This book presents a comprehensive overview on origin, structure, properties, modification strategies and applications of the biopolymer lignin. It is organized into four themed parts. The first part focuses on the analysis and characterization of the second most abundant biopolymer. The following part is devoted to the biological aspects of lignin such as biosynthesis and degradation. In the third part, chemical modification strategies and the preparation of composites as well as nano- and microparticles are discussed.The final part addresses the industrial application of lignin and its derivatives, as well as lignin materials. The usage for synthesis of biofuels, fine chemicals and in agriculture and food industry is covered. This book is a comprehensive source for researchers, scientists and engineers working in the field of biopolymers as well as renewable materials and sources.

Wild Germplasm for Genetic Improvement in Crop Plants addresses the need for an integrated reference on a wide variety of crop plants, facilitating comparison and contrast, as well as providing relevant relationships for future research and development. The book presents the genetic and natural history value of wild relatives, covers what wild relatives exist, explores the existing knowledge regarding specific relatives and the research surrounding them and identifies knowledge gaps. As understanding the role of crop wild relatives in plant breeding expands the genetic pool for abiotic and biotic stress resistance, this is an ideal reference on this important topic.

This first volume of the Handbook of Biodiesel and Petrodiesel Fuels presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of biodiesel fuels in general. Part I provides an overview of the research field on both biodiesel and petrodiesel fuels highlighting primary and secondary research fronts in these fields. Part II presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of biooils covering major research fronts. The research on the biooils is a fundamental part of the research on the biodiesel fuels. The research in this field has intensified in recent years with the application of advanced catalytic technologies and nanotechnologies in both production and upgrading of biooils. It covers pyrolysis, hydrothermal liquefaction, and upgrading, and characterization and properties of biooils besides an overview of the research field. Part III presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of biodiesel fuels in general covering major research fronts. The research in this field has progressed in the lines of production, properties, and emissions of biodiesel fuels. As in the case of biooils, catalysts and additives play a crucial role for the biodiesel fuels. It covers biomass-based catalyst-assisted biodiesel production, enzymatic biodiesel production, additives in biodiesel production, properties, characterization, performance, and policies of biodiesel fuels besides an overview of the research field. Part IV presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of glycerol, biodiesel waste, covering major research fronts. The research in this field has intensified in recent years with the increasing volume of biodiesel fuels, creating eco-friendly solutions for these wastes of biodiesel fuels for producing valuable biofuels and biochemicals from glycerol. It covers biohydrogen and propanediol production from glycerol as a case study for bioenergy and biochemicals, respectively. This book will be useful to academics and professionals in the fields of Energy Fuels, Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Sciences, and Thermodynamics. Ozcan Konur is both a materials scientist and social scientist by training. He has published around 200 journal papers, book chapters, and conference papers. He has focused on the bioenergy and biofuels in recent years. In 2018, he edited Bioenergy and Biofuels, which brought together the work of over 30 experts in their respective field. He also edited the Handbook of Algal Science, Technology, and Medicine with a strong section on the algal biofuels in 2020.

