The impact and importance of nanotechnology continues to grow, and nanomedicine and biotechnology have become areas of increased development. Biomedical engineers who work with biological processes and structures must have a deeply rooted understanding of the role of bionanotechnology, a rapidly evolving sector of the nanotechnology field. Bionanotechnology II: Global Prospects, a follow-up to the editor's highly successful first volume, contains 26 entirely new contributions that provide a broad survey of research shaping this critical field. With coverage of technical and nontechnical areas, the book offers representative reporting on a wide variety of activity from around the world. It discusses the role of nanotechnology in novel medical devices, bioanalytical technologies, and nanobiomaterials. Topics discussed include: Emerging microscale technologies Bionanotech-based water treatment Tissue engineering and drug delivery Antimicrobial nanomaterials in the textile industry Bionanotechnology applications in plants and agriculture With contributions from researchers in Israel, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Singapore, South Africa, Turkey, Thailand, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and the United States, this volume presents a worldwide perspective on some of the critical areas shaping bionanotechnology today.

Optical probes, particularly the fluorescent varieties, enable researchers to observe cellular events in real time and with great spatial resolution. Optical Probes in Biology explores the diverse capabilities of these powerful and versatile tools and presents various approaches used to design, develop, and implement them. The book examines the use of optical probes to detect and track numerous molecular processes in living cells, including GTPase and kinase activities, membrane lipids, voltage, metal ions, metabolic signals, RNA, and histone modifications. It critically reviews the different probe designs and delves into the strategies for developing new fluorescent protein varieties with enhanced capabilities. It also covers sophisticated imaging techniques and equipment, such as intensity and lifetime-based fluorescence microscopy methods, used to visualize and track optical probes. In addition, the book goes beyond live-cell tracking to discuss the growing application of activity-based probes for performing pharmacological drug screening and probing molecular processes in living animals. It also discusses emerging techniques that are expanding optical probe-based approaches into new biological frontiers. With contributions from top international scientists, this book offers a thorough overview of the latest optical probes in cell biology and biochemistry. Both newcomers and established researchers will discover how to incorporate state-of-the-art optical probes and fluorescence imaging into their research.

Of the research areas devoted to biomedical sciences, the study of the brain remains a field that continually attracts interest due to the vast range of people afflicted with debilitating brain disorders and those interested in ameliorating its effects. To discover the roots of maladies and grasp the dynamics of brain functions, researchers and practitioners often turn to a process known as brain source localization, which assists in determining the source of electromagnetic signals from the brain. Aiming to promote both treatments and understanding of brain ailments, ranging from epilepsy and depression to schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease, the authors of this book provide a comprehensive account of current developments in the use of neuroimaging techniques for brain analysis. Their book addresses a wide array of topics, including EEG forward and inverse problems, the application of classical MNE, LORETA, Bayesian based MSP, and its modified version, M-MSP. Within the ten chapters that comprise this book, clinicians, researchers, and field experts concerned with the state of brain source localization will find a store of information that can assist them in the quest to enhance the quality of life for people living with brain disorders.

Learning Bio-Micro-Nanotechnology is a primer on micro/nanotechnology that teaches the vocabulary, fundamental concepts, and applications of micro/nanotechnology in biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, electronics, computers, biomedicine, microscopy, ethics, and risks to humankind. It provides an introduction into the small world with a low fog index, emphasizing the concepts using analogies and illustrations to simplify the non-observables. The chapters have many "thinking exercises" and summaries with references at the end of each chapter. The questions at the end are divided into Bloom's taxonomy of learning skills and also include team exercises and methods to assess learning. There are many calculations using dimensional analysis according to first principles, but the math is purposely kept at a low level and is used as a means of understanding the concepts. The appendices provide a math review and a glossary of terms. Carefully designed as an easy-to-read textbook and a practical reference, this book emphasizes learning micro/nanotechnology vocabulary, concepts, and applications from first principles and from a multi-disciplinary point of view. This makes it suitable for one- and two-semester courses as well as a reference for professionals in the field.

