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Biological Sciences

A comprehensive guide to resources for research in the biological sciences.

New Books Purchased by Campbell Library

by Daniel Kipnis on 2023-01-19T11:42:06-05:00 | 0 Comments
Cover ArtFixing Your Damaged and Incorrect Genes by Errol C. Friedberg
ISBN: 9811200963
Publication Date: 2019-08-14
Fixing Your Damaged and Incorrect Genes is a book about a well-established biological process called DNA REPAIR. The book describes the multiple and varied biochemical strategies by which damaged or incorrect nucleotides are removed from DNA or are corrected. The book includes multiple figures of notable past and present scientists in the field. The book is uniquely focused on an audience of non-biologists and is written in simple language with minimal use of technical terms. It contains an extensive glossary that provides explanations of key words that readers are encouraged to refer to as they read. Fixing Your Damaged and Incorrect Genes is unique, there being no previously published books for non-biologists on the topic of DNA repair.
 
Cover ArtArtificial Intelligence in Bioinformatics by Mario Cannataro; Pietro Hiram Guzzi; Giuseppe Agapito; Chiara Zucco; Marianna Milano
ISBN: 9780128229293
Publication Date: 2022-05-12
Artificial Intelligence in Bioinformatics: From Omics Analysis to Deep Learning and Network Mining reviews the main applications of the topic, from omics analysis to deep learning and network mining. The book includes a rigorous introduction on bioinformatics, also reviewing how methods are incorporated in tasks and processes. In addition, it presents methods and theory, including content for emergent fields such as Sentiment Analysis and Network Alignment.  Other sections survey how Artificial Intelligence is exploited in bioinformatics applications, including sequence analysis, structure analysis, functional analysis, protein classification, omics analysis, biomarker discovery, integrative bioinformatics, protein interaction analysis, metabolic networks analysis, and much more. Bridges the gap between computer science and bioinformatics, combining an introduction to Artificial Intelligence methods with a systematic review of its applications in the life sciences Brings readers up-to-speed on current trends and methods in a dynamic and growing field Provides academic teachers with a complete resource, covering fundamental concepts as well as applications
 
Cover ArtCareers in Biology.
ISBN: 1637000928
Publication Date: 2022
Biologists can work in a classroom, in a laboratory, on a farm, or under the ocean, so someone who is interested in a career in this field has many options to choose from.
 
 
 
 
Cover ArtThe Parrot in the Mirror by Antone Martinho-Truswell
ISBN: 9780198846109
Publication Date: 2022-06-10
How similar are your choices, behaviours, and lifestyle to those of a parrot?We humans are not like other mammals. We look like them, but we don't act like them. In fact, many of our defining human traits: our longevity, intelligence, monogamy and childrearing, and learning and language, all deep parts of what it means to be human, are far more similar to birds than to ourfellow mammals. These similarities originate not from shared ancestors but from parallel histories. Our evolutionary stories have pushed humans and birds to the same solutions. In this book, Antone Martinho-Truswell explores these similarities to argue that we can learn a great deal about ourselvesby thinking of the human species as 'the bird without feathers'.This is also a book about convergent evolution - evolution that drives very different species to very similar outcomes and behaviours. The traits we share with birds but not mammals are the result of similar, specific pressures that demanded similar solutions - and exploring these similarities canhelp us understand both why we evolved to be the way we are, and also how very unusual some of our behaviours are in the animal kingdom, Drawing on a rich array of examples across the natural world, Martinho-Truswell also demonstrates the ways in which parrots are our biological mirror image; anevolutionary parallel to ourselves. In contemplating what we share with the birds, and especially the parrots, we understand how close nature came to creating another lineage of radical intelligence on Earth, and we also come to better understand ourselves.
 
