Bücher veröffentlicht von IntechOpen

This book intends to be a complimentary reference for graduate and undergraduate courses of Business and Engineering. Readers not familiar with Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and supply chain management (SCM) may have a first glance, reading isolate chapters. Moreover, the sequential order from Chapters 1 to 8 may be more instructive. Readers with expertise on MCDM or SCM will find interesting applications or proposals. The book also presents a systematic literature review, which confirms the leadership of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA).

Fusarium species are ubiquitous environmental fungi and can cause severe invasive infections in plants. They are crop pathogens, and consumption of such infected crops can cause diseases in humans and animals. Furthermore, they act as spoilage organisms in stored products, such as wheat, sorghum, rice, and corn (maize). Fusarium species are mycotoxin producers and contaminate food and grains. Therefore, their eradication and management have economic importance as they can cause enormous economic and agricultural production losses. Despite the fact that the genus Fusarium Link (1809) has been known for over 200 years, new scientific information is being revealed by rapid advancements and breakthrough findings of interdisciplinary studies. This book presents an introductory overview of an update to the scientific knowledge about Fusarium. It discusses various aspects of Fusarium, such as its genetic diversity, root rot incidence and severity, genetic resistance, molecular markers, mycotoxins, diseases caused by Fusarium, and their management and the biological control of these phytopathogens. Furthermore, it also elaborates upon new plant secondary metabolites that are effective against Fusarium and the molecular interaction between Fusarium and the plant.

Titanium dioxide is currently being used in many industrial products. It provides unique photocatalytic properties for water splitting and purification, bacterial inactivation, and organics degradation. It has also been widely used as the photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells and coatings for self-cleaning surfaces, biomedical implants, and nanomedicine. This book covers various aspects of titanium dioxide nanomaterials including their unique one-dimensional, two-dimensional, mesoporous, and hierarchical nanostructures and their synthetic methods such as sol-gel, hydrothermal, anodic oxidation, and electrophoretic deposition, as well as its key applications in environmental and energy sectors. Through these 24 chapters written by experts from the international scientific community, readers will have access to a comprehensive overview of the recent research and development findings on the titanium dioxide nanomaterials.

This is the first book that highlights how socialization is experienced as being a complex concept in everyday life in various countries of the world. The book represents the first attempt to provide an original and multidimensional definition of socialization that takes into account the contribution of different disciplines, such as philosophy, psychology, sociology, education, and even architecture, to underline its importance as a key aspect of human experience. Therefore, it represents an extraordinary opportunity to outline new horizons in the field.

The aim of this book Symmetry (Group Theory) and Mathematical Treatment in Chemistry is to be a graduate school-level text about introducing recent research examples associated with symmetry (group theory) and mathematical treatment in inorganic or organic chemistry, physical chemistry or chemical physics, and theoretical chemistry. Chapters contained can be classified into mini-review, tutorial review, or original research chapters of mathematical treatment in chemistry with brief explanation of related mathematical theories. Keywords are symmetry, group theory, crystallography, solid state, topology, molecular structure, electronic state, quantum chemistry, theoretical chemistry, and DFT calculations.

There are many different types of cancer. Some are very common; others are rare. Having some similar features, each cancer has its own characteristics and symptoms, which vary according to the type of cancer and where it is in the body. The treatment selected may be influenced by the patient's age, concurrent health problems, life expectancy, characteristics of the individual's cancer, the patient's goals of treatment, and the bias of the treating physician. In preparing this book, we have considered and reflected on the concept of the recent advances in cancer management and therapy as well as molecular applications in cancer therapy. The readers can find detailed information about the treatment and management of specific cancers in these book chapters.

The Green Electronics book is intended to stimulate people's thinking toward the new concepts of an environment-friendly electronics - the main challenge in the future. The book offers multiple solutions to push the classical electronic industry toward green concepts, aided by nanotechnologies, with revolutionary features that provide low power consumption in electronics, use biomaterials for integrated structures, and include environmental monitoring tools. Based on organic semiconductors/insulators without toxic precursors, green electronic technologies launched promising devices like OLED, OTFT, or nano-core-shell transistors. The Green Electronics book successfully presents the recent directions collected worldwide and leaves free space for continuing year by year with new subtopics.

The worldwide consumption of fossil fuel continues to increase at unsustainable levels, which will lead to progressive scarcity, if immediate and innovative measures are not taken for its sustainable use. This scarcity necessitates the development of renewable and sustainable alternatives for fossil fuels. A possible solution to today's energy challenges can be provided by biofuels. This book intends to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the current status and the future implications of biofuels. Diverse and aptly covered comprehensive information in this book will directly enhance both basic and applied research in biofuels and will particularly be useful for students, scientists, breeders, growers, ecologists, industrialists and policy makers. It will be a valuable reference point to improve biofuels in the areas of ecologically and economically sustainable bioenergy research.

