The world's leading textbook on astrobiology-ideal for an introductory one-semester course and now fully revised and updated Are we alone in the cosmos? How are scientists seeking signs of life beyond our home planet? Could we colonize other planets, moons, or even other star systems? This introductory textbook, written by a team of four renowned science communicators, educators, and researchers, tells the amazing story of how modern science is seeking the answers to these and other fascinating questions. They are the questions that are at the heart of the highly interdisciplinary field of astrobiology, the study of life in the universe. Written in an accessible, conversational style for anyone intrigued by the possibilities of life in the solar system and beyond, Life in the Universe is an ideal place to start learning about the latest discoveries and unsolved mysteries in the field. From the most recent missions to Saturn's moons and our neighboring planet Mars to revolutionary discoveries of thousands of exoplanets, from the puzzle of life's beginning on Earth to the latest efforts in the search for intelligent life elsewhere, this book captures the imagination and enriches the reader's understanding of how astronomers, planetary scientists, biologists, and other scientists make progress at the cutting edge of this dynamic field. Enriched with a wealth of engaging features, this textbook brings any citizen of the cosmos up to speed with the scientific quest to discover whether we are alone or part of a universe full of life. An acclaimed text designed to inspire students of all backgrounds to explore foundational questions about life in the cosmos Completely revised and updated to include the latest developments in the field, including recent exploratory space missions to Mars, frontier exoplanet science, research on the origin of life on Earth, and more Enriched with helpful learning aids, including in-chapter Think about It questions, optional Do the Math and Special Topic boxes, Movie Madness boxes, end-of-chapter exercises and problems, quick quizzes, and much more Supported by instructor's resources, including an illustration package and test bank, available upon request

This book argues for the explanatory autonomy of the biological sciences. It does so by showing that scientific explanations in the biological sciences cannot be reduced to explanations in the fundamental sciences such as physics and chemistry and by demonstrating that biological explanations are advanced by models rather than laws of nature. To maintain the explanatory autonomy of the biological sciences, the author argues against explanatory reductionism and shows that explanation in the biological sciences can be achieved without reduction. Then, he demonstrates that the biological sciences do not have laws of nature. Instead of laws, he suggests that biological models usually do the explanatory work. To understand how a biological model can explain phenomena in the world, the author proposes an inferential account of model explanation. The basic idea of this account is that, for a model to be explanatory, it must answer two kinds of questions: counterfactual-dependence questions that concern the model itself and hypothetical questions that concern the relationship between the model and its target system. The reason a biological model can answer these two kinds of questions is due to the fact that a model is a structure, and the holistic relationship between the model and its target warrants the hypothetical inference from the model to its target and thus helps to answer the second kind of question. The Explanatory Autonomy of the Biological Sciences will be of interest to researchers and advanced students working in philosophy of science, philosophy of biology and metaphysics.

Network infrastructures are growing rapidly to meet the needs of business, but the required repolicing and reconfiguration provide challenges that need to be addressed. The software-defined network (SDN) is the future generation of Internet technology that can help meet these challenges of network management. This book includes quantitative research, case studies, conceptual papers, model papers, review papers, and theoretical backing on SDN. This book investigates areas where SDN can help other emerging technologies deliver more efficient services, such as IoT, industrial IoT, NFV, big data, blockchain, cloud computing, and edge computing. The book demonstrates the many benefits of SDNs, such as reduced costs, ease of deployment and management, better scalability, availability, flexibility and fine-grained control of traffic, and security. The book demonstrates the many benefits of SDN, such as reduced costs, ease of deployment and management, better scalability, availability, flexibility and fine-grained control of traffic, and security. Chapters in the volume address: Design considerations for security issues and detection methods State-of-the-art approaches for mitigating DDos attacks using SDN Big data using Apache Hadoop for processing and analyzing large amounts of data Different tools used for attack simulation Network policies and policy management approaches that are widely used in the context of SDN Dynamic flow tables, or static flow table management A new four-tiered architecture that includes cloud, SDN-controller, and fog computing Architecture for keeping computing resources available near the industrial IoT network through edge computing The impact of SDN as an innovative approach for smart city development More. The book will be a valuable resource for SDN researchers as well as academicians, research scholars, and students in the related areas.

