Translational Inflammation links laboratory and clinical data within primary and secondary care to clinical research data and offers a holistic and innovative approach to chronic inflammation and ageing. Understanding the role of inflammation as a part of clinical disease states is becoming a valuable tool in both direct treatment and the development of therapeutics. Translational Inflammation, the 4th volume in the Perspectives in Translational Cell Biology series, offers content for professors, students and researchers across basic and translational biology.
Stem cells, regenerative medicine, and translational medicine, are all areas of burgeoning basic research and clinical application. This dictionary includes the fundamental terminology of each of these areas, the major discoveries and significant scientists that comprise the history and current development of the field, as well as a number of concepts. The vocabulary is presented within the broader lexicon of developmental biology and embryology, which provides context for these three fields. Topics covered range from stem cells (embryonic, adult, and iPSCs) to teratology. The inclusion of extensive cross-referencing of the terms will enable readers to broaden their understanding of them. The Dictionary of Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine, and Translational Medicine will provide both the basic background terminology needed by pre-health professions/biology major undergraduate students and early-stage graduate students, as well as being a valuable reference for university professors, researchers and peers in related disciplines.
With a key focus on recent developments and advances in the field, this book provides in-depth coverage of topics fundamental to the development of targeted therapeutics. The expansion of targeted modalities in rapidly evolving therapeutic areas, such as immune-oncology, and developments with respect to combination therapies, novel technologies, and the therapeutic application of antibody-drug conjugates, are presented. Additionally, the book builds upon topics discussed in the first edition (2012) where recent innovations warrant elaboration. This, the second edition of Development of Antibody-Based Therapeutics: Translational Considerations, represents a comprehensive evaluation of progress in the field, which sits alongside the first edition to inform, in detail, professional and academic researchers, as well as graduate students.
The post-genomic revolution is witnessing the generation of petabytes of data annually, with deep implications ranging across evolutionary theory, developmental biology, agriculture, and disease processes. Data Mining for Systems Biology: Methods and Protocols, surveys and demonstrates the science and technology of converting an unprecedented data deluge to new knowledge and biological insight. The volume is organized around two overlapping themes, network inference and functional inference. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(tm) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Data Mining for Systems Biology: Methods and Protocols also seeks to aid researchers in the further development of databases, mining and visualization systems that are central to the paradigm altering discoveries being made with increasing frequency.
Key features: Serves as the first single-source reference with in-depth coverage of techniques appropriate for the laboratory and field study of sharks, skates, and rays Contains chapters on a broad range of methods such as Imaging Technologies, Satellite Tracking, Stationary Underwater Video, and Population Genetic Approaches and Genomics among others Presents technologies that can be used to study other aquatic fish and marine mammals and reptiles Includes chapter authors who were pioneers in developing some of the technologies discussed in the book Concludes with a unique section on Citizen Science and its Application to Studies of Shark Biology Over the last decade, the study of shark biology has benefited from the development, refinement, and rapid expansion of novel techniques and advances in technology. These have given new insight into the fields of shark genetics, feeding, foraging, bioenergetics, imaging, age and growth, movement, migration, habitat preference, and habitat use. This pioneering book, written by experts in shark biology, examines technologies such as autonomous vehicle tracking, underwater video approaches, molecular genetics techniques, and accelerometry, among many others. Each detailed chapter offers new insights and promises for future studies of elasmobranch biology, provides an overview of appropriate uses of each technique, and can be readily extended to other aquatic fish and marine mammals and reptiles.
Polyphenols in Plants: Isolation, Purification and Extract Preparation, 2nd edition, provides a detailed insight into polyphenols that occur naturally in plants and how they can be affected during growth and development, then effectively removed and optimized for various applications in food production. Historically, plants have been the major sources for drugs and health promotion. While there are a small number of nutrients contained, the growing focus is on the very diverse, complex ring structures: polyphenols that are not nutritious. In order to study or use them in patient treatment, the polyphenols need to be isolated, identified, and purified for application and study. This book brings together experts in the field who share their ongoing examination of isolation and purification of polyphenols as well as determination of their structures and composition. Polyphenols in Plants covers a range of new topics including polyphenols in vegetable waste and agricultural byproducts, extraction methods and characterization of polyphenols, and isolation techniques in the development of new compounds and their use in cancer therapy. This book will be useful to plant scientists and dietary supplement producers, as well as scientists in the food industry and alternative medicine who are interested in the specific health benefits of various dietary extracts and other polyphenol resources.
