Volume 5 of "Advances in Medicinal Chemistry" contains four intriguing and detailed accounts of the close interface between synthetic chemistry, structure-activity relationships, biochemistry, and pharmacology. In Chapter 1, there is a comprehensive survey of the immunophilin area specifically focussing on neuroregenerative applications in the central nervous system. In Chapter 2, there is an overview of the development of a potent analgesic compound that works via modulation of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. In Chapter 3, there is a description of dopamine D-2 autoreceptor partial agonists as potential therapy for the treatment of schizophrenia. In Chapter 4, there is a summary of the successful program in which potent non-peptide inhibitors of HIV protease from the AIDS virus were developed.

Population genomics has revolutionized various disciplines of biology including population, evolutionary, ecological and conservation genetics, plant and animal breeding, human health, medicine and pharmacology by allowing to address novel and long-standing questions with unprecedented power and accuracy. It employs large-scale or genome-wide genetic information and bioinformatics to address various fundamental and applied aspects in biology and related disciplines, and provides a comprehensive genome-wide perspective and new insights that were not possible before. These advances have become possible due to the development of new and low-cost sequencing and genotyping technologies and novel statistical approaches and software, bioinformatics tools, and models. Population genomics is tremendously advancing our understanding the roles of evolutionary processes, such as mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection, in shaping up genetic variation at individual loci and across the genome and populations; improving the assessment of population genetic parameters or processes such as adaptive evolution, effective population size, gene flow, admixture, inbreeding and outbreeding depression, demography, and biogeography; resolving evolutionary histories and phylogenetic relationships of extant, ancient and extinct species; understanding the genomic basis of fitness, adaptation, speciation, complex ecological and economically important traits, and disease and insect resistance; facilitating forensics, genetic medicine and pharmacology; delineating conservation genetic units; and understanding the genetic effects of resource management practices, and assisting conservation and sustainable management of genetic resources. This Population Genomics book discusses the concepts, approaches, applications and promises of population genomics in addressing most of the above fundamental and applied crucial aspects in a variety of organisms from microorganisms to humans. The book provides insights into a range of emerging population genomics topics including population epigenomics, landscape genomics, seascape genomics, paleogenomics, ecological and evolutionary genomics, biogeography, demography, speciation, admixture, colonization and invasion, genomic selection, and plant and animal domestication. This book fills a vacuum in the field and is expected to become a primary reference in Population Genomics world-wide.

In the last decade, we have witnessed a striking maturation of our understanding of how neurons in the spinal cord control muscular activity and movement. Paradoxically, a host of new findings have revealed an unexpected versatility in the behavior of these well-studied neural elements and circuits. In this volume, the world's leading experts review the current state of our knowledge of motor control, outline their latest results and developments, and delineate the seminal unresolved questions in this vibrant field of research. The volume begins with a commentary and overview of our current understanding of the peripheral and spinal basis of motor control. The remainder of the volume is divided into seven sections, each focused on a different problem. The first chapter in each section provides some historical review and presages the experimental findings and hypotheses that are discussed in subsequent chapters.
Topics include the biomechanics of neuromuscular systems, the properties of motoneurons and the muscle units they control, spinal interneurons, pattern generating circuits, locomotion, descending control of spinal circuits, comparative physiology of motor systems, and motor systems neurophysiology studied in man. The book serves as a unique reference volume and should be essential reading for anyone interested in motor systems. Moreover, the volume's comprehensive coverage of a wide range of topics make it an effective textbook for graduate level courses in motor control neurobiology, kinesiology, physical therapy, and rehabilitation medicine.

Metastatic Disease of the Nervous System, Volume 149, begins with an overview of the impact and range of direct neoplastic involvement of the central and peripheral nervous system, comprehensively reviewing all aspects of brain metastases, from clinical, radiological and neuropathological manifestations, to the roles of surgery, radiation, systemic and palliative therapy in their management, and the complications of these interventions. The clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of leptomeningeal, dural, spinal epidural and plexus metastases are also covered in detail.

