Book Reviews

Book Reviews

Fault Detection: Classification, Techniques and Role in Industrial Systems

“It is well known that the current scenarios differ from that ones we met decades ago. This is the result of prominent changes from a technological point of view that affects the maintenance field among others. One of the key factors in the Fault Detection and Diagnosis is the complexity to evaluate the type of failure and to implement suitable techniques.” READ MORE…Raúl Ruiz de la Hermosa González-Carrato, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Industriales, Ciudad Real

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The History of Cesarean Section

“The book offers a fascinating medical history on Caesarean Section to both obstetricians and the medical community alike. It begins from the Book of Genesis, from the early days of Babylon and ancient Egypt, and displays in colorful, yet in historical and medical accuracy, the development of the concepts, art, and opinions that have accompanied it from the outset to its expansion into a mainstream general medical practice performed in the West and the world over.” READ MORE…Prof. Shifra Shvarts, Moshe Prywes Center for Medical Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

“Professor Samuel Lurie, a member of the International Society for the History of Medicine and a regular contributor to this journal has performed a great service to his colleagues in compiling this short account of the history of cesarean section. As the author notes the procedure has intrigued mankind through recorded time and in many ways the history of this operation reflects the progress of medical practice through the ages.” READ MORE…Kenneth Collins

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Phoenix Economics: From Crisis to Renascence

“The author of this recently published book is an Italian academic, who earned his PhD in Economic history. Phoenix Economics, his fourth book, is addressed to academics, researchers and those in need of food for thought to debate on economic current issues such as debt, financial crisis or fiscal and monetary policies.” READ MORE…Marie-Aimée Tourres, Associate Fellow, Foundation for Int’l Development Study and Research (FERDI), France

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Troponin: Regulator of Muscle Contraction

“As part of his development of the Ca2+ concept of muscle contraction and relaxation in the 1960s, Setsuro Ebashi discovered the first intracellular Ca2+ binding protein which he named troponin. In 1971 Marion Greaser and John Gergely determined that troponin consisted of three subunits. They named the subunits based on their observed function: TnC bound Ca2+, TnI inhibited actomyosin ATPase activity in the presence or absence of Ca2+ and TnT bound to tropomyosin.” READ MORE…Jack A. Ralln, Ph.D., Department of Physiology & Cell Biology, Ohio State University

“The authors have provided an excellent review of the history of troponin-related studies as well as a comprehensive summary of the protein’s structure and function. Most of the key papers that have led to our currently understood concepts about this protein were summarized. There is considerable subject matter redundancy among the subtopics as often occurs in books with multiple authors, but the quality of the chapters is uniformly high. This book will be a valuable and up to date addition to the muscle protein literature.” – Marion Greaser, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

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Evolution Stands Faith Up: Reflections on Evolution’s Wars

“This is an inspiring, readable collection of 21 essays of reflective value to everyone. You can dip into any of these well-crafted and thoughtful essays at leisure without concern for order. The layout of each essay is appealing, beginning with a quote extracted from the essay, which summarizes the key insight, and finishing with a list of suggested readings and resources.” READ MORE…Dr. Greg M. Stott

“The author immerses us in a broad range of topics with a common theme: why science is critical for our well-being and how “belief,” as a “disruptor,” delays and stops the correct comprehension and acceptance of evidence.” READ MORE…Avelina Espinosa, PhD, Professor of Biology, Roger Williams University, United States

“Many biologists and scientists in general would probably agree that the struggle against creationism as an alternative to science is a war that must be waged. However, we all know it is a difficult fight. Hence, most of us are content sitting on the sidelines, doing our own work, watching others engage this important and often thankless debate.” READ MORE…G.A.L., PhD, Evolutionary Biologist, Canada

“This is a delightful collection of essays about, as the author puts it, “evolution and its wars against superstition.” Professor Paz-Y-Miño does not try to teach evolutionary thinking in this book, or explain Darwin’s ideas in any way. But he is a firm believer in evolutionary processes, and you can easily feel his frustration at the victory of inherent belief over evidence-based thinking in our society.” READ MORE…Jan A. Pechenik

