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This book is a compendious collection of papers designed to expose the current trends in mathematical modeling. It details current research on models of in-host dynamics, epidemics, population dynamics and psycho-social dynamics. The chapters are written in a simple and concise way for readers who are familiar with basic mathematical modeling offered in undergraduate courses. The main objective of this book is to detail various applications of mathematics in biomedical sciences, resources management and social settings. Many of the book chapters contain current contentious issues in mathematical modeling and as such, the book can be used to generate projects for bio-mathematic students. Graduate students wishing to acquire and consolidate knowledge in mathematical modeling will find this an excellent text for their research.

Biological network analysis is a fast moving science. Many core scientific issues; for example, ecological structure, coevolution, coextinction and biodiversity conservation in ecology, cancer development and metabolic regulation in health science, etc., are expected to be addressed by network analysis. Network analysis is becoming the core methodology to treat complex biological systems. With the quick development of this science, more and more papers on biological networks are published. This book includes such theories and methods of network biology as methodology of social network analyses, construction of statistic networks, phylogenetic networks, multi-stable and oscillatory biological networks, creation of real networks with expected degree distribution, forest ecosystem model, etc. Chapters are contributed by 15 scientists from the USA, Canada, New Zealand, China, Sweden, and Spain, in the areas of computational science and life sciences. It will provide researchers with various aspects of the latest advances in network biology. It is a valuable reference for scientists, university teachers and graduate students in biology, health science, ecology, social science, applied mathematics and computational science.

In recent years, numerous research papers have considered the problem of privacy protection in biometric authentication systems. When someone wants to authenticate himself, the fresh biometric data he presents has to match with the reference related to the one he claims to be. Many proposals have been made to ensure the confidentiality of the biometric data involved during this verification. Also discussed in this compilation, is the problem of finding a face recognition system that works well both under variable illumination conditions and under strictly controlled acquisition conditions. Information fusion techniques are also explored and have been widely developed in the community of voice biometrics along with several uni-modal speaker recognition algorithms.

Environmental microbiological hygiene can be divided into two mainstreams: 1. Monitoring of microbiological strains, and 2. Investigations on the circulation in the human and natural ecosystems by the micro-organisms. Increased understanding of the key role of environmental microbiology in the planetary survival strategy is a prerequisite for the transformation of human societies into sustainable economies. The book Microbiological Environmental Hygiene contains descriptions of the microbes and natural ecosystems from rain forests to arctic areas, as well as strains in the cleaning processes of human epithelia and food or water sources. It gives an insight into microbiological hygiene in various industrial effluents and focuses also on the prospects of environmental biotechnology, protection by natural and organic compounds, as well as against contamination or epidemics. This microbiological safety is monitored also in traffic systems and vessels. Different effects of climate change can be seen in the microbial ecosystems. It is essential to learn from the microbes and to develop the ecosystem services that allow humans to understand the ways they could be collaborated. This helps in cleaning up the soil, water and air. Also, the recalcitrant substances and plastics can get degraded by the microbes. Screening and source-tracking of water contaminations, as well as the promotion of soil fertility by microbes are presented. Both traditional microbiology and molecular methods are needed for the monitoring and research of the microbial agents. Microbiomes in the biosphere exercise interactions with other organisms, and they contribute to environmental health issues. Various groups of important micro-organisms are presented, such as environmental viruses and various bacteria, molds and yeasts, protozoa and algae. The utilization of biological organisms'potential is studied for novel solutions. Microbiological Environmental Hygiene is the fourth part in a series on microbiological hygiene. This book combines the different fields of microbiology into a holistic view on the functions of the ecosystems and the cycles of matter, as well as the sustainable production of biochemical, fuels, gases and organic fertilizers with the help of microbes and their enzymes.

The modern age life science research is more inclined towards interdisciplinary studies. Recent developments in the technologies have led to a better understanding of living systems, and this has removed the demarcations between various disciplines of life sciences. A new trend in life science incorporates biological research involving a merger of diverse disciplines such as microbiology, biotechnology, molecular biology, biochemistry, ecology and agriculture. This book is primarily written with the objective of providing standard information on recent topics in the fields of stress biology, molecular biology, ecology, agriculture, bioremediation, human diseases and over all, several biotechnological approaches towards the studies ranging from green photosynthesizing plants to human pathogens. The book encompasses topics on cyanobacteria, bacteria, fungi, higher plants, ecology and human diseases, distributed throughout eleven chapters for the benefit of graduate and postgraduate students as well as young researchers and scientists. The ever-increasing population has resulted in an increasing demand of food, medicine and other natural products. Researchers are continuously working to resolve and develop a better understanding of life and other biological processes; they need to conserve genes, plants and ecosystems, and the apprehension of land, water and environment have led to the strengthening of traditional disciplines as well as the emergence of diverse disciplines such as stress biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, agriculture and human health. This book imparts the latest developments and the state-of-the art knowledge in the specific fields of life sciences. The subject matter is presented in a logical sequence so that it is easily understandable to the students and researchers. The recent information on the subject is integrated throughout the chapters. In addition, this book provides newer techniques and the use of modern tools in achieving the potential of microbiology, ecology, herbal medicine, biotechnology and stress biology; this is all used to understand the challenges found in life sciences. This book covers a wide range of topics, and the authors anticipate that the contents may appeal to a wider range of readers. Therefore, the authors present this book with great pleasure and express their most sincere gratitude to all the contributors and research scholars, namely Mr. Jainendra Pathak, Mr. Rajneesh, Ms. Vidya Singh, Mr. Deepak Kumar, Mr. Haseen Ahmed, Mr. Deepak K. Singh and Ms. Abha Pandey. They are also particularly thankful to Nova Science Publishers, Inc., for their continued patience and for the unfailing attention they have given to the publication of this book.

