springer nature sep 2016 (358 risultati)

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The kidneys participate in all vital processes of the body to maintain overall homeostasis and health. When kidneys are injured during surgical interventions, metabolic and hemodynamic control is disrupted, leading to dysfunction associated with greater mortality, length of hospital stay and cost.Peri-operative Kidney Injury presents the epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and outcomes associated with kidney injury during the peri-operative period. Concepts and principles of care to prevent kidney complications during surgical procedures are provided to equip health care professionals along with strategies to manage acute kidney injury and associated challenges when they occur. Chapters detail diverse surgical settings, ranging from the more common, such as abdominal, cardiac and vascular surgeries, to the intricately complex, including the use of the left ventricular assist device and organ transplants. This practical and comprehensive text blends theevidence-based standards of care with cutting edge advances in the field, while also providing the reader with a peek into innovations on the horizon.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Cardiac Tissue Engineering: Methods and Protocols presents a collection of protocols on cardiac tissue engineering from pioneering and leading researchers around the globe. These include methods and protocols for cell preparation, biomaterial preparation, cell seeding, and cultivation in various systems. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.Authoritative and practical, Cardiac Tissue Engineering: Methods and Protocols highlights the major techniques, both experimental and computational, for the study of cardiovascular tissue engineering.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Non-vesicular intracellular cholesterol transport is an important mechanism for maintaining membrane cholesterol homeostasis. Recent reports of studies directed at soluble cholesterol transport proteins indicate that aberrant expression of the START proteins may contribute to disease states associated with disorders in cholesterol homeostasis. This is an exciting new direction in the field and the purpose of this book will be to highlight the current research directed at potential roles for the START family in diabetes, cancer and atherogenesis.This book also provides a personal and historical perspective of the discovery-to-publication journey that the authors had for their particular START domain family member. The goal will be to provide perspectives to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and endocrinology fellows on the research discovery process.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This book provides the most recent findings and knowledge in advanced diagnostics technology, covering a wide spectrum including brain activity analysis, breast and lung cancer detection, echocardiography, computer aided skeletal assessment to mitochondrial biology imaging at the cellular level. The authors explored magneto acoustic approaches and tissue elasticity imaging for the purpose of breast cancer detection. Perspectives in fetal echocardiography from an image processing angle are included. Diagnostic imaging in the field of mitochondrial diseases as well as the use of Computer-Aided System (CAD) are also discussed in the book. This book will be useful for students, lecturers or professional researchers in the field of biomedical sciences and image processing.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This volume contains a collection of writings from the leaders in the fields of Molecular Biology and Melanoma Research which will begin to tell the ever-expanding story of the most recent findings, discoveries, and potential of BRAF-directed targets in melanoma. Recent research has shown that BRAF inhibitors are effective for a short period of time, but there is little hope that this drugs as single agents will lead to durable benefit in a majority of patients. Among scientists and researchers who work in drug discovery, there is a lot of interest in the development of molecularly targeted cancer agents. Namely, the identification of a molecular target, the selection of molecules which effectively inhibit this target. What is starkly different about the development of this class of compounds, however, is that the mechanism of action of these agents are not as straightforward as was once previously assumed and the mechanisms of resistance that tumor cells employ to evade complete destruction are unlike any that have been described before. These discoveries in addition to utilization of modern molecular biology techniques have led to a series of hypotheses regarding which other types of molecules could be used in combination with BRAF-inhibitors in hopes of revolutionizing the potential of therapeutics in melanoma.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This comprehensive volume is the first to specifically target developing, adult and diseased neural stem cells. It explores recent advances in the understanding of neural stem cell biology along with strategies that use these cells to tackle neurological diseases and brain aging. Ten inclusive chapters discuss a wide range of topics including neurogenesis, neurodegeneration, demyelinating disease, mood regulation, and spinal cord regeneration, among others.Written by world-renowned scientists in the field, Neural Stem Cells in Development, Adulthood and Disease presents cutting-edge studies of interest to both established neurogenesis researchers and readers with general interests in nervous system science. It is an authoritative addition to the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Justice, conflict and wellbeing are large topics that occupy researchers from a variety of disciplines, as well as laypeople and policy makers. The three concepts are closely connected: conflict often (though not