A few years of diligent and meticulous research has gone into the creation of this book about the history of the ancestors of our wider family.

This book is a guide to endocrine surgery for practising and trainee endocrinologists. Divided into 45 chapters, the text begins with an overview of applied embryology, physiology, and surgical anatomy of the endocrine glands. The next section explains thyroid function tests and their interpretation. Each of the following chapters covers the surgical management of a different thyroid-related disorder. The final sections discuss allied topics including endocrine radiology, pathology, the role of nuclear medicine in endocrine surgery, and radiotherapy. Each chapter concludes with clinical pearls to assist learning. With an internationally recognised editor and author team, the comprehensive text is highly illustrated with photographs, radiographic images, flow charts, and diagrams.

Gorgeous Collector's Edition. Legends of the Sea, Bells, Mirrors and Tea, Japanese mythology is delightful and enigmatic, full of spirits, gods and legendary creatures. It draws on Buddhist and Shinto traditions to explain the nature of the world of the island of Japan, the mystical Mount Fuji and the heavenly status of the long line of emperors. The warrior class of the imperial court, and the natural spirits of the countryside represent parallel and interdependent aspects of Japanese society, explored through ancient legend and folklore. Flame Tree Collector's Editions present the foundations of speculative fiction, authors, myths and tales without which the imaginative literature of the twentieth century would not exist, bringing the best, most influential and most fascinating works into a striking and collectable library. Each book features a new introduction and a Glossary of Terms.

This book examines the synthetic approaches, properties, applications, and recyclability of bio-based superabsorbent polymers (SAP) in depth. It describes and compares bio-based SAPs with petro-based SAPs. Additionally, it explores the structure–property relationships of bio-based SAPs derived from various natural sources. The book covers current and emerging applications in health and hygiene products, agriculture, construction, and other areas. It also explores the recycling and reusing methods available for water recovery, pressure sensitive adhesives, etc. It discusses the issues behind the sharp increase in research attention, namely the prevailing research hotspots/clusters and suggestions with regard to present studies, works that have been significant and pivotal in the development of SAP research, and the current advances and future directions of research. It also presents the emerging applications of superabsorbent polymers.

This book describes the state-of-the-art in energy efficient, fault-tolerant embedded systems. It covers the entire product lifecycle of electronic systems design, analysis and testing and includes discussion of both circuit and system-level approaches. Readers will be enabled to meet the conflicting design objectives of energy efficiency and fault-tolerance for reliability, given the up-to-date techniques presented.

Recent advancements and innovations in medical image and data processing have led to a need for robust and secure mechanisms to transfer images and signals over the internet and maintain copyright protection. The Handbook of Research on Information Security in Biomedical Signal Processing provides emerging research on security in biomedical data as well as techniques for accurate reading and further processing. While highlighting topics such as image processing, secure access, and watermarking, this publication explores advanced models and algorithms in information security in the modern healthcare system. This publication is a vital resource for academicians, medical professionals, technology developers, researchers, students, and practitioners seeking current research on intelligent techniques in medical data security.

This book explores the transition from the mind to the Supermind within the scope of an evolutionary metaphysics. The idea of Supermind has not been discussed so far in the mainstream philosophy of mind and consciousness. This book will give a new approach to the study of consciousness from the Indian vedantic perspective which has introduced the idea of Supermind, especially in the works of Sri Aurobindo. The book also undertakes a sustained critique of the contemporary theories of mind which have promoted mostly a mechanistic and naturalistic theory of mind and consciousness. The book is meant for the researchers who are engaged in the study of consciousness and for those who are interested in the philosophy of mind in general. This book will serve the purpose of the much-needed counter perspective to the contemporary theories of mind working broadly within the materialist traditions.

This book presents select proceedings of the International Conference on Advances in Electrical Control and Signal Systems (AECSS) 2019. The focus is on the current developments in control and signal systems in electrical engineering, and covers various topics such as power systems, energy systems, micro grid, smart grid, networks, fuzzy systems and their control. The book also discusses various properties and performance of signal systems and their applications in different fields. The contents of this book can be useful for students, researchers as well as professionals working in power and energy systems, and other related fields.

