This volume contains studies on the evolution and function of lightweight constructions of planktonic and other organisms, and examples of how they can be used to create new solutions for radical innovations of lightweight constructions for technological application. The principles and underlying processes responsible for evolution and biodiversity of marine plankton organisms are highly relevant and largely unresolved issues in the field of marine science. Amongst the most promising objects for the study of evolution of stable lightweight constructions are marine organisms such as diatoms or radiolarians. Research in these fields requires interdisciplinary expertises such as in evolutionary modelling, paleontology, lightweight optimization, functional morphology, and marine ecology. Considerable effort and expert knowledge in production engineering or lightweight optimization is necessary to transfer knowledge on biogenic structures and evolutionary principles into new lightweight solutions. This book show methods and examples of how this can be achieved efficiently.

Mechanical laws of motion were applied very early for better understanding anthropomorphic action as suggested in advance by Newton "For from hence are easily deduced the forces of machines, which are compounded of wheels, pullies, levers, cords, and weights, ascending directly or obliquely, and other mechanical powers; as also the force of the tendons to move the bones of animals". In the 19th century E.J. Marey and E. Muybridge introduced chronophotography to scientifically investigate animal and human movements. They opened the field of motion analysis by being the first scientists to correlate ground reaction forces with kinetics. Despite of the apparent simplicity of a given skilled movement, the organization of the underlying neuro-musculo-skeletal system remains unknown. A reason is the redundancy of the motor system: a given action can be realized by different muscle and joint activity patterns, and the same underlying activity may give rise to several movements. After the pioneering work of N. Bernstein in the 60's on the existence of motor synergies, numerous researchers "walking on the border" of their disciplines tend to discover laws and principles underlying the human motions and how the brain reduces the redundancy of the system. These synergies represent the fundamental building blocks composing complex movements. In robotics, researchers face the same redundancy and complexity challenges as the researchers in life sciences. This book gathers works of roboticists and researchers in biomechanics in order to promote an interdisciplinary research on anthropomorphic systems at large and on humanoid robotics in particular.

Wetlands are increasingly viewed as valuable resources rather than wastelands and appreciated as reservoirs for species diversity. These two companion volumes provide the naturalist and field worker with complete descriptions and illustrations of 312 plant species found in Adirondack wetlands and sufficient information for the identification of many more. We hope you will take the books along on your next outing and begin to share our fascination with wetland plants.

Biomaterials Effect on the Bone Microenvironment Practical resource on clinical bone regeneration from a variety of related interdisciplinary researchers Biomaterials Effect on the Bone Microenvironment focuses on the structure-activity relationship between bone biomaterials and microenvironment regulation, presenting a systematic exposition from all aspects of biomaterials regulated microenvironment in bone regeneration and covering design strategies, applications, and mechanisms of biomaterials that regulate bone microenvironment, along with the methods for manufacturing biomaterials and their clinical translation. The subject's potential challenges and future development direction are discussed, and the design and initiative principle of tailored biomaterials with various features, including bioactive components and physicochemical property, are elucidated in depth. Numerous biomaterials, including natural and synthetic, are summarized and compared. Their advantages and features are also evaluated, particularly in bone microenvironmental regulation and bone generation. Moreover, the stimulation mechanism of the microenvironment to bone generation is discussed in detail, including mechanical-support effect, redox effect, pro-angiogenesis effect, inflammatory immune effect, and anti-aging effect. Biomaterials Effect on the Bone Microenvironment provides further coverage of sample topics such as: Role of bone microenvironment and its associated biomaterials in modulation bone diseases, reviewing the biomaterials used to regulate bone microenvironment Relationship between biological factors of various materials and physiological functions in bone microenvironment Application of the third generation of biomaterials, which would regenerate the bone to regulate bone microenvironment Emerging biological material manufacturing technology and mechanisms of novel biomaterial modulating microenvironment for bone regeneration Future outlook of bone tissue engineering along with the general process of bone remodeling and regeneration With comprehensive coverage of one of the most promising and valuable candidates for clinical bone regeneration, Biomaterials Effect on the Bone Microenvironment is an ideal resource for materials scientists, biotechnologists, biochemists, bioengineers, orthopedists, and clinical chemists who want to stay on the cutting edge of this rapidly evolving field.