Multiple Imputation of Missing Data in Practice: Basic Theory and Analysis Strategies provides a comprehensive introduction to the multiple imputation approach to missing data problems that are often encountered in data analysis. Over the past 40 years or so, multiple imputation has gone through rapid development in both theories and applications. It is nowadays the most versatile, popular, and effective missing-data strategy that is used by researchers and practitioners across different fields. There is a strong need to better understand and learn about multiple imputation in the research and practical community. Accessible to a broad audience, this book explains statistical concepts of missing data problems and the associated terminology. It focuses on how to address missing data problems using multiple imputation. It describes the basic theory behind multiple imputation and many commonly-used models and methods. These ideas are illustrated by examples from a wide variety of missing data problems. Real data from studies with different designs and features (e.g., cross-sectional data, longitudinal data, complex surveys, survival data, studies subject to measurement error, etc.) are used to demonstrate the methods. In order for readers not only to know how to use the methods, but understand why multiple imputation works and how to choose appropriate methods, simulation studies are used to assess the performance of the multiple imputation methods. Example datasets and sample programming code are either included in the book or available at a github site (https://github.com/he-zhang-hsu/multiple_imputation_book). Key Features Provides an overview of statistical concepts that are useful for better understanding missing data problems and multiple imputation analysis Provides a detailed discussion on multiple imputation models and methods targeted to different types of missing data problems (e.g., univariate and multivariate missing data problems, missing data in survival analysis, longitudinal data, complex surveys, etc.) Explores measurement error problems with multiple imputation Discusses analysis strategies for multiple imputation diagnostics Discusses data production issues when the goal of multiple imputation is to release datasets for public use, as done by organizations that process and manage large-scale surveys with nonresponse problems For some examples, illustrative datasets and sample programming code from popular statistical packages (e.g., SAS, R, WinBUGS) are included in the book. For others, they are available at a github site (https://github.com/he-zhang-hsu/multiple_imputation_book)

Originally published in 1951, Homo Faber is an examination of the scientific outlook on human mental evolution through the lens of parapsychology. The book aims to undermine what its terms, the 'scientific outlook' examining the human interpretation of the world, and the preconceived scientific concepts that reality does not extend beyond the realm that our senses reveal. The book expands upon this and moves to examine the broader human understanding of the entire cosmos, challenging the scientific conception that this can be grasped in principal by human intellect, arising from the chance combination of material particles. The book argues that the scientific outlook prevents humans from discovering in the Universe the meaning and purpose which are everywhere to be found if sought in the appropriate contemplative states of mind. This book provides a unique take on the examination of human psychology and the evolution of the brain from an alternative scientific stance. It will be of interest to anthropologists, historians and psychologists alike.

Sustainable Agriculture for Food Security: A Global Perspective takes an analytical approach to issues related to current agricultural practices. It looks at global geographical data and key statistical reports to aid readers in comparing, understanding, and making agricultural decisions. The book is divided into chapters with each dealing with a specific problem and its solutions, keeping in mind the context of geographical variations. The book first provides a historical overview of the socioeconomic importance of agriculture around the world along with a discussion on threats and opportunities in the agricultural sector. It goes on to explore the importance of water sources for agriculture, including rain-fed agriculture practices, water harvesting techniques, sustainable irrigation practices, and irrigation water management. Guidance on the usage of agrochemicals and solutions to their detrimental effects from non-standardized consumption is also addressed. The volume also includes a discussion on organic farming methods, certification standards, and key restrictions in crop production. Part 2 goes on to examine postharvest management practices used in different geographical areas along with analysis on the role of technology and obstacles in implementation. The commercialization of agriculture through food processing, branding, and retailing is reviewed along with suggestions on available marketing platforms and promotional aspects. It goes on to outline the situational analysis of food adulteration as well as norms and regulations of food security at the international level. Lastly, the concept of biofortification is explained along with methods and strategies of biofortified food production. The impact of biofortification over socioeconomic development of a specific country is also analyzed. Written for a wide audience, this volume is a thoughtful overview and analysis of the increasingly necessary topic of sustainable agriculture for food security and will be of interest to faculty and research scholars, working professionals, social activists, policymakers, farmers, and institutions and organizations involved in agricultural education, research, and development.

