Books published by Nova Science Publishers Inc

Waste biomass includes agricultural residues, livestock wastes, municipal wastes and industrial organic wastes. It should be utilised or otherwise, it will cause the pollution of water, soil and even the atmosphere. Gas biofuels have attracted growing attention as a renewable and clean energy carrier. Gas biofuels include biogas, biohydrogen and its mixture i.e. biohythane, which can be produced via anaerobic fermentation or other processes from waste biomass. This book focuses on the principles of gas biofuels in terms of types of biofuels, biomass species, and reactor configuration and production pathway. A number of books focus on the production of biogas or biohydrogen alone. In comparison, this book emphasizes the interactions and common knowledge of both. In addition, the potential of new technologies, such as microbial electrochemical technologies, and two-stage fermentation on gas biofuel production are highlighted and specifically discussed based on the authors'' research basis. This book provides a state-of-the-art technological insight into the production of gas biofuels from waste biomass. Specifically, this book consists of three parts. In Part I, the principles for gas biofuels production from waste biomass, including biogas production (Chapter 1) and biohydrogen production (Chapter 2). Part II focuses on the technical advances on gas biofuels production. Pre-treatment of biomass was firstly introduced in Chapter 3, whereas the advances of biogas production from high-solid wastes were discussed in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. In comparison, biohydrogen production is reviewed not only through dark fermentation (Chapter 6) but also emerging microbial electrochemical technology (Chapter 7). The co-production of biohydrogen and biomethane is reviewed in Chapter 8. In addition to the utilisation of carbon and hydrogen stored in biomass, nutrients recycling through algae technology is discussed in Chapter 9. Part III discusses the scale-up and industrialization of biofuels. An industrial case is introduced to analyse the bottlenecks and perspectives for development of gas biofuels.

This book offers a developmental neuroendocrinologically-oriented perspective in the area of specialized psychiatric care for men termed "Men''s Mental Health." This book collates the contributions of over 40 authors in the field of men''s mental health throughout 24 chapters in an attempt to overview the emerging developments in this field. Developmental neurobiology serves as the central organizational factor for this four-sectioned book. In the first section, the developmental neurobiological perspective is introduced and considerations specific to men''s mental health in infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents are discussed. In the second section, the relevance of men''s mental health to informed suicide and homicide prevention among men are presented. The third section reviews major mental illness in men, while the last section provides an overview of the intersection of men''s mental health with general medical conditions and the future directions for the field. This collection gathers the latest writings from authors around the world in this field and will be of value for clinicians and researchers interested in an increasingly-popular approach to providing neurobiologically-tailored care for men.

Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) represent some of the most complex and challenging pathologies for the modern physician to properly diagnose and manage. In this comprehensive guide, we detail the natural history, diagnosis and management of AVMs. The first eight chapters are dedicated to brain AVMs. Chapter 1 describes the natural history of brain AVMs, the understanding of which is crucial to deciphering the relative risks and benefits of AVM treatment. Chapter 2 focuses on the surgical treatment of brain AVMs. Chapters 3 and 4 delineate the role of endovascular embolization in the management of brain AVMs. Chapter 5 analyzes the outcomes of stereotactic radiosurgery for Spetzler-Martin grade III AVMs, which are the most heterogeneous subgroup of AVMs. Chapter 6 describes the role of stereotactic radiosurgery for large brain AVMs, which are notoriously difficult to safely and effectively treat by any means. Chapter 7 focuses on heavily charged particle beam radiosurgery for brain AVMs. Chapter 8 puts it all together by analyzing the relationships and interactions among the different treatment modalities for brain AVMs; when utilized synergistically, the morbidity of each therapy is minimized while its maximum benefit is extracted. The last two chapters are dedicated to Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome, also known as hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Chapter 9 describes the genetics, pathogenesis, and management of HHT, with a focus on the diagnosis of pulmonary AVMs. Chapter 10 evaluates the role of endovascular intervention in the treatment of pulmonary AVMs.

The Islamic State (IS, aka the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL/ISIS) is a transnational Sunni Islamist insurgent and terrorist group that has expanded its control over areas of parts of Iraq and Syria since 2013, threatening the wider region. There is debate over the degree to which the Islamic State organization might represent a direct terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland or to U.S. facilities and personnel in the region. ISIS has its roots in the Sunni rebellion against the U.S.-led occupation after the 2003 invasion. Some believe, however, that ISIS is a useful cover for former high-ranking elements of Saddam Hussein''s dismantled Sunni-dominated security forces, determined to regain their former position. ISIS has taken advantage of chaos in Syria to occupy large areas of Syrian Sunni-majority territory and set up a claimed capital there. The forces ranged against ISIS make further progress more difficult, but differing policies pursued by its opponents in the region make a coordinated response difficult. Inherent contradictions exist, particularly because of the differing strategic alignments of the respective governments of Iraq and Syria. This book provides background on ISIS and its subsequent surge then examines international reaction and military action against ISIS.