The Great Lagoon is a central part of the Szczecin Lagoon, a major component in the Odra River estuary system. It is also an important European natural heritage site and one of the largest resting places for migratory birds in the Baltic Sea area. The first part of Wolnomiejski's and Witek's book gives a thorough overview of the most up-to-date knowledge of this region, including the assessment of its biological production. Based on these findings authors develop a food web model of the Polish part of the Szczecin Lagoon, identifying a total of 45 trophic-functional components. The model describes a variety of features ranging from the magnitude of consumption, to the amount of unassimilated food and export of individual system components, and serves as an invaluable source, helping researchers to estimate various ecological indicators of The Great Lagoon's ecosystem.

Systems Biology in Toxicology and Environmental Health uses a systems biological perspective to detail the most recent findings that link environmental exposures to human disease, providing an overview of molecular pathways that are essential for cellular survival after exposure to environmental toxicants, recent findings on gene-environment interactions influencing environmental agent-induced diseases, and the development of computational methods to predict susceptibility to environmental agents. Introductory chapters on molecular and cellular biology, toxicology and computational biology are included as well as an assessment of systems-based tools used to evaluate environmental health risks. Further topics include research on environmental toxicants relevant to human health and disease, various high-throughput technologies and computational methods, along with descriptions of the biological pathways associated with disease and the developmental origins of disease as they relate to environmental contaminants. Systems Biology in Toxicology and Environmental Health is an essential reference for undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers looking for an introduction in the use of systems biology approaches to assess environmental exposures and their impacts on human health.

Biology textbooks and books on the history of science generally give a limited picture of the roles women have played in the growth and development of the biological sciences, mentioning primarily the Nobel laureates. This book provides a definitive archival collection of essays on a larger group of women, profiling both their work and their lives. The volume includes 65 representative women from different countries and eras, and from as many branches of biological investigation as possible. In addition to biographical information and an evaluation of the woman's career and significance, each entry provides a full bibliographic listing of works by and about the subject. The volume includes entries on women who have gained recognition through attainment of advanced degrees despite familial and societal pressures, innovative research results, influence exerted in teaching and guidance of students, active participation and leadership in professional societies, extensive scholarly publication, participation on journal editorial boards, extensive field experience, and influence on public and political scientific policymaking. A woman was considered eligible for inclusion if she met several of these criteria. Providing a historical perspective, the book is limited to women who were born before 1930 or are deceased.

Presenting a state-of-the-art overview of theoretical and computational models that link characteristic biomechanical phenomena, this book provides guidelines and examples for creating multiscale models in representative systems and organisms. It develops the reader's understanding of and intuition for multiscale phenomena in biomechanics and mechanobiology, and introduces a mathematical framework and computational techniques paramount to creating predictive multiscale models. Biomechanics involves the study of the interactions of physical forces with biological systems at all scales - including molecular, cellular, tissue and organ scales. The emerging field of mechanobiology focuses on the way that cells produce and respond to mechanical forces - bridging the science of mechanics with the disciplines of genetics and molecular biology. Linking disparate spatial and temporal scales using computational techniques is emerging as a key concept in investigating some of the complex problems underlying these disciplines. Providing an invaluable field manual for graduate students and researchers of theoretical and computational modelling in biology, this book is also intended for readers interested in biomedical engineering, applied mechanics and mathematical biology.

The second volume in a series which aims to focus on advances in computational biology. This volume discusses such topics as: statistical analysis of protein sequences; progress in large-scale sequence analysis; and the architecture of loops in proteins.

The technologies in data mining have been applied to bioinformatics research in the past few years with success, but more research in this field is necessary. While tremendous progress has been made over the years, many of the fundamental challenges in bioinformatics are still open. Data mining plays a essential role in understanding the emerging problems in genomics, proteomics, and systems biology. ""Advanced Data Mining Technologies in Bioinformatics"" covers important research topics of data mining on bioinformatics. Readers of this book will gain an understanding of the basics and problems of bioinformatics, as well as the applications of data mining technologies in tackling the problems and the essential research topics in the field. ""Advanced Data Mining Technologies in Bioinformatics"" is extremely useful for data mining researchers, molecular biologists, graduate students, and others interested in this topic.