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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.

  • Virgin Lands

    Two Years in Kazakhstan, 1954-5
    • 1st Edition
    • May 19, 2014
    • L. I. Brezhnev
    • English
    Virgin Lands: Two Years in Kazakhstan, 1954-5 focuses on the life, career, and experiences of L. I. Brezhnev when he stayed in Kazakhstan to push for the improvement of the agriculture sector of the country. The book first offers information on the experiences of L. I. Brezhnev as a farmer, land-use surveyor, metallurgist, factory worker, and politician. Brezhnev underscores how he pushed for the organization of collective farms. The text also highlights the poor state of agriculture in the country, including the farming methodologies that Brezhnev and his countrymen have adopted to overcome the extreme conditions of farming lands. The manuscript details the improvement of state farms, particularly noting the increase in harvest and the number of farms to be set up. Brezhnev narrates how the state farms are affected by drought and extreme weather conditions, and how they have doubled the crop areas through the use of farm implements. The book also underscores the role of farm machineries in the increase of production of grain, meat, and vegetables. The text is a dependable source of data for readers interested in the life and career of L. I. Brezhnev, particularly his dedication to develop agriculture in Kazakhstan.
  • Alligator Metabolism Studies on Chemical Reactions in Vivo

    • 1st Edition
    • May 17, 2014
    • Roland A. Coulson + 1 more
    • English
    Alligator Metabolism: Studies on Chemical Reactions in Vivo presents a summary of research in vivo on the metabolism of alligators. The volume contains updates of earlier investigations which were presented in Biochemistry of the Alligator, a Study of Metabolism in Slow Motion (1964). Since then, with the aid of better equipment and better methods, it seemed time to correlate and summarize the findings of researchers who have used this remarkable experimental animal with profit. The primary purpose of almost all the research was not to determine the nature of the alligator, but to understand biochemical reactions in vivo and the alligator was a means to that end. The book begins with a chapter on natural history for those scientists, wild-life experts, alligator farmers, zoo keepers etc., whose primary interest is in the nature and habits of the intact alligator. This is followed by separate chapters that deal with metabolic rate, anaerobic glycolysis, digestion-growth-pro... synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, respiration and acid-base balance, and kidney function.
  • Brucellosis

    • 1st Edition
    • May 15, 2014
    • M. Monir Madkour
    • English
    Brucellosis presents an overview of the conditions associated with the subject matter. It discusses the disease of protean manifestations affecting all types of tissues and organs in the body. It addresses the different facet of the disease studied in isolation. Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease common around the world. Some of the topics covered in the book are the historical origin of different species of Brucella strain; epidemiological features of brucellosis; occupational hazards of working in the meat processing environment; identification and taxonomy of bacteria carrying the Brucella strain; and methods for the identification of cultures. The pathology and immunology of brucellosis in humans are fully covered. The histopathological aspects of the brucella organisms are discussed in detail. The text describes in depth the cardiovascular complications of the disease. The diagnosis of brucella thrombophlebitis is completely presented. A chapter is devoted to the respiratory and gastrointestinal manifestations of brucella organisms. The book can provide useful information to veterinarians, doctors, chemists, students, and researchers.
  • Postharvest Decay

    Control Strategies
    • 1st Edition
    • May 14, 2014
    • Silvia Bautista-Baños
    • English
    Written by a diverse group of research professionals, Postharvest Decay: Control Strategies is aimed at a wide audience, including researchers involved in the study of postharvest handling of agricultural commodities, and undergraduate and graduate students researching postharvest topics. Growers, managers, and operators working at packinghouses and storage, retail, and wholesale facilities can also benefit from this book. The information in this book covers a wide range of topics related to selected fungi, such as taxonomy, infection processes, economic importance, causes of infection, the influence of pre-harvest agronomic practices and the environment, the effect of handling operations, and the strategic controls for each host-pathogen, including traditional and non-traditional alternatives.
  • Protein and Amino Acid Requirements of Mammals

