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Metamaterials have provided applications in spectral ranges covering radio frequencies and ultraviolet. However, most applications have been extrapolated to the visible or near-infrared after being developed at the GHz level. This is due to technological reasons since fabrication of microwave antennas is not as demanding as THz resonators or plasmonic nanostructures. Accordingly, this book has been divided into three parts. In the first part, fundamentals of metamaterials and metadevices are discussed, while describing recent advances in the field. In the second part, the discussion is extended to the different spectral ranges focusing on the strategies for enabling the reconfigurability of metadevices. Given the increasing interest in THz applications, these can be found in the third part.

Scientifically defined in 1880 by the Curie brothers, piezoelectricity - from the Greek piezein, meaning to press (squeeze), and ilektron, meaning amber, a material with electrostatic properties - is a phenomenon with many applications. The related piezoelectric materials have been undergoing a long-lasting evolution over the years until today. The field of organic and inorganic piezoelectric materials is continuously expanding in terms of new substances used, new structures, and new applications. The seven chapters of this book present modern aspects and technological advances in the field of piezoelectric materials and applications. To present a balanced view of the field, some chapters focus on new piezoelectric materials and structures, while others examine interesting applications of piezoelectric sensors, energy harvesters, and actuators.

The tomato is one of the most important and widespread crops in the world, but its cultivation is often subject to challenges such as diseases, pests, and climate change. This curated collection provides a comprehensive view of this landscape, highlighting various facets and opportunities. A fundamental aspect of the discussion is represented by ingenious solutions proposed in the book. How can farmers tackle challenges with creativity and innovation? We can explore advanced cultivation techniques, the use of cutting-edge technologies, and sustainable agricultural practices that can revolutionize the industry. This curated collection is not just a theoretical analysis but also offers practical tools for farmers and enthusiasts. We can examine how these tools can be successfully implemented in the field, improving crop yields and reducing environmental impact. In conclusion, exploring the dynamic realm of tomato cultivation through this work provides not only a complete overview of the industry but also practical solutions to address current and future challenges. Environmental sustainability, consumer protection, and technological progress are the pillars upon which the green revolution of tomatoes is based. The discussion invites the reader to reflect on how we can contribute to a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural future.

This cutting-edge book brings together experts in the field to provide a multidimensional perspective on sentiment analysis, covering both foundational and advanced methodologies. Readers will gain insights into the latest natural language processing and machine learning techniques that power sentiment analysis, enabling the extraction of nuanced emotions from text.Key Features: ¿State-of-the-Art Techniques: Explore the most recent advancements in sentiment analysis, from deep learning approaches to sentiment lexicons and beyond. ¿Real-World Applications: Dive into a wide range of applications, including social media monitoring, customer feedback analysis, and sentiment-driven decision-making.¿Cross-Disciplinary Insights: Understand how sentiment analysis influences and is influenced by fields such as marketing, psychology, and finance. ¿Ethical and Privacy Considerations: Delve into the ethical challenges and privacy concerns inherent to sentiment analysis, with discussions on responsible AI usage.¿Future Directions: Get a glimpse into the future of sentiment analysis, with discussions on emerging trends and unresolved challenges. This book is an essential resource for researchers, practitioners, and students in fields like natural language processing, machine learning, and data science. Whether yoüre interested in understanding customer sentiment, monitoring social media trends, or advancing the state of the art, this book will equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to navigate the complex landscape of sentiment analysis.

The interest within the academic community regarding AI has experienced exponential growth in recent years. Several key factors have contributed to this surge in interest. Firstly, the rapid advancements in AI technologies have showcased their potential to revolutionize various fields, such as healthcare, finance, and transportation, sparking curiosity and enthusiasm among researchers and scholars. Secondly, the availability of vast amounts of data and computing power has enabled academics to delve deeper into AI research, exploring complex algorithms and models to tackle real-world problems. Additionally, the interdisciplinary nature of AI has encouraged collaboration among experts from diverse fields like computer science, neuroscience, psychology, and ethics, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and approaches. With contributions from a diverse group of authors, this book offers a multifaceted perspective on machine learning and data mining. Whether yoüre an experienced researcher or a newcomer, this collection is an essential resource for staying at the forefront of these dynamic and influential disciplines.

