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Elsevier

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.

  • Nutritional Management of Renal Disease

    • 3rd Edition
    • Joel D. Kopple + 2 more
    • English
    This translational text offers in-depth reviews of the metabolic and nutritional disorders that are prevalent in patients with renal disease. Chapter topics address the growing epidemic of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Each chapter integrates basic and clinical approaches, from cell biology and genetics to diagnosis, patient management and treatment. Chapters in sections 4-7 include new illustrative case reports, and all chapters emphasize key concepts with chapter-ending summaries. New features also include the latest National Kidney Foundation Clinical Practice Guidelines on Nutrition in Chronic Renal Failure, the most recent scientific discoveries and the latest techniques for assessing nutritional status in renal disease, and literature reviews on patients who receive continuous veno-venous hemofiltration with or without dialysis.

  • Nutrigenetics

    Applying the Science of Personal Nutrition
    • 1st Edition
    • Martin Kohlmeier
    • English
    Nutrigenetics: Applying the Science of Personal Nutrition provides a fully referenced, readable guide to understanding the rationale and importance of nutrigenetic applications and explains why single nutrition recommendations will not fit everybody or even a majority of modern humans. This books explains how genetic variation shapes individual nutrition requirements and sensitivities, presents questions to ask about reported gene-nutrient interactions, and what needs to be done before putting nutrigenetic tests to practical use. This book blends key concepts from the fields of genetics, biochemistry, epidemiology, public health, and clinical medicine to give a rich perspective on the genetically diverse nutritional needs and sensitivities of individuals in health and disease. A steadily increasing number of people order genetic tests to find out what they should eat for better health, well being and performance, and an even greater number asks their healthcare providers about such tests. Most of the currently offered tests are not grounded in current knowledge, often absurdly so, but few professionals can explain why they are misguided. On the other hand, there are more evidence-supported genetic variants that can guide nutrition decisions, but again most healthcare providers know little about them, much less use them in their daily practice. There is a great need for a solidly evidence-based yet accessible book that explains the science of nutrigenetics and provides the tools to evaluate new nutrigenetic tests.

  • Robotics and Automation in the Food Industry

    Current and Future Technologies
    • 1st Edition
    • Darwin G Caldwell
    • English
    The implementation of robotics and automation in the food sector offers great potential for improved safety, quality and profitability by optimising process monitoring and control. Robotics and automation in the food industry provides a comprehensive overview of current and emerging technologies and their applications in different industry sectors.Part one introduces key technologies and significant areas of development, including automatic process control and robotics in the food industry, sensors for automated quality and safety control, and the development of machine vision systems. Optical sensors and online spectroscopy, gripper technologies, wireless sensor networks (WSN) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are discussed, with consideration of intelligent quality control systems based on fuzzy logic. Part two goes on to investigate robotics and automation in particular unit operations and industry sectors. The automation of bulk sorting and control of food chilling and freezing is considered, followed by chapters on the use of robotics and automation in the processing and packaging of meat, seafood, fresh produce and confectionery. Automatic control of batch thermal processing of canned foods is explored, before a final discussion on automation for a sustainable food industry.With its distinguished editor and international team of expert contributors, Robotics and automation in the food industry is an indispensable guide for engineering professionals in the food industry, and a key introduction for professionals and academics interested in food production, robotics and automation.

  • 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.

  • Trace Gas Emissions by Plants

    • 1st Edition
    • English
    Many trace gases are exchanged between the atmosphere and the biosphere. Although much research has been published on the photosynthetic exchanges of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and water vapor, this book focuses on the importance of biogenic trace gases on atmosphere chemistry and ecosystem stability. Included are methane and its effect on the radiative properties of the atmosphere, hydrocarbons (isoprene and monoterpenes), and their role in the production of ozone and carbon monoxide. Also covered are sulfur and nitrogen gases, both of which can lead to ecosystem acidification. The biochemistry and physiology of production of these and other gases are investigated.Plant physiologists, ecologists, and atmospheric chemists and modelers will benefit from this book.

  • Aotus: The Owl Monkey

    • 1st Edition
    • Janet F. Baer + 2 more
    • English
    This book is the first comprehensive treatment of Aotus, the nocturnal New World owl monkeys often used in behavioral and biomedical studies. Found in tropical forests from Nicaragua to Argentina, owl monkeys have been used in laboratories as model organisms for studies of diseases like malaria, and various forms of cancer, as well as studies of reproductive physiology and neuroanatomical structure and function. These and other recent studies of this fascinating primate are included in this new volume. As the only book devoted exclusively to owl monkeys, this volume is an invaluable addition to the library of anyone interested in primate biology, evolution, ecology, and behavior.

  • Integument, Pigments, and Hormonal Processes

    Volume 9: Integument, Pigments and Hormonal Processes
    • 1st Edition
    • Dorothy E. Bliss
    • English
    The Biology of Crustacea is a comprehensive treatise, which should become the standard reference in its field. Incorporating the contributions of a distinguished international group of scientists, it encompasses the significant findings - including methods - in three general areas of crustacean research: systematics, morphology, evolution, and the fossil record; physiology, ecology, and behaviour; applied biology, including fisheries, mariculture, and pathology.The state-of-the-art presentations provide both background information and vital perspective. The complete set, and the individual volumes, will be of value to zoologists, marine biologists, fisheries biologists, physiologists, ecologists, environmentalists, endocrinologists, anatomists, neurobiologists, and paleontologists.

