This book covers some fundamental aspects and frontiers in non-equilibrium physics and soft matter research. Apart from the basic knowledge on nonlinear statistic physics, dynamics, computer simulations, and main approaches and emerging systems in soft matter research, particular attention is devoted to new conceptual flexible functional materials and the enriching areas, such as silk meso-molecular materials, molecular gels, liquid crystals, flexible electronics and new types of catalysis, etc. One of the main characteristics of this book is to start with the structure formation dynamics and the correlation between the structures and macroscopic performance. This lays down the foundation for the mesoscopic materials design and functionalization. The book is intended for upper undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers who are interested in soft matter researches. As one of main references, the basic principles and technologies of computer simulations and experimental methods adopted in soft matter research are also explained. Illustrations and tables are included in this book to improve the readability, and examples and exercises are added to help understanding.

This book highlights recent advances in the field of plant-biotic interactions and explores current serious issues in the crop production industry. It is intended to attract more attention to these important, but often overlooked areas, and to stimulate new ideas for future research. Plants are constantly under attack by pathogens, pests, and parasites, which can significantly impact worldwide food production and human health. While pathogens and pests attack and interconnect with their hosts in a variety of ways, plants have developed sophisticated immune systems to fight infections. In the field of plant-biotic interactions, most of the studies to date have focused on the function and signaling pathways of plant disease resistance proteins and pattern recognition receptors, as well as pathogen effector proteins. In contrast, this book presents new and emerging research areas, and introduces students, researchers, academics, and policy advisors to the latest trends in e.g. microbial technology, environmental microbiology, agricultural science, the health sciences, biological sciences and other related disciplines.

Polyurea: Synthesis, Properties, Composites, Production, and Applications is a comprehensive and practical guide to polyurea, a material used for its exceptional properties and performance in a range of high value industrial applications. Sections cover polyurea formulations and properties, comparing aromatic polyurea with aliphatic polyurea and computation modeling of properties for polyurea and polyurea composites. This is followed by in-depth coverage of synthesis, structure and production methods of polyurea, with the connections between production, performance and properties examined thoroughly. Other sections explain the preparation, characterization, modeling and applications of polyurea and polyurea composites with the required properties for specific advanced applications. Finally, environmental issues, recycling and future potential of polyurea are considered. This is a valuable resource for researchers and advanced students in polymer science, chemistry, composite science, civil engineering, materials science and mechanical engineering, as well as R&D professionals, engineers and industrial scientists with an interest in polyurea-based materials for advanced applications.

Health Care Paradigms in the Internet of Things Ecosystem brings all IoT-enabled health care related technologies into a single platform so that undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, academicians and industry leaders can easily understand IoT-based healthcare systems. The book uses data and network engineering and intelligent decision support system-by-design principles to design a reliable IoT-enabled health care ecosystem and to implement cyber-physical pervasive infrastructure solutions. It takes the reader on a journey that begins with understanding the healthcare monitoring paradigm in IoT-enabled technologies and how it can be applied in various aspects. In addition, the book walks readers through real-time challenges and presents a guide on how to build a safe infrastructure for IoT-based health care. It also helps researchers and practitioners understand the e-health care architecture through IoT and the state-of-the-art in IoT countermeasures. Readers will find this to be a comprehensive discussion on functional frameworks for IoT-based healthcare systems, intelligent medicine, RFID technology, HMI, Cognitive Interpretation, Brain-Computer Interface, Remote Health Monitoring systems, wearable sensors, WBAN, and security and privacy issues in IoT-based health care monitoring systems.

This book discusses fundamentally new biomedical imaging methods, such as holography, holographic and resonant interferometry, and speckle optics. It focuses on the development of holographic interference microscopy and its use in the study of phase objects such as nerve and muscle fibers subjected to the influence of laser radiation, magnetic fields, and hyperbaric conditions. The book shows how the myelin sheath and even the axon itself exhibit waveguide properties, enabling a fresh new look at the mechanisms of information transmission in the human body. The book presents theoretically and experimentally tested holographic and speckle-optical methods and devices used for investigating complex, diffusely scattering surfaces such as skin and muscle tissue. Additionally, it gives broad discussion of the authors' own original fundamental and applied research dedicated to helping physicians introduce new contact-less methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems into medical practice. The book is aimed at a broad spectrum of scientific specialists in the fields of speckle optics, holography, laser physics, morphology and cytochemistry, as well as medical professionals such as physiologists, neuropathologists, neurosurgeons, cardiologists and dentists.