The World Health Organization estimates that there are 2.1 billion individuals with obesity globally. Nearly three quarters of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. The average individual with obesity cuts ten years off their life expectancy, yet less than 40% of physicians routinely counsel individuals concerning the adverse health consequences of obesity. Obesity Prevention and Treatment: A Practical Guide equips healthcare practitioners to include effective weight management counselling in the daily practice of medicine. Written by lifestyle medicine pioneer and cardiologist, Dr. James Rippe and obesity expert Dr. John Foreyt, this book provides evidence-based discussions of obesity and its metabolic consequences. A volume in the Lifestyle Medicine Series, it provides evidence-based information about the prevention and treatment of obesity through lifestyle measures, such as regular physical activity and sound nutrition, as well as the use of new medications or bariatric surgery available to assist in weight management. Provides a framework and practical strategies to assist practitioners in safe and effective treatments of obesity. Contains information explaining the relationship between obesity and increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, and other chronic conditions. Chapters begin with bulleted key points and conclude with a list of Clinical Applications. Written for practitioners at all levels, this user-friendly, evidence-based book on obesity prevention and treatment will be valuable to practitioners in general medicine or subspecialty practices.

This new volume offers a multi-pronged perspective on maize science, bringing together important recent research advances from several disciplines. The volume covers maize from origin to biotechnology. It provides an overview of recent world maize production along with technological advancements and green strategies in maize science. The authors cover the background of maize, its origin and domestication, ideotypes, botany, taxonomy, physiology of crop growth, methods of cultivation, production, nutritional functions, biotic and abiotic stress impacts, postharvest management and technology, maize grain quality, and advances in breeding and biotechnology, filling a gap in the literature of maize.

Wireless Sensor Networks and the Internet of Things: Future Directions and Applications explores a wide range of important and real-time issues and applications in this ever-advancing field. Different types of WSN and IoT technologies are discussed in order to provide a strong framework of reference, and the volume places an emphasis on solutions to the challenges of protection, conservation, evaluation, and implementation of WSN and IoT that lead to low-cost products, energy savings, low carbon usage, higher quality, and global competitiveness. The volume is divided into four sections that cover: Wireless sensor networks and their relevant applications Smart monitoring and control systems with the Internet of Things Attacks, threats, vulnerabilities, and defensive measures for smart systems Research challenges and opportunities This collection of chapters on an important and diverse range of issues presents case studies and applications of cutting-edge technologies of WSN and IoT that will be valuable for academic communities in computer science, information technology, and electronics, including cyber security, monitoring, and data collection. The informative material presented here can be applied to many sectors, including agriculture, energy and power, resource management, biomedical and health care, business management, and others.

Coherent treatment of a variety of approaches to multiple comparisons Broad coverage of topics, with contributions by internationally leading experts Detailed treatment of applications in medicine and life sciences Suitable for researchers, lecturers / students, and practitioners

This book is a practical guide for individuals responsible for creating products that are safe, effective, usable, and satisfying in the hands of the intended users. The contents are intended to reduce the number of use errors involving medical devices that have led to injuries and deaths. The book presents the strong connection between user interface requirements and risk management for medical devices and instructs readers how to develop specific requirements that are sufficiently comprehensive and detailed to produce good results - a user-friendly product that is likely to be used correctly. The book's tutorial content is complemented by many real-world examples of user interface requirements, including ones pertaining to an inhaler, automated external defibrillator, medical robot, and mobile app that a patient might use to manage her diabetes. The book is intended for people representing a variety of product development disciplines who have responsibility for producing safe, effective, usable, and satisfying medical devices, including those who are studying or working in human factors engineering, psychology, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, systems engineering, software programming, technical writing, industrial design, graphic design, and regulatory affairs.

