Guiding readers from the elucidation and analysis of a genomic sequence to the prediction of a protein structure and the identification of the molecular function, Introduction to Bioinformatics describes the rationale and limitations of the bioinformatics methods and tools that can help solve biological problems. Requiring only a limited mathematical and statistical background, the book shows how to efficiently apply these approaches to biological data and evaluate the resulting information.

The author, an expert bioinformatics researcher, first addresses the ways of storing and retrieving the enormous amount of biological data produced every day and the methods of decrypting the information encoded by a genome. She then covers the tools that can detect and exploit the evolutionary and functional relationships among biological elements. Subsequent chapters illustrate how to predict the three-dimensional structure of a protein. The book concludes with a discussion of the future of bioinformatics.

Even though the future will undoubtedly offer new tools for tackling problems, most of the fundamental aspects of bioinformatics will not change. This resource provides the essential information to understand bioinformatics methods, ultimately facilitating in the solution of biological problems.

First published in 1980. Animal agriculture serves human needs. Three-fourths of the protein, one-third of the energy, most of the calcium and phosphorus and substantial amounts of essential vitamins and other minerals in the American diet are from animal products. Recognizing that innovative research holds the key to meeting these challenges, 210 concerned individuals convened at Boyne Mountain, Michigan, May 4 to 9, 1980. Their goal was to identify priorities for future research to enable animal agriculture to efficiently and effectively serve human needs in the 21st century. These proceedings represent the best collective judgment on research priorities by a group of informed and dedicated people concerned with the future role of animal agriculture in meeting human needs.

A thoroughly updated introduction to forensic entomology In the newly revised second edition of The Science of Forensic Entomology, two distinguished entomologists deliver a foundational and practical resource that equips students and professionals to be able to understand and resolve questions concerning the presence of specific insects at crime scenes. Each chapter in the book addresses a topic that delves into the underlying biological principles and concepts relevant to the insect biology that grounds the use of insects in legal and investigational contexts. In addition to non-traditional topics, including the biology of maggot masses, temperature tolerances of necrophagous insects, chemical attraction and communication, reproductive strategies of necrophagous flies, and archaeoentomology, the book also offers readers: A thorough introduction to the role of forensic science in criminal investigations and the history of forensic entomology Comprehensive discussions of the biology, taxonomy, and natural history of forensically important insects Fulsome treatments of the postmortem decomposition of human remains and vertebrate carrion In-depth introduction to the concepts of accumulated degree days and the use of insect development for estimation of the postmortem interval New chapters dedicated to forensic entomotoxicology, aquatic insects in forensic investigations, microbiomes of forensic insects and carrion, professional standards, and case studies Perfect for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in forensic entomology, forensic biology, and general forensic science, The Science of Forensic Entomology will also earn a place in the libraries of law enforcement and forensic investigators, as well as researchers in forensic entomology

Consciousness is our gateway to experience: it enables us to recognize Van Gogh's starry skies, be enraptured by Beethoven's Fifth, and stand in awe of a snowcapped mountain. Yet consciousness is subjective, personal, and famously difficult to examine: philosophers have for centuries declared this mental entity so mysterious as to be impenetrable to science. In The Ravenous Brain , neuroscientist Daniel Bor departs sharply from this historical view, and builds on the latest research to propose a new model for how consciousness works. Bor argues that this brain-based faculty evolved as an accelerated knowledge gathering tool. Consciousness is effectively an idea factory- that choice mental space dedicated to innovation, a key component of which is the discovery of deep structures within the contents of our awareness. This model explains our brains' ravenous appetite for information- and in particular, its constant search for patterns. Why, for instance, after all our physical needs have been met, do we recreationally solve crossword or Sudoku puzzles? Such behaviour may appear biologically wasteful, but, according to Bor, this search for structure can yield immense evolutionary benefits- it led our ancestors to discover fire and farming, pushed modern society to forge ahead in science and technology, and guides each one of us to understand and control the world around us. But the sheer innovative power of human consciousness carries with it the heavy cost of mental fragility. Bor discusses the medical implications of his theory of consciousness, and what it means for the origins and treatment of psychiatric ailments, including attention-deficit disorder, schizophrenia, manic depression, and autism. All mental illnesses, he argues, can be reformulated as disorders of consciousness- a perspective that opens up new avenues of treatment for alleviating mental suffering. A controversial view of consciousness, The Ravenous Brain links cognition to creativity in an ingenious solution to one of science's biggest mysteries.

