Search results for ""Science Publishers""

Optimal performance of the liver and gastrointestinal tract is vital for general human health. The gastrointestinal system is the main site of nutrient digestion and absorption, and therefore has substantial effects on providing energy and growth for the body. All nutrient and non-nutrient components have an impact on the gastrointestinal system, either locally or systemically. Undeniably, gastrointestinal disorders, with increasing lifetime prevalence, have a profound effect on human health and reduce the quality of life. Nowadays, therapeutic options are limited to medical therapy, including pharmacologic approaches and surgical intervention or lifestyle changes aimed at dietary modifications and increased physical activity. Certainly, dietary modifications can be effective in preventing, treating, and alleviating associated symptoms and complications. In addition to improving whole dietary patterns, the components of foods, collectively or independently, also have a substantial role in their therapeutic features. These components, particularly bioactive compounds, confer unique health benefits and aid in management of various diseases. Recently, investigators have paid much attention to chemopreventive activity of bioactive dietary compounds in the treatment and prevention of gastrointestinal diseases. Fruits, vegetables and edible plants are the main source of biologically active compounds with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and protective properties. Most importantly, no major side effects have been reported for these compounds until now. Therefore, this book offers novel targets for prevention, treatment and management of liver and gastrointestinal diseases by providing evidence of effectiveness of bioactive compounds of functional foods. Furthermore, intracellular and molecular pharmacological mechanisms of action of bioactive compounds will also be discussed. It seems that bioactive compounds bring new hope for patients with gastrointestinal disorders through their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative potential. The editors hope that the book will be a useful reference for researchers, product developers, health professionals and students.

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Fragile X syndrome is an inherited disease caused by an excessive length of the FMR protein due to mutations in the FMR1 gene located on the X chromosome. It is commonly described as one of the most common genetic diseases with autism-like behaviours and related developmental disabilities. Beside intellectual delays, behavioural problems, and communication difficulties, mood disorders usually occur. Diagnosis is based on laboratory tests and DNA results. Phenotypes including long and narrow face, large ears, hyper-arched palate, flat feet, ataxia, seizures, anxiety, aggression, and hand-related stereotypic behaviours are frequently observed. Although there is no specific cure, early interventions are highly encouraging, promising, and recommended. Pharmacological treatments may be combined with behavioural and/or cognitive behavioural interventions. Recently, assistive technology-based programs have been implemented. This volume includes seven chapters and addresses the newest advances in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with Fragile X syndrome. Chapter One encompasses the molecular features and pathological bases of the disease. A comprehensive literature overview was conducted. The role of the FMR protein was emphasized although few studies evaluated its function. Chapter Two deals with the neuropsychiatric symptoms related to the syndrome. A complete conceptual framework was exhaustively detailed. Chapter Three emphasizes the role of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of Fragile X syndrome. A further literature review was carried out. Clinical relevance was outlined. Chapter Four provides the reader with a conceptual analysis. Besides molecular features, brain development was described. Challenging behaviours were included and the importance of the early combined intervention was critically discussed. Chapters Five, Six, and Seven detailed three case reports on the effectiveness and the suitability of assistive technology-based interventions. Specifically, Chapter Five argued for microswitch-cluster technology focused on pursuing the dual simultaneous goal of promoting an adaptive response (i.e., object manipulation) and reducing a challenging behaviour (i.e., hand mouthing). Chapter Six describes a combined microswitch and VOCA program useful to ensure the participant has the choice between independent access to positive stimulation and asking for social interaction. Finally, Chapter Seven includes choice opportunities through an assistive technology-mediated program involving a boy with Fragile X in a functional task. Targeted readers (i.e., caregivers, clinicians, speech therapists, professionals, psychologists, neurologists, parents of children with Fragile X syndrome, teachers) may find interesting and stimulating tips and insights for daily use in clinical research and practice, with the dual objective of diagnosis and treatment.

