الصفحة 3
الصفحة 3
Medicina fisica e riabilitativa nei disturbi di equilibrio = Physical and rehabilitative medicine in balance disorders
Balance disorders are very common in the population: particularly frequent over the age of 40, are the first motivation for a medical examination after the age of 65 and frequently tend to become chronic. Balance disorders are symptoms of system dysfunction vestibular, complex sensory-psycho-motor system, whose task is that to control the activity of the antigravity muscles to maintain the erect station, of the oculomotor ones to allow the stabilization of the visual field during movement, and the neurovegetative functions they have relationship with standing and movement. Whether the vestibular system provides the information necessary for the check-up of the erect position, the rachis realizes it through a "stability dynamic ", allowed by its structural characteristics proprioception the spine is also a fundamental sensor for controlling balance ; therefore the techniques of physical and rehabilitative medicine and of manual medicine represent a powerful tool for curing ailments equilibrium. This volume comes from the comparison between a physiatrist and an audiologist, who for 15 years have integrated their clinical experience and therefore proposes a new one inter-specialist approach to the diagnostic and therapeutic problems of patients with balance disorders.
Matrix Convolution Operators on Groups
In the last decade, convolution operators of matrix functions have received unusual attention due to their diverse applications. This monograph presents some new developments in the spectral theory of these operators. The setting is the Lp spaces of matrix-valued functions on locally compact groups. The focus is on the spectra and eigenspaces of convolution operators on these spaces, defined by matrix-valued measures. Among various spectral results, the L2-spectrum of such an operator is completely determined and as an application, the spectrum of a discrete Laplacian on a homogeneous graph is computed using this result. The contractivity properties of matrix convolution semigroups are studied and applications to harmonic functions on Lie groups and Riemannian symmetric spaces are discussed. An interesting feature is the presence of Jordan algebraic structures in matrix-harmonic functions.
Mathematics and Mechanics of Granular Materials
Granular or particulate materials arise in almost every aspect of our lives, including many familiar materials such as tea, coffee, sugar, sand, cement and powders. At some stage almost every industrial process involves a particulate material, and it is usually the cause of the disruption to the smooth running of the process. In the natural environment, understanding the behaviour of particulate materials is vital in many geophysical processes such as earthquakes, landslides and avalanches. This book is a collection of current research from some of the major contributors in the topic of modelling the behaviour of granular materials. Papers from every area of current activity are included, such as theoretical, numerical, engineering and computational approaches. This book illustrates the numerous diverse approaches to one of the outstanding problems of modern continuum mechanics.
Ion Channels
Ion channels play a vital role in basic physiological functions such as generation of electrical activity in nerves and muscle, control of cardiac excitability, intracellular signaling, hormone secretion, cell proliferation and many other biological processes. Because of their prevalence and the critical role they play in virtually all tissue types and organs, ion channels are also involved in a number of pathophysiological conditions. The aim of this volume is to review recent advances in the field of ion channel related diseases. Following an overview chapter summarizing the current state of ion channel screening technologies, five topics covering areas such as cancer, cardiac arrhythmias, cystic fibrosis, and pain have been selected, and the current state of knowledge is presented by leading experts in their field.
Introduction to basics of pharmacology and toxicology ; Vol.1 : General and molecular pharmacology : Principles of drug action
Illustrates the most crucial principles involved in pharmacology and allied sciences. The title begins by discussing the historical aspects of drug discovery, with up to date knowledge on Nobel Laureates in pharmacology and their significant discoveries. It then examines the general pharmacological principles - pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, with in-depth information on drug transporters and interactions. In the remaining chapters, the book covers a definitive collection of topics containing essential information on the basic principles of pharmacology and how they are employed for the treatment of diseases.
International Trade and Multinational Activity : Heterogeneity of Firms, Incentives for Foreign Direct Investment, and International Business Cycle Dynamics
During the last 25 year, the neoclassical Heckscher-Ohlin trade theory has been extended to the ‘new’ trade theory by including imperfect competition and fixed costs into the analysis of trade relations. Furthermore, these micro-oriented trade models are increasingly used to analyze macro-oriented questions. Chapter 2 of this study investigates the dynamic welfare effects of exposure to trade in a new trade model, which is extended by firm heterogeneity.
International conference on terrain and geohazard challenges facing onshore oil and gas pipelines : Evaluation, routing, resign, construction, operation ; Proceedings of a three day international conference on terrain and geohazard challenges facing onshore oil and gas pipelines, organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers in association with BP Exploration and held at the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, UK, on 2 – 4 June 2004
To access global oil and gas deposits, major pipelines must traverse remote regions with extreme terrains. There are a significant number of pipeline projects, active or planned, in tropical jungles, mountains and deserts, in permafrost and in areas of wetland. Each of these natural environments is associated with a range of geohazards, which may include landslides, soil erosion, karst, river migration, and seismic or volcanic activity. At the same time, society demands increasing availability and reliability of supply, together with improved environmental standards, all making for substantial challenges.
