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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.

    • The Mammalian Mitochondrial Respiratory chain

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Walter Wainio
      • English
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 4 1 4 4 4 2 2
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 7 3 0 6 5 0 6
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 4 7 6 0 6
      The Mammalian Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain provides the vocabulary related to the mitochondrial respiratory chain in mammalian species. It explores the heterogeneous nature of mitochondria, the mammalian mitochondrial cytochromes, the concept of a respiratory chain for the oxidation of substrates, the cytochrome and non-cytochrome components of the chain, and the role of the respiratory chain in energy conservation. Organized into five chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the structure and composition of mitochondria in heart, liver, kidney, and brain before turning to the NADH oxidase system and its ability to generate one additional high-energy bond for every pair of electrons transferred compared to the succinate oxidase system. It also describes electron transfer in the respiratory chain and inhibitors of the respiratory chain such as antimycin A, along with differences in the pathways of electrons from succinate, choline, and NADH to oxygen as well as systems mediated by electron-transferrin... flavoprotein. The reader is also introduced to the processes involved in the fragmentation, extraction, and recombination of mitochondria; artificial electron acceptors such as phenazine methosulfate and artificial electron donors such as ascorbate and tetramethyl-p-phenyl... and the role of flavoproteins, including flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide, in electron transport. The book concludes with a chapter that explains how the oxidation-reductions of the respiratory chain release energy in discrete packets. Graduate students and beginning researchers in biology will find this book extremely helpful.
    • Water Activity and Food

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • John Troller
      • English
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 4 3 3 5 8 7 5
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 5 9 0 1 2
      Water Activity and Food explores the role of water activity in the water relations of microorganisms and in food processing, packaging, and storage. It reviews the literature and provides numerous examples demonstrating the use of water activity to predict the reactions of microorganisms or the stability of food components. It also highlights cases where water activity is not a reliable predictor of events and considers some interesting interactions with other environmental parameters. Comprised of 11 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of water in foods and solutions, water activity values for foods, and water relations of enzyme activity. It then discusses lipid oxidation, enzyme reactions and non-enzymatic browning, and several other food-related factors. The reader is also introduced to water relations of microbial growth; the effects of water on microbial survival; the spoilage and preservation of foods at various levels of water activity; the water relations of food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella and toxigenic molds; the importance of water activity in non-microbiological aspects of food processing and storage; and the influence of atmospheric relative humidity on sanitation and the protection of food products. This book is an important source of information for researchers in food microbiology and microbial water relations.
    • Modern Computational Approaches to Traditional Chinese Medicine

      • 1st Edition
      • July 13, 2012
      • Zhaohui Wu + 2 more
      • English
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 3 2 3 2 8 2 7 2 7
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 3 9 8 5 1 0 1
      • eBook
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      Recognized as an essential component of Chinese culture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is both an ancient medical system and one still used widely in China today. TCM’s independently evolved knowledge system is expressed mainly in the Chinese language and the information is frequently only available through ancient classics and confidential family records, making it difficult to utilize. The major concern in TCM is how to consolidate and integrate the data, enabling efficient retrieval and discovery of novel knowledge from the dispersed data. Computational approaches such as data mining, semantic reasoning and computational intelligence have emerged as innovative approaches for the reservation and utilization of this knowledge system. Typically, this requires an inter-disciplinary approach involving Chinese culture, computer science, modern healthcare and life sciences. This book examines the computerization of TCM information and knowledge to provide intelligent resources and supporting evidences for clinical decision-making, drug discovery, and education. Recent research results from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Informatics Group of Zhejiang University are presented, gathering in one resource systematic approaches for massive data processing in TCM. These include the utilization of modern Semantic Web and data mining methods for more advanced data integration, data analysis and integrative knowledge discovery. This book will appeal to medical professionals, life sciences students, computer scientists, and those interested in integrative, complementary, and alternative medicine.
    • Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease

      • 1st Edition
      • October 20, 2012
      • Ronald Ross Watson + 1 more
      • English
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 1 2 3 9 7 7 6 4 9
      Bioactive Food as Dietary Interventions for Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease provides valuable insights for those seeking nutritional treatment options for those suffering from liver and/or related gastrointestinal disease including Crohn’s, allergies, and colitis among others. Information is presented on a variety of foods including herbs, fruits, soy and olive oil. This book serves as a valuable resource for researchers in nutrition, nephrology, and gastroenterology.
    • Nutrition and Immunity

