Books published by Nova Science Publishers Inc

Entrepreneurship has been the focus of considerable interest in the policy and business circles in the past two decades. Against a backdrop of the recent global recession, downsizing by large firms and problems of inequality and unemployment in many countries in Europe and Africa, it is realized that vigorous entrepreneurship is critical for sustainable job creation, and for boosting tax revenue and economic growth in a society. This book provides current research on entrepreneurship and firm performance. The first chapter examines the nature of entrepreneurship by selectively drawing from the economic, management and psychological schools, and then presents an integrated electric view of entrepreneurship based on the different schools of thought. Chapter two theoretically examines the influence of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs), on local and international entrepreneurial activity stemming from emerging markets in light of globalisation and the aftermath of the global economic crisis. Chapter three examines the moderating effect of prior functional and prior founding experiences of the founders on the relationship between ecosystem and new venture growth. Chapter four justifies both theoretically and scientifically the emotional and social aspects of gender, and offers a new arena for sketching the figures of a man and a woman entrepreneur. Chapter five discusses topics of entrepreneurship in Brazil, focusing on psychosocial elements which impact entrepreneur''s agency and considering cultural, social and psychological aspects which singularize such practice, potentially distinguishing it from other countries'' experiences. Chapter six analyzes the situation of social entrepreneurship in Lithuania, emphasizing its policy and practice in the European Union (EU) context, striving for youth involvement in becoming social entrepreneurs. Chapter seven conducts an initial insight on the link between entrepreneurial motivations and performance in microfinance institutions (MFIs). The last chapter proposes a multidimensional approach to the study of entrepreneurship.

This book focuses on the latest developments in psychology research. The first chapter reviews the effects of acute aerobic exercise and high intensity interval training (HIIT) on positive and negative affect. The following chapters discuss alexithymia, psychological flexibility and social anxiety; analyses the ethical implication of discrimination, especially discrimination that may occur inadvertently, through a type of stigma; presents eating disorders in women as a multifaceted and complex social phenomenon; evaluates the potential of visible facial behavior in studies of affective disorders; studies infants'' communication and parental triad nonverbal interactions; and examines the challenges and practices, and provides research on distinguishing grief from depression in the clinical setting.

