Bücher veröffentlicht von IntechOpen

Nowadays, the innovation in space technologies creates a new trend for the Earth observation and monitoring from space. This book contains high quality and compressive work on both microwave and optical remote sensing applications. This book is divided into five sections: (i) remote sensing for biomass estimation, (ii) remote sensing-based glacier studies, (iii) remote sensing for coastal and ocean applications, (iv) sewage leaks and environment disasters, and (v) remote sensing image processing.Each chapter offers an opportunity to expand the knowledge about various remote sensing techniques and persuade researchers to deliver new research novelty for environment studies.

Global energy context has become more and more complex in the last decades; the raising prices of fuels together with economic crisis, new international environmental and energy policies that are forcing companies. Nowadays, as we approach the problem of global warming and climate changes, smart metering technology has an effective use and is crucial for reaching the 2020 energy efficiency and renewable energy targets as a future for smart grids. The environmental targets are modifying the shape of the electricity sectors in the next century. The smart technologies and demand side management are the key features of the future of the electricity sectors. The target challenges are coupling the innovative smart metering services with the smart meters technologies, and the consumers' behaviour should interact with new technologies and polices. The book looks for the future of the electricity demand and the challenges posed by climate changes by using the smart meters technologies and smart meters services. The book is written by leaders from academia and industry experts who are handling the smart meters technologies, infrastructure, protocols, economics, policies and regulations. It provides a promising aspect of the future of the electricity demand. This book is intended for academics and engineers who are working in universities, research institutes, utilities and industry sectors wishing to enhance their idea and get new information about the smart meters.

The clinical specificities developed in this book, particularly from those reported in the pediatric population to those reported in complex shapes at ACOS patients, emphasize the importance of identifying not only biomarkers but also critical aspects regarding the variability in pharmacogenomics responsible for the individual response to the different drugs on the therapeutic plan. The contribution of several well-known specialists with their profound knowledge inherent to this issue into different age groups and socio geographical contexts has resulted in this interesting book with relevant key contents in asthma.

This book, Green Nanotechnology - Overview and Further Prospects, is intended to provide an overview and practical examples of the use of nanomaterials in the new scientific challenges of the green nanotechnology world. We aimed to compile information from a diversity of sources into a single volume to give some real examples, extending the concept that green nanotechnology is far from being a scientific conundrum, and instead a real answer to some of the actual problems the whole planet is dealing with.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge of cannabinoidactivity in human physiology and points out the importance of endocannabinoid systemfor the maintenance of human health and treatment of diseases. Each chapterhas been organized with the aim to cover basic concepts in the modulation of endocannabinoid system in both physiological and pathological conditions, thanks tothe integration of data from experimental animal models and clinical observations.A special focus has been put on the medical use of cannabinoids and on the targetingof endocannabinoid system as new therapeutic strategy for the prevention andtreatment of human diseases. Taken together, this book targets a wide audience ofbasic and clinical scientists, teachers and students interested in gaining a better understanding in the field of cannabinoids.

The development of renewable energy technologies (such as wind, solar, and biomass) has accelerated the establishment of a low-carbon society. This book provides a glimpse of some recent advancements in modelling, control, electrical generators and power converters, and social and political aspects of utilising these renewable sources of energy. It is aimed to provide some latest references for the readers who are interested in research work, energy policies, and social dimensions of renewable energy.

This book is dedicated to Real-time Systems of broad applications, such as autonavigation (Kalman Filtering), real-time reconfiguration of distributed networks, real-time bilateral teleoperation control system over imperfect networks, and uniform interfaces for resource-sharing components in hierarchically scheduled real-time systems. In addition to that, wireless technology and its usage in implementing intelligent systems open a wide spectrum of real-time systems and offer great potential for improving people's life: for example, wireless sensor networks used in subways, reduced energy consumption in public buildings, improved security through public surveillance, and high efficiency through industrial automation.Furthermore, electric utilities and multi-core CPU architecture, the driving force of modern life, are part of subjects benefited from the topics covered in this book.

Featuring contributions from the renowned researchers and academicians in the field, this book covers key conventional and emerging cooling techniques and coolants for electronics cooling. It includes following thematic topics: - Cooling approaches and coolants - Boiling and phase change-based technologies - Heat pipes-based cooling - Microchannels cooling systems - Heat loop cooling technology - Nanofluids as coolants - Theoretical development for the junction temperature of package chips. This book is intended to be a reference source and guide to researchers, engineers, postgraduate students, and academicians in the fields of thermal management and cooling technologies as well as for people in the electronics and semiconductors industries.

