The book provides an introduction to the basics of fungi, discussing various types ranging from edible mushrooms to Neurospora - a model system for genetics and epigenetics. After addressing the classification and biodiversity of fungi, and fungi in different ecological niches, it describes the latest applications of fungi, their role in sustainable environments and in alleviating stress in plants, as well as their role in causing plant and animal diseases. Further chapters explore the advances in fungal interactions research and their implications for various systems, and discuss plant-pathogen interactions. The book also features a section on bioprospecting, and is an extremely interesting and informative read for anybody involved in the field of mycology, microbiology and biotechnology teaching and research.

This volume is devoted to compounds in which the spiro centre is part of a pyranoid or furanoid or an iminosugar ring. The chapters contributed deal with methodological peculiarities of syntheses of natural and artificial sugar derived spirocycles as well as their biological applications and other utilities including marketed drugs. Carbohydrates are ubiquitous molecules in nature and participate in a vast number of biological interactions. Especially their conjugates with practically all kinds of primary and secondary metabolic small molecules (and also biomacromolecules) representing valuable tools for glycobiology research and also lead compounds for drug discovery. While monosaccharides per se appear as heterocycles, their natural conjugates frequently exhibit spiro(hetero)cyclic derivatives, in many cases of high therapeutical relevance. As a consequence, the field of carbohydrate-spiro-heterocycles attracts intense interest from both chemical and biomedical aspects therefore this volume will be of interest for synthetic and medicinal chemists and (glyco)biologists, as well as researchers involved in various biomedical fields.

This book highlights the latest advances in the application of artificial intelligence and data science in health care and medicine. Featuring selected papers from the 2020 Health Intelligence Workshop, held as part of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) Annual Conference, it offers an overview of the issues, challenges, and opportunities in the field, along with the latest research findings. Discussing a wide range of practical applications, it makes the emerging topics of digital health and explainable AI in health care and medicine accessible to a broad readership. The availability of explainable and interpretable models is a first step toward building a culture of transparency and accountability in health care. As such, this book provides information for scientists, researchers, students, industry professionals, public health agencies, and NGOs interested in the theory and practice of computational models of public and personalized health intelligence.

This exciting book presents diverse applications of microalgal renewable resources to meet modern demands for energy and value-added products. It also comprehensively describes the role of algae in sustainable and cost-effective wastewater treatment strategies, and highlights the latest research on, advances in and biotechnological relevance of algae in the areas of bioenergy, bioremediation, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and green economy. The book addresses gaps in the fields of bioenergy, waste management, health and economy by providing broad information on bioenergy production, management strategies, drug development, nutraceuticals products and biobased economy using algae at the commercial level. The book introduces researchers to key and emerging innovations in the field of algal biology research and will assist policymakers, environmentalists, scientists, students and global thinkers in defining sustainable developmental goals for the future. Accordingly, it is an extremely important read for researchers and students in the environmental sciences, life sciences and chemistry, experts in the energy sector and policymakers alike.

This book delves into the field of immobilizing biologically active and non-active molecules. It discusses the designing strategy of immobilization and the current state-of-the-art applications for advancing biomedical, agricultural, environmental and industrial practices. It focuses on aspects ranging from fundamental principles to current technological advances at multi-scale levels (macro, micro, and nano) which are suitable for cell, enzyme, and nano-catalyst based applications. Written by experts from across the globe, the contents deal with illustrated examples of molecular and cellular interactions with materials/scaffolds and discussions on factors that can affect the functionality and yield of the process. With its discussions on material science, design of delivery vehicles, separation science, additive manufacturing, agriculture and environmental science, this book will be a useful reference for researchers across multiple disciplines.

