Piezo Channels, Volume 79, the latest volume in the Current Topics in Membranes series provides the necessary membrane research to assist readers in discovering the current state of a particular field and future directions. New chapters in the updated volume include A Tour de Force: The Discovery, Properties, and Function of Piezo Channels, Piezo1 Channels in Vascular Development and the Sensing of Shear Stress, the Origin of the Force: The Force-From-Lipids Principle Applied to Piezo Channels, Genetic Diseases of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 Dysfunction, and The Structural Basis for Sensing by the Piezo1 Protein. Users of this series will find an up-to-date presentation of the current knowledge in the field of Piezo Channels.

This unique and comprehensive text considers all aspects of heat exchanger fouling from the basic science of how surfaces become fouled to very practical ways of mitigating the problem and from mathematical modelling of different fouling mechanisms to practical methods of heat exchanger cleaning. The problems that restrict the efficient operation of equipment are described and the costs, some of them hidden costs, that are associated with the fouling of heat exchangers are discussed. Some simple concepts and models of the fouling processes are presented as part of the introduction to the subject.

Advice on the selection, design, installation and commissioning of heat exchangers to minimise fouling is given. A large part of the text is devoted to the use of chemical and other additives to reduce or eliminate the problem of fouling. Another large section is designed to give information on both on-line and off-line cleaning of heat exchangers. One of the difficulties faced by designers and operators of heat exchangers is anticipating the likely extent of fouling problems to be encountered with different flow streams. Another large section addresses the question and describes methods that have been used in attempting to define fouling potential. The book concludes with a chapter on how fouling information can be obtained using plant data, field tests and laboratory studies.

Biology and Engineering of Stem Cell Niches covers a wide spectrum of research and current knowledge on embryonic and adult stem cell niches, focusing on the understanding of stem cell niche molecules and signaling mechanisms, including cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions. The book comprehensively reviews factors regulating stem cell behavior and the corresponding approaches for understanding the subsequent effect of providing the proper matrix molecules, mechanical cues, and/or chemical cues. It encompasses a variety of tools and techniques for developing biomaterials-based methods to model synthetic stem cell niches in vivo, or to enhance and direct stem cell fate in vitro. A final section of the book discusses stem cell niche bioengineering strategies and current advances in each tissue type.

Lead-Acid Batteries: Science and Technology: A Handbook of Lead-Acid Battery Technology and Its Influence on the Product, Second Edition presents a comprehensive overview of the technological processes of lead-acid battery manufacture and their influence on performance parameters. The book summarizes current knowledge on lead-acid battery production, presenting it in the form of an integral theory that is supported by ample illustrative material and experimental data that allows technologists and engineers to control technological processes in battery plants. In addition, the book provides university lecturers with a tool for a clear and in-depth presentation of lead-acid battery production in courses. This updated edition includes new supplementary material (text and illustrations) in chapters 2, 4, 6 and 16, as well as a brand new chapter on the action of carbon as an additive to the negative active material and the utilization of the lead-carbon supercapacitor electrodes. Substantial revisions of other chapters have been made, making the book beneficial for battery researchers, engineers and technologists.

Epigenetics and Systems Biology highlights the need for collaboration between experiments and theoretical modeling that is required for successful application of systems biology in epigenetics studies. This book breaks down the obstacles which exist between systems biology and epigenetics researchers due to information barriers and segmented research, giving real-life examples of successful combinations of systems biology and epigenetics experiments. Each section covers one type of modeling and one set of epigenetic questions on which said models have been successfully applied. In addition, the book highlights how modeling and systems biology relate to studies of RNA, DNA, and genome instability, mechanisms of DNA damage signaling and repair, and the effect of the environment on genome stability.

The field of membrane separation technology is presently in a state of rapid growth and innovation. Many different membrane separation processes have been developed during the past half century and new processes are constantly emerging from academic, industrial, and governmental laboratories. While new membrane separation processes are being conceived with remarkable frequency, existing processes are also being constantly improved in order to enhance their economic competitiveness. Significant improvements are currently being made in many aspects of membrane separation technology: in the development of new membrane materials with higher selectivity and/or permeability, in the fabrication methods for high-flux asymmetric or composite membranes, in membrane module construction and in process design. Membrane separation technology is presently being used in an impressive variety of applications and has generated businesses totalling over one billion U.S. dollars annually.

The main objective of this book is to present the principles and applications of a variety of membrane separation processes from the unique perspectives of investigators who have made important contributions to their fields. Another objective is to provide the reader with an authoritative resource on various aspects of this rapidly growing technology. The text can be used by someone who wishes to learn about a general area of application as well as by the knowledgeable person seeking more detailed information.

