Books published by Nova Science Publishers Inc

This book addresses a broad array of issues and topics related to child maltreatment and seeks to honor the sacred trust that former UN Secretary-General Annan speaks of by shedding light on how best to serve children and families confronting various forms of victimisation. Topics span from how decisions are made by child protection professionals to the tools needed to effectively advocate for system reform at the community and state levels. Section One, Practice Consideration, contains four chapters written by leading frontline professionals who explore decision making among child protection professionals, how medical and nonmedical team members ideally interact and share their expertise in the context of a team, and finally how advanced training in Child Abuse Pediatrics is now being provided to physicians who make an additional 3-year commitment beyond residency to become board certified in this relatively new specialty. Section 2, Providing Care, consists of four chapters that examine human trafficking, the emergence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents who have experienced child maltreatment, and takes on an international flare and explores the trends in child maltreatment in the setting of multiple births in Japan. Section 3, Prevention and Advocacy, ends the book with five chapters that seek to go upstream and which work toward systematic efforts to prevent child maltreatment. Using a quality improvement methodology, a hospital-based abusive head trauma program is implemented and evaluated in granular detail, concluding with lessons learned at the front line, where all programs either rise or fall. Next, the growing awareness of childhood adversity and the role that these early negative experiences can play in the health and wellbeing of children as they grow and develop is explored from a public health perspective. The book concludes with a call to action for effective advocacy at the community and state levels to reform the systems we have institutionalised to manage the problem of child maltreatment.

Since the 20th century, there have been many exciting achievements in the field of ecology and evolution, many of which were formulated using statistical and mathematical functions. In particular, statistical and mathematical models are a necessity for developing some sub-disciplines and theories like population genetics and ecology, neutral theory of molecular evolution and biodiversity, and machine-learning techniques for species distribution modeling. This book serves as an elementary guide to showcase some statistical and mathematical models that have been applied and used in contemporary ecological or evolutionary research. Some models may be old-fashioned, whilst some others have been further extended or developed so as to better address special research questions presented in each chapter of the book. Technical aspects of each statistical model are presented in detail to allow readers to follow and apply their own research and practices.

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has many applications across various disciplines. This oncofetal protein is routinely used by clinicians for antenatal testing as well for the screening and treatment monitoring of certain malignances. Innovative research using AFP has also been very promising. Recent developments include the use of AFP or its recombinant fragments for drug delivery to cancer cells, as well as for the engineering of cancer vaccines and T cell immunotherapies. The anti-estrogenic potential of AFP has also been utilised to develop drugs directed against estrogen receptor positive malignancies. This book is divided into five sections. In Section One, the history of AFP is recollected, and the role of AFP in normal and pathological conditions is explored. Section Two and Three focus on the utility of AFP during pregnancy. In Section Two, the use of routine maternal serum AFP screening for detection of chromosomal aneuploidies and neural tube defects in normal pregnancies and pregnancies with pre-existing disease is discussed; the potential use of AFP for the detection of preeclampsia is also reviewed. Section Three explores the pathogenesis and data linking unexplained elevations of AFP to adverse obstetrical outcomes. Section Four presents chapters that discuss AFP ligand binding, receptor targeting, and drug delivery strategies. Finally, Section Five serves to explain the regulatory roles of AFP, its use in immunotherapy, and in the development of cancer vaccines. The aim of this book is to bring together some of the great research and clinical insights that currently surround AFP. The target audiences for this book are basic science researchers as well as clinicians.

The American Red Cross is the nation''s largest nonprofit organisation involved in disaster relief. The organisation provides services such as sheltering and food assistance, and it has a leadership role in the federal disaster response framework. However, questions have been raised over its ability to respond effectively to large disasters. This book addresses the key factors affecting the nature and extent of the Red Cross''s disaster services; how it coordinates with the federal government on disaster assistance; and what external oversight exists of its disaster services. Furthermore, the book provides a brief history of the charter of the American National Red Cross (ANRC); describes the recent congressional interest in the ANRC''s governance, operations, and charter; reviews the ANRC''s governance audit report and proposal to amend its charter; and describes recent congressional proposals to amend the charter.

