Virus as Composition, Complexity, Quasispecies, Dynamics, and Biological Implications, Second Edition, explains the fundamental concepts surrounding viruses as complex populations during replication in infected hosts. Fundamental phenomena in virus behavior, such as adaptation to changing environments, capacity to produce disease, and the probability to be transmitted or respond to treatment all depend on virus population numbers. Concepts such as quasispecies dynamics, mutations rates, viral fitness, the effect of bottleneck events, population numbers in virus transmission and disease emergence, and new antiviral strategies are included. The book's main concepts are framed by recent observations on general virus diversity derived from metagenomic studies and current views on the origin and role of viruses in the evolution of the biosphere. - Features current views on key steps in the origin of life and origins of viruses - Includes examples relating ancestral features of viruses with their current adaptive capacity - Explains complex phenomena in an organized and coherent fashion that is easy to comprehend and enjoyable to read - Considers quasispecies as a framework to understand virus adaptability and disease processes
Assists policymakers in evaluating the appropriate scientific methods for detecting unintended changes in food and assessing the potential for adverse health effects from genetically modified products. In this book, the committee recommended that greater scrutiny should be given to foods containing new compounds or unusual amounts of naturally occurring substances, regardless of the method used to create them. The book offers a framework to guide federal agencies in selecting the route of safety assessment. It identifies and recommends several pre- and post-market approaches to guide the assessment of unintended compositional changes that could result from genetically modified foods and research avenues to fill the knowledge gaps.
Genetic diversity is one of the measures of biodiversity and has consequences in biological variation. It is crucial to understand the evolutionary and adaptative processes in all living species. This book is an interdisciplinary and integrated work that will contribute to the knowledge of academics from different areas of biological sciences. This collection of scientific papers was chosen and analyzed to offer readers a broad and integrated view of the importance of genetic diversity in the evolution and adaptation of living beings, as well as practical applications of the information needed to analyze this diversity in different organisms. This book was edited by geneticist researchers and provides academics with up-to-date and quality information on the subject.
The marmoset, a type of small monkey native to South America, is a research model of increasing importance for biomedical research in the United States and globally. Marmosets offer a range of advantages as animal models in neuroscience, aging, infectious diseases, and other fields of study. They may be particularly useful for the development of new disease models using genetic engineering and assisted reproductive technologies. However, concerns have been voiced with respect to the development of new marmoset-based models of disease, ethical considerations for their use, the supply of marmosets available for research, and gaps in guidance for their care and management. To explore and address these concerns, the Roundtable on Science and Welfare in Laboratory Animal Use hosted a public workshop on October 22-23, 2018, in Washington, DC. The workshop focused on the availability of marmosets in the United States and abroad; animal welfare and ethical considerations stemming from the use of wildtype and genetically modified marmosets; and standards of housing and care, dietary needs, and feeding requirements for marmosets in captivity. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.
As the population of older Americans grows, it is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Differences in health by racial and ethnic status could be increasingly consequential for health policy and programs. Such differences are not simply a matter of education or ability to pay for health care. For instance, Asian Americans and Hispanics appear to be in better health, on a number of indicators, than White Americans, despite, on average, lower socioeconomic status. The reasons are complex, including possible roles for such factors as selective migration, risk behaviors, exposure to various stressors, patient attitudes, and geographic variation in health care. This volume, produced by a multidisciplinary panel, considers such possible explanations for racial and ethnic health differentials within an integrated framework. It provides a concise summary of available research and lays out a research agenda to address the many uncertainties in current knowledge. It recommends, for instance, looking at health differentials across the life course and deciphering the links between factors presumably producing differentials and biopsychosocial mechanisms that lead to impaired health.