always) impairs wellbeing, whereas justice often (though not always) enhances it; perceived injustice is a common source of conflict, at multiple levels and calls for justice are a common response to conflict. In addition, each construct has subtypes, such as distributive and procedural justice, individual and group conflict and physical and psychological wellbeing. Although there are established traditions of research on the topics in multiple disciplines, there is little cross-fertilization across disciplines. This volume brings together researchers from social, clinical and educational psychology; law and political science. The unifying theme is how injustice and conflict pose threats to wellbeing, at the micro (individual) and macro (groups and societies) levels. Multi- and interdisciplinary research are at the vanguard of science in the twenty-first century and the present work applies multi and interdisciplinary perspectives to the important real-world topics of justice, conflict and wellbeing.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The first OZCOTS conference in 1998 was inspired by papers contributed by Australians to the 5th International Conference on Teaching Statistics. In 2008, as part of the program of one of the first National Senior Teaching Fellowships, the 6 th OZCOTS was held in conjunction with the Australian Statistical Conference, with Fellowship keynotes and contributed papers, optional refereeing and proceedings. This venture was so successful that the 7 th and 8 th OZCOTS were similarly run, conjoined with Australian Statistical Conferences in 2010 and 2012. Authors of papers from these OZCOTS conferences were invited to develop chapters for refereeing and inclusion in this volume. There are sections on keynote topics, undergraduate curriculum and learning, professional development, postgraduate learning, and papers from OZCOTS 2012. Because OZCOTS aim to unite statisticians and statistics educators, the approaches this volume takes are immediately relevant to all who have a vested interest in good teaching practices. Globally, statistics as a discipline, statistical pedagogy and statistics in academia and industry are all critically important to the modern information society. This volume addresses these roles within the wider society as well as questions that are specific to the discipline itself. Other chapters share research on learning and teaching statistics in interdisciplinary work and student preparation for futures in academia, government and industry.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Optimization in Science and Engineering is dedicated in honor of the 60th birthday of Distinguished Professor Panos M. Pardalos. Pardalos's past and ongoing work has made a significant impact on several theoretical and applied areas in modern optimization. As tribute to the diversity of Dr. Pardalos's work in Optimization, this book comprises a collection of contributions from experts in various fields of this rich and diverse area of science.Topics highlight recent developments and include:Deterministic global optimizationVariational inequalities and equilibrium problemsApproximation and complexity in numerical optimizationNon-smooth optimization Statistical models and data miningApplications of optimization in medicine, energy systems, and complex network analysisThis volume will be of great interest to graduate students, researchers, and practitioners, in the fields of optimization and engineering.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This book is dedicated to applied computational intelligence and soft computing techniques with special reference to decision support in Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), where the physical as well as the communication segment of the networked entities interact with each other. The joint dynamics of such systems result in a complex combination of computers, software, networks and physical processes all combined to establish a process flow at system level.This volume provides the audience with an in-depth vision about how to ensure dependability, safety, security and efficiency in real time by making use of computational intelligence in various CPS applications ranging from the nano-world to large scale wide area systems of systems.Key application areas include healthcare, transportation, energy, process control and robotics where intelligent decision support has key significance in establishing dynamic, ever-changing and high confidence future technologies. A recommended text for graduate students and researchers working on the applications of computational intelligence methods in CPS.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The book departs from the approach of related titles by focusing on describing and reflecting upon the notion of seamless learning with regard to salient characteristics of learner mobility and bridging of learning experiences across learning spaces. It is the first such work that is solely dedicated to research on and the practice of seamless learning, uniquely combining interpretations, visions, and past research on and practices in seamless learning from diversified perspectives. The book also strikes a good balance between theoretical and practical perspectivess, going beyond a collection of reports on specific research projects. Instead of thick descriptions of research processes and findings, readers will find significant insights and food for thought intended to inspire further advances in the research on and practice of seamless learning.