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Virology
by Maria Carla Saleh Felix Augusto ReyViruses interact with all forms of life and have shaped evolution for 4 billion years. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of conducting scientific research into viruses to understand the interactions between them and their hosts. Virology is made up of eight chapters, all of which have been written by outstanding female virologists, emphasizing women's fundamental role in all aspects of science. It summarizes our current knowledge about the biology of viruses in general and analyzes the specific features of several ones of medical, veterinary and agricultural importance. Genome replication strategies of different virus families are covered, as well as strategies for survival within their hosts by counteraction of the cellular innate antiviral responses. Attention is also given to viral strategies for efficient dissemination in nature, as well as the evolution of a select group of viruses.
Virology: Essays For The Living, The Dead, And The Small Things In Between
by Joseph OsmundsonNamed a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Literary Hub A leading microbiologist tackles the scientific and sociopolitical impact of viruses in twelve striking essays. Invisible in the food we eat, the people we kiss, and inside our own bodies, viruses flourish—with the power to shape not only our health, but our social, political, and economic systems. Drawing on his expertise in microbiology, Joseph Osmundson brings readers under the microscope to understand the structure and mechanics of viruses and to examine how viruses like HIV and COVID-19 have redefined daily life. Osmundson’s buoyant prose builds on the work of the activists and thinkers at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS crisis and critical scholars like José Esteban Munoz to navigate the intricacies of risk reduction, draw parallels between queer theory and hard science, and define what it really means to “go viral.” This dazzling multidisciplinary collection offers novel insights on illness, sex, and collective responsibility. Virology is a critical warning, a necessary reflection, and a call for a better future.
Virtual Colonoscopy
by Albert L. Baert Philippe Lefere Stefàan GryspeerdtVirtual colonoscopy is a rapidly evolving technique for the detection of tumoral lesions in the colon. It is now accepted by the American Cancer Society as a valuable screening tool for both colorectal cancer and its adenomatous precursor. With contributions from leaders in the field, this book addresses all the important issues relating to virtual colonoscopy. There is a particular focus on practical aspects, such as how to start virtual colonoscopy in a department, the regular preparation, and the correct scanning parameters. Imaging characteristics and pitfalls are considered in detail, with an extensive pictorial review of difficult lesions; the importance of computer-aided diagnosis is also discussed. In this second edition the text has been updated with the latest study results and developments in technology and new illustrations have been included. This book will be invaluable to every radiologist seeking information on how to perform the exciting technique of virtual colonoscopy.
Virtual Design and Validation (Lecture Notes in Applied and Computational Mechanics #93)
by Peter Wriggers Olivier Allix Christian WeißenfelsThis book provides an overview of the experimental characterization of materials and their numerical modeling, as well as the development of new computational methods for virtual design. Its 17 contributions are divided into four main sections: experiments and virtual design, composites, fractures and fatigue, and uncertainty quantification. The first section explores new experimental methods that can be used to more accurately characterize material behavior. Furthermore, it presents a combined experimental and numerical approach to optimizing the properties of a structure, as well as new developments in the field of computational methods for virtual design. In turn, the second section is dedicated to experimental and numerical investigations of composites, with a special focus on the modeling of failure modes and the optimization of these materials. Since fatigue also includes wear due to frictional contact and aging of elastomers, new numerical schemes in the field of crack modeling and fatigue prediction are also discussed. The input parameters of a classical numerical simulation represent mean values of actual observations, though certain deviations arise: to illustrate the uncertainties of parameters used in calculations, the book’s final section presents new and efficient approaches to uncertainty quantification.