This book focuses on state-of-the-art microfluidic research in medical and biological applications. The top-level researchers in this research field explain carefully and clearly what can be done by using microfluidic devices. Beginners in the field -undergraduates, engineers, biologists, medical researchers-will easily learn to understand microfluidic-based medical and biological applications. Because a wide range of topics is summarized here, it also helps experts to learn more about fields outside their own specialties. The book covers many interesting subjects, including cell separation, protein crystallization, single-cell analysis, cell diagnosis, point-of-care testing, immunoassay, embyos/worms on a chip and organ-on-a-chip. Readers will be convinced that microfluidic devices have great potential for medical and biological applications.

This book presents the conceptual and mathematical basis and the implementation of both electroencephalogram (EEG) and EEG signal processing in a comprehensive, simple, and easy-to-understand manner. EEG records the electrical activity generated by the firing of neurons within human brain at the scalp. They are widely used in clinical neuroscience, psychology, and neural engineering, and a series of EEG signal-processing techniques have been developed. Intended for cognitive neuroscientists, psychologists and other interested readers, the book discusses a range of current mainstream EEG signal-processing and feature-extraction techniques in depth, and includes chapters on the principles and implementation strategies.

This book summarizes the latest advances in nanophotonics for biomedical applications, including biomolecular sensing and imaging, additive fabrications, and biophotonics. The engineering of nanophotonics will have significant impacts on the life sciences and medicine alike. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable asset for researchers, scientists, engineers, and graduate students in the fields of biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, materials sciences, optics, biology, and medicine.

This book focuses on the latest fluorescent materials for cell imaging. Cell imaging is a widely used basic technique that helps scientists gain a better understanding of biological functions through studies of cellular structure and dynamics. In the past decades, the development of a variety of new fluorescent materials has significantly extended the applications of cellular imaging techniques. This book presents recently developed fluorescent materials, including semiconductor quantum dots, carbon dots, silicon nanoparticles, metal nanoclusters, upconversion nanoparticles, conjugated polymers/polymer dots, aggregation-induced emission (AIE) probes, and coordination compounds, used for various cellular imaging purposes. It will appeal to cell biologists and other researchers in academia, industry and clinical settings who are interested in the technical development and advanced applications of fluorescence imaging in cells, tissues and organisms to explore the mechanisms of biological functions and diseases.

This book presents a systematic review of research concerning processes and systems in Emergency Departments (EDs), the issues faced by EDs, and their solutions to ensure the delivery of proper and ideal healthcare services for patients through superior quality process management. The book evaluates two decades of data, from 2000 to 2019, in order to examine the processes used in ED operations. Emergency Department has become evident particularly in the current scenario when the world is in the grip of the deadly COVID-19. The two decades of data revealed a lack of literary content on bringing improvement for EDs in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia through the deployment of simulation models. Simulation model in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia is being considered for the first time by this book.

Biomaterials as a research theme is highly socially relevant with impactful applications in human healthcare. In this context, this book provides a state-of-the-art perspective on biomaterials research in India and globally. It presents a sketch of the Indian landscape against the backdrop of the international developments in biomaterials research. Furthermore, this book presents highlights from major global institutes of importance, and challenges and recommendations for bringing inventions from the bench to thebedside. It also presents valuable information to those interested in existing issues pertaining to developing the biomaterials research ecosystem in developing countries. The contents also serve to inspire and educate young researchers and students to take up research challenges in the areas of biomaterials, biomedical implants, and regenerative medicine. With key recommendations for developing frontier research and policy, it also speaks to science administrators, policymakers, industry experts, and entrepreneurs on helping shape the future of biomaterials research and development.

