The aim of the Ebook series of Research Topics in Agricultural & Applied Economics (RTAAE) is to publish high quality economic researches applied to both the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors of the economy. The subject areas of this Ebook series include, among others, supply and demand analysis, technical change and productivity, industrial organization, labor economics, growth and development, environmental economics, marketing, business economics and finance. By covering a broad variety of economic research topics, this Ebook series should prove to be of considerable interest to a wide spectrum of academic, agricultural and applied economic researchers and scientists, as well as to industry specialists and government policy makers.

The aim of this e-book series is to publish high quality economic research in agricultural and applied economics. It particularly fosters quantitative studies which make original contribution on important economic issues, the results of which help to understand and solve real economic problems. This volume contains research papers focusing on the areas of agricultural policy, agricultural price volatility, agricultural finance and cooperatives, consumption economics, firm production and organization, human capital convergence, international economics and multinational business, investment decisions in organic agriculture, market structure and industry studies. The research papers of this volume make use of recent methodological approaches and provide conclusions which are useful to both private sector participants and policy-makers.

Since ancient times, yeasts have been used for brewing and breadmaking processes. They now represent a flagship organism for alcoholic fermentation processes. The ubiquity of some yeast species also offers microbiologists a heterologous gene-expression platform, making them a model organism for studying eukaryotes. Yeasts: from Nature to Bioprocesses brings together information about the origin and evolution of yeasts, their ecological relationships, and the main taxonomic groups into a single volume. The book initially explores six significant yeast genera in detailed chapters. The book then delves into the main biotechnological processes in which both prospected and engineered yeasts are successfully employed. Yeasts: from Nature to Bioprocesses, therefore, elucidates the leading role of these single-cell organisms for industrial microbiology in environmental, health, social, and economic terms. This book is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary resource for general readers as well as scholars of all levels who want to know all about yeast microbiology and their industrial applications.

<p><p/> Cancer is driven by numerous genetic and epigenetic changes occurring at the cellular level. These changes drive normal cells to proliferate and escape processes that usually regulate their survival and migration. Many of these alterations are often associated with signaling pathways which regulate cell growth and division, cell death, survival, invasion and metastasis, and angiogenesis. Almost all cancer cells show high expression of signaling components including growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), small GTPases, serine/threonine kinases, cytoplasmic tyrosine kinases, lipid kinases, estrogen receptor, activation of transcription factors Myc and NF-κB, etc. Updated knowledge about these signaling components is highly desirable for researchers involved in developing therapies against cancer. Signal Transduction Research for Cancer Therapy covers advancements in research on the signaling pathways in the human body, especially in some types of cancers, such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and colon cancer. <p><p/> Key features of this volume include 8 focused topical reviews on signaling pathways in a specific cancer type, coverage of multiple cancer types (breast cancer, colon cancer, hepatocellular cancer, multiple myeloma, acute myeloid leukemia, and pancreatic cancer), and coverage of a wide array of signaling pathways (both receptor mediated and non receptor mediated pathways). <p><p/> This volume is essential reading for researchers in pharmaceutical R&D and postgraduate research programs in pharmacology and allied disciplines. Clinicians involved in oncology will also benefit from the information provided in the chapters. <p><p/> [Series Intro] <p><p/> This series provides scientists and clinicians with updated clinical information about signal transduction that will be valuable in their pursuit to investigate, develop, and apply novel agents to prevent or treat life-threatening diseases such as cancer. Contributions to the series will focus on methods that also enhance the quality of life for patients. <p><p/>

The first volume of this Ebook series brings together the most recent advances from leading experts in the burgeoning field of biotechnology. This comprehensive text adopts a multidisciplinary approach and covers agricultural biotechnology, industrial and environmental biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences and drug developments from plant sources, biochemical and molecular studies on gene expression, forestry, genetic engineering, gene delivery approaches, plant tissue culture and biochemical techniques/methods/protocols involved in different areas of plant biotechnology. This Ebook should prove to be a valuable resource for plant biotechnologists, plant biologists, biochemists, molecular biologists, pharmacologists, and pharmacists; agronomists, plant breeders, and geneticists; ethnobotanists, ecologists, and conservationists; medical practitioners and nutritionists; research investigators in industry, federal laboratories, and universities; and students and teachers in the biological and biomedical sciences at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Carbohydrates (monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides) exist naturally in free from and as components of other macromolecules (nucleic acids, proteins and lipids). Glycotherapy refers to this use of carbohydrates or glycoengineered macromolecules in fighting life-threatening diseases. Although glycotherapy is a relatively new and limited field of pharmacology, significant progress has been made in recent years in academia and the pharmaceutical industry facilitated by advances in enzymology and recombinant DNA technologies. Consequently, carbohydrate containing biologics are now used in therapeutic regimens. This volume provides a summary of the progress made in developing therapeutic solutions using glycoengineering techniques. Topics covered in this volume include the development of vaccines and antibodies against tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens for cancer treatment, the use of glycan for viral inhibition, glycoPEGylation, hyaluronic acid conjugation, and protein modification and conjugation for increasing therapeutic index using recombinant and chemoenzymatic approaches. The volume is essential reading for biochemists, pharmacologists and R&amp;D professionals interested in glycotherapy.

