Astrophysics : A new approach
For a quantitative understanding of the physics of the universe - from the solar system through the milky way to clusters of galaxies all the way to cosmology - these edited lecture notes are perhaps among the most concise and also among the most critical ones: Astrophysics has not yet stood the redundancy test of laboratory physics, hence should be wary of early interpretations. Special chapters are devoted to magnetic and radiation processes, supernovae, disks, black-hole candidacy, bipolar flows, cosmic rays, gamma-ray bursts, image distortions, and special sources. At the same time, planet earth is viewed as the arena for life, with plants and animals having evolved to homo sapiens during cosmic time. -- This text is unique in covering the basic qualitative and quantitative tools, formulae as well as numbers, needed for the precise interpretation of frontline phenomena in astrophysical research. The author compares mainstream interpretations with new and even controversial ones he wishes to emphasize.
Associative and endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria and cyanobacterial associations
Associative and Endophytic Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria and Cyanobacterial Associations This book is part of the seven-volume series that was launched a few years ago with the ambitious objectives of reviewing the field of nitrogen fixation from its earliest beginnings through the millennium change and of consolidating the relevant information - from fundamental to agricultural and environmental aspects – all in one place. Volume 5 covers the biology of bacteria that associate with n- leguminous plants. The subject matter includes a wide range of associations; it covers the bacterial species that associate either with the surface or within the tissues of grasses (often referred as plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria) and also the symbiotic associations that cyanobacteria form with fungi, algae, and both lower and higher plants. This volume does not deal with the Frankia-actinorhizal plant associations, which is the topic of Volume 6
Association Mapping in Plants
For the past decade, there has been success in using conventional map-based strategies in identification and cloning of quantitative trait loci (QTL) in model plant species including tomato and Arabidopsis. These quantitative traits are generally the products of many loci with varying degrees of effect upon the observed phenotypes. Recently, a new approach to genetic mapping has emerged called association mapping. This new technique takes into account the thousands of genes to evaluate for QTL effect and is a more efficient approach that does not require generation of segregating populations/large numbers of progeny. As it can utilize all of the historic recombination events in a diverse population of individuals it can generate higher resolution genetic maps and, is needed to complement current map based cloning methods.
Assessing Race, Ethnicity and Gender in Health
Where there are patients, clients, or study participants, there are data. And when data involve personal variables of race, ethnicity, gender, and/or sexual orientation, questions of relevance and marginalization often arise. Assessing Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Health brings needed clarity to the debate by identifying the ethical issues as well as the technical challenges inherent in measuring these elusive concepts.
Arum palaestenium in cancer therapies
Cancer is a very complicated sequence of disease conditions progressing gradually with a generalized loss of growth control.1–3 There were only a few options of cancer treatment for patients for many decades which include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy as single treatments or in combination.4,5 But recently, many pathways involved in cancer therapy progression and how they can be targeted has improved dramatically, with combinatorial strategies, involving multiple targeted therapies or “traditional” chemotherapeutics, such as the taxanes and platinum compounds, being found to have a synergistic effect.6 New approaches, such as drugs, biological molecules, and immune-mediated therapies, are being used for treatment.
Artificial neural networks in Vehicular Pollution Modelling
Artificial neural networks (ANNs), which are parallel computational models, comprising of interconnected adaptive processing units (neurons) have the capability to predict accurately the dispersive behavior of vehicular pollutants under complex environmental conditions. This book aims at describing step-by-step procedure for formulation and development of ANN based VP models considering meteorological and traffic parameters. The model predictions are compared with existing line source deterministic/statistical based models to establish the efficacy of the ANN technique in explaining frequent dispersion complexities in urban areas. The book is very useful for hardcore professionals and researchers working in problems associated with urban air pollution management and control.
Artificial intelligence in the design process : The impact on creativity and team collaboration
Discusses how to include artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the early stages of the design process. Today designers need new tools capable of supporting them in dealing with the increasing project's complexity and empowering their performances and capabilities. AI systems appear to be powerful means to enhance designers' creativity. This assumption was tested in a workshop where sixteen participants collaborated with three AI systems throughout the creative phases of research, sketching, and color selection. Results show that designers can access a broader level of variance and inspiration while reducing the risk of fossilization by triggering lateral thinking through AI-generated data. Therefore, AI could significantly impact the creative phases of the design process if applied consciously. Being AI systems intelligent agents, the book treats the Human-AI collaboration as a collaboration between human agents, proposing a set of guidelines helpful to achieving an efficient partnership with the machine.
