Gene probes, whether RNA or DNA, have played a central role in the rapid development of molecular biology. The wide variety of applications is matched by a considerable diversity in the methods used for generating probes, a complete account of which would be very difficult to make. Instead, this second volume in the series combines a selection of newer gene probe procedures with a review of the most important established methods, together with some examples of the ways in which gene probes can be applied. In doing so, the book aims to act not only as an introductory manual for newcomers to the field, but also as a means of broadening the horizons of existing researchers.

This reference provides engineers with values for thermal conductivity as a function of temperature for the major organic compounds.

This series provides engineers with liquid and gas viscosities for the major organic compounds as a function of temperature. The graphs are arranged by chemical formula to provide ease of use; many of them cover the full range from melting point to boiling point to critical point. Common units are used, but each graph displays a conversion factor to provide English units.

The history of life is a nearly four billion year old story of transformative change. This change ranges from dramatic macroscopic innovations such as the evolution of wings or eyes, to a myriad of molecular changes that form the basis of macroscopic innovations. We are familiar with many examples of innovations (qualitatively new phenotypes that can provide a critical advantage) but have no systematic understanding of the principles that allow organisms to innovate. This book proposes several such principles as the basis of a theory of innovation, integrating recent knowledge about complex molecular phenotypes with more traditional Darwinian thinking. Central to the book are genotype networks: vast sets of connected genotypes that exist in metabolism and regulatory circuitry, as well as in protein and RNA molecules. The theory can successfully unify innovations that occur at different levels of organization. It captures known features of biological innovation, including the fact that many innovations occur multiple times independently, and that they combine existing parts of a system to new purposes. It also argues that environmental change is important to create biological systems that are both complex and robust, and shows how such robustness can facilitate innovation. Beyond that, the theory can reconcile neutralism and selectionism, as well as explain the role of phenotypic plasticity, gene duplication, recombination, and cryptic variation in innovation. Finally, its principles can be applied to technological innovation, and thus open to human engineering endeavours the powerful principles that have allowed life's spectacular success.

In recent decades there has been an explosion in work in the social and physical sciences describing the similarities between human and nonhuman as well as human and non-animal thinking. This work has explicitly decentered the brain as the sole, self-contained space of thought, and it has found thinking to be an activity that operates not only across bodies but also across bodily or cellular membranes, as well as multifaceted organic and inorganic environments. For example, researchers have looked at the replication and spread of slime molds (playfully asking what would happen if they colonized the earth) to suggest that they exhibit 'smart behavior' in the way they move as a potential way of considering the spread of disease across the globe. Other scholars have applied this model of non-human thought to the reach of data mining and global surveillance. In The Biopolitics of Alphabets and Embryos, Ruth Miller argues that these types of phenomena are also useful models for thinking about the growth, reproduction, and spread of political thought and democratic processes. Giving slime, data and unbounded entities their political dues, Miller stresses their thinking power and political significance and thus challenges the anthropocentrism of mainstream democratic theories. Miller emphasizes the non-human as highly organized, systemic and productive of democratic growth and replication. She examines developments such as global surveillance, embryonic stem cell research, and cloning, which have been characterized as threats to the privacy, dignity, and integrity of the rational, maximizing and freedom-loving democratic citizen. By shifting her level of analysis from the politics of self-determining subjects to the realm of material environments and information systems, Miller asks what might happen if these alternative, nonhuman thought processes become the normative thought processes of democratic engagement.

The book "Green Technologies for the Environment" brings together experts in the field of biotechnology, chemistry, chemical engineering, environmental engineering and toxicology from both academia and industry, to discuss green processes for the environment. The topics included finding replacements for crude oil to meet both our energy needs as well as the supply of chemicals for the production of essential products, advances in chemical processing, waste valorization, alternative solvents, and developments in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis as well as enzyme-based processes for chemical transformations. Advances in green chemistry concepts will further enhance the field through the design of new chemicals and solvents. In addition, obtaining a better understanding of the mechanistic pathways involved in various reactions is essential toward advances in the field. The goal of the work described in each of the chapters is to address the need for best practices for chemical processes and for the production of chemicals, while promoting sustainability.