Membrane Characterization provides a valuable source of information on how membranes are characterized, an extremely limited field that is confined to only brief descriptions in various technical papers available online. For the first time, readers will be able to understand the importance of membrane characterization, the techniques required, and the fundamental theory behind them. This book focuses on characterization techniques that are normally used for membranes prepared from polymeric, ceramic, and composite materials.

An in-depth look at the latest research, methods, and applications in the field of protein bioinformatics This book presents the latest developments in protein bioinformatics, introducing for the first time cutting-edge research results alongside novel algorithmic and AI methods for the analysis of protein data. In one complete, self-contained volume, Algorithmic and Artificial Intelligence Methods for Protein Bioinformatics addresses key challenges facing both computer scientists and biologists, arming readers with tools and techniques for analyzing and interpreting protein data and solving a variety of biological problems. Featuring a collection of authoritative articles by leaders in the field, this work focuses on the analysis of protein sequences, structures, and interaction networks using both traditional algorithms and AI methods. It also examines, in great detail, data preparation, simulation, experiments, evaluation methods, and applications. Algorithmic and Artificial Intelligence Methods for Protein Bioinformatics: * Highlights protein analysis applications such as protein-related drug activity comparison * Incorporates salient case studies illustrating how to apply the methods outlined in the book * Tackles the complex relationship between proteins from a systems biology point of view * Relates the topic to other emerging technologies such as data mining and visualization * Includes many tables and illustrations demonstrating concepts and performance figures Algorithmic and Artificial Intelligence Methods for Protein Bioinformatics is an essential reference for bioinformatics specialists in research and industry, and for anyone wishing to better understand the rich field of protein bioinformatics.

Useful as a reference for engineers in industry and as an advanced level text for graduate engineering students, Multiphase Flow and Fluidization takes the reader beyond the theoretical to demonstrate how multiphase flow equations can be used to provide applied, practical, predictive solutions to industrial fluidization problems. Written to help advance progress in the emerging science of multiphase flow, this book begins with the development of the conservation laws and moves on through kinetic theory, clarifying many physical concepts (such as particulate viscosity and solids pressure) and introducing the new dependent variable--the volume fraction of the dispersed phase. Exercises at the end of each chapterare provided for further study and lead into applications not covered in the text itself.
Key Features
* Treats fluidization as a branch of transport phenomena
* Demonstrates how to do transient, multidimensional simulation of multiphase processes
* The first book to apply kinetic theory to flow of particulates
* Is the only book to discuss numerical stability of multiphase equations and whether or not such equations are well-posed
* Explains the origin of bubbles and the concept of critical granular flow
* Presents clearly written exercises at the end of each chapter to facilitate understanding and further study

Why a Second Edition?
The Second Edition provides practical answers to the general question, "How can I obtain useful sequence information from my protein or peptide?" rather than the more specific question asked in the first edition, "How can I obtain the N-terminal sequence?" Important new methods include ways of dealing with blocked N termini, computer analysis of protein sequences, and the recent revolution in mass spectrometry.
Key Features
Highlights of the Second Edition:
* Mass spectrophotometric characterization of proteins and peptides
* N-terminal sequencing of proteins with blocked N termini
* Internal amino acid sequence analysis after protease digestion in-gel and on-blot
* Improved microscale peptide purification methods
* Computer analysis of protein sequences
* New protocols tested and refined through everyday use in authors' laboratories
* Updated reference chapter covering all aspects of protein microsequencing

This Volume presents methods for analysing and quantifying petroleum, hydrocarbons and lipids, based on their chemical and physical properties as well as their biological effects. It features protocols for extracting hydrocarbons from solid matrices, water and air, and a dedicated chapter focusing on volatile organic compounds. Several approaches for separating and detecting diverse classes of hydrocarbons and lipids are described, including: (tandem) gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) or flame-ionisation detection, Fourier-transform induction-coupled-resonance MS, and fluorescence-based techniques. The book details high-performance liquid chromatography MS for microbial lipids, as well as a combination of techniques for naphthenic acids. Two chapters focus on quantifying bioavailable hydrocarbon fractions by using cyclodextrin sorbents and bacterial bioreporters, respectively, while a closing chapter explains how compound-specific stable-isotope analysis can be used to measure the fate of hydrocarbons in the environment. Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols There are tens of thousands of structurally different hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon derivatives and lipids, and a wide array of these molecules are required for cells to function. The global hydrocarbon cycle, which is largely driven by microorganisms, has a major impact on our environment and climate. Microbes are responsible for cleaning up the environmental pollution caused by the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and will also be pivotal in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by providing biofuels, plastics and industrial chemicals. Gaining an understanding of the relevant functions of the wide range of microbes that produce, consume and modify hydrocarbons and related compounds will be key to responding to these challenges. This comprehensive collection of current and emerging protocols will facilitate acquisition of this understanding and exploitation of useful activities of such microbes.