This book addresses the unprecedented convergence between the digital and the corporeal in the life sciences and turns to Foucault¿s biopolitics in order to understand how life is being turned into a technological object. It examines a wide range of bioscientific knowledge practices that allow life to be known through codes that can be shared (copied), owned (claimed, and managed) and optimised (remade through codes based on standard language and biotech engineering visions). The book¿s approach is captured in the title, which refers to 'the biopolitical'. The authors argue that through discussions of political theories of sovereignty and related geopolitical conceptions of nature and society, we can understand how crucially important it is that life is constantly unsettling and disrupting the established and familiar ordering of the material world and the related ways of thinking and acting politically. The biopolitical dynamics involved are conceptualised as the 'metacode of life', which refers to the shifting configurations of living materiality and the merging of conventional boundaries between the natural and artificial, the living and non-living. The result is a globalising world in which the need for an alternative has become a core part of its political and legal instability, and the authors identify a number of possible alternative platforms to understand life and the living as framed by the 'metacodes' of life. This book will appeal to scholars of science and technology studies, as well as scholars of the sociology, philosophy, and anthropology of science, who are seeking to understand social and technical heterogeneity as a characteristic of the life sciences.
This book presents the latest developments and recent research trends in the field of plankton, highlighting the potential ecological and biotechnological applications. It critically and comprehensively discusses strain selection, growth characteristics, large-scale culturing, and biomass harvesting, focusing on the screening and production of high-value products from algae, and evaluating carbon dioxide sequestration from fuel gas as a climate change mitigation strategy. The latter areas of research are clearly central to the sustainable development approach that is currently attracting global attention. Over the decades, much of the literature on has focused on the biological and ecological aspects of phytoplankton found in freshwater, marine and brackish water environments. However, these organisms are known to also inhabit various other environments. More recently, there has been a substantial shift toward the concept of sustainable development and the "green economy" with emphasis on exploiting biological systems for the benefit of mankind. The significance of these plankton cannot be underestimated as they contribute approximately 40% of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Therefore, there is potential for exploitation of this invaluable biomass source that could lead to significant environmental and economic benefits for man. Providing a comprehensive outline of the most recent developments and advances in the field of industrial applications of these plankton, this book is an excellent reference resource for researchers and practitioners.
From the birds who wake us in the morning with their cheerful chorus to those who flock to our feeders and brighten a gloomy winter day, birds fascinate us with their lively and interesting behavior and provide essential services from controlling pest populations to pollinating crops. And yet for all the benefits they provide, many species across Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio are in danger of extinction due to loss of habitat, agricultural expansion, changing forest conditions, and interactions with humans. In Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest, Matt Williams profiles forty of the most beautiful and interesting birds who winter, breed, or migrate through the Midwest and whose populations are most in danger of disappearing from the region. Each profile includes the current endangered status of the species, a description of the bird's vocal and nesting patterns, and tips to help readers identify them, along with stunning color images and detailed migration maps. An exquisite and timely examination of our feathered friends, Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest is a call to action to protect these vulnerable and gorgeous creatures that enliven our world.
Everything Flows explores the metaphysical thesis that the living world is not made up of substantial particles or things, as has often been supposed, but is rather constituted by processes. The biological domain is organised as an interdependent hierarchy of processes, which are stabilized and actively maintained at different timescales. Even entities that intuitively appear to be paradigms of things, such as organisms, are actually better understood as processes. Unlike previous attempts to articulate processual views of biology, which have tended to use Alfred North Whitehead's panpsychist metaphysics as a foundation, this book takes a naturalistic approach to metaphysics. It submits that the main motivations for replacing an ontology of substances with one of processes are to be found in the empirical findings of science. Biology provides compelling reasons for thinking that the living realm is fundamentally dynamic, and that the existence of things is always conditional on the existence of processes. The phenomenon of life cries out for theories that prioritise processes over things, and it suggests that the central explanandum of biology is not change but rather stability, or more precisely, stability attained through constant change. This edited volume brings together philosophers of science and metaphysicians interested in exploring the prospects of a processual philosophy of biology. The contributors draw on an extremely wide range of biological case studies, and employ a process perspective to cast new light on a number of traditional philosophical problems, such as identity, persistence, and individuality.