This book is a practical guide for individuals responsible for creating products that are safe, effective, usable, and satisfying in the hands of the intended users. The contents are intended to reduce the number of use errors involving medical devices that have led to injuries and deaths. The book presents the strong connection between user interface requirements and risk management for medical devices and instructs readers how to develop specific requirements that are sufficiently comprehensive and detailed to produce good results - a user-friendly product that is likely to be used correctly. The book's tutorial content is complemented by many real-world examples of user interface requirements, including ones pertaining to an inhaler, automated external defibrillator, medical robot, and mobile app that a patient might use to manage her diabetes. The book is intended for people representing a variety of product development disciplines who have responsibility for producing safe, effective, usable, and satisfying medical devices, including those who are studying or working in human factors engineering, psychology, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, systems engineering, software programming, technical writing, industrial design, graphic design, and regulatory affairs.

Uses a relatively small number of key principles, in conjunction with a modest repertoire of statistical techniques to help the reader master the essential statistical aspects of clinical trials Includes a wealth of famous examples in cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases Readers with a familiarity of undergraduate statistics will be well-prepared for the book. When more advanced results are needed, they will be motivated in a heuristic way.

-- Embarking on a PhD is daunting as, for most students, it will be their first experience working within the academic system. This guide offers a helping hand during and when making decisions about how to move on with their career, specifically in the biological sciences. -- Examples are tailored to biological science, offering a unique reference for PhD students in these disciplines. -- The author has authored more than 200 peer reviewed scientific papers and book chapters, and five books. He has been the Editor-in-Chief of an ISI journal for 9 years, and has graduated more than 20 postgraduate students. His blog on writing and publishing in biological sciences is read by thousands globally. -- The book is directed toward writing, considered by many to be the most difficult aspect of a PhD. It delves into the practical detail of each aspect from Abstract to Supplementary material. -- Most of the 25,000 universities in the world have postgraduates in biological sciences, and emerging economies, such as India and China, will have special interest in this book as their academic systems still fall outside of the academic mainstream. -- The book has many short, easy to read, chapters which are interconnected to provide a comprehensive treatment of each subject.

Introduces important recent technological advancements in the field Describes the various techniques, platforms, and tools used in biomedical deep learning systems Includes informative case studies that help to explain the new technologies

The World Health Organization estimates that there are 2.1 billion individuals with obesity globally. Nearly three quarters of adults in the United States are overweight or obese. The average individual with obesity cuts ten years off their life expectancy, yet less than 40% of physicians routinely counsel individuals concerning the adverse health consequences of obesity. Obesity Prevention and Treatment: A Practical Guide equips healthcare practitioners to include effective weight management counselling in the daily practice of medicine. Written by lifestyle medicine pioneer and cardiologist, Dr. James Rippe and obesity expert Dr. John Foreyt, this book provides evidence-based discussions of obesity and its metabolic consequences. A volume in the Lifestyle Medicine Series, it provides evidence-based information about the prevention and treatment of obesity through lifestyle measures, such as regular physical activity and sound nutrition, as well as the use of new medications or bariatric surgery available to assist in weight management. Provides a framework and practical strategies to assist practitioners in safe and effective treatments of obesity. Contains information explaining the relationship between obesity and increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, and other chronic conditions. Chapters begin with bulleted key points and conclude with a list of Clinical Applications. Written for practitioners at all levels, this user-friendly, evidence-based book on obesity prevention and treatment will be valuable to practitioners in general medicine or subspecialty practices.

