humana sep 2011 (290 risultati)

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The peptide hormones are small proteins that regulate cellular metabolism through their specific interactions with tissues of the endocrine, nervous, and immune systems, as well as in embry onic development. During the past ten years, refinements in the techniques of recombinant DNA technology have resulted in the cloning of genes encoding approximately 50 different hormonal and regulatory peptides, including those in which the peptides themselves and the mRNAs encoding the peptides are present in only trace amounts in the tissues of origin. In addition to provid ing the coding sequences of recognized hormonal and regulatory peptides, gene sequencing has uncovered new bioactive peptides encoded in the precursor pro hormones that are then liberated along with the hormonal peptides during cellular cleavages of the precursors. The encoding of multiple peptides in a single mono cistronic mRNA appears to be a genetic mechanism for the gener ation of biologic diversification without requiring amplification of gene sequences. Two of the objectives in the assembly of this book are to pre sent, in one volume, the known primary structures of the genes encoding several of the polypeptide hormones and related regulatory peptides, and to provide an account of the various ap proaches that have been used to identify and select the cloned genes encoding these polypeptides. The contents of the two in troductory chapters are intended to provide the reader with a brief background of the approaches to gene cloning and the struc ture and expression of hormone-encoding genes.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The idea for an anthology on personhood grew out of two things, viz. , the work I did with Martin Benjamin during the Summer of 1982 at Michigan State University on the question, What is a person , and the amount of time, effort, and expense required for serious research on the topic itself. The former experience taught me the importance of, among other things, attempting to get clear about what we are to mean by 'person,' while the latter experience suggested a possible course of action whereby getting clear might be made more manage able simply by having relatively convenient access to some of the most insightful and stimulating writings on the topic. The problems of personhood addressed in this book are central to issues in ethics ranging from the treatment or termination of infants with birth defects to the question whether there can be rational suicide. But before questions on such issues as the morality of abortion, genetic engineering, infanticide, and so on, can be settled, the prob lems of personhood must be clarified and analyzed. Hence What Is a Person has as its primary theme the examination of various proposed conditions of personhood. 340 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book is based on lectures I have given to undergraduate and graduate audiences at Oxford and elsewhere over the years. My aim has been to provide an outline of both the topological theory and the uniform theory, with an emphasis on the relation between the two. Although I hope that the prospec tive specialist may find it useful as an introduction it is the non-specialist I have had more in mind in selecting the contents. Thus I have tended to avoid the ingenious examples and counterexamples which often occupy much ofthe space in books on general topology, and I have tried to keep the number of definitions down to the essential minimum. There are no particular pre requisites but I have worked on the assumption that a potential reader will already have had some experience of working with sets and functions and will also be familiar with the basic concepts of algebra and analysis. There are a number of fine books on general topology, some of which I have listed in the Select Bibliography at the end of this volume. Of course I have benefited greatly from this previous work in writing my own account. Undoubtedly the strongest influence is that of Bourbaki's Topologie Generale [2], the definitive treatment of the subject which first appeared over a genera tion ago. 176 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The value of studies of monotypic populations is constantly argued in bacterial ecology. The controversy itself is evidenceofthe strong awareness that bacterial activities in natural sites are not determined by the bacteria alone. At the same time, the best evidence that bacteria are influenced by environmental factors is the contrast between their behavior in laboratory cultures and their relatively subdued influence when in the presence of com petitors, predators, and fluctuating-often stressful-environmental conditions. Monotypic populations are admittedly reductionist, but are not therefore irrelevant to bacterial ecology. Quite the contrary. Without pure culture studies, our understanding of important and applicable bacterial activities-N fixation, for example-would still be z limited to what we could discern from a comparison of events in steamed vis-a-vis un heated soil. As was evident throughout the previous volume in this treatise, practically any method of studying natural bacterial communities upsets them while permitting only limited assessment of the respective qualities and quantitative contributions to total com munity activity of each type of bacterium present. Total activity itself is difficult to assess and is not dependably accomplished by any single method. This third volume comprises information regarding the properties of bacteria as they have been learned largely from pure culture studies. Its purpose is twofold: to provide readers with fundamental information regarding the cellular organization, physiological capabilities, and genetic systems of bacteria; and to connect known bacterial properties with environmental influences on them and with their influences on natural processes. 