The Human Microbiota offers a comprehensive review of all human-associated microbial niches in a single volume, focusing on what modern tools in molecular microbiology are revealing about human microbiota, and how specific microbial communities can be associated with either beneficial effects or diseases. An excellent resource for microbiologists, physicians, infectious disease specialists, and others in the field, the book describes the latest research findings and evaluates the most innovative research approaches and technologies. Perspectives from pioneers in human microbial ecology are provided throughout.
In this New York Times bestseller and longlist nominee for the National Book Award, “our greatest living chronicler of the natural world” (The New York Times), David Quammen explains how recent discoveries in molecular biology affect our understanding of evolution and life’s history. In the mid-1970s, scientists began using DNA sequences to reexamine the history of all life. Perhaps the most startling discovery to come out of this new field—the study of life’s diversity and relatedness at the molecular level—is horizontal gene transfer (HGT), or the movement of genes across species lines. It turns out that HGT has been widespread and important; we now know that roughly eight percent of the human genome arrived sideways by viral infection—a type of HGT. In The Tangled Tree, “the grandest tale in biology….David Quammen presents the science—and the scientists involved—with patience, candor, and flair” (Nature). We learn about the major players, such as Carl Woese, the most important little-known biologist of the twentieth century; Lynn Margulis, the notorious maverick whose wild ideas about “mosaic” creatures proved to be true; and Tsutomu Wantanabe, who discovered that the scourge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a direct result of horizontal gene transfer, bringing the deep study of genome histories to bear on a global crisis in public health. “David Quammen proves to be an immensely well-informed guide to a complex story” (The Wall Street Journal). In The Tangled Tree, he explains how molecular studies of evolution have brought startling recognitions about the tangled tree of life—including where we humans fit upon it. Thanks to new technologies, we now have the ability to alter even our genetic composition—through sideways insertions, as nature has long been doing. “The Tangled Tree is a source of wonder….Quammen has written a deep and daring intellectual adventure” (The Boston Globe).
Two decades after the third edition of Lilienfeld's Foundations of Epidemiology advanced the teaching of epidemiology, this completely revised fourth edition offers a new and innovative approach for future generations of students in population health. Authored by two longtime educators in epidemiology, this all-new Foundations frames the field's fundamental concepts within a mix of classic examples and recent case studies, as well the inclusion of recently developed measures now finding commonplace usage in the field. The result is a comprehensive introduction to modern epidemiology accessible to readers of all backgrounds and interests. Features in this new Foundations include: - Coverage of all the fundamentals of epidemiology, including measuring health status, characteristics of outbreaks, design and construct of epidemiologic studies - Exercises to check understanding - Chapters devoted to clinical epidemiology, fieldwork, evidence-based medicine, and evidence-based public health contextualize epidemiology and its place in medicine and society Devoid of the digressions and inaccessibility that characterize many other introductory epidemiology texts, this new Foundations of Epidemiology will inform thinking and learning in the population sciences for decades to come. It is affordable, comprehensive, and enjoyable to read, one not likely to sit on the shelf collecting dust but to be consulted over time as one would when seeking guidance from a wise friend or mentor.
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