This new book provides research summaries from a number of different focuses in biology, and compiles biographical sketches of top professionals in this important field.

Seaweeds, or marine macro-algae, are known as plants growing on the seashore, in salt marshes, in brackish waters, or in the ocean. Many species of seaweeds have shown an important utilization for the improvement of plant growth since ancient times, and this positive impact is due to their richness in diverse compounds like lipids, proteins, phyto-hormones, amino acids, antimicrobial compounds and different minerals. Other aspects of various seaweed application had been developed more recently for plant growth and health stimulation: seed germination improvement, shoot and root development, increase in water and nutrient uptake/resistance, phytoremediation and elimination of contaminated soil, and fertilization. Additionally, the use of marine algae is not limited to agriculture, and it also applies to the pharmaceutical industry (drugs) and other cosmetics. It is well documented that seaweeds are widely used as a source of food in many countries. It is very important to underline that the biotechnological utilization of seaweeds becomes undeniable in our time, because their richness and diversity can provide humans and animals a continuous food source devoid of pollutants, unlike chemical substances destroying the environment. For this reason, many experiments and reports concerning the diversity, ecology, chemical composition, function and other diverse characteristics of seaweed were carried out, and scientists still continue to investigate the impact this type of aquatic plant has on life on Earth.

In this book, the authors review their own studies on the impact of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (rhizospheric microorganisms) on plant host physiology and development. The increasing interest for the reduction of the input of chemical fertilizers and the use of combined microorganisms as biofertilizers, particularly applied in organic agriculture, is taken into account. The authors also note that it is pertinent to complement the laboratory and greenhouse work with field conditions, possibly by working with agricultural farmers to achieve peak results. Following this, the putative role of sncRNAs on mycorrhiza-induced systemic stress tolerance is discussed, along with future prospects of sncRNA research in AM symbiosis and its potential practical applications. A final chapter focuses on the literature aiming for improvement of the biomass of date palm trees, and subjacent cultures, by setting up an efficient biological protocol integrating the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and organic soil conditioners resulting from the composting of plants and agro-industrial waste.

This book is devoted to current ideas and developments in the biological sciences which stretch into fields such as engineering, medicine, quantum physics, computer modeling and genetics. In the past couple of years, biology and medicine have significantly evolved. The picture of the solitary biologist taking samples from the field and working in a lab with test tubes and chemical apparatus is a thing of the past. Today, bio-labs are filled with scientists across various disciplines like physics, mathematics and engineering. Most equipment are completely automated and robotic. They are often controlled by powerful computers acquiring and processing vast amounts of data for rigorous analysis. These advances have sped up the rate at which research is done in those fields. The topics presented in this book are simplified versions of these advances. Focusing on the “how it works” explanation, the notions presented here are made easy and simple to follow. Besides current research, the book elaborates on novel innovations in bio-related research – e.g., ecosystem simulators, robotic surgery, natural experimentation and state-of-the-art instrumentation. Social and economic aspects of modern biology and medicine are also explored throughout this book; touching on issues related to disease spread, medical efforts and best scientific practices. The final part of this book walks through the mechanisms involved in the evolution of life on our planet. Along these lines, the evolution of Homo sapiens is briefly visited. In essence, this book involves taking a closer look at the mechanics of life.

Nannochloropsis: Biology, Biotechnological Potential and Challenges opens with a review suggesting that transgenic Nannochloropsis microalgae have a broad spectrum of applications in marine and plant biotechnology and that have the propensity to be a source of raw material for a wide range of industries. The authors express this while going on to present an overview of the future uses of this genus in the context of genetic improvement for new biotechnological applications. The provision of nitrogen from different sources is presented as a strategy used to modify the biomass composition. Nitrate is the ideal nitrogen source and gives the highest biomass concentration and specific growth rate when compared with urea and ammonium. Additionally, modern advancements in the application of Nannochloropsis biomass for commodity chemicals, feeds, high value products, biofuels, cosmetics, fertilizers, and materials production are presented, in conjunction with challenges and future perspectives in the utilization of Nannochloropsis biomass for biorefinery development in microalgae-based industries. The characteristic of Nannochloropsis oculata are described using an integrated biorefinery approach based on palm oil milling as a model system. Subjects addressed include the bioengineering aspects for the conversion of light into biomass, co-location strategy to take advantages of the industrial wastes of energy, water and nutrients, productivities of the different reactor systems and configuration, use of palm oil mill effluent (POME) as a substitute source of nutrients, biomaterials co-utilization, bioenergy co-generation, downstream processing aspects for extraction, purification and conversion into value-added products for pharmaceuticals and functional foods. Continuing, common methods for characterization of âG from diatom and non-diatoms microalgae are described to conclude that Nannochloropsis (particularly NpUNAM) has significant potential for the industrialized production of âG. Lastly, the extraction of cytoplasmic soluble proteins is depicted as one of the challenges for effective development of microalgae biotechnological potential, with correctly selected Pulsed Electric Fields resulting in the release of cytoplasmic soluble proteins.

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) is performed routinely in research and diagnostics. The lack of internal standards, however, has been very disadvantageous for PAGE methodologies in comparison to alternative separation techniques like chromatography. Chapter one discusses how comparative fluorescence gel electrophoresis (CoFGE) has the potential to change this situation. Chapter Two focuses on elucidating the properties of polyacrylamide gel matrixes, discussing the essential principles of discontinuous PAGE in technology, and summarizing the discontinuous buffer systems employed for the discontinuous PAGE in alkaline, neutral and acidic circumstances. Chapter Three discusses the need for the establishment of typical physiologic protein pattern for various avian patients. Chapter Four discusses constant field gel electrophoresis, a sensitive, rapid, economical and perspective method for detecting DNA double strand breaks and rejoining with high resolution.

