Alla fine del 2017 un algoritmo di intelligenza artificiale ha collezionato una serie di vittorie schiaccianti a scacchi scegliendo mosse che la mente umana non è nemmeno in grado di assimilare o utilizzare. Qualche anno più tardi, i ricercatori del Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) hanno annunciato la scoperta di un nuovo antibiotico ottenuto grazie all'aiuto dell'intelligenza artificiale, che era riuscita a individuare proprietà molecolari sfuggite alla concettualizzazione e alla classificazione degli scienziati. L'intelligenza artificiale sta conquistando sempre più terreno nella ricerca, nella medicina, nell'istruzione e in molti altri campi. Ma con quali conseguenze? Secondo l'ex segretario di Stato americano Henry Kissinger, l'ex amministratore delegato di Google Eric Schmidt e l'informatico e decano del MIT Daniel Huttenlocher, presto l'umanità si ritroverà a imboccare un sentiero molto pericoloso, poiché l'IA sta cambiando il pensiero, la conoscenza, la percezione, la realtà e, di conseguenza, il corso della storia. Nonostante la velocità con cui avanza e progredisce, l'IA non è infatti governata da principi e concetti morali che la contengano e le diano dei limiti, sicché la sua rivoluzione può assumere pieghe inaspettate e condurre a esiti imprevedibili. Interrogandosi sui prossimi scenari possibili, tre fra i pensatori più autorevoli e lucidi di oggi riflettono così sull'intelligenza artificiale e su come stia trasformando il nostro modo di sperimentare la realtà, la politica e le società in cui viviamo. In queste pagine, Kissinger, Schmidt e Huttenloch

Vero e proprio breviario tecnico per operatori della medicina delle coppette, questo volume è il frutto di cinquant'anni di esperienza professionale nei quali l'autore ha applicato circa 350.000 coppette per trattare patologie diverse, dalle pnumopatie ai dolori articolari, dalle malattie reumatologiche ai problemi di medicina dello sport, ecc. I protocolli applicativi sono descritti in maniera molto dettagliata, precisando topografia anatomica e numero di coppette da applicare, durata dell'applicazione, indicazioni innovative, norme di prudenza, ecc. Immagini e schemi precisi, simboli espliciti e una codificazinoe specifica per ciascun trattamento fanno da guida nell'applicazione delle coppette. Come fare? Perchè non fare? Scoprirete qui tutte le indicazioni e controindicazioni per un'applicazione rigorosamente professionale della coppettazione. Grazie a questo compendio terapeutico, potrete trattare in condizioni ottimali con le coppette, prezioso corollario della medicina contemporanea.

The inside story—from the organizer himself--of the largest unrecovered cash haul in history. This full account that brings the reader behind the heist memorialized inGoodfellas that has baffled law enforcement for decades. From Henry Hill himself, in the last book he worked on before his 2012 death.

On December 11, 1978, a daring armed robbery rocked Kennedy Airport, resulting in the largest unrecovered cash haul in world history--totaling six million dollars. The perpetrators were never apprehended and thirteen people connected to the crime were murdered in homicides that, like the crime itself, remain unsolved to this day. The burglary has fascinated the public for years, dominating headlines around the globe due to the story’s unending ravel of mysteries that baffled the authorities, it being the subject of two different TV movies and a centerpiece of Martin Scorsese’s iconic gangster filmGoodfellas. One of the organizers of the sensational burglary, Henry Hill, who passed away in 2012, in collaboration with Daniel Simone, has penned an unprecedented “tell-all” about the robbery with never-before-unveiled details, particulars only known to an insider.

Last month, this infamous criminal act again flared up in the national news when five reputed gangsters were charged in connection to the robbery. This latest twist lends the project an extraordinary sense of timing, and the legal proceedings of the newly arrested suspects will unfold over the next eighteen months, continuing to keep the Lufthansa topic in the news.