This major new series in the philosophy of science aims to provide a new generation of textbooks for the subject. The series will not only offer fresh treatments of core topics in the theory and methodology of scientific knowledge, but also introductions to newer areas of the discipline. Furthermore, the series will cover topics in current science that raise significant foundational issues both for scientific theory and for philosophy more generally. Biology raises distinct questions of its own not only for philosophy of science, but for metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. This comprehensive new textbook for a rapidly growing field of study provides students new to the subject with an up-to-date presentation of the key philosophical issues. Care is taken throughout to keep the technicalities accessible to the non-biologist but without sacrificing the philosophical subtleties. The first part of the book covers the philosophical challenges posed by evolution and evolutionary biology, beginning with Darwin's central argument in the Origin of the Species. Individual chapters cover natural selection, the selfish gene, alternative units of selection, developmental systems theory, adaptionism and issues in macroevolution. The second part of the book examines philosophical questions arising in connection with biological traits, function, nature and nurture, and biological kinds. The third part of the book examines metaphysical questions, biology's relation with the traditional concerns of philosophy of science, and how evolution has been introduced into epistemological debates. The final part considers the relevance of biology to questions about ethics, religion and human nature.

Full of biological applications, exercises, and interactive graphical examples, Foundational and Applied Statistics for Biologists Using R presents comprehensive coverage of both modern analytical methods and statistical foundations. The author harnesses the inherent properties of the R environment to enable students to examine the code of complicated procedures step by step and thus better understand the process of obtaining analysis results. The graphical capabilities of R are used to provide interactive demonstrations of simple to complex statistical concepts. Assuming only familiarity with algebra and general calculus, the text offers a flexible structure for both introductory and graduate-level biostatistics courses. The first seven chapters address fundamental topics in statistics, such as the philosophy of science, probability, estimation, hypothesis testing, sampling, and experimental design. The remaining four chapters focus on applications involving correlation, regression, ANOVA, and tabular analyses. Unlike classic biometric texts, this book provides students with an understanding of the underlying statistics involved in the analysis of biological applications. In particular, it shows how a solid statistical foundation leads to the correct application of procedures, a clear understanding of analyses, and valid inferences concerning biological phenomena. Web ResourceAn R package (asbio) developed by the author is available from CRAN. Accessible to those without prior command-line interface experience, this companion library contains hundreds of functions for statistical pedagogy and biological research. The author's website also includes an overview of R for novices.

First Published in 2018. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an Informa company.

Please note this title is suitable for any student studying: Exam Board: AQA Level: A Level Subject: Biology First teaching: September 2015; first exams: June 2017 Oxford Revise is a fresh, evidence-based approach to studying; created by the teacher-trusted Oxford Science author team and informed by the latest research into the best ways to make learning stick, it organises content in the most effective way for successful learning, ideal for independent study throughout the school year and in the lead-up to exams. Based on principles of cognitive science, the simple three-step Knowledge, Retrieval, and Practice approach helps students to organise information and commit it to long-term memory, improve retention and recall, and apply knowledge successfully with extensive exam-style practice. It's everything students need to study effectively and fully prepare for their exams, in one convenient book. Each paperback purchased includes free access to an ebook version of the title. Details on how to access it are printed inside the book. Answers will be available online at oxfordrevise.com/scienceanswers.

Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate considers the consequences of changes in the atmosphere and climate on the integrity, stability, and productivity of agroecosystems. The book adopts a novel approach by bringing together theoretical contributions from ecologists and the applied interpretations of agriculturalists. Drawing these two approaches together, the book provides the theoretical underpinning that guides scientists on what phenomena to look for, looking beyond first-order responses in the creation of sustainable agroecosystems. This unique approach provides an interpretation of ecological insights and general theory, and then relates them to agroecosystem performance.

Each section of the book combines general principles of response with an examination of the applied consequences. The authors cover the supply of resources necessary to sustain agriculture in the future and discuss the incidence of pests, weeds, diseases, and their control. They provide an understanding of how the population biology of organisms will change and the adaptations that might be possible. The book also explores plant breeding solutions and the capacity for adaptation that exists in plant populations. In addition to the full chapters, the book includes Special Example chapters that deal in more detail with specific issues.

