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Nato And Terrorism : On Scene : New Challenges for First Responders and Civil Protection
This book provides information about how leading agencies across the NATO membership are preparing to confront and respond to terrorists deploying Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), Weapons of Mass Killing (WMK) and Weapons of Mass Disruption (WMDi). Based on contributions by experts from NATO member states, Israel and the Russian Federation, this book offers information on fourth generation warfare as a new challenge to first responders. It also provides a variety of insights into methods for preparing for and responding to WMD-, WMK-, and WMDi-events, using new technologies and strategies. Furthermore, the book offers solution for restoring the community to functioning after such a major terror attack. Topics include preparing, planning, operations, equipment, training and unique applications of existing technologies for countering terrorist attacks against cities and their infrastructure.
Monoaminergic modulation of cortical excitability
Monoaminergic Modulation of Cortical Excitability serves as an integrative and comprehensive comparison of the diverse and complex modulatory action of dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin receptors in the cortex. The volume is organized into several sections offering a broad spectrum of opinions on how the monoamine systems affect cortical function from a cellular/sub-cellular level to a system level. The complexity of these interactions are discussed in light of recent data showing how disruption of these systems dramatically affects the memory formation and information processing in the cortex.
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.
Interface Oral Health Science 2007 ; Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium for Interface Oral Health Science, Held in Sendai, Japan, Between 18 and 19 February, 2007
Interface Oral Health Science is a major theme for next-generation dental research. That theme is based on the innovative concept that healthy oral function is provided by biological and biomechanical harmony among three systems: oral tissues including the teeth, mucosa, bones, and muscles (host); parasitic microorganisms of the oral cavity (parasites); and biomaterials. The concept posits that oral diseases such as dental caries, periodontal disease, and tempo- mandibular disorders should be interpreted as interface diseases that result from disruption of the intact interfaces among these systems. The uniqueness of this concept rests on the fact that it not only encompasses the entire fi eld of dentistry and dental care, but also expands the common ground shared with many other fields, including medicine, pharmaceutical science, agriculture, material science, and engineering.
Intelligent connectivity : AI, IoT, and 5G
Explores the economics and technology of AI, IOT, and 5G integration. Delivers a comprehensive technological and economic analysis of intelligent connectivity and the integration of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and 5G. It covers a broad range of topics, including Machine-to-Machine (M2M) architectures, edge computing, cybersecurity, privacy, risk management, IoT architectures, and more. Will also get access to: A thorough introduction to technology adoption and emerging trends in technology, including business trends and disruptive new applications / Comprehensive explorations of telecommunications transformation and intelligent connectivity, including learning algorithms, machine learning, and deep learning / Practical discussions of the Internet of Things, including its potential for disruption and future trends for technological development / In-depth examinations of 5G wireless technology, including discussions of the first five generations of wireless tech
Increasing the security and reliability of e-health system using blockchain technology
The Blockchain technology is the buzzword of the year, and as this new technology slowly matured, it seems clear that from banking to supply chain logistics, it is ready for disruption. And in healthcare in particular, there is a massive opportunity for blockchain revolution to disrupt and lead the digital transformation. From medical records to pharmaceutical supply chains, to smart contracts for payment distribution, there are a plenty of methods to leverage this technology. Thus it has reached a great boom in the health sector, due to its importance to overcome interoperability and security challenges of health records systems in e-health.
