Forest landscape ecology and global change: an introduction

Forest landscape ecology examines broad-scale patterns and processes and their interactions in forested systems and informs the management of these ecosystems. Beyond being among the richest and the most complex terrestrial systems, forest landscapes serve society by providing an array of products and services and, if managed properly, can do so sustainably. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the field of forest landscape ecology, including major historical and present topics of research, approaches, scales, and applications, particularly those concerning edges, fragmentation, connectivity, disturbance, and biodiversity. In addition, we discuss causes of change in forest landscapes, particularly land-use and management changes, and the expected structural and functional consequences that may result from these drivers. This chapter is intended to set the context and provide an overview for the remainder of the book and poses a broad set of questions related to forest landscape ecology and global change that need answers

Polymers in Ophthalmology

El articulo Polymers in ophthalmology es parte del capitulo 6 del libro Advanced polymers in medicine.Ophthalmological sciences are disciplines focused in the health of the eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans; dealing with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. Along time a wide variety of materials, including metals, ceramics and polymers, have been developed and used in different ophthalmic applications. Although, modern ophthalmic devices and drug platforms are made with polymeric materials. Applications of polymers in ophthalmology include vitreous replacement fluids, contact lenses, intraocular lenses, artificial orbital walls, artificial corneas, artificial lacrimal ducts, glaucoma drainage devices, viscoelastic replacements, drug delivery systems, sclera buckles, retinal tacks and adhesives, and ocular endotamponades. Both synthetic and natural polymeric biomaterials are used in ophthalmological applications, although in the lasts years most efforts were focused in natural and biocompatible materials, such as gelatin, hyaluronan, chitosan, gums, etc.; developing, tablets, films, suspensions, nanosystems, inserts, etc. This chapter attempts to offers an insight into the importance of polymers in the design and development of pharmaceuticals platforms used in ocular therapeutics.Fil: Calles, Javier Adrián. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; Argentina.Fil: Bermudez, José María. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina.Fil: Bermudez, José María. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones para la Industria Química; Argentina.Fil: Valles, Enrique Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet Bahía Blanca; Argentina.Fil: Valles, Enrique Marcelo. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química; ArgentinaFil: Allemandi, Daniel Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Allemandi, Daniel Alberto. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica; Argentina.Fil: Palma, Santiago Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Palma, Santiago Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Químicas. Unidad de Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Farmacéutica; Argentina.Otras Ciencias Química