The use of copper, silver, gold and platinum in jewelry as a measure of wealth is well known. This book contains 19 chapters written by international authors on other uses and applications of noble and precious metals (copper, silver, gold, platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, ruthenium, and rhenium). The topics covered include surface-enhanced Raman scattering, quantum dots, synthesis and properties of nanostructures, and its applications in the diverse fields such as high-tech engineering, nanotechnology, catalysis, and biomedical applications. The basis for these applications is their high-free electron concentrations combined with high-temperature stability and corrosion resistance and methods developed for synthesizing nanostructures. Recent developments in all these areas with up-to-date references are emphasized.

The book focuses on new analytical, experimental, and computational developments in the field of research of heat and mass transfer phenomena. The generation, conversion, use, and exchange of thermal energy between physical systems are considered. Various mechanisms of heat transfer such as thermal conduction, thermal convection, thermal radiation, and transfer of energy by phase changes are presented. Theory and fundamental research in heat and mass transfer, numerical simulations and algorithms, experimental techniques, and measurements as they applied to all kinds of applied and emerging problems are covered.

Space has always been intriguing people's imagination. However, space flight has only been feasible over the last 60 years. The collective effort of distinguished international researchers, within the field of space flight, has been incorporated into this book suitable to the broader audience. The book has been edited by Prof. George Dekoulis, Aerospace Engineering Institute (AEI), Cyprus, an expert on the state-of-the-art implementations of reconfigurable space physics systems. The book consists of six sections, namely, "Introduction," "Spacecraft Simulators," "Spacecraft Navigation," "Spacecraft Propulsion," "Suborbital Flight," and "Deep-Space Flight." We hope that this book will be beneficial for professionals, researchers, and academicians and inspires the younger generations into pursuing relevant academic studies and professional careers within the space industry.

For thousands of years, cataract surgery continues to be the "pearl" of ophthalmic surgery. It is explained by the fact that cataract removal always leads to an increase in visual acuity of patients. A new technology of cataract removal, phacoemulsification, was introduced by Charles Kelman in 1967. Despite this, it was difficult for the surgeons to transform from extracapsular cataract extraction to the new method - phacoemulsification. Recently, in the ophthalmological practice, the method of femtolaser cataract surgery (FLACS) has been introduced. This method allows you to automatically perform the basic stages of cataract surgery - corneal incisions, capsulorhexis, nucleus fracture. At the same time, to apply the various techniques of cataract surgery, the surgeon must possess virtually all the necessary techniques. This is dictated by the fact that, as a rule, cataract itself is rarely isolated - senile. Knowledge of the basic rules of cataract surgery, the use of pupillary rings and iris retractors in narrow pupils, the use of capsular rings in subluxations of the lens, the use of special modes of phaco in severe late cataracts, and a comprehensive clinical way of thinking can undoubtedly reduce the complications of cataract surgery.

Bismuth (Bi) is a post-transition metal element with the atomic number of 83, which belongs to the pnictogen group elements in Period 6 in the elemental periodic table. As a heavy metal, the hazard of Bi is unusually low in contrast to its neighbors Pb and Sb. This property, along with other typical characteristics like strong diamagnetism and low thermal conductivity, makes Bi attractive in industrial applications. There are more than 100 commercial bismuth products, from pharmaceutical to industrial catalysts. Based on the wide applications of Bi materials, this book goes further and mainly focuses on the potential uses of Bi-based materials, which consist of nine chapters. In addition, a special chapter concerning the defect in bismuth is also presented.

This concise book is addressed to researchers, clinical investigators, as well as practicing physicians and surgeons who are interested in the fields of clinical research and trials. It covers some important topics related to clinical trials including an introduction to clinical trials, some aspects concerning clinical trials in pediatric age group, and the unique aspects of the design of clinical trials on stem cell therapy.

More than 10% of the global burden of disease is due to pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes. Despite recent advances in obstetric medicine, pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes are a growing public health concern and economic burden on the healthcare system. This book will focus on the pregnancy complications and birth outcomes, from the aspects of gestational age, environmental, genetic, epigenetic risk factors, and delivery room management.