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • M Gershwin
      • English
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 4 3 1 2 7 3 9
      • eBook
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      Nutrition and Immunity discusses the interaction between nutrition, immune function, and immunity, based on empirical and epidemiologic point of view. It is organized into 14 chapters that focus on experimental studies on laboratory animals, including animal models to isolate specific factors in the interaction between nutrition and immunity. The book starts with an introduction to the potential impact of nutritional factors on immune responsiveness. Two chapters deal with the evaluation of immune function and nutritional assessment. Other chapters present classic observations on malnutrition and infectious disease, involving field studies as well as studies on the effect of nutritional factors on immune ontogeny. The following chapters examine issues related to caloric intake, proteins, minerals, vitamins, lipids, breast milk, and alcohol, as well as their effects in immune function and immunity. The book’s final chapters cover future directions and the potential role of nutritional modulation in immune dysfunction. Each chapter is meant to be an authoritative review presenting the state of the art as well as providing key illustrations from classic papers in a given field. Nutritionists, immunologists, scientists, and researchers will find this book very helpful in expanding their knowledge in the interrelationship between nutrition and immunity.
    • Metabolic Inhibitors V4

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • R Hochster
      • English
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 4 1 4 3 8 9 0
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 3 2 3 1 4 7 0 7 1
      Metabolic Inhibitors: A Comprehensive Treatise, Volume IV reviews developments in studies of inhibition of metabolic and enzymic processes ranging from photosynthesis and blood clotting to protein synthesis, fatty acid metabolism, and phospholipid metabolism. The book also explores the inhibition of specific enzyme reactions, such as amino acid activation, amino acid hydroxylation, and cyclic AMP formation. Organized into nine chapters, this volume begins with an overview of allosteric inhibition and inhibitors, and then discusses amino acid hydroxylase inhibitors. The reader is also introduced to inhibitors and activators of enzymes that regulate the cellular concentration of cyclic AMP. In particular, the book describes the role of lipids in the activation of adenyl cyclase by hormones; modification of adenyl cyclase in various physiological and pathological conditions; and synthesis of glycerophosphatides as well as phospho- and glycosphingolipids. This book is a valuable source of information for biochemists and medical research workers as well as virologists, microbiologists, plant physiologists, and agronomists.
    • Stem Cells of Renewing Cell Population

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • A.B. Cairnie
      • English
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 4 3 1 3 8 3 5
      • Hardback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 1 5 5 0 5 0 9
      • eBook
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      Stem Cells of Renewing Cell Populations constitutes the proceedings of the ""Stem Cells in Various Tissues"" symposium, organized as a tribute to Charles P. Leblond on the occasion of his 65th birthday. The pioneering studies of Dr. Leblond on the kinetics of cell populations led him to the identification and analysis of the behavior of the ""stem cells,"" which are at the origin of each cell line. This book focuses on the study of stem cells in various organs, including intestine, epidermis, hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues, and testis, under normal steady state conditions. It examines the behavior of stem cell in these organs, such as cell cycle and differentiation and regulation using several distinct techniques. The concluding part discusses the behavior of hematopoietic stem cell during growth and aging, as well as its distribution and dynamics in tumor-bearing tissues. Workers from many disciplines, including biologists, stem cell biologists, and regenerative medicine researchers will greatly benefit from this book.
    • Energy From Forest Biomass

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • W. Ramsay Smith
      • English
      • Paperback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 4 3 3 4 1 7 5
      • eBook
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      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.
    • Invertebrate Tissue Culture

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Edouard Kurstak
      • English
      • Paperback
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      • Hardback
        9 7 8 0 1 2 4 2 9 7 4 0 1
      • eBook
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      Invertebrate Tissue Culture: Applications in Medicine, Biology, and Agriculture comprises the proceedings of the IV International Conference on Invertebrate Tissue Culture, held on June 5-8, 1975 at Mont Gabriel, Quebec, Canada. The conference focuses on invertebrate organ, tissue, and cell culture, as well as cell culture limitations, pitfalls, and applications in medicine, biology, agriculture, neurophysiology, and studies of morphogenesis, differentiation, viruses, symbionts, and parasites. This reference material specifically provides information on sophisticated laboratory methods and on numerous utilizations of invertebrate cell culture techniques in medicine and biology. This book also elucidates the nutritional requirements and the establishment of cell lines. The study of viruses and protozoa of agricultural and forest importance is also shown. This book will be useful and stimulating to the readers and will provide in a single volume the results obtained in the diverse areas of research pursued by the leading exponents of invertebrate tissue culture from America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
    • Evapotranspiration from Plant Communities

      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 13
      • December 2, 2012
      • M.L. Sharma
      • English
      • eBook
        9 7 8 0 4 4 4 6 0 0 0 1 1
      A change in land use has been found to alter the components of the hydrological cycle through its effects on evapotranspiration. This influences planning and management of water resources. The Workshop, from which this volume was derived, was organized in this context to discuss processes and techniques relevant to estimating evapotranspiration of communities ranging from agricultural to forested lands. Its objectives were to provide a forum for exchange of ideas, to gather up-to-date information on the state of the art, and to identify priority areas for future research.The eighteen papers in this volume have been selected from those presented at the Workshop on the basis of technical quality and subject matter coverage and result in a valuable contribution to our current understanding of evapotranspiration.