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Ontologies for Agents : Theory and Experiences
On the other hand, ontologies have established themselves as a powerful tool to enable kno- edge sharing, and a growing number of applications have bene?ted from the use of ontologies as a means to achieve semantic interoperability among heterogeneous, distributed systems. In principle ontologies and agents are a match made in heaven, that has failed to happen. What makes a simple piece of software an agent is its ability to communicate in a ”social” environment, to make autonomous decisions, and to be proactive on behalf of its user. Communication ultimately depends on und- standing the goals, preferences, and constraints posed by the user. Autonomy is theabilitytoperformataskwithlittleornouserintervention,whileproactiveness involves acting autonomously with no need for user prompting. Communication, but also autonomy and proactiveness, depend on knowledge. The ability to c- municate depends on understanding the syntax (terms and structure) and the semantics of a language. Ontologies provide the terms used to describe a domain and the semantics associated with them. In addition, ontologies are often comp- mented by some logical rules that constrain the meaning assigned to the terms. These constraints are represented by inference rules that can be used by agents to perform the reasoning on which autonomy and proactiveness are based.
Ondansetron Patches
The objective of this study was to develop the matrix of transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) of ondansetron hydrochloride (ODH), in which ondansetron is the first serotonin subtype 3 receptor antagonist indicated for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of postoperative, chemotherapy or radiotherapy induced emesis. It has been proven efficient and safe to treat such symptoms, by using in vitro drug release study and evaluate the effect of eucalyptus oil and different percentage of carbopol 940. The result of drug release decreased by increasing the percentage of carbopol 940 which achieved the purpose of the study by prolonging the release of the ondansetron . The patch provides a means to reduce the side effects associated with its oral therapy, avoidence of the first-pass metabolism and minimize inconsistency in absorption across GIT. Various types of transdermal patches are used to incorporate the active ingredients into the circulatory system via skin.
OMDoc : An Open Markup Format for Mathematical Documents [version 1.2]
Computers arechanging the way wethink. Of course,nearly all desk-workers have access to computers and use them to email their colleagues, search the Web for information and prepare documents. But I’m not referring to that. I mean that people have begun to think about what they do in compu- tional terms and to exploit the power of computers to do things that would previously have been unimaginable. This observation is especially true of mathematicians.
Official Statistics 4.0 : Verified Facts for People in the 21st Century
Explores official statistics and their social function in modern societies. Digitisation and globalisation are creating completely new opportunities and risks, a context in which facts (can) play an enormously important part if they are produced with a quality that makes them credible and purpose-specific. In order for this to actually happen, official statistics must continue to actively pursue the modernisation of their working methods.
Observing the Sun with Coronado™ Telescopes
At around the turn of the millennium, the introduction of the Coronado range of solar telescopes and filters heralded the ‘coming of age’ of amateur solar astronomy. Before then, solar astronomy was mostly white-light only. Hydrogen-alpha systems were expensive and difficult to use, but today even the budget-priced Coronado PST (Personal Solar Telescope) provides a band pass of one Angstrom and is thermally stable. That means that today’s amateur solar observers can see – and image – sunspots, flares, prominences, plage, filaments, and active regions of the Sun, all in amazing detail.
Object Recognition, Attention, and Action
This book provides an excellent introduction to the issues that are involved, with chapters that address the ways in which humans and machines attend to, recognize, and act toward objects in the visual environment.
Nutraceuticals in respiratory and pulmonary diseases
Explores nutraceuticals that have been found to be effective in managing and treating respiratory and pulmonary diseases. It explains nutritional supplements that function as adjuvants for respiratory health and which may be useful targets for developing innovative nutraceutical-active respiratory products. The book also discusses the role of vitamins, minerals, and functional foods in the prevention and treatment of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, bronchitis, airway constriction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), etc. It also explores the potential role of various herbs and foods in the treatment of lung illnesses through the Ayurvedic practices. The effectiveness of various natural and dietary supplements as well as plant and animal-based nutritional supplements for respiratory health are also considered.
Nutraceuticals in cardiac health management
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) constitute the major cause of death worldwide, claiming nearly 18 million lives each year. Multiple foods and nutraceuticals have been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This new book offers an informative update on the most recent scientific evidence addressing the use of nutraceuticals in the prevention and management of heart disease. It summarizes the functional foods that are involved in preventing the risk of CVDs, the mechanisms of the bioactive components that lower the risk of chronic illnesses, as well as the dietary patterns that are involved in the prevention of CVDs. It also covers specific nutraceuticals, including probiotics, dietary fibers, garlic, green tea, vitamins, tomatoes and other lycopene-rich fruits and vegetables, dietary supplements, bee products, and more. In addition, it focuses on detailing the endothelial effects of marine- and plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids and marine-derived natural flavonoids in hypertension and CVDs.