Presenting a global perspective of climate change effects on agricultural production, Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate establishes connections between the immediate effects of change and the longer-term processes that will ultimately determine the consequences for agroecosystems and therefore the potential for adaptation.

First published in 1982: This publication should be an invaluable tool to food technologists, dieticians, and nutritionalists, as well as to livestock producers and persons engaged in production, processing, and formulation of animal feeds.

The first edition of this book, Basic Concepts in Organ Procurement, Perfusion and Preservation for Transplantation, was published 27 years ago, in 1982 when organ procurement and preservation began to advance in the study of the best ways to preserve organs for transplantation. The second edition, Organ Procurement and Preservation for Transplantation, 2nd Edition, followed 15 years later, in 1997, with the goal of finding common denominators in the best preservation techniques for transplantation. In this current third edition, 11 years after the second edition, similar goals are still pursued of defining the best preservation methods, but there is now more evidence, including results, and new advances have reached publication and are being incorporated into ischemia and reperfusion techniques and organ preservation studies. Many preservation solutions have been introduced, important preservation solution components have been better defined, and improved perfusion methods are being considered, especially for the increasing number of organ donors with non-beating hearts who are being sought for transplantation. This edition (2009) engaged experts in the field of organ preservation to review, update, and rewrite each of the chapters. Crafted in collaboration with Luis H. Toledo-Pereyra, the text is eminently informative and easily understandable. Each solid organ that can be transplanted has an entire chapter devoted to the particular methods of its preservation. One chapter apiece, in other words, features insights on the preservation of the kidney, the liver, the pancreas, the small bowel, the heart, and the heart-lung. The title of the present book has been shortened to better represent its content. Thus, Organ Preservation for Transplantation, 3rd Edition, demonstrates a more accurate depiction of its current status. Nevertheless, the goal of this book remains exactly the same as in the first edition, that is "to analyze the most important aspects of organ procurement, perfusion and preservation for transplantation".

Unprecedented advances in genetics and biotechnology have brought profound new insights into human biological variation. These present challenges and opportunities for understanding the origins of human nature, the nature of difference, and the social practices these sustain. This provides an opportunity for cooperation between the biological and social sciences one that is capable of prompting a synergistic exchange of ideas with far-reaching implications. The Nature of Differencecritically analyses biological explanations for morality, criminality, race, sexuality, and disability. Based on the 45th annual symposium of the Society for the Study of Human Biology, this work synthesizes the perspectives of established experts in the field of human biology with those studying the social meanings of human biological variation and scientific practices in human biological research. Some questions addressed by The Nature of Difference: Is there a biological basis for morality, criminality, witchcraft, sexuality or disability? What do comparisons of humans and apes tell us about society? How do people draw on scientific methods to justify racism? Why do geneticists continue to use racial categories in their research? Do ethical guidelines constrain or facilitate research into human biology? Can science and society escape from biological determinism? As biotechnology expands the frontiers of what we know and what we are able to do, and as the genomic revolution moves out of the laboratory and into our daily lives, we are faced with a number of pressing social issues that need to be resolved. Offering an unparall

Microarray Image and Data Analysis: Theory and Practice is a compilation of the latest and greatest microarray image and data analysis methods from the multidisciplinary international research community. Delivering a detailed discussion of the biological aspects and applications of microarrays, the book: Describes the key stages of image processing, gridding, segmentation, compression, quantification, and normalization Features cutting-edge approaches to clustering, biclustering, and the reconstruction of regulatory networks Covers different types of microarrays such as DNA, protein, tissue, and low- and high-density oligonucleotide arrays Examines the current state of various microarray technologies, including their availability and affordability Explains how data generated by microarray experiments are analyzed to obtain meaningful biological conclusions An essential reference for academia and industry, Microarray Image and Data Analysis: Theory and Practice provides readers with valuable tools and techniques that extend to a wide range of biological studies and microarray platforms.

The proliferation of herbal remedies worldwide has most dangerously outpaced quality information on their safe use. This book fills a tremendous void by offering authoritative information on the actions of herbal remedies and the results of their interactions with standard medications. It offers specific, authoritative information with a conceptual approach that focuses not only on the specific interactions, but also on the mechanisms behind those interactions and their clinical significance. With contributions from leading experts on herb-drug interactions, the text examines the overall use of herbs, includes sections on individual herbs, and considers regulatory issues and concerns.

