bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Harm to Women and Political Violence
Authors: Karim Sabrina , Hill, Jr. Daniel W
Published: August 2024

Chapter 5 explores the connection between harm to women and political violence. The chapter starts out by conceptualizing harm to women and developing a measure for it. The rest of the chapter is focused on theorizing about the connection between harm to women and interstate war, intrastate conflict, repression, and terrorism. The main argument in this chapter is that violence begets violence both at the societal level and the individual level. When states do not value their citizens, or rather when they allow both structural violence and physical violence to occur, their cost to use violence to resolve conflict is lower. At the individual level, when more people witness violence in the home, they are more likely to use violence to resolve group-level disputes. Finally, harm to women creates a shortage of women, which can lead to more violence at the societal level. The chapter finds that harm to women is associated with a higher likelihood of inter- and intrastate conflict.
Beliefs about Women’s Gender Roles and Political Violence
Authors: Karim Sabrina , Hill, Jr. Daniel W
Published: August 2024

Chapter 6 explores the connection between beliefs about women’s gender roles and political violence. The chapter starts out by conceptualizing beliefs about women’s gender roles and developing a measure for it. The rest of the chapter is focused on theorizing about the connection between beliefs about women’s gender roles and interstate war, intrastate conflict, repression, and terrorism. There are two main theories. The first is that when people hold rigid beliefs about gender roles, they are likely to value the status quo and may use violence to uphold it. The second theory posits that rigid beliefs about gender roles is a gateway for recruitment into violent groups as people who hold such beliefs may be more susceptible to appeals for violent political action. The chapter finds that there is a correlation between societal-level beliefs about gender roles and terrorism.
How do drugs work? An introduction
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks into how drugs work and have an effect on bodily function. Most therapeutic drugs are small molecules prepared by pharmaceutical companies to treat illnesses. The chapter explains the significance of both agonists and antagonists in therapeutics, while also highlighting the receptor's complex three-dimensional structures wherein pockets can form and be occupied by small molecules. Additionally, drugs that act on receptors either activate them or prevent their activation, so it sends a signal into the cell that changes the function of the cell in some way. The chapter then provides an overview of enzymes, ion channels, and transporter proteins as drug targets.
Inflammation and the skin: dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter focuses on inflammation and skin. In particular, it looks at dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne. It explains that skin conditions often cause discomfort and can have a significant psychological impact on the patient, particularly when affecting visible areas such as the face or hands. The treatment of skin disorders aims to simultaneously alleviate the underlying cause of the damage and restore the skin's normal function. The chapter considers other conditions that can affect the skin, including fungal, parasitic, viral, and bacterial (cellulitis) infections, and alopecia. It also details the subsequent treatment and drugs to combat skin conditions.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter explains that rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating condition, with one in three patients becoming seriously disabled as a result of the condition. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the joints which affects a number of organs and increases the risk of serious illnesses. The chapter discusses the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, the cellular and molecular basis of action of the commonly used drugs, and available strategies for treatment. Adverse drug reactions and contraindications play a major role in determining the choice of treatment. The chapter then notes the treatment and the choice of treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, which includes anti-inflammatory drugs, and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).
Allergies: rhinitis and urticaria
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at allergies, with a focus on rhinitis and urticaria. Allergic rhinitis arises from the inappropriate activation of the immune system and the subsequent inflammatory response. The chapter also considers a number of treatments for allergic rhinitis, such as antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids. Meanwhile, urticaria, commonly called hives, is also referred to as anaphylaxis of the skin. This causes small amounts of interstitial fluid to leak from the capillaries to the dermis. The chapter explains that the ideal management of urticaria is the avoidance of triggers as treatment can be problematic due to the time required for drugs to reach effective levels.
Diabetes mellitus and obesity
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores the extent and interplay of diabetes mellitus and obesity, which are the most common disturbances of intermediary metabolism. It discusses the pathophysiology and management of both diabetes and obesity. Diabetes refers to the loose control of blood glucose levels due to a reduction in the effects of the hormone insulin, while obesity refers to the metabolic disturbance in which the mechanisms controlling energy balance are disordered. The chapter then details the control of blood glucose levels and the regulation of energy balance. It provides an overview of the management and drug treatment of obesity and diabetes mellitus.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease, both of which are neurodegenerative disorders. It also explains that neuronal function in a specific locus can be lost acutely due to a stroke, which is usually associated with ischaemia or haemorrhage. Since cholinergic–dopaminergic imbalance in the striatum underlies Parkinson's disease, most treatments for Parkinson's disease are dopamine-enhancing drugs like levodopa. The chapter then explains that Alzheimer's disease is a slowly progressing physical and selective degeneration of brain tissue. It cites that drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease are limited and mainly restricted to restoring a degree of cholinergic function to the brain.
Schizophrenia
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter introduces schizophrenia, which typically manifests as some form of disordered thinking. The cause, severity, and symptoms vary between patients of schizophrenia, so the long-term outcome becomes a variable and depends on many factors. Moreover, non-drug treatment plays a major role in the management of the condition. The chapter highlights that the balance between drug and non-drug therapies will vary depending on the patient and the doctor or therapist. It provides an overview of drugs currently available for the routine treatment of schizophrenia, each of which varies in effectiveness against particular categories of symptoms and the likeliness of unwanted effects.
Pain and its drug treatment
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks into the idea of pain and its subsequent drug treatment. It explains the influence of environment and psychological state on the intensity of pain. Pain typically happens in response to packaged information reaching the brain from the spinal cord, but the pain itself arises in the brain. The chapter then discusses the levels and processes of pain perception, while explaining that visual analogue and verbal rating scales are the most common tools used to determine pain severity and to assist in the choice of analgesia. The chapter provides an overview of how analgesic drugs are used to relieve pain.
The treatment of infections
Authors: Boarder Michael , Dixon Jane , Newby David , Navti Phyllis , Zetterström Tyra
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores the treatment of infections while focusing on the notion and differences of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Infections can affect almost any part of the human body, but some systems of the body are more prone to them than others. The chapter then provides an overview of the common treatments for bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. It details the different classes of antibiotics like β-Lactams and the types of viral vaccines, which are killed and live-attenuated vaccines. Similar to many bacterial infections, treating fungal infections is largely aimed at targeting cell wall synthesis through antifungal agents such as azoles and terbinafine.
Against the Tyranny of Outcomes
Authors: Hurley Paul
Published: August 2024

