This volume of Advances in Microbial Physiology continues the long tradition of topical and important reviews in microbiology

Plant Extracts in Neurodegenerative Disease examines the therapeutic efficacy of plant extracts and the lead compounds contained therein that can significantly improve symptoms of diseases of the brain. Providing insights into the protective mechanisms of these bioactive plant compounds to treat Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, motor neuron disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases, the book also discusses the pros and cons of using these types of treatments, along with perspectives to overcome current challenges. With chapters looking at individual diseases, readers will learn about studies unique to each condition, including Huntington's Disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, SMA, ALS and prion disease.

This new volume of Methods in Enzymology continues the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. This volume covers research methods in RNA folding and dynamics, RNA-protein interactions and large RNPs.

Data Mining for Bioinformatics Applications provides valuable information on the data mining methods have been widely used for solving real bioinformatics problems, including problem definition, data collection, data preprocessing, modeling, and validation. The text uses an example-based method to illustrate how to apply data mining techniques to solve real bioinformatics problems, containing 45 bioinformatics problems that have been investigated in recent research. For each example, the entire data mining process is described, ranging from data preprocessing to modeling and result validation.

Psychiatric Genomics presents and synthesizes available knowledge in the field of psychiatric genomics, offering methodologies to advance new research and aid clinical translation. After providing an introduction to genomics and psychiatry, international experts discuss the genomic basis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, addictions, eating disorders, and sleep disorders, among other disorders. In addition, recommendations for next steps in clinical implementation and drug discovery are discussed in-depth, with chapters dedicated to pharmacogenomics and antipsychotics, antidepressants and mood stabilizers, adverse drug reactions, implementation of pharmacogenomics in psychiatric clinics, and ethical issues. Finally, methods sections provide a solid grounding in research approaches and computational analytics, from using animal models in psychiatric genomics and accessing biobanks, to employing computational analysis, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), brain pathophysiology, and endophenotypes in psychiatric research.

Our species long lived on the edge of starvation. Now we produce enough food for all 7 billion of us to eat nearly 3,000 calories every day. This is such an astonishing thing in the history of life as to verge on the miraculous. "The Big Ratchet" is the story of how it happened, of the ratchets--the technologies and innovations, big and small--that propelled our species from hunters and gatherers on the savannahs of Africa to shoppers in the aisles of the supermarket.
The Big Ratchet itself came in the twentieth century, when a range of technologies--from fossil fuels to scientific plant breeding to nitrogen fertilizers--combined to nearly quadruple our population in a century, and to grow our food supply even faster. To some, these technologies are a sign of our greatness; to others, of our hubris. MacArthur fellow and Columbia University professor Ruth DeFries argues that the debate is the wrong one to have. Limits do exist, but every limit that has confronted us, we have surpassed. That cycle of crisis and growth is the story of our history; indeed, it is the essence of "The Big Ratchet." Understanding it will reveal not just how we reached this point in our history, but how we might survive it.

Two new volumes of Methods in Enzymology continue the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. Circadian Rhythms and Biological Clocks Part A and Part B is an exceptional resource for anybody interested in the general area of circadian rhythms. As key elements of timekeeping are conserved in organisms across the phylogenetic tree, and our understanding of circadian biology has benefited tremendously from work done in many species, the volume provides a wide range of assays for different biological systems. Protocols are provided to assess clock function, entrainment of the clock to stimuli such as light and food, and output rhythms of behavior and physiology. This volume also delves into the impact of circadian disruption on human health. Contributions are from leaders in the field who have made major discoveries using the methods presented here.

We grow up thinking there are five senses, but we forget about the ten neglected senses of the body that both enable and limit our experience. Embodied explores the psychology of physical sensation in ten chapters: balance, movement, pressure (acting in gravity), breathing, fatigue, pain, itch, temperature, appetite, and expulsion (the senses of physical matter leaving the body). For each sense, two people are interviewed who live with extreme experiences of the sense being investigated; their stories bring to life how far physical sensations matter to us and how much they define what is possible in our life. How physical sensation shapes behavior and how behavior is shaped by sensation are examined. A final chapter presents a theory of what is common across the ten senses: of how we deal with being urged to act, and what happens when extreme sensation is inescapable.

The scope of this volume of Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science includes the molecular regulation of olfactory processes in vertebrates and insects including detailed discussion of olfactory proteins, signaling cascades and olfactory receptor modeling. In addition, because insect olfaction is an important and emerging field, it is also discussed in the context of key research questions such as disruption of host-finding by insect disease vectors, elucidation of the diverse range of compounds that are detected by insects, and the detection of pheromones by moths.

