This book presents the refereed proceedings of the Fourth Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living (AAL), held in Ancona, Italy, in October 2013. A wide range of issues are covered and new technological developments are described which will support the autonomy and independence of individuals with special needs through an innovative and integrated approach, designed to respond to the socio-economic challenges of an aging population. Topics addressed include: health and well-being, prevention and rehabilitation and support for care providers; active aging and its social implications; services for the frail elderly with health problems and their families; nutrition; ICT platforms/technologies for the benefit of the elderly; home automation and control technologies (autonomy, safety and energy saving); smart cities and smart communities; telemedicine, telerehabilitation, and telecare; mobility, participation and social inclusion; games and fun for the elderly; building design; social housing; interface design and interaction (accessibility, acceptance); social policies to encourage and support active aging; business models, market analysis and development of sustainable financing and business and ethics, privacy and data protection. Many experimental validations based on user trials and usability testing are presented and discussed. The knowledge and insights provided in this book will help researchers and others involved in AAL to understand relevant societal trends, novel technological developments and pressing challenges.

This volume presents the latest research in Virtual Reality (VR), as it is being applied in psychotherapy, rehabilitation, and the analysis of behaviour for neurological assessment. This book will be of value to anyone already in the field and to those who are interested in the development of VR systems for therapeutic purposes. The contents include: * The latest literature reviews on VR in psychotherapy, psychological wellbeing, and rehabilitation * VR and cognitive behavior therapy * Increasing presence in VR for effective exposure therapy and treatment of anxiety disorders * VR military training for managing combat stress and preventing post traumatic stress * VR, mixed reality systems, and games for stroke rehabilitation * VR systems for improving vision in children with amblyopia * Therapeutic play in virtual environments * Healing potential of online virtual worlds such as Second Life * Neuropsychological assessment using virtual environments * Detailed accounts on how VR systems are designed, implemented, and best evaluated * Discussions of limitations, problems, and ethical concerns using VR in mental and physical therapy

This book reviews and discusses the development of self-assembled nanomaterials applied in biomedical fields. Based on self-assembled nanomaterial constructions, it highlights the mechanisms of the stimuli-response-induced assembly/disassembly and transformation. Moreover, it examines healthcare-related diseases, the applications of nanomaterials and therapy/detection strategies, providing readers with both a deeper understanding of the subject and inspirations for future research. The book is primarily intended for researchers and graduate students in the fields of material sciences and chemistry who wish to learn about the principles, methods, mechanisms and biomedical applications of self-assembled nanomaterials.

This book presents a comprehensive study on a new class of branched polymers, known as hyperbranched polymers (HBPs). It discusses in detail the synthesis strategies for these particular classes of polymers as well as biocompatible and biodegradable HBPs, which are of increasing interest to polymer technologists due to their immense potential in biomedical applications. The book also describes the one-pot synthesis technique for HBPs, which is feasible for large-scale production, as well as HBPs' structure-property relationship, which makes them superior to their linear counterparts. The alterable functional groups present at the terminal ends of the branches make HBPs promising candidates in the biomedical domain, and the book specifically elaborates on the suitable characteristic properties of each of the potential biological HBPs' applications. As such, the book offers a valuable reference guide for all scientists and technologists who are interested in using these newly developed techniques to achieve faster and better treatments.

Quantitative Perfusion MRI: Techniques, Applications, and Practical Considerations, Volume 11 clearly and carefully explains the basic theory and MRI techniques for quantifying perfusion non-invasively in deep tissue, covering all aspects of perfusion imaging, from acquisition requirements to selection of contrast agents and appropriate pharmacokinetic models and for reliable quantification in different diseases and tissue types. Specifically, this book enables the reader to understand what microvascular functional parameters can be measured with perfusion MRI, learn the basic techniques to measure perfusion in different organs, apply the appropriate perfusion MRI technique to the organ of interest, and much more. This complete reference on quantitative perfusion MRI is highly suitable for both early and experienced researchers, graduate students and clinicians wishing to understand how quantitative perfusion MRI can apply to their application area of interest.

This book deals with the adhesion, friction and contact mechanics of living organisms. Further, it presents the remarkable adhesive abilities of the living organisms which inspired the design of novel micro- and nanostructured adhesives that can be used in various applications, such as climbing robots, reusable tapes, and biomedical bandages. The technologies for both the synthesis and construction of bio-inspired adhesive micro- and nanostructures, as well as their performance, are discussed in detail. Representatives of several animal groups, such as insects, spiders, tree frogs, and lizards, are able to walk on (and therefore attach to) tilted, vertical surfaces, and even ceilings in different environments. Studies have demonstrated that their highly specialized micro- and nanostructures, in combination with particular surface chemistries, are responsible for this impressive and reversible adhesion. These structures can maximize the formation of large effective contact areas on surfaces of varying roughness and chemical composition under different environmental conditions.

