This latest volume in this series contains articles on Arachnid Physiology and Behaviour.The papers in this special issue give rise to key themes for the future.

* Contributions from the leading researchers in entomology * Discusses Arachnid physiology and behavior * Includes in-depth reviews with valuable information for a variety of entomology disciplines

The publication of the extensive seven-volume work "Comprehensive Molecular Insect Science" provided a complete reference encompassing important developments and achievements in modern insect science. One of the most swiftly moving areas in entomological and comparative research is endocrinology, and this volume, "Insect Endocrinology, " is designed for those who desire a comprehensive yet concise work on important aspects of this topic. Because this area has moved quickly since the original publication, articles in this new volume are revised, highlighting developments in the related area since its original publication.

"Insect Endocrinology" covers the mechanism of action of insect hormones during growth and metamorphosis as well as the role of insect hormones in reproduction, diapause and the regulation of metabolism. Contents include articles on the juvenile hormones, circadian organization of the endocrine system, ecdysteroid chemistry and biochemistry, as well as new chapters on insulin-like peptides and the peptide hormone Bursicon. This volume will be of great value to senior investigators, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and advanced undergraduate research students. It can also be used as a reference for graduate courses and seminars on the topic. Chapters will also be valuable to the applied biologist or entomologist, providing the requisite understanding necessary for probing the more applied research areas.
Articles selected by the known and respected editor-in-chief of the original major reference work, Comprehensive Molecular Insect ScienceNewly revised contributions bring together the latest research in the quickly moving field of insect endocrinologyReview of the literature of the past five years is now included, as well as full use of data arising from the application of molecular technologies wherever appropriate

"Homeostasis and Toxicology of Non-Essential Metals" synthesizes the explosion of new information on the molecular, cellular, and organismal handling of metals in fish in the past 15 years. These elements are no longer viewed by fish physiologists as "heavy metals" that kill fish by suffocation, but rather as interesting moieties that enter and leave fish by specific pathways, which are subject to physiological regulation. The metals featured in this volume are those about which there has been most public and scientific concern, and therefore are those most widely studied by fish researchers. Metals such as Ag, Al, Cd, Pb, Hg, As, Sr, and U have no known nutritive function in fish at present, but are toxic at fairly low levels.

The companion volume, "Homeostasis and Toxicology of Essential Metals, " Volume 31A, covers metals that are either proven to be or are strongly suspected to be essential in trace amounts, yet are toxic in higher doses. Metals such as Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Co, Se, Mo and Cr. In addition, three chapters in Volumes 31A and 31B on Basic Principles (Chapter 1, 31A), Field Studies and Ecological Integration (Chapter 9, 31A) and Modeling the Physiology and Toxicology of Metals (Chapter 9, 31B) act as integrative summaries and make these two volumes a vital set for readers.
All major essential metals of interest are covered in metal-specific chaptersEach metal-specific chapter is written by fish physiologists/toxicologists who are recognized authorities for that metalA common format is featured throughout this two volume edition

"Homeostasis and Toxicology of Essential Metals" synthesizes the explosion of new information on the molecular, cellular, and organismal handling of metals in fish in the past 15 years. These elements are no longer viewed by fish physiologists as "heavy metals" that kill fish by suffocation, but rather as interesting moieties that enter and leave fish by specific pathways, which are subject to physiological regulation. The metals featured in this volume are those about which there has been most public and scientific concern, and therefore are those most widely studied by fish researchers. Metals such as Cu, Zn, Fe, Ni, Co, Se, Mo and Cr are either proven to be or are strongly suspected to be essential in trace amounts, yet are toxic in higher doses.

