Cellular Entry of Binary and Pore-Forming Bacterial Toxins
Bridging cellular membranes is a key step in the pathogenic action of both binary and pore-forming bacterial toxins. The former use their translocation domains, containing various structural motifs, to ensure efficient delivery of the toxic component into the host cell, while the latter act on the cellular membrane itself. In either case, the integrity of the membrane is compromised via targeted protein–lipid and protein–protein interactions triggered by specific signals, such as proteolytic cleavage or endosomal acidification.
MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Carotenoids are a group of approximately 600 compounds synthesized by photosynthetic organisms. These pigments are abundant in fruits and vegetables, as well as in certain animal products such as eggs and salmon, being responsible for their colorful appearance. The bioactive properties of certain carotenoids in human health are clear, as some of these compounds have antioxidant properties and serve as the only precursors of vitamin A in nature. The aim of this Special Issue entitled “Carotenoids and Human Health” is to provide the scientific community with an updated perspective of this exciting and growing research area.
The Impact of Caffeine and Coffee on Human Health
The purpose of this Special Issue is to provide a thorough and up-to-date presentation of research investigating the impact of coffee and/or caffeine intake on various health outcomes. Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics: Human clinical trials of coffee or caffeine use in relation to disease or intermediate phenotypes. Epidemiological studies of habitual coffee or caffeine intake in relation to human health, among the general public, as well as, among special populations (i.e., children, pregnant women, diabetics, cancer patients, hypertensives, etc.).
Nanomaterials possess astonishing physical and chemical properties. They play a key role in the development of novel and effective drugs, catalysts, sensors, and pesticides, to cite just a few examples. Notably, the synthesis of nanomaterials is usually achieved with chemical and physical methods needing the use of extremely toxic chemicals or high-energy inputs. To move towards more eco-friendly processes, researchers have recently focused on so-called “green synthesis”, where microbial, animal-, and plant-borne compounds can be used as cheap reducing and stabilizing agents to fabricate nanomaterials.
Habitats and Biota of the Gulf of Mexico: Before the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
The Gulf of Mexico is the ninth largest body of water in the world, and it is recognized as 1 of 64 Large Marine Ecosystems by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (Kumpf et al. 1999). Economically and ecologically the Gulf is one of the most productive and important bodies of water (Tunnell 2009; Fautin et al. 2010; NOS/NOAA 2011; Yoskowitz et al. 2013), occupying a surface area of more than 1.5 million square kilometers (km2 ) (579,153 square miles [mi2 ]), a maximum east–west dimension of 1,573 km (977 mi), and 900 km (559 mi) from north to south between the Mississippi Delta and Yucata´n Peninsula. The shoreline, which extends counterclockwise from Cape Sable, Florida, to Cabo Catoche, Quintana Roo, Mexico, is approximately 5,696 km (3,539 mi) long, and it includes another 380 km (236 mi) of Gulf shoreline in Cuba from Cabo San Antonio in the west to Havana in the east (Tunnell 2009; Fautin et al. 2010).
Current Challenges in Modeling Cellular Metabolism
Mathematical and computational models play an essential role in understanding the cellular metabolism. They are used as platforms to integrate current knowledge on a biological system and to systematically test and predict the effect of manipulations to such systems. The recent advances in genome sequencing techniques have facilitated the reconstruction of genome-scale metabolic networks for a wide variety of organisms from microbes to human cells. These models have been successfully used in multiple biotechnological applications. Despite these advancements, modeling cellular metabolism still presents many challenges
Daniel Machado --- Kai H. Zhuang --- Nikolaus Sonnenschein --- Markus J. Herrgard
Berry Antioxidants in Health and Disease
During the last decade, a high volume of work has been published on the health-promoting effects of berries (e.g., blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, etc.) that are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals, polyphenols. Consuming a diet rich in polyphenols has been documented to attenuate the risk of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, diabetes mellitus, and neurodegenerative disorders. Recent evidence also reveals that the biological effects of polyphenols extend beyond their traditional antioxidant role.
Interest in the study of life in hot environments, both with respect to the inhabiting microorganisms and the enzymes they produce, is currently very high. The biological mechanisms responsible for the resistance to high temperatures are not yet fully understood, whereas thermostability is a highly required feature for industrial applications. In this e-book, the invited authors provide diverse evidence contributing to the understanding of such mechanisms and the unlocking of the biotechnological potential of thermophiles and thermozymes.
Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Aging and Diseases of Aging
Mitochondria are vitally important cellular organelles and undergo their own aging process becoming less efficient in aged animals including humans. These changes have wide-ranging significance contributing to immune dysfunction (autoimmunity and immune deficiency), inflammation, delayed healing, skin and retinal damage, cancer and most of the degenerative diseases of aging. Mitochondrial aging predisposes to drug toxicity in the geriatric population and to many of the features of normal aging.
Dietary Behavior and Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents
In recent years, diet- and lifestyle-related disorders have become a major health threat in Europe and worldwide. The contributions in this monograph include 2 review articles and 19 original contributions from several countries that provide new information on the existing research elucidating important aspects of children’s and adolescents’ nutrition and lifestyle behavior. The data included in this Special Issue are from large epidemiological studies, including several multicenter and multinational studies, as well as datasets from surveillance initiatives.
Hebestreit, Antje --- Bogl, Leonie-Helen
The pre-analytical phase is defined as the period from the physician’s indication of the test up to the laboratory analysis of the biological material. In other words, this phase involves an individual’s preparation for collection of the biological material, the collection itself, storage of the collected sample and its transport to the laboratory, and preparation of the sample for the assay. The importance of this phase is also supported by many publications mentioning the fact that up to 46–68 % of erroneous results are caused by failure to follow or respect the pre-analytical phase rules. That is why the primary task of the laboratory is to provide clients with all necessary instructions (on patient preparation, sample collection, biological material storage and transport, pre-analytical sample treatment) so as to minimize the risk of errors that could consequently cause harm to the patient. All this information is summarized in the manuals of testing laboratories.
We invite you to contribute to a Special Issue of Nutrients, entitled “Dietary Supplements”. The purpose of this Special Issue is to advance dietary supplement science by presenting commissioned overviews on four nutrients of particular current interest and controversy: Vitamin D, iodine, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids. To supplement these contributions, we welcome the submission of manuscripts describing original research or providing systematic reviews related to various issues in dietary supplement science.
Johanna T. Dwyer (Ed.) --- Paul M. Coates (Ed.)
Application of Essential Oils in Food Systems
This Special Issue will look at the advances made in the essential oils. Essential oils have received increasing attention as natural additives for the shelf-life extension of food products, due to the risk in using synthetic preservatives. Synthetic additives can reduce food spoilage, but the present generation is very health conscious and believes in natural products rather than synthetic ones due to their potential toxicity and other concerns. Therefore, one of the major emerging technologies is the extraction of essential oils from several plant organs and their application to foods.
Juana Fern´andez-L´opez (Ed.) --- Manuel Viuda-Martos (Ed.)
Nutrition, Health and Athletic Performance
Optimal nutrition is fundamental for enhancing training, recovery and performance in sport. Therefore, research has aimed to determine the efficacy of appropriate intake of nutrients, fluids, and supplements and their role in exercise performance. The purpose of this Special Issue entitled “Nutrition, Health and Athletic Performance” is to highlight recent research examining aspects of sports nutrition and exercise performance. Manuscript submissions of original research, meta-analyses, or reviews of the scientific literature, which targets nutritional strategies to benefit performance and health, are welcome. Studies performed in humans are preferred given the applied nature of this issue.
Kelly Pritchett (Ed.) --- Enette Larson Meyer (Ed.)
Blindness and visual impairment impact significantly on an individual’s physical and mental well-being. Loss of vision is a global health problem, with approximately 250 million of the world’s population currently living with vision loss, of which 36 million are classified as blind. Visual impairment is more frequent in the elderly, with cataract and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) accounting for over 50% of cases globally.
Health-Promoting Components of Fruits and Vegetables in Human Health
Diet and lifestyle choices can substantially predispose an individual to, or protect against, many age- and obesity-related chronic diseases. According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, dietary bioactives arecompounds in foodsnot needed for basic human nutrition but responsible for changes in health status.1 These compounds are safe at normal food consumption levels (e.g., anthocyanins in berries) and their biological activities may come from a single compound (e.g., lutein in spinach) or a class of compounds (e.g., avenanthramides in oats) even if the exact identity and composition are unknown
M. Monica Giusti (Ed.) --- Taylor C. Wallace (Ed.)
Ranaviruses: Lethal Pathogens of Ectothermic Vertebrates
This is the first book on ranaviruses. Ranaviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that cause hemorrhagic disease in amphibians, reptiles, and fish. They have caused mass die-offs of ectothermic vertebrates in wild and captive populations around the globe. There is evidence that this pathogen is emerging and responsible for population declines in certain locations. Considering that amphibians and freshwater turtles are suitable hosts and the most imperiled vertebrate taxa in the world, ranaviruses can have significant impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function.
Genetics and Genomics of Livestock Health, Fertility and Product Quality
The global population is expected to approach 10 billion people by 2050, with the expectation that the economic status of individuals in developing countries will continue to improve. As a result, worldwide demand for animal products is expected to increase by 70% by 2050. Increasing animal production will require a deep understanding of animal biology through genetics and genomics to feed the world’s growing population. Furthermore, consumers desire high-quality products.
Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death in the West, and vascular disease is the most common cardiovascular clinical problem. The disease results in serious morbidity and mortality, and carries economic cost implications. While conventional risk factors are well established, and their biomarkers regularly monitored, patients may continue to suffer subclinical active disease, even in the absence of risk factors, until they present with sudden cardiac death or stroke. Early disease detection using direct imaging has shown to be more accurate in identifying vulnerable patients and unstable plaques than conventional risk factors.
The prevalence of diabetes is on the increase in the UK and worldwide, partly due to changes in lifestyle which predispose individuals to overweight and obesity. It is estimated that about 90% of the currently diagnosed adults have type 2 diabetes, and based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) report, about 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014 compared with 108 million in 1980; this condition caused about 1.5 million deaths in 2012
Nutrition and Diet Factors in Type 2 Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health burden. Approximately seven million people develop diabetes in both developed and developing countries every year, with the most dramatic increases occurring in Type 2 Diabetes. Especially alarming, is the rising incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in obese children before puberty.
Peter Pribis (Ed.) --- Hana Kahleova (Ed.)
Structure, Chemical Analysis, Biosynthesis, Metabolism, Molecular Engineering and Biological Functions of Phytoalexins
Ever since the concept of phytoalexins was proposed by Müller and Borger in 1940, these compounds have attracted considerable attention due to the central role they play in the defense mechanisms of various plants. Besides displaying antifungal activity in numerous plant–pathogen interactions, phytoalexins have been implicated in human health and disease as antioxidant, anticancer and cardioprotective agents as well as being supposed to act positively in neurodegenerative illnesses.
The safety and microbiological quality of fermented foods covers complementary aspects of such products. Food fermentation is primary intended to improve food preservation, thereby modifying food properties. However, the management of chemical and microbiological hazards is a leading aspect for innovative processing in this domain. Similarly, microbiological quality in fermented foods is of peculiar importance: all microorganisms with a positive effect, including probiotic bacteria, fermentative bacteria, Saccharomyces and non-Saccharomyces yeasts, can be relevant.
