Radiation-Processed Polysaccharides: Emerging Roles in Agriculture is the first book to focus exclusively on this emerging and important option for reducing the overuse and negative impact of agrochemicals in agriculture. Among practices being developed for effective and eco-friendly plant growth regulators in crop production, using radiation-processed polysaccharides (RPPs) is a promising technique. Comprised of chapters from diverse areas of plant science, including agriculture, agronomy, biotechnology, nanotechnology, molecular biology, and radiation agriculture, this book provides insights into the practical application of RPPs and inspires further research toward sustainable and efficient agricultural production. Polysaccharides (sodium alginate, carrageenan, chitosan and others) in their depolymerized state are increasingly important to agriculture based on their unique biological properties, biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity. Understanding the impact of RPPs on the plant phenotype, translocation of nutrients from source to sink, signal processing, and crosstalk helps improve the applicability of RPPs and sustainable agricultural yield.

Twentieth Century Mouse Genetics: A Historical and Scientific Review provides a comprehensive examination of key advances in mouse genetics throughout the 20th century. Here Dr. Robert P. Erickson, a leader in the field, identifies the contributions of historic mouse genetics studies, and how those approaches and early discoveries are still shaping human genetics research and medical genetics today. In addition to historical overviews, the author provides researcher biographies and updates connecting historic research to ongoing advances. Past studies discussed use the T/t complex as an example and include the origins of mouse genetics, the synthesis of genetics and evolution, cytogenetics and gene mapping, population genetics and mutation research, immunogenetics, reproductive genetics, molecular cloning, X-inactivation and epigenetics, sex determination, and pharmacogenetics. Here researchers, students, and clinicians will find fresh inspiration to engage in human genetics research employing mouse models and to translate those findings to clinical practice.

Viral Replication Enzymes and their Inhibitors Part A, Volume 49, the latest release in the Enzymes series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on a variety of related topics.

Effects of Peri-Adolescent Licit and Illicit Drug Use on the Developing CNS: Part II, Volume 161, in the International Review on Neurobiology serial highlights new advances, with this volume presenting chapters on topics including Introduction to Effects of Peri-Adolescent Licit and Illicit Drug Use on the Developing CNS, Peri-adolescent Exposure to (Meth)amphetamine in Animal Models, The Impact of Adolescent Nicotine Exposure on Alcohol Use During Adulthood: The Role of Neuropeptides, Cannabis Exposure During Adolescence: A uniquely Sensitive Period for Neurobiological Effects, The Stoned Age: Sex Differences in the Effects of Adolescent Cannabinoid Exposure on Prefrontal Cortex Structure and Function in Animal Models, and more.

The Rise of Chance in Evolutionary Theory: A Pompous Parade of Arithmetic explores a pivotal conceptual moment in the history of evolutionary theory: the development of its extensive reliance on a wide array of concepts of chance. It tells the history of a methodological and conceptual development that reshaped our approach to natural selection over a century, ranging from Darwin's earliest notebooks in the 1830s to the early years of the Modern Synthesis in the 1930s. Far from being a "pompous parade of arithmetic," as one early critic argued, evolution transformed during this period to make these conceptual and technical tools indispensable. This book charts the role of chance in evolutionary theory from its beginnings to the earliest days of modern evolutionary theory, making it an ideal resource for evolutionary biologists, historians, philosophers, and researchers in science studies or biological statistics.

Nitrogen Assessment: Pakistan as a Case-Study provides a detailed overview of issues and challenges related to nitrogen use and overuse, thus serving as a reference for researchers in Pakistan and providing important insights for other geographic regions. Excess and inefficient nitrogen use in crops and livestock sectors is polluting our rivers, seas, atmosphere, and ecosystems, contributing to climate change, hampering biodiversity, and contributing to stratospheric ozone depletion. This book covers the importance of nitrogen in relation to food security, human health, and economic stability in South Asia. It also discusses nitrogen status, sources, sinks, and drivers of nitrogen use in Pakistan, focusing on current nitrogen measures and policies. Nitrogen pollution is one of the biggest challenges of 21st Century, and the international scientific community is beginning to recognize the significance of nitrogen pollution and to explore how to combat it. The editors' institution, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, partners with South Asia Nitrogen Hub, which includes about 30 organizations from South Asia and UK working on nitrogen assessment, budgeting, awareness, and policy guidance, as well as possible measures to reduce nitrogen pollution. Nitrogen Assessment: Pakistan as a Case-Study provides an important guide to this work and is written in a way that is accessible to an audience with a wide range of experience from advanced students to seasoned researchers.

