\\n\\n
More than half of the publishers listed alongside IntechOpen (18 out of 30) are Social Science and Humanities publishers. IntechOpen is an exception to this as a leader in not only Open Access content but Open Access content across all scientific disciplines, including Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Life Science, and Social Sciences and Humanities.
\\n\\nOur breakdown of titles published demonstrates this with 47% PET, 31% HS, 18% LS, and 4% SSH books published.
\\n\\n“Even though ItechOpen has shown the potential of sci-tech books using an OA approach,” other publishers “have shown little interest in OA books.”
\\n\\nAdditionally, each book published by IntechOpen contains original content and research findings.
\\n\\nWe are honored to be among such prestigious publishers and we hope to continue to spearhead that growth in our quest to promote Open Access as a true pioneer in OA book publishing.
\\n\\n\\n\\n
\\n"}]',published:!0,mainMedia:null},components:[{type:"htmlEditorComponent",content:'
Simba Information has released its Open Access Book Publishing 2020 - 2024 report and has again identified IntechOpen as the world’s largest Open Access book publisher by title count.
\n\nSimba Information is a leading provider for market intelligence and forecasts in the media and publishing industry. The report, published every year, provides an overview and financial outlook for the global professional e-book publishing market.
\n\nIntechOpen, De Gruyter, and Frontiers are the largest OA book publishers by title count, with IntechOpen coming in at first place with 5,101 OA books published, a good 1,782 titles ahead of the nearest competitor.
\n\nSince the first Open Access Book Publishing report published in 2016, IntechOpen has held the top stop each year.
\n\n\n\nMore than half of the publishers listed alongside IntechOpen (18 out of 30) are Social Science and Humanities publishers. IntechOpen is an exception to this as a leader in not only Open Access content but Open Access content across all scientific disciplines, including Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Life Science, and Social Sciences and Humanities.
\n\nOur breakdown of titles published demonstrates this with 47% PET, 31% HS, 18% LS, and 4% SSH books published.
\n\n“Even though ItechOpen has shown the potential of sci-tech books using an OA approach,” other publishers “have shown little interest in OA books.”
\n\nAdditionally, each book published by IntechOpen contains original content and research findings.
\n\nWe are honored to be among such prestigious publishers and we hope to continue to spearhead that growth in our quest to promote Open Access as a true pioneer in OA book publishing.
\n\n\n\n
\n'}],latestNews:[{slug:"intechopen-authors-included-in-the-highly-cited-researchers-list-for-2020-20210121",title:"IntechOpen Authors Included in the Highly Cited Researchers List for 2020"},{slug:"intechopen-maintains-position-as-the-world-s-largest-oa-book-publisher-20201218",title:"IntechOpen Maintains Position as the World’s Largest OA Book Publisher"},{slug:"all-intechopen-books-available-on-perlego-20201215",title:"All IntechOpen Books Available on Perlego"},{slug:"oiv-awards-recognizes-intechopen-s-editors-20201127",title:"OIV Awards Recognizes IntechOpen's Editors"},{slug:"intechopen-joins-crossref-s-initiative-for-open-abstracts-i4oa-to-boost-the-discovery-of-research-20201005",title:"IntechOpen joins Crossref's Initiative for Open Abstracts (I4OA) to Boost the Discovery of Research"},{slug:"intechopen-hits-milestone-5-000-open-access-books-published-20200908",title:"IntechOpen hits milestone: 5,000 Open Access books published!"},{slug:"intechopen-books-hosted-on-the-mathworks-book-program-20200819",title:"IntechOpen Books Hosted on the MathWorks Book Program"},{slug:"intechopen-s-chapter-awarded-the-guenther-von-pannewitz-preis-2020-20200715",title:"IntechOpen's Chapter Awarded the Günther-von-Pannewitz-Preis 2020"}]},book:{item:{type:"book",id:"6534",leadTitle:null,fullTitle:"Heavy Metals",title:"Heavy Metals",subtitle:null,reviewType:"peer-reviewed",abstract:"Fundamental societal changes resulted from the necessity of people to get organized in mining, transporting, processing, and circulating the heavy metals and their follow-up products, which in consequence resulted in a differentiation of society into diversified professions and even societal strata. Heavy metals are highly demanded technological materials, which drive welfare and progress of the human society, and often play essential metabolic roles. However, their eminent toxicity challenges the field of chemistry, physics, engineering, cleaner production, electronics, metabolomics, botany, biotechnology, and microbiology in an interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial manner. Today, all these scientific disciplines are called to dedicate their efforts in a synergistic way to avoid exposure of heavy metals into the eco- and biosphere, to reliably monitor and quantify heavy metal contamination, and to foster the development of novel strategies to remediate damage caused by heavy metals.",isbn:"978-1-78923-361-2",printIsbn:"978-1-78923-360-5",pdfIsbn:"978-1-83881-533-2",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.71185",price:139,priceEur:155,priceUsd:179,slug:"heavy-metals",numberOfPages:412,isOpenForSubmission:!1,isInWos:1,hash:"a7573426a162c18f39acc575c1e69f67",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din M. Saleh and Refaat F. Aglan",publishedDate:"June 27th 2018",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6534.jpg",numberOfDownloads:30052,numberOfWosCitations:8,numberOfCrossrefCitations:84,numberOfDimensionsCitations:155,hasAltmetrics:1,numberOfTotalCitations:247,isAvailableForWebshopOrdering:!0,dateEndFirstStepPublish:"September 28th 2017",dateEndSecondStepPublish:"October 19th 2017",dateEndThirdStepPublish:"December 18th 2017",dateEndFourthStepPublish:"March 8th 2018",dateEndFifthStepPublish:"May 7th 2018",currentStepOfPublishingProcess:5,indexedIn:"1,2,3,4,5,6,7",editedByType:"Edited by",kuFlag:!1,editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",middleName:"M.",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh",profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/144691/images/system/144691.jpeg",biography:"Hosam Saleh is a Professor of radioactive waste management at the Radioisotope Department, Atomic Energy Authority, Egypt. He was awarded with MSc and Ph.D. degrees in Physical Chemistry from Cairo University. Saleh has more than 20 years of experience in hazardous waste management with an emphasis on treatment and developing new matrixes for immobilization of these wastes. He is also interested in studying innovative economic and environment-friendly techniques for the management of hazardous and radioactive wastes. He authored many peer-reviewed scientific papers and chapters, and served as a Book Editor of several books related to international publishers. \nHe is also a reviewer, an Editor in Chief or Associate Editor for different journals as well as a member of the Technical Program Committee for international conferences.\nHe gained the Scientific Encouragement Award from Atomic Energy Authority (2013), Encouragement Prize in Advanced Technical Sciences from the Academy of Scientific Research (2014). He has been selected among the top 2% scientist in world according to Stanford University report for 2020.",institutionString:"Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority",position:null,outsideEditionCount:0,totalCites:0,totalAuthoredChapters:"10",totalChapterViews:"0",totalEditedBooks:"10",institution:{name:"Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority",institutionURL:null,country:{name:"Egypt"}}}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,coeditorOne:{id:"234567",title:"Dr.",name:"Refaat",middleName:"Fekry Eid Sayed",surname:"Aglan",slug:"refaat-aglan",fullName:"Refaat Aglan",profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/234567/images/7517_n.png",biography:"Refaat F. Aglan is an associate professor of Analytical Chemistry at the Atomic Energy Authority of Egypt. He received his MSc degree from the Cairo University and his PhD degree from the Ain Shams University. He authored more than 25 peer-reviewed scientific papers. He is interested in the development of chemical sensors based on inorganic and organic ligands for determination of toxic and industrially important metals and synthesis of inorganic ion exchanger.",institutionString:null,position:null,outsideEditionCount:0,totalCites:0,totalAuthoredChapters:"0",totalChapterViews:"0",totalEditedBooks:"0",institution:null},coeditorTwo:null,coeditorThree:null,coeditorFour:null,coeditorFive:null,topics:[{id:"942",title:"Environmental Engineering",slug:"metals-and-nonmetals-environmental-engineering"}],chapters:[{id:"59857",title:"Introductory Chapter: Introducing Heavy Metals",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74783",slug:"introductory-chapter-introducing-heavy-metals",totalDownloads:4169,totalCrossrefCites:3,totalDimensionsCites:8,signatures:"Martin Koller and Hosam M. Saleh",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59857",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59857",authors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],corrections:null},{id:"59343",title:"Cadmium Iodate Syntheses and Characterization",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.73866",slug:"cadmium-iodate-syntheses-and-characterization",totalDownloads:471,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:2,signatures:"Zoulikha Hebboul",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59343",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59343",authors:[{id:"223608",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Hebboul",surname:"Zoulikha",slug:"hebboul-zoulikha",fullName:"Hebboul Zoulikha"}],corrections:null},{id:"61406",title:"Removal of Heavy Metals Using Bentonite Clay and Inorganic Coagulants",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.76380",slug:"removal-of-heavy-metals-using-bentonite-clay-and-inorganic-coagulants",totalDownloads:820,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:2,signatures:"Oupa I. Ntwampe and Kapil Moothi",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/61406",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/61406",authors:[{id:"220207",title:"Dr.",name:"Oupa",surname:"Ntwampe",slug:"oupa-ntwampe",fullName:"Oupa Ntwampe"}],corrections:null},{id:"59219",title:"Strategic Design of Heavy Metals Removal Agents through Zeta Potential Measurements",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74053",slug:"strategic-design-of-heavy-metals-removal-agents-through-zeta-potential-measurements",totalDownloads:515,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:1,signatures:"Eduardo Alberto López-Maldonado and Mercedes Teresita\nOropeza-Guzmán",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59219",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59219",authors:[{id:"221925",title:"Dr.",name:"Eduardo",surname:"López-Maldonado",slug:"eduardo-lopez-maldonado",fullName:"Eduardo López-Maldonado"},{id:"224294",title:"Dr.",name:"Mercedes T.",surname:"Oropeza-Guzman",slug:"mercedes-t.-oropeza-guzman",fullName:"Mercedes T. Oropeza-Guzman"}],corrections:null},{id:"60214",title:"Short-Term Response of Plants Grown under Heavy Metal Toxicity",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.75722",slug:"short-term-response-of-plants-grown-under-heavy-metal-toxicity",totalDownloads:666,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,signatures:"Prasann Kumar and Shweta Pathak",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/60214",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/60214",authors:[{id:"223510",title:"Dr.",name:"Prasann",surname:"Kumar",slug:"prasann-kumar",fullName:"Prasann Kumar"},{id:"241113",title:"Ms.",name:"Shweta",surname:"Pathak",slug:"shweta-pathak",fullName:"Shweta Pathak"}],corrections:null},{id:"59116",title:"Impact of Heavy Metals on Forest Ecosystems of the European North of Russia",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.73323",slug:"impact-of-heavy-metals-on-forest-ecosystems-of-the-european-north-of-russia",totalDownloads:501,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:3,signatures:"Irina Lyanguzova, Vasily Yarmishko, Vadim Gorshkov, Natalie\nStavrova and Irina Bakkal",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59116",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59116",authors:[{id:"228425",title:"D.Sc.",name:"Irina",surname:"Lyanguzova",slug:"irina-lyanguzova",fullName:"Irina Lyanguzova"},{id:"228429",title:"Prof.",name:"Vasily",surname:"Yarmishko",slug:"vasily-yarmishko",fullName:"Vasily Yarmishko"},{id:"238519",title:"Dr.",name:"Vadim",surname:"Gorshkov",slug:"vadim-gorshkov",fullName:"Vadim Gorshkov"},{id:"238521",title:"Dr.",name:"Natalie",surname:"Stavrova",slug:"natalie-stavrova",fullName:"Natalie Stavrova"},{id:"238523",title:"Dr.",name:"Irina",surname:"Bakkal",slug:"irina-bakkal",fullName:"Irina Bakkal"}],corrections:null},{id:"60680",title:"Environmental Contamination by Heavy Metals",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.76082",slug:"environmental-contamination-by-heavy-metals",totalDownloads:11853,totalCrossrefCites:58,totalDimensionsCites:101,signatures:"Vhahangwele Masindi and Khathutshelo L. Muedi",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/60680",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/60680",authors:[{id:"225304",title:"Dr.",name:"Vhahangwele",surname:"Masindi",slug:"vhahangwele-masindi",fullName:"Vhahangwele Masindi"},{id:"241403",title:"M.Sc.",name:"Khathutshelo",surname:"Muedi",slug:"khathutshelo-muedi",fullName:"Khathutshelo Muedi"}],corrections:null},{id:"59299",title:"Estimate of Heavy Metals in Soil Using Combined Geochemistry and Field Spectroscopy in Miyi Mining Area",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.73663",slug:"estimate-of-heavy-metals-in-soil-using-combined-geochemistry-and-field-spectroscopy-in-miyi-mining-a",totalDownloads:509,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,signatures:"Jian Ji, Fang Yao, Chen Qian-Yu and Tian Heng-Yu",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59299",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59299",authors:[{id:"226846",title:"Prof.",name:"Ji",surname:"Jian",slug:"ji-jian",fullName:"Ji Jian"},{id:"240204",title:"MSc.",name:"Yao",surname:"Fang",slug:"yao-fang",fullName:"Yao Fang"},{id:"240205",title:"MSc.",name:"Qianyu",surname:"Chen",slug:"qianyu-chen",fullName:"Qianyu Chen"},{id:"240206",title:"MSc.",name:"Hengyu",surname:"Tian",slug:"hengyu-tian",fullName:"Hengyu Tian"}],corrections:null},{id:"61476",title:"Tempospatial Distribution, Gas: Solid Partition, and Long- Range Transportation of Atmospheric Mercury at an Industrial City and Offshore Islands",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74051",slug:"tempospatial-distribution-gas-solid-partition-and-long-range-transportation-of-atmospheric-mercury-a",totalDownloads:443,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,signatures:"Yi-Hsiu Jen and Chung-Shin Yuan",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/61476",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/61476",authors:[{id:"227323",title:"Dr.",name:"YiHsiu",surname:"Jen",slug:"yihsiu-jen",fullName:"YiHsiu Jen"},{id:"227324",title:"Prof.",name:"Chung Shin",surname:"Yuan",slug:"chung-shin-yuan",fullName:"Chung Shin Yuan"}],corrections:null},{id:"57972",title:"Phytoremediation of Arsenic Contaminated Water",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.72238",slug:"phytoremediation-of-arsenic-contaminated-water",totalDownloads:586,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,signatures:"Randhir Kumar and Tarun Kumar Banerjee",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/57972",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/57972",authors:[{id:"220765",title:"Dr.",name:"Randhir",surname:"Kumar",slug:"randhir-kumar",fullName:"Randhir Kumar"},{id:"221411",title:"Prof.",name:"Tarun",surname:"Banerjee",slug:"tarun-banerjee",fullName:"Tarun Banerjee"}],corrections:null},{id:"60715",title:"Phytoremediation and Physiological Effects of Mixed Heavy Metals on Poplar Hybrids",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.76348",slug:"phytoremediation-and-physiological-effects-of-mixed-heavy-metals-on-poplar-hybrids",totalDownloads:790,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,signatures:"Romika Chandra and Kang Hoduck",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/60715",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/60715",authors:[{id:"226785",title:"Prof.",name:"Hoduck",surname:"Kang",slug:"hoduck-kang",fullName:"Hoduck Kang"},{id:"226786",title:"Dr.",name:"Chandra",surname:"Romika",slug:"chandra-romika",fullName:"Chandra Romika"}],corrections:null},{id:"59441",title:"Phytoremediation: Halophytes as Promising Heavy Metal Hyperaccumulators",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.73879",slug:"phytoremediation-halophytes-as-promising-heavy-metal-hyperaccumulators",totalDownloads:1164,totalCrossrefCites:7,totalDimensionsCites:12,signatures:"Kamal Usman, Mohammad A. Al-Ghouti and Mohammed H. Abu-\nDieyeh",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59441",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59441",authors:[{id:"235281",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Mohammed",surname:"Abu-Dieyeh",slug:"mohammed-abu-dieyeh",fullName:"Mohammed Abu-Dieyeh"},{id:"235285",title:"Mr.",name:"Kamal",surname:"Usman",slug:"kamal-usman",fullName:"Kamal Usman"},{id:"235286",title:"Dr.",name:"Mohammad",surname:"Al-Ghouti",slug:"mohammad-al-ghouti",fullName:"Mohammad Al-Ghouti"}],corrections:null},{id:"59339",title:"Assessment of Heavy Metals in Landfill Leachate: A Case Study of Thohoyandou Landfill, Limpopo Province, South Africa",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74009",slug:"assessment-of-heavy-metals-in-landfill-leachate-a-case-study-of-thohoyandou-landfill-limpopo-provinc",totalDownloads:831,totalCrossrefCites:2,totalDimensionsCites:3,signatures:"Joshua N. Edokpayi, Olatunde S. Durowoju and John O. Odiyo",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59339",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59339",authors:[{id:"187867",title:"Dr.",name:"Joshua",surname:"Edokpayi",slug:"joshua-edokpayi",fullName:"Joshua Edokpayi"},{id:"189690",title:"Prof.",name:"John",surname:"Odiyo",slug:"john-odiyo",fullName:"John Odiyo"},{id:"194678",title:"Dr.",name:"Olatunde",surname:"Durowoju",slug:"olatunde-durowoju",fullName:"Olatunde Durowoju"}],corrections:null},{id:"59390",title:"The Thermodynamics of Heavy Metal Sorption onto Lignocellulosic Biomass",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74260",slug:"the-thermodynamics-of-heavy-metal-sorption-onto-lignocellulosic-biomass",totalDownloads:660,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:3,signatures:"Carlos Escudero-Oñate and Isabel Villaescusa",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59390",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59390",authors:[{id:"188725",title:"Dr.",name:"Carlos",surname:"Escudero-Oñate",slug:"carlos-escudero-onate",fullName:"Carlos Escudero-Oñate"},{id:"188731",title:"Prof.",name:"Isabel",surname:"Villaescusa",slug:"isabel-villaescusa",fullName:"Isabel Villaescusa"}],corrections:null},{id:"60021",title:"Removal of Heavy Metals Using Adsorption Processes Subject to an External Magnetic Field",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74050",slug:"removal-of-heavy-metals-using-adsorption-processes-subject-to-an-external-magnetic-field",totalDownloads:1270,totalCrossrefCites:4,totalDimensionsCites:6,signatures:"Ma. del Rosario Moreno Virgen, Omar Francisco González Vázquez,\nVirginia Hernández Montoya and Rigoberto Tovar Gómez",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/60021",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/60021",authors:[{id:"224528",title:"Dr.",name:"Ma. Del Rosario",surname:"Moreno Virgen",slug:"ma.