Large biological data, which are often noisy and high-dimensional, have become increasingly prevalent in biology and medicine. There is a real need for good training in statistics, from data exploration through to analysis and interpretation. This book provides an overview of statistical and dimension reduction methods for high-throughput biological data, with a specific focus on data integration. It starts with some biological background, key concepts underlying the multivariate methods, and then covers an array of methods implemented using the mixOmics package in R. Features: Provides a broad and accessible overview of methods for multi-omics data integration Covers a wide range of multivariate methods, each designed to answer specific biological questions Includes comprehensive visualisation techniques to aid in data interpretation Includes many worked examples and case studies using real data Includes reproducible R code for each multivariate method, using the mixOmics package The book is suitable for researchers from a wide range of scientific disciplines wishing to apply these methods to obtain new and deeper insights into biological mechanisms and biomedical problems. The suite of tools introduced in this book will enable students and scientists to work at the interface between, and provide critical collaborative expertise to, biologists, bioinformaticians, statisticians and clinicians.

The dream of humanism is to cleanly discard of humanity's animal remains along with its ecological embeddings, evolutionary heritages and futures, ontogenies and phylogenies, sexualities and sensualities, vulnerabilities and mortalities. But, as the contributors to this volume demonstrate, animal remains are everywhere and so animals remain everywhere. Animal remains are food, medicine, and clothing; extractive resources and traces of animals' lifeworlds and ecologies; they are sites of political conflict and ontological fear, fetishized visual signs and objects of trade, veneration, and memory; they are biotechnological innovations and spill-over viruses. To make sense of the material afterlives of animals, this book draws together multispecies perspectives from literary criticism and theory, cultural studies, anthropology and ethnography, photographic and film history, and contemporary art practice to offer the first synoptic account of animal remains. Interpreting them in all their ubiquity, diversity, and persistence, Animal Remains reveals posthuman relations between human and non-human communities of the living and the dead, on timescales of decades, centuries, and millennia.

This book provides an exploration of the ethics of cardiology practice. It provides a variety of frameworks for analyzing ethical issues that arise in cardiovascular medicine. Cardiovascular medicine-the diagnosis and treatment of congenital and acquired diseases of the heart, major arteries, and veins-has seen rapid change in diagnosis, treatment, and the organization of practice in the last half of the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty first century. The complexity of these developments has resulted in increasing subspecialization, and many practitioners are challenged to stay abreast with the latest developments in cardiology. These changes also bring with them various ethical challenges. The chapters in this volume are divided by five broad areas of practice: beginning-of-life, end-of-life, transplantation and allocation of expensive or scarce resources, professionalism, and research. The case-based approach presented across the volume provides a perspective that will allow readers to reason through current and future ethical issues as they arise in this rapidly changing field. Ethical Issues in Cardiovascular Medicine will be of interest to researchers working in bioethics, clinical ethics, and the philosophy of medicine, as well as practicing physicians, nurses, and students who work in cardiovascular medicine.

As the most common health-care intervention, prescription drug use shares the most important characteristics of the health-care system in the United States. When everything works well, it makes possible breathtakingly successful applications of science to the prevention and cure of human suffering. But everything doesn't always work well. Pharmaceutical Public Policy provides the understanding and framework required for effective organization, financing, and delivery of pharmaceutical products and services. It supplies an overview of the policy process as well as the roles of legislation and regulation in pharmaceutical policy. The book identifies the goals, objectives, and key policy issues of concern to stakeholders involved in the development of products, use of pharmaceuticals in healthcare, and administration of insurance programs by both the private and government sectors. Policy issues examined include the appropriateness of prescribing and patient adherence. Addressing questions of access, quality, and cost, the book considers the operation of the Affordable Care Act and Medicare Part D. It details the responsibilities of Federal providers of pharmaceutical care and private and public payers such as managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers, Medicare, and Medicaid. The book covers the policies and practices involved in promoting pharmaceutical products. It also considers pharmacoeconomics as a response to market failure. Finally, the book describes the market, the role of the manufacturer, drug shortages, and the responsibilities of the FDA. The book includes a Foreword by Jerry Avorn, MD, Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; and Chief, Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Woman's Hospital.

