Experimental approaches to auditory research make use of validated animal models to determine what can be generalized from one species to another. This volume brings together our current understanding of the auditory systems of fish and amphibians. To address broader comparative issues, this book treats both fish and amphibians together, to overcome the differing theoretical and experimental paradigms that underlie most work on these groups.

In this volume outstanding specialists review the state of the art in nervous system research for all main invertebrate groups. They provide a comprehensive up-to-date analysis important for everyone working on neuronal aspects of single groups, as well as taking into account the phylogenesis of invertebrates. The articles report on recently gained knowledge about diversification in the invertebrate nervous systems, and demonstrate the analytical power of a comparative approach. Novel techniques in molecular and developmental biology are creating new perspectives that point toward a theoretical foundation for a modern organismic biology. The comparative approach, as documented here, will engage the interest of anyone challenged by the problem of structural diversification in biology.

Hematopoiesis, the latest volume in the Current Topics in Developmental Biology, covers hematopoiesis, with contributions from an international board of authors. Its chapters provide a comprehensive set of reviews covering such topics as the regulation of blood stem cell development, epigenetic mechanisms controlling erythropoiesis, and regulatory RNAs/HSCs.

The aim of this book is to help create new feedstuffs for poultry and farm animals from the agro-industry and to mobilize the neglected waste as a feedstuff to lower the price of animal products such as eggs, white and red meat, milk, etc. Furthermore, this book aims to contribute to the campaign against hunger in the developing world and to reduce the competition between animals and human beings for cereals and pulses. Accordingly the global pollution problem will be reduced. This book will be of great interest to all those involved in the animal feed and poultry industries, in agricultural universities, and in research establishments where animal nutrition is studied and taught.

Methods in Bone Biology is unique in being devoted to describing the methodology used by bone researchers. This book describes in detail the techniques of cell and organ culture used in the study of bone and bone cell function and the techniques used to monitor the skeleton and skeletal remodelling both in clinical and experimental settings.

Multicellular organisms require a means of intracellular communication to organize and develop the complex body plan that occurs during embryogenesis and then for cell and organ systems to access and respond to an ever changing environmental milieu. Mediators of this constant exchange of information are growth factors, neurotransmmitters, peptide and protein hormones which bind to cell surface receptors and transduce their signals from the extracellular space to the intracellular compartment. Via multiple signaling pathways, receptors of this general class affect growth, development and differentiation. Smaller hydrophobic signaling molecules, such as steroids and non-steroid hormones, vitamins and metabolic mediators interact with a large family of nuclear receptors. These receptors function as transcription factors affecting gene expression, to regulate the multiple aspects of animal and human physiology, including development, reproduction and homeostasis.
The aim of this book is to cover various aspects of intracellular signaling involving hormone receptors.

Research over the years has demonstrated that free radicals mediated oxidative stress lies at the helm of almost all patho-physiological phenomena. These findings emphasize on the need to understand the underlying molecular mechanism(s) and their critical role in the pathogenesis. This book aims to focus on these areas to provide readers a comprehensive outlook about the major redox sensitive pathways and networks involved in various disease conditions. In the first chapter of the book, basic information about the oxidative stress, its generation, its biomarkers and its role in body are discussed. In the next three chapters, the role of oxidative stress in various pathologies ranging from neurological disorders, to cardiovascular diseases, cancers, metabolic diseases and ageing have been described. Chapter 5 cumulatively describes the most important molecular signaling pathways that are affected by reactive oxygen species (ROS). These are the mechanisms which are common denominators in various pathological states. In the next part of the book, various antioxidant strategies to target and mitigate ROS have been discussed with details on the mechanisms. Selenium, being the research focus and interest of the authors for years, the role of selenium as an antioxidant as part of selenoproteins has been included in the book. Finally, the book culminates with authors' perspective on the future of the redox biology field. Throughout the book, efforts have been made to use simplified language and suitable figures for ease to understand the contents. Although the authors have tried to touch on all the different aspects of oxidative stress in detail, the fact that it is a continuously growing field with updates coming every day, there might be some areas which might not be described in depth. This book is designed for students, young scientists to get acquainted with the redox biology. Overall, this book is a reference to understand the redox regulation of cellular signaling pathways involved in pathogenesis.