There is already a wealth of literature covering cumulative trauma disorders and medical management, as well as the biomechanics of manual material handling and lower back problems. However, despite a spike in the number of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in the upper limbs-due to a sharp increase in the amount of computer-related jobs-few if any books have focused exclusively on WRMSDs, until now. Biomechanics of the Upper Limbs: Mechanics, Modeling and Musculoskeletal Injuries, Second Edition offers vital information and tools to improve analysis of external forces and their effects on the human body. This can help ergonomists better understand job stressors and the role they play in the development of disorders, enabling them to modify the work environment and educate practitioners to better control harmful situations. Using the author's medical and engineering expertise to distill essential subject matter and useful technical data, this comprehensive text explores: Biomechanics of the upper limbs and the motor control system The structure and physiology of the human musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems Recent research findings and solutions to various ergonomic problems Models of various components of the neuromuscular systems, as well as larger systems in the upper limbs Risk factors for disorders and tools used to identify their causes Designed as a textbook for a typical semester-long graduate-level engineering or kinesiology course, this book includes a link to an ancillary website that offers materials such as PowerPoint (R) slides, sample exams, and an instructor's manual with complete solutions. It also serves as a practical, up-to-date, engineering-oriented resource for researchers, industrial ergonomists, industrial hygienists, and medical professionals who require supplementary material.

Biomaterials: Principles and Applications offers a comprehensive review of all the major biomaterials in this rapidly growing field. In recent years, the role of biomaterials has been influenced considerably by advances in many areas of biotechnology and science, as well as advances in surgical techniques and instruments. Comprising chapters contributed by a panel of international experts, this text provides a familiarity with the uses of materials in medicine and dentistry and the rational basis for these applications. It covers such subjects as biodegradable polymeric materials and their relation to tissue engineering, biologic materials, and biomaterials applications in soft and hard tissues. Nearly one hundred figures and tables further add to the value of this book. The text is concise, topical, and not overly technical - No other book covers the entire field of biomaterials so succinctly in one volume.

Nanobiomaterials exhibit distinctive characteristics, including mechanical, electrical, and optical properties, which make them suitable for a variety of biological applications. Because of their versatility, they are poised to play a central role in nanobiotechnology and make significant contributions to biomedical research and healthcare. Nanobiomaterials Handbook offers a broad introduction for those new to the subject and serves as a useful reference for advanced professionals. Analyzing major topics and disciplines in this arena, this volume: Defines scope, current status, and future prospects of nanobiomaterials Surveys nanobiomaterials and examines various synthesis and processing techniques important for developing nanobiomaterials Explores the unique nanoscopic physicochemical properties of nanobiomaterials Discusses potential applications, emphasizing unique challenges in the design, fabrication, and evaluation of biomaterials for a particular application or field Provides a detailed overview of the interactions between bionanomaterials/biological systems and the biocompatibility issues associated with bionanomaterials Advances in nanobiomaterials requires a multidisciplinary approach spanning major fields in physical and biological sciences, engineering, and medicine with considerable collaboration between ethicists, regulatory bodies, and industry. This volume brings together the work of a team of world-renowned experts from various fields who discuss the vast potential for nanobiomaterials in a myriad of applications.