-del-rosario-moreno-virgen",fullName:"Ma. Del Rosario Moreno Virgen"},{id:"238665",title:"Dr.",name:"Virginia",surname:"Hernández Montoya",slug:"virginia-hernandez-montoya",fullName:"Virginia Hernández Montoya"},{id:"238666",title:"Dr.",name:"Rigoberto",surname:"Tovar Gómez",slug:"rigoberto-tovar-gomez",fullName:"Rigoberto Tovar Gómez"},{id:"238667",title:"Prof.",name:"Omar Francisco",surname:"González Vázquez",slug:"omar-francisco-gonzalez-vazquez",fullName:"Omar Francisco González Vázquez"}],corrections:null},{id:"61612",title:"Biosorbents in the Metallic Ions Determination",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.76081",slug:"biosorbents-in-the-metallic-ions-determination",totalDownloads:585,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,signatures:"Absolon C. da Silva Júnior, Alessa G. Siqueira, Carolina A. de Sousa e\nSilva, Jordana de Assis N. Oliveira, Nívia M.M. Coelho and Vanessa\nNunes Alves",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/61612",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/61612",authors:[{id:"225065",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Vanessa",surname:"Alves",slug:"vanessa-alves",fullName:"Vanessa Alves"},{id:"240715",title:"Dr.",name:"Absolon C.",surname:"Da Silva Junior",slug:"absolon-c.-da-silva-junior",fullName:"Absolon C. Da Silva Junior"},{id:"240716",title:"Ms.",name:"Alessa G.",surname:"Siqueira",slug:"alessa-g.-siqueira",fullName:"Alessa G. Siqueira"},{id:"240718",title:"Ms.",name:"Carolina A. De Sousa E",surname:"Silva",slug:"carolina-a.-de-sousa-e-silva",fullName:"Carolina A. De Sousa E Silva"},{id:"240719",title:"Ms.",name:"Jordana De Assis N.",surname:"Oliveira",slug:"jordana-de-assis-n.-oliveira",fullName:"Jordana De Assis N. Oliveira"},{id:"240720",title:"Dr.",name:"Nívia Maria M.",surname:"Coelho",slug:"nivia-maria-m.-coelho",fullName:"Nívia Maria M. Coelho"}],corrections:null},{id:"59415",title:"Heavy Metals in Urban Dust",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74205",slug:"heavy-metals-in-urban-dust",totalDownloads:930,totalCrossrefCites:2,totalDimensionsCites:3,signatures:"Fumiyuki Nakajima and Rupak Aryal",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59415",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59415",authors:[{id:"228158",title:"Dr.",name:"Fumiyuki",surname:"Nakajima",slug:"fumiyuki-nakajima",fullName:"Fumiyuki Nakajima"},{id:"228170",title:"Dr.",name:"Rupak",surname:"Aryal",slug:"rupak-aryal",fullName:"Rupak Aryal"}],corrections:null},{id:"59843",title:"Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals on Primary School Learners from Dust and Soil within School Premises in Lagos State, Nigeria",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74741",slug:"health-risk-assessment-of-heavy-metals-on-primary-school-learners-from-dust-and-soil-within-school-p",totalDownloads:979,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:3,signatures:"Olatunde S. Durowoju, Joshua N. Edokpayi, Oluseun E. Popoola and\nJohn O. Odiyo",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59843",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59843",authors:[{id:"187867",title:"Dr.",name:"Joshua",surname:"Edokpayi",slug:"joshua-edokpayi",fullName:"Joshua Edokpayi"},{id:"189690",title:"Prof.",name:"John",surname:"Odiyo",slug:"john-odiyo",fullName:"John Odiyo"},{id:"194678",title:"Dr.",name:"Olatunde",surname:"Durowoju",slug:"olatunde-durowoju",fullName:"Olatunde Durowoju"},{id:"226179",title:"Dr.",name:"Oluseun",surname:"Popoola",slug:"oluseun-popoola",fullName:"Oluseun Popoola"}],corrections:null},{id:"58942",title:"Heavy Metal in Urban Soil: Health Risk Assessment and Management",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.73256",slug:"heavy-metal-in-urban-soil-health-risk-assessment-and-management",totalDownloads:871,totalCrossrefCites:2,totalDimensionsCites:3,signatures:"Fei Li",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/58942",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/58942",authors:[{id:"227325",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Fei",surname:"Li",slug:"fei-li",fullName:"Fei Li"}],corrections:null},{id:"59718",title:"Heavy Metal Pollution of Ecosystem in an Industrialized and Urbanized Region of the Republic of Azerbaijan",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74600",slug:"heavy-metal-pollution-of-ecosystem-in-an-industrialized-and-urbanized-region-of-the-republic-of-azer",totalDownloads:649,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:2,signatures:"Fagan Aliyev, Hadiya Khalilova and Farhad Aliyev",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59718",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59718",authors:[{id:"224977",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Hadiya",surname:"Khalilova",slug:"hadiya-khalilova",fullName:"Hadiya Khalilova"}],corrections:null},{id:"59225",title:"Heavy Metal Pollution as a Biodiversity Threat",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.74052",slug:"heavy-metal-pollution-as-a-biodiversity-threat",totalDownloads:820,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:3,signatures:"Efraín Tovar-Sánchez, Isela Hernández-Plata, Miguel Santoyo\nMartínez, Leticia Valencia-Cuevas and Patricia Mussali Galante",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/59225",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/59225",authors:[{id:"227977",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Patricia",surname:"Mussali-Galante",slug:"patricia-mussali-galante",fullName:"Patricia Mussali-Galante"},{id:"240012",title:"Dr.",name:"Efrain",surname:"Tovar-Sánchez",slug:"efrain-tovar-sanchez",fullName:"Efrain Tovar-Sánchez"},{id:"240013",title:"Dr.",name:"Isela",surname:"Hernández-Plata",slug:"isela-hernandez-plata",fullName:"Isela Hernández-Plata"},{id:"240014",title:"MSc.",name:"Miguel",surname:"Santoyo-Martínez",slug:"miguel-santoyo-martinez",fullName:"Miguel Santoyo-Martínez"},{id:"240015",title:"Dr.",name:"Leticia",surname:"Valencia-Cuevas",slug:"leticia-valencia-cuevas",fullName:"Leticia Valencia-Cuevas"}],corrections:null}],productType:{id:"1",title:"Edited Volume",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},relatedBooks:[{type:"book",id:"2383",title:"Polyester",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"79fd9d6314f8e1abd60d7e21896ce878",slug:"polyester",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din M. Saleh",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/2383.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"5242",title:"Management of Hazardous Wastes",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"cc1f32b478098cdda6b946d14a02ad81",slug:"management-of-hazardous-wastes",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din M. Saleh and Rehab O. Abdel Rahman",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/5242.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6067",title:"Green Chemistry",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"f33464ef8bb9839d75b674a0f8409c77",slug:"green-chemistry",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din M. Saleh and Martin Koller",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6067.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6513",title:"Cement Based Materials",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"7c92db3d5c64117861b425cb692b5695",slug:"cement-based-materials",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din M. Saleh and Rehab O. Abdel Rahman",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6513.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6728",title:"Trace Elements",subtitle:"Human Health and Environment",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"4e1144832b71a4ffcabc7cc31ce911b2",slug:"trace-elements-human-health-and-environment",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din M. Saleh and Eithar El-Adham",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6728.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8580",title:"Municipal Solid Waste Management",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"e3554c02569fe3ac8afa79cb02daae97",slug:"municipal-solid-waste-management",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din Mostafa Saleh",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8580.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6847",title:"Characterizations of Some Composite Materials",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"f0869b3bb91cf9acb7e69004b1bd17ec",slug:"characterizations-of-some-composite-materials",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din M. Saleh and Martin Koller",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6847.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8000",title:"Assessment and Management of Radioactive and Electronic Wastes",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"0195aa3bce1f0c8783649a32a4affeaf",slug:"assessment-and-management-of-radioactive-and-electronic-wastes",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din Saleh",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8000.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"7640",title:"Perspective of Carbon Nanotubes",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"8b85a9957fad5206369eadf0c1ffa27d",slug:"perspective-of-carbon-nanotubes",bookSignature:"Hosam El-Din Saleh and Said Moawad Mohamed El-Sheikh",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7640.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"144691",title:"Prof.",name:"Hosam",surname:"Saleh",slug:"hosam-saleh",fullName:"Hosam Saleh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{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:"Theophanides",surname:"Theophile",slug:"theophanides-theophile",fullName:"Theophanides Theophile"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}}],ofsBooks:[]},correction:{item:{id:"74251",slug:"corrigendum-to-enhancing-soil-properties-and-maize-yield-through-organic-and-inorganic-nitrogen-and",title:"Corrigendum to: Enhancing Soil Properties and Maize Yield through Organic and Inorganic Nitrogen and Diazotrophic Bacteria",doi:null,correctionPDFUrl:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/74251.pdf",downloadPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-download/74251",previewPdfUrl:"/chapter/pdf-preview/74251",totalDownloads:null,totalCrossrefCites:null,bibtexUrl:"/chapter/bibtex/74251",risUrl:"/chapter/ris/74251",chapter:{id:"71840",slug:"enhancing-soil-properties-and-maize-yield-through-organic-and-inorganic-nitrogen-and-diazotrophic-ba",signatures:"Arshad Jalal, Kamran Azeem, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho and Aeysha Khan",dateSubmitted:"May 29th 2019",dateReviewed:"March 6th 2020",datePrePublished:"April 20th 2020",datePublished:"June 17th 2020",book:{id:"9345",title:"Sustainable Crop Production",subtitle:null,fullTitle:"Sustainable Crop Production",slug:"sustainable-crop-production",publishedDate:"June 17th 2020",bookSignature:"Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Masayuki Fujita and Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9345.jpg",licenceType:"CC BY 3.0",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"76477",title:"Dr.",name:"Mirza",middleName:null,surname:"Hasanuzzaman",slug:"mirza-hasanuzzaman",fullName:"Mirza Hasanuzzaman"}],productType:{id:"1",title:"Edited Volume",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},authors:[{id:"190597",title:"Dr.",name:"Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto",middleName:null,surname:"Teixeira Filho",fullName:"Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho",slug:"marcelo-carvalho-minhoto-teixeira-filho",email:"mcm.teixeira-filho@unesp.br",position:null,institution:{name:"Sao Paulo State University",institutionURL:null,country:{name:"Brazil"}}},{id:"322298",title:"Dr.",name:"Aeysha",middleName:null,surname:"Khan",fullName:"Aeysha Khan",slug:"aeysha-khan",email:"fhw9uhfig@gmail.com",position:null,institution:null},{id:"322299",title:"Dr.",name:"Kamran",middleName:null,surname:"Azeem",fullName:"Kamran Azeem",slug:"kamran-azeem",email:"gisfgiog34sg@gmail.com",position:null,institution:null},{id:"322301",title:"Dr.",name:"Arshad",middleName:null,surname:"Jalal",fullName:"Arshad Jalal",slug:"arshad-jalal",email:"gisfgiog3465sg@gmail.com",position:null,institution:null}]}},chapter:{id:"71840",slug:"enhancing-soil-properties-and-maize-yield-through-organic-and-inorganic-nitrogen-and-diazotrophic-ba",signatures:"Arshad Jalal, Kamran Azeem, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho and Aeysha Khan",dateSubmitted:"May 29th 2019",dateReviewed:"March 6th 2020",datePrePublished:"April 20th 2020",datePublished:"June 17th 2020",book:{id:"9345",title:"Sustainable Crop Production",subtitle:null,fullTitle:"Sustainable Crop Production",slug:"sustainable-crop-production",publishedDate:"June 17th 2020",bookSignature:"Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Masayuki Fujita and Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9345.jpg",licenceType:"CC BY 3.0",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"76477",title:"Dr.",name:"Mirza",middleName:null,surname:"Hasanuzzaman",slug:"mirza-hasanuzzaman",fullName:"Mirza Hasanuzzaman"}],productType:{id:"1",title:"Edited Volume",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},authors:[{id:"190597",title:"Dr.",name:"Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto",middleName:null,surname:"Teixeira Filho",fullName:"Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho",slug:"marcelo-carvalho-minhoto-teixeira-filho",email:"mcm.teixeira-filho@unesp.br",position:null,institution:{name:"Sao Paulo State University",institutionURL:null,country:{name:"Brazil"}}},{id:"322298",title:"Dr.",name:"Aeysha",middleName:null,surname:"Khan",fullName:"Aeysha Khan",slug:"aeysha-khan",email:"fhw9uhfig@gmail.com",position:null,institution:null},{id:"322299",title:"Dr.",name:"Kamran",middleName:null,surname:"Azeem",fullName:"Kamran Azeem",slug:"kamran-azeem",email:"gisfgiog34sg@gmail.com",position:null,institution:null},{id:"322301",title:"Dr.",name:"Arshad",middleName:null,surname:"Jalal",fullName:"Arshad Jalal",slug:"arshad-jalal",email:"gisfgiog3465sg@gmail.com",position:null,institution:null}]},book:{id:"9345",title:"Sustainable Crop Production",subtitle:null,fullTitle:"Sustainable Crop Production",slug:"sustainable-crop-production",publishedDate:"June 17th 2020",bookSignature:"Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Masayuki Fujita and Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9345.jpg",licenceType:"CC BY 3.0",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"76477",title:"Dr.",name:"Mirza",middleName:null,surname:"Hasanuzzaman",slug:"mirza-hasanuzzaman",fullName:"Mirza Hasanuzzaman"}],productType:{id:"1",title:"Edited Volume",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}}},ofsBook:{item:{type:"book",id:"8568",leadTitle:null,title:"Intelligent Life Beyond Earth",subtitle:null,reviewType:"peer-reviewed",abstract:"This book will be a self-contained collection of scholarly papers targeting an audience of practicing researchers, academics, PhD students and other scientists. The contents of the book will be written by multiple authors and edited by experts in the field.",isbn:null,printIsbn:null,pdfIsbn:null,doi:null,price:0,priceEur:0,priceUsd:0,slug:null,numberOfPages:0,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"f678594f3e4c852a12790aca46dbcdc2",bookSignature:"",publishedDate:null,coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8568.jpg",keywords:null,numberOfDownloads:null,numberOfWosCitations:0,numberOfCrossrefCitations:0,numberOfDimensionsCitations:null,numberOfTotalCitations:null,isAvailableForWebshopOrdering:!0,dateEndFirstStepPublish:"May 22nd 2018",dateEndSecondStepPublish:"June 12th 2018",dateEndThirdStepPublish:"August 11th 2018",dateEndFourthStepPublish:"October 30th 2018",dateEndFifthStepPublish:"December 29th 2018",remainingDaysToSecondStep:"3 years",secondStepPassed:!0,currentStepOfPublishingProcess:1,editedByType:null,kuFlag:!1,biosketch:null,coeditorOneBiosketch:null,coeditorTwoBiosketch:null,coeditorThreeBiosketch:null,coeditorFourBiosketch:null,coeditorFiveBiosketch:null,editors:null,coeditorOne:null,coeditorTwo:null,coeditorThree:null,coeditorFour:null,coeditorFive:null,topics:[{id:"10",title:"Earth and Planetary Sciences",slug:"earth-and-planetary-sciences"}],chapters:null,productType:{id:"1",title:"Edited Volume",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"},personalPublishingAssistant:null},relatedBooks:[{type:"book",id:"5962",title:"Estuary",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"43058846a64b270e9167d478e966161a",slug:"estuary",bookSignature:"William Froneman",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/5962.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"109336",title:"Prof.",name:"William",surname:"Froneman",slug:"william-froneman",fullName:"William Froneman"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{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:"Theophanides",surname:"Theophile",slug:"theophanides-theophile",fullName:"Theophanides Theophile"}],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:"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:"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:"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:"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:"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:"878",title:"Phytochemicals",subtitle:"A Global Perspective of Their Role in Nutrition and Health",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ec77671f63975ef2d16192897deb6835",slug:"phytochemicals-a-global-perspective-of-their-role-in-nutrition-and-health",bookSignature:"Venketeshwer Rao",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/878.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"82663",title:"Dr.",name:"Venketeshwer",surname:"Rao",slug:"venketeshwer-rao",fullName:"Venketeshwer Rao"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"4816",title:"Face Recognition",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"146063b5359146b7718ea86bad47c8eb",slug:"face_recognition",bookSignature:"Kresimir Delac and Mislav Grgic",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/4816.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"528",title:"Dr.",name:"Kresimir",surname:"Delac",slug:"kresimir-delac",fullName:"Kresimir Delac"}],productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}}]},chapter:{item:{type:"chapter",id:"60887",title:"Mixed Methods Studies in Health Promotion: A Case-Study Based on the Life Situations of Young People of Refugee Backgrounds in Germany",doi:"10.5772/intechopen.76711",slug:"mixed-methods-studies-in-health-promotion-a-case-study-based-on-the-life-situations-of-young-people-",body:'\n
Mixed Methods Studies—which combine qualitative and quantitative research methods—are now being utilised in many different disciplines [1, 6, 8, 18, 21, 26]. Standardised surveys are used in many cases, and qualitative interviews are then added as preliminary studies or for more in-depth research [40, 41]. The epistemological potential of Mixed Method Studies in which qualitative and quantitative research methods are combined with equal weighting is hardly ever considered or taken into account [25].
