Chemical composition of schungit (weight percentage).
\r\n\tThis book will describe the self-assembly of materials and supramolecular chemistry design principles for a broad spectrum of materials, including bio-inspired amphiphiles, metal oxides, metal nanoparticles, and organic-inorganic hybrid materials. It will provide fundamental concepts of self-assembly design approaches and supramolecular chemistry principles for research ideas in nanotechnology applications. The book will focus on three main themes, which include: the self-assembly and supramolecular chemistry of amphiplies by coordination programming, the supramolecular structures and devices of inorganic materials, and the assembly-disassembly of organic-inorganic hybrid materials. The contributing chapters will be written by leading scientists in their field, with the hope that this book will provide a foundation on supramolecular chemistry principles to students and active researchers who are interested in nanoscience and nanoengineering fields.
",isbn:"978-1-83969-702-9",printIsbn:"978-1-83969-701-2",pdfIsbn:"978-1-83969-703-6",doi:null,price:0,priceEur:0,priceUsd:0,slug:null,numberOfPages:0,isOpenForSubmission:!0,isSalesforceBook:!1,isNomenclature:!1,hash:"e9cc643ae0a219e91e445a1e61b33a22",bookSignature:"Prof. Hemali Rathnayake and Dr. Gayani Pathiraja",publishedDate:null,coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/11908.jpg",keywords:"Amphiphiles, Artificial Siderophores, Coordination Chemistry, Self-Assembly Design, Supramolecular Structures, Metal Oxides, Metal Particles, 2D Inorganic Materials, Supramolecular Devices, Stimuli-Responsive Materials, Assembly-Disassembly Design, Superstructures",numberOfDownloads:null,numberOfWosCitations:0,numberOfCrossrefCitations:null,numberOfDimensionsCitations:null,numberOfTotalCitations:null,isAvailableForWebshopOrdering:!0,dateEndFirstStepPublish:"April 27th 2022",dateEndSecondStepPublish:"July 1st 2022",dateEndThirdStepPublish:"August 30th 2022",dateEndFourthStepPublish:"November 18th 2022",dateEndFifthStepPublish:"January 17th 2023",dateConfirmationOfParticipation:null,remainingDaysToSecondStep:"17 hours",secondStepPassed:!0,areRegistrationsClosed:!1,currentStepOfPublishingProcess:3,editedByType:null,kuFlag:!1,biosketch:"Dr. Rathnayake is a pioneering researcher in self-assembly and supramolecular chemistry, with a Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, US. She is an inventor of three innovative technologies, including the Bioinspried Sub-7 nm self-assembled structures for patterning, and holder of multiple registered patents.",coeditorOneBiosketch:"Dr. Gayani Pathiraja is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN). She received her Ph.D. in Nanoscience from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2021. Her research interests focus on the crystal growth mechanism and kinetics of metal oxide nanostructure formation via self-assembly.",coeditorTwoBiosketch:null,coeditorThreeBiosketch:null,coeditorFourBiosketch:null,coeditorFiveBiosketch:null,editors:[{id:"323782",title:"Prof.",name:"Hemali",middleName:null,surname:"Rathnayake",slug:"hemali-rathnayake",fullName:"Hemali Rathnayake",profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/323782/images/system/323782.jpg",biography:"Dr. Hemali Rathnayake, Associate Professor in the Department of Nanoscience at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, USA, obtained her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), Department of Chemistry in 2007. She was a Postdoctoral research fellow at Polymer Science & Engineering, UMass Amherst. \r\nDr. Rathnayake is a pioneer scientist and a chemist in the field of Nanomaterials Chemistry, with a focus on the interfacial interaction of nanomaterials, molecules, macromolecules, and polymers in homogeneous and heterogeneous media. Her research on the design, synthesis, self-assembly, and application of well-defined superstructures in nanoelectronics, environmental remediation, and sustainable energy has impacted the scientific community with highly rated peer-reviewed journals publications, and more than 80 invited talks to scientific and non-scientific communities including colleges and high schools.",institutionString:"University of North Carolina at Greensboro",position:null,outsideEditionCount:0,totalCites:0,totalAuthoredChapters:"2",totalChapterViews:"0",totalEditedBooks:"0",institution:{name:"University of North Carolina at Greensboro",institutionURL:null,country:{name:"United States of America"}}}],coeditorOne:{id:"427650",title:"Dr.",name:"Gayani",middleName:null,surname:"Pathiraja",slug:"gayani-pathiraja",fullName:"Gayani Pathiraja",profilePictureURL:"https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/intech-files/0033Y00003CCSN2QAP/Profile_Picture_1644217020559",biography:"Dr. Gayani Pathiraja is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (JSNN). She received her Ph.D. in Nanoscience from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) in 2021. Her expertise area of focus is investigating the crystal growth mechanism and kinetics of metal oxide nanostructure formation via in-situ self-assembly design principles. \r\nDr. Pathiraja earned her master’s degree in electrochemistry/Environmental Engineering from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and her Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Technology from Uva Wellassa University, Sri Lanka. Dr. Pathiraja started her academic career as a lecturer at the Department of Engineering Technology, University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka in 2016. She is a co-author of several peer-reviewed journal publications and a book chapter, and she has presented her work at several regional, international, and national conferences.",institutionString:"University of North Carolina at Greensboro",position:null,outsideEditionCount:0,totalCites:0,totalAuthoredChapters:"1",totalChapterViews:"0",totalEditedBooks:"0",institution:{name:"University of North Carolina at Greensboro",institutionURL:null,country:{name:"United States of America"}}},coeditorTwo:null,coeditorThree:null,coeditorFour:null,coeditorFive:null,topics:[{id:"8",title:"Chemistry",slug:"chemistry"}],chapters:null,productType:{id:"1",title:"Edited Volume",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"},personalPublishingAssistant:{id:"466998",firstName:"Dragan",lastName:"Miljak",middleName:"Anton",title:"Mr.",imageUrl:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/466998/images/21564_n.jpg",email:"dragan@intechopen.com",biography:"As an Author Service Manager my responsibilities include monitoring and facilitating all publishing activities for authors and editors. From chapter submission and review, to approval and revision, copy-editing and design, until final publication, I work closely with authors and editors to ensure a simple and easy publishing process. A unique name with a unique work ethic right at your service."}},relatedBooks:[{type:"book",id:"1591",title:"Infrared Spectroscopy",subtitle:"Materials Science, Engineering and Technology",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"99b4b7b71a8caeb693ed762b40b017f4",slug:"infrared-spectroscopy-materials-science-engineering-and-technology",bookSignature:"Theophile Theophanides",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/1591.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"37194",title:"Dr.",name:"Theophile",surname:"Theophanides",slug:"theophile-theophanides",fullName:"Theophile Theophanides"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"3161",title:"Frontiers in Guided Wave Optics and Optoelectronics",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"deb44e9c99f82bbce1083abea743146c",slug:"frontiers-in-guided-wave-optics-and-optoelectronics",bookSignature:"Bishnu Pal",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/3161.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"4782",title:"Prof.",name:"Bishnu",surname:"Pal",slug:"bishnu-pal",fullName:"Bishnu Pal"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"3092",title:"Anopheles mosquitoes",subtitle:"New insights into malaria vectors",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"c9e622485316d5e296288bf24d2b0d64",slug:"anopheles-mosquitoes-new-insights-into-malaria-vectors",bookSignature:"Sylvie Manguin",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/3092.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"50017",title:"Prof.",name:"Sylvie",surname:"Manguin",slug:"sylvie-manguin",fullName:"Sylvie Manguin"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"371",title:"Abiotic Stress in Plants",subtitle:"Mechanisms and Adaptations",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"588466f487e307619849d72389178a74",slug:"abiotic-stress-in-plants-mechanisms-and-adaptations",bookSignature:"Arun Shanker and B. Venkateswarlu",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/371.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"58592",title:"Dr.",name:"Arun",surname:"Shanker",slug:"arun-shanker",fullName:"Arun Shanker"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"72",title:"Ionic Liquids",subtitle:"Theory, Properties, New Approaches",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"d94ffa3cfa10505e3b1d676d46fcd3f5",slug:"ionic-liquids-theory-properties-new-approaches",bookSignature:"Alexander Kokorin",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/72.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"19816",title:"Prof.",name:"Alexander",surname:"Kokorin",slug:"alexander-kokorin",fullName:"Alexander Kokorin"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"314",title:"Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering",subtitle:"Cells and Biomaterials",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"bb67e80e480c86bb8315458012d65686",slug:"regenerative-medicine-and-tissue-engineering-cells-and-biomaterials",bookSignature:"Daniel Eberli",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/314.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"6495",title:"Dr.",name:"Daniel",surname:"Eberli",slug:"daniel-eberli",fullName:"Daniel Eberli"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"57",title:"Physics and Applications of Graphene",subtitle:"Experiments",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"0e6622a71cf4f02f45bfdd5691e1189a",slug:"physics-and-applications-of-graphene-experiments",bookSignature:"Sergey Mikhailov",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/57.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"16042",title:"Dr.",name:"Sergey",surname:"Mikhailov",slug:"sergey-mikhailov",fullName:"Sergey Mikhailov"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"1373",title:"Ionic Liquids",subtitle:"Applications and Perspectives",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"5e9ae5ae9167cde4b344e499a792c41c",slug:"ionic-liquids-applications-and-perspectives",bookSignature:"Alexander Kokorin",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/1373.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"19816",title:"Prof.",name:"Alexander",surname:"Kokorin",slug:"alexander-kokorin",fullName:"Alexander Kokorin"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"2270",title:"Fourier Transform",subtitle:"Materials Analysis",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"5e094b066da527193e878e160b4772af",slug:"fourier-transform-materials-analysis",bookSignature:"Salih Mohammed Salih",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/2270.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"111691",title:"Dr.Ing.",name:"Salih",surname:"Salih",slug:"salih-salih",fullName:"Salih Salih"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"872",title:"Organic Pollutants Ten Years After the Stockholm Convention",subtitle:"Environmental and Analytical Update",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"f01dc7077e1d23f3d8f5454985cafa0a",slug:"organic-pollutants-ten-years-after-the-stockholm-convention-environmental-and-analytical-update",bookSignature:"Tomasz Puzyn and Aleksandra Mostrag-Szlichtyng",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/872.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"84887",title:"Dr.",name:"Tomasz",surname:"Puzyn",slug:"tomasz-puzyn",fullName:"Tomasz Puzyn"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}}]},chapter:{item:{type:"chapter",id:"62508",title:"Atomic Force and Electron Scanning Microscopy of Silicone Composites",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.79537",slug:"atomic-force-and-electron-scanning-microscopy-of-silicone-composites",body:'\nThe problems of increasing the strength of polymer materials are important for both fundamental science and applied research. For example, the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) CKTH rubbers, as representative of organosilicon polymers, are of the great importance in industry. Materials made on the basis of such CKTH rubbers are resistant to temperatures from −90 to +300°С, as they possess high hydrophobicity, chemical inertness, dielectric properties, vibration resistance, resistance to fungi and microorganisms, and resistance to ozone, oxidizers, and ultraviolet rays. Also they are physiologically inert, tissue and hemocompatible, gas permeable (the highest permeability of all known polymers), selective for gas permeability, and easily sterilized. Unlike organic, CKTH silicone rubbers are more economical, reliable, and durable even under extreme conditions; and are also easy to process. However, they have low mechanical strength. Reinforcement of these polymers is usually achieved with fillers. The nature of the interaction of matrix elastomers with fillers is determined by the chemical nature, dispersion, shape, activity of the filler particles, the possibility of chemical bonds between the components of composites, and the relationship between the processes of amplification and structuring. In the works of Mark and coworkers [1, 2], which generalize numerous studies, it is stated that the physical and mechanical properties of synthetic low-molecular-weight siloxane elastomers filled with silica are significantly enhanced. It is of great interest also for the search for new reinforcement fillers to PDMS. One of favorable proposals may be schungit [3]. In the development of advanced composites, it is advisable preliminary to perform the molecular computational modeling, which is an effective method of a virtual analysis of the structural, energetic, and micromechanical properties of micro- and nanomaterials. As reported in [4, 5, 6], the energetic and structural characteristics of elastomer complexes with silica or schungit have been calculated quantum chemically under developed NDDO/sp-spd semi-empirical original program [7]. Numerical calculations on the supercomputer MBC-5000 in the Interdepartmental Supercomputer Center were performed. The microscopic characteristics of nanomechanical behavior, deformation, and strength characteristics of silica or schungit adsorbates with polydimethylsiloxane oligomer molecules during uniaxial tension based on this program in the cluster approximation were examined. It was deduced that one could expect a substantial reinforcement of physical-mechanical properties for such composites.