  • Tree Crop Physiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 18
    • A.S. Raghavendra + 1 more
    • English
    This book is the result of a recommendation from the plenary session of ``TREE-PHYSINDIA-82'... an international symposium held at the Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam, that a publication be brought out presenting information on the methodology adopted for various physiological studies in tree crops. Containing reviews on general physiology as well as detailed information on certain selected tree crops, the choice of topics emphasizes many aspects of tree physiology. The contributed articles in Part A provide an insight into different approaches to studying the physiology of tree crops, with an emphasis on methodology. Part B provides case-histories of physiological investigations on selected economically important tropical tree crops. The volume will provide a valuable source of information and stimulus to scientists involved in the work of tree physiology.

  • Windbreak Technology

    • 1st Edition
    • J.R. Brandle + 2 more
    • English
    This book contains a selection of papers presented at the first International Symposium on Windbreak Technology, summarising the available worldwide literature on windbreaks and the response, both positive and negative, to wind protection. State-of-the-art information is presented on general design criteria, and principles of planting and establishment for a wide range of conditions and objectives. It provides descriptive information of tree and shrub species for arid, semi-arid, temperate and tropical areas, and their use in windbreaks.

  • Insects, Science & Society

    • 1st Edition
    • David Pimentel
    • English
    Insects, Science, & Society documents the proceedings of a symposium of the same name celebrating the centennial of entomology at Cornell University. The symposium and the resulting book brought together some of the world's leading entomologists, who discussed recent advances in their diverse specialties. In commemorating the hundred years of entomology, the symposium also honors the founder of the department at Cornell, John Henry Comstock, whose investigations encompassed not only many aspects of entomology—insect taxonomy, morphology, and ecology—but also focused on practical problems of pest control. Starting with a discussion that provides a broad perspective of the interrelationship of insects, science, and society, the remainder of the book presents the contributions made by researchers at the symposium. These contributions are organized into five parts. Part I discusses aspects of the social implications of insects. Part II deals with communication among insects. Part III examines other interactions among insects and between insects and plants. Part IV covers insect population dynamics. Part V deals with insect pest management.

  • Seed Dispersal

    • 1st Edition
    • David R. Murray
    • English
    Seed Dispersal focuses on the mechanics and processes involved in seed dispersal, including its implications in ecology, animal behavior, plant and animal biogeography, speciation, and evolution. The selection first elaborates on the aerial motion of seeds, fruits, spores, and pollen and seed dispersal by water. Discussions focus on seed dispersal by rain, river, and flood, effective seed dispersal by ocean currents compared to other vectors, aerodynamic forces and their effects, and launching and release mechanisms. The text then takes a look at seed dispersal syndromes in Australian Acacia, including inference of dispersal syndromes, seed dispersal syndromes, ecological consequences of seed dispersal, and evolutionary derivation of dispersal syndromes. The publication ponders on seed dispersal by fruit-eating birds and mammals, rodents as seed consumers and dispersers, and seed dispersal in relation to fire. Topics include fire as a dispersal vector, long distance dispersal, granivorous rodents and the fates of seeds, determinants of the fate path, population ecology of seed dispersal, and foraging for fruits. The selection is a valuable reference for researchers interested in the factors involved in seed dispersal.

  • Fundamentals of Bacterial Plant Pathology

    • 1st Edition
    • Masao Goto
    • English
    Intended as a text for plant bacteriology courses and as a reference for plant pathologists in agricultural extension services and experimental stations, Fundamentals of Bacterial Plant Pathology presents current information on bacterial morphology, taxonomy, genetics, and ecology. Diagnosis, disease management, and the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions are examined. The book is well illustrated, includes both subject and taxonomic indexes, and provides suggestions for the further reading.

  • Transgenic Plants

    Present Status and Social and Economic Impacts
    • 1st Edition
    • English
    Volumes 1 and 2 of Transgenic Plants assemble important information on transgenic crops which has appeared scattered in many different publications. These two volumes are a significant milestone in plant/agricultural biology, promote the practical application of recombinant DNA technology, and assist in transforming the agricultural industry.

  • Transgenic Plants

    Engineering and Utilization
    • 1st Edition
    • English
    Volumes 1 and 2 of Transgenic Plants assemble important information on transgenic crops which has appeared scattered in many different publications. These two volumes are a significant milestone in plant/agricultural biology, promote the practical application of recombinant DNA technology, and assist in transforming the agricultural industry.