This book provides an introduction to next generation smart screening technology for medical image analysis that combines artificial intelligence (AI) techniques with digital screening to develop innovative methods for detecting breast cancer. The authors begin with a discussion of breast cancer, its characteristics and symptoms, and the importance of early screening.They then provide insight on the role of artificial intelligence in global healthcare, screening methods for breast cancer using mammogram, ultrasound, and thermogram images, and the potential benefits of using AI-based systems for clinical screening to more accurately detect, diagnose, and treat breast cancer. Discusses various existing screening methods for breast cancer Presents deep information on artificial intelligence-based screening methods Discusses cancer treatment based on geographical differences and cultural characteristics

This book disseminates information on paper-based diagnostics devices and describes novel paper materials, fabrication techniques, and Basic Paper-based microfluidics/electronics theory. The section on sample preparation, paper-based electronics/sensors for developing paper-based point-of-care (POC) systems also contains detailed descriptions. In the application sections this book covers sensing technique for DNA/RNA, bacteria/virus and integration of lateral flow assay. The book provides deep understanding and knowledge of paper-based diagnostic device development in terms of concept, materials, fabrication and applications.

This book aims at informing on new trends, challenges and solutions, in the multidisciplinary field of biomedical engineering. It covers traditional biomedical engineering topics, as well as innovative applications such as artificial intelligence in health care, tissue engineering , neurotechnology and wearable devices. Further topics include mobile health and electroporation-based technologies, as well as new treatments in medicine. Gathering the proceedings of the 8th European Medical and Biological Engineering Conference (EMBEC 2020), held on November 29 - December 3, 2020, in Portoroz, Slovenia, this book bridges fundamental and clinically-oriented research, emphasizing the role of education, translational research and commercialization of new ideas in biomedical engineering. It aims at inspiring and fostering communication and collaboration between engineers, physicists, biologists, physicians and other professionals dealing with cutting-edge themes in and advanced technologies serving the broad field of biomedical engineering.

This book focuses on the use of artificial intelligence to address a specific problem in the brain - the orientation distribution function. It discusses three aspects: (i) Preparing, enhancing and evaluating one of the cuckoo search algorithms (CSA); (ii) Describing the problem: Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) is used for non-invasive investigations of anatomical connectivity in the human brain, while Q-ball imaging (QBI) is a diffusion MRI reconstruction technique based on the orientation distribution function (ODF), which detects the dominant fiber orientations; however, ODF lacks local estimation accuracy along the path. (iii) Evaluating the performance of the CSA versions in solving the ODF problem using synthetic and real-world data. This book appeals to both postgraduates and researchers who are interested in the fields of medicine and computer science.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is one of the most significant areas of computational intelligence. This book focuses on the human emotion analysis aspects of HCI, highlighting innovative methodologies for emotion analysis by machines/computers and their application areas. The methodologies are presented with numerical results to enable researchers to replicate the work. This multidisciplinary book is useful to researchers and academicians, as well as students wanting to pursue a career in computational intelligence. It can also be used as a handbook, reference book, and a textbook for short courses.

This book covers the nutritional and nutraceutical profiles of a wide range of popularly consumed vegetables and nuts. The first half of the book focuses on popular vegetables, and describes how higher vegetable consumption reduces the risk of diseases ranging from diabetes to osteoporosis, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases and cancer. The book also includes an interesting section on the antioxidant potential of mushrooms. In turn, the second half discusses the nutritional value of various nuts. Nuts are nutrient-dense foods with complex matrices rich in unsaturated fats, high-quality protein, fiber, minerals, tocopherols, phytosterols and phenolics. The respective chapters illustrate how the consumption of nuts could ward off chronic diseases like hypertension, cancer, inflammation, oxidative stress, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease etc. In order to effectively promote vegetable and nut consumption, it is necessary to know and understand the nutritional and nutraceutical profiles of vegetables & nuts. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to students, researchers, food scientists, olericulturists, dietitians and agricultural scientists alike. Those working in the vegetable and nut processing industries, horticultural departments and other agricultural departments will also find the comprehensive information relevant to their work.

This book describes the latest advances in fuzzy logic, neural networks and optimization algorithms, as well as their hybrid combinations, and their applications in areas such as: intelligent control and robotics, pattern recognition, medical diagnosis, time series prediction, and optimization of complex problems. The book is divided into five main parts. The first part proposes new concepts and algorithms based on type-1 and type-2 fuzzy logic and their applications; the second explores new concepts and algorithms in neural networks and fuzzy logic applied to recognition. The third part examines the theory and practice of meta-heuristics in various areas of application, while the fourth highlights diverse applications of fuzzy logic, neural networks and hybrid intelligent systems in medical contexts. Finally, the fifth part focuses on applications of fuzzy logic, neural networks and meta-heuristics to robotics problems.

