Bücher veröffentlicht von IntechOpen

Cotton, a source of natural fiber for textile industry, has a long breeding history aiming at increasing cotton fiber yield and its quality. Newly developed cotton varieties poorly respond in low-input environments. Secondly, the impact of changing climate may threaten the cotton production in the future. To address these challenges, efforts toward the development of resilient cotton varieties have been initiated using genetic and modern genomic approaches. In this book, research updates on cotton fiber types and properties, DNA markers for selecting desirable cotton plants, and cotton fiber genomics were compiled. Also, the modern breeding trends including development of transgenic cotton and the biosafety studies and possibilities of improving cotton genome using modern genome editing tools were also compressively discussed.

The development of diabetic retinopathy is a long slow process affected by hyperglycemia, hypertension, lipid levels and genetics. It is expected that in 20 years' duration nearly all those with diabetes will exhibit diabetic retinopathy. In some patients, it will progress to blindness. While the number of individuals with diabetes increases, our current treatments are only effective at advanced levels of disease. Further, our screening methods to detect those needing treatment are currently not optimal. Early Events in Diabetic Retinopathy and Intervention Strategies covers topics addressing imaging processes currently available in the development of diabetic retinopathy screening. Potential biomarkers, that may be used to identify those at risk and illuminate the new pathways which lead to diabetic retinopathy, are expounded.

Surface waves have drawn a significant attention and interest in the recent years in a broad range of commercial applications, while their commercial developments have been supported by fundamental and applied research studies. This book is a result of contributions of experts from international scientific community working in different aspects of surface waves and reports on the state-of-the-art research and development findings on this topic through original and innovative research studies. It contains up-to-date publications of leading experts, and the edition is intended to furnish valuable recent information to the professionals involved in surface wave analysis and applications. The text is addressed not only to researchers but also to professional engineers, students, and other experts in various disciplines, both academic and industrial, seeking to gain a better understanding of what has been done in the field recently and what kind of open problems are in this area.

This book is a supplement of the previous book Nanofibers: Production, Properties and Functional Applications (published by InTech in 2011). It reports on novel methods of fabricating nanofibers, nanofiber yarns, and collagen nanofibers; functionalities of photochromic nanofibers, bead-on-string nanofibers, and bio-regeneration nanofibers; as well as piezoelectric nanoparticle-reinforced nanofibers. I deeply appreciate the authors' great contributions to nanofiber discipline.

This book provides the application of praxises in the field of engineering safety by learning from previous system failures. And it addresses the most recent developments in the theoretical and practical aspects of these important fields, which, due to their special nature, bring together in a systematic way, many disciplines of engineering, from the traditional to the most technologically advanced. The authors of these chapters are involved in using the system thinking and system engineering approaches at the scale of increased complexity and advanced computational solutions to such systems. The chapters cover the areas such as failure assessment in aeronautical engineering, seismic resistance of offshore pipeline engineering, electrical engineering, critical infrastructure failure, and system of system theory.

Nano- and micro-sized natural fibers of vegetable origin are fully biodegradable in nature. However, the nano- and micro-sized synthetic fibers are fully man-made. Fiber-reinforced composites composed of stiffened fiber and matrix are well-known engineering materials. Fiber-reinforced materials have been used in industrial production. Natural fibers can be obtained from many sources in nature such as wool, sisal, ramie, kenaf, jute, hemp, grass, flax, cotton, coir, bamboo and abaca, banana, and sugarcane bagasse. Artificial fibers have been produced from more stiff materials such as glass, single-walled carbon nanotubes, double-walled carbon nanotubes, carbon, aramid, boron and polyethylene (PE). The cyclic reusability of materials is an important qualification in protecting the environment from waste pollution. Three important factors can be mentioned in terms of material properties in the recycling process. The first factor is "the rate of cyclic usage," the second one is "less material loss in each recycle," and the last one is "the role of waste products in the self-renewal of ecosystem." In engineering area, the usage of waste materials has taken into account in production of composite materials. The use of waste materials as particulate-type composite production is also possible in the industry. Fiber-reinforced materials can be grouped into two categories: "the natural fiber-reinforced materials" and "the artificially produced fiber-reinforced materials." Finally, we conclude that this book consists of mainly summarized three subject headings within the two specific book subsections : The first group contains the main subjects related to the natural and artificial fibers obtained by literature review; second, experimental and numerical studies are made in order to perform the necessary arrangements in the production stages and to establish a decision mechanism on the specification of the technical properties of the fiber-reinforced composites. The third group of studies focused on the use of sustainable bio-composites and recycled textile wastes as reinforcements in construction.

Forest management should allow the sustainable use of forests. This is only possible through solid knowledge in the disciplines that forest science encompasses. The readers of New Perspectives in Forest Science have an excellent source of information on actual trends of forest research and knowledge about the use of forest and landscape. This book has been written by specialists focusing on the following aspects of forest science: C cycle, biomass, forest restoration, forest resources and biodiversity. The authors of this book are of different nationalities and specialties, thus providing diverse perspectives on the subject of forestry. We hope that the chapters of this book can serve both students and researchers, as excellent guides to improve their knowledge on forest science.

