This book focuses on the preparation and characterisation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/ halloysite nanotube (HNT) bionanocomposite films with different HNT contents for potential use in food packaging. It examines the effect of material composition and nanofiller content on mechanical, thermal and optical properties in relation to their morphological structures, and also comprehensively describes the water resistance, biodegradation and migration rates of such bionanocomposites, as well as their barrier properties in terms of water vapour transmission, and water vapour, air and oxygen permeabilities. Further, this book discusses the use of Nielsen model and Cussler model to predict the relative permeability of bionanocomposites, demonstrating that Nielsen model is more effective and in better agreement with experimental data obtained. Lastly, it discusses the application of bionanocomposite films in food packaging to prolong the shelf life of freshly cut avocados and peaches.

This detailed book covers methods for studying, producing, and analyzing therapeutic antibodies, measuring their concentration, developing neutralizing antibodies for them, and for predicting and monitoring their therapeutic efficacy and clinical effects. These biologics are the fastest growing pharmaceutical drug group and have had tremendous clinical and scientific impact in cancer, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and other immune-related diseases, making the content of this volume essential. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible methods, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Therapeutic Antibodies: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal guide for researchers working with the production of, research on, and development of therapeutic antibodies as well as for clinicians using therapeutic antibodies in daily work with patients.

This book is devoted to CO2 capture and utilization (CCU) from a green, biotechnological and economic perspective, and presents the potential of, and the bottlenecks and breakthroughs in converting a stable molecule such as CO2 into specialty chemicals and materials or energy-rich compounds. The use of renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal, hydro) and non-fossil hydrogen is a must for converting large volumes of CO2 into energy products, and as such, the authors explore and compare the availability of hydrogen from water using these sources with that using oil or methane. Divided into 13 chapters, the book offers an analysis of the conditions under which CO2 utilization is possible, and discusses CO2 capture from concentrated sources and the atmosphere. It also analyzes the technological (non-chemical) uses of CO2, carbonation of basic minerals and industrial sludge, and the microbial-catalytic-electrochemical-photoelectrochemical-plasma conversion of CO2 into chemicals and energy products. Further, the book provides examples of advanced bioelectrochemical syntheses and RuBisCO engineering, as well as a techno-energetic and economic analysis of CCU. Written by leading international experts, this book offers a unique perspective on the potential of the various technologies discussed, and a vision for a sustainable future. Intended for graduates with a good understanding of chemistry, catalysis, biotechnology, electrochemistry and photochemistry, it particularly appeals to researchers (in academia and industry) and university teachers.

This volume covers experimental and theoretical advances on the relationship between composition, structure and macroscopic mechanical properties of novel hydrogels containing dynamic bonds. The chapters of this volume focus on the control of the mechanical properties of several recently discovered gels with the design of monomer composition, chain architecture, type of crosslinking or internal structure. The gels discussed in the different chapters have in common the capability to dissipate energy upon deformation, a desired property for mechanical toughness, while retaining the ability to recover the properties of the virgin material over time or to self-heal when put back in contact after fracture. Some chapters focus on the synthesis and structural aspects while others focus on properties or modelling at the continuum or mesoscopic scale. The volume will be of interest to chemists and material scientists by providing guidelines and general structure-property considerations to synthesize and develop innovative gels tuned for applications. In addition it will provide physicists with a better understanding of the role of weak interactions between molecules and physical crosslinking on macroscopic dissipative properties and self-healing or self-recovering properties.

This thorough book explores some of the most important methods and concepts affecting the quantitative analysis of the transport, targeting, and disposition of chemicals within cells, which in turn impact the macroscopic pharmacokinetics of chemical agents in the whole organism. The first half of the volume focuses on small organic molecules with drug-like characteristics, while the second half delves into the cellular pharmacokinetics of biologics and other macromolecules, including peptide therapeutics, cyclotides, antibodies, as well as nanoparticles, thus creating a comprehensive treatise that approaches cellular pharmacokinetics from the different perspectives of pharmaceutical scientists, chemical biologists, medicinal chemists, and protein engineers dealing with very different chemical agents spanning a wide range of sizes, physicochemical properties, and targeting mechanisms. Written for the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, chapters provide the kind of key detail and expert implementation advice that leads to excellent results in the lab. Synthetic biologists, biophysicists, and bioengineers are amongst the long list of scientists who could benefit from reading this book or from using it as a textbook. Authoritative and practical, Quantitative Analysis of Cellular Drug Transport, Disposition, and Delivery builds on a long history of drug development and the adding of quantitative methods at the cellular scale in order to inspire new approaches to drug development that are better able to take advantage of phenomena such as soluble-to-insoluble phase transitions or bispecific targeting, which could ultimately be exploited for the development of more effective drug delivery systems and therapeutic agents.

