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Working, Housing: Urbanizing : The International Year of Global Understanding - IYGU
Presents an incisive outline of the historical development and geography of cities. It focuses on three themes that constitute essential foundations for any understanding of urban form and function. These are: (a) the shifting patterns of urbanization through historical time, (b) the role of cities as centers of production and work in a globalizing world, and (c) the diverse housing and shelter needs of urban populations. The book also explores a number of critical urban problems and the political challenges that they pose. Empirical evidence from urban situations on all five continents is brought into play throughout the discussion.
Women, Migration and Gendered Experiences : The Case of Post-1991 Albanian Migration
This book focuses on Albanian internal and international female migration and places gender at the heart of postsocialist transformation. It explores the vulnerabilities that arise for female citizens from the contradictory policies produced by the Albanian state. By illuminating the intersection of gender and migration, it shows how Albanian women are likely to embed themselves in complex social relations and migration trajectories.
Wildlife and emerging zoonotic diseases : The biology, circumstances and consequences of cross-species transmission
Wildlife and the zoonotic pathogens they reservoir are the source of most emerging infectious diseases of humans. This volume provides an overview of zoonotic pathogen emergence with an emphasis on the role of wildlife.
Why Context Matters : Applications of Social Network Analysis
Many elements of our society are embedded in network structures in which actors depend on each other as well as the structural context of their actions. This is reflected by the wide use of concepts and terms of social network analysis, such as the concept of the small world, the strength of weak ties, opinion leaders, gatekeepers, viral marketing, terrorist networks, stakeholders and the like. This volume provides a sample of the broad range of research in which social network analysis can be fruitfully applied. Topics addressed include networks of academic hiring, epidemic dynamics of diseases in populations such as HIV/AIDS, flow of information, semantic networks of the internet, relationships in private and public spheres, patent authorship, paper citation, and networks in linguistic as well as political systems.
Well-being, Sustainability and Social Development : The Netherlands 1850–2050
Examines more than two centuries of societal development using novel historical and statistical approaches. It applies the well-being monitor developed by Statistics Netherlands that has been endorsed by a significant part of the international, statistical community. The study also reveals the importance of natural capital: soil, air, water and subsoil resources, showing their relation with the social structure of the ‘here and now´. Treatment and trade of natural resources also impacted on the quality of life ‘later’ and ‘elsewhere.’ Further, the book illustrates the role of natural capital by dividing the capital into three types of raw materials and concomitant material flows: bio-raw materials, mineral and fossil subsoil resources.
Water Supply in Emergency Situations
Water is essential for life and the trigger for this book is in the increasing threats to uninterrupted, good quality water to large concentrations of population, which include natural and manmade, the latter including accidental and, unfortunately, also intentional. Israel in particular is aware of the risks of terror, including to its water supply and it is not surprising that the initiative for a NATO workshop, the outcome of which is presented here, came from this country. This book reflects the outcome of a three day NATO Advanced Workshop entitled 'Supply of Water to Cities in Emergency.
Water Security, Conflict and Cooperation in Peri-Urban South Asia : Flows across Boundaries
Explores the implications of urbanization in South Asia for water (in-) security in the peri-urban spaces of Dhaka and Khulna in Bangladesh, Bengaluru, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Pune in India, and Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. The book looks into specifically peri-urban water security issues in a context of rapid urbanization and social-environmental changes, including the changing climate and its emerging impacts. It demonstrates how urbanization processes change water flows between rural and urban areas, the implications of this processes for the water security of peri-urban populations, and how new institutions and technologies develop to mediate the relationships between peri-urban communities and water.
Water Resources and Hydrometeorology of the Arab Region
The great importance of detailed data and their use in generating interdisciplinary scientific knowledge on the development and utilisation of the water systems of the Arab region, with its widespread water stress and desert areas, is well established. With increasing consumption of water in the region backed up by the growing population, the per capita availability of freshwater in the coming years is expected to cause severe scarcity, unless some fundamental and anticipatory changes are introduced in the management of their water systems. Towards that end, such a rich book will prove to be a great help. The book is the last one written by the author and the depth of data presentation and analysis clearly indicates the professional maturity with which it has been written. Accordingly, the book is the final expression of the lifelong work and scholarship of Professor Mamdouh Shahin.
War related neuropsychological disease: Epilepsy
Among the consequences of war, the impact on the mental health of the civilian population is one of the most significant. Studies of the general population show a definite increase in the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders. Women are more affected than men. Other vulnerable groups are children, the elderly and the disabled. Prevalence rates are associated with the degree of trauma, and the availability of physical and emotional support. The use of cultural and religious coping strategies is frequent in developing countries. Epilepsy is a chronic non communicable disease of the brain that affects people of all ages. Around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological diseases globally. Nearly 80% of people with epilepsy live in low- and middle-income countries, it is estimated that up to 70% of people living with epilepsy could live seizure- free if properly diagnosed and treated.
Visual Methodology in Migration Studies : New Possibilities, Theoretical Implications, and Ethical Questions
Explores the use of visual methods in migration studies through a combination of theoretical analyses and empirical studies. The first section looks at how various visual methods, including photography, film, and mental maps, may be used to analyse the spatial presence of migrants. The second section addresses the processual building of narratives around migration, thereby using formats such as film and visual essay, and reflecting upon the ways they become carriers and mediators of both story and theory within the subject of migration. Section three focuses on vulnerable communities and discusses how visual methods can empower these communities, thereby also focusing on the theoretical and ethical implications of migration. The fourth section addresses the issue of migrant representation in visual discourses. The fifth and concluding section comprises of a single methodological chapter which systematizes the use of visual methods in migration studies across disciplines, with regard to their empirical, theoretical, and ethical implications ...