Autoimmune bullous diseases are a group of rare skin diseases characterized by intraepidermal and subepidermal bullae formations due to autoantibodies directed against the structural proteins of the epidermis or the dermal-epidermal junction. Early and correct diagnosis and adequate treatment of autoimmune bullous diseases are important as they cause morbidity and mortality in the affected patients. This book, which gives detailed information about autoimmune bullous diseases, has two sections and nine chapters with sixteen contributing authors. The first section describes the structure and tasks of desmosomes and basement membrane zone, which consist of the major antigens of skin integrity targeted by autoantibodies. The second section is about the epidemiology, etiopathogenesis, mucocutaneous, histopathologic and laboratory findings, and therapy of autoimmune bullous diseases.

This book gives a wide overview of the state-of-the-art applications of Raman spectroscopy in characterization of materials and biomaterials. The Raman signal is intrinsically smaller than other vibrational techniques; however, mainly through intensification processes, such as resonance Raman (RR) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), the Raman cross section can be strongly amplified. Thoroughly in these signal amplifications, the study of a diversity of chemical systems and the use of Raman technique for in situ and in vivo measurements is possible. The main goal of this book is to open up to an extended audience the possibilities of uses of Raman spectroscopy. In fact, this collective work will be beneficial to students, teachers, and researchers of many areas who are interested to expand their knowledge about Raman spectroscopy applied to nanotechnology, biotechnology, environmental science, inorganic chemistry, and health sciences.

This monograph focuses on the level of management culture development in organizations attempting to disclose it not only with the help of theoretical insights but also by the approach based on employees and managers. Why was the term "management culture" that is rarely found in literature selected for the analysis? We are quite often faced with problems of terminology. Especially, it often happens in the translation from one language to another. While preparing this monograph, the authors had a number of questions on how to decouple the management culture from organization's culture and from organizational culture, how to separate management culture from managerial culture, etc. However, having analysed a variety of scientific research, it appeared that there is no need to break down the mentioned cultures because they still overlap. Therefore, it is impossible to completely separate the management culture from the formal or informal part of organizational culture. Management culture inevitably exists in every organization, only its level of development may vary.

The book presents a collection of articles on novel approaches to problems of current interest in structural engineering by academicians, researchers, and practicing structural engineers from all over the world. The book is divided into five chapters and encompasses multidisciplinary areas within structural engineering, such as structural dynamics and impact loading, structural mechanics, finite element modeling, structural vibration control, and the application of advanced composite materials. New Trends in Structural Engineering is a useful reference material for the structural engineering fraternity, including undergraduate and postgraduate students, academicians, researchers, and practicing engineers.

Research in the area of bilingualism and multilingualism invariably produces fascinating insights. In the Europe of yesteryears, the paradigm of one nation one language was dominant and fashionable as a nation-building ideology that multilingualism was considered a curse, a demon that had to be exorcised. Today, the avalanche of empirical evidence of research findings has established multilingualism and pluralism as an ideal for national development. The nine chapters of this book provide further elucidations of the issue of benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism and also provide original research findings on developments in the areas of psychological dimensions of bilingualism and bilingualism in information retrieval systems. The book by its illuminating description and insightful analysis of issues of bilingualism will be of significant interest to scholars, researchers, and all concerned with bilingualism and multilingualism from whatever perspective.

Most coveted energy forms nowadays are gas in nature and electricity due to their environmental cleanness and convenience. Recently, gasification market trend is starting to switch to low-grade feedstock such as biomass, wastes, and low-rank coal that are still not properly utilized. In this sense, the most promising area of development in gasification field lies in low-grade feedstock that should be converted to more user-friendly gas or electricity form in utilization. This book tried to shed light on the works on gasification from many parts of the world and thus can feel the technology status and the areas of interest regarding gasification for low-grade feedstock.

This book "Risk Management Treatise for Engineering Practitioners" has been published by academic researchers and experts on risk management concepts mainly in the construction engineering sector. It addresses basic theories and principles of risk management backed up, in most cases, with case studies. The contributions for this book came from authors in Europe, the Far East and Africa, and it is hoped that the contents of this book will be useful to anyone interested in understanding the principles and applications of risk management, especially within the construction engineering sector. Researchers and postgraduate students in science and engineering disciplines, especially those interested in project management, will find this book useful.

Mitochondria are crucial organelles for any cell type. Mitochondria take responsibility for not only energy production but also regulation of cell death, also called apoptosis; calcium storage; and heat production. Therefore, mitochondrial disease is implicated in the mode of action of many harmful factors for cells such as drugs and environmental contaminants, dysfunction of the oxygen transport system, malnutrition, intense exercise, and genetic variations. This book presents up-to-date knowledge about mitochondrial disease and its complex relation to some diseases such as cardiac failure, cancer, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. This book will, therefore, be essential for readers who are interested in life sciences, especially in medicine.

