The study of nature is a complex science involving many different fields from geology and meteorology to biology, zoology, and botany. This complexity indicates nature's broad scope of impact. It is at once beautiful and dangerous, displaying power beyond human control. An understanding of the basic principles and concepts of the study of nature is therefore both enriching and practical. In The Handbook of Nature, authors Frank R. Spellman and Joni Price-Bayer provide a comprehensive guide to the study of nature in terms the layperson can grasp easily. This accessible reference work is for the non-specialist looking for quick, accurate information on all aspects of the study of nature. The handbook is arranged thematically for a logical and user-friendly progression through the material. It includes chapters on the earth's structure and landforms, the atmosphere and weather, water and water sources, and the many different forms of life from single-celled organisms to complex vertebrates. Along with basic natural scientific principles, the authors look closely at the consequences of human interactions with the environment we inhabit. This reference concludes with a glossary and index, and each chapter provides further resources and recommended reading. It is an essential tool for students and professionals alike.

A short but engaging exploration of the brain. In Brains, scientist Leif Østergaard explores our most complicated and mysterious organ. From the dissection of Einstein's brain to research on how to map networks of neurons, Østergaard deconstructs the different parts of the brain and provides an engaging overview of its essential functions. He explains how we store information in the synapses of neural networks and how these networks carry commands to our muscles and internal organs and receive sensory input from our skin, eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Delving into the subconscious, we learn what our brains are doing while we daydream and how neurotransmitters play a role in addiction. In this fascinating book, Østergaard reveals how this enigmatic organ is even more complex than we thought it was. In Reflections, a series copublished with Denmark's Aarhus University Press, scholars deliver 60-page reflections on key concepts. These books present unique insights on a wide range of topics that entertain and enlighten readers with exciting discoveries and new perspectives.

Although nanotechnology has revolutionized fields such as medicine, genetics, biology, bioengineering, mechanics, and chemistry, its increasing application in the food industry is relatively recent in comparison. Nanotechnology is being used to discover new methods for creating new flavors, extending food shelf life, and improving food protection and nutritional value. Nanotechnology in the food industry is now being explored for intelligent nutrient delivery systems, "smart" foods, contaminant detection nanodevices and nanosensors, advanced food processing, antimicrobial chemicals, encapsulation, and green nanomaterials. This new three-volume set, Nanotechnology Horizons in Food Process Engineering, addresses a multitude of topical issues and new developments in the field. Volume 1 focuses food preservation, food packaging and sustainable agriculture, while Volume 2 looks at nanotechnology in food process engineering, applications of biomaterials in food products, and the use of modern nanotechnology for human health. The third volume explores the newest trends in nanotechnology for food applications and their application for improving food delivery systems. Together, these three volumes provide a comprehensive and in-depth look at the emerging status of nanotechnology in the food processing industry, explaining the benefits and drawbacks of various methodologies that will aid in the improvement and development of food product sourcing and food hygiene monitoring methods. Volume 1 discusses emerging nanotechnolgical applications in food processing, packaging, and preservation. It focuses on using nanoparticles for safe and nutritional food production, protecting crops from pests, increasing nutritional value, and providing solutions for various environmental issues. This book especially deals with nanotechnology for controlling plant pathogens, food packaging and preservation, agricultural productivity, wastewater treatment, and bioenergy production. Volume 2 discusses nanotechnology use in non-thermal techniques such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEFs), pulsed light, ultraviolet, microwave, ohmic heating, electrospinning, and nano- and microencapsulation. This volume looks at the role and application of minimal processing techniques such as ozone treatment, vacuum drying, osmotic dehydration, dense phase carbon dioxide treatment, and high-pressure assisted freezing. The successful applications of nanotechnologies on juices, meat and fish, fruits and vegetable slices, food surface, purees, milk and milk products, extraction, drying enhancement, and encapsulation of micro-macro nutrients are also considered. The volume also presents several computer-aided techniques that are emerging in the food processing sector, such as robotics, radio frequency identification (RFID), three-dimensional food printing, artificial intelligence, etc. Significant role of food properties in design of specific food and edible packaging films have been elucidated. Volume 3: Trends, Nanomaterials and Food Delivery provides an overview of the current trends in nanotechnology for food applications and food delivery systems. Topics include a collection of chapters on diverse topics, including the stability of nanoparticles in food, nanobiosensing for the detection of food contaminants, nanotechnology applications in agriculture, the role of nanotechnology in nutrient delivery, how nanotechnology is applied in dairy products, biofunctional magnetic nanoparticles in food safety, the development of nutraceuticals using nanotechnological tools, and more.

The Advances in Cancer Research series provides invaluable information on the exciting and fast-moving field of cancer research. This volume presents outstanding and original reviews on a variety of topics, including Mdm2 - a regulator of cell growth and death; the systematic progression of human cancer; seizing of T-cells by human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type II; host cell dependent expression of latent Epstein-Barr virus genomes; and gene expression profiling of renal cell carcinoma and its implications in diagnosis prognosis and therapeutics.
The Advances in Cancer Research series provides invaluable information on the exciting and fast-moving field of cancer research. This volume presents outstanding and original reviews on a variety of topics, including Mdm2 - a regulator of cell growth and death; the systematic progression of human cancer; seizing of T-cells by human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus type II; host cell dependent expression of latent Epstein-Barr virus genomes; and gene expression profiling of renal cell carcinoma and its implications in diagnosis prognosis and therapeutics.

This book is a first course in statistics for students of biology. Most of the examples have an ecological bias, but illustrate principles which have direct relevance for biologists doing laboratory work. The structured approach begins with basic concepts, and progresses towards an appreciation of the needs and use of analysis of variance and regression, and includes the use of computer statistical packages. The work is clearly explained with worked examples of real-life biological problems, and should be suitable for undergraduate students engaged in quantitative biological work. Biostatistics should give students a sound grasp of the key principles of biological statistics without overwhelming detail, and should allow students to quickly apply techniques to their own work and data.

In the post-genome era, questions concerning gene products, enzymes, and metabolism are returning to the forefront of life science research. Genetic information on its own does not fully account for an enzyme's kinetic and regulatory properties or for the behavior of the enzymes within its particular cellular milieu. Unanswered questions about the regulation, integration, and adaptation of metabolism have led to a resurgence of interest in protein, enzymological, and metabolic research for understanding biological processes.

Functional Metabolism: Regulation and Adaptation provides a comprehensive survey of metabolism. It includes an in-depth examination of the regulation of carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids, and approaches to the study of enzyme regulation, signal transduction, and control of transcription and translation. The contributors-an internationally recognized group of researchers-also cover:

• The metabolic basis of diabetes, obesity, and blood disorders
• Oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in health and disease
• Novel perspectives on biochemical adaptation to environmental stress
• Application of metabolic knowledge to developments in organ preservation and understanding the origin of life

From the basics of metabolic regulation and adaptation to the latest relevant advances in the genetic, proteomic, and enzymatic basis of how cells regulate their functions, Functional Metabolism: Regulation and Adaptation offers the most exhaustive treatment of the subject currently available. It is an essential text for students and practitioners in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and biomedicine.