"The Imperial Quest and Modern Memory" explores relationships between narrative and imperium in the context of Western Modernism by examining the Quest as a vexed trope in "Heart of Darkness," "Passage to India," "The Sheltering Sky," and "The Quiet American," The book takes stock of twentieth century theory regarding the Quest--as archetype, trope, and construct, considers the dominant expression and the imperial organization of this trope in Western culture and iconography from the Dark Ages to the Age of Empire, explores the ways in which this trope both lingers and changes in the context of Western Modernism, and finally gauges its permutations in Modern discourse. "The Imperial Quest and Modern Memory's" central claim is that the Modern novel simultaneously reinscribes and subverts Western and imperial manifestations of the Quest. "Heart" "of Darkness," "Passage to India," "The Sheltering Sky," and "The Quiet American "are remarkably Modern and subversive narratives. They participate in the revolutionary projects of early and high Modernism and are often in marked opposition to imperial praxis. Yet they are also profoundly influenced by the deep ideological and metaphoric structures of Western culture. Thus, the Quest trope--specifically in its Western and imperial manifestations--lingers in Modern Memory and certainly in the Modern novel. This expansive study emphasizes intriguing intersections between past and present, culture and archetype, norm and narrative, memory and contemporaneity.

Resident Stem Cells and Regenerative Therapy: Sources and Clinical Applications, Second Edition presents the main findings to date and the important factors to be considered when contemplating resident stem cells in regenerative therapies. Chapters on cardiac, brain, neural, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, bone, pancreatic, skin and lung resident stem cells will assist in defining the level of success that has been achieved and the direction for the road ahead. With contributions from leading laboratories, open questions related to resident stem cells and regenerative therapies will also be presented for debate. In the last several decades, stem cells have greatly impacted the scientific and lay communities, providing huge advances in the treatment of devastating human diseases, including myocardial infarction, diabetes, muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and osteoporosis. Alongside debates of induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells has been the discovery of adult stem cells in many different tissues. While these organ resident or progenitor stem cells offer prospects to contribute to tissue regeneration, they also present challenges because of the complexity of organ structures.

Artificial Intelligence to Solve Pervasive Internet of Things Issues discusses standards and technologies and wide-ranging technology areas and their applications and challenges, including discussions on architectures, frameworks, applications, best practices, methods and techniques required for integrating AI to resolve IoT issues. Chapters also provide step-by-step measures, practices and solutions to tackle vital decision-making and practical issues affecting IoT technology, including autonomous devices and computerized systems. Such issues range from adopting, mitigating, maintaining, modernizing and protecting AI and IoT infrastructure components such as scalability, sustainability, latency, system decentralization and maintainability. The book enables readers to explore, discover and implement new solutions for integrating AI to solve IoT issues. Resolving these issues will help readers address many real-world applications in areas such as scientific research, healthcare, defense, aeronautics, engineering, social media, and many others.

This book presents authoritative recent research on Biomedical Informatics, bringing together contributions from some of the most respected researchers in this field. Biomedical Informatics represents a growing area of interest and innovation in the management of health-related data, and is essential to the development of focused computational models. Outlining the direction of current research, the book will be of considerable interest to theoreticians and application scientists alike. Further, as all chapters are self-contained, it also provides a valuable sourcebook for graduate students.

- Presents the reasons behind the decisions taken by automated algorithms - Frames eXplainable AI as a bridge between computer scientists and physicians - Emphasizes transparency in data analysis within healthcare - Covers computer vision and deep learning in tandem - Creates space to discuss human-AI relationships in future healthcare

This book offers a comprehensive report on the technological aspects of Mobile Health (mHealth) and discusses the main challenges and future directions in the field. It is divided into eight parts: (1) preventive and curative medicine; (2) remote health monitoring; (3) interoperability; (4) framework, architecture, and software/hardware systems; (5) cloud applications; (6) radio technologies and applications; (7) communication networks and systems; and (8) security and privacy mechanisms. The first two parts cover sensor-based and bedside systems for remotely monitoring patients' health condition, which aim at preventing the development of health problems and managing the prognosis of acute and chronic diseases. The related chapters discuss how new sensing and wireless technologies can offer accurate and cost-effective means for monitoring and evaluating behavior of individuals with dementia and psychiatric disorders, such as wandering behavior and sleep impairments. The following two parts focus on architectures and higher level systems, and on the challenges associated with their interoperability and scalability, two important aspects that stand in the way of the widespread deployment of mHealth systems. The remaining parts focus on telecommunication support systems for mHealth, including radio technologies, communication and cloud networks, and secure health-related applications and systems. All in all, the book offers a snapshot of the state-of-art in mHealth systems, and addresses the needs of a multidisciplinary audience, including engineers, computer scientists, healthcare providers, and medical professionals, working in both academia and the industry, as well as stakeholders at government agencies and non-profit organizations.