The companion volume, "Homeostasis and Toxicology of Non-Essential Metals, " Volume 31B, covers metals that have no known nutritive function in fish at present, but which are toxic at fairly low levels, such as Ag, Al, Cd, Pb, Hg, As, Sr, and U. In addition, three chapters in Volumes 31A and 31B on Basic Principles (Chapter 1, 31A), Field Studies and Ecological Integration (Chapter 9, 31A) and Modeling the Physiology and Toxicology of Metals (Chapter 9, 31B) act as integrative summaries and make these two volumes a vital set for readers.
All major essential metals of interest are covered in metal-specific chaptersEach metal-specific chapter is written by fish physiologists/toxicologists who are recognized authorities for that metalA common format is featured throughout this two volume edition

This book summarizes recent advances in understanding of the mammalian and fish olfactory system and provides perspective on the translation of external odor information into appropriate motivational and behavioral responses. Following the discovery of the odorant receptor gene family in 1991, understanding of the basic biological mechanisms of the olfactory system has advanced enormously. Despite such rapid progress, however, it remains unclear how odor information is processed at levels beyond the olfactory bulb, including the olfactory cortex, olfactory tubercle, and orbitofrontal cortex. This book thus describes the most recent developments in olfactory research, with particular focus on the basic neurobiological mechanisms of the neuronal circuit function in the olfactory system and its related higher centers. Exploring the basic functional logic of the neuronal circuits in the olfactory system in this way appears to be crucial in understanding the workings of the complex neuronal circuits of the brain, particularly those in the cerebral cortex that link sensory perception to appropriate behavioral responses. This book is written for the coming generation of scientists: undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers in the fields of neuroscience, neurobiology, chemical senses, food and nutritional sciences, medical science, sensory psychology, and behavioral sciences.

This collection of reviews will be of considerable interests to biologists and MDs working on any aspect of cardiovascular function. With state-of-the-art reviews written by competent experts in the field, the content is also of interest for MSc and PhD students in most fields of cardiovascular physiology.

This volume of Methods in Cell Biology, the first of3 parts on the subject of zebrafish, provides a comprehensive compendia of laboratory protocols and reviews covering all the new methods developed since 2004. This first volume provides state-of-the-art descriptions of novel cellular imaging technologies and methods for culture of zebrafish stem cells, summarizes protocols for analyzingthe development of major organ systems including the central nervous system (CNS), and introduces the use of the zebrafish as a model system for human diseases.
* Details state-of-the art zebrafish protocols, delineating critical steps in the procedures as well as potential pitfalls
* Summarizes the Zebrafish Genome Project"

This series of volumes represents a comprehensive and integrated treatment of reproduction in vertebrates from fishes of all sorts through mammals. It is designed to provide a readable, coordinated description of reproductive basics in each group of vertebrates as well as an introduction to the latest trends in reproductive research and our understanding of reproductive events. Whereas each chapter and each volume is intended to stand alone as a review of that topic or vertebrate group, respectively, the volumes are prepared so as to provide a thorough topical treatment across the vertebrates. Terminology has been standardized across the volumes to reduce confusion where multiple names exist in the literature, and a comprehensive glossary of these terms and their alternative names is provided.
*A complete, essential and up to date reference for research scientists working on vertebrate hormones and reproduction - and on animlals as models in human reproductive research.
*Covers the endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, physiology, behaviour and anatomy of vertebrate reproduction.
*Structured coverage of the major themes for all five vertebrate groups allows a consistent treatment for all.
*Special chapters elaborate on features specific to individual vertebrate groups and to comparative aspects, similarities and differences between them.

This series of volumes represents a comprehensive and integrated treatment of reproduction in vertebrates from fishes of all sorts through mammals. It is designed to provide a readable, coordinated description of reproductive basics in each group of vertebrates as well as an introduction to the latest trends in reproductive research and our understanding of reproductive events. Whereas each chapter and each volume is intended to stand alone as a review of that topic or vertebrate group, respectively, the volumes are prepared so as to provide a thorough topical treatment across the vertebrates. Terminology has been standardized across the volumes to reduce confusion where multiple names exist in the literature, and a comprehensive glossary of these terms and their alternative names is provided.
*A complete, essential and up to date reference for research scientists working on vertebrate hormones and reproduction - and on animlals as models in human reproductive research.
*Covers the endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, physiology, behaviour and anatomy of vertebrate reproduction.
*Structured coverage of the major themes for all five vertebrate groups allows a consistent treatment for all.
*Special chapters elaborate on features specific to individual vertebrate groups and to comparative aspects, similarities and differences between them.

