Veterinary Forensics: Investigation, Evidence Collection, and Expert Testimony will provide anyone involved in an investigation of an animal involved crime or civil action with the knowledge and tools that can give guidance for their actions in completing a forensic investigation. All 50 U.S. states, and numerous countries around the world, have laws against animal abuse and cruelty. Law enforcement agents, veterinarians, the judiciary, attorneys and forensic scientists may be involved in cases of animal cruelty, neglect or human crimes that may have an animal element. Additionally, the animal can be the victim, suspect or in some instances the witness of a crime. Given that acquittal or conviction is dependent upon the nature and veracity of the evidence, the quality of the evidence in an animal-related crime investigation must be beyond reproach. The book begins with a discussion of animal abuse and crimes against animals, crime scene investigation, and, from there, discusses various types of forensic examinations of the animal, culminating in a review of the judicial system and testimony in a court of law. All contributing authors are practicing professionals in law, veterinary medicine, and the private sector who provide current, best-practice evidence collection and forensic techniques. Chapters provide in-depth detail about the forensic clinical examination and forensic necropsy of small and large animal species, forensic radiology, forensic toxicology, bitemark analysis and animal behavior. Various, relevant forensic disciplines such as bloodstain pattern analysis, DNA analysis, animal sexual abuse, agroterrorism, animal hoarding, ritual crimes against animals, and animal fighting are discussed. Key Features: Presents established and accepted police techniques in animal crime scene investigation including identification, documentation and packaging of physical evidence and scene photography and videography Includes essential techniques to collect and preserve biological and DNA evidence for animal DNA testing Review of the forensic clinical examination and forensic necropsy of small and large animals Provides methods of evidence presentation in the courtroom, the nature of court room testimony, and the development of an expert report Veterinary Forensics: Investigation, Evidence Collection, and Expert Testimony fills the void of applied, real-world investigative techniques for the collection and presentation of veterinary forensic medical and scientific information. It will be a welcome reference to both the student and professional in the understanding all relevant evidentiary, investigative, and legal elements of the discipline.

Saliva as a unique sample for health assessment is gaining attention among researchers of different fields in the last 20 years; being reflected in an impressive increase in the number of papers published studying saliva from different biological aspects in human and veterinary species. Once deemed merely a digestive juice is now considered a biological fluid capable of communicating information about physiopathological processes occurring in organisms, since saliva has been shown to contain molecular and bacterial compounds that can change in response to local and systemic pathologies. Furthermore, the interest of saliva as a diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring biofluid is forced by its non-invasive nature being of easy and inexpensive sampling, involving only minimal discomfort and allowing the collection of multiple/repeated specimens at anytime, anywhere and without need for specialized staff. In this contributed volume, the authors bring together, summarize and reflect the generated knowledge about saliva as a source of biomarkers for health and welfare evaluation in humans and animal models. This volume also highlights the importance of confounding factors, such as sampling methods, flow, total protein content, contamination, or storage. This book will serve as a manual for graduates, practitioners and researchers by providing general ideas about the possibilities and utilities of saliva in clinical practice or investigation, and indicating the main cautions each should have in mind before saliva usage.

Biology of Stress in Fish: Fish Physiology provides a general understanding on the topic of stress biology, including most of the recent advances in the field. The book starts with a general discussion of stress, providing answers to issues such as its definition, the nature of the physiological stress response, and the factors that affect the stress response. It also considers the biotic and abiotic factors that cause variation in the stress response, how the stress response is generated and controlled, its effect on physiological and organismic function and performance, and applied assessment of stress, animal welfare, and stress as related to model species.

Angiogenesis is a multistep process, which involves activation, proliferation and directed migration of endothelial cells to form new capillaries from existing vessels. Under physiological conditions, in the adult organisms angiogenesis is extremely slow, yet it can be activated for a limited time only in situations such as ovulation or wound healing. In a number of disease states, however, there is a derangement of angiogenesis, which can contribute to the pathology of these conditions. Hence, understanding the molecular biology of endothelial cell activation and differentiation and the mechanisms involved in the regulation of angiogenesis, could explain the derangement in disease states and also provide the basis for developing promoters or suppressors of angiogenesis for clinical applications. This book contains the proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on "Angiogenesis: Molecular Biology, Oinical Aspects" held in Rhodes, Greece, from June 16-27, 1993. This meeting was a comprehensive review of the various aspects of angiogenesis such as embryonic development, endothelial cell heterogeneity and tissue specificity, molecular biology of endothelial cell, mechanisms for the regulation of angiogenesis, disease states in which angiogenesis is involved and potential application of promoters or suppressors of angiogenesis. The presentations and discussions of the meeting provided an opportunity for investigators from many different areas of basic science and medicine to exchange information, evaluate the present status and provide future research directions in the field of angiogenesis.

