Since the first edition more than 10 years ago many new information material about tropical diseases have been collected. New technologies were established (e.g. hybridization techniques, flow cytometry, image analysis, telepathology, serologic analysis etc.). The continuous and rapid improvement of tourism in all countries of the world and the increasing emigration of peoples of the developing countries to the old continents have changed the classical image of tropical diseases which are ...

Over recent years, much renal research has focused on the pathology of the glomerulus, where many primary renal insults occur. However, nearly thirty years have passed since Risdon's study made the apparently anomalous observation that the extent of damage to the tubulointerstitial compartment is the major determinant of renal outcome in a variety of human glomerular diseases. This volume covers various aspects of tubulointerstitial disease, and starts with an update on cystic disease of t...

Reviews the latest advances in understanding tea genetics and genetic diversity and how this has informed advances in conventional, marker-assisted and transgenic breeding techniquesSummarises current best practice in cultivation techniques and the control of pests and diseasesFocuses on assessing the environmental impact of tea cultivation

A presentation of the theory behind the Rayleigh-Ritz (R-R) method, as well as a discussion of the choice of admissible functions and the use of penalty methods, including recent developments such as using negative inertia and bi-penalty terms. While presenting the mathematical basis of the R-R method, the authors also give simple explanations and analogies to make it easier to understand. Examples include calculation of natural frequencies and critical loads of structures and structural c...

An uplifting collection of poems inspired by the author’s rich and varied life in rural Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. The pages bring to life how the poet is touched by the magic of nature and rustic landscapes, but is also driven to face the social issues of the day through her deep commitment to make the world a better place. Read on to see how these experiences from half a century ago resonate to the core of human spirit now, and into the future.Compelled by the need to make her mother...

Results of regular monitoring of the species diversity and structure of plant communities is used by conservation biologists to help understand impacts of perturbations caused by humans and other environmental factors on ecosystems worldwide. Changes in plant communities can, for example, be a reflection of increased levels of pollution, a response to long-term climate change, or the result of shifts in land-use practices by the human population. This book presents a series of essays on th...

Bioactive compounds produced by natural sources, such as plants, microbes, endophytic fungi, etc., can potentially be applied in various fields, including agriculture, biotechnology and biomedicine. Several bioactive compounds have proved to be invaluable in mediating plant-microbe interactions, and promoting plant growth and development. Due to their numerous health-promoting properties, these compounds have been widely used as a source of medication since ancient times.However, t...

To ensure sustainable production of pharmaceutically significant active metabolites (from natural sources) with anti-aging properties, biotechnological interventions become the need of the hour when global warming and environmental pollution result in increasing UV radiation and, consequently, sunburn and aging of the tissue. In that context, the introductory chapter of this book outlines the concept and importance of medicinal plants available in local, national, and global regions that a...