Digital fundus images can effectively diagnose glaucoma and diabetes retinopathy, while infrared imaging can show changes in the vascular tissues. Likening the eye to the conventional camera, Image Analysis and Modeling in Ophthalmology explores the application of advanced image processing in ocular imaging. This book considers how images can be used to effectively diagnose ophthalmologic problems. It introduces multi-modality image processing algorithms as a means for analyzing subtle changes in the eye. It details eye imaging, textural imaging, and modeling, and highlights specific imaging and modeling techniques. The book covers the detection of diabetes retinopathy, glaucoma, anterior segment eye abnormalities, instruments on detection of glaucoma, and development of human eye models using computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer principles to predict inner temperatures of the eye from its surface temperature. It presents an ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) system for anterior chamber angle imaging and proposes an automated anterior segment eye disease classification system that can be used for early disease diagnosis and treatment management. It focuses on the segmentation of the blood vessels in high-resolution retinal images and describes the integration of the image processing methodologies in a web-based framework aimed at retinal analysis. The authors introduce the A-Levelset algorithm, explore the ARGALI system to calculate the cup-to-disc ratio (CDR), and describe the Singapore Eye Vessel Assessment (SIVA) system, a holistic tool which brings together various technologies from image processing and artificial intelligence to construct vascular models from retinal images. The text furnishes the working principles of mechanical and optical instruments for the diagnosis and healthcare administration of glaucoma, reviews state-of-the-art CDR calculation detail, and discusses the existing methods and databases. Image Analysis and Modeling in Ophthalmology includes the latest research development in the field of eye modeling and the multi-modality image processing techniques in ocular imaging. It addresses the differences, performance measures, advantages and disadvantages of various approaches, and provides extensive reviews on related fields.

Designed to foster a stronger awareness and exploration of the subject by practicing clinicians, medical researchers and scientists, The Clinical Nanomedicine Handbook discusses the integration of nanotechnology, biology, and medicine from a clinical point of view. The book highlights relevant research and applications by specialty; it examines nanotechnology in depth, and the potential to solve medical problems. It also increases literacy in nanotechnology, and allows for more effective communication and collaboration between disciplines. Details worldwide developments in nanomedicine Provides a comprehensive roadmap of the state of nanomedicine in numerous medical specialties Bridges the gap between basic science research, engineering, nanotechnology, and medicine This text discusses what nanomedicine is, how it is currently used, and considers its potential for future applications. It serves as a reference for clinicians, including physicians, nurses, health-care providers, dentists, scientists, and researchers involved in clinical applications of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology and regenerative engineering have emerged to the forefront as the most versatile and innovative technologies to foster novel therapeutic techniques and strategies of the twenty-first century. The first edition of Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering: The Scaffold was the first comprehensive source to explain the developments in nanostructured biomaterials for tissue engineering, the relevance of nanostructured materials in tissue regeneration, and the current applications of nanostructured scaffolds for engineering various tissues. This fully revised second edition, renamed Nanotechnology and Regenerative Engineering: The Scaffold, provides a thorough update to the existing material, bringing together these two unique areas to give a perspective of the emerging therapeutic strategies for a wide audience. New coverage includes: Updated discussion of the importance of scaffolds in tissue engineering Exploration of cellular interactions at the nanoscale Complete range of fabrication processes capable of developing nanostructured scaffolds for regenerative engineering Applications of nanostructured scaffolds for neural, skin, cardiovascular, and musculoskeletal regenerative engineering FDA approval process of nanostructure scaffolds Products based on nanostructured scaffolds Due to the unique and tissue-mimic properties of the nanostructured scaffolds, the past five years have seen a tremendous growth in nanostructured materials for biological applications. The revised work presents the current state-of-the-art developments in nanostructured scaffolds for regenerative engineering.

An Introduction to Systems Bioengineering Takes a Clear and Systematic Engineering Approach to Systems Biology Focusing on genetic regulatory networks, Engineering Genetic Circuits presents the modeling, analysis, and design methods for systems biology. It discusses how to examine experimental data to learn about mathematical models, develop efficient abstraction and simulation methods to analyze these models, and use analytical methods to guide the design of new circuits. After reviewing the basic molecular biology and biochemistry principles needed to understand genetic circuits, the book describes modern experimental techniques and methods for discovering genetic circuit models from the data generated by experiments. The next four chapters present state-of-the-art methods for analyzing these genetic circuit models. The final chapter explores how researchers are beginning to use analytical methods to design synthetic genetic circuits. This text clearly shows how the success of systems biology depends on collaborations between engineers and biologists. From biomolecular observations to mathematical models to circuit design, it provides essential information on genetic circuits and engineering techniques that can be used to study biological systems.

