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Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

    • Incorporating Cultures' Role in the Food and Agricultural Sciences

      • 1st Edition
      • Florence V. Dunkel
      • English
      Incorporating Cultures' Role in the Food and Agricultural Sciences addresses the practical needs of the professors, administrators and students who often face challenges of working together with Indigenous peoples with whom they have no prior experience. Missed communication, failed projects and unrealistic goals are daily realities. Academia and industry often encounter frustration in recruiting and retaining Native American students and other ethnicities. This text is a guide for anyone working in the food or agriculture disciplines or industries, particularly for those working with people of a culture different from one’s own. Comprehensive, full awareness of one’s own culture is a prerequisite for effective teaching and learning within another culture. This book is replete with stories, examples and peer-refereed journal articles to help build awareness. These stories, examples and articles from multiple voices are placed over a basic underlying framework that is summed up in the title of the book itself.
    • Insect Epigenetics

      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 53
      • English
      Insect Epigenetics, Volume 53 provides readers with the latest interdisciplinary reviews on the topic. Updated chapters in this new release include Epigenetics in insects: Mechanisms, ecological outcomes, and evolutionary consequences, Nutrition and epigenetic change in insects, microRNAs in Drosophila insulin regulation, Epigenetic regulation of longevity in insects, Epigenetic influences on diapause, the Impact of parasites on epigenetics of their insect hosts, The molecular physiology of locust swarming behavior, The future of environmental epigenetics: insights using the clonal water-flea model, and. Epigenetics – A hidden target of insecticides. Led by volume editor Heleen Verlinden, this is an essential reference source for entomologists, zoologists, geneticists and insect chemists.
    • The Cardiovascular System

      Morphology, Control and Function
      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 36A
      • A. Kurt Gamperl + 3 more
      • English
      The Cardiovascular System: Design, Control and Function, Volume 36A, a two- volume set, not only provides comprehensive coverage of the current knowledge in this very active and growing field of research, but also highlights the diversity in cardiovascular morphology and function and the anatomical and physiological plasticity shown by fish taxa that are faced with various abiotic and biotic challenges. Updated topics in this important work include chapters on Heart Morphology and Anatomy, Cardiomyocyte Morphology and Physiology, Electrical Excitability of the Fish Heart, Cardiac Energy Metabolism, Heart Physiology and Function, Hormonal and Intrinsic Biochemical Control of Cardiac Function, and Vascular Anatomy and Morphology. In addition, chapters integrate molecular and cellular data with the growing body of knowledge on heart and in vivo cardiovascular function, and as a result, provide insights into some of the most important questions that still need to be answered.
    • Nature's Machines

      An Introduction to Organismal Biomechanics
      • 1st Edition
      • David E. Alexander
      • English
      Nature’s Machines: An Introduction to Organismal Biomechanics presents the fundamental principles of biomechanics in a concise, accessible way while maintaining necessary rigor. It covers the central principles of whole-organism biomechanics as they apply across the animal and plant kingdoms, featuring brief, tightly-focused coverage that does for biologists what H. M. Frost’s 1967 Introduction to Biomechanics did for physicians. Frequently encountered, basic concepts such as stress and strain, Young’s modulus, force coefficients, viscosity, and Reynolds number are introduced in early chapters in a self-contained format, making them quickly available for learning and as a refresher. More sophisticated, integrative concepts such as viscoelasticity or properties of hydrostats are covered in the later chapters, where they draw on information from multiple earlier sections of the book. Animal and plant biomechanics is now a common research area widely acknowledged by organismal biologists to have broad relevance. Most of the day-to-day activities of an animal involve mechanical processes, and to the extent that organisms are shaped by adaptive evolution, many of those adaptations are constrained and channelized by mechanical properties. The similarity in body shape of a porpoise and a tuna is no coincidence. Many may feel that they have an intuitive understanding of many of the mechanical processes that affect animals and plants, but careful biomechanical analyses often yield counterintuitive results: soft, squishy kelp may be better at withstanding pounding waves during storms than hard-shelled mollusks; really small swimmers might benefit from being spherical rather than streamlined; our bones can operate without breaking for decades, whereas steel surgical implants exhibit fatigue failures in a few months if not fully supported by bone.
    • Advances in Sheep Welfare