Cover ArtRebugging the Planet by Vicki Hird; Gillian Burke (Foreword by)
ISBN: 1645020185
Publication Date: 2021-09-23
"This is a lovely little book that could and should have a big impact...Let's all get rebugging right away!"--Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Meet the intelligent insects, marvelous minibeasts, and inspirational invertebrates that help shape our planet--and discover how you can help them help us by rebugging your attitude today! Remember when there were bugs on your windshield? Ever wonder where they went? We need to act now if we are to help the insects survive. Robin Wall Kimmerer, David Attenborough, and Elizabeth Kolbert are but a few voices championing the rewilding of our world. Rebugging the Planet explains how we are headed toward "insectageddon" with a rate of insect extinction eight times faster than that of mammals or birds, and gives us crucial information to help all those essential creepy-crawlies flourish once more. Author Vicki Hird passionately demonstrates how insects and invertebrates are the cornerstone of our global ecosystem. They pollinate plants, feed birds, support and defend our food crops, and clean our water systems. They are also beautiful, inventive, and economically invaluable--bees, for example, contribute an estimated $235 to $577 billion to the US economy annually, according to Forbes. Rebugging the Planet shows us small changes we can make to have a big impact on our littlest allies: Learn how to rewild parks, schools, sidewalks, roadsides, and other green spaces. Leave your garden to grow a little wild and plant weedkiller-free, wildlife-friendly plants. Take your kids on a minibeast treasure hunt and learn how to build bug palaces. Make bug-friendly choices with your food and support good farming practices Begin to understand how reducing inequality and poverty will help nature and wildlife too--it's all connected.   So do your part and start rebugging today! The bees, ants, earthworms, butterflies, beetles, grasshoppers, ladybugs, snails, and slugs will thank you--and our planet will thank you too.
 
Cover ArtBrain Fever: How Vaccines Prevent Meningitis by Richard Moxon
ISBN: 1786349876
Publication Date: 2021-07-01
In Brain Fever, the internationally renowned medical scientist, Richard Moxon FRS, shares his experiences of bacterial meningitis, a fearful and devastating infection of the brain. In a clear, non-technical style, he explains what meningitis is, what causes it, who gets it and how research has come up with vaccines that can prevent it. A paediatrician,Moxon engages the reader in a compelling story of how chance, opportunity and passion drew him into researching the bacteria that are the dangerous assassins of unsuspecting, previously healthy people, especially young children. Moxon traces the story of his involvement as one of the extraordinary and inspiring group of scientists who pioneered a milestone in medical history: the development of vaccines to prevent bacterial meningitis.In this must-read book, Brain Fever provides expert insight into what it takes to develop a vaccine. As we are learning from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vaccines that we rely on to fight and overcome the devastation caused by virulent pathogens. His message is clear and challenging: no other intervention in the history of medicine confers a greater public health benefit than immunisation.
 
Cover ArtRetrieving Darwin's Revolutionary Idea by Samuel Grove
ISBN: 1793632499
Publication Date: 2021-07-12
Darwin's discovery of evolution is as celebrated as Galileo's laws of motion or Newton's discovery of gravity. But this was only half the story. Not content to prove that evolution had happened, Darwin sought to convey its full humbling implications. Thus he formulated the theory of natural selection. Contrary to popular belief, this theory ran exactly counter to scientific reason and was consequently rejected by the scientific community of the time. This wasn't the only reason Darwin's critics recoiled. His theory robbed the ruling orders of any easy recourse to consolatory tales of nature's harmony and design. The fate of his ideas, for the time being at least, would be left to the heretics he inspired in other domains. Darwin's radical thought anticipated Nietzsche's Godless philosophy, Marx's class-based economics and Freud's psychological theories of the unconscious. It would take a further 80 years for Darwinism to become accepted as mainstream science, but it came at the expense of its counter-scientific core. For the remainder of the twentieth century a popularized Darwinism would become the touchstone for backlash movements in philosophy, economics and psychology--disciplines he once so radicalized. This is the story of how the most revolutionary idea of the nineteenth century became the most reactionary idea of the twentieth.
 