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This volume includes seven chapters, each of which detail recent advances in research and applications of food processing. Chapter One describes symbiotic foods and their effects on consumer health, mainly on obesity and gastrointestinal diseases, covering their mechanisms of action, types, application, and legislation, as well as the impact that probiotics and prebiotics have on diseases. Chapter Two analyses current data on different polyphenol nanoformulations as alternative chemotherapeutic and chemopreventive treatments of cancer. Chapter Three identifies the phytochemicals present in purslane, its health benefits, and its applications in the food industry. Chapter Four explores the potential of amaranthus spp. as a high nutritional value food alternative. Chapter Five describes the fundamentals of refrigeration, its types, recent developments and multi-dimensional applications in food industries. Chapter Six synthesises some fundamental aspects of the relationship between bee pollen's constituents and its bioactivity, in light of recent publications which reveal its potential as a healthy product. Finally, Chapter Seven explores the potential of aguamiel as a healthy option in the food industry.

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The earthworm has been known since ancient times for its valuable services to soil fertility management and litter nutrient cycling. The Greek philosopher Aristotle named earthworm "the guts of the soil" because of its direct role in soil formation through gut fragmentation of large soil particles, forming fine soil aggregates rich in organic matter. The famous natural scientist Charles Darwin also described the importance of earthworms in the natural world and he wrote the document entitled "The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms with Observation on Their Habits" in 1881, observing that "worms have played a more important part in the history of the world than most persons would at first suppose". During the last 30-40 years, earthworms have been studied intensively in the various disciplines of animal ecology, paedology, waste recycling, agriculture science, soil biology and chemistry, ecotoxicology, and pharmaceutical sciences. Because of their importance in soil and below-ground ecology, earthworms have been designated as "ecosystem engineers". Soil fertility maintenance, soil litter decomposition, soil microbial communities and other detritus community structures and their function are directly or indirectly affected by earthworms' presence in soils. Apart from that, earthworms have appeared as a promising tool to recycle nutrients from various kinds of organic waste substances and stabilization of industrial sledges. Vermicomposting could be a valuable and low-cost technique for farmers for onsite waste management and nutrient-rich manure production. Scientists are always looking for new species for solid waste management. Thus, scientists around the world are working on earthworm biodiversity assessment and evaluation of their ecosystem services and value addition in other environmental management sectors. Efforts have been made in this edited volume to compile recent advancements in earthworm biology and their promising services in different fields of environmental management and resource conservations. This book contains three sub-sections: earthworm ecology, vermicomposting, and earthworm ecotoxicology. A total of 17 chapters are included in this edited volume. In the first section two chapters cover phylogeny and distribution of earthworm, and distribution of earthworm in Canadian ecozones; in the second section a total of seven chapters are included describing the role of vermitechnology in bioremediation of agriculture waste, pharmaceutical waste substances, industrial sludge stabilisations, and soil nutrient supply; and the third section includes eight chapters describing the effect of various hazardous substances like pesticides, microplastics, heavy metals, and neonicotinoids on earthworm growth, survival, reproduction and toxicity. In the end, we acknowledge the people and family members who are directly or indirectly associated with the compilation of this book. Without their moral and technical support, this book would not see the light of day.

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This book is undeniably an informative and stimulating read for students, professionals, educators, and researchers with an interest in speech perception. The seven engaging chapters in the book encourage the reader to critically analyse issues in speech perception research and identify relevant areas for future examination. The first chapter introduces speech perception and raises some fundamental challenges associated with its study. In the subsequent chapters, the authors gradually immerse the reader in discussions about the anatomy and physiology of speech perception, theories, experimental methods, acoustic cues, spoken word recognition and development of speech perception to cover the depth and breadth of the field. Examples from different languages and comparisons with extant research in English highlight universal and language-specific aspects of speech perception. Scrutiny of research lacunae throughout the book make it a thought-provoking read. It calls for a collective scientific effort across languages around the world to continue unravelling the mystery of speech perception in human beings.

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The subject is historical and follows the development of the Church-the great movements of faith and the people that have shaped the worldwide mission over two millennia. Christianity came into being (c. 30 AD) when the Apostles received the power of the Holy Spirit to preach the resurrection and Gospel of Christ (Acts 1-2). Jesus had placed the Jewish idea of the Kingdom of God at the centre of his teaching but gave the idea a new spiritual and universal meaning (Matthew 28:16-20). He taught that God is present wherever individuals enter into the relationship of love which God is seeking to initiate with them. Throughout the ages the Catholic Church spread the Gospel, and sustained Christian communities, bringing light and hope into the lives of men and women in the darkest times of their history, playing a key role in the development of society with the founding of hospitals and institutions of education, retraining the political ambitions of monarchs. Despite emerging differences of interpretation in matters of theology and practice, and the invention of new ways of being Christian at the Reformation, belief in Jesus Christ and his Gospel has grown and spread throughout the world, beginning with the Age of Discovery. In the 20th century the Church began to reconsider its ideological traditions and to participate in the ecumenical movement, with a resurgence of scholarship, a new attitude to the witness of the Church in the world, expounded at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). Christianity has moulded the shape of Western civilisation and has been carried by missionaries to nearly all the countries of the world.