As the current millennium steams towards a close, one cannot help but look with amazement at the incredible amount of progress that has been achieved in medicine in just the last few decades. A key contributing factor to this success has been the importation and blending of ideas and techniques from disciplines outside the traditional borders of medical science. In recent years, the most well-known example is the cross-pollination between molecular biology and medicine. Advances driven by this potent combination have spawned the vision of a future where cures based on gene therapy become commonplace. Yet, as we continue our search for "magic bullets" in the quest to eradicate disease, it important to recognize the value of other less-heralded interdisciplinary efforts that have laid a large part of the foundation of present-day medicine. In pulmonary medicine, the contribution from the bioengineers (a diverse collection of individuals cross-bred to various degrees in mathematical modeling and experimental physiology) has been larger and more sustained than in many other medical specialties. It is easy to point to the vast array of ventilators, blood-gas analyzers, oximeters, pulmonary function devices, and respiration monitors that are present in any modern clinical setting as solid evidence of the successful synergy between engineering science and pulmonary medicine. However, one must not forget the less tangible, but perhaps more important, contributions that have been derived from mathematical modeling and computer simulation, without which many of these modern instruments would not have come into existence.

Experienced physicians concisely explain the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of endocrine disorders and survey all the latest laboratory diagnostics. Topics range widely from an overview of the diagnosis of diabetes and the long-term monitoring of its complications to the evaluation of menstrual dysfunction. Coverage is also given to the diagnosis of pituitary tumors, Cushing's syndrome, thyroid disease, and hypoglycemia; the evaluation of endocrine-induced hypertension; the assessment of dyslipidemia and obesity; and approaches to diagnosing hyper- and hypocalcemia. There are also discussions of osteoporosis, hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction, and hyperandrogenism in women. The authors each review the complex physiological basis of the relevant endocrine processes and provide richly instructive recommendations for followup and long-term management of patients.

Although there is general agreement that exogenous electric and electromagnetic fields influence and modulate the properties of biological systems. there is no concensus regarding the mechanisms by which such fields operate. It is the purpose of this volume to bring together and examine critically the mechanistic models and concepts that have been proposed. We have chosen to arrange the papers in terms of the level of biological organization emphasized by the contributors. Some papers overlap categories. but the progression from ions and membrane surfaces. through macromolecules and the membrane matrix to integrated systems. establishes a mechanistic chain of causality that links the basic interactions in the relatively well understood simple systems to the complex living systems. where all effects occur simultaneously. The backgrounds of the invited contributors include biochemistry. biophysics. cell biology. electrical engineering. electrochemistry. electrophysiology. medicine and physical chemistry. As a result of this diversity. the mechanistic models reflect the differing approaches used by these disciplines to explain the same phenomena. Areas of agreement define the common ground. while the areas of divergence provide opportunities for refining our ideas through further experimentation. To facilitate the interaction between the different points of view, the authors have clearly indicated those published observations that they are trying to explain. i.e. the experiments that have been critical in their thinking. This should establish a concensus regarding important observations. In the discussion of theories.