Nutraceuticals : Sources, processing methods, properties, and applications
Explores the impact of nutraceutical compounds on human health and their main pharmacological contributions. Organized into three parts, this book addresses nutraceutical production, applications for disease prevention and treatment, and current trends, especially the role of nutraceuticals in cosmeceutical. Nutraceuticals are a class of products that can help people improve their health, reduce the risk of disease, extend their lives, and control the structure and functioning of their bodies. However, due to multiple hurdles that prevent nutraceuticals from circulating in an active form in the body, their use is associated with diminished therapeutic efficacy. Recognizing this problem, the book explores the root of the nutraceutical delivery system and its codelivery methods with a focus on medicines. With contributions from experienced nutraceutical experts, this book serves as a valuable reference for nutrition researchers, food scientists, pharmacologists, and those who are researching and studying in related areas.
Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications ; Proceedings of ENUMATH 2005 the 6th European Conference on Numerical Mathematics and Advanced Applications, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, July 2005
This book include applications such as atmosphere and ocean, water pollution, electromagnetism, interface problems, waves, finance, heat transfer, unbounded domains, numerical linear algebra, convection-diffusion, fluid-structure, plates, solids, hyperbolic equations, multiphase flow, Navier-Stokes, singular perturbation problems, non linear PDE, control, parabolic equations, as well as methodologies such as a posteriori error estimates, discontinuous Galerkin methods, multiscale methods, optimization, adaptive methods, domain decomposition techniques, exponential integrators, hp-finite elements, level set methods, fractional step methods, penalty procedures, and finite volumes. The book gives an extensive overview of the most recent research in scientific computing, providing to the reader the latest developments concerning the mathematical issues and the applications of this active field of science.
Numerical Continuation Methods for Dynamical Systems : Path following and boundary value problems
The book opens with a foreword by Herbert B. Keller and lecture notes by Sebius Doedel himself that introduce the basic concepts of numerical bifurcation analysis. The other chapters by leading experts discuss continuation for various types of systems and objects and showcase examples of how numerical bifurcation analysis can be used in concrete applications. Topics that are treated include: interactive continuation tools, higher-dimensional continuation, the computation of invariant manifolds, and continuation techniques for slow-fast systems, for symmetric Hamiltonian systems, for spatially extended systems and for systems with delay. Three chapters review physical applications: the dynamics of a SQUID, global bifurcations in laser systems, and dynamics and bifurcations in electronic circuits.
Nuclear Law : The Global Debate
This open access book traces the journey of nuclear law: its origins, how it has developed, where it is now, and where it is headed. As a discipline, this highly specialized body of law makes it possible for us to benefit from the life-saving applications of nuclear science and technology, including diagnosing cancer as well as avoiding and mitigating the effects of climate change. This book seeks to give readers a glimpse into the future of nuclear law, science and technology. It intends to provoke thought and discussion about how we can maximize the benefits and minimize the risks inherent in nuclear science and technology. This compilation of essays presents a global view in discipline as well as in geography.
Nuclear Fission and Cluster Radioactivity : An Energy-Density Functional Approach
It is the first application to nuclear physics from energy-density functional method, for which Professor Walter Kohn received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The book presents a comprehensive extension of the Bohr-Wheeler theory with the present knowledge of nuclear density distribution function.
Nuclear back-end and transmutation technology for waste disposal : Beyond the Fukushima accident
Covers essential aspects of transmutation technologies, highlighting especially the advances in Japan. The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has caused us to focus attention on a large amount of spent nuclear fuels stored in NPPs. In addition, public anxiety regarding the treatment and disposal of high-level radioactive wastes that require long-term control is growing. The Japanese policy on the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle is still unpredictable in the aftermath of the accident. Therefore, research and development for enhancing the safety of various processes involved in nuclear energy production are being actively pursued worldwide.