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About one in four youths used a tobacco product during the past 30 days. By school level, this is approximately three in ten high school students and one in eight middle school students. Since 2014, e-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among youths. It is reasonable to assume that many young smokers are practicing this habit while with friends or at parties, exposing their friends and peers to hazardous passive smoking, which is also the case for smaller children exposed to their parental smoking. Smoking is just one important public health issue in childhood and adolescence, but there are many other issues in this period of our development. In this book we have gathered some recent research on children and youth from various places around the world on many topics, not just limited to smoking, which we hope will be of interest to the reader.

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Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer with a wide variety of applications. Researchers are continually finding new opportunities for the use of polypropylene, as discussed in the five chapters of this book. Chapter One aims to show the feasibility of post-consumer polypropylene recycling to obtain 3D printer filaments and presents some necessary characteristics of the materials used in FDM technology to ensure final parts with good properties. Chapter Two provides an overview of polypropylene nanocomposites, types of nanofiller, and their applications in the industry. Chapter Three explores the potential of polypropylene-based composites as an alternative to conventional radiation shielding materials. Chapter Four reviews polymer monoliths' recent environmental and bioanalytical application in several polypropylene tubes, such as pipette tips, syringe barrels, spin columns, and ink-pen tubes. Lastly, Chapter Five investigates the effects of calcium, aluminium and zinc stearates as pro-oxidant agents on the degradation of polypropylene bags under natural weathering.

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This volume includes seven chapters and presents some of the latest advancements in environmental research. Chapter One describes the ecological resources of forests and their ability to absorb greenhouse gases and mitigate climate change. Chapter Two highlights the procedure of using eutectic solvents in the extraction of bioactive compounds from medicinal plants. Chapter Three suggests a holistic framework for assessing the environmental sustainability of Bulgarian agriculture. Chapter Four investigates the accountability profile for environmental sustainability of maritime protected areas. Chapter Five discusses the main urban parameters existing in regional models developed at the beginning of the 21st century: The Single-Layer Urban Canopy Model (UCM), the Town Energy Balance (TEB), and the Building Effect Parameterization (BEP). Chapter Six aims to provide information about phytoestrogens and their beneficial and adverse effects. Finally, Chapter Seven proposes two new indexes for measuring particular aspects of environmental stability and sustainable development: the available resource sustainability index and the natural green surface replacement index.

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The purpose of the book is to present the GAIRS (Global Assessment and Intervention in Rett Syndrome) Checklist, an easy-to-use, short and accessible tool for every health-care professional in order to assess all the abilities of Rett girls but also to identify patients needing next-step evaluation and treatment. Thanks to the hierarchical order of all the targets assessed in each area of the GAIRS, this checklist can be a useful instrument not only for assessment but also for intervention.

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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which is characterised by distressing intrusive thoughts and repetitive, time-consuming, task-oriented actions intended to counter these thoughts and reduce anxiety, represents a serious psychiatric condition and cause of disability worldwide. This book consists of five chapters that provide details on the effects of OCD and strategies for reducing its negative impact. Chapter One provides a general overview of OCD, including its neurochemical basis and treatment approaches. Chapter Two explores some of the nuisances present in working with individuals with OCD within the context of obsessive and compulsive content that may require additive elements to be considered in treatment. Chapter Three discusses the diagnostic criteria, clinical aspects, and current treatment approaches of paediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome and paediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. Chapter Four describes the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents with OCD. Lastly, Chapter Five explains the role that religion takes in certain presentations of OCD and informs clinicians how to differentiate between standard religious practices and compulsive behaviours.