The book canvasses two sets of seemingly powerful arguments, the first that outcome-centered ethics cannot be wrong, the second that it cannot be right. It proceeds to undermine the arguments that outcome-centered ethics cannot be wrong, in the process providing additional support for the arguments that it cannot be right. Rooting out the mistaken grounding for outcome-centered ethics, it argues, involves rooting out the outcome-centered accounts of value, attitudes, reasons, and actions upon which the case for outcome-centered ethics depends, together with the considerations that have been offered to support them. The ethical and intuitive arguments for outcome-centered ethics are implausible (Chapters 2 and 3), the outcome-centered accounts of attitudes, reasons, and actions that form the cornerstone of the non-ethical argument for outcome-centered ethics are implausible (Chapters 4 and 5), and the considerations offered to shore up such outcome-centered accounts either themselves turn on the same equivocations that undermine the ethical arguments or depend upon highly controversial positions in metaphysics and the theory of action (Chapter 6). The result is a comprehensive argument for rejecting these outcome-centered accounts, in the process stepping outside of this toxic outcome-centered circle. The final chapter points to only a few of the many significant implications of this comprehensive rejection of the tyranny of outcomes, with particular focus upon our democratic and legal practices. It demonstrates that outcome-centered accounts lead agents away from the quest for good reasons of the right kind and towards appeal to the wrong kinds of reasons, and to bad reasons of the right kind.
The Collapse of Other Intuitive and Ethical Arguments for Consequentialism
Authors: Hurley Paul
Published: August 2024

The chapter takes up several common intuitive and ethical (rather than non-ethical) arguments for consequentialism. The first argument appeals to a form of the claim that any adequate rationale for an account of right action must appeal to claims about non-deontic value; the second appeals to the deeply intuitive idea that it is always right to do what’s best; the third appeals to the alleged intuition that the aim of every action it to bring about some outcome. It is argued that insights gained from the failure of the consequentializing strategy undermine all of these arguments, leaving the burden of proof, at the ethical level, squarely against outcome-centered ethics. Each of the ethical and intuitive arguments turns on an outcome-centered interpretation of a commitment that loses all plausibility once more plausible non-outcome-centered interpretations are brought into view.
The Non-Ethical Argument for the Tyranny of Outcomes in Ethics
Authors: Hurley Paul
Published: August 2024