Briefly stated, comparative effectiveness research pertains to the direct, succinct and precise comparison of existing healthcare interventions to determine what works best for each individual patient, and which treatment course poses the greatest benefits, costs and harms. The core question of comparative effectiveness research goes beyond establishing what treatment works best, for whom, and under what circumstances: it is a hypothesis-driven endeavor designed to uncover and implement the consensus of the best evidence base for patient-centered, effectiveness-focused and evidence-based health care. Members at the Institute of Medicine and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research concur that comparative effectiveness research involves the generation and synthesis of the best available evidence for a treatment intervention by means of a process driven by the PICOTS question/hypothesis, and are directed at comparing and contrasting the benefits, costs and harms of alternative methods to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor a clinical conditions with the specified intent of improving the delivery of health care. The purpose of comparative effectiveness research is to assist healthcare providers, patients, allied clinicians, caregivers and other stakeholders to engage together and make informed decisions that will improve healthcare at both the individual and population levels, and in so doing utilize the identified best evidence base in specific clinical settings, a process that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality defines as "Translational Effectiveness". In brief, comparative effectiveness research is the tool and the process necessary for translational effectiveness. In this light, it is critical and timely to facilitate comparative effectiveness research as one of the essential and primary components of patient-centered, effectiveness-focused and evidence-based clinical decision-making in healthcare, as the premier process that results in improved patient outcomes, enhanced research planning, better products, and novel evidence-based policy development. This book is a compilation of the writings of several experts in the field and their collaborators. Each chapter examines specific facets of the process of comparative effectiveness research-based clinical decision-making in the principal domains of healthcare, which are subsumed in this work as dentistry, Western and alternative medicine, nursing, and pharmacology. Taken together, the chapters in this book present a brief, yet comprehensive overview and discussion of the current state of comparative effectiveness in healthcare. They establish the central role of systematic reviews in the process of clinical decision-making in evidence-based health care, and examine in depth the statistical significance and the clinical relevance of actualising and evaluating clinical decision-making. Additionally, policies in optimizing evidence-based, patient-centered and effectiveness-focused clinical outcomes, stakeholders engagement for raising health literacy in the U.S. and worldwide in this decade of the twenty-first century and beyond are discussed.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in Hippocrates'' dictum: "Let food be your medicine and medicine your food". This book focuses on the therapeutic effects of broccoli phytochemicals, in particular certain glucosinolate metabolites and flavonoids. This book is organized in such a manner that people with only a basic background in the biological sciences would profit greatly. Anyone interested in any area of nutrigenomics would profit from reading this book as well. This would include horticulturists interested in how phytochemicals may be therapeutic, as well as nutritionists and other health professionals who wish to better understand how diet may influence gene expression and thereby health. Persons engaged in the food-processing industry will also find this book profitable. This book will be of especial interest to graduate students as well as health profession students. The book starts out with a chapter outlining the role of Professor Paul Talalay of Johns Hopkins University and his colleagues, whom initially identified activators of the Nrf2 signalling pathway as playing a critical role in the anti-cancer properties of certain phytochemicals and then went on to greatly develop this area of nutrigenomic research, most recently with human clinical trials. Since many of the therapeutic effects of broccoli consumption can be attributed to specific glucosinolates, two chapters deal with glucosinolates in general (Chapter Two) and glucosinolate distribution in different broccoli cultivars specifically (Chapter Three). Nrf2 activators will influence xenobiotic metabolism in a number of ways; hence, Chapter Four gives an overview of xenobiotic metabolism. Chronic diseases, a major target of nutraceuticals, are a major health concern and place a huge burden on the health care system. Chronic diseases are driven by oxidative stress and generalized inflammation. To understand the medicinal effects of plant bioactive compounds requires an understanding of the mechanisms of oxidant production and scavenging, how oxidative stress affects signalling pathways, and the roles of certain phytochemicals in countering oxidative stress and inflammation. This is the topic of Chapter Five. Chapter Six outlines the Nrf2 signalling pathway and its role in regaining redox and metabolic homeostasis. Broccoli also contains bioactive flavonoids that influence xenobotic metabolism and Nrf2 signalling. Chapter Seven deals with flavonoids with a focus on the major flavonoids found in broccoli, quercetin and kaempferol. Chapters Eight through Eleven outline some of the basic research examining the effects of sulforaphane on x-irradiation-mediated damage, UV-mediated skin damage and perinatal ischemic insults. Chapters Twelve and Three give an overview of some of the clinical trials that involve intake of sulforaphane/broccoli sprouts. The last four chapters deal with the agronomic aspects of broccoli, including cultivation, post-harvest processing and how various cooking methods affect the bioactive components in broccoli.

Smoking cigarettes starts during adolescence. Some adolescents may stop smoking cigarettes having taken it as an experiment during adolescence, but others may continue smoking into adulthood. Most adults who smoke started smoking during the adolescence stage and may have been already addicted to nicotine before the age of eighteen, resulting in long-term health consequences. This book compiles and documents smoking epidemiology and correlates of smoking in adolescents in various regions of the world. It aims to provide critical information that relates to the magnitude of the problem and who is affected in order for strategies to be identified and implemented. The issue is a concern of public health, since smoking affects people not only at the time the smoking habit begins, but because it has an influence on them for the rest of an individual''s life.

The Federal Government administers a wide array of programs on behalf of the American people: financial aid to assist with college attendance, social insurance programs and tax incentives to promote retirement security, health insurance programs to ensure access to healthcare and financial protection for families, disclosure requirements to help people obtain safer mortgages, and others. But Americans are best served by these programs only if the programs are easy to participate in and present options and information clearly. When programs are designed without these considerations in mind, Americans can incur costs that go beyond lost time and frustration. Research from behavioral science demonstrates that seemingly small barriers to engagement -- such as hard-to- understand information, burdensome applications, or poorly presented choices -- can prevent programs from working effectively for the very people they are intended to serve. In 2014, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) established the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST) to ensure that our best understanding of behavior -- how people engage with, participate in, and respond to policies and programsis integrated into the policymaking process. This book examines the social and behavioral sciences used in the advancement of policy.