In the early twentieth century, Dr. Irving Langmuir actively studied plasma discharge and surface science. Since then, great progress has been made in the development of applications of discharges and plasmas such as discharge lamps, electric tubes, and arc welding. In relation to studies on space physics and controlled nuclear fusion, plasma physics has greatly advanced. Plasma chemistry has also progressed along with its applications in LSI fabrication technology, the chemical vapor deposition of functional films, and the production of nanomaterials. In the twenty-first century, the further development of applications of plasma physics and plasma chemistry is certainly expected. In this book, 18 chapters on the recent progress in plasma science and technology have been written by active specialists worldwide.

This book contains a collection of latest research developments on the printed electronics from the material-related various processes to the interdisciplinary device applications. It is a promising new research area that has received a lot of highlights for low-cost and high-volume manufacturing in recent years. Here, you will find interesting reports on currently progressed science- and technology-related materials, fabrication processes, and various recent applications, including organic/inorganic semiconductor, textile, and biomedical engineering for the printed electronics. I hope that the book will provide the fundamental backgrounds of printed electronics to lead you for the creation of new research field and further promotion of future technology of the printed electronics.

Nanocomposite coatings have various properties that can be utilized for corrosion protection and tribological improvements. Synthesis of the nanocomposite coatings using an electrodeposition method allows unique control of the experimental parameters. By fine tuning the experimental parameters, various compositions and properties can be obtained for the nanocomposite coatings. This book covers some of the electrochemical methods used for nanocomposite coating deposition as well as discusses in detail examples of several nanocomposite coating. The corrosion and tribological performance of the nanocomposite coatings are also covered and some nanocomposite coatings are discussed for specific technological areas, such as fuel cells and microelectronics.

Our life is strongly influenced by the reliability of the things we use, as well as of processes and services. Failures cause losses in the industry and society. Methods for reliability assessment and optimization are thus very important. This book explains the fundamental concepts and tools. It is divided into two parts. Chapters 1 to 10 explain the basic terms and methods for the determination of reliability characteristics, which create the base for any reliability evaluation. In the second part (Chapters 11 to 23) advanced methods are explained, such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis and Fault Tree Analysis, Load-Resistance interference method, the Monte Carlo simulation technique, cost-based reliability optimization, reliability testing, and methods based on Bayesian approach or fuzzy logic for processing of vague information. The book is written in a readable way and practical examples help to understand the topics. It is complemented with references and a list of standards, software and sources of information on reliability.

Apatite-type minerals and their synthetic analogues are of interest of many industrial branches and scientific disciplines including material sciences, chemical industry, agriculture, geology, medicine and dentistry. This book provides a basic overview of general knowledges of this topic in order to provide the comprehensive survey from a scientific and technological perspective. The book is divided into 10 chapters, which are devoted to the structure and properties of minerals from the supergroup of apatite, experimental techniques of preparation and characterization of synthetic analogues of apatite minerals, substitution in the structure of apatite as well as utilization of these materials in wide range of common and special advanced applications in industry, material sciences and research. Additionally, the phosphate rocks, their classification, geological role, mining and beneficiation of phosphate ore, production of elemental phosphorus, phosphoric acid and fertilizers are also described. Although this book is meant for chemist, material scientist and research engineers, the individual chapters contain theoretical background, historical aspects as well as examples of synthetic and analytical methods which may be also interesting for students and non-expert readers as well.

This edited book, "Nucleic Acids - From Basic Aspects to Laboratory Tools", contains a series of chapters that highlight the development and status of the various aspects of the nucleic acids related to DNA chemistry and biology and the molecular application of these small DNA molecules and related synthetic analogues within biological systems. Furthermore, it is hoped that the information in the present book will be of value to those directly engaged in the handling and use of nucleic acids, and that this book will continue to meet the expectations and needs of all who are interested in the different fascinating aspects of molecular biology.

This book gives a comprehensive overview of recent advances in Retrovirology, as well as general concepts of molecular biology of retroviral infections, immunopathology, diagnosis, and prevention, to current clinical recommendations in management of retroviruses, including endogenous retroviruses, highlighting the ongoing issues, recent advances, with future directions in diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies.

