Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled breath, sweat or urine carry much information on the state of human health. The role of VOCs in clinical diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring is expected to become increasingly significant due to recent advances in the field. Volatile Biomarkers: Non-Invasive Diagnosis in Physiology and Medicine includes the latest discoveries and applications for VOCs from the world's foremost scientists and clinicians working in this emerging analytic area. - Appeals to a multidisciplinary audience, including scientists, researchers, and clinicians with an interest in breath analysis - Features the latest scientific research and technical breakthroughs in the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of volatile organic compounds - Includes case presentations documenting applications in multiple areas of human health and safety
Biomaterials are produced from biological material and are used for their physical characteristics. This book looks at the range of biomaterials and their applications which range from the use of polysaccharides as thickening agents to the use of proteins as fibres and adhesives.
This book is devoted to the engineering of protein-based nanostructures and nanomaterials. One key challenge in nanobiotechnology is to be able to exploit the natural repertoire of protein structures and functions to build materials with defined properties at the nanoscale using “bottom-up” strategies. This book addresses in an integrated manner all the critical aspects that need to be understood and considered to design the next generation of nano-bio assemblies. The book covers first the fundamentals of the design and features of the protein building blocks and their self-assembly illustrating some of the most relevant examples of nanostructural design. Finally, the book contains a section dedicated to demonstrated applications of these novel bioinspired nanostructures in different fields from hybrid nanomaterials to regenerative medicine. This book provides a comprehensive updated review of this rapidly evolving field.
Drs. Ullah and Yang hold patents related to cellulose material. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject. This Research Topic is dedicated to Prof. Lina Zhang on the occasion of her 80th Birthday, in gratitude, esteem, and affection.
This book summarizes the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on “Nanoengineered Systems for Regenerative Medicine” that was organized under the auspices of the NATO Security through Science Program. I would like to thank NATO for supporting this workshop via a grant to the co-directors. The objective of ARW was to explore the various facets of regenerative me- cine and to highlight role of the “the nano-length scale” and “nano-scale systems” in defining and controlling cell and tissue environments. The development of novel tissue regenerative strategies require the integration of new insights emerging from studies of cell-matrix interactions, cellular signalling processes, developmental and systems biology, into biomaterials design, via a systems approach. The chapters in the book, written by the leading experts in their respective disciplines, cover a wide spectrum of topics ranging from stem cell biology, developmental biology, ce- matrix interactions, and matrix biology to surface science, materials processing and drug delivery. We hope the contents of the book will provoke the readership into developing regenerative medicine paradigms that combine these facets into cli- cally translatable solutions. This NATO meeting would not have been successful without the timely help of Dr. Ulrike Shastri, Sanjeet Rangarajan and Ms. Sabine Benner, who assisted in the organization and implementation of various elements of this meeting. Thanks are also due Dr. Fausto Pedrazzini and Ms. Alison Trapp at NATO HQ (Brussels, Belgium). The commitment and persistence of Ms.
Nanocellulose is a versatile material that has received much attention from scientists working in a broad range of application fields, such as automotive, composites, adsorbents, paints, coatings, medical implants, electronics, cosmetics, pulp and paper, tissue engineering, medical, packaging, and aerogels. Industrial Applications of Nanocellulose and Its Nanocomposites provides an extensive, up-to-date review of this fast-moving research field. The chapters cover a wide range of aspects, including synthesis, surface modification, and improvement of properties toward target applications. The main objectives of the book are to reflect on recent advancements in the design and fabrication of advanced nanocellulose and discuss important requirements for each application, as well as the challenges that might be faced. The book also includes an overview of the current economic perspectives and safety issues, as well as future directions for nanocellulose-based materials. It will serve as a valuable reference resource for academic and industrial researchers, environmental chemists, nanotechnologists, chemical engineers, polymer chemists, materials scientists, and all those working in the manufacturing industries. - Comprehensively covers a broad range of industrial applications. - Includes case studies on economic perspectives, safety issues, and advanced development of nanocellulose-based products. - Discusses nanocellulose production from biological waste.