This book is devoted to the description of research and design of photonic crystals. Topics included in the book cover a wide range of research in the field of theoretical analysis and experimental investigation: the electromagnetic field in the photonic crystal, propagation of waves in the gyrotropic magnetophotonic crystals, low one-photon absorption, ultratransparent photonic crystals, colloidal assembly, photonic crystal application for development of all-optical computational system, design strategies for PC devices, self-organization of liquid crystalline nanostructures, and optical diodes. This book will be useful for engineers, technologists, researchers, and postgraduate students interested in the research, design, fabrication processes, and applications of photonic crystals.

The main purpose of this book is to be useful in daily practice to clinicians, including less-discussed subjects that are frequently encountered in practice. For this, it was aimed to explain the formulation of the disorder in light of the basic CBT model in each chapter and then to present the treatment approach of the disorder with case examples. We believe that the case examples, which came from the authors' own practices, are the strength of the book.

People have been finding inspiration in nature in solving their problems, from the very beginning of their existence. In the most general sense, biomimicry, defined as "inspire from the nature," has brought together the engineers and designers nowadays. This collaboration creates innovative and creative outcomes that encourage people with their interdisciplinary relationships. Accordingly, the aim of this book is to bring together different works or developments on biomimetics in interdisciplinary relationship between different areas, especially biomimicry, engineering, and design. The twenty-first century has conceived many new and amazing designs. The book in your hands will surely be an important guide to take a quick look at the future possibilities.

Quality management systems form an integral part of modern corporations. Acknowledging current socio-economic and environmental challenges, quality standards ought to be dynamic and flexible so as to cater for different markets and requirements. This book portrays a collection of international papers addressing current research and practice within the areas of engineering and technology, health and education. Amidst striving for "zero defects", "cost-effectiveness" and "tight financial budgets", quality management systems ought to embrace the creator of them all: humans; as the ancient Greek Sophist Protagoras said, "Of all money, Man is the measure" «¿¿¿t¿¿ ¿¿¿µ¿t¿¿ ¿¿t¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿p¿¿» (Plato, Theaetetus 166d).

Osmotically driven membrane processes (ODMPs) including forward osmosis (FO) and pressure-retarded osmosis (PRO) have attracted increasing attention in fields such as water treatment, desalination, power generation, and life science. In contrast to pressure-driven membrane processes, e.g., reverse osmosis, which typically employs applied high pressure as driving force, ODMPs take advantages of naturally generated osmotic pressure as the sole source of driving force. In light of this, ODMPs possess many advantages over pressure-driven membrane processes. The advantages include low energy consumption, ease of equipment maintenance, low capital investment, high salt rejection, and high water flux. In the past decade, over 300 academic papers on ODMPs have been published in a variety of application fields. The number of such publications is still rapidly growing. The ODMPs' approach, fabrications, recent development and applications in wastewater treatment, power generation, seawater desalination, and gas absorption are presented in this book.

In this book, a variety of topics related to Very-Large-Scale Integration (VLSI) is extensively discussed. The topics encompass the physics of VLSI transistors, the process of integrated chip design and fabrication and the applications of VLSI devices. It is intended to provide information on the latest advancement of VLSI technology to researchers, physicists as well as engineers working in the field of semiconductor manufacturing and VLSI design.

The edited volume "Epitaxy" is a collection of reviewed and relevant research chapters, offering a comprehensive overview of recent developments in the field of materials science. The book comprises single chapters authored by various researchers and edited by an expert active in this research area. All chapters are complete in themselves but are united under a common research study topic. This publication aims at providing a thorough overview of the latest research efforts by international authors in the field of materials science as well as opening new possible research paths for further developments.

This book collates the contributions of a selected number of neuroscientists that are interested in the molecular, preclinical, and clinical aspects of neurotransmission research. The seven chapters in this book address the latest research/review data related to GABA/glutamate system's organization and function, the structure of receptors, subtypes and their ligands, as well as the translational approach and clinical implications. The book offers readers a rich collection of data regarding current and future applications of GABA and glutamate neurotransmission, including promising research strategies and potential clinical benefits.

People's competence has a strong influence on the strategy of human resource management, affecting daily aspects, thought patterns, and behavioral modes of executive management and employees. From a business perspective, there is a strong relationship between human capital and success and also an integral development of the human factor in all its dimensions, both personal and professional, and social competences must be a key factor to reach it. To help achieve this business excellence, it is necessary to transfer the demands of the labor market into education, and one of the ways is through methodological framework for Project Management and Management, specifically the IPMA Individual Competence Baseline, which is an essential tool for achieving economic growth, corporate development, and competitiveness.