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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.

  • Nutrition Intervention Strategies in National Development

    • 1st Edition
    • Barbara Underwood
    • English
    Nutrition Intervention Strategies in National Development reviews nutritional programs as key components of policy planning for national development in general and health programs in particular. It summarizes research on targeted application of nutrition knowledge in public health and efforts to reduce worldwide malnutrition, and it highlights the importance of planned controlled change in the quality of diet as a preventive strategy against widespread disease. Organized into seven sections encompassing 33 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the basic concepts of nutrition intervention and some elements of successful nutrition intervention strategies. It then discusses the economic effects of early malnutrition and economic considerations for nutrition intervention programs; the role of the government in income distribution and nutritional improvement; supplementary feeding programs; and strategies for addressing protein energy malnutrition. The reader is also introduced to the nutrition-infection cycle in relation to intervention techniques, nutrient-specific interventions including prevention of iron deficiency, and nutrition education. Scientists, nutritionists, policymakers, medical doctors, economists, education specialists, and health workers concerned with nutrition intervention programs will find this book extremely helpful.
  • Immune Regulators In Transfer Factor

    • 1st Edition
    • Amanullah Khan
    • English
    Immune Regulators in Transfer Factor is a collection of papers presented at the Third International Symposium on Transfer Factor held on October 12-14, 1978 at the Wadley Institutes of Molecular Medicine in Dallas, Texas. Contributors focus on immune regulators occurring in transfer factor, a dialyzable component of leukocyte lysates. The isolation and characterization of the immunologically active molecules, as well as tests for in vitro and in vivo, are described. This volume is organized into five sections encompassing 73 chapters and begins with an overview of animal models used in research on dialyzable leukocyte extracts, their modulation of suppressor activity, effects in mice, and activity and specificity of human and bovine transfer factor. The next section considers in vitro testing, touching on topics such as the quantification and biological assays of transfer factor; the specificity of transfer factor action on macrophage migration; and the effect of transfer factor therapy on antibody-dependent cytotoxic activity in humans. The reader is then introduced to the preparation, purification, and characterization of transfer factor, as well as clinical investigations ranging from phase I studies to randomized controlled trials. This book will be of interest to scientists and researchers in fields such as molecular medicine, biomedicine, microbiology, immunology, oncology, pathology, and immunotherapy.
  • Crop Safeners for Herbicides

    Development, Uses, and Mechanisms of Action
    • 1st Edition
    • Kriton Hatzios
    • English
    Crop Safeners for Herbicides aims to discuss the issue of chemical manipulation of crop tolerance to herbicides. This book resulted from a symposium titled ""Chemical Manipulation of Crop Tolerance to Herbicides"". Several chapters included herein are added contributions from experts outside of the symposium. The book not only serves as reference for the knowledge of the agronomic uses, development, chemistry, and mechanisms of action herbicide safeners, but it also assesses the impact of safeners all around the world. It also presents a discussion on alternative approaches that increases herbicide selectivity and explores future trends. Comprised of 16 chapters and divided into four parts, the book starts with a section on the development and uses of herbicide safeners. The text also offers a critical and extensive review of academic and industrial perspectives in the development of herbicide safeners in different parts of the world. Part 2 of this book starts with an overview of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of the mechanisms, and then further delves in to the prevalent mechanisms of action of selected classes of herbicide safeners. The third part of this book provides data on the potential use of alternative approaches for the manipulation of crop tolerance to herbicides. The last part is a summary of the progress and prospects of the topic of crop safening against herbicide injury. The book serves as an important resource for students and professionals interested in the field of agriculture, agronomy, pest research, weed science, and plant pathology and physiology.
  • Housing of Animals

    Construction and Equipment of Animal Houses
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 6
    • A. Maton + 2 more
    • English
    Animal husbandry plays an increasingly important role throughout the world in the fulfillment of the primary need of mankind: food. The growing demand for food leads to an intensification of the production of livestock and because of the varying climatic conditions in many parts of the world, livestock has to be housed in suitable accommodation during certain times of the year.This book brings together a descriptive as well as a scientific study of all aspects of the housing of all animals; construction of and building materials to be used for the houses and facilities; work organisation and labour requirements in different types of animal houses; the influence of the animal housing types on animal behaviour, animal health and the environment and the cost of building the accommodation.This English-language edition is a new text of the last edition of the book, which was written in Dutch, in 1983. A great deal of recent information of international dimension concerning animal husbandry, construction and equipment of animal houses has been included in this edition. The book has also been updated with the latest scientific and technological findings on this subject published in 1983 and 1984.Agricultural engineers, veterinary surgeons, architects, students, progressive farmers and anyone interested in the housing of animals should find much to interest them in this book.
  • Biomolecular Structure and Function