The book considers signaling events from the zygote embryo through to the blastocyst with relevant data from embryonic stem (ES) cells, including dialogue with the extracellular environment and with the maternal tract during the implantation process. Application of the knowledge described to improve the success of human and animal assisted conception is considered where appropriate, but the focus is largely on fundamental rather than applied cell/molecular biology, as this is the area that has historically been neglected. While the general features of metabolism during preimplantation development are well established, especially in terms of nutrient requirements, uptake and fate, remarkably little is known about early embryo signaling events, intracellular or intercellular, between individual embryos in vitro or with the female reproductive tract in vivo. This contrasts with the wealth of information on cell signaling in somatic cells and tissues, as a glance at any textbook of biochemistry illustrates. This lack of information is such that our understanding of the molecular cell biology of early embryos -- a prerequisite to defining the mechanisms which regulate development at this critical stage of the life cycle -- is seriously incomplete. This volume is the first to address this issue by describing the current state of knowledge on cell signaling during mammalian early embryo development and highlighting priority areas for research.

In this book, authors who are experts in their fields describe current advances on commercial crops and key enabling technologies that will underpin future advances in biotechnology. They discuss state of the art discoveries as well as future challenges. Tremendous progress has been made in introducing novel genes and traits into plant genomes since the first creation of transgenic plants thirty years ago, and the first commercialization of genetically modified maize in 1996. Consequently, cultivation of biotech crops with useful traits has increased more than 100-fold from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to over 175 million hectares globally in 2013. This achievement has been made possible by continued advances in understanding the basic molecular biology of regulatory sequences to modulate gene expression, enhancement of protein synthesis and new technologies for transformation of crop plants.

This book has three sections that encompass knowledge on genetically modified (GM) food crops that are currently used by consumers, those that are anticipated to reach the market place in the near future and enabling technologies that will facilitate the development of next generation GM crops. Section I focuses only on genetically modified maize and soybean (3 chapters each), while Section II discusses the GM food crops rice, wheat, sorghum, vegetables and sugar cane. Section III covers exciting recent developments in several novel enabling technologies, including gene targeting, minichromosomes, andin planta transient expression systems.

It is becoming increasingly important to examine the relationship between the outcomes of a clinical trial and the costs of the medical therapy under study. The results of such analysis can affect reimbursement decisions for new medical technologies, drugs, devices or diagnostics. It can aid companies seeking to make claims about the cost-effectiveness of their product, as well as allowing early consideration of the economic value of therapies which may be important to improving initial adoption decisions. It is also vital for addressing the requirements of regulatory bodies.

Economic Evaluation in Clinical Trials provides practical advice on how to conduct cost-effectiveness analyses in controlled trials of medical therapies. This new edition has been extensively rewritten and revised; topics discussed range from design issues such as the types of services that should be measured and price weights, to assessment of quality-adjusted life years. Illustrative materials, case histories and worked examples are included to encourage the reader to apply the methods discussed. These exercises are supported with datasets, programmes and solutions made available online.

To most of us, learning something 'the hard way' implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Many common study habits and practice routines turn out to be counterproductive. Underlining and highlighting, rereading, cramming, and single-minded repetition of new skills create the illusion of mastery, but gains fade quickly. More complex and learning come from self-testing, introducing certain difficulties in practice, waiting to re-study new material until a little forgetting has set in, and interleaving the practice of one skill or topic with another. Speaking most urgently to students, teachers, trainers, and atheletes, Make It Stick will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement.

To most of us, learning something 'the hard way' implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Many common study habits and practice routines turn out to be counterproductive. Underlining and highlighting, rereading, cramming, and single-minded repetition of new skills create the illusion of mastery, but gains fade quickly. More complex and learning come from self-testing, introducing certain difficulties in practice, waiting to re-study new material until a little forgetting has set in, and interleaving the practice of one skill or topic with another. Speaking most urgently to students, teachers, trainers, and atheletes, Make It Stick will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement.

