A compilation of articles by prominent experts in their respective fields on compensation for and collaboration with indigenous people in regard to their knowledge and provision of rare plants which are used for some of the most potent drugs in Western medicine.
The Novartis Foundation Series is a popular collection of the proceedings from Novartis Foundation Symposia, in which groups of leading scientists from a range of topics across biology, chemistry and medicine assembled to present papers and discuss results. The Novartis Foundation, originally known as the Ciba Foundation, is well known to scientists and clinicians around the world.
Gene flow is not unique to genetically modified (GM) crops, but the possibility of the spread of transgenic DNA to wild and domesticated relatives raises a new set of issues for scientists and policymakers to consider. Unfortunately, we are still too often unable to quantify the risks of ecological damage associated with gene flow. This is due partly to the huge breadth of knowledge required to as…
Evidence grows daily of the changing climate and its impact on plants and animals. Plant function is inextricably linked to climate and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. On the shortest and smallest scales, the climate affects the plant’s immediate environment and so directly influences physiological processes. At larger scales, the climate influences species distribution and community com…
Cell separation is an important process that occurs throughout the life cycle of a plant. It enables the radicle to emerge from the germinating seed, vascular tissue to differentiate, sculpturing of leaves and flowers to take place, pollen to be shed from the mature anther, fruit to soften, senescent and non-functional organs to be lost, and seeds to be shed. In addition to its intrinsic scientifi…
Presents readers with a user-friendly, non-technical introduction to statistics and the principles of plant and crop experimentation. Avoiding mathematical jargon, it explains how to plan and design an experiment, analyse results, interpret computer output and present findings. Using specific crop and plant case studies, this guide presents: * The reasoning behind each statistical method is explai…
Our knowledge of the circadian clock in plants has advanced considerably in recent years and we now have a clearer view of the biochemical processes making up its mechanism. Recent work provides insight into the central role played by the circadian system in the regulation of many aspects of metabolism. The multiple systems involved in photoreception have been determined, leading to an understandi…
Plant growth is regulated by developmental programmes that can be modified by environmental cues acting through endogenous signaling molecules including plant hormones. This volume provides an overview of the biosynthesis, catabolism, perception and signal transduction of the individual hormone classes, followed by chapters on hormone distribution and transport, and the roles of hormone signaling …
The formation, dispersal and germination of seeds are crucial stages in the life cycles of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants. The unique properties of seeds, particularly their tolerance to desiccation, their mobility, and their ability to schedule their germination to coincide with times when environmental conditions are favorable to their survival as seedlings, have no doubt contributed significa…
This completely revised, fourth edition of Introduction to Plant Population Biology continues the approach taken by its highly successful predecessors. Ecological and genetic principles are introduced and theory is made accessible by clear, accurate exposition with plentiful examples. Models and theoretical arguments are developed gradually, requiring a minimum of mathematics. The book emphasizes …
Written by a truly global team of researchers from Europe, Asia and the Americas with strong ties to agricultural research centers and the agrochemical industry, this ready reference and handbook focuses on the role of nitric oxide signaling in plant defense systems against pathogens, parasites and environmental stress response. This is one of the first titles to provide a comprehensive overview o…
In Monte Carlo Methods in Chemical Physics: An Introduction to the Monte Carlo Method for Particle Simulations J. Ilja Siepmann Random Number Generators for Parallel Applications Ashok Srinivasan, David M. Ceperley and Michael Mascagni Between Classical and Quantum Monte Carlo Methods: «Variational» QMC Dario Bressanini and Peter J. Reynolds Monte Carlo Eigenvalue Methods in Quantum Mechanics and …
Reductionism as a scientific methodology has been extraordinarily successful in biology. However, recent developments in molecular biology have shown that reductionism is seriously inadequate in dealing with the mind-boggling complexity of integrated biological systems. This title presents an appropriate balance between science and philosophy and covers traditional philosophical treatments of redu…
Dietary supplements can contain a wide variety of ingredients, either singly or in combination, including nutrients, botanicals and 'bioactive components' commonly found in foods. They are marketed and used by consumers for a range of reasons: to enhance «well-being», as traditional medicines, for health promotion or disease risk reduction, and as alternatives or complements to conventional drug t…
Dietary supplements can contain a wide variety of ingredients, either singly or in combination, including nutrients, botanicals and 'bioactive components' commonly found in foods. They are marketed and used by consumers for a range of reasons: to enhance «well-being», as traditional medicines, for health promotion or disease risk reduction, and as alternatives or complements to conventional drug t…