Comparative Placentation : Structures, Functions and Evolution
Science produces fascinating puzzles: why is there such a range of placental structures when other mammalian organs are so structurally uniform ? Why and how did the different placental structures evolve ? Comparative placental studies can facilitate the identification of the common factors in placental growth, differentiation and function and their relevance to possible evolutionary pathways. Comparative Placentation is the only book presenting up-to-date data illustrating the great variety of structure but uniform function of vertebrate placentas from fish to man. This information is essential for selection of suitable models to investigate particular practical problems of impaired or anomalous growth in human and animal placentation. The unique collection of the best light and electron micrographs from the last thirtyfive years which precisely illustrate the structural range in each taxon, make the book the most authoritative publication in this field and a vital source of information for anyone interested on reproductive physiology, anatomy and medicine.
Comparative genomics ; Vol.15 : Using Fungi as Models
Fungal comparative genomics started in 2000 by the genome sequencing of several yeast species other than the canonical Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Since then, over 30 fungal genome sequences have become available. This set represents a total evolutionary divergence comparable to that between vertebrates and arthropods, but also contains closely related genomes. This volume describes how we can use this set of genomes to trace large and small-scale events in genome evolution, to extract information about highly conserved and less conserved sequence elements, and to develop novel methods in genomics that will have an impact on genomics at large.
Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 11
Presents the proceedings of "Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 11", hosted by the University of Liverpool and held July 25 - 28, 2006 at the University of Chester in the United Kingdom. Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 11 contains the latest research on chemical communication relevant to vertebrates, particularly focusing on new research since the last meeting in 2003. Topics covered include chemical ecology, biochemistry, behavior and neurobiology of both the main olfactory and vomeronasal systems of vertebrates, from amphibia to mammals including humans. A broad range of taxonomic groups and topics are discussed, including sections on new directions in semiochemistry, olfactory response and function, recognition within species, sexual communication, maternal-offspring communication, communication between species, and applications for zoo animal enrichment and pest control. The volume is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Bets Rasmussen and includes a special tribute chapter on her ground-breaking research on elephant communication.
Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 10
This book also represents the tenth in a series of books on chemical communication, chemical ecology, olfactory and vomeronasal research in vertebrate species. The species covered in the chapters herein range from fish to mammals including humans. By taxonomic breakdown the mammals are the most represented in number of species and chapter contributions. However, the hosts of the meeting endeavored to have some representative contributions covering all of the major vertebrate taxa.
Brain development in Drosophila melanogaster
The central nervous system (CNS) represents the organ with the highest structural and functional complexity. Accordingly, uncovering the mechanisms leading to cell diversity, patterning and connectivity in the CNS is one of the major challenges in developmental biology. The developing CNS of the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster is an ideal model system to study these processes. Several principle questions regarding neurogenesis (like stem cell formation, cell fate specification, axonal pathfinding) have been addressed in Drosophila by focusing on the relatively simply structured truncal parts of the nervous system. This book provides an overview of some major facets of recent research on Drosophila brain development.
Biological Invasions in South Africa
This book presents a comprehensive account of all aspects of biological invasions in South Africa, where research has been conducted over more than three decades, and where bold initiatives have been implemented in attempts to control invasions and to reduce their ecological, economic and social effects.
Biodiversity Conservation and Phylogenetic Systematics : Preserving our evolutionary heritage in an extinction crisis
This book brings an updated state of the art of phylogenetic diversity in conservation biology. Nineteen chapters written by scientists from research institutions of fourteen countries demonstrate that approaches for preserving the evolutionary heritage are now very tuned into human impacts and sustainability issues. The questions, methods and applications around which it is organized show the importance of phylogenetic diversity in avoiding biodiversity losses in the present extinction crisis. They touch important points such as the way we value phylogenetic diversity, the importance of thinking at a much wider sample of the Tree of Life, the choice of adequate measures. In methods section, new solutions, such as dealing with abundances, sampling effort, or with information coming from conflicting phylogenetic trees are provided. Application section includes study cases of different groups of organi
Biodiversity and Ecophysiology of Yeasts
In the last few decades more and more yeast habitats that were not investigated earlier, spanning cold climates to tropical regions and dry deserts to rainforests, have been explored. As a result, a large body of ecological data has been accumulated and the number of known yeast species has increased rapidly. This book provides an overview of the biodiversity of yeasts in different habitats. The recent advances achieved by the application of molecular biological methods in the field of yeast taxonomy and ecology are also incorporated in the book. Wherever possible, the interaction between yeasts and the surrounding environment is discussed.
Bergeys manual of systematic bacteriology ; Vol.2 : The proteobacteria, Part B : The Gammaproteobacteria
Includes a description of the Gammaproteobacteria (1203 pages, 222 figures, and 300 tables). This large taxon includes many well known medically and environmentally important groups.
Bergeys manual of systematic bacteriology ; Vol.2 : The proteobacteria ; Part A : Introductory essays
Includes introductory chapters on classification of prokaryotes, the concept of bacterial species, numerical and polyphasic taxonomy, bacterial nomenclature and the etymology of prokaryotic names, nucleic acid probes and their application in environmental microbiology, culture collections, and the intellectual property of prokaryotes.
