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The encounter between Japan and the West posed a question as to whether there can be any mutual understanding between such seemingly different civilizations. Japanese intellectuals came to Europe to study Western thinking and found that the prevalent positivism and pragmatism were inadequate, and turned to phenomenology as a way of dealing with awareness, unavailable in other Western philosophical trends. Japanese opened a dialogue with such thinkers as Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger; this text is an explication of this dialogue.. From Zen to Phenomenology opens the essential dimensions of transcendental phenomenology and the way of Zen in order to disclose the conjunction between these two schools of awareness. The research offered in the text traces the origins of Zen to the Buddhist Nagarjuna, presenting his arguments that all explanatory claims of awareness are empty. In Zen, the phenomenon of emptiness is a place holder depicted as basho where anything can appear without obstructions. The task, in the text, is to show how such a place can be reached by excluding claims by some Japanese and Western scholars as to the aims of Zen. The introduction of aims is equally an obstruction and must be avoided, just as an attachment to a specific Zen school is to be discarded. Phenomenological analyses of time awareness show the presence of a domain which is composed of flux and permanence such that both aspects are given as empty place holders for any possible reality of any culture. The awareness of these aspects is neither one nor the other, and hence can appear through both as primal symbols fluctuating one through the other. If we say that everything changes, we encounter the permanence of this claim, and if we say that everything is permanent, we encounter an effort to maintain such permanence both disclosing a movement between them, comprising a place for any understanding of a world explicated in any culture. This is the domain where Zen and transcendental phenomenology find their groundless ground.

Bottle-feeding is an ubiquitous aspect of infant feeding, yet bottle-feeding caregivers report a lack of support and access to evidence-based advice related to healthy bottle-feeding practices. This gap is due, in part, to a greater emphasis placed on breastfeeding support and promotion. Given a large and growing body of research illustrating associations between bottle-feeding and a number of health issues such as overfeeding, rapid weight gain, and dental caries the lack of advice and support for healthy bottle-feeding practices is concerning. To this end, this book aims to illustrate the state of the science related to bottle-feeding practices, caregiver perceptions, and related health outcomes. Based on this evidence, this book also provides practical, pragmatic advice to ensure that practitioners, researchers, and other professionals that work with families with young infants can best support bottle-feeding caregivers and promote the healthy growth and development for bottle-feeding infants.

Volunteering is one of the phenomena which, despite the limited amount of volunteers, is seen as highly important for the appropriate functioning of society. Volunteering and active participation in volunteer movements are considered to be the key components of civil society; they generate social self-regulation and strengthen political democracy by developing active individual citizenship. Such issues have become topical in recent years. The studies stress the importance of voluntary civic engagement for the sustainable development and maintenance of civilized societal cohesion and democracy. The researches address volunteering as just one form of social and political involvement of the citizens connected with participation in voluntary organizations and individual involvement in public discourse. However, most studies on volunteering have been prepared in the tradition more specifically focused at helping behavior and unpaid work. Many articles, book chapters and reports have disclosed volunteering in various fields such as religious organizations, schools, human services, sports, etc. Although volunteering as a topic is far from being new, the studies specifically placing volunteering in a civil society perspective are rarer. The aim of this book is to precisely further explore this perspective, using theoretical and empirical data from various sources all over the globe. The contribution of this book deals with a broad range of issues concerning social influences, gender differences and attitudes towards volunteering. Some chapters give a general outline of the adolescents development, international volunteer movement and positive youth development; describe the relationship between volunteering and volunteer satisfaction; emphasize the need to strengthen the legal protection of volunteers and examine the predictors of prosocial behavior of youth; characterize employee and youth volunteering under the conditions of sustainable community development; examine more closely the conditions and problems of volunteering under specific circumstances. However, this book deals not only with the theoretical research of differences and similarities in volunteering in different societies and countries; other intriguing issues have also been examined, such as why people volunteer, how they relate to each other and to the beneficiaries, which ideas they wish to promote, etc. Qualitative and quantitative approaches to the research have produced better insight and deeper understanding of the volunteers goals and motives, attitudes and differences. Some of the chapters in this book present the empirical results of in-depth interviews, discussions and participant observation. The editor hopes that his contribution in this book will advance our understanding of variety in volunteering; the differences between the attitudes and genders; the impact of the social and political environment on volunteering; and the influence of social settings and individual characteristics on motivation of volunteers. He also hopes that this book will contribute to the recognition of volunteering as an interesting and important topic for further scientific research. The editor wishes to thank all those who have contributed to the preparation of this book. As editor, he has invited scholars from different disciplines and countries to prepare their contributions, in order to get the broadest possible overview of the current status of knowledge in the sphere of volunteering. The editor believes that the resulting variation has been properly reflected in this book. He thanks all the authors not only for their contributions, but also for their accuracy during the preparation of the appropriate chapters.