Chapter 4 presents the non-ethical argument for consequentialism. Chapters 2 and 3 demonstrated that the ethical arguments for consequentialism fail. But Chapter 4 demonstrates that the conclusions of each of these failed arguments for consequentialism find apparent support from widely held non-ethical premises supplied by mutually reinforcing outcome-centered accounts of reasons, actions, and attitudes. These are the default accounts in the theory of action and the theory of mind, accounts that are embedded in rational choice theory and the Standard Story of action. The chapter demonstrates the pivotal role played by the default account of the contrasting directions of fit characteristic of practical and theoretical attitudes. This contrast supports an outcome-centered account of desires, and hence outcome-centered accounts of the actions that they rationalize and the practical reasons that they supply in providing such rationalizations. Consequentialism is thus grounded outside of ethics, in default accounts in the theory of action and the theory of mind that are taken to have independent support.
Selected Implications
Authors: Hurley Paul
Published: August 2024

The argument here begins the process of exposing the deformities to our ethical theories, our social practices, and our very self-understanding as agents that have been produced by the tyrannical sway of outcome-centered accounts. In particular, it provides detailed diagnoses of the deformations that have resulted to our democratic and legal practices, and to our ethical theorizing. Harnessing standard distinctions between the right and wrong kinds of reasons, and between good and bad reasons, the argument demonstrates that adoption of the outcome-centered framework alienates us, both in our theories of agency and ethics and in our social practices, from good reasons of the right kind for acting and interacting, leading us to focus instead on reasons of the wrong kinds, and on bad—inauthentic—reasons of the right kind.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Love
Authors: Allen Emily , Felluga Dino Franco
Published: August 2024

We argue in this chapter that critics have insufficiently appreciated the force of Barrett Browning’s approach to form, which, we think, drives not only her most obviously radical poetry (“Cry of the Children”; “Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point”; Poems before Congress) but also the trenchant critique of bourgeois ideology that is Aurora Leigh. Barrett Browning has too often been dismissed. As the argument goes, even if she does critique certain aspects of domestic ideology, she is ultimately a conservative voice repeating Victorian commonplaces about love, class, and religion. We look again at Aurora Leigh to reconsider Barrett Browning’s understanding of genre and the ideological effect of her formal choices. We thus align Barrett Browning with a radical tradition influenced by the French Revolution and made popular by Lord Byron.
Robert Browning and the Virtuous Act
Authors: Allen Emily , Felluga Dino Franco
Published: August 2024

In this chapter, we tease out the influence of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Aurora Leigh on Robert Browning’s approach to temporality. We argue that Browning abandons “realist time” in favor of a temporality that more closely resembles the future anterior we have been exploring in this book. We are not claiming that such a temporality is a taxonomic feature of the verse-novel—and, as we saw in Chapters Seven and Eight, it often is not—but we wish to illustrate that there was a formal alternative in the period, however strange such a temporal structure may appear to us following the hegemonic success of the novel and our tendency to adopt the novel’s form of temporality in understanding our own lives. We explore these issues in Ring and the Book by examining Browning’s approach to questions of truth (especially representation) and questions of virtue (especially virtuous acts).
Cellular proliferation biases clonal lineage tracing and trajectory inference
Authors: Bonham-Carter Becca , Schiebinger Geoffrey
Published: August 2024

Motivation

Lineage tracing and trajectory inference from single-cell RNA-sequencing data hold tremendous potential for uncovering the genetic programs driving development and disease. Single cell datasets are thought to provide an unbiased view on the diverse cellular architecture of tissues. Sampling bias, however, can skew single cell datasets away from the cellular composition they are meant to represent.

Results

We demonstrate a novel form of sampling bias, caused by a statistical phenomenon related to repeated sampling from a growing, heterogeneous population. Relative growth rates of cells influence the probability that they will be sampled in clones observed across multiple time points. We support our probabilistic derivations with a simulation study and an analysis of a real time-course of T-cell development. We find that this bias can impact fate probability predictions, and we explore how to develop trajectory inference methods which are robust to this bias.

Availability and implementation

Source code for the simulated datasets and to create the figures in this manuscript is freely available in python at https://github.com/rbonhamcarter/simulate-clones. A python implementation of the extension of the LineageOT method is freely available at https://github.com/rbonhamcarter/LineageOT/tree/multi-time-clones.
Brain and grammar: revealing electrophysiological basic structures with competing statistical models
Authors: Cometa Andrea , Battaglini Chiara , Artoni Fiorenzo , Greco Matteo , Frank Robert , Repetto Claudia , Bottoni Franco , Cappa Stefano F , Micera Silvestro , Ricciardi Emiliano , Moro Andrea
Published: August 2024

