Biomedical and Life Sciences

The book aim to contribute the latest understandings of physiological, biochemical and molecular bases of the responses of major crop plants to a range of different biomass produced biochar to introduce climate resilience crop varieties which leads to enhanced crop productivity and quality under stressful conditions and also for better utilization of natural resources to ensure food security through modern breeding. Finally, this book will be a valuable resource for future plant stress related research with biochar, and can be considered as a reference book for front-line researchers working on sustaining crop production under climate change.

Adverse effects of climate changes on crops has developed the situation quite critical for sustainable agriculture. Food security has become in danger due to low production of agricultural crops by resilient climate and ever increasing human population. Heat, drought, salinity, soil compaction, flooding and poor soil organic carbon induced stress in crops by climate adverse conditions are major concerns in this regard. A mechanistic understanding of the interactions between abiotic stresses response of crops is needed to identify and take advantage of acclimation traits in major crop species as a prerequisite for securing robust yield and good quality. This underpins a need for crops with inherent yield increase, yield stability against multiple abiotic stresses and improved quality. Individual stress tolerance mechanisms have been well documented so far. However, mechanisms behind plants’ tolerance by application of biochar and its interactions with soil and plant roots towards multiple abiotic stresses are not fully understood.

In addition, there will always be some uncertainty associated with modelling the complex relationships between agricultural yields, product quality with biochar under future climate scenarios. Prediction of yield and quality stability, one of mostcomplex agronomic traits, must integrate aspects of plant development, physiology, biochemistry and genetics. Furthermore, the GxExM interactions will complicate the model predications, thus the responses of a given genotype to a defined environment under certain management strategy need to be determined empirically and used to parameterise and refine crop models.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the development of the human central nervous system (CNS) in the context of its many developmental disorders due to genetic, environmental and hypoxic/ischaemic causes. The book contains three general, introductory chapters in which an overview of the development of the human brain and spinal cord, a summary of mechanisms of development as obtained in experimental studies in various invertebrates and vertebrates, and an overview of the causes of congenital malformations are presented. The developmental disorders of the human brain and spinal cord are presented in a regional, more or less segmental way, starting with neurulation and neural tube defects, and ending with developmental disorders of the cerebral cortex. These chapters are abundantly illustrated in colour with carefully chosen clinical case studies with imaging data, and when available, postmortem verification of the developmental disorders involved.

In thethird edition, more emphasis has been given to the developmental ontology based on the prosomeric approach, and fetal development. Prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound, MRI and DTI, and classifications of developmental disorders have been updated. A number of new Clinical Cases have been included. Several new co-authors participate in various chapters. 

The book is intended for advanced medical students, and all those clinicians working with children and adults with developmental disorders of the CNS. Unique to the book is the integration of data from human embryology, experimental and molecular findings in mice in particular, imaging and developmental neuropathology.

Human population growth and potentially irreversible climate changes have raised worldwide concerns regarding food and nutritional security.  Plant breeding that once considered “art and science for changing and improving the characteristics of plants” is now heavily dependent on biotechnologies. The endeavor is a continuous process which results in new varieties required by farmers to improve their crop yields and quality of the produce.  On the other hand, in the current scenarios of challenging environmental impact, there is emergence of new insect-pests and new pathotypes of disease causing agents.  Accordingly what used to be minor insect-pests/pathogens are rapidly becoming major biotic stress factors. Along with heat and drought, they pose serious threats to crop productivity in many parts of the world. Current WTO analysis reveals that farmers want new high yielding varieties suitable not only for local consumption but also for commercial export. Conventional breeding approaches at this juncture seem inadequate to meet the growing demand for superior varieties. Efficiency improvement of existing cultivars is one way to meet these challenges.  Historically, plant improvement has been largely confined to improving yield, quality, resistance to diseases and insect-pests and tolerance to abiotic stresses. Now growers demand high yielding varieties that possess early maturity, higher harvest index, dual purpose forages, varieties with nutrient-use efficiency/water-use efficiency, wider adaptability, suitable for mechanized harvesting, better shelf life, better processing quality, with improved minerals, vitamins, amino acids, proteins, antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Conventional plant breeding methods aiming at the improvement of a self-pollinating crop, such as wheat, usually take 10-12 years to develop and release of the new variety. During the past 10 years, significant advances have been made and accelerated methods have been developed for precision breeding and early release of crop varieties.

This multi-volume work summarizes concepts dealing with germplasm enhancement and development of improved varieties based on innovative methodologies that include recent omics approaches, marker assisted selection, marker assisted background selection, genome wide association studies, next generation sequencing, genetic mapping, genomic selection, high-throughput genotyping, high-throughput phenotyping, mutation breeding, reverse breeding, transgenic breeding, speed breeding, genome editing, etc.  It is an important reference with special focus on accelerated development of improved forage crop varieties.