Interior Design : Conceptual Basis
Seven concepts of planning, circulation, 3D, construction, materials, colour and lighting, which covers the entire spectrum of a designer's activity. Analysing design concepts from the view of the range of possibilities that the designer can examine and eventually decide by choice and conclusive belief the appropriate course of action to take in forming that particular concept, the formation and implementation of these concepts is taken in this book to aid the designer in his/her professional task of completing a design proposal to the client. The purpose of this book is to prepare designers to focus on each concept independently as much as possible, whilst acknowledging relative connections without unwarranted influences unfairly dictating a conceptual bias, and is about that part of the design process called conceptual analysis. It is assumed that the site, location, building and orientation, as well as the client's brief of activities and needs have been digested and analysed to provide the data upon which the design process can begin.
Innovations in Applied Artificial Intelligence ; 18th International Conference on Industrial and Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems, IEA/AIE 2005, Bari, Italy, June 22-24, 2005, Proceedings
The contributions oriented to the technological aspects of AI and the quality of the papers are witness to a research activity clearly aimed at consolidating the theoretical results that have already been achieved. The c- ference program also included two invited lectures, by Katharina Morik and Roberto Pieraccini. Many people contributed in different ways to the success of the conference and to this volume. The authors who continue to show their enthusiastic interest in applied intelligence research are a very important part of our success. We highly appreciate the contribution of the members of the Program Committee, as well as others who reviewed all the submitted papers with eficiency and dedication.
Innovations and Advanced Techniques in Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering
Innovations and Advanced Techniques in Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering is a collection of world class paper articles addressing the following topics: Signal and Image Processing: Content Based Video Retrieval, Character Recognition, Incremental Learning for Speech Recognition, Signal Processing Theory and Methods, and Vision-based Monitoring Systems. Software and Systems: Activity-Based Software Estimation, Algorithms, Genetic Algorithms, Information Systems Security, Programming Languages, Software Protection Techniques, Software Protection Techniques, and User Interfaces. Distributed Processing: Asynchronous Message Passing System, Heterogeneous Software Environments, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks, Resource Allocation, and Sensor Networks. Advanced and innovative techniques in computing: e-Science and Virtual Instrumentation, Fault-Tolerant Scheduling, Grid Computing, Microcracking in Cortical Bones, Service-oriented Architectures, and Virtualization in Data Warehouses.
Independent component analysis and signal separation ; 7th International Conference, ICA 2007, London, UK, September 9-12, 2007, Proceedings
Independent Component Analysis and Signal Separation has applications at the intersection of many science and engineering disciplinesconcernedwithunderstandingandextractingusefulinformationfrom data as diverse as neuronal activity and brain images, bioinformatics, com- nications, the World Wide Web, audio, video, sensor signals, or time series.
Improving operating leverage using hyperautomation : Unlock strategic advantages across banking and non-banking financial institutions
Delving in depth into enterprise non-interest operating cost management and operating leverage. operating Leverage is about managing a bank's capabilities and its capacity to deliver its products and services efficiently. it is not limited to managing operational costs but includes the operational support for the growth of business and for improving profitability. the reader can learn to improve risk adjusted operational effectiveness by implementing a nuanced approach to managing performance, risk, control, and cost simultaneously, at the process level. the book explains why hyperautomation, a technology that intelligently automates business processes is a more advanced and comprehensive way to manage these factors in a holistic and integrated way.
Implementing Strategic Environmental Assessment
More countries are now using Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) than ever before. This timely and comprehensive Handbook describes the implementation of SEA in 18 countries around the world, as well as a critical analysis of different SEA methodologies. The Handbook starts by introducing key SEA principles and the legal requirements of the new European SEA Directive (which became law in 2004). It then describes the implementation of SEA in 11 European Union countries, as well as the USA, Canada and New Zealand. This is contrasted with SEA requirements of four developing countries. The Handbook explores public participation issues and the wide-range of SEA methodologies used in terms of resources (soils, water and biodiversity) and sectors of activity (transport, agriculture, waste management and industry). The Handbook concludes with a discussion on best practice, capacity building and the future of SEA.