This book focuses on advanced research and technologies in dairy processing, one of the most important branches of the food industry. It addresses various topics, ranging from the basics of dairy technology to the opportunities and challenges in the industry. Following an introduction to dairy processing, the book takes readers through various aspects of dairy engineering, such as dairy-based peptides, novel milk products and bio-fortification. It also describes the essential role of microorganisms in the industry and ways to detect them, as well as the use of prebiotics, and food safety. Lastly, the book examines the challenges faced, especially in terms of maintaining quality across the supply chain. Covering all significant areas of dairy science and processing, this interesting and informative book is a valuable resource for post-graduate students, research scholars and industry experts.

The current generation of imaging nanoparticles is diverse and dependent on its myriad of applications. This book provides an overview of how these imaging particles can be designed to fulfill specific requirements for applications across different imaging modalities. It presents, for the first time, a comprehensive interdisciplinary overview of the impact nanoparticles have on biomedical imaging and is a common central resource for researchers and teachers.

Nanotechnology in Ophthalmology is a comprehensive and up-to-date reference on the role and applications of nanotechnology in ophthalmology, from drug delivery and treatment of ocular diseases to toxicity issues. Written by experts from the nanotechnology, ophthalmology, and pharmacology fields, this book has a unique, broad and diverse scope, including chapters on nanosensor-based diagnostic tools, delivery of nanobiomaterials, implantable materials and devices, delivery of nanobiomaterials, nanotechnology for medical and surgical treatment, regenerative medicine, and more. This book provides a valuable reference to researchers working in the areas of ophthalmology, nanoscience and pharmacology, and clinical fellows who are interested in nanoophthalmology as a reference for their practice and research.

This book documents the state of the art in the field of ambient assisted living (AAL), highlighting technologies and services which aim to improve health and quality of life, while promoting active aging. The coverage is wide ranging, with topical sections devoted to human monitoring, smart living services, biomedical and robotic solutions, including different case studies and real-world examples where assistive technologies are successfully applied. The book comprises a selection of the best, refereed papers presented at the 10th Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living (ForItAAL), held in Ancona, Italy, in June 2019, which represents the annual event that involves the Ambient Assisted Living Italian Association and brought together researchers, technology teams, policy makers, and stake-holders. Readers will find that the expert contributions offer clear insights into the ways in which the most recent exciting advances may be expected to assist in addressing the needs of the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

Terahertz biomedical imaging has become an area of interest due to its ability to simultaneously acquire both image and spectral information. Terahertz imaging systems are being commercialized, with increasing trials performed in a biomedical setting. As a result, advanced digital image processing algorithms are needed to assist screening, diagnosis, and treatment. "Pattern Recognition and Tomographic Reconstruction" presents these necessary algorithms, which will play a critical role in the accurate detection of abnormalities present in biomedical imaging. Terhazertz tomographic imaging and detection technology contributes to the ability to identify opaque objects with clear boundaries, and would be useful to both in vivo and ex vivo environments, making this book a must-read for anyone in the field of biomedical engineering and digital imaging.

This book is a self-contained, tutorial-based introduction to quantum information theory and quantum biology. It serves as a single-source reference to the topic for researchers in bioengineering, communications engineering, electrical engineering, applied mathematics, biology, computer science, and physics. The book provides all the essential principles of the quantum biological information theory required to describe the quantum information transfer from DNA to proteins, the sources of genetic noise and genetic errors as well as their effects. Integrates quantum information and quantum biology concepts; Assumes only knowledge of basic concepts of vector algebra at undergraduate level; Provides a thorough introduction to basic concepts of quantum information processing, quantum information theory, and quantum biology; Includes in-depth discussion of the quantum biological channel modelling, quantum biological channel capacity calculation, quantum models of aging, quantum models of evolution, quantum models on tumor and cancer development, quantum modeling of bird navigation compass, quantum aspects of photosynthesis, quantum biological error correction.

Ambulation Analysis in Wearable ECG

Subhasis Chaudhuri, Tanmay Pawar, Siddhartha Duttagupta

Ambulation Analysis in Wearable ECG demonstrates why, due to recent developments, the wearable ECG recorder substantiates a significant innovation in the healthcare field.

