Channels and transporters are multi-functional proteins that mediate substrate transport and signal transmission and simultaneously act as regulators for other proteins and biosensors for environmental materials. Patch clamping is an epoch-making technique that allows researchers to perform real-time measurements of electrogenic channel/transporter functions at the single/multiple molecular level. This book describes not only the conventional patch clamp techniques but also their newly developed variations or applications, such as perforated patch, slice patch, blind patch, in vivo patch, imaging patch, smart patch, and automated patch clamping. These patch clamp techniques are now essential and are extensively used across the life sciences and in related industries. With plain and practical descriptions of patch clamping and how to carry it out, especially for beginners, the book also shows how widely and exquisitely the patch clamp techniques can be applied by expert electrophysiologists. This work serves as a useful guide for young researchers and students in training and laboratory courses as well as for senior researchers who wish to extend their repertoire of techniques.

This book covers advances made since the 2004 Springer volume "Polarized Light in Animal Vision" edited by Horvath and Varju, but also provides reviews and synopses of some areas. Part I examines polarization sensitivity across many animal taxa including vertebrates and invertebrates and details both terrestrial and aquatic life. Part II is devoted to the description of polarized light in nature and explores how the physics of light must be taken into account when understanding how polarized light is detected by the visual system. This includes underwater polarization due to scattering; polarization patterns reflected from freshwater bodies; polarization characteristics of forest canopies; normal and anomalous polarization patterns of the skies; skylight polarization transmitted through Snell's window and both linearly and circularly polarized signals produced by terrestrial and aquatic animals. This Part also examines polarized "light pollution" induced by anthropogenic factors such as reflection off asphalt surfaces, glass panes, car bodies, and other man-made structures that are now known to form ecological traps for polarotactic insects. Part III surveys some of the practical applications of polarization vision including polarization-based traps for biting insects, ground-based polarimetric cloud detectors and an historical examination of the navigational abilities of Viking seafarers using the sky polarization compass. The deterrent qualities of ungulate pelage to polarization-sensitive biting insects is also examined in this section.

Every coordination within or between animals depends on communication processes. Although the signaling molecules, vocal and tactile signs, gestures and its combinations differ throughout all species according their evolutionary origins and variety of adaptation processes, certain levels of biocommunication can be found in all animal species:  (a) Abiotic environmental indices such as temperature, light, water, etc. that affect the local ecosphere of an organism and are sensed, interpreted. (b) Trans-specific communication with non-related organisms. (c) Species-specific communication between same or related species. (d) Intraorganismic communication, i.e., sign-mediated coordination within the body of the organism. This book gives an overview of the manifold levels of animal communication exemplified by a variety of species and thereby broadens the understanding of these organisms.

Research over the years has demonstrated that free radicals mediated oxidative stress lies at the helm of almost all patho-physiological phenomena. These findings emphasize on the need to understand the underlying molecular mechanism(s) and their critical role in the pathogenesis. This book aims to focus on these areas to provide readers a comprehensive outlook about the major redox sensitive pathways and networks involved in various disease conditions. In the first chapter of the book, basic information about the oxidative stress, its generation, its biomarkers and its role in body are discussed. In the next three chapters, the role of oxidative stress in various pathologies ranging from neurological disorders, to cardiovascular diseases, cancers, metabolic diseases and ageing have been described. Chapter 5 cumulatively describes the most important molecular signaling pathways that are affected by reactive oxygen species (ROS). These are the mechanisms which are common denominators in various pathological states. In the next part of the book, various antioxidant strategies to target and mitigate ROS have been discussed with details on the mechanisms. Selenium, being the research focus and interest of the authors for years, the role of selenium as an antioxidant as part of selenoproteins has been included in the book. Finally, the book culminates with authors’ perspective on the future of the redox biology field. Throughout the book, efforts have been made to use simplified language and suitable figures for ease to understand the contents. Although the authors have tried to touch on all the different aspects of oxidative stress in detail, the fact that it is a continuously growing field with updates coming every day, there might be some areas which might not be described in depth. This book is designed for students, young scientists to get acquainted with the redox biology. Overall, this book is a reference to understand the redox regulation of cellular signaling pathways involved in pathogenesis.