This second volume of the Handbook of Biodiesel and Petrodiesel Fuels presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of feedstock-specific biodiesel fuels. The research on feedstocks for biodiesel fuels has first focused on the edible oils as first-generation biodiesel fuels. However, the public concerns about the competition with foods based on these feedstocks and adverse impact on the ecological diversity and deforestation have resulted in the exploration of nonedible-oil-based biodiesel fuels as second-generation biodiesel fuels in the first instance. Due to the ecological and cost benefits of treating wastes, waste oil-based biodiesel fuels as third-generation biodiesel fuels have emerged. Furthermore, following a series of influential review papers, the research has focused on the algal oil-based biodiesel fuels in recent years. Since the cost of feedstocks in general constitutes 85% of the total biodiesel production costs, the research focused more on improving biomass and lipid productivity in these research fields. Furthermore, since water, CO2, and nutrients (primarily N and P) have been major ingredients for the algal biomass and lipid production, the research has also intensified in the use of wastewaters and flue gases for algal biomass production to reduce the ecological burdens and the production costs. Part 1 presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of edible oil-based biodiesel fuels covering major research fronts. It covers soybean oil-based biodiesel fuels, palm oil-based biodiesel fuels, and rapeseed oil-based biodiesel fuels as case studies besides an overview paper. Part 2 presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of nonedible oil-based biodiesel fuels covering major research fronts. It covers Jatropha oil-based biodiesel fuels, polanga oil-based biodiesel fuels, and moringa oil-based biodiesel fuels as case studies besides an overview paper. Part 3 presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of waste oil-based biodiesel fuels covering major research fronts. It covers wastewater sludge-based biodiesel fuels, waste cooking oil-based biodiesel fuels, and microbial oil-based biodiesel fuels as case studies besides an overview paper. Part 4 presents a representative sample of the population papers in the field of algal oil-based biodiesel fuels covering major research fronts. It covers algal biomass production in general, algal biomass production in wastewaters, algal lipid production, hydrothermal liquefaction of algal biomass, algal lipid extraction, and algal biodiesel production besides an overview paper. This book will be useful to academics and professionals in the fields of Energy Fuels, Chemical Engineering, Physical Chemistry, Biotechnology and Applied Microbiology, Environmental Sciences, and Thermodynamics. Ozcan Konur is both a materials scientist and social scientist by training. He has published around 200 journal papers, book chapters, and conference papers. He has focused on the bioenergy and biofuels in recent years. In 2018, he edited 'Bioenergy and Biofuels', that brought together the work of over 30 experts in their respective field. He also edited 'Handbook of Algal Science, Technology, and Medicine' with a strong section on the algal biofuels in 2020.

Before the concept of history began, humans undoubtedly acquired life benefits by discovering medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) that were food and medicine. Today, a variety of available herbs and spices are used and enjoyed throughout the world and continue to promote good health. The international market is also quite welcoming for MAPs and essential oils. The increasing environment and nature conscious buyers encourage producers to produce high quality essential oils. These consumer choices lead to growing preference for organic and herbal based products in the world market. As the benefits of medicinal and aromatic plants are recognized, these plants will have a special role for humans in the future. Until last century, the production of botanicals relies to a large degree on wild-collection. However, the increasing commercial collection, largely unmonitored trade, and habitat loss lead to an incomparably growing pressure on plant populations in the wild. Therefore, medicinal and aromatic plants are of high priority for conservation. Given the above, we bring forth a comprehensive volume, "Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Healthcare and Industrial Applications", highlighting the various healthcare, industrial and pharmaceutical applications that are being used on these immensely important MAPs and its future prospects. This collection of chapters from the different areas dealing with MAPs caters to the need of all those who are working or have interest in the above topic.

The population of the world continues to increase at an alarming rate. The trouble linked with overpopulation ranges from food and water scarcity to inadequacy of space for organisms. Overpopulation is also linked with several other demographic hazards, for instance, population blooming will not only result in exhaustion of natural repositories, but it will also induce intense pressure on the world economy. Today nanotechnology is often discussed as a key discipline of research but it has positive and negative aspects. Also, due to industrialization and ever-increasing population, nano-pollution has been an emerging topic among scientists for investigation and debate. Nanotechnology measures any substance on a macromolecular scale, molecular scale, and even atomic scale. More importantly, nanotechnology deals with the manipulation and control of any matter at the dimension of a single nanometer. Nanotechnology and nanoparticles (NPs) play important roles in sustainable development and environmental challenges as well. NPs possess both harmful and beneficial effects on the environment and its harboring components, such as microbes, plants, and humans. There are many beneficial impacts exerted by nanoparticles, however, including their role in the management of waste water and soil treatment, cosmetics, food packaging, agriculture, biomedicines, pharmaceuticals, renewable energies, and environmental remedies. Conversely, NPs also show some toxic effects on microbes, plants, as well as human beings. It has been reported that use of nanotechnological products leads to the more accumulation of NPs in soil and aquatic ecosystems, which may be detrimental for living organisms. Further, toxic effects of NPs on microbes, invertebrates, and aquatic organisms including algae, has been measured. Scientists have also reported on the negative impact of NPs on plants by discussing the delivery of NPs in plants. Additionally, scientists have also showed that NPs interact with plant cells, which results in alterations in growth, biological function, gene expression, and development. Thus, there has been much investigated and reported on NPs and plant interactions in the last decade. This book discusses the most recent work on NPs and plant interaction, which should be useful for scientists working in nanotechnology across a wide variety of disciplines.

