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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.

    • Biological Environmental Impact Studies

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Diana V. Ward
      • English
      • Paperback
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      Biological Environmental Impact Studies: Theory and Methods explains how an environmental impact study aimed at predicting biological changes can be approached and accomplished. It explores environmental impact studies from an ecosystem function point of view and highlights ecological tools and guidelines for use in biological studies in the context of environmental impact assessment. It also considers four general concepts of biological impact studies: synergy, experimental control and causality, measures of ecosystem change, and the interrelationships between structure, function, and time. Organized into seven chapters, this volume begins with an overview of environmental impact and environmental impact analysis, field surveys and their objectives, and mathematical modeling of biological systems. It then discusses time frames for ecological impacts; the role of field experiments and laboratory studies in environmental impact assessment; and common types of biological impact studies, including a study that investigated the impact of insecticides on the ecology of salt marshes in New Jersey and the effects of dredging, filling, and lagoon construction on tidal wetlands in Delaware. This book is a valuable resource for biologists, biology students, managers, and government agents interested in environmental impact assessment.
    • Structure and Metabolic Mechanisms

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Walter Lovenberg
      • English
      • Paperback
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      Iron-Sulfur Proteins, Volume III: Structure and Metabolic Mechanisms focuses on numerous advances that have been made in the vital role of iron-sulfur proteins in biological processes. Of the 10 chapters in this book, five chapters present advances in biochemical areas and the other five chapters discuss some of the elegant physical studies made. This book begins with a description of the nitrogenase gene and the molecular mechanism of this complex enzyme. It then centers on the role of iron-sulfur proteins in mammalian mitochondrial function, as well as on the mechanism of biosynthesis and the function of these proteins in formate metabolism. Different approaches that have yielded advances in the understanding of the iron-sulfur clusters are also shown. This book also gives an in-depth discussion on the theoretical aspects of the redox properties of iron-sulfur proteins.
    • Histocompatibility

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • George Snell
      • English
      • Paperback
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      Histocampatibility covers the genetic, immunologic, and the chemical studies on allograft rejection process. The book is composed of 13 chapters that describe how these studies relate to medicine, organ transplantation in man, basic immunology, cell membrane structures, and cancer research. After briefly dealing with the early studies on isografts and allografts in laboratory animals, the book describes the histogenetic methods of gene manipulation and transplantation that permit identification of individual histocompatibility loci. The following chapter examines the significance of congenic resistant lines in determining the diversity of histocompatibility loci and allele and immune response genes. Other chapters present immunogenetic and serological methods, as well as the applications of these methods in studying alloantigens and H-2 complex loci and of immunogenetic methods to human. The book also discusses the practical implication of HLA immunogenetics in organ transplantation and describes the biochemical, immunochemical, and dynamic properties of alloantigens. A chapter discusses the associations between HLA system and disease and the various mechanisms that have been suggested to explain these associations. The last chapter focuses on allograft reaction and on established facts of cellular immunity. This book is a valuable source of information for researchers in the fields of medicine, organ transplantation in man, basic immunology, cell membrane structures, and cancer.
    • Biochemistry And Physiology of Nutrition

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Geoffrey Bourne
      • English
      • Paperback
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      Biochemistry and Physiology of Nutrition, Volume II focuses on the processes, methods, and studies on nutrition. The book starts by discussing intracellular localization through histochemical methods of enzymes and vitamins; the structural changes in vitamin deficiency; and microbiology of digestion. Deficiencies in vitamins, A, C, D, E, B1, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, choline, biotin, and folic acid are noted. The book then focuses on microbiology of digestion, considering the establishment of microbial population in the alimentary tract, results of microbial digestion, antibiotics, and intestinal flora of man. The text also defines the nutrition system of worms, insects, and protozoa. The generation of ATP in terminal respiration and anaerobic glycolysis, as well as ATP's role in energy transfer, is noted. The discussions also focus on hydrolytic and phosphorylitic enzymes, such as carbohydrates, esterases, amidases, phosphatases, and phosporylases. Other topics covered are respiratory enzymes and coenzymes in which nucleotides, glucose diphosphate, diphosphoglyceric acid, and thiamine pyrophosphate are noted. The book notes the functions of iron compounds in the body, particularly in blood and tissues, and then touches on calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Given considerations are calcium and phosphorus in blood, skeletal calcium and phosphorus, and the factors affecting adsorption. A discussion also focuses on trace elements and the effects of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins in nutrition. The book is a vital source of data for readers interested in studying the elements, factors, processes, and methods involved in nutrition.
    • Social Play in Primates

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Euclid Smith
      • English
      • Paperback
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      Social Play in Primates provides comprehensive discussions on the social aspect of play in the behavior of primates. It also presents various approaches in understanding the complex behavioral phenomenon of play. Composed of 11 chapters, the book starts by discussing the historical background of play. It also traces the development of the interest in the study of play from the writings of Aristotle, through educational reformers of the 17th and 18th centuries, to the psychologists of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The book then presents important data on the effects of gonadectomy on social play in group-living rhesus monkeys. It also presents a comparative study about the play behavior of three of the four great ape species. Furthermore, it offers a view of the function of play in primate society. Finally, the book examines play in young humans by citing some significant information on the nature of peer- vs. adult-oriented early social experience. The book concludes by presenting both the theoretical and methodological aspects on the study of play.
    • Retroviruses and Disease