Artificial intelligence : Methodology, systems, and applications ; 10th International Conference, AIMSA 2002, Varna, Bulgaria, September 4-6, 2002. Proceedings
The AIMSA conference series was frst conceived in 1984 as a gathering of AI researchers and students from Eastern and Central Europe.Sincethenthecon- rence has followed a biennial schedule of meetings in Bulgaria, attracting parti- pantsfrom awidergeographicalarea.The AIMSA organizers are delighted to present you with another exciting program, coveringmostareasof Artifcial Intelligence.Inkeepingwithitsm- sion to inform the research community and excite the commercial sector, AIMSA presents this year two invited contributions from world-leading European rese- chersworkingoncutting-edgeAIresearch: Prof.CaroleGoble, ontheSemantic Web.
Arthropod Diversity and Conservation
Despite their enormous bulk and complexity of architecture, plants make up only around a quarter of a million of the 8 million or so species on Earth. The major components of biodiversity, instead, are the smaller, largely unseen, silent majority of invertebrates – most of which are arthropods. Vertebrates, a mere blip on the biotic horizon, are elevated in importance in the bigger scheme of things only by the human psyche. This collection of more than 30 peer-reviewed papers focuses on the diversity and conservation of arthropods, whose species inhabit virtually every recess and plane – and feature somewhere in virtually every food web – on the planet. Highlighting issues ranging from large-scale disturbance to local management, and from spatial heterogeneity to temporal patterns, these papers reflect some of the most exciting new research taking place today – and in some of the most biodiverse corners of the planet.
Arrhythmogenic RV cardiomyopathy / dysplasia : Recent advances
This book covers all aspects (biological, pathological, genetic, clinical and therapeutical) of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia, a recent cardiomyopathy which represents a very high risk of sudden death in the young and in athletes. The monograph presents the results of 5-year research program on ARVC/D supported by grants of both the European Commission and the NIH, which enabled the discovery of seven disease-causing genes, thus opening new avenues for the early identification of affected patients and for sudden death prevention.
Arctic Alpine ecosystems and people in a changing environment
This book addresses the significant environmental changes experienced by high latitude and high altitude ecosystems at the beginning of the 21st c- tury. Increased temperatures and precipitation, reduction in sea ice and glacier ice, the increased levels of UV-radiation and the long-range tra- ported contaminants in arctic and alpine regions are stress factors that challenge terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The large natural variation in the physical parameters of these extreme environments is a key factor in structuring the biodiversity and biotic productivity, and the effect of the new stress factors can be critical for the population structures and the - teraction between species. These changes may also have socio-economic effects if the changes affect the bio-production, which form the basis for the marine and terrestrial food chains. The book is uniquely multidisciplinary and provides examples of va- ous aspects of contemporary environmental change in arctic and alpine - gions. The 21 chapters of the book are organised under the fields of •Climate change and ecosystem response, •Long range transport of poll- ants and ecological impacts, and •UV radiation and biological effects, each also including aspects of the •Socio-economic effects of environmental change. The introductory chapter presents and explains the internal c- nection and integration of all chapters.
Aquatic medicinal plants
The use of medicinal plants in herbal and modern medicine has gained popularity over the last few decades due to consumers taking more natural approaches to medicine. Aquatic medicinal plants are rich in bioactive compounds and demonstrate various commercial, nutraceutical, and biological applications. Aquatic Medicinal Plants offers the reader a wealth of information on uses of bioactive components of these plants, along with crucial references, and explains their traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological properties.
Applying the building code : Step-by-step guidance for design and building professionals
The IBC and its complementary codes provide design and construction professionals with a complete set of comprehensive, coordinated building safety and fire prevention regulations in order to safeguard the public health and general welfare of the occupants of new and existing buildings and structures. Adopted throughout most of the United States and its territories, it is referenced by federal agencies, such as the General Services Administration, National Park Service, Department of State, U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of Defense. For architects and other design and construction professionals, it is particularly important that they understand how to apply the IBC and how code officials view buildings, so that they integrate code-required provisions in the earliest design stages of any project.