\nWe used the conclusions of these calculations in the practical synthesis of siloxane composites with schungit and silica. The multistage physical-chemical modification technology for obtaining the active nanostructured schungit filler for rubbers, based on these quantum-chemical calculations, has also been developed.
\nAccording to the results of [8], there is an increase in the tear resistance and in the specific work of the deformation during fracture, with preservation of the increased strength properties of synthetic thermally stable low-molecular-weight silicone elastomers based on CKTH-A, filled with micro- and nanoscale schungit and silica SIPERNAT 360.
\nTo further elucidate the nature of the onset of strengthening effects, knowledge of the distribution of fillers in these elastomeric matrices is necessary. The surface structure of these composites, using atomic force and electron scanning microscopy, in the present chapter was studied as extension of the studies [8, 9, 10, 11].
\nAs the basis of the composite matrix, silicone low-molecular thermal shock resistant synthetic rubber CKTH brand A (silanol terminated polydimethylsiloxane, HO [–Si (CH3)2 O–] n H) was chosen. As a filler of CKTH-A rubber a natural schungit mineral was used (Zazhoginsky deposit, Carbon-Shungite Trade Ltd., Karelia, Russia) [3]. The rock is a natural composite, in the carbon matrix of which are distributed highly dispersed silicate particles and small amounts of other oxides. The chemical composition of schungit, according to [3], used in this work is shown in Table 1.
\nSiO2 | \nTiO2 | \nAl2O3 | \nFeO | \nMgO | \nCaO | \nNa2O | \nK2O | \nS | \nC | \nH2Ocryst | \n
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
57.0 | \n0.2 | \n4.0 | \n2.5 | \n1.2 | \n0.3 | \n0.2 | \n1.5 | \n1.2 | \n29.0 | \n4.2 | \n
Chemical composition of schungit (weight percentage).
Fillers were both the original schungit from provider and the original schungit milled by us in a ball planetary mill PM100 (Retsch, Germany) under different environments. The fillers were added to the CKTN-A rubber according to the compositions given in Table 2, kneaded by hand, and then passed through rolls. The resulting mixtures were evacuated for 15 minutes; then, a catalyst No 68 was introduced with a certain concentration for each composition and again evacuated. The samples were placed in Teflon forms and cured [8]. Table 2 shows the ingredients of the samples used and corresponding code of synthesized composites.
\nComposite ingredients name | \nCode of composites | \n||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
С300 | \nС301 | \nС302 | \nС303 | \nС304 | \nС305 | \nС306 | \nС307 | \nС308 | \n|
Weight percentage | \n|||||||||
CKTH-A rubber | \n100 | \n90 | \n80 | \n70 | \n60 | \n90 | \n80 | \n70 | \n60 | \n
Schungit (original) | \n\n | 10 | \n20 | \n30 | \n40 | \n\n | \n | \n | \n |
Schungit (milled) | \n\n | \n | \n | \n | \n | 10 | \n20 | \n30 | \n40 | \n
Total | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n
Ingredients of the synthesized composites with schungit filler.
CKTN-A composites with silica fillers, precipitated silicon dioxide, and SIPERNAT 360 (Evonik Industries AG, Germany), were prepared analogues to composites with schungit. Table 3 shows the ingredients of the samples studied.
\nNo | \nComposite ingredients name | \nCode of mixture | \n|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
С 300 | \nС 309 | \nС 310 | \nС 311 | \nС 312 | \nС 313 | \n||
Weight percentage | \n|||||||
1 | \nCKTH-A rubber | \n100 | \n80 | \n90 | \n80 | \n70 | \n60 | \n
2 | \nSIPERNAT 360 | \n— | \n20 | \n10 | \n20 | \n30 | \n40 | \n
3 | \nTotal | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n100 | \n
Ingredients of the synthesized composites with silica filler.
The atomic-force microscope (AFM) easyScan (Nanosurf, Switzerland), operating in a contact mode at ambient conditions, using also the force modulation mode, or in the semi-contact mode with the phase contrast mode, was used. In a semi-contact mode, a SuperSharpSilicon probe (Nanosensors, Switzerland) with a tip radius of about 2 nm was used. Image processing was performed using the SPIP™—advanced software package for processing and analyzing microscopy images at nano- and microscale (Image Metrology, Denmark). The scanning electron microscope (SEM) Merlin (Carl Zeiss, Germany) worked with an accelerating voltage of 5 kV and beam current of 300 pA. Investigations of the physical-mechanical properties of the composites were conducted on universal testing machine UTS-10 (Ulm, Germany), and nanoscale mechanical properties were studied with NanoTest 600 (MicroMaterials, UK) [8].
\nInitially, schungit powder samples, after deposition on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) from a suspension in toluene, were tested by AFM. The AFM topography and phase contrast images established the particle sizes of the original schungit from provider in the range from 1 to 5 μm. AFM images of the schungit particles deposited on the HOPG after milling in a ball planetary mill PM100 are shown in Figure 1. The agglomerates of nanosized schungit in the range from 50 to 250 nm are clearly detected.
\nAFM images of the schungit agglomerates after milling, deposited on the HOPG surface. Scan XY = 0.646 × 0.646 microns. Left—topography and right—3D view.
AFM images of surface of pure C 300 rubber CKTH-A are shown in Figure 2. The scans visualized typical nodular polymer structure.
\nAFM images of the surface of the pure CKTH -A rubber C 300. Scans XY = 36.9 × 36.9 microns. Left—topography and right—phase contrast.
In Figure 3, an example of AFM scan on sample C 308 from the synthesized composites listed in Table 2 is displayed. The distribution and size of schungit fillers, presented as bright color in the background of polymeric matrix, clearly are visualized.
\nAFM surface images of C 308 composite. Scans 31.5 × 31.5 microns. Left—topography and right—phase contrast.
The AFM images data processing showed that the aggregate sizes of these nanostructured schungit fillers in composite C 308 are located in the range from 50 nm to 2 μm, and the nearest distance between them on average is 300 nm.
\nElectron microscopic photographs of the C 308 composite are shown in Figure 4a and b. The SEM surface topography C 308 composite, prepared in the form of plate samples, is presented in Figure 4a and SEM images of its perpendicular cross section in Figure 4b. It is well known that the quality of many materials in particular of composites depends on a large extent on the homogeneity of the materials realized. Visualized by these methods of AFM and SEM, the composite C 308 surface morphology shows that the nanosized schungit fillers are homogeneously dispersed in the polymer matrix and are well adhered to the polymer matrix. This finding is very important for understanding the reasons of reinforcing the physical-mechanical properties of initial CKTH-A rubber with used nanostructured schungit filler.
\nSEM images of the top surface topography plate C 308 composite (a) and of the plate perpendicular cross section (b). Unite scales: (a) 300 and (b) 200 nanometer, respectively.
AFM surface images of C 311 composite CKTN-A rubber with silica SIPERNAT 360 fillers are shown in Figure 5, and of composite C313 in Figure 6. The internal microstructure and agglomerates sizes of this filler in composites are of the same dimensions as in the case of nanosized schungit filler.
\nAFM images of the surface structure of composite C 311. Scans XY = 36.5 × 36.5 microns. Left—topography and right—phase contrast.
AFM images of the surface structure of composite C 313. Scans XY = 34.8 × 34.8 microns. Left—topography and right—phase contrast.
SEM images of the top surface topography of the plate of the same C 311 composite are shown in Figure 7 and of the plate perpendicular cross section in Figure 8.
\nSEM images of the surface structure of sample C 311. Unite scales: (a) 1 micron and (b) 300 nm, respectively.
SEM pictures of the structure of the cross sections of the surface of sample C 311. Unite scales: (a) 1 micron and (b) 200 nm, respectively.
These SEM images show the same approximate pictures of fillers dispersed distributions in the elastomer matrices and mean values of their aggregate sizes as deduced from AFM measurements; additionally SEM scans of the plate perpendicular cross sections visualized the space arrangement of fillers in these composites.
\nThe application of SEM and AFM methods to visualize topography of surfaces and cross sections of investigated silicone rubber composites with schungit and silica SIPERNAT 360 fillers allowed direct observation of changes in the structure of composite elastomers on the micro- and nanometer range by increasing their concentrations. It is known that in silicone compositions, along with the interactions between the filler and the polymer matrix, there is also a process of agglomeration and structuring of the filler particles [1, 2]. As established by the data of AFM and SEM (Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8), a rather homogeneous distribution of the filler in the elastomeric matrix takes place in the investigated composites. Correlation of these results with the physical-mechanical properties of these materials, studied in [8], makes it possible to understand the cause of the enhancing ability of nanostructured schungit in organosilicon elastomers, due to the formation of a spatial filler network in the polymer matrix. These data make it possible to understand the reasons for the schungit filler manifestation of the reinforcing properties in the CKTH-A rubber, as conditioned not only by the chemical affinity of the amorphous carbon and the silica with the polydimethylsiloxane matrix, but also by a fairly uniform spatial distribution of the filler in the composite. The role of polar hydroxyl groups (OH) bounded to silica part of the schungit (silanol groups) interacting with siloxane segments (Si–O–Si) of matrix is also important, because the formed complex prevents the macroscopic agglomeration of initial schungit particles during the introduction of the polymer. The resulting increase in the interaction surface of the nanostructured filler with the polymer macromolecules leads to an effective reinforcement of the initial polydimethylsiloxane matrix. As reported in [8], the tests of these composites on a machine UTS-10 showed an increase in the tensile strength from about 0.5 MPa in original CKTH-A rubber to 3.6 MPa in C 308 composite, and tear resistance from 1.3 to 7.0 kN/m, respectively. It was also showed that these rubber composites with nanostructured schungit fillers have values of the specific work deformation for destruction belonging to the same regions of magnitude as silica filled composites with the same matrix. These results, when compared with traditional silicon dioxide filler [1, 2], show good effectiveness of the present nanostructured schungit as reinforcement filler in polydimethylsiloxane.
\nThe obtained images of the topography and material contrast of the surface of the composites with silica SIPERNAT 360 fillers also made it possible to visualize a fairly uniform distribution of silica particles in a matrix of silicone rubber. Tests of vulcanizates of these mixtures on a tensile machine UTS-10 showed an increase in the tensile strength from about 0.5 MPa in C300 to 3.0 MPa in C 311 composites, and tear resistance from 1.3 to 3.4 kN/m, respectively, and in C313 composite to 4.1 MPa and 7.1 kN/m accordingly [8]. Studies on the NanoTest 600 measuring system by the method of nanoindentation are in accord with these results. The obtained data make it possible also to understand the reasons for the manifestation of the SIPERNAT 360 filler, with the reinforcing properties in the CKTH-A rubber as conditioned not only by the chemical affinity of the silicon dioxide and the matrix, but also by the fairly uniform spatial distribution of the filler in the composite. The role of polar hydroxyl groups (OH) associated with the filler SIPERNAT 360 (silanol groups) interacting with silicone segments (Si–O–Si) of the SKTN-A silicone analogous to nano schungit is important, with the formation of a hydrogen bond. This also makes it possible to prevent macroscopic agglomeration of the silica when introduced into the polymer, ensuring homogeneity of the filler distribution in the composite. The resulting increase in the interaction surface of the filler with the polymer leads to an effective hardening of the initial silicone matrix.
\nThe experimental verifications of numerical semi-empirical quantum-chemical predictions that nano schungit and silica may be active also in the reinforcement of butadiene-styrene rubbers are shown in [9, 10].
\nThe application of SEM and AFM methods to visualize topography of surfaces and sections of investigated silicone rubber composites with schungit and silica SIPERNAT 360 fillers allowed direct observation of changes in the internal structure of fillers in composite elastomers in the micro- and nanometer range. The correlation of these results with the physical-mechanical properties of the composites is important for the development of the basic principles of reinforcement material strengths. The preliminary direct numerical calculations within the framework of the cluster quantum-chemical approximation of the schungit nanostructure and its components, predicting the effectiveness of its use as a filler in elastomers proved to be valuable for conducting these experiments. The presented experimental results show both theoretical and practical significance of the quantum-chemical approach proposed for computer selection of components for elastomeric composites and ways of modifying their fillers in order to predict the technologies for obtaining materials with improved strength characteristics. This developed computational technique can be applied in similar problems of designing new advanced materials.
\nThe authors declare that they have no “conflict of interest.”
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an event that affects the quality of life of patients as a consequence of affected sexual function, impaired sensory and motor function, including bowel and bladder control, walking, eating, grasping, pain, and spasticity [1, 2, 3]. For many years, SCI has been considered irreversible [4]. However, research on plasticity after SCI has opened new paths and generated a shift in rehabilitation of SCI patients in the past three decades: its former focus on learning compensatory movements to regain function gradually changed to restoration of function through repetitive movement training combined with the stimulation of the nervous system [5].