Body, Brain, Behavior: Three Views and a Conversation describes brain research on the frontiers, with a particular emphasis on the relationship between the brain and its development and evolution, peripheral organs, and other brains in communication. The book expands current views of neuroscience by illustrating the integration of these disciplines. By using a novel method of conversations between 3 scientists of different disciplines, cellular, endocrine, developmental, and social processes are seamlessly woven into topics that relate to contemporary living in health and disease. This book is a critical read for anyone who wants to become familiar with the inner workings of the nervous system and its intimate connections to the universe of contemporary life issues.

Biology of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases combines physiology and pathophysiology of selected metabolic and cardiovascular diseases with health relevance. Written in a concise and easy to read manner, the book allows readers to gain an understanding on a number of topics, including cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology and how it relates to the development of insulin resistance, diabetes and other metabolic diseases. The book also highlights the relevance of obesity in the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and emphasizes the benefits of exercise as a preventative measure and way to treat underlying conditions.

Epigenetics in Psychiatry, Second Edition covers all major areas of psychiatry in which extensive epigenetic research has been performed, fully encompassing a diverse and maturing field, including drug addiction, bipolar disorder, epidemiology, cognitive disorders, and the uses of putative epigenetic-based psychotropic drugs. Uniquely, each chapter correlates epigenetics with relevant advances across genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. The book acts as a catalyst for further research in this growing area of psychiatry. This new edition has been fully revised to address recent advances in epigenetic understanding of psychiatric disorders, evoking data consortia (e.g., CommonMind, ATAC-seq), single cell analysis, and epigenome-wide association studies to empower new research. The book also examines epigenetic effects of the microbiome on psychiatric disorders, and the use of neuroimaging in studying the role of epigenetic mechanisms of gene expression. Ongoing advances in epigenetic therapy are explored in-depth.

International Review of Neurobiology serial highlights new advances in the field with this new volume presenting interesting chapters. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors.

Molecular Mechanisms of Nutritional Interventions and Supplements for the Management of Sexual Disfunction and Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia presents the epidemiologic data linking diet with BPH and ED, along with a deep explanation on why nutritional approaches and different macronutrients may modify the pathogenesis of the disease. Coverage includes the relevance/epidemiology of the disease, pathophysiological events causing the disease, available therapeutic options, molecular mechanisms of action of available treatments, epidemiological and intervention studies suggesting the benefit of diet as therapeutic option for BPH and ED, and potential mechanisms of action of nutritional based approaches as treatment for BPH and ED. By combining medicine, diet and lifestyle options, this title provides a truly multidisciplinary approach to BPH and ED, making it a unique resource for those treating BPH and an irreplaceable reference guide for those in research.

Advances in Cancer Research, Volume 152, the latest release in this ongoing, well-regarded serial, provides invaluable information on the exciting and fast-moving field of cancer research.

Science for the Protection of Indonesian Coastal Ecosystems (SPICE) provides key information on all aspects related to the management of coastal ecosystems. This includes the coastal management involved, the ecology of this area, and the relationship between humans and the environment found here. The book presents guidelines defined by scientific experts, allowing for proper application of science products into ecosystem management. The bio-geo-physical importance of coastal ecosystems of Indonesia makes this a book of global importance and interest.

In recent times, the boundary between living and non-living has been blurred by advances in genomics, cell biology, and molecular neuroscience, whereby humans are repaired, enhanced, or made anew. Scientists and physicians are now able to keep cells, organs, and bodies alive indefinitely and can return cells or DNA to our bodies and make new cells for the purpose of treating disease or growing new tissue. Meanwhile, transhuman technologies create illusions of immortality. Immortal: Our Cells, DNA, and Bodies synthesizes what we know about life and death from a genetic, molecular, and cellular perspective, demarcates limits of knowledge, and poses new questions. Award-winning researcher and writer David Goldman examines in-depth three keys to understanding the nature and continuity of life: 1) epigenetic (ephemeral) vs genetic (durable) transgenerational memory; 2) life's cellular nature, and the ability to make bodies from cells; and 3) the distinction between bodies and persons. Grounded in recent scientific evidence and real-life cases that test our historical understanding of life and death, Goldman probes the nature of molecular continuity in the face of mortal extinction, encompassing how changes to the DNA code can be both long-lasting and transgenerational, and the continuous nature of cellular and molecular information transmission. In tying these themes together, Immortal asks us to apply fresh scientific concepts to examine, for ourselves, the continuity of being in the face of mortality.