This book is about the field of brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and the unique and special environment of active implants that electrically interface with the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and organs. At the heart of the book is the matter of repairing and rehabilitating patients suffering from severe neurologic impairments, from paralysis to movement disorders and epilepsy, that often requires an invasive solution based on an implanted device. Past achievements, current work, and future perspectives of BCI and other interactions between medical devices and the human nervous system are described in detail from a pragmatic point of view. Reviews the Active Implantable Medical Devices (AIMDs) industry and how it is moving from cardiac to neuro applications Clear, easy to read, presentation of the field of neuro-technologies for human benefit Provides easy to understand explanations about the technical limitations, the physics of implants in the human body, and realistic long terms perspectives

This volume provides an overview of the recent advances in the field of paper microfluidics, whose innumerable research domains have stimulated considerable efforts to the development of rapid, cost-effective and simplified point-of-care diagnostic systems. The book is divided into three parts viz. theoretical background of paper microfluidics, fabrication techniques for paper-based devices, and broad applications. Each chapter of the book is self-explanatory and focuses on a specific topic and its relation to paper microfluidics and starts with a brief description of the topic's physical background, essential definitions, and a short story of the recent progress in the relevant field. The book also covers the future outlook, remaining challenges, and emerging opportunities. This book shall be a tremendous up-to-date resource for researchers working in the area globally.

This book provides a concise overview of VR systems and their cybersickness effects, giving a description of possible reasons and existing solutions to reduce or avoid them. Moreover, the book explores the impact that understanding how efficiently our brains are producing a coherent and rich representation of the perceived outside world would have on helping VR technics to be more efficient and friendly to use. Getting Rid of Cybersickness will help readers to understand the underlying technics and social stakes involved, from engineering design to autonomous vehicle motion sickness to video games, with the hope of providing an insight of VR sickness induced by the emerging immersive technologies. This book will therefore be of interest to academics, researchers and designers within the field of VR, as well as industrial users of VR and driving simulators.

Rapid prototyping is used to design and develop medical devices and instrumentation. This book details research in rapid prototyping of bio-materials for medical applications. It provides a wide variety of examples of medical applications using rapid prototyping, including tissue engineering, dental applications, and bone replacement. Coverage also discusses the emergence of computer aided design in the development of prosthetic devices.

This book aims to provide a detailed understanding of IoMT-supported applications while engaging premium smart computing methods and improved algorithms in the field of computer science. It contains thirteen chapters discussing various applications under the umbrella of the Internet of Medical Things. These applications geared towards IoMT cloud analysis, machine learning, computer vision and deep learning have enabled the evaluation of the proposed solutions.

The original role of RP was to confirm the shape and feel of concept design, but innovations in RP now allow for the development of sophisticated medical devices such as catheters, stents, drug delivery systems, syringes and cardio-vascular devices, and more. RP has moved beyond medical devices, as surgeons now regularly use RP models to brainstorm strategies for surgeries. This book presents new uses for rapid prototyping in state-of-the-art medical applications.

This book explores computational fluid dynamics in the context of the human nose, allowing readers to gain a better understanding of its anatomy and physiology and integrates recent advances in clinical rhinology, otolaryngology and respiratory physiology research. It focuses on advanced research topics, such as virtual surgery, AI-assisted clinical applications and therapy, as well as the latest computational modeling techniques, controversies, challenges and future directions in simulation using CFD software. Presenting perspectives and insights from computational experts and clinical specialists (ENT) combined with technical details of the computational modeling techniques from engineers, this unique reference book will give direction to and inspire future research in this emerging field.

As a fast-growing imaging technology, photoacoustic (PA) imaging synergistically combines electromagnetic and ultrasonic waves providing higher contrast and resolution than conventional ultrasound imaging. This book presents the latest developments in this field, especially the advances in the detection of diseases using newly developed PA techniques.

Theory and Applications of Nonparenteral Nanomedicines presents thoroughly analysed data and results regarding the potential of nanomedicines conceived by diverse non-parenteral routes. In the context of nanotechnology-based approaches, various routes such as oral, pulmonary, transdermal, delivery and local administration of nanomedicine have been utilized for the delivery of nanomedicine. This book discusses the non-parenteral application of nanomedicine, its regulatory implications, application of mucus penetrating nanocarrier, and detailed chapters on development of nanomedicines developed for drug delivery by various route. Beginning with a brief introduction to the non-parenteral delivery of nanomedicine and the safety and regulatory implications of the nanoformulations, further chapters discuss the physiology of the biological barriers, the specificity of the nanocarriers as well as their multiple applications. Theory and Applications of Nonparenteral Nanomedicines helps clinical researchers, researchers working in pharmaceutical industries, graduate students, and anyone working in the development of non-parenteral nanomedicines to understand the recent progress in the design and development of nanoformulations compatible with non-parenteral applications.