Riverine Ecosystem Management: Science for Governing Towards a Sustainable Future
This open access book surveys the frontier of scientific river research and provides examples to guide management towards a sustainable future of riverine ecosystems. Principal structures and functions of the biogeosphere of rivers are explained; key threats are identified, and effective solutions for restoration and mitigation are provided. Rivers are among the most threatened ecosystems of the world. They increasingly suffer from pollution, water abstraction, river channelisation and damming.
Traditionally, nutritional supplements were limited to essential vitamins and minerals. However, in recent years, scientists have identified several biologically active compounds from plant and animal foods having beneficial health effects.
This open access book addresses a variety of issues relating to bioethics, in order to initiate cross-cultural dialogue. Beginning with the history, it introduces various views on bioethics, based on specific experiences from Japan. It describes how Japan has been confronted with Western bioethics and the ethical issues new to this modern age, and how it has found its foothold as it decides where it stands on these issues. In the last chapter, the author proposes discarding the overarching term ‘Global Bioethics’ in favor of the new term, ‘Bioethics Across the Globe (BAG)’, which carries a more universal connotation.
Milk: Bioactive Components and Role in Human Nutrition
Milk is a nutritious food item with various beneficial properties and has a long tradition in nutrition, having been part of human diet for thousands of years. The composition of milk varies among different species, and milk quality is affected by several factors, i.e., season, climate, feeding management, and stage of lactation, as well as heat-treatments and technological processes. Milk is a valuable source of bioactive components and its role and function in human diet has been increasingly investigated by epidemiological and experimental studies
Food Composition and Dedicated Databases: Key Tools for Human Health and Public Nutrition
This Special Issue collects research on and applications of the relationship between food, nutrition, and databases. The development of databases of nutrients, bioactive compounds, and metabolites are key tools for human health and public nutrition and represent resources for a wide range of applications in food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, epidemiology, and medicinal areas. The current research trends are highlighted.
Weeds are the most important biological factor that affects yield in herbaceous and perennial crops. Nowadays, following the recommendations of government institutions and public opinion, there is an urgent need to search for sustainable weed management practices that have a low impact on the environment and on the health of living organisms.
This course uses the basic principles of biology and earth science as a context for understanding environmental policies and resource management practices. Our planet is facing unprecedented environmental challenges, from oil spills to global climate change. In ENSC 1000, you will learn about the science behind these problems; preparing you to make an informed, invaluable contribution to Earth’s future. I hope that each of you is engaged by the material presented and participates fully in the search for, acquisition of, and sharing of information within our class.
Chromosomes, Genes, and Traits: An Introduction to Genetics
This resource is written for an introductory or intermediate-level college genetics course. The work begins with an exploration of DNA and genome structure, including landmark experiments that contributed to our early understanding of the relationship between DNA, genes, and traits. It continues with the central dogma of molecular genetics: the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to use the information stored in DNA. It also discusses the cause and effect of mutation. The molecular processes are then linked back to classical transmission genetics experiments.
The reprint “Advances in Pharmaceutical Sciences: In Honor of Dr. Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde (JJ)” aims to honor the scientist and former Editor-in-Chief of Pharmaceuticals (2015 to 2022), Dr. Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde, being an organic chemist, his vision and his important contributions to the success of the journal, including fostering a friendly atmosphere between the journal and Section Editors, have been essential and are highly appreciated.
An Interactive Introduction to Organismal and Molecular Biology
This "textbook" is interactive, meaning that although each chapter has text, they also have interactive HTML5 content, such as quizzes, simulations, interactive videos, and images with clickable hotspots. Students receive instant feedback when they complete the interactive content, and therefore, can learn and check their understanding all in one place. The first unit introduces students to the nature of science, including scientific controversies, and information literacy, including how to analyze literature and identify stakeholders. Unit 2 is organismal biology, including carbon cycling and population growth, and unit 3 is molecular biology with a focus on gene expression.
Role of Agriculture in Implementing Concept of Sustainable Food System
The aim of this reprint is to present the role of agriculture in advancing the concept of a sustainable food system. From shaping the quantity and quality of crops and supporting biodiversity in organic agriculture to promoting sustainable practices from food production to consumption, the aim of this reprint is to highlight innovative solutions in agricultural practice that directly impact food quality. Leading experts in this field share their observations, research results, and future perspectives.
Effect of Processing on Sensory Quality and Bioactive Components in Food Products
In order to obtain high-quality food products, we need to control them from their origin. This ranges from the crops themselves to the reception of raw materials at the factory. The effect of industrial processing on the final quality of food is an essential factor that can guarantee its acceptance for sale, thus avoiding the losses that a rejected or withdrawn product could cause a company. In addition, preserving the integrity of bioactive ingredients during food processing is a challenge in the agri-food industry.
Antonio José Pérez-López, Luis Noguera-Artiaga
BI101 Course Description: Adaptations of BI101 vary in theme. BI101A is a survey course that introduces the discipline of cellular biology, exploring topics including the cellular basis of life, cell structure and function and the metabolic processes that affect cells. BI101 introduces students to biology as a scientific discipline and engages students in the process of scientific discovery. All BI101 courses are equivalent; only one can be used to fulfill degree requirements. BI101, BI102 and BI103 are non-sequential and can be taken in any order. Students considering majors in science or preprofessional health occupations are advised to eventually take BI211, B1212 and BI213.
GENERAL BIOLOGY II: SURVEY OF MOLECULAR LIFE AND GENETICS
BI102A is a survey course that introduces the discipline of molecular biology and genetics, exploring topics including cell division, protein production, inheritance and gene regulation. This book focuses on putting those topics into an appropriate context for students who are not biology majors.
Currently, in the cosmetic industry, there is an increasing interest in natural extracts, particularly plant extracts. The inclusion of antioxidants in topical formulations may contribute to minimize skin oxidative stress, which has been associated with aging. Many herbal agents used in cosmetics have been selected by a process of ‘trial and error’ and, thus, are used on the basis of experience rather than of experimental investigation. Nevertheless, there is now a growing scientific evidence that plants possess a vast and complex arsenal of active ingredients able not only to calm or smooth but also to actively restore, heal, and protect the human skin.
Beatriz P.P. Oliveira (Ed.) --- Francisca Rodrigues (Ed.)
Sensitive assays are often based on molecular recognition. Often stability problems have limited the use of such assays. The introduction of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) eliminates such limitations. With the introduction of biosensors combined with MIPs, one gets a strong combination. This volume presents how MIPs are being produced, how MIPs are integrated in different sensor concepts and finally highlights some results in certain applications.
Bo Mattison (Ed.) --- Gizem Ertürk (Ed.)
Micronutrients Intake and Status during Pregnancy and Lactation
Optimal nutrition is important during pregnancy and lactation for the health of both the mother and infant. Chronic deficiencies of both macronutrients and micronutrients are well established in developing countries. Although in developed countries overconsumption of macronutrients is a major issue, micronutrient deficiencies which occur concomitantly are no less of a concern. Furthermore in developed countries there is also the risk of excessive micronutrient intake from dietary supplements. Micronutrients have a role in fetal and neonatal health and also health in later life.
Biochemistry, as an interdisciplinary science, is very dynamic, and its boundaries are very hard to define not only because they are constantly changing but also because they are dependent on the specificities of each time period and scientific environments. Nevertheless, understanding life on earth and human health are long-lasting topics in biochemistry. This reprint is based on the Special Issue titled “Feature Papers in BioChem”, which included an editorial, six articles, and four reviews.
Life. Every single living thing has something in common—do you know what that is? The clue is in the title! In this learning package you will learn all about cells—the parts and the functions of those parts. By learning about the basic building block of life, scientists, and you, can have a better understanding of the workings of your body and of all living things. You’ll understand what happens when all the parts are working well, and what can happen when a part malfunctions.
Physiological and Molecular Biology Research on Ornamental Flower
Ornamental plants play an essential role in human life and hold broad applications in agriculture, industry, and medicine, making them of paramount research interest. This Special Issue of Horticulturae belongs to the section "Physiological and Molecular Biology Research on Ornamental Flowers”. It is aimed at elucidating the potential mechanisms behind the growth, development, and stress responses of ornamental plants. It highlights new insights into the variations in flower color and scent, the development and utilization of ornamental flowers, and the environmental adaptation of these plants.
Dietary and Non-Dietary Phytochemicals and Cancer
The role of many phytochemicals in the modulation of the carcinogenesis process has been well documented by combining in vitro and animal studies, as well as epidemiological evidence. When acting in synergy, phytochemicals exert potential anti-cancer properties and much progress has been made in defining their many biological activities at the molecular level. However, an interesting feature in the field of phytochemicals and cancer is the role of some phytochemicals in promoting cancer development.
An overview of the study of human behavior through a biological lens, this text focuses on the role of the central nervous system and its role in the regulation and control of human behavior. Topics include both structure and function of neurons, neurophysiology of the nervous system, basic neuroanatomy, drugs and behavior, internal regulatory processes, learning and memory, emotions, and some forms of psychopathology.
Concepts of Biology-1st Canadian Edition
In this survey text, directed at those not majoring in biology, we dispel the assumption that a little learning is a dangerous thing. We hope that by skimming the surface of a very deep subject, biology, we may inspire you to drink more deeply and make more informed choices relating to your health, the environment, politics, and the greatest subject that are all of us are entwined in, life itself.
Over the past few decades, Salmonella has been one of four key global causes of diarrheal diseases and the major cause of foodborne pathogens that could lead to salmonellosis globally. Thereby, a comprehensive overview of recent trends in Salmonella is of great importance for its accurate detection and precise control under different conditions. This book provides an insightful overview of Salmonella, starting from the mechanism of Salmonella transmission, infection, and antimicrobial resistance.
This book provides a practical and self-contained overview of the Gene Ontology (GO), the leading project to organize biological knowledge on genes and their products across genomic resources. Written for biologists and bioinformaticians, it covers the state-of-the-art of how GO annotations are made, how they are evaluated, and what sort of analyses can and cannot be done with the GO. In the spirit of the Methods in Molecular Biology book series, there is an emphasis throughout the chapters on providing practical guidance and troubleshooting advice. Authoritative and accessible,
Biology Nutrition and Food Sciences Cultural studies
As many aspects of the food system’s sustainability occur between the production and distribution of foods, the importance of consumers as a primary driver for effectively integrating sustainability efforts cannot be forgotten. This Special Issue on “Adopting Sustainable Dietary Patterns: Effects of Food Labeling, Food Choices, and Eating Behaviors” presents data across relevant themes that aim to contextualize factors that can assist with the integration of one or more domains of sustainability in food choices and dietary patterns.
Ecology and Management of Invasive Plants
The ecological problems caused by invasive plants have become increasingly prominent, and the level of environmental risk caused by invasive plants will continue to increase with the rising frequency and intensity of anthropological activities. More importantly, biological invasion as a result of invasive plants has become a major cause of biodiversity loss in recent years.
Gel-Based Materials for Biomedical Engineering
This Special Issue, entitled “Gel-Based Materials for Biomedical Engineering”, presents recent advances in the design, fabrication, and biomedical application of gel-based materials. Gels, particularly hydrogels, have attracted considerable attention in tissue engineering, wound healing, drug delivery, and regenerative medicine due to their high water content, biocompatibility, and structural tunability. The contributions in this collection highlight a variety of gel systems, including natural and synthetic polymer-based hydrogels, nanocomposite gels, and stimuli-responsive materials.