Global plastic production is estimated to be over 300Mt annually. Most conventional plastics are predominantly produced from fossil fuels and are highly resistant to biodegradation, and only a small share of about 20% of spent plastics is believed to be recycled, which is a cause for environmental concern. Biodegradable plastics would solve this concern as they are a sustainable alternative, yet these do not even cover 5% of the global plastic market. Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a versatile group of polyesters produced by nature as prokaryotic storage materials. PHAs can be produced through sustainable bioprocess engineering and have displayed remarkable flexibility in their physical and chemical properties. PHAs are the subject of several scientific papers and numerous PHA patents have also been filed, generating significant interest in the plastic production industry. To develop overall sustainable and efficient production processes, all bioprocess steps need to be thoroughly understood and accounted for. These processes start with the selection of suitable inexpensive raw materials (microbes and enzymes), optimizing the process engineering and process regime, and conclude with the enhancement of product recovery in terms of time, energy, and material input. Microbial Biopolyester Production, Performance and Processing: Microbiology, Feedstocks, and Metabolism encompasses eight chapters that cover aspects of the microbiology and biotechnology of producing biodegradable plastics. The contents focus on the selection of powerful archaeal and eubacterial production strains, genetic engineering as a tool for optimized PHA production and inexpensive carbon sources for microbial cultures. The volume is a useful resource for bioprocess engineers, microbiologists, biotechnologists and chemical engineers interested in the basics of biodegradable plastic production. Recent Advances in Biotechnology is a book series comprising of peer-reviewed reference works and monographs that compile the latest developments in the field of biotechnology. Each volume has a thematic focus and features topical reviews written by experts. The series will highlight multidisciplinary perspectives to interested readers (biotechnologists, microbiologists, bioprocess engineers, agronomists, medical professionals, sustainability researchers etc.)

Global plastic production is estimated to be over 300Mt annually. Most conventional plastics are predominantly produced from fossil fuels and are highly resistant to biodegradation, and only a small share of about 20% of spent plastics is believed to be recycled, which is a cause for environmental concern. Biodegradable plastics would solve this concern as they are a sustainable alternative, yet these do not even cover 5% of the global plastic market. Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a versatile group of polyesters produced by nature as prokaryotic storage materials. PHAs can be produced through sustainable bioprocess engineering and have displayed remarkable flexibility in their physical and chemical properties. PHAs are the subject of several scientific papers and numerous PHA patents have also been filed, generating significant interest in the plastic production industry. To develop overall sustainable and efficient production processes, all bioprocess steps need to be thoroughly understood and accounted for. These processes start with the selection of suitable inexpensive raw materials (microbes and enzymes), optimizing the process engineering and process regime, and conclude with the enhancement of product recovery in terms of time, energy, and material input. Microbial Biopolyester Production, Performance and Processing: Bioengineering, Characterization, and Sustainability is a compilation of eight chapters covering bacterial polyesters, green plastics and PHAs from various angles. The contents of this volume focus on sustainable practices focus on the sustainability of processes that involve the synthesis and recycling of these meterials. The volume is a useful resource for bioprocess engineers, microbiologists, biotechnologists and chemical engineers interested in the basics of biodegradable plastic production.

Progress in Food Biotechnology covers recent advances in the food processing sector. Readers will gain an academic and industrial perspective on how biotechnology improves food product quality, yield, and process efficiency. Novel opportunities for utilizing value-added products in the food industry, such as microbial cultures, enzymes, flavour compounds, and other food ingredients are also explained. Chapters in the volume cover topics related to (1) food bioactive peptides and functional properties of proteins, (2) classification, biosynthesis, and application of bacterial exopolysaccharides, (3) enzymatic modification of phospholipids, and related applications, (4) microbial culture research and application in food fermentation, (5) probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, (6) biotechnological production of food additives, (7) phenolic-based nanoparticles and relevant applications, (8) enzyme discovery approaches and industrial dairy enzyme applications, (9) bioconversion of major industrial and agro-industrial by-products into various bio-products as examples of a bio-based economy, and (10) plant epigenetics and future prospects of epigenetics to improve crop quality. Information is presented in a simple language supported by graphs, tables, numbers, market trends, and accounts of successful product launches. This volume is a handy resource for a broad range of industrial researchers, students, and biotech professionals from both academia and industry who are involved in the multidisciplinary fields of food biotechnology and food chemistry.

More than 4 decades have passed since the birth of the first in vitro fertilized baby in 1978. The use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) to overcome infertility has increased steadily with the simultaneous increase in the number of fertility centers in every part of the world. Access to infertility clinics is playing an important role in the treatment of different forms of infertility (like tubal disease, ovarian aging, or ovarian dysfunction). This book captures the state of current and recent advances in assisted reproduction technology in humans and livestock in an easy and comprehensive way for non-experts and learners. 10 chapters cover the biology of reproduction, and male ART methods (sperm retrieval and freezing) and female ART methods (oocyte activation, and cryopreservation), and finally embryo ARTs (assisted hatching and cloning techniques) with simple definitions and explanations. Tips to overcome problems are also presented where appropriate along with references for further reading. This book is a simple primer for students who are involved in courses in embryology or reproductive technologies as part of programs in biology, biotechnology, medicine, and physiology.