Medical Epigenetics, Second Edition provides a comprehensive analysis of epigenetics in health management, across a broad spectrum of disease categories and specialties, and with a focus on human systems, epigenetic diseases that affect these systems, and evolving modes of epigenetic-based treatment. Here, more than 40 leading researchers examine how each human system is affected by epigenetic maladies, offering an all-in-one resource on medical epigenetics not only for those directly involved with health care, but investigators in life sciences, biotech companies, graduate students, and others who are interested in applied aspects of epigenetics. Incorporating both diagnostic and prognostic epigenetic approaches, this volume also fully supports the application of epigenetics in precision medicine. This second edition of Medical Epigenetics, a volume in the Translational Epigenetics series, has been fully revised to address recent advances in disease epigenetics and role of epigenetics in precision medicine, with all-new chapters on skin cancer epigenetics, network analysis in medical epigenetics, machine learning in epigenetic diseases, and clinical trials of epigenetics drugs.

The book presents new and stimulating approaches to the study of language evolution and considers their implications for future research. Leading scholars from linguistics, primatology, anthroplogy, and cognitive science consider how language evolution can be understood by means of inference from the study of linked or analogous phenomena in language, animal behaviour, genetics, neurology, culture, and biology. In their introduction the editors show how these approaches can be interrelated and deployed together through their use of comparable forms of inference and the similar conditions they place on the use of evidence. The Evolutionary Emergence of Language will interest everyone concerned with this intriguing and important subject, including those in linguistics, biology, anthropology, archaeology, neurology, and cognitive science.

MATLAB(r) in bioscience and biotechnology presents an introductory Matlab course oriented towards various collaborative areas of biotechnology and bioscience. It concentrates on Matlab fundamentals and gives examples of its application to a wide range of current bioengineering problems in computational biology, molecular biology, bio-kinetics, biomedicine, bioinformatics, and biotechnology. In the last decade Matlab has been presented to students as the first computer program they learn. Consequently, many non-programmer students, engineers and scientists have come to regard it as user-friendly and highly convenient in solving their specific problems. Numerous books are available on programming in Matlab for engineers in general, irrespective of their specialization, or for those specializing in some specific area, but none have been designed especially for such a wide, interdisciplinary, and topical area as bioengineering. Thus, in this book, Matlab is presented with examples and applications to various school-level and advanced bioengineering problems - from growing populations of microorganisms and population dynamics, reaction kinetics and reagent concentrations, predator-prey models, mass-transfer and flow problems, to sequence analysis and sequence statistics.
This is the first book intended as a manual introducing biologists and other biotechnology engineers to work with MatlabIt is suitable for beginners and inexperienced users; however, applications of Matlab to advanced problems such as the Monte Carlo method, curve fitting, and reliable machine diagnostics make the book relevant to university teachers as wellThe book is different in that it assumes a modest mathematical background for the reader and introduces the mathematical or technical concepts with a somewhat traditional approach; Matlab is then used as a tool for subsequent computer solution

Stroke Rehabilitation: Insights from Neuroscience and Imaging informs and challenges neurologists, rehabilitation therapists, imagers, and stroke specialists to adopt more restorative and scientific approaches to stroke rehabilitation based on new evidence from neuroscience and neuroimaging literatures. The fields of cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging are advancing rapidly and providing new insights into human behavior and learning. Similarly, improved knowledge of how the brain processes information after injury and recovers over time is providing new perspectives on what can be achieved through rehabilitation.
Stroke Rehabilitation explores the potential to shape and maximize neural plastic changes in the brain after stroke from a multimodal perspective. Active skill based learning is identified as a central element of a restorative approach to rehabilitation. The evidence behind core learning principles as well as specific learning strategies that have been applied to retrain lost functions of movement, sensation, cognition and language are also discussed. Current interventions are evaluated relative to this knowledge base and examples are given of how active learning principles have been successfully applied in specific interventions. The benefits and evidence behind enriched environments is reviewed with examples of potential application in stroke rehabilitation. The capacity of adjunctive therapies, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, to modulate receptivity of the damaged brain to benefit from behavioral interventions is also discussed in the context of this multimodal approach. Focusing on new insights from neuroscience and imaging, the book explores the potential to tailor interventions to the individual based on viable brain networks.
This book is intended for clinicians, rehabilitation specialists and neurologists who are interested in using these new discoveries to achieve more optimal outcomes. Equally as important, it is intended for neuroscientists, clinical researchers, and imaging specialists to help frame important clinical questions and to better understand the context in which their discoveries may be used.

