Front Cover -- Ceramic Science and Engineering -- Ceramic Science and Engineering Elsevier Series in Advanced Ceramic Materials Basics to Recent Advancements -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of contributors -- Preface -- 1 -- Basics -- A -- Fundamentals of ceramics -- 1 -- Fundamentals of ceramics: introduction, classification, and applications -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1 Historical evolution and significance of basics in the development of ceramics -- 2. Classification of ceramics -- 3. Applications -- 3.1 Structural applications -- 3.2 Defense/military applications -- 3.3 Cutting and polishing tools -- 3.4 Automobile applications -- 3.5 Refractory applications -- 3.6 Ceramics for energy production (nuclear ceramics) -- 3.7 Biotechnological applications -- 3.8 Electronic, electrical, and magnetic applications -- References -- 2 -- Advanced ceramics -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Synthesis of advanced ceramics -- 3. Advanced ceramic materials -- 3.1 Alumina -- 3.2 Zirconia -- 3.3 Silicon carbide -- 3.4 Calcium phosphate -- References -- 2 -- Advanced research -- A -- Advanced ceramics -- 3 -- Silica optical fibers and their applications in SPR/LMR-based refractive index sensing -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Structural details -- 3. Fabrication process -- 3.1 Halide glass fibers -- 3.2 Chalcogenide glass fibers -- 3.3 Active glass fibers -- 3.4 Plastic optical fibers -- 4. Applications -- 4.1 Silica optical fibers in sensing -- 4.1.1 SPR-based fiber optic sensors -- 4.1.2 Lossy mode resonance-based fiber optic sensors -- 4.1.3 Similarities and differences between SPR and LMR -- 4.2 Performance parameters -- 5. Conclusions -- Acknowledgment -- References -- B -- Bioinspired ceramics -- 4 -- Bioceramics: materials, properties, and applications -- 1. Introduction -- 2. General knowledge on bioceramics -- 2.1 Classification of bioceramics -- 2.1.1 Bioinert ceramics.