This SpringerBrief provides a concise summary on the chemistry and function of murine pheromones in reproduction. It discusses mechanisms of action as well as the applicability of these mechanisms to humans. The image of pheromones is usually some invisible mysterious chemicals that make people attracted to the opposite sex. However, pheromones have many functions and one that perhaps is not well known yet is that they affect the reproductive status of others. Males' pheromones stimulate females' reproductive status and vice versa. This book will present studies on male mice which is rarely covered and will also discuss trans-generational influences of pheromones. The book addresses Professors, researchers and students working in animal neurochemistry, chemical signaling and reproductive medicine.

Unchecked aggression and violence take a significant toll on society. Even if we manage to avoid being the direct victim of a violent act, the effects of aggression and violence reach us all: We hear about the mauling of a woman by an aggressive dog, our children are bullied at school, or we deal with impulsive violence while commuting to work or attending a sporting event. Reflecting psychology in general, the dominant roles of learning and environmental influences - both social and nonsocial - have traditionally been prominent in discussions of the etiology of human aggression. Biological factors have not been considered sufficiently important to investigate in the search for ways of dealing with human aggression or violence. With recent advances in pharmacology and genetic manipulation techniques, however, new interest has developed in the biological mechanisms of both non-human and human aggression. Although aggression is certainly a complex social behavior with multiple causes, molecular biological factors should not be overlooked, as they may well lead to interventions that prevent excess aggressive behaviors. The primary goal of this book is to summarize and synthesize recent advances in the biological study of aggression. As most aggressive encounters among human and non-human animals represent a male proclivity, the research in this book describes and discusses studies using the most appropriate murine model: testosterone-dependent offensive inter-male aggression, which is typically measured in resident-intruder or isolation-induced aggression tests. The research also emphasizes various molecules that have been linked to aggression tests. The research also emphasizes various molecules that have been linked to aggression by the latest gene-targeting and pharmacological techniques. Although the evidence continues to point to androgens and serotonin (5-HT) as major hormonal and neurotransmitter factors in aggressive behavior, recent work with GABA, dopamine, vasopressin, and other factors, such as nitric oxide, has revealed significant interactions with the neural circuitry underlying aggression. This book is organized according to levels of analysis. The first section examines the genetic contributions to aggression in species ranging from crustaceans to humans. The section summarizes the involvement of various neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in aggressive behavior. The third section summarizes the influence of hormones on aggression, primarily in humans. All chapters emphasize future directions for research on aggression and reveal important domains that have received comparatively less attention in this literature. Considered together, these chapters provide up-to-date coverage of the biology of aggression by some of the leading authorities currently working in this field. Biology of Aggression will direct future research to continue the recent advances in the pharmacological and genetic approaches to understanding aggression and violence. It promises to be a valuable resource for professional and student researchers in neuroscience, psychiatry, cognitive and developmental psychology, behavioral biology, and veterinary medicine.

The work summarizes the current knowledge regarding the controlled reproduction of an emerging aquaculture species, the Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis). In great detail it describes and explains the principal of most of the controlled reproductive protocol leading to obtain high quality larvae. The book is primarily intended to be used as a hatchery manual by practicing aquaculturists and laboratory technicians working with this species. On the other hand, it also summarizes the scientific background of the methods applied, therefore, it can serve as a reference for the state-of-the-art in the controlled reproduction of Eurasian perch and other freshwater percid species.

This monograph presents complex data on Fascioloides magna from all aspects of its research (general information, distribution, spectrum of hosts) and summarizes the latest information on molecular structure of informative genes which were recently applied in resolving taxonomy and biogeography of this veterinary important parasite. The giant liver fluke, Fascioloides magna, is important liver parasite of free-living and domestic ruminants. Due to its biology, distribution, medical impact, and invasive character, this liver fluke attracts attention of wide spectrum of specialists - veterinary doctors, hunters and farmers, as well as scientists. The parasite utilizes wide range of free living and domestic ruminants as definitive hosts, with various pathological impacts ranging from moderate infections towards lethal effects. Fascioloides magna is of North American origin where it occurs in five enzootic regions. It was introduced to Europe along with its deer hosts in 19th century and it has established three permanent natural foci. The giant liver fluke represents an outstanding model for studying the origin, spatial distribution, migratory routs, and invasion processes of introduced species.