Molecular-Genetic and Statistical Techniques for Behavioral and Neural Research presents the most exciting molecular and recombinant DNA techniques used in the analysis of brain function and behavior, a critical piece of the puzzle for clinicians, scientists, course instructors and advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Chapters examine neuroinformatics, genetic and neurobehavioral databases and data mining, also providing an analysis of natural genetic variation and principles and applications of forward (mutagenesis) and reverse genetics (gene targeting). In addition, the book discusses gene expression and its role in brain function and behavior, along with ethical issues in the use of animals in genetics testing. Written and edited by leading international experts, this book provides a clear presentation of the frontiers of basic research as well as translationally relevant techniques that are used by neurobehavioral geneticists.

As part of its efforts to improve fertilizer use and efficiency in West Africa, and following the recent adoption of the West African fertilizer recommendation action plan (RAP) by ECOWAS, this volume focuses on IFDC's technical lead with key partner institutions and experts to build on previous and current fertilizer recommendations for various crops and countries in West Africa for wider uptake by public policy makers and fertilizer industry actors.

This volume is the third and final part of the planned coverage of the neurochemical circuitry of the primate central nervous system. The five chapters included in this volume complement and integrate magnificently with the two prior volumes.

Included in the volume are the following: a two-fold exposition on the human forebrain, comprised of a comprehensive overview of the entire human forebrain, and a specific focus on the basal forebrain (a region critical for a wide range of human problems ranging from substance abuse to Alzheimer's disease), a critical synthesis of the primate basal ganglia (a region under intense scrutiny for the organization of motor programs, and for their dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and other malfunctions), the chemical and anatomic details of the primate hippocampal formation in extenso, and lastly, a review of the rapidly growing literature on the mesocortical projection of dopaminergic circuits onto the primate frontal cortex ( a system highly linked to higher order mental abstractions, as well as the dysfunctions of schizophrenia).

Scholars will recognize that the laying out of these status reports on our still vastly incomplete examination of the primate brains is an opportunity for progress.

Understanding Intuition: A Journey In and Out of Science explores the biological and cognitive mechanisms that account for intuition, and examines the first-person experience. The book integrates both scientific and personal perspectives on this important yet elusive mental capacity. It uses specific encounters to illustrate that intuition is enhanced when we can attend to the subtle aspects of our inner experiences, such as bodily sensations, images, and differing kinds of intuitive evaluative feelings, all of which may emerge no further than on the fringe of awareness. This awareness of subtle inner experiences helps forge a more fluid exchange between the unconscious and conscious minds, and allows readers to calibrate their own intuitions. Over the course of the book, readers will gain a deeper appreciation and respect for the unconscious mind and its potential sophistication, and even its potential wisdom. Understanding Intuition is a timely and critical resource for students and researchers in psychology, cognitive science, theology, women's studies, and neuroscience.

"The Teeth of Mammalian Vertebrates is an important reference for researchers in dentistry, comparative morphology, anthropology, and vertebrate palaeontology, and those with an interest in exploring and understanding diversity. The book provides a comprehensive and informed analysis of mammalian dentitions and highlights the importance of teeth as drivers and mirrors of evolution and diversity." - Journal of Anatomy The Teeth of Mammalian Vertebrates presents a comprehensive survey of mammalian dentitions that is based on material gathered from museums and research workers from around the world. The teeth are major factors in the success of mammals, and knowledge of tooth form and function is essential in mammalian biology. Illustrated with high-quality color photographs of skulls and dentitions, together with X-rays, CT images and histology, this book reveals the tremendous variety of tooth form and structure in mammals. Written by two internationally-recognized experts in dental anatomy, the book provides an up-to-date account of how teeth are adapted to acquiring and processing food. With its companion volume, this book provides a complete survey of the teeth of vertebrates. It is the ideal resource for students and researchers in zoology, biology, anthropology, archaeology and dentistry.

The book gives a broad overview of recombinant DNA techniques for the behavioral neuroscientist, with illustrative examples of applications. Species covered include rodents (mainly mice), "Drosophila melanogaster, Caenorhabditis elegans" and "Danio rerio." Experimental techniques required to characterize the behavioral phenotypes of mutant animals is provided. Several aspects of novel molecular-genetic techniques are overviewed and possible research strategies are explained. The sections of the book start with general descriptions of techniques followed by illustrative examples.
It is divided into six sections. Section 1, bioinformatics and genomics research. Section 2, top-down strategies, where the researcher starts with the phenotype and then analyzes the associated genes; bottom-up strategies, where the physiological chain leading to a phenotype is analyzed starting from the gene product. Section 3, transgenic approaches in rodents including overexpressing foreign genes and gene-targeting; systemic manipulation approaches directly targeting the central nervous system and methods used with invertebrates. Section 4, methods used to evaluate relevant behavioral phenotypes, including learning and aggression. Section 5, examples on molecular brain research in man. Section 6, ethical aspects of research in this field.