Applied Hydrogeophysics
This book focuses on how hydrogeophysical methods can be applied to solve problems facing environmental engineers, geophysicists, agronomists, hydrologists, soil scientists and hydrogeologists. We present applications of hydrogeophysical methods to the understanding of hydrological processes and environmental problems dealing with the flow of water and the transport of solutes and contaminants. The majority of the book is organized as a series of process-driven chapters, each authored by leading experts. Areas covered include: infiltration and solute transport processes, biogeochemical functioning of soil-water systems, coastal groundwater interactions, cold region hydrology, engineered barriers and landfill processes. In addition, the book offers insight into the development of new data fusion methodologies, of value to many hydrogeophysical investigations, and provides an account how the rapidly developing self-potential technique can give valuable information about water fluxes and hydrochemical states within the subsurface.
Aortic dissection and related syndromes
Aortic dissection affects approximately two in ten thousand individuals and can be fatal. This state-of-the-art publication is a result of the combined efforts of participants from the International Registry of Aortic Dissection (IRAD). The book has been divided into sections. Each chapter provides a succinct overview of the current clinical literature and incorporates illustrations for further explanation.
Anti-viral metabolites from medicinal plants
Covers general concepts of anti-viral metabolites, classifications, ethnopharmacology, chemistry, clinical and preclinical studies focusing on different medicinal plants against various types of viral infections. Various plants have been used in medicine since ancient times and are known for their strong therapeutic effects. The book will describe potential antiviral properties of medicinal plants against a diverse group of viruses, and provide an insight to the potential plants possess for broad-spectrum antiviral effects against emerging viral infections.The book aims to target a broad audience including virologists, molecular biologist, microbiologist and scientists working with natural products as well as researchers, students, healthcare experts involved in pharmaceutical and medical field.
Antioxidants effects in health : The bright and the dark side ; 1st ed.
Examines the role that antioxidants play in a variety of health and disease situations. The book discusses antioxidants’ historical evolution, their oxidative stress, and contains a detailed approach of 1) endogenous antioxidants, including endogenous sources, mechanisms of action, beneficial and detrimental effects on health, in vitro evidence, animal studies and clinical studies; 2) synthetic antioxidants, including sources, chemistry, bioavailability, legal status, mechanisms of action, beneficial and detrimental effects on health, in vitro evidence, animal studies and clinical studies; and 3) natural antioxidants, including sources, chemistry, bioavailability, mechanisms of action, possible prooxidant activity; beneficial and detrimental effects on health, in vitro evidence, animal studies and clinical studies. Throughout the boo, the relationship of antioxidants with different beneficial and detrimental effects are examined, and the current controversies and future perspectives are addressed and explored. Antioxidants Effects in Health: The Bright and the Dark Side evaluates the current scientific evidence on antioxidant topics, focusing on endogenous antioxidants, naturally occurring antioxidants and synthetic antioxidants. It will be a helpful resource for pharmaceutical scientists, health professionals, those studying natural chemistry, phytochemistry, pharmacognosy, natural product synthesis, and experts in formulation of herbal and natural pharmaceuticals.
Antioxidants as nutraceuticals
Provides a comprehensive overview of antioxidants and nutraceuticals, including their sources, mechanisms of action, and health benefits, this new volume first covers the basics of the types of antioxidants as nutraceuticals, including the importance of phytochemical antioxidants and their nutritional and pharmacological intervention in the treatment of disease. It discusses the natural origins of antioxidants, classification, mechanisms of action, calculation of antioxidant potential of nutraceutical substances, safety, toxicity, and their significant involvement in the prevention of many degenerative and chronic diseases.
Antioxidants and Cardiovascular Disease
Antioxidants and Cardiovascular Disease, Second Edition addresses a complex but very timely and fascinating problem in cardiovascular medicine. It is written by recognized experts in the fields of atherosclerosis and antioxidants. It should be of interest not only to academicians but also to practicing physicians.
Antioxidants
Highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters written by an international board of authors.



















