Je tiens impossible de connaître les parties sans connaître le tout, non plus que de connaître le tout sans connaître particulierement les parties -Pascal The eterna[ mystery of the world is its comprehensibility -Einstein This book deals with the application of mathematical tools to the study of physiological systems. It is directed toward an audience of physiologists, physicians, physicists, kinesiologists, psychologists, engineers, mathemati­ cians, and others interested in finding out more about the complexities and subtleties of rhythmic physiological processes from a theoretical per­ spective. We have attempted to give a broad view of the underlying notions behind the dynamics of physiological rhythms, sometimes from a theoretical perspective and sometimes from the perspective of the experimentalist. This book can be used in a variety of ways, ranging from a more tra­ ditional approach such as a textbook in a biomathematics course (at either the advanced undergraduate or graduatelevel) to a research re­ source in which someone interested in a particular problem might look at the corresponding discussion here to guide their own thinking. We hope that researchers at all levels will find inspiration from the way we have dealt with particular research problems to tackle completely new areas of investigation, or even approach these in totally new ways.

Handbook of Optimization in Medicine is devoted to examining the dramatic increase in the application of effective optimization techniques to the delivery of health care. The articles, written by experts from the areas of operations research, computer science, and medicine, focus on models and algorithms that have led to more efficient and sophisticated treatments of patients.

Electron magnetic resonance in the time domain has been greatly facilitated by the introduction of novel resonance structures and better computational tools, such as the increasingly widespread use of density-matrix formalism. This second v- ume in our series, devoted both to instrumentation and computation, addresses - plications and advances in the analysis of spin relaxation time measurements. Chapters 1 deals with the important problem of measuring spin relaxation times over a broad temporal range.

From the early examples of what was to be called MRI, extending the te- nique to higher fields than those of less than 0. 1 T used in the first large-volume instruments was a goal, but the way there was unclear. The practical success of large superconducting magnets was a surprise, and the astonishment continued as they developed fields from 0. 3 T to 0. 6 T to 1. 5 T, and even more, up to the now common 3T systems, and a few 4T machines, and now to about 100 times the fields used in the first medium- and large-bore devices. In the early machines, low radiofrequencies of 4 MHz or so meant that RF coil designs were simple (even inexperienced undergraduates could design and build such circuits with little knowledge of more than DC electrical circuits), and the forces on gradient coils were small. The effects of magnetic susceptibility in- mogeneity in and around the object being imaged were negligible, and RF penet- tion depths were not a problem for human-scale samples. Everything began to change as higher fields and higher frequencies came into use, and the earlier idyllic simplicities began to seem quaint. The trend continued, however, driven by the increased signal-to-noise ratios and the resultant higher resolutions and speed available, and sophisticated engineering became more and more essential, not only for magnets but for gradient systems and radiofrequency transmitters and receivers, but also for better software for modeling and correcting distortions.

New textbooks at all levels of chemistry appear with great regularity. Some fields like basic biochemistry, organic reaction mechanisms, and chemical thermody­ namics are well represented by many excellent texts, and new or revised editions are published sufficiently often to keep up with progress in research. However, some areas of chemistry, especially many of those taught at the graduate level, suffer from a real lack of up-to-date textbooks. The most serious needs occur in fields that are rapidly changing. Textbooks in these subjects usually have to be written by scientists actually involved in the research which is advancing the field. It is not often easy to persuade such individuals to set time aside to help spread the knowledge they have accumulated. Our goal, in this series, is to pinpoint areas of chemistry where recent progress has outpaced what is covered in any available textbooks, and then seek out and persuade experts in these fields to produce relatively concise but instructive introductions to their fields. These should serve the needs of one semester or one quarter graduate courses in chemistry and biochemistry.

This 121st IMA volume, entitled MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR BIOLOGICAL PATTERN FORMATION is the first of a new series called FRONTIERS IN APPLICATION OF MATHEMATICS. The FRONTIERS volumes are motivated by IMA pro­ grams and workshops, but are specially planned and written to provide an entree to and assessment of exciting new areas for the application of mathematical tools and analysis. The emphasis in FRONTIERS volumes is on surveys, exposition and outlook, to attract more mathematicians and other scientists to the study of these areas and to focus efforts on the most important issues, rather than papers on the most recent research results aimed at an audience of specialists.

