الصفحة 2
الصفحة 2
Noise-Induced Transitions : Theory and Applications in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology
This classic text, an often-requested reprint, develops and explains the foundations of noise-induced processes. At its core is a self-contained, textbook-style presentation of the elements of probability theory, of the theory of Markovian diffusion processes and of the theory of stochastic differential equations, on which the modeling of fluctuating natural and artificial environments is based. Following an introduction to the mathematical tools, the occurrence and the properties of noise-induced transitions are then analyzed for rapidly fluctuating environments describable by the white-noise idealization. Subsequently, more realistic and general types of colored noises are considered. Appropriate practical methods for dealing with these situations are developed. The latter part of the book contains applications and experimental studies illustrating the many facets of noise-induced transitions. The following applications are considered in Noise-Induced Transitions: population dynamics, electrical circuits, chemical and photochemical reactions, non-linear optics, and hydrodynamical systems.
Noise-Induced Phenomena in Slow-Fast Dynamical Systems : A Sample-Paths Approach
Stochastic differential equations play an increasingly important role in modeling the dynamics of a large variety of systems in the natural sciences, and in technological applications. This book presents a new constructive approach to the quantitative description of solutions to systems of stochastic differential equations evolving on well-separated timescales. The method, which combines techniques from stochastic analysis and singular perturbation theory, allows the domains of concentration for typical sample paths to be determined, and provides precise estimates on the transition probabilities between these domains. In addition to the detailed presentation of the set-up and mathematical results, applications to problems in physics, biology, and climatology are discussed. The emphasis lies on noise-induced phenomena such as stochastic resonance, hysteresis, excitability, and the reduction of bifurcation delay.
Nitrogen Fixation in Agriculture, Forestry, Ecology, and the Environment
Sustainability has a major part to play in the global challenge of continued development of regions, countries, and continents all around the World and biological nitrogen fixation has a key role in this process. This volume begins with chapters specifically addressing crops of major global importance, such as soybeans, rice, and sugar cane. It continues with a second important focus, agroforestry, and describes the use and promise of both legume trees with their rhizobial symbionts and other nitrogen-fixing trees with their actinorhizal colonization. An over-arching theme of all chapters is the interaction of the plants and trees with microbes and this theme allows other aspects of soil microbiology, such as interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and the impact of soil-stress factors on biological nitrogen fixation, to be addressed. Furthermore, a link to basic science occurs through the inclusion of chapters describing the biogeochemically important nitrogen cycle and its key relationships among nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification. The volume then provides an up-to-date view of the production of microbial inocula, especially those for legume crops.
NF-kB/Rel Transcription Factor Family
Since its first discovery in the early 90’s, the NF-kB/Rel transcription factor family has drawn the attention of experimental biologists, medical profession, and biotech/pharmaceutical industries for its broad and diverse roles in all aspects of human biology and disease. NF-kB/Rel Transcription Factor Family intends to provide an up-to-date guide to the ever-expanding knowledge in the field of NF-kB/Rel transcription factor family.
New trends in computational vision and bio-inspired computing : Selected works presented at the ICCVBIC 2018, Coimbatore, India
Gathers selected, peer-reviewed original contributions presented at the International Conference on Computational Vision and Bio-inspired Computing (ICCVBIC) conference which was held in Coimbatore, India, on November 29-30, 2018. The works included here offer a rich and diverse sampling of recent developments in the fields of Computational Vision, Fuzzy, Image Processing and Bio-inspired Computing. The topics covered include computer vision; cryptography and digital privacy; machine learning and artificial neural networks; genetic algorithms and computational intelligence; the Internet of Things; and biometric systems, to name but a few. The applications discussed range from security, healthcare and epidemic control to urban computing, agriculture and robotics.
New Perspectives on Aloe
The contents include a brief introduction of aloe, isolation, purification, and structural analysis of components, and various physiological effects of those components for possible use as health foods or drugs. Various functions identified were wound healing, angiogenesis, anti-allergy, skin whitening, stimulation of cell proliferation such as liver or kidney, protection against nephrotoxicity, and immune modulation. Moreover, we suggest standardization and quality control procedures for manufacturing raw aloe, and how to develop related products for successful application of aloe. This is important in Korea because last year the Korean government listed aloe as a health food for which the government establishes regulatory laws. Therefore, many scientists in Korea who are interested in studying health foods would be interested in this kind of text. Other major fields related to this kind of research will be medicine, biology, pharmaceutics, natural products and analytics.