408 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In 1969 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization established the Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society. Air Pollution was from the start one of the priority problems under study within the framework of the pilot studies undertaken by this Committee. The organization of a yearly symposium dealing with air pollution modeling and its application is one of the main activities within the pilot study in relation to air pollution. After being organized for five years by the United States and for five years by the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium, represented by the Prime Minister's Office for science Policy, became responsible in 1980 for the organization of this symposium. This volume contains the papers presented at the 14th Inter national Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modeling and its Appli cation held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from 27th to 30th September 1983. This meeting was jointly organized by the Prime Minister's Office for Science Policy, Belgium, and the National Agency of Environmental Protection, Air Pollution Laboratory, Ris~ National Laboratory, Denmark. The conference was attended by 103 partici pants and 43 papers have been presented. The members of the se lection committee of the 14th I.T.M. were A. Berger (Chairman, Belgium), W. Klug (Federal Republic of Germany), K. Demerjian (United States of America), L. Santomauro (Italy), R. Van Dop (The Netherlands), R.E. Turner (Canada), C. De Wispelaere (Coordinator, Belgium). 836 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -It is not often that a century of scholarly activity breaks conveniently into halves, but ornithology of the first half of the 20th century is clearly different from that of the second half. The break actually can be marked in 1949, with the appearance of Meyer and Schuz's Ornithologie ais Biologische Wissenschaft. Prior to this, ornithologists had tended to speak mostly to other ornithologists, experiments (the testing of hy potheses) were uncommon, and a concern for birds as birds was the dominant thread in our thinking. Subsequent to 1949, ornithologists have tended to become ever more professional in their pursuits and to incorporate protocols of experimental biology into their work; more importantly perhaps, they have begun to show a concern for birds as agencies for the study of biology. Many of the most satisfying of recent ornithological studies have come from reductionist research ap proaches, and have been accomplished by specialists in such areas as biochemistry, ethology, genetics, and ecology. A great many studies routinely rely on statistical hypothesis testing, allowing us to come to conclusions unmarred by wishful thinking. Some of us are ready to tell the world that we are a 'hard' science, and perhaps that time is not so very far off for most of us. Volume 2 examines several solid examples of late 20th-century ornithology. 380 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Here is the first graduate-level textbook to offer an introduction to the field of laser spectroscopy. Chapters cover a broad range of topics in detail, emphasizing the theoretical and experimental aspects of the field. This much-needed text will allow students to explore current research and gain an understanding of the analytical and industrial applications of laser spectroscopy. 244 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Chemical reactions which can, on demand, be switched on and off are valuable for industrial applications. In order to make the best use ofthese reactions, it is essential to have them readily available for a research chemist. The chemical literature, in general, has not yet identified or grouped such reactions. However, their existence is relatively abundant. This book is meant as a survey ofthose reactions which have potential utility in industrially useful processes. These reactions are grouped under the title ofchemical release reactions which can be triggered by heat, light, electric current, etc., to release a specific compound from, or change in the physical or chemical properties of, a unimolecular reactant. The book is divided into chapters covering ways to trigger the release of certain chemicals. Each chapter is further divided into sections, each beginning with a brief introduction ofanalogies ofthe discussed reactions and of how they were used in reported industrial processes. This survey is not meant to be absolute or exhaustive but rather to be directive, to be as complete as possible, and to provide food for further thought. 