Parents have the legal responsibility to protect and care for their children. However, recent media reports have illuminated a practice involving unregulated custody transfers of adopted children. Commonly referred to as "rehoming," this practice involves parents who turn to the internet or other unregulated networks to find a new home for their child. These media reports found instances in which adopted children were placed in dangerous situations where they were harmed by the adults who received them. This book examines the reasons adoptive families consider unregulated child custody transfers, and services that exist to support these families before they take such an action; what is known about the prevalence of these transfers; and actions selected states and federal agencies have taken to address such transfers.

The pepper fruit is commonly consumed as fresh fruit. In addition, the fruit is used in food industry and in manufacture processing, either fermented or concentrated. The pepper fruit is a rich source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties to which highly desirable medicinal properties and health benefits have been attributed. The stability and concentration of these bioactive compounds are affected by preharvest factors such as cultivar, cultivation methods and fertilisation, grafting, shading, stage of maturity, and postharvest factors such as prestorage treatments, temperature management and packaging. Chapter One of this book discusses in detail the preharvest and postharvest factors influencing the functional properties of pepper fruit. Chapter Two reviews electron paramagnetic resonance imaging of paramagnetic species in pepper seeds. Chapter Three studies the technology and properties of drying peppers after harvesting. Chapter Four presents the potential use of peppers for therapeutic management besides its use as a food additive in various spicy cuisines. Chapter Five provides an overview of recent research on the chemical profile, health properties, and processing of peppers.

This latest volume includes contributions on the latest advances in energy research. Chapters include an overview of the production and recovery advancements of coal bed methane (CBM) reservoirs; an overview on the advancements in numerical and experimental studies of natural gas hydrate reservoirs; a discussion on the present state of the art of geothermal desalination, principles of operation for various desalination processes, and their applications and case studies around the world; an examination of ionic liquid applications as innovative electrolytes for fuel cells; a comparative study of the energy efficiency of a conventional ventilating and air conditioning (VAC) systems with three configurations; an assessment of desiccant assisted exergy recovery in air-conditioning systems; a technical and economic assessment of the Homer-pro environment simulations; and a study of an online in situ method for the monitoring of supercapacitor aging.

The "Break the Cycle" program has been an annual academic event since 2005, recruiting students from many different disciplines and departments at different universities across the United States and the world, to break the cycle of environmental health disparities at any point. This volume presents the set of "Break the Cycle" projects that look at the international stage. Environmental conditions and health disparities are universal and represent a challenge for our global village. We hope to see many more students assist with this program in different international settings. The students are, after all, our future; our work is a preparation for them to make the world a better place for generations to come. Poverty, disadvantage, disease and disability are all global challenges. This global picture has been captured in the Millennium Development Goals 2015, which came out of the Millennium Summit in September 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders in history. We now have the UN Sustainable Development Goals to guide our efforts for the next couple of decades.

With the most recent educational reform through the implementation of the Common Core Standards, Praxeological Learning: Service- Learning in Teacher Education can provide a fresh look at educational transformation through the lens of service-learning in teacher preparation. As Butin (2003) referenced over a decade ago, "service-learning rejects the banking model of education, where the transferences of information from knowledgeable teachers to passive students is conducted in 45-min increments. It subverts the notion of classroom as graveyard rows and rows of silent bodies for an active pedagogy committed to connecting theory and practice, schools and community, the cognitive and the ethical." The pedagogy of service-learning has significant implications for teacher education. Its transformative aspects have far reaching potential to address teacher candidate dispositions and provide deeper understanding of social justice. Knowledge of the pedagogy and how to implement it in candidates'' future classrooms and in the community could modify education to a more powerful experience of democracy in action and enhance the civic mission of schools. The current and ongoing research found within this textbook is meant to continue supporting the notion of educational reform.