The development of devices that incorporate biological assemblies is impacting on analytical and biomedical research. Today, scientists can monitor vital biological interactions - such as the binding of DNA to proteins - in real time, deriving unique information necessary to understand the biochemical pathways and thus aiding the design of drugs to regulate these processes. Biomolecular Sensors describes the development of this new technology covering the fundamental physics through to applications.
The principles of biological recognition, immobilisation techniques, and transducer technology are described in depth in order to provide the necessary background to readers from various disciplines. Focusing on the study of antigen-antibody, DNA-protein and receptor-ligand binding events, the book covers biological applications and describes the commercial instruments available that exploit this technology in areas as diverse as biological research, medical applications and environmental monitoring.
With contributions from internationally recognised experts, this is the essential reference for advanced undergraduates and postgraduates as well as professionals in this rapidly advancing field.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203212193

The field of plasmonics has shown extraordinary capabilities in realizing highly sensitive and accurate sensors for environmental monitoring and measurement of biological analytes. The inherent potential of such devices has led to growing interest worldwide in commercial fiber optic chemical and biosensors. Optical Sensors for Biomedical Diagnostics and Environmental Monitoring is an essential resource for students, established researchers, and industry developers in need of a reference work on both the fundamentals and latest advances in optical fiber sensor technology in biomedical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. The book includes rigorous theory and experimental techniques of surface plasmon and lossy mode resonances, as well as real-time sensing applications of resonance techniques implemented over optical fiber substrate using bulk layer and/or nanostructures as transducer and sensing layers. In addition, discussion of various design options for real-time sensors in environmental monitoring and biomedical diagnostics make the book approachable to readers from multidisciplinary fields.

A Complex and Growing Field The study of vascularization in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) and its applications is an emerging field that could revolutionize medical approaches for organ and tissue replacement, reconstruction, and regeneration. Designed specifically for researchers in TERM fields, Vascularization: Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering provides a broad overview of vascularization in TERM applications. This text summarizes research in several areas, and includes contributions from leading experts in the field. It defines the difficulties associated with multicellular processes in vascularization and cell-source issues. It presents advanced biomaterial design strategies for control of vascular network formation and in silico models designed to provide insight not possible in experimental systems. It also examines imaging methods that are critical to understanding vascularization in engineered tissues, and addresses vascularization issues within the context of specific tissue applications. This text is divided into three parts; the first section focuses on the basics of vascularization. The second section provides general approaches for promoting vascularization. The final section presents tissue and organ-specific aspects of vascularization in regenerative medicine. Presents Areas of Substantial Clinical and Societal Impact The material contains research and science on the process of vessel assembly with an emphasis on methods for controlling the process for therapeutic applications. It describes the tissue and organ-specific aspects of vascularization in regenerative medicine, and refers to areas such as bone tissue engineering, vascularization of encapsulated cells, adipose tissue, bone and muscle engineering. It also provides a mechanistic understanding of the process and presentation of experimental and computational approaches that facilitate the study of vascular assembly, and includes enabling technologies such as nanotechnology, drug delivery, stem cells, microfluidics, and biomaterial design that are optimized for supporting the formation of extensive vascular networks in regenerative medicine. A guide for researchers developing new methods for modulating vessel assembly, this text can also be used by senior undergraduate and graduate students taking courses focused on TERM.