This book summarizes the key adaptations enabling extremophile fishes to survive under harsh environmental conditions. It reviews the most recent research on acidic, Antarctic, cave, desert, hypersaline, hypoxic, temporary, and fast-flowing habitats, as well as naturally and anthropogenically toxic waters, while pointing out generalities that are evident across different study systems. Knowledge of the different adaptations that allow fish to cope with stressful environmental conditions furthers our understanding of basic physiological, ecological, and evolutionary principles. In several cases, evidence is provided for how the adaptation to extreme environments promotes the emergence of new species. Furthermore, a link is made to conservation biology, and how human activities have exacerbated existing extreme environments and created new ones. The book concludes with a discussion of major open questions in our understanding of the ecology and evolution of life in extreme environments.

This authoritative volume explores advances in the techniques used to measure percutaneous penetration of drugs and chemicals to assess bioavailability and bioequivalence and discusses how they have been used in clinical and scientific investigations. Seven comprehensive sections examine topics including in vitro drug release, topical drugs products, clinical studies, and guidelines and workshop reports, among others. The book also describes how targeted transdermal drug delivery and more sophisticated mathematical modelling can aid in understanding the bioavailability of transdermal drugs. The first edition of this book was an important reference guide for researchers working to define the effectiveness and safety of drugs and chemicals that penetrated the skin. This second edition contains cutting-edge advances in the field and is a key resource to those seeking to define the bioavailability and bioequivalence of percutaneously active compounds to improve scientific and clinical investigation and regulation.

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.

The study of animal communication has led to significant progress in our general understanding of motor and sensory systems, evolution, and speciation. However, one often neglected aspect is that signal exchange in every modality is constrained by noise, be it in the transmission channel or in the nervous system. This book analyses whether and how animals can cope with such constraints, and explores the implications that noise has for our understanding of animal communication. It is written by leading biologists working on different taxa including insects, fish, amphibians, lizards, birds, and mammals. In addition to this broad taxonomic approach, the chapters also cover a wide array of research disciplines: from the mechanisms of signal production and perception, to the behavioural ecology of signalling, the evolution of animal communication, and conservation issues. This volume promotes the integration of the knowledge gained by the diverse approaches to the study of animal communication and, at the same time, highlights particularly interesting fields of current and future research.

This book addresses the impacts of current and future reproductive technologies on our world food production and provides a significant contribution to the importance of research in the area of reproductive physiology that has never been compiled before. It would provide a unique opportunity to separate the impacts of how reproductive technologies have affected different species and their contributions to food production. Lastly, no publication has been compiled that demonstrates the relationship between developments in reproductive management tools and food production that may be used a reference for scientists in addressing future research areas. During the past 50 years assisted reproductive technologies have been developed and refined to increase the number and quality of offspring from genetically superior farm animal livestock species. Artificial insemination (AI), estrous synchronization and fixed-time AI, semen and embryo cryopreservation, multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET), in vitro fertilization, sex determination of sperm or embryos, and nuclear transfer are technologies that are used to enhance the production efficiency of livestock species.

The first book to highlight research done by women of color in the field of shark science. A special emphasis is placed on amplifying the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color as well as artisanal fishers and economically disadvantaged coastal communities. Accessible to younger readers too, encouraging school children to get into marine science. Covers a broad range of topics including biology, ecology and evolution as well as some less talked about topics like outreach and stakeholder engagement. Interdisciplinary approach to shark science and conservation Easily digestible content for non-experts Focuses on a charismatic group of animals, sharks Offers diverse perspectives and cutting-edge research while diving into issues regarding the decolonization of shark science and changing public perception of sharks. This is an opportunity to challenge the notion that there is only one type of scientist or that scientists look and think a certain way.