300 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The fate of seriously ill newborns has captured the atten tion of the public, of national and state legislators, and of powerful interest groups. For the most part, the debate has been cast in the narrowest possible terms: 'discrimination against the handicapped'; 'physician authority'; 'family autonomy.' We believe that something much more profound is happening: the debate over the care of sick and dying babies appears to be both a manifestation of great changes in our feelings about infants, children, and families, and a reflection of deep and abiding attitudes toward the newborn, the handi capped, and perhaps other humans who are 'less than' nor mal, rational adults. How could we cast some light on those feelings and attitudes that seemed to determine silently the course of the public debate We chose to enlist the humanities-the dis players and critics of our cultural forms. Rather than closing down the public discussion, we wanted to open it up, to illuminate it with the light of history, religion, philosophy, literature, jurisprudence, and humanistically oriented sociol ogy. This book is a first effort to place the hotly contested Baby Doe debate into a broader cultural context. 244 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Evolutionary Biology,ofwhichthisisthetwenty-thirdvolume,continues toofferitsreadersawiderangeoforiginalarticles,reviews,andcom mentariesonevolution,inthebroadestsenseofthatterm. Thetopicsof thereviewsrangefromanthropology,molecularevolution,andpaleo biologytoprinciplesofsystematics. Inrecentvolumes,abroadspectrumofarticleshaveappearedon suchsubjectsasbiochemicalsystematics,comparativemorphologyand embryology,evolutionaryecology,biogeography,andpaleobiology. We havealsoattemptedtoprovideaforumforconflictingideas. Articlessuch asthese,oftentoolongforstandardjournals,arethematerialfor Evo lutionary Biology. Theeditorscontinuetosolicitmanuscriptsonaninternationalscale inanefforttoseethateveryoneofthemanyfacetsofbiologicalevolution iscovered. Manuscriptsshouldbesenttoeitherofthefollowing:Max K. Hecht,DepartmentofBiology,QueensCollegeoftheCityUniversity ofNewYork,Flushing,NewYork11367,orBruceWallace,Department ofBiology,VirginiaPolytechnicInstituteandStateUniversity,Blacks burg,Virginia24061. TheeditorswishtocongratulateDr. GhilleanT. Pranceonhisnew appointmentatKewBotanicalGardensandthankhimforhiscollabo rativeeffortsineditingthepastninevolumes. TheEditors vII Contents 1. MaintenanceofaHereditaryVirus:TheSigmaVirusin PopulationsofItsHost, Drosophila melanogaster 1 Annie Fleuriet Introduction 1 FrenchPopulationsof Drosophila melanogaster. . . . . . . . . . . 2 PolymorphismofPopulations 2 CharacteristicsofWildStrainsoftheSigmaVirus 3 EffectsoftheInfectionuponCarriers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 ExperimentalPopulations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 MaintenanceoftheVirusinFrenchNaturalPopulations. . . 12 GeographicalVariationofthe Drosophila-SigmaSystem 14 PolymorphismofPopulations 14 ViralCharacteristics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 TentativeInterpretationoftheGeographicalPatternObserved 18 OtherSystemsofVerticallyTransmittedViruses 22 ExistenceofDifferentSensitivitiestotheVirus 22 CharacteristicsoftheViruses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 MaintenanceintheVectorPopulation 24 Appendix:TransmissionofStabilizedandNonstabilized Conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Self-MaintenanceofStabilizedConditionthroughMaternal Lineage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 NonstabilizedCondition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 References 28 2. Domestication:EvolutionaryChangeunderStress 31 M. J. Kohane and P. A. Parsons Introduction 31 EnvironmentalChangeandDomestication 33 Ix x Contents EcologicalPhenotypes 33 BehavioralPhenotypes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 AdaptationtoLaboratoryConditions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 ACaseStudy:DomesticationinFoxes 41 Discussion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 References 46 3. RangeExpansionandItsGeneticConsequencesinPopulationsof theGiantToad, Bufo marinus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Simon Easteal Introduction 49 TheSpreadof Bufo marinus 50 TheIntroductions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 TheAustralianRangeExpansion 52 GeneticVariationintheIntroducedPopulations. . . . . . . . . . . 58 TheData. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 GeneticVariability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 EffectivePopulationSize 62 Dispersal,GeneFlow,andNeighborhoodSize 63 TheGeneticEffectsofRangeExpansion 64 GeographicalPatternsofVariation 74 Conclusion 81 References 82 4. EvolutionbySocialSelection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Shozo Yokoyama Introduction 85 ConceptofSocialSelection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 EvidenceforSocialSelection ; . . . . . . . . . . .

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Pollutants released to the environment are distributed among the many environmental media such as air, water, soil, and vegetation, as the result of complex physical, chemical and biological processes. The possible environmental impact associated with chemical pollutants is related to their concentration levels and persistence in the various environmental compartments. Therefore, information regarding the migration of pollutants across environmental phase boundaries (eg., air-water, soil-water) and their accumulation in the environment is essential if we are to assess the potential environmental impact and the associated risks. In recent years it has become apparent that environmental pollution is a multimedia problem. Risk assessment and the design of appropriate pollution control measures require that we carefully consider the transport and accumulation of pollutants in the environment. We are now recognizing that the environment must be considered as a whole, and the scientific and regulatory approaches must consider the interactions of environmental media. It is also becoming apparent that single-medium approaches are partial and often counter-productive. On the other hand any multimedia program must carefully consider the rate of each environmental medium in the overall multimedia scheme. 