This book is a self-contained collection of scholarly papers targeting an audience of practicing researchers, academics, PhD students, and other scientists. This book describes the rapidly developing field of fiber laser technology filling the very important role ofproviding students, researchers, and technology managers with valuable, timely, andunbiased information on the subject. The objective of this book is to highlight recentprogress and trends in fiber laser technology covering a wide range of topics, such asself-pulsing phenomena in high-power continuous wave (CW) Yb-doped fiber lasers,Q-switched fiber laser, mode-locked fiber laser using carbon nanotubes (CNT), properties of double-scale pulses in mode-locked fiber laser, Brillouin fiber laser, dual-wave length fiber laser (DWFL) for microwave (MHz) and terahertz (THz) radiation generation,tunable fiber laser based on twin core optical fiber, reflective semiconductor opticalamplifier (RSOA)-based fiber laser, dissipative soliton phenomena in fiber lasers, noiselikepulses (NLPs) in Yb-doped fiber laser, ultra fast fiber laser, numerical simulation inQ-switched and mode-locked fiber laser, gain saturation in optical fiber laser amplifiers,heat generation and removal in fiber lasers, and different fiber laser based technologiesfor material processing. We hope that this book will be useful for students, researchers,and professionals, who work with fiber lasers. This book will also serve as an interestingand valuable reference that will impact, stimulate, and promote further advances in thearea of fiber lasers

The book on Membrane-bound Atp-dependent Energy Systems and the Gastrointestinal Mucosal Damage and Protection deals with various aspects of peptic ulcer disease, like clinical pharmacology, nutrition, molecular biochemical pharmacology as well as clinical aspects, and especially with the evaluation of certain biochemical mechanisms in human gastric mucosa and in animal gastric tissues obtained from different ulcer models. This book can be useful to physiologists; biochemists; pharmacologists, particularly molecular and biochemical pharmacologists; internists; gastroenterologists; biologists; surgeons and pharmacists.

Gynecologic cancers include malignancies of the female genital tract involving the vulva, vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes or ovaries. In the USA, 98,280 women had gynecological cancers in 2015, and 30,440 died of these cancers. World wide, the number of women who had cancers of the female genital tract was 1,085,900, in 2012 and the number of deaths was 417,600. Cancers of the uterus, cervix and ovary are most common. Widespread screening with the Pap test has allowed physicians to find per-cancerous changes in the cervix and vagina. This has assisted in identifying some invasive cancers early. Multidisciplinary team of experts includes specialists in medical oncology, gynecologic oncology, radiology, urology, radiotherapy, and surgery who work together to determine the best treatment approach for the patient. Recent progress in the development of new surgical techniques has transformed the treatment of gynecologic cancers, resulting in greater surgical precision and fewer complications. In addition targeted adjuvant therapy has become useful in improving the oncologic outcome of patients with these cancers.

This edited book, Invertebrates-Experimental Models in Toxicity Screening, is intended to provide an overview of the use of conventional and nonconventional invertebrate species as experimental models for the study of different toxicological aspects induced by environmental pollutants in both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, it is hoped that the information in the present book will be of value to those directly engaged in the handling and use of environmental pollutants and that this book will continue to meet the expectations and needs of all interested in the different aspects of toxicity screening.

This book presents an introductory overview of Actinobacteria with three main divisions: taxonomic principles, bioprospecting, and agriculture and industrial utility, which covers isolation, cultivation methods, and identification of Actinobacteria and production and biotechnological potential of antibacterial compounds and enzymes from Actinobacteria. Moreover, this book also provides a comprehensive account on plant growth-promoting (PGP) and pollutant degrading ability of Actinobacteria and the exploitation of Actinobacteria as ecofriendly nanofactories for biosynthesis of nanoparticles, such as gold and silver. This book will be beneficial for the graduate students, teachers, researchers, biotechnologists, and other professionals, who are interested to fortify and expand their knowledge about Actinobacteria in the field of Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Science, Plant Science, Agriculture, Plant pathology, Environmental Science, etc.

Cell biology is a multidisciplinary scientific field that its modern expansion in new knowledge and applications owes to important support of new technologies with the rapid development, such as ICTs. By integrating knowledge from nano-, molecular, micro-, and macroareas, it represents a strong foundation for almost all biological sciences and disciplines, as well as for biomedical research and application. This book is a compilation of inspiring reviews/original studies, which are divided into sections: New Methods in Cell Biology, Molecular and Cellular Regulatory Mechanisms, and Cellular Basis of Disease and Therapy. The book will be very useful for students and beginners to gain insight into new area, as well as for experts and scientists to find new facts and expand their scientific horizons through biological sciences and biomedicine.