Acoustic, lexical, and syntactic information are simultaneously processed in the brain requiring complex strategies to distinguish their electrophysiological activity. Capitalizing on previous works that factor out acoustic information, we could concentrate on the lexical and syntactic contribution to language processing by testing competing statistical models. We exploited electroencephalographic recordings and compared different surprisal models selectively involving lexical information, part of speech, or syntactic structures in various combinations. Electroencephalographic responses were recorded in 32 participants during listening to affirmative active declarative sentences. We compared the activation corresponding to basic syntactic structures, such as noun phrases vs. verb phrases. Lexical and syntactic processing activates different frequency bands, partially different time windows, and different networks. Moreover, surprisal models based on part of speech inventory only do not explain well the electrophysiological data, while those including syntactic information do. By disentangling acoustic, lexical, and syntactic information, we demonstrated differential brain sensitivity to syntactic information. These results confirm and extend previous measures obtained with intracranial recordings, supporting our hypothesis that syntactic structures are crucial in neural language processing. This study provides a detailed understanding of how the brain processes syntactic information, highlighting the importance of syntactic surprisal in shaping neural responses during language comprehension.
Safety and Immunogenicity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prefusion F Protein Vaccine when Co-administered with Adjuvanted Seasonal Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine in Older Adults: A Phase 3 Randomized Trial
Authors: Clark Rebecca , Davies Sam , Labrador Jorge , Loubet Paul , Natalini Martínez Silvina , Moríñigo Helena Moza , Nicolas Jean-François , Vera Mercè Pérez , Rämet Mika , Rebollo-Rodrigo Maria Henar , Sanz-Muñoz Iván , Dezutter Nancy , Germain Sophie , David Marie-Pierre , Jayadev Amulya , Amare Hailemariam Hiwot , Kotb Shady , Meyer Nadia
Published: August 2024

Background

We evaluated co-administration of adjuvanted seasonal quadrivalent influenza vaccine (FLU-aQIV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) prefusion F protein-based vaccine (RSVPreF3 OA) in ≥65-year-olds.

Methods

This phase 3, open-label trial randomized ≥65-year-olds to receive FLU-aQIV and RSVPreF3 OA concomitantly (Co-Ad) or sequentially, 1 month apart (Control). Primary objectives were to demonstrate the non-inferiority of FLU-aQIV and RSVPreF3 OA co-administration versus sequential administration in terms of hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers for each FLU-aQIV strain and RSV-A and RSV-B neutralization titers, 1 month post-vaccination. Reactogenicity and safety were also assessed.

Results

Overall, 1045 participants were vaccinated (Co-Ad: 523; Control: 522). Non-inferiority of FLU-aQIV and RSVPreF3 OA co-administration versus sequential administration was demonstrated in terms of HI titers for the A/Victoria(H1N1), B/Victoria, and B/Yamagata influenza strains and RSV-A neutralization titers (upper limits [ULs] of 95% confidence intervals [CIs] for adjusted geometric mean titer [GMT] ratios [Control/Co-Ad] ≤1.50) but not for A/Darwin(H3N2) HI titers (95% CI UL = 1.53). The immune response to A/Darwin(H3N2) was further assessed post-hoc using a microneutralization assay; the post-vaccination adjusted GMT ratio (Control/Co-Ad) was 1.23 (95% CI: 1.06–1.42, ie, UL ≤1.50), suggesting an adequate immune response to A/Darwin(H3N2) following co-administration. RSV-B neutralization titers were comparable between groups (95% CI UL for adjusted GMT ratio ≤1.50). Solicited adverse events were mostly mild or moderate and transient; unsolicited and serious adverse event rates were balanced between groups.

Conclusions

Adjuvanted FLU-aQIV and RSVPreF3 OA had acceptable reactogenicity/safety profiles when co-administered in ≥65-year-olds, without clinically relevant interference with the immune responses to either vaccine.

Clinical Trials Registration

NCT05568797
Differences in Cumulative Long-Term Care Costs by Dental Visit Pattern Among Japanese Older Adults: The JAGES Cohort Study
Authors: Kiuchi Sakura , Takeuchi Kenji , Saito Masashige , Kusama Taro , Nakazawa Noriko , Fujita Kinya , Kondo Katsunori , Aida Jun , Osaka Ken
Published: August 2024

Background

Long-term care (LTC) costs create burdens on aging societies. Maintaining oral health through dental visits may result in shorter LTC periods, thereby decreasing LTC costs; however, this remains unverified. We examined whether dental visits in the past 6 months were associated with cumulative LTC insurance (LTCI) costs.

Methods

This cohort study of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study targeted independent adults aged≥65 years in 2010 over an 8-year follow-up. We used data from a self-reported questionnaire and LTCI records from the municipalities. The outcome was cumulative LTCI costs, and exposure was dental visits within 6 months for prevention, treatment, and prevention or treatment. A 2-part model was used to estimate the differences in the predicted cumulative LTCI costs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each dental visit.

