This book explores how predictive processing, which argues that our brains are constantly generating and updating hypotheses about our external conditions, sheds new light on the nature of the mind. It shows how it is similar to and expands other theoretical approaches that emphasize the active role of the mind and its dynamic function. Offering a complete guide to the philosophical and empirical implications of predictive processing, contributors bring perspectives from philosophy, neuroscience, and psychology. Together, they explore the many philosophical applications of predictive processing and its exciting potential across mental health, cognitive science, neuroscience, and robotics. Presenting an extensive and balanced overview of the subject, The Philosophy and Science of Predictive Processing is a landmark volume within philosophy of mind.

The Theory of Endobiogeny Volume 1: Global Systems Thinking and Biological Modeling for Clinical Medicine offers researchers and clinicians a detailed introduction to the theory of Endobiogeny. The book presents a new approach to medicine that is at once scientific and humanistic, quantitative, and qualitative. The philosophical and experimental basis of a global complex systems approach to physiology is presented along with a mathematical approach to modeling the dynamism of the terrain. The importance of the history and physical examination are renewed as a source of "big data" readily available to clinicians for greater insight into the patient's state. Expansion of the therapeutic compendium is proposed based on a rational, clinical approach correlated to mathematical indicators of the physiologic state. What is proposed in this work is a fundamental shift in scientific thinking with a resulting expansion of the boundaries of clinical medicine for the 21st century and beyond.

The Theory of Endobiogeny Volume 2: Foundational Concepts for Treatments of Common Clinical Conditions addresses the core elements of the adaptation response to stressors: autonomic nervous system (ANS), corticotropic axis, immunity and digestive tract function. The volume is oriented for clinical practice, offering clear discussions on treating the root cause of numerous common disorders, and symptomatically addressing the destabilizing factor in a vast number of disorders ranging from depression to irritable bowel, and from migraines to insomnia called spasmophilia.

Changing Climate and Resource Use Efficiency in Plants reviews the efficiencies for resource use by crop plants under different climatic conditions. This book focuses on the challenges and potential remediation methods for a variety of resource factors. Chapters deal with the effects of different climatic conditions on agriculture, radiation use efficiency under various climatic conditions, the efficiency of water and its impact on harvest production under restricted soil moisture conditions, nitrogen and phosphorus use efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency in different environmental conditions under the influence of climate change, and various aspects of improving phosphorus use efficiency. The book provides guidance for researchers engaged in plant science studies, particularly Plant/Crop Physiology, Agronomy, Plant Breeding and Molecular Breeding. In addition, it provides valuable insights for policymakers, administrators, plant-based companies and agribusiness companies.

Integrated Population Biology and Modeling: Part B, Volume 40, offers very delicately complex and precise realities of quantifying modern and traditional methods of understanding populations and population dynamics, with this updated release focusing on Prey-predator animal models, Back projections, Evolutionary Biology computations, Population biology of collective behavior and bio patchiness, Collective behavior, Population biology through data science, Mathematical modeling of multi-species mutualism: new insights, remaining challenges and applications to ecology, Population Dynamics of Manipur, Stochastic Processes and Population Dynamics Models: The Mechanisms for Extinction, Persistence and Resonance, Theories of Stationary Populations and association with life lived and life left, and more.

Cognitive Archeology, Body Cognition, and the Evolution of Visuospatial Perception offers comprehensive perspective on the role of brain form and function, body cognition, and visuospatial integration in the evolution of ancient and modern human species. The book covers evolutionary neuroanatomy, cognitive sciences, and experimental archaeology, providing a bridge between anthropology and evolutionary studies to neurosciences. Written by international experts in paleoanthropology and prehistoric archaeology, as well as neurobiology and psychology, the book explores how body perception and spatial capacity may have evolved to enhance a "prosthetic capacity" able to integrate the brain, body and technological discoveries into a single functional system. Chapters discuss the anatomy, function and evolution of the parietal cortex in human and non-human primates. In addition, the book covers the evolution of visuospatial cognition and how modern brain imaging can trace these changes back millions of years.

