The biological sciences have been among the most exciting and intensely pursued fields of science for the past several decades. The advancement of high-throughput technologies that generate large scale biological data as well as the development of related computational tools has enabled global efforts at understanding complex biological systems and brought revolutionary changes to biological research. Handbook of Research on Computational and Systems Biology: Interdisciplinary Applications summarizes some of the most recent research carried out in computational biology and systems biology to encourage and guide future study. Submissions to this comprehensive text present methods, tools, and applications developed and considered by many leading experts around the globe.

Interdisciplinary Research and Applications in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Environmental Sciences is a collection of cutting-edge research papers in the field of computational and systems biology contributed by leading researchers from across the globe. The studies range from the atomic/molecular level to the genomic level and present a wide spectrum of important biological problems and applications. It is a must-read for researchers in a broad range of disciplines, including computer science, chemistry, physics, math and statistics, and biological sciences.

Robotic engineering inspired by biology-biomimetics-has many potential applications: robot snakes can be used for rescue operations in disasters, snake-like endoscopes can be used in medical diagnosis, and artificial muscles can replace damaged muscles to recover the motor functions of human limbs. Conversely, the application of robotics technology to our understanding of biological systems and behaviors-biorobotic modeling and analysis-provides unique research opportunities: robotic manipulation technology with optical tweezers can be used to study the cell mechanics of human red blood cells, a surface electromyography sensing system can help us identify the relation between muscle forces and hand movements, and mathematical models of brain circuitry may help us understand how the cerebellum achieves movement control. Biologically Inspired Robotics contains cutting-edge material-considerably expanded and with additional analysis-from the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO). These 16 chapters cover both biomimetics and biorobotic modeling/analysis, taking readers through an exploration of biologically inspired robot design and control, micro/nano bio-robotic systems, biological measurement and actuation, and applications of robotics technology to biological problems. Contributors examine a wide range of topics, including: A method for controlling the motion of a robotic snake The design of a bionic fitness cycle inspired by the jaguar The use of autonomous robotic fish to detect pollution A noninvasive brain-activity scanning method using a hybrid sensor A rehabilitation system for recovering motor function in human hands after injury Human-like robotic eye and head movements in human-machine interactions A state-of-the-art resource for graduate students and researchers.

Cloud computing is the latest market-oriented computing paradigm which brings software design and development into a new era characterized by "XaaS", i.e. everything as a service. Cloud workflows, as typical software applications in the cloud, are composed of a set of partially ordered cloud software services to achieve specific goals. However, due to the low QoS (quality of service) nature of the cloud environment, the design of workflow systems in the cloud becomes a challenging issue for the delivery of high quality cloud workflow applications. To address such an issue, this book presents a systematic investigation to the three critical aspects for the design of a cloud workflow system, viz. system architecture, system functionality and quality of service. Specifically, the system architecture for a cloud workflow system is designed based on the general four-layer cloud architecture, viz. application layer, platform layer, unified resources layer and fabric layer. The system functionality for a cloud workflow system is designed based on the general workflow reference model but with significant extensions to accommodate software services in the cloud. The support of QoS is critical for the quality of cloud workflow applications. This book presents a generic framework to facilitate a unified design and development process for software components that deliver lifecycle support for different QoS requirements. While the general QoS requirements for cloud workflow applications can have many dimensions, this book mainly focuses on three of the most important ones, viz. performance, reliability and security. In this book, the architecture, functionality and QoS management of our SwinDeW-C prototype cloud workflow system are demonstrated in detail as a case study to evaluate our generic design for cloud workflow systems. To conclude, this book offers a general overview of cloud workflow systems and provides comprehensive introductions to the design of the system architecture, system functionality and QoS management.

Robotic engineering inspired by biology-biomimetics-has many potential applications: robot snakes can be used for rescue operations in disasters, snake-like endoscopes can be used in medical diagnosis, and artificial muscles can replace damaged muscles to recover the motor functions of human limbs. Conversely, the application of robotics technology to our understanding of biological systems and behaviors-biorobotic modeling and analysis-provides unique research opportunities: robotic manipulation technology with optical tweezers can be used to study the cell mechanics of human red blood cells, a surface electromyography sensing system can help us identify the relation between muscle forces and hand movements, and mathematical models of brain circuitry may help us understand how the cerebellum achieves movement control. Biologically Inspired Robotics contains cutting-edge material-considerably expanded and with additional analysis-from the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO). These 16 chapters cover both biomimetics and biorobotic modeling/analysis, taking readers through an exploration of biologically inspired robot design and control, micro/nano bio-robotic systems, biological measurement and actuation, and applications of robotics technology to biological problems. Contributors examine a wide range of topics, including: A method for controlling the motion of a robotic snake The design of a bionic fitness cycle inspired by the jaguar The use of autonomous robotic fish to detect pollution A noninvasive brain-activity scanning method using a hybrid sensor A rehabilitation system for recovering motor function in human hands after injury Human-like robotic eye and head movements in human-machine interactions A state-of-the-art resource for graduate students and researchers.

Civil Engineering and Urban Planning IV includes the papers presented at the 4th International Conference on Civil Engineering and Urban Planning (CEUP 2015, Beijing, China, 25-27 July 2015). The contributions from experts and world-renowned scientists cover a wide variety of topics: - Civil engineering; - Architecture and urban planning; - Transportation engineering; - Geomatics; - Natural hazards and risk, and - Rock mechanics and rock engineering. Civil Engineering and Urban Planning IV will appeal to professionals and academics involved in the above mentioned areas.

Opening a new window into Chinese intellectual discourse, this unique book is a critical engagement with the issues, problems, and meanings of contemporary Chinese intellectual thought. As key participants in these debates who have exercised a significant influence on the development of contemporary Chinese thought, the volume's contributors explore concerns over the role of the intellectual and the outcomes of knowledge production in the humanities. Masterfully translated, these essays provide a wide range of conflicting perspectives on contemporary Chinese intellectuality, yet they share in common the belief held by many Chinese intellectuals in the power of intellectual labor to shape and change social life. By showing how Western social and cultural theory as well as the May Fourth and pre-modern Confucian traditions are being adapted for contemporary Chinese intellectual use, the book highlights how Chinese academics have affirmed an independent critical role for themselves in post-Mao China and the scope of the knowledge industry that they have created and developed since 1979.