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This book highlights a comprehensive coverage of X­‐ray and Gamma‐ray astrophysics. The first and the second parts discuss, respectively, X-ray and Gamma-ray experimental techniques and observatories. The third part is devoted to science, including galactic and extragalactic sources. The fourth and last parts are dedicated to analysis techniques in X-ray and Gamma-ray astronomy: spectral analysis, imagining analysis, timing analysis, and polarimetric analysis. Presenting the state of the art in X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy, this is both a valuable book for students and an important reference resource for researchers in the field.

Alle chirurgisch relevanten Erkrankungen des Dünn- und Dickdarms und des Analbereichs sowie Hernien- und Milzchirurgie und weitere allgemeinchirurgische Themen sind systematisch mit Schwerpunkten auf dem diagnostischen Vorgehen, der Therapieplanung und -durchführung und dem perioperativen Management beschrieben. Experten aus dem ganzen deutschsprachigen Raum haben mit ihrem Wissen zu dem Buch beigetragen. Das Buch ist ein Teil des vierbändigen Werkes'Springer Reference Viszeral- und Allgemeinchirurgie', herausgegeben von M. E. Kreis, D. K. Bartsch und H. Lang. Parallel zur gedruckten Ausgabe erscheint auch eine online-Version des Gesamtwerks, die als Live Reference-Ausgabe kontinuierlich aktualisiert wird.

This book is an in-depth examination of the current state of the art and new advances in prostate cancer care and offers a fresh perspective with insights from Africa. At its core, the book tackles pivotal questions such as the mechanisms behind prostate cancer development, the significance of early detection, and how diagnostic advancements can lead to personalized treatment plans. It delves into genomic discoveries that are paving the way for targeted therapies and examines how immunotherapy is reshaping treatment paradigms. Furthermore, it explores surgical innovations and the role of radiopharmaceuticals in advancing prostate cancer management. The discussion extends to integrative care models that emphasize holistic patient well-being and strategies for enhancing survivorship. Unique about this book is that the authors provide insights from Africa into the prevalence and management of prostate cancer and place this in a global context. Aimed at healthcare professionals involved in oncology and prostate cancer research, including physicians, nurses and medical researchers, this book serves as an indispensable guide to the basic biological concepts of prostate cancer and its treatment in the clinic.

This edited volume provides mental health clinicians with knowledge to effectively work with current and former first responders. It provides strategies on how to best develop and adapt clinical assessment procedures and therapeutic interventions to better meet the unique needs found in these settings. Chapters synthesize existing literature to introduce the reader to profession-specific factors issues that exist in these contexts and describe the challenges that can present when working with police, firefighters, EMS, emergency communications operators, crime scene investigators, and corrections personnel. The book covers a range of topics that clinicians and trainees need to understand the relevant issues, develop effective treatment plans, and deliver appropriate psychological services in public safety settings. First Responder Mental Health: A Clinician's Guide will be essential reading for mental health professionals working with first responders, as well as those in training.

This encyclopedia, representing one of the most multi-disciplinary areas of research, is a comprehensive examination of the key areas in animal cognition and behavior. It will serve as a complementary resource to the handbooks and journals that have emerged in the last decade on this topic, and will be a useful resource for student and researcher alike. With comprehensive coverage of this field, key concepts will be explored. These include social cognition, prey and predator detection, habitat selection, mating and parenting, development, genetics, physiology, memory, learning and perception. Attention is also given to animal-human co-evolution and interaction, and animal welfare. All entries are under the purview of acknowledged experts in the field.

This practical handbook provides a clearly structured, concise and comprehensive account of the huge variety of atmospheric and related measurements relevant to meteorologists and for the purpose of weather forecasting and climate research, but also to the practitioner in the wider field of environmental physics and ecology. The Springer Handbook of Atmospheric Measurements is divided into six parts: The first part offers instructive descriptions of the basics of atmospheric measurements and the multitude of their influencing factors, fundamentals of quality control and standardization, as well as equations and tables of atmospheric, water, and soil quantities. The subsequent parts present classical in-situ measurements as well as remote sensing techniques from both ground-based as well as airborn or satellite-based methods. The next part focusses on complex measurements and methods that integrate different techniques to establish more holistic data. Brief discussions of measurements in soils and water, at plants, in urban and rural environments and for renewable energies demonstrate the potential of such applications. The final part provides an overview of atmospheric and ecological networks. Written by distinguished experts from academia and industry, each of the 64 chapters provides in-depth discussions of the available devices with their specifications, aspects of quality control, maintenance as well as their potential for the future. A large number of thoroughly compiled tables of physical quantities, sensors and system characteristics make this handbook a unique, universal and useful reference for the practitioner and absolutely essential for researchers, students, and technicians.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Human Mental Workload: Models and Applications, H-WORKLOAD 2019, held in Rome, Italy, in November 2019.The volume presents one keynote paper as well as 14 revised full papers, which were carefully reviewed and selected from 32 submissions. The papers are organized in two topical sections on models and applications.

