Books published by Nova Science Publishers Inc

Thirty years after its enactment, Congress has undertaken a review of the Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act (GNA) as well as the broader organisation and structure of the contemporary Department of Defense (DOD) more broadly. Most observers agree that in principle a comprehensive review of the Goldwater-Nichols legislation is warranted at this juncture. Further, a broad consensus appears to exist among observers that DOD must become considerably more agile while retaining its strength in order to enable the United States to meet a variety of critical emerging national security challenges. Agreement seemingly ends there. There appears to be little consensus on what should be changed within DOD and what specific direction reform ought to take. Discussions have begun to coalesce around a number of proposals, including reforming defense acquisition processes, further strengthening the Joint Staff, reducing Pentagon staffs, and better empowering the services in the joint arena. Ideas vary, however, on how, specifically, to achieve those outcomes. Disagreement also exists as to whether or not reorganising DOD alone will be sufficient. Some observers maintain that a reform of the broader interagency system on national security matters is needed. This book is intended to assist Congress as it evaluates the variety of reform proposals currently under discussion around Washington.

This book addresses important issues at the intersection of copyright law and Internet policy. It is the result of a comprehensive, multi-year review of three key topics: 1) the legal framework for the creation of remixes; 2) the relevance and scope of the first sale doctrine in the digital environment; and 3) the application of statutory damages in the context of individual file-sharers and secondary liability for large-scale online infringement. Each section provides recommendations based on the stakeholder input received.

Chapter One summarises novel observations regarding physicochemical properties, physical and chemical stability, and drug delivery potential of microemulsion hydrogel drug delivery systems, based on comprehensive reviews of the research results from relevant scientific publications. Chapter Two discusses the synthesis and investigation of the properties of hexaferrites obtained by microemulsion techniques. Chapter Three focuses on manufacturing solid lipid nanoparticle dispersions using a microwave assisted microemulsion approach.

Ascorbic acid (AsH-, vitamin C), an essential nutrient for both human health and animal health, participates in a wide range of important biochemical reactions, including the synthesis of collagen, carnitine, and the neurotransmitter norepinephrine. This book provides current research on several properties of ascorbic acid. It also reviews the synthesis and applications of this water-soluble vitamin.

This book presents the latest developments in world physics, including chapters on the neoclassic approach to cosmology based on the invariant integral; the versatile approach to the study of cosmological models; the reexamination of the main method in astronomy; sarma superfluid state in a spin-orbit-coupled fermi gas in a two-dimensional optical lattice; low-cost, high-speed hydrophilic finishing of lightweight polypropylene nonwovens by ambient air plasma; extremely low frequency wave propagation; high harmonic generation and harmonic tuning in undulators for FEL with account for losses; Bose-Einstein-condensate built with focuses electron beam induced processing at room-temperature and novel applications; photodiodes based on thick Ge/Si(001) epilayers; and radiation shielding efficiency of lead zinc borate glasses.

When an economy is fueled by the alcohol industry, which is a powerful and a resource-intense industry, governments who lack technical capacity and financial resources to combat the alcohol industry may fear the economic impact of restrictive alcohol polices. How can a country address the public health concerns from alcohol misuse and abuse? Because alcohol is no ordinary commodity, the public has a right to understand and expect a more enlightened approach to the development and implementation of an alcohol policy. An enlightened approach of using evidence to inform policies, include key members of the community and target the general population, at high-risk drinkers and at people already experiencing alcohol-related problems. Alcohol is a drug and a currency, making it a unique commodity. In this book, the authors present research on alcohol and advertisement, alcohol related traffic accidents, suicidal behavior and many more aspects of alcohol use and misuse in the Caribbean area.