Diverse specialised neuroglial cells guarantee the development, preservation, and health of the central nervous system, the peripheral nervous system, the enteric nervous system, and the special senses. In the central nervous system, it is the astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglia that safeguard nerve cell function and integrity that controls all behaviours and encompasses the cerebral cortex of the brain which is the root of humanity. In the peripheral nervous system, Schwann cells play the leading role, together with satellite glial cells of the sensory and autonomic ganglia, ensuring correct communication between the organs and tissues with the brain and the spinal cord. In the enteric nervous system, specialised enteric glial cells maintain all aspects of gastrointestinal function. Then there are distinctive glial cells of the special senses that ensure how the body perceives and reacts to its environment. In pathology, neuroglia strive to protect the diverse cellular components of the nervous system and are responsible for a proactive programme of posttraumatic restructuring that is aimed at recovery of life-sustaining function. Neuroglia: Function and Pathology provides a highly original and comprehensive account of the physiology and pathophysiology of glial cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The first part of the book provides a far-reaching description of glial cell form and function, from their evolution in invertebrates to their complexity in humans, encompassing the developmental origin of the varied glial cell types and their diversity of morphology, molecular biology and cellular physiology. The second part of the book is devoted to an all-embracing evaluation of glial cell pathophysiology, commencing with definitive explanations of the fundamental pathologies of the main glial cell types, and ending in a systematic examination of glial contributions to specific neurological diseases. This book emphasises the central roles played by the different classes of neuroglial cells in the progression and outcome of neurological disorders of the central and peripheral nervous systems and highlights potential of glial cells as therapeutic targets. The book contains more than 2500 key references from over 150 years of glial research and is superbly illustrated with over 350 original and explanatory full colour figures that describe the diverse characteristics and properties of glial cells in health and disease. Under the same cover, this book combines an authoritative reference book for research and clinical neuroscientists and at the same time serves as an instructive textbook for students of neuroscience, from undergraduates to postgraduates.

Plant Development and Evolution, the latest release in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology series, highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on the Evolution of the plant body plan, Lateral root development and its role in evolutionary adaptation, the Development of the vascular system, the Development of the shoot apical meristem and phyllotaxis, the Evolution of leaf diversity, the Evolution of regulatory networks in land plants, The role of programed cell death in plant development, the Development and evolution of inflorescence architecture, the Molecular regulation of flower development, the Pre-meiotic another development, and much more.

Brain Targeted Drug Delivery Systems: A Focus on Nanotechnology and Nanoparticulates provides a guide on nanoparticulates to both academic and industry researchers. The book discusses key points in the development of brain targeted drug delivery, summarizes available strategies, and considers the main problems and pitfalls evidenced in current studies on brain targeted drug delivery systems. As the brain is the most important organ in the human body, and disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) are the most serious threat to human life, this book highlights advances and new research in drug delivery methods to the brain.

Effect of High-Pressure Technologies on Enzyme: Science and Applications provides a deep, practical discussion of high-pressure processing (HPP) and high-pressure homogenization (HPH) technologies and biochemical approaches, applied across research and industry, with applications ranging from food to pharmaceuticals and commercial enzyme production. Early chapters discuss foundational aspects of HPP and HPH approaches; the science of enzyme modification; and basic aspects of enzyme activity, stability, and structure as studied in biochemical processes. Later chapters consider the effect of HPP and HPH technologies and their mechanisms of controlling enzyme modification to improve enzyme performance for chosen applications. Special attention is paid to the application of HPP and HPH technologies and enzyme modifications in food processing, microbial enzyme modification, drug discovery, and production of other commercial enzymes, as well as the challenges of undesirable enzyme inactivation. The final chapter discusses future directions of the field and technologies, and expanded applications.

The Regulatory Genome in Adaptation, Evolution, Development, and Disease synthesizes insights from recent genomic and gene expression studies across organisms, from humans to plants, animals, and single cell life, exploring common roles gene regulation has played in adaptive evolution, as well as in developmental biology and susceptibility to disease. Here, Moyra Smith, a celebrated researcher in the field, sheds light on common themes in gene regulation across evolutionary timelines, illuminating new areas of focus and pathways for future research. Early chapters consider key elements in gene expression regulation, fundamentals of genomic alterations over time and in response to environmental and local conditions, and the role of epigenetics in adaptive evolution, with later chapters considering the role of adaptive gene regulation in healthy processes and developmental biology, as well as in disease biology. Throughout the book, a comparative approach is adopted across organisms, to highlight common evolutionary themes and genome diversity revealed by recent sequencing and GWAS studies, as well as how this informs our understanding of human adaptive evolution. The book finishes by detailing how we can use this knowledge to impact disease outcomes and healthy human metabolism, development, and physiology.