Virtual Element Methods in Engineering Sciences
by Peter Wriggers Fadi Aldakheel Blaž HudobivnikThis book provides a comprehensive treatment of the virtual element method (VEM) for engineering applications, focusing on its application in solid mechanics. Starting with a continuum mechanics background, the book establishes the necessary foundation for understanding the subsequent chapters. It then delves into the VEM's Ansatz functions and projection techniques, both for solids and the Poisson equation, which are fundamental to the method. The book explores the virtual element formulation for elasticity problems, offering insights into its advantages and capabilities. Moving beyond elasticity, the VEM is extended to problems in dynamics, enabling the analysis of dynamic systems with accuracy and efficiency. The book also covers the virtual element formulation for finite plasticity, providing a framework for simulating the behavior of materials undergoing plastic deformation. Furthermore, the VEM is applied to thermo-mechanical problems, where it allows for the investigation of coupled thermal and mechanical effects. The book dedicates a significant portion to the virtual elements for fracture processes, presenting techniques to model and analyze fractures in engineering structures. It also addresses contact problems, showcasing the VEM's effectiveness in dealing with contact phenomena. The virtual element method's versatility is further demonstrated through its application in homogenization, offering a means to understand the effective behavior of composite materials and heterogeneous structures. Finally, the book concludes with the virtual elements for beams and plates, exploring their application in these specific structural elements. Throughout the book, the authors emphasize the advantages of the virtual element method over traditional finite element discretization schemes, highlighting its accuracy, flexibility, and computational efficiency in various engineering contexts.
Virtual Endoscopy and 3D Reconstruction in the Airways
by Nabil A. Shallik Abbas H. Moustafa Marco A. E. MarcusThis book is unique in its approach, covering the impact of virtual endoscopy and 3D reconstruction on surgical modalities and perioperative airway options. Airway management is an essential skill that is practiced daily by almost all anesthetists across the world. Most of the anesthesia-related morbidities and mortalities in the perioperative period are associated with respiratory complications, either of airway or pulmonary problems. Thus, the prediction of airway complications in perioperative period has been an active research field for many decades and is a cornerstone of perioperative anesthesia assessment and management.Virtual endoscopy & 3D reconstruction is a novel, reliable and non-invasive airway assessment tool that is able to reconstruct simple CT images to provide a clear view of the airway down to the bronchial trees, and offers the highest possible sensitivity, comparable with fiberoptic endoscopic pictures. This revolutionary tool avoids the hazards of invasive airway assessment by fiber-optic bronchoscopy, like bleeding from airway masses, sedation induced airway collapse and other complications. This book is a valuable resource for anesthesiologists, intensivists, surgeons, radiologists, otolaryngologists, medical students as well as residents in training.
Virtual Freedoms, Terrorism and the Law (Routledge-Giappichelli Studies in Law)
by Giovanna De MinicoThis book examines the risks to freedom of expression, particularly in relation to the internet, as a result of regulation introduced in response to terrorist threats. The work explores the challenges of maintaining security in the fight against traditional terrorism while protecting fundamental freedoms, particularly online freedom of expression. The topics discussed include the clash between freedom of speech and national security; the multijurisdictional nature of the internet and the implications for national sovereignty and transnational legal structures; how to determine legitimate and illegitimate association online; and the implications for privacy and data protection. The book presents a theoretical analysis combined with empirical research to demonstrate the difficulty of combatting internet use by terror organizations or individuals and the range of remedies that might be drawn from national and international law. The work will be essential reading for students, researchers and policy makers in the areas of Constitutional law; Criminal Law, European and International law, Information and Technology law and Security Studies.
Virtual Microscopy and Virtual Slides in Teaching, Diagnosis, and Research (Advances in Pathology, Microscopy, & Molecular Morphology)
by Jiang Gu Robert W. OgilvieDespite a brief history, the technologies of virtual microscopy and virtual slides have captured the imagination of many, especially this current crop of students. Having come of age in the computer and Internet age, this emerging group of technicians and researchers tends to display a distinct preference for virtual slides and virtual microscopes.
Virtual Prototyping & Bio Manufacturing in Medical Applications
by Paulo Jorge Bártolo Bopaya BidandaThe original role of RP was to confirm the shape and feel of concept design, but innovations in RP now allow for the development of sophisticated medical devices such as catheters, stents, drug delivery systems, syringes and cardio-vascular devices, and more. RP has moved beyond medical devices, as surgeons now regularly use RP models to brainstorm strategies for surgeries. This book presents new uses for rapid prototyping in state-of-the-art medical applications.