348 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -For almost a century now, since Freud described the basic motivations and Pavlov the basic mechanisms of human behavior, we have had a reasonable concept of the forces that drive us. Only recently have we gained any real insight into how the brain really works to produce such behavior. The new developments in cognitive psychology and neuroscience have taught us things about the function of the brain that would have been inconceivable even ten years ago. Yet, there still remains a tremendous gap between the two studies-human behavior and brain function-a gap which often seems irrec oncilable in view of the basic differences in the methodologies and approaches of the two fields. Students of behavior are frequently disinterested in the underlying neu rophysiology while neurophysiologists tend to consider the concepts of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists too vague and theoretical to be applicable to their own more limited schemata. Several valiant attempts have been made by experimentalists to develop a theoretical context in which behavior is described, not separately from brain function but rather as its direct outgrowth. This present work is still another attempt to develop a theoretical system which, given the limitations of our present knowledge, as completely as possible, the underlying brain mechanisms that influ will describe ence and determine human behavior. The main emphasis of this work, however, will be not on normal behavior but rather on more neurotic manifestations. 412 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The purpose of this book is to provide information for the nephrologist to gain a perspective on the medical, scientific, and technical aspects of reprocess ing of hemodialyzers. The book is also designed to serve the needs of the associated medical, nursing, and technical staffs of dialysis facilities for data on reuse of hemodialyzers. As an information source, the book will prove to be useful for those who may be considering reprocessing of dialyzers, as well as persons who are currently involved in this aspect of the practice of nephrology. We have focused on the clinical and technological aspects of hemodialyzer reprocessing and have not dealt with socioeconomic considerations. We do wish to share with physicians performing hemodialysis several observations we have made as a result of assembling this volume. We believe that hemodialyzer reuse has had a beneficial impact on the quality of care for hemodialysis patients in consideration of the following factors. There is an increased awareness of membrane biocompatibility issues that has been brought to the forefront with the application of reuse. Utilization ofhemodialyzer reprocess ing has enabled nephrologists . to compare the effect of various measures on biocompatibility when the patient is exposed to either a new or a reprocessed device. Previously, few readily available comparisons existed. In the practice of dialysis, water quality has always been of considerable importance. With the advent of widespread hemodialyzer reprocessing, the issues of water bacteriology and water quality have become more prominent. 224 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Decoding the significance of proteinuria as an indicator of severity or prognosis in kidney disease is a stimulating challenge to students and practitioners of nephrology. Sir Richard Bright in 1827 associated pro with the disease that bears his name. In the subsequent more teinuria than a century and a half, however, the meaning of the linkage between proteinuria and renal disease remains elusive. Proteinuria is discovered on routine urinalysis in about 10 million Americans, most of whom express no symptoms of kidney disease, each year. From the studies of Robinson (updated in these pages), we know that proteinuria, per se, can be present for 20 years without change in re nal function, as described in orthostatic proteinuria. By contrast, pro teinuria may be the harbinger of swift kidney destruction, rarely cul minating in clinical collapse, a syndrome typifying 'malignant proteinuria' as detailed herein by Avram. Although proteinuria is ubiquitous, an orderly management strategy for rational handling of proteinuria of less than nephrotic range is lack ing. Separation of tubular proteinuria and transient proteinuria of fever is now possible routinely. This book provides a record of the contribu tions of investigators and clinicians whose work forms the substrate for production of understanding and, ultimately, marching orders for prac titioners seeking optimized management for their proteinuric patients. 