"Mass Production of Beneficial Organisms: Invertebrates and Entomopathogens" is an essential reference and teaching tool for researchers in developed and developing countries working to produce "natural enemies" in biological control and integrated pest management programs.

As we become aware of the negative impact of pesticides in human health and on the environment, interest is rapidly increasing in developing biological pest control alternatives. Tremendous advances have been made in beneficial organism technology, such as insect predators and parasitoids, mite predators, entomopathogenic nematodes, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. However, developing techniques to mass produce these biological control agents is not enough if the cost of commercialization is prohibitive. Advancing mass production to the level of economic feasibility is critical, so these new technologies can compete in the open market.

This book educates academic and industry researchers, and enables further development of mass production so new technologies can compete in the open market. It is also an excellent resource for those researching beneficial arthropod mass production and technologies for other uses, including for study and application in biotechnology and biomedical research.
Focuses on techniques for mass production of beneficial organisms and methods of evaluation and quality assessmentOrganizes and presents the most advanced and current knowledge on methods to mass produce beneficial organisms in response to the increased global demand for alternatives to chemical pesticides for biological control producers Includes a team of highly respected editors and authors with broad expertise in these areas

"Sexual Selection: Perspectives and Models from the Neotropics" presents new sexual selection research based upon neotropical species. As neotropical regions aredestroyed at an alarming rate, with an estimated 140 species of rainforest plants and animals going extinct every day, it is important to bring neotropical research to the fore now.

Sexual selection occurs when the male or female of a species is attracted by certain characteristics such as form, color or behavior. When those features lead to a greater probability of successful mating, they become more prominent in the species. Although most theoretical concepts concerning sexual selection and reproductive strategies are based upon North American and European fauna, the Neotropical region encompasses much more biodiversity, with as many as 15,000 plant and animal species in a single acre of rain forest.

This book illustrates concepts in sexual selection through themes ranging from female cryptic choice in insects, sexual conflict in fish, interaction between sexual selection and the immune system, nuptial gifts, visual and acoustic sexual signaling, parental investment, to alternative mating strategies, among others. These approaches distinguish "Sexual Selection" from current publications in sexual selection, mainly because of the latitudinal and taxonomic focus, so that readers will be introduced to systems mostly unknown outside the tropics, several of which bring into question some well-established patterns for temperate regions.
Synthesizes sexual selection research on species from the NeotropicsCombines different perspectives and levels of analysis using a broad taxonomic basis, introducing readers to systems mostly unknown outside the tropics and bringing into question well-established patterns for temperate regionsIncludes contributions exploring concepts and theory as well as discussions on a variety of Neotropical vertebrates and invertebrates, such as insects, fish, arthropods and birds"

The Inductive Brain in Development and Evolution provides readers with a substantial biological education on animal nervous systems and their role in the development, adaptation, homeostasis, and evolution of species. The book begins by delving into the embryonic development of the brain and then discusses epigenetic information and neural activity post-birth. It then analyzes the inductive brain's neural and brain control of such factors like myogenesis, bone development, sensory organs, metamorphosis in vertebrates and invertebrates, and wing development in insects. The book closes with an examination of phenotypic evolution in neural control, mechanisms, and drivers of animal brains. The Inductive Brain in Development and Evolution will offer evolutionary biologists, specifically those researching development, adaptation, and evolution of animals, a comprehensive text that covers a variety of valuable topics.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds -- how they live and how they think. "There is the mammal way and there is the bird way." But the bird way is much more than a unique pattern of brain wiring, and lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviors they have, for years, dismissed as anomalies or mysteries -- What they are finding is upending the traditional view of how birds conduct their lives, how they communicate, forage, court, breed, survive. They are also revealing the remarkable intelligence underlying these activities, abilities we once considered uniquely our own: deception, manipulation, cheating, kidnapping, infanticide, but also ingenious communication between species, cooperation, collaboration, altruism, culture, and play. Some of these extraordinary behaviors are biological conundrums that seem to push the edges of, well, birdness: a mother bird that kills her own infant sons, and another that selflessly tends to the young of other birds as if they were her own; a bird that collaborates in an extraordinary way with one species-ours-but parasitizes another in gruesome fashion; birds that give gifts and birds that steal; birds that dance or drum, that paint their creations or paint themselves; birds that build walls of sound to keep out intruders and birds that summon playmates with a special call-and may hold the secret to our own penchant for playfulness and the evolution of laughter. Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, from the tropical rainforests of eastern Australia and the remote woodlands of northern Japan, to the rolling hills of lower Austria and the islands of Alaska's Kachemak Bay, Jennifer Ackerman shows there is clearly no single bird way of being. In every respect, in plumage, form, song, flight, lifestyle, niche, and behavior, birds vary. It is what we love about them. As E.O Wilson once said, when you have seen one bird, you have not seen them all.

How many fingers do you have? How many toes? This engaging book teaches beginning readers how to count the parts of their bodies. Engage students in reading as they develop their early childhood literacy skills. With TIME For Kids content, this full-color book is aligned to state and national standards, and introduces students to simple informational text features.

The capybara is the neotropical mammal with the highest potential for production and domestication. Amongst the favorable characteristics for domestication we can list its high prolificacy, rapid growth rate, a herbivorous diet, social behavior and relative tameness. The genus (with only two species) is found from the Panama Canal to the north of Argentina on the east of the Andes. Chile is the only country in South America where the capybara is not found. The species is eaten all over its range, especially by poor, rural and traditional communities engaged in subsistence hunting. On the other hand, in large urban settlements wildlife is consumed by city dwellers as a delicacy. The sustainable management of capybara in the wild has been adopted by some South American countries, while others have encouraged capybara rearing in captivity.

This book comprehensively reviews the anatomy, physiology, genetics and pathology of laboratory animals as well as the principles and practices of using laboratory animals for biomedical research.It covers the design of buildings used for laboratory animals, quality control of laboratory animals, and toxicology, and discusses various animal models used for human diseases. It also highlights aspects, such as handling and restraint and administration of drugs, as well as breeding and feeding of laboratory animals, and provides guidelines for developing meaningful experiments using laboratory animals.Further, the book discusses various alternatives to animal experiments for drug and chemical testing, including their advantages over the current approaches. Lastly, it examines the potential effect of harmful pathogens on the physiology of laboratory animals and discusses the state of art in in vivo imaging techniques.The book is a useful resource for research scientists, laboratory animal veterinarians, and students of laboratory animal medicine.

Atlas of the Pig Gut: Research and Techniques from Birth to Adulthood examines the development of the gastrointestinal tract in swine. It focuses on changes occurring during the developmental phase, with an emphasis on the gut that is reflected in alterations of the intestinal mucosa architecture. Led by leading experts in pig digestion research, the book contains descriptions and microphotographs of the most updated research. The changes occurring in the intestine are presented in a comprehensive order, from small magnifications of tissue structures to high magnifications of fragments of epithelium-building cell structures. Additionally, the book highlights the replacement mechanism of epithelial cells during the development of the small intestinal mucosa. This book is the ideal resource for animal science researchers and practitioners. In addition, swine veterinarians and academics will also find it useful due to its helpful, detailed graphics and organized structure.