“I am delighted that some of Paz-y-Mino’s finest essays and editorials have been collected in a single volume. He is a prolific essayist and I have enjoyed reading his work over the last two decades. In the tradition of Richard Dawkins he does not pull any punches, but when he cuts to the core of an argument, he does it with the flare of a true artist. Too many of our colleagues work so hard to appear open minded that their brains appear to have fallen out. When they teach our students that they can pick and choose when to be logical, critical thinkers, they are modeling the type of reasoning that leads to the politics of convenience and it’s bridesmaids: racism, sexism, and the whole host of xenophobias. When the emperor has no clothes, I want to be standing in the back row with Guillermo, pointing a finger and having a good laugh.” – Stan Braude, PhD, Professor of Practice in Biology, Washington University in St. Louis

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Layered Structure Effects as Realisation of Anizotropy in Magnetic, Galvanomagnetic and Thermoelectric Phenomena

“Modern technologies turn the fancies of physicists into reality. “God created crystals, but man created superlattices!” – this is a well-known aphorism of Leo Esaki, the Nobel Prize laureate, about new semiconductor materials based on the ordered nanostructures whose quantum characteristics can be changed in the intended direction. Physicists create a wonderful world for charge carriers in such materials: like Alice in Wonderland, conduction electrons can move at researcher’s wish, from a conventional 3-dimensional to low-dimensional world, where their motion is restricted within one or 2 coordinates.” READ MORE…V.T. Maslyuk, D.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics, Professor, Head of Photonuclear Processes Department, Institute of Electron Physics of the NAS of Ukraine

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Scientific Research and Manufacturing: Potential India Growth Story

“This book by Professor B. M. Suri attempts to discuss what may be involved in developing countries encountering the above challenges emanating from several interlinked issues involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics higher education, R&D culture, manufacturing practices, intellectual property rights framework etc. The focus of discussion revolves around Indian ecosystem. The book aims to stimulate discussion between large number of quite diverse players in science, technology, industry, STEM education, policy making, entrepreneurs, and business schools in and outside India. The author provides an insight into the existing practices in these systems and their associated deficiencies. He also makes some pertinent suggestions to the concerned entities. The strength of this book lies in a comprehensive presentation of various interlinked issues in a simple way that can be understood by diverse players from different fields. India has also made concerted efforts all along to gain more and more technological strength, but it has a huge potential to achieve much more. It is hoped that this book would stimulate discussions to refine the ideas, generate new thoughts, and perhaps evolve novel solutions. This can be helpful in shaping up a roadmap which could lead the country to self-reliance in the international technology arena in the years to come.” – Prasad A. Naik, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, India

“I am glad that these issues have been discussed comprehensively in the book “Scientific Research and Manufacturing: Potential India Growth Story”. The book provides for a primer on the issues which are of great relevance to India and many other developing countries. The author with his deep understanding of scientific research and development and wide exposure over 30 years, has presented all relevant issues with a way forward, in a clear, simple and effective manner. The book will be useful to the policy makers in the country, researchers in the government sector, academics and all those professionals otherwise interested in understanding the sphere of scientific, research and manufacturing activities in the country.” – Dr. Gulshan Rai, National Cyber Security Co-ordinator, Government of IndiaSansad Marg, New Delhi

“In this book, the author attempts to discuss what may be involved in developing countries who are encountering these challenges. Rather than treating the subject in a general way, the author has chosen to focus the discussion primarily around the Indian ecosystem as a typical test case. He has tried to describe and analyze in great detail the anatomy of scientific research, STEM higher education, Government policy structure, cultural issues, technology development and manufacturing eco-system in India. He has also described how to bring all of them to a common harness and how missing out on even one could derail the overall process of high technology-based manufacturing. This book should be of great interest to academicians, R&D fraternity and policy makers in India and the developing world, since most of the issues discussed here in the context of India have commonalities with many developing countries.” – Dr. Amitava Sen Gupta, The North Cap University, Gurgaon

“The book by Professor Brijmohan Suri brings out the requirement of an interesting paradigm shift in research and development in view of the onset of Industry Revolution 4.0, particularly in the face of disruptive technologies. Although, Professor Suri has the developing Countries in focus, (more specifically, India), many of his ideas in the book will find relevance even in developed Countries. The book has high quality inputs for research managers, scientific policy makers and education planners.” – Professor K.K. Aggarwal, Former Founder Vice Chancellor, I P University, Delhi, India; Former President, Computer Society of India; Former President, South East Asia Regional Computer Confederation

