Explores four key questions around Roman funerary customs that change our view of the society and its values.

This volume summarizes our current understanding of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), which are omnipresent in dryland regions. Since they cover the soil surface, they influence, or even control, all surface exchange processes. Being one of the oldest terrestrial communities, biocrusts comprise a high diversity of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens and bryophytes together with uncounted bacteria, and fungi. The authors show that biocrusts are an integral part of dryland ecosystems, stabilizing soils, influencing plant germination and growth, and playing a key role in carbon, nitrogen and water cycling. Initial attempts have been made to use biocrusts as models in ecological theory. On the other hand, biocrusts are endangered by local disruptions and global change, highlighting the need for enhanced recovery methods. This book offers a comprehensive overview of the fascinating field of biocrust research, making it indispensable not only for scientists in this area, but also for land managers, policy makers, and anyone interested in the environment.

Organizers, activists, artists and community members share their struggles in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina. Floodlines is a firsthand account of community, culture, and resistance in New Orleans. The book weaves the stories of gay rappers, Mardi Gras Indians, Arab and Latino immigrants, public housing residents, and grassroots activists in the years before and after Katrina. From post-Katrina evacuee camps to torture testimony at Angola Prison to organizing with the family members of the Jena Six, Floodlines tells the stories behind the headlines from an unforgettable time and place in history. Praise for Floodlines “This is the most important book I’ve read about Katrina and what came after. In the tradition of Howard Zinn this could be called “The People’s History of the Storm.” Jordan Flaherty was there on the front lines.” —Eve Ensler, playwright of The Vagina Monologues, activist and founder of V-Day “Jordan Flaherty brings the sharp analysis and dedication of a seasoned organizer to his writing, and insightful observation to his reporting. He unfailingly has his ear to the ground in a city that continues to reveal the floodlines of structural racism in America.” —Tram Nguyen, author of We Are All Suspects Now: Untold Stories from Immigrant Communities after 9/11 “Flaherty pulls no punches . . . . Readers will be compelled, depressed, disturbed, and angered by what they find in this well-written report. Crucial reading.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

This text is organized by organ system and the illustrations highlight surgical pearls borne of experience and polished by the study of pertinent references. Hand-drawn and illustrated figures show exact anatomical relationships as we see them in-vivo. A question/answer format augments the images to allow the reader to actively reflect on the topic and to appraise his/her knowledge in that area. The discussion sections strive to explain not only what the correct answer is, but also why the distractors are wrong, in order to motivate discussion and self-reflection. Cognitive Pearls in General Surgery details the explicit thought processes and associations that underlie the understanding of the topics at hand, with the intent of enhancing the fun and enjoyment that only an informed and well-grounded practice of surgery can provide.

Handbook of Robotic and Image-Guided Surgery provides state-of-the-art systems and methods for robotic and computer-assisted surgeries. In this masterpiece, contributions of 169 researchers from 19 countries have been gathered to provide 38 chapters. This handbook is 744 pages, includes 659 figures and 61 videos. It also provides basic medical knowledge for engineers and basic engineering principles for surgeons. A key strength of this text is the fusion of engineering, radiology, and surgical principles into one book. - A thorough and in-depth handbook on surgical robotics and image-guided surgery which includes both fundamentals and advances in the field - A comprehensive reference on robot-assisted laparoscopic, orthopedic, and head-and-neck surgeries - Chapters are contributed by worldwide experts from both engineering and surgical backgrounds