Beatrice Bressan brings together a number of outstanding examples of successful cross-disciplinary technology transfer originating in fundamental physics research, which dramatically impacted progress in biomedical research and clinical applications. Many of these examples were developed at CERN, a hotbed of fundamental inventions in particle physics. Additional sections of the book deal with knowledge management and technology transfer including its economic aspects. While each chapter has been drafted by an expert in the field, the editor has carefully edited the whole book, ensuring a coherent overall structure. A must-have for policy makers, technology companies, investors, strategic planners in research and technology, as well as attractive reading for the research community.

Using time-to-event analysis methodology requires careful definition of the event, censored observation, provision of adequate follow-up, number of events, and independence or "noninformativeness" of the censoring mechanisms relative to the event. Design and Analysis of Clinical Trials with Time-to-Event Endpoints provides a thorough presentation of the design, monitoring, analysis, and interpretation of clinical trials in which time-to-event is of critical interest. After reviewing time-to-event endpoint methodology, clinical trial issues, and the design and monitoring of clinical trials, the book focuses on inferential analysis methods, including parametric, semiparametric, categorical, and Bayesian methods; an alternative to the Cox model for small samples; and estimation and testing for change in hazard. It then presents descriptive and graphical methods useful in the analysis of time-to-event endpoints. The next several chapters explore a variety of clinical trials, from analgesic, antibiotic, and antiviral trials to cardiovascular and cancer prevention, prostate cancer, astrocytoma brain tumor, and chronic myelogonous leukemia trials. The book then covers areas of drug development, medical practice, and safety assessment. It concludes with the design and analysis of clinical trials of animals required by the FDA for new drug applications. Drawing on the expert contributors' experiences working in biomedical research and clinical drug development, this comprehensive resource covers an array of time-to-event methods and explores an assortment of real-world applications.

Collecting and analyzing data on unemployment, inflation, and inequality help describe the complex world around us. When published by the government, such data are called official statistics. They are reported by the media, used by politicians to lend weight to their arguments, and by economic commentators to opine about the state of society. Despite such widescale use, explanations about how these measures are constructed are seldom provided for a non-technical reader. This Measuring Society book is a short, accessible guide to six topics: jobs, house prices, inequality, prices for goods and services, poverty, and deprivation. Each relates to concepts we use on a personal level to form an understanding of the society in which we live: We need a job, a place to live, and food to eat. Using data from the United States, we answer three basic questions: why, how, and for whom these statistics have been constructed. We add some context and flavor by discussing the historical background. This book provides the reader with a good grasp of these measures. Chaitra H. Nagaraja is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York. Her research interests include house price indices and inequality measurement. Prior to Fordham, Dr. Nagaraja was a researcher at the U.S. Census Bureau. While there, she worked on projects relating to the American Community Survey.

This Second Edition examines the mechanisms and means to establish regulatory compliance for pharmaceutical products and company practices. It focuses on major legislative revisions that impact requirements for drug safety reviews, product regulatory approvals, and marketing practices. Written by top industry professionals, practicing attorneys, and FDA regulators, it includes policies and procedures that pharmaceutical companies need to implement regulatory compliance post-approval. New chapters cover: the marketing of unapproved new drugs and FDA efforts to keep them in regulatory compliance pharmacovigilance programs designed to prevent widespread safety issues legal issues surrounding the sourcing of foreign APIs the issues of counterfeit drugs updates on quality standards

Completely updated, this new edition explains the major methods of experimental design and evaluation such as multivariate, sequential, and principal components analysis. It offers new sections on neural networks, artificial intelligence, fractional designs, and optimization techniques. Taking a practice-orientated approach, it employs current case studies to illustrate important concepts, so as to deliver a clear understanding of statistical approaches without repeating information from older statistics textbooks. It supplies appendices on statistical tables, computer programs in BASIC and MINITAB Commands, sequential analysis grids, and matrices.

"The most significant changes in isolation technology during the past five years have not been in the technology itself but in its increased acceptance. This acceptance is clearly demonstrated by the series of monographs, guidelines, and standards produced by regulatory bodies to describe best practice in the design and operation of isolators. Thoroughly revised and updated, Isolation Technology: A Practical Guide, Second Edition provides an in-depth overview of new standards and new technology. Here's what's new in the Second Edition: ""

This revised second edition provides an introductory guide through the maze of interdisciplinary themes that comprise 'biodiversity.' It combines biological sciences with insights into the origins, variety and distribution of biodiversity, analysis of the social and political context, and the threats to, and opportunities for, the survival of natural systems.