This textbook, aimed at advanced undergraduate and graduate students, introduces the basic knowledge required for nanomedicine and nanotechnology, and emphasizes how the combined use of chemistry and light with nanoparticles can serve as treatments and therapies for cancer.

This book covers the basic knowledge of biojet fuel, explores the current technological status, and presents future prospects for commercial biojet fuel production. The focus of this book is on biojet fuel production from different types of potential substrates. It also includes technoeconomic analysis and life cycle assessment of biojet fuel. Biojet fuel is currently recognized as the best alternative to petroleum-based jet fuel due to its renewability and sustainable features. However, there is a scarcity of reports on biojet fuel production from various types of substrates.

This book aims to understand biological evolution through a physical approach, focusing on the macroscopic aspects of the biological genome. Readers will discover the connection between genomic information and the harmony of biological systems, a relationship that remains elusive to many researchers in biological sciences.

This book presents the basic principles and the latest advances in space archaeology. Following general reviews of the state of the art of Earth observation technologies and archaeology, the book introduces the principles and methods of space archaeology, remote sensing methods for archaeological survey, and integrated archaeological survey methods including geophysics, virtual reality, web technologies, global positioning systems (GPS), geographical information systems (GIS), and big data. The book then presents two chapters on case studies of word heritage sites in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Americas, including three major world heritage sites in China: The Great Wall, Grand Canal, and Silk Road. The last chapter of the book discusses the future of space archaeology. This book has an interdisciplinary appeal and scholars with an interest in cultural heritage and remote sensing technologies for Earth value its contribution.

Synergetics is the quantitative study of multicomponent systems that exhibit nonlinear dynamics and cooperativity. This book specifically considers basic models of the nonlinear dynamics of molecular systems and discusses relevant applications in biological physics and the polymer sciences.

The most mysterious part of photosynthesis yet the most important for all aerobic life on Earth (including ourselves) is how green plants, algae and cyanobacteria make atmospheric oxygen from water. This thermodynamically difficult process is only achieved in Nature by the unique pigment/protein complex known as Photosystem II, using sunlight to power the reaction. The present volume contains 34 comprehensive chapters authored by 75 scientific experts from around the world. It gives an up-to-date account on all what is currently known about the molecular biology, biochemistry, biophysics and physiology of Photosystem II.

Health Effects of Cell Phone Radiation will offer a concentrated and up-to-date overview on the effects of radio frequencies on human tissue. While significant advances are being made on many fronts, ranging in frequency from quasi-static to the optical regime, a special emphasis of this volume is on current understanding of biological interactions of cellular mobile communication radiation. The use of cell-phones has experienced phenomenal growth - some estimate that there will be more than 3.5 billion users of these wireless devices by the end of 2010, worldwide.

This book provides an exclusive and critical in-depth analysis of paddy straw waste valorization at a broad scale for different industrial applications. It explores and discusses the various valorization pathways of paddy straw into valuable products connected to biorefineries' products and byproducts. The book also examines the scope, potential, and availability of paddy straw in the field of biorefineries.

This book provides an accessible introduction to an exciting new field of life science in which the focus is on small numbers of molecules and minorities within cell populations and their significance for the understanding of biological phenomena. Numbers, or quantitative data, are attracting more attention in cell biology following, for example, determination of the absolute copy number of each protein species in each bacterial cell and the recognition of leader cells that drive collective cell migration. Within this context, the authors present recent advances in experimental techniques, biological findings, and theories. A variety of cutting-edge topics and issues are addressed, with explanation of the ways in which recent developments in the field cast light on seemingly straightforward but difficult-to-answer questions. Readers will learn that we are on the verge of a paradigm shift as the importance of cooperation among groups of molecules in live cells is acknowledged. The book is designed to be enjoyable to read and easy to understand. It will be of interest for a wide range of readers, including young researchers and undergraduate/high school students.