  • Vehicle Traction Mechanics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 3
    • R.N. Yong + 2 more
    • English
    The fundamental problem in the study of vehicle mobility is the development of traction between the vehicle and the supporting terrain. The mechanics of energy transfer will essentially control the final performance of the surficial machine. Determining and predicting the capability of a particular piece of machinery to traverse successfully a specific piece of terrain is very complex, particularly as the characteristics and properties of different types of terrain cover vary considerably, as do the many types of vehicle and their running gear.The material that forms the basis of this book has been gathered over many years of study both in the laboratory and in the field. It studies vehicle traction mechanics from the viewpoint of the interaction between the vehicle and the ground surface. The types of machines covered include earth-moving, forestry, agricultural, and construction machines. In addition, the mechanisms involved in the development of traction and the working of the terrain through cultivation, construction and surface disturbances are examined. The book also addresses the problems of off-road mobility and terrain trafficability, especially from the terrain-support and terrain interaction points of view. It is the authors' aim that the book will provide the reader with the ability to both analyze and predict the traction capability of his proposed machinery, and also to anticipate the kinds of reactions that will occur in the ground and at the ground surface.

  • The Biology and Management of Lobsters

    Physiology and Behavior
    • 1st Edition
    • English
    This two-volume work presents a summary and review of the current state of lobster biology, ecology, physiology, behavior, and management. It emphasizes the biology of clawed lobsters (Nephropidae) and spiny lobsters (Palinuridae), with attention also given to slipper lobsters (Scyllaridae) and coral lobsters (Synaxidae).The first chapter of Volume 1 provides an overview of the general aspects of lobster biology that serves as an introduction for readers of both volumes. Subsequent chapters examine the topics of growth, neurobiology, reproduction, nutrition, pathology, social behavior, and migration patterns.The chapters in Volume II consider the ecology, population dynamics, fishery biology, and aquaculture of spiny and clawed lobsters. The topics selected in both volumes represent areas of current research whose findings have not been previously synthesized into a coherent form.An important feature of these volumes is the emphasis on the interaction between biology and management and culture. Many of the contributors have done research in both applied and basic biology and can articulate both points of view. The interaction between basic and applied research is of fundamental importance in these volumes in which management aspects of the research have been integrated with the basic biology of lobsters.The Biology and Management of Lobsterswill be of interest to crustacean biologists, marine biologists and ecologists, zoologists, physiologists, animal behavior researchers, aquaculturalists, fisheries biologists and managers of fisheries, neurobiologists, pathologists, and food scientists.

  • Subjective Equilibrium Theory of the Farm Household

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 3
    • C. Nakajima
    • English
    It is obvious that most of the agricultural production in the world is under the control of farm households (or family farms). This book aims to translate the characteristics of the farm household as an economic entity, into an economic theory. The book was originally written in Japanese, but various modifications have been made and new information added to the English version. The author defines the farm household as an economic entity which is a complex of the farm firm, the labourer's household and the consumer's household, and whose behavioural principle is utility maximization. The main purpose of the book is to construct a theoretical model of the decision-making behaviour of the farm household. For this purpose the method of subjective equilibrium analysis, which was used by J.R. Hicks for the consumer's household and the firm in Value and Capital, has been applied to the farm household. The major motif of the book may therefore be called ``Hicksian motif''. In analyzing the subjective equilibrium of the farm household, this book extends the Marshallian concepts of consumer's surplus and producer's surplus, by developing the three new concepts of labourer's surplus, self-employed producer's surplus and consumer's surplus. The analyses using the five concepts of economic surplus are the minor motif of the present book, which the author calls ``Marshallian motif''.Another important characteristic of this book lies in the presentation of newly developed theories of land rent. The author has tried to integrate the theory of leasehold tenancy (i.e. fixed rent tenancy) and that of share tenancy with subjective equilibrium theory of the farm household. In his foreword, John W. Longworth of the International Association of Agricultural Economists says ``From time-to-time an academic treatise appears which is truly different. This is one such book. It presents a self-contained normative theory of the farm household which is much more than just an elegant development of Hicksian and Marshallian ideas. Professor Nakajima introduces new concepts and develops a simple model of the farm household. He then extends this model in various ways to examine the subjective equilibrium of farm households under a wide range of economic circumstances. The exposition is clear and logic with each step in the argument explained in detail using both rigorous mathematical notation and easy to follow diagrams... With this book Nakajima is making his Life's Work available to non-Japanese Agricultural Economists. The international profession of Agricultural Economics will be richer for it.''