By far, the most widely used subjects in psychological and biological research today are rodents. Although rats and mice comprise the largest group of animals used in research, there are over 2,000 species and 27 families of rodents, living all over the world (except Antarctica) and thriving in many different habitat types. The vast environmental diversity that rodents face has led to numerous adaptations for communication, including vocalizing and hearing in both the sonic and ultrasonic ranges, effectively communicating in the open air and underground, and using vocalizations for coordinating sexual behavior, for mother-pup interactions, and for signaling an alarming situation to the group. Some rodent species have even developed foot drumming behaviors for communication. Comparative studies from around the globe, using both field and laboratory methodologies, reveal the vast differences in acoustic communication behavior across many rodent species. Some rodents are amenable to training and have been domesticated and bred purely for research purposes. Since the early 1900s, rats and mice have been indispensable to research programs around the world. Thus, much of what we know about hearing and vocalizations in rodents come from these two species tested in the laboratory. The sequencing of the mouse genome in 2002, followed by the rat genome in 2004, only increased the utility of these animals as research subjects since genetically engineered strains mimicking human diseases and disorders could be developed more easily. In the laboratory, rats and mice are used as models for human communication and hearing disorders and are involved in studies on hearing loss and prevention, hormones, and auditory plasticity, to name a few. We know that certain strains of mice retain hearing better than others throughout their lifespan, and about the genes involved in those differences. We know about the effects of noise, hormones, sex, aging, and circadian rhythms on hearing in mice and other rodents. We also know about normal hearing in many families of rodents, including the perception of simple and complex stimuli and the anatomy and physiology of hearing and sound localization. The importance of acoustic communication to these animals, as well as the significance of these mammals to biomedical research, are summarized in the chapters.

Amphibians are the extant descendants of the first vertebrate class to successfully colonize terrestrial environments; hence they occupy a unique position between fish and reptiles. Amphibian skin provides essentially no resistance to evaporative water loss, and consequently daily water turnover rates are an order of magnitude greater than in other terrestrial vertebrate groups. This has led to a suite of physiological, morphological and behavioural adaptations that have allowed a successful terrestrial existence in spite of this apparently spendthrift water retention strategy.
Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Amphibians provides a synthesis of current research on the comparative physiology of amphibians with a particular emphasis on water balance. It adopts a strong environmental perspective and includes a wealth of information on ecology, phylogeny and development. As with other books in the Ecological and Environmental Physiology Series, the emphasis in this book is on the unique physiological characteristics of the amphibians, although the latest experimental techniques and future research directions are also considered. This accessible text is suitable for both graduate students and researchers in the fields of amphibian comparative physiology and physiological ecology, including specialist courses in amphibian ecology. It will also be of value and use to the many professional herpetologists requiring a concise overview of the topic.

From the basic science to potential and approved clinical applications the most recent data in the rapidly growing field of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are summarized in this topical volume. Distinguished scientists present reviews on a range of scientific topics, including biochemistry, biology, molecular biology and preclinical animal studies on spinal fusion, cartilage repair, craniofacial and dental reconstruction using BMPs, as well as approved clinical applications in human bone non-unions.

This book provides a resource not only for experts in the field, but also for undergraduate students, newcomers and clinicians worldwide, given that the use of BMPs in orthopedic reconstruction has been already approved in Europe, Australia, Canada and the USA.

The predecessor to this book was A Guide to the Laboratory Use of the Squid Loligo pealei published by the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts in 1974. The revision of this long out of date guide, with the approval of the Marine Biological Laboratory, is an attempt to introduce students and researchers to the cephalopods and particularly the squid as an object of biological research. Therefore, we have decided to expand on its original theme, which was to present important practical aspects for using the squid as experimental animals. There are twenty two chapters instead of the original eight. The material in the original eight chapters has been completely revised. Since more than one method can be used for accomplishing a given task, some duplication of methods was considered desirable in the various chapters. Thus, the methodology can be chosen which is best suited for each reader's requirements. Each subject also contains a mini-review which can serve as an introduction to the various topics. Thus, the volume is not just a laboratory manual, but can also be used as an introduction to squid biology. The book is intended for laboratory technicians, advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, researchers, and all others who want to learn the purpose, methods, and techniques of using squid as experimental animals. This is the reason why the name has been changed to its present title. Preceding the chapters is a list of many of the abbreviations, prefixes, and suffixes used in this volume.

