This book contains the full papers presented at the MICCAI 2013 workshop Computational Methods and Clinical Applications for Spine Imaging. The workshop brought together researchers representing several fields, such as Biomechanics, Engineering, Medicine, Mathematics, Physics and Statistic. The works included in this book present and discuss new trends in those fields, using several methods and techniques in order to address more efficiently different and timely applications involving signal and image acquisition, image processing and analysis, image segmentation, image registration and fusion, computer simulation, image based modelling, simulation and surgical planning, image guided robot assisted surgical and image based diagnosis.
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<p>The focus of this book is the consideration of environmental issues in engineering process and product design. It presents a selection of 30 papers ensuing from the 12th CIRP International seminar on Life Cycle Engineering. This book is of interest to academics, students and practitioners, specializing in environmental issues in mechanical engineering, design and manufacturing. This volume is recommended as a reference textbook for all researchers in the field.</p>
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This book offers a compact introduction to modern linear control design. The simplified overview presented of linear time-domain methodology paves the road for the study of more advanced non-linear techniques. Only rudimentary knowledge of linear systems theory is assumed - no use of Laplace transforms or frequency design tools is required. Emphasis is placed on assumptions and logical implications, rather than abstract completeness; on interpretation and physical meaning, rather than theoretical formalism; on results and solutions, rather than derivation or solvability. The topics covered include transient performance and stabilization via state or output feedback; disturbance attenuation and robust control; regional eigenvalue assignment and constraints on input or output variables; asymptotic regulation and disturbance rejection. Lyapunov theory and Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMI) are discussed as key design methods. All methods are demonstrated with MATLAB to promote practical use and comprehension.
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<p>What is balanced growth? This book shows that the definitions and implications of the concept of balanced growth vary significantly among the different disciplines in economic science, but are not exclusive at all. </p> <p>Terms such as sustainability<i> </i>or balanced growth<i> </i>have become buzzwords. In practice, they are often a desirable vision rather than an achievable objective. Why? Doubts may arise about the extent to which such concepts are compatible with a modern market economy. Is balanced growth possible at all? Is it reasonable to accept balanced growth as a norm? Why should a balanced growth path be a desirable strategy to pursue for policymakers, managers, employees, and other societal stakeholders? Empirical evidence suggests that the actual worldwide economic growth is not balanced at all. Meanwhile, ever since the beginning of the financial and economic crisis in 2007 and its accompanying spillover effects, our globalizing world has uncompromisingly shown the flip side of its coin. Its crisis-prone character has intensified the discussion about our economic system’s sustainability. Questions related to acceptable sovereign debt levels, suitable trade deficits and surpluses, firms’ growth targets, resource management and efficiency have aroused high interest. What is the cause of the observed imbalances? In our opinion, this debate must involve rethinking the qualitative and quantitative dimension of our present understanding of the nature of economic growth. </p> <p>This book accompanies the 9th DocNet Management Symposium of the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland. It contains contributions of the symposium's panel speakers, renowned authors to the field and young researchers. The Ph.D. students’ and post-doctoral association DocNet organizes the DocNet Management Symposium on a yearly basis with the goal to foster exchange between academia and practitioners. </p> <p></p>
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Over the last few decades, there are increasing public awareness of adverse events involving engineering failures that not only led to monetary losses but also more importantly, human injuries and deaths. Whilst it is vital for an engineering professional or student to acquire the necessary technical knowledge and skills in their respective field, they must also understand the ethical essences that are relevant to their profession. Engineering professionals like biomedical engineers, need to appreciate the fundamentals of best practices and recognise how any derivation from such practices can have undesirable impacts on human lives. Through this book, it is hoped that readers would draw the relevance between the study of ethics and biomedical engineering. The book would be a useful source and reference for college-level and university-level students. Moreover, the contents are written so as to also provide valuable insights even for existing biomedical engineers and those enrolled in continual engineering education programs.
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<p>Artificial organs may be considered as small-scale process plants, in which heat, mass and momentum transfer operations and, possibly, chemical transformations are carried out. This book proposes a novel analysis of artificial organs based on the typical bottom-up approach used in process engineering. Starting from a description of the fundamental physico-chemical phenomena involved in the process, the whole system is rebuilt as an interconnected ensemble of elemental unit operations.</p> <p>Each artificial organ is presented with a short introduction provided by expert clinicians. Devices commonly used in clinical practice are reviewed and their performance is assessed and compared by using a mathematical model based approach. Whilst mathematical modelling is a fundamental tool for quantitative descriptions of clinical devices, models are kept simple to remain focused on the essential features of each process.</p> <p>Postgraduate students and researchers in the field of chemical and biomedical engineering will find that this book provides a novel and useful tool for the analysis of existing devices and, possibly, the design of new ones. This approach will also be useful for medical researchers who want to get a deeper insight into the basic working principles of artificial organs.</p>
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<p>This book does nothing less than lay out the state of development of tomorrow’s cancer drugs, directed against growth factors, growth factor receptors and intracellular signaling molecules with kinase activities. The sequencing of the human genome and insights into signaling pathways have contributed to the understanding of cancer etiology and the development of new, improved cancer drugs such as Herceptin and Glivec. The deregulation of pathways due to mutated cancer genes provides the conceptual basis for future progress. Will it be possible to derive more efficient cancer drugs?</p>
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<p>This book presents the concept of group-centered prevention and provides explanations and exercises for learning the method and teaching it to others. Detailed studies offer evidence for the continuing importance of prevention in mental well-being and distinguishes group-centered prevention from other group interventions by its ability to resolve incipient mental health issues and emotional problems. Case examples with adults, children, couples, and others demonstrate successful uses of group-centered techniques as well as illustrate the problems that arise in group settings. The book's ready-to-apply training exercises give prospective group leaders practice in starting new groups, fostering cohesion, integrating therapeutic factors into sessions, and other core skills. </p> <p>Featured topics include:</p> <ul> <li>Group-centered prevention in contrast with other group interventions.</li> <li>Characteristics of effective leaders in group-centered prevention.</li> <li>Benefits of prevention groups as opposed to those gained in counseling and therapy.</li> <li>Key constructs of self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation in group-centered prevention.</li> <li>Stages of development in new groups.</li> <li>Formats for developing training exercises.</li> </ul> <p><i>Group-Centered Prevention in Mental Health </i>is an essential resource for scientist-practitioners, clinicians, and researchers as well as graduate students in such disciplines as school psychology, social work, and public health. Its educational uses span classroom, workshop, and training settings across the health and healing disciplines.</p>
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