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Squamous cell cancers of the head and neck (SCCHN), also known as head and neck cancers (HNC) encompass malignancies of the oral cavity, larynx, nasopharynx and pharynx, and are diagnosed in over 500,000 patients worldwide each year, accounting for 5% of all malignancies. In the past several years, there have been significant developments in understanding of HNC. It is now recognized that although alcohol and tobacco use has represented the likely predominant cause of SCCHN, the incidence of a second class of SCCHN related to oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is increasing, with a four-fold increase in the past 2 decades, and now thought to represent up to 30% of cases. The first effective target for SCCHN, the EGFR-targeting antibody cetuximab, was approved as recently as in 2006; since then, a growing body of research has identified additional signaling pathways as important in disease pathogenesis, and in resistance to treatment. Proteins such as c-Met, Src, and HER2 are emerging as new therapeutic targets, with a considerable ferment in the clinical trial community. As a capstone of research progress, 2011 marked the first reports of high throughput sequencing of SCCHN tumors, with these efforts identifying unexpected players such as Notch as frequent subject of mutation, spawning new hypotheses for future research. This book will be of interest to researchers who are interested in better understanding the biology of head and neck cancers, with the goals of better designing therapies, identifying risk factors, or investigating the molecular basis of the disease.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - In this volume, the major metabolic alterations identified in cancer and tumor-associated cells are explored, including discussions of former and emerging approaches to drug development in targeting cancer cell metabolism. The metabolic network in cells promotes the generation of both energy and biomass needed for them to grow, divide and differentiate. However, the metabolism of malignant cells generally varies from that of normal cells. These differences provide a platform for the discovery of new approaches to targeting potential vulnerabilities in cancer cells for therapeutic options Some of the significant changes that occur involve ATP production and consumption that modulates the ATP to ADP ratio, hypoxia and the effects of reactive oxygen species on glycolysis, regulation of mitochondrial respiration, induction and suppression of autophagy, and the Warburg effect and 'reverse' Warburg effect--these topics and more are discussed in this volume.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This volume explores the latest developments in a novel area of molecular biology and a hot topic in the field of oncology: cancer stem cells. These chapters from expert contributing authors present concepts such as the universal stem cell, new molecular pathways, new targeted agents, the different roles that cancer stem cells seem to have according to the organ they are placed in, and the future role that targeting cancer stem cells may have in the management of patients in the clinic.Exploring the latest research including new data from randomized trials, this book examines important proposals over the origin of cancer stem cells such as the possibility that cancer stem cells may arise from mutated stem cells or a fully differentiated cell that may undergo several mutations that drive it back to a stem-like state. The authors consider the role that stem cells seem to have in the onset, development and resistance to classical antitumoral treatments of cancer and discuss possible potential future treatment modalities for the management of advanced cancer patients.The question, 'Are stem cells involved in cancer ' may not have a simple answer, but ongoing investigations, in-depth consideration and a broad spectrum of information can be found in this book, allowing the reader to arrive at his or her own answer.This book will appeal to researchers in the field of oncology and cancer research and biomedical scientists with an interest in stem cells.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Cutting edge technologies can propel a simple finding in basic science to a concept that can be of immense value to the society. While applying novel techniques to unravel the mysteries of biological processes, an offshoot of applied branch emerged. This field, which is now widely referred to as Translational Research utilizes basic science findings and translates these findings into innovative concepts for the benefit of mankind. This branch of science has evolved into a multidisciplinary juggernaut encompassing all known fields of science as varied as biomedicine, environment, law, economics, sociology, etc. With the ever increasing interest in this branch and the dreams and aspirations that this field can bring, basic science researchers are now taking a bold step into this new realm, merging different fields of knowledge to come up with novel inventions. This book 'Translational research in environmental and occupational stress' provides and insight into the research that led to discoveries, inventions and development of novel technologies which will have a tremendous impact on the future of mankind.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Abiotic stress drastically limits agricultural crop productivity worldwide. Climate change threatens the sustainable agriculture with its rapid and unpredictable effects, making it difficult for agriculturists and farmers to respond to the challenges cropping up from environmental stresses. In light of population growth and climate changes, investment in agriculture is the only way to avert wide scale food shortages. This challenge comes at a time when plant sciences are witnessing remarkable progress in understanding the fundamental processes of plant growth and development. Plant researchers have identified genes controlling different aspects of plant growth and development, but many challenges still exist in creating an apt infrastructure, access to bioinformatics and good crop results. Improvement of Crops in the Era of Climatic Changes, Volume 2 focuses on many existing opportunities that can be applied methodically through conventional breeding, without touching upon the latest discoveries such as the power of genomics to applied breeding in plant biology.Written by a diverse faction of internationally famed scholars, this volume adds new horizons in the field of crop improvement, genetic engineering and abiotic stress tolerance. Comprehensive and lavishly illustrated, Improvement of Crops in the Era of Climatic Changes, Volume 2 is a state-of-the-art guide to recent developments vis-à-vis various aspects of plant responses in molecular and biochemical ways to create strong yields and overall crop improvement.