This book focuses on various aspects of research on ageing, including in relation to assistive technology; dignity of aging; how technology can support a greater understanding of the experience of physically aging and cognitive changes; mobility issues associated with the elderly; and emerging technologies. The 80+ age group represents an expanding market, with an estimated worth of GBP21.4 billion a year. Everyone is affected by this shift in demographics - we are getting older and may become carers - and we need to prepare ourselves and adjust our surroundings for longer life. Products, services and environments have been changing in response to the changing population. Presenting international design research to demonstrate the thinking and ideas shaping design, this book is a valuable resource for designers; product developers; employers; gerontologists; and medical, health and service providers; as well as everyone interested in aging.

This book reports on the latest advances in the study of biomedical signal processing, and discusses in detail a number of open problems concerning clinical, biomedical and neural signals. It methodically collects and presents in a unified form the research findings previously scattered throughout various scientific journals and conference proceedings. In addition, the chapters are self-contained and can be read independently. Accordingly, the book will be of interest to university researchers, R&D engineers and graduate students who wish to learn the core principles of biomedical signal analysis, algorithms, and applications, while also offering a valuable reference work for biomedical engineers and clinicians who wish to learn more about the theory and recent applications of neural engineering and biomedical signal processing.

This book focuses on interdisciplinary research in the field of biomedical engineering and neuroscience. Biomedical engineering is a vast field, ranging from bioengineering to brain-computer interfaces. The book explores the system-level function and dysfunction of the nervous system from scientific and engineering perspectives. The initial sections introduce readers to the physiology of the brain, and to the biomedical tools needed for diagnostics and effective therapies for various neurodegenerative and regenerative disorders. In turn, the book summarizes the biomedical interventions that are used to understand the neural mechanisms underlying empathy disorders, and reviews recent advances in biomedical engineering for rehabilitation in connection with neurodevelopmental disorders and brain injuries. Lastly, the book discusses innovations in machine learning and artificial intelligence for computer-aided disease diagnosis and treatment, as well as applications of nanotechnology in therapeutic neurology.

This volume showcases emerging interdisciplinary scholarship that captures the complex ways in which biological knowledge is testing the nature and structure of legal personhood. Key questions include: What do the new biosciences do to our social, cultural, and legal conceptions of personhood? How does our legal apparatus incorporate new legitimations from the emerging biosciences into its knowledge system? And what kind of ethical, socio-political, and scientific consequences are attached to the establishment of such new legalities? The book examines these problems by looking at materialities, the posthuman, and the relational in the (un)making of legalities. Themes and topics include postgenomic research, gene editing, neuroscience, epigenetics, precision medicine, regenerative medicine, reproductive technologies, border technologies, and theoretical debates in legal theory on the relationship between persons, property, and rights.

This book presents a collection of state-of-the-art approaches for deep-learning-based biomedical and health-related applications. The aim of healthcare informatics is to ensure high-quality, efficient health care, and better treatment and quality of life by efficiently analyzing abundant biomedical and healthcare data, including patient data and electronic health records (EHRs), as well as lifestyle problems. In the past, it was common to have a domain expert to develop a model for biomedical or health care applications; however, recent advances in the representation of learning algorithms (deep learning techniques) make it possible to automatically recognize the patterns and represent the given data for the development of such model. This book allows new researchers and practitioners working in the field to quickly understand the best-performing methods. It also enables them to compare different approaches and carry forward their research in an important area that has a direct impact on improving the human life and health. It is intended for researchers, academics, industry professionals, and those at technical institutes and R&D organizations, as well as students working in the fields of machine learning, deep learning, biomedical engineering, health informatics, and related fields.

This book illustrates the significance of biomedical engineering in modern healthcare systems. Biomedical engineering plays an important role in a range of areas, from diagnosis and analysis to treatment and recovery and has entered the public consciousness through the proliferation of implantable medical devices, such as pacemakers and artificial hips, as well as the more futuristic technologies such as stem cell engineering and 3-D printing of biological organs. Starting with an introduction to biomedical engineering, the book then discusses various tools and techniques for medical diagnostics and treatment and recent advances. It also provides comprehensive and integrated information on rehabilitation engineering, including the design of artificial body parts, and the underlying principles, and standards. It also presents a conceptual framework to clarify the relationship between ethical policies in medical practice and philosophical moral reasoning. Lastly, the book highlights a number of challenges associated with modern healthcare technologies.

The volume sheds new light on role of gut dysbiosis in cancer and immunological diseases and their clinical manifestations. Contributions in the volume discuss about the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target and the role of probiotics in its management. The volume explores application of probiotics in the treatment of various cancers viz. colorectal, gastric, lung, and breast cancer and immunological diseases. The volume comprises of chapters from expert contributors organized into various important themes which include, introduction, relationship between gut microbiota and disease condition, mechanisms involved, clinical and in vivo status, conclusion and future directions. This is a highly informative and carefully presented book, providing recent and innovative insight for scholars and researchers with an interest in probiotics and its applications in cancer and immunological diseases.