This book gives an up-to-date account of the current knowledge of cold adaptation in animals, including phenomena like hibernation, daily torpor, thermoregulation and thermogenesis, metabolic regulation, freeze tolerance, anaerobiosis, metabolic depression and related processes. For the next four years - until the 12th International Hibernation Symposium - it will serve as a state-of-the-art reference source for every scientist and graduate student working in these areas of physiology and zoology.

This open-access book empowers its readers to explore the acoustic world of animals. By listening to the sounds of nature, we can study animal behavior, distribution, and demographics; their habitat characteristics and needs; and the effects of noise. Sound recording is an efficient and affordable tool, independent of daylight and weather; and recorders may be left in place for many months at a time, continuously collecting data on animals and their environment. This book builds the skills and knowledge necessary to collect and interpret acoustic data from terrestrial and marine environments. Beginning with a history of sound recording, the chapters provide an overview of off-the-shelf recording equipment and analysis tools (including automated signal detectors and statistical methods); audiometric methods; acoustic terminology, quantities, and units; sound propagation in air and under water; soundscapes of terrestrial and marine habitats; animal acoustic and vibrational communication; echolocation; and the effects of noise. This book will be useful to students and researchers of animal ecology who wish to add acoustics to their toolbox, as well as to environmental managers in industry and government.

The human foot is a unique and defining characteristic of our anatomy. Most primates have grasping, prehensile feet, whereas the human foot stands out as a powerful non-grasping propulsive lever that is central to our evolution as adept bipedal walkers and runners and defines our lineage. Very few books have compiled and evaluated key research on the primate foot and provided a perspective on what we know and what we still need to know. This book serves as an essential companion to "The Evolution of the Primate Hand" volume, also in the Developments in Primatology series. This book includes chapters written by experts in the field of morphology and mechanics of the primate foot, the role of the foot in different aspects of primate locomotion (including but not limited to human bipedalism), the "hard evidence" of primate foot evolution including fossil foot bones and fossil footprints, and the relevance of our foot's evolutionary history to modern human foot pathology. This volume addresses three fundamental questions: (1) What makes the human foot so different from that of other primates? (2) How does the anatomy, biomechanics, and ecological context of the foot and foot use differ among primates and why? (3) how did foot anatomy and function change throughout primate and human evolution, and why is this evolutionary history relevant in clinical contexts today? This co-edited volume, which relies on the insights of leading scholars in primate foot anatomy and evolution provides for the first time a comprehensive review and scholarly discussion of the primate foot from multiple perspectives. It is accessible to readers at different levels of inquiry (e.g., undergraduate/graduate students, postdoctoral research, other scholars outside of biological anthropology). This volume provides an all-in-one resource for research on the comparative and functional morphology and evolution of the primate foot.

After the chicken, the House Sparrow is the most widely distributed bird species in the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica and on most human-inhabited islands. Although its Latin name is Passer domesticus, it is certainly not domesticated. In fact, it is widely regarded as a pest species and is consequently not protected in most of its extensive range. This combination of ubiquity and minimal legal protection has contributed to its wide use in studies by avian biologists throughout the world.
The purpose of this book is to review and summarize the results of these global studies on House Sparrows, and to provide a springboard for future studies on the species. House Sparrows have been used to study natural selection in introduced species, circadian rhythms, and the neuroendocrine control of the avian annual cycle. One current question of considerable interest concerns the catastrophic House Sparrow population declines in several urban centers in Europe. Is the House Sparrow a contemporary canary in the mine? Other topics of broad interest include the reproductive and flock-foraging strategies of sparrows, and sexual selection and the function of the male badge in the species. Anderson also explores the role of the House Sparrow in disease transmission to humans and their domesticated animals.

Volume I highlights the association of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) with copper and zinc, the potential roles of PrPC in Alzheimer's disease and cancers, insoluble PrPC, PMCA, molecular and cellular mechanisms of PrPSc formation and clearance, possible co-factors involved in the conversion of PrPC into PrPSc, infectious and pathogenic forms of PrP, cell biology of prions, prion strains and their interference, as well as yeast prions and their inheritable and structural traits. This unique volume will take you through the fascinating chronicle of prions in mammals, yeast, and fungi.

