Nova Science Publishers

Agricultural systems; economics, technology and diversity.

Editor Castalonge (no affiliations listed) edits these research articles on the latest studies in agricultural systems, with contributors investigating the development of system modeling, simulation and optimization, ecoregional analyses of land use and the relationship between agricultural development and government policies. Topics include drivers and restraints for economic and technical efficiency in dairy farms, economic analyses of precision farming technologies in Germany, sustainable agricultural practices in Kenya and land use patterns for dual-purpose cattle farms in Nicaragua. Due to the inclusion of mathematical models for much of the research, this book is aimed primarily at researchers and agricultural engineers in the field. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

AIDS vaccines, HIV receptors, and AIDS research.

Editor Kendow (no affiliations listed) has gathered this cutting-edge research on AIDS vaccines and HIV receptors from experts in the field. Topics include mucosal approaches to mucosal infections, youth sexuality in South Africa in the context of AIDS/HIV awareness and the use of Vitamin E in HIV treatment. A review of the development of safe and effective HIV vaccines since 1999, and their failures due to "bizarre weeds of assertions, dogmas, approaches and conclusions," is also included. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Air quality; new research.

This collection of research articles on the latest advances in the assessment and management of air quality concentrates on the effects pollution has on both health issues and cultural heritage. Editors Lynch and Moore (no affiliations given) have assembled contributions from experts all over the world on such issues as the control of indoor air quality in public buildings, the prediction of particle transport in ventilation systems, carbon monoxide intoxication risk factors in Mexico and new sensor systems for monitoring volatile organic compounds in indoor environments. Researchers in the field will appreciate the focus on BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene) in such environments as classrooms, residences and cargo ships. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Angiogenesis research progress.

Lewis and Robinson (no credentials are provided) present nine articles from contributors from universities in a diverse number of countries discussing current research in angiogenesis and its role in the understanding of malignant tumors. Topics addressed include: cancer therapy by angiogenesis inhibition, the role of angiogenesis in the development of preneoplastic lesions in hepatocellular carcinoma, vaccines targeting tumor angiogenesis, the role of endothelial progenitor cells in tumor angiogenesis, and metastasis suppression by SSeCKS/Gravin/AKA-P12 through the inhibition of angiogenesis. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge; a review.

This slim reference answers questions about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, summarizes the purposes of the Refuge, provides a timeline and partial bibliography of scientific publications, and lists the mammal, bird, and fish species found in the reserve. Most of the material comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Aromaticity; exploring basic chemical concepts with the quantum theory of atoms in molecules.

The four chapters in this brief collection address research in aromaticity and indices for the measurement thereof. The following topics are covered: tracking aromaticity and antiaromaticity based on n-DIs, applications of n- DIs, and multicenter electron delocalization in all-metal compounds. While the relationship between chapters is clear, there is evidence of shoddy editing in introductory matter, characteristic of the publisher. No editor credentials are offered. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Audiology in developing countries.

For audiologists, other hearing health care workers, and policy makers working in developing countries, Brouillette, an education consultant in India and the US, and McPherson (Centre for Communication Disorders, U. of Hong Kong, China) compile 11 chapters that outline the work that has been done and future needs to improve hearing health care in developing countries. They address the characteristics and demographics that influence hearing health care in these nations and barriers to service delivery, the education and practice of audiology internationally, screening for hearing loss, diagnostic assessment, hearing aid provision, educational and school- based services, cultural sensitivity in counseling, and occupational hearing loss, ending with an annotated list of web resources. Contributors work in audiology, communication disorders, deaf education, and other fields in Ghana, India, Guatemala, the US, Chile, Europe, and Australia. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Basal ganglia and thalamus; their role in cognition and behavior.

Editors Moretti, Torre and Antonello (physiology and pathology, U. di Trieste, Italy) have collected the latest research on the role of the basal ganglia and thalamus in cognition and behavior, including much of their own work in the field. Written for researchers and students, these articles explain the anatomy and physiology of the basal ganglia, thalamus, white matter and associated circuits before moving on to such topics as behavioral conditioning and deep brain stimulus. The role of the basal ganglia and thalamus in Parkinson's disease, liver disease and even apathy are discussed. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Better understanding the Campylobacter conundrum.

The conundrum about C. jejune is this: the bacteria has a very small genome and lacks most of the well-known regulations systems that other pathogens rely on to withstand environmental stress and attacks by immune systems of hosts, but it still infects humans and causes gastro-enteritis, rarely causes serious neuropathies, and is developing antibiotic-resistant strains. A team of 11 researchers review the literature on the bacteria from the perspectives of food safety, general and specific features of campylobacter genomes, stress resistance mechanisms and regulation pathways, and other strategies for adapting to the environment. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Binge drinking research progress.

This book collects recent work, from the US and other English-speaking countries, on binge drinking, defined as heavy drinking over an evening or similar time span. Some areas examined include risks and protective factors for binge drinking among adolescents, paradigms for alcohol use and co-occurring behavioral health risk factors among women of childbearing age, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, and applying personal construct theory methodology in drug abuse and alcoholism treatment. Information on the editor is not given. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Biotechnology, biodegradation, water, and foodstuffs.