Cell to Organ: Electromechanical Activation.- 1 Regulation of Intracellular Calcium in Cardiac Muscle.- 2 Neuromodulation of Calcium Current by Extracellular ATP in Isolated Ventricular Myocytes.- 3 Intracellular Calcium and Myocardial Function during Ischemia.- 4 Intracellular Signaling in Vascular Smooth Muscle.- 5 Myocardial Energetics.- 6 Mechanisms of Endocardial Endothelium Modulation of Myocardial Performance.- 7 Calcium Kinetic and Mechanical Regulation of the Cardiac Muscle.- 8 Cellular Responses to Electrical Stimulation: A Study Using a Model of the Ventricular Cardiac Action Potential.- 9 Excitation-Contraction Coupling and Contractile Protein Function in Failing and Nonfailing Human Myocardium.- Mechanics and Microcirculation.- 10 Estimation of Myocardial Mechanical Properties with Dynamic Transverse Stiffness.- 11 Intramyocardial Mechanical States: Vessel-Interstitium-Muscle Interface.- 12 Myocardial Mechanics and Coronary Flow Dynamics.- 13 Modeling of Coronary Capillary Flow.- Microstructure: Mechanics and Microcirculation.- 14 Models for Coronary Pressure-Flow Relationships.- 15In VivoMyocardial Microcirculation: Evaluation with a Whole-Body X-Ray CT Method.- 16 Endocardial Coronary Microcirculation of the Beating Heart.- 17 Distribution and Control of Coronary Microvascular Resistance.- 18 Theoretical Analysis of Coronary Blood Flow and Tissue Oxygen Pressure-Control.- Microcirculation and Metabolic Transport.- 19 Adenosine Coronary Vasodilation during Hypoxia Depends on Adrenergic Receptor Activation.- 20 Chaos in Cardiac Signals.- 21 Intramyocardial Fluid Transport Effects on Coronary Flow and Left Ventricular Mechanics.- 22 Metabolic Protection of Post-Ischemic Phosphorylation Potential and Ventricular Performance.- 23 Metabolic and Mechanical Control of the Microcirculation.- Remodeling of Muscle and Vessels.- 24 Asymmetrical Changes in Ventricular Wall Mass by Asynchronous Electrical Activation of the Heart.- 25 Ventricular Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction.- 26 Arterial Remodelling after Percutaneous Transluminal Balloon Angioplasty.- 27 Structural and Functional Remodeling of Poststenotic Arteries in the Rat.- 28 Myocardial Collagen and Its Functional Role.- Cardiac Function and Circulation.- 29 Ventricular-Arterial Interaction: Cardiac Effects of Mean versus Pulsatile Arterial Load.- 30 The Veins and Ventricular Preload.- 31 Why Smaller Animals Have Higher Heart Rates.- 32 Feedback Effects in Heart-Arterial System Interaction.- Integrated Analysis.- 33 The Relationship between Altered Load and Impaired Diastolic Function in Conscious Dogs with Pacing Induced Heart Failure.- 34 Interactions: The Integrated Functioning of Heart and Lungs.- 35 Carotid-Cardiac Interaction: Heart Rate Variability during the Unblocking of the Carotid Artery.- 36 Right and Left Ventricle Interaction and Remodeling in Congenital Heart Disease.- 37 Macroscopic Three-Dimensional Motion Patterns of the Left Ventricle.- 38 Cardiovascular Flow Velocity Measurements by 2D Doppler Imaging for Assessment of Vascular Function.- The Editors.- Contributors.

Edited by the 1991 winners of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, this Second Edition includes new chapters covering such applications as capacitance measurements; single-cell PCR measurements; whole-cell recording from brain slices in combination with imaging techniques; atomic force microscopy of cells and membranes attached to glass pipettes; and patch clamping.

Arguably biosonar is one of the 'eye-opening' discoveries about animal behavior and the auditory systems of echolocators are front and center in this story. Echolocation by bats has proven to be a virtual gold mine for colleagues studying neurobiology, while providing many rich examples of its impact on other areas of bats' lives. In this volume we briefly review the history of the topic (reminding readers of the 1995 Hearing by Bats). We use a chapter on new findings in the phylogeny of bats to put the information that follows in an evolutionary context. This includes an examination of the possible roles of Prestin and FoxP2 genes and various anatomical features affecting bat vocalizations. We introduce recent work on the role of noseleafs, ears, and other facial components on the focusing of sound and collection of echoes.

The traveller to India is urged to visit that country's western shore with the Arabian Sea where, about 300 miles to the south of Bombay, an exceedingly lovely coast reaches the peak of its harmony at the erstwhile Portuguese enclave of Goa. The ambience of this alluring province is an exquisite balance of palm trees and rice fields, aged colonial homes -many still elegant and brightly painted -slowly being swallowed up by the exuberant tropical vegetation, incredible blossoms, colorful and courteous people and, deeper inland, some splendid examples of 17th and 18th century Portuguese ecclesiastical architecture. A feast for the eyes by day, and in the evening enough fresh fish and other good food to satisfy the most demanding gourmet. This was the paradisiacal setting for the first International Conference on the Neural Organization of Sensory Systems (ICONOSS for short), sponsored jointly by the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO), the Tata Institute for Fundamental Research at Bombay, the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India, and the Department of Science and Technology of the Government of India. About 100 participants were pleasantly confined at Fort Aguada, a resort cunningly built amongst the ruins of an old Portuguese fort. The conference program achieved an international flavor, recruiting scientists from many nations: India (naturally), Australia, Britain, Canada, Germany, Finland, France, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States of America. The subjects discussed were as diverse as the countries represented.