"The" "Multifunctional Gut of Fish" provides a comprehensive synthesis and an integrative overview of the range of gut functions and their implications for organismal physiology. The highly diversified anatomy and functions of the gut, including nutrient uptake, immune barrier function, salt and water homeostasis and respiration, as well as neuroendocrine actions and control are covered in detail by leading authors. In addition, this volume explores the pronounced implications of gut function for whole animal integrative physiology and compensatory demands for non-gastrointestinal organs. As the first comprehensive reference to discuss the diverse morphological and functional adaptations of the gut, this volume provides an excellent resource for comparative physiologists, aquaculturists and biomedical researchers employing fish as model organisms for mammalian physiology.

Includes chapters dedicated to anatomical and functional features of the gastro-intestinal tract of fish as well as integrative aspects of gut organ function.

Includes in depth coverage of recently recognized implications of feeding on salt homeostasis and acid-base balance.

Provides syntheses of implications of gut function for homeostasis.

Essential text for those interested in the wide diversity of functions performed by the gut.

Here is a uniquely modern approach to the study of physiological diversity that builds on the tradition established by C. Ladd Prosser's Comparative Animal Physiology. Responding to the need for a rigorously up-to-date, comprehensive survey of function and integrative systems in a variety of species, which is also easily accessible to the user, Dr. Prosser has delivered a thoroughly revised Fourth Edition in a convenient two-volume format. This carefully designed framework lets each volume zero-in on distinct aspects of comparative physiology normally studied as a whole unit. From the study of genetically replicating molecules to investigations of adaptive modulation, these two companion volumes offer an all-encompassing view of the field. With their contemporary approach, scholarly editing, flexible format, and detailed contents, Neural and Integrative Animal Physiology and Environmental and Metabolic Animal Physiology will stand together as the authoritative source in the field

Evolutionary biomechanics is the study of evolution through the analysis of biomechanical systems. Its unique advantage is the precision with which physical constraints and performance can be predicted from first principles. Instead of reviewing the entire breadth of the biomechanical literature, a few key examples are explored in depth as vehicles for discussing fundamental concepts, analytical techniques, and evolutionary theory. Each chapter develops a conceptual theme, developing the underlying theory and techniques required for analyses in evolutionary biomechanics. Examples from terrestrial biomechanics, metabolic scaling, and bird flight are used to analyse how physics constrains the design space that natural selection is free to explore, and how adaptive evolution finds solutions to the trade-offs between multiple complex conflicting performance objectives. Evolutionary Biomechanics is suitable for graduate level students and professional researchers in the fields of biomechanics, physiology, evolutionary biology and palaeontology. It will also be of relevance and use to researchers in the physical sciences and engineering.

Adopting a multidisciplinary approach with input from physicists, researchers and medical professionals, this is the first book to introduce many different technical approaches for the visualization of microcirculation, including laser Doppler and laser speckle, optical coherence tomography and photo-acoustic tomography. It covers everything from basic research to medical applications, providing the technical details while also outlining the respective strengths and weaknesses of each imaging technique.
Edited by an international team of top experts, this is the ultimate handbook for every clinician and researcher relying on microcirculation imaging.

Despite the best efforts of many and despite landmark discoveries and experimental ingenuity, challenges in the pursuit of research related to olfactory receptors (ORs) continue to exist. In Olfactory Receptors: Methods and Protocols, experts in the field contribute chapters that serve to address these challenges. The volume consists of several sections: knowledge dissemination of ORs, theoretical assessments of OR structure and function, as well as development and use of expression systems and experimental functional analysis. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, 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. Concise and practical, Olfactory Receptors: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid researchers in furthering the knowledge of olfaction and moving us ever closer to the thrilling discoveries that will follow.

