Traditionally, symbiosis research has been undertaken by researchers working independently of one another and often focused on a few cases of bipartite host-symbiont interactions. New model systems are emerging that will enable us to fill fundamental gaps in symbiosis research and theory, focusing on a broad range of symbiotic interactions and including a variety of multicellular hosts and their complex microbial communities. In this Research Topic, we invited researchers to contribute their work on diverse symbiotic networks, since there are a large variety of symbioses with major roles in the proper functioning of terrestrial or aquatic ecosystems, and we wished the Topic to provide a venue for communicating findings across diverse taxonomic groups. A synthesis of recent investigations in symbiosis can impact areas such as agriculture, where a basic understanding of plant-microbe symbiosis will provide foundational information on the increasingly important issue of nitrogen fixation; climate change, where anthropogenic factors are threatening the survival of marine symbiotic ecosystems such as coral reefs; animal and human health, where unbalances in host microbiomes are being increasingly associated with a wide range of diseases; and biotechnology, where process optimization can be achieved through optimization of symbiotic partnerships. Overall, our vision was to produce a volume of works that will help define general principles of symbiosis within a new conceptual framework, in the road to finally establish symbiology as an overdue central discipline of biological science.

This book is a beginning, a first step, in taking leader development in organizations beyond conventional wisdom toward a scientifically sound research-based set of principles and practices. The authors looked beyond their own academic disciplines to bring to bear accumulated wisdom from researchers who have developed well-established and accepted

This publication is based upon work from COST Action ’16203 MARISTEM Stem cells of marine/aquatic invertebrates: from basic research to innovative applications’, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding agency for research and innovation networks. Our Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and enable scientists to grow their ideas by sharing them with their peers. This boosts their research, career and innovation. www.cost.eu Aquatic invertebrates represent the largest biodiversity and the widest phylogenetic radiation on Earth, with more than 2 million known species. Up until a few years ago, their use as model organisms in biological research was limited by the paucity of omics data. Recently, the situation has rapidly changed and is still changing. Today, the genomes and various transcriptomes of many aquatic invertebrate species, as well as many recombinant proteins of invertebrate origin, are available. New technologies have revolutionized the available toolbox of research methodologies. This explains the rising interest of researchers in the use of aquatic invertebrates as reliable model organisms. In contrast to the prevalence of diverse oligopotent and unipotent stem cells in vertebrates, aquatic invertebrates (especially non-ecdysozoan invertebrates) exhibit multiple adult cell types with stem cell attributes characterized by multipotency and pluripotency; furthermore, these give rise to cell lineages characteristic of more than a single germ layer, sometimes with somatic and germ line potentials. In addition, unlike vertebrates, aquatic invertebrate adult stem cells are disseminated and widespread inside the animal body, are not associated with a regulatory microenvironment (niche) and do participate in aging and regeneration phenomena. These properties can help us to better understand the processes and phenomena in mammalian stem cell biology, such as natural chimerism and cancer, aging and senescence, immunity and autoimmune responses, which are all difficult to explain or understand in the human context. The COST Action 16203 MARISTEM "Stem cells of marine/aquatic invertebrates: from basic research to innovative applications" started in 2017 with the aim to foster the knowledge of the biology of aquatic invertebrates stem cells and strengthen the European community of researchers on aquatic invertebrate stem cells in order to build innovative ideas relevant to various biomedical disciplines. This book represents one of the deliverables of the Action and collects part of the materials produced during the past 3 years within the network as a tool to disseminate and render available what has been achieved up to now. We hope that this book will be useful to scientists interested in stem cells of non-model organisms, with particular reference to aquatic invertebrates.

This volume brings out recent developments and current activity in different areas of operational research. The topics covered include the following major areas: mathematical programming, queuing theory, reliability and maintenance, inventory and production control, statistical methods, networks and sequencing, and information technology. Recent Developments in Operational Research will be of considerable value and interest to operational researchers, both theoreticians and practitioners, as well as a reference source for research workers.

The importance that practitioners are placing on longitudinal designs and analyses signals a critical shift toward methods that enable a better understanding of developmental processes thought to underlie many human attributes and behaviors. A simple scan of one’s own applied literature reveals evidence of this trend through the increasing number of articles adopting longitudinal methods as their primary analytic tools. Advances in Longitudinal Methods in the Social and Behavioral Sciences is a resource intended for advanced graduate students, faculty, and applied researchers interested in longitudinal data analysis, especially in the social and behavioral sciences. The chapters are written by established methodological researchers from diverse research domains such as psychology, biostatistics, educational statistics, psychometrics, and family sciences. Each chapter exposes the reader to some of the latest methodological developments and perspectives in the analysis of longitudinal data, and is written in a didactic tone that makes the content accessible to the broader research community. This volume will be particularly appealing to researchers in domains including, but not limited to: human development, clinical psychology, educational psychology, school psychology, special education, epidemiology, family science, kinesiology, communication disorders, and education policy and administration. The book will also be attractive to members of several professional organizations such as the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Psychological Society (APS), the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA), the Society of Research in Child Development (SRCD), Society for Research in Adult Development (SRAD), British Psychological Society (BPS), Canadian Psychological Association (CPA), and other related organizations.