  • Diseases of Sugarcane

    Major Diseases
    • 1st Edition
    • C. Ricaud + 3 more
    • English
    An extensive volume of Sugarcane Diseases and their World Distribution (Vol. I) was published by Elsevier under the auspices of the International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists in 1961. The present volume was intended to be a new edition of the book, but so many changes were required that a new book was needed. Only three chapters have been kept with slight amendments. The other chapters have been completely re-written. In fact with changes in importance of major diseases, four diseases previously treated have been left out; on the other hand, three new topics have been included in the new book, two new diseases and a chapter on sugarcane quarantine.The first chapter gives a brief account of the anatomy, morphology and physiology of the sugarcane plant to facilitate terminology and especially for a better appreciation of the effect of disease on the growth of the crop. Diseases are extensively treated as in Volume I, with a very good description of their symptoms and variation under different conditions and severity, all well illustrated by black and white figures and in a set of colour plates at the end of the book which will prove of valuable help for identification. The causal agents of the diseases are described giving synonyms, cultural characteristics, isolation methods and present knowledge on race variation, an aspect on which there has been quite an advance in knowledge since Volume I was published. New techniques of diagnosis are also given. Advances in research on the diseases over the last 25 years are well covered and supported by an extensive bibliography at the end of each chapter.The book has been edited by people having first hand experience in the field and in research on these diseases. Authors have been selected from among the most knowledgeable all over the sugar cane world, especially with due regard to the importance of the different diseases in their countries.The book should prove of immense value to those concerned with practical aspects of plant disease control in the field: pathologists, agronomists and crop specialists, including consultants, to those concerned with quarantine of the crop, for university lectures and students, and research scientists.In a pre-publication review D.J. Heinz and S.A. Ferreira of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association stated: ``Much has changed and new information generated since the original version of this book was published in 1961. This new edition incorporates most of it, providing both the laboratory and field sugarcane pathologist a complete and authoritative guide to the major sugarcane diseases of the world. It is the best single book available on sugarcane diseases.''

  • Penguin Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • Lloyd S. Davis + 1 more
    • English
    Penguin Biology is the first broad-based collection of biological and ecological studies of these unique birds to be published since 1975. Topics have since become broad ecological hypotheses, not species-specific descriptions, and new technology has taken observations into the oceanic depths. Penguin Biology shows new techniques and the applications mad of them in contemporary biological and evolutionary theory. Penguin Biology is an invaluable reference for ornithologists, animal behaviorists, animal physiologists, marine zoologists, marine ecologists, evolutionary biologists, and Antarctic researchers.

  • Pathology of Domestic Animals

    • 4th Edition
    • English
    The all-new Fourth Edition of Pathology of Domestic Animals comprehensively covers the biology and pathology of diseases of domestic animals on a systemic basic. Updated and expanded to reflect the current knowledge of the study of domestic animal diseases, this three-volume set appeals to veterinarians, veterinary students, trainee veterinary pathologists learning the scope of their field, and practicing pathologists confronted with diagnostic problems.

  • Trap Responses of Flying Insects

    The Influence of Trap Design on Capture Efficiency
    • 1st Edition
    • R. C. Muirhead-Thompson
    • English
    Insect trapping is a basic field research tool for many biologists, whether they are studying insect pests, disease vectors or insect ecology for its own sake. Any field entomologist contemplating a new insect trapping program or looking to improve or develop an existing scheme will benefit from this broad review of flying insect traps, in which the author draws on a wide variety of methods used by different research projects from all over the world. Over the years a great many traps have been developed and endlessly modified to suit particular species, habitats, and research requirements. In virtually every case the design of the trap interacts with the specific behavior of the insects involved to bias trap efficiency. In addition, the limited dialogue between workers in different subject disciplines and habitats has caused a shortage of new information available to field entomologists as a whole.

  • Pathology of Domestic Animals

    • 4th Edition
    • English
    The all-new Fourth Edition of Pathology of Domestic Animals comprehensively covers the biology and pathology of diseases of domestic animals on a systemic basic. Updated and expanded to reflect the current knowledge of the study of domestic animal diseases, this three-volume set appeals to veterinarians, veterinary students, trainee veterinary pathologists learning the scope of their field, and practicing pathologists confronted with diagnostic problems.

  • Herbivores: Their Interactions with Secondary Plant Metabolites

    The Chemical Participants
    • 2nd Edition
    • Gerald A. Rosenthal + 1 more
    • English
    It has been more than ten years since the first edition of this book was published. During this time, our understanding of the interactions between plants and the animals that consume them, as mediated by secondary compounds (allelochemicals) of plants, has grown dramatically.In the Herbivores: Their Interactions with Secondary Plant Metabolites, Second Edition, only those areas of research where significant progress has been made since 1979 are included, and most of the contributing authors are new. This edition has been split into two volumes due to the vast amount of new material that has been generated on this subject.Both volumes will be of interest to evolutionary biologists, agriculturists, chemists, biochemists, physiologists, and ecologists.Volume 1, provides an exhaustive update and review of the chemical and biochemical bases for the role and function of allelochemicals in their defense against herbivores.Volume 2, scheduled for publication in April 1992, provides a current update of the research on the ecological roles and evolutionary nature of secondary plant metabolites in their interactions among plants and as protective agents against environmental stresses such as consumption by herbivores.

  • Vitamins in Animal Nutrition

    Comparative Aspects to Human Nutrition
    • 1st Edition
    • Lee Russell McDowell
    • English
    Vitamins in Animal Nutrition presents concise, up-to-date information on vitamin nutrition for livestock and poultry; comparisons with vitamin use in human nutrition are also presented. This book describes the basic chemical, metabolic, and functional role of vitamins and vitamin supplementation. A wealth of photographs illustrate the nutritional aspects of vitamin deficiencies and excesses in livestock, along with their concomitant conditions. This authoritative reference is of interest to professionals in animal nutrition and the livestock industry and is suitable as a graduate-level text on vitamin nutrition in animals.