Genetics of human populations: evolutionary and epidemiological applications
The present thesis deals with a deep analysis of the genetic structure of extant human worldwide populations, with a special focus on the Mediterranean. Different genetic markers, 18 Alu insertions and 367 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), were analysed for the first time in general populations and Bedouins from Jordan. The same SNPs were also genotyped in a consistent set of samples from the Mediterranean Basin. Specifically, Alu markers were used to assess the genetic diversity within Jordan and to define the relationships across present-day Middle Eastern, North African, and European populations. While SNPs located in the top coronary artery disease (CAD) risk regions (1p13, 1q41, 9p21, and 10q11) were used to explore the genetic variation and the LD patterns across 19 populations from Europe, Middle East and North Africa, together with Asian and African samples from the 1000 Genomes Project. Furthermore, Tunisian and Moroccan case-control samples were used to test for the first time the applicability of European GWAS results in these four genomic regions to North African populations. Finally, simulated genomic data were used to evaluate the consistency of association results across European, Asian and Sub-Saharan African case-control samples. Neutral and CAD risk markers pointed out a low but significant geographic structure in the Mediterranean area. As a particular case in the Mediterranean context, Bedouins and general population from Jordan showed statistical differences (p=0.038). The genetic heterogeneity detected is likely related to the fact that urban areas have been subject to several external influences but Bedouins have preserved their own genetic background because of their nomadic and isolated lifestyle. The general patterns of genetic variation observed in the four CAD risk regions analysed are in agreement with the genetic structure generated by demographic processes. Despite this fact, the present work also identified potential signals of positive and balancing selection in some specific risk markers and haplotypes. Actually, potential signatures of positive selection in the 9p21 region and of balancing selection in 9p21 and 10q11 have been observed. The regions under positive or balancing selection are shared across continents but the specific markers under selection are, in some cases, continent-specific. Results from the association study in North Africa revealed significant association signals in the four genomic regions analysed in Moroccan and Tunisian samples confirming the trans-ethnic importance of these genomic regions for the risk of CAD. However, in the meta-analyses performed with the North African case-control samples, only the 9p21 and 10q11 regions showed association signals and none of the North African risk SNPs was associated with CAD in Europe. These arguments suggest the existence of continent-specific CAD risk variants in these chromosomal regions. Significant differences in the LD and in the haplotype patterns confirm the heterogeneity in the genomic structure between North Africans and Europeans. In addition, differences in the LD structure persist even across Europeans, North Africans, Asians, and Sub-Saharan Africans. Finally, the simulation study highlighted an overall consistency in effect direction across populations of different ancestry, specially between Europeans and Asians. Because simulations assumed no actual differences in genetic effect size between populations and because the rate of between-population effect size differences generated by our study was considerably lower than the rate reported from empirical studies using real data, our study supports the existence of real differences in the genetic risk architecture of complex traits between populations. In general, this study confirmed that a substantial fraction of association signals are shared across people of different ancestries. However, some discrepancies in the effect size across populations highlighted the importance of accounting for population structure in association studies.
General Biology : Bisoci 100 manual Laboratory
The purpose of creating this custom lab manual for BioSci 100 was to provide our students with a high quality, low cost learning resource. This project would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of the faculty and staff in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Office of Distance and Accelerated Learning at College of the Canyons. I am especially grateful to the following individuals for their contributions to the development of the original lab activities and the lab manual chapters: Kelly Burke, Janet Cetrone, Jeannie Chari, Amy Foote, James Glapa- Grossklag, Miriam Golbert, Elizabeth Hernandez, Kim Jesu, Jenna King, Jenny Leadbetter, John Makevich, Patricia Medina, Carri Musser, Gregory Nishiyama, Patricia Palavecino, Christopher Shane Ramey, Kathy Sloan and Jim Wolf.
Tea, made from the leaves of the Camellia senenisis plant, is the second most consumed beverage worldwide after water. Accumulating evidence from cellular, animal, epidemiological and clinical studies have linked tea consumption to various health benefits, such as chemoprevention of cancers, chronic inflammation, heart and liver diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, etc. Although such health benefits have not been consistently observed in some intervention trials, positive results from clinical trials have provided direct evidence supporting the cancer-protective effect of green tea.
An open access textbook designed primarily for use by first and second year undergraduate students of British Psychological Society accredited Psychology degree courses in the UK.
Eleanor J Dommett , Jimena Berni , Pete Clifton , Catherine Hall
Morphological and Physiological Research on Fish
The Special Issue “Morphological and Physiological Research on Fish” focuses on the application of morphological and physiological research conducted on fish, with the goal of providing information on the relevance of morphological studies and their relationships to functions. Fish are not only the largest and most diverse group of vertebrates, but they also have a wide range of applications in research and industry.
Unfolding the Mystery of Life, Biology Lab Manual for Non-Science Majors
This laboratory manual is intended for use in a biology laboratory course taken by non-science majors, pre-biology, and pre-allied health majors. Laboratory exercises provide students with experience in basic laboratory skills, gathering and organizing data, measuring and calculating, hypothesis testing, analysis of data, writing, and laboratory safety. The skill sets are designed to promote the development of critical thought and analysis. Students work with living and preserved specimens, and laboratory reagents and equipment.
Plant Pathogenic Microorganisms: State-of-the-Art Research in Spain
Pathogenic microorganisms, including fungi, oomycetes, bacteria, viruses, and viroids, constitute a serious threat to agriculture worldwide. In Spain, one of the countries with the highest proportion of agricultural gross domestic product in Europe, the agri-food industry is the main manufacturing activity. Consequently, the presence and emergence of microorganisms causing serious plant diseases to economically important crops is especially relevant.
Elvira Fiallo-Olivé Soledad Sacristán Ana Palacio-Bielsa
Nutrition for Nurses is structured to support the flexible integration of nutrition content across both system-based and nursing competency-based curricula. It can be used whether nutrition is taught as a standalone course or part of another nursing course. The table of contents for Nutrition for Nurses presents content in 20 chapters, organized into 9 thematic units. The text emphasizes evidence-based practice and holistic assessment to facilitate the integration of nutritional awareness for pre-licensure nursing students in the provision of client-centered care. Nutrition for Nurses helps students develop sound clinical judgment as well as a deep understanding of the impact of nutrition on body systems across the lifespan.
Parasitism is an ecological relationship in which an organism, a parasite, lives inside or on another organism, the host, with the former depending on the latter to acquire shelter and essential nutrients, and survive. Thus, it is a relationship that benefits the parasite at the expense of the host, but does not necessarily result in the host's death. In humans, parasitic diseases hamper development and still cause high mortality, especially in children in developing countries.
The parasitic lifestyle in plants has always been the subject of curiosity of scientists, but during the last decade, our understanding of parasitic plant–host interactions has greatly evolved due to rapid advances in molecular and genomic tools, especially high throughput DNA sequencing, transcriptomics, and metabolomics. Recent findings taken the science of parasitic plants to a higher level, opening up new horizons in parasitic weed management.
Modern horticulture depends heavily on the external supply of mineral nutrients in the form of synthetic fertilizers. The substantial use of synthetic fertilizers has for several years been associated with a vision of agricultural modernization aimed at drastically increasing food production. The attempt to "industrialize" agricultural systems, particularly horticultural production, has entailed very high costs for the environment and human health, as well as the degradation of planetary conditions.
Francesco De Mastro, Gennaro Brunetti, et.al
A panoramic view of the evolution of life on our planet, from its origins to humanity's future.In A History of Bodies, Brains, and Minds, Francisco Aboitiz provides a brief history of life, the brain, and cognition, from the earliest living beings to our own species. The author proceeds from the basic premise that, since evolution by natural selection is the process underlying the origin of life and its evolution on earth, the brain—and thus our minds—must also be the result of biological evolution.
The purpose of these books is to have an updated systematic overview examining, in detail, the functional role of different diets and dietary components in maintaining glucose homeostasis and preventing long-term complications. The first book includes experimental evidence from preclinical research, whereas the second book provides studies in the clinical scenario.
Human lactation has evolved to produce a milk composition that is uniquely-designed for the human infant. Not only does human milk optimize infant growth and development, it also provides protection from infection and disease. More recently, the importance of human milk and breastfeeding in the programming of infant health has risen to the fore. Anchoring of infant feeding in the developmental origins of health and disease has led to a resurgence of research focused in this area.
BASIC CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 3e: WHAT WE KNOW AND HOW WE FOUND OUT
A grasp of the logic and practice of science is essential to understand the rest of the world around us. To that end, the CMB3e iText (like earlier editions) remains focused on experimental support for what we know about cell and molecular biology, and on showing students the relationship of cell structure and function. Rather than trying to be a comprehensive reference book, CMB3e selectively details investigative questions, methods and experiments that lead to our understanding of cell biology. This focus is nowhere more obvious than in the chapter learning objectives and in external links to supplementary material.
Coasts are highly dynamic and geomorphologically complex systems that evolve under the growing pressures of climate change and anthropogenic activities, which can have direct or indirect impacts on the coastal environment. Among the major adverse effects, coastal erosion represents one of the most pressing global issues, especially in flat and low-lying coastal areas that appear to be particularly susceptible to beach erosion and related shoreline retreat.
Gianluigi Di Paola, Germán Rodríguez, Carmen M. Rosskopf
Dietary Antioxidants and Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases
Numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated the association between oxidative stress and non-communicable disease, including cardiovascular disorders, mental disease, and several types of cancer. Oxidative stress is commonly known as an imbalance in the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the biological antioxidant defense system. Exogenous antioxidants have gained great attention because of their beneficial role in preventing chronic disease.
Ready to find out how plants are grown and function? Take a fantastic voyage through plants. From Growing to Biology: Plants 1e brings the latest information for understanding of traditional and modern plant growing, form, and production. Topics covered in 30 chapters include concise and up-to-date ‘big picture’ infographics, student learning outcomes (SLOs), key vocabulary, assessment, as well as identification of 120 species, and more.
Advances in Disease Diagnostics and Pathogen Biocontrol of Horticulture Crops
This Special Issue addresses current challenges in the plant health of horticultural crops, highlighting the role of biocontrol agents as sustainable alternatives to the overuse of chemical pesticides. In a context where pathogens threaten global agricultural productivity, this collection of studies offers innovative approaches. The included articles range from region-specific epidemiological analyses, such as the study of downy mildew in Spanish vineyards, to findings on new diseases, such as the occurrence of Botrytis cinerea on pecan nuts in China.
Graciela Dolores Ávila-Quezada, Irasema Vargas-Arispuro
Growing evidence shows that a dietary pattern inspired by Mediterranean dietprinciples is associated with numerous health benefits. A Mediterranean-typediet has been demonstrated to exert a preventive effect toward cardiovasculardiseases, in both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations. Part ofthese properties may depend on a positive action toward healthier metabolism,decreasing the risk of diabetes and metabolic-syndrome-related conditions.
In the intricate world of microbiology, few names evoke as much intrigue and concern as Enterococcus. Once considered a benign inhabitant of the human gut, this resilient bacterium has emerged as a formidable pathogen, capable of outwitting some of our most advanced medical defenses. Enterococcus - Unveiling the Emergence of a Potent Pathogen is a compelling exploration into the rise of this tenacious microorganism and the chapters of this book dig into the complex biology, adaptive mechanisms, and the significant clinical implications of Enterococcus.
Guillermo Tellez-Isaias, Danielle Graham, Saeed El-Ashram
Carboxylic acids are truly central compounds in cellular metabolism. Carbon dioxide is captured from the atmosphere through formation of carboxylic groups and is also released, in part, by decarboxylation reactions. The reactivity of the carboxylic group with amino- or hydroxyl-groups enables the formation of peptide and ester bonds. The functionality of the carboxylic group is also of huge importance in our industrial world for a wide range of applications. The loosely bound hydrogen provides weak acid functionality, much desired for food industry applications in preservatives and flavour compounds.