This book is the compilation of papers presented at the International Symposium on In Vivo Body Composition Studies, held in Houston, Texas, November 10-12, 1992. The purpose of this conference was to report on the state-of-the-art techniques for in vivo body composition measurements and to present the most recent human data on normal body composition and changes during disease. This conference was the third in a series of meetings on body composition studies held in North America, and follows the successful meetings at Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1986, and the one in Toronto in 1989. A large number of excellent research papers were offered for consideration at this Conference which demonstrates the rapid growth of the field in the last three years. However, we had to limit the presentations to approximately 90 papers which provided a broad spectrum of the applications and recent interest in the subject. The proceedings of the Brookhaven meeting "In Vivo Body Composition Studies," is published by The Institute of Physical Sciences in Medicine, London. The proceedings of the Toronto meeting "In Vivo Body Composition Studies" was published by Plenum Press in its basic life science series. Both these meetings placed more emphasis on technical aspects while the current Houston meeting tried to emphasize more the emerging clinical applications of these techniques. The general sessions used at the Conference for presentations forms the basis of the order of appearance of the papers in this book.

Love, one of the most profound of human emotions, love that accompanies us from puberty to old age, love that follows us from ancient times to modern, from ancient writings, through the Bible and the texts of medieval scribes to modern day books and movies. Through the millennia love has lost none of its secrecy, charm, attractiveness, craziness, even in this digital age, when we are overwhelmed by information. But what is love? Where does this emotion originate? Are we humans the only living beings feeling this emotion? Can love be explained by some chemical reactions in our brains? Is love just a trick of nature or is love some kind of higher feeling? We do not have definite answers to any of these questions, nevertheless, neuroscience, behavioral science and others have provided us with some, at least partial answers. We know today a great deal more than ever before about what is happening in the brain when we are madly in love. We understand why our hearts beat faster when we see the person we love, we know why we sweat and why we feel anxious when the loved one is away from us, and we have some ideas about how feelings of attachment form in the brain. This book guides you through the complicated labyrinth of genes, molecules and brain cells that are involved in the feelings of love, attachment, affection, and also simple sexual reproduction.

This book presents a physicists view of life. The primary life functions of animals, such as eating, growing, reproducing and getting around all depend on motion: Motion of materials through the body, motion of limbs and motion of the entire body through water, air and on land. These activities are driven by internal information stored in the genes or in the brain and by external information transmitted by the senses. This book models these life functions with the tools of physics. It will appeal to all scientists, from the undergraduate level upwards, who are interested in the role played by physics in the animal kingdom.

The book begins by describing in detail the mechanisms of energy exchange radiative, convective, conductive and evaporative together with techniques for their determination. The discussion extends to the importance of CO2, ozone and methane, together with that of aerosol pollutants and the evolution of atmospheric CO2. Subsequent chapters apply the results of the biophysical methods to mammals, birds and aquatic animals. Discussion includes problems of shelter and shade for animals in tropical environments and techniques for the thermal evaluation for shelters and for several tree types. The details of heat exchange between animals and the environment are presented, in separate chapters covering Mammals and Birds and Aquatic Mammals. A chapter on Shade and Shelter describes the importance of shade for animals, factors of shade efficiency, the protections offered by shelter and methods of calculating the protection afforded by both shade and shelter. A Special Methods chapter offers a variety of techniques for evaluating cutaneous and respiratory evaporation, and practical methods for sampling of hairs and the evaluation of hair coat characteristics."

This book covers the main aspects of biological rhythms. It focuses on the evolution and basic features of the biorhythms in organisms, deals with the circadian system at the genetic, molecular and cellular levels, and describes the mechanisms involved in the perception and light entrainment of the biological clock in vertebrates and invertebrates. The most important features of the biological clock are summarized on the level of whole organisms, from fish to mammals, and long-term (seasonal) rhythms in plants and higher vertebrates are discussed. Finally, the book concentrates on short-term rhythms, the significance of having a biological clock system in animals living in extreme (Arctic) environments, and on the diversity of circadian responses to melatonin, one of the key endocrine elements involved in the regulation of biological rhythms.

