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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.

  • Changes in Eukaryotic Gene Expression in Response to Environmental Stress

    • 5th Edition
    • Burr Atkinson
    • English
    Changes in Eukaryotic Gene Expression in Response to Environmental Stress focuses on various aspects of eukaryotic cell's response to heat stress (shock) and other stress stimuli. This book is organized into two major sections, encompassing 17 chapters that reflect the emphasis on research utilizing Drosophila, a variety of animal systems, and plants. This book first provides a brief introduction to the organization, sequences, and induction of heat shock proteins and related genes. It then describes the control of transcription during heat shock from the standpoint of molecular biology and evolutionary variations of the mechanisms in organisms with diverse metabolic needs. It goes on to discuss the issue of coordinate and noncoordinate responses of heat shock genes. It presents a model for post-transcriptional regulation on certain aspects of coordinate and noncoordinate regulations. Chapters 6-12 discuss heat shock proteins and genes and the effects of stress on gene expression of sea urchin, avian, and mammalian cells. The second part of the book focuses on the physiological role of heat shock proteins and genes in plants and fungi. It includes a discussion on experimental problems encountered during studies of the mechanisms of inhibition of photosynthesis by unfavorable environmental conditions. The changes in transcription and translation of specific mRNAs in the developing embryo during heat shock at various temperatures are described. The concluding chapters deal with heat shock response in plants, particularly the response in soybeans and maize, covering both physiological and molecular analyses. Research scientists, clinicians, and agriculturists will greatly benefit from the information presented in this book.
  • The Mycoplasmas V2

    Human and Animal Mycoplasmas
    • 1st Edition
    • J Tully
    • English
    The Mycoplasmas, Volume II: Human and Animal Mycoplasmas is a volume of a comprehensive three-volume series encompassing various facets of mycoplasmology. This volume deals with host-parasite relationships of mycoplasmas in man and animals, with emphasis on recent developments in the study of classical mycoplasmal diseases of animals, such as cattle, sheep, goats, swine, and chickens. This volume shows the knowledge about mycoplasmal diseases of man, including those involving the respiratory and genitourinary tracts. Detailed information on the humoral and cellular immune responses to mycoplasmas,which are assuming an ever-increasing significance in the understandingof the pathogenesis of human and animal mycoplasmal diseases, is also given. This book ends with reviews on mycoplasmas as arthritogenic agents and the interaction of mycoplasmas with cell andorgan cultures. This book will serve as a standard reference work for mycoplasmologists, as well as for other interested microbiologists, cellular and molecular biologists, membrane biochemists, clinicians, veterinarians, plant pathologists, and entomologists.
  • Idiotypes and Lymphocytes

    • 1st Edition
    • Constantin Bona
    • English
    Idiotypes and Lymphocytes reviews the progress made in the study of the idiotypes of lymphocytes, particularly the discovery that a vast spectrum of possible relationships between cells and antibodies and communications between various subsets of T- and B-lymphocytes exist within the immune system. The book explores autoanti-idiotype antibodies and the antigen-mimicking properties of anti-idiotype antibodies, along with the idiotypic determinants borne by the lymphocyte’s receptor that serve as regulatory sites. Organized into seven chapters, this volume begins with an overview of idiotypy, from its discovery to the localization of idiotypic determinants in the variable regions. This book also explains how idiotypic specificity is associated with a particular antigenic specificity of the antibody molecule, the diversity of antibodies, and the regulation of the immune response. The next chapters introduce the reader to the ontogeny of idiotypic expression, touching on topics such as the development of B cells and sequential activation of V genes, along with the variability of idiotypic specificities during immune response. The book also explores the expression of idiotypes in B-lymphocytes and of idiotypic determinants of humoral antibodies in the antigenic receptors of T cells, as well as the mechanisms that allow anti-idiotype antibodies to regulate lymphocyte functions. The final chapter looks into the therapeutic implications of the immune network, with emphasis on the effects of anti-idiotypes antibodies in autoimmune diseases. This book is an essential reading for immunologists.
  • Viral and Mycoplasmal of Laboratory Rodents

    Effects on Biomedical Research
    • 1st Edition
    • Pravin Bhatt
    • English
    Viral and Mycoplasmal Infections of Laboratory Rodents: Effects on Biomedical Research contains the proceedings of a conference held at the National Institutes of Health on October 24-26, 1984. Organized into four parts, this book begins by elucidating the basic biology and pathogenetic mechanisms of viral and mycoplasmal infections. The presence of known and potential research complications due to these infections is also addressed. Lastly, the detection, control, and prevention of infection in rodent colonies are discussed.
  • Controlled Atmosphere Storage of Grains