This book discusses in detail molecular, mycobiont culture, biomonitoring and bioprospection of lichens, providing insights into advances in different fields of lichenology by applying modern techniques and approaches and examining how their application has enhanced or changed classical approaches. It offers a valuable resource, especially for beginners, students and researchers from different academic backgrounds interested in the study of lichens. In recent years, the introduction of modern analytical techniques and approaches has significantly improved our understanding of the environment, including lichens. Lichens are unique organisms which possess untapped potential as effective and reliable bioindicators, sources of therapeutic phytochemicals, and as excellent extremophiles. The unique and peculiar characteristics of lichens underline the need for a multidimensional approach to explore their potential in various fields of environment science, botany and chemistry. Modern techniques, especially molecular techniques, have greatly enriched the field of lichen taxonomy and its position in the plant kingdom, revealing little-known species and exploring their evolutionary history, while multivariate analysis and GIS approaches have established lichens as an ideal and reliable tool for monitoring air pollution. Advanced culture techniques have expanded the pharmacological applications of lichens, which was formerly restricted due to their small biomass. The advent of sophisticated analytical instrumentation has now facilitated the isolation and characterization of lichens’ bioactive constituents, even in lower concentrations, as well as the estimation of their stress responses at different levels of pollution. As lichen diversity is adversely affected by increasing air pollution, there is a pressing need to develop effective management practices to conserve, restore and document lichen diversity.

This book of Proceedings presents the latest thinking and research in the rapidly evolving world of architecture and sustainable development through 255 selected papers by authors coming from over 60 countries.

Plant microbe interaction is a complex relationship that can have various beneficial impacts on both the communities. An urgent need of today’s world is to get high crop yields in an ecofriendly manner. Utilization of beneficial and multifaceted plant growth promoting (PGP) microorganisms can solve the problem of getting enhanced yields without disturbing the ecosystem thus leading to sustainability. For this to achieve understanding of the intricate details of how the beneficial microbes form associations with the host plant and sustain that for millions of years must be known. A holistic approach is required wherein the diversity of microbes associated with plant and the network of mechanisms by which they benefit the host must be studied and utilized. ‘Plant Microbe Symbiosis – Fundamentals and Advances’ provides a comprehensive understanding of positive interactions that occur between plant and microorganisms and their utilization in the fields. The book reviews the enormous diversity of plant associated microbes, the dialog between plant-microbes-microbes and mechanisms of action of PGP microbes. Utilization of PGPRs as nutrient providers, in combating phytopathogens and ameliorating the stressed and polluted soils is also explained. Importantly, the book also throws light on the unanswered questions and future direction of research in the field. It illustrates how the basic knowledge can be amalgamated with advanced technology to design the future bioformulations.

Child psychotherapy is in a state of transition. On the one hand, pretend play is a major tool of therapists who work with children. On the other, a mounting chorus of critics claims that play therapy lacks demonstrated treatment efficacy. These complaints are not invalid. Clinical research has only begun. Extensive studies by developmental researchers have, however, strongly supported the importance of play for children. Much knowledge is being accumulated about the ways in which play is involved in the development of cognitive, affective, and personality processes that are crucial for adaptive functioning. However, there has been a yawning gap between research findings and useful suggestions for practitioners. Play in Child Development and Psychotherapy represents the first effort to bridge the gap and place play therapy on a firmer empirical foundation. Sandra Russ applies sophisticated contemporary understanding of the role of play in child development to the work of mental health professionals who are trying to design intervention and prevention programs that can be empirically evaluated. Never losing sight of the complex problems that face child therapists, she integrates clinical and developmental research and theory into a comprehensive, up-to-date review of current approaches to conceptualizing play and to doing both therapeutic play work with children and the assessment that necessarily precedes and accompanies it.

Advances in Genetics, Volume 104, provides the latest information on the rapidly evolving field of genetics, presenting new medical breakthroughs that are occurring as a result of advances in our knowledge of the topic. The book continually publishes important reviews of the broadest interest to geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines, critically analyzing future directions. - Critically analyzes future directions for the study of clinical genetics - Written and edited by recognized leaders in the field - Presents new medical breakthroughs that are occurring as a result of advances in our knowledge of genetics