\nThis potential for knowledge will be examined in this chapter based on a specific example project. On behalf of the administrative district of Göppingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany), a Mixed Methods Study was carried out in 2016/2017 into the life situations of young people from refugee backgrounds aged between 11 and 21 years old [5, 37]. This Mixed Methods Study looked into the views of young people from refugee backgrounds, their social workers from the youth welfare office and the providers of programmes and services in the administrative district. Qualitative interviews were used to survey the young people from refugee backgrounds and their social workers. The providers of programmes and services were surveyed using a standardised questionnaire. The combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods provides a holistic and comprehensive insight into the contextual and framework conditions, as well as the socio-political challenges and individual requirements. This study demonstrated that Mixed Methods Studies in which qualitative and quantitative studies are given equal weighting represent a suitable strategy for researching issues dealing with health promotion, especially with respect to sensitive subjects and difficulty to reach target groups.
\nAn overview of the use and dissemination of Mixed Method Studies in health promotion will firstly be provided. An example study on the life situations of young people from refugee backgrounds will then be used to discuss the potential offered by Mixed Methods Studies for health promotion when the qualitative and quantitative methods are given equal weighting.
\nHealth promotion utilises a very broad range of methods due to its interdisciplinary nature and the different approaches found in the fields of natural sciences, medicine, social sciences and psychology [6, 9, 18, 21]. The various disciplines each apply their own research methods depending on the research topic, the acquisition of epistemic knowledge and the available resources.
\nThe terms qualitative and quantitative research methods are utilised across all disciplines [1, 4]. They are umbrella terms for a conglomerate of research methods, approaches and analyses. Quantitative research methods can be described as numeric, standardised, deductive and hypothesis testing methods that explain structures and processes from an external perspective [4]. Qualitative research methods can be described as inductive, interpretive and hypothesis generating methods that can be understood and reconstructed from an emic, internal perspective [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
\nHowever, the fact that both qualitative and quantitative methods have their strengths yet also characteristic ‘blind spots’ is undisputed. These blind spots include, for example, replicability in the case of qualitative methods and the analysis of rarer or more extreme research groups in the case of quantitative methods. In order to also utilise the relevant strengths of quantitative and qualitative research methods and minimise any possible weaknesses, the use of so-called Mixed Methods Studies has become increasingly established over the last few years [6, 7, 8, 9].
\nMixed Methods Studies are now a standard feature of empirical research [10]. This is demonstrated by various discussions and methodological work in the social sciences and education [11], social work [12] and nursing, rehabilitation and care sciences [1, 4, 13, 14]. In relevant textbooks on these subjects, chapters have been added on Mixed Methods Studies [15, 16] or dedicated textbooks on this subject have been published [17]. Its international relevance is demonstrated by the Journal of Mixed Methods which was published for the first time in 2007, books such as the ‘Handbook of mixed methods in social and behavioural research’ [18] or the ‘Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research’ [19], as well as the ‘Mixed Methods Research Association’ (MMIRA).
\nIn general, mixed methods mean combining or integrating qualitative and quantitative research.
\n‘Mixed methods research is the type of research in which a researcher or team of researchers combines elements of qualitative and quantitative research approaches […] for the broad purposes of breadth and depth of understanding and corroboration’ [20].
\nAt a methodological level, there are various different research designs that differ according to their chronological order, the weighting of the qualitative and quantitative elements and the sampling strategies [11]. Three basic designs are typically found in current methodological discussions [9, 16, 21, 22] (see Figure 1):
convergent or concurrent design: qualitative and quantitative substudies are carried out, at the same time where relevant, and their results are interpreted in relation to one another. The research is combined at the results level (merging the data).
exploratory sequential design: a qualitative preliminary study is carried out and evaluated in this case. The results are then used to develop a quantitative study. The methods are combined here when applying the methods (building the data).
explanatory sequential design: The central aspect here is the completion and evaluation of a quantitative study, followed by a subsequent qualitative study for the purposes of more in-depth research or to clarify any unexpected findings. The substudies are also combined in this case when applying the methods (explaining the data).
Mixed-methods-basis-designs (based on [9] explanation: QUAN = quantitative component, QUAL = qualitative component, components represent the qualitative or quantitative component, depending on their sequence in the research design.
A common argument for the use of mixed methods designs is the ability to use the strengths of one method to compensate for the weaknesses of another. Accordingly, the mixed methods design developed by Udo Kelle has become the established model in Germany. He emphasises that the methodological weaknesses of one method can be compensated for through a combination of two or more methods [11]. In a similar way, other authors postulate, for example, that it is possible to use mixed methods to gain a better understanding of the research issue [13]. Creswell [22] summarises the research potential of combining qualitative and quantitative methods as follows:
obtain two different perspectives;
obtain a more comprehensive view and more data about the problem than a single perspective;
add to instrument data details about the setting and context;
conduct preliminary exploration with individuals to make sure that interventions fit the participants and the site being studied;
add qualitative data to experimental trials by identifying participants to recruit and interventions to use and carrying out follow-up to further explain the outcomes.
However, it is also emphasised that Mixed Methods Studies do not represent a new gold standard but rather ONE alternative from all possible empirical approaches [12]. The role that Mixed Methods Studies play in health promotion is described in the following section.
\nThe potential for knowledge and insight provided by Mixed Methods Studies offers a diverse range of highly promising opportunities for research work in health promotion [6, 9, 18, 21]. Since the Ottawa Charter was adopted by the World Health Organisation in 1986, health promotion has been viewed as a concept that can be applied when analysing the health resources and potential of an individual, as well as at all social levels. It is a complex social and health policy approach that influences an individual person’s life skills and the capacity to take action, empowers people to improve their health and yet also deals with sustainable changes to social, cultural, political and economic relationships.
\nHealth promotion thus stands, on the one hand, for subject-related guidance focussing on, among other things, subjective perceptions, individual behaviour and personal skills, while on the other hand, it deals with social, political or economic relationships that provide the framework for a health-promoting lifestyle and are explicitly explained using the settings-based approach. For a holistic, empirical analysis in the context of health promotion, it is thus important to focus on all levels (micro, meso and macro). Health promotion is also subject to constant change. Changes to ordinances and laws (e.g. the German Prevention Act in 2016), technical innovations (e.g. health apps, prosthetic devices), trends in nutrition and consumption (e.g. vegan diets) or also new target groups (such as, e.g. more than 1 million refugees that came to Germany in 2015 [23]) alter the framework conditions and efficiency levels of health promotion interventions. Gathering knowledge about these causal and sometimes changing conditions is a strength of Mixed Methods Studies [6].
\nMixed Methods Studies have been increasingly utilised in health promotion over the last few years [40, 41]. In the process, experimental designs have often been used [26]. Studies have been carried out using standardised questionnaires, diagnostic tests or instrument-based methods, always acknowledging the primacy of evidence-based practices [24]. In the context of this research, qualitative studies were mainly used in the form of preliminary studies or for more in-depth research into unexpected effects [25, 26]. The potential and possibilities offered by qualitative research methods were often not fully exploited in these Mixed Methods Studies [27].
\nThe following section presents a Mixed Methods Study about the life situations and well-being of young people from refugee backgrounds and the potential offered by Mixed Methods Studies in which the qualitative and quantitative methods are given equal weighting will then be discussed based on this example. Other examples to illustrate this type of research can be found in Kelle and Krones [6] and Kelle et al. [1].
\nGermany experienced an enormous increase in immigration due to asylum seekers in 2015. During this phase that was described as the ‘refugee crisis’, more than 1 million refugees and migrants travelled to Germany [23]. Germany is now faced with the political and social challenge of providing for and integrating these people from refugee backgrounds.
\nA particularly vulnerable target group in this context is young people and minors (in some cases unaccompanied) from refugee backgrounds. More than 300,000 children and young people [28] travelled to Germany from abroad in 2015, of which around 45,000 were unaccompanied [29]. A larger number of the unaccompanied minors who travelled to Germany were male [30]. The majority of the minors were 16 or 17 years old when they entered the country. The main countries of origin were Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Eritrea and Somalia. Other countries of origin were Morocco, Iran, Gambia, Guinea, Pakistan and Bangladesh [31].
\nYoung people from refugee backgrounds are an important target group for academic research and society. Research into their life situations, well-being and needs is an important basis for successful and sustainable integration. A comprehensive empirical analysis thus needs to take into account relationships at a meso- and macro-level, as well as the subject-based perspective at a micro-level. In this context, Mixed Methods Studies, where qualitative and quantitative research methods are given equal weighting, offer great potential for multifaceted and in-depth analysis.
\nThis type of Mixed Methods Study was carried out in the administrative district of Göppingen (Baden-Württemberg, Germany) in 2016/2017 (see Figure 2). The background to this study was a youth welfare planning process for young people from refugee backgrounds between the ages of 11 and 21 years old. The central research questions were as follows:
How do the young people from refugee backgrounds living in the administrative district of Göppingen feel?
What are their current life situations and, above all, what do the everyday lives and leisure time of young people from refugee backgrounds in the administrative district of Göppingen look like?
What do they need in order to feel at home in the administrative district of Göppingen?
Mixed methods study about the life situations of young people from refugee backgrounds [5].
The central objective of this study was primarily to place the focus on the views of the young people from refugee backgrounds and gather information on their subjective points of view. Yet, this posed a challenge from a methodological perspective. Important reasons were as follows:
The young people spoke no or very little German at the time of the survey: The target group for the study were young people from the ‘refugee crisis’ in 2015 shortly after their arrival in Germany or their host municipality. As these people had only lived in Germany for a short period of time, linguistic restrictions were a priori assumed.
The asylum procedures were still ongoing at the time of the study, which meant that the young people were uncertain about whether they could remain in Germany and possibly felt a certain dependency on the German system. Other empirical studies have confirmed that, in view of the refugee’s precarious life experiences during asylum that are controlled by outside forces, researchers tend to be perceived as powerful and presumably influential people by refugees [32]. People from refugee backgrounds are afraid that everything they say could have a potentially negative impact on the outcome of the asylum proceedings [32]. This highlights the ethical responsibility of the researchers to clearly explain the academic goals of the study, maintain academic and ethical standards and, where relevant, not to fuel any false hope about the outcome of the asylum process.
The young people’s experiences in fleeing their native countries demonstrated, on the one hand, their resilience and survival skills yet, on the other hand, opened up the risk of traumatic experiences. Addressing these possibly traumatic experiences cannot be the task of a researcher but it nevertheless needs to be taken into account in the design and implementation of a survey. The interviewers were usually asked in the qualitative interviews to show a respectful level of interest when traumatic experiences were mentioned and, if relevant, to sensitively ask about them but not to probe the interviewees further [33].
The young people from refugee backgrounds had only lived in the administrative district of Göppingen for a few months at the time of the survey. Therefore, it was unclear how familiar they were with the administrative district or, for example, whether they were at all aware of any corresponding programmes or services for their specific target group (e.g. leisure activities).
The young people presumably have little or no experience with academia and research. The basic prerequisite for an insightful interview is the trust of the interviewee [34, 35]. When dealing with interviewees of a young age, their friends were allowed to be present for this reason. Others recommend participatory observation in advance for the purpose of getting to know each other and building up trust [34, 35]. This option was not possible within the framework of this study (also for reasons of limited resources). Therefore, it was unclear to what extent the young refugees would be willing to provide a previously unknown researcher with insights into their everyday lives during the interview.
These reasons explained the need to use a relatively open survey that promoted as much trust as possible. This is why a qualitative tool was used—a guideline-based, problem-centred interview, which enabled a certain level of comparability between the answers due to the use of key questions but also allowed space for reflexivity and the new and unexpected. It was not possible for the interviews to be conducted by multilingual interviewers in this study because it was not possible to find suitable people with the available resources at the time of the interviews. However, volunteer interpreters in the relevant native languages were available for the interviews. The interviews were conducted by Master’s students in the field of health promotion, who were specifically selected due to their age and specialist background. They received intensive training in advance to develop their interviewing skills and remained in close contact with the research team and each other. The students documented their experiences in a postscriptum after each interview and discussed them within the group of interviewers. This primarily involved reflecting on their own role in the interview and giving their impression of the openness of the young people and their cooperation with the interpreter.
\nNon-linguistic tools were explicitly integrated into the qualitative interviews. The young people brought personal possessions along to the interviews and were asked during them to draw the so-called mind maps comprising important objects or people in their everyday lives. One goal here was to casually ease the interviewee into the conversation. In addition, the objects that were drawn or brought along by the interviewee were used as a contextual anchor for the conversation.
\nA total of 10 qualitative interviews with young people from refugee backgrounds were conducted. The interviewees were between 15 and 19 years old; nine of them were male and one was female. They came from various different countries (including Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq and Gambia). Four of the young people lived with their families and other refugees in shared accommodation, while six of them were unaccompanied minors living in accommodation provided by the youth welfare office. All of the interviews were carried out on a voluntary basis, were digitally recorded after obtaining the person’s permission and the German sections of the text were transcribed word for word. The interviews were analysed using a qualitative analysis of their content, in which the most important categories were inductively filtered out of the material and then collected together and analysed [36, 37]. In the course of this inductive analysis, the interviews were considered on a case-by-case basis and also in comparison to one another. The categories were primarily designed to reflect the everyday lives and leisure activities of the young people from refugee backgrounds.
\nIn parallel to the interviews of the young people from refugee backgrounds, a standardised online questionnaire of the providers of programmes and services in the administrative district of Göppingen was carried out. The objective was to take stock of the existing and planned programmes and services for the target group of young people from refugee backgrounds aged between 11 and 21 years old. This enabled the framework conditions, that is, the structural and local conditions, to be systematically recorded. There are more than 100 providers of programmes and services in the administrative district of Göppingen, of which there are 38 municipalities/cities, around 18 official asylum working groups, around 20 youth welfare providers and 20 schools with preparatory classes and six vocational colleges (as of October 2016). A total of 67 questionnaires were completed. Twenty-two questionnaires were received from the administrative district/municipalities, 18 from youth welfare providers, 11 from schools or educational institutions and 15 from ‘other sources’, which mainly comprised volunteer groups.
\nIn order to supplement and consolidate the results of both analyses, three qualitative guideline-based interviews with social workers from independent youth welfare agencies and the social welfare office were conducted. Both groups of social workers are intensively involved with young people from refugee backgrounds and thus have a good overview of the current situation. However, the two groups of social workers have very different perspectives about the life situations of young people from refugee backgrounds. The social workers from the social welfare office are responsible for the accompanied young people from refugee backgrounds in community housing and those from the youth welfare office are responsible for the unaccompanied young people from refugee backgrounds who are cared for in children’s homes provided by the youth welfare office. In order to ensure the maximum level of comparability, the guidelines and categories used for the analysis were strongly based on the interviews with the young people from refugee backgrounds.
\nThe study about young people from refugee backgrounds represented an explorative Mixed Methods Study in which the qualitative and quantitative methods were given equal weighting. The goal of the Mixed Methods Study was to gain a comprehensive, holistic and multiperspective insight for the purposes of analysing the life situations of young refugees. The different substudies were carried out in a coordinated but independent way. The two substudies involving the young people from refugee backgrounds and the providers of programmes and services were carried out in parallel, while the survey of the social workers was completed afterwards. The guidelines for the survey of the social workers were based on the findings of the previous studies. This meant there was a ‘mixing’ process on two levels: in the application methods because the guidelines for the survey of the social workers utilised the previous findings, and also in the analysis of the results in which the findings from the three surveys were considered in relation to one another and with equal weighting. Similarities, additions and differences were then identified with the aid of summary tables, the so-called joint displays (see Figure 1 [37]).
\nThe in-depth results of this study on young people from refugee backgrounds cannot be presented here in detail (further information can be found in [37]). However, it is possible to summarise the key results of all three substudies in five points:
The young people from refugee backgrounds generally feel happy in the administrative district of Göppingen.
They want to remain permanently in the administrative district and build a ‘normal’ life with their own apartments, jobs and later their own families.