Results

The mean age of the 8 429 participants was 73.7 years (standard deviation [SD] = 6.0), and 46.1% were men. During the follow-up period, 17.6% started using LTCI services. The mean cumulative LTCI cost was USD 4 877.0 (SD = 19 082.1). The predicted cumulative LTCI costs were lower among those had dental visits than among those who did not. The differences in predicted cumulative LTCI cost were −USD 1 089.9 (95% CI = −1 888.5 to −291.2) for dental preventive visits, −USD 806.7 (95% CI = −1 647.4 to 34.0) for treatment visits, and −USD 980.6 (95% CI = −1 835.7 to −125.5) for preventive or treatment visits.

Conclusions

Dental visits, particularly preventive visits, were associated with lower cumulative LTCI costs. Maintaining oral health through dental visits may effectively reduce LTCI costs.
Introduction to accounting
Authors: Scott Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores the reasons why a knowledge of accounting and its integral role in all organizations are of vital importance for a career in business. The qualities of financial information are explored in depth and the role of accounting information in accountability and control is considered. The chapter notes that accounting is a valuable tool for planning for the future and for evaluating outcomes. The chapter illustrates the difference between the two branches of accounting, financial accounting and management accounting, and their roles within organizations. What accounting does not do and the limitations of accounting information are also discussed.
Budgeting
Authors: Scott Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines budgeting in detail and looks at how the use of budgets and the comparison of actual outcomes with budgeted expectations enables an entity to control its operations, to enhance positive trends and to take action to correct problems as they arise. It explores the ways in which budgets perform planning, communicating, coordinating, motivating and control functions. The chapter shows the preparation of a budgeted monthly statement of profit or loss, month-by-month cash budget and a budgeted statement of financial position at the end of a projected accounting period. It also considers the comparison between budgeted and actual income and expenditure to highlight variances in expected and actual financial performance. Sensitivity analysis to assess the effect that any changes in budget assumptions will have is also discussed.
Capital investment appraisal
Authors: Scott Peter
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses capital investment appraisal as a means to determine whether new investments will be worthwhile and whether they will generate more cash than they originally cost. It starts by defining capital investment and explains why businesses undertake capital investment appraisal when making long-term investment decisions. The chapter then introduces the four main capital investment appraisal techniques and their application to capital investment decisions. It explores the advantages and limitations of each of the four main capital investment appraisal techniques. The chapter explains the concept of the time value of money.
Marketing management
Authors: Gillespie Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks at marketing management. It examines the relationship between a business and its customers and the role of the marketing function, highlighting how understanding and meeting the customer's needs is the key to business success. Businesses also need to be ready and able to adapt to what people need, want, and are willing to pay for over time. The chapter overviews recent developments in marketing, such as relationship marketing and influencer marketing. It also explains marketing mix. This refers to the collection of marketing activities related to a product which contribute to its overall ability to satisfy customers.
Managing people: Human resource management
Authors: Gillespie Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter highlights the importance of human resource management (HRM) in business. If managed effectively, the business will have the people it needs at an appropriate cost to develop and implement a competitive strategy and achieve its objectives. The human resource (HR) function of a business advises and supports managers in other departments by providing the expertise to enable them to make better decisions. However, the human resource decisions that are taken by a business will depend on the situational factors that exist. The chapter then looks into the influence situational factors and stakeholders have over human resource policy choices.
Business ethics and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Gillespie Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the importance of business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR). It elaborates on the extent to which a business should accept responsibility for its impact on stakeholders and actively improve society. The CSR presents the key consideration for a business of how much responsibility that business wants to accept for the impact on others over and above what the law dictates. The chapter then looks into the issues related to ethical decision-making and the impact of ethical issues on the decision-maker and the business. It also notes that whistle-blowing occurs when an individual within a business reveals information that highlights illegal or unethical behaviour within the organization.
Origin of Earth, Its Atmosphere, and Oceans: The First Molecules
Authors: Fahrenbach Albert C. , Cleaves Henderson J.
Published: August 2024

Many of the feedstocks for prebiotic aqueous-phase organic chemistry are thought to have originated in the early atmosphere or to have been delivered extraterrestrially after Earth’s primary accretion. The origin of Earth and the possible composition of Earth’s early atmosphere soon after its formation are...
An Overview of Metabolism and Reaction Networks
Authors: Fahrenbach Albert C. , Cleaves Henderson J.
Published: August 2024

This chapter will explore the concepts of metabolic reaction network organization. While individual organic reactions and the synthesis of specific compounds were undoubtedly important for the origins of life, these must have become organized into connected networks which helped convert environmentally supplied compounds into the...
Aqueous Phase Amino Acid Chemistry
Authors: Fahrenbach Albert C. , Cleaves Henderson J.
Published: August 2024