The ethics of creating-or declining to create-human beings has been addressed in several contexts: debates over abortion and embryo research; literature on "self-creation"; and discussions of procreative rights and responsibilities, genetic engineering, and future generations. Here, for the first time, is a sustained, scholarly analysis of all of these issues-a discussion combining breadth of topics with philosophical depth, imagination with current scientific understanding, argumentative rigor with accessibility. The overarching aim of Creation Ethics is to illuminate a broad array of issues connected with reproduction and genetics, through the lens of moral philosophy. With novel frameworks for understanding prenatal moral status and human identity, and exceptional fairness to those holding different views, David DeGrazia sheds new light on the ethics of abortion and embryo research, genetic enhancement and prenatal genetic interventions, procreation and parenting, and decisions that affect the quality of life of future generations. Along the way, he helpfully introduces personal identity theory and value theory as well as such complex topics as moral status, wrongful life, and the "nonidentity problem." The results include a subjective account of human well-being, a standard for responsible procreation and parenting, and a theoretical bridge between consequentialist and nonconsequentialist ethical theories. The upshot is a synoptic, mostly liberal vision of the ethics of creating human beings. "This is a valuable book on a fascinating topic, written by a major figure in the field. The topic of the ethics of creating people is both practically urgent, as new technologies develop for shaping human offspring, and also of great theoretical importance for ethics and meta-ethics because it engages the deepest issues, including those of moral status, the nature of justice, and identity. DeGrazia has already proved to be an important force in shaping the debate regarding these issues. Anyone writing on this topic will have to address this book head-on. The style is remarkably lucid and almost jargon-free. Given that the book is filled with complex, sustained argumentation, this is quite an accomplishment. This book will be of interest to legal scholars, philosophers working in normative ethics, meta-ethics, and bioethics, and public policy scholars." - Allen Buchanan, James B. Duke Professor of Philosophy, Duke University

This book provides essential insights into designing a localized DNA circuit to promote the rate of desired hybridization reactions over undesired leak reactions in the bulk solution. The area of dynamic DNA nanotechnology, or DNA circuits, holds great promise as a highly programmable toolbox that can be used in various applications, including molecular computing and biomolecular detection. However, a key bottleneck is the recurring issue of circuit leakage. The assembly of the localized circuit is dynamically driven by the recognition of biomolecules - a different approach from most methods, which are based on a static DNA origami assembly. The design guidelines for individual reaction modules presented here, which focus on minimizing circuit leakage, are established through NUPACK simulation and tested experimentally - which will be useful for researchers interested in adapting the concepts for other contexts. In the closing section, the design concepts are successfully applied to the biomolecular sensing of a broad range of targets including the single nucleotide mutations, proteins, and cell surface receptors.

This book explores the subject of artificial psychology and how the field must adapt human neuro-psychological testing techniques to provide adequate cognitive testing of advanced artificial intelligence systems. It shows how classical testing methods will reveal nothing about the cognitive nature of the systems and whether they are learning, reasoning, and evolving correctly; for these systems, the authors outline how testing techniques similar to/adapted from human psychological testing must be adopted, particularly in understanding how the system reacts to failure or relearning something it has learned incorrectly or inferred incorrectly. The authors provide insights into future architectures/capabilities that artificial cognitive systems will possess and how we can evaluate how well they are functioning. It discusses at length the notion of human/AI communication and collaboration and explores such topics as knowledge development, knowledge modeling and ambiguity management, artificial cognition and self-evolution of learning, artificial brain components and cognitive architecture, and artificial psychological modeling. Explores the concepts of Artificial Psychology and Artificial Neuroscience as applied to advanced artificially cognitive systems; Provides insight into the world of cognitive architectures and biologically-based computing designs which will mimic human brain functionality in artificial intelligent systems of the future; Provides description and design of artificial psychological modeling to provide insight into how advanced artificial intelligent systems are learning and evolving; Explores artificial reasoning and inference architectures and the types of modeling and testing that will be required to "trust" an autonomous artificial intelligent systems.

