Description
COLD SPRING HARBOR LABORATORY PRESS Biology of Plants by Terri Grodzicker
Plants are integral to human wellbeing, and many species have been domesticated for over ten thousand years. Evidence of plant scientific investigation and classification can be found in ancient texts from cultures around the world (Chinese, Indian, Greco-Roman, Muslim etc.), while early modern botany can be traced to the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Europe. During the past several decades plant biology has been revolutionized first by molecular biology and then by the genomic era. The model organism Arabidopsis thaliana has proved an invaluable tool for investigation into fundamental processes in plant biology, many of which share commonalities with animal biology. Plant-specific processes from reproduction to immunity and second messengers have also yielded to extensive investigation. With the genomes of more than thirty plant species now available and many more planned in the near future, the impact on our understanding of plant evolution and biology continues to grow. Our increased ability to engineer plant species to a variety of ends may provide novel solutions to ensure adequate and reliable food production and renewable energy even as climate change impacts our environment. The decision to focus the 2012 Symposium on plant science reflects the enormous research progress achieved in recent years, and is intended to provide a broad synthesis of the current state of the field, setting the stage for future discoveries and application. This is the first Symposium in this historic series focused exclusively on the botanical sciences.Plants are integral to human wellbeing, and many species have been domesticated for over ten thousand years. Evidence of plant scientific investigation and classification can be found in ancient texts from cultures around the world (Chinese, Indian, Greco-Roman, Muslim etc.), while early modern botany can be traced to the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Europe. During the past several decades plant biology has been revolutionized first by molecular biology and then by the genomic era. The model organism Arabidopsis thaliana has proved an invaluable tool for investigation into fundamental processes in plant biology, many of which share commonalities with animal biology. Plant-specific processes from reproduction to immunity and second messengers have also yielded to extensive investigation. With the genomes of more than thirty plant species now available and many more planned in the near future, the impact on our understanding of plant evolution and biology continues to grow. Our increased ability to engineer plant species to a variety of ends may provide novel solutions to ensure adequate and reliable food production and renewable energy even as climate change impacts our environment. The decision to focus the 2012 Symposium on plant science reflects the enormous research progress achieved in recent years, and is intended to provide a broad synthesis of the current state of the field, setting the stage for future discoveries and application. This is the first Symposium in this historic series focused exclusively on the botanical sciences. Preface; 1. Globalization and the multinational corporation; Part I. Introduction to Foreign Exchange Markets and Risks: 2. The foreign exchange market; 3. Forward markets and transaction exchange risk; 4. The balance of payments; 5. Exchange rate systems; Part II. International Parity Conditions and Exchange Rate Determination: 6. Interest rate parity; 7. Speculation and risk in the foreign exchange market; 8. Purchasing power parity and real exchange rates; 9. Measuring and managing real exchange risk; 10. Exchange rate determination and forecasting; Part III. International Capital Markets: 11. International debt financing; 12. International equity financing; 13. International capital market equilibrium; 14. Country and political risk; Part IV. International Corporate Finance: 15. International capital budgeting; 16. Additional topics in international capital budgeting; 17. Risk management and the foreign currency hedging decision; Part V. Managing Ongoing Operations: 18. Financing international trade; 19. Managing net working capital; Part VI. Foreign Currency Derivatives: 20. Foreign currency futures and options; 21. Interest rate and foreign currency swaps; Glossary; Index.