The complex and fascinating subject of endocrinology can often seem rather daunting for non-specialists. For practising endocrinologists too, maintaining a broad overview of the subject can be a major task. Laboratory Animal Endocrinology has been written with both these audiences in mind. Focusing on the species regularly used in experimental studies (including rodents, dogs and monkeys), each chapter presents a wealth of information on hormone structure, synthesis, secretion, receptors, second messengers and their actions, and considers the various physiological and pharmacological processes which may be involved in hormonal regulation. Interspecies’ differences in hormonal structure, metabolism and interactions with drugs and other chemicals are particularly important to toxicologists and in drug safety evaluation. Laboratory Animal Endocrinology also explores these areas of research and provides much-needed support for the interpolation of endocrine data from one test species to another and to humans. The book is not intended exclusively for toxicologists however, but will prove indispensable for all those working with laboratory animals.

Birds have colonized almost every terrestrial habitat on the planet - from the poles to the tropics, and from deserts to high mountain tops. Ecological and Environmental Physiology of Birds focuses on our current understanding of the unique physiological characteristics of birds that are of particular interest to ornithologists, but also have a wider biological relevance.
An introductory chapter covers the basic avian body plan and their still-enigmatic evolutionary history. The focus then shifts to a consideration of the essential components of that most fundamental of avian attributes: the ability to fly. The emphasis here is on feather evolution and development, flight energetics and aerodynamics, migration, and as a counterpoint, the curious secondary evolution of flightlessness that has occurred in several lineages. This sets the stage for subsequent chapters, which present specific physiological topics within a strongly ecological and environmental framework. These include gas exchange, thermal and osmotic balance, 'classical' life history parameters (male and female reproductive costs, parental care and investment in offspring, and fecundity versus longevity tradeoffs), feeding and digestive physiology, adaptations to challenging environments (high altitude, deserts, marine habitats, cold), and neural specializations (notably those important in foraging, long-distance navigation, and song production).
Throughout the book classical studies are integrated with the latest research findings. Numerous important and intriguing questions await further work, and the book concludes with a discussion of methods (emphasizing cutting-edge technology), approaches, and future research directions.

This volume addresses in detail both livestock's role in climate change and the impacts of climate change on livestock production and reproduction. Apart from these cardinal principles of climate change and livestock production, this volume also examines the various strategies used to mitigate livestock-related GHG emissions, and those which can reduce the impacts of climate change on livestock production and reproduction. Presenting information and case studies collected and analyzed by professionals working in diversified ecological zones, the book explores the influence of climate change on livestock production across the globe. The most significant feature of this book is that it addresses in detail the different adaptation strategies and identifies targets for different stakeholders in connection with climate change and livestock production. Further, it puts forward development plans that will allow the livestock industries to cope with current climate changes and strategies that will mitigate the effects by 2025. Lastly, it provides researchers and policymakers several researchable priorities to help develop economically viable solutions for livestock production with less GHG emissions, promoting a cleaner environment in which human beings and livestock can live in harmony without adverse effects on productivity. Given that livestock production systems are sensitive to climate change and at the same are themselves a contributor to the phenomenon, climate change has the potential to pose an increasingly formidable challenge to the development of the livestock sector. However, there is a dearth of scientific information on adapting livestock production to the changing climate; as such, well-founded reference material on sustaining livestock production systems under the changing climate scenarios in different agro-ecological zones of the world is essential. By methodically and extensively addressing all aspects of climate change and livestock production, this volume offers a valuable tool for understanding the hidden intricacies of climatic stress and its influence on livestock production.