In order to guarantee the permanent integration of the young people from refugee backgrounds, it is necessary to make (further) adjustments to the framework conditions. The providers of programmes and services require, among other things, money, rooms, employees with the necessary intercultural skills and volunteer support to offer broad and low-threshold programmes and services.
The young people from refugee backgrounds require ‘peaceful retreats’, meaning places where they can withdraw and feel safe. These opportunities have not been available to them to a sufficient degree up to now.
In addition, they require young and capable counterparts who can support them on their path and who are ideally at a similar phase of life to the refugees themselves.
Overall, the analysis of the current target-specific programmes and interventions identified the structures and processes at the meso-level of the providers of programmes and services. The evaluations of the interviews with the young people from refugee backgrounds and their social workers demonstrated the need for individual analysis on a case-by-case basis at a macro-level. They clearly demonstrated that a typical young refugee does not exist but rather it is necessary to reflect on individual life histories, relevancies and interpretative models. Specific differences in relation to gender and origin were particularly evident. In particular, accompanied young girls are difficult to reach with offers of potential leisure activities because they are already occupied with household and family duties. Young boys from Afghanistan and Syria appear to be comparatively active according to their social workers, while young boys from central African countries are more passive. The young people themselves often spoke in the interviews about anxiety disorders and concentration problems due to worries about their asylum application being rejected.
\nFrom a methodological perspective, the three substudies revealed convergent (=concordant) and complementary (=reciprocal) findings. However, the systematic comparison of the substudies also revealed different areas of tension (see [37]), the resolution of which is not part of the research assignment but rather the responsibility of the administrative district of Göppingen. Three areas of tension are presented here by way of example:
The standardised questionnaire for the providers of programmes and services demonstrated that a series of target group-specific measures have been delivered since the ‘refugee crisis’ and the majority of providers are also planning and implementing further measures. Yet, the young people from refugee backgrounds made it very clear in the interviews that they do not want any ‘round-the-clock’ care. Instead, they are looking for places to retreat that offer them the opportunity for calm and self-reflection.
The interviews with the young people from refugee backgrounds indicated that they visit a doctor relatively frequently. However, the medical reasons and necessities were difficult to comprehend in the interviews. The interviews with the social workers were an additional opportunity for acquiring relevant knowledge in this area. They made it clear that these young people perceive some illnesses, which are considered normal for young people who grow up in Germany, as life-threatening. The reason for this is that they had not been aware of some of these illnesses in the past. This is particularly true of symptoms related to colds and flu, such as sniffles or coughing.
The social workers believe that the young people are better housed in the countryside because the social structures, particularly the leisure activities, are better developed and it is thus easier for the young people to come into contact with the local population. However, the young people would prefer to live in the city where there is something to do, the distances are short, there are places with free Wi-Fi and there tend to be spaces to retreat and learn (such as the city library).
In conclusion, the multiperspective analysis of the everyday lives and leisure activities of young people from refugee backgrounds delivered results that support and supplement one another. The identification of possible areas of tension during the planning and implementation of interventions and programmes/services for young people from refugee backgrounds appears to be particularly important so that they are met with an appropriate level of acceptance and willingness to implement them from all stakeholders involved.
\nMixed Methods Studies in which qualitative and quantitative methods have equal weighting offer great potential for health promotion. The prerequisite is that the choice of qualitative and quantitative research methods is appropriate to the subject matter, case-specific and based on epistemological principles. This does not ‘only’ mean qualitative preliminary studies in the form of standardised questionnaires. Even if the relevance of this design, especially for the development of questionnaires, is not disputed, it does not do justice to the possible insights that could be gained from Mixed Methods Studies in health promotion with a larger weighting toward qualitative studies. This potential exists at the following levels (also see here [5, 6]):
For a holistic, comprehensive and multifaceted empirical analysis: Mixed Methods Studies enable a holistic settings analysis by integrating micro-, meso- and macro-levels. At a meso- and macro-level, it is standardised processes above all that offer great potential because they take into account political regulations, structural conditions or demographic processes. The qualitative studies enable an analysis at a micro-level due to their greater focus on the subject.
Analysing marginalised target groups who are difficult to reach linguistically: Health promotion often deals with marginalised and/or difficult to reach target groups, such as children and young people but also people with certain illnesses or disabilities. Studying these target groups is often a challenge because this research requires a certain level of mutual trust, and purely linguistic-based studies quickly reveal their limitations. Greater weighting could be given to qualitative processes in these cases.
To find out why interventions have a different effect than anticipated: For example, the frequency of use and motivation of the participants can be studied quantitatively but qualitative methods are needed to find out why they are perhaps used in a different way than originally hoped. In addition, a combination of participatory processes can be used to include those affected and other citizens in the development, implementation and evaluation of measures for health promotion.
To identify complex and changing causal conditions: Complex causal conditions can be studied using quantitative experimental settings. However, these processes reveal their limitations when structures change, new target groups appear or social change occurs. Qualitative methods offer great potential in this area because they are more open and place a greater focus on the subject.
To analyse sensitive and personal subjects: Especially in the health sector, the focus is often placed on intimate and personal issues, which generates problems related to social or cultural desirability when studied using standardised questionnaires. Qualitative interviews and group discussions (e.g. focus groups) which bring together social groups or persons from similar backgrounds can provide support in this area.
In general, this potential also exists in all areas of health promotion, for both status and need assessments and also for intervention and evaluation studies. This is because the effectiveness of health-promoting interventions is always also dependent on social and cultural aspects. These factors are associated with, for example, questions about the accessibility of the target groups or the lasting effects on attitudes, motivation and behaviour. In addition, purely satisfaction-based surveys using standardised questionnaires often paint a too positive picture because those surveyed tend to give socially desirable answers [1].
\nMixed Methods Studies can generally call on the whole repertoire of qualitative and quantitative methods. Previous experience demonstrates that, in the case of marginalised groups in particular, the integration of qualitative observation methods is sensible because it allows for initial contact between the researcher and the research subjects [1]. In addition, participatory processes such as photovoice or community mapping appear very promising because they enable collective reflection processes in everyday life and the world of work to be studied [38]. Focus groups—an example of a qualitative group process—enable the social environment to be analysed by integrating representatives from the relevant groups [39].
\nMixed Methods Studies in which qualitative and quantitative research methods are combined with equal weighting have proved themselves to be a suitable research strategy especially for subject-oriented, environment-based health promotion but also for specific settings-based questions. In the study about the living situation of young people from refugee background, the qualitative interviews enable the subjective perspective, and the standardised online questionnaire of the providers of programmes and services shows the institutional and structural conditions for a living in Göppingen. Mixed Methods Studies enable a holistic and multifaceted empirical understanding, can be used to explain the causes of certain actions, take into account the environment of those affected and capture the subjective sense behind actions or decisions. Depending on the survey method used, they also enable the participation of the target group and take into account a holistic settings-based approach in which a bottom-up- or top-down-oriented process is possible.
\nMixed Methods Studies with a priori equal weighting of qualitative and quantitative research methods offer great potential not only for status and needs assessments but also for intervention and evaluation studies in health promotion. The associated multiperspective analysis enables the subject-oriented development of interventions that take into account contextual and framework conditions, social and technical innovations, and individual causal attributions. Therefore, the results of the Mixed Methods Study about the living situation of young people from refugee backgrounds can be used to develop and distinguish interventions for health promoting and integration. In addition, these types of studies allow for the participation of difficult to reach or marginalised target groups, such as refugees, people with disabilities and sick people. This makes the implementation of effective and more sustainable interventions more likely.
\nM. Niederberger and M. Keller declare that no conflicts of interest exist. All interviews were completed voluntary, made anonymous and the interviewees were informed about the further use of the data for academic research. The study was carried out in accordance with the principles of ethical research.
It is estimated that the total world population could reach 9.15 billion in 2050 [1], and to increase the global food production, even more advances in agriculture must be made intensive in crop yields and in practices that are more friendly with the environment. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a water solution without soil. If the roots are suspended in a liquid medium or supported using an inert medium, the system is known as Nutrient Film Technique (NFT). In NFT systems, the plants (lettuce, leafy crops and herbs) are grown in channels (gullies) and fed continuously at a rate of approximately 1 L min−1 (Figure 1).
\nNutrient film technique.
On the other hand, if the roots are floating (pool), the system is known as deep floating technique (DFT). The DFT systems (Figure 2) are long, cement or wood rectangular reservoirs and lined with a durable polyliner. To keep the plants in net pots, holes are perforated in a foam board which rest on the surface of the water.
\nDeep floating technique (courtesy of Hydroponicsfarm).
Aeroponic systems are very similar to NFT systems, differing primarily in the spatial arrangement of cultivation channels. The cultivation space is optimized for the aeroponic plants are grown suspended in air, having as support PVC pipes which can be arranged horizontally or vertically, enabling a better exploitation of areas and installing a larger number of plants per square meter surface of the oven, obtaining thus a direct increase of productivity [2, 3]. Hydroponic systems, such as the deep flow technique, nutrient film technique or aeroponic systems, are essential tools in plant factories [4]. To accomplish with this, hydroponic systems must collect a lot of information, since this allows a better diagnosis of the problems and better understand the development of hydroponic crops. Automatic sensors not only have the ones that can be read at predefined intervals, but also the readings of these sensors are stored so that higher results can be obtained for analysis and diagnosis resulting in higher crop yields and friendlier practices with the environment. These days, there are microcontrollers (Figure 3) on the market that are compatible with a wide variety of sensors and can be used for automatic monitoring and robotics.
\nHuertomato microcontroller for measuring of humidity, water and air temperature, light, pH, electrical conductivity (courtesy of Arduino).
The emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) has allowed farmers to automate the hydroponic culture (Figure 4). Monitoring of water level, pH, temperature, flow and light intensity can be regulated using IoT, which allows for machine to machine interaction and controlling the hydroponic system autonomously and intelligently employing deep neural networks [5]. The pH of the nutrient solution for most nutrient film technique is 6.0–7.0 for most plants grown in recirculating nutrient solution and 5.4–6.0 for substrate culture [6]. There are also powerful computers that could store all this information and build a big database.
\nSchematics of internet of hydroponics (courtesy National Institute of technology, Trichy, India).
It has been implemented a smart hydroponics system (Figure 5) that automates the growing process of the crops using Bayesian network model, which classifies and predicts the optimum value in each actuator to autonomously control the hydroponics farm [7]. Finally, we raise topics related to robotics for hydroponic systems (Figure 6). Hydroponic systems cover approximately 35,000 ha in the world and further research is needed to develop new hydroponic systems to reduce the cost of energy and materials required for crop production. Therefore, this chapter aims to be a practical guide to those interested in hydroponics automation and robotics to produce vegetables.
\nAutomatic grow cabinets for growing plants at home (courtesy of HG-hydroponics).
Robot for hydroponic systems (courtesy of Iron Ox Company).
All possible variables in root zone must be monitored for automation of the hydroponic system and sensors of pH, the electrical conductivity (EC), light, the ambient temperature, the temperature of the solution, the humidity and the carbon dioxide, the dissolved oxygen and the oxidation–reduction potential must be considered as they directly affect the growth of hydroponically grown plants (Figure 7). The transpiration can be measured with either water ultrasound level sensors or load cells. If the area or volume of culture is large, several sensors must be placed to adequately control the entire crop. Ion sensors (17 essential elements in plant nutrition) are still studied for their durability and stability [8].
\nHydroponics automation system (courtesy of over grower).
It was developed a complete automation hydroponic system for maintaining stable electrical conductivity, pH, growth light and monitoring CO2, temperature and humidity. The system consisted of an ARM Cortex-M4 microcontroller running ARM (Figure 8) embedded operating system, the official real time operating system (RTOS). The system read the pH level and nutrients on the nutrient solution of hydroponics system, as well as the temperature, humidity, CO2 levels and the light intensity around the system; in addition there were LED light three lines each a different configuration on each line that was used for the lighting of plants and light color was selected and the system data were saved in SD Card.
\nARM cortex-M4 microcontroller (courtesy of developer arm).
In addition, the system was capable to control desired concentration level with variation of less than 3%, pH sensor showed good accuracy 5.83% from pH value 3.23–10. Growing light intensity measurement was 105 μmol/m2/s therefore, the lights were turned on at least 17 h/day to fulfill plant light requirement. RTOS gave good performance with latency and jitter less than 15 μs, system overall show good performance and accuracy for automating hydroponic plant in vegetative phase of growth. If the system was turned on, the computer program turned off three pumps (stir pump, water pump and the dosing pump). After initialized an LCD module, then initialized serial and serial to PC for CO2 sensor. The program read the system configuration data that were stored in the SD card and initialized global variables with the configuration. Later program will update the LCD display. The program started up the sensor to read data sensors, push button to read the buttons provided, mixing to perform compounding nutrients hydroponics, timer flush to set watering plants, timer lights to regulate time lighting plants by LED lights. A timer was started up for minimum water and a sensor to detect the presence of water in nutrients within of a container. Once the water was activated, then timer watered the plants. The pH sensor recorded the initial pH value in the solution, then adding the pH solution up 5 mL and compared the pH sensor measurements obtained with the instrument (Figure 9).
\nBlock diagram of system.
A total of 600 s was taken by DHT22 humidity sensor sampling every 30 s and the readings were compared with the measuring instrument. Twenty-five minutes were taken by MH-Z19 sensor with readings every minute in rooms, results were compared with measuring instruments. The system initially provided nutrients for 5 mL and then the system recorded and calculated the amount of nutrients needed. A distance of 30 cm from LED to plant hole was settled to use a meter for Quantum PAR (photosynthetically active radiation). A LED coefficient was obtained by dividing average light intensity (ALI) with lux. The coefficient of LED and ALI can be used to find daily light integral (DLI) during 17 h. RTOS performance was obtained using square wave input signal and measuring input signal versus output signal delay using oscilloscope. The difference of humidity data retrieval between DHT22 sensors and measuring devices was very small. CO2 data retrieval between MH-Z19 sensor and measuring devices at room had a difference for each room relatively equal amount, then for the sensor MH-Z19 in this case with a correction factor, so the results obtained are close to the results of measuring instruments. A correction factor of 260 ppm was used for the MH-Z19 sensor against the initial value. The growing light intensity was measured at 25 cm from light source. The result showed each growing light produces difference intensity ranging from 6.03 to 10.74 μmol/m2/s, to fulfill plant light requirement on at least 17 h day−1. From the results of pH meter sensor, the difference obtained is so small so that the pH meter sensor can be used to read the pH suitably. When taking data for RTOS experiment (Figure 10), the main programs still running while the experiment still ongoing.
\nExperiment of RTOS.
The yellow signal is a given signal and the other signal is a signal output from each thread. Time latency (in microseconds) was very small. The results showed that hydroponic automated system performed well. RTOS ran all the tasks with a latency less than 15 μS. Environment sensor overall showed good result, temperature reading error was less than 4%, humidity reading less than 5.36% and CO2 sensor accuracy was calibrated 260 ppm from initial value. System was capable to mix nutrients in 80 s with error less than 3.48%. Light intensity measurement showed different result for different color spectrum in order to fulfill daily light plant requirement we need to turn on the light at least 17 h day−1. The vegetable grew well and can be harvested in 5 weeks [9].
\nThe fuzzy-based control system was developed for maintaining a proper acidity level of nutrient solution used in potted flower cultivation of Chrysanthemum embedded and flow hydroponic cultures. Two control valves maintained the nutrient solution pH at a desired set point as follows: (1) acid valve (to manage the addition of acid solution necessary) and (2) base valve (to keep the addition of base solution necessary) (Figure 11). The developed control algorithm was based on membership functions of fuzzy arrangement.
\nEmbedded and flow system with pH control system.
Fuzzy rules had 21 linguistic statements to achieve smoothness, by trials and errors using the membership functions based on the operator skills and experience. The fuzzy logic controlled nutrient solution pH and increased the smoothness of the pH the during control course. The culture vessel consisted of six blocks, each of which containing four potted flowers. The nutrient solution flows into and fills the cultivation bench until a certain level, 5–10 cm from pot base. The embedded system kept the plant growth media in 10 min, before it then flows back into the tank and flows into the next block. The flow rate of the nutrition used in this experiment was 2.4 L min−1 and the measuring apparatus was Hanna pH-meter (HI8710E model).
\nThe control system maintained 0.3 M H3PO4 and 0.4 M KOH, which flowed constantly from Marriott tube. The valve used was of solenoid type with 1/8 in. in diameter. Calibration of the pH-meter was done on voltage basis using PCL-812PG interface. Marriott tube was also used to calibrate the flow rate as well as on the relay circuit. The measurement result of the pH of nutrient solution was in the form of DC voltage and was transferred to 88 shunt circuit in order to get input voltage at a range of 0–5 V conforming to the working voltage of the PCL-812PG interface. This voltage became the reference digital signal for the computer to conduct data processing with control program. The output of the control action was the duration of the solenoid valve opening depended upon the input signal. A solenoid valve was activated by a relay circuit, which obtained voltage from the computer.
\nProcess error (E) was calculated based on the difference between the set point (Sp) and the actual pH. If an E positive value was obtained, it indicated that the position of the actual pH was above the Sp and negative value of E indicated that the position of the actual was under the Sp. The error difference (dE) was the change in E to time. The error difference (dE) was the change in E to time. If the dE were positive, the error E had the tendency to increase. Conversely, if dE were negative, the error E decreased. Every numeric variable was plotted into a fuzzy system consisted of Large Positive (LP), Fair Positive (FP) and Small Positive (SP), Zero (ZO), Large Negative (LN), Fair Negative (FN) and Small Negative (SN). The control action was based on decision matrix in which there are criteria of Quick Acid (QA), Fair Acid (FA), Slow Acid (SA), Neutral (ZO), Quick Base (QB), Fair Base (FB) and Slow Base (SB).