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This volume covers data describing the role of free radicals and antioxidants in respiratory disorders, including the data that deal with clinical and pre-clinical trials. Chapters describe the relationship of oxidative stress to a number of respiratory and pulmonary conditions from a basic science and clinical perspective, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, acute lung injury, pulmonary hypertension, toxicity and fibrosis, cancer and asbestosis. The book also discusses the use of conventional biomarkers of oxidative stress and breath condensates as adjuncts to classical laboratory testing, the effect of antioxidants on cellular protection, as well as the development of novel antioxidant modalities.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - miRNAs are a class of endogenous, small non-protein coding RNA molecules (~ 22 nucleotides) which are novel post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Since we have hundreds of miRNAs, the major challenge is now to understand their specific biological function. In fact the experimental evidence suggests that signaling pathways could be ideal candidates for miRNA-mediated regulation. Several studies suggest that miRNAs affect the responsiveness of cells to signaling molecules such as WNT, Notch, TGF-beta and EGFR. Altered expression of particular miRNAs has been implicated in the onset and development of cancer and could be used as potential biomarkers for the disease.Recently, many studies have found miRNAs have crucial regulatory roles in Cancer stem cells (CSCs) a kind of tumor initiating cells (TICs) and dormancy. Findings also suggest that DNA methylation may be important in regulating the expression of many miRNAs in several cancer initiating cells. Several miRNAs are known to either upregulated or downregulated in CSCs when compared to non-cancerous cells from the same tissues. CSCs are a small subpopulation of cells identified in a variety of tumors and involve in self-renewal, differentiation, chemoresistance and tumorigenesis. The volume will give a comprehensive account of important advancements in the area of miRNAs and cancer.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This book updates the latest development in production, stabilization and structural analysis techniques of membrane proteins. This field has made significant advances since the elucidation of the first 3-D structure of a recombinant G Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR), rhodopsin, with the structure of several more GPCRs having been solved in the past five years. In fact, the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for groundbreaking discoveries on the inner workings of GPCRs. This book is essential reading for all researchers, biochemists and crystallographers working with membrane proteins, who are interested by the structural characterization of their favorite protein and who wish to follow the expression, migration, modifications and recycling of a membrane protein.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - A comprehensive overview of nicotinic receptors that addresses their history from crystal structure to behavior as well as their implications in disease and potential as therapeutic targets. It includes background information on all subtypes of nicotinic receptors, the most recent information on the distribution throughout the nervous system and discussion of their implications in learning and memory, addiction and neurological and psychiatric disease such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Takes advantage of several recent developments in the fields of optogenetics, viral expression and gene analysis to focus on current knowledge on the functional aspects of nicotinic receptors.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Plants form mutualistic association with various microorganisms, particularly in the rhizosphere region. The association benefits both the partners in a number of ways. A single plant can support the growth of diverse microbes and in reciprocation these microbes help the plant in several ways. A great deal of knowledge is now available on the mechanisms of action of plant growth promoting microbes in forming association with their partner plant and benefitting it. With ever increasing population and to achieve food security it has become utmost necessary to utilize these friendly microbes to enhance the crop yield and quality in an ecofriendly and sustainable manner. We already know about the huge negative impact of chemicals used in agriculture on the humans and the ecosystems as whole. 'Plant Microbes Symbiosis - Applied Facets' provides a comprehensive knowledge on practical, functional and purposeful utility of plant-microbe interactions. The book reviews the utilization of beneficial microbes for crop yield enhancement and protection against diseases caused by phytopathogens and nutrient deficiencies. The tome also reviews the utility of plant growth promoting microbes in helping the plants to deal with abiotic stresses imposed by climate change and anthropogenic activities. The book showcases how plant-microbe interactions are or can be utilized for reclamation of stressed soils and degradation of pollutants in a most effective and environment friendly manner. It also ascertains the reasons for the below par performance of the microbial based inoculants. The utilization of biotechnological tools for development of next generation bioformulations to combat the new challenges and overcome past hurdles has been discussed. This wonderful association between plants and microbes if used properly will not only enhance the crop yields and reclaim barren lands but also make our planet a better place to live on for all of its habitants.