Virtual Reality Church: Pitfalls and Possibilities (Or How to Think Biblically about Church in Your Pajamas, VR Baptisms, Jesus Avatars, and Whatever Else is Coming Next)
by Darrell Bock Jonathan ArmstrongIs Virtual Reality a Biblical Reality?The invention of the printing press catalyzed Martin Luther&’s reformation; radios and televisions delivered Billy Graham&’s gospel proclamations to millions of households. Technological advancements have undoubtedly advanced kingdom work for centuries—but is the same true for the burgeoning technologies of today? As virtual reality becomes increasingly prominent throughout society, churches must assess how to respond thoughtfully and biblically. In Virtual Reality Church, theologians Darrell Bock and Jonathan Armstrong present a systematic reflection on how to faithfully apply virtual reality for ministry purposes. They examine the risks—like compromising the meaning of tangible worship—and opportunities—like safely reaching persecuted churches—of integrating revolutionary technologies into the Christian life. Learn to think critically, theologically, and pastorally about new technologies so that you can faithfully advance the gospel into the future.
Virtual Reality Church: Pitfalls and Possibilities (Or How to Think Biblically about Church in Your Pajamas, VR Baptisms, Jesus Avatars, and Whatever Else is Coming Next)
by Darrell Bock Jonathan ArmstrongIs Virtual Reality a Biblical Reality?The invention of the printing press catalyzed Martin Luther&’s reformation; radios and televisions delivered Billy Graham&’s gospel proclamations to millions of households. Technological advancements have undoubtedly advanced kingdom work for centuries—but is the same true for the burgeoning technologies of today? As virtual reality becomes increasingly prominent throughout society, churches must assess how to respond thoughtfully and biblically. In Virtual Reality Church, theologians Darrell Bock and Jonathan Armstrong present a systematic reflection on how to faithfully apply virtual reality for ministry purposes. They examine the risks—like compromising the meaning of tangible worship—and opportunities—like safely reaching persecuted churches—of integrating revolutionary technologies into the Christian life. Learn to think critically, theologically, and pastorally about new technologies so that you can faithfully advance the gospel into the future.
Virtual Reality Designs
by Adriana Peña Pérez Negrón Graciela Lara López Héctor Rafael Orozco AguirreVirtual Reality is not real life. Instead it is life-like creations using computer-generated scenarios. Human behavior is replicated in virtual scenarios, where every detail is controlled by computers, and in situations that can be repeated under the same conditions. Based on technology and design, the user can experience presence. In the virtual world, users are embodied in avatars that represent them and are the means to interact with the virtual environment. Avatars are graphical models that behave on behalf of the human behind them. The user avatar is a proxy that also backs interaction with others, allowing computer-mediated interactions. Analyses directed to understand people’s perceptions, personal and social behavior in computer mediated interactions, comprise a multidisciplinary area of study that involves, among others, computer science, psychology and sociology. In the last two decades a number of studies supported by Virtual Reality have been conducted to understand human behavior, in some cases the implications of the technology, or to reproduce artificial human behavior. This book presents a collection of studies from recognized researchers in the area.
Virtual Reality Games for Rehabilitation (Virtual Reality Technologies for Health and Clinical Applications)
by Eva Brooks David J. BrownThis volume focuses on games to manage and facilitate rehabilitation. It emphasizes user practice, attitudes, and experience, and their changing place within developing rehabilitation frameworks. It looks at how users have adopted, integrated, and innovated with games to facilitate rehabilitation. Topics include game technology, game design and accessibility, web-based technologies vs pervasive and mobile technologies, social and collaborative aspects, and rehabilitative outcome. Games for rehabilitation are gaining interest from different communities such as medicine, psychology, and rehabilitation. A distinction can be made between games specifically made for rehabilitative purposes and games made for the general public but that are used in rehabilitation as well. Games have allowed the building of new/complementary forms for rehabilitation and offered new options to produce rehabilitative activities and experiences.