Human Caspases and Neuronal Apoptosis in Neurodegenerative Diseases elucidates elaborately the role of caspase enzymes implicated in the initiation of molecular events leading to neuronal apoptosis in the neurodegenerative disease. The book starts with introduction to neuropathology, neurogenetics, and epidemiology of neurodegenerative disease and illustrates the involvement of human caspases, neuronal apoptosis, apoptotic pathways, genetic polymorphisms, and several other factors and underlying mechanisms in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease. An important focus in all chapters is the intricate mechanisms and interplay that occur during or leading to neuron death in neurodegenerative diseases, along with disease pathobiology.

Measuring and Modeling Persons and Situations presents major innovations and contributions on the topic, promoting deeper integration, cross-pollination of ideas across diverse academic disciplines, and the facilitation of the development of practical applications such as matching people to jobs, understanding decision making, and predicting how a group of individuals will interact with one another. The book is organized around two overarching and interrelated themes, with the first focusing on assessing the person and the situation, covering methodological advances and techniques for inferring and measuring characteristics, and showing how they can be instantiated for measurement and predictive purposes. The book's second theme presents theoretical models, conceptualizing how factors of the person and situation can help us understand the psychological dynamics which underlie behavior, the psychological experience of fit or congruence with one's environment, and changes in personality traits over time.

Marine Neurotoxins, Volume Five provides comprehensive information on marine toxins present in the human food chain and the affecting targets relevant for the functioning of the brain and our nervous system, covering all the information available on their action on the physiology of neurons and glial cells, both "in vivo" or "in vitro." New sections in this release include Guanidinium Toxins: Evolution, Mode of Action and Chemical Ecology, Amnesic: Domoic Acid, Neurotoxic: Ciguatoxin and Brevetoxin, Neurotoxic: Cyclic Imines, Potentially Neurotoxic: Okadaic acid and analogues, Potentially Neurotoxic: Palytoxin, and Methods for assessing the presence of marine neurotoxins.

The Physical Oceanography of the Arctic Mediterranean Sea describes the circulation and the processes in the Arctic Mediterranean, how our present knowledge has developed, and presents recent changes caused by a gradually warmer global climate. The Arctic Mediterranean Sea has been intensively studied in recent years, especially during the fourth International Polar Year, 2007-09, and we have become increasingly aware of the changes presently taking place. This book collects and presents newly acquired knowledge and sets it in perspective to previous studies. Authored by a world-renowned leader in the field, this book explores the role of this small but important sea in the global oceanic circulation and climate-a must-read for researchers and students in the fields of oceanography and climate science.

Non-invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Volume 264 presents the latest updates on recent techniques used to examine the potential treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders in adults. In this special issue, the book's authors and contributors provide a unique focus on the potential effects of non-invasive brain stimulation. Topics cover a range of reviews, opinions, methodologies, original research articles, and suggestions on how to better translate scientific knowledge into practice. This new release will help guide basic research and the development of therapeutic interventions for children and adolescents who suffer from neurodevelopmental disorders.

In recent years, knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms underlying disease onset and progression has proven crucial for the development of novel early diagnosis and prognosis biomarkers for patient stratification and precision medicine. Epigenetics in Precision Medicine, a new volume in the Translational Epigenetics series, provides a thorough discussion and overview of current developments in clinical epigenetics with special emphasis on epigenetic biomarkers that can be used for clinical diagnosis, prognosis, patient stratification, and treatment monitoring. Disease types discussed include cancer, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, bone disease, and immune-related disorders. The book examines the challenges of advancing epigenetics research and translating findings to the clinic and drug discovery in each of these areas, as well as current solutions; chapter authors discuss how to leverage epigenomic technologies, applications, and tools, such as next-generation sequencing, to discover new epigenetic biomarkers in disease and drug studies. Epigenetics in Precision Medicine focuses on complex epigenetic mechanisms in several pathologies, and explores how epigenetics can power the advance of precision medicine, not only by improving in vitro diagnostic and prognostic tools, but by providing new therapeutic approaches to treat human disease.