Nucleic acid sequencing techniques have enabled researchers to determine the exact order of base pairs - and by extension, the information present - in the genome of living organisms. Consequently, our understanding of this information and its link to genetic expression at molecular and cellular levels has lead to rapid advances in biology, genetics, biotechnology and medicine. Next-Generation Sequencing and Sequence Data Analysis is a brief primer on DNA sequencing techniques and methods used to analyze sequence data. Readers will learn about recent concepts and methods in genomics such as sequence library preparation, cluster generation for PCR technologies, PED sequencing, genome assembly, exome sequencing, transcriptomics and more. This book serves as a textbook for students undertaking courses in bioinformatics and laboratory methods in applied biology. General readers interested in learning about DNA sequencing techniques may also benefit from the simple format of information presented in the book.

Sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) represents a novel set of technologies for animal (or in the future, human) genetic modification using the sperm as a vector, as opposed to more traditional established routes such as fertilized eggs or embryonic stem cells. Studies of sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) indicate that sperm cells possess the ability to be utilized as carriers of exogenous genetic sequences, offering the potential of a novel cost-effective route for germline genetic modification. The fate of transgenes borne by sperm cells has been inconsistent, and analysis of offspring from SMGT experiments has shown a mixed picture in terms of genomic integration of the transgene, suggesting an episomal mode of inheritance. Various distinct steps in transgene uptake by the sperm cell have been described or proposed, including a model based upon endogenous reverse transcriptase activity. Although mature sperm cells are naturally protected against uptake of foreign nucleic acid molecules, certain environmental conditions, for example at key times within the reproductive tract, may reduce this protection, suggesting that SMGT may occasionally take place in nature. If correct, this carries profound implications for evolution and human genetic health. This e-book brings together theoretical and empirical reviews from experts in SMGT, providing comprehensive coverage of the major trends, developments and controversies in this novel field. This e-book is intended as a reference for professional researchers in the field of animal genetic modification (transgenesis) as well as teachers, scientists and physicians interested in medical genetics in general and gene therapy in particular.

A major goal of integrative research is understanding regulatory networks to such an extent as to allow researchers to model developmental and stress responses. Regulatory networks of living systems include complex and vast interactions between proteins, metabolites, RNA, various signaling molecules and DNA. One aspect of systems biology is understanding the dynamics of protein-DNA interactions affecting gene expression that are caused by transcription factors (TFs) and chromatin remodeling factors. This e-book provides a resource for summarizing current knowledge eukaryotic transcription and explores cis-elements and methods for their analysis, prediction and discovery. The book also presents an overview of exploring gene regulatory networks, chromatin, and miRNAs. Information about state-of-the-art techniques for the determination of TF - cis-element interactions in vivo and in silico give cutting edge insights on how genomic-scale research is being approached. The Analysis of Regulatory DNA provides readers with both the necessary background knowledge and provocative, up-to-date insights aimed at sparking new and vibrant experimental designs for understanding and predicting cis-elements in the eukaryotic genome.

Genetic disorders have been the focus of scientists for a long time. The emergence of next-generation sequencing techniques has ushered a new era in genetics and several developments have occurred in human genetics. The scientific perspective has also been widened with omics technologies that allow researchers to analyze genetic sequences and their expression products. An integrated approach is being used not only for diagnosis but also for disease management and therapeutic purposes. This book highlights emerging areas of omics technology and its application in the diagnosis and management of human genetic disorders. The book covers three areas of research and implementation: - Diagnosis (covering conventional strategies to next-generation platforms). This section focuses on the role of in silico analysis, databases and multi-omics of single-cell which will help in designing better management strategies. - Disease Management and therapeutic interventions. This section starts with genetic counselling and progresses to more specific techniques such as pharmacogenomics and personalized medicine, gene editing techniques and their applications in gene therapies and regenerative medicine. - Case studies. This section discusses the applications and success of all the above-mentioned strategies on selected human disorders. This book serves as a handy reference for students and academics studying advanced omics techniques in biochemistry and molecular genetics as part of courses in life sciences, pharmacology and medicine.

Thriving Across the Lifespan and Around the Globe: Day in the Life Visual Research Approach is the result of several decades of international, pan-disciplinary research-team collaborations using quasi-ecological visual methodologies to investigate the psychosocial development of children in diverse communities. The initial studies highlighted in this work involved filming a ‘Day in the Life’ of toddlers and primary school children, their families, and schools in diverse communities in Asia, South and North America, and Europe. Filmed in their homes and communities for an entire day, the youngest participants were commonly seen to be thriving in diverse psychosocial domains, such as in their security strivings, emergent literacy and graphic representations, and musicality. Research shows that the nature of a child's development can vary in as many ways as there are diverse contexts. Thriving in the transition from home to primary school is a second developmental milestone investigated in the research. The book serves as an account of the lived experiences of thriving children,among their families, their schools and their communities. The contents give an invaluable insight into the psychology of early childhood while giving the reader an opportunity to understand the resilience of mobile early teenagers as well as independent older adults. The contributions in the book also provide an additional layer to our understanding of visual ethnography by covering such phenomena as agency and communitarianism, spirituality, and the place of humour in the context of challenges encountered across the lifespan. Through presenting quasi-ecological experimental approaches, this reference enhances the reader’s insight into the texture and nature of thriving in situ, in natural contexts.