This book presents a detailed discussion on the direct interactions of plants and microorganisms in the rhizosphere environment. It includes fifteen chapters, each focusing on a specific component of plant-microbe interactions, such as the influence of plants on the root microbiome, and the downstream effects of rhizosphere microbial dynamics on carbon and nutrient fluxes in the surroundings. As such, the book helps readers gain a better understanding of diversity above the ground, and its effect on the microbiome and its functionality.

This book collects the proceedings of the International Congress on Health Sciences and Medical Technologies (ICHSMT), held in Tlemcen, Algeria, from December 5 to 7, 2019. The proceedings present a forum for the latest projects and research in scientific and technological development with an emphasis on smart healthcare system design and future technologies. ICHSMT brings together researchers, students, and professionals from the healthcare, corporate, and academic sectors. It includes a far-reaching program supported by a variety of technical tracks that seek to promote medical technologies and innovation at a nationwide level.

This book describes a set of novel statistical algorithms designed to infer functional connectivity of large-scale neural assemblies. The algorithms are developed with the aim of maximizing computational accuracy and efficiency, while faithfully reconstructing both the inhibitory and excitatory functional links. The book reports on statistical methods to compute the most significant functional connectivity graph, and shows how to use graph theory to extract the topological features of the computed network. A particular feature is that the methods used and extended at the purpose of this work are reported in a fairly completed, yet concise manner, together with the necessary mathematical fundamentals and explanations to understand their application. Furthermore, all these methods have been embedded in the user-friendly open source software named SpiCoDyn, which is also introduced here. All in all, this book provides researchers and graduate students in bioengineering, neurophysiology and computer science, with a set of simplified and reduced models for studying functional connectivity in in silico biological neuronal networks, thus overcoming the complexity of brain circuits.

This book contains the papers of the 7th International Workshop on Medical and Service Robots (MESROB) that was planned to be held in Basel, Switzerland, in July 2020. Since the conference could not be held due to the worldwide Corona pandemic, the proceedings are published in this book and presentation of the accepted papers will be postponed to next year's conference (MESROB 2021). The main topics of the workshop include: design of medical devices, kinematics and dynamics for medical robotics, exoskeletons and prostheses, anthropomorphic hands, therapeutic robots and rehabilitation, cognitive robots, humanoid and service robots, assistive robots and elderly assistance, surgical robots, human-robot interfaces, haptic devices, medical treatments, medical lasers, and surgical planning and navigation. The contributions, which were selected by means of a rigorous international peer-review process, highlight numerous exciting ideas that will spur novel research directions and foster multidisciplinary collaboration among different specialists, demonstrating that medical and service robotics will drive the technological and societal change in the coming decades.

This book offers a snapshot of cutting-edge applications of mobile sensing for digital phenotyping in the field of Psychoinformatics. The respective chapters, written by authoritative researchers, cover various aspects related to the use of these technologies in health, education, and cognitive science research. They share insights both into established applications of mobile sensing (such as predicting personality or mental and behavioral health on the basis of smartphone usage patterns) and emerging trends. Machine learning and deep learning approaches are discussed, and important considerations regarding privacy risks and ethical issues are assessed. In addition to essential background information on various technologies and theoretical methods, the book also presents relevant case studies and good scientific practices, thus addressing researchers and professionals alike. To cite Thomas R. Insel, who wrote the foreword to this book: "Patients will only use digital phenotyping if it solves a problem, perhaps a digital smoke alarm that can prevent a crisis. Providers will only use digital phenotyping if it fits seamlessly into their crowded workflow. If we can earn public trust, there is every reason to be excited about this new field. Suddenly, studying human behavior at scale, over months and years, is feasible."

This book provides a unified framework for various currently available mathematical models that are used to analyze progression and regression in cancer development, and to predict its dynamics with respect to therapeutic interventions. Accurate and reliable model representations of cancer dynamics are milestones in the field of cancer research. Mathematical modeling approaches are becoming increasingly common in cancer research, as these quantitative approaches can help to validate hypotheses concerning cancer dynamics and thus elucidate the complexly interlaced mechanisms involved. Even though the related conceptual and technical information is growing at an exponential rate, the application of said information and realization of useful healthcare devices are lagging behind. In order to remedy this discrepancy, more interdisciplinary research works and course curricula need to be introduced in academic, industrial, and clinical organizations alike. To that end, this book reformulates most of the existing mathematical models as special cases of a general model, allowing readers to easily get an overall idea of cancer dynamics and its modeling. Moreover, the book will help bridge the gap between biologists and engineers, as it brings together cancer dynamics, the main steps involved in mathematical modeling, and control strategies developed for cancer management. This also allows readers in both medical and engineering fields to compare and contrast all the therapy-based models developed to date using a single source, and to identify unexplored research directions.