  • Tree Ecology and Preservation

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • A. Bernatzky
    • English
    Containing more than 225 illustrations, this is probably the first book to cover both scientific research on trees and tree surgery. It is an authoritative work, written by a man who has had a lifetime's experience of working with trees, and as such, the book will undoubtedly appeal to a wide-ranging readership.

  • Towards a Second Green Revolution

    From Chemical to New Biological Technologies in Agriculture in the Tropics
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 19
    • G.B. Marini-Bettòlo
    • English
    Genetic research in some fundamental crops, together with the use of chemicals as pesticides and fertilizers, opened the way in the 1950s and 1960s to great changes in methodology in agriculture - with astonishing results in the tropics. This change became known as the Green Revolution - a truly great revolution in methods and materials which, when applied with intelligence, made possible in a few years the achievement of complete sufficiency in cereals production in South and South East Asia, Mexico and South America. After 20 years of continuous success, aspects of the Green Revolution need to be rediscussed in the light of new findings and possibilities offered by scientific and technological progress - and negative side effects on environment and health. These papers examine the present state of agriculture, and indicate the way forward for its development, especially in the tropics and, in particular, Africa and South America. The need for more research is stressed; priorities in the application of this research are discussed, such as the economic aspects of any new system to be adopted, and the need to respect the ecological equilibria of different environments and the balance of energy input/output in a given agrosystem.

  • Processes and Control of Plant Senescence

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 8
    • Y.Y. Leshem + 2 more
    • English
    This monograph provides basic and empiric information underlying processes believed to be involved in the doubtless multifunctional plant senescence syndrome. While essentially assuming a `basic science' approach the authors, drawing on data obtained from many of the main laboratories and research centres involved in senescence research the world over, and also on findings of the research groups they are associated with, have described how principles of basic science have been applied to practical problems, and have outlined the partial means presently available to man for achieving plant senescence control. Moreover, information is provided on current problems in the forefront of senescence research. This approach will hopefully engender further enquiry and lead at least to partial solutions to some of the as yet unsolved problems.The book will be an asset to the book shelves of students on advanced courses in agriculture, biology and biochemistry as well as scientists and research workers, university and agricultural research station libraries and horticulturalists.

  • Tropical Forests

    Some African and Asian Case Studies of Composition and Structure
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 22
    • J. Borota
    • English
    This publication deals with the composition and structure of both natural and artificially established tropical forests. After a general introduction, the role of tropical forests in the production of timber is discussed. Attention is then given to the structure of natural tropical forests, especially in Congo, Gabon, Ghana and Laos. The structure of artificially established forests is dealt with in another chapter. At the end, information is given on the thinning of such forest stands in Tanzania.

  • Dairy Cattle Feeding and Nutrition

    • 1st Edition
    • W. J. Miller
    • English
    Dairy Cattle Feeding and Nutrition was designed to provide information needed by those interested in the feeding and nutrition of dairy cattle. It contains basic information for students in courses on feeds and feeding, dairy cattle production, and animal nutrition.

  • Tropical Botanic Gardens

    Their Role in Conservation and Development
    • 1st Edition
    • V. H. Heywood + 1 more
    • English
    This book includes the proceedings of the second symposium on one important role of botanic gardens in conserving world plant resources. Sessions covered topics such as implementing the botanic gardens conservation strategy, regional networks and national programs in the tropics, and germplasm banks in botanic gardens.

  • The Origin and Domestication of Cultivated Plants

    • 1st Edition
    • C. Barigozzi
    • English
    This book consists of the proceedings of a symposium organized by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome. The proceedings are unusual in that it is a rare event to see archaeologists and geneticists coming together to discuss the connection between historical facts and biological phenomena. The aim of the symposium was to discuss the origin of some important cultivated plants (wheat, maize, barley, oat, legumes and fruit trees) not only in relation to genetical mechanisms but also as a complex of historical facts recognizable through archaeological research.This international Meeting based on interdisciplinary concepts, met with a prompt and positive reaction from all those specialists invited to attend. The book itself is an unparalleled contribution to the interdisciplinary knowledge on the origin of crop plants and agriculture.

  • The Bottlenose Dolphin

    • 1st Edition
    • Stephen Leatherwood + 1 more
    • English
    Because of their exposure in marine parks, movies, and television as well as their presence in tropical and warm-temperature waters around the world, bottlenose dolphins are among the most familiar of marine mammals. Since they are relatively easy to obtain and they thrive in captivity, these dolphins have been used in a great variety of studies. Work with the bottlenose has provided insight into the sensory mechanisms, communication systems, energetics, reproduction, anatomy, and other aspects of cetacean biology. This volume presents the most recent biological and behavioral discoveries of bottlenose dolphins from different regions and compares bottlenose dolphins as a group with other species of animals.

  • Dinoflagellates

    • 1st Edition
    • David L. Spector
    • English
    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.

  • Advances in Plant Biotechnology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 4
    • D.D.Y. Ryu + 1 more
    • English
    This volume, contributed to by a group of 46 research scientists and engineers, focuses on the integration of two aspects of plant biotechnology - the basic plant science and applied bioprocess engineering. Included in this book are 17 chapters, each dealing with specific topics of current interest with three coherent themes of: plant gene expression, regulation and manipulation; plant cell physiology and metabolism and their regulation; and bioprocess engineering and bioreactor performance of plant cell cultures. All of these topics are integrated into a main theme of "enabling plant biotechnology" relevant to the production of secondary metabolites.This book will be of great value to all plant cell biologists and molecular geneticists, and all those interested in the integration of plant science and bioprocess engineering for development of enabling technology relevant to the production of plant secondary metabolites.