Based on six years of extended ethnography in multiple agricultural areas of the Eastern United States, Down Country Lanes, Behind Abandoned Houses is a monograph which explores the lives of migrant and seasonal farm workers. The six-year study secured multi-setting field data in primary, secondary and casual sites, and audio-taped narrative life stories from men and women who harvest and perform the related tasks that help to make the many foods which we enjoy in abundance. The study presented in this book elaborates vignettes from field observations with a focus on workers who use drugs and alcohol, and is complemented by formal (narrative life stories) and informal interviews. The author explores diverse field data that reveal the hardships, exclusion and social adversities that migrant farm workers experience many times more often than any other social group with considerable susceptibility to drug / alcohol use. Down Country Lanes, Behind Abandoned Houses gives readers a perspective about farm workers’ social vulnerability across multiple agricultural areas, while comparing willful neglect and social non-existence experienced by farm workers to a gray zone of contemporary horrors in the way that these men and women have been viewed and treated over many decades. The monograph is an invaluable reference for the study of social problems, substance abuse, trans-national migratory experiences and field methods in sociology. The book also serves as a contemporary handbook on the anthropology of American agricultural labor.

The Abu Serga Church is one of the oldest known Coptic churches in Egypt, with a history of almost 1700 years. This reference work presents a comprehensive geotechnical and geophysical survey of the vicinity of the Abu Serga Church. The book details the information of the survey using classical and modern methods of geotechnical engineering while keeping contemporary issues faced by site investigators in view. Chapters provide the data of the church site while covering topics of interest to students such as seismic analysis, 3-D modeling and historical preservation principles. Advanced methods of interest to engineers such as mathematical analysis using finite element methods are also covered. This work provides key data about the Abu Sega Church site and is of interest to scholars and engineers involved in conservation engineering of architectural heritage (or built heritage), as well as readers interested in church studies.

Serial Killers Around the World: The Global Dimensions of Serial Murder compiles serial murder case studies from several countries - from Australia to Great Britain, and from Japan to Pakistan. The author has covered accounts on a wide array of serial killers including some well known felons namely Jack the Ripper, The Butcher of Mons, Martin & Marie Dumollard, as well as some of the lesser known serial slayers such as Daisy DeMelker, Yoshio Kodaira, Javed Iqbal and many more. The book highlights six dimensions of each case: the killer(s), the serial murders, other crimes, communication, the investigation and trial and punishment of the accused. Readers, both general and aspiring criminologists alike, will find Serial Killers Around the World an interesting resource for critical information on serial murders committed in nations around the world.

The story of the unidentified serial killer in London’s Whitechapel district - known as Jack The Ripper – has been the subject of interest to researchers for over 120 years. The name ascribed to the individual was from a letter sent to the Central News Agency in London on 27 September 1888. Initially thought to be a hoax, the letter gained much publicity when the writer’s promise of clipping a lady’s ears off manifested after the discovery of the body of Catherine Eddowes with an ear lobe severed, 3 days after the letter was received. Several letters followed this and borrowed elements from the earlier correspondences. Jack the Writer: A Verbal & Visual Analysis of the Ripper Correspondence is a different approach to the subject of ‘Ripperology’. In this book, the author, Dirk Gibson, provides a quantitative content analysis of the letters. Gibson first grounds this study of the Jack the Ripper letters in an analysis of the legitimacy of the documents. The dialectic method is used to carefully consider the authenticity of these letters. The largest extant collection of Jack the Ripper letters is provided in this book, approximately 250 in number. The most significant part of this book is a trio of content analyses quantifying the themes, subjects, people and linguistic mannerisms mentioned in the Ripper letters; the analyses describe precisely what was and was not in these missives. The letters are described and presented in the context of their content, with the valid letters presented in chronological order. Jack the Writer: A Verbal & Visual Analysis of the Ripper Correspondence will give readers, whether generally interested in the ripper correspondence or undertaking courses in criminology or abnormal psychology, a glimpse of the cultural context of a serial murderer’s communication with the public and the press in Victorian times.

This book covers some recent researches on the interface between drug misuse and crime and demonstrates that some types of violent crimes are more intimately related to alcohol and / or drug consumption. It is written for researchers, health and law professionals engaged in the evaluation, management and treatment of different types of offenders. It is organized by a number of phenomena that are known (or supposed) to link drugs and crime. This book shows that the application of punishment under the guise of deterrence, despite its ineffectiveness, is frequently preferred to a more adequate management for some types of offenders. This book provides ten manuscripts that describe different aspects of the relationship between drugs and crimes, always focusing on Brazilian reality. It shows that a partnership between specialized mental health professionals, lawyers and policy makers is urgent with respect to this subject in Brazil and other countries.