The ever-increasing human population, rapid development of industries and human introduction of different xenobiotic compounds have contaminated the three major abiotic environmental factors (i.e., air, water and soil) all over the world. Contamination of these factors exerts adverse impacts on existing plants and microbes. Microbes present in the air, water and soil are always exposed to the ever-changing environment and exhibit tremendous variations in their community structure. However, few environmental alterations have positive and beneficial impacts on microbes. Plants also show a number of detrimental symptoms such as reduced growth, delayed fruit ripening, altered photosynthesis, rapid leaf fall, early senescence and premature death of seedlings in response to the disintegration of air, water and soil quality. So, the survival of plants and microbes in these changing environments is under serious threat. However, it is interesting how plants and microbes, despite their extreme sensitivity to environmental changes, are surviving in these continuously changing environments. In this respect, a genomic study of plants and microbes may help to understand how they have overcome previous environmental changes because millions of years of natural selection have shaped their genome. Moreover, this process of acclimation to environmental stresses was further continued through the inheritance of the altered genome of the offspring. In brief, present-day plants and microbes have obtained the resistance power from their precursors, which they have developed during the course of evolution. Hence, this book entails the consequences of environmental changes in plants and microbes, and the strategies adapted by them for survival.

This current book provides an overview of current research on bacteriophages. Chapter One discusses bacteriophages of pathogenic vibrios, identification and differentiation. Chapter Two reviews recent literature about the application of phages for the biocontrol of microorganisms in meat and meat products, with a particular emphasis on chicken, beef and pork in order to shed light on the efficacy of such strategy for the prevention and/or eradication of spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in foods and food processing environments. Chapter Three studies the synthesis of the divalent cation requirements for efficient adsorption of bacteriophage onto bacterial cells. Chapter Four focuses on the isolation and evaluation of the lytic spectrum of bacteriophages active against food-borne bacteria. Chapter Five presents data about the history and present-day of using bacteriophage preparations in treatment and prevention of various infectious diseases, in particular – of suppurative-inflammatory diseases of the respiratory organs. Chapter Six reviews phagebiotics in treatment and prophylaxis of healthcare-associated infections.

The chapters in this volume present the latest developments in medicine and biology. Chapter One provides an overview of various important sweat gland tumors. Chapter Two discusses different benign and malignant lesions of the sweat glands, their diagnosis and management along with the pertinent review of literature to guide the readers about this rare group of disorders. Chapter Three reviews strength exercise and cardiometabolic health. Chapter Four discusses the importance of muscle function and the role of exercise training in muscle performance. Chapter Five reviews results reported in different clinical studies and animal models to provide a comprehensive picture of the role of physical exercise in Parkinson's disease. Chapter Six provides updates on anticancer activity of triterpenoids, their activities in health benefit, as well as the current situation of the triterpenoids synthesis. Chapter Seven focuses on the improvement of defective cellular glucose uptake by the upregulation of estrogen signaling. Chapter Eight evaluates the effect of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN) lesion excision to non-surgically treated women under 25 years old diagnosed with CIN-2. Chapter Nine discusses current and future directions for the risk factors of pregnancy-associated severe sepsis. Chapter Ten examines species-specific detection of adulterant in milk which will ultimately help in value addition to milk as well as milk products.

Malaysia has the potential to be a key seaweed production player in the region if proper management and possible interventions take place. Chapter One analyzes the capacity building programs in Malaysia that aim to transform conventional seaweed cultivation techniques to modern seaweed cultivation techniques by applying a scientific approach. Chapter Two studies the marine macroalgae thriving at intertidal rocky shores on the west coast of Portugal, a transition zone where the combined influence of cold waters and warmer waters may favor the development of unique macroalgal communities. In Chapter Three, the authors discuss how problems of environmental deterioration and energy demand could be alleviated by the paradigm shift from fossil to biofuel from marine algae. The chapter elaborates on the unconventional strategies developed for the farming as well as conversion of Ulva rigida to biofuels and biochemicals. Chapter Four discusses the incorporation of macroalgae or macroalgal derived ingredients as a source of both macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients for animal feed production. The biological health benefits of the macroalgal ingredients beyond basic nutrition for the development of functional feed in the aquaculture, the ruminant and the swine sectors are also discussed together with the industrial challenges of its application. To conclude, Chapter Five provides a brief review of seaweed co-culture and its environmental impact on coastal fisheries. First, the current situation and problems facing the coastal fisheries, and the plans to overcome these issues, are discussed. Finally, the positive and negative effects of seaweed culture, role of seaweed co-culture, and the overall environmental impact are addressed.

Biochar is the solid product obtained from thermal chemical conversion of biomass under inert or anoxic atmosphere. The application of biochar into soil can produce many beneficial effects on soil, e.g., the abundant pore structures in biochar can increase the porosity and water retention capacity of the soil, the rich functional groups on biochar surface can increase the cation exchange capacity of the soil, the stable polycyclic aromatic compounds in biochar structures can enhance the carbon sequestration of soil, potassium, calcium, magnesium contained in biochar can improve the soil for the growth of plants. Chapter One details the physical-chemical properties of the biochars obtained from the pyrolysis of sawdust at different temperatures, and it covers: (a) the micro-physical structure including pore size, pore structure, and specific surface, (b) the functional groups including oxygen containing functional groups and aromatic ring structure, and (c) the alkali and alkaline earth metal (AAEM) species including total AAEM species and the distribution of AAEMs. Chapter Two demonstrates that biochar is a beneficial soil amendment that can improve soil fertility and increase crop biomass yield in a greenhouse setting. Chapter Three determines the capacity of biochar to fix metals and enhance the positive effects of technosols.