The most commonly used biological wastewater treatment technologies still have serious technical-economical and sustainability-related limitations, due to their high energy requirements, poor effluent quality, and lack of energy and resource recovery processes. In this thesis, novel electrochemical membrane bioreactors (EMBRs), which take advantage of membrane separation and bioelectrochemical techniques, are developed for wastewater treatment and the simultaneous recovery of energy and resources. Above all, this innovative system holds great promise for the efficient wastewater treatment and energy recovery. It can potentially recover net energy from wastewater while at the same time harvesting high-quality effluent. The book also provides a proof-of-concept study showing that electrochemical control might offer a promising in-situ means of suppressing membrane fouling. Lastly, by integrating electrodialysis into EMBRs, phosphate separation and recovery are achieved. Hence, these new EMBR techniques provide viable alternatives for sustainable wastewater treatment and resource recovery.

This book joins an international and interdisciplinary group of leading experts on the biomedical, energy and environmental applications of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). The resulting overview covers everything from the environmentally friendly and scale up synthesis of MOFs, their application in green energy generation and storage, and water purification to their use as drug delivery systems, biosensors, and their association with relevant macromolecules (genes, enzymes). This book is focused on the interest of MOFs in applications such as the leading -edge environmental (energy-related) and biomedical fields. The potential of MOFs in these areas is currently progressing at a fast pace, since the wide possibilities that MOFs offer in terms of composition, topology, incorporation of active species (in their porosity, on their external surface or within the framework), and post-synthetic modifications, among others. The aim here is to provide future research goals that emphasize relevant nuances to this class of materials as a whole.

Natural resources and associated biological diversity provide the basis of livelihood for human population, particularly in the rural areas and mountain regions across the globe. Asia is home to the world's highest mountain regions including the Himalayas, Karakorum and Hindukush. These regions are renowned around the globe because of their unique beauty, climate, and biocultural diversity. Because of geoclimatic conditions, the mountains of Asia are medicinal and food plant diversity hot spots. The indigenous communities residing in the valleys of these mountains have their own culture and traditions, and have a long history of interaction with the surrounding plant diversity. Local inhabitants of these mountains areas possess significant traditional knowledge of plant species used as food, medicine, and for cultural purposes. So far, many workers have reported traditional uses of plant species from different regions of Asia including some mountain areas; however, there is not one inclusive document on the ethnobotany of mountains in Asia. This book provides a comprehensive overview on ethno-ecological knowledge and cross cultural variation in the application of plant species among various communities residing in the mountains of Asia; cross cultural variation in traditional uses of plant species by the mountain communities; high value medicinal and food plant species; and threats and conservation status of plant species and traditional knowledge. This book should be useful to researchers of biodiversity and conservation, ethnobiologists, ethnoecologists, naturalists, phytochemists, pharmacists, policy makers, and all who have a devotion to nature.

This book explores the connections between migration and terrorism and extrapolates, with the help of current research and case studies, what the future may hold for both issues. Migration and Radicalization: Global Futures looks at how migrants and terrorists have both been treated as Others outside the body politic, how growing migrant flows borne of a rickety state system cause both natives and migrants to turn violent, and how terrorist radicalization and tensions between natives and migrants can be reduced. As he contemplates potential global futures in the light of migration and radicalization, Gabriel Rubin charts a course between contemporary migration and terrorism scholarship, exploring their interactions in a methodologically rigorous but theoretically bold investigation.

