The ongoing debate on the use of DNA profiles to identify perpetrators in criminal investigations or fathers in paternity disputes has too often been conducted with no regard to sound statistical, genetic or legal reasoning. The contributors to Human Identification: The Use of DNA Markers all have considerable experience in forensic science, statistical genetics or jurimetrics, and many of them have had to explain the scientific issues involved in using DNA profiles to judges and juries. Although the authors hold differing views on some of the issues, they have all produced accounts which pay due attention to the, sometimes troubling, issues of independence of components of the profiles and of population substructures. The book presents the considerable evolution of ideas that has occurred since the 1992 Report of the National Research Council of the U.S. Audience: Indispensable to forensic scientists, laying out the concepts to all those with an interest in the use of genetic information. The chapters and exhaustive bibliography are vital information for all lawyers who must prosecute or defend DNA cases, and to judges trying such cases.

2 The role of Ca+ as an internal messenger in visual transduction of vertebrate and invertebrate organisms has been explored intensely in the recent past. Since the 2 early 1970s, calcium ions and cyclic GMP (whose levels are controlled by Ca+ in vertebrates) have been recognized as important second messengers. Particularly in 2 the last decade, however, the role of Ca+ in visual transduction has been re-evalu- ated and a proliferation of research has documented a multiplicity of roles. 2 It is now evident that Ca+ modulates phototransduction by acting at several 2 sites through a host of small Ca+ -binding proteins. For example, in phototransduction 2 of vertebrates, Ca+-free forms of guanylate cyclase activating proteins (GCAPs) activate guanylate cyclase, modulating levels of cOMP, a key event in the return of photoreceptors to pre-bleach conditions. Defects in genes encoding guanylate cy- clase or guanylate cyclase activating proteins lead to severe diseases of the retina (e. g. , Leber congenital amaurosis, rod/cone dystrophy, or cone dystrophy), thus em- phasizing the important role of these proteins in phototransduction. Similarly, mu- 2 tant genes encoding cation or Ca+ channels (cyclic nucleotide-gated cation chan- 2 nels located in the cell membrane and L-type voltage-gated Ca+ channels located at the synapse of photo receptors) lead to retinitis pigmentosa or congenital stationary night blindness. In phototransduction of invertebrate organisms (e. g. , Drosophila 2 and Limulus), the role of Ca+ is similarly central, but distinct, from that of vertebrates.

The book highlights the therapeutic applications of various stem cells, and introduces readers to thymus stem cells and their applications in the reconstitution of thymic structure and function. It also discusses the significant role of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and the use of MSC-derived exosomes in cell-free therapy. Moreover, it explores the application of hematopoietic stem cells in the vasculoprotection of the ischemially injured heart. Further topics include the regenerative potential of ovarian germline stem cells and the significance of endometrial stem cells in the pathogenesis of female reproductive tract diseases. Lastly, the book addresses stem cells from perinatal tissues and their immunoregulatory and differentiation potentials, and summarizes new strategies for targeting cancer stem cells to treat tumors.

The existence of genes for RNA molecules not coding for proteins (ncRNAs) has been recognized since the 1950's, but until recently, aside from the critically important ribosomal and transfer RNA genes, most focus has been on protein coding genes. However, a long series of striking discoveries, from RNA's ability to carry out catalytic function, to discovery of riboswitches, microRNAs and other ribo-regulators performing critical tasks in essentially all living organisms, has created a burgeoning interest in this primordial component of the biosphere. However, the structural characteristics and evolutionary constraints on RNA molecules are very different from those of proteins, necessitating development of a completely new suite of informatic tools to address these challenges. In RNA Sequence, Structure, Function: Computational and Bioinformatic Methods, expert researchers in the field describe a substantial and relevant fraction of these methodologies from both practical and computational/algorithmic perspectives. Focusing on both of these directions addresses both the biologist interested in knowing more about RNA bioinformatics as well as the bioinformaticist interested in more detailed aspects of the algorithms. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, the chapters include the kind of detailed description and implementation advice that is crucial for getting optimal results. Thorough and intuitive, RNA Sequence, Structure, Function: Computational and Bioinformatic Methods aids scientists in continuing to study key methods and principles of RNA bioinformatics.

This comprehensive volume is the first to specifically target developing, adult and diseased neural stem cells. It explores recent advances in the understanding of neural stem cell biology along with strategies that use these cells to tackle neurological diseases and brain aging. Ten inclusive chapters discuss a wide range of topics including neurogenesis, neurodegeneration, demyelinating disease, mood regulation, and spinal cord regeneration, among others. Written by world-renowned scientists in the field, Neural Stem Cells in Development, Adulthood and Disease presents cutting-edge studies of interest to both established neurogenesis researchers and readers with general interests in nervous system science. It is an authoritative addition to the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series.