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In recent decades, scientific insight into the chemistry of water has increased enormously, leading to the development of advanced wastewater and water purification technologies. However, the quality of freshwater resources has continually deteriorated worldwide, both in industrialised countries and in developing countries. Although traditional wastewater technologies are focused on the removal of suspended solids, nutrients and bacteria, hundreds of organic pollutants occur in wastewater and affected urban surface waters. These new pollutants are synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals that are not often monitored in the environment but have the potential to penetrate the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological and/or human health effects. These contaminants are collectively referred to as the "Emerging Contaminants" and are mostly derived from domestic use and occur in trace concentrations ranging from pico to micrograms per litre. Environmental contaminants are recalcitrant for conventional wastewater treatment processes and most of them remain unaffected, leading to the contamination of receiving water. This scenario leads to the need for an advanced wastewater treatment process that can remove environmental contaminants to safely monitor fresh water sources. This book explains the technologies of biological and chemical wastewater treatment processes. The biological wastewater treatment processes presented include: (1) bioremediation of wastewater that includes aerobic treatment (oxidation ponds, aerating lagoons, aerobic bioreactors, active sludge, percolation or drip filters, biological filters, rotating biological contactors, biological removal of nutrients) and anaerobic treatment (anaerobic bioreactors), anaerobic lagoons); (2) phytoremediation of waste water consisting of engineered wetlands, rhizofiltration, rhizodegradation, phytodegradation, phytoaccumulation, Phyto transformation and hyperaccumulators; and (3) mycoremediation of wastewater. The chemical wastewater treatment processes discussed include chemical precipitation (coagulation, flocculation), ion exchange, neutralisation, adsorption, and disinfection (chlorination / dechlorination, ozone, UV light). In addition, this chapter explains the wastewater treatment plants and illustrates them in terms of plant size, plant layout, and plant design and installation location.

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This edited compilation presents some of the latest advancements in the field of nanotechnology. Chapter One details the use of self-emulsifying drug delivery systems as a technique for improving drug solubility. Chapter Two describes a proposal for improving the efficiency of solar panels by harvesting heat energy as well as light energy. Chapter Three investigates the efficacy of a sensor composed of carbon nanotubes and other nanomaterials for detecting toxic phenolic compounds in the environment. Chapter Four studies the characteristics of a sensor prepared with low-dimensional metal oxide nanoparticles with a fast response towards Xanthine. Chapter Five compares different approaches to modelling of the kinetics of metal nanoparticles formation and analyses how these methods could be improved. Chapter Six deals with the use of heavy metal oxide nanoparticles for unsafe bio-chemical detection. Chapter Seven summarises the importance, properties and applications of carbon nanotubes as a potential superior adsorbent group. Lastly, Chapter Eight obtains the structural model of an electroelastic actuator for nanotechnology.

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Hospitals, just like orchestras, are made up of many "instruments" which play their notes on their own, yet within a broader symphony. If even one instrument fails in doing its part, or if the orchestra director leaves even one of them behind, the overall symphony will just not sound right and the final performance will be ruined. This book is aimed at providing practical guidance to hospital managers who are called to implement complex organizational transformations. In doing so, they must take into account a high number of managerial tools and dynamics which should not be overlooked. Failing to do so may negatively affect their long-term success in reaching strategic objectives. Hospitals do not have violins, drums, and trumpets, but they do have departments, clinical wards, clinical pathways, and functional units. Moreover, their professionals must carry out different activities such as assisting patients, reporting their actions, communicating and, more and more frequently, managing parts of the hospitals themselves. Not only physicians are in charge of these aspects. Nurses and other clinical and non-clinical professionals are co-responsible, facing frequent changes in the number and type of activities they must perform. In this context, hospital managers must design organizational charts and implement them by distributing resources and responsibilities, by setting and monitoring objectives, and by assessing the performance of units. They must motivate their staff and ensure an effective use of technology. Yet, although healthcare management is widely studied worldwide, it is rare to find contributions with such a broad and holistic point of view. Although each aspect and item of hospital management is key in reaching organizational success, the risk of overlooking one or more of them is high. Specifically, if management fails in directing all its tools towards its objectives, the chances of reaching outstanding performance are poor. Managerial tools must be used in an integrated and coherent way as multiple components of a single managerial strategy.

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Natural theology is the process of observing nature and engaging science and reason to provide evidence for God's existence by "reasoning to the best explanation". It sets aside the revealed word and engages only with the evidence supplied by science, history, and philosophical reasoning to affirm the existence of God. This book provides signposts to God from solid evidence from physics, chemistry, biology, the social sciences, philosophy, and history. This evidence has forced many scientists, including a number of Nobel laureates in science, who have thought deeply about the ultimate meaning of their work to accept Almighty God.

