Occupant behaviour in buildings is a point of interest for building designers around the world. Functional buildings have a significant energy demand; therefore, improving the thermal and energy performance of such buildings requires knowledge about the variables that influence them. However, to increase the potential for improving thermal and energy performance of buildings, studies must also consider the occupant’s interactions with the built environment. The occupant behaviour influences the conditions of the internal environment through the occupation of indoor building spaces and through the interaction with building elements, such as air-conditioning, lighting, blinds and windows. Occupant Behaviour in Buildings: Advances and Challenges brings together reviews of these influential aspects, presenting updates on advances and questions that pose challenges in our current understanding of behavioural modeling and its application to building design. Special topics covered in the book include methods to survey occupant behavior, building design choices, occupant behaviour impact on a building's thermal and energy efficiency, and,finally, a simulation of occupants in a building. </P> Key Features </P> - Presents up-to-date information on occupant behaviour in buildings </P> - Eight chapters, written by renowned researchers, provide readers with useful insights on the subject </P> - Includes a case study of buildings in Brazil </P> - Structured reader-friendly content </P> - References for further reading </P> This reference is an informative resource for students and professionals in architecture, civil engineering, building information design, and urban planning. Readers interested in social and behavioural sciences will also gain insights on research methods that are helpful in investigating human behavior in urban dwellings.

The Sustainable Renovation of Buildings and Neighborhoods is a collection of papers presented at the International Congress of Sustainable Construction and Eco‐efficient Solutions. This event has established itself as a forum for meeting academics from around the word, researchers and professionals of the construction sector, in which environmental information is shared with a multidisciplinary context, and which involves participants from different areas of the construction process. The congress brings together development proposals through a shared vision of environmental sustainability and presents alternative solutions to problems through technical presentations and trainings, in order to minimize the environmental impact caused by the construction sector. This monograph celebrates the event’s second international edition and its fourth national edition. The volume contains selected articles written by the participants. Readers will find information about interesting, new developments and concepts on • Energy retrofitting in older buildings • Tools to determine and measure environmental impact and sustainability indicators • Economic / cost based revaluation of buildings through the viability of eco‐efficient solutions • Reduction of the consumption of material and energy resources and in CO2 emissions • Sustainability research based on the renovation of urban areas. The studies in this book provide real examples from different countries (Argentina and Spain, for example). The Sustainable Renovation of Buildings and Neighborhoods is a useful reference for researchers and professional architects involved in sustainable development, environmental rehabilitation and the construction industry.

Traditional Window Designs of Kirklareli, Turkey is original research on window design and presents readers the unique culture of Turkey. The theme of this book is based on samples of windows of the late 19th and early 20th century in Kirklareli. A total of 103 homes of traditional style have been observed in the old districts of the city. The windows in these buildings were studied in detail, were photographed and their plan, sectional elevations and views were obtained by scale drawings. Samples from 57 windows that were collected during the research process were selected to be published in this book. Some details are important with their color, with their ornaments and details, with their place in the façade having architectural elements belonging to certain periods, and with carvings of certain symbols. This presentation is a significant step towards creating new designs with respect to cultural continuation and in building protection studies. Thus the book provides a rich illustrated resource for architects, designers and researchers interested in gaining a better understanding of diversity of design characteristics in different neighborhoods of Kirklareli in Turkey. Readers, including students and industry professionals can learn from the lessons provided in this book about unique window design and production.

This reference informs readers about nanoscale design and synthesis of different nanomaterials. Chapters of the book account for variable nanoarchitecture, while explaining concepts which are central to the field of nanotechnology. It explains how nanodevices and microdevices can be used for nanophotonics, biophotonics and drug delivery applications. Advanced biochemical techniques ranging from fluorescence, plasmonics, enhanced plasmonics (EP) to metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) from colloidal dispersion to single luminescent nanoplatforms and nanospectroscopy, microfluidics, nanofluidics, silica wave-guiding, lasers, nanolasers and photonic circuits for enhanced signal detections are also presented. In addition, proof of concept ideas of microdevices and nanodevices to real applications within other allied disciplines such as genomics, biochemistry, drug delivery and clinical chemistry (based on advanced optical detection and imaging) are highlighted. The book is an informative reference for readers studying biochemistry, pharmacology, biomedical engineering and related subjects at all levels, as well as general readers who want to learn about advanced applications in optics and photonics.