This book presents current research in the field of geophysics, particularly referring to some principles, applications and emerging technologies. Topics discussed comprehend environmental geophysics, with an explanation of geophysical methods ("seismic refraction and reflection techniques", "seismic analysis of surface waves", "electrical methods", "gravimetric and microgravimetric methods", "magnetic and electromagnetic methods") and new methodologies of processing and interpretation with examples in the area of Greece; applications of innovative geophysical techniques in other coastal areas, showing a new approach to seismic data acquisition, joining up land and marine seismic data through a marine streamer connected to a land cable with examples in Procida and Ventotene islands (Southern Italy); marine geophysics of Naples Bay focusing on seismic and magnetic data offshore the Vesuvius, Phlegrean Fields, Ischia and Procida volcanic complexes and a technological evolution in seismic data acquisition from explosive, Sparker and Watergun seismic sources towards new techniques, including MEAS (Multispot Extended Array Sparker) used in marine geological mapping of Southern Italy''s continental shelf and slope. Other topics in this book include oceanographic aspects regarding the oceanic oscillation phenomena and their relationships with the synchronisation and stochastic resonance, particularly referring to the transitions among stable and unstable states of western boundary currents, such as the Kuroshio in Japan and investigating their occurrence in general oceanographic circulation as a rhythmic natural phenomena; oceanographic aspects regarding the assessment of ocean variability in the Sicily Channel (Southern Italy) through a numerical 3D model based on Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOF) analysis aimed at studying the seasonal and interannual variability of oceanographic circulation and hydrology, and extending down to the African coast, involving the Tunisian and Lybian continental shelves (Mediterranean sea); and finally, experimental application of distributed optical fiber sensors through Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis (BOTDA) to the monitoring of artificially induced cracks opening in the volcanic rocky slope of the Coroglio coastal cliff (Naples, Southern Italy) aimed at the development of early warning systems and geomorphological setting of coastal cliffs, characterised by a rocks falls, topples and slides.

Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) today attracts significant attention through online health and consumer forums, professional CAM-practitioner associations and conferences, the recent growth in integrative biomedicine, and through the influence of advertisements and documentary presentations in mass media. A majority or large minority of consumers in developed countries regularly resort to professional CAM for supportive treatment for sickness in the form of chiropractic, osteopathic, prescribed dietary changes, acupuncture, massage, homeopathy, naturopathy and herbal medicine, and also use numerous associated lifestyle practices such as vegetarianism, nutritional supplementation, yoga and tai chi for self-treatment and to maintain general wellbeing. Many leading health insurance funds now provide generous rebates against out-of-pocket fees paid by consumers for private-sector CAM consultations. Furthermore, populations of developing countries continue to depend heavily on traditional herbal medicine and psycho-spiritual practices for their healing, on account of pharmaceutical treatments being often unaffordable or unavailable to them. Chapters of this book include literature reviews (such as study findings about the benefits of CAM for elderly persons and of laughter therapy, from the USA, and herbal treatments for pain, in Mauritius), and original studies (poor CAM consumers in Australia, the location of naturopaths'' practice in Canada, and the use of mindfulness meditation among nursing students in Scotland). Study findings presented here are enjoyable in their diversity, and add to contemporary literature both by presenting common perceptions about CAM, by engaging in discussion of its prevalence and popularity in diverse contexts, and the contentious topic of placebo effect and the questions that arise as to how to prove effectiveness for alternative healing methods, while reviewing some potential clinical benefits.

The tropical north of Australia covers almost half of the countrys total land area, is occupied by no more than about 5% of the total population, and yet has been estimated to account for close to 70% of the countrys potential freshwater resources. The region experiences strong climatic variability, both spatially and seasonally, with large areas subject to long dry periods interspersed by short periods of torrential rain. This book presents an overview of the freshwater resources of a region that has undergone a period of intense development (agricultural, industrial and social) over recent decades and for which is predicted a continuing period of development into the future. The author describes how the availability of surface, groundwater and stored freshwater, in terms of both quantity and quality, will continue to be the major factor influencing such development. It will also highlight how the emphasis on ensuring year-round water supply has, in recent decades, shifted to one of management to ensure sustainability of this vital resource and maintenance of the ecological health of what is known to be a fragile ecosystem. This book draws on the authors 25+ years of experience as a professional biologist living and working (as a teacher/researcher) in the tropical north of Australia, a region which in light of strengthening trade and other links between Australia and its neighbouring south-east Asian countries, is likely to become of increasing international significance in the future.

Expression of humor begins at an early age in humans and it arises from both cognitive and social-emotional developmental origins. This book presents research on the emotional aspects, role in social interaction, and the health effects of humor. Chapter One begins with a discussion on social-emotional and cognitive aspects of humor, and suggests that the interactions among these developmental factors provide impetus for the expression and appreciation of humor, even during early childhood. Chapter Two supports the Theory of the Absurd and the Empowerment theory as a framework of unfolding the clowning behaviors of a kindergartener and provides a positive way of considering clowning during the early childhood years highlighting its importance to play and social empowerment. Chapter Three studies the impact of humor of closeness to neighbors. Chapter Four aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the fields of social cognition, identity, and humor within adolescence. Chapter Five explores some of the ways that humor may influence workplace health and well-being, while also addressing some of the problematic aspects of humor use. Chapter Six explores areas of healthcare where the deployment of humor or response to patient-initiated humor and/or laughter by a health profession would be considered inappropriate by their peers and/or their patient and/or the patients'' family and friends. Chapter Seven analyses instances of a specific kind of humor that has been identified as jocular mockery because of its frequent occurrence in intimate and close relationships among friends.