We continue our dive into organic chemistry with a description of prebiotic amino acid chemistry. First, we will discuss amino acid structure and nomenclature, including the difference between d and l enantiomers (building on the stereochemical discussion introduced in Chapter...
Terrestrial Communities
Authors: Tilling Steve
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the impact of climate change on terrestrial communities. Since the 1970s, the abundance of terrestrial species has declined by nearly one fifth in the UK. However, the impact of climate change has risen to become the second-most important driver of biodiversity change. The chapter explains that in low-emission scenarios, most taxonomic groups will face a mix of risks and opportunities, but the balance will rapidly become more negative if emissions continue to rise uncontrollably. It provides an overview of the evidence from shifting ranges and phenology in three taxonomic groups, which range between flowering plants, insects, and birds.
Freshwater Communities
Authors: Tilling Steve
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks into the impact of climate change on freshwater communities. It details evidence of climate change impacts on biological groups as diverse as plankton, invertebrates, fish, and birds. The evidence ranges between examples of shifts in ranges and peak population sizes, declines in cold-preferring species, decreasing body sizes, and large changes in the composition of freshwater communities. The chapter notes the high probability of pest species spreading in freshwater communities. It also argues that increased eutrophication is predicted to become a growing and widespread problem in the warming climate, but the prediction is hindered by the need to unravel how climate affects freshwater systems.
Fact Not Fiction—Building the Evidence Base
Authors: Tilling Steve
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores how biologists and scientists build enormous amounts of data, techniques, and models to address the recent patterns in nature occurring in the UK. Most of the data being used in climate change research has been collected by volunteers, with increasing contributions from citizen science projects. The reliance on volunteers continues due to the lack of funding for wide-scale and long-term climate change research. Moreover, the UK is one of the best-studied and data-rich parts of the world. This is because of its database of phenological observations and species distribution records which span back over three centuries. The chapter shows that the emergence of new equipment and experimental approaches have transformed climate change science.
Water Balance of Plants
Authors: Taiz Lincoln , Møller Ian Max , Murphy Angus , Peer Wendy A.
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the mechanisms and driving forces operating on water transport within the plant and between the plant and its environment. To meet the contradictory demands of maximizing carbon dioxide uptake while limiting water loss, plants have evolved to control water loss from leaves, and to replace the water lost to the atmosphere with water drawn from the soil. The chapter thus begins by focusing on water in the soil. It then considers how water moves from the soil into the roots and from the roots up through specialized transport cells to the leaves from which water is lost to the atmosphere. The chapter goes on to look at the ways in which the leaf can control the loss of water, as well as the entry of CO2, by regulating the opening and closing of stomata, the small openings through which the major water loss occurs. Finally, the chapter summarises the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.
Signals and Signal Transduction
Authors: Taiz Lincoln , Møller Ian Max , Murphy Angus , Peer Wendy A.
Published: August 2024

This chapter begins by providing a brief overview of the types of external cues that direct plant growth. In general, an environmental input that initiates one or more plant responses is referred to as a signal, and the physical component that biochemically responds to that signal is designated a receptor. Receptors are either proteins or, in the case of light receptors, pigments associated with proteins. Once receptors sense their specific signal, they must transduce the signal in order to amplify the signal and trigger the cellular response. The chapter then discusses how plants employ signal transduction pathways to regulate physiological responses. It examines how individual stimulus-response cascades are often integrated with other signaling pathways, termed cross-regulation, to shape plant responses to their environment in time and space. The chapter also considers phytohormone metabolism and homeostasis, as well as hormonal signaling pathways.
Dispersal and Migration
Authors: Nordell Shawn E. , Valone Thomas J.
Published: August 2024