Functionalized Polysulfones: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications focuses on polysulfones and their derivatives, which are widely used as functional materials in the biochemical, industrial, and medical fields due to their structural and physical characteristics, such as good optical properties, high thermal and chemical stability, mechanical strength, resistance to extreme pH values, and low creep. Because of their antimicrobial actions, solubility characteristics, water permeability, and separation, the functional groups, which modify the hydrophilicity of polysulfones, are of particular interest for biomedical applications. In addition, the functional groups are an intrinsic requirement for affinity, ion exchange, and other special membranes. In this book, the bioapplications of polysulfones are presented in two categories: blood-contacting devices (e.g., membranes for hemodialysis, hemodiafiltration, and hemofiltration) and cell- or tissue-contacting devices (e.g., bioreactors made by hollow-fiber membrane and nerve generation through polysulfone semipermeable hollow membrane). Surface wettability and hydrophilicity trends, as well as the morphological characteristics of modified polysulfones, are analyzed for semipermeable membrane purposes. Select chapters provide an introduction to chelating units on the modified polysulfone structure to obtain potential applications, such as surface coatings on metals and glasses, adhesives, high-temperature lubricants, electrical insulators, semiconductors, and the reduction of heavy-metal pollution in ecosystems. Featuring recent scientific information, Functionalized Polysulfones: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications advances the basic knowledge of students and researchers working in the field of polymeric materials, including physicists, chemists, engineers, bioengineers, and biologists.

Numerous essential biological functions involve metalloproteins; therefore, understanding metalloproteins and how to manipulate them is significant in the biological and medical fields. An examination of current research, Metalloproteins: Theory, Calculations, and Experiments explores the interplay between theory and experiment, detailing the role of theoretical modeling in the field and explaining how it aids experiments. The text also presents the current state of computational protein modeling, enabling researchers to adopt computation as an integral component of their studies. This book addresses two different aspects on metalloproteins in unison. It reviews the development of theoretical and computational methods for metalloprotein simulation with specific examples. The authors also present some of the most intriguing and important experimental results on metalloprotein systems. Although a connection can be made between these two aspects of the research, the authors do not do so explicitly. Rather, they provide the platform required to ignite further collaboration between experimentalists and theoreticians. A collection of works from top researchers in this field, the text presents diverse subjects that comprehensively reflect the current state of metalloprotein research. With these advances in structural information, theory and computation are starting to play a more significant role, particularly in identifying the reaction mechanism. The book summarizes some of the recent progress in both experiments and theory/computation showing the synergy that is now developing.

Arguably the first book of its kind, Computational Bioengineering explores the power of multidisciplinary computer modeling in bioengineering. Written by experts, the book examines the interplay of multiple governing principles underlying common biomedical devices and problems, bolstered by case studies. It shows you how to take advantage of the latest computational capabilities to deal with biomedical problems using an integrative approach. This approach fosters an integrative problem-solving mentality for the generation of new and novel solutions to future biomedical problems. Each chapter begins with a brief review of the advances in computational efforts in the selected topic area and ends with case studies with detailed technical information. The approach provides a relevant overview of the selected topic area and demonstrates, with case studies, the power of computational modeling in offering predictive capabilities to assess new surgical concepts and medical devices and post-operative surgical outcomes. The book illustrates the expanded capabilities of computational bioengineering through discussions of bioengineering problems and discusses an image-based bioengineering modeling technique. Although computer modeling has been used to tackle bioengineering problems for decades, a systematic study of computational bioengineering not only addresses many critical challenges facing bioengineering but also sets a new direction for advancing the field. In a long run, this book is expected to foster an integrative problem-solving mentality that will help you generate new and novel solutions to future biomedical problems.