Virtual Reality for Psychological and Neurocognitive Interventions (Virtual Reality Technologies for Health and Clinical Applications)
by Stéphane Bouchard Albert “Skip” RizzoThis exciting collection tours virtual reality in both its current therapeutic forms and its potential to transform a wide range of medical and mental health-related fields. Extensive findings track the contributions of VR devices, systems, and methods to accurate assessment, evidence-based and client-centered treatment methods, and—as described in a stimulating discussion of virtual patient technologies—innovative clinical training. Immersive digital technologies are shown enhancing opportunities for patients to react to situations, therapists to process patients’ physiological responses, and scientists to have greater control over test conditions and access to results. Expert coverage details leading-edge applications of VR across a broad spectrum of psychological and neurocognitive conditions, including: Treating anxiety disorders and PTSD.Treating developmental and learning disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorder,Assessment of and rehabilitation from stroke and traumatic brain injuries.Assessment and treatment of substance abuse.Assessment of deviant sexual interests.Treating obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.Augmenting learning skills for blind persons. Readable and relevant, Virtual Reality for Psychological and Neurocognitive Interventions is an essential idea book for neuropsychologists, rehabilitation specialists (including physical, speech, vocational, and occupational therapists), and neurologists. Researchers across the behavioral and social sciences will find it a roadmap toward new and emerging areas of study.
Virtual Reality in Curriculum and Pedagogy: Evidence from Secondary Classrooms (Digital Games, Simulations, and Learning)
by Erica SouthgateVirtual Reality in Curriculum and Pedagogy explores the instructional, ethical, practical, and technical issues related to the integration of immersive virtual reality (VR) in school classrooms. The book’s original pedagogical framework is informed by qualitative and quantitative data collected from the first-ever study to embed immersive VR in secondary school science, ICT, and drama classrooms. Students and scholars of technology-enhancing learning, curriculum design, and teacher education alike will find key pedagogical insights into leveraging the unique properties of VR for authentic, metacognitive, and creative learning.
Virtual Reality in Health and Rehabilitation (Rehabilitation Science in Practice Series)
by Marcia J. Scherer Christopher M. Hayre Dave J. MullerThis edited book focuses on the role and use of VR for healthcare professions in both health and rehabilitation settings. It is also offers future trends of other emerging technology within medicine and allied health professions. This text draws on expertise of leading medical practitioners and researchers who utilise such VR technologies in their practices to enhance patient/service user outcomes. Research and practical evidence is presented with a strong applied emphasis to further enhance the use VR technologies within the community, the hospital and in education environment(s). The book may also be used to influence policymakers on how healthcare delivery is offered.
Virtual Reality: Methodology, Tools and Applications (Palgrave Studies in Cyberpsychology)
by Fabio Benatti Davide Maria Marchioro Aimée Argüero Fonseca Marco ZuinThis book is an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts interested in unraveling the potential and promises of virtual reality, delving into its applications, challenges, and the exciting path that lies ahead. In the age of rapidly advancing technology, the intersection of psychology and virtual reality (VR) has opened doors to a world of unprecedented possibilities. This introduction sets the stage for an exploration of the potential of virtual reality within the field of psychology and its intriguing relationship with cyberpsychology. In this book, the authors aim to utilize the transformative power of VR to enhance our understanding of the human mind and emotions, ultimately contributing to the betterment of psychological science and the human experience. The ability to simulate environments, elicit emotional responses, and assess cognitive functions in a controlled, replicable manner presents a paradigm shift in psychological research and practice.