By far, the most widely used subjects in psychological and biological research today are rodents. Although rats and mice comprise the largest group of animals used in research, there are over 2,000 species and 27 families of rodents, living all over the world (except Antarctica) and thriving in many different habitat types. The vast environmental diversity that rodents face has led to numerous adaptations for communication, including vocalizing and hearing in both the sonic and ultrasonic ranges, effectively communicating in the open air and underground, and using vocalizations for coordinating sexual behavior, for mother-pup interactions, and for signaling an alarming situation to the group. Some rodent species have even developed foot drumming behaviors for communication. Comparative studies from around the globe, using both field and laboratory methodologies, reveal the vast differences in acoustic communication behavior across many rodent species. Some rodents are amenable to training and have been domesticated and bred purely for research purposes. Since the early 1900s, rats and mice have been indispensable to research programs around the world. Thus, much of what we know about hearing and vocalizations in rodents come from these two species tested in the laboratory. The sequencing of the mouse genome in 2002, followed by the rat genome in 2004, only increased the utility of these animals as research subjects since genetically engineered strains mimicking human diseases and disorders could be developed more easily. In the laboratory, rats and mice are used as models for human communication and hearing disorders and are involved in studies on hearing loss and prevention, hormones, and auditory plasticity, to name a few. We know that certain strains of mice retain hearing better than others throughout their lifespan, and about the genes involved in those differences. We know about the effects of noise, hormones, sex, aging, and circadian rhythms on hearing in mice and other rodents. We also know about normal hearing in many families of rodents, including the perception of simple and complex stimuli and the anatomy and physiology of hearing and sound localization.The importance of acoustic communication to these animals, as well as the significance of these mammals to biomedical research, are summarized in the chapters.

This book integrates the different prospective, scientific and practical experience of researchers as well as beneficiaries and stakeholders in the field of forest conservation in Southeast Europe. The book stresses the importance of improving the adaptability of these ecosystems to the impacts of climate change. Gathered around a common idea, the book presents the latest results in forest genetic resources conservation at national and regional level. The chapters are written by experts from: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYR Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. The book presents the current state, legal and institutional framework for conservation and management of forest genetic resources, case studies and best practices in the application of different conservation methods and techniques (in situ and ex situ) as well as climate change aspects in this area. This book will be of particular interest to scientists and experts in the field of forestry, environmental protection and rural development, bachelor, master and doctoral students, as well as for anyone interested in the conservation issues fuelled by ethical and economic motives.

This book presents evidence-based criteria to systematically assess the appropriate use of medical imaging in the emergency department and other acute care settings. ​Over the last decade, there have been profound changes in the diagnostic testing and work-up of patients presenting to the emergency department with emergent symptoms. One of the most far-reaching changes has been the increased availability, speed, and accuracy of imaging due, in part, to technical improvements in imaging modalities such as CT, MR, and PET. Although the use of high-end imaging has plateaued in general, increased utilization continues in the ED. These patients are more acutely ill and there is additional pressure to make an accurate diagnosis as quickly as possible to facilitate prompt disposition or treatment. There is also strong evidence for the beneficial use of imaging in the emergency setting that results in improved patient outcomes. This book answers that need by providing protocols and guidelines for neuroradiological, cardiothoracic, abdominal and pelvic, musculoskeletal, and pediatric imaging are reviewed in terms of the available imaging modalities, diagnostic criteria, and treatment options. Distinguished by its unique focus on evidence-based emergency imaging in adults, children, and special populations, this book is a unique resource for radiologists, emergency medicine physicians, and physicians in other specialties who need to be informed about the most appropriate uses of diagnostic imaging in the emergency care setting.

Biodiversity observation systems are almost everywhere inadequate to meet local, national and international (treaty) obligations. As a result of alarmingly rapid declines in biodiversity in the modern era, there is a strong, worldwide desire to upgrade our monitoring systems, but little clarity on what is actually needed and how it can be assembled from the elements which are already present. This book intends to provide practical guidance to broadly-defined biodiversity observation networks at all scales, but predominantly the national scale and higher. This is a practical how-to book with substantial policy relevance. It will mostly be used by technical specialists with a responsibility for biodiversity monitoring to establish and refine their systems. It is written at a technical level, but one that is not discipline-bound: it should be intelligible to anyone in the broad field with a tertiary education.

This book provides the latest recommendations for ultrasound examination of the entire urogenital system, particularly in the male. The coverage encompasses the role of ultrasound in imaging of disorders of the kidneys, urinary tract, prostate, seminal vesicles, bladder, testes, and penis, including male infertility disorders. In addition, detailed consideration is given to intraoperative and interventional ultrasound and recently developed ultrasound techniques. Each chapter defines the purpose of and indications for ultrasound, identifies its benefits and limitations, specifies the technological standards for devices, outlines performance of the investigation, establishes the expected accuracy for differential diagnosis, and indicates the reporting method. Most of the recommendations are based on review of the literature, on previous recommendations, and on the opinions of the experts of the Imaging Working Group of the Italian Society of Urology (SIU) and the Italian Society ofUltrasound in Urology, Andrology, and Nephrology (SIEUN). The book will be of value for all physicians involved in the first-line evaluation of diseases of the renal/urinary system and male genital disorders.