Few animals elicit such a profound combination of horror, fear, and disgust as the bedbug. Uninvited, bedbugs invade our most private spaces (our beds), take away our blood, and afterwards, impudently mark their territory (our sheets). In this book, Klaus Reinhardt investigates the natural and human history of these vampiric insects, examining how ordinary people, travelers, writers, and scientists have experienced bedbugs; how we have coped with them; and what we have done to combat them. From fossils to classical Greek plays to the beds of medieval travelers, history is a rash of bedbugs. So ubiquitous and so loathed are these contentious creatures, the first recorded use of the insect moniker "bug" refers to them, a word that now means any sort of glitch or invader--from computer errors to snooping devices. Lifting the covers on this pestilential history, Reinhardt shows how bedbugs were not only the center of bitter fights among scientists, but also how the bugs' dangerous aspects were foregrounded, and how bedbugs' peculiar mating habits fueled public revulsion. Richly illustrated, full of the latest bedbug research, and sure to make you itch, Bedbug closes with a plea for sanguine tolerance--something humans and bedbugs will need alike as worldwide infestation rates soar.
Microbiology has undergone radical changes over the past few decades, ushering in an exciting new era in science. In The New Microbiology, Pascale Cossart tells a splendid story about the revolution in microbiology, especially in bacteriology. This story has wide-ranging implications for human health and medicine, agriculture, environmental science, and our understanding of evolution. The revolution results from the powerful tools of molecular and cellular biology, genomics, and bioinformatics, which have yielded amazing discoveries, from entire genome sequences to video of bacteria invading host cells. This book is for both scientists and especially nonscientists who would like to learn more about the extraordinary world of bacteria. Dr. Cossart's overview of the field of microbiology research, from infectious disease history to the ongoing scientific revolution resulting from CRISPR technologies, is presented in four parts. New concepts in microbiology introduces the world of bacteria and some recent discoveries about how they live, such as the role of regulatory RNAs including riboswitches, the CRISPR defense system, and resistance to antibiotics. Sociomicrobiology: the social lives of bacteria helps us see the new paradigm by which scientists view bacteria as highly social creatures that communicate in many ways, for example in the assemblies that reside in our intestine or in the environment. The biology of infections reviews some of history's worst epidemics and describes current and emerging infectious diseases, the organisms that cause them, and how they produce an infection. Bacteria as tools introduces us to molecules derived from microbes that scientists have harnessed in the service of research and medicine, including the CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology. The New Microbiology takes us on a journey through a remarkable revolution in science that is occurring here and now.
The Science Communication Challenge explores and discusses the whys - as distinct from the hows - of science communication. Arguing that the dominant science communication paradigm is didactic, it makes the case for a political category of science communication, aimed at furthering discussions of science-related public affairs and making room for civilized and reasonable exchanges between different points of view. As civil societies and knowledge societies, modern democratic societies are confronted with the challenge of accommodating both the scientific logic of truth-seeking and the classical political logic of pluralism. The didactic science communication paradigm, however, is unsuited to dealing with substantial disagreement. Therefore, it is also unsuited to facilitate communication about the steadily increasing number of science-related political issues. Using insights from an array of academic fields, The Science Communication Challenge explores the possible origins of the didactic paradigm, connecting it to particular understandings of knowledge, politics and the public and to the widespread assumption of a science-versus-politics dichotomy. The book offers a critique of that assumption and suggests that science and politics be seen as substantially different activities, suited to dealing with different kinds of questions - and to different varieties of science communication.
Solving real-world health challenges in a learning environment You are at an exciting gateway into the world of microorganisms. With nothing more than basic lab equipment such as microscopes, Petri dishes, media, and a handful of reagents, you will learn to isolate, grow, and identify bacteria that live all around us. This is no ordinary microbiology laboratory course; not only will you learn how to streak plates, use a microscope, perform a Gram stain, and prepare serial dilutions and spread plates--fundamental skills found in every microbiologist's toolkit--you will solve a series of public health-related challenges that many professional microbiologists encounter in their work. By the end of this course, you will: Determine the origin of a nosocomial infection. Using foundational and molecular methods, you will determine whether the infections occurring in hospitalized patients are the result of contaminated medical items. Select the antibiotic to treat a patient with Crohn's disease. You will find minimum inhibitory concentrations of various antibiotics for a Pseudomonas strain associated with Crohn's disease. Pinpoint the source of lettuce contaminated with E. coli. Using molecular tools you will investigate a common food safety challenge, antibiotic-resistant E. coli and the potential for spread of this resistance in the environment. Find the farm releasing pathogens into a stream used for drinking water. Using bacteriophage load in water samples, you will locate the source of fecal contamination in the water supply of a village in an underdeveloped country. Evaluate the potential of bacteria to cause a urinary tract infection. You will test for biofilms, quorum sensing behavior, and chemotaxis and assess which disinfectants would be most effective for sanitizing contaminated surfaces. Microbiology educators and researchers Richard Meyer and Stacie Brown have created this hands-on, engaging introduction to the essential laboratory skills in the microbial sciences that is sure to change the way you view the world around you.