This book tries to give an approach of the implications of crisis, especially in health and social systems. The economic crisis, as a global phenomenon of the first decade of the twentieth century, has had a negative impact on all health and social indicators. Therefore, severe austerity measures and inadequacy of resources can lead to worse health indicators and a lower quality of health services. The ongoing economic crisis has also strongly affected the way EU shapes national welfare state reforms compared to the pre-crisis period, especially in countries that have faced unprecedented economic difficulties, as it is the case with Greece. The crisis has given substance to an old and often hypothetical debate about the financial sustainability of health systems in Europe. There is evidence about how the consequences of economic crisis, such as unemployment, poverty, social exclusion, homelessness, and insecurity have had detrimental effects on peoples health status. Various causes of mortality and morbidity connected to mental health, substance abuse, and infectious disease have been raised. Poor education, social isolation, and poor housing are the key factors responsible for the vulnerability to mental health problems among less privileged individuals. Health status and well-being of the populations worsened. The health sector has to be effective with less resources and a reduced budget. Health professionals are required to work harder in an environment of continuous cuts, with a lack of materials and equipment, to be paid less and at the same time maintain quality standards. Migration is simultaneously a challenge and a motive for humanity to show solidarity to other human beings. Although fear and difficulties may initially create a hostile and fearsome environment for immigrants, deeper cultural characteristics usually bring to the surface actions of true solidarity, something which has been historically true for Greece.

Secondary Metabolite and Functional Food Components: Their Roles in Health and Disease consists of original chapters, provides updates to previous source material and acts as a unique source of information for all those interested in secondary metabolites and functional food components. The proposed publication focuses on the pharmaceutical and food industries, with an emphasis on their aspects pertaining to chemistry, nutrition sciences, biochemistry and biology. In the present book, the major secondary metabolites and the chemistry in conjunction with functional food components have been discussed. The book also deals with the role of secondary metabolites in human health and diseases. This book is specifically marketed towards graduate and masters students. It deals with the knowledge and recent advancements in the field of secondary metabolites and functional food components as well as their importance in health and disease. Moreover, the book will also be very useful for the students preparing for various competitive examinations such as the CSIR, ICMR, DBT, and ICAR JRF/NET exams.

Although decompressive craniectomy is a surgical procedure that has been with us for the past 100 years, its prognostic value in long-term outcomes remains doubtful and its use is at a crossroads. Three randomized trials and numerous cohorts, along with comparative studies over the past 15 years (as shown in the presented figure) have significantly improved our understanding of this simple surgical procedure. In writing this book, the authors not only tried to present state-of-the-art evidence describing the molecular and cellular cascades discovered during the past 40 years and current critical care management of traumatic brain injury, but also found it very appropriate to consider the views of scientists who have contributed immensely in understanding the pathobiology of severe head injury (Simard and Fiskum). The current values of multimodality monitoring of neurochemical processes (Badjatia, Bullock) and the contribution of maximal medical management through guidelines (Stein, Ullman) help to understand how far research concerning the management of head injury has come. The authors deem it important to present the personal views of leading scientists who have conducted two high impact randomized controlled trials (Cooper, Hutchinson, Servadei and Sahuquillo) and the experiential views of decompressive craniectomy during the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom campaigns (Rosenfeld, Neal). Joint discussions of ethical views between the next of kin and surgeons as well as the value of informed consent constitute the ultimate objective before proceeding with the surgical procedure (Honeybul). The promise of the future, which hangs on additional imaging biomarkers with higher predictive values is presented in a systematic review (Aarabi) that stresses a clear view of the extent of rostral-caudal injury severity to the functional connectivity network, and the connectome on magnetic resonance imaging before proceeding with decompressive craniectomy in patients with low motor subscores.