This text provides a comprehensive review of pathophysiology, molecular and cell biology aspects of CRPC, discusses all major clinical trials that have led to approval of 6 new drugs since 2004, explores the role of bone preservation strategies, in depth analysis of combination and sequencing strategies, outlines upcoming novel drugs and trends in research, and stresses the role of palliative care in this incurable disease. Managing Metastatic Prostate Cancer in Your Urological Oncology Practice will serve as a very useful resource for physicians and researchers dealing with, and interested in prostate cancer. It provides a concise yet comprehensive summary of the current status of the field that will help guide patient management and stimulate investigative efforts. All chapters are written by experts in their fields and will include the most up to date scientific and clinical information.

This breakthrough volume brings together cultural neuroscience and intercultural relations in an expansive presentation. Its selected topics in reasoning, memory, and other key cognitive areas bridge the neuroscience behind culture-related phenomena with the complex social processes involved in seeing the world through the perspective of others. Coverage ranges beyond the familiar paradigms of acculturation and cultural differences to propose new ideas of potential benefit to the new generation of immigrants, negotiators, executives, and other travelers. Taken together, these chapters offer a deeper understanding of issues that can only become more important as the world becomes smaller and our global family larger. Among the topics featured: Intergroup relationship and empathy for others'pain: a social neuroscience approach.The neuroscience of bilingualism: cross-linguistic influences and cognitive effects.Cross-cultural reading the mind in the eyes and its consequences for international relations. Implications of behavioral and neuroscience research for cross-cultural training.Intercultural relations and the perceptual brain: a cognitive neuroscience perspective.How social dynamics shape our understanding of reality. With its elegant perspectives and empirical depth, Neuroscience in Intercultural Contexts is a forward-looking reference for researchers in the cultural sciences (cross-cultural psychologists, anthropologists, etc.) and in social, affective, and cognitive neuroscience.

The Psychology of Social Status outlines the foundational insights, key advances, and developments that have been made in the field thus far. The goal of this volume is to provide an in-depth exploration of the psychology of human status, by reviewing each of the major lines of theoretical and empirical work that have been conducted in this vein. Organized thematically, the volume covers the following areas: - An overview of several prominent overarching theoretical perspectives that have shaped much of the current research on social status. - Examination of the personality, demographic, situational, emotional, and cultural underpinnings of status attainment, addressing questions about why and how people attain status. - Identification of the intra- and inter-personal benefits and costs of possessing and lacking status.- Emerging research on the biological and bodily manifestation of status attainment- Abroad review of available research methods for measuring and experimentally manipulating social status ​A key component of this volume is its interdisciplinary focus. Research on social status cuts across a variety of academic fields, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, organizational science others; thus the chapter authors are drawn from a similarly wide-range of disciplines. Encompassing the current state of knowledge in a thriving and proliferating field, The Psychology of Social Status is a fascinating and comprehensive resource for researchers, students, policy-makers, and others interested in learning about the complex nature of social status, hierarchy, dominance, and power.

This book, now in its second edition, provides a comprehensive analysis of imaging of the kidneys, upper urinary tract, and ureters, covering the normal anatomy and anatomic variants as well as all renal and urinary system pathologies. The relevant imaging modalities are first discussed, with detailed description of their applications. The entire spectrum of kidney pathologies is then presented in a series of detailed chapters with up-to-date references, high-quality images, informative schemes, and figures showing macroscopic and microscopic surgical and pathologic specimens. Chapters relating to the latest innovations in tumor ablation, vascular and nonvascular interventional procedures, and parametric and molecular imaging have been updated to reflect progress in these rapidly evolving fields. This book will be of great interest to all radiologists, oncologists, nephrologists, and urologists who are involved in the management of kidney pathologies.

The first volume of Evolutionary Biology was published thirteen years ago. Since that time thirteen volumes and one supplement have appeared. As stated in earlier prefaces, we are continuing the focus of this series on critical reviews, commentaries, original papers, and controversies in evolu­ tionary biology. It is our aim to publish papers primarily of greater length than normally published by society journals and quarterlies. We therefore invite colleagues to submit chapters that fall within the focus and standards of Evolutionary Biology. The editors regretfully announce that Dr. William C. Steere has decided to withdraw from the editorial board of Evolutionary Biology. Dr. Ghillean T. Prance will replace Dr. Steere for forthcoming volumes. Manuscripts should be sent to anyone of the following: Max K. Hecht, Department of Biology, Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York 11367; Bruce Wallace, Department of Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850; Ghillean T. Prance, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York 10458. The Editors vii Contents 1. Some Relationships between Density-Independent Selection and Density-Dependent Population Growth Timothy Prout Introduction............................................. Part I. The Basic Model: Definitions, Assumptions, and Relationships.................................... 3 Part II. Biological Aspects........................ 10......... Introduction................................ 10........... The Biological Interpretation of the Model.............. 10.... Experimental and Observational Aspects............... 13.... Part III. Census-Stage Theory...................... 22........ Introduction................................ 22........... Two-Point Census...................................... 23 Three-Point Census: Classical Selection.................. 42... Summary of Two-and Three-Point Censuses............. 50... Part IV. Summary and Some Implications................ 52.... Summary.............................................. 52 Some Implications............................ 54.......... Appendix.................................. 59.............. References................................. 65..............