About this book:

• Examines the viability of wearable ECG in cardiac monitoring.
• Includes chapters written by practitioners who have personally developed such hardware to write about the hardware details.
• Bridges the gap between hardware and algorithmic developments with chapters that specifically discuss the hardware aspects and their corresponding calibration issues.
• Presents a useful text for both practitioners and researchers in biomedical engineering and related interdisciplinary fields.
• Assumes basic familiarity with digital signal processing and linear algebra.

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.

Explains models from natural flash systems Discusses theoretical considerations of flash systems Presents approaches and procedures for designing synthetic flash systems Explores methods for preparing flash systems for specific applications The design of environment-sensitive devices for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications has improved significantly due to recent advances in smart polymer and hydrogel technology. Despite their capacity to carry out functions that previously were unobtainable, smart polymers and hydrogels tend to have painfully slow response times. On the other hand biological systems go through phase changes at an extremely fast rate. This book examines the natural systems that respond almost instantaneously to environmental stimuli, and thus gives the reader an understanding of the mechanisms that govern these responses. The book includes chapters on how to go about designing a synthetic "flash" system based on the naturally occurring systems. It also deals with potential applications of flash systems in biomedical and pharmaceutical areas.

Nanorobots can be defined as intelligent systems with overall dimensions at or below the micrometer range that are made of assemblies of nanoscale components with individual dimensions ranging between 1 to 100 nm. These devices can now perform a wide variety of tasks at the nanoscale in a wide variety of fields including but not limited to fields such as manufacturing, medicine, supply chain, biology, and aerospace. Nanorobotics: Current Approaches and Techniques offers a comprehensive overview of this emerging interdisciplinary field with a wide ranging discussion that includes nano-manipulation and industrial nanorobotics, nanorobotic manipulation in biology and medicine, nanorobotic sensing, navigation and swarm behavior and CNT, and protein and DNA-based nanorobotics.

Protein-based Nanocomposites for Tissue Engineering details the design, development, efficacy and tissue engineering applications of a range of protein-based nanocomposite materials. Protein-based nanocomposites offer advantageous properties in that they are biodegradable, biocompatible, nonantigenic, highly stable and possess strong binding capacity. These unique properties make protein-based nanocomposite carriers promising candidates for controlled cell delivery in tissue engineering. This book covers a selection of protein types in their nanocomposite form, from albumin and keratin to collagen and silk. Each protein nanocomposite is described in detail, exploring their application in cell delivery and tissue engineering. The design, development, properties and molecular mechanism of protein-based nanocomposites is thoroughly discussed before going on to analyze the advantages and limitations of these useful materials, making this book an ideal resource for readers who want to explore biocompatible and naturally derived material options for tissue engineering applications. Academics and researchers in the fields of materials science, biomedical engineering, regenerative medicine and nanotechnology will find the book a must have.

Hardly any phenomenon in the modern environment is as ubiquitous as electromagnetic fields and waves. We have learned to understand the physical characteristics of these energy forms, and we have applied them in abundant ways to embellish our ways of life and our standards of living. Furthermore, we have come to depend on them for health, safety, information, comfOli, and conveyance. Apart from their intended roles, these electromagnetic fields and waves produce other effects which may influence the activities of living organisms. The effects produced depend on many physical, chemical, and biological factors. They may be grossly apparent and visible soon after exposure of the living organism or they may not appear to have influenced the organism at all upon casual examination. Even then, there may be subtle changes which are only detectable upon careful chemical or microscopic study, or which are apparent only after a considerable time delay. Nevertheless, our understanding of the interaction of electromagnetic fields with living systems is advancing in a wide range of topical areas. This bi-annual series with invited reviews by recognized leaders in their respective specialties, will present progress to date in key areas of research and scholarship. The guiding philosophy of this undertaking is the presentation of integrated, known, and confilmed phenomenological observations, basic mechanism of interactions, and applications in biology and medicine, as well as perspectives on current topics of interest.

This book discusses advancements in the applications of nanoparticles in tissue engineering. It examines the applications of nanobiomaterials in hard tissue regeneration, fabrication, and characterization. The book also analyzes the implication of three-dimensional and four-dimensional fabrication techniques for the production of the scaffold in tissue engineering and their advantages over conventional scaffold production techniques. Further, it presents smart materials used in making 4-D scaffolds that imitate the dynamic response of tissue against natural stimuli and adapt to the microenvironment by changing their conformation or other properties. It also summarizes the growing field of biomolecular detection and biosensors in tissue engineering and the increasing prominence of nanoparticles in the biosensors. Further, it provides the future outlook and associated challenges of the application of nanomaterials in tissue engineering.