Frontiers in Nanomedicine offers an up-to-date understanding of nanomaterials to readers having clinical or biomolecular research interests. Scientists, both aspiring and experienced, will find, in each volume, a comprehensive overview of current molecular strategies for using nanoscale materials in medicine. This volume explains the use of nanotechnology in medicine to improve the diagnosis of disease and the role of nanoparticles in targeted drug delivery systems for theranostic applications. This volume also covers the applications of nanoparticles in breast cancer research, liver disease therapy and Alzheimer’s disease treatment.

Frontiers in Nanomedicine offers an up-to-date understanding of nanomaterials to readers having clinical or biomolecular research interests. Scientists, both aspiring and experienced, will find, in each volume, a comprehensive overview of current molecular strategies for using nanoscale materials in medicine. Nanomedicine and Neurosciences: Advantages, Limitations and Safety Aspects presents different aspects of nanomedicine applied to neuroscience for the diagnosis of disease and the role of nanoparticles in targeted drug delivery systems for neurodegenerative disorders. Topics covered in this volume cover the physiology of neurodegeneration, targeted therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, blood brain barrier drug delivery systems, in vivo studies of drug nanoconjugates, nanomedicine safety, and more.

<p></p> Nanoscience is a multidisciplinary area of science which enables researchers to create tools that help in understanding the mechanisms related to the interactions between nanomaterials and biomolecules (nanotechnology). Nanomaterials represent nanotechnology products. These products have an enormous impact on technical industries and the quality of human life. Nanomaterials directly or indirectly have to interact with biosystems. It is, therefore, essential to understand the beneficial and harmful interactions of nanomaterials with and within a biosystem, especially with reference to humans. <p></p> This book provides primary and advanced information concerning the interactions between nanomaterials and the components of a typical biosystem to readers. Chapters in the book cover, in a topic-based approach, the many facets of nanomolecular interactions with biological molecules and systems that influence their behavior, bioavailability and biocompatibility (including nucleic acids, cell membranes, tissues, enzymes and antibodies). A note on the applications of nanomaterials is also presented in the conclusion of the book to illustrate the usefulness of this class of materials. <p></p> The contents of the book will benefit students, researchers, and technicians involved in the fields of biological sciences, such as cell biology, medicine, molecular biology, food technology, cosmetology, pharmacology, biotechnology, and environmental sciences. The book also provides information for the material science personnel, enabling them to understand the basics of target-oriented nanomaterials design for specific objectives.

Advances in technology have enabled medicinal chemists to discover and formulate several highly specific, biocompatible, and non-toxic therapeutic agents for clinical applications. Nanotechnology has achieved significant progress in the last few decades and is crucial in every field of science and technology. Nanotechnology-based pharmaceuticals offer multifaceted and alternative methodologies in comparison to the limitations of many conventional clinical therapies. Expertise in designing and developing nanoformulations has helped in targeted drug delivery. Recently, the use of innovative therapeutic agents, particularly in nanomedicine, has accounted for a significant portion of the global pharmaceutical market and is predicted to continue to grow rapidly in the near future. Nanotherapeutic Strategies and New Pharmaceuticals is an accessible multi-part reference which informs the reader about several new techniques based on nanotechnology. The chapters explain relevant topics in detail. The book is designed to encourage and help undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students in the field of nanotherapeutics, pharmaceuticals and bio-organic chemistry through the use of didactic language and simple illustrations. Part 1 of this book set explains general advances in nanomedicine, followed by chapters covering the role of nanotherapeutics in hematology and cancer treatment, as well as specific types of nanomaterials based on different components (such as boron, graphene, silver and other metals). The book also features a chapter that summarizes the processes for designing nanoparticles tailored for specific targets. The book serves as a textbook for students in pharmacology and medical biochemistry, as well as a quick reference for researchers on bio-organic chemistry, as well as general readers interested in nanomedicine.