This book assembles the latest knowledge linked to urban environments and urban socio-eco-technological systems including urban, energy, transport, material, and ecosystems. Urban environments and systems affect every person¿s life in many ways and can have negative impacts on the local and global environment. They create value but sometimes with a high environmental cost from a lifecycle perspective. Therefore, scientists and global leaders call for an urban transition to create more urban environments and systems that are climate-positive, sustainable, and healthy, which is necessary for society to function within the planetary boundaries. This is a great challenge. Huge transformations and new ways of thinking regarding the design and co-existence of technical, social, and ecological systems are necessary to turn the present challenge into opportunities. This book, Urban Transition - Perspectives on Urban Systems and Environments, explores this challenge and several different topics related to possible, probable, or necessary urban transitions in the urban environment. It assembles a variety of authors who present many aspects and the latest knowledge linked to urban transitions of the urban environment and urban socio-eco-technological systems - including urban-, energy-, transport-, building- material- and eco-systems. Furthermore, the importance of urban systems and urban environments is seldom clearly linked to their impact on the environment and humans. This book examines this gap, the crucial issues relating to how urban systems influence the urban structure, and how they can be formed and designed to become more sustainable. It explores the link between the complex systems in cities, the physicality of the built environment, and the living environments for the people. The book proposes a rich garden of ideas to provoke and develop current research, debate, and new forms of practice.

Discover fresh insights and confront emerging challenges in the world of midwifery with Midwifery - New Perspectives and Challenges. This edited volume delves into the evolving landscape of midwifery, offering a comprehensive exploration of contemporary issues, practices, and perspectives shaping this vital field. From the latest advancements in maternal care to the evolving role of midwives in today¿s healthcare system, this book brings together a diverse range of voices and expertise to illuminate the transformative potential of midwifery. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or a newcomer to the field, this collection provides a thought-provoking journey into the heart of modern midwifery.

The recent developments in biomedical sensors, wireless communication systems, and information networks are transforming the conventional healthcare systems. The transformed healthcare systems are enabling distributed healthcare services to patients who may not be co-located with the healthcare providers, providing early diagnoses, and reducing the cost in the healthcare section. The developments in medical internet of things (m-IoT) would enable a range of applications, including remote health monitoring through medical-grade wearables to provide homecare for elderlies; virtual doctor-patient interaction to have any time and place access to medical professionals; wireless endoscopic examination; and remotely operated robotic surgery to extend the access to highly skilled surgeons. Wireless body area networks (WBAN) are key enablers of these transformations. These networks connect sensors and actuators to external processing units, which could be placed on the surface of the patient's body or implanted inside the body to connect specific sensors and/or actuators inside, on, and around the body to the data collection points. The success of these networks highly relies on the advent of low-power, low-delay, reliable, and low-cost wireless connectivity solutions. This book covers recent developments in wireless healthcare systems to provide an insight to the technological solutions (e.g. for body area channel propagation models, communication techniques, and energy harvesting/transfer) for wireless body area networks, and emerging applications of medical internet of things and wireless healthcare systems.

Memory is mainly the outcome of learning. And forgetting is sometimes a blessed physiological event, and sometimes part of a serious pathology. Recent findings suggest that alterations in the gut microbiome may play a pathophysiological role in human brain diseases. It has been a challenge for neuroscientists to understand the basic processes of memory storage in both health and disease conditions. Our ability to store and process what is going on and use the classified information basically relies on memory being a constructive, fallible process. Here you will find a tiny reflection of the accumulated knowledge for scientific practice. In your daily life do not forget to eat to live, live to learn, and remember to value everything just as much as you deserve.

Dive into the cutting-edge world of Neuromorphic Computing, a groundbreaking volume that unravels the secrets of brain-inspired computational paradigms. Spanning neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and hardware design, this book presents a comprehensive exploration of neuromorphic systems, empowering both experts and newcomers to embrace the limitless potential of brain-inspired computing. Discover the fundamental principles that underpin neural computation as we journey through the origins of neuromorphic architectures, meticulously crafted to mimic the brain¿s intricate neural networks. Unlock the true essence of learning mechanisms ¿ unsupervised, supervised, and reinforcement learning ¿ and witness how these innovations are shaping the future of artificial intelligence.

Deep learning and reinforcement learning are some of the most important and exciting research fields today. With the emergence of new network structures and algorithms such as convolutional neural networks, recurrent neural networks, and self-attention models, these technologies have gained widespread attention and applications in fields such as natural language processing, medical image analysis, and Internet of Things (IoT) device recognition. This book, Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning examines the latest research achievements of these technologies and provides a reference for researchers, engineers, students, and other interested readers. It helps readers understand the opportunities and challenges faced by deep learning and reinforcement learning and how to address them, thus improving the research and application capabilities of these technologies in related fields.