Genetics, Genomics, and Breeding of Legume Crops
Legume crops are grown worldwide and provide a major source of protein, oil, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and dietary minerals. Legume crops also play an important role in international trade. Genetic improvement has been a key to the growth of crop production, and it continuously contributes to sustainable agriculture and food security.
New Insights into Pathogen, Insect Pest, and Weed Control in Field and Greenhouse Cropping Systems
This Special Issue reprint showcases the latest research focusing on the methods to manage agricultural pests without relying on pesticides. It covers pathogens, insect pests and weeds, emphasizing innovative physical control approaches based on electrostatic principles. Electrostatic techniques involve creating an electric field using charged conductors. Insulated charged conductors produce a static electric field, useful for trapping airborne fungal spores and insects that pass through an insect net, and for repelling insect pests. On the other hand, non-insulated charged conductors generate a dynamic electric field, useful for electrocuting pests.
Sexual Reproduction in Animals and Plants
This book contains the proceedings of the International Symposium on the Mechanisms of Sexual Reproduction in Animals and Plants, where many plant and animal reproductive biologists gathered to discuss their recent progress in investigating the shared mechanisms and factors involved in sexual reproduction. This now is the first book that reviews recent progress in almost all fields of plant and animal fertilization. It was recently reported that the self-sterile mechanism of a hermaphroditic marine invertebrate (ascidian) is very similar to the self-incompatibility system in flowering plants.
Hitoshi Sawada --- Naokazu Inoue --- Megumi Iwano
As a group of organisms that are too small to see and best known for being agents of disease and death, microbes are not always appreciated for the numerous supportive and positive contributions they make to the living world. Designed to support a course in microbiology, Microbiology: A Laboratory Experience permits a glimpse into both the good and the bad in the microscopic world. The laboratory experiences are designed to engage and support student interest in microbiology as a topic, field of study, and career. This text provides a series of laboratory exercises compatible with a one-semester undergraduate microbiology or bacteriology course with a three- or four-hour lab period that meets once or twice a week. The design of the lab manual conforms to the American Society for Microbiology curriculum guidelines and takes a ground-up approach — beginning with an introduction to biosafety and containment practices and how to work with biological hazards.
Development, Characterization, and Application of Bioactive Peptides, Diagnostic Biomarkers, and Pharmaceutical Proteins
As proteins and peptides are the most abundant and versatile biomolecules, playing many critical roles in nearly every life process, many proteins/peptides are also strongly associated with human health and diseases. Various protein/peptide molecules have been proposed as biomarkers with potential diagnostic or prognostic value, and renewed interests in exploring peptides/proteins as crucial targets for therapeutic purposes have arisen. Bioactive proteins/peptides including various enzymes, antibodies, and peptide hormones have been developed and serve as biopharmaceuticals for clinical use.
The term “weed” is rather subjective, as we are the ones who decide what plants are called weeds, and the term usually carries a negative connotation. However, there is a reason why weeds grow in some places and behave in their particular manner. Today, certain groups of weeds have become extremely rare, and some species have even gone extinct where they were once abundant. Climate change also creates a huge challenge, and weeds often act as indicators of this change. This Special Issue discusses the ecology and diversity of weeds in natural and human-impacted agroecosystems on different continents.
Bacterial Exotoxins: how bacteria fight the immune system
Bacterial pathogenicity factors are functionally diverse. They may facilitate the adhesion and colonization of bacteria, influence the host immune response, assist spreading of the bacterium by e.g. evading recognition by immune cells, or allow bacteria to dwell within protected niches inside the eukaryotic cell.
Inka Sastalla , Denise M. Monack, Katharina F. Kubatzky
Carbohydrate Metabolism in Health and Disease
Carbohydrate metabolism is a fundamental aspect of health and a crucial function in a variety of species, including humans. A primary disfunction in major global diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, is dysregulation of thecarbohydrate metabolism. Furthermore, certain disease outcomes may be impacted by the amount and type of dietary carbohydrates consumed. Finally, carbohydrate obtainability is essential for optimal performance and endurance during sporting events. This book collates articles that either describe original research, or review the scientific literature on the topic of carbohydrate metabolism in health and disease. .
Plant viruses cause many of the most important diseases threatening crops worldwide. Over the last quarter of a century, an increasing number of plant viruses have emerged in various parts of the world, especially in the tropics and subtropics. As is generally observed for plant viruses, most of the emerging viruses are transmitted horizontally by biological vectors, mainly insects. Reverse genetics using infectious clones—available for many plant viruses—has been used for identification of viral determinants involved in virus–host and virus–vector interactions.
Jesús Navas Castillo Elvira Fiallo-Olivé
Air Quality Characterisation and Modelling
Research and information Environmental economics Pollution
Air pollution is a mixture of particles and gases, which can reach unsafe concentrations for human health, the environment, vegetation, and materials. It has become one of the main sustainability issues and a concerning topic in atmospheric science. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 90% of the world’s population lives in highly polluted environments, and about 7 million premature deaths are caused yearly by outdoor and indoor air pollution.
José Carlos Magalhães Pires, Álvaro Gómez-Losada
The Insecticidal Bacterial Toxins in Modern Agriculture
Agriculture has suffered enormous changes since the first human attempts to domesticate plants to obtain productive varieties which could become a constant source of food. Many developments have shaped current agricultural systems, especially those that led to extensive industrial monocultures. Concurrently with those, there are numerous other types of small scale agricultural systems with an important social and economic impact. The development of ecosystems with scarce plant varieties has favored the presence of specialized phytophagous that have evolved and adapted to plant species used in agriculture. Pest species share some biological traits, such as short generation cycles and large offsprings. Improvements in agriculture have led to a high production efficiency and the control of pests through different strategies. Modern agriculture seeks to evolve to more environmentally-friendly systems with little environmental impact and accessible to developing countries.
Juan Ferré (Ed.) , Baltasar Escriche (Ed.)
Biology for AP® Courses covers the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester Advanced Placement® biology course. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology for AP® Courses was designed to meet and exceed the requirements of the College Board’s AP® Biology framework while allowing significant flexibility for instructors. Each section of the book includes an introduction based on the AP® curriculum and includes rich features that engage students in scientific practice and AP® test preparation; it also highlights careers and research opportunities in biological sciences
Biodiversity - Handbook of the Anthropocene in Latin America II
Biodiversity should not be understood in biological terms only and as a thing apart from society, but rather as biocultural diversity present in the social world and in various cultures. Such a perspective might allow to relieve social conflicts as well as abuses of power, and slow the appropriation of the biosphere. This volume of the Handbook »The Anthropocene as Multiple Crisis« focuses on biodiversity in the main macro-regions of Latin America from the colonial regime to the contemporary era of the Anthropocene. The contributions enrich contemporary debates surrounding the genealogy of the Anthropocene in Latin America with critical perspectives from the social sciences and the humanities.
Kaltmeier, Olaf (editor), Acker, Antoine (editor), Ávila Romero, León Enrique (editor), Horta Duarte, Regina (editor)
This open access book presents recent advances in the pure sciences that are of significance in the quest for alternatives to the use of animals in research and describes a variety of practical applications of the three key guiding principles for the more ethical use of animals in experiments – replacement, reduction, and refinement, collectively known as the 3Rs. Important examples from across the world of implementation of the 3Rs in the testing of cosmetics, chemicals, pesticides, and biologics, including vaccines, are described, with additional information on relevant regulations.
Kojima, Hajime --- Seidle, Troy --- Spielmann, Horst
Folate, vitamin B12, vitamin B6 and riboflavin play a key role as coenzymes in one-carbon metabolism which, in turn, is essential for a broad range of fundamental physiological processes, including RNA and DNA synthesis, cell division, tissue growth and methylation. Deficiencies or imbalance of B-vitamins, as well as genetic polymorphisms and environmental factors, are shown to disturb the normal function of one-carbon metabolism with adverse effects on human health. Although a vast volume of research has already been conducted in this area, there are still significant gaps in our knowledge that require further investigation. This prompted the journal Nutrients to publish a Special Issue focused on the novel findings in the area of B-vitamins and one-carbon metabolism. The Special Issue published 26 research papers and reviews on various topics pertinent to one-carbon metabolism. Several of the published papers examined the relationship between folate and the metabolically related B-vitamins and degenerative diseases in ageing. Porter et al. provided an extensive review on the causes and consequences of low B-vitamin status and the risk for development of cardiovascular disease, cognitive dysfunction and osteoporosis. In a large cohort of French older adults, followed for approximately 10 years, Lefevre-Arbogast et al. demonstrated that higher intake of folate was associated with a decreased risk of dementi
This textbook is focused specifically on the principles and concepts of a foundational Cell Biology course. The book takes a more conceptual approach that highlights how scientists study cells, and how to analyze and interpret experimental results. Rather than focusing primarily on historical experiments that were key to our understanding of cells, the book explores a range of more modern experimental techniques so that students can begin to understand how cells are studied now, in the 21st century. The book includes over 200 newly created illustrations and animations, that were specifically designed for this book, as well as review questions at the end of each chapter, to help students explore and understand the material.
Lauren Dalton, Robin Young, Heather Ng-Cornish
Artificial Intelligence Applied to Medical Imaging and Computational Biology
Medical imaging and computational biology continuously pose new fundamental medical and biological questions that often give rise to novel challenges in Artificial Intelligence. These research fields present an increasing need for the application of cutting-edge computational approaches that generally involve machine learning or computational intelligence techniques, which can effectively perform bioimage and biosignal processing in different clinical areas.
Leonardo Rundo, Carmelo Militello, Andrea (Tangherloni
Brain Asymmetry of Structure And/Or Function
This edited book brings together research reports on the asymmetry of brain function in various species, including humans, dogs, birds, lizards and bees. As shown in a wide range of species, and, as we now know, not solely in humans, the left and right sides of the brain process information in different ways and control different responses or patterns of behaviour. Since this discovery, many new methods have become available to reveal the processes involved in the development, function and evolution of this important attribute of the brain.
Welcome to the wonderful world of microbiology! Yay! So. What is microbiology? If we break the word down it translates to “the study of small life,” where the small life refers to microorganisms or microbes. But who are the microbes? And how small are they? Generally microbes can be divided into two categories: the cellular microbes (or organisms) and the acellular microbes (or agents). In the cellular camp we have the bacteria, the archaea, the fungi, and the protists (a bit of a grab bag composed of algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water molds). Cellular microbes can be either unicellular, where one cell is the entire organism, or multicellular, where hundreds, thousands or even billions of cells can make up the entire organism. In the acellular camp we have the viruses and other infectious agents, such as prions and viroids. In this textbook the focus will be on the bacteria and archaea (traditionally known as the “prokaryotes,”) and the viruses and other acellular agents.
Welcome to the wonderful world of microbiology! Yay! So. What is microbiology? If we break the word down it translates to “the study of small life,” where the small life refers to microorganisms or microbes. But who are the microbes? And how small are they? Generally microbes can be divided in to two categories: the cellular microbes (or organisms) and the acellular microbes (or agents). In the cellular camp we have the bacteria, the archaea, the fungi, and the protists (a bit of a grab bag composed of algae, protozoa, slime molds, and water molds). Cellular microbes can be either unicellular, where one cell is the entire organism, or multicellular, where hundreds, thousands or even billions of cells can make up the entire organism. In the acellular camp we have the viruses and other infectious agents, such as prions and viroids. In this textbook the focus will be on the bacteria and archaea (traditionally known as the “prokaryotes,”) and the viruses and other acellular agents.