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - DNA and RNA fractions can be isolated from a variety of body fluids including whole blood, serum, plasma, urine, saliva and cerebrospinal fluid from both patients and healthy individuals. Such isolates can be exploited in the early detection of clinical disorders, stratification of patients for treatment, treatment monitoring and clinical follow-up. In addition, the use in fetal medicine allows the early detection of fetal sex, Rh factor and aneuploid disorders as well as following both fetal and premature born infant development. This volume is intended as a primer for those who are interested in entering the field of circulating nucleic acids.The areas covered in this volume include: Background and general biology of circulating nucleic acids Methodology Applications of circulating nucleic acids Quality Assurance Ethics.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - Molecular chaperones are a fundamental group of proteins that have been identified only relatively recently. They are key components of a protein quality machinery in the cell which insures that the folding process of any newly-synthesized polypeptide chain results in the formation of a properly folded protein and that the folded protein is maintained in an active conformation throughout its functional lifetime. Molecular chaperones have been shown to play essential roles in cell viability under both normal and stress conditions. Chaperones can also assist in the unfolding and degradation of misfolded proteins and in disaggregating preformed protein aggregates. Chaperones are also involved in other cellular functions including protein translocation across membranes, vesicle fusion events, and protein secretion.In recent years, tremendous advances have been made in our understanding of the biology, biochemistry, and biophysics of function of molecular chaperones. In addition, recent technical developments in the fields of proteomics and genomics allowed us to obtain a global view of chaperone interaction networks. Finally, there is now a growing interest in the role of molecular chaperones in diseases. This bookwill providea comprehensive analysis of the structure and function of the diverse systems of molecular chaperones and their role in cell stress responses and in diseases from a global network perspective.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This book of proceedings collects fifty-one papers presented at the inaugural Colloquium of Administrative Science and Technology (CoAST 2013) event, held at Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. It has been reviewed by 750 experts world-wide and covers three main areas - Administrative Science and Technology, Management, and Arts and Humanities. The papers in this volume reflect:- the importance of the social sciences in academia and in the nations' social-economic growth;- the multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary nature of academia that transcends the broad areas of the social sciences;- the increasing trend towards fundamental studies in the social sciences, management, and the arts and the humanities, which have been characterized under the overarching theme of administrative science and technology;- the growing demand for research outcomes affecting the public and private sectors' service processes. The other overlapping niche areas affecting the civil service scope will ensure more interest in and readability of the findings showcased in this proceedings book;- the popular and contemporary measurement techniques and methodologies employed within the scopes of the social sciences and humanities;- the noticeably changing trends in administrative science and technology, which will greatly impact the governments of the world, allowing the development of a better understanding of governmental processes and their impact on key performance and e-service deliveries. The reporting on technology-based services will improve the public sector's agility;- a knowledge-sharing agenda for other developing and less developed nations to emulate;- some of the major generic developments that have taken place in these thematic areas of CoAST 2013.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This volume presents the refereed papers given at the International Conference on Managing the Asian Century, held in Singapore in July 2013. The proceedings of this conference include original papers contributed by researchers from many countries on different continents. The papers cover multi-disciplinary areas such as management, the social sciences, development economics, banking & finance, engineering management, and education, all in connection with the development of countries in Asia. Further, the papers are based on the 9 tracks at the conference: Transnational Education Antecedents of Asia's Competitiveness Emerging Trends in Banking, Finance and Accounting Business and Revenue Models in the Gaming Industry Psychological Issues in Asia Emerging Retail and Service Industries Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Innovation Systems Thinking and Systems Practices Tourism Initiatives, Relationships and Issues in the Asia-Pacific Region.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - This book contains revised and extended research articles written by prominent researchers participating in the international conference on Advances in Engineering Technologies and Physical Science ( London, U.K., 3-5 July, 2013) . Topics covered include mechanical engineering, bioengineering, internet engineering, image engineering, wireless networks, knowledge engineering, manufacturing engineering, and industrial applications. The book offers state of art of tremendous advances in engineering technologies and physical science and applications, and also serves as an excellent reference work for researchers and graduate students working with/on engineering technologies and physical science.