The World Health Organization, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Institute for Cancer Research have stated that including garlic in a regular diet is associated with a lower risk of cancer. Additionally, the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and other organizations have published a monograph outlining the process for Aged Garlic Extract (AGE).
AGE is produced through extended extraction with 15-20% ethanol at room temperature. During this process, compounds that contribute to the characteristic flavor are converted into stable substances. AGE contains water-soluble sulfur compounds and oil-soluble allyl sulfides. The compounds formed during aging provide numerous medicinal benefits.
Black garlic (BG) is produced by applying moderate heat and humidity for six to eight weeks. During this process, the pungent compounds in raw garlic are transformed into stable compounds. BG has a sweet flavor and a jelly-like texture. The warm temperature triggers the Maillard reaction, giving it a dark brown color and producing health-promoting compounds not found in raw garlic.
In 1858, Louis Pasteur described the antibacterial effect of garlic, highlighting its broad antibiotic spectrum against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Notably, raw garlic juice is effective against many common pathogenic intestinal bacteria that cause diarrhea; garlic also works against strains resistant to antibiotics. The combination of garlic with antibiotics shows partial or full synergism, and a complete absence of resistance has been observed repeatedly. Additionally, garlic inhibits toxin production by microorganisms. 
In 1990, the US National Cancer Institute launched the Designer Food Program to identify foods that play important roles in cancer prevention. The program concluded that garlic might be the most powerful cancer-preventive food. Epidemiological studies and laboratory research have demonstrated the protective effects of garlic and explained the mechanisms behind its cancer chemopreventive properties. These include the regulation of metabolizing enzymes that activate and detoxify carcinogens, the prevention of DNA adduct formation, antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties, and the control of cell growth, programmed cell death, and immune responses. Garlic-derived products also influence cell-signaling pathways that regulate abnormal cell growth, providing strong chemopreventive and therapeutic benefits.

Unraveling the complex mechanisms governing the relationship between protein structure and function requires a multifaceted approach. In particular, the integration of experimental and computational approaches is exceptionally powerful in this context. However, while experimental techniques, such as X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), have been used for protein structure determination for over half a century, only in the last decade have computational tools gained sufficient power to assume a prominent role in the study of protein structure and function alongside experimental techniques.

This volume offers a comprehensive overview of contemporary computational and experimental methods employed in protein structure-function studies, organized into two sections. The computational methods section delves into protein structure prediction, advanced simulation techniques, artificial intelligence and machine learning, ligand binding site identification, and protein-protein interaction prediction. The experimental methods section focuses on state-of-the-art structural methods, fluorescence microscopy, imaging techniques, and model membrane systems.

This book is an invaluable resource for a wide audience of research scientists with an interest in the molecular and cellular facets of biological processes, especially those who seek to investigate the intricate world of proteins and their functions through cutting-edge methodologies.

This book covers the most important plants-based byproducts including the extraction of bioactive compounds, phytochemistry and biological activities of different bioactive compounds present in these byproducts plus the industrial utilization of these byproducts. The research sheds light on the potential of plant-based byproducts for human health and contributes to industrial waste management. 

Importance of Plant Based Byproducts: Nutritional and Functional Properties provides insight on the use of different plant-based byproducts and their bioactive compounds, offering a cost effective and sustainable source for peptides, carotenoids and phenolics with a broad spectrum of potential health benefits. This book presents comprehensive coverage indluding an introduction to plant based byproducts, the nutritional Importance of fruit based byproducts, the nutritional Importance of vegetable based byproducts and nutritional importance of cereal based byproducts.

The proliferation of nanotechnology in agriculture, food processing, storage and distribution has allowed for improvements in safety and nutritional preservation across various stages of processing. This technology has the potential to both improve the quality, safety and sustainability of our food and to offer cost-saving measures for the increase of shareholder profit. 

Nanotechnology in Food Safety and Sustainability gathers experts from across the globe to offer cutting-edge perspectives on developments in aspects such as pesticide and aflatoxin detection, polymers as nanocarrier agents of bioactive compounds, green technology for the extraction of nanoparticles from natural polymers, the use of fluorescent carbon quantum dots for food safety and more. Unlike existing texts on the subject, Nanotechnology in Food Safety and Sustainability offers a wide-ranging systematic overview of the topic, with a narrowed focus on safety applications, without sacrificing practical guidance. For researchers, industry and policymakers, this book will provide both a historical overview of and actionable guide, including a discussion of legal and regulatory aspects, to the application of nanotechnology in food safety measures. 

Microplastics and nanoplastics have been recently found in most environmental media and in living organisms, thus representing a serious health concern of yet poorly known adverse consequences. This book summarizes recent findings on the sources, behavior, transformation, toxicity and remediation of microplastics, with focus on soils, water, wastewater, air, soils, plants and corals. Advanced methods for sampling, characterization, removal and degradation of microplastics.