\nThe term neural plasticity describes the ability of the nervous system to adapt a new functional or structural state in response to intrinsic or extrinsic factors [6]. Thus, plasticity encompasses the underlying mechanisms that lead to a spontaneous return or recover of motor, sensory and autonomic functions to different degrees. The concept of plasticity at the cellular level can be tracked back to Ramon y Cajal’s work, who suggested that modification of synaptic connections could play a very important role in memory [7]. After that, the work of Donald Hebb was very important to the concept of long-term potentiation (LTP), namely by suggesting that two neurons that fire together and are close enough may grow some connections or undergo metabolic changes that increase their ability to communicate [8]. This happens because chemical synapses have the ability to change their strength [9].
\nSensory information from Ia afferent fibers (transmitting information about muscle activity and movement) play an essential role in inducing functional and morphological changes that lead to the maturation of the brain and the spinal cord [9], independently of the SCI level and whether it is complete or incomplete [10]. Thus, activity-dependent plasticity refers to the changes in the central nervous system (CNS) associated with movement [9] and reflects one of the basic forms of learning in humans [11]. These neural changes happen throughout the life span at both the brain and spinal cord level. However, not all plasticity is beneficial: adverse changes may also appear [12]. This is known as maladaptive plasticity and encompasses events such as excessive plasticity associated with some disease symptoms like focal dystonia, spasticity, and chronic pain. Current SCI rehabilitation is based on task-specific programs aiming at promoting neurorecovery through beneficial activity-dependent plasticity and avoiding maladaptive plasticity [6].
\nThis chapter summarizes the main effects on motor and functional recovery, as well as spasticity and pain, when using noninvasive modalities in the rehabilitation of SCI patients, either in the research or the clinical setting. Some of these techniques aim at stimulating different levels of the central (brain or spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system, while others combine some sort of stimulation with devices that may assist and allow for repetitive motor training (e.g., hybrid exoskeletons and FES driven cycling).
\nRecent research has shown that even complete SCI patients may preserve some residual pathways connecting supraspinal and spinal circuits [13]. Given that these patients may preserve muscle activity below the level of injury, target rehabilitation for SCI also includes modalities that stimulate the brain. This might strengthen the efficacy of the residual neural pathways and, therefore, improve volitional control after SCI [14]. This section describes two different types of noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS): repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Both techniques have been used in the research and clinical setting aiming at improving motor and functional recovery, as well as spasticity and pain after SCI [4].
\nTranscranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a form of noninvasive brain stimulation in which short magnetic fields are generated by a coil in order to induce electric current pulses in the brain, which can then elicit depolarization and action potentials in cortical neurons (see Figure 1). Since its first application in humans in 1985, TMS has become a standard electrophysiological technique to assess the excitability of the corticospinal circuitry, due to its usability and ability to directly activate brain structures without causing harm to the subject. The most extended protocol applies single TMS pulses to activate motor cortex at a specific area where topographic projections of a group of muscles are represented. This cortical activation elicits action potentials that propagate until reaching the muscles, inducing a motor evoked potential (MEP), which can be measured by electromyography (EMG) [2].
\nThe magnetic field generated by the TMS coil will induce electric current pulses in the brain, which can elicit depolarization and action potentials in cortical neurons.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a form of TMS where several TMS pulses are applied sequentially in order to induce long-term changes in the targeted neural pathways. The underlying physiological mechanism of rTMS lies in the repeated activation of a network of synapses that may lead to long-term potentiation (LTP) or long-term depression (LTD) of those synapses [4]. The induction of long-term changes in neural circuits using rTMS can be applied to revert the effects of neurological disorders. For instance, rTMS received FDA approval and has become a promising treatment for major depression.
\nDue to its ability to induce long-term changes in neural systems, rTMS has been also applied in patients with motor disorders as a modality to modulate the activity of residual (cortical, subcortical, and corticospinal) pathways and thus promote functional recovery [2]. Moreover, rTMS has been applied in a wide range of protocols, with varying frequencies and intensities of stimulation, or even the number of pulses and sessions, among others. The main stimulation protocols explored so far may be encompassed in the following:
Theta burst stimulation (TBS) consists of three 50 Hz pulses delivered in blocks at 200-ms interval (5 Hz). Intermittent TBS (iTBS) involves the delivery of TBS for 2 s, followed by a resting period of 8 seconds, for a total of 3 min; this is hypothesized to facilitate LTP [15]. On the other hand, continuous TBS (cTBS) applied in 40 s blocks promote LTD.
QuadroPulse (qQPS) applies four high-frequency pulses repeated every 5 s. The facilitator or inhibitory excitability effects depend on the inter-pulse intervals.
I-wave protocol involves the repetitive stimulation of the motor cortex at 1.5 ms rate, seeking to mimic the indirect waves (I-waves) of corticospinal neurons and to increase their excitability [4].
Paired associative stimulation (PAS) relies on the Hebb’s theory, which states that a synaptic connection is enhanced when two stimuli converge in time repeatedly. PAS protocol combines a peripheral nerve stimulus with a TMS pulse over the motor cortex, aiming to pair both stimuli in time at the cortex, which will promote corticospinal excitability. PAS can present different variants, in which the TMS pulse can be replaced by physiological activation of the motor cortex (e.g., imaginary movement), or the pairing site targets of TMS and peripheral stimulus are the motoneurons at the spinal cord.
Regardless of its incipient stage and current limitations, rTMS has become a promising approach for SCI rehabilitation, not only to improve motor function but also to decrease spasticity and neuropathic pain. This technique enables targeting and promoting long-term changes in neural pathways, by exploiting the plastic properties that may facilitate function recovery. Improvements seem to be present when higher rTMS stimulus intensities are used [2]. On the other hand, the few studies that investigated the effects of rTMS on spasticity in iSCI patients reported some reduction in the clinical symptoms of spasticity [2]. Moreover, the few studies that tested the effect of rTMS on neuropathic pain reported some reductions in the clinical symptoms of pain [2].
\nNotwithstanding, these results hold a great variability, are not reproducible in all patients, and are limited to certain clinical assessment scales or neurophysiological measurements. Several constraints can explain current limitations of the rTMS application in SCI patients. First, there is a shortage of studies providing evidences of sustained benefits of rTMS therapy beyond conventional treatments. Besides the different stimulation protocols and parameters applied, type of lesion and nonuniform assessment methodologies hamper the development of consistent evidences. Although evidences so far do not suggest any harm to the subjects, safety issues should be also considered when using rTMS in SCI patients, especially because of the high threshold needed to evoke motor responses in the impaired pathways [16].
\nMore research is needed to provide robust evidence that can support the use of rTMS as an alternative to standard therapies. In addition to bigger sample sizes used in each study, researchers should also test the same (or very similar) stimulation parameters and protocols to provide reproducible results. Finally, it is critical to better understand the pathophysiology of neural structures affected by rTMS to design optimal and customized protocols that might boost beneficial neural changes coupled with functional recovery after SCI [2].
\nTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a technology that delivers continuous low current stimulation (1–2 mA) via paired anode and cathode electrodes over the scalp [4, 14, 17] (see Figure 2). This modality is usually combined with motor training to promote activity-dependent plasticity [14]. tDCS may change brain function by causing neurons resting potential to depolarize or hyperpolarize. Depolarization happens when positive stimulation (anodal tDCS) is delivered, which increases neural excitability and, therefore, neural firing. Cathodal tDCS (negative stimulation) causes hyperpolarization and, thus, decreases neural firing [4].
\nTranscranial direct current stimulation delivers continuous low current stimulation by applying a positive (anodal) or negative (cathodal) current via paired electrodes over the scalp.
This technique is still in the early stage. To our knowledge, just seven studies have examined improvements in motor function after SCI related to the use of tDCS: four studies evaluated its effect on upper limb function [18, 19, 20, 21] and three studies evaluated the tDCS effect on lower limb function and gait [22, 23, 24]. All these studies used anodal stimulation and showed improvements in upper and lower limb motor function.
\nThe use of tDCS has led to improvements in pinch force, manual dexterity, and force modulation when combined with repetitive practice [18]. Other study reported that stimulation intensity affects functional outcomes when tDCS was delivered at rest: increased corticospinal excitability to affected muscles was obtained when using 2 mA stimulation, but not 1 mA, in nine chronic SCI patients [19]. Another study also reported gains in hand motor function after a single session of 2 mA tDCS, though no improvements were described in clinical scales [20]. When combining tDCS with robot-assisted arm training, SCI patients improved arm and hand function post-treatment and at the 2-month follow-up [21].
\nThe three studies that evaluated the tDCS effect on lower limb function and gait showed improved motor function [22, 23, 24]. However, one of these studies combined tDCS with robotic gait training and also showed no significant differences between these improvements and those verified in the group who received sham stimulation combined with robotic gait training [22].
\ntDCS is an attractive noninvasive modality option for the treatment after SCI: it is affordable and does not present substantial adverse events (when present, they included redness of the skin, sleepiness, headache, and neck pain [4]). However, further research is still needed to provide robust evidence that support the use of tDCS to improve motor function and to be used in the clinical setting as a long-term strategy after SCI.
\nIn the recent years, spinal cord electrical stimulation (SCS) has arisen as a promising tool to modulate corticospinal excitability and modify the motor output in SCI individuals. The most extended form of SCS is epidural SCS, which consists on delivering electrical currents through arrays of electrodes implanted in the epidural space of the spinal cord, in order to modify the excitatory output of the spinal cord. It has been widely studied as an application for chronic pain relief [14]. Promising results from a recent research showed its potential to improve neurological recovery and support the activities of daily living (including walking) after SCI [25].
\nTranscutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tcSCS) is a novel form of SCS that delivers superficial stimulation, usually over the skin that overlies the lower thoracic and/or lumbosacral vertebrae [26]. The principles underlying tcSCS rely on the physiology of the corticospinal pathways in the spinal cord that can produce excitability changes in the different neural populations of the spinal circuitry [27, 28]. Central pattern generators (CPGs) are pools of neurons able to elicit rhythmic and coordinated movements without the contribution of supraspinal centers. CPGs use proprioceptive information to provide real-time and coordinated control of motor output. The propriospinal system serves as an integratory interface between supraspinal and spinal centers, modulating motor activity. tcSCS is able to modulate the excitability properties of these systems by means of different stimulation protocols, in which the surface array placement along the spinal cord, direction of the current, intensity, frequency, and timing of stimulation result in different modulation outcomes. tcSCS was able to activate GPGs in healthy volunteers, eliciting coordinated and synchronized nonvoluntary movements of the lower limb [28]. These findings have been reproduced in SCI individuals, namely by reactivating damaged spinal circuitries that were previously considered as nonfunctional. When tcSCS was applied over several training sessions in SCI patients, there was improved voluntary modulation of movement of the lower limbs [29]. Moreover, combining tcSCS training with pharmacology therapy and exoskeletons increased motor control enhancement [26].
\ntcSCS overcomes the invasiveness and costs of epidural SCS with the trade-off of poor spatial stimulation resolution. Although the number of studies using this technique is considerably low, and the exact physiological mechanisms behind the improvements shown are still yet to be fully understood, tcSCS is already a promising tool to be considered in future SCI rehabilitation. Multi-approach therapies including tcSCS, pharmacological, active movement, and robotic-assisted training should be considered to exploit the combination of different physiological effects produced by each modality and maximize motor recovery [26].
\nMotor control and the execution of voluntary movements require the interaction between afferent feedback and supraspinal input to accurately plan and execute movements. This interplay induces activity-dependent plasticity at both the brain and spinal cord level [30, 31]. After SCI, afferent feedback is impaired and becomes essential to reorganize spinal circuits below the lesion area [30]. Therefore, noninvasive modalities that apply surface electrical stimulation at the peripheral level (either alone or combined with assisted training) to augment or modify neural function are very appealing and have been applied in SCI rehabilitation.
\nThis section overviews two forms of surface stimulation that are user friendly and can be easily administered by a therapist during SCI rehabilitation: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and functional electrical stimulation (FES). The second part of this section reports the main results attained when using cycling driven by electrical stimulation and the combination of electrical stimulation with external robotic devices.
\nTENS is the most common noninvasive modality used in physical therapy [32]. This type of stimulation delivers high-frequency (50–150 Hz) and low-intensity (below motor threshold) surface electrical current [33].