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. Neuware - The special focus of this proceeding is to cover the areas of infrastructure engineering and sustainability management. The state-of-the art information in infrastructure and sustainable issues in engineering covers earthquake, bioremediation, synergistic management, timber engineering, flood management and intelligent transport systems. It provides precise information with regards to innovative research development in construction materials and structures in addition to a compilation of interdisciplinary finding combining nano-materials and engineering.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -You have in your hands the most rigorous, complete and readable book ever written about the fascinating science of human sexuality. This book goes beyond the well-worn sexual education advice and the usual evolutionist psychology. After The Brain Snatcher, Pere Estupinyà comes back with the first popular science book on sex aimed at a wide audience. While there are some tips for the more adventurous, there is also a wealth of new information to be discovered.Distancing himself from the many books on advice or techniques, Estupinyà brings sex to another dimension by combining popular beliefs and science. Do you want proof that our decision-making in the 'heat of the moment' is less rational than we think Did you know that mind and vagina each go their own way Are you interested in learning about the effects of yoga on sexual pleasure Did you know about the attempts in the 60s to 'cure' homosexuals with electric shock therapy, the chemical analysis of female ejaculation, or the fundamental relationship between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system The author has spoken directly with asexual and intersexual individuals, fetishists, multi-orgasmic women, women who never have orgasms through penetration, and men who have no refractory period. He has also participated in sadomasochistic events; learned tantric techniques with a couple of coaches, spoken with porn performers at Barcelona's Bagdad, and attended workshops in which a woman teaches how to have orgasms with your mind and breathing. The result is an incredible miscellany of information that appeals to both the scientific community and the curious. 392 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -At a time when contemporary challenges seem to many to be insurmountable, this book offers an optimistic view of the future and provides a road map for societies to get there. Drawing upon extensive research and many years as a thought leader in environmental and sustainability issues in Japan and internationally, Hiroshi Komiyama analyzes the most pressing challenges to the attainment of sustainability of economically advanced nations and argues forcefully for Japan to lead them out of the present dilemma through active promotion of creative consumer and societal demand. He shows how an active industry-government-academic partnership can provide the environment needed to promote such new creative demand and illustrates its potential through presentation of a Platinum Society Network that was launched on a regional basis in Japan in 2010 to facilitate the solution of common issues through the exchange of information and ideas. What is perhaps most surprising about the text is its unwavering optimism supported by hard evidence, history, and insightful observation. Problems arising from new paradigms of the 21st century (what the author refers to as 'exploding knowledge, limited Earth resources, and aging societies') thwart sustainable development in advanced and developing countries alike. All countries will struggle with issues that evolve from these paradigms including diminishing resources, expanding budget deficits, and growing global environmental problems. This window on potential practical pathways and solutions should be of interest to all those engaged in seeking ways to meet these contemporary challenges. 103 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Condizione: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Cultural forces govern a synergistic relationship among information institutions that shapes their roles collectively and individually. Cultural synergy is the combination of perception- and behavior-shaping knowledge within, between, and among groups. Our hyperlinked era makes information-sharing among institutions critically important for scholarship as well as for the advancement of humankind. Information institutions are those that have, or share in, the mission to preserve, conserve, and disseminate information objects and their informative content. A central idea is the notion of social epistemology that information institutions arise culturally from social forces of the cultures they inhabit, and that their purpose is to disseminate that culture. All information institutions are alike in critical ways. Intersecting lines of cultural mission are trajectories for synergy for allowing us to perceive the universe of information institutions as interconnected and evolving and moving forward in distinct ways for the improvement of the condition of humankind through the building up of its knowledge base and of its information-sharing processes. This book is an exploration of the cultural synergy that can be realized by seeing commonalities among information institutions (sometimes also called cultural heritage institutions): museums, libraries, and archives. The hyperlinked era of the Semantic Web makes information sharing among institutions critically important for scholarship as well as the advancement of mankind. The book addresses the origins of cultural information institutions, the history of the professions that run them, and the social imperative of information organization as a catalyst for semantic synergy. 82 pp. Englisch.