\nThe measurement result of the pH of nutrient solution was in the analog form of DC voltage and was transferred to defuzzification by means of weighting to the absolute membership value from every label with the membership degree obtained. A change in valve opening time, either for base tube or acid tube was due to the final output of the fuzzy. The computer program for the control system was developed using the Pascal language in DOS environment (Figure 12). The output voltage from the PCL-812PG had a range of 0−+5 V. The debit of the base and acid flows from the Marriott tube was kept constant at 1.3 eels for base solution and 4.3 cm3 s−1 for acid solution. There were differences in the heads of the air inlet and outlet at the Marriott tubes for base and acid solutions, respectively. The initial pH of the solution was above the set point and kept on moving to reach the pH = 6. To change the pH solution from 7.0 to 6.0, it took 26 s and a 100 s to increase pH from 6.0 to 7.0. That indicated that at the same period of time [H+] freed by the H3P04 acid was more than that of the ion [OH−] freed by the KOH base.
\nPascal environment.
The supplied voltage from PCL to relay circuit was on when the voltage reached 1.4 V and off when the voltage decreased to 1.1 V. The pH of the nutrient solution in first block can be controlled to approach the set point of pH = 6. To decrease the pH toward the set point it requires 68 s. After reaching the set point. The pH of the solution did not change very much due to the small change in [H+] concentration. Moreover, the straight line approaching the set point tendency of the error curve during the control indicates that the fuzzy logic control can maintain the solution pH at the set point. An overshoot not occurred in this pH control. The nutrient solution pH in second and third block can be controlled faster than in first block. The same phenomena occur in third block and the following blocks. In that manner, the set point indicates that the fuzzy logic control can maintain the solution pH at the set point. Both of valves frequently open in turns since the control load was still high at the start up. This frequency decreased at the following blocks [10].
\nA grapevine rootstock in hydroponics in combination with an automated drip irrigation system was developed, which consisted of a hardware and software of the automated hydroponics system for grapevine in pots. Each pot had the same amount of fertilizer and the drip irrigation system was used. It was also constructed a time-based closed loop hydroponics and used a microcontroller for supplying the water to the pots (Figure 13). The irrigation system consisted of a 200 L water storage tank, containing Hoagland solution, which was modified to regulate the optimum 6.2 pH and electrical conductivity levels between 1.0 and 1.3 dS−1 for the green cuttings of grapevine. Nutrient solution has been renewed when its EC level reached to 1.5–1.8 dS−1. A submersible pump operating at 12 DCV was installed inside the water storage tank. A steel structure was built to keep pots at height of 1.5 m from the ground level of the greenhouse and water storage tank and controller circuit were installed immediately under the pots. The excess water was easiest to return to the reservoir by the drainage pipes connected to the drainage holes of the pots. Electrical conductivity of the irrigation water (ECw) was measured by an EC59 meter. Pots were irrigated with the same amount of nutrient solution. The required water was supplied by using 16 inches of diameter pipes with 4 L h−1-drippers at a spacing of 33 cm, with three drippers serving each pot. Some connection apparatus and valves were used in the irrigation system to integrate all items.
\nGrapevine experimental setup.
At the beginning of the test, all substrates were filled up to field capacity, then the automated system started irrigation at 4 h intervals and run the submersible pump only 1 min throughout the whole growing season so that this irrigation management kept the soil moisture at the level of field capacity in each substrate since excess water was drained to the reservoir back after each irrigation event. The controller circuit, in which main power supply was 12 DCV, providing power to the controller and relays, but it was reduced to 5 DCV for microcontroller by using a regulator of 7805 and relay (Figure 14).
\nController circuit.
The program providing the automation in the hydroponics system was simple and basic and very easy to load into the memory of the microcontroller, which repeated the actions throughout the whole growing season. The dosage of water was determined according to the pumping time of water. The microcontroller switched on relaying to pumping water to the root territory only for 1 min. After that, supplying of water has been stopped to the pump and then waited for 4 h of interval for the next irrigation session. The system took over the irrigation events successfully for the whole growing season. The system conveys a properly balanced nutrient solution to the plant root area. The system saved water and fertilizer, but the water level in the reservoir must be checked with 2- or 3-weeks interval or water level sensor should be added to the controller circuit. Perlite due to its characteristics has more advantages as being used in the hydroponics system as compared with peat and peat + perlite (1:1, v:v). This system can be used for small producers from small hydroponic systems [11].
\nHydroAS could produce fodder in 6 days. The system controlled autonomously the desired agronomic conditions for production and fodder flow. The automatic solution comprised: the mechanical structure, the mechanical and hydraulic components, and the control system to automate the hydroponic automatic system. The mechanical structure consists of the following parts: (a) mechanical structure of six storeys; (b) conveyor to exit the produced fodder off the system; (c) two elevators, at each top of the six storey structure; (d) a fodder sowing system, which placed the seeds in the trays; (e) two pushers at each of the elevator, which pushed the trays in the structure and (f) unloading system, which extracted the finished fodder in the trays (Figure 15).
\nFodder production system.
The electrical components comprised the power, sensor and actuators circuits (Figure 16). The power circuit consisted of depicted the protections and transformers to obtain 24 DCV to supply the S7–300 programmable logic controller (PLC), sensors and the command circuit, which were mainly digital, inductive and magnetic, that indicate start/end limits for the actuator’s movement such as level sensors applied in the nutrients and water reservoirs. The actuators used were (a) two motors for the vertical movement of the elevators; (b) two pneumatic cylinder for the pusher; (c) two worm motors for the sowing platform and (d) two gearmotors for the rotational joint of the sowing and unloading platforms. The hydraulic system supplied the nutrients and the flow of water in the system and consisted of two irrigation pumps to generate redundancy. The hydraulic circuit comprised the valves, nutrients and water reservoirs, the six storeys pipeline with the irrigation micro-jets, and the 2 m3 water return reservoir with the two redundant pumps. The chosen microspray jets operate at 1 bar and have the capacity of 1 L h−1, with 0.8 m maximum spray diameter area. The pipeline structure consisted of six storeys and watering pumps performed system irrigation three times. The system controls the actuators of the mechanical structure. The nutrient solution control is also performed in the PLC, to control the pH and electric conductivity, while mixing the nutrients and the control sequence of the trays in the hydroponic system.
\nPower circuit (a), sensor circuit for the unloading part (b) and actuator circuit for the elevator one (c).
This sequence definition is a high-level control task, while the low-level actuator control is performed in inner loops and is programmed directly on the motor drives. The system starts when the first storey is filled with trays. When the seeds are placed in the tray, in the first storey near a first elevator, the next step is to elevate the tray and push it to the structure in the second storey. On the other side of the structure, a second elevator, receives a tray that was pushed as consequence of the previous movement. This tray is then elevated to the next storey. This process is repeated until the tray reaches the end. When this happens, the elevator number two descends to the first storey and unloads the produced fodder to the conveyor. After unloading this tray, it is pushed to the first level for washing, and the next 6 days cycle then starts, to produce new trays full of fodder. This system was simulated in Matlab SimMechanics, showing its proper operation for the mechanical and electrical parts. The development phase of the fodder was tested, and validated, which benefits the agricultural holding [12].
\nHES was developed to minimize the labor force used in the process of hydroponics, the total amount of time spent in agricultural process, human-based errors, as well as, the control of hydroponics greenhouse plant production. All these processes are conducted by a computer unit where the relevant programs are loaded. The system defined the values that belong to the input parameters by using the output parameters that are used by the user (Figure 17). The input parameters prepared the optimum growth environment for the plants. User interface controlled the knowledge base of the expert system and entered data and realize operations. All parameters were taken in to consideration in order to create controlled environment exactly. Knowledge base is continuously in a process of improvement and human experts would add new knowledge to knowledge base or modify the existing knowledge heuristics when new situations occurs. The data base was made up of real conditions that summarize the current situation of the problem and quality-value pairs. By all these output parameters level management, the total level grade can be attained, and this can determine the development period of the plant.
\nGraphic user interface of HES.
This system had two rule bases. The first one was the rule base that constitutes the input parameters and the second one was the rule base that determines the growth period of the plant. The growth period of the plant is determined by adding the values of plant drain degree, plant nutrition degree, plant deterioration degree, plant photosynthesis degree and plant growth degree. The inference engine, had the function to produce the results that the system needs by using the data in the knowledge base and by interpreting the rules of the system as follows; the user interface of the HES software and the relevant output values taken from the greenhouse system and the sensors are interpreted and translated into linguistic expressions such as low-high. When the system finds a rule that matches the related values in the rule base, it attributes this level value as the level value. It is used for all parameters temperatures, oxygen device, nutrition and the operating levels for water heater, fertilizer tube, pH balance, conditioner, moisture balance, carbon dioxide producer and artificial light are attuned, creating the appropriate conditions for the greenhouse system (Figure 18). Plant growth period is attained from the total of plant drain degree, plant nutrition degree, plant deterioration degree, plant photosynthesis degree and plant growth degree parameters. After all these processes are completed, reports were produced by the system, based on the plant growth period [13].
\nHydroponic system setup.
AHNPS was placed in a special chamber or vessel and the nutrients were supplied directly to the hydroponic roots at any given time (Figure 19). Microcontroller (Arduino Uno) will control the flow of nutrient solution on the vessel automatically, and the microcontroller can be controlled from Android smartphone. This system had an embedded program module. The microcontroller worked in real time to setup the alarms on nutrient pumps. If alarm is enabled, a relay will be also activated, and then the pump will drain the nutrition solution on the plant. If alarm is deactivated, the relay will be turned off and the pump will stop supplying. Moreover, it has been designed a virtuino application on Android smartphone that serves to check the water level and temperature around the plants. Before starting the design of a virtuino application, it first provides the data storage using the features of
Experimental hydroponic system configuration.
The hydroponic flow system starts from the detection of a proximity sensor and a temperature sensor (Figure 20). The sensor will detect the water level in the hydroponic tube and the temperature sensor to detect the room temperature. The detection sensor was connected to a relay that in turn was attached to the microcontroller port. When the relay port pin is lower than the specified height, the water flow will be run on the water pump to irrigate the plant. If the relay of port pin is turned on, it means the water level is above of the specified height, and then the water pump will stop being water, in that manner the water flow was regular. Time and date were displayed at any time of the process in an LCD screen. The pumps are used not only to increase water but also to add nutrients to the hydroponic tube. The water pumps were used for water recirculation and relays used to control both nutrient solution as well drain pumps. The system mechanism worked as follows: HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor detected the height value of nutrient solution in hydroponic plants by the parameter of the high of water (in cm) unit and the temperature. The LM-35 sensor detected the temperature in Celsius degrees.
\nAutomated hydroponics nutrition plant system.
The ultrasonic sensors measured the distance of water based on ultrasonic wave. The difference between the transmission time and the reception time became the water distance. The system started working by using of sensors connected to the electrode. The output of this electrode will be forwarded to the microcontroller as an entry point to be processed by the microcontroller. The microcontroller received this voltage signal and compared it with the previous value and decided based on that input signal. Based on this voltage the microcontroller decided whether to drain the water at the pump or not. All the commands on microcontroller (Arduino Uno) can be controlled from a smartphone-based Android. It was observed that this hydroponic plant grows well with proper water and nutrient usage because it is controlled by the microcontroller. The rate of hydroponic plant growth was faster when compared with plants with soil-grown systems. The WiFi module sent the water level information and the temperature values of the plants area. This value was compared to the value in LCD microcontroller and on Android smartphone application. This value is directly obtained from the sensor and sent to the Arduino. After the water level 5 cm in the nutrient tube then the pump stops, and water did not flow anymore. The average temperature for five tests was 28.43°C. The relationship of water height in the nutrient tube with time is recorded continuously by the ultrasonic sensor on several measurements. The maximum level of water was 6 cm in the hydroponic tube. The sensor detected if the water level decrease in hydroponic nutrition tube. If the water level has decreased, then the sensor will perceive what occurs and automatically the water pump will be turned on to increase the water level on the hydroponic nutrient tube [14].
\nIt was created a hydroponic farm management system that could monitor water temperature, water level, higher densities of nutrient solution and the acidity of a nutrient solution using sensors are related and connected to the microcontroller via a website. Hommons used a 20 W solar system, which consisted of a solar cell panel, controllers, battery and DC to AC inverters. The ESP8266 module was used as a communication medium through a wireless network to the internet and integrated with objects that have connection to the internet. Systems can be accessed through the web page using browser based on the server address. The core material of the PVC pipe tool with 3 in. of diameter as his planting medium and ¾ in. of diameter PVC to flow the nutrient solution. The plastic box reservoir served to accommodate any mix of nutrient solution in water. Hommons hardware design relationship of the NFT consisted of sensors, actuator, microcontroller, ESP8266, wi-fi access point, microcomputer (Raspberry Pi) and power supply. In addition, some Raspberry Pi 2 microcomputers served to accommodate the webserver and brokers. Communication technologies on this system using 802.11 or better known as Wi-Fi by using the internet (Figure 21).
\nHommons hydroponic system.
The power supply using voltage 5 DCV and 2A. Various environmental sensors had been installed to detect any change in the physical or chemical environments and sensors became the input to the process management of NFT. After the user successfully performs the login process so the system redirected the user to the main page heading. There were two buttons on the sidebar navigation. On the main content there were four columns that display data from the sensors-sensors on the NFT hydroponic farming tools, such as nutrient levels, nutrient pH levels, temperature, nutrient and nutrient EC and parts per million (ppm) level. In the navbar a notification function button displayed the alarm or warning to the user while the settings button function settled the system (restart and shutdown) and logout of the system. Automation settings pages were divided into two parts: first part with its own set of pH and ppm values are desirable way entering the value in the textbox. The second automation page contained a selection of plants type which pH and ppm value have been set before, so farmers only need to choose the type of plants that they maintained to grown. After the hardware and sensors on the hydroponic NFT management system were integrated, the sensors (ultrasonic sensors, pH, temperature and EC) needed to be tested to quantify the level of accuracy. The system testing used the original plant samples to find out if the plant is growing well. The plants used in this test are pokchoy, lettuce and kale at the teen age period (after nursery). Plant growth was observed by taking pictures of the plant for a few days [15].
\nIt was developed a fault detection model for hydroponic systems, with a feedforward neural network. Mechanical, sensor and biological faults were considered: a preliminary detection system detected the existence of any faulty situations. Finally, the developed network, only considered two first kinds, mechanical and sensor faults. Biological faults, because of their particularities, were treated separately [16].
\nOther model based on a feedforward neural network predicted pH and EC changes in the root zone of Lactuca sativa cv. Vivaldi grown in a deep–trough hydroponic system. The neural net had inputs as follows: pH, EC, nutrient solution temperature, air temperature, relative humidity, light intensity, plant age, amount of added acid and amount of added base and two outputs: pH and EC. A combination of network architecture and training method was one hidden layer with nine hidden nodes, trained with the quasi–Newton backpropagation algorithm which was the most suitable and accurate (Figure 22). The model was capable of predicting pH at the next 20–min time step within 0.01 pH units and EC within 5 μS cm−1. Simpler prediction methods, such as linear extrapolation and the lazy man prediction, value of the previous time step, gave comparable accuracy much of the time, though, they performed poorly in situations where the control actions of the system had been activated and resulted rapid changes in the predicted parameters. In those cases, the neural network model did not encounter any difficulties predicting the rapid changes. Thus, the developed model successfully identified dynamic processes in the root zone of the hydroponic system and accurately predicted one–step–ahead values of pH and EC [17].
\nNeural network model inputs and outputs and training process.
An IoT-based intelligent hydroponic plant factory solution called PlantTalk was developed. PlantTalk intelligence could be built through an arbitrary smartphone. PlantTalk was flexibly to configure the connections of various plant sensors and actuators through a smartphone. Python programs for plant care intelligence through the smart phone were convenient (Figure 23). Automatic LED lighting, water spray, water pump and so on were included in the developed plant-care intelligence included and so on. For instance, it was showed that the PlantTalk intelligence effectively lowers the CO2 concentration, and the reduction speed is 53% faster than a traditional plant system. AgriTalk for a plant factory is an extension of PlantTalk [18].
\nPlantTalk in a smart phone.
It was applied ultrasound and dissolved oxygen supersaturation as external for controlling the growth rate of plants in hydroponics as well as maintaining the product quality. In the case of the leaf lettuce growth in hydroponics with exposure to 28-kHz ultrasound and dissolved oxygen supersaturation up to 36 mg L−1 at 20°C and peak-to-peak pressure at 20 kPa or larger worked as the growth inhibitor of the leaves and the roots; in addition, oxygen supersaturation became a growth promoter, without any degradation of chlorophyll in the leaves [19].
\nOn the other hand, liquid separated reactor and a high voltage power supply based on a 20 kHz inverter neon-transformer were developed to archive the treatment with high energy efficiency, a low initial cost and a low running cost. The performance of the system on bacteria inactivation in the nutrient solution was evaluated in a continuous treatment system operation and the results showed that the standard plate count for background microflora and R. solanacearum is drastically reduced by the plasma treatment and is not detected after 8 days treatment. The nutrient solution was decontaminated by 4 log cycle with plasma treatment under the continuous operation condition [20].