This chapter considers the mechanisms and benefits of dispersal and migration of animals. Dispersal is a relatively short-distance, one-way movement away from a site to another location. The locations can differ from its availability of resources and its breeding opportunities. Animals migrate in response to environmental change. Proximate mechanisms involved with the timing of migration are often linked to a series of internal factors such as annual rhythms and associated physiological changes. The chapter also provides a model of the evolution of migration. Orientation and navigation are often issues migrating animals face. They mitigate these issues by using environmental cues and compass systems.
Mating Systems
Authors: Nordell Shawn E. , Valone Thomas J.
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks into the evolution of mating systems, which relate to social associations and the number of sexual partners of an animal during a breeding season. It explains how animals showcase different mating systems and their selection of mates to maximize their fitness. Sexual conflict and environmental conditions influence the evolution of mating systems. The evolution of monogamy is favored by biparental care in line with territorial cooperation and mate guarding hypotheses. Polygyny and polyandry, on the other hand, evolve when one sex can defend multiple mates or resources. Additionally, the chapter establishes the differences between polygynandry and promiscuity in terms of the existence of social associations before tackling the conditions needed for scramble competition.
Environmental Hazards and Climate Change
Authors: Sturman Andrew , Quénol Hervé
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the interplay of environmental hazards and climate change. It focuses on the relationship between environmental hazards, natural disasters, and anthropogenic climate change. The nature and causes of the increased occurrence and intensity of environmental hazards provide further understanding for developing effective adaptation strategies. The chapter also considers how communities can respond to the increased frequency and intensity of extreme events across a range of different areas. Moreover, adaptation to the effects of climate change on the occurrence and intensity of environmental hazards requires detailed knowledge of the underlying processes responsible for their occurrence.
Mathematical basics in pharmacy: measurements and data
Authors: Langley Chris , Perrie Yvonne
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses the level of mathematics needed for those working in pharmaceutical sciences. It describes the collection and expression of data and shows how these are key requirements in pharmacy, including the consideration of data collected from a single patient or a group of patients. It also considers how variation within measurements arises, how datasets can be summarized, and how variability can be measured. The chapter analyzes the range of uncertainty associated with a measurement that is dictated by the sensitivity or limitations of the equipment taking the measurement, the process, and the user collecting the measurement. It explains the range method, which adopts the worst case scenario by assumes that combined measurements were made on the outer limits of acceptability.
Basic clinical pharmacokinetics
Authors: Langley Chris , Perrie Yvonne
Published: August 2024

This chapter discusses calculations involved in basic clinical pharmacokinetics. It examines calculations designed to derive the appropriate dosing rate for intravenous and oral chronic dosing based on target therapeutic concentrations. It also describes the clinical impact of pharmacokinetics and details why dose adjustment may be required for particular patients. The chapter is designed to support those working in a clinical pharmacy environment where an understanding of the design and adaptations of a dosing regime is critical to the care of patients. It emphasizes the importance for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to understand basic clinical pharmacokinetics so that they understand how to design a dosing regimen for a patient for a given drug.
Data: presentation, interpretation, and basic statistics
Authors: Langley Chris , Perrie Yvonne
Published: August 2024

This chapter explores the graphical presentation of data and how such graphs are used to mathematically represent the data. Although linear relationships are easy to represent with straight-line plots, not all data will fit such plots. It outlines methods to plot data forming a straight line, which are applied to considering the stability of medicines. The chapter introduces basic statistics as a field that can help pharmacists to analyze and make decisions on data collected from research projects or data collected at an advanced level. An understanding of basic statistics also helps in the critical evaluation of published research and this can influence patient care and improvements in health-care provision.
Microbial Biotechnology
Authors: Yeoman Kay , Fahnert Beatrix , Lea-Smith David , Clarke Tom
Published: August 2024

Microbial Biotechnology introduce topics at the forefront of this field that are being applied to probe biological problems, or to address the most pressing issues facing society. These topics include those that form the cornerstone of contemporary research. Chapters cover the essentials of microbial biotechnology, its applications in agriculture, diagnostics, and urban and artistic conservation, as well as the potential threats genetic modification may pose to public health, the environment and intellectual property.
The Basic Principles of a Biotechnology Process
Authors: Yeoman Kay , Fahnert Beatrix , Lea-Smith David , Clarke Tom
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an overview of the basic principles of a biotechnology process. It explains that the development of a biotechnology process requires input from a range of different scientists. Any biotechnology process development is a compromise that allows delivery of the desired product or outcome by means of the most efficient cultivation as quickly as possible and at the lowest cost. Moreover, biotechnology processes have to be scaled and optimized for the industrial production of the desired product. The chapter then looks into the constraints and challenges in media design when considering scaling up from the laboratory to the industry.
Microbial Biotechnology and Agriculture
Authors: Yeoman Kay , Fahnert Beatrix , Lea-Smith David , Clarke Tom
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the important role microbes play in the future of sustainable agriculture. It looks into microbes as biological control agents and the use of bacteria as genetic tools and microbial inoculants. The challenge of microbial biotechnology and agriculture involves combating climate change, plant pathogens, and sustainable living. The chapter then cites the limitation of biological control agents as a result of their ability to control a narrow range of pests, slow action, and short field life. It also presents microbes that are used as tools in genetic modification, referencing the Agrobacterium-mediated system for the genetic modification of plants.
Microbial Biotechnology in the Art and Built Environment
Authors: Yeoman Kay , Fahnert Beatrix , Lea-Smith David , Clarke Tom
Published: August 2024