Cover ArtMammalian Sexuality by Alan F. Dixson
ISBN: 1108426182
Publication Date: 2021-06-03
There are more than 6000 species belonging to twenty-seven orders in the Class Mammalia. Comparative studies of this diverse and magnificent array of extant species provide valuable opportunities to formulate and test hypotheses concerning the evolution of reproduction. This is the first book to explore, in depth and breadth, the complex interrelationships that exist between patterns of mating behaviour and the evolution of mammalian reproductive anatomy and physiology. It focuses upon the role that copulatory and post-copulatory sexual selection have played during the evolution of the monotremes, marsupials and placental mammals, and examines the effects of sperm competition and cryptic female choice upon coevolution of the genitalia in the two sexes. In addition, due weight is also given to discussions of the modes of life of mammals, and to the roles played by natural selection and phylogeny in determining their reproductive traits.
 
Cover ArtMapping, Monitoring, and Modeling Land and Water Resources by Pravat Kumar Shit (Editor); Pulakesh Das (Editor); Gouri Sankar Bhunia (Editor); Dipanwita Dutta (Editor)
ISBN: 1000401448
Publication Date: 2021-06-27
The wide range of challenges in studying Earth system dynamics due to uncertainties in climate change and complex interference from human activities is creating difficulties in managing land and water resources and ensuring their sustainable use. Mapping, Monitoring, and Modeling Land and Water Resources brings together real-world case studies accurately surveyed and assessed through spatial modeling. The book focuses on the effectiveness of combining remote sensing, geographic information systems, and R. The use of open source software for different spatial modeling cases in various fields, along with the use of remote sensing and geographic information systems, will aid researchers, students, and practitioners to understand better the phenomena and the predictions by future analyses for problem-solving and decision-making.
 
Cover ArtQuantitative Analysis of Ecological Networks by Mark R. T. Dale; Marie-Josée Fortin
ISBN: 1108649017
Publication Date: 2021-04-05
Network thinking and network analysis are rapidly expanding features of ecological research. Network analysis of ecological systems include representations and modelling of the interactions in an ecosystem, in which species or factors are joined by pairwise connections. This book provides an overview of ecological network analysis including generating processes, the relationship between structure and dynamic function, and statistics and models for these networks. Starting with a general introduction to the composition of networks and their characteristics, it includes details on such topics as measures of network complexity, applications of spectral graph theory, how best to include indirect species interactions, and multilayer, multiplex and multilevel networks. Graduate students and researchers who want to develop and understand ecological networks in their research will find this volume inspiring and helpful. Detailed guidance to those already working in network ecology but looking for advice is also included.
 
Cover ArtIn Search of Mycotopia by Doug Bierend
ISBN: 9781603589802
Publication Date: 2021-03-10
"Mushrooms are having a moment. [A] natural sequel for the many readers who enjoyed Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life."--Library Journal "Bierend writes with sensual verve and specificity, enthusiasm, and humor. . . . [He] introduces us to the staggering variety of mushrooms, their mystery, their funk, and the way they captivate our imaginations."--The Boston Globe "Nothing is impossible if you bring mushrooms into your life, and reading this book is a great way to begin your journey."--Tradd Cotter, author of Organic Mushroom Farming and Mycoremediation From ecology to fermentation, in pop culture and in medicine--mushrooms are everywhere. With an explorer's eye, author Doug Bierend guides readers through the weird, wonderful world of fungi and the amazing mycological movement. In Search of Mycotopia introduces us to an incredible, essential, and oft-overlooked kingdom of life--fungi--and all the potential it holds for our future, through the work and research being done by an unforgettable community of mushroom-mad citizen scientists and microbe devotees. This entertaining and mind-expanding book will captivate readers who are curious about the hidden worlds and networks that make up our planet. Bierend uncovers a vanguard of mycologists: growers, independent researchers, ecologists, entrepreneurs, and amateur enthusiasts exploring and advocating for fungi's capacity to improve and heal. From decontaminating landscapes and waterways to achieving food security, In Search of Mycotopia demonstrates how humans can work with fungi to better live with nature--and with one another. "Comprehensive and enthusiastic. . . . This fascinating, informative look into a unique subculture and the fungi at its center is a real treat."--Publishers Weekly "If you enjoyed Merlin Sheldrake's Entangled Life . . . I highly recommend this book. . . . In the vein of Louis Theroux, Bierend journeys deep in the wonderfully strange subculture of the mushroom-mad."--Idler magazine "Engaging and entertaining. . . .Bierend proves his skill as a science journalist through interviews and experiences shared with mushroom experts and citizen scientists."
 