NPY Family of Peptides in Neurobiology, Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders : from Genes to Therapeutics
The NPY-family of peptides encompasses several groups of neurotransmitters and hormones, which exert diverse biological and pathological actions that bear on all major vital systems. This book is a unique compilation of the most recent breakthroughs in NPY/PYY neurobiology, cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. The identification of multiple receptors for the members of the NPY and PYY family of peptides provides new opportunities for discovery of specific NPY antagonists and agonists that have vast clinical potential. The recognition of the role of NPY in stimulation of food intake has already resulted in discovery of potent and selective NPY receptor Y-5 antagonists, which are in clinical development for obesity. NPY Y1 receptor antagonists are targeted for cardiovascular indications. Research into the multiple functions of NPY and its receptors in neurological and affective disorders is also actively pursued. The chapters in this book are written by internationally renowned experts with the objective to synthesize leading concepts and data in support for translational medicine.
Novepernove : Sudoku : segreti e strategie di gioco = Novepernove : Sudoku : game secrets and strategies
The game of Sudoku has exploded in the Western world since 2005 and has since continued to expand, to gather new followers, to proliferate specialized magazines on newsstands and dedicated sites on the Internet. Sudoku success shows no signs of slowing down. All the major newspapers offer daily some patterns to be solved; associations and federations were born; local tournaments, various national championships and even an annual world championship are organized; the proposals for variants of the classic Sudoku multiply; many university professors have launched graduate theses on the subject; various software products have been written on PCs, on dedicated hardware and on the main interactive game consoles.
Novel Carrier Systems for Targeted and Controlled Drug Delivery
Presents novel carrier systems for the targeted and controlled drug delivery for the treatment of various diseases which are difficult to be treated with conventional drug delivery systems like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and emerging infectious diseases. It also reviews the origins and applications of stimuli-responsive polymer systems and polymer therapeutics such as polymer-protein and polymer-drug conjugates. The book also explores the potential applications of the parenteral route of administration for the delivery of active pharmaceutical substances with a narrow therapeutic index and poor bioavailability. Further, the book presents common routes of administration for the systemic delivery of peptides and proteins. It also examines the applications of various implantable systems in drug delivery. The book also covers the important colloidal drug delivery systems, including liposomes and niosomes and solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers.
Non-metallic biomaterials for tooth repair and replacement
Focuses on the use of biomaterials for a range of applications in tooth repair and, in particular, dental restoration. Part one reviews the structure, modification and repair of dental tissues. The properties of enamel and dentin and their role in adhesive dental restoration are discussed, along with biomineralization and biomimicry of tooth enamel, and enamel matrix proteins (EMPs) for periodontal regeneration. Part two goes on to discuss the processing, bonding and wear properties of dental ceramics, glasses and sol-gel derived bioactive glass ceramics for tooth repair and replacement. Dental composites for tooth repair and replacement are then the focus of part three, including composite adhesive and antibacterial restorative materials for dental applications. T
Nitrogen Cycling in the Americas : Natural and Anthropogenic Influences and Controls
The rate of creation of reactive nitrogen (NR) on the earth has dramatically increased in the last half century mainly due to the production of N-fertilizer through the Haber-Bosch process, fossil fuel combustion, and the cultivation of plants that fix N from the atmosphere. The anthropogenic production of NR has been especially high in developed countries of the temperate zone, such as the USA and Canada, where severe eutrophication of estuaries and coastal zones, acidification of lakes and streams, loss of biodiversity, and reduced forest productivity have become common environmental problems associated with increasing nitrogen loads to ecosystems. This book presents a series of studies from across the Americas whose aim is to highlight key natural processes that control nitrogen cycling as well as discuss the main anthropogenic influences on the nitrogen cycle in both the tropical and temperate regions of the Americas.
New Trends in Cancer for the 21st Century
It is difficult to imagine anyone who has not heard of cancer. This disease can affect families, friends or any one of us at any time in our lives. Every year nearly 3 million Europeans are diagnosed with cancer, leading to around 800,000 deaths per year. These deaths occur not only in aging populations, but also in children and adults who are in the most active period of their lives. This represents a tremendous problem that cannot be ignored by politicians or citizens. Fortunately, there is a constantly growing awareness that although cancer is a problem to be dealt with by clinicians, it should also be the concern of everyone. This volume contains the lectures held at the International Symposium on Cancer "New Trends in Cancer for the 21st Century". Fundamental researchers, politicians and representatives from patient coalitions share here their knowledge and interests as well as their concerns and experiences. Not only do these papers provide state-of-the-art information on cancer, they are also an opportunity to look at the problem from different points of view. It can be encouraging to realise that we are not alone in this fight.