The public image of genetics research has undergone a remarkable transformation since the 1950s, from a suspect brand of research tainted by eugenics to a thriving, well-funded, and "popular" field of biomedicine. Still, despite enormous scientific advances in DNA technology and its ability to sustain large areas of the science industry, social, legal, and popular opinion about genetics remains highly ambivalent.

In Imagenation, historian of science Jose Van Dijck examines the role of images and imagination in popular representations fo the new genetics since the late 1950s. Taking us through a vast range of media--from general interest magazines to science fiction to public relations materials--he demonstrates how popular representations of genetics do not simply reflect the advancement of genetic technology. Instead, cultural accounts of genetics are taking on an important role in the very structure of scientific thinking, with many groups--environmentalists, feminists, entrepreneurs--influencing this process.

From news stories of DNA strings escaping from our laboratories to the ongoing debates over bioethics, from James Watson and "The Double Helix" to the Human Genome Project, Van Dijck Portrays the "imaginary" tools of genetics as players in a theater of representation--a multilayered contest in which special interest groups and professional organizations mobilize images in a heated debate over the meaning of genetics. Compelling and insightful, Imagenation unravels this phenomenon, revealing how ideology shapes the cultural forms through which we make sense of scientific progress.

While cognitive informatics and natural intelligence are receiving greater attention by researchers, multidisciplinary approaches still struggle with fundamental problems involving psychology and neurobiological processes of the brain. Examining the difficulties of certain approaches using the tools already available is vital for propelling knowledge forward and making further strides. Innovations, Algorithms, and Applications in Cognitive Informatics and Natural Intelligence is a collection of innovative research that examines the enhancement of human cognitive performance using emerging technologies. Featuring research on topics such as parallel computing, neuroscience, and signal processing, this book is ideally designed for engineers, computer scientists, programmers, academicians, researchers, and students.

Cell Surface GRP78, a New Paradigm in Signal Transduction Biology presents a new paradigm that has emerged in the past decade with the discovery that various intracellular proteins may acquire new functions as cell surface receptors. Two very prominent examples are ATP synthase and GRP78. While the role of cell surface ATP synthase has been reviewed in various books, this book directs its attention to the story of cell surface GRP78.

Human Gut Microbiota in Health and Disease: From Pathogenesis to Therapy is a comprehensive discussion of all the aspects associated with gut microbiota early colonization, its development and maintenance, and its symbiotic relationship with the host to promote health. Chapters illustrate the complex mechanisms and metabolic signalling pathways related to how the gut microbiota maintain proper regulation of glucose, lipid and energy homeostasis and immune response, while mediating inflammatory processes involved in the etiology of many chronic disease conditions. Details are provided on the primary etiological factors of chronic disease, the effects of gut dysbiosis and its associated disease conditions, while providing an overview of therapeutic strategies involving dietary fiber and prebiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation therapy and probiotics. Throughout the chapters, a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed animal and human studies is provided as evidence related to the history of human exposure, safety, tolerance, toxicity, nomenclature, and clinical efficacy of utilizing prebiotic fructans, s, as well as probiotic intervention, and dietary modification in the prevention and intervention of chronic disease conditions. With common use today of pharmaceutical medicine in treating symptoms, and frequent overuse of antibiotics in chronic disease within mainstream medical practice, understanding the etiological mechanisms of dysbiosis-induced chronic disease, and natural approaches that offer prevention and potential cures for these diseases is of vital importance to overall human health.

This manual is designed as an intensive introduction to the various tools of molecular biology. It introduces all the basic methods of molecular biology including cloning, PCR, Southern (DNA) blotting, Northern (RNA) blotting, Western blotting, DNA sequencing, oligo-directed mutagenesis, and protein expression.
Key Features
* Provides well-tested experimental protocols for each technique
* Lists the reagents and preparation of each experiment separately
* Contains a complete schedule of experiments and the preparation required
* Includes study questions at the end of each chapter

Handbook of Developmental Neurotoxicology, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive view of the fundamental aspects of neurodevelopment, the pathways and agents that affect them, relevant clinical syndromes, and risk assessment procedures for developmental neurotoxicants. The editors and chapter authors are internationally recognized experts whose collaboration heralds a remarkable advance in the field, bridging developmental neuroscience with the principles of neurotoxicology. The book features eight new chapters with newly recruited authors, making it an essential text for students and professionals in toxicology, neurotoxicology, developmental biology, pharmacology, and neuroscience.