Viruses in Foods
Cases of viral foodborne outbreaks are on the rise in part due to the increases in population, scarcity of clean water, and changes in eating habits. Outbreaks attributed to toxic, fungal, parasitic, and bacterial agents are very well known and characterized because we have known about these diseases for a long time and have developed appropriate methods to investigate and track them. Detection methods to investigate and track viral agents in food, with the exception of shellfish, have only recently begun to be developed. However, with the advent of molecular diagnostic methods, the role of viruses in foodborne disease outbreaks is beginning to be understood.
Viral metagenomics : Methods and protocols
Expands on the previous edition with discussions about the latest viral metagenomics aspects covering a range of different specimens such as soil, freshwater, wastewater, fecal samples, blood plasma, clinical tissues, fungi, and herbarium samples. Chapters also look at different viral groups including archaeal viruses, eukaryotic viruses, phages, mycoviruses, and circular DNA viruses. Techniques required for studying the three viral metagenomic steps of samples processing, library construction, and analysis of data are also discussed. 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.
Value sets for EQ-5D-5L : A compendium, comparative review & user guide
Provides an essential guide to value sets for anyone working with EQ-5D-5L data. The EQ-5D-5L is one of the most widely used health related quality of life questionnaires around the world, with applications in clinical trials, population health surveys and routine outcomes measurement. In addition to providing a concise, generic way of describing health, the EQ-5D-5L facilitates the valuation of health and health improvements through its value sets, which play a pivotal role in Health Technology Assessment across the world.
Valuation and Conservation of Biodiversity : Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Convention on Biological Diversity
The goal of this transdisciplinary book is to identify the problems and challenges facing implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - from the global, regional and local points of view. The valuation and conservation of biodiversity are critical first steps necessary for the adequate protection of the environment. The authors give insights into the the influences the CBD exerts, and current trends in the field.
Utilizing Sumac (Rhus coriaria) in pharmaceutical preparations for skin health
Aims to extract gelatin from sumac berries and incorporate it into two cosmetic products—a lip balm and a facial/hand mask—evaluating their physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and skinbenefiting attributes. A secondary objective is to assess the level of awareness among the Syrian population regarding sumac’s various uses beyond its culinary applications. Sumac fruits were mechanically ground and subjected to immersion, ultrasound, and microwave-assisted extraction methods, followed by filtration and evaporation to yield a viscous gelatinous extract.
Urban Planning Against Poverty : How to Think and Do Better Cities in the Global South
This book revisits the theoretical foundations of urban planning and the application of these concepts and methods in the context of Southern countries by examining several case studies from different regions of the world. For instance, the case of Koudougou, a medium-sized city in one of the poorest countries in the world, Burkina Faso, with a population of 115.000 inhabitants, allows us to understand concretely which and how these deficiencies are translated in an African urban context
Urban Groundwater Management and Sustainability
Given that around 50% of the world’s population live in cities, and that urban populations are expanding rapidly, the issues are important and becoming increasingly urgent. To reduce the effects of such impacts, management is required irrespective of whether the groundwater is to be used or not. This management must be based on a sound technical understanding of the interacting processes involved. The forty papers in this volume explore the state of this understanding in the context of a wide range of countries (and therefore cultures), climates, and geologies. They are divided into topic areas covering flow, chemical water quality, biological water quality, remediation, engineering, and socio-economics. An initial section sets the scene with a range of integrated regional-scale studies. The volume provides an insight into groundwater issues for other urban specialists, including planners: without communication between the disciplines involved, progress towards acceptable urban sustainability will be slow.
Urban Forests and Trees : A Reference Book
This publication is the result of more than six years of hard work by a dedicated group of European urban forest and tree experts. The editors are indebted to the national experts of COST Action E12 ‘Urban Forests and Trees’ and to the others who have contributed to the various chapters in this publication. Ultimately, 59 authors from 21 European countries feature in this book. The European Cooperation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) and in particular its Secretariat deserve our gratitude for their support in establishing an active European community of urban forestry experts.
Understanding the Bigger Energy Picture : DESERTEC and Beyond
This book gives an overview of today’s energy problem in the context of a rising world population, climate change and the shortage of resources. It figures out systemic connections between energy, water and the carbon cycle of today’s economy and sketches a “natural”future energy scenario that is sustainable. Due to the complexity of the matter, this short book cannot be a complete compendium. The proposed solutions and no-goes are meant as a stimulus for further discussion.
Ultradian Rhythms from Molecules to Mind : A New Vision of Life
Timing exerted by oscillatory mechanisms are found throughout the biological world and their periods span a wide range from milliseconds, as in the action potential of n- rons and the myocytes, to the slow evolutionary changes that require thousands of generations. In this context, to understand the synchronization of a population of coupled oscillators is an important problem for the dynamics of physiology in living systems (Aon et al. , 2007a, b; Kuramoto, 1984; Strogatz, 2003; Winfree, 1967). Circadian rhythms, the most intensively studied, are devoted to measuring daily 24 h cycles. A variety of physiological processes in a wide range of eukaryotic organisms display circadian rhythmicity which is characterized by the following major properties (Anderson et al. , 1985; Edmunds, 1988): (i) stable, autonomous (self-sustaining) oscillations having a free-running period under constant envir- mental conditions of ca.