Over the last few decades, the prevalence of studies about symbiosis has dramatically grown in most regions of the world. Many aspects have been investigated related to this phenomenon. If we can gain understanding about symbiosis, then we may be able to manipulate it to reduce both chemical fertilizer use and environmental impact without decreasing the yield. This book provides information about the symbiotic relationship between a fern and Azolla, plant control over thread development during legume-rhizobia symbiosis, bacterial leaf nodule symbiosis in flowering plants and the potential of rhizobium strains in improving nitrogen fixation and legume yields. We hope this information will be useful to all people working on a hot topic.

Crisis management is an interdisciplinary subject field represented by theoretical problems, practical activity, people management and the art of crisis situation solving. Overall, the studies that this publication contains are to provide an overview of the state of the art mainly focused on crisis management cycle represented by certain phases and steps. Topics include also lessons learned from natural and man-made disasters, crisis communication, information systems in crisis management, civil protection and economics in crisis management. We hope that chapters of this book will provide useful information within crisis management issue for a wide audience.

Our anatomy and physiology have been completely shaped by Earth's gravity. All body systems function in synergy with this unseen force. Yet, as we journey further and longer into space, our bodies must conform to a new reality, wherein gravity is absent or reduced, cosmic radiation threatens and our social and familial connections become distant. Into Space: A Journey of How Humans Adapt and Live in Microgravity gives an overview of some of the physiological, anatomical and cellular changes that occur in space and their effects on different body systems, such as the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal, and touches on cultural and psychosocial aspects of leaving behind family and the safety of Earth. It further addresses the complexity of manned space flights, showing how interdisciplinary this subject is and discussing the challenges that space physiologists, physicians and scientists must face as humans seek to conquer the final frontier.

Goat science covers quite a wide range and varieties of topics, from genetics and breeding, via nutrition, production systems, reproduction, milk and meat production, animal health and parasitism, etc., up to the effects of goat products on human health. In this book, several parts of them are presented within 18 different chapters. Molecular genetics and genetic improvement of goats are the new approaches of goat development. Several factors affect the passage rate of digesta in goats, but for diet properties, goats are similar to other ruminants. Iodine deficiency in goats could be dangerous. Assisted reproduction techniques have similar importance in goats like in other ruminants. Milk and meat production traits of goats are almost equally important and have significant positive impacts on human health. Many factors affect the health of goats, heat stress being of increasing importance. Production systems could modify all of the abovementioned characteristics of goats.

Corticosteroids are mainly used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune system. Corticosteroids will only be prescribed if the potential benefits of treatment outweigh the risks. They will also be prescribed at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. This book will strive to highlight the importance of corticosteroids, to focus on minimizing side effects, to monitor and sensitize the population on the potential adverse effects of misuse, to provide additional knowledge about the design and development of new drug delivery systems loaded with corticosteroids potentially useful in the treatment of chronic inflammatory-based diseases, and to reduce inflammation and affect the immune system. The major objective of this book will be to present the information in a lucid, condensed, and cohesive form and to specially cater to the needs of readers in medicine and pharmacy.

In the present book, various applications of electric field are introduced in health and biology like treating cancer and cell sorting and in engineering and technological applications like enhancing the heat transfer, colloidal hydrodynamics and stability, and lithography. Electric field is defined as a force field arising from the electric charges. Depending on the nature of the material (the ability to polarize) and the inherent or attained surface charges, the response of the electric field varies.

The editor has incorporated contributions from a diverse group of leading researchers in the field of differential equations. This book aims to provide an overview of the current knowledge in the field of differential equations. The main subject areas are divided into general theory and applications. These include fixed point approach to solution existence of differential equations, existence theory of differential equations of arbitrary order, topological methods in the theory of ordinary differential equations, impulsive fractional differential equations with finite delay and integral boundary conditions, an extension of Massera's theorem for n-dimensional stochastic differential equations, phase portraits of cubic dynamic systems in a Poincare circle, differential equations arising from the three-variable Hermite polynomials and computation of their zeros and reproducing kernel method for differential equations. Applications include local discontinuous Galerkin method for nonlinear Ginzburg-Landau equation, general function method in transport boundary value problems of theory of elasticity and solution of nonlinear partial differential equations by new Laplace variational iteration method. Existence/uniqueness theory of differential equations is presented in this book with applications that will be of benefit to mathematicians, applied mathematicians and researchers in the field. The book is written primarily for those who have some knowledge of differential equations and mathematical analysis. The authors of each section bring a strong emphasis on theoretical foundations to the book.