Value of Connected Things for Healthcare is based on feedback from members of the LLSA Forum, patients, healthcare professionals, Living Labs, industrialists, researchers and institutional actors confronted with the design, development, implementation and use of these types of tools that penetrate health and communicate data. The term connected object refers to devices that continuously collect data through these objects, providing the state of health of people wherever they are and whatever they do. These objects allow clinical researchers to study new phenomena that have hitherto escaped observations in institutions. However, the mobilization of these technologies in this context poses technical questions because the requirements of a remote, continuous operation are high. What is termed connected health emphasizes the human dimension of the subject, i.e., citizens, patients, health professionals, territorial communities, professional networks, institutions and associations. The questions of who benefits and ethical considerations are paramount to this discussion.

Advances in Applied Microbiology, Volume 107, continues the comprehensive reach of this widely read and authoritative review source in microbiology. Users will find invaluable references and information on a variety of areas, with this updated volume including chapters covering the roles and applications of siderophores, biological oxidation of iron sulphides, production of biomass and biofuel feedstocks from microalgae, advances in the microbial ecology of biohydrometallurgy, bacterial synthesis of Se nanoparticles, and siderophores in environmental research, amongst other discussions.

Classification Techniques for Medical Image Analysis and Computer Aided Diagnosis covers the most current advances on how to apply classification techniques to a wide variety of clinical applications that are appropriate for researchers and biomedical engineers in the areas of machine learning, deep learning, data analysis, data management and computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems design. The book covers several complex image classification problems using pattern recognition methods, including Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), Bayesian Networks (BN) and deep learning. Further, numerous data mining techniques are discussed, as they have proven to be good classifiers for medical images.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of current biosurfactant research and applications. Public awareness of environmental issues has increased significantly over the last decade, a trend that has been accompanied by industry demands for climate-friendly and environmentally friendly renewable raw materials. In the context of household products, biosurfactants could potentially meet this demand in the future due to their low ecotoxicity, excellent biodegradability, and use of renewable raw materials. The diversity of this class of molecules, which has only been marginally tapped to date, offers only an inkling of their future application potential. However, there are two main obstacles to their widespread commercial use on the growing surfactant market: the lack of attractive and competitive production technologies, and the limited structural diversity of commercially available biosurfactants. Addressing both of these core issues, this book will provide readers with a deeper understanding of the role of biosurfactants, including future opportunities and challenges. Chapter "Environmental Impacts of Biosurfactants from a Life Cycle Perspective: A Systematic Literature Review" is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major global public health problem. This book focuses on the clinical implications of multi-drug resistant pathogens; tracking AMR and its evolutionary significance; antifungal resistance; and current and alternative treatment strategies for AMR, including antivirulent, antibiofilm and antimicrobial resistance breakers, repurposing of drugs, and probiotic therapy. Advances in antimicrobial stewardship, antibiotic policies from a global perspective and their impacts are also discussed. The book also explores the use of omics approaches to gain insights into antibacterial resistance, and includes chapters on the potential benefits of a 'One Health approach' describing the environmental and zoonotic sources of resistant genes and their effects on the global resistance pool.

This book is a compilation of the bench experience of leading experts from various research labs involved in the cutting edge area of research. The authors describe the use of stem cells both as part of the combinatorial therapeutic intervention approach and as tools (disease model) during drug development, highlighting the shift from a conventional symptomatic treatment strategy to addressing the root cause of the disease process. The book is a continuum of the previously published book entitled "Stem Cells: from Drug to Drug Discovery" which was published in 2017.

Nanotechnology in Ophthalmology is a comprehensive and up-to-date reference on the role and applications of nanotechnology in ophthalmology, from drug delivery and treatment of ocular diseases to toxicity issues. Written by experts from the nanotechnology, ophthalmology, and pharmacology fields, this book has a unique, broad and diverse scope, including chapters on nanosensor-based diagnostic tools, delivery of nanobiomaterials, implantable materials and devices, delivery of nanobiomaterials, nanotechnology for medical and surgical treatment, regenerative medicine, and more. This book provides a valuable reference to researchers working in the areas of ophthalmology, nanoscience and pharmacology, and clinical fellows who are interested in nanoophthalmology as a reference for their practice and research.

