The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

This book reevaluates the health risks of ionizing radiation in light of data that have become available since the 1980 report on this subject was published. The data include new, much more reliable dose estimates for the A-bomb survivors, the results of an additional 14 years of follow-up of the survivors for cancer mortality, recent results of follow-up studies of persons irradiated for medical purposes, and results of relevant experiments with laboratory animals and cultured cells. It analyzes the data in terms of risk estimates for specific organs in relation to dose and time after exposure, and compares radiation effects between Japanese and Western populations.

This book focuses on radiation applications in various fields such as industry, environmental conservation, analytical sciences, agriculture, medical diagnosis and therapy, and other areas, from laboratory or research scale to practical or commercial scale. The book targets rather beginning or young professionals in radiation chemistry, processing, biology, and medicine, among others, but also introduces the state of the art of the relevant fields. This volume also helps readers to understand the fundamentals of radiation chemistry, physics, and biology that underlie the miscellaneous applications. Readers will understand, for example, that industry utilizes radiation to fabricate water-absorbent materials or semiconductors and also that cancer patients can be cured through radiation without surgery. These and more facts about radiation applications are made available in this valuable book.

Radiation-Processed Polysaccharides: Emerging Roles in Agriculture is the first book to focus exclusively on this emerging and important option for reducing the overuse and negative impact of agrochemicals in agriculture. Among practices being developed for effective and eco-friendly plant growth regulators in crop production, using radiation-processed polysaccharides (RPPs) is a promising technique. Comprised of chapters from diverse areas of plant science, including agriculture, agronomy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, and radiation agriculture, this book provides insights into the practical application of RPPs and inspires further research toward sustainable and efficient agricultural production. Polysaccharides (sodium alginate, carrageenan, chitosan and others) in their depolymerized state are increasingly important to agriculture based on their unique biological properties, biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity. Understanding the impact of RPPs on the plant phenotype, translocation of nutrients from source to sink, signal processing, and crosstalk helps improve the applicability of RPPs and sustainable agricultural yield. Presents the latest application of RPPs for improved plant production Includes insights for abiotic stress, biotechnology, nanotechnology and molecular application Explores the efficiency of natural polysaccharides as plant growth promoters

This publication provides the background and compiles the most recent research findings as well as detailing development activities relating to the development of radiation processed products made of natural polymers. Successes clearly indicate that the radiation processing of natural polymers has emerged as an exciting area where the unique characteristics of these polymeric materials can be exploited for a variety of practical applications in agriculture, healthcare, industry and the environment.

Building on Mozumder's and Hatano's Charged Particle and Photon Interactions with Matter: Chemical, Physicochemical, and Biological Consequences with Applications (CRC Press, 2004), Charged Particle and Photon Interactions with Matter: Recent Advances, Applications, and Interfaces expands upon the scientific contents of the previous volume by cover