    • 1st Edition
    • Paul Agris
    • English
    Biomolecular Structure and Function covers the proceedings of the 1977 �Cellular Function and Molecular Structure: Biophysical Approaches to Biological Problems� symposium. It summarizes the application of several biophysical techniques to molecular research in biology. This book starts by describing the use of deuterium-labeled lipids, as monitors of the degree of organization of membrane lipids. It also describes the use of carbon-13-labeled lipids, as indicators of molecular mobility. It explains the lipid-protein interactions involving two integral membrane proteins, mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase and calcium-dependent ATPase of muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. The book goes on to present NMR studies on the organization and conformation of phospholipids, chloroplast membranes, and erythrocyte membranes. It also presents the ESR study of spectrin-phospholipi... associations. It discusses the use of fluorescence probes, electrokinetics, neutron diffraction and ion theory studies of phospholipid-protein association, hormone disease, and senescence effects on prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Moreover, this book presents the experiments and phosphorus-31 NMR methodology to simultaneously monitor the intracellular pH and phosphate metabolism in a beating heart, functioning kidney, or an intact living microorganism. This book then describes physical probing of intracellular fluidity and structural changes attending tissue or cell cycles. It also relates relatively narrow lines in the hydrogen-1 NMR spectrum of the extremely viscous complex of the muscle protein troponin and highly polymerized tropomyosin. Structure-function studies of fibrous proteins, such as collagen, actin, and myosin, and active site analysis of enzymes are also presented. Finally, a wide variety of methodologies and technologies is exemplified. This includes proton, carbon, fluorine, phosphorus, and lithium NMR spectroscopy; spin labeling and EPR spectroscopy; chemical studies; light scattering and fluorescence; and electron microscopy.
  • Biotic Interactions and Soil-Borne Diseases

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 23
    • A.B.R. Beemster + 5 more
    • English
    This volume contains a collection of all the papers presented at the founding conference of the European Foundation for Plant Pathology, held from 26th February to 2nd March 1990 at Wageningen, The Netherlands. It focusses on the theme of "Biotic Interactions and Soil-Borne Diseases", on which there are contributions from leading European scientists in the field of soil-borne diseases. Ways of exploiting biotic processes and phenomena which result in plant production harmless to the environment are explored.
  • Nutritional Toxicology V3

    • 1st Edition
    • John Hathcock
    • English
    Nutritional Toxicology, Volume III is a compilation of reviews and research regarding nutrition and toxicology, specifically the issues that affect public health and regulation. This volume further develops understanding of the basic concepts significant to protect and promote public health and provide a credible scientific basis for public health and regulatory decisions. Composed of seven chapters, this volume further extends the discussion of the topics included in Volume I and Volume II of this series. The first two chapters deal with the topic of food safety. The first one discusses safety of food packaging materials and their health implications. The second chapter tackles the relation between neurotoxicology and food safety assessment. The next section of this book includes more detailed discussion regarding proteins (amino acids), phosphorylated derivatives, and vitamin B6 interactions. The discussion of these topics generally covers their chemical aspects, metabolism, bioavailability, and distribution in foods. The last two chapters give recommendations regarding toxicological experiments and vitamin supplement. Chapter 6 presents considerations in the designing of standardized diets in toxicological experiments. Chapter 7 gives an analysis of the risk/benefit of vitamin supplements. As with the other volumes, this book proves helpful to students, professionals, and researchers in the field of nutritional sciences, pharmacology, and biology.
  • Interferons A Primer

    • 1st Edition
    • Robert Friedman
    • English
    Interferons: A Primer covers general information on interferon, including analysis, purification, production, properties, mechanism of action, and clinical uses. Organized into 10 chapters, the book starts with a short history of interferon’s discovery by Isaacs and Lindenmann, followed by topics on assays for interferon, such as factors affecting interferon assays and rapid biological assay. Chapters 3 to 6 discuss the purification, properties, production, antiviral action, and other functions of interferon. Chapters 7 and 8 examine the recovery from viral infection and clinical uses of interferon, with emphasis on treatment of human cancer. The concluding chapters focus on the application of interferon studies on two revolutionizing fields of biology, namely, the cloning of animal genes in microorganisms and the production of monoclonal antibodies. This book is intended for students, scientists, physicians, or educated laypersons who wish to know something about interferons, but do not plan carrying out research in this area.
  • The Mammalian Mitochondrial Respiratory chain

    • 1st Edition
    • Walter Wainio
    • English
    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.
  • Pollution Ecology of Estuarine Invertebrates

    • 1st Edition
    • C.W. Jr. Hart
    • English
    Pollution Ecology of Estuarine Invertebrates, as its companion volume ""Pollution Ecology of Freshwater Invertebrates"", aims to present the ecology of estuarine invertebrates and highlight some systematic interpretations. This book also discusses the knowledge about these invertebrates. It is a compilation of existing data at the time of writing, an attempt to introduce ideas and information, and a result of synthesis of systematic interpretations. This book consists of 12 chapters, each with a specific invertebrate as subject area. The invertebrates encompassed in this book are thread and bristle worms, Bryozoa, ostracods, copepods, crabs, shrimps, larval decapods, Cyathura, isopods (other than Cyathura), amphipods, clams, and snails. Each chapter gives a thorough discussion of the featured invertebrate according to some of the organism’s aspects, such as habitat, systematic, zoogeography, pollution ecology, life cycle, physiology, population, taxonomy, and distribution. This book is a valuable source for students, teachers, scientists, or researchers interested in estuarine invertebrates and pollution and study biology, environmental science, zoology, or even marine science.