Conscription and death. That is the sword of Damocles hanging over every peasant's head. As the realm gets overrun by bloodthirsty Beasts, every family has to pitch in.And so, to spare his father and siblings, Ferren offers to be the one from their household to join the king's army.But during an escort mission, Ferren's convoy is attacked and his right arm ripped off by a ferocious monster.By some miracle, Ferren survives the ordeal and is sent back home, at the bor...

Ferren's family and neighbors had no other choice. Life on the frontier had become too dangerous, what with the Beasts' attacks getting more and more frequent and deadly. They all had to leave their farms behind to be relocated somewhere safe, closer to the capital. But the journey through the desert is no easy task, as they need to cross a hostile territory rife with monsters and dangers.Thankfully, the villagers can count on Ferren and the group of Powered accompanying him to pro...

In recent years, major social forces such as: ageing populations, social trends, migration patterns, and the globalization of economies, have reshaped social welfare policies and practices across the globe. Multinational corporations, NGOs, and other international organizations have begun to influence social policy at a national and local level. Among the many ramifications of these changes is that globalizing influences may hinder the ability of individual nation-states to effect policies...

Many Worlds, or The Simulacra is an anthology of reality-bending stories from a one-of-a-kind collective of authors building a shared multiverse.The stories in this anthology range from quietly strange to ambitiously speculative. Humans transform into cosmic energy or sentient algae. A man wakes up in a new body in a world with continents cut out, months absent from the calendar year, and souls misplaced. Students at a high school regularly vanish without a trace. ...

Now in its 4th edition, Kirklin/Barratt-Boyes Cardiac Surgery remains your indispensable source for definitive, state-of-the-art answers on every aspect of adult and pediatric cardiac surgery. This dynamic medical reference thoroughly and systematically covers the full range of new and classic surgical procedures—including the latest alternate and minimally invasive surgical techniques—and presents the up-to-date clinical evidence you need to make effective management decisions. - Be certa...

Cardiac Surgery: Operative Technique, by Drs. Donald B. Doty and John R. Doty, is your essential source on how to perform today's full range of cardiac surgical techniques. Over 1,000 crisp illustrations and expert, evidence-based discussions guide you step by step, equipping you to perform all of the latest procedures and get the best outcomes. - Focus on the practical how-tos you need to perform each operation. - Know what to do, what to avoid, and how to manage complications with the au...

Coronary artery bypass surgery is one of the most common operations in the world today, with nearly one million procedures performed annually. In the vast majority of cases, extracorporeal circulation is an integral part of coronary artery bypass surgery. CARDIOPULMONARY BYPASS: PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES OF EXTRACORPOREAL CIRCULATION is a definitive, comprehensive text on the technological developments and clinical applications of this critical subject matter. Written for the entire heart ...

Cardiac rehabilitation is of key importance to ameliorate long-term morbidity and mortality resulting from cardiac intervention. However, much of the current literature is dense, unwelcoming and academic in style and format. For those physicians understanding the scope of cardiac rehabilitation there is a need to distill the guidelines and various management options available to them into a concise practical manual. Up until now, all references have looked at the general options, but there...

Handbook of Endovascular Interventions presents a step-wise approach to the techniques of peripheral vascular interventions. Covering interventions in all major organ systems, this concise and comprehensive resource provides the rationale on why these approaches have been adopted by most practicing vascular interventionalists. This volume also presents key information on intervention techniques and pitfalls, complications and their management, surgical management options, as well ...

Cardiovascular fluid mechanics is now used as a tool in determining diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis by physicians and surgeons working in the fields of cardiology and angiology. The text is based on a considerable amount of clinical and experimental data on blood flow in the heart and large vessels obtained using various methods such as ultrasound pulsed Doppler velocimetry (including Doppler color flow imaging), catheter-tip electromagnetic velocimetry, hot-film anemometry, and laser ...

Coronary heart disease is one of the major health problems in indus trialized nations because of its high incidence and severity. Recent innovations in medical and surgical treatment of coronary heart dis ease have increased the importance of accurate diagnostic methods for determining the severity of coronary disease, identifying potential treatment alternatives, and evaluating the results of treatment. Great advances have also been made in basic research on coronary circula tion and its ...

In patients with coronary artery disease, surgical revascu- larization with arterial or venous bypass grafts not only relieves symptoms, but also prolongs life. The result of such interventions, however, is frequently impaired by graft dysfunction and occlusion. This monograph highlights the clinical importance of coronary artery bypass graft disease and, in particular, the use of modern diagnostic techniques to assess graft structure and function. The molecular and cellular mechanisms of ...