252 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The first systematic methods of Fourier analysis date from the early eighteenth century with the work of Joseph Fourier on the problem of the flow of heat. (A brief history is contained in the first paper.) Given the initial tempera ture at all points of a region, the problem was to determine the changes in the temperature distribution over time. Understanding and predicting these changes was important in such areas as the handling of metals and the determination of geological and atmospheric temperatures. Briefly, Fourier noticed that the solution of the heat diffusion problem was simple if the initial temperature dis tribution was sinusoidal. He then asserted that any distri bution can be decomposed into a sum of sinusoids, these being the harmonics of the original function. This meant that the general solution could now be obtained by summing the solu tions of the component sinusoidal problems. This remarkable ability of the series of sinusoids to describe all 'reasonable' functions, the sine qua non of Fourier analysis and synthesis, has led to the routine use of the methods originating with Fourier in a great diversity of areas - astrophysics, computing, economics, electrical engineering, geophysics, information theory, medical engineering, optics, petroleum and mineral exploration, quan tum physics and spectroscopy, to name a few. 244 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Knowledge representation is perhaps the most central problem confronting artificial intelligence. Expert systems need knowledge of their domain of expertise in order to function properly. Computer vlslOn systems need to know characteristics of what they are 'seeing' in order to be able to fully interpret scenes. Natural language systems are invaluably aided by knowledge of the subject of the natural language discourse and knowledge of the participants in the discourse. Knowledge can guide learning systems towards better understanding and can aid problem solving systems in creating plans to solve various problems. Applications such as intelligent tutoring. computer-aided VLSI design. game playing. automatic programming. medical reasoning. diagnosis in various domains. and speech recogOltlOn. to name a few. are all currently experimenting with knowledge-based approaches. The problem of knowledge representation breaks down into several subsidiary problems including what knowledge to represent in a particular application. how to extract or create that knowledge. how to represent the knowledge efficiently and effectively. how to implement the knowledge representation scheme chosen. how to modify the knowledge in the face of a changing world. how to reason with the knowledge. and how tc use the knowledge appropriately in the creation of the application solution. This volume contains an elaboration of many of these basic issues from a variety of perspectives. 552 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume contains the Proceedings of a two-week NATO A.S.I. on 'Analytical Laser Spectroscopy', held from September 23 to October 3, 1982 in Erice, Italy. This is the 9th annual course of Inter national School of Quantum Electronics organized under the auspices of the 'E. Majorana' Center for Scientific Culture. The Advanced Study Institute has been devoted to the analytical applications of lasers in spectroscopy. Atomic and molecular spec troscopy is one of the research fields in which the use of lasers has had a dramatic impact. New spectral information, difficult or impos sible to gather by classical spectroscopy, extremely high resolution spectroscopy of atoms and molecules made possible by the overcoming of the Doppler effect, selective excitation and detection of single atomic and molecular quantum states are just few typical examples of how laser sources have revolutionized the field, offering challenging problems of both fundamental and applied nature. Among the possible approaches to a course on Analytical Laser Spectroscopy, the one which emphasizes the scientific and technologi cal aspects of the advanced laser techniques when applied to chemical analysis has been chosen. In fact, it reflects the new policy of the School to stress the advanced scientific and technological achieve ments in the field of Quantum Electronics. Accordingly, the course has given the broadest information on the ultimate performances of analytical laser spectroscopy techniques and the perspectives of their applications. 304 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Mathematics is playing an ever more important role in the physical and biological sciences, provoking a blurring of boundaries between scientific disciplines and a resurgence of interest in the modern as well as the clas sical techniques of applied mathematics. This renewal of interest, both in research and teaching, has led to the establishment of the series: Texts in Applied Mathematics (TAM). The development of new courses is a natural consequence of a high level of excitement on the research frontier as newer techniques, such as numerical and symbolic computer systems, dynamical systems, and chaos, mix with and reinforce the traditional methods of applied mathematics. Thus, the purpose of this textbook series is to meet the current and future needs of these advances and encourage the teaching of new courses. TAM will publish textbooks suitable for use in advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate courses, and will complement the Applied Mathe matical Sciences (AMS) series, which will focus on advanced textbooks and research level monographs. Preface A wide range of problems exists in classical and quantum physics, engi neering, and applied mathematics in which special functions arise. The procedure followed in most texts on these topics (e. g. , quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, modern physics, classical mechanics, etc. ) is to formu late the problem as a differential equation that is related to one of several special differential equations (Hermite's, Bessel's, Laguerre's, Legendre's, etc. ). 