There are still heroes in science. They are recognized because the issues and problems they chose to study became the issues and problems of a major field of research. They are also recognized because their insights and solutions are the ones that are tested and evaluated when new ideas and technologies become available. In the field of plant evolutionary biology, the hero is George Ledyard Stebbins. His first scientific publi­ cation appeared in 1929 and has been followed by nearly 60 magnificent years of seminal ideas, proofs, and proposals that defined much of what was worth doing in plant biosystematics, evolution and biological conser­ vation. His energy, enthusiasm and good humor (widely shared at many congresses and symposia in the'Singalongs with Stebbins') made him a wonderful teacher for both undergraduates and graduate students. He is the mentor of several generations of botanists, plant geneticists and evo­ lutionists. A brief biography and publication list were included in Topics in Plant Population Biology, edited by Otto T. Solbrig, Subodh Jain, George Johnson and Peter Raven (Columbia University Press, 1979) which resulted from a symposium held on the occasion of Ledyard Stebbins'70th birthday. In this volume, population biology and physio­ logical ecology received major attention particularly in relation to plant form and function.

This volume is the result of a symposium entitled'Variation in Life Histories: Genetics and Evolutionary Processes'sponsored by the Program in Evolutionary Ecology and Behavior of the University of Iowa and held in Iowa City on October 13 and 14, 1980. Prompted by a recent upsurge of interest in the evolution of life histories, we chose this topic because of the obvious association between life history traits and Darwinian fit­ ness. If such an association were to be fruitfully investigated, it would require the closer cooperation of population and evolutionary ecologists and quantitative and population geneticists. To encourage such an association, our symposium had four major aims: first, to facilitate intellectual exchange across disciplines among an array of biologists studying life histories; second, to encourage exploration of genetic variance and covari­ ance for life history traits; third, to consider the ecological background for genetic vari­ ability; and finally, to facilitate a comparative overview both within and among species. Obviously such broad aims cannot be met totally in a single volume, but we think we have succeeded reasonably well in providing a representative and nourishing intel­ lectual feast. We see this book as a stimulus to the coordination of future efforts in an important and expanding area of inquiry. We have divided the book into six sections.

In a field of mature bananas, plants can be seen at all stages of vegetative growth and fruit maturity, providing a fascination for anyone who has an interest in growing crops. Banana farmers in the tropics can harvest fruit every day of the year. The absence of seasonality in production is an advantage, in that it provides a continuity of carbohydrate to meet dietary needs as well as a regular source of income, a feature that perhaps has been under-estimated by rural planners and agricultural strategists. The burgeoning interest in bananas in the last 20 years results from the belated realization that Musa is an under-exploited genus, notwithstanding the fact that one genetically narrow group, the Cavendish cultivars, supply a major export commodity second only to citrus in terms of the world fruit trade. International research interest in the diversity of fruit types has been slow to develop, presumably because bananas and plantains have hitherto been regarded as a reliable backyardsource of dessert fruit or starch supplying the needs of the household, and in this situation relatively untroubled by pests, diseases or agronomic problems.

Tropical climates, which occur between 23°30'N and S latitude (Jacob 1988), encompass a wide variety of plant communities (Hartshorn 1983, 1988), many of which are diverse in their woody floras. Within this geographic region, temperature and the amount and seasonality of rainfall define habitat types (UNESCO 1978). The F AO has estimated that there 1 are about 19 million km of potentially forested area in the global tropics, of which 58% were estimated to still be in closed forest in the mid-1970s (Sommers 1976; UNESCO 1978). Of this potentially forested region, 42% is categorized as dry forest lifezone, 33% is tropical moist forest, and 25% is wet or rain forest (Lugo 1988). The species diversity of these tropical habitats is very high. Raven (1976, in Mooney 1988) estimated that 65% of the 250,000 or more plant species of the earth are found in tropical regions. Of this floristic assemblage, a large fraction are woody species. In the well-collected tropical moist forest of Barro Colorado Island, Panama, 39. 7% (481 of 1212 species) of the native phanerogams are woody, arborescent species (Croat 1978). Another 21. 9% are woody vines and lianas. Southeast Asian Dipterocarp forests may contain 120-200 species of trees per hectare (Whitmore 1984), and recent surveys in upper Amazonia re­ corded from 89 to 283 woody species ~ 10 cm dbh per hectare (Gentry 1988). Tropical communities thus represent a global woody flora of significant scope.