This book contains a collection of research works focused on the biodegradation of different types of pollutants, both in water and solids. The book is divided in three major sections: A) Biodegradation of organic pollutants in solids and wastewater, B) Biodegradation of complex pollutants, and C) Novel technologies in biodegradation and bioremediation.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has surpassed the traditional Sanger sequencing method to become the main choice for large-scale, genome-wide sequencing studies with ultra-high-throughput production and a huge reduction in costs. The NGS technologies have had enormous impact on the studies of structural and functional genomics in all the life sciences. In this book, Next Generation Sequencing Advances, Applications and Challenges, the sixteen chapters written by experts cover various aspects of NGS including genomics, transcriptomics and methylomics, the sequencing platforms, and the bioinformatics challenges in processing and analysing huge amounts of sequencing data. Following an overview of the evolution of NGS in the brave new world of omics, the book examines the advances and challenges of NGS applications in basic and applied research on microorganisms, agricultural plants and humans. This book is of value to all who are interested in DNA sequencing and bioinformatics across all fields of the life sciences.

This book focuses on selected research problems of contemporary railways. The first chapter is devoted to the prediction of railways development in the nearest future. The second chapter discusses safety and security problems in general, precisely from the system point of view. In the third chapter, both the general approach and a particular case study of a critical incident with regard to railway safety are presented. In the fourth chapter, the question of railway infrastructure studies is presented, which is devoted to track superstructure. In the fifth chapter, the modern system for the technical condition monitoring of railway tracks is discussed. The compact on-board sensing device is presented. The last chapter focuses on modeling railway vehicle dynamics using numerical simulation, where the dynamical models are exploited.

This book contains five chapters detailing significant advances in and applications of new turbulence theory and fluid dynamics modeling with a focus on wave propagation from arbitrary depths to shallow waters, computational modeling for predicting optical distortions through hypersonic flow fields, wind strokes over highway bridges, optimal crop production in a greenhouse, and technological appliance and performance concerns in wheelchair racing. We hope this book to be a useful resource to scientists and engineers who are interested in the fundamentals and applications of fluid dynamics.

In the last few decades, electric drives have found their place in a considerable number of diverse applications. They are successfully replacing some other traditional types of drives owing to their better performance and excellent controllability. The introduction of electric drives is in most cases also beneficial from the ecological point of view as they are not directly dependent on fossil fuels and an increasing part of electric energy they consume is generated in renewable energy sources. This book focuses on applications of electric drives that emerged only recently and/or novel aspects that appear in them. Particular attention is given to using electric drives in vehicles, aircraft, non-road mobile machinery, and HVAC systems.

Atherosclerosis and thrombosis are a major source of morbidity and mortality in the modern world. Great advances have been made in the past decades in our understanding of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and thrombus formation. This book offers a broad, contemporary review of atherosclerotic processes, with the latest research advances on inflammation and hypercoagulability that lead to thrombosis. In addition, experimental protocols are included, by which atherosclerotic processes are studied, providing the reader with the information necessary to understand the complexity of the disease process and the current experimental methodology in finding new answers that would help in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic disease.

Gene therapy is becoming a promising technology for the management of many human diseases. Hereditary and acquired disorders can both be tackled using the technique of gene therapy. This book provides detailed, up-to-date topics addressing basic principles of gene therapy and discussing some of the challenges encountered by scientists in developing this relatively novel technology. The development of new and efficient gene transfer vectors is of utmost importance in the progress of the field of gene therapy. Both viral and non-viral vectors are extensively discussed. A detailed chapter elaborates the problem of host immune rejection of transplanted donor cells or engineered tissue that can be avoided using the encapsulation of transgenic cells, thus avoiding the use of drugs that achieve immunosuppression.

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), commonly known as thermoplastic rubbers, are a category of copolymers having thermoplastic and elastomeric characteristics. A TPE is a rubbery material with properties very close to those of conventional vulcanized rubber at normal conditions. It can be processed in a molten state even at elevated temperatures. TPEs show advantages typical of both rubbery materials and plastic materials. TPEs are a class of polymers bridging between the service properties of elastomers and the processing properties of thermoplastics. Nowadays, the best use of thermoplastics is in the field of biomedical applications, starting from artificial skin to many of the artificial human body parts. Apart from these, thermoplastic elastomers are being used for drug encapsulation purposes, and since they are biocompatible in many cases, their scope of applications has been broadened in the biotechnological field as well. The present book highlights many biological and biomedical applications of TPEs from which the broader area readers will benefit.

This book is a result of contributions of experts from the international scientific community working in different aspects of graphene science and applications and reports on the state-of-the-art research and development findings on graphene through original and innovative research studies. Through its seven chapters, the reader will have access to works related to the theory and characterization of various planar heterostructures and nanoplatforms based on graphene and also the Compton effect in graphene, while it introduces photoactive graphene from functionalization to applications and also the modeling and control of a smart single-layer graphene sheet. Besides, it presents reviews on the modeling, synthesis, and properties of graphene and graphene technology and its applications in electronic devices.