This book collects papers presented at a workshop taking an interdisciplinary look at methods designed to detect life on other planets. It serves as a reference to scientists and instrument developers working in the field of in-situ and remote life detection.

From Habitability to Life on Mars explores the current state of knowledge and questions on the past habitability of Mars and the role that rapid environmental changes may have played in the ability of prebiotic chemistry to transition to life. It investigates the role that such changes may have played in the preservation of biosignatures in the geological record and what this means for exploration strategies. Throughout the book, the authors show how the investigation of terrestrial analogs to early Martian habitats under various climates and environmental extremes provide critical clues to understand where, what and how to search for biosignatures on Mars. The authors present an introduction to the newest developments and state-of-the-art remote and in situ detection strategies and technologies that are being currently developed to support the upcoming ExoMars and Mars 2020 missions. They show how the current orbital and ground exploration is guiding the selection for future landing sites. Finally, the book concludes by discussing the critical question of the implications and ethics of finding life on Mars. - Edited by the lead on a NASA project that searches for habitability and life on Mars leading to the Mars 2020 mission - Presents the evidence, questions and answers we have today (including a summary of the current state of knowledge in advance of the ESA ExoMars and NASA Mars 2020 missions) - Includes contributions from authors directly involved in past, current and upcoming Mars missions - Provides key information as to how Mars rovers, such as ExoMars and Mars 2020, will address the search for life on Mars with their instrumentation

Electrochemical methods of chemical analysis have been widely used for many years, the purpose of this volume is to address research and development advances based on new and re-vitalised methods, new materials with enhanced properties and new devices that achieve better electroanalytical signal generation.

Since Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Gulf War veterans have expressed concerns about health effects that could be associated with their deployment and service during the war. Although similar concerns were raised after other military operations, the Gulf War deployment focused national attention on the potential, but uncertain, relationship between the presence of chemical and biological (CB) agents and other harmful agents in theater and health symptoms reported by military personnel. Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces which is one of the four two-year studies, examines the detection and tracking of exposures of deployed personnel to multiple harmful agents.

This textbook covers the main tools and techniques used in bioanalysis, provides an overview of their principles, and offers several examples of their application and future trends in diagnosis. Chapters from expert contributors explore the role of bioanalysis in different areas such as biochemistry, physiology, forensics, and clinical diagnosis, including topics from sampling/sample preparation, chemometrics in bioanalysis to the latest techniques used in the field. Particular attention is given to the recent advances in the application of mass spectrometry, NMR, electrochemical methods and separation techniques in bioanalysis. Readers will also find more about the application of microchip-based devices and analytical microarrays. This textbook will appeal to graduate/advanced undergraduate students in Chemistry, Biology, Biochemistry, Pharmacy, and Chemical Engineering. It is also a useful resource for researchers and professionals working in the fields of biomedicine and veterinary sciences, with clear explanations and examples of how the different bioanalytical devices are applied for clinical diagnosis.

Expanding upon his viral TEDx Talk, psychology professor and social scientist John V. Petrocelli reveals the critical thinking habits you can develop to recognize and combat pervasive false information that harms society in The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. Bullshit is the foundation of contaminated thinking and bad decisions leading to health consequences, financial losses, legal consequences, broken relationships, and wasted time and resources. No matter how smart we believe ourselves to be, we’re all susceptible to bullshit—and we all engage in it. While we may brush it off as harmless marketing sales speak or as humorous, embellished claims, it’s actually much more dangerous and insidious. It’s how Bernie Madoff successfully swindled billions of dollars from even the most experienced financial experts with his Ponzi scheme. It’s how the protocols of Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward resulted in the deaths of 36 million people from starvation. Presented as truths by authority figures and credentialed experts, bullshit appears legitimate, and we accept their words as gospel. If we don’t question the information we receive from bullshit artists to prove their thoughts and theories, we allow these falsehoods to take root in our memories and beliefs. This faulty data affects our decision making capabilities, sometimes resulting in regrettable life choices. But with a little dose of skepticism and a commitment to truth seeking, you can build your critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills to evaluate information, separate fact from fiction, and see through bullshitter spin. In The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit, experimental social psychologist John V. Petrocelli provides invaluable strategies not only to recognize and protect yourself from everyday bullshit, but to accept your own lack of knowledge about subjects and avoid in engaging in bullshit just for societal conformity. With real world examples from people versed in bullshit who work in the used car, real estate, wine, and diamond industries, Petrocelli exposes the red-flag warning signs found in the anecdotal stories, emotional language, and buzzwords used by bullshitters that persuade our decisions. By using his critical thinking defensive tactics against those motivated by profit, we will also learn how to stop the toxic misinformation spread from the social media influencers, fake news, and op-eds that permeate our culture and call out bullshit whenever we see it.

This book focuses on the development and applications of functional nucleic acid-based detection methods in the context of food safety. Offering a comprehensive overview of nucleic acids detection method in food safety for professionals and members of the public interested in this area, the book is divided into two parts. Part I addresses the basic principle of nucleic acid detection, while Part II presents novel applications of detection methods in genetically modified organisms, the identification of dead-alive microorganisms, microbial diversity, heavy metal detection, gene toxicity and non-coding RNA identification. As such, it provides readers a wealth of knowledge on the use of nucleic acids as targets and media in food safety. It offers a valuable resource for clinicians and basic scientists in the areas of food science and microbiology, and for all those who are interested in the concrete applications of molecular biological techniques. p>

This book celebrates the life, work and influence of Professor Roger W.H. Sargent of Imperial College London. It does so through a range of original contributions that span the wide academic and industry interests of Professor Sargent. Roger Sargent passed away in late 2018, but his legacy lives on through his enormous academic tree, which traces to the early 1960s. That huge body of work has also had significant impacts on industrial practices. Roger was regarded as “the father of Process Systems Engineering (PSE)”. This area of Chemical Engineering continues to influence the modelling, design, control, optimization and integrated performance of industrial and related processes. This book highlights some of those impacts and the ongoing importance of PSE in helping to solve some of the grand challenges of our time.