This book explores the socio-political implications of human heredity from the second half of the nineteenth century to the present postgenomic moment. It addresses three main phases in the politicization of heredity: the peak of radical eugenics (1900-1945), characterized by an aggressive ethos of supporting the transformation of human society via biological knowledge; the repositioning, after 1945, of biological thinking into a liberal-democratic, human rights framework; and the present postgenomic crisis in which the genome can no longer be understood as insulated from environmental signals. In Political Biology, Maurizio Meloni argues that thanks to the ascendancy of epigenetics we may be witnessing a return to soft heredity - the idea that these signals can cause changes in biology that are themselves transferable to succeeding generations. This book will be of great interest to scholars across science and technology studies, the philosophy and history of science, and political and social theory.

Despite the popular perception that genetic explanations of the causes of crime are new, biological determinism dates back to the birth of criminology, and the ideas of the man widely regarded as its founder, Cesare Lombroso. His 1876 work, DEGREESICriminal Man DEGREESR, drew on Darwin to propose that most lawbreakers were throwbacks to a more primitive level of human evolution--identifiable by their physical traits, such as small heads, flat noses, large ears, and the like. These born criminals could not escape their biological destiny.

The scientific appeal of these theories of criminal anthropology had a powerful and long-lasting impact on criminological theory and practice in contemporary Italy, Europe, and the Western world as a whole, and even today the stereotypes they created resonate in popular culture. But while these ideas had a wide influence, their origins were very much in a specific time and place--the political, economic, and social history of modern Italy. Gibson shows that understanding the development of Lombroso's thinking is much more complicated than merely pinning his ideas onto the left-right political spectrum; he influenced socialists and fascists, lawyers and doctors, policemen and social workers alike. In the end, she argues for a more subtle interpretation of his theories, emphasizing that Lombroso himself acknowledged the multifaceted nature of criminal behavior.

This book reviews various aspects of papaya genomics, including existing genetic and genomic resources, recent progress on structural and functional genomics, and their applications in papaya improvement. Organized into four sections, the volume explores the origin and domestication of papaya, classic genetics and breeding, recent progress on molecular genetics, and current and future applications of genomic resources for papaya improvement. Bolstered by contributions from authorities in the field, Genetics and Genomics of Papaya is a valuable resource that provides the most up to date information for papaya researchers and plant biologists.

A Two Ribosome Model for Attenuation (G.W. Hatfield). Regulation of Ribosomal Proteins mRNA Translation in Bacteria (C. Portier, M. GrunbergManago). How Elongation Factors Steer the Ribosomal Elongation Cycle (K.H. Nierhaus, F. Triana). Genetics of Translation Initiation Factors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (L. Feng, T.F. Donahue). Regulation of GCN4 Expression in Yeast (A.G. Hinnebusch et al.). Co and PostTranslational Processes and Mitochondrial Import of Yeast Cytochrome c (F. Sherman et al.). EIF4E Phosphorylation and the Regulation of Protein Synthesis (R.M. Frederickson, N. Sonenberg). InterferonInduced and DoubleStranded RNAActivated Proteins (A.G. Hovanessian). Translational Regulation by Vaccinia Virus (R. Bablanian). Translational Control by AdenovirusAssociated RNA I (B. Thimmapaya et al.). Translational Regulation in Adenovirus Infected Cells (R.J. Schneider, Y. Zhang). 12 additional articles. Index.

Considerable advances have taken place since the initial isolation and characterization of human embryonic stem (HES) cells; however, significant challenges remain before their potential for restoration and regeneration processes in patients can be realized. Understanding the diversity amongst HES cell lines and realizing the ability to isolate lines with robust differentiation potential remain difficult. In the Human Embryonic Stem Cells Handbook, experts in the field provide an assortment of protocols that have been used by various laboratories around the world so as to allow both novices and experienced investigators to compare and contrast different approaches to HES cell isolation and characterization with the hope that, from these protocols, researchers might standardize approaches for HES cell biology. Written in the 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 for troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Human Embryonic Stem Cells Handbook serves as a valuable reference for scientists pursuing this vital field and its enormous potential.