Chiral molecules are ubiquitous in nature. Thus, it is not surprising to come across this phenomenon in the world of flavor substances. This book provides an overview on the analytical procedures currently applied to analyze chiral flavor substances at trace levels. It demonstrates several examples for the application of these techniques to determine naturally occurring enantiomeric compositions of chiral key flavor compounds in various natural systems. In addition to the analytical aspects, the contributions focus on the sensory properties of enantiomers and enlarge our knowledge on the correlation between configurations and odor properties and intensities of chiral flavor compounds. The practical importance of the topic is reflected by a discussion of merits and limitations of chiral analysis for the authenticity control of food flavorings. In addition, examples for the use of enzymes and microorganisms to obtain enantiopure flavor substances and thus to meet legal requirements for "natural" labeling are presented. Finally, the book covers aspects recently getting more and more in the focus of flavor science: What are the physiological mechanisms underlying the perception of sensory properties and does chirality matter in that respect?

Climate change is a major challenge facing modern society. The chemistry of air and its influence on the climate system forms the main focus of this book. Vol. 2 of Chemistry of the Climate System takes a problem-based approach to presenting global atmospheric processes, evaluating the effects of changing air compositions as well as possibilities for interference with these processes through the use of chemistry.

Smart Polymeric Nano-Constructs in Drug Delivery: Concept, Design and Therapeutic Applications provides a thorough discussion of the most state of the art material and polymer exploitations for the delivery of bioactive(s) as well as their current and clinical status. The book enables researchers to prepare a variety of smart drug delivery systems to investigate their properties as well as to discover their uses and applications. The novelty of this approach addresses an existing need of exhaustively understanding the potential of the materials including polymeric drug delivery systems that are smartly designed to deliver bioactive(s) into the body at targeted sites without showing side effects. The book is helpful for those in the health sector, specifically those developing nanomedicine using smart material-based nano-delivery systems. Polymers have unique co-operative properties that are not found with low-molecular-weight compounds along with their appealing physical and chemical properties, constituting the root of their success in drug delivery. Smart Polymeric Nano-Constructs in Drug Delivery: Concept, Design and Therapeutic Applications discusses smart and stimuli responsive polymers applicable in drug delivery, followed detailed information about various concepts and designing of polymeric novel drug delivery systems for treatment of various type of diseases, also discussing patents related to the field. The book helps readers to design and develop novel drug delivery systems based on smart materials for the effective delivery of bioactive that take advantage of recent advances in smart polymer-based strategies. It is useful to those in pharmaceutical sciences and related fields in developing new drug delivery systems.

Bioengineered Nanomaterials for Wound Healing and Infection Control is a key reference for those working in the fields of materials science, pharmacy, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering and microbiology. Bioengineered nanomaterials have unique physicochemical properties which promote accelerated wound healing and treatment of infections. The biosynthesis of these nanomaterials also offers a clean, safe and renewable alternative to traditional nanomaterials, helping reduce environmental impact alongside antibacterial resistance.

Valorization of Wastes for Sustainable Development: Waste to Wealth highlights the various valorization of organic and non-organic waste to offer a way forward to a sustainable world. Categorizing the various types of waste valorization for renewable fuel production and other valorizations utilizing organic and non-organic waste, this book offers the reader a comprehensive view of various waste valorizations together with their potential applications. Split into four sections, the book's chapters cover the general scenarios and challenges of current waste management and the valorization of waste specifically for renewable fuels as the alternative energy source to depleting fossil fuels. Other chapters cover waste valorizations categorized into organic and non-organic waste for various applications and the future prospect of waste valorizations with possible plans and strategies for effective global waste management.

Algae Based Bioelectrochemical Systems for Carbon Sequestration, Carbon Storage, Bioremediation and Bioproduct Generation explores the integration of carbon capture, storage and sequestration technologies with bioelectrochemical fuels cells (BEFC), showing how conventional technologies can be renovated to aid in the reduction in GHG emissions and simultaneously optimize BEFC performance. The book focuses on the integration of algal biogas upgradation with electrochemical systems, providing a guide to the renovation of conventional technologies to combine energy production and carbon sequestration. Chapters discuss the latest advancements in carbon sequestration biocatalyst and microbial platforms and integrations for rapid carbon biotransformations. In addition, the book highlights the potential of algae and chemolithotrophs as candidates for carbon delivery, biocatalyst orientation and architecture for optimal BEFC performance.

Quantitative Perfusion MRI: Techniques, Applications, and Practical Considerations, Volume 11 clearly and carefully explains the basic theory and MRI techniques for quantifying perfusion non-invasively in deep tissue, covering all aspects of perfusion imaging, from acquisition requirements to selection of contrast agents and appropriate pharmacokinetic models and for reliable quantification in different diseases and tissue types. Specifically, this book enables the reader to understand what microvascular functional parameters can be measured with perfusion MRI, learn the basic techniques to measure perfusion in different organs, apply the appropriate perfusion MRI technique to the organ of interest, and much more. This complete reference on quantitative perfusion MRI is highly suitable for both early and experienced researchers, graduate students and clinicians wishing to understand how quantitative perfusion MRI can apply to their application area of interest.