Immunogenetics of Autoimmune Disease
Utoimmunity is the downstream outcome of a rather extensive and coordinated series of events that include loss of self-tolerance, peripheral lymphocyte Aactivation, disruption of the blood-systems barriers, cellular infiltration into the target organs and local inflammation. Cytokines, adhesion molecules, growth factors, antibodies, and other molecules induce and regulate critical cell functions that perpetuate inflammation, leading to tissue injury and clinical phenotype. The nature and intensity of this response as well as the physiological ability to restore homeostasis are to a large extent conditioned by the unique amino acid sequences that define allelic variants on each of the numerous participating mol ecules. Therefore, the coding genes in their germline configuration play a primary role in determining who is at risk for developing such disorders, how the disease progresses, and how someone responds to therapy. Although genetic components in these diseases are clearly present, the lack of obvious and homogeneous modes of transmission has slowed progress by prevent ing the full exploitation of classical genetic epidemiologic techniques. Furthermore, autoimmune diseases are characterized by modest disease risk heritability and m- tifaceted interactions with environmental influences. Yet, several recent discoveries have dramatically changed our ability to examine genetic variation as it relates to human disease. In addition to the development of large-scale laboratory methods and tools to efficiently recognize and catalog DNA diversity, over the past few years there has been real progress in the application of new analytical and data-manage ment approaches
Health of People, Health of Planet and Our Responsibility : Climate Change, Air Pollution and Health
This book not only describes the challenges of climate disruption, but also presents solutions. The challenges described include air pollution, climate change, extreme weather, and related health impacts that range from heat stress, vector-borne diseases, food and water insecurity and chronic diseases to malnutrition and mental well-being.
Goliath strikes back : How traditional retailers are winning back customers from ecommerce startups
Goliath Strikes Back: How Traditional Retailers Are Winning Back Customers from Ecommerce Startups expands on this current industry shift in one of the most accessible, intriguing business books in recent times. Each chapter covers a different industry, as diverse and eclectic as consumer electronics, newspapers, groceries, logistics, and more. By looking at how traditional retailers are facing off against internet startups, you can gauge the landscape and form your own strategies.
Global Fintech : Financial Innovation in the Connected World
How the global financial services sector has been transformed by artificial intelligence, data science, and blockchain. Artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain, and other new technologies have upended the global financial services sector, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and corporate innovators. Venture capitalists have helped to fund this disruption, pouring nearly $500 billion into fintech over the last five years. This book offers global perspectives on technology-fueled transformations in financial services, with contributions from a wide-ranging group of academics, industry professionals, former government officials, and current government advisors. They examine not only the struggles of rich countries to bring the old analog world into the new digital one but also the opportunities for developing countries to “leapfrog” directly into digital.
Fundamentals of operational risk management : Understanding and implementing effective tools, policies and frameworks
Threats to an organization's operations, such as fraud, IT disruption or poorly designed products, could result in serious losses. Understand the key components of effective operational risk management with this essential book for risk professionals and students. Outlines how to implement a sound operational risk management framework which is embedded in day-to-day business activities. It covers the main operational risk tools including categorisation, risk and control self-assessment and scenario analysis, and explores the importance of risk appetite and tolerance.
Economics of the Environment : Theory and Policy
The labor of nature is paid, not because she does much, but because she does little. In proportion as she becomes niggardly in her gifts, she exacts a greater price for her work. Where she is munificently bene- cent, she always works gratis.“ David Ricardo* This book interprets nature and the environment as a scarce resource. Whereas in the past people lived in a paradise of environmental superabundance, at p- sent environmental goods and services are no longer in ample supply. The en- ronment fulfills many functions for the economy: it serves as a public-c- sumption good, as a provider of natural resources, and as receptacle of waste. These different functions compete with each other. Releasing more pollutants into the environment reduces environmental quality, and a better environm- tal quality implies that the environment’s use as a receptacle of waste has to be restrained. Consequently, environmental disruption and environmental use are by nature allocation problems. This is the basic message of this book.
Ecology of Harmful Algae
Harmful algal blooms are one of the consequences of the human impact on aquatic ecosystems, particularly the process of eutrophication. They can cause a variety of deleterious effects, including the poisoning of fish and shellfish, habitat disruptions for many organisms, water discolouration, beach fouling, and even toxic effects for humans. This volume is a comprehensive synthesis of the latest research achievements concerning harmful algae (HA) ecology. International experts provide an in-depth analysis of HA topics including: global distribution, ecology of major HA groups, ecology and physiology of HA, HA and the food web, studying and mitigating HA, the human impact on HA and HA impact on human activity. This volume is an invaluable source of information for researchers in HA ecology as well as for advanced students, lecturers, and environmental managers.