Mathematical Analysis of Infectious Diseases updates on the mathematical and epidemiological analysis of infectious diseases. Epidemic mathematical modeling and analysis is important, not only to understand disease progression, but also to provide predictions about the evolution of disease. One of the main focuses of the book is the transmission dynamics of the infectious diseases like COVID-19 and the intervention strategies. It also discusses optimal control strategies like vaccination and plasma transfusion and their potential effectiveness on infections using compartmental and mathematical models in epidemiology like SI, SIR, SICA, and SEIR. The book also covers topics like: biodynamic hypothesis and its application for the mathematical modeling of biological growth and the analysis of infectious diseases, mathematical modeling and analysis of diagnosis rate effects and prediction of viruses, data-driven graphical analysis of epidemic trends, dynamic simulation and scenario analysis of the spread of diseases, and the systematic review of the mathematical modeling of infectious disease like coronaviruses.

The terrestrial organisms of the Galapagos Islands live under conditions unlike those anywhere else. At the edge of a uniquely rich mid-ocean upwelling, their world is also free of mammalian predators and competitors, allowing them to live unbothered, exuberant lives. With its giant tortoises, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, and forests of giant daisies, there's no question that this is a magnificent place. Long before people traversed the Earth, evolution endowed native species with adaptations to these special conditions and to perturbations like El Nino events and periodic droughts. As the islands have grown ever-more connected with humanity, those same adaptations now make its species vulnerable. Today, the islands are best viewed as one big social-ecological system where the ability of each native organism to survive and reproduce is a product of human activity in addition to ecological circumstances. In this book, William H. Durham takes readers on a tour of Galapagos and the organisms that inhabit these isolated volcanic islands. Exuberant Life offers a contemporary synthesis of what we know about the evolution of its curiously wonderful organisms, how they are faring in the tumultuous changing world around them, and how evolution can guide our efforts today for their conservation. The book highlights the ancestry of a dozen specific organisms in these islands, when and how they made it to the Galapagos, as well as how they have changed in the meantime. Durham traces the strengths and weaknesses of each species, arguing that the mismatch between natural challenges of their habitats and the challenges humans have recently added is the main task facing conservation efforts today. Such analysis often provides surprises and suggestions not yet considered, like the potential benefits to joint conservation efforts between tree finches and tree daisies, or ways in which the peculiar evolved behaviors of Nazca and blue-footed boobies can be used to benefit both species today. In each chapter, a social-ecological systems framework is used to highlight links between human impact, including climate change, and species status today, Historically, the Galapagos have played a central role in our understanding of evolution; what these islands now offer to teach us about conservation may well prove indispensable for the future of the planet.

The Management of Scientific Integrity within Academic Medical Centers discusses the impact scientific misconduct has in eight complex case studies. Authors look at multifaceted mixtures of improper behavior, poor communication, cultural issues, adverse medical/health issues, interpersonal problems and misunderstandings to illustrate the challenge of identifying and managing what went wrong and how current policies have led to the establishment of quasi legal processes within academic institutions. The book reviews the current global regulations and concludes with a section authored by a US federal court judge who provides his perspective on the adequacy of current regulations and policies.

Perioperative Neurosciences: Translational Research examines current clinical research focused on complications and the improvement of patient outcomes in neuroanesthesia and neurocritical care. The book addresses important translational topics including neuroanesthetics, pharmacogenomics, neuroprotection and neurotoxicity. In addition, it covers special considerations for topics such as stroke, traumatic brain injury and pain, as well as for specific patient populations like geriatric and pediatric.

Cardiovascular Toxicity and Therapeutic Modalities Targeting Cardio-Oncology: From Basic Research to Advanced Study analyzes the emerging the field of cardio-oncology, reviewing recent advancements in the field, discussing how to monitor and treat cancer survivors for cardiotoxicity, and identifying potential cardiac side effects in novel cancer therapies. By adopting a translational approach, the book first comprehensively covers the basic science, mechanisms and concepts, which is followed by advanced state-of-art of cardio-oncology. Other sections cover tyrosine kinase inhibitors, Anthracyclines, and biomarkers in cardiotoxicity induced by chemotherapeutic drugs, noninvasive cardiovascular imaging techniques, radiotherapy induced cardiovascular, and more. Anti-cancer treatment is associated with serious cardiovascular adverse events, including arterial and pulmonary hypertension, supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias, systolic and diastolic cardiac dysfunction and coronary artery disease. Progress in cancer therapy over the past decades improved long-term survival but increased cancer therapy-related cardiotoxicity. Both traditional chemotherapeutic agents and newer therapies have demonstrated profound cardiovascular toxicities. It is important to understand the mechanisms of these toxicities to establish strategies for the prevention and management of complications-arrhythmias, heart failure, and even death.