Unlock the transformative power of blockchain technology with Blockchain Applications - Transforming Industries, Enhancing Security, and Addressing Ethical Considerations. This edited volume brings together leading experts and their thought-provoking chapters on blockchain¿s diverse applications. From healthcare to finance and from energy to supply chain, delve into the latest advancements in cybersecurity, smart contracts, and audit digitalization. Discover how blockchain is revolutionizing the tourism industry and enabling decentralized autonomous organizations. Explore the potential of deep learning for disease detection and gain insights into the legal and market challenges of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). With real-world examples and case studies, this book showcases blockchain¿s tangible benefits, which include increased transparency, enhanced security, and improved efficiency. It also improves understanding of the ethical considerations and regulatory implications surrounding blockchain adoption for responsible implementation. This invaluable resource is for professionals, researchers, and technology enthusiasts alike, offering unique perspectives and cutting-edge research. Join us on a captivating journey through the world of blockchain applications. Experience its potential to reshape industries, enhance security, and pave the way for a transparent and decentralized future. Discover the keywords defining this volume: blockchain technology, transformative potential, cybersecurity, smart contracts, decentralized autonomous organizations, deep learning techniques, non-fungible tokens, transparency, security, efficiency, ethical considerations, regulatory implications, real-world examples, and cutting-edge research. Embrace the revolution and unlock the limitless possibilities of blockchain technology.

The main themes of the book are the broadly understood methods of image analysis and processing applied to support diagnosis and therapy, but also to assess the implants placed in the patient's body and the related treatment processes. The examples concern processing and analysis of images or measured signals obtained from various diagnostic imaging methods. The study used, among others, standard X-ray images, computed tomography images, microtomographic images, as well as thermographic and ultrasound images. The results of image and signal processing were used in medical diagnosis and to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy. The material contained in this book may be of interest to a wide audience, and the discussed topics cover the current state of knowledge on the use of image processing algorithms in medicine and related fields.

I am very proud and excited to introduce to you this book, which provides many interesting indications on how to better understand and handle the world of optical coherence tomography (OCT). Reading the chapters, you will be aware that this device is extremely important not just in the clinical practice of retinal diseases, but is also very useful as a surgical tool. Moreover, application of OCT has crossed the borders of the retina and is currently being applied to corneal diseases and glaucoma. I am confident you will find enough useful information to improve your practice using OCT and to provide a better quality of care for your patients.

I have taught a variety of courses in biomechanics, introductory and advanced, at multiple universities in Canada. I have not been able to find or use an appropriate textbook for students whose background is not biomedical engineering. It should be noted that there are many outstanding books on biomechanics; however, they are usually not very introductory or the topics covered are too detailed, which makes it impossible for those audiences to make effective use of the book. The present book is an attempt to fill this gap. No previous familiarity of anatomy, biology, or physiology is expected, and in fact every chapter begins with a review of the relevant necessary background. Each chapter then highlights identification and explanation of the indispensable aspects of the associated biomechanics issues.

As a baby, one of our earliest stimuli is that of human faces. We rapidly learn to identify, characterize and eventually distinguish those who are near and dear to us. We accept face recognition later as an everyday ability. We realize the complexity of the underlying problem only when we attempt to duplicate this skill in a computer vision system. This book is arranged around a number of clustered themes covering different aspects of face recognition. The first section presents an architecture for face recognition based on Hidden Markov Models; it is followed by an article on coding methods. The next section is devoted to 3D methods of face recognition and is followed by a section covering various aspects and techniques in video. Next short section is devoted to the characterization and detection of features in faces. Finally, you can find an article on the human perception of faces and how different neurological or psychological disorders can affect this.

The scope of OMF surgery has expanded; encompassing treatment of diseases, disorders, defects and injuries of the head, face, jaws and oral cavity. This internationally-recognized specialty is evolving with advancements in technology and instrumentation. Specialists of this discipline treat patients with impacted teeth, facial pain, misaligned jaws, facial trauma, oral cancer, cysts and tumors; they also perform facial cosmetic surgery and place dental implants. The contents of this volume essentially complements the volume 1; with chapters that cover both basic and advanced concepts on complex topics in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Since the development of microelectronic clamping methodology and fluorescent indicators for direct measurement of dynamic intracellular calcium transients, our understanding of biological signal transduction has progressed dramatically since the 1980s. Calcium is a universal signal in biology that modulates gene expression, transmitter and hormone release, muscular movement, and even "programmed" cell death. This book represents a compilation of chapters from a diverse set of expert biologists throughout the world who have conducted research in the general area of calcium signaling in organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. In accord with priorities of resolving human disease, the reader will also benefit from learning calcium's role in cellular signaling pathology relating to acute or chronic conditions such as vomiting, sepsis, obesity, hypertension, and cancer.