This new book provides research summaries from a number of different focuses in biology, and compiles biographical sketches of top professionals in this important field.

Biological science primarily deals with the morphology, physiology and biochemistry of living organisms, including their distribution, taxonomy, evolution, structure, growth, function and metabolism. All living organisms undergo metabolism, maintain homeostasis, have the capacity to grow, respond to stimuli, communicate through various means, reproduce and adapt to their environment through natural selection. The organisms that photosynthesize are the primary producers and represent life support systems from aesthetics to food to medicine. This book deals with the topics pertaining to biotechnology, molecular biology, ecology, plant pathology, bionanotechnology and stress biology. The requirement of food, medicines, natural products, the quest to resolve and develop a better understanding of life and other biological processes need to conserve genes, plants and ecosystems; the apprehension of land, water and the environment have led to the strengthening of traditional disciplines as well as the emergence of diverse disciplines such as stress biology, molecular biology, biotechnology and bioinformatics. The chapters in this book impart recent developments and state-of-the art knowledge in the biological sciences. This book provides newer techniques and uses for these tools in achieving the potential of biotechnology to understand some of the basic problems in the biological sciences today.

The precarious activities of human beings bring undesirable changes in the environment. The environment is degrading due to overpopulation, industrialization, heavy metals, pesticide, antibiotics, and other hazardous chemicals from one or more sources. As a result, humanity has to ponder over the condition of the environment, which is getting worse day by day. The more efforts humanity puts forward to control nature, the more environmental pollution increases, and because of this the future is getting more and more insecure. So, environmental protection is the primary concern for the future of humanity. There are vast scientific communities working towards the development of eco-technologies, which can improve environmental sustainability without hampering the development of society. Environmental sustainability defines how people should study and protect ecosystems, air quality, integrity and focus on the elements that place stress on the quality of the environment. The environmental protection agencies recognized that developing technology acts as a key to this sustainability and protecting the environment from damages that technological advances could potentially bring. Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology has emerged as very important and promising disciplines in the last two decades. Biotechnology has shown a great promise in solving a plethora of environmental problems. So, different authors regularly try to fill the gap of knowledge in this field. The major goal of Microbiology and Biotechnology for Sustainable Environment is to emphasize all the disciplines from the subject of environmental microbiology and biotechnology. This book fills a long felt gap in the field of environmental sustainability and presents chapters authored by most active researchers in this area. Considerable emphasis in the book is given on all the currently significant research topics/areas, which can be used in the future for the sustainable development of society through environmental protection. In addition, we have attempted to provide balanced coverage of advancements that have been achieved to protect the environment. So, we can anticipate that this book has valuable knowledge for all the academic levels, with the main emphases on scientific community. The leading researchers can find information about different approaches for environmental protection. This book will also prove as a valuable reference for graduate as well as post-graduate students to cover the syllabi related to technologies for environmental protection. The authors provide comprehensive, accessible and updated information to teachers, students and researchers in the fields of biotechnology, environmental science, microbiology, botany, zoology, environmental engineering and many other disciplines.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects 10-20% of the overall population in the US with rates increasing with age. T. gondii infects most warm blooded animals where an antibody response is generated to control the infection, however, the parasite forms bradyzoite cysts in brain and muscle. It can only reproduce in felines where oocytes are excreted in the feces. Infection can occur by a variety of routes. In cats, infection occurs by eating infected prey, primarily rodents or birds. Infection in humans can occur by eating undercooked infected meat, handling infected cat feces, ingesting oocytes on unwashed fruits or vegetables, or drinking contaminated water. Another important route of infection is congenital infection. This book discusses the potential risks this parasitic infection may cause. It also reviews the parasite's life cycle.

The marine world is a universe in its own. It has its own rules of life and death, and many of its resources are still left undiscovered. Marine algae, although representing only a small part of the abundance of underwater species, contain important active ingredients which are becoming more and more exploited in medicine, pharmacology and nutrition. This book presents the results of a survey conducted along the Lebanese coast in order to determine the different algae species growing there. It gives a general overview of algae species, their modes of reproduction, contents in active ingredients and drying method importance as well as present medical, pharmaceutical and nutritional uses. It provides data on each of the discovered species, illustrated in high definition, along with information on locations and periods of growth. This book targets academics, researchers and curious readers, and it is still the only available reference on marine algae growing on the Lebanese coast.

Microbial biofilms are populations of microorganisms that are found on solid-liquid interface and are typically surrounded by a matrix of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The aggregates of cells not firmly attached to a surface are sometimes termed ‘flocs'and have the same characteristics as biofilms. Bacteria in the biofilms produce an extracellular matrix and this contributes to ~90% of the biofilm biomass. They are found in all environments such as marine, freshwater, industrial surfaces, domestic appliances exposed to tap water and wastewater, dental surfaces, medical implants etc. This book discusses the characterization, applications and recent advances in the study of biofilms.

This book provides current research on terrestrial biomes. Chapter One demonstrates the severe conditions of arctic areas that lead to the formation of common characteristics for all complexes of soil microfungi. Chapter Two discusses plant and terrestrial microbial communities in the Alaskan tundra. Chapter Three examines spontaneous stand regeneration and herb layer restoration in post-fire woods 16 years after a forest fire. Chapter Four reviews regularities and features of differentiation and anthropogenic transformation of steppe vegetation. In Chapter Five, the capacity of combination of biomass and native microorganism for fique bagasse from farmers from a region of Colombia named Oriente Antioqueño, was studied with the objective to degrade the tetracolorisoftalonitril active ingredient.