  • Deer Antlers

    Regeneration, Function and Evolution
    • 1st Edition
    • Richard J. Goss
    • English
    This is a book about one of nature's most remarkable accomplishments. When deer grow antlers they are actually regenerating anatomically complex appendages - something that no other mammal can do. The rate at which antler elongate makes them the fastest growing structures in the animal kingdom. Profoundly affected by male hormones, these secondary sex characters grow into massive tumors if the deer possessing them is castrated. These and other unique characteristics have made antlers the focus of extensive scientific research that addresses some provocative questions: From what tissues do antlers develop? By what morphogenetic mechanisms are they regenerated every year? What social functions prompted their initial evolution? How are they influenced by hormones, and by the seasonal daylength fluctuations that regulate their annual replacement cycles? These and many other questions are considered in this comprehensive account of antlerology.Students of development, evolution, and behavior will find much to appreciate in this volume, as will ecologists, wildlife biologists, and zookeepers. It is a rich source of information for endocrinologists and physiologists interested in the relationship of antlers to the reproductive cycle. The orthopedists will find the study of antlers a valuable model of skeletal growth and bone disease, and the purported medicinal properties of velvet antlers will be a subject of interest to the pharmacologist.Deer Antlers: Regeneration, Function, and Evolution is as scientifically accurate as it is readable. It does not answer all questions about these unique appendages, but it is certain to arouse curiosity about the many unsolved problems of how antlers grow, die, and are shed in the course of a single year.

  • Advances in Food-Producing Systems For Arid and Semiarid Lands Part A

    • 1st Edition
    • Jamal Manassah
    • English
    Advances in Food-Producing Systems for Arid and Semiarid Lands: Part A contains the proceedings of a symposium on ""Advances in Food-Producing Systems for Arid and Semiarid Lands"" of the International Symposium Series held in Kuwait in April 1980. Organized into five parts, separating the first five sessions of the symposium, this book begins by discussing the needs of arid lands. It then tackles the biotechnologies that may find valuable applications in arid and semiarid lands. Furthermore, it explores the water management and environmental tolerance aspects involved in these harsh environments. The presented papers bring renewed vitality to the hope that appropriate and directed exploitation of various technologies can evolve developable industries for arid and semiarid lands.

  • Rabbit Feeding and Nutrition

    • 1st Edition
    • English
    During the past few years, considerable reseach has been undertaken on rabbit nutrition. Rabbit producers, feed manufacturers, animal nutritionists, and others interested in rabbit production will find this book to be the new authority. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the book evaluates new information on such topics as protein digestion and requirements, nutrition/disease interrelationships, feeding behavior, and nutrional factors involved in enteritis.

  • Fearing Food

    Risk, Health and Environment
    • 1st Edition
    • Julian Morris + 1 more
    • English
    Environmental and consumer activists have for a long time blamed pesticides, fertilizers and other aspects of intensive farming for causing environmental degradation and human disease. Yet, as the authors in this book show, intensive farming has enabled growth in food production at a rate greater than population growth, thereby ensuring that people are better fed than ever before, whilst simultaneously limiting the effect of farming on the environment.The authors debunk numerous pervasive myths, including:Myth: Pesticides are bad for the environment and bad for human healthFact: Synthetic pesticides enable the production of large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables, which means that people are better protected against cancer. In addition, the synthetic pesticides themselves are often less toxic than natural pesticides. Overall, synthetic pesticides present a net gain in health terms.Myth: Antibiotic resistance in animals is spreading to humans.Fact: The use of antibiotics in young animals keeps meat prices low and does not materially contribute to antibiotic resistance in humans.Myth: Nitrate fertilizers are a threat to human health.Fact: Nitrate fertilizers are probably beneficial to human health.Myth: Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are bad for the environment and bad for our health.Fact: Many environmental problems associated with agriculture can be reduced by using GMOs, which have the potential to improve yields and quality which simultaneously reducing associated inputs, such as fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Commercially produced GM foodcrops have no known impacts on human health and future GM foodcrops are likely to have health benefits (enabling such things as low-fat chips/french fries and non-allergenic peanuts).Myth: Instances of food poisoning would be reduced if we had more regulations.Fact: Instances of food poisoning in the UK may have been exacerbated by over-cautious government regulation.Myth: Subsidies are needed to order to ensure that food and fish are produced in environmentally sound ways.Fact: Subsidies to fisheries and farming have caused widespread environmental degradation.Myth: Packaging and transporting food is environmentally unfriendly.Fact: Packaging enhances the shelf life of products and reduces wastage during transport. Transporting food allows society to take advantage of different environmental and socio-economic conditions that exist in different places.

  • Target Receptors in the Control of Insect Pests: Part I

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 44
    • English
    The latest volume in this series contains articles on insect growth disruptors. The papers in this special issue give rise to key themes for the future.