“The book is an original work on science and technology policy in India, its relation to the rest of the world and the prospect that a change in the policy may have in near future. The narrative is based on the facts which are available mostly in public domain, mixed with personal experience gained by the author from his illustrious long career in government sector R&D and dished out in simple scientific language. It is going to be a solid reference work for the science and technology policy makers in India, keeping in view India’s ambition to secure hi-tech job opportunities for its mammoth youth population. The book gives an alternative perspective to the perceived gap between science and engineering and translational research, thus creating a research eco-system in the country enabling hi-tech start-ups and spin-offs. I personally enjoyed reading the narrative as it stimulates the much required debate quite missing in present policy decision making, particularly related to Science and technology.” READ MORE…Manas Mukherjee, Principle Investigator, Centre for Quantum Technologies, Assistant Professor, Physics Department, National University of Singapore

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Cheeses around the World: Types, Production, Properties and Cultural and Nutritional Relevance

“This book takes us to a walk throughout the history of cheese by compiling a set of very interesting stories from different countries. Without doubts cheese is one of the most diverse and versatile food products, which is going to continue evolving throughout time together with us, the consumers. There is a cheese for every taste, for every palate. Living in a globalized world help us to enlighten our senses with cheeses from the most hidden places, places we have never been, but by eating them we feel transported. Similarly, with this book the reader is going to get to know about cheese, its history, production methods, health aspects, and specially about its traditional nature and the link with cultures around the world.” – Lucía Frez Muñoz, PhD student, Wageningen University and Research

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Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment

“Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)is a very common condition and is the most common type of hearing loss, it can affect all age groups from newborns to elderly .Congenital SNHL is considered as neurodevelopmental emergency which mandates early detection and intervention , because hearing is the foundation for spoken language and literacy . Sudden SNHL is a medical emergency which must be treated seriously. Many published articles suggested a link between untreated SNHL and cognitive impairment in elderly. The huge diversity of causes of SNHL, requires appropriate investigations to determine the exact etiology of SNHL in individual cases. Better understanding of the pathophysiology and mechanisms leading to SNHL would greatly help in prevention, control, cure or appropriate rehabilitation of the condition. I am really very pleased to see a great work such as , Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment published and available for clinicians and researchers.

There are many otolaryngology, otology and audiology text books, however very few dedicated for hearing loss, and much less dedicated for Sensorineural hearing loss. I do believe that there were some gaps in the available clinical knowledge needed for optimal management of SNHL, advanced basic and clinical research have bridged many of these gaps, but majority of busy clinicians do not have the luxury of time to dig in thousands of publications to get clinically useful information. This book with its excellent seventeen chapters provides up to date, organized, well presented information supported by the outstanding expertise of the contributors. I do encourage Otolaryngologists, Neurotologists and Audiologists and all medical and health care specialties dealing with SNHL or its consequences to read this book. Finally, I want to congratulate the editors, and all other contributors as well as Nova Publishers, of this phenomenal work. Knowledge is power. ” – Alfarghal Mohamad, MD, AuD, Consultant of Audio-vestibular medicine, King Abdul Aziz Medical City-Jeddah, KSA

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Productive Forces of Design: The Basis of Post-Industrial Development

“In the presented monograph, the author develops the main provisions of the classical school of economics, such as: the wealth of a nation (products of labor) creates material production, the source of wealth is labor, labor creates value of a product, development is caused by the development of productive forces, etc.” READ MORE… – Professor Grigory Semenovich Khulap, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences

“In the first paragraph of the abstract, the author writes that the monograph presents a new economy, in which the company’s economic activity and a set of relations are considered not only at the stages of production, distribution, exchange and consumption, but also at the design stage, which determines the post-industrial development. Consider the content of the concept of the new economy.” READ MORE…Evgeny V. Kalinkin, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor of Department of Finance and Prices, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

The author has convincingly shown that the goal of post-industrial development is the design and production of complex high-tech varieties (modified versions within the type) of product types that meet the country’s strategic needs. Varieties differ either in the number of consumer functions (functionally) or the parameters of consumer functions (parametrically), or program control (without human participation) in satisfying needs.” READ MORE…Professor Oleg Pavlovich Chernyaev, Doctor of Technical Sciences

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