Cover ArtAnt Architecture by Walter R. Tschinkel
ISBN: 9780691218496
Publication Date: 2021-06-22
An unprecedented look at the complex and beautiful world of underground ant architecture Walter Tschinkel has spent much of his career investigating the hidden subterranean realm of ant nests. This wonderfully illustrated book takes you inside an unseen world where thousands of ants build intricate homes in the soil beneath our feet. Tschinkel describes the ingenious methods he has devised to study ant nests, showing how he fills a nest with plaster, molten metal, or wax and painstakingly excavates the cast. He guides you through living ant nests chamber by chamber, revealing how nests are created and how colonies function. How does nest architecture vary across species? Do ants have "architectural plans"? How do nests affect our environment? As he delves into these and other questions, Tschinkel provides a one-of-a-kind natural history of the planet's most successful creatures and a compelling firsthand account of a life of scientific discovery. Offering a unique look at how simple methods can lead to pioneering science, Ant Architecture addresses the unsolved mysteries of underground ant nests while charting new directions for tomorrow's research, and reflects on the role of beauty in nature and the joys of shoestring science.
 
Cover ArtBird Versus Bulldozer by Audrey L. Mayer
ISBN: 0300247907
Publication Date: 2021-03-09
The story of the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher is a parable for understanding the larger ongoing struggle to conserve biodiversity in regions confronted with intensifying urban development. Because this gnatcatcher depends on vanishing coastal sage scrub in Southern California, it has been regarded as a flagship species for biodiversity protection since the early 1990s. But the uncertainty of the gnatcatcher's taxonomic classification--and whether it can be counted as a "listable unit" under the Endangered Species Act--has provoked contentious debate among activists, scientists, urban developers, and policy makers. Synthesizing insights from ecology, environmental history, public policy analysis, and urban planning as she tracks these debates over the course of the past twenty-five years, Audrey L. Mayer presents an ultimately optimistic take on the importance of much-neglected regional conservation planning strategies to create sustainable urban landscapes that benefit humans and wildlife alike.
 
Cover ArtCount Down by Shanna H. Swan; Stacey Colino
ISBN: 1982113669
Publication Date: 2021-02-23
In the tradition of Silent Spring and The Sixth Extinction, an urgent, "disturbing, empowering, and essential" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) book about the ways in which chemicals in the modern environment are changing--and endangering--human sexuality and fertility on the grandest scale, from renowned epidemiologist Shanna Swan. In 2017, author Shanna Swan and her team of researchers completed a major study. They found that over the past four decades, sperm levels among men in Western countries have dropped by more than 50 percent. They came to this conclusion after examining 185 studies involving close to 45,000 healthy men. The result sent shockwaves around the globe--but the story didn't end there. It turns out our sexual development is changing in broader ways, for both men and women and even other species, and that the modern world is on pace to become an infertile one. How and why could this happen? What is hijacking our fertility and our health? Count Down unpacks these questions, revealing what Swan and other researchers have learned about how both lifestyle and chemical exposures are affecting our fertility, sexual development--potentially including the increase in gender fluidity--and general health as a species. Engagingly explaining the science and repercussions of these worldwide threats and providing simple and practical guidelines for effectively avoiding chemical goods (from water bottles to shaving cream) both as individuals and societies, Count Down is "staggering in its findings" (Erin Brockovich, The Guardian) and "will serve as an awakening" (The New York Times Book Review).
 