This book describes methods for statistical brain imaging data analysis from both the perspective of methodology and from the standpoint of application for software implementation in neuroscience research. These include those both commonly used (traditional established) and state of the art methods. The former is easier to do due to the availability of appropriate software. To understand the methods it is necessary to have some mathematical knowledge which is explained in the book with the help of figures and descriptions of the theory behind the software. In addition, the book includes numerical examples to guide readers on the working of existing popular software. The use of mathematics is reduced and simplified for non-experts using established methods, which also helps in avoiding mistakes in application and interpretation. Finally, the book enables the reader to understand and conceptualize the overall flow of brain imaging data analysis, particularly for statisticians and data-scientists unfamiliar with this area. The state of the art method described in the book has a multivariate approach developed by the authors' team. Since brain imaging data, generally, has a highly correlated and complex structure with large amounts of data, categorized into big data, the multivariate approach can be used as dimension reduction by following the application of statistical methods. The R package for most of the methods described is provided in the book. Understanding the background theory is helpful in implementing the software for original and creative applications and for an unbiased interpretation of the output. The book also explains new methods in a conceptual manner. These methodologies and packages are commonly applied in life science data analysis. Advanced methods to obtain novel insights are introduced, thereby encouraging the development of new methods and applications for research into medicine as a neuroscience.

Sometimes history seems like a laundry list of malevolent monarchs, pompous presidents and dastardly dictators. But are they really the ones in the driving seat? Sapiens: A Graphic History – The Masters of History takes us on an immersive and hilarious ride through the human past to discover the forces that change our world, bring us together, and – just as often – tear us apart.

Grab a front-row seat to the greatest show on earth and explore the rise of money, religion and empire. Join our fabulous host Heroda Tush, as she wonders: which historical superhero will display the power to make civilisations rise and fall? Will Mr Random prove that luck and circumstance prevail? Will Lady Empire convince us of the irrefutable shaping force of conquerors? Or will Clashwoman beat them all to greatness by reminding us of the endless confrontations that seem to forever plague our species?

In this next volume of the bestselling graphic series, Yuval Noah Harari, David Vandermeulen and Daniel Casanave continue to present the complicated story of humankind with wit, empathy and originality. Alongside the unlikely cast of new characters, we are rejoined by the familiar faces of Yuval, Zoe, Professor Saraswati, Bill and Cindy (now Romans), Skyman and Captain Dollar. As they travel through time, space and human drama in search of truth, it's impossible not to wonder: why can’t we all just get along?

This third instalment in the Sapiens: A Graphic History series is an engaging, insightful, and colourful retelling of the story of humankind for curious minds of all ages, and can be browsed through on its own or read in sequence with Volumes One and Two.

The Complex Interplay Between Gut-Brain, Gut-Liver, and Liver-Brain Axes provides current and wide-ranging information in the field of gastrointestinal, liver, and brain interactions that can be used in resolving important clinical issues. This book is systematically split into three distinct sections. The first section introduces the pathophysiology of the gut-brain connection, including the causative effect of the interactions between the gut and brain in gastrointestinal and psychiatric/neurological disorders, and the role of serotonin and its pathways in gastrointestinal disorders. The second section examines the pathophysiology of the gut-liver connection along with the interactions between gut microbiota and liver in chronic liver diseases, with special focus on the role of serotonin and its pathways in hepatic fibrogenesis. Finally, the third section describes the pathophysiology of the liver-brain connection, including the role of gut microbiota in hepatic encephalopathy, as well as dietary and therapeutic interventions that target the gut microbiome.

The series Advances in Stem Cell Biology is a timely and expansive collection of comprehensive information and new discoveries in the field of stem cell biology. Recent Advances in iPSC Technology, Volume 5 addresses the progress in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technologies. Somatic cells can be reprogrammed into iPSCs by the expression of specific transcription factors. These cells are transforming biomedical research in the last 15 years. The volume teaches readers about current advances in the field. This book describes different technologies and strategies to use iPSCs for biological and clinical benefit. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in the obtention of iPSCs and their differentiation into several cell types, tissues, and organs using state-of-the-art techniques. These advantages facilitated identification of key targets and definition of the molecular basis of several disorders. This volume will cover hot topics in the iPSC field, such as iPSCs for modeling the cardiovascular toxicities of anticancer therapies, iPSC differentiation through the lens of the noncoding genome, modeling of blood-brain barrier with iPSCs, mathematical modeling of iPSCs, iPSCs to study human brain evolution, selfrenewal in iPSCs, differences and similarities between iPSCs and embryonic stem cells, and more. The volume is written for researchers and scientists interested in stem cell therapy, cell biology, regenerative medicine, and organ transplantation and is contributed by world-renowned authors in the field.

This volume honours an outstanding Japanese carcinologist, Masatsune Takeda (National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo, Japan), on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Since 1967, Takeda-sensei ("sensei" is an honourific term for teacher or senior scientist in Japan) has devoted his life to studying the taxonomy of Brachyura and has published 323 papers over a long and illustrious career, and in the process, described 231 new taxa. In this volume, a total of 24 papers have been put together by 40 of his friends and colleagues to honour him. These papers cover a wide diversity of topics on the taxonomy, larval biology, palaeontology and ecology of Brachyura, Caridea, Stenopodidea, Astacidea, Axiidea, Anomura, Amphipoda, Isopoda and Mysida, all groups that Takeda-sensei loved.