Model organisms have been used in various disciplines in order to understand different mechanisms underlying the problems. From this point of view, the zebrafish has become a favorite model organism in different scientific research fields in recent years because of its rapid embryonic development, transparency of its embryos, and its large number of offspring along with several other advantages. Recent Advances in Zebrafish Researches demonstrates the role and the function of zebrafish in different research fields and totally includes 11 chapters, which have been written by the expert researches in their fields. With this book, every researcher will better understand different mechanisms underlying the problems at different disciplines using zebrafish as model organism.

The book "Chemical Reactions in Inorganic Chemistry" describes an overview of chemical reagents used in inorganic chemical reactions for the synthesis of different compounds including coordination, transition metal, organometallic, cluster, bioinorganic, and solid-state compounds. This book will be helpful for the graduate students, teachers, and researchers, and chemistry professionals who are interested to fortify and expand their knowledge about sol-gel preparation and application, porphyrin and phthalocyanine, carbon nanotube nanohybrids, triple bond between arsenic and group 13 elements, and N-heterocyclic carbene and its heavier analogues. It comprises a total of five chapters from multiple contributors around the world including China, India, and Taiwan.

Arid environments are basically associated with water scarcity. Therefore, soils will have an extremely low moisture level to support plant and animal life as well as human social life. Sustainability is the long durability of systems and processes within various adapted environmental conditions. Recently, systematic scientific studies on arid environments and sustainability have become more attractive, critical, and sound than the previous years. Sharing such experiences related to different environmental circumstances will absolutely help scientists and decision-makers to have better interpretation of their own environment. By learning lessons, appropriate, fast, and effective approaches require to implement for overwhelming such problems. Such actions will certainly lead to more secure and sustainable environments for plant, animal, and human life.

Cancer risk factors include exposure to certain substances, which may contribute to the development of cancer. However, substances can have different levels of cancer-causing potential, and the risk of developing cancer is dependent on several factors, including individual genetic background and the amount and duration of the exposure. This book focuses on various cancer risk factors, covering numerous known, probable, and possible carcinogens; their role in carcinogenesis; mechanisms of carcinogenicity; and methods for detecting carcinogens. And due to the growing concerns over the effects that substances and environmental exposures can have on human health, the chapters also emphasize on the vital need for further topic-related research as well as development and implementation of beneficial approaches.

This book focuses on metagenomics for gut microbiomes. The host is deprived of various benefits derived from the numerous gut microbes for food metabolism and health. However, polysaccharides such as cellulose, xylans, resistant starch, and inulin that are found in vegetables in our diet are digested by certain species that colonize the intestines. In contrast, metagenomic studies that reiterate microbiome intrinsic factors from particular communities and lifestyles and are extremely important for bacterial communities traveling over a long distance have entered a new era. Predominantly to understand the behavior of organisms and their action in a host, next-generation sequencing will provide a new insight into analyzing the livestock industry, agriculture, and human health risks and will consider for future development novel therapies for various diseases through identification of advanced tools. Hence, the book will give more precise information on the role of gut microbiomes in the host.

The book Potassium - Improvement of Quality in Fruits and Vegetables Through Hydroponic Nutrient Management provides useful information regarding potassium nutrition management in hydroponic cultivation, which will help in producing quality horticultural crops. The first few chapters describe the role of potassium nutrition in plants, its interaction with other nutrients, its source fertilizers, the role in postharvest produce qualities, and human nutrition. Potassium fertilizer management, its metabolism in plants, and cultivation techniques of fruits and leafy vegetables are also included in the middle section. The final chapter illustrates the software development for the calculation of hydroponic nutrients including potassium for easy management of cultural solution. As a whole, this book covers several major aspects on the topic for making it a complete and useful resource.

Taxes are a constant part of life for every company and a constant element of economics, finance, and financial law. Any changes observed in the science and theory also apply to the importance and position of taxes in the practice of corporate finance, public finance, and economic growth. Beside this, a new meaning of taxes in the economies of countries in the world and the European Union is introduced. Taxes will always introduce risks and uncertainties in business, due to the high volatility and uncertainty of tax law. Moreover, being a category that affects the economic growth, they cause disturbances in stability and welfare of the state. Therefore, while considering the essence of taxes in a country, one should not consider this category in isolation from corporate finance and social welfare. Two things are certain in the world: death and taxes.

This book offers a remarkable coverage of myeloid leukemia from diagnosis to treatment. It provides an updated and new vision of this multifaceted disease, regrouping a variety of myeloid disorders. To ensure the high quality of this book, important insights are included and rigorously discussed in a simple and authentic way. This book is a relevant source of knowledge, very useful for researchers, medical doctors, nurses, students and individuals interested in this complex disease.