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Hidesaburo Hanafusa
      • English
      • Paperback
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      • eBook
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      Retroviruses and Disease presents a relevant summary of the state of knowledge in both human nonhuman retroviruses. It highlights significant concepts regarding their commonalities and differences in terms of retroviral systems. A section of this book covers the pathogenic human retroviruses and focuses on two. These are HLTV-1 (the first human retrovirus that was isolated) and HIV (the cause of a potent immunological disorder). The life cycle of replication-competen... retroviruses, including the murine leukemia viruses and its functions, is discussed in Chapters 1 and 2. The focus of the third chapter is the transformation of Rous sarcoma virus. Meanwhile, Chapter 4 discusses the multiple stages in avian leukosis virus-induced B cell lymphoma. Oncogenes, the molecular basis of human cancer, are also covered in this book. Another virus also discussed in this book is the human T cell leukemia virus. The book is a good reference for students, teachers, specialists, scientists, and researchers in microbiology.
    • Comparative Nutrition Of Man and Domestic Animals

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • H Mitchell
      • English
      • Paperback
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      Comparative Nutrition of Man and Domestic Animals, Volume I discusses practical phases in the evaluation of the nutrient requirements of man and his domesticated animals and the factors that modify these quanta. This book also covers various nutrients' biochemical nature, functions, and participation in the energy transactions of the body. Organized into 11 chapters, the book initially discusses the principles of the basal metabolism and the activity increment and their role in evaluating maintenance requirement of human and animal for energy. The subsequent chapter focuses on the maintenance requirement of protein under stress and non-stress conditions. Other chapters discuss nutrient requirements for maintenance, such as water and minerals. The book also examines the nutrient requirements for muscle activities, growth, senescence, reproduction, and lactation. A discussion on the storage of nutritive material, such as water, protein, minerals, vitamins, and energy, is included. This volume is an invaluable source for organic chemists, biochemists, animal physiologists, zoologists, and nutritionists.
    • Viruses, Evolution and Cancer Basic Considerations

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • Edouard Kurstak
      • English
      • Hardback
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      Viruses, Evolution and Cancer: Basic Considerations focuses on comparative biology and evolutionary aspects of DNA and RNA oncogenic viruses. Organized into seven parts, this book begins with a discussion on the host-cell-virus relationships. Some chapters follow that discuss the comparative aspects of DNA and RNA oncogenic viruses. This work also elucidates the effects of oncogenic viruses on cell surface metabolism. Other chapters explore the comparative viral oncology, comparative immunology of oncogenic viruses, and evolution of viruses. This book will be an invaluable material both to those concerned in the scientific and medical problems of cancer and will benefit all who are interested in virology and oncology.
    • Dinoflagellates

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • David L. Spector
      • English
      • Paperback
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      The book begins with a general introduction and a taxonomic description of the dinoflagellates both to acquaint those unfamiliar with this group of organisms and to set the tone for the rest of the volume. It then addresses the following topics: cell biology (cell cortex, nuclear structure, cell cycle and mitosis, sexual reproduction, cysts and unusual inclusions); biochemistry (physiology and biochemistry, blooms and toxins, and biorhythms); and genetics. In addition, a comprehensive chapter on cell culturing provides the reader with an understanding of the growth conditions and requirements of various dinoflagellates and a simple to follow listing of culture media, all expressed in similar units for ease of comparison. The volume closes with a chapter on evolution which evaluates many of the features of dinoflagellates discussed in the text in terms of evolutionary significance.We hope that this treatise will be of use to research workers and students in the area of dinoflagellate biology and in other areas of biology in which dinoflagellates may be used as a model system for studying various biological problems.
    • Water and Plant Disease

      • 1st Edition
      • December 2, 2012
      • T.T. Kozlowski
      • English
      • Paperback
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      Water Deficits and Plant Growth, Volume V: Water and Plant Disease presents a comprehensive treatment of the role of water deficits and excesses in the plant disease complex. This book highlights water relations of diseased plants and the effects of water stress induced by disease and environmental factors, along with water deficits related to disease and water stress as a predisposing factor in plant disease. This volume is organized into nine chapters and begins with an overview of the water relations of diseased plants, focusing on root, foliar, and shoot diseases, as well as vascular wilts. The following chapters examine the effects of water deficits on pathogen and host, the degree and duration of water deficits as predisposing factors in plant disease, and important abiotic diseases induced by water deficits and excess. The discussion then turns to water in relation to active and passive liberation of spores, as well as to the infection process. This book also explains soil moisture in relation to spread and survival of pathogens, the link between water and seed decay, field and storage fungi that affect seeds, and water in relation to wood deterioration. This volume concludes with a chapter on moisture as a factor in epidemiology and the forecasting of disease. This book is a valuable resource for scientists and investigators in fields such as botany, plant pathology, forestry, agriculture, and biology.