Oligonucleotides represent one of the most significant pharmaceutical breakthroughs in recent years, showing great promise as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for malignant tumors, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, viral infections, and many other degenerative disorders. The Handbook of Analysis of Oligonucleotides and Related Products is an essential reference manual on the practical application of modern and emerging analytical techniques for the analysis of this unique class of compounds. A strong collaboration among thirty leading analytical scientists from around the world, the book provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the most commonly used analytical techniques and their advantages and limitations in assuring the identity, purity, quality, and strength of an oligonucleotide intended for therapeutic use. Topics discussed include: Strategies for enzymatic or chemical degradation of chemically modified oligonucleotides toward mass spectrometric sequencing Purity analysis by chromatographic or electrophoretic methods, including RP-HPLC, AX-HPLC, HILIC, SEC, and CGE Characterization of sequence-related impurities in oligonucleotides by mass spectrometry and chromatography Structure elucidation by spectroscopic methods (IR, NMR, MS) as well as base composition and thermal melt analysis (Tm) Approaches for the accurate determination of molar extinction coefficient of oligonucleotides Accurate determination of assay values Assessment of the overall quality of oligonucleotides, including microbial analysis and determination of residual solvents and heavy metals Strategies for determining the chemical stability of oligonucleotides The use of hybridization techniques for supporting pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism studies in preclinical and clinical development Guidance for the presentation of relevant analytical information towards meeting current regulatory expectations for oligonucleotide therapeutics This resource provides a practical guide for applying state-of-the-art analytical techniques in research, development, and manufacturing settings.

This book was originally published in 1981 as a publication of the Cooper Ornithological Society and was based on the proceedings of a meeting of biologists and statisticians in Asilomar who gathered to examine the methods and assumptions used in estimating bird numbers. Counting birds has a long tradition. It is the currency of many ornithological studies. Bird counts have been seminal in our knowledge of bird migration, competition, ecology, population dynamics, environmental adaptation, impact of human alterations and island biogeography. Interest in estimating bird numbers remains high today but is often plagued by unasked or unanswered questions regarding sampling methods and treatment of the results. This book recorded the outcome of a meeting held to address these and other questions. It led to better understanding of what can and cannot be done with datasets. This volume remains a primary source of information on censusing of birds and other animals, and is frequently quoted in the primary literature of today. Since this volume went out of print some six years ago, demand has markedly increased for copies which are essentially unavailable, attesting to its currency today. C. John Ralph, received his Bachelors from the University of California, Berkeley and his doctorate from The Johns Hopkins University. Most of his early research was on bird migration and orientation. After a stint teaching at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, he moved to Hawaii in 1976 where he began work on endangered forest birds for the Forest Service as a Research Ecologist. In 1981 he and his family moved to Arcata to join the Forest Service's Redwood Sciences Laboratory. One of his principal research topics there has been on an old-growth dependent bird, the Marbled Murrelet, involving extensive research from Alaska to California. His other principal work is on landbird monitoring, especially involving census and constant effort mist netting. Since 1994 he has directed research at a bird monitoring station in Costa Rica, now one of the longest running stations in Latin America. Beginning in 1980 he conducted research on an island off New Zealand involving monitoring and reintroduction of native birds. He has published more than 150 scientific articles and edited several books on bird monitoring and the Marbled Murrelet.

Genome Editing: A Practical Guide to Research and Clinical Applications is geared towards investigators interested in learning how to use CRISPR-Cas9-based technologies, with a focus on cardiovascular research and clinical applications. Covering a range of topics from the basics of genome editing to design considerations, to assessments and applications, this reference allows readers to get started and establish a full workflow from the beginning of the project to its full completion. With worked examples drawn from real-life experiments, as well as troubleshooting and pitfalls to avoid, the book serves as an essential reference for researchers and investigators in both cardiovascular and biomedical research.

Exploring Genome's Junkyard: In the Labyrinth of Evolution narrates the progress of biological evolution, beginning with the conceptual introspection of gene and continuing with the contemporary understanding of the structural and function aspects of the human genome. Recent advances in human genome research have led scientists to the term "biological dark matter," which refers to genetic material whose functionalities are not yet properly understood. Such "dark matter" has been recognized as non-coding, or "junk DNA," and non-coding RNA, which was thought to be devoid of protein encrypting potential but contained 98-99% of the human genome. The mysteries of missing genes from its "Dark DNA" region are a hotbed of recurrent mutations. Hence, the presence of "missing genes" in evolutionary sibling species has indicated that the "missing genes" are not really missing but rather hidden in the mutational hotbeds of "Dark DNA" where they have steered the continuation of life's evolutionary journey.

Genomics of Rare Diseases: Understanding Disease Genetics Using Genomic Approaches, a new volume in the Translational and Applied Genomics series, offers readers a broad understanding of current knowledge on rare diseases through a genomics lens. This clear understanding of the latest molecular and genomic technologies used to elucidate the molecular causes of more than 5,000 genetic disorders brings readers closer to unraveling many more that remain undefined and undiscovered. The challenges associated with performing rare disease research are also discussed, as well as the opportunities that the study of these disorders provides for improving our understanding of disease architecture and pathophysiology. Leading chapter authors in the field discuss approaches such as karyotyping and genomic sequencing for the better diagnosis and treatment of conditions including recessive diseases, dominant and X-linked disorders, de novo mutations, sporadic disorders and mosaicism.