Research on bone remodeling has resulted in much new information and has led to improvements in design and biomedical practices. Mechanics of Cellular Bone Remodeling: Coupled Thermal, Electrical, and Mechanical Field Effects presents a unified exploration of recent advances, giving readers a sound understanding of bone remodeling and its mathematical representation. Beginning with a description of the basic concept of bone remodeling from a mathematical point of view, the book details the development of each of the techniques and ideas. From there it progresses to the derivation and construction of multifield and cellular bone remodeling and shows how they arise naturally in response to external multifield loads. Topics include: Fundamental concepts and basic formulations for bone remodeling Applications of formulations to multifield internal bone remodeling of inhomogeneous long cylindrical bone Theory and solution of multifield surface bone remodeling A hypothetical regulation mechanism on growth factors for bone modeling and remodeling under multifield loading The RANK-RANKL-OPG pathway and formulation for analyzing the bone remodeling process A model of bone cell population dynamics for cortical bone remodeling under mechanical and pulsed electromagnetic stimulus Recent developments in experiments with bone materials Readers will benefit from the thorough coverage of general principles for each topic, followed by detailed mathematical derivations and worked examples, as well as tables and figures where appropriate. The book not only serves as a reliable reference but is also destined to attract interested readers and researchers to a field that offers fascinating and technologically important challenges.

Written to help companies comply with GMP, GLP, and validation requirements imposed by the FDA and regulatory bodies worldwide, Quality Control Training Manual: Comprehensive Training Guide for API, Finished Pharmaceutical and Biotechnologies Laboratories presents cost-effective training courses that cover how to apply advances in the life sciences to produce commercially viable biotech products and services in terms of quality, safety, and efficacy. This book and its accompanying downloadable resources comprise detailed text, summaries, test papers, and answers to test papers, providing an administrative solution for management. Provides the FDA, Health Canada, WHO, and EMEA guidelines directly applicable to pharmaceutical laboratory-related issues Offers generic formats and styles that can be customized to any organization and help management build quality into routine operations to comply with regulatory requirements Contains ready-to-use training courses that supply a good source of training material for experienced and inexperienced practitioners in the biotechnology/biopharmaceutical industries Includes downloadable resources with downloadable training courses that can be adopted and directly customized to a particular organization Supplies ready-to-use test papers that allow end users to record all raw data up to the issuance of the attached certificate The biotechnology/bioscience industries are regulated worldwide to be in compliance with cGMP and GLP principles, with particular focus on safety issues. Each company must create a definite training matrix of its employees. The training procedures in this book enable end users to understand the principles and elements of manufacturing techniques and provide documentation language ranging from the generic to the specific. The training courses on the downloadable resources supply valuable tools for developing training matrices to achieve FDA, Health Canada, EMEA, MHRA UK, WHO, and GLP compliance.

We have previously described the syntheses of both magnetic and nonmagnetic polymeric microspheres, and we have reported their application in removal of neuroblastoma cells from normal cells in bone marrow, in the separation of red blood cells, and the separation of human B and T lymphocytes. In the present study, we describe a series of hydrophilic microspheres consisting of (1) poly-HEMA and (2) a copolymer sequence of HEMA-acrolein microspheres.

The validation and radiation sterilization process for biomaterials and medical devices requires careful planning to ensure regulatory compliance followed by precise accuracy in execution and documentation. This in-depth guide details all steps from prevalidation planning to final report and ongoing monitoring and control. Sterilization Validation & Routine Operation Handbook: Radiation provides a framework for the validation and routine operation of an irradiation sterilization process. The guidance presented complies with ANSI/AAMI/ISO 11137: 1994, Sterilization of health care product-Requirements for validation and routine control-Radiation sterilization and the newly published AAMI substantiation of 25 kGy using VDmax procedure. The author discusses methods to aid in comprehending the requirements in these standards. She also provides practical procedures for the validation and routine monitoring and control of specific gamma and electron beam radiation sterilization processes. Background chapters provide needed information on radiation sterilization technologies, sterilization microbiology, validation approaches and working with a radiation sterilization contractor. Much of the information in this new book is presented in convenient tables and charts, with diagrams and other schematics that simply illustrate appropriate validation methodologies. Sterilization Validation & Routine Operation Handbook: Radiation brings together in one resource information scattered throughout many documents and will be useful to all those involved in the sterilization of medical materials, drugs and devices.