The role of adenosine and adenosine receptors in normal cell physiology and in diseases has been an area of active research over the last several decades. The field has advanced from the use of limited tools to examine receptor signaling and function to the use of various molecular and receptor knockout techniques to examine the details of the expression and functions and regulation of these receptors. This book highlights important milestones in adenosine receptor research and reviews recent findings from experts in different research areas. Several research areas, ranging from cardiovascular, cancer, and central nervous system research are discussed. Several of the chapters describe how understanding the basic cellular mechanisms regulated by adenosine could lead to the development of important therapeutics. The editors, Vickram Ramkumar and Roberto Paes-de-Carvalho, have published extensively on adenosine receptors for more than two decades and are still active in this field of research. It is our hope that this book provides an excellent synopsis of the current status of adenosine receptor research which would be valuable for researchers in the field and as a reference source for clinicians and others interested in this area.

Protecting workers'' rights is a top priority for the Obama Administration, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the Department of Labor (DOL) are leading the Administration''s efforts to improve labor laws and working conditions with trading partners in virtually every region of the globe. These efforts are made in close coordination with other U.S. agencies and in collaboration with Congressional and other stakeholders, as well as international partners such as the International Labour Organization (ILO). This book discusses the Administration''s efforts in a number of key countriesGuatemala, Colombia, Jordan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Swaziland, Haiti and Burmain which USTR and DOL have had intensive engagement on labor issues in recent years. The book examines steps that selected partner countries have taken, and U.S. assistance they have received, to implement these provisions and other labor initiatives and the reported results of such steps; submissions regarding possible violations of FTA labor provisions that DOL has accepted and any problems related to the submission process; the extent to which U.S. agencies monitor and enforce implementation of FTA labor provisions and report results to Congress.

Landpower, defined here as "the ability -- by threat, force, or occupation -- to exploit control over land, resources, and people", offers policy-makers significant utility in peace, crisis, or war. This book provides better understanding of Landpower essential if national leaders are to have a full range of policy options for protecting and promoting the nation''s interests in the face of shifting geostrategic conditions.

In 2006 Congress recognised the need for international cooperation to address some of the most significant issues affecting international fisheries today: illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and fishing practices that may undermine the sustainability of living marine resources. In 2010, Congress focused on the need for enhanced international action to conserve and protect sharks in passing the Shark Conservation Act. By requirement, the Secretary of Commerce, in biennial reports, is to identify nations whose fishing vessels are engaged in certain IUU fishing, bycatch, and shark fishing practices; describe U.S. consultations with the identified countries to urge appropriate actions; and certify whether such actions subsequent to identification have adequately addressed the offending activities. The Secretary of Commerce has delegated authority to identify and certify countries under the Moratorium Protection Act to the NOAA Assistant Administrator for Fisheries. The Secretary of Commerce is also directed, in consultation with the Secretary of State and in cooperation with relevant regional fishery management councils and any relevant advisory committees, to take certain actions to improve the effectiveness of international fishery management organizations in conserving and managing stocks under their jurisdiction. This book surveys efforts by the United States to strengthen its leadership toward improving international fisheries management and enforcement, particularly with regard to IUU fishing, bycatch of protected living marine resources (PLMRs), and certain shark fishing practices. Furthermore, this book covers issues that have been identified during congressional hearings and in legislation introduced during the last three Congresses, some of which include the flexibility in rebuilding overfished fisheries; annual catch limits; uncertainty and data needs; catch shares (limited access privilege programs); management process and decision making; bycatch; and environmental quality.

The United Kingdom''s Intellectual Property Office commissioned two consultants to undertake an international comparison of approaches to online copyright enforcement. The aims and objectives of the research were to establish the range of different approaches currently being adopted around the world to enforce copyright in the online environment; and the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches and to what extent enforcement approaches are perceived to be working to reduce infringement levels. The countries chosen for inclusion in the research were as follows: United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Brazil, and South Korea. This book discusses the final report on the international comparison of approaches to online copyright infringement. It also provides the 2014 out-of-cycle review of notorious markets and examines safe harbor for online service providers.