Whilst retaining its existing structure, this updated new edition reflects advances that have demonstrated the importance of living systems as drivers of environmental services vital to human health and security. The final chapter has been revised to tackle more explicitly the contrasting approaches to conservation, and throughout, the book has been updated to reflect new research and developments.

With highly original international case studies and ample illustrations to explain difficult topics clearly, this excellent book remains the only introductory text which brings together the full range of theory and practice of biodiversity and conservation .

That a relation exists between lipids/lipoproteins and coronary artery disease is no longer an arguable point. However, the complexities associated with this relationship, and the number of factors that can impact and alter circumstances and clinical status, are many and diverse. Consequently, this relationship continues to receive a great deal of focus from researchers. Lipid Metabolism and Health, in presenting the latest statement from those positioned on the cutting edge in this arena, provides an overview and historical perspective of the evolution of serum lipids and lipoproteins. It traces their development from a mere curiosity to their acceptance as an established and major coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factor, and, ultimately, to their becoming the subject of clinical guidelines. Considerable attention is focused on the fundamentals, beginning with a chapter on basic lipidology, and progresses through such topics as lipid/lipoprotein metabolism, and the biology of atherosclerosis. Additional topics include methodologies for measuring lipoproteins, clinical strategies used to manage unhealthy lipid levels, and discussion of important influential factors such as obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, diet/nutrition, exercise, cigarette smoking and environmental tobacco smoke, and age, as well as gender, race, and other heredity factors. Qualified and recognized experts in their specific fields of study were recruited by the editors to contribute chapters. They include top researchers in, nutrition, pharmacology, exercise science, and several areas of clinical medicine including cardiology, kinesiology, and immunology. Lipid Metabolism and Health provides a usefulscientific and educational tool for researchers, clinicians, academicians, and students seeking a timely and bona fide source of information on the relationship between lipids and health.

This symposium, held in Argentina in March 2003, commemorates Otto Nordenskjoeld's 1901 expedition, and pays tribute to the Swedish and Argentinian explorers who took on the challenge of early fieldwork in Patagonia and Antarctica. This theme is extended to include recent fieldwork in the natural sciences in the Archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, the Antarctic Peninsula and the sub-Antarctic seas, and celebrates the fruitfulness of continuing Swedish-Argentinian scientific cooperation. The symposium and associated activities took place in the cities of Buenos Aires, La Plata and Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego), and this book includes a selection of the most significant contributions presented at the meeting.

The advances made in vascular biology in the last 25 years have considerably changed the perception that one could have of the endothelial cells. Once considered as a diffusion barrier preventing the access of the blood cells to the vascular matrix, the endothelium is now recognized as playing a major role in the control of blood fluidity, platelet aggregation, and vascular tone, but also in immunology, inflammation, angiogenesis, and for serving as a metabolizing and an endocrine organ.
-- from the preface
Cardiovascular diseases, so prevalent in the Western world during the twentieth century, could well become the scourge of the twenty-first century in emerging countries as well as the West. Endothelial dysfunction linked to an imbalance in the synthesis and/or release of contracting and relaxing factors is often evoked to explain the initiation of the cardiovascular pathology or its development and perpetuation. Two decades ago, when nitric oxide was demonstrated to mediate endothelium-dependent relaxations, the vascular world seemed convinced that nitric oxide was the ultimate and sole explanation for such relaxations. However not everyone agreed.
EDHF: The Complete Story is the work of two leading researchers who did not accept that simple conclusion, but instead continued to search, along with others, for a deeper understanding of the ways in which endothelial cells communicate with the underlying smooth muscle to signal it to hyperpolarize. Now with most, if not all, of those ways, uncovered, the authors offer this summary as way of bringing closure to the quest.
This monograph reports on the work of many researchers. It summarizes the significant recent discoveries concerning endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizations, which are likely to play a much more important role in cardiovascular physiology and pathology than was originally foreseen
Extensively illustrated with original diagrams and schematics that summarize the different steps of endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization, the text is designed for vascular biologists, and cardiologists, as well as graduate students looking to gain an understanding of the intimate functioning of the blood vessel wall.