CI Techniques & Algorithms for a Variety of Medical Imaging SituationsDocuments recent advances and stimulates further research A compilation of the latest trends in the field, Computational Intelligence in Medical Imaging: Techniques and Applications explores how intelligent computing can bring enormous benefit to existing technology in medical image processing as well as improve medical imaging research. The contributors also cover state-of-the-art research toward integrating medical image processing with artificial intelligence and machine learning approaches. The book presents numerous techniques, algorithms, and models. It describes neural networks, evolutionary optimization techniques, rough sets, support vector machines, tabu search, fuzzy logic, a Bayesian probabilistic framework, a statistical parts-based appearance model, a reinforcement learning-based multistage image segmentation algorithm, a machine learning approach, Monte Carlo simulations, and intelligent, deformable models. The contributors discuss how these techniques are used to classify wound images, extract the boundaries of skin lesions, analyze prostate cancer, handle the inherent uncertainties in mammographic images, and encapsulate the natural intersubject anatomical variance in medical images. They also examine prostate segmentation in transrectal ultrasound images, automatic segmentation and diagnosis of bone scintigraphy, 3-D medical image segmentation, and the reconstruction of SPECT and PET tomographic images.

Macroporous polymers are rapidly becoming the material of choice for many tissue engineering, bioseparation, and bioprocessing applications. However, while important information is scattered about in many different publications, none, to date, have drawn this information together in user-friendly format, until now. Meeting the need for an accessible, organized resource, Macroporous Polymers: Production Properties and Biotechnological/Biomedical Applications supplies a systematic presentation of the production, characterization, and application of these polymers. The text discusses traditional methods of production, including phase separation polymerization, leaching, foaming, and double emulsion as well as emerging methods such as cryogelation. The chapters also detail the various applications of macroporous gels for the separation of biomolecules and for the cultivation of mammalian cells in bioreactors and for tissue engineering. The book underscores existing and potential problems while providing a solid background on which to base the evaluation of the scientific and commercial value of new developments. The editors bring together different viewpoints, summarize state-of-the-art achievement, and cover applications in biotechnology, downstream processing, and biomedicine. They have collected the latest research and molded it into a cohesive reference, closing the gap between macromolecular design and production of these gels/polymers and their possible applications. With the intensity of development in this area likely to increase, the foundation provided by this book can help you meet the challenges inherent in the development of new and better materials for new and better applications.

Discusses the Effect of Automated Assessment Programs on Health Care Provision Diabetes is approaching pandemic numbers, and as an associated complication, diabetic retinopathy is also on the rise. Much about the computer-based diagnosis of this intricate illness has been discovered and proven effective in research labs. But, unfortunately, many of these advances have subsequently failed during transition from the lab to the clinic. So what is the best way to diagnose and treat retinopathy? Automated Image Detection of Retinal Pathology discusses the epidemiology of the disease, proper screening protocols, algorithm development, image processing, and feature analysis applied to the retina. Conveys the Need for Widely Implemented Risk-Reduction Programs Offering an array of informative examples, this book analyzes the use of automated computer techniques, such as pattern recognition, in analyzing retinal images and detecting diabetic retinopathy and its progression as well as other retinal-based diseases. It also addresses the benefits and challenges of automated health care in the field of ophthalmology. The book then details the increasing practice of telemedicine screening and other advanced applications including arteriolar-venous ratio, which has been shown to be an early indicator of cardiovascular, diabetes, and cerebrovascular risk. Although tremendous advances have been made in this complex field, there are still many questions that remain unanswered. This book is a valuable resource for researchers looking to take retinal pathology to that next level of discovery as well as for clinicians and primary health care professionals that aim to utilize automated diagnostics as part of their health care program.

Fuzzy and Neuro-Fuzzy Systems in Medicineprovides a thorough review of state-of-the-art techniques and practices, defines and explains relevant problems, as well as provides solutions to these problems. After an introduction, the book progresses from one topic to another - with a linear development from fundamentals to applications.