Renewable energy is gaining currency around the globe, but China and the United States are central to its development. They are the world''s top-two countries in terms of energy consumption, net oil imports, and carbon emissions, as well as gross domestic product (GDP) and manufacturing. Their large territories harbor some of the best sites to generate renewable energy. If the United States and China cooperateand competeeffectively, renewable energy can contribute to economic growth, energy security, and climate change mitigation. The past two years saw important developments, including a bilateral agreement to phase down hydrofluorocarbon emissions and a joint announcement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. China is often touted for its rapid adoption of renewable energy technologies. Long-term industry plans and new legislation suggest Beijing will maintain this policy direction, in line with its overall expansion of energy production capacity. In the United States, by contrast, renewable energy is a divisive issue. There are disagreements about how, if at all, the government should support alternative energy sources when natural gas is abundant, emissions are declining, and energy demand is slowing. This book assesses recent developments in China''s wind and solar industries and the implications for the United States. It builds on the Commission''s past work on U.S.-China energy issues, including the April 2014 hearing on bilateral clean energy cooperation. The research also draws on Congressional testimonies, academic papers, industry and media reports, and statistical data. The report''s main themes and findings are outlined below.

This book is a compilation of biographical sketches and research summaries from a number of different focuses in the field of psychology research.

The aim of the book is to represent a flexible and efficient algorithm and a novel system used for the planning, generation, and realisation of conversational behavior (co-verbal behavior). Such behavior is best described as a set of moving body parts, which are meaningful. In terms of prosody, it is synchronised with the accompanying speech. The movement and shapes generated as a co-verbal behavior represent a contextual link between a repertoire of independent motor skills (shapes, movements, and poses that conversational agent can reproduce and execute), and the intent/meaning of spoken sequences (context). The actual intent/meaning of spoken content is identified through language-dependent linguistic markers and prosody. The knowledge databases used to determine the intent/meaning of text are based on the linguistic analysis and classification of the text into semiotic classes and subclasses achieved through annotation of multimodal corpora based on the proposed EVA annotation scheme. The scheme allows for capturing features at a functional (context-dependent), as well as at a descriptive (context-independent) level. The functional level captures high-level features that describe the correlation between speech and co-verbal behavior, whereas the descriptive level allows us to capture and define body-poses and shapes independently of verbal content and in high-resolution. The annotation scheme, therefore, not only interlinks speech and gesture at a semiotic level, but also serves as a basis for the creation of a context independent repertoire of movement and shapes. The process of generating the co-verbal behavior is, in this book, divided into two phases. The first phase deals with the classification of intent and its synchronisation with the verbal content and prosody. The second phase then transforms the planned and synchronised behavior into a co-verbal animation performed by an embodied conversational agent (ECA). In order to be able to extrapolate intent from arbitrary text-sequences, the algorithm for the formulation of behavior deduces meaning/intent in regard to the semiotic intent. Furthermore, the algorithm considers the linguistic features of arbitrary and un-annotated text and select primitive gestures based on semiotic nuclei, as identified by semiotic classification and further modeled by the predicted prosodic features of speech to be generated by a general text-to-speech system (TTS). The output of the phase for formulation of behavior is represented as a hierarchical procedure encoded in XML format, and as a speech sequence generated by TTS. The procedural description is event-oriented and represents a well-defined structure of consecutive movements of body-parts, as well as of body-parts moving in parallel. The second phase of the novel architecture transforms the procedural descriptions into a series of coherent animations of individual parts of the articulated embodied conversational agent. In this regard a novel ECA-based realisation framework named EVA-framework is also represented. It supports a real-time realisation of procedural animation descriptions and plans on multi-part mesh-based models, by using skeletal animation, blend shape animation, and the animation of predefined (pre-recorded) animated segments. This book, therefore, considers a complete design and implementation of an expressive model for the generation of co-verbal behavior, which is able to transform un-annotated text into a speech-synchronised series of animated sequences.

The process of electrospinning has experienced decades of development for a variety of applications including air filtration and tissue engineering. However, it has not been until the past decade that this process has been a focus in the field of tissue engineering. The unique properties of electrospun fibers have drawn remarkable attention within the field of tissue engineering due to its capacity to mimic the native tissue structural element, the extracellular matrix, and its ability to promote cell proliferation and enhanced tissue regeneration. Herein, we have summarised some different applications of electrospun fibers in tissue engineering while demonstrating the cellular interactions between various cells and electrospun fiber scaffolds. The key aspect is a focus on the potential use of electrospinning in tissue regeneration. The hope is that this book will be beneficial to students and researchers in developing a general knowledge of the tissue engineering and regeneration application of electrospun fibers. We hope it will also inspire their curiosity and creativity to allow for the fabricating of advanced tissue engineering scaffolds for use in developing successful products that will allow for improving the quality of life.