In the past century, numerous drugs have been developed and have helped us to get rid of various diseases. By the mature development of micro/nano technologies, precise, predictable, and well-controlled instruments and tools for drug testing and delivery have been suggested. Efficient drug development and effective drug delivery can benefit the quality of human lives. This book presents advances in drug testing and drug delivery. It covers a board spectrum of topics and state of the art research in this field. As such, the book is divided into three parts, comprised of nine chapters. The first part (Chapter One) introduces recent developments of drug testing technologies targeting for subjects who suffer from drug abuse and addiction. Specimens of oral fluid and hair are the focuses of this discussion. The second part (Chapters Four through Six) includes the advanced technologies for drug testing. In the development of a new drug, the process is lengthy and costly. There are a large amount of drug tests on living cell culture involved. Therefore, in order to decrease the development time and increase the prediction precision of the drug effectiveness, advanced technologies of 3D cell culture and microfluidics for drug testing are introduced. The third part (Chapters Seven to Nine) presents the novel drug delivery systems. Compared to conventional oral and parenteral administration, microneedle patches and polymer delivery carriers are novel drug delivery approaches. In-depth discussions of different delivery systems are included to achieve promising therapeutic effects. These novel and ongoing techniques provide new insights and possibilities for drug testing and drug delivery. The reader will gain a unique perspective on the challenges and emerging opportunities in this exciting field.

The American people expect their Army to be trained and ready whenever called upon to achieve national objectives. In an increasingly complex world with an increasing array of diverse threats at home and abroad, Americas Army must possess a wide range of capabilities to fulfill its myriad missions. However, even as the demand for Army forces expands and diversifies, the fiscal resources necessary to meet that demand have declined and will remain challenging for several years. This tension between growing requirements and fewer resources not only creates national-level risk, it also has resulted in some unhealthy competitive tension among the Armys components, especially between the Regular Army and the Army National Guard. In large part, these factors, plus the Armys proposal, endorsed by the Department of Defense, to consolidate all Apache aircraft in the Regular Army, prompted the Congress to establish the National Commission on the Future of the Army (NCFA). This book provides a background, discusses the National Commission''s Report to the President and the Congress of the United States regarding the future of the Army.

The Department of Defense (DOD) collects information on how Energy Conservation Investment Program (ECIP) projects are expected to perform when operational, including anticipated returns on investment and energy or water savings. DOD established ECIP, which funds projects at military installations that are designed to conserve energy or water, generate electricity from renewable sources, promote energy security, or accomplish a combination of these goals. This book assesses the extent to which DOD has reported anticipated returns on investment or reduced energy use from ECIP-funded projects; found that completed ECIP projects have resulted in cost savings or lower energy use; and developed and implemented a strategic vision for ECIP.

In recent years, West Africa has played an increasing role in the global drug trade. In the early 2000s, drug traffickers searching for new routes and markets began shipping South American cocaine to Europe through West Africa. Criminal groups have now expanded their operations in the region to include heroin trafficking and methamphetamine production. While cocaine trafficked through West Africa typically reaches Europe rather than the United States, illicit activities surrounding the West African drug trade jeopardise U.S. goals in the region. The drug trade destabilises governments and funds terrorist organisations, including Hezbollah and Al Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb. In 2011, the State Department launched the West Africa Cooperative Security Initiative to coordinate the U.S. response to these threats. This has been a positive start, but the Caucus believes more must be done. This book provides eight recommendations on how the United States can better assist our partners in West Africa.

The production of oil and natural gas in the United States has increased rapidly over the past decade. As of 2014, domestic production of crude oil had grown to about half of total consumption, and domestic production of natural gas represented almost 95 percent of total consumption. Domestic oil and gas production occurring on federal lands or in federal waters off the coast of the United States represented about one-fifth of total U.S. production in 2014. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects crude oil prices to average in the lower to upper $50 per barrel range through 2015. This lower price, if sustained, may impact long term oil development and lower production volumes. This book focuses on issues and options for federal income from crude oil and natural gas. It discusses potential budgetary effects of immediately opening most federal lands to oil and gas leasing, reviews U.S. crude oil and natural gas production in federal and non-federal areas, and provides a legal framework for offshore oil and gas development.