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • J. Shejbal
    • English
    Controlled Atmosphere Storage of Grains emerged from the International Symposium on Controlled Atmosphere Storage of Grains held at Castelgandolfo, near Rome, Italy, from May 12-15, 1980. The event was organized by ASSORENI (Association of ENI Companies for Scientific Research) and co-sponsored by FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), ICC (International Association for Cereal Chemistry) and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event was the first international symposium ever held on the subject and the entire breadth of the field of grain storage in controlled atmospheres was included in the six sessions, from naturally produced oxygen-poor atmospheres in underground pits to sophisticated automatic inert gas industrial storage facilities. The present volume is organized into seven parts corresponding to the six Sessions of original papers and the Round Table Discussion Session. Parts I-VI contain papers presented during the sessions on natural air-tight storage, entomology of controlled atmosphere storage, microbiology of controlled atmosphere storage, artificial controlled atmosphere storage, preservation of quality in controlled atmospheres, and facilities for artificial controlled atmosphere storage and economic aspects. The Round Table Discussion in Part VII presents the wrap-up reports for the six Sessions followed by a general discussion.
  • Mineral Nitrogen In The Plant-Soil System

    • 1st Edition
    • R Haynes
    • English
    Mineral Nitrogen in the Plant-Soil System provides integrated accounts of the transformations and fate of mineral nitrogen in the plant-soil system. This book emphasizes the understanding of various processes and the factors that affect these processes. It also focuses on the role of biological nitrogen fixation in nitrogen cycling in natural and agricultural systems. The book is divided into seven major chapters and each chapter is further subdivided into various subtopics. The first chapter introduces and outlines the origin, distribution, and cycling of nitrogen in natural and agricultural terrestrial ecosystems. Chapter 2 focuses on the processes of decomposition and mineralization-immob... turnover. The processes of nitrification are discussed in detail in Chapter 3. The following four chapters discuss topics of retention and movement of nitrogen in soils; gaseous losses of nitrogen; uptake and assimilation of mineral nitrogen by plants; and lastly, the use of nitrogen in agronomic practice. The book will be invaluable to graduate students and researchers in the field of agriculture. This will also cater other parties interested, such as agronomists, soil scientists, plant physiologists, horticulturists, and foresters.
  • Energy From Forest Biomass

    • 1st Edition
    • W. Ramsay Smith
    • English
    Energy from Forest Biomass is a book that emerged from the papers presented at the International Union of Forestry Research Organization (IUFRO) XVII World Congress held in Kyoto, Japan. This book includes 18 papers representing different authors from nine countries. The book is divided into four parts. The first part contains discussions of the various researches on fuel plantations around the world, as well as harvesting techniques and associated costs. The second part discusses information on the actual and potential availability of biomass from sources other than fuel plantations. This part also examines the different types of biomass fuels currently used in Japan. The third part deals with the intermediate technology that can be used, such as charcoal production and direct combustion. The last part discusses the innovations in producing energy, such as gasification and liquidification. This book will be useful to graduate and undergraduate students, researchers, scientists, and readers who are interested in the use of biomass for energy purposes.
  • Isozymes V3

    Developmental Biology
    • 1st Edition
    • Clement Markert
    • English
    Isozymes, III: Developmental Biology contains manuscripts presented at the Third International Conference on isozymes convened in April 1974 at Yale University. Separating 61 manuscripts into chapters, this book begins by discussing the areas of ""isozymology"" that appear particularly promising for further developmental analysis. This text also looks into the role of isozymes as genetic markers in early mammalian development, as well as the mechanisms of intracellular enzyme localization. Significant topics on specific isozymes are given separately in other chapters.
  • The Mycoplasmas V3

    Plant and Insects Mycoplasmas
    • 1st Edition
    • R.F. Whitcomb
    • English
    The Mycoplasmas, Volume III: Plant and Insect Mycoplasmas is a volume of a comprehensive three-volume series encompassing various facets of mycoplasmology. It attempts not only to present an extensive and critical review of the rapidly expanding field of plant and insect mycoplasmas, but also to integrate these important subdisciplines into the total field of mycoplasmology. This volume, in particular, shows relevant information on a group of helical mycoplasmas(spiropla... stressing their part in plant and insect diseases. It discusses the tick-borne spiroplasmas and their possible role in vertebrate disease. Other suspected mycoplasmal plant diseases, vector transmission of mycoplasmas and spiroplasmas, and the chemotherapy of mycoplasmal plant diseases are also described. This book will serve as a standard reference work for mycoplasmologists, as well as for other interested microbiologists, cellular and molecular biologists, membrane biochemists, clinicians, veterinarians, plant pathologists, and entomologists.
  • Social Insects V4

    • 1st Edition
    • Henry Hermani
    • English
    Social Insects, Volume IV is the last installment of a four-volume treatise and is dedicated to the discussion on wasps and ants. Comprised of four chapters, this volume focuses on the sociality of various types of ants as their group has very diverse habits. The first chapter describes the general biology and behavior of social wasps and discusses the cyclical populations, nest associates, and communal defense of wasps. Chapter 2 introduces the broad and general overview of the biology of ants, including their behavior, food collection, and nest construction. Chapters 3 and 4 present the biology of army and fungus ants, respectively. This volume also explains how ants are defined and identified, including their colony composition and behavior. As with the previous volumes, this volume seeks to be of service to students, researchers, and scientists in various fields of research, particularly entomology, social biology, zoology, and biological science.