Forest Management and Biodiversity Conservation
In the current context of global change and global interconnectedness, our role in connecting the dots and finding solutions to current and future problems is very important. When talking specifically about the management of forests, we can see its continuous evolution and, more importantly, its adaptation to contemporary challenges.
In recent years, interest in nutrition has grown, with a particular focus on the pivotal role of antioxidants in the formulation of functional diets essential for animal health and disease prevention. This comprehensive reprint offers a deep dive into the world of innovative antioxidants that can be used in animal nutrition. The key to this field lies on the oxidative balance. The inclusion of antioxidants aligns with sustainable farming practices, following the One Health principles, thus supporting health and feed and food safety
Biostratigraphic And Geological Significance Of Planktonic Foraminifera
Foraminifera are marine, free-living, amoeboid protozoa (in Greek, proto = first and zoa = animals). They are single-celled eukaryotes (organisms the cytoplasm of which is organized into a complex structure with internal membranes and contains a nucleus, mitochondria, chloroplasts, and Golgi bodies, see Fig. 1.1), and they exhibit animal-like (cf. plant-like) behaviour. Usually, they secrete an elaborate, solid carbonate skeleton (or test) that contains the bulk of the cell, but some forms accrete and cement tests made of sedimentary particles. The foraminiferal test is divided into a series of chambers, which increase in number during growth. In life, they exhibit extra-skeletal pseudopodia (temporary organic projections) and web-like filaments that can be granular, branched and fused (rhizopodia), or pencil-shaped and pointed (filopodia). The pseudopodia emerge from the cell body (see Plate 1.1 below) and enable bidirectional cytoplasmic flow that transports nutrients to the body of the cell (Baldauf, 2008). Foraminifera first appeared in the Cambrian with a benthic mode of life and, over the course of the Phanerozoic, invaded most marginal to fully marine environments. They diversified to exploit a wide variety of niches, including, from the Late Triassic or Jurassic, the planktonic realm. These planktonic forms are the focus of this book. Both living and fossil foraminifera come in a wide
Recent Advances in Applied Microbiology and Food Sciences
Progressive changes in technology also cause changes in the methods used in food research, including microbiological aspects. The cooperation of research centers with industry is also important, as it poses new challenges to science. This reprint is devoted to the latest achievements in analytics, and to the application of new methods in food production technology. We present both original research and review articles focused on recent advanced technology in food science and microbiology, especially modern methods of the production and testing of food as well as the sustainable development of agriculture and the food industry.
Marek Kieliszek, Przemyslaw Lukasz Kowalczewski
Body Condition and Productivity, Health and Welfare
This reprint focuses on applied research on growth traits, fat reserves, fatty acid profiles and enriched diets and their effects on reproduction, health status and welfare. The studies contained in the volume have been carried out in both monogastric organisms and ruminants, fish, broilers or pigeons. Fundamental studies with rats or mice are also presented.
This lab manual is designed for the upper division and graduate sports nutrition courses, covering, supporting, and reinforcing fundamental nutritional concepts. This manual provides hands-on experience that will help strengthen student’s knowledge and application of the material. Labs focus on learning areas of exercise intensity and substrate utilization, measuring glycemic responses to selected food items with or without exercise, designing sports drinks and testing rehydration responses, and metabolic health. Additionally, this manual provides a step-by-step guide to strengthen student’s ability to generate data and convey their results in a scientific manner.
Mary P Miles , Stephanie M.G. Wilson , Morgan L Chamberlin,
Based on the most recent clinical and epidemiologic information, one out of seven newly diagnosed epithelial malignancies worldwide result from infection and chronic inflammation in conjunction with cancer. This book draws contributions from international expert researchers from diverse disciplines, who addressed various aspects of experimental and clinical cancer biology, by selectively focusing on inflammation-mediated oncogenesis to debate these and related issues.
Masahito Shimizu (Ed.) --- Takuji Tanaka (Ed.)
The Role of Pregnancy Nutrition in Maternal and Offspring Health
In pregnancy, maternal nutrition sustains and nourishes the developing child. Imbalances in either the direction of nutritional excess or deficiency can have adverse consequences for child health. In addition, more research now suggests that good pregnancy nutrition influences child health beyond pregnancy and delivery. This includes modifying the risk of child health outcomes as they enter childhood and adulthood through influences on placental development, hormonal pathways, and organ structure and function. Poor pregnancy nutrition may also compromise maternal health during pregnancy, which may have long-term consequences for women’s health.
Environmental Biology is a free and open textbook that enables students to develop a nuanced understanding of today’s most pressing environmental issues. This text helps students grasp the scientific foundation of environmental topics so they can better understand the world around them and their impact upon it. This book is a collaboration between various authors and organizations that are committed to providing students with high quality and affordable textbooks. Particularly, this text draws from the following open sources, in addition to new content from the editor
Environmental Biology enables students to develop a nuanced understanding of today’s most pressing environmental issues. This text helps students grasp the scientific foundation of these issues so that they can better understand the world around them and their impact upon it. This open textbook covers the most salient environmental issues, from a biological perspective. The text is designed for an introductory-level college science course. Topics include the fundamentals of ecology, biodiversity, pollution, climate change, food production, and human population growth.
Commercial horticulture Agricultural science Weed
Weeds are a major pest that reduce aesthetics and functionality of turfgrass systems. Knowledge required for effective weed management has evolved in recent years as weeds develop resistance to herbicides, government restriction of broad-spectrum herbicides has increased, and registration of new herbicide active ingredients has slowed. This chapter discusses relevant and recent developments in synthetic herbicides, alternatives to synthetic herbicides, and non-chemical strategies for weed management including cultural, physical, and genetic approaches.
Matthew T. Elmore, Aaron J. Patton, et. al
Antioxidants in Health and Disease Volume 1
Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress is associated with a number of health disorders, including cardiovascular malfunction, certain types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, many other auto-immune diseases, and even ageing. The body possesses multiple mechanisms to counteract oxidative stress, which employ antioxidant compounds that are either naturally generated in situ (endogenous antioxidants) or externally supplied through food (exogenous antioxidants). These antioxidants are able to counteract oxidative stress, thanks to their ability to neutralize excess free radicals and protect the cellular lipids, proteins, and DNA from molecular damage.
Maurizio Battino (Ed.) --- Francesca Giampieri (Ed.)
Antioxidants in Health and Disease Volume 2
Several epidemiological studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress is associated with a number of health disorders, including cardiovascular malfunction, certain types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, many other auto-immune diseases, and even ageing. The body possesses multiple mechanisms to counteract oxidative stress, which employ antioxidant compounds that are either naturally generated in situ (endogenous antioxidants) or externally supplied through food (exogenous antioxidants).
Sustainability through the Lens of Environmental Sociology
Our planet is undergoing radical environmental and social changes. Sustainability has now been put into question by, for example, our consumption patterns, loss of biodiversity, depletion of resources, and exploitative power relations. With apparent ecological and social limits to globalization and development, current levels of consumption are unsustainable, inequitable, and inaccessible to the majority of humans. Understanding and attaining sustainability is a crucial matter at a time when our planet is in peril—environmentally, economically, socially, and politically.
This book introduces the fundamentals of nanocelluloses. Nanocellulose is a cellulosic material with one dimension in the nanometer range and is derived from natural cellulosic materials, animals, and bacterial sources. This book discusses the mechanical, optical, ecofriendly, and thermal properties of nanocelluloses as well as their availability, recyclability, and renewability. It also highlights manufacturing methods and environmentally friendly extraction methods involving enzymatic processes.
Dietary fiber has long been recognized for its role in digestive function. However, currently there is scientific debate about definitions (descriptive and analytical), optimal intake, and essentiality in the human diet. Dietary fiber is a key substrate for bacterial metabolism in the colon, which makes research on dietary fiber an important issue that complements current interest in the gut microbiota. Dietary fiber is also important for prevention and management of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases.
This book describes how man-made litter, primarily plastic, has spread into the remotest parts of the oceans and covers all aspects of this pollution problem from the impacts on wildlife and human health to socio-economic and political issues. Marine litter is a prime threat to marine wildlife, habitats and food webs worldwide. The book illustrates how advanced technologies from deep-sea research, microbiology and mathematic modelling as well as classic beach litter counts by volunteers contributed to the broad awareness of marine litter as a problem of global significance.
Melanie Bergmann --- Lars Gutow --- Michael Klages
This book describes how man-made litter, primarily plastic, has spread into the remotest parts of the oceans and covers all aspects of this pollution problem from the impacts on wildlife and human health to socio-economic and political issues. Marine litter is a prime threat to marine wildlife, habitats and food webs worldwide. The book illustrates how advanced technologies from deep-sea research, microbiology and mathematic modelling as well as classic beach litter counts by volunteers contributed to the broad awareness of marine litter as a problem of global significance
Our goal is to present the key observations and unifying concepts upon which modern biology is based; it is not a survey of all biology! Once understood, these foundational observations and concepts should enable you to approach any biological process, from disease to kindness, from a scientific perspective. To understand biological systems we need to consider them from two complementary perspectives; how they came to be (the historic, that is, evolutionary) and how their structures, traits, and behaviors are produced (the mechanistic, that is, the physicochemical).
The GEO Handbook on Biodiversity Observation Networks
Biodiversity observation systems are almost everywhere inadequate to meet local, national and international (treaty) obligations. As a result of alarmingly rapid declines in biodiversity in the modern era, there is a strong, worldwide desire to upgrade our monitoring systems, but little clarity on what is actually needed and how it can be assembled from the elements which are already present. This book intends to provide practical guidance to broadly-defined biodiversity observation networks at all scales, but predominantly the national scale and higher.
For at least six hundred million years, life has been a fascinating laboratory of crystallization, referred to as biomineralization. During this huge lapse of time, many organisms from diverse phyla have developed the capability to precipitate various types of minerals, exploring distinctive pathways for building sophisticated structural architectures for different purposes. The Darwinian exploration was performed by trial and error, but the success in terms of complexity and efficiency is evident.
Morales, Jaime Gómez --- Falini, Giuseppe --- García Ruiz, Juan Manuel
Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy.
Biology is a science, but what exactly is science? What does the study of biology share with other scientific disciplines? We can define science (from the Latin scientia, meaning “knowledge”) as knowledge that covers general truths or the operation of general laws, especially when acquired and tested by the scientific method. It becomes clear from this definition that applying scientific method plays a major role in science. The scientific method is a method of research with defined steps that include experiments and careful observation. We will examine scientific method steps in detail later, but one of the most important aspects of this method is the testing of hypotheses by means of repeatable experiments. A hypothesis is a suggested explanation for an event, which one can test. Although using the scientific method is inherent to science, it is inadequate in determining what science is. This is because it is relatively easy to apply the scientific method to disciplines 10 Chapter 1 | The Study of Life This OpenStax book is available for free at
Advances in Modern Agricultural Machinery
Agricultural production is essential to deal with the issue of food supply, which is one of the main problems in modern societies. According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), the food demand in the world may increase by 70% by 2050. Broadacre farming enables large-scale crop production and is vital to producing abundant food. Machinery systems used in broadacre farming also significantly affect crop production.
Study of Microbiological Safety in the Food Chain
Ensuring microbiological safety in the food (of animal origin) chain is a challenging task due to the complex interactions among animals, humans and the environment. However, technological and analytical advances in recent years have provided a broader insight into microbiological hazards in the food chain and risk assessment. The objective of the proposed Special Issue “Study of Microbiological Safety in the Food Chain” was therefore to obtain scientific papers addressing microbiological hazards in the food chain, such as bacterial antimicrobial resistance, bacterial or fungal spoilage of foods, the antimicrobial potential of the indigenous microbiota, the aminogenic or amine-reducing capacity of the microbiota, and papers that apply novel methods to study the food microbiome to discover potential, previously unknown microbial hazards.
Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology’s art program enhances students’ understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs
Malaria parasites are highly species specific. No animal reservoir for human malaria parasites.Malaria: Plasmodium Species of Human Disease
Dear Colleagues, Synthetic biology is a broad and emerging discipline that capitalizes on recent advances in molecular biology, genetics, protein and RNA engineering and omics technologies. These technologies have transformed our ability to reveal the biology of the cell and the molecular basis of disease.
The effects of nutrition in chronic conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, and inflammatory bowel disease continue to generate interest among researchers. This stems from the fact that diet is a modifiable risk factor for these diseases, which manifest either as single entities or in co-morbid states in individuals and populations around the world. In particular, the prevalence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease is on the rise, especially in developed countries, but also in developing economies, partly due to lifestyle changes, including diet.
Biochemistry and Application in Medicine
Microbiology is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements for the single-semester Microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications of microbiology in healthcare professions. The pedagogical features of Microbiology make the material interesting and accessible to students while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter.
Human anatomy is the scientific study of the body’s structures. Some of these structures are very small and can only be observed and analyzed with the assistance of a microscope. Other larger structures can readily be seen, manipulated, measured, and weighed. The word “anatomy” comes from a Greek root that means “to cut apart.” Human anatomy was first studied by observing the exterior of the body and observing the wounds of soldiers and other injuries. Later, physicians were allowed to dissect bodies of the dead to augment their knowledge. When a body is dissected, its structures are cut apart in order to observe their physical attributes and their relationships to one another. Dissection is still used in medical schools, anatomy courses, and in pathology labs. In order to observe structures in living people, however, a number of imaging techniques have been developed. These techniques allow clinicians to visualize structures inside the living body such as a cancerous tumor or a fractured bone.
Marine Bioactive Peptides: Structure, Function, and Therapeutic Potential
Book, “Marine Bioactive Peptides: Structure, Function, andTherapeutic Potential"" includes up-to-date information regarding bioactivepeptides isolated from marine organisms. Marine peptides have been found invarious phyla, and their numbers have grown in recent years. These peptidesare diverse in structure and possess broad-spectrum activities that have greatpotential for medical applications. Various marine peptides are evolutionaryancient molecular factors of innate immunity that play a key role in host defense.A plethora of biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral,anticancer, anticoagulant, endotoxin-binding, immune-modulating, etc., makemarine peptides an attractive molecular basis for drug design.
Biochemistry (and Molecular Biology) represent one of the fastest-growing fields of scientific research and technical innovation and the resulting biotechnology is increasingly applied to other fields of study. So, an understanding of Biochemistry is increasingly important for students in all biological disciplines. However, at the same time, the content is inherently complex, highly abstract, and often deeply rooted in the pure sciences – mathematics, chemistry, and physics. This makes it difficult to both learn and to teach.
Pakay, Duivenvoorden, Shafee, and Clarke
Practical Theology Amid Environmental Crises
The field of Practical Theology has been slow to address the realities of environmental crises in its teaching, research, and practice. While there are relevant chapters and articles in books and journals, they are often difficult to find and their contents reveal a lack of conversational engagement. The present volume seeks to change this reality by bringing together key voices in the field from across the world to engage with the theme of Practical Theology amid Environmental Crises.
The word biology means, "the science of life", from the Greek bios, life, and logos, word or knowledge. Therefore, Biology is the science of Living Things. That is why Biology is sometimes known as Life Science.
This Microbiology textbook, adapted from the Boundless version, is intended to provide health care professionals with a working knowledge of infectious disease. Much of the book is devoted to the structure/function relationships in pathogenic microorganisms and how these relationships are expressed in host-parasite interactions. The text also examines Microbial diseases of specific organ systems as well as host response mechanisms.
Atlas of Challenges and Opportunities in European Neighbourhoods
This atlas provides a macro-regional overview of the areas that surround the European Union, from the Sahara to the Middle East, Western Balkans to European Russia, Turkey to the Arctic. Detailing key socio-economic data as well as developmental trends, the maps provide a comprehensive territorial analysis at a local scale and explore the potential for regional integration and cooperation.
Pierre Beckouche --- Pierre Besnard --- Hugues Pecout
Portillo, María P. --- Fernandez-Quintela, Alfredo
Computational Biology: Genomes, Networks, Evolution
The intention of the Special Issue ""Biological and Biogenic Crystallization"" was to create an international platform aimed at covering a broad field of results involving the crystallization of biological molecules, including virus and protein crystallization, biogenic crystallization including physiological and pathological crystallization taking place in living organisms (human beings, animals, plants, bacteria, etc.), and bio-inspired crystallization. Despite many years of research on biological and biogenic crystals, there are still open questions as well as hot and timely topics.
Secondary Metabolites from Natural Products
Secondary metabolites remain an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the natural and applied sciences. Advances in extraction techniques, bioanalysis and structural characterization accelerate the discovery of compounds with potential pharmaceutical, agricultural, and industrial applications. This Special Issue of Molecules emphasizes the importance of integrating phytochemistry, microbiology, and biotechnology in order to fully utilize natural resources in innovations consistent with the principles of sustainable development.
Systems Biology Approaches to Understanding the Cause and Treatment of Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders
Development of powerful new highthroughput technologies for probing the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome is driving the rapid acquisition of information on the function of molecular systems. The importance of these achievements cannot be understated –they have transformed the nature of both biology and medicine. Despite this dramatic progress, one of the greatest challenges that continues to confront modern biology is to understand how behavior at the level of genome, proteome and metabolome determines physiological function at the level of cell, tissue and organ in both health and disease. Because of the inherent complexity of biological systems, the development, analysis, and validation of integrative computational models based directly on experimental data is necessary to achieve this understanding.
Biological Control of the Plant Pathogens
One of the greatest challenges facing agricultural scientists is developing efficient technologies for sustainable and eco-friendly management of crop losses caused by plant pathogens. The effectiveness of microbial biocontrol agents (BCAs) in ensuring food security has garnered global attention, both for halting pre-harvest crop losses and for enhancing crop yields. Harnessing the potential of BCAs could not only aid in the transition to sustainable agriculture, but it would ultimately benefit farmers by reducing the crop loss burden.
Nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
The purpose of this Special Issue “Nutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)” is to increase knowledge regarding the role of dietary composition and effects in IBD, describing the prevalence of malnutrition in IBD and the effect on clinical outcomes, discussing methods of nutrition risk screening and assessment in IBD, and reviewing mechanisms through which diet and dietary components may affect disease severity
Nutrition During Pregnancy and Lactation: Implications for Maternal and Infant Health
Pregnancy is a viewed as a window to future health. With the birth of the developmental origins of human adult disease hypothesis, research and clinical practice has turned its attention to the influence of maternal factors such as health and lifestyle surrounding pregnancy as a means to understand and prevent the inter-generational inheritance of chronic disease susceptibility. Outcomes during pregnancy have long-lasting impacts on both women on children.
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a course in first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies and Syndrome
Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disorder caused by antiphospholipid antibodies. It was characterized by excessive clotting of blood and/or certain complications of pregnancy (premature miscarriages, unexplained fetal death, or premature birth) and the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies (such as anti-cardiolipin antibodies or lupus anticoagulant) in the blood. Fifty percent of people with lupus have APS. The exact pathogenesis of APS is inadequately understood, so no specific treatment is available.
Carotid Body: A New Target for Rescuing Neural Control of Cardiorespiratory Balance in Disease
The carotid body (CB) is the main arterial chemoreceptor in charge of adjusting ventilatory and cardiovascular function during changes in arterial blood gases. Regardless this essential function, the CB has been implicated in the sensing of other physiological signals such as changes in blood flow and glucose levels. More important, malfunction of the CB chemoreceptors has been associated with the progression and deterioration of several disease states such as hypertension, heart failure, renal failure, insulin resistance, diabetes and sleep apnea. Although the mechanisms involved in the alterations of the CB function in pathophysiology are currently under intense research, the development of therapeutic approaches to restore normal CB chemoreflex function remains unsolved.
Rodrigo Del Rio -, Rodrigo Iturriaga -, Harold D. Schultz
Plant Genetics and Biotechnology in Biodiversity
Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) have been collected and exchanged for centuries. The rapid development of novel tools for genetic and phenotypic analysis is changing the way we can uncover diversity and exploit its value in modern agriculture. The integration of novel analytical tools is crucial for translating research into much-needed, more efficient management and use of PGRFA. This Special Issue provides an overview of recent topics on plant genetics and biotechnology in biodiversity.
Rosa Rao (Ed.) --- Giandomenico Corrado (Ed.)
Growth and Ecosystem Services of Urban Trees
Numerous studies indicate an accelerated growth of forest trees, induced by ongoing climate change. Similar trends were recently found for urban trees in major cities worldwide. Studies frequently report about substantial effects of climate change and the urban heat island effect (UHI) on plant growth. The combined effects of increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extended growing season lengths, in addition to increasing nitrogen deposition and higher CO2 concentrations, can increase but also reduce plant growth.
Milk Processing and Dairy Products Industry
Milk Processing and Dairy Products Industry offers a comprehensive overview of the processing and manufacturing stages involved in transforming milk into a wide range of dairy products, from the reception of raw materials to final packaging. It also addresses key aspects of quality assurance and food safety. As a unique and authoritative reference, this book bridges the gap between theoretical foundations and real-world applications. It provides readers with a thorough understanding of the technologies, processes, and quality standards that shape today’s dairy industry.
Networks of coordinated interactions among biological entities govern a myriad of biological functions that span a wide range of both length and time scales—from ecosystems to individual cells and from years to milliseconds. For these networks, the concept “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” applies as a norm rather than an exception. Meanwhile, continued advances in molecular biology and high-throughput technology have enabled a broad and systematic interrogation of whole-cell networks, allowing the investigation of biological processes and functions at unprecedented breadth and resolution—even down to the single-cell level.
Rudiyanto Gunawan (Ed.) --- Neda Bagheri (Ed.)
Advanced Research in Inactivation Technologies of Foodborne Microorganisms
During the last few decades, alternative inactivation processes have gained increasing attention from the food industry. These involve alternative technologies to thermal treatments that have unquestioned limitations, such as the denaturation of thermolabile compounds and the substantial modification of nutritional and sensorial aspects, of which the modern consumer is increasingly aware. Indeed, they show great potential for the inactivation of foodborne microorganisms on a wide range of both solid and liquid food products, assuring their microbial safety without altering their fresh-like aspects and quality.
Bacterial pathogens in the non-clinical environment
Bacterial pathogens , clinical environment
When thinking about bacterial pathogens, most will consider their interaction with humans. Nevertheless, many pathogens aﬀecting humans will not be transmitted directly from one individual to another but will rather come from or transit through the environment to infect the human host. Outside their hosts, bacterial pathogens must be able to resist environmental stresses and perhaps grow in order to get to another hosts. The environment outside the host is referred therein as the non-clinical environment (NCE). In this research topic, a collection of articles is presented that covers some of the strategies and factors that inﬂuence the survival and growth of bacterial pathogens in the NCE, and therefore aﬀects transmission to humans, and outbreaks. Such knowledge could be important to limit the transmission during an outbreak. For example, a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Quebec City (Canada) in 2012 prompted Trudel et al. (2014) to review the eﬀort to ﬁnd the source
Methanogens are unique prokaryotes critical in the carbon cycle and environmental sustainability. This book offers a comprehensive examination, spanning from the role of methanogens in the gut microbiota to their applications in biotechnology and energy production. It explores how methanogens contribute to digestion, immune regulation, and even the gut-brain axis, focusing on their effects on gastrointestinal and neurological health. Beyond their biological significance, the book highlights the transformative potential of methanogens in industrial applications.