Immune mediators in cancer : Methods and protocols
Provides a comprehensive collection of classic and cutting-edge methodologies as well as bioinformatics and genome-editing approaches that are used to quantify immune mediators and analyze their function and biological activity in cancer cells and tissues. Beginning with a section on the detection of immune mediators in samples, the volume continues with sections covering cytokine bioassays, the expression and regulation of immune mediators in cancer cells, and methods to navigate the enormous datasets created by modern DNA and RNA sequencing and proteomic technology. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Ifo Survey Data in Business Cycle and Monetary Policy Analysis
The business surveys of the Ifo Institute (short for Information and Forschung) are internationally renowned. Every month close to 7,000 enterprises are questioned on their short-term planning and their appraisals of the actual and future business situation. The confidence indicator frequently referred to as the Ifo Business Climate Index is derived from the responses to this Ifo Business Survey. While the Index attracts a lot of attention by practitioners (especially financial market analysts), the use and empirical exploitation of this and other components of Ifo business surveys is – amongst academics – still relatively scarce. The present volume, based on a conference entitled "The Academic Use of Ifo Survey Data", gives examples of timely research questions which can be addressed by qualitative survey data like the monthly Ifo Business Survey. It shows that this type of real-time data can be very informative when it comes to forecasting real economic activity or exploring monetary policy transmission.
Human motion : Understanding, modeling, capture and animation ; 2nd Workshop, HumanMotion 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 20, 2007, Proceedings
This LNCS volume contains the papers presented at the second Workshop on Human Motion Understanding, Modeling, Capture and Animation. The accepted papers re?ect the state of the art in the ?eld and cover various topicsrelatedto humanmotiontrackingandanalysis.Thepapersinthisvolume have been classi?ed into three categories based on the topics they cover: human motion capture and pose estimation, body and limb tracking and segmentation, and activity recognition.
Human microbiome : Clinical implications and therapeutic interventions
The human microbiome refers to the complete microorganisms inhabiting the human body sites including skin, ear, nose, oral cavity, the genital, gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts, and body fluids such as breast milk, saliva, and urine. It is a significant and essential organ recognized for the body and has an established involvement in the host wellbeing, in terms of nutritional requirements and immunomodulation. Talks about how alteration and imbalance in the same can have clinical implications associated with a multitude of gastrointestinal, lifestyle-associated, and neurodegenerative disorders. How the proliferation of specific groups of bacteria and their metabolic activities, as a result of intestinal dysbiosis leads to the 'leaky gut' condition thereby influences brain activity via the bidirectional gut-brain axis. It also coves the importance of microbial seeding and how it can be influenced by the mode of delivery, nutrition, and medication. This book also provides various therapeutic interventions such as the establishment of stool banks and Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) that have recently proved promising in the treatment of ASD, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, and Ulcerative Colitis. This book provides a deeper understanding of the development of the human gut microbiome and the factors driving its dysbiosis. This book is a valuable read for health professionals, medical students, nutritionists, and scientific research communities who are eager to update themselves with recent trends in microbiome research. It will also aid gastroenterologists and nutritionists to make well-informed choices regarding therapeutic regimes.
Human battle against obesity
Obesity is one of the most common preventable diseases and it is a medical condition in which excess fat has accumulated in the body, mostly in the subcutaneous tissues. Clinical obesity is considered to be present when a person has a body mass index of 30 or over. Obesity results from a chronic positive energy balance regulated by a complex interaction between endocrine tissues and the central nervous system, This activity reviews the pathophysiology of obesity, inflammatory markers secreted by excessive fat deposition in adipose tissue, and their effects on chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia.
Hormones, metabolism and the benefits of exercise
The world is faced with an epidemic of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. This is due to changes in dietary habits and the decrease in physical activity. Exercise is usually part of the prescription, the first line of defense, to prevent or treat metabolic disorders. However, we are still learning how and why exercise provides metabolic benefits in human health. This open access volume focuses on the cellular and molecular pathways that link exercise, muscle biology, hormones and metabolism. This will include novel “myokines” that might act as new therapeutic agents in the future.
Hormones and the brain
Peripheral hormones have a major impact on the brain: they are able to interfere with its development, to affect release of neurotransmitters and concentrations of receptors, to trigger growth factors involved in lesion repair. These multiple actions account for their capacity to modulate a number of physiological parameters, from reproductive functions to memory, behaviour and aging. Depending upon intensity and duration of exposure, they can be either neuroprotective or neurotoxic, for instance by affecting production of free radicals. This book, based on contributions of pioneer investigators in the field, outlines the ambiguous actions of gonadal steroids (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, inhibin and activin) and of neurosteroids, related moieties produced in the brain itself. After summarizing their multiple mechanisms of action, which involve both direct effects on neuronal membranes and activation of genes coding for specific proteins in neurons or glial cells, the book outlines the role of hormones in pathogenic processes such as mental disturbances or neurodegenerative diseases.