Organisms and environment have evolved through modifying each other over millions of years. Humans appeared very late in this evolutionary time scale. With their superior brain attributes, humans emerged as the most dominating influence on the earth. Over the millennia, from simple hunter-food gatherers, humans developed the art of agriculture, domestication of animals, identification of medicinal plants, devising hunting and fishing techniques, house building, and making clothes. All these have been for better adjustment, growth, and survival in otherwise harsh and hostile surroundings and climate cycles of winter and summer, and dry and wet seasons. So humankind started experimenting and acting on ecological lines much before the art of reading, writing, or arithmetic had developed. Application of ecological knowledge led to development of agriculture, animal husbandry, medicines, fisheries, and so on. Modem ecology is a relatively young science and, unfortunately, there are so few books on applied ecology. The purpose of ecology is to discover the principles that govern relationships among plants, animals, microbes, and their total living and nonliving environmental components. Ecology, however, had remained mainly rooted in botany and zoology. It did not permeate hard sciences, engineering, or industrial technologies leading to widespread environmental degradation, pollution, and frequent episodes leading to mass deaths and diseases.

In the five years since the publication of Molecular Systematics of Plants, the field of molecular systematics has advanced at an astonishing pace. This period has been marked by a volume of new empirical data and advances in theoretical and analytical issues related to DNA. Comparative DNA sequencing, facilitated by the amplification of DNA via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), has become the tool of choice for molecular systematics. As a result, large portions of the Molecular Systematics of Plants have become outdated. Molecular Systematics of Plants II summarizes these recent achievements in plant molecular systematics. Like its predecessor, this completely revised work illustrates the potential of DNA markers for addressing a wide variety of phylogenetic and evolutionary questions. The volume provides guidance in choosing appropriate techniques, as well as appropriate genes for sequencing, for given levels of systematic inquiry. More than a review of techniques and previous work, Molecular Systematics of Plants II provides a stimulus for developing future research in this rapidly evolving field. Molecular Systematics of Plants II is not only written for systematists (faculty, graduate students, and researchers), but also for evolutionary biologists, botanists, and paleobotanists interested in reviewing current theory and practice in plant molecular systematics.

Biosystematic studies on the Rubiaceae have a long tradition at the Institute of Botany in Vienna. Within this family the Anthospermeae, and especially its African and Madagascan members, are of particular interest because of several aspects in their evolution: I) Perfection of anemophily within an otherwise nearly exclusively zoophilous family; 2) transitions from hermaphrodity to polygamy and finally dioecy; 3) differentiation from large and long-lived shrubs to short-lived herbs; 4) adaptive radiation from humid to seasonally dry, fire-exposed and xeric habitats. However, morphological diversity linked to sexual differentia­ tion, modificatory plasticity, and eco-geographical polymorphism have for a long time hampered our understanding of the relationships among these African Anthospermeae. Thus, it was imperative to put special emphasis on field observations and to carry out a variety of experiments with cultivated plants in addition to the analysis of an enormous herbarium material. The author, for this reason, carried out extensive field work, often under very adverse conditions, and covered most African countries from Ethiopia to Southern Africa and twice visited Madagascar. In this way a multitude of data was accumulated on the group in respect to germination and growth form, vegetative and reproductive morphology, anatomy and biology, embryology, karyology, crossing relationships, phytochemistry, distribu­ tion and ecology, etc.

While the majority of flowering plant species are hermaphroditic, gender di­ morphism, or the occurrence of two sexual morphs, has, nevertheless, evolved on repeated occasions. Gender dimorphism is found in nearly half of all angio­ sperm families and in approximately 10% of flowering plant species. Where plants are dimorphic in gender, they can also be dimorphic in secondary sex characters. We refer to dimorphism of the latter kind as sexual dimorphism, in keeping with the term's usage by most zoologists. This book is about the evolution of both forms of dimorphism -hence the book's lengthy title. Gender dimorphism in plants has been an active topic of research from theoretical and empirical perspectives, and has been the focus of several re­ cent reviews and book chapters. By contrast, sexual dimorphism in plants is of the much less widely appreciated. Indeed, the last comprehensive review subject dates back to Lloyd and Webb's 1977 paper on'Secondary Sex Char­ we first spoke of editing a book on sexual acters in Plants.'In addition, when dimorphism in plants, some people doubted that there was enough material to justify the effort. We hope that this book not only provides an update to Lloyd and Webb's seminal work but also dispels doubts about the widespread nature of sexual dimorphism in plants. We decided to combine reviews of both gender and sexual dimorphism in a single book, because each form of dimorphism can provide the evolutionary impetus for the other.

To say you are writing about rarity is to invite two kinds of response. Either one provokes a discussion of what rarity is, or some comment on the complex­ ity of the subject. The objective of this book is to explore the nature of rarity, its complexity if you like, from one particular perspective on what rarity is. Primarily, it is an opportunity to review, to synthesize, and to question. The book is an attempt to draw together a vast body of literature, to extract from it some general principles, and to raise question marks over areas the founda­ tions of which appear to be either absent or crumbling. A perusal of prefaces suggests that they often dwell as long upon what a book is not about, as upon what it does concern. True to such a tradition, I should state that this is specifically not a book about conservation, although in some quarters anything about rarity is viewed as something about conser­ vation. Nor does it contain more than a passing reference to the undoubtedly important issues of the role of genetics in rarity. Examples have been drawn from a wide variety of taxa. They are, nonethe­ less, somewhat depauperate in cases from marine systems. In part this bias results from the unevenness of my familiarity with the literature, in part it perhaps also reflects differences in the questions asked and approaches to the study of communities and assemblages in terrestrial and marine systems.