This book presents the theoretical foundations of Systems Biology, as well as its application in studies on human hosts, pathogens and associated diseases. This book presents several chapters written by renowned experts in the field. Some topics discussed in depth in this book include: computational modeling of multiresistant bacteria, systems biology of cancer, systems immunology, networks in systems biology.
A home aquarium seems a peaceful place. Gazing at its inhabitants as they swim slowly through their small universe is a soothing, even hypnotic, experience. But this seeming tranquillity is only surface deep. Like their wild counterparts, these tiny, glittering beings exhibit a wide array of fascinating behaviors.Stéphan Reebs provides a delightfully entertaining, yet scientifically grounded, look at what fishes do and how they do it. From defending their young, to seeking out the perfect sexual partner, to telling time, fishes display a variety of behaviors that may not be readily apparent to the casual observer. Reebs not only describes the behaviors, but also outlines simple experiments that can be performed by observers wishing to learn for themselves just how resourceful--and bizarre--these creatures can be.How Fish Behave introduces us to damselfishes that sing like birds, elephantfishes that communicate electrically, and sticklebacks that deceive other fish into believing they have found food. Drawing on the experimental evidence behind such intrinsically interesting responses, Reebs demonstrates how science is conducted in the field of animal behavior.
This book discusses some of the innumerable ways in which computational methods can be used to facilitate research in biology and medicine - from storing enormous amounts of biological data to solving complex biological problems and enhancing treatment of various grave diseases.
An award-winning science writer tours the globe to reveal what makes birds capable of such extraordinary feats of mental prowess Birds are astonishingly intelligent creatures. According to revolutionary new research, some birds rival primates and even humans in their remarkable forms of intelligence. In The Genius of Birds, acclaimed author Jennifer Ackerman explores their newly discovered brilliance and how it came about. As she travels around the world to the most cutting-edge frontiers of research, Ackerman not only tells the story of the recently uncovered genius of birds but also delves deeply into the latest findings about the bird brain itself that are shifting our view of what it means to be intelligent. At once personal yet scientific, richly informative and beautifully written, The Genius of Birds celebrates the triumphs of these surprising and fiercely intelligent creatures. Ackerman is also the author of Birds by the Shore: Observing the Natural Life of the Atlantic Coast.
Fundamentals of Quorum Sensing, Analytical Methods and Applications in Membrane Bioreactors, Volume 81, describes the novelty of membrane bioreactors for the treatment of wastewater and the removal of specific contaminants that affect water quality or pose harm to humans. Topics of note in the updated release include Water Chemistry and Microbiology, Quorum Sensing as Bacterial Communication Language, the Effects of Quorum Sensing, Quorum Quenching, Membrane Bioreactors for Wastewater Treatment, Removal of Specific Contaminants, Microextraction Techniques, and the Determination of Quorum Sensing Chemicals. The contents of this updated volume will be appealing to a wide range of researchers as the authors of most chapters are experts in their respective fields with numerous published studies.
"A palaeontological howdunnit...[Spying on Whales] captures the excitement of...seeking answers to deep questions in cetacean science." --Nature Called "the best of science writing" (Edward O. Wilson) and named a best book by Popular Science, a dive into the secret lives of whales, from their four-legged past to their perilous present. Whales are among the largest, most intelligent, deepest diving species to have ever lived on our planet. They evolved from land-roaming, dog-sized creatures into animals that move like fish, breathe like us, can grow to 300,000 pounds, live 200 years and travel entire ocean basins. Whales fill us with terror, awe, and affection--yet there is still so much we don't know about them. Why did it take whales over 50 million years to evolve to such big sizes, and how do they eat enough to stay that big? How did their ancestors return from land to the sea--and what can their lives tell us about evolution as a whole? Importantly, in the sweepstakes of human-driven habitat and climate change, will whales survive? Nick Pyenson's research has given us the answers to some of our biggest questions about whales. He takes us deep inside the Smithsonian's unparalleled fossil collections, to frigid Antarctic waters, and to the arid desert in Chile, where scientists race against time to document the largest fossil whale site ever found. Full of rich storytelling and scientific discovery, Spying on Whales spans the ancient past to an uncertain future--all to better understand the most enigmatic creatures on Earth.