The concept of multivalued linear operators-or linear relations-is the one of the most exciting and influential fields of research in modern mathematics. Applications of this theory can be found in economic theory, noncooperative games, artificial intelligence, medicine, and more. This new book focuses on the theory of linear relations, responding to the lack of resources exclusively dealing with the spectral theory of multivalued linear operators. The subject of this book is the study of linear relations over real or complex Banach spaces. The main purposes are the definitions and characterization of different kinds of spectra and extending the notions of spectra that are considered for the usual one single-valued operator bounded or not bounded. The volume introduces the theory of pseudospectra of multivalued linear operators. The main topics include demicompact linear relations, essential spectra of linear relation, pseudospectra, and essential pseudospectra of linear relations. The volume will be very useful for researchers since it represents not only a collection of a previously heterogeneous material but is also an innovation through several extensions. Beginning graduate students who wish to enter the field of spectral theory of multivalued linear operators will benefit from the material covered, and expert readers will also find sources of inspiration.

Threat actors, be they cyber criminals, terrorists, hacktivists or disgruntled employees, are employing sophisticated attack techniques and anti-forensics tools to cover their attacks and breach attempts. As emerging and hybrid technologies continue to influence daily business decisions, the proactive use of cyber forensics to better assess the risks that the exploitation of these technologies pose to enterprise-wide operations is rapidly becoming a strategic business objective. This book moves beyond the typical, technical approach to discussing cyber forensics processes and procedures. Instead, the authors examine how cyber forensics can be applied to identifying, collecting, and examining evidential data from emerging and hybrid technologies, while taking steps to proactively manage the influence and impact, as well as the policy and governance aspects of these technologies and their effect on business operations. A world-class team of cyber forensics researchers, investigators, practitioners and law enforcement professionals have come together to provide the reader with insights and recommendations into the proactive application of cyber forensic methodologies and procedures to both protect data and to identify digital evidence related to the misuse of these data. This book is an essential guide for both the technical and non-technical executive, manager, attorney, auditor, and general practitioner who is seeking an authoritative source on how cyber forensics may be applied to both evidential data collection and to proactively managing today's and tomorrow's emerging and hybrid technologies. The book will also serve as a primary or supplemental text in both under- and post-graduate academic programs addressing information, operational and emerging technologies, cyber forensics, networks, cloud computing and cybersecurity.

Life is all around us, abundant and diverse, it is extraordinary. But what does it actually mean to be alive? Nobel prize-winner Paul Nurse has spent his career revealing how living cells work. In this book, he takes up the challenge of defining life in a way that every reader can understand. It is a shared journey of discovery; step by step he illuminates five great ideas that underpin biology. He traces the roots of his own curiosity and knowledge to reveal how science works, both now and in the past. Using his personal experiences, in and out of the lab, he shares with us the challenges, the lucky breaks, and the thrilling eureka moments of discovery. To survive the challenges that face the human race today - from climate change, to pandemics, loss of biodiversity and food security - it is vital that we all understand what life is.

Thoroughly updated throughout, A First Course in Linear Model Theory, Second Edition is an intermediate-level statistics text that fills an important gap by presenting the theory of linear statistical models at a level appropriate for senior undergraduate or first-year graduate students. With an innovative approach, the authors introduce to students the mathematical and statistical concepts and tools that form a foundation for studying the theory and applications of both univariate and multivariate linear models. In addition to adding R functionality, this second edition features three new chapters and several sections on new topics that are extremely relevant to the current research in statistical methodology. Revised or expanded topics include linear fixed, random and mixed effects models, generalized linear models, Bayesian and hierarchical linear models, model selection, multiple comparisons, and regularized and robust regression. New to the Second Edition: Coverage of inference for linear models has been expanded into two chapters. Expanded coverage of multiple comparisons, random and mixed effects models, model selection, and missing data. A new chapter on generalized linear models (Chapter 12). A new section on multivariate linear models in Chapter 13, and expanded coverage of the Bayesian linear models and longitudinal models. A new section on regularized regression in Chapter 14. Detailed data illustrations using R. The authors' fresh approach, methodical presentation, wealth of examples, use of R, and introduction to topics beyond the classical theory set this book apart from other texts on linear models. It forms a refreshing and invaluable first step in students' study of advanced linear models, generalized linear models, nonlinear models, and dynamic models.