  • Flow Visualization

    • 2nd Edition
    • Wolgang Merzkirch
    • English
    Flow Visualization, Second Edition focuses on developments, applications, and results in the field of flow visualization. Organized into four chapters, this book begins with the principles of flow visualization and image processing. Subsequent chapters describe the methods of flow visualization, particularly the addition of foreign material to the flowing fluid that might be gaseous or liquid; certain optical methods that are sensitive to changes of the index of refraction; and flow field marking by heat and energy addition.

  • Physicochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Park S. Nobel
    • English
    This text is the successor volume to Biophysical Plant Physiology and Ecology (W.H. Freeman, 1983). The content has been extensively updated based on the growing quantity and quality of plant research, including cell growth and water relations, membrane channels, mechanisms of active transport, and the bioenergetics of chloroplasts and mitochondria. One-third of the figures are new or modified, over 190 new references are incorporated, the appendixes on constants and conversion factors have doubled the number of entries, and the solutions to problems are given for the first time. Many other changes have emanated from the best laboratory for any book, the classroom.

  • Fish As Food V3

    Processing: Part 1
    • 1st Edition
    • Georg Borgstrom
    • English
    Fish as Food, Volume III: Processing: Part I presents wise fish utilization and efficient processing. This volume is organized into 13 chapters that describe specific processing methods for specific fish product. The first four chapters of the book describe the theoretical and practical aspects, appraisal, and features of fish drying and dehydration, smoking, and salting. Core chapters deal with the production, properties, and shelf-life of some fish products, such as fish marinades, anchovies, dried seafood, whale products, and fish sausage and soluble. A chapter discusses happenings in technical and industrial aspects, focusing on the commercial developments of fisheries and fish processing in individual countries. The concluding chapter discusses the basic principles of fish meal industry, the important industrial methods, and the nutritive value in relation to manufacturing details of fish meal. Food scientists, technologists, researchers, and manufacturers will find this volume invaluable.

  • molecular Approaches to Immunology

    • 1st Edition
    • E.E. Smith
    • English
    Molecular Approaches to Immunology is the 9th volume of the series ""Miami Winter Symposia"". This volume presents papers that cover various aspects about cellular and modern immunology. Cellular immunology deals with the interactions of cells and molecules of the immune system and how these interactions help eliminate pathogens. The main goal of this book is to discuss and provide basic assumptions, approaches, and direction about the advances in the research of immunological science. In relation to this, the chapters of the book examine the recognition of antigen by T-lymphocytes, the role of cell interactions in determining the immune responsiveness, and the concepts behind clonal selection. The book also explains the different genes coding used for antibodies and the characterization of cell surface receptors at molecular level. Furthermore, it examines the evidences for genetic restrictions in cell interactions and the chemical properties of thymosin used in physiological studies. Discussions on the immunoregulation and immunological tolerance by T cells and the growth control of mammalian cells are also presented in this volume. This compilation will be invaluable to biologists, medical practitioners, professors, and students.

  • Molecular of Cloning of Recombinant Dna

    • 1st Edition
    • W.A. Scott
    • English
    Mobilization and Reassembly of Genetic Information documents the proceedings of the Miami Winter Symposium, sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, January 1977. This volume is the 13th in the ""Miami Winter Symposia"" series. Topics for the Miami Winter Symposia focus on areas of biochemistry in which recent progress offers new insights into the molecular basis of biological phenomena. The manuscripts presented by researchers at the symposium cover a wide range of topics including DNA cloning and plasmid biology; yeast DNA expression in Escherichia coli; characterization of tetracycline and ampicillin resistant plasmid cloning vehicles; eukaryotic genome organization; bacterial plasmids containing silk gene sequences; DNA cloning in bacteria for the study of immunoglobulin genes; DNA degradation by rat intestinal nucleases; recombination between bacterial plasmids leading to the formation of plasmid multimers; general methods for inserting specific DNA sequences in cloning vehicles; and cloning and characterization of yeast DNA.

  • Power Plants

    Effects on Fish and Shellfish Behavior
    • 1st Edition
    • Charles Hocutt
    • English
    Power Plants: Effects on Fish and Shellfish Behavior reviews the effects of power plant construction, operation, and maintenance on the behavior of fish and important shellfish populations such as blue crabs, crayfish, lobsters, penaeid shrimp, and bivalve molluscs. The emphasis is on the link between power plant design and fish aggregation phenomena. The effects of biocides and temperature on fish behavior are also examined. This book is comprised of 13 chapters and begins with a discussion on the economic relevance of power plants and their environmental impact on fish and shellfish populations. The potential of power generating facilities to act as a physical stimulus for fish aggregation is then considered. The effect of parameters associated with power plants, such as temperature and biocides, on fish behavior is the subject of subsequent chapters. The ecological and behavioral characteristics influencing entrainment of fish eggs and young at cooling water intakes are analyzed. This monograph is oriented to those involved in assessment of power plants on aquatic communities, including consultants, state and federal regulators, and electrical utility personnel, as well as researchers in physiology, ecology, and ethology.