This wide-ranging book introduces information as a key concept not only in physics, from quantum mechanics to thermodynamics, but also in the neighboring sciences and in the humanities. The central part analyzes dynamical processes as manifestations of information flows between microscopic and macroscopic scales and between systems and their environment. Quantum mechanics is interpreted as a reconstruction of mechanics based on fundamental limitations of information processing on the smallest scales. These become particularly manifest in quantum chaos and in quantum computing. Covering subjects such as causality, prediction, undecidability, chaos, and quantum randomness, the book also provides an information-theoretical view of predictability. More than 180 illustrations visualize the concepts and arguments. The book takes inspiration from the author's graduate-level topical lecture but is also well suited for undergraduate studies and is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals.

This second edition provides new and updated chapters detailing recent advances in MYC research and current techniques. Chapters guide readers through protocols on how to express and purify MYC protein, X-ray crystallography, NMR, techniques to study how MYC is modified, apoptosis, senescence, proliferation, metabolic changes, translation, tumorigenesis,reprogramming, and clinical application of MYC studies.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. Authoritative and cutting-edge, The Myc Gene: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

This book reviews how the release of the citrus genome facilitates the investigation of ancestral species, the study of their complex biological features, and the genetic basis of agronomic traits of paramount importance for their sustainable cultivation. The first chapters discuss citrus origin and distribution, and the economic importance and varietal composition of the cultivated species, providing an overview of citrus and related genera genetic resources. The book then describes the role of traditional breeding techniques (for scion and rootstocks) as well as the potential of genomic breeding and innovative protocols for biotechnological approaches. The second part provides essential information on the genus Citrus, the attributes of pure citrus species, genetic admixtures, hybrids and citrus relatives, and on the horticultural classification of cultivated species, varieties and rootstocks. The third part then focuses on the different molecular mechanisms, covering various aspects of citrus biology, including the role of beneficial compounds of citrus fruits. In addition, it examines the molecular responses of citrus to abiotic stresses and to field and post-harvest diseases. Providing insights gained in recent years, it is a valuable guide for those who are interested in gene discovery, comparative genomics, molecular breeding and new breeding techniques. It is particularly useful for scientists, breeders and students at universities and public sector institutes involved in research for the citrus industry.

The reproduction and spread of a virus during an epidemic proceeds when the virus attaches to a host cell and viral genetic material (VGM) (protein, DNA, RNA) enters the cell, then replicates, and perhaps mutates, in the cell. The movement of the VGM across the host cell outer membrane and within the host cell is a spatiotemporal dynamic process that is modeled in this book as a system of ordinary and partial differential equations (ODE/PDEs). The movement of the virus proteins through the cell membrane is modeled as a diffusion process expressed by the diffusion PDE (Fick's second law). Within the cell, the time variation of the VGM is modeled as ODEs. The evolution of the dependent variables is computed by the numerical integration of the ODE/PDEs starting from zero initial conditions (ICs). The departure of the dependent variables from zero is in response to the virus protein concentration at the outer membrane surface (the point at which the virus binds to the host cell). The numerical integration of the ODE/PDEs is performed with routines coded (programmed) in R, a quality, open-source scientific computing system that is readily available from the Internet. Formal mathematics is minimized, e.g., no theorems and proofs. Rather, the presentation is through detailed examples that the reader/researcher/analyst can execute on modest computers. The ODE/PDE dependent variables are displayed graphically with basic R plotting utilities. The R routines are available from a download link so that the example models can be executed without having to first study numerical methods and computer coding. The routines can then be applied to variations and extensions of the ODE/PDE model, such as changes in the parameters and the form of the model equations.

This detailed edition reflects the significant new findings in the components of permeability barriers and how they work in different tissues with a collection of cutting-edge techniques. Chapters explore the formation, maintenance, regulation, and dynamics of permeability barriers in an effort to push the boundaries of the field. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, 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. Authoritative and up-to-date, Permeability Barrier: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition serves as an invaluable guide for both experts but novices in the stem cell field and other related areas of research.

Biostimulants for crops from seed germination to plant development focuses on the effects and roles of natural biostimulants in every aspect of plant growth development to reduce the use of harmful chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Biostimulants are a group of substances of natural origin that offer a potential to reduce the dependency on harmful chemical fertilizers causing environmental degradation. While there is extensive literature on biostimulants, there remains a gap in understanding how natural biostimulants work and their practical application. This book fills that gap, presenting the ways in which biostimulants enhance seed vigor and plant productivity by looking into their mode of action, an area still being researched for deeper understanding. Exploring the roles of seed germination, pollen tube formation, pollen-pistil interaction, flower and fruit setting, to plant pigments, rhizospheric and soil microorganisms, the book also sheds light on the challenges and realistic opportunities for the use of natural biostimulants.