\nOther researchers applied electro-degradation (ED) to the culture solution in order to degrade their root exudates and improve growth, yield and quality of strawberry. They used four types of nutrient viz. renewed, non-renewed, non-renewed with direct current electrodegradation (DC-ED) and non-renewed with alternative current electro-degradation (AC-ED). Fresh 25% standard Enshi nutrient solution were changed every 3 weeks interval, with in renewed treatment, while DC- and AC-ED treatment were applied in non-renewed solutions. Significantly greater fruit yield (225.9 g plant−1) was obtained from renewed nutrient solution, which was statistically similar to fruit yield in non-renewed solution with AC-ED application. Compared to renewed solution, fruit yield was decreased to about half (114.0 g plant−1) in non-renewed solution while non-renewed with DC-ED produced intermediate yield between non-renewed and renewed solution or non-renewed with AC-ED. It was concluded that growth performance was greater in renewed solution followed by non-renewed with AC-ED, while it was decreased significantly in nonrenewed solution with DC-ED similar to non-renewed solution. It was also observed a similar trend in vitamin C content while brix and citric acidity was not varied. Calcium and iron concentration in the culture solution were significantly decreased in DC-ED, consequently their contents were also found lower in crowns and roots compared to other solutions used. The strawberry yield and quality can be improved through application of AC-ED in non-renewed solution [21].
\nRPBVF was developed to act and observe the crop in NFT hydroponic systems. The focus is on the implementation of a position-based visual feedback (PBVF) algorithm in combination with a Microsoft Kinect. AmHydro 612 NFT production unit was 1.8 m × 3.65 m × 0.9 m production unit that stored 144 plants and 144 seedlings and used a closed loop water system. Above the NFT system were placed artificial lights to improve the lettuce growth. The gullies laid on an inclined table, which angle was θ, so that water flows passively to the end of the gullies. Water was collected at the end of the gullies and directed to the water reservoir, where a water pump propelled water to the top of the gullies. To manipulate the plants, the robot (Figure 24) was designed as a gantry with four v-groved wheels running on two inverted angle iron tracks (x-axis). On top of the gantry was a carriage that can move back and forth over the gantry (y-axis), this was perpendicular to the x-axis. On the carriage was a mechanism to move an arm up and down (z-axis), down being the negative direction. At the end of the arm was placed a two degrees of freedom gripper which opened, closed and rotated around the y-axis.
\nRobot manipulator arm.
The structure is made primarily from aluminum that allows the robot to be adjusted to accommodate different sizes of NFT hydroponic systems. The x-axis was driven by a stepper motor and a chain. A timing belt transmitted the power from the carriage on the gantry to the stepper motor. The arm on the carriage was balanced by a counterweight and was driven by a stepper motor and a chain. Two linear actuators were used to open and close the gripper and the other linear actuator was used to rotate the gripper around the y-axis. All three linear actuators were driven by a 12 DCV relay board that communicates with a Phidgets interface board, which was connected to the main computer, which was running Ubuntu Server 11.04 × 64. The Kinect vision system was mounted on the carriage so that the optical axis was along the negative z-axis. All software was programmed in C++. Every hardware component communicated with its own ROS (Robotic Operating System) node. The main hardware nodes were stepper motor node, gripper node, interface board node, position node and Kinect node. The position node keeps track of the x, y and z-position of the robot and a graphic user interface was designed to provide low level control of the system. A Microsoft Kinect camera was added to the system, which produced two kinds of images, a 640 × 480-pixel RGB color image and a 640 × 480 pixel 11-bit (0–2047) gray scale depth image that was provided by an Infra-Red (IR) sensor. The extraction of the plants required combining classical 2D image analysis techniques and IR-based depth measurement the 3D position. The computer language used was C++ using the Open Computer Vision library. The Kinect was placed on the carriage and is facing downwards (negative z-axis) to ensure the plants in its field of view are at a maximum distance of 1.5 m, because the accuracy of the Kinect decreases quadratically with distance. Up to 1.5 m the accuracy was 10 mm and the precision of the Kinect was 1 mm. The field of view was of 0.8 m × 1.15 m in x and y-direction. It was used a RPBVF algorithm was used to detect plants on the hydroponic system and placed the robot to manipulate plants (Figure 25).
\nHardware layout of the robot (a) and software layout of the robot (b).
In the algorithm, first were detected the gullies, because the plants are only located on them. All gullies are oriented along the x-axis and are straight. A probabilistic Hough Transform was used for straight line detection. By filtering the detected lines, the edges of the gullies were identified. After the identification of the edges, the lines were grouped, resulting in a segmentation of the gullies. After filtering, the coordinates of the plants in the image frame were known. Point was defined as the top left corner of the image. The depth information was extracted from the depth image by getting the value at point. The OpenNI driver transforms the IR sensor values into distances in meters by using a fitting function. To reduce the noise, multiple consecutive frames were averaged to calculate the plant coordinates. The plant coordinates form the control input for the robot. The output only depends on the current state and the control input. The open loop control algorithm was used. To be able to pick up a plant, the image frame coordinates had to be transformed to gantry coordinates. To transform the image frame coordinates to gantry coordinates a Garstka and Peters modified transformation was used. Because the Kinect is not located on the gripper, all coordinates have to be offset. These offsets are dependent on the position of the Kinect relative to the gripper. The z-coordinate has to be offset by an extra value, because the NFT table is under an angle of 2.2°. In this transformation, the point is the principal point in pixels of the depth sensor and the focal lengths in pixels were calculated. The values were quantified by calibrating the Kinect. The position bias was removed by a linear scaling of the x and y-coordinates. To evaluate the performance of the positioning and control algorithm, the x, y and z-position error between the final position of the gripper and the plant coordinate was measured. The final position of the gripper was defined as 20 mm above the center of the cup. On the top of the cup a cross-hair is drawn to mark the center. The initial position of the gripper is defined as the middle between the points of the gripper so the x, y and z-position error can be measured. Each image was analyzed to detect the plants. With these coordinates the robot is heading to the plant. The position error was measured with a ruler at the final stopping position and robot then returned to the same starting position. The gripper must be ±15 mm in x-direction, ±20 mm in y-direction and ±10 mm in z-direction from the center of the cup to allow the robot to pick up the plant. From the images with detected plants the gantry coordinates of the plants were calculated and inputted for the positioning algorithm so that the robot can be positioned to pick up the plants. There were 25 samples evaluated. The performance of the system is within the requirements and the plants could be manipulated on an NFT system [22].
\nIt is expected that future developers can to detect acidity levels of pH solution, viscosity, oxygen and other variables. The future work will be collecting environmental data, which are obtained from sensors and implanting an artificial intelligence in robots and in hydroponics systems.
\nIt is also expected that in future research make the hydroponics systems and robots able to make information panel with other operating systems that can be used as a standard system.
\nAILM was supported by PAICYT (CT696-19) and JMMJ was supported by PAICYT (CT571-18). We thank the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Mexican Ministry of Education, as well as Mexican Council for Science and Technology for their support.
\nIntechOpen is the first native scientific publisher of Open Access books, with more than 116,000 authors worldwide, ranging from globally-renowned Nobel Prize winners to up-and-coming researchers at the cutting edge of scientific discovery. Established in Europe with the new headquarters based in London, and with plans for international growth, IntechOpen is the leading publisher of Open Access scientific books. The values of our business are based on the same ones that any scientist applies to their research -- we have created a culture of respect, collegiality and collaboration within an atmosphere that’s relaxed, friendly and progressive.
",metaTitle:"Social Media Community Manager and Marketing Assistant",metaDescription:"We are looking to add further talent to our team in The Shard office in London with a full-time Marketing and Communications Specialist position. The candidate will bring with them a creative and enthusiastic mindset, high level problem-solving skills, the latest marketing and social media platforms skills and strong involvement in community-best practices to engage with researchers and scholars online. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic, forward thinking, approachable team player, able to communicate with all in the global, growing company, with an ability to understand and build a rapport within the research community.",metaKeywords:null,canonicalURL:null,contentRaw:'[{"type":"htmlEditorComponent","content":"We are looking to add further talent to our team in The Shard office in London with a full-time Social Media Community Manager and Marketing Assistant position. The candidate will bring with them a creative and enthusiastic mindset, high level problem-solving skills, the latest marketing and social media platforms skills and strong involvement in community-best practices to engage with researchers and scholars online. The ideal candidate wll be a dynamic, forward thinking, approachable team player, able to communicate with all in the global, growing company, with an ability to understand and build a rapport within the research community.
\\n\\nThe Social Media Community Manager and Marketing Assistant will report to the Senior Marketing Manager. They will work alongside the Marketing and Corporate Communications team, supporting the preparation of all marketing programs, assisting in the development of scientific marketing and communication deliverables, and creating content for social media outlets, as well as managing international social communities.
\\n\\nResponsibilities:
\\n\\nEssential Skills:
\\n\\nDesired Skills:
\\n\\nWhat makes IntechOpen a great place to work?
\\n\\nIntechOpen is a global, dynamic and fast-growing company offering excellent opportunities to develop. We are a young and vibrant company where great people do great work. We offer a creative, dedicated, committed, passionate, and above all, fun environment where you can work, travel, meet world-renowned researchers and grow your career and experience.
\\n\\nTo apply, please email a copy of your CV and covering letter to hogan@intechopen.com stating your salary expectations.
\\n\\nNote: This full-time position will have an immediate start. In your cover letter, please indicate when you might be available for a block of two hours. As part of the interview process, all candidates that make it to the second phase will participate in a writing exercise.
\\n\\n*IntechOpen is an Equal Opportunities Employer consistent with its obligations under the law and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of disability, gender, age, colour, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, war veteran status, or any classification protected by state, or local law.
\\n"}]'},components:[{type:"htmlEditorComponent",content:'We are looking to add further talent to our team in The Shard office in London with a full-time Social Media Community Manager and Marketing Assistant position. The candidate will bring with them a creative and enthusiastic mindset, high level problem-solving skills, the latest marketing and social media platforms skills and strong involvement in community-best practices to engage with researchers and scholars online. The ideal candidate wll be a dynamic, forward thinking, approachable team player, able to communicate with all in the global, growing company, with an ability to understand and build a rapport within the research community.
\n\nThe Social Media Community Manager and Marketing Assistant will report to the Senior Marketing Manager. They will work alongside the Marketing and Corporate Communications team, supporting the preparation of all marketing programs, assisting in the development of scientific marketing and communication deliverables, and creating content for social media outlets, as well as managing international social communities.
\n\nResponsibilities:
\n\nEssential Skills:
\n\nDesired Skills:
\n\nWhat makes IntechOpen a great place to work?
\n\nIntechOpen is a global, dynamic and fast-growing company offering excellent opportunities to develop. We are a young and vibrant company where great people do great work. We offer a creative, dedicated, committed, passionate, and above all, fun environment where you can work, travel, meet world-renowned researchers and grow your career and experience.
\n\nTo apply, please email a copy of your CV and covering letter to hogan@intechopen.com stating your salary expectations.
\n\nNote: This full-time position will have an immediate start. In your cover letter, please indicate when you might be available for a block of two hours. As part of the interview process, all candidates that make it to the second phase will participate in a writing exercise.
\n\n*IntechOpen is an Equal Opportunities Employer consistent with its obligations under the law and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of disability, gender, age, colour, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, war veteran status, or any classification protected by state, or local law.
\n'}]},successStories:{items:[]},authorsAndEditors:{filterParams:{sort:"featured,name"},profiles:[{id:"58592",title:"Dr.",name:"Arun",middleName:null,surname:"Shanker",slug:"arun-shanker",fullName:"Arun Shanker",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/58592/images/1664_n.jpg",biography:"Arun K. Shanker is serving as a Principal Scientist (Plant Physiology) with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture in Hyderabad, India. He is working with the ICAR as a full time researcher since 1993 and has since earned his Advanced degree in Crop Physiology while in service. He has been awarded the prestigious Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (MRSC), by the Royal Society of Chemistry, London in 2015. Presently he is working on systems biology approach to study the mechanism of abiotic stress tolerance in crops. His main focus now is to unravel the mechanism of drought and heat stress response in plants to tackle climate change related threats in agriculture.",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Indian Council of Agricultural Research",country:{name:"India"}}},{id:"4782",title:"Prof.",name:"Bishnu",middleName:"P",surname:"Pal",slug:"bishnu-pal",fullName:"Bishnu Pal",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/4782/images/system/4782.jpg",biography:"Bishnu P. Pal is Professor of Physics at Mahindra École\nCentrale Hyderabad India since July 1st 2014 after retirement\nas Professor of Physics from IIT Delhi; Ph.D.’1975 from IIT\nDelhi; Fellow of OSA and SPIE; Senior Member IEEE;\nHonorary Foreign Member Royal Norwegian Society for\nScience and Arts; Member OSA Board of Directors (2009-\n11); Distinguished Lecturer IEEE Photonics Society (2005-\n07).",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Indian Institute of Technology Delhi",country:{name:"India"}}},{id:"69653",title:"Dr.",name:"Chusak",middleName:null,surname:"Limsakul",slug:"chusak-limsakul",fullName:"Chusak Limsakul",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Prince of Songkla University",country:{name:"Thailand"}}},{id:"75563",title:"Dr.",name:"Farzana Khan",middleName:null,surname:"Perveen",slug:"farzana-khan-perveen",fullName:"Farzana Khan Perveen",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/75563/images/system/75563.png",biography:"Dr Farzana Khan Perveen (FLS; Gold-Medallist) obtained her BSc (Hons) and MSc (Zoology: Entomology) from the University of Karachi, MAS (Monbush-Scholar; Agriculture: Agronomy) and from the Nagoya University, Japan, and PhD (Research and Course-works from the Nagoya University; Toxicology) degree from the University of Karachi. She is Founder/Chairperson of the Department of Zoology (DOZ) and Ex-Controller of Examinations at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University (SBBU) and Ex-Founder/ Ex-Chairperson of DOZ, Hazara University and Kohat University of Science & Technology. \nShe is the author of 150 high impact research papers, 135 abstracts, 4 authored books and 8 chapters. She is the editor of 5 books and she supervised BS(4), MSc(50), MPhil(40), and Ph.D. (1) students. She has organized and participated in numerous international and national conferences and received multiple awards and fellowships. She is a member of research societies, editorial boards of Journals, and World-Commission on Protected Areas, International Union for Conservation of Nature. Her fields of interest are Entomology, Toxicology, Forensic Entomology, and Zoology.",institutionString:"Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University",institution:{name:"Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University",country:{name:"Pakistan"}}},{id:"23804",title:"Dr.",name:"Hamzah",middleName:null,surname:"Arof",slug:"hamzah-arof",fullName:"Hamzah Arof",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/23804/images/5492_n.jpg",biography:"Hamzah Arof received his BSc from Michigan State University, and PhD from the University of Wales. Both degrees were in electrical engineering. His current research interests include signal processing and photonics. Currently he is affiliated with the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Malaya, Malaysia.",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"University of