This book about the sustainability of marine and terrestrial ecosystems in southern Africa provides a synthesis of the research program Science Partnerships for the Adaptation to Complex Earth System Processes (SPACES II, 2018-2022). It addresses the scientific, social, and economic issues related to climate change, its potential impacts on the various ecosystems, adaptations, and management interventions for enhancing systems resilience in Southern Africa.

This book highlights some of the latest advances in nanotechnology and nanomaterials from leading researchers in Ukraine, Europe and beyond. It features contributions presented at the 7th International Science and Practice Conference Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials (NANO2019), which was held on August 27–30, 2019 at Lviv Polytechnic National University, and was jointly organized by the Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, University of Tartu (Estonia), University of Turin (Italy), and Pierre and Marie Curie University (France).

The Theraphosidae are the most famous and diverse mygalomorph spiders, and include some of the largest arachnids on earth. Their unique defense mechanisms, predatory tactics, reproductive strategies and ecological adaptations are displayed by a wide range of terrestrial, burrowing and arboreal species. These arachnids are familiar to the general public thanks to horror movies and a growing interest in tarantulas as pets; however, scientific information on the group is scattered throughout the literature and not easily available.

This unique volume discusses various aspects of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Aswan High Dam (AHD) including their positive and negative impacts. It presents up-to-date research findings by Egyptian scientists and researchers covering several interesting hot topics under the following main themes:

China Satellite Navigation Conference (CSNC 2022) Proceedings presents selected research papers from CSNC 2022 held during 22nd-25th May, 2022 in Beijing, China. These papers discuss the technologies and applications of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and the latest progress made in the China BeiDou System (BDS) especially. They are divided into 10 topics to match the corresponding sessions in CSNC2022 which broadly covered key topics in GNSS. Readers can learn about the BDS and keep abreast of the latest advances in GNSS techniques and applications.

This extensively revised new edition provides a quick study and reference guide for physicians who treat patients with autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs), the most life-threatening inflammatory diseases of the skin. AIBDs are rare, comprising less than 1% of the dermatological patients and as such, they are often given little focus in general dermatology literature, despite being complicated and demanding diseases to manage.
Chapters cover the latest developments in diagnostic assays and the use of pemphigoids. New contributions include how AIBD affects children and the care of wounds in instances of blistering disease from the perspective of a nurse practitioner.

Vascular management and care has become a truly multidisciplinary enterprise. As a result of scientific progress, the number of specialists involved in the treatment of patients with vascular diseases is steadily increasing. While in the past, treatments were delivered by individual specialists, in the twenty-first century a team approach is without doubt the most effective strategy.

This book provides a detailed description of fluvial processes and their influence on urban sites. During the urban expansion of modern cities throughout the twentieth century, rivers have become a source of problems during high flood events. However, due to growing social pressure, especially in dense cities, rivers are viewed as new leisure areas given that they also provide highly valuable ecosystem services. People seek open and environmentally friendly spaces amidst the dense street networks of cities. Yet, we should not forget that rivers are not merely domesticated elements of nature for leisure purposes only. Flooding risks and damages are possible within urban environments. How should we address the social and ecological interactions? How should we plan for these complexities to meet the growing social requirements and needs while respecting river dynamics? Hydrologists, geomorphologists, engineers, geographers and urban planners could leverage the knowledge and examples provided to enhance the interaction between nature and society in the growing cities of the twenty-first century.

Combinatorial (or discrete) optimization is one of the most active fields in the interface of operations research, computer science, and applied math­ ematics. Combinatorial optimization problems arise in various applications, including communications network design, VLSI design, machine vision, air­ line crew scheduling, corporate planning, computer-aided design and man­ ufacturing, database query design, cellular telephone frequency assignment, constraint directed reasoning, and computational biology. Furthermore, combinatorial optimization problems occur in many diverse areas such as linear and integer programming, graph theory, artificial intelligence, and number theory.

This book highlights recent research on intelligent systems design and applications. It presents 100 selected papers from the 17th International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Applications (ISDA 2017), which was held in Delhi, India from December 14 to 16, 2017.

This book provides up-to-date information on all aspects of gallbladder disease. After an introductory section on laboratory findings, pathology, and diagnostic methods, it focuses on specific conditions and their management, covering gallbladder stones, acalculous cholecystitis, gallbladder lesions associated with IgG4-related disease and with anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal union, and dyskinesia of the gallbladder.

This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the art review of pediatric oncology. The text covers relevant concepts in molecular biology and addresses technical principles, applications, challenges, and integration of current and emerging genomic and molecular methods in the diagnosis and personalized management of childhood cancers. The text also discusses a wide array of pediatric neoplasms in the context of molecular pathology in a concise and understandable manner, with focus on their molecular pathogenesis, clinicopathological features, classification, molecular diagnosis, and approaches to personalized care.

Skull-base surgery is a minimally invasive endoscopic procedure, which involves the surgeon inserting instruments through the natural openings in the skull—the nose or mouth—or by making a small hole just above the eyebrow. This type of surgery requires a team of specialists, which may include ENT (ear, nose, and throat), maxillofacial and neurosurgeons, as well as radiologists. The craniovertebral junction (CVJ) has a unique anatomical bone and neurovascular structure, which not only separates the subaxial cervical spine but also provides a special cranial flexion, extension and axial rotation pattern. As such, a sound knowledge of the basic principles of spine instrumentation and the region’s kinematics are essential when it comes to strategic preoperative planning.

This book compiles the groundbreaking research conducted by the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 871, centered around the "Regeneration of Complex Capital Goods." This comprehensive work unveils an array of innovative methods developed through CRC 871, designed to revitalize and enhance the functional attributes of these critical assets. From non-destructive characterization of heavily stressed turbine components to the dynamic behavior of regenerated structural elements, each chapter offers a meticulous exploration of diverse facets in the field. The book also addresses the crucial consideration of variability in repair processes and material properties, as well as the comprehensive control of regeneration processes. With insights into simulation-based process design, fast measurement techniques, and resilience-based decision criteria, this volume provides a comprehensive view of the cutting-edge approaches employed. Moreover, readers will find a detailed process chain for condition-based regeneration, offering a practical framework for implementation. Finally, the book sheds light on the importance of targeted public relations in disseminating the invaluable research carried out by Collaborative Research Center 871. This extensive compilation not only showcases the scientific rigor behind maintaining complex capital goods but also demonstrates the collaborative efforts that brought together experts from various fields to push the boundaries of regeneration technology.

Due to limited non-renewable resources and climate change problems, the global energy sector must be transformed from fossil fuel dominated to renewable energy based. However, due to constraints of resources, technology, locked capital in existing energy systems, limited financial support, and associated risks in investment, etc., this transformation is not expected to occur rapidly. Rather there should be an energy transition path with planned replacement of fossil fuel-based systems to renewable-based ones. Large-scale renewable power is yet to be dominant globally. Distributed renewable power is appearing to be more common as its implementation requires smaller investments with lesser financial risks. There are several options of such distributed renewable power with great prospects at different locations. Simultaneously, there are many challenges to overcome for successful implementation of such projects. These challenges are also multi-dimensional. In this book, several chapters address bright prospects of several options of distributed renewable power. Simultaneously, other chapters address challenges of implementation of such technologies. The chapters together cover a wide perspective of both prospects and associated challenges to be addressed for it. Chapters include technological issues, optimization of energy systems, logistics and policies, case studies etc. Researchers, industry professionals, and students can benefit from this book.