Microwave-Assisted Sample Preparation for Trace Element Determination

Galapagos Giant Tortoises brings together researchers and conservationists to share the most up-to-date knowledge of Galapagos giant tortoises. Despite being icons of the world-famous Galapagos Archipelago and the target of more than 50 years of conservation research and management, Galapagos giant tortoise evolution and much of their ecology remained unknown until recently. This book documents the history, the pressing conservation issues, and success stories recovering several of the 15 different species of Galapagos tortoises from near extinction. The book begins with an overview of the history of the relationship between humans and Galapagos giant tortoises, starting from initial heavy exploitation of tortoises by pirates and whalers, and extending to the start of the modern conservation era in the 1960s. The book then shifts to biology, describing Galapagos tortoise evolution, taxonomy, ecology, habitats, reproduction, and behavior. Next the decades of conservation efforts and their results are reviewed, including issues of captive breeding, invasive species, introduced diseases, and de-extinction, as well as the current status and distribution of every species. The final portion of the book turns to four case studies of restoration, and then looks ahead to the future of all tortoise populations.The latest volume in the Biodiversity of the World: Conservation from Genes to Landscape series, Galapagos Giant Tortoises is a valuable resource for researchers and conservationists, as well as students of biology, wildlife conservation, and herpetology.Nanomaterials for the Detection and Removal of Wastewater Pollutants assesses the role of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in improving both the detection and removal of inorganic and organic contaminants from wastewater that originates from municipal and industrial plants. The book covers how nanotechnology is being used to remove common contaminants, including dyes, chlorinated solvents, nitrites/nitrates, and emerging contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, personal care products and pesticides. Sections cover nanofiltration, adsorption and remediation. Nanomaterial immobilization recovery is also addressed, along with the quantification of heat/mass transport limitations, sizing aspects and transport phenomena. Finally, regulatory aspects regarding contaminants and nanoparticles in the environment are covered. This book is an important resource for both materials scientists and environmental scientists looking to see how nanotechnology can play a role in making wastewater a less hazardous part of the global ecosystem.Phenotypic Switching: Implications in Biology and Medicine provides a comprehensive examination of phenotypic switching across biological systems, including underlying mechanisms, evolutionary significance, and its role in biomedical science. Contributions from international leaders discuss conceptual and theoretical aspects of phenotypic plasticity, its influence over biological development, differentiation, biodiversity, and potential applications in cancer therapy, regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy, among other treatments. Chapters discuss fundamental mechanisms of phenotypic switching, including transition states, cell fate decisions, epigenetic factors, stochasticity, protein-based inheritance, specific areas of human development and disease relevance, phenotypic plasticity in melanoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, non-genetic heterogeneity in cancer, hepatitis C, and more. This book is essential for active researchers, basic and translational scientists, clinicians, postgraduates and students in genetics, human genomics, pathology, bioinformatics, developmental biology, evolutionary biology and adaptive opportunities in yeast.Pediatric Reference Intervals, Eighth Edition, is a must-have for clinical chemists, hematologists, pathologists, endocrinologists and pediatricians. This trusted source enhances interpretation of patient results, allows comparison of test results using different methods, and helps optimize patient care. This updated edition is a valuable reference, providing instant and accurate reference intervals for over 250 chemistry and hematology analytes in an alphabetized, user-friendly format. Changes to this edition include Age- and Sex-Related Reference Ranges, Methodologies, Type of Specimen, References, Statistical Basis and Population Sources.Microwave-Assisted Sample Preparation for Trace Element Analysis, Second Edition, describes the principles, equipment, and applications involved in sample preparation with microwaves for detecting and analyzing trace elements. Hot topics such as sample preparation for speciation, metabolomics, and halogen determination, as well as the alternatives of sample preparation for special samples (for example, carbon nanotubes, polymers, petroleum products), are also discussed. This completely updated second edition covers all the new devices and more powerful systems that have emerged in the last several years, such as Ultrawave and Ultraclave systems. New challenges in the fields of geology, environmental and biological studies -for example, the need for further determination of rare earth elements and halogens - are currently only covered in scientific journals and not in a comprehensive way. This book offers a summary of the state-of-the-art ways to meet these challenges with microwave-assisted sample preparation.