New Perspectives in the Study of Mesoamerican Primates : Distribution, Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation
The purpose of this volume is to present a comprehensive overview of recent advances in primate field research, ecology, and conservation biology in Mesoamerica. The overall goal of each contribution is to integrate newly collected field data with theoretical perspectives drawn from evolutionary biology, socioecology, biological anthropology, and conservation to identify how our current knowledge of primate behavior and ecology has moved beyond more traditional approaches. A corollary to this, and an important goal of the volume is to identify geographical regions and species for which we continue to lack sufficient information, to develop action plans for future research, and to identify areas for immediate conservation action. Despite many decades of primate research in Mesoamerica, much is still unknown concerning the basic ecology and behavior of these species, demography, current distribution, and conservation status of local populations, and the effectiveness of conservation policies on primate survivorship. Four major areas of research are the focus of the volume: Evolutionary Biology and Biogeography; Population Demography and Ecology; Behavior; and Conservation and Management Policies.
New Insights in Medical Mycology
The aim of this book is to give an in-depth assessment of our current understanding of the Biology of the main fungal pathogens and how they interact with the host’s immune response. Each Chapter focuses on a specific fungal pathogen or group of pathogens and examines their biology and the factors that allow the fungus colonise and disseminate within the host. In addition each Chapter gives an indication of the challenges that remain to be tackled over the next 5 – 10 years in increasing our understanding of fungal pathogenicity.
New Frontiers in Regenerative Medicine
Rapid advances in stem cell biology have raised exciting possibilities of replacing damaged or lost tissues and cells by activation of in vitro-expanded stem cells or their progeny. This book examines many of the unresolved problems as well as future applications of regenerative medicine. Areas of focus include the nervous system and hippocampal neurogenesis, along with the functional significance of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and the production of free radicals after brain ischemia; the digestive and integumentary systems, dealing with hepatocyte transplantation, pancreatic regeneration, and skin and hair regeneration; and the cardiovascular system, with repair and remodeling of the lung and heart, and arterial remodeling with bone marrow-derived progenitor cells. In addition to animal experiments, results of research on human tissues and organs are included.
New Frontiers in Angiogenesis
New Frontiers in Angiogenesis starts with a comprehensive overview of the field and continues with topics that have been minimally explored. The topics deal with dynamics of vasculogenesis using imaging techniques, bone marrow-derived endothelial cell precursors as potential therapeutic tools, regulation of post-angiogenic vessel regression, vascular mimicry, design and construction of artificial vessels, bioengineering of angiogenesis, and lymphangiogenesis recapitulating angiogenesis in health and disease states. Each chapter is written by leading experts of the subjects. It is hoped that this volume will challenge all of us interested in the field of angiogenesis and cardiovascular biology, in particular those in academia and industries, to think "outside the box" and explore angiogenesis from a fresh angle. It is hoped that New Frontiers in Angiogenesis is thought provoking and serve as a road map for discovering new findings to help betterments of human health.
New Concepts of Antiviral Therapy
Antiviral drugs are important tools for treatment or prevention of viral infections. These drugs were first used for monotherapy, but nowadays combinations of antiviral agents are often part of a standard treatment as evidenced by e.g. HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy). However, in almost every case of antiviral therapy, drug resistant viruses appear. In addition, the low oral bioavailability, toxicity and the number of severe side effects still pose significant problems. All of the latter issues limit the clinical usefulness and drive the need for improved antiviral strategies. These strategies include new drugs and targets, novel modes of action, vector-based treatments and even the block of defined genes by inhibiting mRNA formation (siRNA).
New Algorithms for Macromolecular Simulation
Molecular simulation is a widely used tool in biology, chemistry, physics and engineering. This book contains a collection of articles by leading researchers who are developing new methods for molecular modelling and simulation. Topics addressed here include: multiscale formulations for biomolecular modelling, such as quantum-classical methods and advanced solvation techniques; protein folding methods and schemes for sampling complex landscapes; membrane simulations; free energy calculation; and techniques for improving ergodicity. The book is meant to be useful for practitioners in the simulation community and for those new to molecular simulation who require a broad introduction to the state of the art.