This book provides a premier resource on understanding the ribosome's essential nature and how it interacts with other proteins and nucleic acids to control protein synthesis. As one of the central foundations in our understanding of the biology at the molecular level, this topic appeals to a wide audience, from bench researcher to clinician. With the advent of atomic scale structures, methods to visualize and separate individual molecules, and the computational power to model the complex interactions of over a million atoms at once, our understanding of how gene expression is controlled at the level of protein translation is now deeply ensconced in the biophysical realm."

'Behavioral Neuroscience of Learning and Memory' brings together the opinions and expertise of some of the world's foremost neuroscientists in the field of learning and memory research. The volume provides a broad coverage of contemporary research and thinking in this field, focusing both on well established topics such as the medial temporal lobe memory system, as well as emerging areas of research such as the role of memory in decision making and the mechanisms of perceptual learning. Key intersecting themes include the molecular and cellular mechanisms of memory formation, the multiplicity of memory systems in the brain, and the way in which technological innovation is driving discovery. Unusually for a volume of this kind, this volume brings together research from both humans and animals-often relatively separate areas of discourse-to give a more comprehensive and integrated view of the field. The book will be of interest to both established researchers who wish to broaden their knowledge of topics outside of their specific areas of expertise, and for students who need a resource to help them make sense of the vast scientific literature on this subject.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells have seen an unprecedented level of interest in the last decade, primarily due to their relative ease of isolation, the large numbers of cells present in the adult, and the ability to propagate these cells in culture. In Mesenchymal Stem Cell Assays and Applications, expert researchers from across the globe explore the latest techniques to propagate, characterize, and engineer this special cell type. Chapters outline a set of protocols and assays used by leading investigators in the field, providing standards that can be applied by all researchers to the population of cells used in their experiments. Composed in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, each chapter contains a brief introduction, step-by-step methods, a list of necessary materials, and a Notes section which shares tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Ground-breaking and current, Mesenchymal Stem Cell Assays and Applications is a necessary handbook for all researchers working with this ambiguous population of cells.

The difference among pluripotent stem cells, multipotent stem cells, and unipotent stem cells is pointed out. Vast therapeutic applications of the following specific stem cells in disease and tissue injury are discussed: human embryonic stem cells, human mesenchymal stem cells, germ cell-derived pluripotent stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, human umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells, breast tumor stem cells,and hematopoietic stem cells. Because of the potential of human embryonic stem cells to produce unlimited quantities of any human cell type, considerable focus is placed on their therapeutic potential. Because of their pluripotency, these cells have been used in various applications such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, pharmacological and toxicological studies, and fundamental studies of cell differentiation. The formation of embryoid bodies, which are three-dimensional aggregates of embryonic stem cells, is explained as this is the first step in cell differentiation. Such embryoid body culture has been widely used as a trigger for the in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells. The basic capacity of self-renewal of human embryogenic stem cells is explained. The role of TGF-beta in the propagation of human embryonic stem cells is discussed. The differentiation of human embryonic stem cells into neurons, hepatocytes, cardiomyocytes, and retinal cells is fully explained. Donor policies for hematopoietic stem cells are also explained.

The fourth edition of this classic text continues to provide the basis for understanding genetic principles behind quantitative differences, and extends these concepts to the segregation of genes that cause genetic variation in quantitative traits. The authors explain key techniques and methods.

JAK tyrosine kinases and STAT transcription factors constitute a signaling pathway, which is activated by cytokines. By activating gene transcription it regulates essential biological responses to environmental cues. The Jak-Stat pathway is involved in the regulation of cell development, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Improper function may contribute to hematopoietic malignancies and cancer. This book provides comprehensive insights into the latest basic and clinical developments in the field. The first part reviews recent findings and new technologies pertaining to basics of Jak-Stat function. The second part describes the evolution of Jak-Stat signaling and the role of the pathway in invertebrate organisms. The third part focuses on Jak-Stat signaling in hematopoietic cells under both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Finally, chapters in the fourth section describe the relationship of Jak-Stat signaling to various states of disease, particularly infection, leukemias and solid cancers. The book is intended for all scientists in molecular biology, biochemistry and cell biology dealing with biomedical issues.