The study of fish neuroendocrinology has had a significant impact on our general understanding of the functional roles and evolution of a variety of neurochemical messengers and systems. Not only do fish possess unique neuroendocrine features, they have also been and remain an important vertebrate models for the discovery of new neuropeptides. In the last fifty years, neuroendocrinologists have documented a complex and seemingly infinite number of interactions between hormones and nerve structures. Gradually emerging from this knowledge is an understanding of the specific neurohormonal pathways and the messengers responsible for maintaining homeostasis in an aquatic environment and for regulating the functional systems that allow for the highly diverse life histories and reproductive tactics of fish
Despite its recent growth, breadth and unique attributes, there is no single text covering the discipline of fish neuroendocrinology. In fact, other than a few mammalian neuroendocrinology textbooks, there is a serious lack of texts in comparative neuroendocrinology. Currently, information on the anatomical organization and function of the various neuroendocrine systems in fish is only available in original research papers and reviews.
By providing a current and comprehensive volume that highlights the specific properties of fish neuroendocrinology, this book will go beyond being the only reference text for fish neuroendocrinologists and will also serve comparative physiologists, endocrinologists, neuroanatomists and behaviourists interested in understanding the reciprocal actions between the nervous and endocrine systems.

* Highlights the specific properties of fish neuroendocrinology
* Emphasises the range and variety of interactions between neurobiology and endocrinology
* Discuses both anatomical and functional aspects of the Neuroendocrine system
* Also serves comparative physiologists, endocrinologists, neuroanatomists and behaviourists interested in understanding the reciprocal actions between the nervous and endocrine systems

Periods of environmental hypoxia (Low Oxygen Availability) are extremely common in aquatic systems due to both natural causes such as diurnal oscillations in algal respiration, seasonal flooding, stratification, under ice cover in lakes, and isolation of densely vegetated water bodies, as well as more recent anthropogenic causes (e.g. eutrophication). In view of this, it is perhaps not surprising that among all vertebrates, fish boast the largest number of hypoxia tolerant species; hypoxia has clearly played an important role in shaping the evolution of many unique adaptive strategies. These unique adaptive strategies either allow fish to maintain function at low oxygen levels, thus extending hypoxia tolerance limits, or permit them to defend against the metabolic consequences of oxygen levels that fall below a threshold where metabolic functions cannot be maintained.
The aim of this volume is two-fold. First, this book will review and synthesize the adaptive behavioural, morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular strategies used by fish to survive hypoxia exposure and place them within an environmental and ecological context. Second, through the development of a synthesis chapter this book will serve as the cornerstone for directing future research into the effects of hypoxia exposures on fish physiology and biochemistry.

Key Features
* The only single volume available to provide an in-depth discussion of the adaptations and responses of fish to environmental hypoxia.
* Reviews and synthesizes the adaptive behavioural, morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular strategies used by fish to survive hypoxia exposure.
* Includes discussion of the evolutionary and ecological consequences of hypoxia exposure in fish.

Freshwater eels are almost infinitely improbable creatures. They spawn and die in the middle of the ocean, often associated with undersea mountains. Their tra- parent, leaf-like larvae move with ocean currents for months or years until they approach the mouths of freshwater rivers. Then they undergo a dramatic transf- mation in morphology, physiology and behavior. They move from their planktonic oceanic environment, migrate upstream and live for several years as apex fre- water predators. Then, almost impossibly, as they become sexually mature, they reverse their migration downstream to the ocean and back to spawning grounds to complete their life cycle. The dramatic changes in their life cycles are incredible. The efforts to unravel the details of their life history have been truly daunting. Much of the past research was the work of dedicated individuals who devoted their lifetime research to these fishes. Freshwater eels merit a separate chapter in almost any textbook dealing with ichthyology, marine biology or animal migration. We know a great deal about some aspects of the biology of freshwater eels. However, our understanding of their bi- ogy still resembles a work of art as much as a work of science. To some it appears like the sweeping brush strokes of a Japanese Zen landscape, to others it resembles the work of a French impressionist, and to still others it appears as magic realism.