Insect Molecular Genetics: An Introduction to Principles and Applications, Fourth Edition provides the most recent advances and research in entomology and molecular genetics. It demonstrates the role molecular genetics plays in pest management and basic insect biology research, assuming readers have little to no prior knowledge on the subject. This newest edition features updates on the latest trends and discoveries, such as CRISPR-Cas genome editing methods, epigenetic inheritance, DNA amplification techniques, and molecular phylogenies. Certain chapter topics, including P-element mediated transformation and insect population molecular techniques, are condensed and updated to create a more comprehensive and concise read. This foundational text is a valuable resource for entomologists with limited training in molecular genetics, and will be an ideal source for pest control advisors who need to understand the vocabulary and methods that are used to solve entomological issues. Contains a new chapter on CRISPR-CAS and the basic biology of these systems related to arthropods Includes new and updated methods and examples of insect gene modification, along with discussions of regulatory and ethical issues Offers compiled and comprehensive terminology at the introductory level Illustrated with diagrams and tables to further explain key topics and concepts

Our Brains at War: The Neuroscience of Conflict and Peacebuilding suggests that we need a radical change in how we think about war, leadership, and politics. Most of us, political scientists included, fail to appreciate the extent to which instincts and emotions, rather than logic, factor into our societal politics and international wars. Many of our physiological and genetic tendencies, of which we are mostly unaware, can all too easily fuel our antipathy towards other groups, make us choose 'strong' leaders over more mindful leaders, assist recruitment for illegal militias, and facilitate even the most gentle of us to inflict violence on others. Drawing upon the latest research from emerging areas such as behavioral genetics, biopsychology, and social and cognitive neuroscience, this book identifies the sources of compelling instincts and emotions, and how we can acknowledge and better manage them so as to develop international and societal peace more effectively.

Epigenetics and Breeding, Volume 88, the latest release in the Advances in Botanical Research series, brings together the experiences and critical information teachers, researchers and managers must consider from both scientific and legal points-of-view as they relate to biotechnology. New chapters in this updated volume include sections on Epigenetic Mechanisms in Plants, Epigenomic Diversity and Applications to Breeding, Epigenetics in Breeding, EpiRILs: Lessons from Arabidopsis, Transposable Elements as a Tool for Plant Improvement, Epigenome Editing, Epigenetics and Grafting, Sexual and Non-sexual reproduction, Epigenetics in Cereals, and more.

Pulmonary Assessment and Management of Patients with Pediatric Neuromuscular Disease covers the broad medical problems and specific pulmonary conditions in patients with pediatric neuromuscular disease, ranging from the different types of neuromuscular disease, their pathophysiology, and assessment and management, including both novel disease modifying pharmacotherapies and state-of-the-art clinical management. This book provides evidence-based guidance for pediatric patients with neuromuscular disease, and is a valuable resource to pediatric pulmonologists, critical care physicians, and respiratory therapists who want an update and understanding on the cutting-edge therapies and standards of care for managing this population.

Stem Cell Laboratory Techniques: A Guide for Researchers and Students introduces the reader to stem cell culture, handling techniques and versatile applications used by researchers. Sections introduce stem cells, including definitions, types and basic use of stem cells in biomedical science research. The book explains laboratory procedures and techniques ranging from the extraction of stem cells from animals, cell seeding and culture, harvest and maintenance of stem cells, stem cell characterization, accurate recording, quality control, and more. In addition, it guides researchers on topics such as transcriptome analysis, proliferation study analysis, and microphysiological study. Final sections cover useful and recent applications in stem cells, such as gene editing techniques and the preparation of stem cells for in vitro study, as well as stem cell lab design and equipment used in the lab. Lastly, human and animal research ethics are discussed.

Hospitalization, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Surgery in Iran: The Lifecycle of Medical Sciences provides a complete understanding of the lifecycle of medicine in the underserved area of Iran. Coverage elucidates the importance of communication between scientists in different countries for the further development of research to advance hospitalization infrastructure, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, and surgery techniques and availability. Using a systematic timeline approach, coverage includes early medical sciences in present day Iran. Each chapter highlights important research, techniques and procedures throughout the lifecycle of medical sciences and includes topics from bloodletting and setting bones, to anesthesia and vaccines. The book's content emphasizes standard protocols based on international recognition to help developing countries adopt newer technologies.

Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis, Part B, Volume 44 in The Enzymes series highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on Mesoporous silica nanoparticle synthesis, Periodic mesoporous organosilica, Nanovalves and other nanomachine-equipped nanoparticles and controlled release, Two-photon light control and photodynamic therapy, Biodegradable PMO nanoparticles, Cationic mesoporous silica and protein delivery, Drug loading, stimuli-responsive delivery and cancer treatment, Animal models and cancer therapy, siRNA delivery and TWIST shutdown for ovarian cancer treatment, and TBC (mesoporous silica nanoparticles and cancer therapy or biodistribution of MSN).