Environmental microbiological hygiene can be divided into two mainstreams: 1. Monitoring of microbiological strains, and, 2. Investigations on the circulation in the human and natural ecosystems by the micro-organisms. Increased understanding of the key role of environmental microbiology in the planetary survival strategy is a prerequisite for the transformation of human societies into sustainable economies. The book Microbiological Environmental Hygiene contains descriptions of the microbes and natural ecosystems from rain forests to arctic areas, as well as strains in the cleaning processes of human epithelia and food or water sources. It gives an insight into microbiological hygiene in various industrial effluents and focuses also on the prospects of environmental biotechnology, protection by natural and organic compounds, as well as against contamination or epidemics. This microbiological safety is monitored also in traffic systems and vessels. Different effects of climate change can be seen in the microbial ecosystems. It is essential to learn from the microbes and to develop the ecosystem services that allow humans to understand the ways they could be collaborated. This helps in cleaning up the soil, water and air. Also, the recalcitrant substances and plastics can get degraded by the microbes. Screening and source-tracking of water contaminations, as well as the promotion of soil fertility by microbes are presented. Both traditional microbiology and molecular methods are needed for the monitoring and research of the microbial agents. Microbiomes in the biosphere exercise interactions with other organisms, and they contribute to environmental health issues. Various groups of important micro-organisms are presented, such as environmental viruses and various bacteria, molds and yeasts, protozoa and algae. The utilization of biological organisms potential is studied for novel solutions. Microbiological Environmental Hygiene is the fourth part in a series on microbiological hygiene. This book combines the different fields of microbiology into a holistic view on the functions of the ecosystems and the cycles of matter, as well as the sustainable production of biochemical, fuels, gases and organic fertilizers with the help of microbes and their enzymes.

This book is about the empirical analysis of household electricity saving behavior. In particular, we focus on effective methods to promote energy saving behavior and the effectiveness of energy-saving equipment. After the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, 52 of Japan's nuclear power plants temporarily stopped. Prior to the Fukushima accident, about 25% of Japan's total electricity supply amount depended on nuclear power. Therefore, the resulting power shortage has become a serious problem, especially in summer and winter. In this document, the authors focus on several policy instruments that encourage energy saving behavior such as economic incentive (increase in electricity price and compensation), public electricity saving request, comparative feedback, social norms, and verify their effect. Furthermore, the authors will conduct a quantitative economic analysis based on these data sets using randomly obtained data as well as summary data announced after 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The authors then examine how households respond to policy measures to save electricity. The result of this book is to clarify to what extent the power saving policy targeted at homes was effective, and it is useful for considering what kind of policy measures (including a mixed policy) should be adopted according to future goals. The authors especially recommend this book to researchers and environmental energy policy-makers, but also target readers interested in Japan's energy saving issues.

Protein-Lipid Interactions: Perspectives, Techniques and Challenges analyzes and covers a broad spectrum of protein-lipid interactions and presents new information in this area of research. The topics analyzed include: an update on the cholesterol effects of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor; the modulation of lipid compositions for proteinlipid interactions, membrane dynamics and their structures; defining the moderate affinity of specific lipid binding sites on amphitropic enzymes; the lipid-dependent gating of ion channels; the use of novel imaging approaches to study phosphoinositide signaling in vesicle trafficking; the study of protein-lipid interplay in vital biological functions; and particularly important instances of proteinlipid interactions from 1900 to 2017.

Global Perspectives Effective Programs and SocioCultural Challenges.