This volume looks at the latest technologies and methods--combined with new genetic tools available in animal models--used in this constantly evolving field. The chapters in this book are organized into three sections: Section one covers muscle stem cells and progenitor cells; Section Two discusses animal models for muscle stem cells and regeneration; and Section Three explores bioinformatics and imaging analysis for muscle stem cells. 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 comprehensive, Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells and Regeneration: Methods and Protocols is a valuable tool for all researchers looking to expand their knowledge on skeletal muscle growth, repair, degeneration, aging, and regenerative medicine.

This volume provides basic and advanced protocols on somatic cell nuclear transfer, induced pluripotent stem cells, and direct reprogramming of somatic cells into different functional cells. Chapters guide readers through methods on standardized procedures for characterization of induced pluripotent stem cells, as well as those for preparation of materials required for induction of pluripotent stem cells. 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. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Nuclear Reprogramming: Methods and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital field.

Much research has focused on the basic cellular and molecular biological aspects of stem cells. Much of this research has been fueled by their potential for use in regenerative medicine applications, which has in turn spurred growing numbers of translational and clinical studies. However, more work is needed if the potential is to be realized for improvement of the lives and well-being of patients with numerous diseases and conditions. This book series 'Cell Biology and Translational Medicine (CBTMED)' as part of SpringerNature's longstanding and very successful Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series, has the goal to accelerate advances by timely information exchange. Emerging areas of regenerative medicine and translational aspects of stem cells are covered in each volume. Outstanding researchers are recruited to highlight developments and remaining challenges in both the basic research and clinical arenas. This current book is the eight volume of a continuing series.

This detailed volume focuses on the CRISPR-associated guide RNA and how it can be designed, modified, and validated for a broad repertoire of purposes. Beginning with a section on computational design of target-specific guide RNAs, the book continues by covering chemical modifications to alter guide RNA stability, specificity, and efficiency, as well as to create inducible guide RNAs, append additional functional domains, and express guide RNAs in a conditional manner. It concludes with methods for measuring off-target guide RNA activity. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and essential, CRISPR Guide RNA Design: Methods and Protocols provides a comprehensive pipeline for guide RNA design and aims to be an invaluable resource in applying this powerful technology to basic research and therapeutic applications.

Interest in a specialized microenvironment or "niche" regulating hemopoietic stem cell function has been steadily growing since the idea was first proposed by Ray Schofield over three decades ago. This growing interest, as well as more recently the interest in cellular-molecular-biochemical characterization of not only the hemopoietic stem cell niche but the niches for other stem cells, incited the compilation of Stem Cell Niche: Methods and Protocols. In this volume, scientists have provided protocols that will provide both a flavor of the field and hopefully stimulate new approaches and methodologies by those interested in the stem cell niche. 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, Stem Cell Niche: Methods and Protocols seeks to serve both experts and novices in the stem cell field with well-established protocols on this exciting subject.

Does Aging Stop? reveals the most paradoxical finding of recent aging research: the cessation of demographic aging. The authors show that aging stops at the level of the individual organism, and explain why evolution allows this. The implications of this counter-intuitive conclusion are profound, and aging research now needs to accept three uncomfortable truths. First, aging is not a cumulative physiological process. Second, the fundamental theory that is required to explain, manipulate, and probe the phenomena of aging comes from evolutionary biology. Third, strong-inference experimental strategies for aging must be founded in evolutionary research, not cell or molecular biology.
The result of fifteen years of research bringing together new applications of evolutionary theory, new models for demography, and massive experimentation, Does Aging Stop? advances an entirely new foundation for the scientific study of aging.

This volume provides protocols and methods on techniques to study plant gametogenesis. Chapters are divided into four sections covering omics, cytological, molecular approaches, plant transformation, genome editing, bioinformatics, and data analysis. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant Gametogenesis: Methods and Protocols aims to be a foundation for future studies and to be a source of inspiration for new investigations in the field.

This detailed book serves as a systematic examination of the analytical methods to study the transcription factor NF- B in physiology and disease. It provides an up-to-date guidebook to navigate both conventional and highly specialized methods to detect and analyze the different signaling pathways of NF- B activation and contextualize them within organismal physiology and disease pathogenesis, using genetic and biochemical techniques and some of the most advanced computational and systems biology methods. Additionally, the volume includes several examples of approaches utilized by leading experts in the NF- B field to analyze and modulate NF- B signaling in specific physiological and disease contexts, along with some of the most promising approaches to pharmacologically target the NF- B pathway in human disease. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, 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. Authoritative and practical, NF- B Transcription Factors: Methods and Protocols is an up-to-date guide intended for both basic and translational scientists who are working in the dynamic NF- B field.