      • 1st Edition
      • Drewe Ferguson + 2 more
      • English
      Advances in Sheep Welfare examines the recent advances made in sheep welfare assessment, handling and management, providing state-of-the-art coverage of the welfare needs of one of the world’s most widely farmed animals. The book begins with an introduction to sheep welfare in Part One, with chapters covering biology and natural behavior, sheep production systems, and consumer and societal expectations for sheep products. Part Two goes on to highlight new advances in sheep welfare assessment, before Part Three outlines a wide range of solutions to sheep welfare challenges. The final section looks ahead to the future, considering what sheep welfare will look like in 2030 and beyond. This book is an essential part of the wider ranging series Advances in Farm Animal Welfare, with coverage of cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry. With its expert editors and international team of contributors, Advances in Sheep Welfare is a key reference tool for welfare research scientists and students, veterinarians involved in welfare assessment, and indeed anyone with a professional interest in the welfare of sheep.
    • Soil Nematodes of Grasslands in Northern China

      • 1st Edition
      • Qi Li + 3 more
      • English
      Soil Nematodes of Grasslands in Northern China presents research on China’s temperate grasslands, providing the findings and results of a large field survey along a transect across the northern temperate grassland. It examines nematode distribution patterns along the transect from trophic group and family, to genus level, also evaluating their relationship with climatic conditions, plant biomass and soil parameters. The book then presents detailed taxonomy information of nematodes to genus or species level, providing keen insights into nematode diversity along the grassland transect in north China. Final sections review the advances and perspectives for the research of soil ecology on soil nematodes in China, including recent major discoveries of soil microbial diversity and eco-function during this field survey. This work will help researchers predict the impact of global change drivers on below ground soil biota and better understand the functioning and services they provide in terrestrial ecosystems.
    • Gnotobiotics

      • 1st Edition
      • Trenton R Schoeb + 1 more
      • English
      Gnotobiotics summarizes and analyzes the research conducted on the use of gnotobiotes, providing detailed information regarding actual facility operation and derivation of gnotobiotic animals. In response to the development of new tools for microbiota and microbiome analysis, the increasing recognition of the various roles of microbiota in health and disease, and the consequent expanding demand for gnotobiotic animals for microbiota/microbiom... related research, this volume collates the research of this expanding field into one definitive resource.
    • Ultrasound: Advances in Food Processing and Preservation

      • 1st Edition
      • Daniela Bermudez-Aguirre
      • English
      Ultrasound is an emerging technology that has been widely explored in foodscience and technology since the late 1990s. The book is divided into three main areas.Chapters 1 to 5 focus on the basic principles of ultrasound and how the technology works on microbial cells, enzymes, and the chemistry behind the process. Chapters 6 to 15 cover the application of ultrasound in specific food products and processes, discussing changes on food quality and presenting some innovations in food ingredients and enhancement of unit operations. Finally, Chapters 16 to 20 present some topics about manufacture of ultrasound equipment and simulation of the process, the use of the technology to treat food industry wastewater, and an industry perspective. The laws and regulations concerning emerging technologies, such as ultrasound, are also discussed, including the new Food Safety Modernization Act.
    • Microbial Production of Food Ingredients and Additives

      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 5
      • Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu + 1 more
      • English
      Microbial Production of Food Ingredients and Additives, Volume Five, the latest release in the Handbook of Food Bioengineering series, is a solid resource on how microorganisms can increase food production and quality. Microorganisms are used to create and enhance food, used as food additives to improve food taste, and in improving function and fortification to benefit overall health. The book presents the applications of microbial products in food bioengineering and methods to obtain valuable ingredients, such as sugars, acids, secondary metabolites, enzymes and vitamins. Recent and future applications of these microbial – derived food components are discussed, along with future applications.
    • Sustained Energy for Enhanced Human Functions and Activity

      • 1st Edition
      • Debasis Bagchi
      • English
      Sustained Energy for Enhanced Human Functions and Activity addresses the basic mechanistic aspects of energy metabolisms, the chemistry, biochemistry and pharmacology of a variety of botanical ingredients, micronutrients, antioxidants, amino acids, selected complexes, and other nutracueticals which have demonstrated a boost in and the sustainability of functional energy. The role of exercise and physical activity is also discussed, and the conclusion addresses paradigm shifts in the field and envisions the future. Intended for researchers and industry professionals, the book is as an essential reference on the impact of proper nutrient balance on sustained energy.