The U.S. Treasury market is the deepest and most liquid government securities market in the world. It plays a critical and unique role in the global economy, serving as the primary means of financing the U.S. federal government and acting as a significant investment instrument and hedging vehicle for global investors, among other uses. On October 15, 2014, the market for U.S. Treasury securities, futures, and other closely related financial instruments experienced unusually large price swings, including a very rapid roundtrip during a 12-minute interval. This volatility occurred despite the absence of any particular financial or economic developments that might explain such large moves. Such significant and unexplained volatility in the important U.S. Treasury market called for more substantive analysis. The staff of the Treasury Department, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission worked together to analyse data from the three main trading venues for the Treasury market in the creation of this report. This book provides an overview of the U.S. Treasury market, liquidity, and applicable regulations. It explores the events of October 15, including the two defining traits of the daythe unusually high volatility and round-trip in prices despite the lack of an obvious driver, and the strains in liquidity conditions especially during the event window; discusses the key findings from the analysis of participant-level transaction data, with a particular focus on the period leading up to and including the most volatile period of the day, the 9:33 to 9:45 a.m. ET event window; reviews broad changes to the structure of the Treasury market over the past two decades; and explains the events of October 15 underscore the importance of efforts by the official and private sectors to understand more fully the implications of the 6 evolving Treasury market structure for liquidity, trading and risk management practices, data access, and monitoring and surveillance.

Genetically engineered (GE) foods, sometimes referred to as genetically modified foods (GMO foods), are foods that are derived from scientific methods used to introduce new traits or characteristics to an organism. This book discusses the legislation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically modified (GM) plants and foods in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, England and Wales, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Russian Federation, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden, and the United States. The European Union and International Protocols are also examined. This book summarises enacted laws on the cultivation and sale of GMOs, as well as public opinion on GM products. A selected bibliography is included. Furthermore, the book examines legal issues with federal labeling of GMOs.

Depository institutions experienced cyberattacks in recent years that are estimated to have resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. Depository institution regulators (the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and NCUA) oversee information security at these institutions and Treasury coordinates protection of the financial sector. The objectives of this book include examining how regulators oversee institutions'' efforts to mitigate cyber threats; and sources of and efforts by agencies to share cyber threat information. This book also assesses the effectiveness of the corporation''s controls in protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of its financial systems and information.

Teacher education has undergone numerous reviews in many countries in recent decades. These reviews have suggested changes to the structure, content and approaches in teacher education. However, little change seems to occur as a result of these reviews. Chapter one examines why it is that these reviews have not met with success, and, focusing in particular on the most recent teacher education review in Australia, investigates whether its call for change is feasible or whether it will suffer the same fate as earlier reviews. The following chapter draws on theoretical frameworks relating to the studies surrounding teaching knowledge, the importance of knowledge in curricula, and the use of recontextualisation processes to gain a better understanding of the uses of teaching knowledge in the training of teacher of occupational courses. Chapter three demonstrates how the notion of Technology Enabled Mathematics Pedagogy (TEMP) can be used as a sociocultural learning framework of modern day mathematics teacher education programs. Chapter four discusses facilitating students'' understanding of science through teacher education. The last chapter provides a study of rural teachers in Northwestern China and examines different perspectives of online professional development.

It has been estimated that some 60% of today''s world population is multilingual. Living in a multilingual world makes language learning essential and the foreign language teaching profession even more valued to guarantee communication in a wide spectrum of languages, thus promoting mobility around the world and ensuring the continuity of the translation industry. This book provides current research and examines new developments in foreign language learning. The first chapter presents illustrations of the latest trends and practices in language learning, demonstrating that technology-enhanced language learning enables innovative foreign language delivery and empowers learners to acquire the chosen language in a more independent yet effective way. Chapter two describes the results of an experiment in building an online platform for learning foreign languages that allows people to teach their native language without being professional instructors. Chapter three studies secondary EFL learners'' extracurricular L2 contact and their self-beliefs concerning oral narrative competencies. Chapter four examines how a learner who learns Japanese as a foreign language (FL) at an Australian university develops a positive FL self-concept to overcome her anxiety about speaking the FL during the transition period from secondary school to university and then to a Japanese study abroad. Chapter five argues that the under-resourcefulness'' of an ELT context is misguided, as it is derived from the conception of what is believed to be standard'' and not on the concept of adequacy and sufficiency; and hopes to demonstrate that the under-resourced'' conception of contexts is the result of the inapplicability of Centre-driven methodologies in contexts that are only different and not actually under-resourced per se. Chapter six studies the implementation of the CLIL approach in a foreign language project. The final chapter systematically and critically reviews a variety of factors which influence lexical inferencing strategy use and incidental vocabulary acquisition among foreign language (FL) learners. It concludes with some directions for researchers to consider in the future research.