This chapter looks into microbial biotechnology in built environments. It explains that the built environment is a microbial habitat providing an abundance of substrates. Microorganisms occur naturally in these habitats and can be introduced by humans. Understanding the complex interactions and activities of microbial communities that cause biodeterioration allows for the development and selection of optimal preservation approaches and technologies. The chapter also explains the impact of microorganisms on our cultural, urban, and industrial heritage. It then presents novel sustainable materials and tools based on microorganisms and the technologies that minimize microbial growth and prevent biodeterioration.
Biology of Disease
Authors: Blann Andrew
Published: August 2024

Biology of Disease provides an integrated introduction to the basic cell biology that underlies disease processes and the diagnosis and management of those diseases. By telling the whole story of how a disease develops, how it is diagnosed, and how it is treated, the text provides an understanding of both the molecular and clinical aspects of diseases. Featuring a wide range of diseases, the text places particular emphasis on diseases that biomedical scientists and other health care professionals are most likely to encounter in a clinical setting and that have the greatest impact on people's lives. This is reflected in the book's detailed coverage of cancer and cardiovascular disease, which have long been causing many deaths each year, and its discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic. The inclusion of clinical case studies throughout shows how the theory of disease processes informs the diagnosis and treatment of different diseases in practice.
The aetiology of cancer
Authors: Blann Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter outlines the aetiology of cancer, which is the leading cause of death in England and Wales. It cites that cancer is an umbrella term for numerous diseases, often with widely differing presentations, signs and symptoms, aetiology, pathophysiology, morbidity, and mortality. A key component of cancer revolves around the conversion of a normal cell or cells into an abnormal cell or group of cells with uncontrolled and inappropriate growth. This happens during the process of transformation. The chapter highlights the importance of the regulation of cell signalling in cancer. It discusses the roles of chromosomal and gene malformations in the development of cancer before detailing the process of apoptosis and carcinogenesis.
Clinical oncology 1: Basic concepts and common cancers
Authors: Blann Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter focuses on the clinical oncology of the four most common cancers — breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer — and discusses their anatomy, aetiology, presentation, diagnosis, and management. It also provides an overview of the prevention, epidemiology, and classification of these cancers. Common features of cancer management include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a combination of the three treatments. However, there are certain circumstances wherein radiotherapy or chemotherapy may precede surgery in an effort to weaken the tumour before it is excised. Differential diagnoses must be considered since many cancers present with general and non-specific features, such as weight loss, tiredness, and venous thrombosis.
The aetiology and cellular basis of cardiovascular disease
Authors: Blann Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines the aetiology and cellular basis of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It starts by looking at the cells and vessels of the cardiovascular system before highlighting the significance of the heart to human life. The pathogenesis of atherosclerosis is complex, especially since each individual has their own specific total cardiovascular risk with clear predictive value in determining major diseases in the future. The chapter then elaborates on the diverse pathological processes that lead to cardiovascular disease, which include atherosclerosis, valve disease, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, and heart failure. It explains that half of the risk of cardiovascular disease can be attributed to genetics and the remainder to environmental factors.
Disease of the genitourinary system
Authors: Blann Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter examines diseases of the genitourinary system. It explains the differences in the anatomy and pathologies of the male reproductive system and the female reproductive system. In England and Wales in 2021, urinary tract infection is recorded as the leading aetiology of the urinary system. Most non-malignant urinary system diseases are in the form of infection and/or inflammation, and their treatment mostly consists of antibiotics, immunosuppression, renal replacement therapy, and transplantation. The chapter then considers the major issues within gynaecology and the potential problems in pregnancy and the puerperium, along with their treatment. It also elaborates on the consequences, diagnosis, and treatments of sexually transmitted diseases, which may be caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites.
Endocrine disease
Authors: Blann Andrew
Published: August 2024

This chapter provides an overview of endocrine diseases and looks at the subsequent role of the laboratory and reference ranges in the diagnosis and management of all endocrine diseases. The endocrine system can be broken down into its component cells and organs that mostly deal with hormones that influence many metabolic, homeostatic, and reproductive processes. The hypothalamus and pituitary secrete hormones that regulate a large number of other organs and their own hormones. Failure to regulate, produce, and respond to primary and secondary hormones has a profound impact on sexual development and function in both sexes. The chapter also considers the function and management of non-pituitary endocrinology.
Creating diverse and extreme body plans
Authors: Paxson Julia
Published: August 2024

Associate Professor