Bücher veröffentlicht von IntechOpen

Composite materials are materials made from two or more constituents with significantly different physical or chemical properties; when combined, a new material with characteristics different from the individual components is produced, while the individual components remain separate and distinct within the finished structure. The new composite material often displays many beneficial characteristics; in many cases, composites are stronger, of lower density, or less costly in comparison to established materials. Based on the classification of composites, we are already familiar with the fact that there exists a myriad of different types of these materials. It is a common saying that different types of composites differ in their performance. Yet, composites also have some characteristics in common. The proper material choice for an envisaged application is of outstanding importance and key in the development of a new product. Selecting the most suitable material determines the performance and characterization of the final product whether it will meet the designated function and performance requirements. The present book "Characterizations of some composite materials" contains eight selected chapters, starting with a general introductory chapter on composite materials, and covers different aspects in characterizing some composite materials. In this context, the present book is considered an appropriate way to communicate the advances in characterization of some composite materials to the scientific community. Chemists, scientists, and researchers from related areas, and undergraduates involved in materials issues and interested in approaches to improve the quality of life, as well as people from industry could find this book to be an inspiring and effective guide.

For public access to electric energy, exploitation of high-voltage networks is inevitable. Meanwhile, high-voltage engineering plays a basic role in designing and operating network insulation. On the other hand, modern high-voltage engineering trends are developing environmentally friendly and recyclable insulators. Recently, nano-doping of environmentally friendly polypropylene/inorganic nano-composites has shown improvement to its characteristics and increased the use of HVDC insulation. In this book, research is carried out on nano-doping effects on the performance and future development of polypropylene nano-composites. Also, the characteristics of CF3I gas and its combination with nitrogen by experimental results are investigated. Installation of capacitors may result in voltage increment at the point where the capacitors are connected to the network. This issue is important when a harmonic resonance has occurred. The harmonic resonances may lead to voltage stress on the power network insulation. The book also discusses the effect of harmonic resonance on the insulation.

This book is both a review of current research and an undergraduate textbook for inorganic chemistry at university level. In university undergraduate lectures, basic concepts are mainly explained and added examples of frontier research are optional. However, in many cases, frontier research is more interesting for students than basic studies. This book is aimed at undergraduates in inorganic chemistry. Each author introduces or reviews "frontier research topics" of inorganic coordination chemistry. Additionally, "basic concepts," as found in textbooks on this subject, indicate application examples of "frontier research topics."

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is still the most common cause of death among adults. Its prevalence is increasing in developing countries and despite all advances in both diagnostic tools and treatment modalities, it is still very common in the developed world. Obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia and overuse of dietary salt play a pivotal role in increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current clinical efforts are mainly focused on the diagnosis and treatment of myocardial infarction. In this book, we provide epidemiological data on myocardial infarction and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, current diagnostic biochemical tests and management strategies. A specific patient group, children, experiencing myocardial infarction are also addressed. Current advances in the management of myocardial infarction have decreased the morbidity and mortality from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and especially myocardial infarction; however, more can be achieved by the prevention of atherosclerotic processes via focusing on the early stages of the disease.

Low-temperature non-equilibrium gaseous discharges represent nearly ideal media for boosting plasma-based chemical reactions. In these discharges the energy of plasma electrons, after being received from the electromagnetic field, is transferred to the other degrees of freedom differently, ideally with only a small part going to the translational motion of heavy gas particles. This unique property enables the important application of non-equilibrium plasmas for greenhouse gas conversion. While the degree of discharge non-equilibrium often defines the energetic efficiency of conversion, other factors are also of a great importance, such as type of discharge, presence of plasma catalysis, etc. This book is focused on the recent achievements in optimization and understanding of non-equilibrium plasma for gas conversion via plasma modeling and experimental work.

Congenital Heart Disease is a general term for a range of birth defects that affect the normal workings of the heart. It is one of the most common types of birth defect occurring in 1% of live births and affects up to 9 in every 1,000 babies born in the United Kingdom. It was estimated that 34.3 million people had a congenital heart abnormality in 2013. Abnormalities can arise in 3-5% of off spring in cases of de novo family history. Congenital heart disease was responsible for 223,000 deaths in 2010. This short volume details the common birth defects affecting the structure and functioning of the heart concentrating on the genetic basis and epidemiology, as well as risk factors, diagnostic modalities and treatment options.