This book presents the select proceedings of the International Conference on Functional Material, Manufacturing and Performances (ICFMMP) 2019. The book provides the state-of-the-art research, development, and commercial prospective of recent advances in materials science and engineering. The contents cover various synthesis and fabrication routes of functional and smart materials for applications in mechanical engineering, manufacturing, metrology, nanotechnology, physics, chemical and biological sciences, civil engineering, food science among others. It also provides the evolutionary behavior of materials science for industrial applications. This book will be a useful resource for researchers as well as professionals interested in the highly interdisciplinary field of materials science.

This edited book deals with latest comprehensive information on conventional and high throughput techniques and technologies that are recently used to study plant microbial interface for agricultural research and enhancing plant productivity. Plant microbiota are important for many plant growth promotion activity and agricultural productivity and are sustainable green technology for enhancing agricultural productivity under changing environment. The book covers recent information about the plant associated microbiota and their ecology. It discusses technologies to isolate and test microbiota inhabiting in different portion of plants. The book explores the conventional methods as well as the most recently recognized high throughput technologies which are important for productive agroecosystems to feed the growing global population. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, microbiologist, plant and environmental scientist and those interested in environment stewardship around the world. Also the book serves as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of agriculture, forestry, ecology, soil science, and environmental sciences and policy makers to be a useful to read.

This book presents deliberations on molecular and genomic mechanisms underlying the interactions of crop plants to the abiotic stresses caused by heat, cold, drought, flooding, submergence, salinity, acidity, etc., important to develop resistant crop varieties. Knowledge on the advanced genetic and genomic crop improvement strategies including molecular breeding, transgenics, genomic-assisted breeding, and the recently emerging genome editing for developing resistant varieties in pulse crops is imperative for addressing FHNEE (food, health, nutrition, energy, and environment) security. Whole genome sequencing of these crops followed by genotyping-by-sequencing has provided precise information regarding the genes conferring resistance useful for gene discovery, allele mining, and shuttle breeding which in turn opened up the scope for 'designing' crop genomes with resistance to abiotic stresses. The nine chapters each dedicated to a pulse crop in this volume elucidate on different types of abiotic stresses and their effects on and interaction with the crop; enumerate on the available genetic diversity with regard to abiotic stress resistance among available cultivars; illuminate on the potential gene pools for utilization in interspecific gene transfer; present brief on classical genetics of stress resistance and traditional breeding for transferring them to their cultivated counterparts; depict the success stories of genetic engineering for developing abiotic stress-resistant crop varieties; discuss on molecular mapping of genes and QTLs underlying stress resistance and their marker-assisted introgression into elite varieties; enunciate on different genomics-aided techniques including genomic selection, allele mining, gene discovery, and gene pyramiding for developing adaptive crop varieties with higher quantity and quality of yields, and also elaborate some case studies on genome editing focusing on specific genes for generating abiotic stress-resistant crops.

This book focuses on signaling molecules in plant defense, outlining some of the most important cellular and chemical plant defense strategies during periods of stress and growth. Written by leading experts, it covers topics such as the diversity of plant-growth-promoting fungi, the gene-to-metabolite network of plant-microbe interactions, modulation of plant cellular responses to stress, and how plant nutritional deficiency affects crop production. Together with the companion volume Bioactive Molecules in Plant Defense: Saponins, this book offers an essential source of information for postgraduate students and researchers interested in plant pathology, mycology and sustainable agriculture.

Today's challenge, especially for many newcomers to the regulated industry, is not necessarily to gather regulatory information, but to know how to interpret and apply it. The ability to discern what is important from what is not, and to interpret regulatory documents correctly, provides a valuable competitive advantage to any newcomer or established professional in this field. An Overview of FDA Regulated Products: From Drugs and Medical Devices to Food and Tobacco provides a valuable summary of the key information to unveil the meaning of critical, and often complex, regulatory concepts. Concise and easy to read with practical explanations, key points, summaries and case studies, this book highlights the regulatory processes involved in bringing an FDA regulated product from research and development to approval and market. Although the primary focus will be on the US system, this book also features global perspectives where appropriate. A valuable resource for students, professors and professionals, An Overview of FDA Regulated Products illustrates the most important elements and concepts so that the reader can focus on the critical issues and make the necessary connections to be successful.