New Age herbals : Resource, quality and pharmacognosy
Importance of herbs (medicinal plants) can hardly be overemphasized. They are exploited for manyfold applications, ranging from phytopharmaceuticals, to nutraceuticals, to cosmetics and many others. Keeping in view the richness of herbs and their vast potential, this book collates the most up-to-date knowledge of important herbs and herbals. The book also gives an overview of some issues causing hindrance in the promotion of herbals. This book attempts to compile the rich experience of experts working on various herbs. New age single plant species, having multiple medicinal traits worth exploiting i.e. Hippophae rhamnoides (seabuckthorn), and Morinda citrifolia (noni) also find place as full chapters in the book.
Neutrophil : Methods and Protocols
Neutrophils, the most abundant white cells in humans, serve as the primary cellular defense against infection. This volume provides a concise set of protocols for assessing basic neutrophil functions and investigating specialized areas in neutrophil biology. Each of the protocols is written by leading researchers in the field and includes hints for success, as well as guidance for troubleshooting. Part I contains overviews of neutrophil biology, function, and disorders. Part II describes commonly used methods to isolate neutrophils from humans and other animal species. Part III details methods for investigating chemotaxis, transmigration, phagocytosis, and bactericidal activity. Part IV includes protocols that measure neutrophil apoptosis, calcium signal transduction, degranulation and detection of cytoplasmic granules, gene expression, transcription factors, and apoptosis. Part V provides multiple assays for measuring production of intracellular and/or extracellular reactive oxygen species, and a method that details use of the cell-free NADPH oxidase assay, an iconic assay for studies of the neutrophil NADPH oxidase. Part VI provides chapters that describe how to analyze formation and function of neutrophil extracellular traps.
Neutron Scattering in Biology : Techniques and Applications
The advent of new neutron facilities and the improvement of existing sources and instruments world wide supply the biological community with many new opportunities in the areas of structural biology and biological physics. The present volume offers a clear description of the various neutron-scattering techniques currently being used to answer biologically relevant questions. Their utility is illustrated through examples by some of the leading researchers in the field of neutron scattering. This volume will be a reference for researchers and a step-by-step guide for young scientists entering the field and the advanced graduate student.
Neuroscience in Medicine
This up-to-date edition alternates scientific and clinical chapters that explain the basic science underlying neurological processes and then relates that science to the understanding of neurological disorders and their treatment.
Neuroprotection : Method and protocols
Contains cutting-edge molecular biology methods on neuroprotective mechanisms and specific preclinical models of the CNS injury, iseases and planning translation. Chapters guide readers through neuropathology, neuroprotection, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, Huntington’s disease , multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and ischemic brain injury. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.
Neuronal cell death : Methods and protocols
Covers comprehensive methods on ways to assess structural and ultrastructural changes in the mitochondria, cytoskeleton, and microglia using state-of-the-art microscopy techniques including super-resolution imaging, electron microscopy, and ultra-high field MRI. The chapters in this book cover topics such as analysis of neurodegeneration in the post-mortem characterization of preclinical animal models, in vivo modeling in cell death in different model systems and brain organoids, single cell clonal analysis using Mosaic Analysis with Double Markers in genetic mouse models, and genome and proteomic methods for analysis of mRNA dynamics and quantitation of targeted peptides.
Neuroimmunology of Sleep
Neuroimmunology of Sleep provides an introduction to the interphase between sleep and neuroimmunology. Written both from basic and clinical perspectives, the volume contains useful information to many biomedical professionals and students of human biology.
Neuroblastoma
Neuroblastoma is a medical enigma. As a childhood neoplasm arising from neural crest cells, it is characterized by diverse clinical behaviors ranging from spontaneous remission to rapid tumor progression and death. Although clinical outcome can be predicted to a large extent by the stage of disease and the age at diagnosis, an in-depth understanding of its clinico-pathological behavior, now greatly aided by sophisticated molecular genetic profiling, will improve diagnostic precision and refine risk-based therapies. Comprehensive international efforts have advanced our understanding of tumor biology and improved the clinical management of children with neuroblastoma. This book reviews our current understanding of the genes and biological pathways that contribute to neuroblastoma pathogenesis, modern risk-based treatment approaches for these patients, and recent advances in biologically based therapy. It provides a concise up-to-date reference for practitioners, students, and researchers.