268 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume addresses some facets of the adverse actions of chemical agents on the central and peripheral nervous systems in developing and mature states. Some of the effects of these chemicals are short-lasting and rapidly reversible; others, especially those that cause structural damage to the nervous system, may result in permanent damage to the organism. The nervous system has several levels of vulnerability to toxic substances. Some substances perturb ion channels or synaptic mechanisms required for the orderly transfer of electrochemical information within the nervous system. Others disrupt sites required for the maintenance of cellular integrity, and these variably result in degenerative responses of neurons and myelinating cells. Further sites of vulnerability include the delicate neural vasculature and neurohumeral mechanisms responsible for physiological homeostasis. The science of neurotoxicology inevitably is a multidisciplinary endeavor, with contributions from biochemistry, physiology, morphology and behavior, to name a few. The challenge is to apply appropriate techniques to investigate neurotoxic phenomena. The first logical step in this analysis is to determine from the point of view of the nervous system the nature of the exposure. Is the chemical a single or multiple entity; is it metabolized; how does it gain access to neural tissue Once these factors are understood, changes induced by the exposure can be described at various levels from the biochemical to the behavioral. 404 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The World Health Organization estimates that at least five million people worldwide are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Of these about 100,000 are in Asia and Oceania, 500,000 in Europe, 2 million in the Americas and 2.5 million in Africa (Mann, 1989). The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is characterized by a derangement in cell-mediated immunity leading to opportunistic infections with for example Mycobacterium spp., Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans, Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium. The third symposium on 'Topics in Mycology' brought together 265 experts from 32 countries to discuss the epidemiology, immmunological and pathogenetic aspects of AIDS and its opportunistic infections in general and fungal infections in particular. Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia is by far the commonest opportunistic infection in AIDS patients. The nature and classification of P. carinii is still controversial. In search for its true taxonomic affinities an introductory paper formulates a number of key questions. Candidosis is another frequent opportunistic infection. A number of papers discuss the possibility that selective pressures may operate on Candida albicans within the AIDS population and influence its nature: this might have an impact on prophylaxis and curative and/or suppressive therapy. 352 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Ultrasonic surgical techniques were first used by Dr. Kelman in the 1960s to fragment cataracts through a 2-mm incision allowing for minimally invasive surgery. The results from this procedure stimulated the development of a larger, move powerful ultrasonic unit that was used in neurosurgery. This instrument allowed the neurosurgeon to selectively remove tumor tissue with decreased blood loss and tissue trauma. The ability now of ultrasonic equipment to selectively fragment, irrigate, and aspirate tissue with minimal coagulation effect spurred its rapid use in surgery on the liver, spleen, kidney, and other intra-abdominal organs. This instrument has been invaluable in ovarian cancer cytoreduction and intricate segmental organ resection. The newest technical developments include electro cautery capability built into the hand piece and extended hand pieces for laparoscopic surgery. The impetus for assembling this volume has been to provide an extensive review of the field of ultrasonic surgery as it has currently developed including principles, equipment features, and surgical tech niques. It is hoped that the information will be of use to physicians in training and surgeons in practice. The book takes a multidisciplinary approach with chapters authored by a diversity of subspecialists in gen eral surgery, urology, surgical oncology, and gynecologic oncology. Each chapter contains basic information on surgical techniques. Together, these chapters cover surgery of the GI tract, kidney, liver, and lower genital tract, and present a number of personal approaches. 128 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Like the lines of a secret map made dimly apparent by the chemical potion brushed on a piece of paper from a child's detective kit, the outlines of what may be a substantial behavioral biology of human life seem to be coming clear. From genetic science at its most molecular to demography with its assessment of the vital experience of massive populations, there is a growing understanding of the various ways in which the human species reveals underlying commonalities of experi ence through the life cycle and over the web of interactions that constitutes the basic matter of social life. At the same time, research has been successful in two super ficially and contradictory directions: first, in showing the enormous variation in human arrangements and consciousness across and with in cultures; and second, in showing the similarity between cultures as far as basic processes of physiology, neurophysiology, and even so ciallife are concerned. But the contradiction only exists in the absence of an understanding of the fact that in a species living under as many ecological, historical, and economic niches as Homo sapiens, cultural variation is what one would naturally expect. 