Cancer is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, ranking just after cardiovascular diseases. In the central nervous system, gliomas constitute the most frequent type of tumors. According to the definition, oligodendrogliomas are diffusely infiltrating glial tumors, composed of neoplastic oligodendroglial cells, typically found in cerebral hemispheres in adult population, although not uncommon in children. They encompass a range of tumours, from well-differentiated to frankly malignant neoplasms. In the current World Health Organization (WHO) classification of tumors of the central nervous system, covering a four-tiered WHO grading scheme, oligodendrogliomas are recognised as grade WHO II and WHO III by the degree of malignancy. They may be either well differentiated, composed of neoplastic cells that morphologically resemble oligodendroglia, or may harbor focal or diffuse features of malignancy, respectively. Their prognosis is in this case less favorable. This book provides current research on the diagnosis, outcomes and prognosis of oligodendrogliomas. Chapter one examines the pathology, molecular mechanisms and clinical references of ODs. Chapter two discusses the ODs and the problematic diagnostic markers. Chapter three examines the histopathologic features of oligodendrogliomas and of an assortment of other central nervous system neoplasms that can resemble them and reviews features that allow one to sort through these histopathologic differential diagnoses. The final chapter reviews speech mapping in oligodendroglioma operations and provides data regarding patient outcomes with these methods.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in almost 40% of patients suffering from end stage renal disease (ESRD). Cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease are the most frequent causes of cardiac death. The risk of cardiovascular mortality in dialysis patients is 10 to 20 times greater than the general population, particularly in younger patients, taking into account that the relative risk decreases with age. Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is the most common cardiac abnormality in chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the survival risk ratio in such patients is independent. This book examines the molecular mechanisms, treatments and clinical implication of cardiac remodeling. The first chapter discusses risk factors for cardiovascular disease in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. The following chapters examine the impacts tropomyosin, vitamin D, and coffee have on cardiac remodeling.

Curcumin is a natural product with polyphenolic structure. It is used in therapeutic remedies alone or in combination with other natural substances. Many researchers are investigating it because of its biological activities such as: anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-protozoal, anti-viral, anti-bacterial and has been found to be effective for treatment of Alzheimer, depression, headaches, fibromyalgia, leprosy, fever, menstrual problems, water retention, worms and kidney problems etc. It is an active ingredient in dietary spice, turmeric. It has reactive functional groups: a diketone moiety and two phenolic groups. Despite its unique biological activities, it suffers from some shortcomings which include: gastrointestinal problems, poor bioavailability due to its poor absorption, short half-life, poor solubility in aqueous solutions, rapid systemic elimination and antithrombotic activity which can interfere with blood clotting. The first chapter of this book reviews the different delivery systems used for incorporation of curcumin and its derivatives, release kinetics and up to date in vivo results. Chapter two discusses curcumin nano and microencapsulation and its implications on clinical uses. Chapter three studies the epigenetic changes induced by curcumin and its congeners and the potential of utilising these changes in the treatment of different diseases. The last two chapters examine the effects of curcumin in human nasal epithelial cells; and differential absorption of curcuminoids between free and liposomed curcumin formulations.

Alternative splicing (AS) is a fundamental mechanism of gene expression regulation that extremely expands the coding potential of genomes and the cellular transcriptomic and proteomic diversity. This dynamic and finely-tuned machinery is particularly widespread in the nervous system and is critical for both neuronal development and functions. Alternative splicing defects, therefore, frequently underlie neurological disorders. In the first chapter of this book, the authors focus on Parkinson''s disease (PD), the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. They provide a current overview on the impact of alternative splicing in PD by representing the multiple splicing transcripts produced from the major PD-linked genes and their regulation in PD states; review the studies describing global splicing expression changes revealed by whole-genome transcriptomic approaches; and summarise the current knowledge about the alternative splicing modulation in PD through non-coding RNAs (miRNA and lcnRNA) molecules. The following chapter reviews tau alternative splicing in Alzheimer''s disease. Chapter three examines the role of splicing factors in cancer prognosis and treatment. The last chapter studies nonsense-mediated decay and human disease.

The use of Allium sativum (garlic) for medicinal purposes has origin in antiquity and is still included in the traditional medicine of many cultures. Oral tradition and recorded history show that garlic is one of the earliest examples of plants used extensively since the existence of man. Historically, there has been great interest in the role and potential benefits of garlic in the management of diseases and maintenance of health. This book provides research on the chemical constituents, medicinal uses and health benefits of Allium sativum. The first chapter provides a historical perspective and folkloric applications of garlic in ancient cultures, the supposed role and benefits perceived/claimed to have played in health and disease and the substantive validation made so far by modern science. The next chapter provides a comparative review of Allium sativum extract and bioactive constituents. Chapter three reviews recent progresses in facilitating the in situ generated allicin methodology and its possible medicinal applications. Chapter four evaluates the antimicrobial activity, in vitro, of fresh Allium sativum Liliaceae against Staphylococcus aureus (Sa) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The last chapter''s main objective is the development of a preliminary mechanical system for the culture of garlic.

