. The electronic transport in the inversion layer, the influence of impurity freeze-out, the special electrical properties of SOI structures, the device reliability and the interest of a low temperature operation for the ultimate integration of silicon down to nanometer dimensions are described. The next two chapters deal with Silicon-Germanium and III-V Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors, as well as III-V High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT). The basic physics of the SiGe HBT and its unique cryogenic capabilities, the optimization of such bipolar devices, and the performance of SiGe HBT BiCMOS technology at liquid nitrogen temperature are examined. The physical effects in III-V semiconductors at low temperature, the HEMT and HBT static, high frequency and noise properties, and the comparison of various cooled III-V devices are also addressed. The next chapter treats quantum effect devices made of silicon materials. The major quantum effects at low temperature, quantum wires, quantum dots as well as single electron devices and applications are investigated. The last chapter overviews the performances of cryogenic circuits and their applications. The low temperature properties and performance of inverters, multipliers, adders, operational amplifiers, memories, microprocessors, imaging devices, circuits and systems, sensors and read-out circuits are analyzed. Device and Circuit Cryogenic Operation for Low Temperature Electronics is useful for researchers, engineers, Ph.D. and M.S. students working in the field of advanced electron devices and circuits, new semiconductor materials, and low temperature electronics and physics.