Malaya",country:{name:"Malaysia"}}},{id:"41989",title:"Prof.",name:"He",middleName:null,surname:"Tian",slug:"he-tian",fullName:"He Tian",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"East China University of Science and Technology",country:{name:"China"}}},{id:"33351",title:null,name:"Hendra",middleName:null,surname:"Hermawan",slug:"hendra-hermawan",fullName:"Hendra Hermawan",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/33351/images/168_n.jpg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Institut Teknologi Bandung",country:{name:"Indonesia"}}},{id:"11981",title:"Prof.",name:"Hiroshi",middleName:null,surname:"Ishiguro",slug:"hiroshi-ishiguro",fullName:"Hiroshi Ishiguro",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Osaka University",country:{name:"Japan"}}},{id:"45747",title:"Dr.",name:"Hsin-I",middleName:null,surname:"Chang",slug:"hsin-i-chang",fullName:"Hsin-I Chang",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/no_image.jpg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"National Chiayi University",country:{name:"Taiwan"}}},{id:"61581",title:"Dr.",name:"Joy Rizki Pangestu",middleName:null,surname:"Djuansjah",slug:"joy-rizki-pangestu-djuansjah",fullName:"Joy Rizki Pangestu Djuansjah",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/61581/images/237_n.jpg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"University of Technology Malaysia",country:{name:"Malaysia"}}},{id:"94249",title:"Prof.",name:"Junji",middleName:null,surname:"Kido",slug:"junji-kido",fullName:"Junji Kido",position:null,profilePictureURL:"//cdnintech.com/web/frontend/www/assets/author.svg",biography:null,institutionString:null,institution:{name:"Yamagata University",country:{name:"Japan"}}},{id:"12009",title:"Dr.",name:"Ki Young",middleName:null,surname:"Kim",slug:"ki-young-kim",fullName:"Ki Young Kim",position:null,profilePictureURL:"https://mts.intechopen.com/storage/users/12009/images/system/12009.jpg",biography:"Http://m80.knu.ac.kr/~doors",institutionString:null,institution:{name:"National Cheng Kung University",country:{name:"Taiwan"}}}],filtersByRegion:[{group:"region",caption:"North America",value:1,count:5699},{group:"region",caption:"Middle and South America",value:2,count:5172},{group:"region",caption:"Africa",value:3,count:1689},{group:"region",caption:"Asia",value:4,count:10244},{group:"region",caption:"Australia and Oceania",value:5,count:888},{group:"region",caption:"Europe",value:6,count:15650}],offset:12,limit:12,total:10244},chapterEmbeded:{data:{}},editorApplication:{success:null,errors:{}},ofsBooks:{filterParams:{sort:"dateendthirdsteppublish"},books:[],filtersByTopic:[{group:"topic",caption:"Agricultural and Biological Sciences",value:5,count:9},{group:"topic",caption:"Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology",value:6,count:16},{group:"topic",caption:"Business, Management and Economics",value:7,count:2},{group:"topic",caption:"Chemistry",value:8,count:6},{group:"topic",caption:"Computer and Information Science",value:9,count:10},{group:"topic",caption:"Earth and Planetary Sciences",value:10,count:4},{group:"topic",caption:"Engineering",value:11,count:15},{group:"topic",caption:"Environmental Sciences",value:12,count:2},{group:"topic",caption:"Immunology and Microbiology",value:13,count:4},{group:"topic",caption:"Materials Science",value:14,count:4},{group:"topic",caption:"Mathematics",value:15,count:1},{group:"topic",caption:"Medicine",value:16,count:56},{group:"topic",caption:"Neuroscience",value:18,count:1},{group:"topic",caption:"Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science",value:19,count:6},{group:"topic",caption:"Physics",value:20,count:2},{group:"topic",caption:"Psychology",value:21,count:3},{group:"topic",caption:"Robotics",value:22,count:1},{group:"topic",caption:"Social Sciences",value:23,count:3},{group:"topic",caption:"Technology",value:24,count:1},{group:"topic",caption:"Veterinary Medicine and Science",value:25,count:2}],offset:0,limit:12,total:null},popularBooks:{featuredBooks:[{type:"book",id:"7802",title:"Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"587a0b7fb765f31cc98de33c6c07c2e0",slug:"modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking",bookSignature:"Jane Reeves",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7802.jpg",editors:[{id:"211328",title:"Prof.",name:"Jane",middleName:null,surname:"Reeves",slug:"jane-reeves",fullName:"Jane Reeves"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"8545",title:"Animal Reproduction in Veterinary Medicine",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"13aaddf5fdbbc78387e77a7da2388bf6",slug:"animal-reproduction-in-veterinary-medicine",bookSignature:"Faruk Aral, Rita Payan-Carreira and Miguel Quaresma",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8545.jpg",editors:[{id:"25600",title:"Prof.",name:"Faruk",middleName:null,surname:"Aral",slug:"faruk-aral",fullName:"Faruk Aral"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9961",title:"Data Mining",subtitle:"Methods, Applications and Systems",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ed79fb6364f2caf464079f94a0387146",slug:"data-mining-methods-applications-and-systems",bookSignature:"Derya Birant",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9961.jpg",editors:[{id:"15609",title:"Dr.",name:"Derya",middleName:null,surname:"Birant",slug:"derya-birant",fullName:"Derya Birant"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9157",title:"Neurodegenerative Diseases",subtitle:"Molecular Mechanisms and Current Therapeutic Approaches",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"bc8be577966ef88735677d7e1e92ed28",slug:"neurodegenerative-diseases-molecular-mechanisms-and-current-therapeutic-approaches",bookSignature:"Nagehan Ersoy Tunalı",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9157.jpg",editors:[{id:"82778",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Nagehan",middleName:null,surname:"Ersoy Tunalı",slug:"nagehan-ersoy-tunali",fullName:"Nagehan Ersoy Tunalı"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"8686",title:"Direct Torque Control Strategies of Electrical Machines",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"b6ad22b14db2b8450228545d3d4f6b1a",slug:"direct-torque-control-strategies-of-electrical-machines",bookSignature:"Fatma Ben Salem",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8686.jpg",editors:[{id:"295623",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Fatma",middleName:null,surname:"Ben Salem",slug:"fatma-ben-salem",fullName:"Fatma Ben Salem"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"7434",title:"Molecular Biotechnology",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"eceede809920e1ec7ecadd4691ede2ec",slug:"molecular-biotechnology",bookSignature:"Sergey Sedykh",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7434.jpg",editors:[{id:"178316",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Sergey",middleName:null,surname:"Sedykh",slug:"sergey-sedykh",fullName:"Sergey Sedykh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9839",title:"Outdoor Recreation",subtitle:"Physiological and Psychological Effects on Health",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"5f5a0d64267e32567daffa5b0c6a6972",slug:"outdoor-recreation-physiological-and-psychological-effects-on-health",bookSignature:"Hilde G. Nielsen",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9839.jpg",editors:[{id:"158692",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Hilde G.",middleName:null,surname:"Nielsen",slug:"hilde-g.-nielsen",fullName:"Hilde G. Nielsen"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9208",title:"Welding",subtitle:"Modern Topics",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"7d6be076ccf3a3f8bd2ca52d86d4506b",slug:"welding-modern-topics",bookSignature:"Sadek Crisóstomo Absi Alfaro, Wojciech Borek and Błażej Tomiczek",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9208.jpg",editors:[{id:"65292",title:"Prof.",name:"Sadek Crisostomo Absi",middleName:"C. Absi",surname:"Alfaro",slug:"sadek-crisostomo-absi-alfaro",fullName:"Sadek Crisostomo Absi Alfaro"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9139",title:"Topics in Primary Care Medicine",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ea774a4d4c1179da92a782e0ae9cde92",slug:"topics-in-primary-care-medicine",bookSignature:"Thomas F. Heston",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9139.jpg",editors:[{id:"217926",title:"Dr.",name:"Thomas F.",middleName:null,surname:"Heston",slug:"thomas-f.-heston",fullName:"Thomas F. Heston"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9343",title:"Trace Metals in the Environment",subtitle:"New Approaches and Recent Advances",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ae07e345bc2ce1ebbda9f70c5cd12141",slug:"trace-metals-in-the-environment-new-approaches-and-recent-advances",bookSignature:"Mario Alfonso Murillo-Tovar, Hugo Saldarriaga-Noreña and Agnieszka Saeid",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9343.jpg",editors:[{id:"255959",title:"Dr.",name:"Mario Alfonso",middleName:null,surname:"Murillo-Tovar",slug:"mario-alfonso-murillo-tovar",fullName:"Mario Alfonso Murillo-Tovar"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"8697",title:"Virtual Reality and Its Application in Education",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ee01b5e387ba0062c6b0d1e9227bda05",slug:"virtual-reality-and-its-application-in-education",bookSignature:"Dragan Cvetković",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8697.jpg",editors:[{id:"101330",title:"Dr.",name:"Dragan",middleName:"Mladen",surname:"Cvetković",slug:"dragan-cvetkovic",fullName:"Dragan Cvetković"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"7831",title:"Sustainability in Urban Planning and Design",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"c924420492c8c2c9751e178d025f4066",slug:"sustainability-in-urban-planning-and-design",bookSignature:"Amjad Almusaed, Asaad Almssad and Linh Truong - Hong",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7831.jpg",editors:[{id:"110471",title:"Dr.",name:"Amjad",middleName:"Zaki",surname:"Almusaed",slug:"amjad-almusaed",fullName:"Amjad Almusaed"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}}],offset:12,limit:12,total:5143},hotBookTopics:{hotBooks:[],offset:0,limit:12,total:null},publish:{},publishingProposal:{success:null,errors:{}},books:{featuredBooks:[{type:"book",id:"9208",title:"Welding",subtitle:"Modern Topics",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"7d6be076ccf3a3f8bd2ca52d86d4506b",slug:"welding-modern-topics",bookSignature:"Sadek Crisóstomo Absi Alfaro, Wojciech Borek and Błażej Tomiczek",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9208.jpg",editors:[{id:"65292",title:"Prof.",name:"Sadek Crisostomo Absi",middleName:"C. Absi",surname:"Alfaro",slug:"sadek-crisostomo-absi-alfaro",fullName:"Sadek Crisostomo Absi Alfaro"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9139",title:"Topics in Primary Care Medicine",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ea774a4d4c1179da92a782e0ae9cde92",slug:"topics-in-primary-care-medicine",bookSignature:"Thomas F. Heston",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9139.jpg",editors:[{id:"217926",title:"Dr.",name:"Thomas F.",middleName:null,surname:"Heston",slug:"thomas-f.-heston",fullName:"Thomas F. Heston"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"8697",title:"Virtual Reality and Its Application in Education",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ee01b5e387ba0062c6b0d1e9227bda05",slug:"virtual-reality-and-its-application-in-education",bookSignature:"Dragan Cvetković",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8697.jpg",editors:[{id:"101330",title:"Dr.",name:"Dragan",middleName:"Mladen",surname:"Cvetković",slug:"dragan-cvetkovic",fullName:"Dragan Cvetković"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9343",title:"Trace Metals in the Environment",subtitle:"New Approaches and Recent Advances",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ae07e345bc2ce1ebbda9f70c5cd12141",slug:"trace-metals-in-the-environment-new-approaches-and-recent-advances",bookSignature:"Mario Alfonso Murillo-Tovar, Hugo Saldarriaga-Noreña and Agnieszka Saeid",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9343.jpg",editors:[{id:"255959",title:"Dr.",name:"Mario Alfonso",middleName:null,surname:"Murillo-Tovar",slug:"mario-alfonso-murillo-tovar",fullName:"Mario Alfonso Murillo-Tovar"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9785",title:"Endometriosis",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"f457ca61f29cf7e8bc191732c50bb0ce",slug:"endometriosis",bookSignature:"Courtney Marsh",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9785.jpg",editors:[{id:"255491",title:"Dr.",name:"Courtney",middleName:null,surname:"Marsh",slug:"courtney-marsh",fullName:"Courtney Marsh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"7831",title:"Sustainability in Urban Planning and Design",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"c924420492c8c2c9751e178d025f4066",slug:"sustainability-in-urban-planning-and-design",bookSignature:"Amjad Almusaed, Asaad Almssad and Linh Truong - Hong",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7831.jpg",editors:[{id:"110471",title:"Dr.",name:"Amjad",middleName:"Zaki",surname:"Almusaed",slug:"amjad-almusaed",fullName:"Amjad Almusaed"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9376",title:"Contemporary Developments and Perspectives in International Health Security",subtitle:"Volume 1",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"b9a00b84cd04aae458fb1d6c65795601",slug:"contemporary-developments-and-perspectives-in-international-health-security-volume-1",bookSignature:"Stanislaw P. Stawicki, Michael S. Firstenberg, Sagar C. Galwankar, Ricardo Izurieta and Thomas Papadimos",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9376.jpg",editors:[{id:"181694",title:"Dr.",name:"Stanislaw P.",middleName:null,surname:"Stawicki",slug:"stanislaw-p.-stawicki",fullName:"Stanislaw P. Stawicki"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"7769",title:"Medical Isotopes",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"f8d3c5a6c9a42398e56b4e82264753f7",slug:"medical-isotopes",bookSignature:"Syed Ali Raza Naqvi and Muhammad Babar Imrani",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7769.jpg",editors:[{id:"259190",title:"Dr.",name:"Syed Ali Raza",middleName:null,surname:"Naqvi",slug:"syed-ali-raza-naqvi",fullName:"Syed Ali Raza Naqvi"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"9279",title:"Concepts, Applications and Emerging Opportunities in Industrial Engineering",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"9bfa87f9b627a5468b7c1e30b0eea07a",slug:"concepts-applications-and-emerging-opportunities-in-industrial-engineering",bookSignature:"Gary Moynihan",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9279.jpg",editors:[{id:"16974",title:"Dr.",name:"Gary",middleName:null,surname:"Moynihan",slug:"gary-moynihan",fullName:"Gary Moynihan"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}},{type:"book",id:"7807",title:"A Closer Look at Organizational Culture in Action",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"05c608b9271cc2bc711f4b28748b247b",slug:"a-closer-look-at-organizational-culture-in-action",bookSignature:"Süleyman Davut Göker",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7807.jpg",editors:[{id:"190035",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Süleyman Davut",middleName:null,surname:"Göker",slug:"suleyman-davut-goker",fullName:"Süleyman Davut Göker"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}}],latestBooks:[{type:"book",id:"7434",title:"Molecular Biotechnology",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"eceede809920e1ec7ecadd4691ede2ec",slug:"molecular-biotechnology",bookSignature:"Sergey Sedykh",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7434.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"178316",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Sergey",middleName:null,surname:"Sedykh",slug:"sergey-sedykh",fullName:"Sergey Sedykh"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8545",title:"Animal Reproduction in Veterinary Medicine",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"13aaddf5fdbbc78387e77a7da2388bf6",slug:"animal-reproduction-in-veterinary-medicine",bookSignature:"Faruk Aral, Rita Payan-Carreira and Miguel Quaresma",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8545.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"25600",title:"Prof.",name:"Faruk",middleName:null,surname:"Aral",slug:"faruk-aral",fullName:"Faruk Aral"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"9569",title:"Methods in Molecular Medicine",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"691d3f3c4ac25a8093414e9b270d2843",slug:"methods-in-molecular-medicine",bookSignature:"Yusuf Tutar",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9569.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"158492",title:"Prof.",name:"Yusuf",middleName:null,surname:"Tutar",slug:"yusuf-tutar",fullName:"Yusuf Tutar"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"9839",title:"Outdoor Recreation",subtitle:"Physiological and Psychological Effects on Health",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"5f5a0d64267e32567daffa5b0c6a6972",slug:"outdoor-recreation-physiological-and-psychological-effects-on-health",bookSignature:"Hilde G. Nielsen",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9839.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"158692",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Hilde G.",middleName:null,surname:"Nielsen",slug:"hilde-g.-nielsen",fullName:"Hilde G. Nielsen"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"7802",title:"Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"587a0b7fb765f31cc98de33c6c07c2e0",slug:"modern-slavery-and-human-trafficking",bookSignature:"Jane Reeves",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7802.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"211328",title:"Prof.",name:"Jane",middleName:null,surname:"Reeves",slug:"jane-reeves",fullName:"Jane Reeves"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8063",title:"Food Security in Africa",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"8cbf3d662b104d19db2efc9d59249efc",slug:"food-security-in-africa",bookSignature:"Barakat Mahmoud",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8063.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"92016",title:"Dr.",name:"Barakat",middleName:null,surname:"Mahmoud",slug:"barakat-mahmoud",fullName:"Barakat Mahmoud"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"10118",title:"Plant Stress Physiology",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"c68b09d2d2634fc719ae3b9a64a27839",slug:"plant-stress-physiology",bookSignature:"Akbar Hossain",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/10118.