A Primer for Computational Biology aims to provide life scientists and students the skills necessary for research in a data-rich world. The text covers accessing and using remote servers via the command-line, writing programs and pipelines for data analysis, and provides useful vocabulary for interdisciplinary work.
Over the past decades, researchers have gathered data demonstrating that vitamin D and its metabolites possess activities far beyond the classic regulation of calcium–phosphate homeostasis. It is now well established that vitamin D is essential for the proper functioning of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems. Furthermore, vitamin D and its analogs were shown to regulate proliferation and differentiation of keratinocyte, immune cells, and numerous cancer-derived cells, both in vivo and in vitro. On the other hand, population base studies have provided evidence that global vitamin D deficiency is correlated with the occurrence and aggravation of symptoms of skeletal, cardiovascular autoimmune, and skin disease; infections; metabolic and cognitive disorders; multiple types of cancers; as well as overall mortality.
Technologies in Cell Culture - A Journey From Basics to Advanced Applications is a comprehensive book that offers a broad overview of the subject, encompassing fundamental concepts, modern techniques, and their diverse applications across various fields. Comprising eleven chapters authored by leading international experts in their respective fields, this book adeptly navigates the complexities of cell culture. It provides valuable insights into bioprocessing, cancer biology, regenerative medicine, and more.
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes present in all kingdoms of life, as they equilibrate the reaction between three simple but essential chemical species: CO2, bicarbonate, and protons. Discovered more than 80 years ago, in 1933, these enzymes have been extensively investigated due to the biomedical application of their inhibitors, but also because they are an extraordinary example of convergent evolution, with seven genetically distinct CA families that evolved independently in Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya.
Laboratory Exercises in Microbiology: Discovering the Unseen World Through Hands-On Investigation
The exercises in this laboratory manual are designed to engage students in hand-on activities that reinforce their understanding of the microbial world. Topics covered include: staining and microscopy, metabolic testing, physical and chemical control of microorganisms, and immunology. The target audience is primarily students preparing for a career in the health sciences, however many of the topics would be appropriate for a general microbiology course as well.
Further Research in Food Processing Safety and Quality from Field to Fork
The global population is continuously growing, increasing the demand for food production. While agricultural innovations support this goal, food safety is often overlooked. Additionally, the nutritional value of food changes during storage, highlighting the need for efficient contaminant monitoring and sensitive detection techniques to track harmful substances. Advances in green extraction methods, pesticide residue analysis, and novel sensor technologies are essential for addressing contemporary food safety challenges.
Tamara Lazarevic-Pasti, Nebojsa Potkonjak
: The effect of germinated Superhongmi, a reddish brown pigmented rice cultivar, on the glucose profile and bone turnover in the postmenopausal-like model of ovariectomized rats was determined. The ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three dietary groups (n = 10): normal control diet (NC) and normal diet supplemented with non-germinated Superhongmi (SH) or germinated Superhongmi (GSH) rice powder. After eight weeks, the SH and GSH groups showed significantly lower body weight, glucose and insulin concentrations, levels of bone resorption markers and higher glycogen and 17-β-estradiol contents than the NC group. The glucose metabolism improved through modulation of adipokine production and glucose-regulating enzyme activities. The GSH rats exhibited a greater hypoglycemic effect and lower bone resorption than SH rats. These results demonstrate that germinated Superhongmi rice may potentially be useful in the prevention and management of postmenopausal hyperglycemia and bone turnover imbalance.
The high demand and depletion of petroleum reserves and the associated impact on the environment, together with volatility in the energy market price over the past three decades, have led to tremendous efforts in bio-based research activities, especially in biofuels and biochemicals. Most people associate petroleum with gasoline, however, approximately 6000 petroleum-derived products are available on the market today. Ironically, these petroleum-derived products have not elicited a high level of interest among the populace and media due, in part, to little awareness of the origins of these important products
Biodiversity is perhaps the hottest topic in ecology textbooks and courses worldwide today. One very basic (core) objective of country park management is to conserve biodiversity.
We’ll begin with a brief introduction to the two main types of stem cells, embryonic and adult stem cells. We’ll then discuss stem cell potency. The second section “Stem cells in research and diseases management” will focus on the opportunities and roles of stem cells in diseases and medical research. Stem cells have a special position in contemporary biological sciences due to their unspecialized characteristics and continuous proliferation. We will focus in particular on the areas of diabetes and neuron regeneration.
Introduction to Systems Biology: Workbook for Flipped-Classroom Teaching
This book is an introduction to the language of systems biology, which is spoken among many disciplines, from biology to engineering. Authors Thomas Sauter and Marco Albrecht draw on a multidisciplinary background and evidence-based learning to facilitate the understanding of biochemical networks, metabolic modeling and system dynamics.
Biological Activity of Natural Secondary Metabolite Products
this text will present the book in all promotional forms (e.g. flyers). Please describe the book in straightforward and consumer-friendly terms. [Natural secondary metabolite products, which are isolated from plants, animals, microorganisms, etc., are classified as polyketides, isoprenoids, aromatics (phenylpropanoids), alkaloids, etc. Their chemical diversity and variety of biological activities have attracted the attention of chemists, biochemists, biologists, etc. The Special Issue on "Biological Activity of Natural Secondary Metabolite Products" is intended to offer biological active natural products as candidates and/or leads for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, functional foods, cosmetics, food additives, etc.
Treatment and Management of Fusarium Disease in Wheat
Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by several Fusarium species—mainly Fusarium graminearum, F. culmorum, and F. avenaceum—is a devastating disease of wheat which reduces both grain yield and quality. FHB affects the grain protein content by destroying starch granules, storage proteins, and cell walls and consequently decreases the quality of dough properties. It is also associated with mycotoxin contamination and is a significant threat to animal and human health.
Advanced Technologies for Protein Complex Production and Characterization
This edited volume discusses the identification, discovery, characterization, structure determination and modeling of multicomponent macromolecular complexes, and as such, it fully complements the first volume (ISBN 978-3-319-27214-6), which targeted methods of recombinant production of protein complexes. This book is divided in 8 sections offering a selection of technologies widely used in the characterization of protein and protein-nucleic acid complexes for different purposes and at different scales. From native electrophoresis methods, that are accessible to any reasonably well-equipped laboratory, to the sophisticated setup required for structure determination by cryo-electron microscopy or X-ray crystallography, this book contains a wide variety of clearly explained analytic and preparative approaches, connected with the production techniques developed on the previous volume.
Vega, M. Cristina (editor), Fernández, Francisco J. (editor)
Carbohydrate Intake in Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Treatment
In 2011, carbohydrates provided 63% of the dietary energy intake to the world’s population. Historically, carbohydrate-rich diets have been associated with good health and longevity but there has been a move away from traditional carbohydrate-rich diets, with refined carbohydrate taking much criticism for contributing to non-communicable disease. The aim of this Special Issue is to discuss the appropriate use of environmentally sustainable carbohydrate-rich foods in the modern diet in developing and developed countries in the context of prevention and treatment of non-communicable disease.
Physiological Aspects of Plant Response to Pathogens and Abiotic Stress—2nd Edition
This reprint aims to introduce the readers to the latest research in plant physiology under the stimulation of various biotic and abiotic stresses. Environmental factors can affect plant primary and secondary metabolite-dependent processes and, consequently, a plant's physiological state. Therefore, in this reprint, research groups from around the world have investigated physiological aspects of resistance, tolerance, and susceptible responses of plants induced by plant pathogens, i.e., viruses, bacteria, and fungi-causing diseases as well as abiotic factors such as heavy metals, fluctuations in temperature, salinity, and drought.
Violetta Katarzyna Macioszek Iwona Ciereszko Andrzej K. Kononowicz
Development of a System for Fast Identification and Characterization of Biological Cells
Bio Impedance Spectroscopy (BIS) consists in the application of a small frequency variable electrical signal to a biological material and measuring its response. This research explores BIS applied to cancer and healthy cells and tissues, with the objective to try to distinguish them and also to explore differences between metastatic and non-metastatic cancers.
Molecular World Today and Tomorrow: Recent Trends in Biological Sciences
Various molecular techniques based on omics (transcriptomics, proteomics, genomics) and phylogenetics have been applied in biological sciences. Molecular dynamics and approaches evolved over time into various quantitative tools that allow researchers from multiple disciplines to design different studies. The molecular-based techniques can be comprehensive and systematic, as they allow identification, resolve genetic differences, molecular docking, and prediction models of ecological niches and taxonomic ranks.
Genetics, Agriculture, and Biotechnology
This textbook provides an introduction to plant genetics and biotechnology for the advancement of agriculture. A clear and structured introduction to the topic for learners new to the field of genetics, the book includes: an introduction to the life cycle of the cell, DNA and how it relates to genes and chromosomes, DNA analysis, recombinant DNA, biotechnology, and transmission genetics.
Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common neurological disease that can affect all ages. Although the majority of people with epilepsy can have excellent seizure control with medication, about 30% will fail anti-epileptic drugs. For those with medically intractable epilepsy, recurrent seizures lead to elevated mortality and injury risks, and the seizures themselves are socially disabling. Fortunately, for many people with intractable epilepsy, epilepsy can be cured or seizures better controlled with surgery. Localization of the seizure focus followed by surgical resection provide the best opportunities to cure epilepsy.
Applied ecology is a framework for the application of knowledge about ecosystems so that actions can be taken to create a better balance and harmony between people and nature in order to reduce human impact on other beings and their habitats.
This textbook has been created with several goals in mind: accessibility, customization, and student engagement—all while encouraging students toward high levels of academic scholarship. Students will find that this textbook offers a strong introduction to human biology in an accessible format.
Plant metabolic engineering is an effective strategy to produce desired chemicals, enhance natural compound yields, and design novel metabolites through genetic modifications. This Reprint comprises 10 studies addressing critical challenges in metabolite identification, key gene isolation, and precise genome engineering for plant metabolic pathways. The contributions emphasize using innovative technologies to accelerate metabolite discovery and optimize biosynthesis.
Advances in Photoelectric Tracking Systems
The photoelectric tracking system, which is made up of optical, mechanical, electrical, and computer components, is in charge of tracking targets at extremely long distances. Tracking accuracy and stability accuracy are two of the system's most crucial performance metrics. Currently, quantum communication, free-space laser communication, aerospace, space observation, and other fields make extensive use of the photoelectric tracking system.
Molecular Mechanisms and Biological Procedures of Biomaterials in Medical Applications
Biomaterials have emerged as a potentially powerful paradigm in clinical medicine due to their unique physicochemical properties such as topographical cues, charges, etc. Many efforts have been made to explore various avenues to process tailored nanomaterials for medical applications, including regenerative medicine, therapeutic delivery, and additive manufacturing. Intriguingly, many studies have identified the existence of bio–nano interactions, which play important roles in biological procedures.
Advances in Developmental Biology in Tree Fruit and Nut Crops
This reprint of the Special Issue “Advances in Developmental Biology in Tree Fruit and Nut Crops” brings together 16 diverse studies that illuminate how genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors shape the growth and productivity of key tree fruit and nut species. Several articles explore hormone-mediated processes, such as the role of exogenous abscisic acid in anthocyanin biosynthesis in blueberry leaves, the effects of gibberellic acid on Shine Muscat grapes, and the influence of endogenous hormones on seed hardness in pomegranate.