Trees that are indispensably supportive to human life pose a formidable challenge to breed them to suit to human needs. From soft drinks to breweries to beverages to oil to tires, the value added products from trees give a spectrum of products to human kind. While attempts to tap these resources through conventional breeding are underway, the quick and elegant way of manipulating the genetic systems at the genome level is an essential chapter of modern science. Books featuring genomics of tree crops are few, and genomics is such a science that changes rapidly. Genomics of Tree Crops is an earnest attempt towards compiling genomics of tree crops.Plant genomics has made monumental strides in the last decade providing insights into intra-genomic phenomena such as heterosis, epistasis, pleiotropy and other interactions between loci and alleles within the genome. In contrast, the investigation of the roles and functions of single genes is a primary focus of molecular biology and is a common topic of modern genetic research. A genome is the sum total of all of an individual organism's genes. Thus, genomics is the study of all the genes of a cell, or tissue, at the DNA (genotype), mRNA (transcriptome), or protein (proteome) levels. The complete sequencing of the three billion base pair human genome with 25,000 genes identified and the invention of DNA microarrays ushered in a new era in the science of genomics leading to explosive advancements in oncology diagnostics. This impetus into the genomics era lead the way toward advances in plant genomics which started with Arabidopsis thaliana and went through an array of crops such as rice, maize, papaya, various cereals and legumes, with pigeon pea added to the list towards the end of 2011. Trees, on the other hand, are the least attended taxa with regard to genomic research. Some of the areas that attained attention of the scientists are: DNA sequencing, bioinformatics,genomics of flowering, gene flow, spatial structure, local adaptation and assisted migration in trees, transformation of fruit trees, genomics of tropical and temperate fruit trees, genomics of Hevea rubber, genomics of papaya and genomics of palms. Genomics of Tree Crops compiles this information with chapters authored by experts on these crops.

Urinary Tract Stone Disease covers the entire subject of urinary stone disease from basic sciences to medical and surgical treatment of stones. The surgical management of urinary stone disease has advanced significantly since the introduction of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), ureteroscopy (URS), and more recently retrograde intra-renal surgery (RIRS) with small, flexible fibre-optic ureteroscopes. As a result, “cutting for stones” has become a rare procedure. These minimally invasive techniques are now also used in the paediatric population with great safety and success. This book consists of 60 chapters divided into nine sections. The first three sections are devoted to basic sciences on subjects ranging from epidemiology of urinary calculi, to shock wave physics. The fourth section deals with diagnostic, laboratory, and research methods in the diagnosis and investigation of stones. Stone disease in children is dealt with in chapter five, followed by three sections on surgical management of stones. Finally, there is an entire section on medical management of stones. With highly illustrated diagrams, photographs, and X-ray images throughout, this book is an excellent reference for urologists, nephrologists and non-medical scientists.

The contributing authors of this multidisciplinary text agree that workplace learning truly is extraordinary when it is marked by structural congruence and a positive synergy among the intended and formal preparation of professionals, that tacit learning occurs within the hidden curriculum, and that the subsequent demands, both formal and tacit, are embedded in subsequent workplace settings. Thus, for this text, these authors explore research and practice literature related to curriculum, instruction and assessment of professionals'learning in the workplace and the implications for best practices. But what makes this book truly unique is that the authors examine that literature in the context of four professions—education, nursing, medicine and clergy—at the point of those professions wherein students are learning during the degree program stages of their education. Extraordinary Learning in the Workplace is broken into four main sections. Part I explores curriculum, both formal and hidden. Part II focuses on conceptions and theories of learning and instruction and is intended to inform the work of educators with regard to components of professional education that occur in the practice settings of the workplace. Part III covers assessment, using medicine as its example to argue that assessment has remained largely unchanged for years, thus making the multiple choice questions tests introduced in the 1950s the de facto gold standard for “quality” assessment. And Part IV focuses on the training of the instructors, visiting the three key themes of relationships, activities or tasks, and work practices.

Radiologie lebt von Bildern! Der vorliegende Atlas trägt dieser Tatsache Rechnung. Der Leser findet zu jedem Krankheitsbild des Gehirns Referenzbilder zum Abgleichen mit eigenen Befunden. Zusätzlich sind auch die anatomischen Grundlagen in detaillierten Bildern enthalten.Oberstes Gebot: Ausrichtung an den praktischen Bedürfnissen des Befunders: - hervorragende Bildqualität; - stichwortartiger Text zur schnellen Informationsaufnahme; - synoptische Übersichten typischer Befunde; - Checklisten helfen bei der Diagnosefindung; - ausführliche Berücksichtigung der Differenzialdiagnosen.Ob zum schnellen Nachschlagen während der täglichen Routine oder zum vertiefenden Nachlesen: Dieser Atlas ist ein unverzichtbarer Begleiter für jeden Arzt, der sich intensiver mit neuroradiologischen Fragestellungen beschäftigt.Und nicht zuletzt: Ein großes Format mit modernem, leserfreundlichem Layout macht Freude, mit diesem Buch zu arbeiten.