Agriculture faces many challenges to fulfil the growing demand for sustainable food production and ensure high-quality nutrition for a rapidly growing population. To guarantee adequate food production, it is necessary to increase the yield per area of arable land. A method for achieving this goal has been the application of growth regulators to modulate plant growth. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are substances in specific formulations which, when applied to plants or seeds, have the capacity to promote, inhibit, or modify physiological traits, development and/or stress responses. They maintain proper balance between source and sink for enhancing crop yield. PGRs are used to maximize productivity and quality, improve consistency in production, and overcome genetic and abiotic limitations to plant productivity. Suitable PGRs include hormones such as cytokinins and auxins, and hormone-like compounds such as mepiquat chloride and paclobutrazol. The use of PGRs in mainstream agriculture has steadily increased within the last 20 years as their benefits have become better understood by growers. Unfortunately, the growth of the PGR market may be constrained by a lack of innovation at a time when an increase in demand for new products will require steady innovation and discovery of novel, cost-competitive, specific, and effective PGRs. A plant bio-stimulant is any substance or microorganism applied to plants with the aim to enhance nutrition efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance and/or crop quality traits, regardless of its nutrients content. Apart from traditional PGRs, which are mostly plant hormones, there are a number of substances/molecules such as nitric oxide, methyl jasmonate, brassinosteroids, seaweed extracts, strigolactones, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria etc. which act as PGRs. These novel PGRs or bio-stimulants have been reported to play important roles in stress responses and adaptation. They can protect plants against various stresses, including water deficit, chilling and high temperatures, salinity and flooding. This book includes chapters ranging from sensing and signalling in plants to translational research. In addition, the cross-talk operative in plants in response to varied signals of biotic and abiotic nature is also presented. Ultimately the objective of this book is to present the current scenario and the future plan of action for the management of stresses through traditional as well as novel PGRs. We believe that this book will initiate and introduce readers to state-of-the-art developments and trends in this field of study.

This book summarizes recent developments in epoxy blends. It emphasizes new challenges for the synthesis, characterization, and properties of biofibers and biopolymers. It provides updates on all the important areas of biofibers and biopolymers in a comprehensive fashion, including synthesis, processing, characterisation and application. It provides a a one-stop reference for researchers and those working in industry and government. The book correlates macro, micro and nanostructure properties. Moreover, it provides cutting edge research from experts around the globe. The current status, trends, future directions and opportunities are discussed in detail, making the book also accessible for beginners to the subject and young researchers.

Age as Disease explores the foundations of gerontology as a discipline to examine the ways contemporary society constructs old age as a disease-state. Framed throughout as 'gerontological hygeine', this book examines contemporary regimes, strategies and treatment protocols deployed throughout Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The book deploys critical cultural theories such as biopolitics, somatechnics, ethics, and governmentality to examine how anti-aging technologies operate to problematise the aging body as always-already diseased, and how these come to constitute a movement of abolition, named here as 'gerontological hygiene'.

Featuring chapters from specialists in endocrinology, physiology, pathology, and nuclear medicine, "Somatostatin Analogues" provides a multidisciplinary approach to a wide variety of issues concerning somatostatin and its analogues. The renowned author team provides the most up-to-date coverage of somatostatin analog use in diagnostic and therapy, while integrating the specialties of endocrinology, physiology, pathology, and nuclear medicine. Ideal for physicians, endocrinologists, nuclear medicine specialists, oncologists, radiotherapists, radiopharmacists, molecular biologists, and PhD students, the text focuses on future applications, novel compounds, and areas for further research.

This book comprises a collection of chapters on advances in green nanomaterials. The book looks at ways to establish long-term safe and sustainable forms of nanotechnology through implementation of nanoparticle biosynthesis with minimum impact on the ecosystem. The book looks at synthesis, processing, and applications of metal and metal oxide nanomaterials and also at bio-nanomaterials. The contents of this book will prove useful for researchers and professionals working in the field of nanomaterials and green technology.