224 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Cognitive therapy is one of the newest and most promising developments in the psychotherapeutic field. Following the basic proposals of Beck, Ellis, and Frankl, an increasing amount of work is being done which shows a strong interest by behavior therapists in cognitive strategies. An in creasing number of outcome studies show that cognitive methods are effective in many disorders, and it can be predicted that they will have a growing part to play in the practice of psychological therapies. In spite of this, the development is only in its beginnings. Especially from a theoretical standpoint, many of the proposed techniques lack a sufficient foundation, and the implications of important results from dif ferent areas of psychology for providing a theoretical basis for cognitive intervention have not yet been sufficiently recognized. To investigate these developments is the main purpose of this book. The intention of the authors is not to give a summary of the present status of cognitive therapy but to try to show its possibilities for future development. A number of areas of psychological research have been selected as being the most important for future development of cognitive therapeutic techniques: the genetic theory of Piaget, the investigations of attitude theory, attribution theory, and psychological action theory, and the psy chology of problem-solving. After a description of the latest developments in these areas, the authors attempt to extract the theoretical implications for cognitive ther apy and, on this basis, to make a few initial proposals for practice. 256 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -'Individuals who live in groups hold common beliefs which define their reality, not only as persons, but also as group members. This reality becomes especially important when group members become aware that they share beliefs and are convinced that these beliefs characterize them as a group. In this case common beliefs become group beliefs.' With this statement, Dr. Bar-Tal begins his far-reaching analysis of beliefs as a group phenomenon. Group beliefs are shown to have important behavioral, cognitive, and affective implications for group members and the group as a whole. They may contribute to the behavioral direction a group takes, coordinate group activities, determine the intensity and involvement of group members, and influence the way group members affect the leaders. This book introduces and articulates the implications of a new concept of group beliefs, shedding new light on the structure and processes of groups, focusing on such phenomena as group formation, subgrouping, splits, mergence and group disintegration. By taking an interdisciplinary approach, this integrative conception opens new avenues to the study and understanding of group behavior. 156 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -As a follow up to Volume 7, contributors continue to explore the latest developments in developmental psychology. Here, researchers focus on the integration of theory and research and evaluates theoretical progress and advanced research. Continuing with the successful format of previous volumes in Annals of Theoretical Psychology, Volume 10 presents four major contributions--each accompanied by commentaries and replies to commentaries. 372 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Much of our understanding of the relationships among geometric struc tures in images is based on the shape of these structures and their relative orientations, positions and sizes. Thus, developing quantitative methods for capturing shape information from digital images is an important area for computer vision research. This book describes the theory, implemen tation, and application of two multi resolution image shape description methods. The author begins by motivating the need for quantitative methods for describing both the spatial and intensity variations of struc tures in grey-scale images. Two new methods which capture this informa tion are then developed. The first, the intensity axis of symmetry, is a collection of branching and bending surfaces which correspond to the skeleton of the image. The second method, multiresolution vertex curves, focuses on surface curvature properties as the image is blurred by a sequence of Gaussian filters. Implementation techniques for these image shape descriptions are described in detail. Surface functionals are mini mized subject to symmetry constraints to obtain the intensity axis of symmetry. Robust numerical methods are developed for calculating and following vertex curves through scale space. Finally, the author demon strates how grey-scale images can be segmented into geometrically coher ent regions using these shape description techniques. Building quantita tive analysis applications in terms of these visually sensible image regions promises to be an exciting area of biomedical computer