Endophytic fungi are important biotechnological tools because they produce many secondary metabolites. However, to access this important source of bioactive molecules, it is essential to explore the diversity of endophytic fungi and catalog their species richness in different ecosystems. This book reviews the diversity, characterization and biocontrol of endophytic fungi.

The aim of this book is to highlight the utilization of algae for the development of useful products using environmentally friendly technologies such as supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and accelerated solvent extraction (ASE). Each chapter is a collection of comprehensive information on the present research on algae in different applications. The primary emphasis of this book however, is concerned with the products used for agriculture. Algal extracts were presented in this book also as a biologically active component that adds value to products for humans (cosmetics), animals (pro-health supplements) and plants (plant growth biostimulants).

This book presents recent advances in proteomics research. Topics discussed include redox proteomics approaches to the evaluation of UV-induced protein oxidative damage; decoding amino acid sequences of proteins using inter-residue average distance statistics to extract information on protein folding mechanisms and modelling of protein folding and prediction of rate based on nucleation mechanism.

Confocal laser microscopy is a microscopic observation technique patented by Minsk in 1957. Its success is due to the undeniable advantages over traditional optical microscopy including improved image clarity and contrast, greater vertical and horizontal resolution, etc., and above all the possibility to take “optical sections” of the sample, which allows us to obtain a tridimensional study. This authors of this book provide and discuss new research on the principles, techniques and applications of confocal microscopy.

This book aims to report on the status of one of the most important phycocolloids in the food industry (E407 - carrageenan). The natural resources (carrageenophytes) used in its production, methods of extraction, species with great potential, its marine cultivation on the world (Kappaphycus, Eucheuma, etc.), the new chemical analysis techniques of this colloid, the potential of the carrageenan as composing ingredient of nutritional value and therapeutic properties are some of the topics discussed within this book. The information set provided in this book comes from very recent scientific results obtained by research groups of several countries. This information set is useful not solely for the academic community (undergraduate or graduate students, staff and faculty personnel), but also to those individuals involved in the industrial, commercial and medical business of carrageenan. The contributing authors are renowned scientific leaders in the field. This feature associated with the new type of information provided in this book contributes significantly to the high-quality of this publication.

The book Microbes in Soil and Their Agricultural Prospects is a collection of advantageous, informative, simulative and holistic viewpoints presenting basic and applied aspects of microbial functioning in soil. This book covers physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of microbiomes pertaining to the production of available nitrogen (nitrogen fixation), phosphorus (P mobilization) and plant-growth promoting hormones for adaptation in agricultural soil. Responses between microbiomes and plants (known as plant-microbe interaction) corresponding to signal molecules and plant reactions to bacterial quorum sensing have been intricately presented as well. This book covers most of the agriculturally important microbes (Bacteria, Frankia, Burkholederia, Cyanobacteria, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, Bacteriophages, Trichoderma). It addresses various issues in agricultural practices to make it more understandable for various levels of academia. Analysis of microbial diversity and advances in development of microbial fertilizers have also been incorporated to introduce young researchers with biofertilizer. This expert compilation of data analyzes most of the microorganisms supporting soil fertility and crop productivity that is of significant value for sustainable agronomic practices. It is invaluable not only for experienced scientists, research leaders, and agriculturalists, but also undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral researchers beginning their careers. Each chapter in this book has been a contribution from a qualified teachers or researchers of multiple expertise. The chapters are concentrated on microbial metabolism and its agricultural prospects. Concerted efforts have been made to make a quality compilation and presentation of microbiomes in soil. A lot of common queries and practices have been addressed to make it more interesting as well. Microbes in Soil and Their Agricultural Prospects will certainly serve as an invaluable, suitable and sustainable resource for students, teachers, and various scientists interested in sustainable agricultural practices for production of healthy foods.

The concept of glycopeptins all started off as part of a bug hunt. It started off with the observation that from 70 recent obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive biology books, they all only cite hCG as just a promoter of corpus luteal progesterone, a 1920s finding, and ignore the hundreds of more recent findings. Confirmed and double confirmed science shows that hCG is a molecule with at least 12 important functions in pregnancy. That hCG is not one molecule but a group of five independent substances. These are hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG, sulfated hCG, hyperglycosylated hCG free β-subunit and fetal hCG. Each being structurally slightly different, and each having separate biological functions. If a single principal function had to be attributed to the hCG group of molecules, it was surely constructing and running placental hemochorial placentation, the process whereby a mother feeds a fetus. And this process has nothing to do with the female gonad or ovary. How 70 major obstetrics and gynecology books and reproductive books all claimed that hCG's sole job was promoting ovarian corpus luteal progesterone production was misinformation, it was a sin. The hCG group of molecules has many critical functions in the placenta, fetus, uterus, gonads and in human cancer cells. Here these 70 books were, wrongly teaching medical students, medical residents, and graduate students, very out of date garbage. What compounded this garbage was the name human chorionic gonadotropin. Chorionic Gonadotropin meaning placenta gonad hormone or placenta gonad promoter. Clearly, gonad stimulation, or promotion of ovarian progesterone production was not the principal function of this hormone.

Coliforms are widely used as indicators of water quality and sanitary status, and levels are regulated as standards and legislation in many jurisdictions. The group of organisms known as coliform bacteria are commonly used to gauge quality and potential for health risk of potable and recreational waters, and are stimulated in water quality standards and legislation of many jurisdictions worldwide. The contents of this book includes an overview about the involvement of biofilms in waterborne diseases; currently employed methods of analysis for coliform bacteria; the testing of coliformic bacteria for water departments using automated sampling and analysis; the prevalence of E.coli outbreaks linked to the consumption of certain products; and finally, a review of the sources of coliform bacteria in freshwaters.