This book examines the potential applications of nanoscience and nanotechnology to promote eco-friendly processes and techniques for energy and environment sustainability. Covering various aspects of both the synthesis and applications of nanoparticles and nanofluids for energy and environmental engineering, its goal is to promote eco-friendly processes and techniques. Accordingly, the book elaborates on the development of reliable, economical, eco-friendly processes through advanced nanoscience and technological research and innovations. Gathering contributions by researchers actively engaged in various domains of nanoscience and technology, it addresses topics such as nanoparticle synthesis (both top-down and bottom-up approaches); applications of nanomaterials, nanosensors and plasma discharge in pollution control; environmental monitoring; agriculture; energy recovery; production enhancement; energy conservation and storage; surface modification of materials for energy storage; fuel cells; pollution mitigation; and CO2 capture and sequestration. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to academics and researchers whose work involves nanotechnology or nanomaterials, especially as applied to energy and/or environmental sustainability engineering. Graduate students in the same areas will also find it a valuable resource.

This book covers the latest research in biofilm, infection, and antimicrobial strategies in reducing and treating musculoskeletal, skin, transfusion, implant-related infections, etc. Topics covered include biofilms, small colony variants, antimicrobial biomaterials (antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides, hydrogels, bioinspired interfaces, immunotherapeutic approaches, and more), antimicrobial coatings, engineering and 3D printing, antimicrobial delivery vehicles, and perspectives on clinical impacts. Antibiotic resistance, which shifts the race toward bacteria, and strategies to reduce antibiotic resistance, are also briefly touched on. Combined with its companion volume, Racing for the Surface: Pathogenesis of Implant Infection and Advanced Antimicrobial Strategies, this book bridges the gaps between infection and tissue engineering, and is an ideal book for academic researchers, clinicians, industrial engineers and scientists, governmental representatives in national laboratories, and advanced undergraduate students and post-doctoral fellows who are interested in infection, microbiology, and biomaterials and devices.

Agriculture and industry are the two most important economic sectors for various countries around the globe, providing millions of jobs as well as being the main source of income for these countries. Nevertheless, with the increasing demand for agricultural and industrial produce, huge amounts of waste are also being produced. Without proper management, this waste (both liquid and solid) poses a serious threat to overall environmental quality, mainly due to its toxicity and slow degradation processes. Current approaches are effective but would normally require huge capital investments, are labour intensive and generate potential hazardous by-products. As such, there is a need for alternative approaches that are cheaper, easier-to-handle and have a minimum potential impact on environmental quality. This book presents up-to-date approaches using biological techniques to manage the abundance of waste generated from agricultural and industrial activities. It discusses techniques such as bioconversion, biodegradation, biotransformation, and biomonitoring as well as the utilization of these wastes. A number of chapters also include individual case studies to enhance readers' understanding of the topics. This comprehensive book is a useful resource for anyone involved in agricultural and industrial waste management, green chemistry or biotechnology. It is also recommended as a reference work for graduate students and all agriculture and biotechnology libraries.

This book reviews the latest research on bioproducts from various economically important insects, such as silkworms, honey bees, lac and drosophila, and termites, and discusses their general, biomedical and industrial applications in detail. It includes chapters focusing on insects as a food source, probiotics, silk-based biomaterials, insect pheromones, insects as biomedicine source, pupa oil chemistry, non-protein compounds from Lepidopteran insects, insect chitin and chitosan, polyphenols and flavonoids. Model insects like Bombyx mori or bees were domesticated in Asian countries thousands of years ago. Over time, natural products from these animals became industrialized and today they attracting increasing attention thanks to their sustainability and their manifold applications in agriculture and biomedicine. The book is intended for entomologists, material scientists, natural product researchers and biotechnologists.

Developments in genomics and biotechnology are opening up new avenues for accelerating the domestication of forest trees in a climate change driven world. This book presents an authoritative update of forest tree biotechnology and genomics methodologies, procedures and accomplishments, from basic biological science to applications in forestry and related sciences. It gives expert evaluation of achievements and discussion about the impact that novel forest biotechnological and genomics approaches are having on traditional breeding for improvement of forest tree species and production of forest-based products. It also describes the legal and regulatory aspects of forest biotechnology, with an emphasis on biosafety. It is a reference for forest biologists, including basic and applied scientists involved in forest tree breeding and biotechnology, bioenergy research, and biomaterial product development. Key features: Advances in tree genomic selection. Next-generation sequencing technologies. Domesticating forest-tree species via genetic engineering. Regulatory affairs related to forest biotechnology. Protecting intellectual property. This title is suitable for graduate-level students working in plant biology and forest genetics, silviculture and agroforestry, and bioenergy science and technology. It is also relevant to scientists and foresters researching genetics, genomics and biotechnology, molecular biology and physiology of forest trees, and their application to production forestry, and conservation, as well as for sustainable forestry for bioenergy and bio-based products.

