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COVID-19: Diagnosis and Treatment
The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID- 19) has presented major challenges for clinical laboratories, from initial diagnosis to patient monitoring and treatment. Initial response to this pandemic involved the development, production, and distribution of diagnostic molecular assays at an unprecedented rate, leading to minimal validation requirements and concerns regarding their diagnostic accuracy in clinical settings. In addition to molecular testing, serological assays to detect antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are now becoming available from numerous diagnostic manufacturers. In both cases, the lack of peer-reviewed data and regulatory oversight, combined with general misconceptions regarding their appropriate use, have highlighted the importance of laboratory professionals in robustly validating and evaluating these assays for appropriate clinical use.
Country-Compatible Incentive Design : A Comparision of Employees' Performance Reward Preferences in Germany and the USA
Based on an empirical study among employees of a multinational corporation (MNC) in Germany and the USA, Marjaana Gunkel shows that the employees in these countries have different preferences regarding incentives and that incentive plans designed for one country are not always effective in others. Money is an important motivator in both countries, but the motivational effects of non-monetary rewards differ greatly. In addition, the author presents an explorative study of employee groups in China and Japan and gives advice for designing appropriate compensation schemes for employees of MNC in different countries.
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Environmental Goods by Applying Contingent Valuation Method : Some Japanese Case Studies
Contingent valuation is one of the means of incorporating socio-environmental considerations in cost–benefit analysis. The authors of this book have examined environmental valuation methods through the lens of cost–benefit analysis focused on three case studies in Japan: public parks, a bay wetland, and a recreational theme park. With implications for the world at large, the findings presented here serve as a valuable source of information on Japanese behavior regarding the valuation of environmental goods. New, alternative approaches and guidelines for cost–benefit analysis in the public and private spheres also are discussed. This volume makes an important addition to the library of all researchers and other scientists in the fields of environmental science and environmental economics.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Sustainability and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) : Approaches to Ethical Management
Provides a comprehensive overview of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its practical applications. In addition to the structured procedure with definitions and CSR approaches, functions within the value chain are described in comprehensive manner with reference to business practice. Business trends in special sectors such as innovation management and hospitality management are also covered. Numerous practical examples and country-specific recommendations for decisions in practical situations are also offered.
Contrast Media in Ultrasonography : Basic Principles and Clinical Applications
This book provides a comprehensive account of the physical basis and the clinical applications of microbubble-based contrast agents. The principles underlying the use of specialized contrast-specific imaging techniques and the examination methodology are clearly described. The different clinical applications of microbubble-based agents are extensively explained with the aid of numerous high-quality illustrations, many of which are in color. In addition, research and therapeutic perspectives are addressed.
Continental Scientific Drilling : A Decade of Progress, and Challenges for the Future
Scientific drilling is an indispensable tool of modern Earth science - search, as it provides the only means of obtaining direct information on processes operating at depth. Drilling allows for the determination of - situ properties of solid materials and fluids and permits testing of hypot- ses and models derived from surface observations. In addition, drill holes may be used as a natural laboratory for experiments and as observatories for long-term monitoring of on-going active processes. Earth drilling, therefore, plays a critical role in scientific research directed towards - proved understanding of the workings of our planet and has a key role in solving urgent socio-economic problems. As a rule, drilling projects are an integral component of major geosci- tific research programs, comprising comprehensive pre-site investigations, accompanying laboratory studies, the drilling phase itself, and consecutive measurements and tests in the drill hole. Such drilling programs are costly and thus only realizable to a limited extent. International cost sharing, the optimal utilization of all available resources, the incorporation of inter- tional leading experts, and the application of the existing know-how, as well as the selection of an optimal drilling location (“World Geological Site”), are thus essential elements of an international scientific drilling p- gram.
Content based social platform optimization “Fashion Platform"
The purpose of this project is to design a platform that concentrates on Fashion in addition to assisting users with gathering an informative feedback, as well as linking local stores to those users. This platform will be delivered as a mobile application that is available to any user who is interested in expressing and sharing his/her prevailing taste in fashion simply by posting photos, interacting with other people’s posts and leaving comments for them. The app will also provide some features in an attempt to push the users to be more enthusiastic and to be more encouraged about trying and continuously using this app. Moreover, this platform will incorporate a Shop section, which will be the actual local stores that are connected to it, so the user can buy an item that he/she is fond of.