Genetics, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Insects
This reprint, focusing on the “Genetics, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Insects,” presents a comprehensive collection of studies that delve into the intricate genetic and evolutionary dynamics of various insect species. As the field of entomology evolves, understanding the genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and evolutionary mechanisms of insects becomes increasingly vital. This reprint features research on various topics, such as the phylogeny and evolutionary history of moths, the genetic diversity of white-backed planthoppers, and the assembly of mitochondrial genomes across multiple species.
Clinical death is the medical term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing, the two necessary criteria to sustain human and many other organisms' lives. It occurs when the heart stops beating in a regular rhythm, a condition called cardiac arrest. The term is also sometimes used in resuscitation research. Stopped blood circulation has historically proven irreversible in most cases. Prior to the invention of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), defibrillation, epinephrine injection, and other treatments in the 20th century, the absence of blood circulation (and vital functions related to blood circulation) was historically considered the official definition of death. With the advent of these strategies, cardiac arrest came to be called clinical death rather than simply death, to reflect the possibility of post-arrest resuscitation. At the onset of clinical death, consciousness is lost within several seconds. Measurable brain activity stops within 20 to 40 seconds. Irregular gasping may occur during this early time period, and is sometimes mistaken by rescuers as a sign that CPR is not necessary. During clinical death, all tissues and organs in the body steadily accumulate a type of injury called ischemic injury. Most tissues and organs of the body can survive clinical death for considerable periods. Blood circulation can be stopped in the entire body below the heart for at least 30 minutes, with injury to the spinal cord being a limiting factor. Detached limbs may be successfully reattached after 6 hours of no blood circulation at warm temperatures. Bone, tendon, and skin can survive as long as 8 to 12 hours. The brain, however, appears to accumulate ischemic injury faster than any other organ. Without special treatment after circulation is restarted, full recovery of the brain after more than 3 minutes of clinical death at normal body temperature is rare. Usually brain damage or later brain death results after longer intervals of clinical death even if the heart is restarted and blood circulation is successfully restored. Brain injury is therefore the chief limiting factor for recovery from clinical death. Although loss of function is almost immediate, there is no specific duration of clinical death at which the non-functioning brain clearly dies. The most vulnerable cells in the brain, CA1 neurons of the hippocampus, are fatally injured by as little as 10 minutes without oxygen. However, the injured cells do not actually die until hours after resuscitation. This delayed death can be prevented in vitro by a simple drug treatment even after 20 minutes without oxygen. In other areas of the brain, viable human neurons have been recovered and grown in culture hours after clinical death. Brain failure after clinical death is now known to be due to a complex series of processes called reperfusion injury that occur after blood circulation has been restored, especially processes that interfere with blood circulation during the recovery period. Control of these processes is the subject of ongoing research. In 1990, the laboratory of resuscitation pioneer Peter Safar discovered that reducing body temperature by three degrees Celsius after restarting blood circulation could double the time window of recovery from clinical death without brain damage from 5 minutes to 10 minutes. This induced hypothermia technique is beginning to be used in emergency medicine. The combination of mildly reducing body temperature, reducing blood cell concentration, and increasing blood pressure after resuscitation was found especially effective—allowing for recovery of dogs after 12 minutes of clinical death at normal body temperature with practically no brain injury. The addition of a drug treatment protocol has been reported to allow recovery of dogs after 16 minutes of clinical death at normal body temperature with no lasting brain injury. Cooling treatment alone has permitted recovery after 17 minutes of clinical death at normal temperature, but with brain injury. Under laboratory conditions at normal body temperature, the longest period of clinical death of a cat (after complete circulatory arrest) survived with eventual return of brain function is one hour..... Input by Sofia Nelly
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Endocrine System and Influence on Behavior - Part 1
Created by Ryan Scott Patton. Watch the next lesson: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/biological-basis-of-behavior-ner/v/endocrine-system-and-influence-on-behavior-part-2?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Desc&utm_campaign=mcat Missed the previous lesson? https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/biological-basis-of-behavior-ner/v/modern-ways-of-studying-the-brain?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Desc&utm_campaign=mcat MCAT on Khan Academy: Go ahead and practice some passage-based questions! About Khan Academy: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content. For free. For everyone. Forever. #YouCanLearnAnything Subscribe to Khan Academy’s MCAT channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDkK5wqSuwDlJ3_nl3rgdiQ?sub_confirmation=1 Subscribe to Khan Academy: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=khanacademy
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Endocrine System and Influence on Behavior Part 2
Created by Ryan Scott Patton. Watch the next lesson: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/human-development/v/egg-sperm-and-fertilization?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Desc&utm_campaign=mcat Missed the previous lesson? https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/behavior/biological-basis-of-behavior-ner/v/endocrine-system-and-influence-on-behavior-part-1?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Desc&utm_campaign=mcat MCAT on Khan Academy: Go ahead and practice some passage-based questions! About Khan Academy: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content. For free. For everyone. Forever. #YouCanLearnAnything Subscribe to Khan Academy’s MCAT channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDkK5wqSuwDlJ3_nl3rgdiQ?sub_confirmation=1 Subscribe to Khan Academy: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=khanacademy
Created by Vishal Punwani. Watch the next lesson: https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/nclex-rn/rn-reproductive-system-physiology/rn-reproductive-system/v/maternal-changes-in-pregnancy?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Desc&utm_campaign=Nclex-rn Missed the previous lesson? https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/nclex-rn/rn-reproductive-system-physiology/rn-reproductive-system/v/reproductive-cycle-graph-luteal-phase?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=Desc&utm_campaign=Nclex-rn NCLEX-RN on Khan Academy: A collection of questions from content covered on the NCLEX-RN. These questions are available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License (available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/). About Khan Academy: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art, The California Academy of Sciences, and MIT to offer specialized content. For free. For everyone. Forever. #YouCanLearnAnything Subscribe to Khan Academy’s NCLEX-RN channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDx5cTeADCvKWgF9x_Qjz3g?sub_confirmation=1 Subscribe to Khan Academy: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=khanacademy
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Montage edited from the lecture slides of the Human Biology Core Faculty, including Professors Bill Durham, Richard Klein, Katherine Preston, William Talbot, Bill Scheidel, Margaret Fuller, Anne Fernald, David Lyons, Roland Nusse, Laura Carstensen, Paul Fisher, Craig Heller, Joe Nation, and Laurence Baker
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What is Computational Biology Source: Wikipedia.org article, adapted under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ license. Computational biology involves the development and application of data-analytical and theoretical methods, mathematical modeling and computational simulation techniques to the study of biological, behavioral, and social systems. The field is broadly defined and includes foundations in computer science, applied mathematics, animation, statistics, biochemistry, chemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, genetics, genomics, ecology, evolution, anatomy, neuroscience, and visualization. Computational biology is different from biological computation, which is a subfield of computer science and computer engineering using bioengineering and biology to build computers, but is similar to bioinformatics, which is an interdisciplinary science using computers to store and process biological data. Computational Biology, sometimes referred to as bioinformatics, is the science of using biological data to develop algorithms and relations among various biological systems. Prior to the advent of computational biology, biologists were unable to have access to large amounts of data. Researchers were able to develop analytical methods for interpreting biological information, but were unable to share them quickly among colleagues. Bioinformatics began to develop in the early 1970s. It was considered the science of analyzing informatics processes of various biological systems. At this time, research in artificial intelligence was using network models of the human brain in order to generate new algorithms. This use of biological data to develop other fields pushed biological researchers to revisit the idea of using computers to evaluate and compare large data sets. By 1982, information was being shared amongst researchers through the use of punch cards. The amount of data being shared began to grow exponentially by the end of the 1980s. This required the development of new computational methods in order to quickly analyze and interpret relevant information. Since the late 1990s, computational biology has become an important part of developing emerging technologies for the field of biology. The terms computational biology and evolutionary computation have a similar name, but are not to be confused. Unlike computational biology, evolutionary computation is not concerned with modeling and analyzing biological data. It instead creates algorithms based on the ideas of evolution across species. Sometimes referred to as genetic algorithms, the research of this field can be applied to computational biology. While evolutionary computation is not inherently a part of computational biology, Computational evolutionary biology is a subfield of it. Computational biology has been used to help sequence the human genome, create accurate models of the human brain, and assist in modeling biological systems.
This is a brief overview of the production of monoclonal antibodies (mAb), also known as hybridoma technology. Design inspired by Salman Khan. Special thanks to Professor DeMasi @ MCPHS University. Davidson College's website on mAbs: http://www.bio.davidson.edu/molecular/MolStudents/01rakarnik/mab.html#Prep Diagram of mAb production from the National Academies Press: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9450&page=9 Software: SmoothDraw 4, CamStudio, and Premiere Pro CS6 Hardware: Bamboo CTH-460, Logitech microphone
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This book is based on the collective knowledge of the GEO BON network of volunteers, working towards the establishment of a global, sustainable observation system for monitoring changes in biodiversity. As such, a great number of colleagues have contributed their time and energy towards the production of this handbook and huge thanks go to all of them. Chapter 6 acknowledges information obtained from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), the European Ocean Biogeographic Information System (EurOBIS) and Marine Regions, which are supported by data and infrastructure provided by VLIZ as part of the Flemish contribution to LifeWatch, and is funded by the Hercules Foundation. Also thanks to Chap. 6 team: Jan Mees, Francisco Hernandez and Pieter Provoost (IOC) for being very helpful in accessing data from OBIS.
This volume focuses on microscopic plastic debris, also referred to as microplastics, which have been detected in aquatic environments around the globe and have accordingly raised serious concerns. The book explores whether microplastics represent emerging contaminants in freshwater systems, an area that remains underrepresented to date. Given the complexity of the issue, the book covers the current state-of-research on microplastics in rivers and lakes, including analytical aspects, environmental concentrations and sources, modelling approaches, interactions with biota, and ecological implications. To provide a broader perspective, the book also discusses lessons learned from nanomaterials and the implications of plastic debris for regulation, politics, economy, and society. In a research field that is rapidly evolving, it offers a solid overview for environmental chemists, engineers, and toxicologists, as well as water managers and policy-makers.
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The book contains the substance of the lectures and partly of the practices of the subject of ‘Genetics and Genomics’ held in Semmelweis University for medical, pharmacological and dental students. The book does not contain basic genetics and molecular biology, but rather topics from human genetics mainly from medical point of views. Some of the 15 chapters deal with medical genetics, but the chapters also introduce to the basic knowledge of cell division, cytogenetics, epigenetics, developmental genetics, stem cell biology, oncogenetics, immunogenetics, population genetics, evolution genetics, nutrigenetics, and to a relative new subject, the human genomics and its applications for the study of the genomic background of complex diseases, pharmacogenomics and for the investigation of the genome environmental interactions. As genomics belongs to sytems biology, a chapter introduces to basic terms of systems biology, and concentrating on diseases, some examples of the application and utilization of this scientific field are also be shown. The modern human genetics can also be associated with several ethical, social and legal issues. The last chapter of this book deals with these issues. At the end of each chapter there are questions, with which the readers can ascertain whether they understood and/or learned the chapter. Because it is an e-book, some terms and definitions has a hyperlink for more detailed explanations in the World Wide Web. Besides university students, the book is also recommended to all those who are interested in modern medical genetics and genomics and want to be up-to date in these subjects.