The purpose of this book was to investigate the temperature and input energy dependency of Nd:YAG laser performance pumped by flashlamp. A commercial laser rod Nd:YAG laser crystal was utilized as a gain medium. The laser rod was placed parallel to a linear flashlamp filled by xenon gas at 450 Torr. The Nd:YAG crystal together with the flashlamp was flooded with a coolant comprising of a mixture with 60% ethylene glycol and 40% distilled water, which covers a range of temperature from -30oC to +60oC. Spectroscopic properties of the Nd:YAG rod under pulsed flashlamp pumping was investigated from the output fluorescence spectrum of the flashlamp radiation and the Nd:YAG rod. The linewidth of each fluorescence line was measured for an estimation of an effective emission cross section and saturation intensity. The influence of temperature and input energy on a fluorescence emission cross section of Nd3+:YAG crystal was studied. The cross-section was found to decrease as the temperature and the input energy was increased. The inter-stark emission showed a Lorentzian line shape indicating homogeneous broadening. This was attributed to the thermal broadening mechanism of the emission line. The spectral widths and shifts of the emission lines for the three and four level inter-Stark transitions within the respective intermanifold transitions of 4F3/2→4I9/2 and 4F3/2→4I11/2 were investigated over the range of 0 to 75 J. The emission lines for the 4F3/2→4I9/2 transitions shifted towards a longer wavelength and broadened, while the positions and linewidths for the 4F3/2→4I11/2 transitions remained unchanged with the increase of input energy. Finally, the temperature dependence of quasi-three-level laser transitions for long pulse Nd:YAG laser was also investigated. The laser performances at both 938.5 nm and 946.0 nm were also found to be inversely proportional to temperature, and the slope efficiency was unchanged with temperature. The reduction was due to the mechanism of phonon scattering as well as a broadening effect while the temperature increased.

The problems of one of the basic branches of mathematical statistics statistical hypotheses testing are considered in this book. The intensive development of these methods began at the beginning of the last century. The basic results of modern theory of statistical hypotheses testing belong to the cohort of famous statisticians of this period: Fisher, Neyman-Pearson, Jeffreys and Wald (Fisher, 1925; Neyman and Pearson, 1928, 1933; Jeffreys, 1939; Wald, 1947a,b). Many other bright scientists have brought their invaluable contributions to the development of this theory and practice. As a result of their efforts, many brilliant methods for different suppositions about the character of random phenomena are under study, as well as their applications for solving very complicated and diverse modern problems. Since the mid-1970s, the author of this book has been engaged in the development of the methods of statistical hypotheses testing and their applications for solving practical problems from different spheres of human activity. As a result of this activity, a new approach to the solution of the considered problem has been developed, which was later named the Constrained Bayesian Methods (CBM) of statistical hypotheses testing. Decades were dedicated to the description, investigation and applications of these methods for solving different problems. The results obtained for the current century are collected in seven chapters and three appendices of this book. The short descriptions of existing basic methods of statistical hypotheses testing in relation to different CBM are examined in Chapter One. The formulations and solutions of conventional (unconstrained) and new (constrained) Bayesian problems of hypotheses testing are described in Chapter Two. The investigation of singularities of hypotheses acceptance regions in CBM and new opportunities in hypotheses testing are presented in Chapter Three. Chapter Four is devoted to the investigations for normal distribution. Sequential analysis approaches developed on the basis of CBM for different kinds of hypotheses are described in Chapter Five. The special software developed by the author for statistical hypotheses testing with CBM (along with other known methods) is described in Chapter Six. The detailed experimental investigation of the statistical hypotheses testing methods developed on the basis of CBM and the results of their comparison with other known methods are given in Chapter Seven. The formalizations of absolutely different problems of human activity such as hypotheses testing problems in the solution of which the author was engaged in different periods of his life and some additional information about CBM are given in the appendices. Finally, it should be noted that, for understanding the materials given in the book, the knowledge of the basics of the probability theory and mathematical statistics is necessary. I think that this book will be useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the field of mathematics, mathematical statistics, applied statistics and other subfields for studying the modern methods of statistics and their application in research. It will also be useful for researchers and practitioners in the areas of hypotheses testing, as well as the estimation theory who develop these new methods and apply them to the solutions of different problems.