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What if the Big Bang was an exodus of non-existing reality into existence? In this book a theory of the reality is started from the principle that 'existing takes time' but in states of the universe there are pre-things in moments, thus non-existing, which realize in strings over specific time intervals as existing phenomena. Causality must be reviewed now and new paradigms for reality follow. The existing and observed universe are discontinuous and "limits" in mathematical models do not correspond to reality. New interpretations in evolution theory and the human condition are being investigated.

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In the context of the economic crisis, governments are under increased pressure to find quick answers to hard questions about maintaining public services and funding infrastructure. Public-Private Partnership (PPP) can be used to describe a wide variety of arrangements involving the public and private sectors working together in some way. The key elements for a PPP project are long-term contract; design construction, financing and operation of public infrastructure by the private sector party; payments over the lifetime of the project to the private sector party for the use of the facility made either by the public sector party or by the general public as users of the facility; and facility remaining in the public sector ownership or reverting to public sector ownership at the end of the PPP contract. In this book we go through this concept by analysing not only the opportunities in that field but also the trends and new perspectives. Therefore, this book captures the results of some of the recent research that is being carried out on public-private cooperation.

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VOLATILE OILS: PRODUCTION, COMPOSITION AND USES provides a comprehensive perspective on the pertinent aspects of volatile oils, their chemistry, and their different nutraceutical properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticarcinogenic, which can be beneficial for biochemists, chemical engineers, physicians, food and agro-technologists for the development of various products. Readers will find a deep and complete perspective regarding spices and their chemical composition. The book comprises 11 chapters which cover the various aspects of volatile oils including their historical background, their extraction methods, their chemical composition and various applications in pharmaceutical and health industries. The importance of the study of volatile oil components as "green" corrosion regulators for applications in human health with additional antimicrobial properties is also documented in the book. The use of volatile oils in dental applications is mainly linked to their antimicrobial properties, useful for preventing the infections associated with dental implants and for their ability to form polymeric nanofilms on dental implants with proven antibacterial properties. Nutraceutical and life sciences companies and R&D labs will be able to utilize the information given in this book for research and development activities related to the application of spices and proactively explore and leverage the healing, nutritive and health benefits of volatile oils. The beneficial physiological properties discussed in this book will help the pharmaceutical sector also in developing preventive measures against pathologies.

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This edited volume includes eight chapters describing recent advances in business and management studies. Chapter One studies how marketing actions can help reduce and prevent food waste in developed countries. Chapter Two examines whether advertising behaves differently over alternative phases of the business cycle. Chapter Three analyses new crowdfunding systems that are emerging in large Chinese technology companies such as Tencent and WeChat. Chapter Four looks at the influence of a graduate program on students' decision whether to pursue a career in entrepreneurship. Chapter Five introduces the Economic Value Added model to allow for a cost-benefit analysis of people investments. Chapter Six explores how altruism positively impacts a firm's performance by strengthening organisational resilience. Chapter Seven discusses how advertisers are adapting a strategy of communicating shared values, such as support for underprivileged groups, to build relationships with socially conscious customers. Finally, Chapter Eight investigates the quantitative importance of the presence of shocks to the depreciation rate of capital for the magnitude of cyclical fluctuations in Bulgaria.

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In this comprehensive work, Malekianintroduces the importance of the nobleprinciple of the population of wisdom,which relates to the far-reaching foundations of the systems of international human rights law and international criminal justice. This principle is not dependent upon the norm of inequality, nor upon the threat of use of force and the killing of millions, nor does it seek to destroy the truth in order to exploit nations. Malekiantrusts that an equitable system of international law based in wisdom can provide a forum for a deeper philosophical understanding of the value of our perception, which struggles to establish quality standards, rather than an exorbitant number of human rights provisions. If international human rights law and international criminal law do not uphold moral values, they cannot make ethically wise decisions or attain long-term legal efficiency. We may successfully increase the significance of legal disciplines such as human rights law, the law of the United Nations, and the moral capacity of the norm of perception through the magnificent power of wisdom. This book discusses original theories addressing serious questions concerning the ethical, normative, and moral values of human essence concerning a variety of issues, in order to decrease violations and increase perceptions of true humanisation. The musings on the distinctive values of this book are presented to those who are not afraid to honour the truth. Read the book with a vigilant heart and scrutinise it with an open-mind.