This book reviews sources, applications and new research of glucosides. Chapter One introduces the source (where and how mycotoxins are glucosylated), history (how the researchers recognise and identify mycotoxin glucosides), and recent research (screening of new mycotoxin glucosides conducted by the authors and risk assessment research of mycotoxin glucosides). Chapter Two summarises the information available on the field of steryl glycosides from different perspectives. Chapter Three examines recent developments in the phase behavior of n-Alkyl glucosides in arid systems.

This book contains assessments, management options and challenges for individuals with learning disabilities. Chapter One reviews whether there is enough clinical-epidemiological evidence to support the definition of dyscalculia as a nosological category. Chapter Two examines current findings and scientific evidence that is needed to better understand metacognitive ability in higher education students with learning disorders. Chapter Three discusses the importance of hearing loss identification and rehabilitation, aimed at professionals across different disciplines and also as a starting point for those new to the audiology profession. Chapter Four details a piece of original qualitative research, designed to improve audiological issues for adults with learning disabilities and hearing loss who are supported by paid caregivers. Chapter Five focuses on the examination of the major deficits of reading in English and Chinese writing systems; reviews instructional methods to the sub-types of students with reading disabilities; and introduces recent developments in teaching programs for students with reading disabilities. Chapter Six discusses the impact of challenging behaviour on families and provides avenues for support. Chapter Seven shows the way Ariel University in Israel is dealing with the goal of giving students with learning disabilities an opportunity of being part of society and the academic world. Chapter Eight examines whether and to what extent academic institutions integrate students with high-functioning autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often associated with general intellectual disabilities because approximately 75% of people with autism have a non-verbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ) below 70, but autism can also occur in people with normal or even superior intelligence. Autism is a developmental disorder having deficiencies in social development, in communication. People with autism have restricted and repetitive interests and behavior. Chapter One of this book examines parental perceptions of the social skills of their children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Chapter Two reviews the use of children''s literature to teach social skills in children. Chapter Three discusses inclusive education, mentoring and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for the development of social skills in young people with autism. Chapter Four argues that continuous use and development of a cloud computing-based support system for comprehensive childcare and the Scale for Assessing Social Skill Development in Children will provide greater evidence of its efficacy, assist in expertise acquisition, and contribute to the healthy development of children and their caregivers. Chapter Five introduces applications of group participation for people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), with a particular focus on adolescents and emerging adults.

This collective book provides a review of research concentrated on runaway electron beams and X-rays in an inhomogeneous electric field with different gases at increased pressure. Attention is also given to supershort avalanche electron beam (SAEB) in the optimal conditions. New experimental techniques and equipment, including those with picosecond time resolutions, were required for diagnostics of electrical and optical signals. The book consists of twenty-four chapters, some of which were written jointly by researchers of different teams. Some chapters consider the range of SAEB applications.