Advances in technology have enabled medicinal chemists to discover and formulate several highly specific, biocompatible, and non-toxic therapeutic agents for clinical applications. Nanotechnology has achieved significant progress in the last few decades and is crucial in every field of science and technology. Nanotechnology-based pharmaceuticals offer multifaceted and alternative methodologies in comparison to the limitations of many conventional clinical therapies. Expertise in designing and developing nanoformulations has helped in targeted drug delivery. Recently, the use of innovative therapeutic agents, particularly in nanomedicine, has accounted for a significant portion of the global pharmaceutical market and is predicted to continue to grow rapidly in the near future. Nanotherapeutic Strategies and New Pharmaceuticals is an accessible multi-part reference which informs the reader about several new techniques based on nanotechnology. The chapters explain relevant topics in detail. The book is designed to encourage and help undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students in the field of nanotherapeutics, pharmaceuticals and bio-organic chemistry through the use of didactic language and simple illustrations. Part 2 of this book covers the potential of nanotherapeutics and natural therapies for treating neurological diseases, targeting ion channels, signal transduction therapy, gene therapy of single gene mutation diseases and for nanoformulations for special purposes such as wound healing and stimuli-responsive drug delivery. The book also features a chapter that summarizes the types of nanoparticles tailored for specific molecular targets that mediate different diseases. The book set serves as a textbook for students in pharmacology and medical biochemistry, as well as a quick reference for researchers on bio-organic chemistry, as well as general readers interested in nanomedicine.

The Microfabrication technology has stimulated a plurality of lab-on-a-chip research for biomedical researchers and health care practitioners to manipulate and analyze complex biological fluids at the nano and microliter scale. Specifically, various miniaturized diagnostic devices have been developed for blood sample detection, which can increase diagnostic capacity significantly by enabling rapid, point-of-care chemical analysis. Recently, more and more researchers are paying attention to on-chip whole blood sample pretreatment, which is the focus of this eBook, aiming to form real Micro Total Analysis Systems (uTAS) for whole blood analysis by integrating blood sample pre-treatment and detection together. The eBook consists of six chapters. Chapter 1 gives a brief introduction on the background of whole blood and the concept of &micro;TAS, followed by a summary of specific microfluidic chips for whole blood pretreatment. Chapter 2 firstly reviews microfluidic chips for plasma isolation from whole blood samples with various methodologies (i.e., microfiltration, microcentrifugation, ultrasound, Zweifach&ndash;Fung effect and capillary effect). Then two examples using the plasma skimming effect and crossflow filtration respectively are discussed in detail. Chapter 3 firstly reviews microfluidic devices for blood cell filtrating, sorting and collection. Sorting methods such as size filtration, optical and magnetic manipulation, affinity separation, dielectrophoretic manipulation are covered and compared. Then a case study using crossflow filtration is analyzed in detail. Chapter 4 firstly reviews reported microfluidic devices for blood cell lysis in which mechanical lysis, sonication lysis, thermal lysis, electrical lysis, chemical lysis and optical lysis are covered. And then a cell lysis microchip using chemical agents for cell lysis is chosen as an example for further concept demonstration. Chapter 5 firstly reviews microfluidic devices for DNA extraction and purification by comparing reported methods of solid phase extraction, solid phase reversible immobilization and liquid/liquid extraction. And then two microchips with different solid phase matrixes are used for demonstration of chip based DNA extraction. Chapter 6 firstly reviews current integrated microfluidic platforms for blood pretreatment, followed by a case study. Both fundamental analysis and specific applications are presented in this eBook, which is written for researchers, engineers, and advanced students who have research interest in whole blood pretreatment and miniaturized techniques. We would like to express our appreciation to Bentham Science Publishers and their team members.