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The book An Introduction to Drug Carriers provides a broad overview of drug carriers. Drug carriers play medically important roles in delivering drugs to pinpointed regions in biological systems. The cell hosts most of the disorders related to diseases. Therefore, the cell is also considered the main target region for most drugs. Some of the cellular compartments, especially cell-based membranes, which are geometrically constructed with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic layers/boundaries, often appear as barriers against vital candidate drugs' journey to the target regions. Besides, there are off-target structures that need to be avoided for drugs to get adsorbed. Otherwise, drugs may cause unbearable off-target binding originated toxicity, which would reduce the efficacy of the drugs. Appropriate choice of drug carriers may help specific drugs to get conjugated and be delivered to their optimal target structures. Biophysical and biochemical characterization of drug carriers concerning their role as vehicles to carry certain drugs may be obtained using engineering techniques. Manipulation in the cellular sites that cause disturbances in drug delivery is another biomedical option utilized to ensure smooth drug delivery. Various theoretical and experimental techniques are utilized to address all these issues related to drug carriers. The collected chapters written by experts in the field will help the subject matter be understood thoroughly.

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In chemistry, speciation refers to the distribution of an element amongst chemical species in a system. The five chapters of this book each bring a unique perspective on this type of speciation as it pertains to marine biota, x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and other areas of interest. Chapter One investigates the bioaccumulation of cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in marine biota in the Egyptian coastal zones. Chapter Two scrutinizes the applications of energy and wavelength dispersive spectroscopic techniques in various materials. Chapter Three explains the phenomenon of thermoluminescence and the effect of varying readout heating rates on the dosimetric properties of TLD-100 (LiF: Mg, Ti) irradiated with 6 MV X-ray. Chapter Four focuses on the applications of different X-ray spectroscopy techniques and their use in the elemental analysis of water, coal, fly ash, and fertilizer samples. Finally, Chapter Five describes how to select the best speciation model from studies based on potentiometric measurements.

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Increasing energy demand due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the growth of the human population has prompted the search for renewable and sustainable energy feedstocks. Renewable and green biofuels, e.g., biodiesel and bioethanol, are touted as promising surrogates for fossil fuels. The first generation of biofuel feedstock is mainly derived from food sources, e.g., rapeseed oil and sugarcane, whereas second-generation feedstock is derived from inedible and waste sources, e.g., waste cooking oil and forest biomass. However, these feedstocks have several limitations such as a serious impact on the food supply chain, low productivity, and complicated pre-treatment processes. On the other hand, strategic biofuel production from third-generation feedstock, namely, microalgae, macroalgae and larvae, has opened a new direction in the renewable biofuel industries. The third-generation feedstocks offer several benefits, such as fast growing rate, less utilization of arable land and less impact on the food versus fuel feud. Thus, this book is intended to highlight the potential of these new feedstock for biofuel production as well as other applications. The book is mainly divided into three parts, which cover the discussion of upstream and downstream processing technologies of microalgae, macroalgae and larvae. This book is useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as researchers in the biofuel field to understand the overall process chain and conversion technologies of biofuels from third-generation feedstock.

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This edited monograph includes eight chapters, each discussing recent advancements in the fields of medicine and biology. Chapter One provides information on the mechanisms of polyurethane degradation. Chapter Two reviews the inhibitory effect of chlorogenic acid on metabolic syndrome-related vascular endothelial cell damage, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Chapter Three investigates the development of fatigue of rat skeletal muscle under the action of water-soluble pristine C60 fullerenes as powerful antioxidants. Chapter Four discusses advances in the generation of immune cells from pluripotent stem cells and the potential of chimeric antigen receptor cells in cancer treatment. Chapter Five describes the targeted delivery of immunosuppressants. Chapter Six focuses on the in vitro degradation of biopolymers using enzymes and microorganisms. Chapter Seven reviews the risk factors for hearing loss in infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and the management of such patients detected with hearing loss. Finally, Chapter Eight describes recently developed methods and tools used in physiological studies of human sensory neurons induced from human pluripotent stem cells.