Proteomics, like other post-genomics tools, has been growing at a rapid pace and has important applications in numerous fields of science. While its use in animal and veterinary sciences is still limited, there have been considerable advances in this field in recent years, in areas as diverse as physiology, nutrition and food of animal origin processing. This is mainly as a consequence of a wider availability and better understanding of proteomics methodologies by animal and veterinary researchers. This book provides a comprehensive, state-of-the-art account of the status of farm-animal proteomics research, focusing on the principles behind proteomics methodologies and its specific applications and offering clear example.

Clinical decision support systems, medical applications, and electronic health records each help to ensure the provision of efficient, accurate healthcare services, thereby providing patients with a better experience and overall reducing health care costs. Advancing Technologies and Intelligence in Healthcare and Clinical Environments Breakthroughs is a prime resource for both academic researchers and practitioners looking to advance their knowledge of the interdisciplinary areas of healthcare information technology and management research. This book addresses innovative concepts and critical issues in the emerging field of health information systems and informatics, with an emphasis on sustainable computer information systems, ensuring healthcare efficiency, and denoising MRI and ECG outputs.

What will our lives be like fifty years from now? What will we know about ourselves as humans, and how will that affect our lives? It's impossible to know the future for certain, but one thing we do know--perhaps nothing will alter our future more than the Genetics Revolution of the past thirty-five years. This book clarifies the history and examines the possible impact of five major areas of genetic research:

• The Human Genome Project and genetic engineering
• In vitro fertilization (IVF) and the technology of reproduction
• The Human Genome Diversity Project, which is studying the variation of the human genome
• Embryonic stem-cell research
• Cloning

This book presents new approaches to security risk analysis and scenario building on the basis of water works such as flood barriers and storm surge barriers. Defending flood barriers is not only important because of climate change and rising sea levels, but also due to the vulnerability of fresh water supplies and the increasing number of people living in vulnerable low-lying river and sea deltas.

High Throughput Formulation Development of Biopharmaceuticals: Practical Guide to Methods and Applications provides the latest developments and information on the science of stable and safe drug product formulations, presenting a comprehensive review and detailed description of modern methodologies in the field of formulation development, a process starting with candidate and pre-formulation screening in its early development phase and then progressing to the refinement of robust formulations during commercialization in the later phases of development. The title covers topics such as experiment design, automation of sample preparation and measurements, high-throughput analytics, stress-inducing methods, statistical analysis of large amounts of formulation study data, emerging technologies, and the presentation of several case studies, along with a concluding summary.

This book covers both basic and applied sciences in a rather specified area of pulp and paper manufacture. The basic science of lignocellulose enzymology and plant genetics is covered also in many other contexts, whereas the application of biotechnology in process and product development is thoroughly reviewed. All the latest advances as well as new ideas of the research field are covered. This book will serve as an updated and compact information package of biotechnical aspects and the most recent advances of the pulp and paper industry sector.

Nature, by dint of its constitution, harbors many unassuming mysteries broadly manifested by its constituent cohorts. If physics is the pivot that holds nature and chemistry provides reasons for its existence, then the rest is just manifestation. Nanoscience and technology harbor the congruence of these two core subjects, whereby many phenomenon may be studied in the same perspective. That nature operates at nanoscale-obeying the principles of thermodynamics and supramolecular chemistry-is a well understood fact manifested in a variety of life processes: bones are restored after a fracture; clots potentially leading to cerebral strokes can be dissolved. The regeneration of new structures in our system follows a bottom-up approach. Be it a microbe (benign or pathogenic), plant (lower or higher), plant parts/organs, food beneficiaries, animal (lower), higher animal processing wastes, these all are found to deliver nanomaterials under amenable processing conditions. Identically, the molecules also seem to obey the thermodynamic principles once they get dissociated/ionized and the energy captured in the form of bonding helps in the synthesis of a myriad of nanomaterials. This edited volume explores the various green sources of nanomaterial synthesis and evaluates their industrial and biomedical applications with a scope of scaling up. It provides useful information to researchers involved in the green synthesis of nanomaterials in fields ranging from medicine to integrated agricultural management.