Interpreting Lung Function Tests

Heterocycles in Life and Society is an introduction to the chemistry of heterocyclic compounds, focusing on their origin and occurrence in nature, biochemical significance and wide range of applications. Written in a readable and accessible style, the book takes a multidisciplinary approach to this extremely important area of organic chemistry. Topics covered include an introduction to the structure and properties of heterocycles; the key role of heterocycles in important life processes such as the transfer of hereditary information, how enzymes function, the storage and transport of bioenergy, and photosynthesis; applications of heterocycles in medicine, agriculture and industry; heterocycles in supramolecular chemistry; the origin of heterocycles on primordial Earth; and how heterocycles can help us solve 21st century challenges. For this second edition, Heterocycles in Life and Society has been completely revised and expanded, drawing on a decade of innovation in heterocyclic chemistry. The new edition includes discussions of the role of heterocycles in nanochemistry, green chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, molecular devices and sensors, and supramolecular chemistry. Impressive achievements include the creation of various molecular devices, the recording and storage of information, the preparation of new organic conductors, and new effective drugs and pesticides with heterocyclic structures. Much new light has been thrown on various life processes, while the chemistry of heterocycles has expanded to include new types of heterocyclic structures and reactions, and the use of heterocyclic molecules as ionic liquids and proton sponges. Heterocycles in Life and Society is an essential guide to this important field for students and researchers in chemistry, biochemistry, and drug discovery, and scientists at all levels wishing to expand their scientific horizon.

Latent Variable Models and Factor Analysis provides a comprehensive and unified approach to factor analysis and latent variable modeling from a statistical perspective. This book presents a general framework to enable the derivation of the commonly used models, along with updated numerical examples. Nature and interpretation of a latent variable is also introduced along with related techniques for investigating dependency. This book: Provides a unified approach showing how such apparently diverse methods as Latent Class Analysis and Factor Analysis are actually members of the same family. Presents new material on ordered manifest variables, MCMC methods, non-linear models as well as a new chapter on related techniques for investigating dependency. Includes new sections on structural equation models (SEM) and Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods for parameter estimation, along with new illustrative examples. Looks at recent developments on goodness-of-fit test statistics and on non-linear models and models with mixed latent variables, both categorical and continuous. No prior acquaintance with latent variable modelling is pre-supposed but a broad understanding of statistical theory will make it easier to see the approach in its proper perspective. Applied statisticians, psychometricians, medical statisticians, biostatisticians, economists and social science researchers will benefit from this book.

The Weather Almanac, 12th Edition is a resource for a variety of climate and meteorological data including both domestic and international weather trends, historical weather patterns dating back 1000 years, natural disasters, and a 20 page glossary of weather terminology. The book is complete with detailed maps, pictures, and tables compiling climate data from a variety of sources, including the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survey. Separate sections in The Weather Almanac are devoted to tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and lightening, flash floods, and winter storms, and they have been edited from official reports by governmental agencies. The new edition has been updated to include recent disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that devastated Indonesia as well as 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. These chapters serve as a basic reference for severe weather and extreme conditions, which can assist in preparing for a weather emergency.

Provides the tools needed to analyze and solve acid drainage problems Featuring contributions from leading experts in science and engineering, this book explores the complex biogeochemistry of acid mine drainage, rock drainage, and acid sulfate soils. It describes how to predict, prevent, and remediate the environmental impact of acid drainage and the oxidation of sulfides, offering the latest sampling and analytical methods. Moreover, readers will discover new approaches for recovering valuable resources from acid mine drainage, including bioleaching. Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage, and Acid Sulfate Soils reviews the most current findings in the field, offering new insights into the underlying causes as well as new tools to minimize the harm of acid drainage: Part I: Causes of Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage and Sulfate Soils focuses on the biogeochemistry of acid drainage in different environments. Part II: Assessment of Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage and Sulfate Soils covers stream characterization, aquatic and biological sampling, evaluation of aquatic resources, and some unusual aspects of sulfide oxidation. Part III: Prediction and Prevention of Acid Drainage discusses acid-base accounting, kinetic testing, block modeling, petrology, and mineralogy studies. It also explains relevant policy and regulations. Part IV: Remediation of Acid Drainage, Rock Drainage and Sulfate Soils examines both passive and active cleanup methods to remediate acid drainage. Case studies from a variety of geologic settings highlight various approaches to analyzing and solving acid drainage problems. Replete with helpful appendices and an extensive list of web resources, Acid Mine Drainage, Rock Drainage, and Acid Sulfate Soils is recommended for mining engineers and scientists, regulatory officials, environmental scientists, land developers, and students.

Sets the foundation for safer, more effective drug therapies With this book as their guide, readers will discover how to apply our current understanding of the pharmacogenomics of drug transporters to advance their own drug discovery and development efforts. In particular, the book explains how new findings in the field now enable researchers to more accurately predict drug interactions and adverse drug reactions. Moreover, it sets the foundation for the development of drug therapies that are tailored to an individual patient's genetics. Pharmacogenomics of Human Drug Transporters serves as a comprehensive guide to how transporters regulate the absorption, distribution, and elimination of drugs in the body as well as how an individual's genome affects those processes. The book's eighteen chapters have been authored by a team of leading pioneers in the field. Based on their own laboratory and clinical experience as well as a thorough review of the literature, these authors explore all facets of drug transporter pharmacogenomics, including: Individual drug transporters and transporter families and their clinical significance Principles of altered drug transport in drug–drug interactions, pharmacotherapy, and personalized medicine Emerging new technologies for rapid detection of genetic polymorphisms Clinical aspects of genetic polymorphisms in major drug transporter genes Future research directions of drug transporter pharmacogenomics and the prospect of individualized medicine Pharmacogenomics of Human Drug Transporters opens the door to new drug discovery and development breakthroughs leading to safer and more effective customized drug therapies.The book is recommended for pharmaceutical scientists, biochemists, pharmacologists, clinicians, and genetics and genomics researchers.