Digital darwinism : Surviving the new age of business disruption
This book guides you through the unrelenting pace of change and uncertainty facing business leaders today. Currently in a hybrid world where digital and real-world experiences collide and are expected to seamlessly blend into one another, never has the need to be on top of your digital transformation been felt more strongly.
Crypto Wars : Faked Deaths, Missing Billions and Industry Disruption
Unveils the biggest scams and frauds that have shocked the world of cryptocurrency, from the disappearing Crypto Queen with OneCoin, to Bitconnect, the initial coin offering crash and Quadriga where the founder seems to have faked his own death to escape prosecution Contains exclusive interviews and commentaries from many of the key people who have been actively investigating the biggest crypto-scams, from the Metropolitan police, to insolvency practitioners, researchers, BBC journalists and tech geeks Goes beyond the sensationalist and concludes on the real potential for change and good that cryptocurrencies bring; from challenging the greedy practices of the banking and remittance industries, to reaching over 2.5 billion unbanked users, allowing for greater transparency and ethical behaviours
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Illness and Disability
Severe pain, debilitating fatigue, sleep disruption, severe gastrointestinal distress – these hallmarks of chronic illness complicate treatment as surely as they disrupt patients’ lives, in no small part because of the overlap between biological pathology and resulting psychological distress. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Illness and Disability cuts across formal diagnostic categories to apply proven therapeutic techniques to potentially devastating conditions, from first assessment to end of treatment. Four extended clinical case examples of patients with chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, inoperable cancer, and Crohn’s disease are used throughout the book to demonstrate how cognitive-behavioral interventions can be used to effectively address ongoing medical stressors and their attendant depression, anxiety, and quality-of-life concerns. At the same time, they highlight specific patient and therapist challenges commonly associated with chronic conditions.
Managing the Complexity of Critical Infrastructures : A Modelling and Simulation Approach
This book summarizes work being pursued in the context of the CIPRNet (Critical Infrastructure Preparedness and Resilience Research Network) research project, co-funded by the European Union under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The project is intended to provide concrete and on-going support to the Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) research communities, enhancing their preparedness for CI-related emergencies, while also providing expertise and technologies for other stakeholders to promote their understanding and mitigation of the consequences of CI disruptions, leading to enhanced resilience.
Management of Convergence in Innovation : Strategies and Capabilities for Value Creation Beyond Blurring Industry Boundaries
Throughout the past decade, the phenomenon of technological convergence has increasingly gained managerial attention. In this special form of technological change, the coming-together of previously distinct knowledge bases gives rise to the creation of new applications and business models. When such innovations emerge at the intersection of industries, the resulting creative destruction may exceed previously established industry boundaries. As a consequence, convergence does not only promise the creation of new value, but may imply significant disruptions to established industries. Based on investigating 26 firms within the ICT industry, this book highlights implications of the convergence phenomenon on firms’ innovation management practices, and derives strategic guidelines for building and sustaining business models beyond blurring industry boundaries.
Lung biology and pathophysiology
The lungs are the organ for gas exchange between the body and the external environment. Dysfunction of upper airway epithelium and smooth muscle cells leads to pathogenesis of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and other conditions, resulting in airway inflammation and narrowing. Injury to alveolar epithelium and endothelium causes influx of neutrophil and protein-rich fluid from circulation, resulting in edema and disruption of gas exchange. In addition to lung structural cells, immune cells, including alveolar macrophages and lymphocytes play critical roles in the maintenance of lung function. This book contributes to the understanding homeostasis of lung cells in the physiological and pathological conditions critical to the development of novel therapeutics.
Business Resilience : A Practical Guide to Sustained Progress Delivered at Pace
Business Resilience is a practical guide to making organizations more resilient and improving current practices by building on what the organization does well. It explains how managers should constantly monitor their business environment and adapt their priorities depending on the level of disruption - from gradual innovation and improvement in good times to swarming on a single problem during a crisis.