Recent improvements in business process strategies have allowed more opportunities to attain greater developmental performances. This has led to higher success in day-to-day production and overall competitive advantage. The Handbook of Research on Manufacturing Process Modeling and Optimization Strategies is a pivotal reference source for the latest research on the various manufacturing methodologies and highlights the best optimization approaches to achieve boosted process performance. Featuring extensive coverage on relevant areas such as genetic algorithms, fuzzy set theory, and soft computing techniques, this publication is an ideal resource for researchers, practitioners, academicians, designers, manufacturing engineers, and institutions involved in design and manufacturing projects.

This book investigates the less-explored dimensions of how industries in different Indian subnational spaces or states have responded to the growing phenomenon of internationalization. What factors have influenced firms participating in global business? Have state (both central and provincial) policies acted as catalyst for local firms? Not only does this study delve into these issues; it also painstakingly develops a comprehensive database that remains unique in the absence of reliable official statistics on this subject to date. Efforts have been made to establish a reasonably consistent dataset for the period 1990-2008 derived from the CMIE-PROWESS database. Care has been taken to condense the data and classify it by sector, location, size and ownership. The study delineates export patterns by firm and state and explores factors influencing export decisions according to sector, size and location. A further interesting aspect is the book's critical examination of industrial and trade promotion policies at the state/regional level that might have contributed to or hindered exporting by firms. The states considered for detailed policy discussions are highly diverse and include Gujarat, Odisha and Karnataka. To address the glaring absence of literature on the role of subnational factors in enterprises' export performance, a preliminary state-by-state analysis of the spatial determinants of firms' export activities is also provided.

Terrestrial mass movements (i.e. cliff collapses, soil creeps, mudflows, landslides etc.) are severe forms of natural disasters mostly occurring in mountainous terrain, which is subjected to specific geological, geomorphological and climatological conditions, as well as to human activities. It is a challenging task to accurately define the position, type and activity of mass movements for the purpose of creating inventory records and potential vulnerability maps. Remote sensing techniques, in combination with Geographic Information System tools, allow state-of-the-art investigation of the degree of potential mass movements and modeling surface processes for hazard and risk mapping. Similarly, through statistical prediction models, future mass-movement-prone areas can be identified and damages can to a certain extent be minimized. Issues of scale and selection of morphological attributes for the scientific analysis of mass movements call for new developments in data modeling and spatio-temporal GIS analysis.
The book is a product of a cooperation between the editors and several contributing authors, addressing current issues and recent developments in GI technology and mass movements research. Its fundamental treatment of this technology includes data modeling, topography, geology, geomorphology, remote sensing, artificial neural networks, binomial regression, fuzzy logic, spatial statistics and analysis, and scientific visualization. Both theoretical and practical issues are addressed.

This book covers recent trends in the field of devices, wireless communication and networking. It gathers selected papers presented at the International Conference on Communication, Devices and Networking (ICCDN 2019), which was organized by the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology, Sikkim, India, on 9-10 December 2019. Gathering cutting-edge research papers prepared by researchers, engineers and industry professionals, it will help young and experienced scientists and developers alike to explore new perspectives, and offer them inspirations on how to address real-world problems in the areas of electronics, communication, devices and networking.

This book details the chemistry of visible light-induced photocatalysis using different classes of nanocomposites. Starting with a general introduction and explanation of basic principles and mechanisms of (visible) light-induced photocatalysis in the first two chapters (not omitting a plaidoyer for furthering research and development in this promising field), the following chapters detail the different types and classes of nanocomposites currently used in light-induced photocatalytic applications, including e.g. metal and mixed metal-oxide nanoparticles and -composites, nanoporous materials, polymeric and carbon-based nanocomposites. They explain the characteristics and importance of the different types of nanocomposites, as well as their synthesis and fabrication.In the end of the book an outlook on the unique applications of novel nanocomposites is offered, for example in water treatment and disinfection and removal of pollutants from wastewater, self-cleaning window panes based on photoactive materials, and many more. The book also addresses the challenges in present photocatalytic research, and therefore is a must-read for everybody interested in the developing field of nanocomposites and visible light-induced photocatalysis.