\nThough TENS has been commonly used in pain control and to reduce muscle stiffness/tone, there are also some reports on decreased spasticity due to the use of this modality. For instance, TENS has recently reduced spasticity in SCI patients and the effects outlasted up to several hours after treatment [34]. This is because TENS activates sensory nerves that in turn may activate inhibitory interneurons that will inhibit the spastic muscle activity [34]. More specifically, these anti-spastic effects are due to the release of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) that acts as inhibitory neurotransmitters, achieving similar anti-spastic effects to those of baclofen [32], which is a first-line treatment for spasticity, especially in adults who suffered a SCI [35]. Results of spasticity treatment using TENS seem to improve when combined with physical therapy [36].
\nGiven its low cost, lack of adverse event effects, and ease to use, TENS seems to be a very good solution to treat spasticity after SCI. Moreover, since TENS alleviates pain and fatigue and can be used for periods of several hours, it seems to be appropriate for the beginning of the rehabilitation after SCI, when training is not very intensive.
\nFES is another modality of electrical stimulation that has become very popular in the clinical setting. FES is similar to TENS in the sense that the two modalities use electrodes on the skin to provide electrical stimulation to a desired location of the body; but they differ in the settings and especially in the purpose of their use. Unlike TENS, FES delivers trains of electrical stimulation above motor threshold to stimulate a muscle or the efferent nerve supplying a muscle in order to attain a muscle contraction [14]. The higher the amplitude of this stimulation, the bigger is the number of recruited efferent fibers and, therefore, the higher the muscle contraction.
\nFES has been used to restore bladder and bowel control, as well as sexual function, which are ranked among the most important functions to regain among SCI patients [37]. FES has also been widely used for the treatment of muscle weakness, gait training, and muscle reeducation [34]. In the case of SCI, it is well known that artificially induced contraction of weak or paralyzed muscles brings several therapeutic benefits, such as prevention of lower limb muscle atrophy, increased muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness [38, 39]. In addition to these benefits, the coordinated stimulation of efferent nerves (usually to stimulate agonist-antagonist muscles of a joint) can be paired with a functional activity to produce a given biomechanical task and, thus, restore motor function [34].
\nOn the other hand, there is evidence that peripheral stimulation, if synchronized with patients’ voluntary effort, can further promote recovery [14]. In fact, improved modulation together with volitional control seems to be key factors to reinforce connectivity during rehabilitation of SCI patients, presumably through synaptic enhancement [14]. In this sense, brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) are currently the most sophisticated neuromodulation tools to restore voluntary limb movements after SCI. In the context of the noninvasive modalities described in this chapter, BMIs can be used to stimulate the peripheral nervous system by use of decoded brain signals recorded with electroencephalography (EEG) [14].
\nFinally, FES has also been used to reduce spasticity in SCI patients, usually by stimulating the spastic muscle. This is hypothesized to modulate recurrent inhibition via Renshaw cells [34]. These inhibitory interneurons are excited by collaterals of the axons of motoneurons and make inhibitory synaptic connections with several populations of motoneurons, including those that excite them [40]. This reciprocal inhibition is important to prevent overshooting muscle contraction induced by FES.
\nDespite all the benefits here described, FES presents several challenges for tasks that are executed for long periods of time. Limited muscle force generation, rapid onset of muscle fatigue, and nonlinear, time-dependent mechanical responses, as well as the redundancy of the musculoskeletal system are the main challenges of this technology that traditionally hamper generalized use for rehabilitation and/or motor compensation of walking. However, multi-electrode techniques are showing promising results [41] and should be explored.
\nPhysical activity of SCI people whose limbs are paralyzed is very important to maintain their physiological well-being. A promising approach is the application of FES during cycling movements. This technique, called FES cycling, is a noninvasive training protocol used in medical rehabilitation, mostly addressed to individual affected by SCI. This method can be applied continuously for tens of minutes, with direct benefits on muscle strength. Besides muscle strengthening, FES cycling is beneficial for cardiovascular and respiratory functions [42].
\nFES training for lower limb muscles can be performed on stationary cycle ergometers or mobile tricycles. As shown in Figure 3, FES is managed by a controller, which receives signals from a crank angle sensor and, depending on the actual crank position, transfers sequences of electrical impulses to surface electrodes to stimulate muscles and generate active muscle force. The power output produced by the application of FES depends on three main aspects. The first is the number of muscle groups stimulated. The second is the parameters of the stimulating current, that is, amplitude, pulse width, and frequency. The third is the timing of the stimulating signal sent to the individual muscles.
\nFES driven cycling: a controller sends electrical signals (stimulation current) to selected muscles. The actual muscle forces depend on the actual crank angle value transferred to the controller and on the parameters and timing of the stimulation signals sent to individual muscles.
FES cycling is usually applied on several lower limb muscles simultaneously [43]. The main muscle groups considered are the hamstrings and quadriceps and, in some cases, the gluteus maximus. The quadriceps are stimulated either as a whole, that is, using only one pair of electrodes, or more selectively, in which three muscles composing them—that is, the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris—are stimulated individually. This more selective stimulation has demonstrated, in a recent pilot study, to improve up to 27% the power output in one patient with spastic muscles [44]. In this case, while the total stimulation current (the sum of the amplitude of currents applied in all of the channels) was higher, lower stimulation current amplitudes per muscle groups were sufficient to generate the required movement. The average current amplitude applied in FES cycling in SCI individuals is around 50–70 mA per muscles and it varies in a wide range. In some protocols, the current amplitude is increased until 120–140 mA to achieve power output around 10 W [45] and in extreme cases 20 W [46]. Others stimulated muscles with a frequency of 30 Hz, current amplitude of 70–90 mA, and pulse width of 500 μs, reaching a power output around 30 W [47]. The timing of stimulation is usually set according to recorded and processed muscle activities of able-bodied persons and/or on physiological, biomechanical parameters of the muscles and limbs of the participants. Nevertheless, these approaches are either not adaptive to the patient-specific musculoskeletal conditions, or very difficult to calibrate. For instance, when applying selective stimulation of the three quadriceps muscles separately [44], we found that the participant, even reaching higher power output, preferred to cycle for a shorter time, possibly due to a nonphysiological stimulation strategy. In our opinion, more studies are needed to explore these control combinations, in particular considering the case of selective stimulation. This will likely lead to new more efficient, natural, and adaptable stimulation protocols.
\nCadence is another important variable in FES-cycling rehabilitation. In the case of ergometer-based training, cadence is on average set to 45–50 rpm, in most of the stimulating conditions. To adapt the treatment to patient residual motor ability, cadence can be changed in combination with various crank resistances during the rehabilitation process. Tricycles have been proposed as an alternative to stationary cycle ergometers [48]. A recent study reported that the series of FES trainings on a tricycle resulted in increased speed of cycling of paraplegics with denervated muscles [49], which is normally not observed in similar ergometer-based protocols. FES-driven tricycling is gaining relevance, as testified by several competitions organized during the last couple of years [50, 51, 52, 53]. However, these competitions are only targeting people with SCI. We expect that wider range of participants, for example, stroke, will also be addressed in the near future, as supported by recent promising research works in this direction [54, 55].
\nRepetitive and intensive task-specific training drives beneficial neuroplasticity, thus enhancing functional recovery [56]. Therefore, exoskeletons for motor rehabilitation purposes have emerged in the last decade as a convenient technology that allow multiple, intensive, and more effective sessions of gait training, allowing SCI patients to ameliorate their performance in daily life [56]. Moreover, a study reported that spasticity and pain intensity of SCI patients decreased after one single session of walking assisted by a powered robotic exoskeleton [56].
\nA paradigmatic development of a stationary rehabilitation robot for gait training is the Lokomat system, which combines body-weight supported treadmill-training (BWSTT) with the assistance of a robotic gait orthosis. These robotic systems are able to provide guidance forces to the lower limb segments to induce a consisting stepping pattern with adjustable guidance. It has been shown that although the mechanical coupling and added guidance may change the task constraints and in turn alter voluntary leg movements, the basic neuromuscular pattern is preserved when intact humans walk assisted by this robot [57]. Robot-assisted gait training with the Lokomat after SCI has been shown in some studies to improve outcomes related to mobility when compared to conventional overground training [58, 59]. For example, it was shown improved gait distance, strength, and functional level of mobility and independence of acute SCI patients receiving robotic-assisted gait training than the group of patients receiving conventional overground training [60]. Also, it has been demonstrated that robot-assisted gait training combined with conventional physiotherapy could yield more improvement in ambulatory function of SCI patients than conventional therapy alone. However, the impact of such complementary tools to provide neuromuscular education is still not well established for a convincing penetration of these systems in the clinical rehabilitation environments. Some limitations of such stationary robotic tools are that robotic-assisted training can be limited in the range of gait speed at which the exoskeleton robot can provide a comfortable gait pattern. Also, the stationary machine imposes restrictions to the user movements to the sagittal plane, significantly preventing motion in the frontal and transversal plane that are required for overground walking.
\nWearable robots (WR) for overground untethered assisted walking are emerging devices that have the potential to overcome some of the above-mentioned constraints and opening a range of clinical application scenarios. Through wearable mechanical actuation and sensing, WRs are proliferating for their use as assistive and rehabilitation technologies due to their ability to replicate the complex motions involved in human movement. As a result, the past few decades have seen an increasing amount of research focused on developing robotic systems intended to interact with the neurologically impaired human body. This interaction (of the human body) with WRs has been established in foundational literature [61] as dual, bidirectional physical (pHRi), and cognitive (cHRi) interactions. While these systems have been proven to be useful for specific applications, such as in-clinic rehabilitation, current research in the area of pHRi for WRs is focusing more on developing lightweight and flexible force interactions with hardware solutions that might be more suitable to a broader range of applications (by adding compliance to rigid exoskeletons [62, 63] or developing “soft exosuits” [64]). However, these soft exoskeletons are in early stage and the majority of clinical evidence of their efficacy for treatment of SCI is in studies with motorized powered exoskeletons. A systematic review of the literature on powered WRs for overground gait rehabilitation pointed out that, although current technology is still under development, and hence its ultimate impact remains still unclear, a number of revised studies report positive changes in outcome variables and suggest that training time and improvements in gait speed using powered WRs are correlated in SCI population [65].
\nOn the cHRi side, efforts are focused on developing means for interpretation of mechanical and neural signals to establish adequate control methods that integrate WRs as parts of human functioning. In this regard, a scheme for “symbiotic interaction” between humans and WRs has been recently developed in the FET Project BioMot (FP7-ICT-2013-10-611695), yielding new technologies to interface human neuromechanics with robot-control algorithms to guide assistance; the point of increasing their proficiency is to make them more capable of sophisticated interdependent joint activity with the human wearer. Under this approach, a tacit adaptability is provided to modulate the compliance in the robot torque controller, to automatically modulate in turn the difficulty of the task [66].
\nThere is currently no agreement on the optimal robot-mediated treatment programs to induce plasticity and promote recovery of motor function following SCI, and the understanding of recovery mechanisms is still an open matter [67]. Whatever the robot hardware and patient’s functional status, a WR-mediated neurorehabilitation model could pave the way for effective restoration of mobility after major neurological conditions. In the last few years, the development of computational neurorehabilitation models is becoming a relevant topic in the domain of neural repair, as these computational models can be expected to provide the basis for future clinical robot software that suggests timing, dosage, and content of therapy. For example, an analytical modeling approach has been applied to robot-mediated rehabilitation data of a group of SCI subjects, providing insights with regard to patient grouping and gait recovery prognosis and also providing predictive quantitative measures to consider before starting the treatment [68]. This, together with the fact that in the past years we are witnessing an unprecedented number of wearable interactive robotics products that will populate even more the clinic environments, a reasonable long-term vision is to gather multicenter clinical data to equip rehabilitation WRs with computational neurorehabilitation modeling tools that will in turn provide enriched data to establish scientific bases of exoskeleton-guided recovery.
\nOn the other hand, the combination of FES with external orthotic devices that provide joint support and mechanical constraint to undesired movements was early proposed [69], but the challenges associated with the rapid onset of muscle fatigue and movement control still remained. In an attempt to further diminish the energy demand from the muscle while providing better joint control, FES systems were combined with lower limb exoskeletons, also called hybrid exoskeletons [70]. The combination of the lower limb robotic exoskeleton and the FES system can be shaped in different ways, depending on the configuration of the FES system and/or the exoskeleton. Regarding the former, the FES can be implanted [71] or superficial [72] and can be found either under open [71, 73] or closed-loop [72, 74] control of stimulation. With regards to the exoskeleton joints, it can provide means of dissipating energy, via the use of clutches or brakes [75, 76], or can feature active joints, which can also provide energy to the joints.