This book provides a unique and comprehensive analysis of the normal anatomy and pathology of the kidney and upper urinary tract from the modern diagnostic imaging point of view. The first part is dedicated to the normal radiological anatomy of the kidney and normal anatomic variants. The second part presents in detail all of the imaging modalities which can be employed to assess the kidney and the upper urinary tract, with careful descriptions of patient preparation, investigation protocols, and principal fields of application of each imaging modality. The entire spectrum of kidney pathologies is then presented with the aid of a large set of images, many of which are in color. The latest innovations in interventional radiology, biopsy procedures, and parametric and molecular imaging are also described. This book should be of great interest to all radiologists, oncologists, and urologists who are involved in the management of kidney pathologies in their daily clinical practice.

It is more than half a century since the publication of R. A. Bagnold's classic book The physics of blown sand and desert dunes, and it is a tribute to the quality of Bagnold's work that many of the fundamental principles which he developed - main valid today. His book continues to be essential reading for any serious s- dent of aeolian processes. However, the past two decades have seen an explosion in the scale of research dealing with aeolian transport processes, sediments, and landforms. Some of this work has been summarized in review papers and edited conference proceedings, but this book provides the rst attempt to review the whole eld of aeolian sand research. Inevitably, it has not been possible to cover all - pects in equal depth, and the balance of included material naturally re ects the - thors'own interests to a signi cant degree. However, our aim has been to provide as broad a perspective as possible, and to provide an entry point to an extensive mul- disciplinary scienti c literature, some of which has not been given the attention it deserves in earlier textbooks and review papers. Many examples are drawn from existing published work, but the book also makes extensive use of our own research in the Middle East, Australia, Europe, and North America. The book has been written principally for use by advanced undergraduates, po- graduates, and more senior research workers in geomorphology and sedimentology.

In 1986, B.K.P. Horn published a book entitled Robot Vision, which actually discussed a wider?eld of subjects, basically addressing the?eld of computer vision, but introducing “robot vision” as a technical term. Since then, the - teraction between computer vision and research on mobile systems (often called “robots”, e.g., in an industrial context, but also including vehicles, such as cars, wheelchairs, tower cranes, and so forth) established a diverse area of research, today known as robot vision. Robot vision (or, more general, robotics) is a fast-growing discipline, already taught as a dedicated teaching program at university level. The term “robot vision” addresses any autonomous behavior of a technical system supported by visual sensoric information. While robot vision focusses on the vision process, visual robotics is more directed toward control and automatization. In practice, however, both?elds strongly interact. Robot Vision 2008 was the second international workshop, counting a 2001 workshop with identical name as the?rst in this series. Both workshops were organized in close cooperation between researchers from New Zealand and Germany, and took place at The University of Auckland, New Zealand. Participants of the 2008 workshop came from Europe, USA, South America, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia, and of course from New Zealand.

The author is to be congratulated on her efforts and perseverance in undertaking this research, and Springer for making the material available in this book format. I commend the information to all who live close to or around the Becher Point wetlands and the whole study as a model for wetland science globally. Peter Bridgewater Secretary General Ramsar Convention, Gland, Switzerland December 2005. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In a piece of work with wide ranging subject matter and extensive duration, such as this, there are many people to acknowledge and to thank for their contribution and perseverance. Many people followed through to completion tasks which incorporated several stages and several years. They expressed a real commitment to the project and a love for the wetlands in the area. It has been uplifting to work in their company. Together, we have amassed a repertoire of stories that are funny, disappointing, bizarre, dangerous and inspirational. I wish to begin by thanking the many peoplewho assisted with fieldwork because this is where the story really started. They are: Ben Asper, Derek Bazen, Theo Bazen, Anthony Bougher, Gary Dietrich, Martine Desbureaux, Toby Nisbet, Kaylene Parker, Julie Pech, Karen Semeniuk, Trudi Semeniuk, Tony Smith, and Joy Unno. Regional surveying of sites was carried out by Ric Stephenson. The people who assisted in preparing samples for laboratory analyses were Penny Clifford, Toby Nisbet, and Joy Unno. The people responsible for final electronic drafting of the diagrams were Craig Miskell, Vic Semeniuk and Glynn Kernick.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death and carotid atherosclerosis is the leading cause of embolic stroke. In recent years, the need for a more detailed analysis of atherosclerotic plaques has been stressed. Information beyond the degree of narrowing of the vessel lumen seems to be desirable and there is considerable demand for diagnostic procedures that specifically identify rupture-prone, vulnerable plaques as the most frequent cause of sudden ischemic events. This atlas is an up-to-date reference work on imaging in carotid artery stenosis written by internationally renewed experts. The authors take the reader step by step through illustrated descriptions of state-of-the-art imaging techniques that they have helped to develop, and demonstrate that these techniques are crucial in the management of patients. This book covers all facets of imaging in carotid artery stenosis and gives an outlook to future aspects. The'take-home-messages'at the end of each chapter are a quick help in daily practice.