The aim of this book is to present original data and comprehensive reviews of state-of-the-art work that advance our understanding of solution chemistry in diverse fields, authored by the diverse experts. The first two chapters address advances in solubility measurements. The first chapter provides the experimental data and thermodynamic modeling regarding solubilities of uraninite [UO2(cr)], pyrochlore [(NaCa)Nb2O6F(cr)] and microlite [(NaCa)Ta2O6F(cr)] in NaF solutions under the extreme conditions at 800oC and 2,0002,300 bars. The knowledge embodied in the first chapter is important for understanding the formation of rare metal deposits in the ultrahigh temperature hydrothermal systems. The second chapter presents an experimental study of brucite [Mg(OH)2(cr)] solubilities in NaCl solutions over a wide range of ionic strength from 0.01 molkg1 to 5.6 molkg1 at elevated temperatures up to 80oC. Such results are useful in many areas of study, including elucidation of the formation of recently discovered brucite-carbonate chimneys in hyperalkaline (pH 911), saline, hydrothermal fluids (40oC to 90oC) on ocean floors. Chapters 3 and 4 address advances in solution chemistry related to salt formations. In Chapter 3, the incoherent inelastic neutron scattering (INNS) technique was used to distinguish three water environments in bedded salts. These three environments include intergranular water molecules confined to grain boundaries, water in fluid inclusions, and structural water in hydrous minerals. Such knowledge is relevant to subsurface energy exploration and nuclear waste storage in salt formations. Chapter 4 provides the experimental evidence to demonstrate that mineral colloids derived from an engineered barrier of MgO, in high ionic strength brines associated with salt formations are nonexistent. This is attributed to the fact that the high ionic strength solutions associated with salt formations have high concentrations of both monovalent and divalent metal ions that are orders of magnitude higher than the critical coagulation concentrations for magnesium oxide derived colloids. The absence of magnesium oxide derived colloids in high ionic strength solutions implies that contributions from these colloids to the total mobile source term of radionuclides are minimal in a salt geological repository. Two chapters summarize advances related to organic materials. Chapter 5 provides an overview regarding the advances in new functionalized polysulfones. Recently developed polysulfonic films are expected to find biomedical applications. Chapter 6 includes a comprehansive review with regard to the analytical techniques for determination of trace elements in crude oils and fuel oils, and the original data generated in the laboratory. Based on these results, it seems that elements of high value could be co-extracted from crude oils in the future. The final two chapters address advances in speciation in understanding in aqueous systems. Chapter 7 presents an overview of the advances in speciation of vanadium using three techniques: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR), and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Chapter 8 centers on the speciation of Am(III) in hyperalkaline solutions. The equilibrium constant for Am(OH)4 is obtained by using the Pitzer model to evaluate Am(OH)3(s) solubility data in KOH solutions.

Understanding the mechanisms by which the brain develops resilience, or lack thereof, could help unveil biomarkers for novel therapeutics to facilitate resilience after trauma. As of today, no specific treatment has been discovered for PTSD; nonetheless, 1 in 10 individuals suffer from this debilitating disorder. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely used as a first-line treatment, but with a high non-response rate, and the reasons for their inefficacy in PTSD is examined. This book reviews several biomarker candidates that may be useful to develop a precision medicine and help PTSD patients who fail to respond to traditional therapy. We examine the function of physiologically diverse raphe nucleus 5-HTergic neurons, deficits in amygdalar 5-HTergic neural systems, amygdala dopamine on emotional memory processing and the role of antipsychotics that attenuate excessive dopamine release and improve resilience. Autonomic imbalance, an acquired feature of PTSD, can be improved by trauma-focused psychotherapy and targeted interventions such as biofeedback. New hope via neuroepigenetics may unveil new therapeutic approaches for PTSD. Dysregulation in the HPA-axis and telomere dynamics may prove as key mechanisms in facilitating resilience and limit the risk of suicide. The endocannabinoid and neurosteroid systems as well as their interactions provide a crucial biomarker axis and contribute novel, exciting therapeutic targets to facilitate resilience after trauma.