The rapid progress of neuroscience in the last decade can be largely attributed to significant advances in neuroethology, a branch of science that seeks to understand the neural basis of natural animal behavior. Novel approaches including molecular biological techniques, optical recording methods, functional anatomy, and informatics have brought drastic changes in how the neural systems underlying high-level behaviors such as learning and memory are described. This book introduces recent research techniques in neuroethology, with diverse topics involving nematodes, insects, and vertebrates (birds, mice and primates), divided into sections by research method. Each section consists of two chapters written by different authors who have developed their own unique approaches. Reports of research in "model animals" including C. elegans, Drosophila, and mice, which were not typical specimens in conventional neuroethology, have been deliberately selected for this book because a molecular genetic approach to these animals is necessary for advances in neuroethology. Novel methodology including optical recording and functional labeling with reporter genes such as GFP has been actively used in recent neurobiological studies, and genetic manipulation techniques such as optogenetics also are powerful tools for understanding the molecular basis of neural systems for animal behavior. This book provides not only these new strategies but also thought-provoking statements of philosophy in neuroethology for students and young researchers in the biological sciences.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current progress in muscle contraction and cell motility research. It discusses structural, mechanical, and biochemical characteristics of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscles, and cell motility. The experimental objects of the studies described in this volume extend from humans to molecules. A distinct feature of this volume is that, in some chapters, evidence against the textbook view is presented, showing how well-established dogma can be denied by an unexpected discovery. This book is as interesting as it is informative for general readers and young scientists alike, and it is sure to inspire both to challenge the enticing mysteries that still remain in this exciting research field.

The first book to highlight research done by women of color in the field of shark science. A special emphasis is placed on amplifying the voices of Black, Indigenous, People of Color as well as artisanal fishers and economically disadvantaged coastal communities. Accessible to younger readers too, encouraging school children to get into marine science. Covers a broad range of topics including biology, ecology and evolution as well as some less talked about topics like outreach and stakeholder engagement. Interdisciplinary approach to shark science and conservation Easily digestible content for non-experts Focuses on a charismatic group of animals, sharks Offers diverse perspectives and cutting-edge research while diving into issues regarding the decolonization of shark science and changing public perception of sharks. This is an opportunity to challenge the notion that there is only one type of scientist or that scientists look and think a certain way.

The International Symposium on Hearing is a highly-prestigious, triennial event where world-class scientists present and discuss the most recent advances in the field of hearing research in animals and humans. Presented papers range from basic to applied research, and are of interest neuroscientists, otolaryngologists, psychologists, and artificial intelligence researchers. Basic Aspects of Hearing: Physiology and Perception includes the best papers from the 2012 International Symposium on Hearing. Over 50 chapters focus on the relationship between auditory physiology, psychoacoustics, and computational modeling.

This book provides developmental data regarding piglets (with a focus on the gastrointestinal tract), data related to amino acid metabolism in pigs, data related to nutritional and physiological functions of amino acids in pigs, nutritional requirements for amino acids in pigs, signaling roles of amino acids, methodological aspects in amino acid research and the pig model for studying amino acid-related human diseases.

Animals perform many athletic tasks to an amazing degree of accomplishment: not only spectacular feats of running and jumping but also routine actions that ensure survival such as feeding, vocalization, diving, flying, and many more. The study of performance capacity (defined as the ability of an animal to conduct a key task) is of great interest to both ecologists and evolutionary biologists. At an ecological level, how well individuals perform often dictates opportunities for reproduction, occupation of preferred territories, or capturing prey. Therefore, variation in performance capacities can be a key determinant of variation in fitness within animal populations. At an evolutionary level, variation in function often follows closely from variation in form, and therefore enables animals to invade novel habitats, or to overtake other species. This novel book examines how and why animal athletes have evolved. It uses examples from across the animal kingdom and integrates them in the broader context of ecology and evolution, thereby identifying common themes that transcend taxonomic divisions. Animal Athletes is an accessible textbook of particular relevance to undergraduates, graduate students, researchers, and professionals in the fields of evolutionary biology, ecology, vertebrate morphology, and functional morphology, and will also appeal to the interested layperson.