This book presents a long-term study in genetic isolates of indigenous small ethnics of Dagestan, located in the North-East part of Caucasus in Russia. Dagestan is characterized by extreme cultural and linguistic differences in a small geographic area and contains 26 indigenous ethnic groups. According to archeological data these indigenous highland ethnics have been living in the same area for more than ten thousand years. Our long-term population-genetic study of Dagestan indigenous ethnic groups indicates their close relation to each other and suggests that they evolved from one common ancestral meta-population. Dagestan has an extremely high genetic diversity between ethnic populations and a low genetic diversity within them. Such genetic isolates are exceptional resources for the detection of susceptibility genes for complex diseases because of the reduction in genetic and clinical heterogeneity. The founder effect and gene drift in these primary isolates may have caused aggregation of specific haplotypes with limited numbers of pathogenic alleles and loci in some isolates relative to others. The book presents a study in four ethnically and demographically diverse genetic isolates with aggregation of schizophrenia that we ascertained within our Dagestan Genetic Heritage Research Project. The results obtained support the notion that mapping genes of any complex disease (e.g., schizophrenia) in demographically older genetic isolates may be more time and cost effective due to their high clinical and genetic homogeneity, in comparison with demographically younger isolates, especially with genetically heterogeneous outbred populations.

Written by leading researchers, this text explores the intersection of genetics and metabolomics, and points the way to more comprehensive studies of inborn variation of metabolism. All chapters refer to one or more published experimental datasets.

This book focuses on the conventional breeding approach, and on the latest high-throughput genomics tools and genetic engineering / biotechnological interventions used to improve rice quality. It is the first book to exclusively focus on rice as a major food crop and the application of genomics and genetic engineering approaches to achieve enhanced rice quality in terms of tolerance to various abiotic stresses, resistance to biotic stresses, herbicide resistance, nutritional value, photosynthetic performance, nitrogen use efficiency, and grain yield. The range of topics is quite broad and exhaustive, making the book an essential reference guide for researchers and scientists around the globe who are working in the field of rice genomics and biotechnology. In addition, it provides a road map for rice quality improvement that plant breeders and agriculturists can actively consult to achieve better crop production.

The ability of a single genome to give rise to hundreds of functionally distinct cell type programs is in itself remarkable. Pioneering studies over the past few decades have demonstrated that this plasticity is retained throughout development, a phenomenon of epigenetic programming and reprogramming that remains one of the most fascinating areas of modern biology, with major relevance to human health and disease. This book presents the basic biology involved, including key mechanistic insights into this rapidly growing field.

This volume presents a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in basic and translational research in the field of reconstructive transplantation and its potential therapeutic implications. Dr. Thomas E. Starzl and Dr. Raimund Margreiter, both pioneers in the field of transplantation, have written the foreword for the book. The volume spans such topics as skin rejection, immune monitoring, stem cell-based immunomodulatory strategies, costimulatory blockade, tolerance induction, chronic rejection, ischemia reperfusion injury, nerve regeneration, cortical reintegration, and small and large animal models for reconstructive transplantation. The book is intended for biomedical researchers and basic scientists in the field of reconstructive transplantation, transplant immunology and regenerative medicine, as well as clinicians, surgeons and multidisciplinary specialists, who are practicing or interested in this novel and exciting field. Postgraduate fellows and students will also find it a valuable reference.

Traditionally, genetics laboratory exercises at the university level focus on mono- and dihybrid crosses and phenotypic analysis-exercises under traditional time, materials, and process constraints. Lately, molecular techniques such as gene cloning, polymerase chain reactions (PCR), and bioinformatics are being included in many teaching laboratories-where affordable. Human chromosome analysis, when present at all, has often been restricted to simple identification of chromosomes by number, through the usual "cut-and-paste" method. Although several online karyotyping (chromosome identification) programs have become available, they are not meaningful for studying the dynamics of the chromosome system, nor do they help students understand genetics as a discipline. The software that accompanies this book has been shown to be an ideal tool for learning about genetics, which requires a combination of understanding, conceptualization, and practical experience.