Virtual Reality: Scientific and Technological Challenges
by National Research Council StaffDespite widespread interest in virtual reality, research and development efforts in synthetic environments (SE)--the field encompassing virtual environments, teleoperation, and hybrids--have remained fragmented.Virtual Reality is the first integrated treatment of the topic, presenting current knowledge along with thought-provoking vignettes about a future where SE is commonplace.This volume discusses all aspects of creating a system that will allow human operators to see, hear, smell, taste, move about, give commands, respond to conditions, and manipulate objects effectively in a real or virtual environment. The committee of computer scientists, engineers, and psychologists on the leading edge of SE development explores the potential applications of SE in the areas of manufacturing, medicine, education, training, scientific visualization, and teleoperation in hazardous environments.The committee also offers recommendations for development of improved SE technology, needed studies of human behavior and evaluation of SE systems, and government policy and infrastructure.
Virtual Screening in Drug Discovery
by Juan Alvarez Brian ShoichetVirtual screening can reduce costs and increase hit rates for lead discovery by eliminating the need for robotics, reagent acquisition or production, and compound storage facilities. The increased robustness of computational algorithms and scoring functions, the availability of affordable computational power, and the potential for timely structural
Virtual Testing and Predictive Modeling
by Bahram FarahmandVirtual Testing and Predictive Modeling: Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Allowables provides an overview of cost and time efficient methods in measuring the quality of industrial structural parts. Readers will find a systematic introduction to virtual testing to generate fatigue and fracture allowables through two useful techniques: the conventional continuum mechanics approach, and the utilization of multiscale modeling and simulation techniques to predict materials' properties. A chapter devoted to the functionalization process covers the current approach to this technique, which strengthens interface durability through bonding dissimilar materials. Coverage of verification methods, used with devices such as the Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), are also described, which motivate discussion of the fundamental structure and deformation processes of nanoscale materials. The virtual testing continuum approach already plays a crucial role in the life assessment of important manufactured structural parts in the aerospace, automotive, aircraft and defense industries. Virtual Testing and Predictive Modeling: Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics Allowables provides a unique applications-focus view into these valuable methods, filling a critical void in references currently available.
Virtual Trade and Comparative Advantage: The Fourth Dimension (Kobe University Monograph Series in Social Science Research)
by Sugata Marjit Biswajit Mandal Noritsugu NakanishiThe main purpose of this book is to expose economics graduate students and researchers to the most significant development in international trade that has taken place in the recent past. Service transactions now make up a sizeable portion of global trade. Trade in both final and intermediate inputs is done virtually through information and communication networks, raising afresh the question of the basis of trade and calling for in-depth investigation. This book succinctly comes up with a relatively new explanation for the basis of trade, thus it adds a new dimension to three existing building blocks: technology, endowment, and returns to scale. Against a backdrop of standard Ricardian and Heckscher–Ohlin competitive models of trade, the chapters of this book nicely introduce the issue of communication cost and the difference in time zones between two trading nations. Then follow many intricate phenomena such as informality, skill formation, growth, wage inequality, and decisions regarding foreign direct investment (FDI). However, imperfectly competitive models are not dealt with in great detail as they deserve more space than can be allotted to them here. Given the nonexistence of any research-oriented in-depth analyses of competitive trade models with time-zone differences, this book is a valuable addition to the resources available to researchers and policymakers interested in deciphering recent developments in global trade patterns and the subsequent welfare effect.
Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life
by Roger Highfield Peter CoveneyThe visionary science behind the digital human twins that will enhance our health and our futureVirtual You is a panoramic account of efforts by scientists around the world to build digital twins of human beings, from cells and tissues to organs and whole bodies. These virtual copies will usher in a new era of personalized medicine, one in which your digital twin can help predict your risk of disease, participate in virtual drug trials, shed light on the diet and lifestyle changes that are best for you, and help identify therapies to enhance your well-being and extend your lifespan—but thorny challenges remain.In this deeply illuminating book, Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield reveal what it will take to build a virtual, functional copy of a person in five steps. Along the way, they take you on a fantastic voyage through the complexity of the human body, describing the latest scientific and technological advances—from multiscale modeling to extraordinary new forms of computing—that will make &“virtual you&” a reality, while also considering the ethical questions inherent to realizing truly predictive medicine.With an incisive foreword by Nobel Prize–winning biologist Venki Ramakrishnan, Virtual You is science at its most astounding, showing how our virtual twins and even whole populations of virtual humans promise to transform our health and our lives in the coming decades.