vision research. v Acknowledgments This book is a corrected and revised version of the author's Ph. D. 144 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Army Materials and Mechanics Research Center in cooperation with the Office of Sponsored Programs of Syracuse University has been conducting the Annual Sagamore Army Materials Research Conferences since 1954. The specific purpose of these conferences has been to bring together scientists and engineers from academic institutions, industry and government to explore in depth a subject of importance to the Department of Defense, the Army, and the scientific community. This 30th Sagamore Conference, entitled Innovations in Materials Processing, has attempted to focus on the inter disciplinary nature of materials processing, looking at recent advancements in the development of unit processes from a range of standpoints from the understanding and control of the under lying mechanisms through their application as part of a manufactur ing sequence. In between, the classic link between processing and materials properties is firmly established. A broad range of materials are treated in this manner: metals, ceramics, plastics, and composites. The interdisciplinary nature of materials processing exists through its involvement with the basic sciences, with, process and product design, with process control, and ultimately with manufacturing engineering. Materials processing is interdisciplinary in another sense, through its application within all materials disciplines. The industrial community (and the Army as its customer) is becoming increasingly concerned with producibility/reliability/ affordability issues in advanced product development. These concerns will be adequately addressed only by employing the full range of disciplines encompassed within the field of materials processing. 536 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In a very broad sense the historical development of computer graphics can be considered in three phases, each a giant step down the road towards 'realistic' computer generated images. The first, during the late 1960's and early 1970's, can perhaps be characterized as the 'wire frame' era. Basically pictures were composed of lines. Considerable em phasis was placed on 'real time' interactive manipulation of the model. As models became more complex and as raster technology developed, eliminating the hidden lines or hidden surfaces from the image became critical for visual understanding. This requirement resulted in the second phase of computer graphics, the 'hidden surface' era, that developed during the 1970's and early 1980's. The names associated with hidden surface algorithms read like a who's who of computer graphics. The cul mination of the hidden surface era and the beginning of the current and third era in computer graphics, the 'rendering' era, was Turner Whitted's incorporation of a global illumination model into the ray trac ing algorithm. Now the goal was not just to generate an image, but to generate a realistic appearing image. 300 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -African swine fever (ASF) is caused by a virus that is classified as a member of the Iridovirinae family. The disease in the warthog, the natural host, in Africa was described in 1921 by R. E. Montgomery. The reservoir of the vi rus is inti cks. The i ntroduct i on of domestic pi gs into territory occupied by warthogs i nf ected wi th ASF in the 1960's has endangered the pig industry around the world. The domestic pig is highly sensitive to ASF and develops a devastating disease that kills the pig without giving the immune system a chance to defend the animal against the virus infection. The ability of ASF virus to infect and destroy cells of the reticuloendothelial system leaves a defenseless host that succumbs to an infection which may be described as an acquired immune deficiency di sease of domestic pi gs. Introduction of the virus into Iberia in the 1960's led to a series of ASF epidemics in Spain and Portugal . . and later in France, that caused heavy economic losses. Between 1976 and 1960, ASF virus made its appearance in Malta and Sardinia . . as well as in Brazil, The Dominican Republic . . Haiti, and later in Cuba. In 1985-6 . . ASF appeared in Belgium and The Netherlands. 172 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -For the past three years, Control Data has cosponsored an applications symposium at one of its CYBER 205 customer sites. Approximately 125 participants from North America and Europe attended each of the three symposia. The Institute for Computational Studies at Colorado State University hosted the first symposium at Fort Collins, Colorado, August 12-13, 1982. The second annual symposium took place in Lanham, Maryland, and was hosted by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. This volume contains the proceedings of the Supercomputer Applications symposium held October 31-November 1, 1984, at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. The purpose of this volume is to provide a forum for users of Control Data's CYBER 205 supercomputer to exchange common experiences and to discuss results of research projects performed on the computer. The unifying theme across the many disciplines is the development of methods and techniques to exploit the computational power of the CYBER 205. Some what surprisingly, these techniques are quite similar and apply to a wide range of problems in physics, chemistry, and engineering. 320 pp. Englisch.