The most fascinating and unique feature of prion diseases is that they are caused almost exclusively by a proteinaceous and infectious particle termed prions by the Nobel Prize laureate S.B. Prusiner, who discovered this class of pathogens. In the latter part of the 1990s, mad-cow disease, a disease caused by prions acquired through foodborne transmission, raised unprecedented public concern due to the concrete possibility that prions in animals could be transmitted to humans through the food chain. For roughly two decades, prions were under intense scrutiny and many studies were undertaken worldwide. These investigations have led our community to a better risk assessment and management of prion diseases in humans and in animals, substantially limiting the possibility of new prion epidemics. Nowadays, prions have been brought once again to the foreground after the discovery that a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, share fundamental features with prions, including protein misfolding and aggregation in the brain, cell-to-cell transmission and in vivo infectivity. Therefore, studying prions might help to understand the pathological mechanism of these disorders. The Prion Phenomena In Neurodegenerative Diseases: New Frontiers in Neuroscience is a book that benefits from the contribution of leading scientists in different fields of neuroscience, including Gianluigi Zanusso, Holger Wille, Fabrizio Tagliavini, Andrew F. Hill, Jerson L. Silva, Vladimir N. Uversky, Henrike Heise, David W. Colby, Neil R. Cashman and the Nobel Prize laureate Eric R. Kandel. This chapter collection discusses the development of prions and their various diseases, and provides a detailed overview about the state of the art of the novel prion phenomena observed in other fatally damaging protein misfolding disorders. This book represents an up-to-date review of different protein-misfolding diseases, serving as an invaluable tool for both specialized researchers working in the field of neurodegeneration and for a broad spectrum of academic readers that wish to learn more about the prion phenomena.

Microalgae are primary producers of oxygen and exhibit an enormous potential for biotechnological applications. Microalgae cultivation is also an interesting option for wastewater treatment. These microorganisms are efficient in recovering high amounts of nitrogen, inorganic phosphorus, and heavy metals from effluents. Furthermore, microalgae are responsible for the reduction of CO2 from gaseous effluent and from the atmosphere, reducing the green house gases effect. On the other hand, microalgae biomass can be used for the production of pigments, lipids, foods, and renewable energy. The culture of microalgae is not a new issue, since for many decades they have been employed with aquaculture purposes. In fact, some species of Nostoc, Arthrospira (Spirulina) and Aphanizomenon species have been used as food for thousands of years for food applications. The treatment of wastewaters employing microalgae has been reported for decades (specifically for the elimination of phosphorus and nitrogen compounds). Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the production of biofuels. Bioethanol, biohydrogen, bio-methane, biodiesel and other novel products can be obtained using microalgae as biomass or metabolic products (sugars, lipids, etc). In the near future, microalgae can be oriented (via molecular engineering) to the production of the hole biofuels, such as biodiesel or bio-turbosins. Microalgae and Other Phototrophic Bacteria is a book which will provide information for academics students, policy makers and the general public regarding the state of the art in the field, as well as detailed descriptions of the methodologies employed for culture, processing, recovery and new products. Aspects covered by this book are the microalgae and other phototrophic bacteria. Aspects such as the improvement of photobioreactors, the biofuel potential of Botryococcus braunii, measuring the environmental impact of microalgae production and biofuel production through LCA, the dewatering and dehydration of microalgae, the recovery of microalgae by coagulation-flocculation-sedimentation and the characterization of the produced pastes, the production of bioplastics employing residues and phototropic bacteria, the review on instrumentation and automatic control for microalgae culture and lastly, microalgae in livestock nutrition will be covered by this proposed book. Every chapter in this book has been written by an expert in the field, covering both the state of the art and the specific contributions of each group of authors in the worldwide literature.

This book provides readers with the latest developments in Listeria Monocytogenes research. Topics covered include its growth in biofilms in the food industry; molecular mechanisms involved in the food-related subsistence of Listeria Monocytogenes; an epidemiological update and the control possibilities for outbreaks of L. Monocytogenes; how to control L. Monocytogenes biofilms on food contact surfaces; methods for killing activities of macrophages against L. Monocytogenes infection; and a review of some of the most exciting developments in the analysis of the interaction between L. Monocytogenes and the host GI tract.

This book describes the issues of human health and healthcare from the point of view of hygiene monitoring and maintenance. Also, the perspectives on the effects of microbial cell structures, metabolism, communities and interactions on health and hygiene are included. Besides microbiological screening of patients, surfaces, air space etc. this book introduces some key bacteriological, virological and fungal risks in the clinical setting. It describes routes of contamination inside hospitals, and into our body. The means for prevention of the spreading of unwanted microbes are presented as well. Protection mechanisms of the bodily system and the balances of the human microbiome are discussed with respect to intrusions via the respiratory or digestive systems or damaged skin. The risks during operations or invasive treatments are highlighted, together with means for avoiding them. Examples of biofilm formation on the devices or on the body surfaces, latent infections, contagion mechanisms, as well as prevalent risks such as mycobacterial infections, antibiotic resistant strains, intracellular pathogens, nosocomial viruses, lowered host defenses, Clostridium difficle, salmonellas, legionellas are included in the chapters of this book. Important developments such as personalized medicine, point-of-care diagnostics, arthroscopy, improved drug delivery, pre- and probiotic treatments, monitoring of the normal flora and its beneficial effects are also discussed.