Intellectuals and the Chinese Communist Party: Radical Education during the Rising Age of Communism in China from 1920 to 1949 provides an analytical survey of the Communist education and propaganda programs from 1920 to 1949. Four parts constitute the book, covering various periods of the Communist revolution. Part One deals with the early years of the Communist Party (1920-1927), when revolutionary intellectuals endeavoured to publish labour journals, formed workers schools, and set up cadre training sites in metropolitan centres and industrial towns. Part Two discusses Jiangxi Era (1929-1934), during which the party leaders launched experimental projects to build an education structure strikingly different from modern bourgeois schooling systems. Part Three centres on the Yanan decade (1937-1945), in which the Communist higher learning institutions are elaborated, mass education in Shaan-Gan-Ning border region is surveyed, and the contention between Maoist reformers and professional educators is tackled. The last part of the book observes the Civil War Years, a period that began with ferocious warfare, but ended in a twilight of peace. By late 1948, regularization attempts had terminated the chaotic situation to dominate Communist schools in which the descendants of the labouring classes are now enrolled. This work looks at the changing relation between revolutionary intellectuals and the Communist party through the prism of the partys radical education, an area that is not clearly charted and well explored in the English-speaking world. In the early years of the revolution, although the partys painstaking propaganda efforts invigorated labour activism and militancy, its inflammatory messages contained paradoxes and discrepancies, the seeds leading to intellectuals degradation. By 1926 and 1927, harsh criticism of the educated people culminated into a policy to proletarianize the vanguard organization, turning intellectuals, and the indispensable force of education into suspicious elements. The same policy line went through the entire Jingxi Era. Making use of heretofore little-known publications of archival materials, this book shows how campaign-style politics and suspicion of intellectuals were already present in those early years (Michael Szonyi). The Yanan decade is represented as a significant new phase of the party-intellectual relation as the party leader Mao Zedong not only eagerly enlisted and rewarded intellectuals service, but also imposed ideological and organizational conformity on his educated subordinates. Overall, this is a defiantly brave book, which deals with a politically charged subject such as political education. Scholars will find in her account much with which they may disagree. (T)his is a book to learn from (Bryan Palmer).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

This monograph summarizes results from the international research devoted to the design of efficient structured catalysts for the transformation of fuels into syngas, intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells and asymmetric supported oxygen separation/catalytic membranes based on new types of metal alloy/composite foam substrates. The comparative analysis of different porous permeable materials was performed in terms of the achievable pore size and relative density ranges, hydraulic permeability and transfer parameters. It was demonstrated that the open-cell foam provide a good combination of properties that can be advantageous in many catalytic applications.

Cognitive stimulation (CS) is an individualised approach to help cognitively impaired Alzheimers disease (AD) and dementia patients and their families in identifying personally relevant goals and devising strategies for addressing them. Chapter One in this book provides a systematic review of cognitive stimulation and information-communication technologies (ICT) in AD. Chapter Two assesses the efficacy of Cognitive Stimulation (CS) on cognitive, behavioural and affective aspects and mortality risk in institutionalised patients with dementia after a one-year follow-up. In the last chapter, the authors review studies on eye movements accompanying cognitive activity (EMaCA), then describe their studies with an eye-tracking recording system.

Worldwide, universities are considered assets for empowering local communities, hence making community engagement or third mission of universities popular. Community-university engagement has thus become a strategy for universities to generate, apply, use knowledge and other university resources outside academic environments. While arguments in this book indicate that universities have great potential to empower communities, it also remains largely true that communities also empower universities in many respects. The potential for each partner to contribute can be compromised when conditions necessary for success are not considered. Communities, for example, lose trust and resent exploitation of their resources when universities alone gain from these exchanges. Both parties should participate actively to contribute to national development agendas such as poverty reduction, illiteracy and youth unemployment, just to mention a few. An emphasis on social impact through community-university engagements exists as well. This is particularly needed where engagement agendas are traditionally underrepresented or marginalized in development activities. This book was inspired by the authors experiences as community development experts with special interest in development agendas that address social exclusion. When properly conceived, community-university engagements can offer unlimited benefits in respect to community empowerment. Different chapters of this book map out essential characteristics and conditions for effective engagements.

This book presents a complete review of biological energetics and responds systematically that there is no possible activity without bio-energy in the living bodies. In this case, we elucidate and describe concretely the generations of bio-energy and its properties, regulation of bio-energy metabolism, bio-energy transport and its theoretical description, the stability of bio-energy transport, the experimental evidences of correctness of bio-energy theory and its wide applications, as well as the use of bio-energy in living systems involving animals, plants and human beings. Additionally, the biological phenomena, processes and effects related to bio-energy are also delineated, explained and shed light on theoretical calculations and analyses, numerical simulations and experimental measurements using biology, molecular biology and biophysics. This book contains seven chapters, in which 380 pages and a great number of illustrations and figures reveal the theoretical and experimental results. It is intended for researchers, teachers, graduate students and upper-level undergraduate students.