\nThe hybrid configuration presents some advantages with respect to the FES or exoskeleton applications alone. First, the exoskeleton structure provides passive control to the joints, constraining undesirable movements. The actuators can provide support to the joints, diminishing or eliminating the need for stimulation of certain muscles (e.g., quadriceps muscles during the stance phases of walking). In the case of active actuators, the movement produced by the FES is supported by the actuator, improving the control of the joint trajectory while delaying muscle fatigue [77]. On the other hand, the sensors of the exoskeleton provide information for closing the control loop of the FES system, which may further help on optimizing the performance of the muscle in terms of either force production or muscle fatigue [72].
\nDespite hybrid exoskeletons show several advantages, the field is not mature. There is a markedly low activity in this field, and most of the groups working on this technology have discontinued their research on this topic. The rationale for this may come from the bottlenecks of each technology. First, hybrid exoskeletons share drawbacks with lower limb robotic exoskeletons, in which the combination with a FES system add complexity on the control and wearing aspects. Besides, although alleviated by the exoskeleton, the nonlinear muscle response of the stimulated muscles and the muscle fatigue is not adequately solved yet, and eventually all hybrid exoskeletons still have to be designed to function as conventional robotic exoskeletons once muscle fatigue appears.
\nLastly, there is a need of conducting clinical studies that can demonstrate the benefits of using hybrid exoskeleton with respect to exoskeleton alone that actually justify the extra complexity, cost, and cumbersomeness of the FES system.
\nThis chapter presents an overview of the main effects on motor and functional recovery, as well as spasticity and pain, when using a wide range of noninvasive modalities in the rehabilitation of SCI patients, either in the research or the clinical setting. According to the level of stimulation, these modalities were divided into three different sections: brain, spinal cord, and peripheral stimulation. Regarding the last one, stimulation of the peripheral nervous system can also be combined with external devices that assist and allow repetitive motor training (e.g., hybrid exoskeletons and FES driven cycling).
\nNoninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques such as rTMS and tDCS have the potential to improve motor function recovery and spasticity after SCI. Moreover, NIBS techniques are safe and relatively easy to administer, presenting infrequent mild effects. Very few studies have investigated motor function after delivery of rTMS on SCI patients. Improvements seem to be present when higher rTMS frequencies are used. On the other hand, the few studies that investigated the effects of rTMS on spasticity in iSCI reported some reduction in the clinical symptoms of spasticity [2]. There are less studies of the application of tDCS in motor function or spasticity than those of rTMS [4], though they all showed improvements in upper or lower limb motor function. Thus, more research is needed to address the full potential and incorporate NIBS techniques into SCI rehabilitation [4].
\nAt the spinal level stimulation, tcSCS has irrupted in the last years as a neurorehabilitation tool in SCI. It overcomes the limitation of invasiveness and costs of epidural stimulation at the expense of poor spatial stimulation resolution. The few evidences suggest that tsSCS alone improves voluntary modulation of lower limb movement [29] and increases motor control enhancement when combined with pharmacology therapy and exoskeletons [26].
\nNoninvasive modalities that deliver different types of surface stimulation at the peripheral level (either alone or combined with cycling or robotic-assisted training, for example) are very appealing and have been applied in SCI rehabilitation. Surface electrical stimulation can modulate afferent and efferent pathways in order to induce corticospinal plasticity. For instance, TENS and FES have reduced spasticity in SCI patients and the effects outlasted up to several hours after treatment, though the two techniques target different nerve groups in order to reduce spasticity: TENS activates afferents that in turn activate inhibitory interneurons that will inhibit the spastic muscle activity; FES induces muscle contraction and is oriented to the spastic muscle [34]. The development of fatigue and discomfort produced by the intensity of stimulation of FES is a drawback for long sessions. Thus, TENS may be appropriate for the beginning of the rehabilitation, while FES may have better effects on those SCI patients presenting spasmodic behavior [34]. On the other hand, BMIs may enhance brain and spinal cord neurorecovery through activity dependent plasticity. Future advances in wireless devices may potentiate the widespread use of BMIs in the clinical setting.
\nFES cycling is another modality that presents direct benefits on muscle strength, as well as cardiovascular and respiratory functions of SCI patients. However, more research on this technique is needed in order to design more efficient, natural, and adaptable stimulation protocols, which will likely improve motor function outcomes during SCI rehabilitation.
\nRobotic devices, such as exoskeletons, are other solutions that have been used for rehabilitation purposed after SCI. These devices can provide intensive, long lasting repetitive task specific training to SCI patients, which is the principle behind motor rehabilitation and beneficial neuroplasticity [78]. These devices have allowed SCI patients to ameliorate their performance in daily life [56]. The hybrid configuration (exoskeleton combined with FES) presents some advantages with respect to the FES or exoskeleton applications alone: actuators can provide support to the joints, diminishing or eliminating the need for stimulation of certain muscles; the sensors of the exoskeleton provide information for closing the control loop of the FES system, which may further help on optimizing the performance of the muscle in terms of either force production or muscle fatigue. However, the field is not mature and there is a need of conducting clinical studies that can demonstrate the benefits of using hybrid exoskeleton with respect to exoskeleton alone that actually justify the extra complexity, cost, and cumbersomeness of the FES system.
\nPart of the current SCI rehabilitation research uses the modalities described in this chapter and has presented promising results including neurorecovery.
\nSome of these modalities are already being widely introduced into the clinical rehabilitation of SCI, such as TENS and FES. However, the actual uptake of technology in the clinical setting, especially for SCI rehabilitation, has been very low [5]. There are still some barriers to the clinical implementation of these techniques. Three of those barriers are the feasibility, appropriateness, and the cost. While the research here described is practical for SCI rehabilitation, some of these techniques are less practicable: they require specialized equipment and knowledge, which make them less feasible [5]. Despite the scientific evidence in favor of these technologies, the expertise required to operate and repair emerging technology is usually not found in the clinical setting, which makes it less appropriate. A third barrier that deserves attention is the economic cost, given the fact that most of the clinical centers cannot afford the maintenance of these technologies. To overcome these barriers, it is essential to develop a proactive dialog between researchers and clinicians in order to properly examine each of the emerging modalities that can maximize the outcomes for each individual that suffered a SCI.
\nThis work was funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Project EXTEND—Bidirectional Hyper-Connected Neural System) under grant agreement No 779982 and by the EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00004 grant.
\nThe authors declare that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be considered as a potential conflict of interest.
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Larramendy"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"9669",title:"Recent Advances in Rice Research",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"12b06cc73e89af1e104399321cc16a75",slug:"recent-advances-in-rice-research",bookSignature:"Mahmood-ur- Rahman Ansari",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9669.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"185476",title:"Dr.",name:"Mahmood-ur-Rahman",middleName:null,surname:"Ansari",slug:"mahmood-ur-rahman-ansari",fullName:"Mahmood-ur-Rahman Ansari"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"9711",title:"Pests, Weeds and Diseases in Agricultural Crop and Animal Husbandry Production",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"12cf675f1e433135dd5bf5df7cec124f",slug:"pests-weeds-and-diseases-in-agricultural-crop-and-animal-husbandry-production",bookSignature:"Dimitrios Kontogiannatos, Anna Kourti and Kassio Ferreira Mendes",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9711.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"196691",title:"Dr.",name:"Dimitrios",middleName:null,surname:"Kontogiannatos",slug:"dimitrios-kontogiannatos",fullName:"Dimitrios Kontogiannatos"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"10134",title:"Organic Agriculture",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"a9866f9df52191cc505b27fb2abdc687",slug:"organic-agriculture",bookSignature:"Shaon Kumar Das",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/10134.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"182210",title:"Dr.",name:"Shaon Kumar",middleName:null,surname:"Das",slug:"shaon-kumar-das",fullName:"Shaon Kumar Das"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"9712",title:"Genetic Transformation in Crops",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"c111fe32d4d7e3988e4ef2fd6775a265",slug:"genetic-transformation-in-crops",bookSignature:"Kin-Ying To",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9712.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"310646",title:"Dr.",name:"Kin-Ying",middleName:null,surname:"To",slug:"kin-ying-to",fullName:"Kin-Ying To"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8153",title:"Agronomy",subtitle:"Climate Change & Food Security",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"2c01368bbeacbbedeb3681ea0c037dbe",slug:"agronomy-climate-change-food-security",bookSignature:"Amanullah",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8153.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"178825",title:"Dr.",name:"Dr.",middleName:null,surname:"Amanullah",slug:"dr.-amanullah",fullName:"Dr. Amanullah"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}}],booksByTopicTotal:54,seriesByTopicCollection:[],seriesByTopicTotal:0,mostCitedChapters:[{id:"40178",doi:"10.5772/52583",title:"Molecular Markers and Marker-Assisted Breeding in Plants",slug:"molecular-markers-and-marker-assisted-breeding-in-plants",totalDownloads:23030,totalCrossrefCites:81,totalDimensionsCites:146,abstract:null,book:{id:"3060",slug:"plant-breeding-from-laboratories-to-fields",title:"Plant Breeding from Laboratories to Fields",fullTitle:"Plant Breeding from Laboratories to Fields"},signatures:"Guo-Liang Jiang",authors:[{id:"158810",title:"Dr.",name:"Guo-Liang",middleName:null,surname:"Jiang",slug:"guo-liang-jiang",fullName:"Guo-Liang Jiang"}]},{id:"33765",doi:"10.5772/37578",title:"Nutrient Solutions for Hydroponic Systems",slug:"nutrient-solutions-for-hydroponic-systems",totalDownloads:71704,totalCrossrefCites:11,totalDimensionsCites:66,abstract:null,book:{id:"1781",slug:"hydroponics-a-standard-methodology-for-plant-biological-researches",title:"Hydroponics",fullTitle:"Hydroponics - A Standard Methodology for Plant Biological Researches"},signatures:"Libia I. Trejo-Téllez and Fernando C. Gómez-Merino",authors:[{id:"113365",title:"Dr.",name:"Libia I.",middleName:null,surname:"Trejo-Téllez",slug:"libia-i.-trejo-tellez",fullName:"Libia I. Trejo-Téllez"},{id:"113414",title:"Dr.",name:"Fernando C.",middleName:null,surname:"Gómez-Merino",slug:"fernando-c.-gomez-merino",fullName:"Fernando C. Gómez-Merino"}]},{id:"45745",doi:"10.5772/56824",title:"Current Advances on Genetic Resistance to Rice Blast Disease",slug:"current-advances-on-genetic-resistance-to-rice-blast-disease",totalDownloads:4528,totalCrossrefCites:27,totalDimensionsCites:58,abstract:null,book:{id:"3554",slug:"rice-germplasm-genetics-and-improvement",title:"Rice",fullTitle:"Rice - Germplasm, Genetics and Improvement"},signatures:"Xueyan Wang, Seonghee Lee, Jichun Wang, Jianbing Ma, Tracy\nBianco and Yulin Jia",authors:[{id:"168971",title:"Dr.",name:"Yulin",middleName:null,surname:"Jia",slug:"yulin-jia",fullName:"Yulin Jia"}]},{id:"68945",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.88434",title:"Effect of Abiotic Stress on Crops",slug:"effect-of-abiotic-stress-on-crops",totalDownloads:1494,totalCrossrefCites:28,totalDimensionsCites:46,abstract:"Crop yield is mainly influenced by climatic factors, agronomic factors, pests and nutrient availability in the soil. Stress is any adverse environmental condition that hampers proper growth of plant. Abiotic stress creates adverse effect on multiple procedures of morphology, biochemistry and physiology that are directly connected with growth and yield of plant. Abiotic stress are quantitative trait hence genes linked to these traits can be identified and used to select desirable alleles responsible for tolerance in plant. Plants can initiate a number of molecular, cellular and physiological modifications to react to and adapt to abiotic stress. Crop productivity is significantly affected by drought, salinity and cold. Abiotic stress reduce water availability to plant roots by increasing water soluble salts in soil and plants suffer from increased osmotic pressure outside the root. Physiological changes include lowering of leaf osmotic potential, water potential and relative water content, creation of nutritional imbalance, enhancing relative stress injury or one or more combination of these factors. Morphological and biochemical changes include changes in root and shoot length, number of leaves, secondary metabolite (glycine betaine, proline, MDA, abscisic acid) accumulation in plant, source and sink ratio. Proposed chapter will concentrate on enhancing plant response to abiotic