The ability at the molecular level to keep track of time is a property shared by organisms ranging from the simplest unicells to humans. The primary feature of these biological clocks is their ability to entrain to environmental stimuli. The dominant stimulus comes from environmental light cues, which requires the existence of photopigments sensitive to light. The exact identity of the molecules involved in circadian photoreception has remained elusive. The classical view of the circadian system is of diverse physiological rhythms regulated by a centralized clock structure. This book presents evidence that challenges this view. Experiments in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems demonstrate that the circadian timing system is dispersed throughout the animal and suggest that possibly every cell contains an autonomous clock mechanism. A variety of tissues and cells contain have been shown to maintain an oscillation when placed in vitro and removed from any external cues or signals that originate from the classical clock structures and/or the environment. This book draws together contributions from an international and interdisciplinary group of experts whose work is focused on all aspects of the topic. Coverage includes the mechanisms of light signalling to the vertebrate clock, the connections between central and peripheral clocks, circadian gene expression patterns and output pathways of clock mechanisms.

This latest volume in Advances in Genetics covers the genetics of Circadian rhythms. With an international group of authors this volume is the latest offering in this widely praised series.

With the invitation to edit this volume, I wanted to take the opportunity to assemble reviews on different aspects of circadian clocks and rhythms. Although most c- tributions in this volume focus on mammalian circadian clocks, the historical int- duction and comparative clocks section illustrate the importance of various other organisms in deciphering the mechanisms and principles of circadian biology. Circadian rhythms have been studied for centuries, but only recently, a mole- lar understanding of this process has emerged. This has taken research on circadian clocks from mystic phenomenology to a mechanistic level; chains of molecular events can describe phenomena with remarkable accuracy. Nevertheless, current models of the functioning of circadian clocks are still rudimentary. This is not due to the faultiness of discovered mechanisms, but due to the lack of undiscovered processes involved in contributing to circadian rhythmicity. We know for example, that the general circadian mechanism is not regulated equally in all tissues of m- mals. Hence, a lot still needs to be discovered to get a full understanding of cir- dian rhythms at the systems level. In this respect, technology has advanced at high speed in the last years and provided us with data illustrating the sheer complexity of regulation of physiological processes in organisms. To handle this information, computer aided integration of the results is of utmost importance in order to d- cover novel concepts that ultimately need to be tested experimentally.

In the field of cardiology, some of the most dramatic advances in recent years have come from understanding the molecular and cellular basis of cardiovascular disease. Knowledge of the pathological basis of disease in some cases allows the development of new strategies for prevention and treatment. This book was planned not only to convey new facts on cardiovascular diseases, but also to boost the excitement and challenges of research in the dynamic area of modern molecular and cellular biology of cardiology. The integration of multilevel biological data and the connection with clinical practice reveal the potential of personalized medicine, with future implications for prognosis, diagnosis, and management of cardiovascular diseases.

Encyclopedia of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology: ABC of Bioinformatics, Three Volume Set combines elements of computer science, information technology, mathematics, statistics and biotechnology, providing the methodology and in silico solutions to mine biological data and processes. The book covers Theory, Topics and Applications, with a special focus on Integrative –omics and Systems Biology. The theoretical, methodological underpinnings of BCB, including phylogeny are covered, as are more current areas of focus, such as translational bioinformatics, cheminformatics, and environmental informatics. Finally, Applications provide guidance for commonly asked questions. This major reference work spans basic and cutting-edge methodologies authored by leaders in the field, providing an invaluable resource for students, scientists, professionals in research institutes, and a broad swath of researchers in biotechnology and the biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Brings together information from computer science, information technology, mathematics, statistics and biotechnology Written and reviewed by leading experts in the field, providing a unique and authoritative resource Focuses on the main theoretical and methodological concepts before expanding on specific topics and applications Includes interactive images, multimedia tools and crosslinking to further resources and databases

As the first comprehensive reference for the eye, its support structures, diseases, and treatments, Encyclopedia of the Eye is an important resource for all visual scientists, ophthalmologists, and optometrists, as well as researchers in immunology, infectious disease, cell biology, neurobiology and related disciplines. This four-volume reference is unique in its coverage of information on all tissues important for vision, including the retina, cornea and lens. It also covers the physiological and pathophysiologic processes that affect all eye tissues. This Encyclopedia is invaluable for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are seeking an introduction to an area of eye research. Each chapter explains the basic concepts and provides references to relevant chapters within the Encyclopedia and more detailed articles across the wider research literature. The Encyclopedia is also particularly useful for visual scientists and practitioners who are researching a new area, seeking deeper understanding of important research articles in fields adjacent to their own, or reviewing a grant outside their immediate area of expertise. Written by experts at a level that permits students to grasp key elements of a specific subject Provides an entryway into the major features of current eye research No other source puts this much information, so well-indexed and with so many helpful full color figures and graphics, in the hands of the ophthalmic scientist

This selection of articles from the Encyclopedia of the Eye covering retina, optics/optic nerve and comparative topics constitutes the first reference for scientists, post docs, and graduate students with an interest beyond standard textbook materials. It covers the full spectrum of research on the retina - from the basic biochemistry of how nerve cells are created to information on neurotransmitters, comparisons of the structure and neuroscience of peripheral vision systems in different species, and all the way through to injury repair and other clinical applications. - The first single volume to integrate comparative studies into a comprehensive resource on the neuroscience of the retina - Chapters are carefully selected from the Encyclopedia of the Eye by one of the world's leading vision researchers - The best researchers in the field provide their conclusions in the context of the latest experimental results