The book begins by describing in detail the mechanisms of energy exchange - radiative, convective, conductive and evaporative - together with techniques for their determination. The discussion extends to the importance of CO2, ozone and methane, together with that of aerosol pollutants and the evolution of atmospheric CO2. Subsequent chapters apply the results of the biophysical methods to mammals, birds and aquatic animals. Discussion includes problems of shelter and shade for animals in tropical environments and techniques for the thermal evaluation for shelters and for several tree types. The details of heat exchange between animals and the environment are presented, in separate chapters covering Mammals and Birds and Aquatic Mammals. A chapter on Shade and Shelter describes the importance of shade for animals, factors of shade efficiency, the protections offered by shelter and methods of calculating the protection afforded by both shade and shelter. A Special Methods chapter offers a variety of techniques for evaluating cutaneous and respiratory evaporation, and practical methods for sampling of hairs and the evaluation of hair coat characteristics.

Volume II features a variety of animal and human prion diseases, including the newly-identified atypical forms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy and scrapie in animals, and variably protease-sensitive prionopathy in humans, prions in the environment, Tau pathology in human prion disease, transmission of the disease by blood transfusion, mammalian and non-mammalian models, conventional and advanced diagnoses, prion-specific antibodies, as well as decontamination of prions and development of therapeutics of prion diseases, such as the application of immunomodulation. This volume provides up-to-date knowledge about the etiology, pathogenesis, classification, histopathological, and clinical aspects of the highly publicized animal and human prion diseases.

In recent years, progress in fish biology has advanced at an unprecedented rate and has led to many breakthroughs in the field. This book provides a wealth of information on the strategies that fish adopt with respect to waters with markedly different physical and chemical characteristics. It shows how their physiology, behaviour and lifestyles are adapted to exploit particular niches and gives comprehensive insight into fish life under extreme conditions. The readers are introduced to the ways in which fish exemplify many phenomena of general biological interest - the existence of competitors, chaos, and predator-prey interaction. Fish pathology as well as the components of the immune system are addressed. In this book, original and at times controversial views are presented, areas which have so far received inadequate attention are highlighted and avenues for further research are suggested.

Hopefully, this book will be taken off of the shelf frequently to be studied carefully over many years. More than 40 researchers were involved in this project, which examines respiration, circulation, and metabolism from ?sh to the land vertebrates, including human beings. A breathable and stable atmosphere ?rst appeared about 500 million years ago. Oxygen levels are not stable in aquatic environments and exclusively water-breathing ?sh must still cope with the ever-changing levels of O 2 and with large temperature changes. This is re?ected in their sophisticated count- current systems, with high O extraction and internal and external O receptors. 2 2 The conquest for the terrestrial environment took place in the late Devonian period (355-359 million years ago), and recent discoveries portray the gradual transitional evolution of land vertebrates. The oxygen-rich and relatively stable atmospheric conditionsimpliedthatoxygen-sensingmechanismswererelativelysimpleandl- gain compared with acid-base regulation. Recently, physiology has expanded into related ?elds such as biochemistry, molecular biology, morphology and anatomy. In the light of the work in these ?elds, the introduction of DNA-based cladograms, which can be used to evaluate the likelihood of land vertebrates and lung?sh as a sister group, could explain why their cardio-respiratory control systems are similar. The diffusing capacity of a duck lung is 40 times higher than that of a toad or lung?sh. Certainly, some animals have evolved to rich high-performance levels.

Themonographisdevotedtothetheoreticalstudiesofradiationeffectsonmammals. It summarizes the results obtained by the author over the past 30 years, most of them being of high priority. In the course of these studies, a single approach to the modeling of radiation effects on mammals has been elaborated. Speci?cally, in the framework of the developed deterministic mathematical models, the effects of both acute and chronic irradiation in a wide range of doses and dose rates on vital body systems (hematopoiesis, small intestine, and humoral immunity), as well as on the development of autoimmune diseases, are investigated. The radiation effects on the mortality dynamics in homogeneous and nonhomogeneous(in radiosensitivity) mammalian populations are also studied by making use of the developed stochastic models. The most appealing feature of these mortality models consists of the fact that they account for the intrinsic properties of the exposed organism. Namely, within these models the stochastic biometrical functions are calculated proceeding from statistical characteristics and dynamics of the respective critical body system (hematopoiesis or small intestine). The performed theoretical investigations contribute to the development of the system and quantitative approaches in radiation biology and ecology. These studies elucidate the major regulatory mechanisms of the damage and recovery processes running in the vital body systems of exposed mammals and reveal the key par- eters characterizing the processes.