Absolutely captivating creatures, seahorses seem like a product of myth and imagination rather than of nature. They are small, elusive, and are named for their heads, which are shaped like miniature ponies with tiny snouts. They swim slowly upright by rapidly fanning their delicate dorsal fin, coil their tails to anchor themselves in a drift, and spend days in a dancing courtship. Afterward, it is the male who carries the female's eggs in his pouch and hatches the young. Seahorses are found worldwide, and they are highly sensitive to environmental destruction and disturbance, making them the flagship species for shallow-water habitat conservation. They are as ecologically important as they are beautiful. Seahorses celebrates the remarkable variety of seahorse species as well as their exquisiteness. 57 species, including seadragons and pipefish, are presented in lush, life-size photographs alongside descriptive drawings, and each entry includes detailed and up-to-date information on natural history and conservation. Sara Lourie, a foremost expert on seahorse taxonomy, presents captivating stories of species that range from less than an inch to over a foot in height, while highlighting recent discoveries and ecological concerns. Accessibly written, but comprehensive in scope, this book will be a stunning and invaluable reference on seahorse evolution, biology, habitat, and behavior. Masters of camouflage and rarely seen, seahorses continue to be a fascinating subject of active research. This visually rich and informative book is certain to become the authoritative guide to these charming and unusual wonders of the sea, beloved at aquariums the world over.
Biochemical, Physiological and Molecular Avenues for Combating Abiotic Stress in Plants is a must-have reference for researchers and professionals in agronomy, plant science and horticulture. As abiotic stress tolerance is a constant challenge for researchers and professionals working on improving crop production, this book combines recent advances with foundational content, thus offering in-depth coverage on a variety of abiotic stress tolerance mechanisms that help us better understand and improve plant response and growth under stress conditions. The mechanisms explored in this book include stress perception, signal transduction and synthesis of stress-related proteins and other molecules. In addition, the book provides a critical understanding of the networks of genes responsible for abiotic stress tolerance and their utilization in the development of stress tolerance in plants. Practical breeding techniques and modern genetic analyses are also discussed. Unlocks the physiological, biochemical and molecular basis of abiotic stress response and tolerance in crop plants Presents comprehensive information on abiotic stress tolerance, from gene to whole plant level Includes content on antioxidant metabolism, marker-assisted selection, microarrays, next-generation sequencing and genome editing techniques
"You might not expect unfettered passion on the topic of seaweed, but Shetterly is such a great storyteller that you find yourself following along eagerly." --Mark Kurlansky "Seaweed is ancient and basic, a testament to the tenacious beginnings of life on earth," writes Susan Hand Shetterly in this elegant, fascinating book. "Why wouldn't seaweeds be a protean life source for the lives that have evolved since?" On a planet facing environmental change and diminishing natural resources, seaweed is increasingly important as a source of food and as a fundamental part of our global ecosystem. In Seaweed Chronicles, Shetterly takes readers deep into the world of this essential organism by providing an immersive, often poetic look at life on the rugged shores of her beloved Gulf of Maine, where the growth and harvesting of seaweed is becoming a major industry. While examining the life cycle of seaweed and its place in the environment, she tells the stories of the men and women who farm and harvest it--and who are fighting to protect this critical species against forces both natural and man-made. Ideal for readers of such books as The Hidden Life of Trees and How to Read Water, Seaweed Chronicles is a deeply informative look at a little understood and too often unappreciated part of our habitat.
This book puts multilevel selection theory into a much needed historical perspective. This is achieved by discussing multilevel selection in the first half of the twentieth century, the reasons for the energetic rejection of Wynne-Edwards' group selectionist stance in the 1960s, Elisabeth Lloyd's contribution to the units of selection debate, Price's hierarchical equation and its possible interpretations and, finally, species selection in macroevolutionary contexts. Another Add a Comment
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