Recent archaeological theory has show that images of the past have carried a particularly strong resonance within modern social groups. This volume explores the immeasurable impact that the phenomenon of archaeology has had on the representation of the past in the modern world. Modern society's ‘archaeological imagination'conceives of archaeology as a producer of images of the past which become representations of modern group identities. If archaeology is utilized by public groups to construct and represent identities, then what are archaeologists to do with that public? The very fact that the public is interested in the past and in archaeological research is an opportunity for archaeology to engage that public. Participation in the public's modern interest in archaeology, however, puts archaeology at risk. The growing role of archaeology and heritage within the economics of tourism, has led to a commodification of archaeological knowledge and experience for consumption. This volume begins a discourse on the implications of performing archaeology in a world dominated by modern trends of mass production, mass replication and representation of cultural forms and mass consumption of images of the past. The contributors explore to what extent we are experiencing a crisis of representation of the past due to contemporary consumption of mass-produced replicas, simulations, images and experiences of the past. To work through this crisis the contributors in this volume are exploring opportunities for development within archaeological thought and practice. Their arguments illustrate a move towards active, participatory and poetic archaeological thought and practice. Rather than focusing on what is produced through process (artifacts, monuments, interpretive centers, etc.), they are concerned with what they are doing, about taking part, about participating reflexively in the tradition of understanding and expressing understanding of the past. Thisvolume does not conjure up romantic beliefs about the project of archaeology, but rather, it signals a fundamental revision of archaeology - not what it is, but what it can do.

Completion of this Handbook would not have been possible without the generous and dedicated assistance of numerous people. Several years ago Howard Kaplan, Editor of the Kluwer/Plenum Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research, asked Dudley Poston to edit a Handbook of Population. Poston then asked his long-time collaborator and fellow demographer, Michael Micklin, to join him as co-editor. Poston and Micklin next assembled a list of chapter topics and possible authors. We endeavored to shape the contributions to the Handbook in two ways: We wished to parallel in many ways the outline of The Study of Population, edited by Philip M. Hauser and Otis Dudley Duncan, and published in 1959. The Hauser and Duncan volume was the key comp- dium and inventory of the state of demography; one had not been published since. In shaping this Handbook we also took into account the increased scope of demography, its development in other social science areas, and its application outside the academy. In the subsequent development of this Handbook, we worked closely with Teresa Kraus, our editor at Springer, and also received advice from Howard Kaplan. Poston and Micklin read and edited each of the Handbook chapters and then sent them back to the authors for their revisions. We appreciate their timely responses to our requests for revisions. All the chapters were then copy edited at Texas A&M University by Amanda K. Baumle, who then discussed and reviewed the final changes and edits with Poston.

Springer is pleased to announce The World's Coasts: Online (TWCO), edited by Eric Bird - an online-only encyclopedia which bases its content on the World's Coastline hardbound book content (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1985) and expands this greatly to create a new up to date online encyclopedia.The World's Coasts: Online is the only professional reference in this specialized area of study which pulls together the vast data available on coastlines around the world. TWCO provides up to date, detailed information on all coastal environments, and includes thousands off full color photographs and illustrations of all coastlines covered. The work features contributions from more than 150 coastline experts from all parts of the world and will be updated regularly to include new information on the ever-changing coastline environments. While ample information on specific regional coastlines has been available in print form, no other resource pulls together the entire world data into one easily accessible and continually updated online database. This is a must reference for all who study or need access to coastline information, especially Coastal Geologists, Geomorphologists, Coastal Engineers and Coastal Managers.

Studies in floral biology are largely concerned with how flowers function to promote pollination and mating. The role of pollination in governing mating patterns in plant populations inextricably links the evolution of pollination and mating systems. Despite the close functional link between pollination and mating, research conducted for most of this century on these two fundamental aspects of plant reproduction has taken quite separate courses. This has resulted in suprisingly little cross-fertilization between the fields of pollination biology on the one hand and plant mating-system studies on the other. The separation of the two areas has largely resulted from the different backgrounds and approaches adopted by workers in these fields. Most pollination studies have been ecological in nature with a strong emphasis on field research and until recently few workers considered how the mechanics of pollen dispersal might influence mating patterns and individual plant fitness. In contrast, work on plant mating patterns has often been conducted in an ecological vacuum largely devoid of information on the environmental and demographic context in which mating occurs. Mating-system research has been dominated by population genetic and theoretical perspectives with surprisingly little consideration given to the proximate ecological factors responsible for causing a particular pattern of mating to occur.

An increasing variety of biological problems involving resource management, conservation and environmental quality have been dealt with using the principles of population biology (defined to include population dynamics, genetics and certain aspects of community ecology). There appears to be a mixed record of successes and failures and almost no critical synthesis or reviews that have attempted to discuss the reasons and ways in which population biology, with its remarkable theoretical as well as experimental advances, could find more useful application in agriculture, forestry, fishery, medicine and resource and environmental management. This book provides examples of state-of-the-art applications by a distinguished group of researchers in several fields. The diversity of topics richly illustrates the scientific and economic breadth of their discussions as well as epistemological and comparative analyses by the authors and editors. Several principles and common themes are emphasized and both strengths and potential sources of uncertainty in applications are discussed. This volume will hopefully stimulate new interdisciplinary avenues of problem-solving research.