Have you ever heard of a Hype-Cycle? It is a description that was put forward by an IT consultancy firm to describe certain phenomena that happen within the life cycle of new technology products. As Fenn and Raskino stated in their book (Fenn and Raskino 2008), a novel technology - a “Technology Trigger” - gives rise to a steep increase in interest, leading to the “Peak of Inflated Expectations”. Following an accumulation of more detailed knowledge on the technology and its short-comings, the stake holders may need to traverse a “Trough of Disillusionment”, which is followed by a shallower “Slope of Enlightenment”, before finally reaching the “Plateau of Productivity”. In spite of the limitations and criticisms levied on this over-simplified description of a technology’s life-cycle, it is nonetheless able to describe well the situation we are all experiencing within the brain-machine-interfacing community. Our technology trigger was the development of batch-processed multisite neuronal interfaces based on silicon during the 1980s and 1990s (Sangler and Wise 1990, Campbell, Jones et al. 1991, Wise and Najafi 1991, Rousche and Normann 1992, Nordhausen, Maynard et al. 1996). This gave rise to a seemingly exponential growth of knowledge within the neurosciences, leading to the expectation of thought-controlled devices and prostheses for handicapped people in the very near future (Chapin, Moxon et al. 1999, Wessberg, Stambaugh et al. 2000, Chapin and Moxon 2001, Serruya, Hatsopoulos et al. 2002). Unfortunately, whereas significant steps towards artificial robotic limbs could have been implemented during the last decade (Johannes, Bigelow et al. 2011, Oung, Pohl et al. 2012, Belter, Segil et al. 2013), direct invasive intracortical interfacing was not quite able to keep up with these expectations. Insofar, we are currently facing the challenging, but tedious walk through the Trough of Disillusionment. Undoubtedly, more than two decades of intense research on brain-machine-interfaces (BMI’s) have produced a tremendous wealth of information towards the ultimate goal: a clinically useful cortical prosthesis. Unfortunately even today - after huge fiscal efforts - the goal seems almost to be as far away as it was when it was originally put forward. At the very least, we have to state that one of the main challenges towards a clinical useful BMI has not been sufficiently answered yet: regarding the long term – or even truly chronic – stability of the neural cortical interface, as well as the signals it has to provide over a significant fraction of a human’s lifespan. Even the recently demonstrated advances in BMI’s in both humans and non-human primates have to deal with a severe decay of spiking activity that occurs over weeks and months (Chestek, Gilja et al. 2011, Hochberg, Bacher et al. 2012, Collinger, Kryger et al. 2014, Nuyujukian, Kao et al. 2014, Stavisky, Kao et al. 2014, Wodlinger, Downey et al. 2014) and resolve to simplified features to keep a brain-derived communication channel open (Christie, Tat et al. 2014).
Provides insight into biopolymers, their physicochemical properties, and their biomedical and biotechnological applications This comprehensive book is a one-stop reference for the production, modifications, and assessment of biopolymers. It highlights the technical and methodological advancements in introducing biopolymers, their study, and promoted applications. "Biopolymers for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications" begins with a general overview of biopolymers, properties, and biocompatibility. It then provides in-depth information in three dedicated sections: Biopolymers through Bioengineering and Biotechnology Venues; Polymeric Biomaterials with Wide Applications; and Biopolymers for Specific Applications. Chapters cover: advances in biocompatibility; advanced microbial polysaccharides; microbial cell factories for biomanufacturing of polysaccharides; exploitation of exopolysaccharides from lactic acid bacteria; and the new biopolymer for biomedical application called nanocellulose. Advances in mucin biopolymer research are presented, along with those in the synthesis of fibrous proteins and their applications. The book looks at microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), as well as natural and synthetic biopolymers in drug delivery and tissue engineering. It finishes with a chapter on the current state and applications of, and future trends in, biopolymers in regenerative medicine. * Offers a complete and thorough treatment of biopolymers from synthesis strategies and physiochemical properties to applications in industrial and medical biotechnology * Discusses the most attracted biopolymers with wide and specific applications * Takes a systematic approach to the field which allows readers to grasp and implement strategies for biomedical and biotechnological applications "Biopolymers for Biomedical and Biotechnological Applications" appeals to biotechnologists, bioengineers, and polymer chemists, as well as to those working in the biotechnological industry and institutes.
Serving as the only systematic and comprehensive treatment on the topic of nanoparticle-based materials, this book covers synthesis, characterization, assembly, shaping and sintering of all types of nanoparticles including metals, ceramics, and semiconductors. A single-authored work, it is suitable as a graduate-level text in nanomaterials courses.
The third edition of a bestseller, this comprehensive reference presents the latest polymer developments and most up-to-date applications of polymeric biomaterials in medicine. Expanded into two volumes, the first volume covers the structure and properties of synthetic and natural polymers as well as bioresorbable hybrid membranes, drug delivery systems, cell bioassay systems, and electrospinning for regenerative medicine. This substantially larger resource includes state-of-the-art research and successful breakthroughs in applications that have occurred in the last ten years.