"Advances in Genetics Research" presents original research results on the leading edge of genetics discovery. Each article has been carefully selected in an attempt to present substantial research results across a broad spectrum. In this continuing series compilation, the authors present and discuss the most recent Y chromosome progress within the main fields of genetics; male infertility associated with TTTY gene family deletions in the Y chromosome; genetic diversity assessment by random amplified polymorphic DNA; the effect of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity; the use of HeLa cells as a model for studying DNA damage and repair; the molecular genetics of polycythemia vera; recent advances and molecular background of microRNAs in disease; papaya viral diseases; phylogenetics and phylogeography of large neotropical rodents by means of mitochondrial genes; and omics technologies applied to prokaryotes.

Have you ever wondered why some people are more tolerant and accepting to difference than others? This book is ground-breaking in its scope. Guarding Tolerance is the first comprehensive publication about tolerance of human diversity which explores historical, philosophical (including the controversial relationship between freedom of speech and tolerance) and psychological aspects of tolerance as well as educational implications informed by theory and research. Rivka Witenberg suggests a new direction in research and theory, and proposes an alternative way of viewing tolerance as a concept in its own right better placed within the moral domain and not simply the opposite of prejudice. When tolerance is placed within the moral domain pertaining to equality, justice, respect and avoiding harm to others, it should be viewed as positive in nature rather than simply forbearance or "putting up with". She argues that to be tolerant is a fundamental human quality as central to human existence as love, justice, empathy and fairness, and that tolerance is instinctive. While tolerance and intolerance do coexist, intolerance is not innate. Understanding more about the nature of tolerance to human diversity in today''s increasingly diverse and complex world could not be more important for harmonious, cooperative intergroup living. Witenberg reflects on the origin of tolerance and its deep historical roots, exemplified by the "Golden Rule". Analysis of philosophical theories and her psychological research about tolerance to human diversity will further expand our understanding of this important matter. This book is bringing a new outlook on the questions about what tolerance is, how it is conceptualised and its practical implications. It is written in approachable language which allows everybody to understand this important topic. Moving away from the idea that tolerance is simply "putting up with" and the antithesis to prejudice, this is a major interdisciplinary work that alters our understanding of tolerance to human diversity. This book is unique in its approach and subject matter, and should be of value to educators and policy makers, but also to anyone interested in understanding this important issue.

Disorders of consciousness (DOC) represent one of the most complex and crucial challenges for neuroscientists. A precise and reliable assessment of the arousal and awareness of consciousness in patients with severe brain damage would allow for a comprehensible classification of DOC. Intensive care has led to an increase in the number of patients who survive after severe acute brain damage. Most comatose patients who survive begin to awaken and recover gradually within 24 weeks. Although some of these individuals gradually experience complete brain function loss which leads to brain death (BD), oftentimes this state is treated as synonymous with the death of the individual. Nonetheless, other individuals progress to "wakeful unawareness", which is defined as a vegetative state (VS). DOC terminology may be useful clinically, but does little to explain the nature of consciousness. While it is not known which portions of the brain are responsible for cognition and consciousness, what little is known points to substantial interconnections among the brainstem, subcortical structures and the neocortex. Thus, the "higher brain" may well exist only as a metaphorical concept and not in reality.