Conservation Biology : Foundations, Concepts, Applications
Fred Van Dyke’s new textbook, Conservation Biology: Foundations, Concepts, Applications, 2nd Edition represents a major new text for anyone interested in conservation. Drawing on his experience as a conservation biologist, college teacher, and successful textbook author, Van Dyke’s organizational clarity and readable style make this book an invaluable resource for students in conservation around the globe.Presenting key information and well-selected examples, this student-friendly volume carefully integrates the science of conservation biology with its implications for ethics, law, policy and economics. In addition to rigorous examination of the scientific theory supporting conservation biology and its applications, this unique book includes a number of features which set it apart from others. These include its chapters on aquatic conservation, landscape ecology, and ecosystem management, and its direct explanation and invitation to students on how to enter the work of conservation as a professional and personal vocation.
Concurrent Zero-Knowledge : With Additional Background by Oded Goldreich
Zero-knowledge proofs are fascinating and extremely useful constructs. Their fascinating nature is due to their seemingly contradictory de?nition; ze- knowledge proofs are convincing and yet yield nothing beyond the validity of the assertion being proved. Their applicability in the domain of cryptography is vast; they are typically used to force malicious parties to behave according to a predetermined protocol. In addition to their direct applicability in cr- tography, zero-knowledge proofs serve as a good benchmark for the study of variousproblemsregardingcryptographicprotocols(e.g.,“securecomposition of protocols”).
Computers and Productivity : How Firms Make a General Purpose Technology Work
Highlighting the importance of innovations, firm-sponsored training, and recruitment of high-skilled workers, this monograph analyses why and to what extent firms differ in their capabilities to make ICT work productively. The work also comprises a detailed discussion of economic theory concerning ICT use and complementary firm strategies. In addition it provides a comprehensive treatment of various methodological issues concerning the measurement of firm-level productivity in econometric analyses.
Computer-Aided Design of User Interfaces V ; Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Computer-Aided Design of User Interfaces CADUI '06 (6-8 June 2006, Bucharest, Romania)
Today, the development life cycle of 3D User Interfaces (UIs) mostly remains an art more than a principled-based approach. Several methods [1,3,7,8,9,10,11,15,17,18,19] have been introduced to decompose this life cycle into steps and sub-steps, but these methods rarely provide the design knowledge that should be typically used for achieving each step. In addition, the development life cycle is more focusing directly on the programming - sues than on the design and analysis phases. This is sometimes reinforced by the fact that available tools for 3D UIs are toolkits, interface builders, r- dering engines, etc. When there is such a development life cycle defined, it is typically structured into the following set of activities: 1. The conceptual phase is characterized by the identification of the content and interaction requests. The meta-author discusses with the interface designer to take advantage of the current interaction technology. The int- face designer receives information about the content. The result of this phase is the production of UI schemes (e. g. , written sentences, visual schemes on paper) for defining classes of interactive experiences (e. g. , class Guided tour). Conceptual schemes are produced both for the final users and the authors. The meta-author has a deep knowledge of the c- tent domain and didactic skills too. He/she communicates with the final user too, in order to focus on didactic aspects of interaction. 2.
Computer vision for biomedical image applications
The purpose of this book is to submit the workshop, “Computer Vision for Biomedical Image Applications: Current Techniques and Future Trends” (CVBIA), is to examine the diverse applications of computer vision to biomedical image applications, considering both current methods and promising new trends. An additional goal is to provide the opportunity for direct interactions between (1) prominent senior researchers and young scientists, including students, postdoctoral associates and junior faculty; (2) local researchers and international leaders in biomedical image analysis; and (3) computer scientists and medical practitioners. Our CVBIA workshop had two novel characteristics: each contributed paper was authored primarily by a young scientist, and the workshop attracted an unusually large number of well-respected invited speakers (and their papers).
Computer vision approaches to medical image analysis ; 2nd International ECCV Workshop, CVAMIA 2006, Graz, Austria, May 12, 2006, Revised Papers
This was the second time that a satellite workshop,solely devoted to medical image analysis issues, was held in conjunction with the European Conference on Computer Vision (ECCV). We received 38 full-length paper submissions to the second Computer Vision Approaches to Medical Image Analysis (CVAMIA) Workshop, out of which 10 were accepted for oral and 11 for poster presentation after a rigorous peer-review process. In addition, the workshop included three invited talks.
Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design III ; 10th International Conference, CSCWD 2006, Nanjing, China, May 3-5, 2006, Revised Selected Papers
The design of complex artifacts and systems requires the cooperation of multidiscip- nary design teams using multiple commercial and proprietary engineering software tools (e.g., CAD, modeling, simulation, visualization, and optimization), engineering databases, and knowledge-based systems. Individuals or individual groups of mult- isciplinary design teams usually work in parallel and separately with various en- neering software tools which are located at different sites. In addition, individual members may be working on different versions of a design or viewing the design from different perspectives, at different levels of detail. In order to accomplish the work, it is necessary to have effective and efficient c- laborative design environments. Such environments should not only automate in- vidual tasks, in the manner of traditional computer-aided engineering tools, but also enable individual members to share information, collaborate, and coordinate their activities within the context of a design project. CSCW (computer-supported coope- tive work) in design is concerned with the development of such environments.
Computer Network Security
As society becomes increasingly dependent on computers and computer networks, computer problems continue to rise in number. Yet despite the proliferation of expert remedies, a viable solution to these security issues remains elusive, and society continues to suffer at the hands of cyber vandalism and computer viruses. This comprehensive text outlines and discusses today’s most important issues and concerns in computer network and information safety and security, and promises to ignite debate and participation in the ongoing global security dialog Computer Network Security is foremost an educational tool that aims to explore computer network infrastructure and protocol design security flaws and discusses current security solutions and best practices. It explores the security threats and vulnerabilities in the current network infrastructure and protocols and outlines current efforts including: Access Control and Authorization, Cryptography, Firewalls and VPNs, Web Security and Content Filtering, among others. The text further discusses various security proposals This text is an invaluable instructional and research tool for courses in computer and information security. Students or practitioners in computer science, information science, technology studies, library sciences, and information management studies will find this text particularly useful for their purposes. In addition, it is a rich resource for those looking to gain an understanding of computer infrastructures and network security threats.
Computational methods in systems biology ; 18th International Conference, CMSB 2020, Konstanz, Germany, September 23–25, 2020, Proceedings
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Computational Methods in Systems Biology, CMSB 2020, held in Konstanz, Germany, in September 2020.* The 17 full papers and 5 tool papers were carefully reviewed and selected from 30 submissions. In addition 3 abstracts of invited talks and 2 tutorials have been included in this volume. Topics of interest include formalisms for modeling biological processes; models and their biological applications; frameworks for model verification, validation, analysis, and simulation of biological systems; high-performance computational systems biology and parallel implementations; model inference from experimental data; model integration from biological databases; multi-scale modeling and analysis methods; computational approaches for synthetic biology; and case studies in systems and synthetic biology.
Computational intelligence in economics and finance ; Vol. II
Computational intelligence (CI), as an alternative to statistical and econometric approaches, has been applied to a wide range of economics and finance problems in recent years, for example to price forecasting and market efficiency. This book contains research ranging from applications in financial markets and business administration to various economics problems. Not only are empirical studies utilizing various CI algorithms presented, but so also are theoretical models based on computational methods. In addition to direct applications of computational intelligence, readers can also observe how these methods are combined with conventional analytical methods such as statistical and econometric models to yield preferred results.
Computational drug discovery : methods and application
Covers a wide range of cutting-edge computational technologies and computational chemistry methods that are transforming drug discovery. The book delves into recent advances, particularly focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) and its application for protein structure prediction, AI-enabled virtual screening, and generative modeling for compound design. Additionally, it covers key technological advancements in computing such as quantum and cloud computing that are driving innovations in drug discovery.
Commercial lending : principles and practice
Supports the Chartered Banker Institute's Commercial Lending module requirements and helps to prepare for assessment Is written by a banking sector expert with cutting-edge industry perspective, ideal to support students of banking at undergraduate and postgraduate level Aids work-based learning and professional development with a highly practical and applied approach, bringing learning to life with activities to carry out in the workplace as well as case studies, further reading recommendations and definitions of key terms throughout Offers additional numeracy support to help readers with practical lending work, such as assessing balance sheets and understanding financial reports and documents Offers thought leadership on commercial lending from an expert author with over 30 years of experience in the sector, endorsed by the Chartered Banker Institute
Combined Scintigraphic and Radiographic Diagnosis of Bone and Joint Diseases
In addition to the bone and joint diseases described in the two earlier editions, this book encompasses novel applications of pinhole scanning to the diagnosis of a broader spectrum of skeletal disorders. It has been considerably expanded to discuss five new themes and is complemented by the addition of some 90 recently acquired cases