More than fifty years of scientific and industrial developments focused on the amino acid producer bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum has successfully yielded up to 2.93 and 1.95 million tons/year of L glutamic acid and L-lysine, respectively. As a result of this biotechnological effort, a massive amount of knowledge decidedly applicable to the development of new products has been gained. Nowadays, this knowledge is used to enlarge the portfolio of C. glutamicum industrial products, since they are highly relevant as chemicals, biodegradable polymers, ingredients, or additives in food, feed, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. This book addresses production of these new metabolites (C. glutamicum applications) and their potential under the expert point of view of those groups directly involved in their developments. Thus, amino acids out of the traditional glutamic acid or lysine, as L valine; food colorants such as carotenoids; dicarboxylic acids used as building blocks (e.g: succinate); alpha hydroxy acids as L lactate, D lactate or glycolate; biodegradable polyester (eg.: polyhydroxybutyrate); alcohols for biofuel as isobutanol as well as bioremediation applications of the new developments around C. glutamicum described in this book. Those industrial relevant compounds come to the market parallel with the developing application of new technologies. Hence, cell activity as a whole by means of the Proteomics or Transcriptomics approaches, as well as the methodologies that mimic the large fermetor conditions in a scale-down format are also reviewed in the book. Additionally, a historical description and an updated review of the taxonomical environment of Corynebacterium genus open an essential manual for enterprises, researchers and academia involved in Actinobacteria, secondary metabolite production and industrial applications. This book reviews the evolution of almost sixty years of development, initially focused on amino acid production, which unleashes the idea of C. glutamicum as a biorefinery due to its ability to generate hundreds of products demanded by the market.

This book is a compilation of information on airborne microalgae and cyanobacteria. This includes a survey of the literature, biology and ecology of airborne algae, mechanisms involved in their aerosolization, the role of environmental factors in shaping the structure and composition of aero-algal communities, and information on methodological approaches used to study airborne algae. It also discusses the importance of airborne algae, including their ecological significance, as well as the role they could play in estimating the diversity and biogeography of different microalgal groups. Studies have shown that airborne algae may act as allergens. Since many reported airborne algae are known to produce toxins, they could also therefore be responsible for certain toxicoses. The book is intended to rejuvenate the academia's interest in the above aspects of this fascinating group of microbes.

Marine dinoflagellates, one of the most important components in phytoplankton are receiving much attention owing to their toxicity. They are responsible for causing toxic blooms and associated poisonings such as Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), Azaspiracid shellfish poisoning (ASP) and Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) in humans all over the world. However, recent research has shown that such toxins could be of great use therapeutically. Aspects such as the identification of dinoflagellate species; harmful dinoflagelllate blooms and associated poisonings as well as their bioluminescence and biotechnological applications have been dealt with in detail. A comprehensive book on marine dinoflagellates is hitherto wanted and needed, and it is hoped that the present publication would cater to the needs of students of life science disciplines in general and marine biology and fisheries science disciplines in particular.

Cyanobacteria are ubiquitous photoautotrophic prokaryotes commonly found in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Some can even thrive under immense oxidative stress in extreme environments, such as hot/cold deserts and hot springs. Formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cyanobacteria not only occurs in the respiratory metabolism, but are also involved in the receptor–side of the electron transport chain during photosynthesis. This book discusses the ecological importance of cyanobacteria. It also discusses some biotechnological uses and risk management.

This book aims to report possible applications of seaweed in agriculture as well as the composing ingredients of nutritional value and therapeutic properties against oxidative stress. The information set provided in this book comes from very recent scientific results obtained by research groups of several countries. This information set is useful not solely for the academic community (undergraduate or graduate students, staff and faculty personnel), but also to those individuals involved somewhat with the agricultural, commercial and medical business of seaweed. The contributing authors are renowned scientific leaders in the field. This feature, combined with the new type of information provided in this book contributes significantly to the high-quality of this publication.

Includes index.

Systems biology sits at the heart of new integrative paradigm in the 21st century, the book could gain an insight into (i) system structure and the mechanism of biological networks such as gene regulation, protein interactions, signaling, and metabolic pathways; (ii) system dynamics of biological networks, which provides an understanding of stability, robustness, and transduction ability through system identification, and through system analysis methods; (iii) system control methods at different levels of biological networks, which provide an understanding of systematic mechanisms to robustly control system states, minimize malfunctions, and provide potential therapeutic targets in disease treatment; (iv) systematic design methods for the modification and construction of biological networks with desired behaviors, which provide system design principles and system simulations for synthetic biology designs and systems metabolic engineering. This book not only describes the current developments in systems biology, systems synthetic biology, and systems metabolic engineering for engineering and biology researchers but also discusses challenges and future prospects for systems biology and the concept of systems biology as an integrated platform for bioinformatics, systems synthetic biology, and systems metabolic engineering.

Phytoplankton plays a key role in aquatic ecosystems where it is the major biomass producer. Phytoplankton is characterized by a high time-space variability which is determined by abiotic and biotic factors. In this book, the role of abiotic factors (light, temperature, nutrients, wind, hydrodynamics, CO2 and UV radiation) and biotic factors (bacteria, zooplankton, macrophytes and fish) is discussed. Anthropogenic pressure can alter those environmental factors, causing undesired changes in the composition and biomass of phytoplankton. This book emphasizes the effects on water quality, but bottom sediment is also analyzed. The effectiveness of management measures to restore impacted ecosystems is reviewed and ecological modeling is used as a prediction tool. In this book, the authors describe case studies in different systems such as natural lakes, reservoirs, marine systems and aquatic microcosm systems, covering a wide range of geographic areas from African tropical lakes and Brazilian subtropical lakes to peri-alpine European lakes.