    • 1st Edition
    • May 12, 2014
    • Anthony A. Albanese
    • English
    Protein and Amino Acid Requirements of Mammals focuses on the determination of the protein and amino acid requirements of various mammals, including man in particular. The selection first offers information on some species and age differences in amino acid requirements and the methods of measuring the nutritive value of protein hydrolysates and amino acid mixtures. Discussions focus on assay methods based on protein regeneration; specificity of amino acid requirements; amino acid requirements for nitrogen equilibrium in the adult; and composition of tissue proteins and amino acid requirements for growth. The text then examines the laboratory evaluation of amino acid mixtures and protein hydrolysates and dietary proteins and synthesis of tissue proteins. Topics include role of dietary proteins in the hypertrophy of gonads, effect of dietary proteins on repletion of liver proteins, and effect of dietary proteins on the synthesis of plasma proteins. The publication examines the protein and amino acid requirements of man, including qualitative amino acid requirements of various species, growth and protein and amino acid needs, and metabolic interactions of essential and nonessential amino acids. The selection is a dependable reference for researchers interested in the determination of the protein and amino acid requirements of mammals, including man.
  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 126
    • April 26, 2014
    • English
    Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad of subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial.
  • Feeding Ecology of Fish

    • 1st Edition
    • April 25, 2014
    • Shelby D. Gerking
    • English
    Feeding Ecology of Fish establishes a comprehensive framework for the variable ecological patterns exemplified by feeding fishes. The author, a former president of the American Fisheries Society, devotes special attention to synthesizing empirical studies in categorizing feeding patterns. This book shows how remarkably adaptable fish can be with regard to selecting food, often from trophic levels not usually occupied. Relying on a thorough literature survey, Feeding Ecology of Fish will be an invaluable reference for both fishery scientists and ecological theorists.
  • The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit

    • 2nd Edition
    • April 25, 2014
    • Patrick J. Manning
    • English
    After nearly 20 years, the publication of this Second Edition of The Biology of the Laboratory Rabbit attests to its popularity within the scientific community as well as to the need to update an expanding database on the rabbit as a major species in laboratory investigation. The principal aim of this text is to provide a comprehensive and authoritative source of scientifically based information on a major laboratory animal species. The text continues to emphasize the normal biology as well as diseases of the European (domestic) rabbit, Orytolagus cuniculus, especially the New Zealand White breed, with occasional reference to other rabbit species (Sylvilagus sp.) and hares (Lepus sp.). New topics have been added to this second edition in response to changing trends in biomedical research and product testing as well as to suggestions from readers.
  • Environmental Adaptations

    • 1st Edition
    • April 24, 2014
    • F. John Vernberg
    • English
    Environmental Adaptations examines the dynamic interaction between an organism and its external environment in order to emphasize the adaptive significance of its responses. Focusing on the adaptations of crustaceans, it bridges the gap between other volumes in the series which deal in detail with the functional machinery of crustaceans and those dealing with ecological, taxonomic, behavioral, and applied subjects. This book is divided into seven chapters. The first two chapters highlight the range of respiratory responses exhibited by crustaceans when subjected to various environmental factors. Chapter 3 summarizes the mechanisms by which crustaceans take up energy and food from the environment under fluctuating conditions. It also reviews the assimilation efficiencies of crustaceans and the predator-prey interaction. Chapter 4 deals with ionic and osmoregulation from the view of its interaction with the environment. It emphasizes the adaptive nature of chemical regulation that enables various crustaceans to inhabit waters ranging from hypersaline ponds to fresh water. Chapter 5 discusses how the various species are reproductively adapted to generate offspring in the tremendous diversity of habitats occupied by crustaceans. The last two chapters report on the specific adaptations of crustaceans to terrestrial and freshwater habitats. This book is a valuable source for zoologists, paleontologists, ecologists, physiologists, endocrinologists, morphologists, pathologists, and fisheries biologists, and an essential reference work for institutional libraries.
  • Behavior and Ecology

    • 1st Edition
    • April 24, 2014
    • F. John Vernberg
    • English
    Behavior and Ecology discusses the ecology and behavior of crustaceans. It presents an update and overview of most of the dominant lines of research in crustacean biology. This book is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 deals with the rapidly advancing topic of how crustaceans communicate with members of the same species as well as on an interspecific basis. Chapter 2 provides a synthesis and review of patterns of movement and orientation of crustaceans in nature. Chapter 3 reviews the basic concepts in the regulation of biological rhythms, surveys rhythms in Crustacea, and then analyzes the data from an ecological perspective. Chapter 4 summarizes symbiotic relationships of crustaceans with other crustacean and noncrustacean hosts. Chapter 5 cites work on adaptation of egg and development to the environment. Chapter 6 discusses assemblages of organisms into populations and communities. This book is a valuable source for zoologists, paleontologists, ecologists, physiologists, endocrinologists, morphologists, pathologists, and fisheries biologists, and an essential reference work for institutional libraries.