Lignin has been used as a proxy to study biogeochemical processes and transportation of land derived carbon from land to lakes, rivers, coastal areas and deep marine environments. The literature of such a topic is vast, however, there are few applications of lignin molecular biogeochemistry for reconstructing paleovegetation and climate changes (e.g., the lignin phenol vegetation index; LPVI) and it is not particularly useful unless the molecular level information of terrestrial plants is compiled together in a systematic way. Chemically, lignin has been regarded as comparatively resistant to various types of degradation in comparison to other plant components such as carbohydrates and hydrocarbons. This book shapes the current state of the art in lignin molecular biogeochemistry research that highlights the potential future applications for this important biomarker for vegetation change and land-derived biogenic carbon transportations. This book provides a unique and thorough look at the application of lignin molecular biogeochemistry to environmental changes and monsoon variability. It also indicates that the application of lignin molecular biogeochemistry for an understanding of environmental changes consists of a biogeochemical approach that has been quite successful, but underused. This book is a new contribution to our knowledge of the lignin molecular biogeochemistry of different geographic locations and climatic conditions.

This monograph presents a new disciplinecultural genomicsas a complex approach for studying the interrelation between genomic data and culture and the impact of culture on genomic evolution in human history. It analyzes three basic components of cultural genomicsarchaeology, genealogy, and genomics. The author explores the classifications of archaeology and genealogy as traditional disciplines and tests their peculiarities against the limitations and delimitations of genomics to resolve the problems of human origin and historical demography. The main thesis in the book is that cultural genomics as a complex discipline has been changing the dynamics of exploring the human cultural identity in revolutionary ways and the problems of personal origin and lineage. Additionally, this book analyzes the evolution of human civilization and its requirement for close integration of genomics, archaeology, genetic genealogy, traditional genealogy, and other related social and cultural disciplines. Cultural identity is the basic constructor of the progress of human civilization. Cultural genomics allows researchers to personalize human history and embed new parameters of identity from the perspective of origin. However, the success of the scholarly results depends on how well genomics is blended with related branches of the science of humanity to produce quality results. Many topics of cultural identity still dwell only in the domain of traditional archaeology and genealogy, although genomics has expanded the opportunity to learn not only how cultural identity evolved, but also to create platforms of global networks of interrelatedness that have no analogies in the previous human scholarly experience. The innovative scholarly problems that the author addresses and the general attempt to constitute cultural genomics as a leading complex discipline of human cultural identity in the 21st century connect the book to the interests of the global scholarly community and all who are interested in cultural identity, genomic archaeology, genetic genealogy, and human origin as well as the evolution of human civilization. The author of this study, Dr. Lolita Nikolova, is a globally renowned scientist who has conducted an in-depth and complex original research; she uniquely combines expertise in the fields of prehistoric archaeology, genealogy, and cultural genomics.

This book is a compilation of CRS reports from 2017 and 2018 on Mexico, its background and US Relations. Congress has maintained significant interest in Mexico, an ally and top trade partner. The first chapter provides an overview of political and economic conditions in Mexico, followed by assessments of selected issues of congressional interest in Mexico: security and foreign aid, extraditions, human rights, trade, migration, energy, education, environment and water issues. The second chapter or report is a primer on US and Mexican water sharing. It focuses on the sharing of surface waters. The third chapter addresses seasonal agricultural import competition in the NAFTA renegotiation. Mexicos production of some fruits and vegetables tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, berries and melons has increased sharply in recent years, in large part to Mexicos investment in large-scale greenhouse production facilities and other types of technological innovations. The next chapter provides an overview of the United States energy trade with Canada and Mexico. It quantifies current trends in US energy trade across the fuel categories, the potential for future trade, and key factors that may affect that potential especially energy transportation infrastructure. The last report included in this book is a three-page report on Mexicos transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), which have been identified for years as the greatest organized crime threat to the US given their strong links to drug trafficking, money laundering and other crimes.