Advances in Animal Genomics provides an outstanding collection of integrated strategies involving traditional and modern - omics (structural, functional, comparative and epigenomics) approaches and genomics-assisted breeding methods which animal biotechnologists can utilize to dissect and decode the molecular and gene regulatory networks involved in the complex quantitative yield and stress tolerance traits in livestock. Written by international experts on animal genomics, this book explores the recent advances in high-throughput, next-generation whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, array-based genotyping, and modern bioinformatics approaches which have enabled to produce huge genomic and transcriptomic resources globally on a genome-wide scale. This book is an important resource for researchers, students, educators and professionals in agriculture, veterinary and biotechnology sciences that enables them to solve problems regarding sustainable development with the help of current innovative biotechnologies. - Integrates basic and advanced concepts of animal biotechnology and presents future developments - Describes current high-throughput next-generation whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, array-based genotyping, and modern bioinformatics approaches for sustainable livestock production - Illustrates integrated strategies to dissect and decode the molecular and gene regulatory networks involved in complex quantitative yield and stress tolerance traits in livestock - Ensures readers will gain a strong grasp of biotechnology for sustainable livestock production with its well-illustrated discussion
The problems related to the process of industrialisation such as biodiversity depletion, climate change and a worsening of health and living conditions, especially but not only in developing countries, intensify. Therefore, there is an increasing need to search for integrated solutions to make development more sustainable. The United Nations has acknowledged the problem and approved the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. On 1st January 2016, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the Agenda officially came into force. These goals cover the three dimensions of sustainable development: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. The Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals comprehensively addresses the SDGs in an integrated way. It encompasses 17 volumes, each one devoted to one of the 17 SDGs. This volume addresses SDG 15, namely "Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss" and contains the description of a range of terms, which allow a better understanding and foster knowledge. Concretely, the defined targets are: Ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements Promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally Combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world Ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products Introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly Reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species Integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities Editorial Board Alexandra Aragão, Desalegn Yayeh Ayal, Ayansina Ayanlade, Anabela Marisa Azul, Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Muhammad Farooq, Ana Catarina Luz, María P. Martín, Sharif A. Mukul, Nandhivarman Muthu, Robert Russell Monteith Paterson, Isabel Ruiz-Mallén
For decades, Emery and Rimoin's Principles and Practice of Medical Genetics and Genomics has served as the ultimate resource for clinicians integrating genetics and genomics into medical practice. With detailed coverage in contributions from more than 250 of the world's most trusted authorities in medical genetics and a series of 11 volumes available for individual sale, the Seventh Edition of this classic reference includes the latest information on seminal topics such as prenatal diagnosis, genome sequencing, public health genetics, genetic counseling, and management and treatment strategies to complete its coverage of this growing field for students, health providers, and researchers involved in the care of patients with genetic conditions, and increasingly, all areas of health and disease. This comprehensive yet practical resource emphasizes theory and research fundamentals related to the applications of medical genetics and genomics across the full spectrum of inherited disorders and applications to medicine more broadly. In this volume, leading physicians and researchers thoroughly examine medical genetics and genomics as applied to developmental disorders, as well as genetic conditions that affect hearing and vision. Here genetic researchers, students, and health professionals will find new and fully revised chapters on human developmental genetics, disorders affecting craniofacial development, chromosomal abnormalities, including aneuploidies and structural abnormalities, hereditary hearing impairment, and various genetic conditions of the eye. With regular advances in genomic technologies propelling precision medicine into the clinic, Emery and Rimoin's Principles and Practice of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Seventh Edition bridges the gap between high-level molecular genetics and practical application and serves as an invaluable clinical tool for health professionals and researchers. · Thoroughly introduces genetic researchers, students, and healthcare professionals to the principles of human developmental genetics · Examines a wide range of developmental disorders, including craniofacial development as well as disorders affecting hearing and vision · Includes color images supporting identification, concept illustration, and method processing · Features contributions by leading international researchers and practitioners of medical genetics
This anchor volume to the series Managing Global Genetic Resources examines the structure that underlies efforts to preserve genetic material, including the worldwide network of genetic collections; the role of biotechnology; and a host of issues that surround management and use. Among the topics explored are in situ versus ex situ conservation, management of very large collections of genetic material, problems of quarantine, the controversy over ownership or copyright of genetic material, and more.
Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment reviews advances made during the last 10-15 years in fields such as developmental biology, molecular biology, and genetics. It describes a novel approach for how these advances might be used in combination with existing methodologies to further the understanding of mechanisms of developmental toxicity, to improve the assessment of chemicals for their ability to cause developmental toxicity, and to improve risk assessment for developmental defects. For example, based on the recent advances, even the smallest, simplest laboratory animals such as the fruit fly, roundworm, and zebrafish might be able to serve as developmental toxicological models for human biological systems. Use of such organisms might allow for rapid and inexpensive testing of large numbers of chemicals for their potential to cause developmental toxicity; presently, there are little or no developmental toxicity data available for the majority of natural and manufactured chemicals in use. This new approach to developmental toxicology and risk assessment will require simultaneous research on several fronts by experts from multiple scientific disciplines, including developmental toxicologists, developmental biologists, geneticists, epidemiologists, and biostatisticians.