Polyurea: Synthesis, Properties, Composites, Production, and Applications is a comprehensive and practical guide to polyurea, a material used for its exceptional properties and performance in a range of high value industrial applications. Sections cover polyurea formulations and properties, comparing aromatic polyurea with aliphatic polyurea and computation modeling of properties for polyurea and polyurea composites. This is followed by in-depth coverage of synthesis, structure and production methods of polyurea, with the connections between production, performance and properties examined thoroughly. Other sections explain the preparation, characterization, modeling and applications of polyurea and polyurea composites with the required properties for specific advanced applications. Finally, environmental issues, recycling and future potential of polyurea are considered. This is a valuable resource for researchers and advanced students in polymer science, chemistry, composite science, civil engineering, materials science and mechanical engineering, as well as R&D professionals, engineers and industrial scientists with an interest in polyurea-based materials for advanced applications.

Sustainable Technologies for Remediation of Emerging Pollutants from Aqueous Environment compiles and collates advanced technologies for the purification of water and wastewater. The book covers the biological purification of wastewater, the use of adsorbents for decontamination of water, the role of membrane technology and its composites for removing emerging pollutants, and applications of advanced oxidation processes (AOP) for removal of emerging pollutants. This resource provides a single source solution to academicians and young researchers by assembling the latest information on the application of the conventional and non-conventional in water and wastewater purification.

Four-Membered Heterocycle Synthesis offers a comprehensive approach to these unstable organic compounds, providing a systematic introduction to the synthesis and reactions of all common four-membered heterocycles and illustrating different methods to prepare specific four-membered heterocycles. Four-membered heterocyclic compounds are known as a class of unstable organic compounds because of their strain characteristics, which make them very beneficial as precursors for the formation of a broad range of complex heterocyclic molecules and for synthetic elaboration.

Principles of Biomaterials Encapsulation: Volume Two provides an expansive and in-depth resource covering the key principles, biomaterials, techniques and applications of encapsulation in translational medicine. The book details the various biomaterials available for encapsulation, including polymers, natural and synthetic biomaterials, porous materials, and more. The advantages and disadvantages of conventional and contemporary biomaterials for encapsulations are reviewed, along with advice on the most effective materials for both shell and core. The final part of the book describes a broad range of applications in regenerative medicine, uniquely bringing encapsulation into the worlds of translational medicine and tissue engineering. This book enables readers to learn about the pros and cons of different biomaterials for encapsulation, as well as how they can be utilized in many bodily systems and tissues, such as the respiratory, digestive, endocrine and cardiovascular systems. Written and edited by well-versed materials scientists with extensive clinical, biomedical and regenerative medicine experience, this book offers a deeply interdisciplinary look at encapsulation in translational medicine.

Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications looks at the synthesis, characterization and application of polysaccharide-based materials in a broad array of fields. The book discusses the role of polysaccharides in the preparation of hydrogels, the use of hydrogel-based green materials, and their applications in biomedical applications, drug delivery, water purification techniques, food industries, agricultural fields, and pharmaceuticals applications. Written by leading experts in this field, this book will be a valuable reference for scientists, academicians, researchers, technologists, consultants and policymakers.

Nanostructured Materials for Tissue Engineering introduces the key properties and approaches involved in using nanostructured materials in tissue engineering, including functionalization, nanotechnology-based regenerative techniques, toxicological and biocompatible aspects. A broad range of nanomaterial types are covered, from polymer scaffolds and nanocomposites to gold nanoparticles and quantum dots. This book aids the reader in materials selection, as well as matching to the best applications, including bone, skin, pulmonary or neurological tissue engineering. Users will find this book to be an up-to-date review on this fast-changing field that is ideal for materials scientists, tissue engineers, biomedical engineers, and pharmaceutical scientists.

Biomaterials for Neural Tissue Engineering covers a range of materials and technologies used for regenerating or repairing neural tissue. With a strong focus on biomaterials and scaffolds, the book examines the testing and evaluation pathway for in-vitro and in-vivo testing trials. This book introduces the reader to the fundamentals of the nervous system from a tissue engineering perspective and goes on to describe contemporary technologies used in the development of neural repair materials, as well as currently available biomaterials suitable for neural tissue repair and regeneration. This detailed reference is ideal for those who are new to using biomaterials in tissue engineering, particularly those interested in the nervous system, including academics and early career researchers in the fields of materials science, regenerative medicine, biomedical engineering and clinical sciences.