stress and contemporary breeding application to increasing stress tolerance.",book:{id:"9345",slug:"sustainable-crop-production",title:"Sustainable Crop Production",fullTitle:"Sustainable Crop Production"},signatures:"Summy Yadav, Payal Modi, Akanksha Dave, Akdasbanu Vijapura, Disha Patel and Mohini Patel",authors:[{id:"186963",title:"Dr.",name:"Summy",middleName:null,surname:"Yadav",slug:"summy-yadav",fullName:"Summy Yadav"},{id:"308004",title:"Ms.",name:"Payal",middleName:null,surname:"Modi",slug:"payal-modi",fullName:"Payal Modi"},{id:"308005",title:"Ms.",name:"Akanksha",middleName:null,surname:"Dave",slug:"akanksha-dave",fullName:"Akanksha Dave"},{id:"308006",title:"Ms.",name:"Akdasbanu",middleName:null,surname:"Vijapara",slug:"akdasbanu-vijapara",fullName:"Akdasbanu Vijapara"},{id:"308007",title:"Ms.",name:"Disha",middleName:null,surname:"Patel",slug:"disha-patel",fullName:"Disha Patel"},{id:"308008",title:"Ms.",name:"Mohini",middleName:null,surname:"Patel",slug:"mohini-patel",fullName:"Mohini Patel"}]},{id:"45540",doi:"10.5772/56621",title:"Genes and QTLs for Rice Grain Quality Improvement",slug:"genes-and-qtls-for-rice-grain-quality-improvement",totalDownloads:3737,totalCrossrefCites:21,totalDimensionsCites:46,abstract:null,book:{id:"3554",slug:"rice-germplasm-genetics-and-improvement",title:"Rice",fullTitle:"Rice - Germplasm, Genetics and Improvement"},signatures:"Jinsong Bao",authors:[{id:"52135",title:"Dr.",name:"Jinsong",middleName:null,surname:"Bao",slug:"jinsong-bao",fullName:"Jinsong Bao"}]}],mostDownloadedChaptersLast30Days:[{id:"70658",title:"Factors Affecting Yield of Crops",slug:"factors-affecting-yield-of-crops",totalDownloads:4044,totalCrossrefCites:25,totalDimensionsCites:40,abstract:"A good understanding of dynamics involved in food production is critical for the improvement of food security. It has been demonstrated that an increase in crop yields significantly reduces poverty. Yield, the mass of harvest crop product in a specific area, is influenced by several factors. These factors are grouped in three basic categories known as technological (agricultural practices, managerial decision, etc.), biological (diseases, insects, pests, weeds) and environmental (climatic condition, soil fertility, topography, water quality, etc.). These factors account for yield differences from one region to another worldwide. The current chapter will discuss each of these three basic factors as well as providing some recommendations for overcoming them. In addition, it will provide the importance of climate-smart agriculture in the increase of crop yields while facilitating the achievement of crop production in safe environment. This goes in line with the second goal of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of United Nations in transforming our world formulated as end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.",book:{id:"8153",slug:"agronomy-climate-change-food-security",title:"Agronomy",fullTitle:"Agronomy - Climate Change & Food Security"},signatures:"Tandzi Ngoune Liliane and Mutengwa Shelton Charles",authors:[{id:"313819",title:"Dr.",name:"Liliane",middleName:null,surname:"Tandzi",slug:"liliane-tandzi",fullName:"Liliane Tandzi"},{id:"314316",title:"Prof.",name:"Charles Shelton",middleName:null,surname:"Mutengwa",slug:"charles-shelton-mutengwa",fullName:"Charles Shelton Mutengwa"}]},{id:"40178",title:"Molecular Markers and Marker-Assisted Breeding in Plants",slug:"molecular-markers-and-marker-assisted-breeding-in-plants",totalDownloads:23030,totalCrossrefCites:81,totalDimensionsCites:146,abstract:null,book:{id:"3060",slug:"plant-breeding-from-laboratories-to-fields",title:"Plant Breeding from Laboratories to Fields",fullTitle:"Plant Breeding from Laboratories to Fields"},signatures:"Guo-Liang Jiang",authors:[{id:"158810",title:"Dr.",name:"Guo-Liang",middleName:null,surname:"Jiang",slug:"guo-liang-jiang",fullName:"Guo-Liang Jiang"}]},{id:"60074",title:"Pollen Germination in vitro",slug:"pollen-germination-in-vitro",totalDownloads:2759,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:1,abstract:"Pollen germination in vitro is a reliable method to test the pollen viability. It also addresses many basic questions in sexual reproduction and particularly useful in wide hybridization. Many pollen germination medium ranging from simple sugars to complex one having vitamins, growth regulators, etc. in addition to various minerals have been standardized to germinate pollen artificially. The different media, successful pollen germination methods, procedures from pollen germination studies with wheat, rye, brinjal, pigeonpea and its wild relatives are discussed.",book:{id:"6659",slug:"pollination-in-plants",title:"Pollination in Plants",fullTitle:"Pollination in Plants"},signatures:"Jayaprakash P",authors:[{id:"235465",title:"Dr.",name:"Jayaprakash",middleName:null,surname:"P",slug:"jayaprakash-p",fullName:"Jayaprakash P"}]},{id:"62376",title:"Genotype × Environment Interaction: A Prerequisite for Tomato Variety Development",slug:"genotype-environment-interaction-a-prerequisite-for-tomato-variety-development",totalDownloads:2297,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:6,abstract:"Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the second most important vegetable crop in the world due to its high level of nutrition particularly in vitamins and antioxidants. It is grown in several ecologies of the world due to its adaptability and ease of cultivation. Besides field conditions, tomatoes are grown in controlled environments which range from hydroponics and simple high tunnel structures to highly automated screen houses in advanced countries. However, the yield and quality of the fruits are highly influenced by the environment. This results in unpredictable performances in different growing environments in terms of quality, a phenomenon known as genotype by environment (G × E) interaction which confounds selection efficiency. Various approaches are employed by plant breeders to evaluate and address the challenges posed by genotype by environment interaction. This chapter discusses various field and controlled environments for growing tomatoes and the effect of these environments on the performance of the crop. The various types of genotype × environment interactions and their effect of the tomato plant are discussed. Finally, efforts are made to suggest ways and methods of mitigating the confounding effects of genotype × environment interaction including statistical approaches.",book:{id:"6422",slug:"recent-advances-in-tomato-breeding-and-production",title:"Recent Advances in Tomato Breeding and Production",fullTitle:"Recent Advances in Tomato Breeding and Production"},signatures:"Michael Kwabena Osei, Benjamin Annor, Joseph Adjebeng-\nDanquah, Agyemang Danquah, Eric Danquah, Essie Blay and Hans\nAdu-Dapaah",authors:[{id:"204223",title:"Dr.",name:"Agyemang",middleName:null,surname:"Danquah",slug:"agyemang-danquah",fullName:"Agyemang Danquah"},{id:"217531",title:"M.Sc.",name:"Michael Kwabena",middleName:null,surname:"Osei",slug:"michael-kwabena-osei",fullName:"Michael Kwabena Osei"},{id:"217760",title:"Dr.",name:"Joseph",middleName:null,surname:"Adjebeng-Danquah",slug:"joseph-adjebeng-danquah",fullName:"Joseph Adjebeng-Danquah"},{id:"217768",title:"MSc.",name:"Benjamin",middleName:null,surname:"Annor",slug:"benjamin-annor",fullName:"Benjamin Annor"},{id:"247378",title:"Dr.",name:"Eric Y.",middleName:null,surname:"Danquah",slug:"eric-y.-danquah",fullName:"Eric Y. Danquah"},{id:"248095",title:"Prof.",name:"Essie",middleName:null,surname:"Blay",slug:"essie-blay",fullName:"Essie Blay"},{id:"248096",title:"Prof.",name:"Hans",middleName:null,surname:"Adu-Dapaah",slug:"hans-adu-dapaah",fullName:"Hans Adu-Dapaah"}]},{id:"45153",title:"Irrigation of Sandy Soils, Basics and Scheduling",slug:"irrigation-of-sandy-soils-basics-and-scheduling",totalDownloads:5600,totalCrossrefCites:4,totalDimensionsCites:10,abstract:null,book:{id:"3357",slug:"crop-production",title:"Crop Production",fullTitle:"Crop Production"},signatures:"Mohamed S. Alhammadi and Ali M. Al-Shrouf",authors:[{id:"78245",title:"Dr.",name:"Mohamed",middleName:"Salman",surname:"Alhammadi",slug:"mohamed-alhammadi",fullName:"Mohamed Alhammadi"},{id:"159904",title:"Mr.",name:"Ali",middleName:null,surname:"Al-Shrouf",slug:"ali-al-shrouf",fullName:"Ali Al-Shrouf"}]}],onlineFirstChaptersFilter:{topicId:"29",limit:6,offset:0},onlineFirstChaptersCollection:[{id:"81888",title:"Reducing Soil Compaction from Equipment to Enhance Agricultural Sustainability",slug:"reducing-soil-compaction-from-equipment-to-enhance-agricultural-sustainability",totalDownloads:16,totalDimensionsCites:0,doi:"10.5772/intechopen.104489",abstract:"The compaction of agricultural soils cannot be solved, only managed. As a compressible media, soil travel without causing some collapse of the existing structure is impossible. If left uncorrected, farmers can see up to a 50% reduction in yield from long-term compaction. This chapter will describe the effects of soil compaction on the environment, crop quality, and economic sustainability. The base causes will be examined, along with the engineering designs for vehicles that minimize the problem. The tracks versus tires debate will be thoroughly discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each system will be detailed. It will be shown that although tires represent the likely current best economic option for vehicle support, the potential of tracks to reduce compaction has been fully exploited. The advantages of four-wheel drive vehicles in reducing soil compaction will be shown, along with the mitigation potential of independently driven wheels and active soil interaction feedback loops. The design of crop production tillage equipment and tillage tool working points will be explored, along with the concept of critical tillage depth. Equipment for compaction relief will also be discussed, as will the sustainable agricultural protocols of cover crops, crop rotation, and controlled traffic farming.",book:{id:"11357",title:"Sustainable Crop Production - Recent Advances",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/11357.jpg"},signatures:"Michael M. Boland, Young U. Choi, Daniel G. Foley, Matthew S. Gobel, Nathan C. Sprague, Santiago Guevara-Ocana, Yury A. Kuleshov and Robert M. Stwalley III"},{id:"81378",title:"Sustainability-Based Review of Irrigation Schemes Performance for Sustainable Crop Production in Nigeria",slug:"sustainability-based-review-of-irrigation-schemes-performance-for-sustainable-crop-production-in-nig",totalDownloads:31,totalDimensionsCites:0,doi:"10.5772/intechopen.103980",abstract:"Irrigated agriculture has been identified as an important practice to achieving food security and socio-economic development in the face of rapid population growth and climatic uncertainties. In northern Nigeria, irrigation has long been identified as the key to achieving the much-desired increase in food production to meet the ever-increasing population. However, the existing irrigation schemes encountered several challenges coming from different dimensions including economic, social, environmental, institutional and technological. To attain sustainable crop production, this paper attempts to uncover the underline challenges confronting irrigation schemes in northern Nigeria that cut across sustainability pillars. The findings revealed that irrigation schemes contributed immensely toward achieving food security and improving the wellbeing of rural dwellers. However, the huge investment in large- and medium-scale irrigation schemes have resulted in massive economic losses. This could be attributed to their under-utilization, poor management and abandonment although few ones are performing remarkably well. The study recommends the need to adopt new water allocation and application methods that can improve water use efficiency, users-managers join approach (participatory), effective and competent institutions which include improved monitoring, evaluation and surveillance systems, frequent policy review to suit the situation, law enforcement, and timely sensitization and awareness campaigns.",book:{id:"11357",title:"Sustainable Crop Production - Recent Advances",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/11357.jpg"},signatures:"Nura Jafar Shanono, Nura Yahaya Usman, Mu’azu Dantala Zakari, Habibu Ismail, Shehu Idris Umar, Sunusi Abubakar Amin and Nuraddeen Mukhtar Nasidi"},{id:"81274",title:"Toward the Recent Advances in Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE): Strategies to Improve Phosphorus Availability to Plants",slug:"toward-the-recent-advances-in-nutrient-use-efficiency-nue-strategies-to-improve-phosphorus-availabil",totalDownloads:43,totalDimensionsCites:0,doi:"10.5772/intechopen.102595",abstract:"Achieving high nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and high crop productivity has become a challenge with increased global demand for food, depletion of natural resources, and deterioration of environmental conditions. Higher NUE by plants could reduce fertilizer input costs, decrease the rate of nutrient losses, and enhance crop yields. Nitrogen and Phosphorus are the most limiting nutrients for crop production in many of the world’s agricultural areas, and their efficient use is important for the economic sustainability of cropping systems. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of N and P in soil-plant systems creates a unique and challenging environment for its efficient management. Although numerous fertilizer recommendation methods have been proposed to improve NUE, technologies and innovative management practices are still lacking. Therefore, maximizing crop phosphorus (P) use efficiency (PUE) would be helpful in reducing the use of inorganic phosphorus fertilizers and their escape in the environment for sustainable agriculture. Improvement of PUE in cropping systems can be achieved through two main strategies: optimizing agronomic practice and breeding nutrient efficient crop cultivars that improves P-acquisition and -utilization efficiency. These strategies are needed for future food security and sustainable agriculture. The major revised points are the following: concept of NUE, application of nutrient stewardship, cereal-legume intercropping, regulating soil pH, etc., for enhancing phyto-availability of P and breeding P-efficient crop cultivars that can produce more biomass with lesser P costs and that acquire more P in P-stress condition. These approaches consider economic, social, and environmental dimensions essential to sustainable agricultural systems and afford a suitable context for specific NUE indicators.",book:{id:"11357",title:"Sustainable Crop Production - Recent Advances",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/11357.jpg"},signatures:"Addisu Ebbisa"},{id:"81179",title:"Crop Diversification an Effective Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture Development",slug:"crop-diversification-an-effective-strategy-for-sustainable-agriculture-development",totalDownloads:49,totalDimensionsCites:0,doi:"10.5772/intechopen.102635",abstract:"Sustainable agricultural practices involve a variety of approaches. The most important approached for sustainable agriculture development is crop diversification. It allowing the farmers to employ biological cycles to minimize inputs, conserve the resource base, maximize yields and also reduce the risk due to ecological and environmental factors. It serves as an important opportunity to augment income and employment generation for rural communities. Crop diversification promotes the interaction of beneficial soil bacteria, interrupts the disease cycle, and reduces the quantity of weeds. Crop diversification boosts land-use efficiency and crop output by improving the physical and chemical qualities of soil. Crop diversification shows a lot of scope to alleviating the problems such as resurgence of insects-pests and weeds, soil degradation, environmental pollution, soil salinity, decline farm profit and climate change. Crop diversification through crop intensification system enhanced the net returns, B:C ratio, and overall system productivity of a farm. In order to achieve the benefits of crop diversification farmers are shifting from low value low yielding crops to high value high yielding crops. Thus, crop diversification has the sound capacity for achieving the goal of nutritional security, income growth, food security, employment generation and sustainable agriculture development.",book:{id:"11357",title:"Sustainable Crop Production - Recent Advances",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/11357.jpg"},signatures:"Anamika Barman, Priyanka Saha, Shashank Patel and Anurag Bera"},{id:"80867",title:"Potential Applications of Rhizobacteria as Eco-Friendly Biological Control, Plant Growth Promotion and Soil Metal Bioremediation",slug:"potential-applications-of-rhizobacteria-as-eco-friendly-biological-control-plant-growth-promotion-an",totalDownloads:66,totalDimensionsCites:0,doi:"10.5772/intechopen.102657",abstract:"Modern agriculture has an immense problem in the depletion of agricultural productivity owing to a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses. Agriculture’s sustainability and safety are dependent on ecologically friendly practices. Plant rhizobia have been proven to have an important role in disease control, as well as promoting plant growth, productivity, and biomass. Rhizobacteria are soil bacteria that live on the root surface and either directly or indirectly contribute to plant development. Rhizobia are used to induce mediated immune resistance through the manufacture of lytic enzymes, antibiotics, phytoalexins, phytohormone, metabolites. It supports the growth of plants through nitrogen fixation, nutrient enrichment, phosphate solubilization and phytohormone synthesis. In addition, it supports plants during different stresses such as temperature, osmotic, heavy metal and oxidative stress. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have the ability to control heavy metal pollution of soils as well as enhancing plant growth in these soils. Efficient bioremediation is possible by using rhizobacterial inoculants, still, the distribution and functioning of microbes in the rhizosphere need to be fully explored. This review focuses on the effectiveness, biomonitoring processes and function in promoting plant development. Rhizobia application can be considered an alternative method for the improvement of biodiversity, agriculture, and the environment.",book:{id:"11357",title:"Sustainable Crop Production - Recent Advances",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/11357.jpg"},signatures:"Nafeesa Farooq Khan, Aatifa Rasool, Sheikh Mansoor, Sana Saleem, Tawseef Rehman Baba, Sheikh Maurifatul Haq, Sheikh Aafreen Rehman, Charles Oluwaseun Adetunji and Simona Mariana Popescu"},{id:"80653",title:"Heavy Metal Contamination in Vegetables and Their Toxic Effects on Human Health",slug:"heavy-metal-contamination-in-vegetables-and-their-toxic-effects-on-human-health",totalDownloads:127,totalDimensionsCites:1,doi:"10.5772/intechopen.102651",abstract:"Vegetables are a prevalent nutrition for people all over the world because they are high in important nutrients, antioxidants, and metabolites that function as buffers for acidic compounds created during digestion. Vegetables, on the other hand, absorbed both vital and poisonous substances through the soil. Possible human health concerns, including as cancer and renal damage, have been linked to the consumption of heavy metal-contaminated vegetables (HMs). Heavy metals like Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, and Hg were found in high concentrations in popular vegetables such as Amaranthus tricolour L., Chenopodium album L., Spinacia oleracea, Coriandrum sativum, Solanum lycopersicum, and Solanum melongena. The toxicity, fortification, health hazard, and heavy metals sources grown in soil are detailed in this review study.",book:{id:"11357",title:"Sustainable Crop Production - Recent Advances",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/11357.jpg"},signatures:"Seema Manwani, Vanisree C.R., Vibha Jaiman, Kumud Kant Awasthi, Chandra Shekhar Yadav, Mahipal Singh Sankhla, Pritam P. 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In 1992, Dr. Babinszky obtained a Ph.D. in Animal Nutrition from the University of Wageningen. His main research areas are swine and poultry nutrition. He has authored more than 300 publications (papers, book chapters) and edited four books and fourteen international conference proceedings.",institutionString:"University of Debrecen",institution:{name:"University of Debrecen",country:{name:"Hungary"}}},{id:"201830",title:"Dr.",name:"Fernando",middleName:"Sanchez",surname:"Davila",slug:"fernando-davila",fullName:"Fernando Davila",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/201830/images/5017_n.jpg",biography:"I am a professor at UANL since 1988. My research lines are the development of reproductive techniques in small ruminants. We also conducted research on sexual and social behavior in males.\nI am Mexican and study my professional career as an engineer in agriculture and animal science at UANL. Then take a masters degree in science in Germany (Animal breeding). Take a doctorate in animal science at the UANL.",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León",country:{name:"Mexico"}}},{id:"309250",title:"Dr.",name:"Miguel",middleName:null,surname:"Quaresma",slug:"miguel-quaresma",fullName:"Miguel Quaresma",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/309250/images/9059_n.jpg",biography:"Miguel Nuno Pinheiro Quaresma was born on May 26, 1974 in Dili, Timor Island. He is married with two children: a boy and a girl, and he is a resident in Vila Real, Portugal. He graduated in Veterinary Medicine in August 1998 and obtained his Ph.D. degree in Veterinary Sciences -Clinical Area in February 2015, both from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro. He is currently enrolled in the Alternative Residency of the European College of Animal Reproduction. He works as a Senior Clinician at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of UTAD (HVUTAD) with a role in clinical activity in the area of livestock and equine species as well as to support teaching and research in related areas. He teaches as an Invited Professor in Reproduction Medicine I and II of the Master\\'s in Veterinary Medicine degree at UTAD. Currently, he holds the position of Chairman of the Portuguese Buiatrics Association. He is a member of the Consultive Group on Production Animals of the OMV. He has 19 publications in indexed international journals (ISIS), as well as over 60 publications and oral presentations in both Portuguese and international journals and congresses.",institutionString:"University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro",institution:{name:"University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro",country:{name:"Portugal"}}},{id:"38652",title:"Prof.",name:"Rita",middleName:null,surname:"Payan-Carreira",slug:"rita-payan-carreira",fullName:"Rita Payan-Carreira",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/intech-files/0030O00002bRiFPQA0/Profile_Picture_1614601496313",biography:"Rita Payan Carreira earned her Veterinary Degree from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1985. She obtained her Ph.D. in Veterinary Sciences from the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal. After almost 32 years of teaching at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, she recently moved to the University of Évora, Department of Veterinary Medicine, where she teaches in the field of Animal Reproduction and Clinics. Her primary research areas include the molecular markers of the endometrial cycle and the embryo–maternal interaction, including oxidative stress and the reproductive physiology and disorders of sexual development, besides the molecular determinants of male and female fertility. She often supervises students preparing their master's or doctoral theses. She is also a frequent referee for various journals.",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"University of Évora",country:{name:"Portugal"}}},{id:"283019",title:"Dr.",name:"Oudessa",middleName:null,surname:"Kerro Dego",slug:"oudessa-kerro-dego",fullName:"Oudessa Kerro Dego",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/283019/images/system/283019.png",biography:"Dr. Kerro Dego is a veterinary microbiologist with training in veterinary medicine, microbiology, and anatomic pathology. Dr. Kerro Dego is an assistant professor of dairy health in the department of animal science, the University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee. He received his D.V.M. (1997), M.S. (2002), and Ph.D. (2008) degrees in Veterinary Medicine, Animal Pathology and Veterinary Microbiology from College of Veterinary Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia; College of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, the Netherlands and Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Canada respectively. He did his Postdoctoral training in microbial pathogenesis (2009 - 2015) in the Department of Animal Science, the University of Tennessee, Institute of Agriculture, Knoxville, Tennessee. Dr. Kerro Dego’s research focuses on the prevention and control of infectious diseases of farm animals, particularly mastitis, improving dairy food safety, and mitigation of antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Kerro Dego has extensive experience in studying the pathogenesis of bacterial infections, identification of virulence factors, and vaccine development and efficacy testing against major bacterial mastitis pathogens. Dr. Kerro Dego conducted numerous controlled experimental and field vaccine efficacy studies, vaccination, and evaluation of immunological responses in several species of animals, including rodents (mice) and large animals (bovine and ovine).",institutionString:"University of Tennessee at Knoxville",institution:{name:"University of Tennessee at Knoxville",country:{name:"United States of America"}}},{id:"251314",title:"Dr.",name:"Juan Carlos",middleName:null,surname:"Gardón",slug:"juan-carlos-gardon",fullName:"Juan Carlos Gardón",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/251314/images/system/251314.jpeg",biography:"Juan Carlos Gardón Poggi received University degree from the Faculty of Agrarian Science in Argentina, in 1983. Also he received Masters Degree and PhD from Córdoba University, Spain. He is currently a Professor at the Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, at the Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery. He teaches diverse courses in the field of Animal Reproduction and he is the Director of the Veterinary Farm. He also participates in academic postgraduate activities at the Veterinary Faculty of Murcia University, Spain. His research areas include animal physiology, physiology and biotechnology of reproduction either in males or females, the study of gametes under in vitro conditions and the use of ultrasound as a complement to physiological studies and development of applied biotechnologies. Routinely, he supervises students preparing their doctoral, master thesis or final degree projects.",institutionString:"Catholic University of Valencia San Vicente Mártir, Spain",institution:null},{id:"125292",title:"Dr.",name:"Katy",middleName:null,surname:"Satué Ambrojo",slug:"katy-satue-ambrojo",fullName:"Katy Satué Ambrojo",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/125292/images/system/125292.jpeg",biography:"Katy Satué Ambrojo received her Veterinary Medicine degree, Master degree in Equine Technology and doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the Faculty of Veterinary, CEU-Cardenal Herrera University in Valencia, Spain. She is a Full Professor at the Department of Medicine and Animal Surgery at the same University. She developed her research activity in the field of Endocrinology, Hematology, Biochemistry and Immunology of horses. She is a scientific reviewer of several international journals : American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Comparative Clinical Pathology, Veterinary Clinical Pathology, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, Reproduction in Domestic Animals, Research Veterinary Science, Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research, Livestock Production Science and Theriogenology. Since 2014, she has been the Head of the Clinical Analysis Laboratory of the Hospital Clínico Veterinario from the Faculty of Veterinary, CEU-Cardenal Herrera University.",institutionString:"CEU-Cardenal Herrera University",institution:{name:"CEU Cardinal Herrera University",country:{name:"Spain"}}},{id:"309529",title:"Dr.",name:"Albert",middleName:null,surname:"Rizvanov",slug:"albert-rizvanov",fullName:"Albert Rizvanov",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/309529/images/9189_n.jpg",biography:'Albert A. Rizvanov is a Professor and Director of the Center for Precision and Regenerative Medicine at the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University (KFU), Russia. He is the Head of the Center of Excellence “Regenerative Medicine” and Vice-Director of Strategic Academic Unit \\"Translational 7P Medicine\\". Albert completed his Ph.D. at the University of Nevada, Reno, USA and Dr.Sci. at KFU. He is a corresponding member of the Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation. Albert is an author of more than 300 peer-reviewed journal articles and 22 patents. He has supervised 11 Ph.D. and 2 Dr.Sci. dissertations. Albert is the Head of the Dissertation Committee on Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Genetics at KFU.\nORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9427-5739\nWebsite https://kpfu.ru/Albert.Rizvanov?p_lang=2',institutionString:"Kazan Federal University",institution:{name:"Kazan Federal University",country:{name:"Russia"}}},{id:"210551",title:"Dr.",name:"Arbab",middleName:null,surname:"Sikandar",slug:"arbab-sikandar",fullName:"Arbab Sikandar",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/210551/images/system/210551.jpg",biography:"Dr. Arbab Sikandar, PhD, M. Phil, DVM was born on April 05, 1981. He is currently working at the College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences as an Assistant Professor. He previously worked as a lecturer at the same University. \nHe is a Member/Secretory of Ethics committee (No. CVAS-9377 dated 18-04-18), Member of the QEC committee CVAS, Jhang (Regr/Gen/69/873, dated 26-10-2017), Member, Board of studies of Department of Basic Sciences (No. CVAS. 2851 Dated. 12-04-13, and No. CVAS, 9024 dated 20/11/17), Member of Academic Committee, CVAS, Jhang (No. CVAS/2004, Dated, 25-08-12), Member of the technical committee (No. CVAS/ 4085, dated 20,03, 2010 till 2016).\n\nDr. Arbab Sikandar contributed in five days hands-on-training on Histopathology at the Department of Pathology, UVAS from 12-16 June 2017. He received a Certificate of appreciation for contributions for Popularization of Science and Technology in the Society on 17-11-15. He was the resource person in the lecture series- ‘scientific writing’ at the Department of Anatomy and Histology, UVAS, Lahore on 29th October 2015. He won a full fellowship as a principal candidate for the year 2015 in the field of Agriculture, EICA, Egypt with ref. to the Notification No. 12(11) ACS/Egypt/2014 from 10 July 2015 to 25th September 2015.; he received a grant of Rs. 55000/- as research incentives from Director, Advanced Studies and Research, UVAS, Lahore upon publications of research papers in IF Journals (DR/215, dated 19-5-2014.. He obtained his PhD by winning a HEC Pakistan indigenous Scholarship, ‘Ph.D. fellowship for 5000 scholars – Phase II’ (2av1-147), 17-6/HEC/HRD/IS-II/12, November 15, 2012. \n\nDr. Sikandar is a member of numerous societies: Registered Veterinary Medical Practitioner (life member) and Registered Veterinary Medical Faculty of Pakistan Veterinary Medical Council. The Registration code of PVMC is RVMP/4298 and RVMF/ 0102.; Life member of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Alumni Association with S# 664, dated: 6-4-12. ; Member 'Vets Care Organization Pakistan” with Reference No. VCO-605-149, dated 05-04-06. :Member 'Vet Crescent” (Society of Animal Health and Production), UVAS, Lahore.",institutionString:"University of Veterinary & Animal Science",institution:{name:"University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences",country:{name:"Pakistan"}}},{id:"311663",title:"Dr.",name:"Prasanna",middleName:null,surname:"Pal",slug:"prasanna-pal",fullName:"Prasanna Pal",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/311663/images/13261_n.jpg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"National Dairy Research Institute",country:{name:"India"}}},{id:"202192",title:"Dr.",name:"Catrin",middleName:null,surname:"Rutland",slug:"catrin-rutland",fullName:"Catrin Rutland",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/202192/images/system/202192.png",biography:"Catrin Rutland is an Associate Professor of Anatomy and Developmental Genetics at the University of Nottingham, UK. She obtained a BSc from the University of Derby, England, a master’s degree from Technische Universität München, Germany, and a Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham. She undertook a post-doctoral research fellowship in the School of Medicine before accepting tenure in Veterinary Medicine and Science. Dr. Rutland also obtained an MMedSci (Medical Education) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). She is the author of more than sixty peer-reviewed journal articles, twelve books/book chapters, and more than 100 research abstracts in cardiovascular biology and oncology. She is a board member of the European Association of Veterinary Anatomists, Fellow of the Anatomical Society, and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Dr. Rutland has also written popular science books for the public. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2009-4898. www.nottingham.ac.uk/vet/people/catrin.rutland",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"University of Nottingham",country:{name:"United Kingdom"}}},{id:"283315",title:"Prof.",name:"Samir",middleName:null,surname:"El-Gendy",slug:"samir-el-gendy",fullName:"Samir El-Gendy",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/intech-files/0030O00002bRduYQAS/Profile_Picture_1606215849748",biography:"Samir El-Gendy is a Professor of anatomy and embryology at the faculty of veterinary medicine, Alexandria University, Egypt. Samir obtained his PhD in veterinary science in 2007 from the faculty of veterinary medicine, Alexandria University and has been a professor since 2017. Samir is an author on 24 articles at Scopus and 12 articles within local journals and 2 books/book chapters. His research focuses on applied anatomy, imaging techniques and computed tomography. Samir worked as a member of different local projects on E-learning and he is a board member of the African Association of Veterinary Anatomists and of anatomy societies and as an associated author at local and international journals. Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6180-389X",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Alexandria University",country:{name:"Egypt"}}},{id:"246149",title:"Dr.",name:"Valentina",middleName:null,surname:"Kubale",slug:"valentina-kubale",fullName:"Valentina Kubale",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/246149/images/system/246149.jpg",biography:"Valentina Kubale is Associate Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. Since graduating from the Veterinary faculty she obtained her PhD in 2007, performed collaboration with the Department of Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She continued as a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen with a Lundbeck foundation fellowship. She is the editor of three books and author/coauthor of 23 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals, 16 book chapters, and 68 communications at scientific congresses. Since 2008 she has been the Editor Assistant for the Slovenian Veterinary Research journal. She is a member of Slovenian Biochemical Society, The Endocrine Society, European Association of Veterinary Anatomists and Society for Laboratory Animals, where she is board member.",institutionString:"University of Ljubljana",institution:{name:"University of Ljubljana",country:{name:"Slovenia"}}},{id:"258334",title:"Dr.",name:"Carlos Eduardo",middleName:null,surname:"Fonseca-Alves",slug:"carlos-eduardo-fonseca-alves",fullName:"Carlos Eduardo Fonseca-Alves",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/258334/images/system/258334.jpg",biography:"Dr. Fonseca-Alves earned his DVM from Federal University of Goias – UFG in 2008. He completed an internship in small animal internal medicine at UPIS university in 2011, earned his MSc in 2013 and PhD in 2015 both in Veterinary Medicine at Sao Paulo State University – UNESP. Dr. Fonseca-Alves currently serves as an Assistant Professor at Paulista University – UNIP teaching small animal internal medicine.",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Universidade Paulista",country:{name:"Brazil"}}},{id:"245306",title:"Dr.",name:"María Luz",middleName:null,surname:"Garcia Pardo",slug:"maria-luz-garcia-pardo",fullName:"María Luz Garcia Pardo",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/245306/images/system/245306.png",biography:"María de la Luz García Pardo is an agricultural engineer from Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain. She has a Ph.D. in Animal Genetics. Currently, she is a lecturer at the Agrofood Technology Department of Miguel Hernández University, Spain. Her research is focused on genetics and reproduction in rabbits. The major goal of her research is the genetics of litter size through novel methods such as selection by the environmental sensibility of litter size, with forays into the field of animal welfare by analysing the impact on the susceptibility to diseases and stress of the does. Details of her publications can be found at https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9504-8290.",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Miguel Hernandez University",country:{name:"Spain"}}},{id:"350704",title:"M.Sc.",name:"Camila",middleName:"Silva Costa",surname:"Ferreira",slug:"camila-ferreira",fullName:"Camila Ferreira",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/350704/images/17280_n.jpg",biography:"Graduated in Veterinary Medicine at the Fluminense Federal University, specialist in Equine Reproduction at the Brazilian Veterinary Institute (IBVET) and Master in Clinical Veterinary Medicine and Animal Reproduction at the Fluminense Federal University. She has experience in analyzing zootechnical indices in dairy cattle and organizing events related to Veterinary Medicine through extension grants. I have experience in the field of diagnostic imaging and animal reproduction in veterinary medicine through monitoring and scientific initiation scholarships. I worked at the Equus Central Reproduction Equine located in Santo Antônio de Jesus – BA in the 2016/2017 breeding season. I am currently a doctoral student with a scholarship from CAPES of the Postgraduate Program in Veterinary Medicine (Pathology and Clinical Sciences) at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) with a research project with an emphasis on equine endometritis.",institutionString:null,institution:null},{id:"41319",title:"Prof.",name:"Lung-Kwang",middleName:null,surname:"Pan",slug:"lung-kwang-pan",fullName:"Lung-Kwang Pan",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/41319/images/84_n.jpg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:null},{id:"201721",title:"Dr.",name:"Beatrice",middleName:null,surname:"Funiciello",slug:"beatrice-funiciello",fullName:"Beatrice Funiciello",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/201721/images/11089_n.jpg",biography:"Graduated from the University of Milan in 2011, my post-graduate education included CertAVP modules mainly on equines (dermatology and internal medicine) and a few on small animal (dermatology and anaesthesia) at the University of Liverpool. After a general CertAVP (2015) I gained the designated Certificate in Veterinary Dermatology (2017) after taking the synoptic examination and then applied for the RCVS ADvanced Practitioner status. After that, I completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Veterinary Professional Studies at the University of Liverpool (2018). My main area of work is cross-species veterinary dermatology.",institutionString:null,institution:null},{id:"291226",title:"Dr.",name:"Monica",middleName:null,surname:"Cassel",slug:"monica-cassel",fullName:"Monica Cassel",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/291226/images/8232_n.jpg",biography:'Degree in Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Mato Grosso with scholarship for Scientific Initiation by FAPEMAT (2008/1) and CNPq (2008/2-2009/2): Project \\"Histological evidence of reproductive activity in lizards of the Manso region, Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil\\". Master\\\'s degree in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation at Federal University of Mato Grosso with a scholarship by CAPES/REUNI program: Project \\"Reproductive biology of Melanorivulus punctatus\\". PhD\\\'s degree in Science (Cell and Tissue Biology Area) \n at University of Sao Paulo with scholarship granted by FAPESP; Project \\"Development of morphofunctional changes in ovary of Astyanax altiparanae Garutti & Britski, 2000 (Teleostei, Characidae)\\". She has experience in Reproduction of vertebrates and Morphology, with emphasis in Cellular Biology and Histology. She is currently a teacher in the medium / technical level courses at IFMT-Alta Floresta, as well as in the Bachelor\\\'s degree in Animal Science and in the Bachelor\\\'s degree in Business.',institutionString:null,institution:null},{id:"442807",title:"Dr.",name:"Busani",middleName:null,surname:"Moyo",slug:"busani-moyo",fullName:"Busani Moyo",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Gwanda State University",country:{name:"Zimbabwe"}}},{id:"423023",title:"Dr.",name:"Yosra",middleName:null,surname:"Soltan",slug:"yosra-soltan",fullName:"Yosra Soltan",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Alexandria University",country:{name:"Egypt"}}},{id:"349788",title:"Dr.",name:"Florencia Nery",middleName:null,surname:"Sompie",slug:"florencia-nery-sompie",fullName:"Florencia Nery Sompie",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Sam Ratulangi University",country:{name:"Indonesia"}}},{id:"208123",title:"Dr.",name:"Mari-Carmen",middleName:null,surname:"Uribe",slug:"mari-carmen-uribe",fullName:"Mari-Carmen Uribe",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"National Autonomous University of Mexico",country:{name:"Mexico"}}},{id:"345713",title:"Dr.",name:"Csaba",middleName:null,surname:"Szabó",slug:"csaba-szabo",fullName:"Csaba Szabó",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"University of Debrecen",country:{name:"Hungary"}}},{id:"345719",title:"Mrs.",name:"Márta",middleName:null,surname:"Horváth",slug:"marta-horvath",fullName:"Márta Horváth",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"University of Debrecen",country:{name:"Hungary"}}},{id:"420151",title:"Prof.",name:"Novirman",middleName:null,surname:"Jamarun",slug:"novirman-jamarun",fullName:"Novirman Jamarun",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Andalas University",country:{name:"Indonesia"}}}]}},subseries:{item:{id:"90",type:"subseries",title:"Human Development",keywords:"Neuroscientific research, Brain functions, Human development, UN’s human development index, Self-awareness, Self-development",scope:"