This volume contains 19 articles on new research on biotechnology, biodegradation, and biocides, as well as water and foodstuffs. They focus very specifically on substances such as biodegradable polymers; the biodegradation of substances such as film chitosan coatings used for protecting open wounds; the regulation of the functional activity of enzymes; preventing the pre-harvest sprouting of wheat seeds; moisture and foodstuff; water purification and processing techniques; the use of food chitin in the stabilization of red wines; the water content of extracts from pine shoots; the biosafety of food products; and other topics. Contributors work in biochemistry, biology, food and agricultural sciences, biotechnology, and physics, mostly in Eastern Europe, and some chapters have problems with English grammar. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Biotechnology; research, technology & applications.

Richter (no affiliations listed) has edited this collection of biotechnology research and applications that connects researchers in biological sciences with fellow practitioners in chemical engineering, information technology and robotics. Expert contributor cover such topics as artificial periodic stimulation in bioreactor design, recent advances in membrane processes for emulsions and particles and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) in both nature and the research lab. Public attitudes toward bioethics and the acceptance of biotechnology, especially in terms of genetic engineering, are also explored. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease"); current and proposed safeguards.

This government report on current and proposed safeguards against the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("Mad Cow Disease") focuses on measures introduced by the US Department of Agriculture and the FDA as a response to three documented cases in North America since 2003. Lister (public health and epidemiology, Congressional Research Service) and Becker (agricultural policy, Congressional Research Service) have written this monograph to summarize the trade restrictions, feed ban, BSE surveillance and testing and prevention measures during slaughter and processing as a result of these cases. An epidemiology of BSE and other related livestock illnesses is provided for members of Congress, students and government researchers in agricultural departments. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Caffeine and health research.

Researchers in a range of medical specialties, many of them concerned with mental health, provide a rather scattered collection of studies regarding caffeine (and the very similar stimulant in tea) and human health. Their topics include caffeine and cardiovascular health, the topical and transdermal delivery of caffeine, coffee lipid class variation during storage, caffeine and HIV, unspecified effects, the topographical brain mapping of caffeine use and caffeine withdrawal, and the long journey from the historically alleged curative properties of coffee and tea to their current evidence-based benefits of human health. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Cell colonization control by physical & chemical modification of materials.

Cell-material interface is a key factor in the interaction of cells with artificial materials designed for construction of body implants or tissue engineering. Baèáková reviews results obtained in the field of biomaterials during the past ten-plus years on how the bioactivity of materials can be enhanced by a wide range of physical and chemical methods. The concise text focuses on the modification of materials, particularly synthetic polymers, by irradiation with plasma, various ions and ultraviolet light; funtionalization of the modified material with bioactive materials such as amino acids and adhesion oligopeptides; the construction of templates mimicking a natural extracellular matrix; and coating material with various soft and hard biocompatible layers, including those nanostructured. Baèáková 's credentials are not stated, nor is the target audience. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Cell differentiation of neoplastic cells originating in the oral and craniofacial regions.

Kawakami and Nagatsuka (both hard tissue pathology, Matsumoto Dental U., Shiojini, Japan) explore similarities in cell differentiation during normal development and during carcinogenesis in the mouth and related areas. After reviewing the biology of neoplasms, they look at the developmental biology of teeth, the oral craniofacial region, and mandibular bone and cartilage. Then they turn to cell differentiation in pathological conditions generally, in odontogenic neoplasms, neoplams of bone and cartilage, and in BMP-induced heterotopic osteogenesis. Notch signaling is also described in cell differentiation and development, and in ameloblastomas and ameloglastic carcinomas. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Cell, gene, and molecular therapy; new concepts.

Writing for physicians and other medical professionals and health care workers, Wiwanitkit (laboratory medicine, Chulalongkorn U., Bangkok, Thailand) explores theoretical and empirical developments in the new approaches to treating disease. He begins by setting out the basic principle of medical treatment, then discusses such topics as quantum therapy as well as photon therapy, transplantation, radiotherapy and radio surgery, stem cell therapy, transfusion medicine, phototherapy, gene transfer and gene therapy, therapeutic vaccination, and chaperon. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Cellular senescence; implications for cancer therapy.

This monograph on cellular senescence and its implications for cancer therapy is intended for researchers and scientists who need to understand the molecular basis and signaling pathways of human genetic disorders associated with premature aging. Mirzayans and Murray (oncology, U. of Alberta) investigate such topics as telomerase-based and stress-triggered senescence, the classification on CDK inhibitors and modulating senescence in the context of cancer therapy. The biological consequences of genotoxic stress and the ability of cells to undergo senescence is also evaluated. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Cerebral blood flow regulation.

Mitagvaria (physiology, Institute of Physiology, Tbilisi, Georgia) and Bicher (president, Valley Cancer Institute) have written this volume on cerebral blood flow regulation as a response to the paucity of new research on the mechanisms that affect the blood supply to the brain. Written for researchers and practitioners, this volume describes the regulation of blood during systemic arterial pressure changes, functional-metabolic activity and morphological changes induced by hyperthermia. Physiological changes in cerebral tissues and vessels during changes in blood flow are also explored. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Charge carrier transport in organic semiconductor thin film devices.

Peng and fellow researchers in physics science and technology department at Lanzhou University in China, develop numerical models for the current conduction in single-layer devices, including both injection and bulk effect for both trap-free organics and organics with traps exponentially distributed in energy. They also investigate the dependence of the current density on the operation voltage, the thickness of the organic layer, and the trap properties, finding that the current density decreases nearly exponentially with the thickness of the organic layer and the relative trap depth (l), and is inversely proportional to the l-th power of the total trap density. The research could lead to improvements in organic light-emitting diodes, which are beginning to enter the market in the form of flat-panel displays. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)