A comprehensive analysis of ecological specialisation and generalisation in natural communities, first published in 1995.

Advances in Marine Biology, Volume 76, the latest release in a series that has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 is well known for its contents and editing. This latest addition to the series includes updates on many topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography. Specialty areas for the series include marine science, both applied and basic, a wide range of topical areas from all areas of marine ecology, oceanography, fisheries management, and molecular biology, and the full range of geographic areas from polar seas to tropical coral reefs. - Reviews articles on the latest advances in marine biology - Authored by leading figures in their respective fields of study - Presents materials that are widely used by managers, students, and academic professionals in the marine sciences - Provides value to anyone studying bottlenose dolphins, deep-sea macrofauna, marine invertebrates, pinna nobilis, and ecology, amongst other study areas

Plant genomics and biotechnology have recently made enormous strides, and hold the potential to benefit agriculture, the environment and various other dimensions of the human endeavor. It is no exaggeration to claim that the twenty-first century belongs to biotechnology. Knowledge generation in this field is growing at a frenetic pace, and keeping abreast of the latest advances and calls on us to double our efforts. Volume II of this two-part series addresses cutting-edge aspects of plant genomics and biotechnology. It includes 37 chapters contributed by over 70 researchers, each of which is an expert in his/her own field of research. Biotechnology has helped to solve many conundrums of plant life that had long remained a mystery to mankind. This volume opens with an exhaustive chapter on the role played by thale cress, Arabidopsis thaliana, which is believed to be the Drosophila of the plant kingdom and an invaluable model plant for understanding basic concepts in plant biology. This is followed by chapters on bioremediation, biofuels and biofertilizers through microalgal manipulation, making it a commercializable prospect; discerning finer details of biotic stress with plant-fungal interactions; and the dynamics of abiotic and biotic stresses, which also figure elsewhere in the book. Breeding crop plants for desirable traits has long been an endeavor of biotechnologists. The significance of molecular markers, marker assisted selection and techniques are covered in a dedicated chapter, as are comprehensive reviews on plant molecular biology, DNA fingerprinting techniques, genomic structure and functional genomics. A chapter dedicated to organellar genomes provides extensive information on this important aspect. Elsewhere in the book, the newly emerging area of epigenetics is presented as seen through the lens of biotechnology, showcasing the pivotal role of DNA methylation in effecting permanent and transient changes to the genome. Exclusive chapters deal with bioinformatics and systems biology. Handy tools for practical applications such as somatic embryogenesis and micropropagation are included to provide frontline information to entrepreneurs, as is a chapter on somaclonal variation. Overcoming barriers to sexual incompatibility has also long been a focus of biotechnology, and is addressed in chapters on wide hybridization and hybrid embryo rescue. Another area of accomplishing triploids through endosperm culture is included as a non-conventional breeding strategy. Secondary metabolite production through tissue cultures, which is of importance to industrial scientists, is also covered. Worldwide exchange of plant genetic material is currently an essential topic, as is conserving natural resources in situ. Chapters on in vitro conservation of extant, threatened and other valuable germplasms, gene banking and related issues are included, along with an extensive account of the biotechnology of spices – the low-volume, high-value crops. Metabolic engineering is another emerging field that provides commercial opportunities. As is well known, there is widespread concern over genetically modified crops among the public. GM crops are covered, as are genetic engineering strategies for combating biotic and abiotic stresses where no other solutions are in sight. RNAi- and micro RNA- based strategies for crop improvement have proved to offer novel alternatives to the existing non-conventional techniques, and detailed information on these aspects is also included. The book’s last five chapters are devoted to presenting the various aspects of environmental, marine, desert and rural biotechnology. The state-of-the-art coverage on a wide range of plant genomics and biotechnology topics will be of great interest to post-graduate students and researchers, including the employees of seed and biotechnology companies, and to instructors in the fields of plant genetics, breeding and biotechnology.

A unique exploration of teleonomy—also known as “evolved purposiveness”—as a major influence in evolution by a broad range of specialists in biology and the philosophy of science. The evolved purposiveness of living systems, termed “teleonomy” by chronobiologist Colin Pittendrigh, has been both a major outcome and causal factor in the history of life on Earth. Many theorists have appreciated this over the years, going back to Lamarck and even Darwin in the nineteenth century. In the mid-twentieth century, however, the complex, dynamic process of evolution was simplified into the one-way, bottom-up, single gene-centered paradigm widely known as the modern synthesis. In Evolution “On Purpose,” edited by Peter A. Corning, Stuart A. Kauffman, Denis Noble, James A. Shapiro, Richard I. Vane-Wright, and Addy Pross, some twenty theorists attempt to modify this reductive approach by exploring in depth the different ways in which living systems have themselves shaped the course of evolution. Evolution “On Purpose” puts forward a more inclusive theoretical synthesis that goes far beyond the underlying principles and assumptions of the modern synthesis to accommodate work since the 1950s in molecular genetics, developmental biology, epigenetic inheritance, genomics, multilevel selection, niche construction, physiology, behavior, biosemiotics, chemical reaction theory, and other fields. In the view of the authors, active biological processes are responsible for the direction and the rate of evolution. Essays in this collection grapple with topics from the two-way “read-write” genome to cognition and decision-making in plants to the niche-construction activities of many organisms to the self-making evolution of humankind. As this collection compellingly shows, and as bacterial geneticist James Shapiro emphasizes, “The capacity of living organisms to alter their own heredity is undeniable.”