This book presents a collection of studies on state-of-art techniques developed specifically for lignocellulose component derivation, and for the production of functional materials, composite polymers, carbonaceous biocatalysts, and pellets from lignocellulosic biomass, with an emphasis on using sustainable chemistry and engineering to develop innovative materials and fuels for practical application. Technological strategies for the physical processing or biological conversion of biomass for material production are also presented. All chapters were contributed by respected experts in the field from around the globe, providing a broad range of perspectives on cutting-edge applications. The book offers an ideal reference guide for academic researchers and industrial engineers in the fields of natural renewable materials, biorefinery of lignocellulose, biofuels and environmental engineering. It can also be used as a comprehensive reference source for university students in chemical engineering, material science and environmental engineering.

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.

Modern Vibrational Spectroscopy and Micro-Spectroscopy: Theory, Instrumentation and Biomedical Applications unites the theory and background of conventional vibrational spectroscopy with the principles of microspectroscopy. It starts with basic theory as it applies to small molecules and then expands it to include the large biomolecules which are the main topic of the book with an emphasis on practical experiments, results analysis and medical and diagnostic applications. This book is unique in that it addresses both the parent spectroscopy and the microspectroscopic aspects in one volume. Part I covers the basic theory, principles and instrumentation of classical vibrational, infrared and Raman spectroscopy. It is aimed at researchers with a background in chemistry and physics, and is presented at the level suitable for first year graduate students. The latter half of Part I is devoted to more novel subjects in vibrational spectroscopy, such as resonance and non-linear Raman effects, vibrational optical activity, time resolved spectroscopy and computational methods. Thus, Part 1 represents a short course into modern vibrational spectroscopy. Part II is devoted in its entirety to applications of vibrational spectroscopic techniques to biophysical and bio-structural research, and the more recent extension of vibrational spectroscopy to microscopic data acquisition. Vibrational microscopy (or microspectroscopy) has opened entirely new avenues toward applications in the biomedical sciences, and has created new research fields collectively referred to as Spectral Cytopathology (SCP) and Spectral Histopathology (SHP). In order to fully exploit the information contained in the micro-spectral datasets, methods of multivariate analysis need to be employed. These methods, along with representative results of both SCP and SHP are presented and discussed in detail in Part II.

A Fractal Analysis of Chemical Kinetics with Applications to Biological and Biosensor Interfaces analyzes the kinetics of binding and dissociation of different analytes by different biosensor techniques, demonstrating, and then comparing each other. Emphasis is on newer instrumentation techniques, such as surface plasmon resonance imaging (SPRi), and classical techniques, such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and finally, DNA biosensors and nanobiosensors. In addition, the closing chapter includes discussion of biosensor economics.

Soybean (Glycine max L. (Merr)) is one of the most important crops worldwide. Soybean seeds are vital for both protein meal and vegetable oil. Soybean was domesticated in China, and since last 4-5 decades it has become one of the most widely grown crops around the globe. The crop is grown on an anticipated 6% of the world's arable land, and since the 1970s, the area in soybean production has the highest percentage increase compared to any other major crop. It is a major crop in the United States, Brazil, China and Argentina and important in many other countries. The cultivated soybean has one wild annual relative, G. soja, and 23 wild perennial relatives. Soybean has spread to many Asian countries two to three thousand years ago, but was not known in the West until the 18th century. Among the various constraints responsible for decrease in soybean yields are the biotic and abiotic stresses which have recently increased as a result of changing climatic scenarios at global level. A lot of work has been done for cultivar development and germplasm enhancement through conventional plant breeding. This has resulted in development of numerous high yielding and climate resilient soybean varieties. Despite of this development, plant breeding is long-term by nature, resource dependent and climate dependent. Due to the advancement in genomics and phenomics, significant insights have been gained in the identification of genes for yield improvement, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress and increased quality parameters in soybean. Molecular breeding has become routine and with the advent of next generation sequencing technologies resulting in SNP based molecular markers, soybean improvement has taken a new dimension and resulted in mapping of genes for various traits that include disease resistance, insect resistance, high oil content and improved yield. This book includes chapters from renowned potential soybean scientists to discuss the latest updates on soybean molecular and genetic perspectives to elucidate the complex mechanisms to develop biotic and abiotic stress resilience in soybean. Recent studies on the improvement of oil quality and yield in soybean have also been incorporated.