This book discusses new trends in nanotechnology. It covers a wide range of topics starting from applications of nanomaterials in perovskite solar cells, pharmacy, and dentistry to self-assembled growth of GaN nanostructures on flexible metal foils by laser molecular beam epitaxy. It also includes other interesting topics such as advancement in carbon nanotubes; processing techniques, purification and industrial applications, metal di-chalcogenides for waste water treatment and recent advancement in nanostructured-based electrochemical genosensors for pathogen detection and many more. The book will be of great interest to researchers, professionals and students working in the areas of nanomaterials and nanotechnology.

This book investigates the historical construction of scholarly personae by integrating a spectrum of recent perspectives from the history and cultural studies of knowledge and institutions. Focusing on gender and embodiment, the contributors analyse the situated performance of scholarly identity and its social and intellectual contexts and consequences. Disciplinary cultures, scholarly practices, personal habits, and a range of social, economic, and political circumstances shape the people and formations of modern scholarship. Featuring a foreword by Ludmilla Jordanova, Gender, Embodiment, and the History of the Scholarly Persona: Incarnations and Contestations is of interest to historians, sociologists, media and culture scholars, and all those with a stake in the personal dimensions of scholarship. An international group of scholars present original examinations of travel, globalisation, exchange, training, evaluation, self-representation, institution-building, norm-setting, virtue-defining, myth-making, and other gendered and embodied modes and mechanisms of scholarly persona-work. These accounts nuance and challenge existing understandings of the relationship between knowledge and identity.

Inflammation and Natural Products brings together research in the area of the natural products and their anti-inflammatory action in medical, nutraceutical and food products, addressing specific chronic inflammatory diseases like cancer and the mechanistic aspects of the mode of action of some key natural products. Inflammation is a complicated process, driven by infection or injury or genetic changes, which results in triggering signalling cascades, activation of transcription factors, gene expression, increased levels of inflammatory enzymes, and release of various oxidants and pro-inflammatory molecules in inflammatory cells. Excessive oxidants and inflammatory mediators have a harmful effect on normal tissue, including toxicity, loss of barrier function, abnormal cell proliferation, inhibiting normal function of tissues and organs and finally leading to systemic disorders. The emerging development of natural product formulations utilizing the unique anti-inflammatory compounds such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, terpenes, fatty acids, proteins and several other bioactive components has shown notable successes. Inflammation and Natural Products: Recent Development and Current Status provides a comprehensive resource, ranging from detailed explanation on inflammation to molecular docking strategies for naturally occurring compounds with anti-inflammatory activity. It is useful for graduate students, academic and professionals in the fields of pharmaceutical and medical sciences and specialists from natural product-related industries.

This book covers basic aspects of different nanoparticles, including type of materials, lipid, polymeric and inorganic structures, synthesis strategies, as well as the main physicochemical characterization techniques. Moreover, this book addresses applications for both treatment and diagnosis of diseases, highlighting in vitro and in vivo findings and clinical evaluation. The chapters highlight the main barriers for drug delivery which can benefit from nanoencapsulation: the topical and oral routes. The main innovations in the field, such as gene therapy and functionalization of nanoparticles with a variety of moieties, including monoclonal antibodies for selective delivery, are discussed and illustrated with examples. Finally, the application of nanoparticles for drug delivery to cancer is reviewed considering toxicology and regulatory aspects.

This edited book serves as a vital resource on the contributions of microorganisms to advances in nanotechnology, establishing their applications in diverse areas of biomedicine, environment, biocatalysis, food and nutrition, and renewable energy. It documents the impacts of microorganisms in nanotechnology leading to further developments in microbial nanobiotechnology. This book appeals to researchers and scholars of microbiology, biochemistry and nanotechnology.