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This edited volume presents recent updates in the fields of health and disease. Chapter One explores the role of nutrition in diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Chapter Two includes updated information about the role electrotherapy can play in physical therapy. Chapter Three discusses the immune factors regulating nasopharyngeal colonisation and their role in otitis media, or inflammation of the middle ear. Chapter Four carries out a review of the evaluation and treatment of physiotherapy in children with autism spectrum disorders, focusing on a clinical case of a 4-year-old girl diagnosed with autism who presented a pattern of toe walking. Lastly, Chapter Five examines two intervention programs, ecologically-based family therapy and community reinforcement approach, focusing on reducing substance use and abuse among homeless adolescents.

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Mesothelioma is a type of cancer in which tumors form in the tissue that lines the lungs, heart, stomach, and other organs. While mesothelioma is relatively rare, it represents a serious health crisis as the disease is aggressive and often fatal. This book includes five chapters that detail the treatment and prognosis of the disease as well as the factors that put a person at risk for developing mesothelioma. Chapter One describes the most promising emerging immunotherapy combinations for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma, discussing the biological rational underlying their development as well as the issues surrounding their clinical development. Chapter Two provides an overview of malignant mesothelioma, describing the history of its diagnosis and treatment as well as the role that asbestos exposure and other factors play in its development. Chapter Three revises the role of the main inflammatory and immunological markers as prognostic indicators in malignant pleural mesothelioma and discusses the surgical effects on immune response against cancer. Chapter Four explores the main cancer markers utilized for mesothelioma diagnosis as well as the new developments in the field. Lastly, Chapter Five examines the various surgical options available for removing pleural tumors.

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Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disease caused by mutations of the MECP2 gene, includes severe to profound developmental impairments. Communicative, intellectual, and motor disabilities are usually embedded. Children with Rett syndrome are individuals with multiple difficulties. Caregivers, families and professionals face to serious daily challenges due to clinical conditions determined by Rett syndrome. Accordingly, traditional interventions may not be adequate. Customized programs based on cognitive-behavioural approaches and assistive technology setups are highly warranted. The current book includes the newest empirical contributions to tackle functional consequences of Rett syndrome. Sleep and pain disorders were targeted in Chapter One. A cross-disciplinary investigation to enhance active participation and constructive engagement of children with Rett syndrome was detailed in Chapter Two. The importance of functional activities was emphasized in Chapter Three. Communication guidelines to support communication skills of individuals with Rett syndrome were critically discussed in Chapter Four. The relevance of music and music therapy to promote positive participation was argued in Chapter Five. A selective review on the use of assistive technology-based programs in individuals with Rett syndrome was provided in Chapter Six. A case report to help locomotion fluency of an adolescent with Rett syndrome through the use of microswitches and contingent positive stimulation was presented in Chapter Seven. The book was supported by illustrative examples described by the chapters' contributors and their professional experience. Readers may find helpful insights within each edited chapter. Caregivers, families, and professionals may have a practical guide to everyday settings and environments or contexts. Clarity and readability for a large audience are undoubtedly strengths and advantages of the current volume. Although technical terminology was used throughout, both future research and practice can widely find meaningful tips and tangible suggestions to tackle daily barriers and/or obstacles in individuals with Rett syndrome and severe to profound developmental delays.

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This monograph includes seven chapters, each presenting recent advancements in the field of marine biology. Chapter One describes how the biodiversity of the Mediterranean marine environment has changed due to climate change and species invasions and proposes policy suggestions. Chapter Two discusses an integrated ecotoxicological view on elasmobranch conservation regarding chemical contamination alongside potential ecological outcomes for this group and human impacts derived from elasmobranch consumption. Chapter Three congregates information about the morphological traits of crabs to lay a foundation for a better understanding of taxonomic and phylogenetic studies, ecological studies, and the stock assessment and management of commercially important species. Chapter Four shows how foraminiferal associations are influenced by nutrients and abiotic factors that control the carbonate production in the modern outer shelf of Rio Grande do Norte, in the region of Açu Reefs. Chapter Five describes the first satellite tagging research project in the southern Gulf of Mexico for bottlenose dolphins. Chapter Six investigates the threat posed by cutaneous fibropapillomatosis, a tumor that arises on the skin or internal organs of sea turtles and affects up to 97% of this population. Finally, Chapter Seven discusses the eco-biology, exploitation and social aspects related to the common octopus along the Kerkennah Island in the South Center of the Mediterranean Sea.

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