This book is the first photographic and descriptive musculoskeletal atlas of Hylobates, and adopts the same format as the photographic atlas of Gorilla published by the same authors in 2010. These two books are part of a series of monographs that will set out the comparative and phylogenetic context of the gross anatomy and evolutionary history of the soft tissue morphology of modern humans and their closest relatives. This atlas, which includes detailed high-quality photographs of musculoskeletal structures from most anatomical regions of the body as well as textual information about the attachments, innervation and weight of the respective muscles, is based on dissections and on an extensive review of the literature. It provides an updated review of the anatomical variations within hylobatids as well as an extensive list of the synonyms used in the literature to designate the structures we discuss. The atlas will be of interest to students, teachers and researchers studying primatology, comparative anatomy, functional morphology, zoology, and physical anthropology and to medical students, doctors and researchers who are curious about the origin, evolution, homology and variations of the musculoskeletal structures of modern humans.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) were originally described in heat-shocked drosophila by Ritossa in the early 1960's. In the last 5 years it has become apparent that these heat shock proteins have important functions both in the normal cell and in the stressed cell. These proteins constitute an endogenous protective system; mutations in the heat shock proteins can be lethal, and there are no known organisms without heat shock proteins. The first observations on heat shock proteins and the heart were made in the 1980's and interest in these proteins increased over the decade. In the last few years there has been an exponential growth in number of papers published on heat shock proteins and the heart. Heat shock proteins have been implicated in a number of cardiovascular research areas including ischemia, hypertrophy, aging, and atherosclerosis, and this list is growmg. The purpose of this volume is to give an overview of our current understanding of the heat shock proteins in the cardiovascular system, and to summarize the approaches to the study of heat shock proteins in the heart. This volume assembles results from a number of different cardiovascular fields. and provides a comprehensive review of heat shock proteins in the cardiovascular system.

Given the importance of livestock to the global economy, there is a substantial need for world-class reference material on the sustainable management of livestock in diverse eco-regions. With uncertain climates involving unpredictable extreme events (e.g., heat, drought, infectious disease), environmental stresses are becoming the most crucial factors affecting livestock productivity. By systematically and comprehensively addressing all aspects of environmental stresses and livestock productivity, this volume is a useful tool for understanding the various intricacies of stress physiology. With information and case studies collected and analyzed by professionals working in diversified ecological zones, this book explores the influence of the environment on livestock production across global biomes. The challenges the livestock industry faces in maintaining the delicate balance between animal welfare and production are also highlighted.

The common fruit fly - Drosophila melanogaster - has been the subject of genetics research since the early twentieth century. The complete genomic sequence of Drosophila was published in 2000 and it is still the model organism par excellence for the experimental study of biological phenomena and processes. It is also by far the best model for studying gene function in mammals, including humans. Presenting state-of-the-art studies on the behaviour of Drosophila, this volume discusses normal and pathological models of neurobehavioral disorders and encompasses the specialised methods that have been used, from anatomical, histological, immunohistological and neurophysiological to genomic, genetic and behavioural assays. A comprehensive and thorough reference, this volume is a valuable resource for students and researchers alike across several disciplines of life sciences, including behavioral genetics, neurogenetics, behavioral neuroscience, molecular biology, evolutionary biology and population biology.

Domestic and wild large mammalian herbivores occur on every continent except Antarctica. Through their browsing and grazing, they affect the structure and distribution not only of vegetation, but also of associated fauna. Consequently, the interactions between management practices and herbivore populations influence the biodiversity, structure and dynamics of ecosystems across vast expanses around the globe: signs of human activity that will be detectable for epochs to come. As a follow-up work to The Ecology of Browsing and Grazing, published in 2008, this new volume presents cutting-edge research on the behaviour, distribution, movement, and direct and indirect impacts of domestic and wild herbivores on terrestrial ecosystems. The respective chapters highlight strategic and applied research on cross-cutting issues in palaeontology and ecology, and provide concrete recommendations on the management of large herbivores to integrate production and conservation in terrestrial systems. Given its scope, the book will appeal to students, researchers and anyone interested in understanding these fascinating wild animals and how they shape the natural world.

Leading researchers are specially invited to provide a complete understanding of a key topic within the multidisciplinary fields of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology. In a form immediately useful to scientists, this periodical aims to filter, highlight and review the latest developments in these rapidly advancing fields.