In the attempt to provide a global vision of the challenges faced by hospitals, this book analyses the dense network of rules and expectations coming from institutions, patients and professionals in which healthcare organisations are embedded. The numerous changes that have occurred within a large part of the healthcare systems during the last 20 years, have determined important consequences, which have been promptly faced by managers. Uncertainty, rules, and innovations are just some of the main ingredients of the challenges to be tackled, whereas mimicry, legitimacy and diffusion of managerial fashions are some of the core strategies implemented to face them. Hospitals survival depends on the ability to intercept on time and to accomplish quickly the external expectations. The role of managers is to create a workplace in which changes are possible. Individual and organisational work value congruence can facilitate it by improving the quality of communication, the degree of trust in hospitals'' missions, and physicians'' and nurses'' knowledge of the processes. Hospital challenges reach up to the single physician, often asking him/her to play new and conflicting roles. The "new" physician needs to balance his/her time to accomplish ambiguous expectations, to fulfill heterogeneous tasks, and to compete for scarce resources in order to embrace the changes. In this vein, physicians'' negotiation skills assume a strategic role for the successful running of hospitals.

Food allergies have a considerable impact on modern society. Some of the most severe allergic reactions occur when peanuts and peanut derivatives are consumed. The main causative agents of a peanut allergy are proteins. The total protein content of a peanut is represented by thirty-two different proteins, of which about eighteen (nearly 7-10%) have been identified as capable of binding specific IgE, and so can be considered allergenic. Comprised of six chapters, this book comprehensively covers all topics of peanut allergy. A unique, concise and up-to-date resource, it offers readers an innovative and valuable presentation of the subject. It has been carefully prepared to present the concepts with the help of diagrams and tables. Each chapter is presented in a simple and systematic way to provide a thorough understanding of the core aspects of peanut allergy and the components of peanuts which cause allergic reactions. The basic concepts of clinical aspects, peanut allergens properties, cross reactivity and stability of peanut allergens and the legislation to protect sensitive people are clearly explained. Recent discoveries of peanut allergens are highlighted. From the description of the first peanut allergen called Ara h1 in 1991, so far there have been about thirteen proteins with allergenic action described. Theallergenic proteins in a peanut, named Ara h1 Ara h17 and agglutinin have been identified, largely characterised and accepted by the Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee of the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). Some of these allergens have established structural features, biochemical and physicochemical properties and their biosynthesis genes encoded. Being proteins, peanut allergens can suffer some modifications during food processing and digestion (acylation, polymerisation, nitration, Maillard reaction etc.), and interactions within complex food matrices (both natural and fabricated structures). These modifications can reduce or increase their allergenic properties and are influenced by the food matrix. Peanut allergens have different cross-reactions with other allergens such as, for example, those of soybean, peas, lima beans, green beans, chickpeas, lentils or other beans. Methods commonly used to detect and quantify peanut allergens are mainly immunochemical and molecular methods. However, methods have been developed based on HPLC techniques coupled both with and without mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis, circular dichroism, FTIR or NMR. Peanut allergy is high and there is currently no treatment for it. There is a lethal risk associated with peanut allergy, and in order to protect public health, the regulatory bodies worldwide will issue legislation concerning a requirement to clearly have a warning label of the possible presence of food allergens. The last chapter contains some of the most used preventive actions and elaborated legislation in different countries.

This monograph presents an overview of the lysosome and its different roles in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. It also provides a description of the various pathophysiologic changes associated with the lysosomal storage disorders. Therapeutic considerations and aspects relating to genetic counselling are covered in the final section. Several diagrams are provided to facilitate greater understanding of relevant themes. Additionally, contextual material is given at the end of each chapter, which elaborates on some of the entries brought up in the discussions. The book is written by an expert in the field who has been engaged in basic and clinical research. It offers a broad perspective and should appeal to both novices and experts in the field who seek a single resource that provides a comprehensive examination of the relevant topics. Issues covered should appeal to both the basic scientist and the clinician.