Axonal branching and recovery of coordinated muscle activity after transsection of the facial nerve in adult rats
Facial nerve surgery inevitably leads to partial pareses, abnormally associated movements and pathologically altered reflexes. The reason for this "post-paralytic syndrome" is the misdirected reinnervation of targets
Axon growth and guidance
The complexarchitectureofneuronal networks togetherwith the extraordinary associated functions make the nervous system a fascinating biological structure. The considerable work performed to explore this cellular machinery is nowadays successfulbecause the mysteryofnervous system developmentisbeing unravelled. As described in their outstanding review published 10 years ago in Science.' Marc Tessier-Lavigne and Corey Goodman-the pioneers of the molecular era of axon guidance-summarized the assembly of nervous system connections as a subtle game of attraction and repulsion of neuronal growth cones. The cellular ballet ensuring the formation of billions of synapses, which ultimately gives rise to the highest cognitive functions, is primarily orchestrated by a step-by-step mechanism of growth driven by multiple molecular cues. While our general concept of axon guidance remains identical, a profound evolution ofour knowledge ofthe molecular identityofthe guidance cues together with their interactions and signalling pathways occurred over the past ten years.
Aquatic Biodiversity II : The Diversity of Aquatic Ecosystems
The present book comprises a unique collection of primary research papers spanning a wide range of topics in aquatic biodiversity studies, and including a first global assessment of specific diversity of freshwater animals. The book also presents a section on the interaction between scientists and science policy managers
Alkaliphiles : Genetic properties and applications of enzymes
The pioneering work of Dr. Koki Horikoshi on the discovery, research and applications of alkaliphilic bacteria are described here in their entirety. The isolation, distribution and taxonomy of alkaliphilic microorganisms as well as their cell structure and physiology are discussed for a basic understanding of these entities. The molecular biology and genome sequencing of some alkaliphilic bacterial strains are also presented. Part II of the volume focuses on enzymes of alkaliphiles and their applications. These include alkaline proteases, starch-degrading enzymes and numerous others. Some of these enzymes are currently in wide commercial use as laundry detergent additives and in wastewater treatment. Alkaliphiles are a relatively recent field of research that will no doubt provide avenues to a wide range of further discoveries and applications for a new generation of workers in bioscience and technology.
Advances in multiple Sclerosis and Experimental Demyelinating Diseases
Challenging Charcot’s hypothesis that inflammatory response is the primary contributor to demyelination, Dr. Rodriguez and colleagues take a fresh, bold look at the causes and possible treatments of MS.Assuming oligodendrocyte injury as a prerequisite to MS, the authors explore viruses, toxins and genetic defects as possible culprits. They present novel methods to interrupt and reverse demyelination. This book examines the correlation between axonal loss and clinical deficits, including the implied role of the CD8+ T cell and perforin. It assesses proteases, specifically, kallikrein 6, which are strongly associated with active demyelination. By directing natural autoantibodies against oligodendrocytes that demonstrate remyelination in animal models, the authors envision clinical trials for remyelination enhancement.
Anticipatory Behavior in Adaptive Learning Systems : From Brains to Individual and Social Behavior
Anticipatory behavior in adaptive learning systems is steadily gaining the - terest of scientists, although many researchers still do not explicitly consider the actual anticipatory capabilities of their systems.The introductory chapter of this volume therefore does not only provide an overview of the contributions included in this volume but also proposes a taxonomy of how anticipatory mechanisms can improve adaptive behavior and learning in cognitive systems. During the workshop it became clear that ant- ipations are involved in various cognitive processes that range from individual anticipatory mechanisms to social anticipatory behavior.
Market engineering : Insights from two decades of research on markets and information
This book provides a broad range of insights on market engineering and information management. It covers topics like auctions, stock markets, electricity markets, the sharing economy, information and emotions in markets, smart decision-making in cities and other systems, and methodological approaches to conceptual modeling and taxonomy development.
Building Theories : Architecture as the Art of Building
Discusses the content of treatises, essays, articles, and letters by those who have been, throughout history, committed to the art of building. In this, Building Theories argues for the return of a practice of architectural theory that is set amongst building, buildings, and builders. This journey of close reading reinterprets the words of Vitruvius, Alberti, de L’Orme, Le Camus de Mézières, Boullée, Laugier, Rondelet, Semper, Viollet-le-Duc, Hübsch, Bötticher, Berlage, Muthesius, Wagner, Behrendt, Gropius, and Arup. With chapters dedicated to texts from antiquity, the Renaissance, and the nineteenth century, and with a critical eye on architectural theory popularized in the Anglo-Saxon world post-1968, readers are introduced to a wider, more inclusive definition of architectural ideas.
Complex Inorganic Solids : Structural, Stability, and Magnetic Properties of Alloys
One the key aspects of this volume is to cut across the traditional taxonomy of disciplines in the study of alloys. Hence there has been a deliberate attempt to integrate the different approaches taken towards alloys as a class of materials in different fields, ranging from geology to metallurgical engineering. The emphasis of this book is to highlight commonalities between different fields with respect to how alloys are studied. The topics in this book fall into several themes, which suggest a number of different classification schemes. We have chosen a scheme that classifies the papers in the volume into the categories Microstructural Considerations, Ordering, Kinetics and Diffusion, Magnetic Considerations and Elastic Considerations. The book has juxtaposed apparently disparate approaches to similar physical processes, in the hope of revealing a more dynamic character of the processes under consideration. This monograph will invigorate new kinds of discussion and reveal challenges and new avenues to the description and prediction of properties of materials in the solid state and the conditions that produce them
Brain Dynamics : Synchronization and Activity Patterns in Pulse-Coupled Neural Nets with Delays and Noise
This book addresses a large variety of models in mathematical and computational neuroscience.He devotes the main part to the synchronization problem. He presents neural net models more realistic than the conventional ones by taking into account the detailed dynamics of axons, synapses and dendrites, allowing rather arbitrary couplings between neurons. He gives a complete stabile analysis that goes significantly beyond what has been known so far. He also derives pulse-averaged equations including those of the Wilson--Cowan and the Jirsa-Haken-Nunez types and discusses the formation of spatio-temporal neuronal activity pattems. An analysis of phase locking via sinusoidal couplings leading to various kinds of movement coordination is included.



