  • Mechanisms in Bioenergetics

    • 1st Edition
    • Giovanni Azzone
    • English
    Mechanisms in Bioenergetics covers the proceedings of the eighth conference on ""Mechanisms in Bioenergetics"" held in Pugnochiuso, Italy on May 1-4, 1972. This book is organized into three parts, encompassing 43 chapters that discuss bioenergetics in mitochondria, chloroplasts, chromatophores, and bacterial protoplast membranes. It summarizes the structure and dynamics of energy-transducing membranes, molecular basis of membrane transport, and energy coupling mechanisms. The first part of the book describes various aspects of structure and dynamics of energy transducing membranes. This includes their chemiosmotic coupling, reflection coefficients, structural transformation, redox properties, and circular dichroism studies. This is followed by considerable chapters discussing chemiosmotic theory of transport and metabolism, ion channel phosphorylation paths in cell membrane, and kinetics of metabolite anion uptake in mitochondria. Other topics covered are mitochondrial Ca2+-binding glycoprotein and sucrose-dependent sugar transport across artificial lipid membranes. This book also looks into the enzyme interaction in mitochondrial membrane. It also discusses the relation of hydrogen uptake to electron flow in photosynthetic bacteria and purine nucleotides and fatty acids in energy coupling. The concluding section deals with the mechanisms of energy coupling, including mechanism of respiration-driven proton, role of mitochondrial energy transfer factors, and energy in mitochondrial respiration. The behavior of cytochromes b and c of pigeon heart and in the energized mitochondrial membrane is also described. Finally, this book considers the effect of adenosine-containing compounds competitively inhibiting the mitochondrial transhydrogenase reaction. Researchers and students who are interested in bioenergetics and energy-transducing membranes will benefit from this book.

  • Developmental Regulation

    Aspects of Cell Differentiation
    • 1st Edition
    • Stuart Coward
    • English
    Developmental Regulation: Aspects of Cell Differentiation draws together some studies which are directed toward the orderly changes in cell phenotypes that are understood to be developmental in nature. Organized into nine chapters, the book begins with a concise overview of the studies on molecular synthesis during early development. It then addresses the developmental regulation in cotton seed embryogenesis and germination; relation of hormonal regulation to the possible control of RNA and protein biosynthesis; transitions in differentiation by the cellular slime molds; and interrelationships of genes, enzymes, structures, and phenotypes in morphogenesis. It also explains the colony differentiation in green algae; cytology of developing vertebrate skeletal muscle; some comparative aspects of cardiac and skeletal myogenesis; and differentiation of cartilage in the limb.

  • Natural Cell-Mediated Immunity Against Tumors

    • 1st Edition
    • Ronald Herberman
    • English
    Natural Cell-Mediated Immunity Against Tumors aims to be the first book to provide a comprehensive discussion on natural cell-mediated immunity against tumors. This book is mostly a collection of different research contributed by leading laboratories. It also presents a better perspective of how natural mechanisms fit in with and relate to the traditional and more extensively studied components of the immune system. The book starts off with an overview of the contents of the volume – the historical development of the advances in the field of research and the status of knowledge in the subject area. Divided into four major sections, the book consists of a total of 98 chapters. The sections discuss the natural killer cells and related cells and the natural lymphokine production. This book also explains the natural macrophage and granulocyte cytotoxicity. The book will be a helpful reference for students, professionals, and researchers in biology, immunology, biochemistry, microbiology, and other related fields.

  • Autoradiography for Biologists

    • 1st Edition
    • P Gahan
    • English
    Autoradiography for Biologists discusses the basic and practical aspects of various autoradiography techniques. It is composed of six chapters; each chapter covers a specific form of autoradiography technique. Chapter 1 discusses various theoretical aspects of autoradiography, such as radioactive decay, beta-particle absorption, photographic process, sensitivity, and resolving power. Chapters 2 to 6 discuss basic aspects of several forms of autoradiography, including macro-, stripping film, diffusible substances, liquid emulsion, and high resolution autoradiography. Practical and theoretical details of the technique, together with modifications made, are covered in each chapter. This book will be both an encouragement and a help to people wanting to apply autoradiography to the solution of biological problems.

  • Biological Horizons in Surface Science

    • 1st Edition
    • L Prince
    • English
    Biological Horizons in Surface Science presents techniques used in surface science research as well as experimental data. It is organized in such a way that there is a transition from the more theoretical or molecular to the more biological. Emphasis is placed on the importance of water in determining molecular architecture and interactions. Methods of examining molecular associations and complex formation of molecules are discussed, and the results from such studies are reviewed. Permeability is examined from the point of view of the energies required to penetrate between two different phases, and from the role that multicellular membranes may play in directing the diffusion of ions or solutes in general. Current concepts of membrane structure based on membrane models are discussed and some new models are suggested. Application of surface science techniques and the unique energies present at interphases are considered with regard to drug interaction with biological tissue and immunological phenomena. The importance of surfactant protein-lipid association is also discussed in regard to alveolar mechanics. This book is directed particularly to biologists who will find many of the techniques used of significance in their own research. It also aims to interest graduate students in this area of investigation.

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