This book provides a comprehensive review of some predominant environmental risks that marine fish cage aquaculture poses in the marine environment and designs and practices now in use to address these environmental risks in the U.S. and elsewhere. The book includes a critical review of the large body of scientific work published since 2000 on the environmental impacts of marine finfish aquaculture around the world. The purpose of this book is to provide a basic set of guidelines for risk managers and other decision makers to use all information available to assess the different ecological risks of marine fish aquaculture in a variety of marine ecosystems.

This book describes biofilms in the context of hygiene in food safety and hospital facilities, starting with bacterial adhesion as an initial step of cell colonization, followed by the growth and maturation of biofilms. The main focus of this book is on biofilm prevention and control. The resistance of bacteria to several antibiotics is a global public health problem, not limited to hospital facilities, but also to other sectors, including the food industry. This raises questions about whether effective cleaning and disinfection reduce the risk of food-borne and hospital-acquired illness. Can the surface characteristics be treated to prevent bacterial adhesion and, consequently, the formation of biofilms? Biofilms are complex communities of bacteria attached the surfaces, with fully developed architecture and highly organized interactions. A better understanding of the biofilm lifecycle, with advanced strategies of physical, chemical and biological actions, would reduce the risk of infection. The question is not whether the preventive and control measures will play a significant role in public health, but rather what the implications of their use will be for hygiene in the food industry and hospital facilities.

Listeria monocytogenes has emerged as one of the major foodborne pathogens, characterized by high hospitalization and case fatality rates in humans. In this book the authors present current research in the study of this foodborne pathogen. Topics discussed include the natural approaches for controlling L. monocytogenes; L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods and intervention strategies; carbohydrate utilization by L. monocytogenes and its influence on virulence gene expression; ozone and atmospheric cold plasma for control of L. monocytogenes; the potential of visible light as a means of controlling L. monocytogenes in the food chain; spatial distribution of L. monocytogenes and pseudomonas fluorescens in mixed biofilms; the main hygienic aspects of the processing and marketing of L. monocytogenes and Salmosalar; detection of L. monocytogenes and Listeria spp. in food and feed products; prevalence and control of L. monocytogenes in food processing environments; antimicrobial resistance, and growth kinetics of L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods; novel technologies for controlling L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods; the effect of soil abiotic and biotic factors on the preservation and reproduction of L. monocytogenes; the structure and function of the pathogen; and the prevalence of L. monocytogenes and occurrence of Listeriosis from ready-to-eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

For a quantitative description of variety cell responses to ionizing radiation, a mathematical model is suggested. In contrast to the conventional point of view that the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of densely ionizing radiation is determined only by physical characteristics of radiation, this book presents extensive experimental data demonstrating the importance of cell recovery ability in the RBE manifestation. The most impressive data obtained was mostly for diploid mutant cells at the log-stage of growth, in which the RBE was close to unity. It was also shown that the recovery process itself was not damaged after exposure to high-LET radiation, as well as the enhanced RBE values due to the increased yield of irreversible radiation damage from which cells were incapable of recovering. A novel direction in the study of radioprotecting and radiosensitizing action of chemical compounds is also discussed and confirmed in the book. A new conception for the mechanism of synergy is suggested, in accordance with the synergy due to the formation of additional effective damages resulting from the interaction of sublesions. These sublesions are supposed to be non-effective when each agent is applied separately. This concept led to the development of original mathematical models of synergy, which is reviewed by the authors. The model predicts a number of general rules of interaction, the condition under which the highest synergy can be achieved, its value, and the dependence of synergy on the intensity of agents applied. Validation of the model was also verified for various physical and chemical factors, biological objects and end points. The theory appears to be appropriate and the conclusions valid.

Enterococcus faecalis is a gram-positive, coccus shaped, lactic acid bacterium, with demonstrated ubiquity across multiple anatomical sites. Enterococcus faecalis isolates have been isolated from clinical samples as the etiological agent in patients with overt infections, and from body sites previously thought to be sterile but absent of signs and symptoms of infection. E. faecalis is implicated in both human health and disease, recognized as a commensal, a probiotic and an opportunistic multiply resistant pathogen. E. faecalis has emerged as a key pathogen in nosocomial infections. Enterococcus faecalis is a commensal bacterium inhabiting the gastro-intestinal tract of humans. Interestingly, although it is not clear whether E. faecalis is part of the oral cavity microbiome, it is frequently recovered from root canal infections. Specifically, it is the major pathogen found in persistent infections associated with root canal treatment failure. Moreover, E. faecalis is one of the leading multidrug resistant nosocomial pathogens, causing infective endocarditis, and participating in urinary tract, wound, and device- device-related infections. This book discusses the molecular characteristics, its role in nonsocomial infections and the antibacterial effects of Enterococcus faecalis. It begins by discussing the virulence factors of enterococcus faecalis and concludes with E. faecalis in dental infections.

Microorganisms are highly ubiquitous in nature and manifold in their activity. Interest in microbiology increased quite significantly due to wide application of microorganisms in studying different biological processes. An attempt has been made to introduce the readers to several areas of microbiology and microbial biotechnology and to provide insight into basic concepts of biology and practical applications of microorganisms. To assist the readers in understanding the text, several illustrations and figures have been incorporated in the current volume. The topics covered in this volume are arranged in such a way as to maintain the thread of continuity with Volume One as well as to make it easy for those who are not acquainted with Volume One of the series. The editors believe that the previous book of the series, Recent Advances in Microbiology Volume 1, would also be helpful to readers in strengthening their concepts about different areas of microbiology and microbial biotechnology.