Increasing world population, unpredictable climate and various kind of biotic and abiotic stresses necessitate the sustainable increase in crop production through developing improved cultivars possessing enhanced genetic resilience against all odds. An exploration of these challenges and near possible solution to improve yield is addressed in this book. It comprehensively and coherently reviews the application of various aspect of rapidly growing omics technology including genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics for crop development. It provides detailed examination of how omics can help crop science and introduces the benefits of using these technologies to enhance crop production, resistance and other values. It also provides platform to ponder upon the integrative approach of omics to deal with complex biological problems. The book highlights crop improvement such as yield enhancement, biotic and abiotic resistance, genetic modification, bioremediation, food security etc. It explores how the different omics technology independently and collectively would be used to improve the quantitative and qualitative traits of crop plants. The book is useful for graduate and post-graduate students of life science including researchers who are keen to know about the application of omics technologies in the different area of plant science. This book is also an asset to the modern plant breeders, and agriculture biotechnologist.

This laboratory manual, published in cooperation with the International Society for Transgenic Technology (ISTT), provides almost all current methods that can be applied to the creation and analysis of genetically modified animals. The chapters have been contributed by leading scientists who are actively using the technology in their laboratories. Based on their first-hand experience the authors also provide helpful notes and troubleshooting sections. Topics range from standard techniques, such as pronuclear microinjection of DNA, to more sophisticated and modern methods, such as the derivation and establishment of embryonic stem (ES) cell lines, with defined inhibitors in cell culture medium. In addition, related topics with relevance to the field are addressed, including global web-based resources, legal issues, colony management, shipment of mice and embryos, and the three R s: refinement, reduction and replacement.

Arabidopsis Protocols, Third Edition compiles some of the most recent methodologies developed to exploit the Arabidopsis genome. These methodologies cover from the guided access to public resources, to genetic, cell biology, biochemical and physiological techniques, including both those that are widely used as well as those novel techniques likely to open up new avenues of knowledge in the future. In addition, considering the recent unparalleled progress of the "omics" tools in Arabidopsis, leading experts have contributed sections on genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome and other whole-system approaches. Arabidopsis thaliana is acknowledged as the most important plant model system by the scientific community and Arabidopsis research has fundamentally influenced our understanding of the basic biology and ecology of plants. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Arabidopsis Protocols, Third Edition seeks to serve both experienced researchers and beginners with its detailed methodologies on this burgeoning scientific field.

This volume focuses on various approaches to studying long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including techniques for finding lncRNAs, localization, and observing their functions. The chapters in this book cover how to catalog lncRNAs in various plant species; determining subcellular localization; protein interactions; structures; and RNA modifications. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology 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. Cutting-edge and innovative, Plant Long Non-Coding RNAs: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource that aids researchers in understanding the functions of lncRNAs in different plant species, and helps them explore currently uncharted facets of plant biology.

Since the discovery of a collagen-degrading protease in the tadpole tail in 1962, matrix metalloproteinase research has led to the discovery of more than twenty distinct vertebrate MMPs, along with a variety of homologues from diverse organisms such as the sea urchin, plants, insects, and nematode worms. Fully updating and adding to the popular first edition, Matrix Metalloproteinase Protocols, Second Edition includes a series of state-of-the-art techniques provided by eminent experts in the field. Beginning with a brief overview of the MMP arena, from how these enzymes fit into the larger degradome to what occurs when their expression and function in the mouse is modulated, the volume continues with sections on the expression and purification of MMPs and TIMPs, the detection of MMPs and TIMPs at both the protein and mRNA level, and our ability to assay MMP and TIMP activities in a wide variety of circumstances. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Matrix Metalloproteinase Protocols, Second Edition is an ideal source for many of the essential laboratory techniques for both novice and seasoned researchers alike collected in one convenient volume.

Arguing that human evolution has come to a stand-still, this book sets out to explore the evolutionary steps that have defined life on this planet. It describes the stages from cosmic to chemical and biological evolution and to the development of civilization and culture. From this scientific approach, the author concludes that new rules of ethics are required in order to maintain and improve the civilization and culture of humanity. Matare argues for corrective genetic interference and explores the moral implications.