This book introduces the lay reader to the ecological risks associated with transgenic organisms. Genetic engineering could make a valuable contribution within agriculture, although the initial promise of more abundant food, produced in an environmentally friendly manner, is not being fulfilled. Instead the technology is being promoted at the expense of sustainable alternatives that have fewer environmental and social costs.
This book, Bacteriophages in health and disease, is an effort to provide an introduction to the breadth of roles that phages play or can play in our everyday lives. To capture this variety of phage roles in human conditions, both natural and applied, the book is divided into three parts. A brief introduction to various concepts and terminology associated with phages is provided in chapter 1. Part I (chapters 2-6) considers the role of phages in the natural state. That is, where phages are, how they contribute directly to disease, the underlying mechanism by which phages do this, and how they can contribute indirectly to disease, that is, to pathogen evolution. Part II (chapters 7-11) considers various phage-based technologies other than the use of whole phages to combat bacterial infections (i.e. besides phage therapy). This includes in particular the use of both modified and 'disembodied' phage parts. Phages thus can serve as carriers and delivery vehicles of DNA and also of other chemicals, including serving as vectors for either gene therapy or DNA vaccines. Part III (chapters 12-17) covers phage-based antibacterial strategies. It includes chapters on: phage translocation, safety and immunomodulation; phage therapy of wounds and related purulent infections; phage therapy of non-wound infections; phage-based enzybiotics; and phage-based control of bacterial pathogens in food. The final chapter of this book is targeted to would-be phage therapy experimentalists, one that considers, in light of phage properties, how phage therapy protocols may be developed in terms of the use of animal models of bacterial disease.
When nature inspires our architecture-not just how it looks but how buildings and communities actually function-we will have made great strides as a society. Biophilic Design provides us with tremendous insight into the 'why,' then builds us a road map for what is sure to be the next great design journey of our times." -Rick Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman, U.S. Green Building Council "Having seen firsthand in my company the power of biomimicry to stimulate a wellspring of profitable innovation, I can say unequivocably that biophilic design is the real deal. Kellert, Heerwagen, and Mador have compiled the wisdom of world-renowned experts to produce this exquisite book; it is must reading for scientists, philosophers, engineers, architects and designers, and-most especially-businesspeople. Anyone looking for the key to a new type of prosperity that respects the earth should start here." -Ray C. Anderson, founder and Chair, Interface, Inc. The groundbreaking guide to the emerging practice of biophilic design This book offers a paradigm shift in how we design and build our buildings and our communities, one that recognizes that the positive experience of natural systems and processes in our buildings and constructed landscapes is critical to human health, performance, and well-being. Biophilic design is about humanity's place in nature and the natural world's place in human society, where mutuality, respect, and enriching relationships can and should exist at all levels and should emerge as the norm rather than the exception. Written for architects, landscape architects, planners,developers, environmental designers, as well as building owners, Biophilic Design: The Theory, Science, and Practice of Bringing Buildings to Life is a guide to the theory, science, and practice of biophilic design. Twenty-three original and timely essays by world-renowned scientists, designers, and practitioners, including Edward O. Wilson, Howard Frumkin, David Orr, Grant Hildebrand, Stephen Kieran, Tim Beatley, Jonathan Rose, Janine Benyus, Roger Ulrich, Bert Gregory, Robert Berkebile, William Browning, and Vivian Loftness, among others, address: * The basic concepts of biophilia, its expression in the built environment, and how biophilic design connects to human biology, evolution, and development. * The science and benefits of biophilic design on human health, childhood development, healthcare, and more. * The practice of biophilic design-how to implement biophilic design strategies to create buildings that connect people with nature and provide comfortable and productive places for people, in which they can live, work, and study. Biophilic design at any scale-from buildings to cities-begins with a few simple questions: How does the built environment affect the natural environment? How will nature affect human experience and aspiration? Most of all, how can we achieve sustained and reciprocal benefits between the two? This prescient, groundbreaking book provides the answers.
This new edition examines management of built heritage through the use of values-led decision making, based on an understanding of the significance of the cultural asset. It considers how significance is assessed and used as an effective focus and driver for management strategies and processes. The authors consider key policies and procedures that need to be implemented to help ensure effective management. The book will be useful for specialists in built heritage - conservation officers, heritage managers, architects, planners, engineers and surveyors - as well as for facilities and estates managers whose building stock includes protected or designated structures or buildings in conservation or other historic areas. describes management strategies and tools for a wide range of built heritage assets a reflective and informative guide on current conservation management explains how understanding and using conservation values (significance ) is essential to the protection of the built heritage uses real-life examples to draw out best practice
Edited by a recognized leader in the field, Herbicide-Resistant Crops is the first book to cover all of the issues related to the controversial topic of herbicide-resistant crops. It provides extensive discussions of the modern biotechnological methods that have been used to develop such crops, and reviews the implications - both positive and negative - of developing crops that are resistant to herbicides. The creation and anticipated applications of specific herbicide-resistant crops are also discussed. In addition, the book covers the potential impact of herbicide-resistant crops on weed management practices and the environment, and presents issues related to the regulation and economics of these crops. The editor has brought together a diverse group of professionals, representing the several distinct areas impacted by the new technology of herbicide-resistant crops. The wide range of viewpoints presented in this book creates a balanced and complete survey, providing a notable contribution to the literature.
Are mathematical equations the best way to model nature? For many years it had been assumed that they were. But in the early 1980s, Stephen Wolfram made the radical proposal that one should instead build models that are based directly on simple computer programs. Wolfram made a detailed study of a class of such models known as cellular automata, and discovered a remarkable fact: that even when the underlying rules are very simple, the behaviour they produce can be highly complex, and can mimic many features of what we see in nature. And based on this result, Wolfram began a program of research to develop what he called A Science of Complexity."The results of Wolfram's work found many applications, from the so-called Wolfram Classification central to fields such as artificial life, to new ideas about cryptography and fluid dynamics. This book is a collection of Wolfram's original papers on cellular automata and complexity. Some of these papers are widely known in the scientific community others have never been published before. Together, the papers provide a highly readable account of what has become a major new field of science, with important implications for physics, biology, economics, computer science and many other areas.
This timely book identifies and highlights the latest data mining paradigms to analyze, combine, integrate, model and simulate vast amounts of heterogeneous multi-modal, multi-scale data for emerging real-world applications in life science.The cutting-edge topics presented include bio-surveillance, disease outbreak detection, high throughput bioimaging, drug screening, predictive toxicology, biosensors, and the integration of macro-scale bio-surveillance and environmental data with micro-scale biological data for personalized medicine. This collection of works from leading researchers in the field offers readers an exceptional start in these areas.
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