To most of us, learning something "the hard way" implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concrete techniques for becoming more productive learners.

Memory plays a central role in our ability to carry out complex cognitive tasks, such as applying knowledge to problems never before encountered and drawing inferences from facts already known. New insights into how memory is encoded, consolidated, and later retrieved have led to a better understanding of how we learn. Grappling with the impediments that make learning challenging leads both to more complex mastery and better retention of what was learned.

Many common study habits and practice routines turn out to be counterproductive. Underlining and highlighting, rereading, cramming, and single-minded repetition of new skills create the illusion of mastery, but gains fade quickly. More complex and durable learning come from self-testing, introducing certain difficulties in practice, waiting to re-study new material until a little forgetting has set in, and interleaving the practice of one skill or topic with another. Speaking most urgently to students, teachers, trainers, and athletes, Make It Stick will appeal to all those interested in the challenge of lifelong learning and self-improvement.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) is the world’s foremost authority on tall buildings. This book is the culmination of the annual awards process in which the CTBUH recognizes outstanding tall buildings from the past year. One winner is chosen from each of four geographical regions (Americas, Asia & Australasia, Europe, and Middle East & Africa) and a further award presents the title of Best Tall Building 'Worldwide' to one of the four regional winners. Additionally the CTBUH awards two annual lifetime achievement awards to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the design or technical advancement of tall buildings.

The book provides an overview of the winning, finalist and nominee projects (and careers of the Lifetime Achievement winners). Winning and finalist projects are fully profiled with stunning images, as well as detailed drawings and plans, which accompany an in-depth account of the buildings’ architectural design, structural design, and any innovations in fields such as program or sustainability. The book also features the official current list of the '100 Tallest Buildings in the World' as the CTBUH is the internationally recognized official arbiter of tall building height.

Highlighting the best tall building construction from 2013, Best Tall Buildings seeks to represent those projects with the most innovative design and those which strive to advance the profile of the tall building as an integrated sustainable element in cities across the world. Fascinating and inspiring reading for all those interested in the planning, design and construction of tall buildings.

Principles of Molecular Diagnostics and Personalized Cancer Medicine

The role of molecular genetics in the treatment of malignancy continues to grow at an astonishing rate. Today’s subspecialized multidisciplinary approach to oncology has incorporated advances in targeted molecular therapy, prognosis, risk assessment, and prevention—all based at least in part on molecular diagnostics and imaging. Inside this cutting-edge resource, readers will explore broad, comprehensive perspectives on the current trends in molecular diagnosis of cancer and personalized cancer medicine. Authoritative discussions share insights from noted experts in cancer research, clinical trials, molecular diagnostics, personalized therapy, bioinformatics, and federal regulations. From the basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis to the most advanced molecular screening, staging, and treatment technologies, readers will discover clear and straightforward discussions directly relevant to patient diagnosis and care.

Improve your understanding of…

• The basic mechanisms of carcinogenesis—including material on cell proliferation, signal transduction pathways, cancer stem cells, and the interaction between genetics and environmental factors.
• The most current molecular techniques—including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, single nucleotide polymorphisms, cancer cytogenomics and epigenetics, whole-genome assessments, and next- generation sequencing.

• Molecular tests—including molecular screening, minimal residual disease detection, circulating tumor cell tests, molecular tumor staging, and molecular cancer prognosis assessment.

• Imaging and screening technologies—including molecular imaging, genetic tests, biostatistics, and bioinformatics.

• The molecular basis of therapy—including critical molecules as special treatment targets, particularly genes/DNA, RNA, micro RNAs, proteins/antibodies, and nanoparticles.

• Molecular diagnostics – including updated molecular diagnostic approaches to common malignancies and role of pathology in targeted cancer management.

• Targeted treatment – including personalized medicine and targeted therapy for commonly occurring malignancies— plus insights on new approaches to targeted drug discovery and the future of molecular oncology!