The symposium on Acoustical Signal Processing in the Central Auditory System which was held in Prague on September 4--7, 1996 was the third in a series organized in Prague, after the Neuronal Mechanisms of Hearing symposium in 1980 and Auditory Pathway - Structure and Function symposium in 1987. Approximately 100 scientists regis tered for the symposium and presented 82 separate papers and posters. The present vol ume contains 53 of these contributions, mostly presented at the symposium as invited review papers. Several essential changes occurred since the previous meeting in 1987. In auditory neuroscience, recently developed methods opened new horizons in the investigation of the structure and function of the central auditory pathway. Methods like c-fos tracing tech niques and monoclonal antibodies for neurotransmitters and their receptors, like the intro duction of electrophysiological recording from brain slices have made possible new insights into the function of individual neurons and their interconnections, particularly in the cochlear nuclei and in the superior olivary complex. Integrative approaches towards understanding the central auditory function started to dominate in the field. It is not easy at the present time to differentiate between purely morphological and neurochemical ap proaches; similarly electrophysiological approaches are accompanied inevitably by behav ioral and psychophysical studies. The understanding of human brain function advanced significantly during the last several years. mainly due to the contribution of magneto encephalography. positron emission tomography and functional nuclear magnetic reso nance imaging.

This detailed volume presents a wide range of techniques that go beyond the standard assays typically used to assess Myogenesis. The content included addresses assays to analyze skeletal muscle gene expression, proliferating muscle cells, the process of myoblast fusion, muscle development (in vivo), as well as muscle repair. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Skeletal Muscle Development serves as an ideal guide to the study of this highly complex yet carefully regulated process.>

Identifies and describes the types of animal abuse crime scenes—including the different types of physical evidence to collect, log, and package, while maintaining chain of custody Explains the Fourth Amendment and outlines the legal issues surrounding the search and seizure of physical evidence at crime scenes Details appropriate crime scene documentation—written notes, sketches, photographs, and videography—and how to avoid potential sources of contamination at crime scenes Examines the role of the forensic veterinarian in animal abuse investigations

First published in 1943, Vitamins and Hormones is the longest-running serial published by Academic Press. The Series provides up-to-date information on vitamin and hormone research spanning data from molecular biology to the clinic. A volume can focus on a single molecule or on a disease that is related to vitamins or hormones. A hormone is interpreted broadly so that related substances, such as transmitters, cytokines, growth factors and others can be reviewed. This volume focuses on hormone and transport systems.

The annual Congress of the Italian Biochemical and Molecular Biology Society (SIB) was held in September 1999 in Alghero, Sardegna, Italy. The programme envisaged a symposium on molecular adaptations of haemoglobin function in ver- tebrates. Haemoglobin specialists from several countries were invited to speak at the symposium and paved the way for wide-ranging and stimulating discussions. The symposium contributions have been collected together in this volume. The structure/function relationship in haemoglobins from vertebrates (fishes populat- ing temperate and polar environments, diving birds, marine and terrestrial mam- mals) has been tackled from many angles, focusing on the adaptation of the oxy- gen-transport system to the constraints dictated by the environment. Eleven arti- cles review some of the most recent developments of the studies on this ancient oxygen-transport protein, characterized by high conservation during evolution. The volume offers the reader an updated, state-of-the-art summary of a field that is enjoying a true renaissance. Covering the topic from several viewpoints, the volume includes protein chemistry (amino acid sequence, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures, thermodynamics of oxygen-binding features), molecular biology (globin gene structure, sequence, organization, expression and regulation) and evolution. In this representation of effective multidisciplinary and multina- tional collaborative efforts, reference is available to a wide range of disciplines and biological systems. The tools of the investigators comprise advanced and powerful methodologies developed in recent years, e. g.

This is the Second Edition of a well-received book that reflects a fresh, integrated coverage of the concepts and scientific measurement of stress and welfare of animals including humans. This book explains the basic biological principles of coping with many forms of adversity. The major part of this work is devoted to explaining scientifically usable concepts in stress and welfare. A wide range of welfare indicators are highlighted in detail with examples being drawn from man and other species. The necessity for combining information from disciplines is emphasized with a one-health, one-welfare approach. This information forms the basis for a synthesis of new ideas. Among the issues covered are: - How brain and body systems regulate using feelings, physiological responses, behaviour and responses to pathology - Limits to adaptation - Assessing positive and negative welfare during both short-term and long-term situations - Ethical problems and suggested solutions A proper assessment of animal welfare is essential to take informed decisions about what is morally acceptable in terms of practice and in the development of a more effective legislation. This work encapsulates a very wide body of literature on scientific aspects of animal welfare and will thus prove a valuable asset for animal welfare scientists, psychologists, students and teachers of all forms of biology, behaviour, medicine, veterinary medicine and animal usage.