Gerontologic Nursing, 5th Edition offers comprehensive disorder and wellness coverage to equip you with the essential information you need to provide the best nursing care to older adults. A body-system organization makes information easy to find, and includes discussions on health promotion, psychologic and sociocultural issues, and the common medical-surgical problems associated with aging adults. Written by expert educator and clinician Sue Meiner, EdD, APRN, BC, GNP, this book also emphasizes topics such as nutrition, chronic illness, emergency treatment, patient teaching, home care, and end-of-life care. - Case Studies specialty boxes provide realistic situations to expand your knowledge and understanding. - UNIQUE! Nursing care plans supply guidance on selecting appropriate nursing activities and interventions for specific conditions. - Evidence-Based Practice specialty boxes pull the critical evidence-based information contained in the text into boxes for easy access and identification. - UNIQUE! Client/Family Teaching specialty boxes emphasize key aspects of practice and teaching for self-care. - UNIQUE! Home Care specialty boxes highlight tips to promote practical, effective home care for the older adult. - UNIQUE! Emergency Treatment specialty boxes highlight critical treatment needed in emergency situations. - UNIQUE! Nutritional Considerations specialty boxes demonstrate special nutritional needs and concerns facing the aging population. - NEW! Completely revised Pharmacologic Management chapter covering substance abuse. - NEW! Completely revised Cognitive and Neurologic Function chapter covering mental health. - NEW! Up-to-date content equips you with the most current information as the basis of the best possible care for problems affecting the older adult population. - Streamlined focus presents the essential "need to know" information for the most common conditions in older adults in a format that you can easily and quickly grasp. - UNIQUE! Disorder index on the inside cover supplies a handy reference to guide students to the information they need quickly and easily. - Complex aspects of aging offers detailed and comprehensive coverage of pain, infection, cancer, chronic illness, loss, death, and dying, and substance abuse. - Thorough assessment coverage recaps normal, deviations from normal, and abnormal findings of vitals for the older adult for students and practitioners.

The Essential Psychology Series bridges the gap between simple introductory texts aimed at pre-university students and higher level textbooks for upper level undergraduates. Each volume in the series is designed to provide concise yet up-to-date descriptions of the major areas of psychology for first year undergraduates or students taking psychology as a supplement to other courses of study. The authors, who are acknowledged experts in their field, explain the basics carefully and engagingly without the over-simplification often found in introductory textbooks, at the same time providing the reader with insights into current thinking. Essential Biological Psychology is an accessible, well-illustrated and well-written account of the study of the role of the body in behaviour and the effect of behaviour on the working of the body. Covering all the major topics within biopsychology, and evaluating the most up-to-date findings, particularly within neuroscience and neuroimaging research, this textbook is essential reading for first and second level undergraduates taking courses in biological or physiological psychology as well as anyone studying courses in neuropsychology or behavioural neuroscience.

Many of the more serious public health problems of our day relate to the later years of life; and one of the most challenging issues for scholarly study is the mystery of the phenomenon of aging itself. This volume presents the efforts of 22 investigators and is primarily directed toward the understanding of the aging experience and the processes it involves. However, consonant with the premise of science that pure inquiry affords practical consequences, the public health implications of this work are obvious. Two strategies are clear in this study: first, the selection of the healthy, community-dwelling aged so that we may look anew at the prevailing ideas and research findings concerning the aged and aging which heretofore have stemmed primarily from studies of the sick and institutionalized; second, the introduction of the collaborative, multidisciplinary approach so that there can be a more complete and accurate evaluation of the many factors known, or believed, to determine the overt manifestations of aging. As important as the substantive findings, are the methods used in the research investigations. Despite the public health significance of the problems affecting the aged, ranging from sensory handicaps, to housing, to mental and physical illness, there has been a relative neglect of the study, care, and treatment of the aged. Basic inquiry into the final stages of life, therefore, is a welcome contribution to our public health effort in this country. It is opportune in many ways that this volume appears now at a time of increased national concern for the welfare of our older citizens and for the study and improvement of their health and welfare. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).