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"280755",title:"Dr.",name:"Akbar",middleName:null,surname:"Hossain",slug:"akbar-hossain",fullName:"Akbar Hossain"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"9157",title:"Neurodegenerative Diseases",subtitle:"Molecular Mechanisms and Current Therapeutic Approaches",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"bc8be577966ef88735677d7e1e92ed28",slug:"neurodegenerative-diseases-molecular-mechanisms-and-current-therapeutic-approaches",bookSignature:"Nagehan Ersoy Tunalı",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9157.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"82778",title:"Ph.D.",name:"Nagehan",middleName:null,surname:"Ersoy Tunalı",slug:"nagehan-ersoy-tunali",fullName:"Nagehan Ersoy Tunalı"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"9961",title:"Data Mining",subtitle:"Methods, Applications and Systems",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"ed79fb6364f2caf464079f94a0387146",slug:"data-mining-methods-applications-and-systems",bookSignature:"Derya Birant",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/9961.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"15609",title:"Dr.",name:"Derya",middleName:null,surname:"Birant",slug:"derya-birant",fullName:"Derya Birant"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8686",title:"Direct Torque Control Strategies of Electrical Machines",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"b6ad22b14db2b8450228545d3d4f6b1a",slug:"direct-torque-control-strategies-of-electrical-machines",bookSignature:"Fatma Ben Salem",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8686.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"295623",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Fatma",middleName:null,surname:"Ben Salem",slug:"fatma-ben-salem",fullName:"Fatma Ben Salem"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}}]},subject:{topic:{id:"183",title:"Hematology",slug:"hematology",parent:{title:"Medicine",slug:"medicine"},numberOfBooks:35,numberOfAuthorsAndEditors:565,numberOfWosCitations:209,numberOfCrossrefCitations:138,numberOfDimensionsCitations:321,videoUrl:null,fallbackUrl:null,description:null},booksByTopicFilter:{topicSlug:"hematology",sort:"-publishedDate",limit:12,offset:0},booksByTopicCollection:[{type:"book",id:"7845",title:"Platelets",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"d33b20516d6ff3a5b7446a882109ba26",slug:"platelets",bookSignature:"Steve W. Kerrigan",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7845.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"73961",title:"Dr.",name:"Steve W.",middleName:"W.",surname:"Kerrigan",slug:"steve-w.-kerrigan",fullName:"Steve W. Kerrigan"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8450",title:"Beta Thalassemia",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"976f72013cd8e78d8f65bfb1f51f0146",slug:"beta-thalassemia",bookSignature:"Marwa Zakaria and Tamer Hassan",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8450.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"187545",title:"Prof.",name:"Marwa",middleName:null,surname:"Zakaria",slug:"marwa-zakaria",fullName:"Marwa Zakaria"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"8316",title:"Normal and Malignant B-Cell",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"a12608fa8d5fdb33c956f967974a4ef1",slug:"normal-and-malignant-b-cell",bookSignature:"Mourad Aribi",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/8316.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"40046",title:"Prof.",name:"Mourad",middleName:null,surname:"Aribi",slug:"mourad-aribi",fullName:"Mourad Aribi"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"7181",title:"Erythrocyte",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"267d215004c995048557176978208b15",slug:"erythrocyte",bookSignature:"Anil Tombak",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7181.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"202814",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Anil",middleName:null,surname:"Tombak",slug:"anil-tombak",fullName:"Anil Tombak"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"7874",title:"Germ Line Mutations Associated Leukemia",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"cb407bb000c66ebe6172b9dc3d6f9fb4",slug:"germ-line-mutations-associated-leukemia",bookSignature:"Zhan He Wu",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7874.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"226446",title:"Dr.",name:"Zhan He",middleName:null,surname:"Wu",slug:"zhan-he-wu",fullName:"Zhan He Wu"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6905",title:"Blood Groups",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"545ab2a5b402edec6332c7d632eba398",slug:"blood-groups",bookSignature:"Anil Tombak",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6905.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"202814",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Anil",middleName:null,surname:"Tombak",slug:"anil-tombak",fullName:"Anil Tombak"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"7125",title:"Iron Deficiency Anemia",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"25d82a6ea6c9d80b195bb40aad06be49",slug:"iron-deficiency-anemia",bookSignature:"Luis Rodrigo",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7125.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"73208",title:"Prof.",name:"Luis",middleName:null,surname:"Rodrigo",slug:"luis-rodrigo",fullName:"Luis Rodrigo"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"7086",title:"Hemophilia",subtitle:"Recent Advances",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"2c281207a3bce680f1a7efbb87ff791c",slug:"hemophilia-recent-advances",bookSignature:"Pankaj Abrol",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7086.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"90782",title:"Dr.",name:"Pankaj",middleName:null,surname:"Abrol",slug:"pankaj-abrol",fullName:"Pankaj Abrol"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"7138",title:"Recent Developments in Myelodysplastic Syndromes",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"f25aae5d062706d31025b1b21bb1d072",slug:"recent-developments-in-myelodysplastic-syndromes",bookSignature:"Ota Fuchs",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/7138.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"36468",title:"Dr.",name:"Ota",middleName:null,surname:"Fuchs",slug:"ota-fuchs",fullName:"Ota Fuchs"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6710",title:"Update on Multiple Myeloma",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"229a96a2de131b3ac67f9f41b91de8f8",slug:"update-on-multiple-myeloma",bookSignature:"Khalid Ahmed Al-Anazi",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6710.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"37255",title:"Dr.",name:"Khalid Ahmed",middleName:null,surname:"Al-Anazi",slug:"khalid-ahmed-al-anazi",fullName:"Khalid Ahmed Al-Anazi"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6634",title:"Homeostasis",subtitle:"An Integrated Vision",isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"3731dfa513781db054545963a4394938",slug:"homeostasis-an-integrated-vision",bookSignature:"Fernanda Lasakosvitsch and Sergio Dos Anjos Garnes",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6634.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"117630",title:"Dr.",name:"Fernanda",middleName:null,surname:"Lasakosvitsch Castanho",slug:"fernanda-lasakosvitsch-castanho",fullName:"Fernanda Lasakosvitsch Castanho"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}},{type:"book",id:"6969",title:"Lymphocytes",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!1,hash:"1aa8ac01c934ebdeedd5d7813036beef",slug:"lymphocytes",bookSignature:"Erman Salih Istifli and Hasan Basri İla",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/6969.jpg",editedByType:"Edited by",editors:[{id:"179007",title:"Dr.",name:"Erman Salih",middleName:null,surname:"Istifli",slug:"erman-salih-istifli",fullName:"Erman Salih Istifli"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter",authoredCaption:"Edited by"}}],booksByTopicTotal:35,mostCitedChapters:[{id:"39123",doi:"10.5772/50698",title:"Measurement Techniques for Red Blood Cell Deformability: Recent Advances",slug:"measurement-techniques-for-red-blood-cell-deformability-recent-advances",totalDownloads:6215,totalCrossrefCites:18,totalDimensionsCites:53,book:{slug:"blood-cell-an-overview-of-studies-in-hematology",title:"Blood Cell",fullTitle:"Blood Cell - An Overview of Studies in Hematology"},signatures:"Youngchan Kim, Kyoohyun Kim and YongKeun Park",authors:[{id:"143622",title:"Prof.",name:"YongKeun",middleName:null,surname:"Park",slug:"yongkeun-park",fullName:"YongKeun Park"},{id:"143623",title:"Mr.",name:"Kyoohyun",middleName:null,surname:"Kim",slug:"kyoohyun-kim",fullName:"Kyoohyun Kim"},{id:"143624",title:"Mr.",name:"Sangyeon",middleName:null,surname:"Cho",slug:"sangyeon-cho",fullName:"Sangyeon Cho"}]},{id:"31178",doi:"10.5772/38961",title:"Physiological Factors in the Interpretation of Equine Hematological Profile",slug:"haematological-profile-of-the-horse-phisiological-factors-influencing-equine-haematology",totalDownloads:10362,totalCrossrefCites:12,totalDimensionsCites:30,book:{slug:"hematology-science-and-practice",title:"Hematology",fullTitle:"Hematology - Science and Practice"},signatures:"K. Satué, A. Hernández and A. Muñoz",authors:[{id:"125292",title:"Dr.",name:"Katy",middleName:null,surname:"Satué Ambrojo",slug:"katy-satue-ambrojo",fullName:"Katy Satué Ambrojo"}]},{id:"46041",doi:"10.5772/57335",title:"An Insight into the Abnormal Fibrin Clots — Its Pathophysiological Roles",slug:"an-insight-into-the-abnormal-fibrin-clots-its-pathophysiological-roles",totalDownloads:3145,totalCrossrefCites:4,totalDimensionsCites:11,book:{slug:"fibrinolysis-and-thrombolysis",title:"Fibrinolysis and Thrombolysis",fullTitle:"Fibrinolysis and Thrombolysis"},signatures:"Payel Bhattacharjee and Debasish Bhattacharyya",authors:[{id:"88185",title:"Prof.",name:"Debasish",middleName:null,surname:"Bhattacharyya",slug:"debasish-bhattacharyya",fullName:"Debasish Bhattacharyya"},{id:"170045",title:"Ms.",name:"Payel",middleName:null,surname:"Bhattacharjee",slug:"payel-bhattacharjee",fullName:"Payel Bhattacharjee"}]}],mostDownloadedChaptersLast30Days:[{id:"66374",title:"Neurocognitive Dysfunctions in Iron Deficiency Patients",slug:"neurocognitive-dysfunctions-in-iron-deficiency-patients",totalDownloads:916,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:1,book:{slug:"iron-deficiency-anemia",title:"Iron Deficiency Anemia",fullTitle:"Iron Deficiency Anemia"},signatures:"Elena Zhukovskaya, Alexander Karelin and Alexander Rumyantsev",authors:null},{id:"66394",title:"Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma",slug:"diffuse-large-b-cell-lymphoma",totalDownloads:1133,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,book:{slug:"normal-and-malignant-b-cell",title:"Normal and Malignant B-Cell",fullTitle:"Normal and Malignant B-Cell"},signatures:"Patrascu Ana Maria, Ionela Rotaru, Valeriu Surlin and Stefan Patrascu",authors:[{id:"158096",title:"Associate Prof.",name:"Valeriu",middleName:null,surname:"Surlin",slug:"valeriu-surlin",fullName:"Valeriu Surlin"},{id:"194539",title:"Dr.",name:"Stefan",middleName:null,surname:"Patrascu",slug:"stefan-patrascu",fullName:"Stefan Patrascu"},{id:"290810",title:"Dr.",name:"Ana Maria",middleName:null,surname:"Patrascu",slug:"ana-maria-patrascu",fullName:"Ana Maria Patrascu"},{id:"292959",title:"Dr.",name:"Ionela",middleName:null,surname:"Rotaru",slug:"ionela-rotaru",fullName:"Ionela Rotaru"}]},{id:"51831",title:"Disorders Mimicking Myelodysplastic Syndrome and Difficulties in its Diagnosis",slug:"disorders-mimicking-myelodysplastic-syndrome-and-difficulties-in-its-diagnosis",totalDownloads:3260,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:2,book:{slug:"myelodysplastic-syndromes",title:"Myelodysplastic Syndromes",fullTitle:"Myelodysplastic Syndromes"},signatures:"Lale Olcay and Sevgi Yetgin",authors:[{id:"184156",title:"Prof.",name:"Lale",middleName:null,surname:"Olcay",slug:"lale-olcay",fullName:"Lale Olcay"}]},{id:"60302",title:"Understanding the Clotting Cascade, Regulators, and Clinical Modulators of Coagulation",slug:"understanding-the-clotting-cascade-regulators-and-clinical-modulators-of-coagulation",totalDownloads:1302,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,book:{slug:"hematology-latest-research-and-clinical-advances",title:"Hematology",fullTitle:"Hematology - Latest Research and Clinical Advances"},signatures:"Vijaya S. Pilli",authors:[{id:"217533",title:"Dr.",name:"Vijaya",middleName:null,surname:"Pilli",slug:"vijaya-pilli",fullName:"Vijaya Pilli"}]},{id:"64989",title:"Platelets: From Formation to Function",slug:"platelets-from-formation-to-function",totalDownloads:1374,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:1,book:{slug:"homeostasis-an-integrated-vision",title:"Homeostasis",fullTitle:"Homeostasis - An Integrated Vision"},signatures:"Laura Twomey, Robert G. Wallace, Philip M. Cummins, Bernard\nDegryse, Sinead Sheridan, Michael Harrison, Niall Moyna,\nGerardene Meade-Murphy, Nastassia Navasiolava, Marc-Antoine\nCustaud and Ronan P. Murphy",authors:[{id:"237585",title:"Dr.",name:"Ronan",middleName:"Padraic",surname:"Murphy",slug:"ronan-murphy",fullName:"Ronan Murphy"},{id:"260576",title:"Mr.",name:"Robert",middleName:null,surname:"Wallace",slug:"robert-wallace",fullName:"Robert Wallace"},{id:"260578",title:"Dr.",name:"Michael",middleName:null,surname:"Harrison",slug:"michael-harrison",fullName:"Michael Harrison"},{id:"260579",title:"Dr.",name:"Niall",middleName:"M",surname:"Moyna",slug:"niall-moyna",fullName:"Niall Moyna"},{id:"260580",title:"Dr.",name:"Gerardene",middleName:null,surname:"Meade-Murphy",slug:"gerardene-meade-murphy",fullName:"Gerardene Meade-Murphy"},{id:"260581",title:"Dr.",name:"Bernard",middleName:null,surname:"Degryse",slug:"bernard-degryse",fullName:"Bernard Degryse"},{id:"260582",title:"Dr.",name:"Sinead",middleName:null,surname:"Sheridan",slug:"sinead-sheridan",fullName:"Sinead Sheridan"},{id:"260583",title:"Prof.",name:"Marc-Antoine",middleName:null,surname:"Custaud",slug:"marc-antoine-custaud",fullName:"Marc-Antoine Custaud"},{id:"260584",title:"Dr.",name:"Nastassia",middleName:null,surname:"Navasiolava",slug:"nastassia-navasiolava",fullName:"Nastassia Navasiolava"},{id:"260585",title:"Dr.",name:"Laura",middleName:null,surname:"Twomey",slug:"laura-twomey",fullName:"Laura Twomey"}]},{id:"65673",title:"Red Blood Cells as Redox Modulators in Hemolytic Anemia",slug:"red-blood-cells-as-redox-modulators-in-hemolytic-anemia",totalDownloads:502,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:2,book:{slug:"erythrocyte",title:"Erythrocyte",fullTitle:"Erythrocyte"},signatures:"Eitan Fibach and Mutaz Dana",authors:[{id:"83134",title:"Prof.",name:"Eitan",middleName:null,surname:"Fibach",slug:"eitan-fibach",fullName:"Eitan Fibach"},{id:"280928",title:"Dr.",name:"Mutaz",middleName:null,surname:"Dana",slug:"mutaz-dana",fullName:"Mutaz Dana"}]},{id:"67667",title:"Erythrocyte Morphology and Its Disorders",slug:"erythrocyte-morphology-and-its-disorders",totalDownloads:707,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:2,book:{slug:"erythrocyte",title:"Erythrocyte",fullTitle:"Erythrocyte"},signatures:"Ademola Samson Adewoyin, Oluwafemi Adeyemi, Nosimot Omolola Davies and Ann Abiola Ogbenna",authors:[{id:"281974",title:"Dr.",name:"Ademola Samson",middleName:null,surname:"Adewoyin",slug:"ademola-samson-adewoyin",fullName:"Ademola Samson Adewoyin"},{id:"304907",title:"Dr.",name:"Oluwafemi",middleName:null,surname:"Adeyemi",slug:"oluwafemi-adeyemi",fullName:"Oluwafemi Adeyemi"},{id:"304908",title:"Dr.",name:"Nosimot Omolola",middleName:null,surname:"Davies",slug:"nosimot-omolola-davies",fullName:"Nosimot Omolola Davies"},{id:"304909",title:"Dr.",name:"Ann",middleName:null,surname:"Abiola Ogbenna",slug:"ann-abiola-ogbenna",fullName:"Ann Abiola Ogbenna"}]},{id:"39118",title:"Tigers Blood: Haematological and Biochemical Studies",slug:"tigers-blood-haematological-and-biochemical-studies",totalDownloads:4685,totalCrossrefCites:3,totalDimensionsCites:4,book:{slug:"blood-cell-an-overview-of-studies-in-hematology",title:"Blood Cell",fullTitle:"Blood Cell - An Overview of Studies in Hematology"},signatures:"A.B. Shrivastav and K.P. Singh",authors:[{id:"142314",title:"Dr.",name:"K.P.",middleName:null,surname:"Singh",slug:"k.p.-singh",fullName:"K.P. Singh"}]},{id:"39114",title:"Homocysteine in Red Blood Cells Metabolism - Pharmacological Approaches",slug:"homocysteine-in-red-blood-cells-metabolism-pharmacological-approaches",totalDownloads:2949,totalCrossrefCites:1,totalDimensionsCites:3,book:{slug:"blood-cell-an-overview-of-studies-in-hematology",title:"Blood Cell",fullTitle:"Blood Cell - An Overview of Studies in Hematology"},signatures:"Filip Cristiana, Zamosteanu Nina and Albu Elena",authors:[{id:"143599",title:"Dr.",name:"Filip",middleName:null,surname:"Cristiana",slug:"filip-cristiana",fullName:"Filip Cristiana"},{id:"143791",title:"Prof.",name:"Albu",middleName:null,surname:"Elena",slug:"albu-elena",fullName:"Albu Elena"},{id:"143792",title:"Dr.",name:"Zamosteanu",middleName:null,surname:"Nina",slug:"zamosteanu-nina",fullName:"Zamosteanu Nina"}]},{id:"64548",title:"Infections in Patients with Multiple Myeloma in the Era of Novel Agents and Stem Cell Therapies",slug:"infections-in-patients-with-multiple-myeloma-in-the-era-of-novel-agents-and-stem-cell-therapies",totalDownloads:830,totalCrossrefCites:0,totalDimensionsCites:0,book:{slug:"update-on-multiple-myeloma",title:"Update on Multiple Myeloma",fullTitle:"Update on Multiple Myeloma"},signatures:"Asma M. Al-Jasser and Khalid Ahmed Al-Anazi",authors:[{id:"37255",title:"Dr.",name:"Khalid Ahmed",middleName:null,surname:"Al-Anazi",slug:"khalid-ahmed-al-anazi",fullName:"Khalid Ahmed Al-Anazi"}]}],onlineFirstChaptersFilter:{topicSlug:"hematology",limit:3,offset:0},onlineFirstChaptersCollection:[],onlineFirstChaptersTotal:0},preDownload:{success:null,errors:{}},aboutIntechopen:{},privacyPolicy:{},peerReviewing:{},howOpenAccessPublishingWithIntechopenWorks:{},sponsorshipBooks:{sponsorshipBooks:[{type:"book",id:"10176",title:"Microgrids and Local Energy Systems",subtitle:null,isOpenForSubmission:!0,hash:"c32b4a5351a88f263074b0d0ca813a9c",slug:null,bookSignature:"Prof. Nick Jenkins",coverURL:"https://cdn.intechopen.com/books/images_new/10176.jpg",editedByType:null,editors:[{id:"55219",title:"Prof.",name:"Nick",middleName:null,surname:"Jenkins",slug:"nick-jenkins",fullName:"Nick Jenkins"}],equalEditorOne:null,equalEditorTwo:null,equalEditorThree:null,productType:{id:"1",chapterContentType:"chapter"}}],offset:8,limit:8,total:1},route:{name:"profile.detail",path:"/profiles/167638/hyunah-ahn",hash:"",query:{},params:{id:"167638",slug:"hyunah-ahn"},fullPath:"/profiles/167638/hyunah-ahn",meta:{},from:{name:null,path:"/",hash:"",query:{},params:{},fullPath:"/",meta:{}}}},function(){var e;(e=document.currentScript||document.scripts[document.scripts.length-1]).parentNode.removeChild(e)}()