Virtually Human: The Promise—and the Peril—of Digital Immortality
by Martine RothblattVirtually Human explores what the not-too-distant future will look like when cyberconsciousness—simulation of the human brain via software and computer technology—allows our consciousness to be present forever.Meet Bina48, the world's most sentient robot, commissioned by Martine Rothblatt and created by Hanson Robotics. Bina48 is a nascent Mindclone of Martine's wife that can engage in conversation, answer questions, and even have spontaneous thoughts that are derived from multimedia data in a Mindfile created by the real Bina. If you're active on Twitter or Facebook, share photos through Instagram, or blogging regularly, you're already on your way to creating a Mindfile—a digital database of your thoughts, memories, feelings, and opinions that is essentially a back-up copy of your mind. Soon, this Mindfile can be made conscious with special software—Mindware—that mimics the way human brains organize information, create emotions and achieve self-awareness. This may sound like science-fiction A.I. (artificial intelligence), but the nascent technology already exists. Thousands of software engineers across the globe are working to create cyberconsciousness based on human consciousness and the Obama administration recently announced plans to invest in a decade-long Brain Activity Map project. Virtually Human is the only book to examine the ethical issues relating to cyberconsciousness and Rothblatt, with a Ph.D. in medical ethics, is uniquely qualified to lead the dialogue.
Virtue Epistemology Naturalized
by Abrol FairweatherThis book presents four bridges connecting work in virtue epistemology and work in philosophy of science (broadly construed) that may serve as catalysts for the further development of naturalized virtue epistemology. These bridges are: empirically informed theories of epistemic virtue; virtue theoretic solutions to under determination; epistemic virtues in the history of science; and the value of understanding. Virtue epistemology has opened many new areas of inquiry in contemporary epistemology including: epistemic agency, the role of motivations and emotions in epistemology, the nature of abilities, skills and competences, wisdom and curiosity. Value driven epistemic inquiry has become quite complex and there is a need for a responsible and rigorous process of constructing naturalized theories of epistemic virtue. This volume makes the involvement of the sciences more explicit and looks at the empirical aspect of virtue epistemology. Concerns about virtue epistemology are considered in the essays contained here, including the question: can any virtue epistemology meet both the normativity constraint and the empirical constraint? The volume suggests that these worries should not be seen as impediments but rather as useful constraints and desiderata to guide the construction of naturalized theories of epistemic virtue.
Virtuelle und mögliche Welten in Physik und Philosophie
by Hans J. PirnerWas sind mögliche Welten und was haben Entwicklungen der modernen Physik mit Ideen über mögliche Welten in der Philosophie zu tun? In der Beantwortung dieser Fragen entwickelt das vorliegende Werk das wissenschaftliche Weltbild im Vergleich mit möglichen Welten und gelangt so zu einem besseren Verständnis unserer einzigen wirklichen Welt. Dazu beschreibt der Autor die kreativen Ideen, die zur klassischen Physik, zur Quantenphysik und zur Erforschung des Ursprungs des Weltalls geführt haben. Er lädt den Leser ein, mit ihm über die Versuche in der modernen Physik nachzudenken, Parallelwelten und neue Universen einzuführen. Man erfährt, wie in Physik und Philosophie mögliche Welten als Instrumente verwendet werden, um unsere Erkenntnisse zu erweitern. Es wird erläutert, wie man sich mögliche Welten auch außerhalb der Physik vorzustellen hat und welchen Anforderungen diesen genügen. Unter diesem Gesichtspunkt analysiert der Autor abschließend die Zukunftsvisionen der Science-Fiction Literatur und die neuesten Erkenntnisse über künstliche, virtuelle und hybride Welten. Anhänge mit vertieftem physikalischen Hintergrund und ein ausführliches Glossar unterstützen die interessierten Lesern und Leserinnen dabei, einen Überblick über die vielfältigen Begriffe und Sachverhalte zu behalten.