So-called altered states of consciousness (ASC) are an intriguing, still under-researched topic, with profound neuropsychological and epistemological implications. In the last few decades there has been increasing multidisciplinary interest in consciousness and ASC, a term encompassing a wide range of pathological and non-pathological conditions, including dreaming, near-death experiences (NDEs…
This book explores the nature of pregnancy and metabolic syndrome as proinflammatory conditions and explains how pregnancy provides a window of opportunity for preventing the lifelong complications of metabolic syndrome, during which key risk factors can be identified and beneficial dietary changes can be implemented. The book’s opening sections discuss inflammation in the context of pregn…
This book aims to overcome the limitations the variations in bank-specifics impose by providing a bank-specific valuation theoretical framework and a new asset-side model. The book includes also a constructive comparison of equity and asset side methods. The authors present a novel framework entitled, the “Asset Mark-down Model”. This method incorporates an Adjusted Present Value model, whi…
Solid-state lasers offer unique qualities in terms of flexibility, robustness, efficiency, and wavelength diversity. For these reasons, they are nowadays irreplaceable tools in many scientific and industrial applications. The engineering of new materials, the advances in photonics technologies, and the increasing demand for speed, cleanliness, and high-precision in industrial processes contribu…
This book represents a timely overview of advances in systems safety and security, based on selected, revised and extended contributions from the 2nd and 3rd editions of the International Workshop on Systems Safety and Security – IWSSS, held in 2014 and 2015, respectively, in Bucharest, Romania. It includes 14 chapters, co-authored by 34 researchers from 7 countries. The book provides an usef…
This book introduces a general approach for schematization of mechanical systems with rigid and deformable bodies. It proposes a systems approach to reproduce the interaction of the mechanical system with different force fields such as those due to the action of fluids or contact forces between bodies, i.e., with forces dependent on the system states, introducing the concepts of the stability o…
As power and gas markets are becoming more and more mature and globally competitive, the importance of reaching maximum potential economic efficiency is fundamental in all the sectors of the value chain, from investments selection to asset optimization, trading and sales. Optimization techniques can be used in many different fields of the energy industry, in order to reduce production and finan…
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Language and Automata Theory and Applications, LATA 2015, held in Nice, France in March 2015. The 53 revised full papers presented together with 5 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from 115 submissions. The papers cover the following topics: algebraic language theory; algorithms for semi-struc…
Provides up-to-date descriptions of treatments and treatment outcomes Focuses especially on integrated treatments Will aid surgeons, oncologists, gynecologists, pathologists, and residents in daily clinical practice and research Includes numerous high quality illustrations and tables
This book offers a clear description of all the balsamic vinegars and/or similar products produced in the world, their differences in composition, quality and use. This encompasses all the steps for the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar: grape composition, crushing, concentration of the must, alcoholic and acetic fermentation, ageing, sensorial properties and quality of the final produ…