In recent years, scholars have focused more on the "dark sides of leadership." Both the negative and positive aspects of the relationship between leaders and followers are considered. But the relationship between leaders and followers is also influenced by the context in which the relationship occurs. Organizational aspects such as culture and structures are studied in relation to how negative leadership develops. Organizations, just like humans, are able to develop justifications for their actions, to self-aggrandize by claiming their exclusivity. In this book, the dark sides of organizational behaviors and leadership are considered from different aspects and contexts. The book contributes knowledge of how negative leadership develops, what part organizational structures play, and what the consequences are for the leader, the subordinates and the organization.

The limitation of the radio spectrum and the rapid growth of communication applications make optimal usage of radio resources essential. Cognitive radio (CR) is an attractive research area for 4G/5G wireless communication systems, which enables unlicensed users to access the spectrum. Delivering higher spectral efficiency, supporting the higher number of users, and achieving higher coverage and throughput are the main advantages of CR-based networks compared to conventional ones. The main goal of this book is to provide highlights of current research topics in the field of CR-based systems. The book consists of six chapters in three sections focusing on primary and secondary users, spectrum sensing, spectrum sharing, CR-based IoT, emulation attack, and interference alignment.

This book is proposed as both a general reading of the discipline for students in architecture and urban planning, and offers a variety of materials for professionals of local and international organizations. It brings together studies with new perspectives and relevant subjects from different geographical areas. The book gathers the contributions of international researchers and experts. It is divided into three parts and eight chapters: Part I, "Introduction to Housing Affairs," includes a chapter that discusses a general reading of housing as meaning and action in social, economic, and environmental city life. Part II, "Case Studies Upon Housing Policies," includes four chapters. It consists of many examples from different geographical areas and domains. Part III, "Housing Quality and Affordability," includes three chapters; housing quality, sustainability, and development are the main subjects for this part.

Smoking was and remains one of the most important public healthcare issues. It is estimated that every year six million people die as a result of tobacco consumption. Several diseases are caused or worsened by smoking: different cancer types, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases and others. In this book we describe the different toxic effects of smoke on the human body in active and in passive smokers. It is also well known that many people who smoke wish to quit, but they rarely succeed. Smoking prevention and cessation are of utmost importance, thus we also describe different strategies and aspects of these issues. We hope that this book will help readers to understand better the effects of smoking and learn about new ideas on how to effectively help other people to stop smoking.

The HIV epidemic has had a significant and profound impact on the world and health resources. Considerable progress has been made in understanding the risks and drivers of the epidemic. Antiretroviral drugs have relieved human suffering and prolonged life. However, access to quality management needs to scale up and be made universal. This book discusses critical issues related to the treatment of HIV infection and related co-infections and challenges in adherence and discordancy. New vaccine approaches discussed may provide the ultimate solution for eradication. Sharing knowledge from various experts in medical and basic sciences improves the quality of care for this persistent global threat. This book discusses emerging advances in HIV-AIDS management to support strategies for control and elimination.

The field of low-dimensional structures has been experiencing rapid development in both theoretical and experimental research. Phonons in Low Dimensional Structures is a collection of chapters related to the properties of solid-state structures dependent on lattice vibrations. The book is divided into two parts. In the first part, research topics such as interface phonons and polaron states, carrier-phonon non-equilibrium dynamics, directional projection of elastic waves in parallel array of N elastically coupled waveguides, collective dynamics for longitudinal and transverse phonon modes, and elastic properties for bulk metallic glasses are related to semiconductor devices and metallic glasses devices. The second part of the book contains, among others, topics related to superconductor, phononic crystal carbon nanotube devices such as phonon dispersion calculations using density functional theory for a range of superconducting materials, phononic crystal-based MEMS resonators, absorption of acoustic phonons in the hyper-sound regime in fluorine-modified carbon nanotubes and single-walled nanotubes, phonon transport in carbon nanotubes, quantization of phonon thermal conductance, and phonon Anderson localization.

Deep knowledge of the chemical composition, nutrients, physical properties, toxicology, and microbiological composition of food allows for the production of safe, high-quality foods. This knowledge is fundamental when producing, preserving, manipulating, and distributing food substances, especially to reduce the risks to consumer health. The full extent of the effects on the composition of foods treated by new technologies is still unknown and it must be considered to guarantee that food is produced safely. Descriptive Food Science gives an in-depth insight into this field. Section 1 focuses on the quality of various foods and Section 2 centers on how different technological treatments affect the quality of food.