This book is an account of criticism and controversy surrounding modern medicine. Chapter One provides an overview of the contents. Chapter Four explains the contribution of the concept of paradigm'' to the analysis provided. The argument is that, for all its fine accomplishments in medicine, the science has also damaged the art. This view is an echo of views expressed by eminent physicians early in the last Century, including William Osler and Francis Peabody. Concrete evidence of an ailing doctor-patient relationship is manifest in the form of some serious clinical problems. These include patient dissatisfaction, failure to take prescribed medication, failure of a doctor''s reassurance of normality to allay anxiety, resort to alternative medicine, use of patient advocates and defection'' to alternative medicine. These we see as, not only damaging to treatment and health outcome, and very expensive, but indicators of a basic lack of trust. To compound the problem, the clinical process is essentially hermeneutic; an interpretive exercise. Hence it cannot be studied without interview and qualitative data analysis. Such methods are also indispensable for the understanding of the doctor''s management decisions, particularly the social context. The science of medicine is well served by biomedical research and education which has recently been reinforced by the rise of clinical epidemiology and evidence-based medicine. Of great concern is that the skills of sociology and the humanities have been spurned, even denigrated as journalistic'' or unscientific''. Not only has this prevented physicians from fully understanding the patient''s medical views and social predicament, but has robbed us of the humanistic'' research methods needed to research the problems. These problems cannot be explained simply as side-effects of the impact of science. Rather there are much deeper currents. In Thomas Kuhn''s terms, medicine shifted paradigm from superstition to rationality in Ancient Greece, and again to scientific modern medicine at the time of the French Revolution. Medicine, it seems, is on the cusp of a further paradigm shift to a postmodern paradigm. The goal is that this brings the necessary balance between the already revitalised science and the ancient art of medicine. To achieve this, the establishment of centres for the study of clinical practice'' to train reflective physicians'', who will lead clinical practice research'', with multidisciplinary studies of the process of clinical care is needed. This will mean applying research methods of empirical science, clinical epidemiology, biostatistics and evidence-based medicine, already in progress and, in cooperation with relevant academics hosted by the centre, interview techniques involving qualitative analysis or any other appropriate methods. An important function is to act as a catalyst to inject social science and humanities into the current modern medical curriculum.

We study the solitons and nonlinear waves of phonon-polaritons and plasmon-polaritons with the frequencies in the terahertz and optical ranges in nonlinear media, and investigate the polariton spectrum in nonlinear dielectric media with the third order Kerr-type nonlinearity. We study the dependence of numbers of polariton spectrum branches on the intensity of the electromagnetic field, and demonstrate that the appearance of the new branches located in the polariton spectrum gap are caused by the dispersion of the third order dielectric susceptibility at the intensive electromagnetic field in the medium. The modulation instability of the new spectrum branch waves leads to the appearance of the spatial solitons or cnoidal (non-linear) waves. These scalar and vector phonon-polariton spatial solitons and cnoidal waves appear in the boundless dielectric medium. The polariton gets the mass that depends on the efficiency of the interaction of the electromagnetic field and medium. We investigate the linearly and circularly polarised nonlinear polariton waves in the self-focusing and self-defocusing media. The spatial soliton or cnoidal wave corresponds to one or several flat fluxes of the polaritons for the linearly polarised wave. The right or left circularly polarised polariton scalar wave corresponds to several polariton fluxes in the form of a filament bundle. In addition, we examine the instability of the linearly and circularly polarised polariton wave in the nonlinear dielectric medium. We consider the nonlinear models of generation of the surface plasmon-polaritons (SPPs) at the boundary of a nonmagnetic dielectric medium and a nonmagnetic metal. We show how the three-dimensional incident wave transforms to the fluxes of the SPPs at the first and second harmonics in the TM-mode. These "slow" and "fast" fluxes of the SPPs are formed at the first and second harmonics when their interaction is weak. The incoming SPP pulse transforms to the bright and dark solitons at the strong harmonic interaction. We consider the generation of the SPP pulses at the first and second harmonics of the carrier wave at the boundary of a uniaxial crystal and a non-magnetic metal. The SPP pulses at the first and second harmonics can arise in the form of the bright and dark solitons, or as the cnoidal waves, in accordance with the synchronism of velocity of the SPP pulses. We study the variation of the interaction efficiency and the changes of forms of the SPP pulses due to the exact or non-exact synchronism of their velocities, and show that the selection of crystal and metal pairs allows us to change the forms of the SPP pulses. We show how to use the non-linear waves and pulses for designing the optical devices such as the optical converter, controllable filter and all-optical logic gates.

Aims to provide a representation of the evolutionary multi-objective optimisation research area and related trends. This book reports many innovative designs yielded by the application of such optimisation methods. It is divided into two main parts: evolutionary multi-objective optimisation and evolutionary multi-objective designs.

What other document means so much to so many and yet is known to so few? This title guides the reader from the origins of the constitution to its present-day status. It includes explanations, history and interpretation.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 (PL 104-191) continues to generate numerous questions. What kinds of policies does it cover? Does it help people who are currently uninsured? Does it help people with pre-existing medical conditions? How does it affect health insurance premiums? How do its requirements interact with the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation coverage? Answers to those questions are provided, as well as descriptions of each of the major section of HIPAA.

Superconductivity is the ability of certain materials to conduct electrical current with no resistance and extremely low losses.