This volume reviews our current understanding for how sex determination is initiated and how it results in sexual dimorphic development. Chapters discussing work on different model systems provide a basis for understanding similarities that exist between different species. Coverage includes discussion of sexual development of the soma in C. elegans; sexual development of the germline in C. elegans; sexual development of the soma in Drosophila; sexual development of the germline in Drosophila; sexual development of the soma in the mouse; sexual development of the germline in the mouse; control of sex-specific behavior in Drosophila; and control of sex-specific behavior in vertebrates.
* Uncovers the latest research findings on sexual determination and sexual development* Detailed model systems illustrate species differences and similarities* Thoroughly explains sexual development across various germlines including Drosophila* Outlines the origins and control of sex-specific behavior

This volume offers a comprehensive history of the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), one of the major marine laboratories in the United States and a leader in using marine organisms to study fundamental physiological concepts. Beginning with its founding as the Harpswell Laboratory of Tufts University in 1898, David H. Evans follows its evolution from a teaching facility to a research center for distinguished renal and epithelial physiologists. He also describes how it became the site of major advances in cytokinesis, regeneration, cardiac and vascular physiology, hepatic physiology, endocrinology and toxicology, as well as studies of the comparative physiology of marine organisms. Fundamental physiological concepts in the context of the discoveries made at the MDIBL are explained and the social and administrative history of this renowned facility is described.

This book focuses on explaining the distribution of sexual systems (simultaneous hermaphroditism, sequential hermaphroditism, environmental sex determination,dioecy, androdioecy, etc.) among taxa, which remains a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Although significant advances have been made for angiosperms, there is not yet a theory that predicts the sexual system for the majority of animal taxa, and other taxa of plants also remain poorly understood. The problem, particularly for animals, is that sexual systems can be very conservative, with whole phyla and classes being characterized by a single sexual system; for example essentially the whole phylum Platyhelminthes is simultaneously hermaphroditic, whereas the Insecta (Hexapoda) and the Tetrapoda among the vertebrates, are exclusively dioecious. Sex allocation theory on the other hand, suggests that sexual systems should be highly responsive to evolution, changing with population density, life span, patterns of resource availability, etc. The book provides an overview of the topic and then presents a series of chapters, each dealing with a taxon with substantial lability in sexual system in order to identify the factors associated with changes in sexual system in each case. By doing so, the authors reveal factors that have not been considered in formal theory but seem to have a major impact on transitions between sexual systems. This book appeals to a wide readership in fields from zoology and evolutionary biology to botany.

"Vascular Morphogenesis: Methods and Protocols" provides a range of techniques for studying vascular morphogenesis in vivo and in vitro, reflecting advances in the field. Endothelial cell signaling is currently believed to promote fundamental cues for cell fate specification, embryo patterning, organ differentiation and postnatal tissue remodeling. Understanding the concept of vascular bed specificity represents a major challenge for future investigations. Indeed, one of the most interesting theoretical perspectives and practical applications of endothelial cell signaling is the possibility for these cells to maintain their inductive potential during adult life. Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology" series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Practical and authoritative, "Vascular Morphogenesis: Methods and Protocols" will serve as a instructive and useful reference for cell biologists, anatomists, pathologists and physiologists, as well as all those interested in this area of biological study.

Historically the field of endocrine research has always been at the forefront of scientific endeavors. The investigators of these important breakthroughs in research have been rewarded by numerous Nobel awards. In the field of diabetes alone, Nobel prizes have been awarded to researchers who discovered insulin, characterized the protein and invented radioimmunoassays using insulin as a paradigm. Not surprisingly, biomedical researchers have always been attracted by the endocrine system and other similar systems of intercellular communication.
Over the past two decades, endocrine research has developed rapidly and adapted modern molecular and cellular biology techniques for its specific use. These changes have allowed researchers in the field to maintain their edge. Thus, endocrine disease-related genes have been characterized and mutations in these genes have helped explain common and
less common endocrine disorders. Our understanding of the regulation of gene expression has been greatly enhanced by molecular techniques.
In an attempt to bring investigators up to date with the recent advances in this exploding field we have decided to publish a series entitled Advances in Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. Internationally famous investigators have agreed to participate and their contributions are appreciated.
Volume 1 has focused on aspects of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis including GnRH and GH gene regulation, molecular aspects of insulin, insulin-like growth factors and glucagon. In addition, reviews on the recently cloned calcium receptor and steroid receptor interactions with DNA are presented.