Cover ArtTheory of the Spread of Epidemics and Movement Ecology of Animals by V. M. (Nitant) Kenkre; Luca Giuggioli
ISBN: 9781108841405
Publication Date: 2021-01-28
Exploiting powerful techniques from physics and mathematics, this book studies animal movement in ecology, with a focus on epidemic spread. Pulmonary syndrome is not only feared in epidemics of recent times, such as COVID-19, but is also characteristic of epidemics studied earlier such as Hantavirus. The Hantavirus is one of the book's central topics. Correlations between epidemic outbreaks and precipitation events like El Niño are analyzed and spatial reservoirs of infection in off-period of the epidemic, known as refugia, are studied. Predicted traveling waves of infection are successfully compared to field observations. Territoriality in scent-marking animals is presented, with parallels drawn with the theory of melting. The flocking and herding of birds and mammals are described in terms of collective excitations. For scientists interested in movement ecology and epidemic spread, this book provides effective solutions to long-standing problems.
 
Cover ArtThe Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death by Pierre M. Durand
ISBN: 9780226747620
Publication Date: 2021-02-01
The question of why an individual would actively kill itself has long been an evolutionary mystery. Pierre M. Durand's ambitious book answers this question through close inspection of life and death in the earliest cellular life. As Durand shows us, cell death is a fascinating lens through which to examine the interconnectedness, in evolutionary terms, of life and death. It is a truism to note that one does not exist without the other, but just how does this play out in evolutionary history?    These two processes have been studied from philosophical, theoretical, experimental, and genomic angles, but no one has yet integrated the information from these various disciplines. In this work, Durand synthesizes cellular studies of life and death looking at the origin of life and the evolutionary significance of programmed cellular death. The exciting and unexpected outcome of Durand's analysis is the realization that life and death exhibit features of coevolution. The evolution of more complex cellular life depended on the coadaptation between traits that promote life and those that promote death. In an ironic twist, it becomes clear that, in many circumstances, programmed cell death is essential for sustaining life.
 
Cover ArtThe Flowering of Ecology by Kay Etheridge
ISBN: 9004284796
Publication Date: 2020-12-11
The Flowering of Ecology presents an English translation of Maria Sibylla Merian's 1679 book, originally published in German, the first to illustrate and describe insect/plant interactions. Her processes in making the book and an analysis of its scientific content are presented in a historical context.
 
 
 
Cover ArtBird Senses by Graham R. Martin
ISBN: 1784272167
Publication Date: 2020-09-14
Graham Martin takes the reader deep into the world of birds from a new perspective, with a 'through birds' eyes' approach to ornithology that goes beyond the traditional habitat or ecological point of view. There is a lot more to a bird's world than what it receives through its eyes. This book shows how all of the senses complement one another to provide each species with a unique suite of information that guides their daily activities. The senses of each bird have been fine-tuned by natural selection to meet the challenges of its environment and optimise its behaviour: from spotting a carcase on a hillside, to pecking at minute insects, from catching fish in murky waters, to navigating around the globe. The reader is also introduced to the challenges posed to birds by the obstacles with which humans have cluttered their worlds, from power lines to windowpanes. All of these challenges need explaining from the birds' sensory perspectives so that effective mitigations can be put in place. The book leads the reader through a wealth of diverse information presented in accessible text, with over 100 colour illustrations and photographs. The result is a highly readable and authoritative account, which will appeal to birdwatchers and other naturalists, as well as researchers in avian biology. The author has researched the senses of birds throughout a 50-year career in ornithology and sensory science. He has always attempted to understand birds from the perspective of how sensory information helps them to carry out different tasks in different environments. He has published papers on more than 60 bird species, from Albatrosses and Penguins, to Spoonbills and Kiwi. His first fascination was with owls and night time, and owls have remained special to him throughout his career. He has collaborated and travelled widely and pondered diverse sensory challenges that birds face in the conduct of different tasks in different habitats, from mudflats and murky waters, to forests, deserts and caves. In recent years he has focused on how understanding bird senses can help to reduce the very high levels of bird deaths that are caused by human artefacts; particularly, wind turbines, power lines, and gill nets.
 
 

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