This book is a comprehensive guide to rheumatology and includes all possible topics. The book is ideal for all those interested in the field of rheumatology, including students, scientists, and postdocs.

This book gives a comprehensive overview of recent advances in influenza, as well as general concepts of molecular biology of influenza infections, epidemiology, immunopathology, prevention, and current clinical recommendations in management of influenza, including preparation of vaccines, assessment of the safety and quality of influenza vaccines and adjuvants highlighting the ongoing issues and recent advances, with future directions in prevention and therapeutic strategies. I hope that this work might increase the interest in this field of research and that the readers will find it useful for their investigations, management, and clinical usage.

This book provides information to the readers starting with the history of oral hygiene manners, and modern oral hygiene practices. It continues with the prevalence and etiology of caries and remedy of caries through natural sources. Etiology of secondary caries in prosthetic restorations and the relationship between orthodontic treatment and caries is addressed. An update of early childhood caries is presented. The use of visual-tactile method, radiography and fluorescence in caries detection is given. The book finishes with methods used for the prevention of white spot lesions and management of caries.

Biometric recognition is one of the most widely studied problems in computer science. The use of biometrics techniques, such as face, fingerprints, iris and ears is a solution for obtaining a secure personal identification. However, the "old" biometrics identification techniques are out of date. This goal of this book is to provide the reader with the most up to date research performed in biometric recognition and descript some novel methods of biometrics, emphasis on the state of the art skills. The book consists of 15 chapters, each focusing on a most up to date issue. The chapters are divided into five sections- fingerprint recognition, face recognition, iris recognition, other biometrics and biometrics security. The book was reviewed by editors Dr. Jucheng Yang and Dr. Loris Nanni. We deeply appreciate the efforts of our guest editors: Dr. Girija Chetty, Dr. Norman Poh, Dr. Jianjiang Feng, Dr. Dongsun Park and Dr. Sook Yoon, as well as a number of anonymous reviewers

Fatty acids are considered as a very important category of chemical compounds to human health as well as from an industrial perspective. This book intends to provide an update on fatty acid research, their methods of detection, quantification, and related diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Cyclic fatty acids are also covered, along with short chain fatty acids, which are important to the human gut microbiota. Fatty acids are important in the chemical structure of the cell membrane and its pivotal role in this aspect is reviewed herein. The book also contains a chapter that deals with some unpublished molecular aspects concerning the roles of fatty acids in depression and bipolar disorder. All in all, the book provides a brief overview of both highly explored as well as overlooked perspectives of fatty acids, while highlighting its significance as a biochemical molecule, which is imperative to the livelihood of unicellular and multi-cellular organisms alike.

Keratin is the proteinaceous body covering layer produced by mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Hair and wool, horns, claws, hooves, feathers, and scales are made of keratin. Keratin is insoluble in water and is resistant to proteolysis. Importantly, keratin is also the intracellular structural protein that protects living epithelial cells from mechanical damage or stress. The fundamental keratin functions are revealed in congenital human skin diseases caused by mutations in keratin genes, e.g., Epidermolysis bullosa simplex or Epidermolytic hyperkeratosis. Most keratin gene mutations have a dominant-negative effect disrupting the filamentous structure formation even from the natural allele, and leaving the cell with a deficient cytoskeleton. However, industrial scale meat production results in vast quantities of keratin byproduct. Processing this byproduct is, on the one hand a major challenge, and on the other hand, a potential for useful recycling and exploitation.

This book focuses on several key aspects of nonlinear systems including dynamic modeling, state estimation, and stability analysis. It is intended to provide a wide range of readers in applied mathematics and various engineering disciplines an excellent survey of recent studies of nonlinear systems. With its thirteen chapters, the book brings together important contributions from renowned international researchers to provide an excellent survey of recent studies of nonlinear systems. The first section consists of eight chapters that focus on nonlinear dynamic modeling and analysis techniques, while the next section is composed of five chapters that center on state estimation methods and stability analysis for nonlinear systems.