The present book intends to approach the problem of mind, meaning and consciousness from a non-naturalist or transcendental point of view. The naturalization of consciousness has reached a dead-end. There can be no proper solution to the problem of mind within the naturalist framework. This work intends to reverse this trend and bring back the long neglected transcendental theory laid down by Kant and Husserl in the West and Vedanta and Buddhism in India. The novelty of this approach lies in how we can make an autonomous space for mind and meaning without denying its connection with the world. The transcendental theory does not disown the embodied nature of consciousness, but goes beyond the body in search of higher meanings and values. The scope of this work extends from mind and consciousness to the world and brings the world into the space of mind and meaning with a hope to enchant the world. The world needs to be retrieved from the stranglehold of scientism and naturalism. This book will dispel the illusion about naturalism which has gripped the minds of our generation. The researchers interested in the philosophy of mind and consciousness can benefit from this work.

This book analyzes energy security through the lens of oil and natural gas and explains how geopolitics and security challenges affect India's quest for energy security. It also offers insights into India's international trade and investment in the overseas oil and natural gas markets and discusses shale energy, adopting region-specific (Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, and LAC), country-specific (Russia and the US), maritime-specific (Arctic and South China Sea), and pipeline-specific (TAPI, MBI, IPI, and RCI) approaches to analyze India's oil and natural gas trade and investment abroad. The introductory chapter examines energy perspectives in international relations and conceptualizes energy geopolitics and energy security from both international and Indian standpoints. The book also highlights the similarities and differences in the issues involved in the global oil and natural gas market, and India's approach to these, offering a roadmap for holistic and integrated energy security through oil and natural gas. Since India's energy trade and investment in the international oil and natural gas market are not free from the effects of political instability, corruption, environment crisis, militancy, terrorism, war, and geopolitical involvement and interference, the book investigates the nature and extent of the security threats and competition India faces in the oil and natural gas-producing countries while pursuing its trade and investments there. As major sources of energy, oil and natural gas are strategic assets, and energy security is one of the core areas of India's foreign policy pursuits. As such, the chapters critically assess India's energy policy and resource diplomacy, providing analyses of the issues raised, identifying the central arguments and presenting existing cooperations - with past examples where necessary. The book appeals to scholars and policymakers active in the fields of energy, political science, international relations, economics, foreign policy, peace and conflict, security and geopolitics, as well as non-experts interested in this topic.

This is an easily accessible manual to learn meditation and incorporate spiritual principles into todays very busy world. Written in fresh, easily understandable and entertaining style, this personal guide to learn meditation offers a proven way towards becoming a happier, more peaceful, and spiritually practical person. Dr Pradhan Balter, has practiced meditation for 45 years and offered meditation programs in more than forty countries. This book will speak to anyone who is looking for effective tools to de-stress and to re-connect with ones inner source. The book guides the reader in creating an inner environment that will empower him or her to successfully cope with challenges of life. Unlike many learn to meditate titles, the reader will gain tools to incorporate spiritual principles into todays very busy world. The author, who is a chiropractor, restaurant owner, and computer graphics specialist, has taught meditation for 43 years. The book is based on the hundreds of lectures he has offered and reflects his interaction with spiritual seekers from around the world. It is of value to anyone at any level of spiritual seeking -- from the absolute beginner to the experienced meditator.

Provides understanding of basics of IT technologies applied in Oil and Gas sector Includes deep comparison between different artificial intelligence techniques Analyses different simulators in Oil and Gas sector as well as discussion of AI applications Focusses on in-depth experimental and applied topics Details different case studies for upstream and downstream