Now in its second edition, Forensic DNA Evidence Interpretation is the most comprehensive resource for DNA casework available today. Written by leaders in the fields of biology and statistics, including a contribution from Peter Gill, the father of DNA analysis, the book emphasizes the interpretation of test results and provides the necessary formulae in an easily accessible manner. This latest edition is fully updated and includes current and emerging techniques in this fast-moving field. The book begins by reviewing all pertinent biology, and then provides information on every aspect of DNA analysis. This includes modern interpretation methods and contemporary population genetic models available for estimating DNA frequencies or likelihood ratios. Following a chapter on procedures for validating databases, the text presents overviews and performance assessments of both modern sampling uncertainty methods and current paternity testing techniques, including new guidelines on paternity testing in alignment with the International Society for Forensic Genetics. Later chapters discuss the latest methods for mixture analysis, LCN (ultra trace) analysis and non-autosomal (mito, X, and Y) DNA analysis. The text concludes with an overview of procedures for disaster victim identification and information on DNA intelligence databases. Highlights of the second edition include: New information about PCR processes, heterozygote balance and back and forward stuttering New information on the interpretation of low template DNA, drop models and continuous models Additional coverage of lineage marker subpopulation effects, mixtures and combinations with autosomal markers This authoritative book provides a link among the biological, forensic, and interpretative domains of the DNA profiling field. It continues to serve as an invaluable resource that allows forensic scientists, technicians, molecular biologists and attorneys to use forensic DNA evidence to its greatest potential.

This book focuses on the discoveries in M. truncatula genomic research which has been undertaken in the last two decades. Legumes are important for their economic values as food, feed, and fodder and also serve as the pillar of sustainable agriculture because of its biological nitrogen fixation capacity. Medicago truncatula was established as a model legume in the 1990s and has been well adopted as a model internationally since then. M. truncatula is an autogamous, diploid (2n = 16) species with a short generation time, and relatively small genome size (~375 Mbp). The M. truncatula genome was initially sequenced by the International Medicago Genome Annotation Group (IMGAG) in 2011 and has been well-annotated. M. truncatula research benefits from the availability of several genetic and genomic tools, such as gene expression atlas (MtGEA), insertion and neutron bombardment mutant populations, and a HapMap panel containing 384 sequenced inbred lines for genome-wide association studies. This book covers the current status and latest advancements of the M. truncatula genomics and transcriptomics resources along with a glimpse of newly developed tools that makes M. truncatula a front runner model in functional genomic studies.

This volume discusses protocols that cover synthesis, screening by selection, and analysis of DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DEL). Chapters in this book focus on methods used to practice DEL technology and include solution phase library synthesis using a variety of chemistries; DNA encoding of chemical structure; design, preparation and analysis of target proteins and tool compounds; screening of soluble protein targets by affinity selection; DEL qPCR, preparative PCR and DNA sequence analysis; computational methods used to analyze selections and choose compounds for resynthesis; and analysis of hit compounds. 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 comprehensive, DNA-Encoded Chemical Libraries: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource for scientists interested in DEL technology for drug discovery, and will contribute to the continued advancement in this important field.

This comprehensive volume discusses in vitro laboratory development of insulin-producing cells. It encompasses multiple aspects of islet biology-from embryonic development and stem cell differentiation to clinical studies in islet transplantation, regulation of islet beta-cell regeneration, pancreatic progenitors, mathematical modelling of islet development, epigenetic regulation, and much more. The chapter authors represent leading laboratories from around the world who contribute their international perspectives and global expertise. Collectively, they provide the reader with a concise yet detailed knowledge of processes and current developments in islet regenerative biology. Pancreatic Islet Biology, part of the Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine series, is essential reading for researchers and clinicians in stem cells or endocrinology, especially those focusing on diabetes.

This volume provides updated technical approaches that have been developed to characterize monoterpene indole alkaloid metabolism in C. roseus from metabolite/gene product localization, alkaloid chemical synthesis, candidate gene prediction, transcription factor characterization up to functional genomic tools based on gene overexpression. Written in the format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, each chapter includes an introduction to the topic, lists necessary materials and reagents, includes tips on troubleshooting and known pitfalls, and step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Catharanthus roseus: Methods and Protocols aims to be a guidebook to all researchers working at characterizing alkaloid biosynthesis and more broadly specialized metabolisms