Nature-Inspired Optimization Algorithms, Second Edition provides an introduction to all major nature-inspired algorithms for optimization. The book's unified approach, balancing algorithm introduction, theoretical background and practical implementation, complements extensive literature with case studies to illustrate how these algorithms work. Topics include particle swarm optimization, ant and bee algorithms, simulated annealing, cuckoo search, firefly algorithm, bat algorithm, flower algorithm, harmony search, algorithm analysis, constraint handling, hybrid methods, parameter tuning and control, and multi-objective optimization. This book can serve as an introductory book for graduates, for lecturers in computer science, engineering and natural sciences, and as a source of inspiration for new applications.

This book includes research articles and expository papers on the applications of artificial intelligence and big data analytics to battle the pandemic. In the context of COVID-19, this book focuses on how big data analytic and artificial intelligence help fight COVID-19. The book is divided into four parts. The first part discusses the forecasting and visualization of the COVID-19 data. The second part describes applications of artificial intelligence in the COVID-19 diagnosis of chest X-Ray imaging. The third part discusses the insights of artificial intelligence to stop spread of COVID-19, while the last part presents deep learning and big data analytics which help fight the COVID-19.

This book compiles the latest research on the multifarious roles of microbial enzymes, and provides an overview of microbial enzymes and biotechnologies. It discusses the use of microbial enzymes in innovative areas like nanomedicine and synthetic biotechnology, as well as the use of starch digesting enzymes and bioactive proteins as biotherapeutics, all of which have applications in modern drug discovery processes. The book also examines the concept of microbial biotransformation and protein engineering, and covers topics such as the immobilization of therapeutic enzymes, bioengineering of enzymes for bioactive compounds, the production of hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes from plant raw materials, and prebiotics and probiotics. Given its multidisciplinary scope, this book will appeal to researchers and industry experts in the fields of microbiology, biotechnology and molecular medicine.

This book presents a compact study on recent concepts and advances in biomedical engineering. The ongoing advancement of civilization and related technological innovations are increasingly affecting many aspects of our lives. These changes are also visible in the development and practical application of new methods for medical diagnosis and treatment, which in turn are closely linked to expanding knowledge of the functions of the human body. This development is possible primarily due to the increasing cooperation of scientists from various disciplines, and related activities are referred to as "biomedical engineering." The combined efforts of doctors, physiotherapists and engineers from various fields of science have helped achieve dynamic advances in medicine that would have been impossible in the past. The reader will find here papers on biomaterials, biomechanics, as well as the use of information technology and engineering modeling methods in medicine. The respective papers will promote the development of biomedical engineering as a vital field of science, based on cooperation between doctors, physiotherapists and engineers. The editors would like to thank all the people who contributed to the creation of this book - both the authors, and those involved in technical aspects.

This book addresses novel methods to treat a very popular disease, obstructive sleep apnea, based on a knowledge of an electrical engineering. Two approaches are given in the book using an upper-airway stimulation based on the pathogenesis of an obstructive sleep apnea. Implantable electronics are devised to control the tongue and the soft palate considering that they are the major pharyngeal muscles contributing to the apnea. First, for tongue control, a cuff electrode was designed and fabricated to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve, which innervates to the tongue muscle. Rare-earth magnets were embedded in the cuff for easy and repeatable installation of the electrode. For soft palate control, a palatal implant system was firstly developed to contract the soft palate muscle by applying electrical stimuli. Comprised of an implant, an intra-oral device, and an external controller, the palatal implant system is fully powered and controlled by means of wireless communication. The approaches were demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo assessments, in collaboration with department of Otorhinolaryngology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital.