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Municipal and industrial wastewaters contain a wide spectrum of pollutants. Their effective removal presents a challenge for water treatment technology. Biosorption of nutrients and pollutants has been used in sewage treatment since the discovery of the activated sludge process. It is a passive uptake process by which pollutants are adsorbed on the surface of cell walls and/or dissolved in structures of microorganism cells that are present in sludge. Sorbed pollutants remain in the sludge and can be potentially released back into the environment depending on their condition and the reversibility of the pollutant-sludge interaction. An overview of typical biosorption applications for the removal of nutrients, organic pollutants, and metals in wastewater treatment is provided in different areas of their use for the protection of aquatic ecosystems and human health. This book will be of interest to operators of wastewater treatment plants and sludge treatment and disposal facilities as well as to researchers and university students in the field of environmental engineering.

Peptides are the biomolecules that consist of several amino acid chains linked through peptide bonds. This class of biomolecules is commonly found in living matter, and some of which play an imperative role in their regulation and functional activities. Peptides have been extensively applied in every aspect of human life, including cosmetics, electronics, the food industries, and pharmaceutical fields. Ultimately, peptide commercialization has become a major trend, which has been growing significantly in recent years. Viewed from the scientific perspective described above, the editor believes that the development of peptides in every aspect of human life should be accelerated. As such, this book aims to provide insight and knowledge regarding the current research that has been conducted in this field; hence, this book may encourage the reader to emphasize the importance of peptides in human life and to inspire others to identify the potency of peptides for other applications that still need further exploration. In this book, some of the compelling applications of peptides in biological and health sciences will be introduced. This book comprises an introductory chapter, along with four chapters presented by several prominent scientists who work in the field of peptide research.

Food safety is defined as the concept that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use. Most food product recalls and food-related outbreaks are fully considered as food safety failures. Many risk-based food safety standards, e.g., HACCP, BRC, SQF, ISO/FSSC 22000, are designed to prevent such issues from occurring. Any food recall or food-related outbreak may be attributed to the likelihood of a risk assessment, which in some way failed to identify and control the risk. The essence and true nature of food safety hazards are affected by resources of the food facility, e.g., human, work environment, infrastructure, availability and accessibility of food safety information. Thus, food specialists should establish and manage the parameters of the applied food safety systems to achieve the food safety objectives that produce food in compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements. It is important to understand what exactly will make an end product unsafe and ensure that the necessary control measures are in place to prevent it from happening. Understanding the basic food safety concepts can lead to improvement of the current food safety systems and/or standards.

Public support and feed-in tariff as a nonvariable compensation for the electric power production of energy have suppressed the risky investment of distributed generators (DGs) in smart distribution systems (SDSs). Although the using renewable energy technologies and the incorporation of plug-in DGs into SDS may have positive effects on congestion management, power loss reduction, and sustainability, they may create some difficulties relating to manage the system optimally by considering the intermittency of renewable resources in power production and uncertainties. Many researches have been carried out to deliver the high-quality power to the end-users with acceptable reliability. This book aims to present the recent materials related to the smart microgrids and the management of intermittent renewable energy sources that organized into seven chapters.

During the last decades, aquatic resources have been severely depleted due to human-induced factors such as overexploitation and pollution and more recently due to deviations in the physicochemical parameters of oceans, dramatic changes in weather patterns and melting of glaciers. The effects of these man-made factors are occurring in a relatively shorter time scale and, in many cases, are beyond the capacity of organisms to adapt to these deviations. The majority of natural aquatic resources, which are one of the most important food sources on the planet, are being used to the extent that limits their capacity for regeneration. Despite ongoing attempts towards developing strategies for long-term management of aquatic resources all over the world, efforts have met with limited success. Thus, the sustainable use of aquatic resources has become a very important reality considering a projected human population of 11 billion by the year 2100. With this reality in mind, the purpose of this book is to shed more light on the field of marine ecology by emphasizing the diversity of aquatic life on earth and its importance both as part of a balanced ecosystem and as part of critical source of food on earth. The book covers important findings, discussions and reviews on a variety of subjects on environmental and competitive interactions of marine organisms at different trophic levels and their effects on the productivity, dynamics and structure of marine ecosystems around the world. Each chapter focuses on a specific case in the field of marine ecology and was written by researchers with years of experience in their respective fields. We hope that academicians, researchers and students as well as experts and professionals working in the field of marine ecology will benefit from these contributions. We also hope that this book will inspire more studies to help better understand the marine environment and develop strategies to better protect this crucial element of life on earth.

Electrical machines are used in the process of energy conversion in the generation, transmission and consumption of electric power. In addition to this, electrical machines are considered the main part of electrical drive systems. Electrical machines are the subject of advanced research. In the development of an electrical machine, the design of its different structures is very important. This design ensures the robustness, energy efficiency, optimal cost and high reliability of the system. Using advanced techniques of control and new technology products has brought electrical machines into their optimal functioning mode. Different techniques of control can be applied depending on the goals considered. The aim of this book is to present recent work on the design, control and applications of electrical machines.

The disproportionate use of fossil fuels has turned into a serious environmental issue. Thus, we are encountering one of the biggest challenges of the twenty-first century, satisfying the energy demand with respect to the environment. Thermoelectricity is an emerging technology, which contributes to reducing the impact of the use of traditional technologies, harvesting the waste heat, and eliminating the use of refrigerants. The book Bringing Thermoelectricity into Reality covers the current thermoelectric investigations: the study of novel thermoelectric materials, the development of computational models, the design of proper assemblies, and the optimization of thermal designs, as well as novel thermoelectric generators, coolers, and heating applications. This book looks for the definitive thermoelectric applications applied to everyday life.

Despite their wide availability and relatively low prices, the conventional energy sources have harmful consequences on the environment and are exhaustible. In order to circumvent these negative effects, the renewable energies in general and the photovoltaic energy in particular are becoming more and more attractive. Solar cell is an electrical device that converts light into electricity at the atomic level. These devices use inorganic or organic semiconductor materials that absorb photons with energy greater than their bandgap to promote energy carriers into their conduction band. They do not pollute the atmosphere by releasing harmful gases, do not require any fuel to produce electricity, and do not move parts so they are rugged. Solar panels have a very long life and do not need much maintenance.

Palm oil production is one of the most developed and noteworthy industries in the world, leading to rapid economic growth in countries where the industry has been established. Currently, palm oil is the world's leader in the vegetable oil industry with a yearly production and consumption of approximately 45.3 million tons, which almost covers 60% of the global trade of vegetable oils in the international market. Along these lines, it is expected that the global demand for palm oil will be doubled by 2020. The book focuses on various aspects of palm oil production, primarily, the environmental aspects, its application as an animal feed, chemical and nutritional properties of the oil, and technical aspects of enhancing the efficacy of production.

This book is intended to attract the attention of practitioners and researchers in the academia and industry interested in challenging paradigms of wavelets and its application with an emphasis on the recent technological developments. All the chapters are well demonstrated by various researchers around the world covering the field of mathematics and applied engineering. This book highlights the current research in the usage of wavelets in different areas such as biomedical analysis, fringe-pattern analysis, image applications, network data transfer applications, and optical measurement techniques. The entire work available in the book is mainly focusing on researchers who can do quality research in the area of the usage of wavelets in related fields. Each chapter is an independent research, which will definitely motivate the young researchers to ponder on. These 12 chapters available in four sections will be an eye opener for all who are doing systematic research in these fields.

In recent years, research on microelectronics has been specifically focused on the proposition of efficient alternative methodologies and materials to fabricate feasible integrated circuits. This book provides a general background of thin film transistors and their simulations and constructions. The contents of the book are broadly classified into two topics: design and simulation of FETs and construction of FETs. All the authors anticipate that the provided chapters will act as a single source of reference for the design, simulation and construction of FETs. This edited book will help microelectronics researchers with their endeavors and would be a great addition to the realm of semiconductor physics.

Chitin is the second most abundant biopolymer after cellulose and is a resourceful copious and cheap biomaterial discovered in 1859 owing to significant industrial and technological utility. Raw chitin-chitosan resembles keratin in its biological functions. Chitin chemistry vastly developed via innate unparalleled biological features and exceptional physicochemical characters. Chitosan endures assorted chemical/physical modifications easily at free proactive functionalities, yet intact bulk properties are achieved through processing, viz., film, membrane, composite, hybrid, nanofibre, nanoparticle, hydrogel and scaffolds. Rapidly lessen bioresources signify chitosan as an option due to renewable eco-friendliness and drive embryonic myriad applications in S

Bats have a poor image for the public at large because they are often feared. This is usually due to ignorance. In this book, we have eight chapters on bats covering countries such as Algeria, Bulgaria, France, Pakistan, Poland, the UK and the USA and subjects ranging from acoustic monitoring of bat species for distribution and conservation purposes to various bat-borne and bat-carried diseases. These diseases cannot be taken lightly but should not be a reason for panic or to fear or even kill bats. Bats will not cause any harm if we let them live in peace. With the added knowledge through this book, we should know how best to cope with bats, which need all our support in the changing environments and climates.

MEMS by becoming a part of various applications ranging from smartphones to automobiles has become an integral part of our everyday life. MEMS is building synergy between previously unrelated fields such as biology, microelectronics and communications, to improve the quality of human life. The sensors in MEMS gather information from the surrounding, which is then processed by the electronics for decision-making to control the environment. MEMS offers opportunities to miniaturize devices, integrate them with electronics and realize cost savings through batch fabrication. MEMS technology has enhanced many important applications in domains such as consumer electronics, biotechnology and communication and it holds great promise for continued contributions in the future. This book focuses on understanding the design, development and various applications of MEMS sensors.

This book in two sections represents the current trend of research in ecology and biology of earthworms. In section "Ecology and Diversity" the authors reported the ecological and geographical uniqueness and diversity of earthworms in different environmental terrains of Siberia and Mexico. Functional interaction between earthworms and soil nematodes was elucidated with reference to vermicomposting and agricultural systems. Importance of digital library was highlighted for inventorization and taxonomical identification of earthworms. In section "Vermicomposting" the importance of maintaining pure cultures was discussed from the viewpoint of growth rate and the reproduction of composting species. This section includes article describing the management-related issues like roles of physicochemical parameters of soil and feed mixture on growth and reproduction of commercially important species of earthworm.

The societies of the twenty-first century are subject to social, cultural, political, and economic changes. In this context, the school is asked to educate the future citizens in the present. To respond to this kaleidoscopic reality, the school is immersed in a pedagogical revolution. In this book, the reader will find a selection of avant-garde research works from different disciplines and contexts, which have their epicenter in the school and in the faculties of education. New issues in pedagogy and education, and new roles of teachers and students, are discussed in a global and diverse context. And new methodological and formative proposals are also proposed to build the ideal school and the ideal teacher, from the initial and continuous teacher training.

The nanofiltration technique lies between ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis techniques, and it is considered a low-cost process and is capable of removing pesticides, organic matter, desalination of sea water, oil process and pollutants from industrial wastewater. However, the main challenge in implementation of nanofiltration membrane is its ability towards fouling and low performance at high temperature. The use of nanoparticles in the manufacturing of membranes allows for a high degree of control over membrane fouling. Nanoparticle-based membranes can be developed by assembling engineered nanoparticles into porous membranes or blending them with polymeric or inorganic membranes. This book covers topics from multiple ranges from manufacturing of nanofiltration membranes and their applications in wastewater treatment, drinking water treatment, and removal of pollutants, to addressing the fouling issues.

Free radicals are atoms or molecules containing unpaired electrons. Damage occurs when the free radical encounters another molecule and seeks to find another electron to pair its unpaired electron. Free radicals can cause mutation in different biological compounds such as protein, nucleic acids, and lipids, and the damage caused by the free radicals lead to various diseases (cancer, cardiovascular disease, aging, etc.). Antioxidants are helpful in reducing and preventing damage from free radical reactions because of their ability to donate electrons, which neutralize the radical without forming another. Ascorbic acid, for example, can lose an electron to a free radical and remain stable itself by passing its unstable electron around the antioxidant molecule. Unfortunately, new data indicate that the synthetic antioxidants used in the industry could have carcinogenic effects on human cells, thus fueling an intense search for new, natural, and efficient antioxidants. Therefore, the current book discusses the role and source of antioxidant compounds in nutrition and diets. Also, the current book includes nine chapters contributed by experts around the world, and the chapters are categorized into two sections: "Antioxidant Compounds and Biological Activities" and "Natural Antioxidants and Applications."

Hematology has constantly been advancing in parallel with technological developments that have expanded our understanding of the phenotypic, genetic, and molecular complexity and extreme clinical and biological heterogeneity of blood diseases. This has in turn allowed for developing more effective and less toxic alternative therapeutic approaches directed against critical molecular pathways. The continuous and rather extensive influx of new information regarding the key features and underlying mechanisms as well as treatment options in hematology requires a frequent update of this topic. The primary objective of this book is to provide the specialists involved in the clinical management and experimental research in hematological diseases with comprehensive and concise information on some important theoretical and practical developments in the biology, clinical assessment, and treatment of patients, as well as on some molecular and pathogenetic mechanisms and the respective translation into novel therapies.

Neonatology is one of the areas of greatest development and evolution within pediatrics. The technoscientific advances in this area have led to an increase in the survival of premature infants who sometimes require sophisticated care. However, there is essential care that must be included in all centers that care for high-risk babies. This book includes important topics related to neonatal care grouped into four sections. In 14 chapters that address relevant issues about neonatal care, the book seeks to contribute to the clinical work of the health teams of neonatal units. Specialists in the field of neonatology from different countries have developed these chapters and through them they hope to share part of their experience.

This book contains 12 chapters dealing with the studies on volcanoes, their geological and geophysical setting, the theoretical aspects and the numerical modeling on volcanoes, the applications of volcanoes to the industry, and the impact of volcanoes on the human health, in different geological settings and using several techniques and methods, including the volcanology, the seismology, the statistical methods to assess the correlation between seismic and volcanic activity (modified Ripley's K-function to regional seismicity), the field geological survey of volcanic successions, the analytical methods of petrologic analysis, the petrography of the volcanic rocks with the individuation of the modal compositions of volcanic rocks and their comparison with major elements and trace elements in variation diagrams, and the argon isotopic measurements performed through the peak height comparison (unspiked) method. The oceanographic methods have also been applied to case studies of submarine volcanic edifices located in the Canary Islands (Atlantic Ocean), including the sampling of the water column with a conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) sensor rosette with 24 Niskin bottles, in order to determinate key physical and chemical parameters, such as the total-scale pH, the total dissolved inorganic carbon (C), the total alkalinity (A), the temperature, the salinity, and the dissolved oxygen. Problems of volcanic risk mitigation have also been treated, regarding the eruption disasters in Indonesia, a country where a high number of people live next to the volcanoes, and characterized by the lack of public awareness of the eruption disasters. Petrographic methods have been successfully applied to the study of the Cretaceous magmatism of the layered gabbroids of the Chukotka region (Pekulney Ridge, Russia), and geodynamic implications have been successfully established through geological and petrographic studies. The relationships among the mantle wedge, the convective heat and mass transfer, the infiltration metasomatism, the zoning, and the mathematical models have been applied to the comprehension of complex volcanic areas through the theoretical aspects of volcanic studies on magmatic chambers coupled with numerical modeling, including finite element models (FEMs) in the individuation of volcanic deformations.

Flow cytometry's informative potential has been underestimated for many years because of a lack of adequate instruments, automation, reagents, and know-how to approach, integrate, and also substitute other techniques giving single information per assay. In the last decade, flow cytometers have become capable of performing high-throughput screening and high content analysis, evaluating tens of different samples' features in a single run up to 1536 formats on multiple cell populations. The introduction of imaging flow cytometry has filled the gap between flow cytometry and conventional high content imaging screening, putting flow cytometry at the center of many laboratories, which can now cover with a single instrument the vast majority of needs in research programs. The flow cytometry community is a multidisciplinary and diversified group with many different interests and fields of action. These characteristics have prompted the evolution of the techniques, applications, and instruments that allow the use of complex, sophisticated, and standardized and reliable flow cytometric assays in academic and industrial programs.

This book offers the current state of knowledge in the field of biofuels, presented by selected research centers from around the world. Biogas from waste production process and areas of application of biomethane were characterized. Also, possibilities of applications of wastes from fruit bunch of oil palm tree and high biomass/bagasse from sorghum and Bermuda grass for second-generation bioethanol were presented. Processes and mechanisms of biodiesel production, including the review of catalytic transesterification process, and careful analysis of kinetics, including bioreactor system for algae breeding, were widely analyzed. Problem of emissivity of NOx from engines fueled by B20 fuel was characterized. The closing chapters deal with the assessment of the potential of biofuels in Turkey, the components of refinery systems for production of biodegradable plastics from biomass. Also, a chapter concerning the environmental conditions of synthesis gas production as a universal raw material for the production of alternative fuels was also added.

One of the most interesting and at the same time most challenging fields of medicine and surgery has been that of organ donation and transplantation. It is a field that has made tremendous strides during the last few decades through the combined input and efforts of scientists from various specialties. What started as a dream of pioneers has become a reality for the thousands of our patients whose lives can now be saved and improved. However, at the same time, the challenges remain significant and so do the expectations. This book will be a collection of chapters describing these same challenges involved including the ethical, legal, and medical issues in organ donation and the technical and immunological problems the experts are facing involved in the care of these patients.The authors of this book represent a team of true global experts on the topic. In addition to the knowledge shared, the authors provide their personal clinical experience on a variety of different aspects of organ donation and transplantation.

Zeolites are hydrated aluminosilicate minerals of the family of microporous solids. According to the US Geological Survey, there are about 40 naturally occurring zeolites, forming in sedimentary and volcanic rocks. The most commonly mined forms include clinoptilolite, chabazite and mordenite. There are over 200 synthetic zeolites. For their abundance, natural and synthetic zeolites are widely used in the industry, agriculture, water treatment, wastewater treatment and as dietary supplements to treat diarrhea, autism, cancer and other. This book Zeolites and Their Applications deals with several aspects of zeolite morphology, synthesis and applications. The book is divided into three sections and structured into nine chapters. The first section includes the introductory chapter, the second section explains mineralogy, morphology and synthesis of zeolites and the third section focuses on the different applications of both natural and synthetic zeolites. So, in this book, the readers will obtain updated information on mineralogy, morphology, synthesis and application of zeolites. Scientists from different scientific fields reported in this book their findings.

Circadian clocks are endogenous and temperature-compensating timekeepers that provide temporal organization of biological processes in living organisms. Circadian rhythms allow living organisms to adapt to the daily light cycles associated with Earth's rotation and to anticipate and prepare for precise and regular environmental changes. This book discusses the fundamental advances of how the circadian clock regulates critical biological functions as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling circadian rhythm in living organisms. It also provides new insights into and sheds new light on the current research trends and future research directions related to circadian rhythm. This book provokes interest in many readers, researchers and scientists, who can find this information useful for the advancement of their research works towards a better understanding of circadian rhythm regulatory mechanisms.

Global wheat consumption in the 2016/2017 season is forecasted to reach a record high 736m tonnes, showing a growth of 25% in the last 15 years. This raises the question which outlets the wheat is going into, what the growth of these outlets is, which regions or countries have grown the most, and where do we see future potential. Strong competition of other feed grains like corn is expected to slow the growth of wheat used for feed in the next years, and in the future, companies involved in the grain supply chain and feeding industry will need to be flexible enough to continue to meet this fast-changing demand for feed grains. For feed producers, this means they need to be able to access supplies of different grains from different origins to allow for the cheapest composition of their feed, while grain suppliers need to be able to continuously best engage with global trading opportunities to originate grains in various regions and move them to demand regions as cost-effectively as possible.

Asthma is a severe and growing threat affecting both children and adults in both developing and developed world, currently affecting approximately 8% of US population. It is becoming increasingly recognized as a syndrome constituted by airway obstruction, airway hyperresponsiveness, and airway inflammation with different causes, associated risk factors, and underlying pathophysiology. The advances in basic and clinical research of asthma have accelerated over the past 20 years with increasing diagnostic tools, especially biomarkers, that led to specific characterization of individual patient's asthma pathophysiology, or disease "phenotype" and "endotype," which allowed precision medicine therapies, including new asthma biologics. This book aims to update the paradigm shifts in precision medicine of asthma diagnosis and management, driven by underlying phenotypes or endotypes.

In this book, with the involvement not only of clinical psychiatrists but also of neurobiologists, specific issues of psychotic disorders (mainly schizophrenia and mood disorders) are reviewed. The focus of attention ranges from therapeutics to the new frontiers of epigenetics. A special focus is on the individual reactions to psychosis (ranging from psychological ones to treatments and neurobiological basis). Because of the rapid development of neurosciences, which are showing common underling factors to different phenotypical expressions of mental illness, we are facing an enormous growth of biological data, which is not always easy to interpret. The risk is to forget that we are relating to other individuals, with their stories, and, most of all, with their environmental resources and interactions. The contributions to this book will range from individual experience (a personal history of illness) through some aspects of individual management of illness (insight), from correct use of available psychosocial resources to the environment-gene relationships (epigenetics).

This book provides the multidisciplinary reading audience with a comprehensive state-of-the-art overview of research and innovations in the relationship between iron ores and iron ore materials. The book covers industrial sectors dealing with exploration and processing of iron ores as well as with advanced applications for iron ore materials and therefore entails a wide range of research fields including geology, exploration, beneficiation, agglomeration, reduction, smelting, and so on, thus encouraging life cycle thinking across the entire production chain. Iron remains the basis of modern civilization, and our sustainable future deeply depends upon our ability to satisfy the growing demand for iron and steel while decoupling hazardous emissions from economic growth. Therefore, environmental sustainability aspects are also broadly addressed. In response to socioeconomic and climatic challenges, the iron ore sector faces, this book delivers a vision for the new opportunities linked to deployment of the best available, innovative and breakthrough technologies as well as to advanced material applications.