Three-Dimensional Structure of Lactoferrin in Various Functional States.- Characterization of Two Kinds of Lactotransferrin (Lactoferrin) Receptors on Different Target Cells.- Primary and Three-Dimensional Structure of Lactotransferrin (Lactoferrin) Glycans.- Synergism and Substitution in the Lactoferrins.- Salt Effects on the Physical Properties of the Transferrins.- Interaction of Lactoferrin with Sequestered Transition Metal Ions.- Bactericidal Activity of Different Forms of Lactoferrin.- The Effects of Lactoferrin on Gram-Negative Bacteria.- Faecal Flora in the Newborn: Effect of Lactoferrin and Related Nutrients.- The Monocytic Receptor for Lactoferrin and Its Involvement in Lactoferrin-Mediated Iron Transport.- Study on the Binding of Lactotransferrin (Lactoferrin) to Human PHA-Activated Lymphocytes and Non-Activated Platelets: Localisation and Description of the Receptor-Binding Site.- Physical Characteristics and Polymerization during Iron Saturation of Lactoferrin, a Myelopoietic Regulatory Molecule with Suppressor Activity.- Lactoferrin and the Inflammatory Response.- The Role of Lactoferrin as an Anti-inflammatory Molecule.- Interaction of Lactoferrin with Mononuclear and Colon Carcinoma Cells.- Lactoferrin Receptors in Intestinal Brush Border Membranes.- Maternal Lactoferrin in the Urine of Preterm Infants: Evidence for Retention of Structure and function.- Lactoferrin Gene Promoter in Human and Mouse: Analogous and Dissimilar Characteristics.- Lactoferrin cDNA: Expression and In Vitro Mutagenesis.- Antimicrobial Peptides of Lactoferrin.- Physicochemical and Antibacterial Properties of Lactoferrin and Its Hydrolysate Produced by Heat Treatment at Acidic pH.- A Comparison of the Three-Dimensional Structures of Human Lactoferrin in Its Iron Free and Iron Saturated Forms.- Bovine Lactoferrin: Isolation and Characterisation of Genomic Regulatory Sequences.- X-Ray Structural Analysis of Bovine Lactoferrin at 2.5 A Resolution.- Binding of Porcine Milk Lactoferrin to Piglet Intestinal Lactoferrin Receptor.- Lactoferrin-Receptor Interaction: Effect of Surface Exposed Histidine Residues.- Kinetic Parameters for the Heat Denaturation of Bovine Lactoferrin in Milk, and Its Effect on Interaction with Monocytes.- Cloning and Expression of the C-Terminal Lobe of Human Lactoferrin.- Crystallographic Studies on Metal and Anion Substituted Human Lactoferrin.- Proposed Mechanisms for the Involvement of Lactoferrin in the Hydrolysis of Nucleic Acids.- Lactoferrin Promotes Nerve Growth Factor Synthesis/Secretion in Mouse Fibroblast L-M Cells.- Summary Chapter: Lactoferrin Structure and Function: Remaining Questions, Methodological Considerations and Future Directions.

In 1974 when I published my book, Biological Mechanism of Attachment, not many pages were required to report on the attachment devices of insect cuticles. As in most fields of research, our knowledge on this specific subject has simply exploded. Dr. Stanislav N. Gorb now describes the present day level of our knowledge, to which he has personally contributed so much, and a research team working on biological microtribology has gradually developed, also. With modern methods of measurement it is possible to enter the structure - function relationship much more deeply, even down to a molecular level, which was not possible two and a half decades ago. It is a well known fact that, in biology, the more sophisticated the measuring method, the greater the achievement of biological fundamental research, and its resulting evidence. Our knowledge remains at a certain level until new methods once more permit a forward leap. Biological knowledge develops in the form of a stepped curve rather than linear, as reflected in the studies carried out on the attachment devices of insect cuticles.

This volume is made up of papers presented at the Second International Altschul Symposium: Biology and Pathology of Astrocyte-Neuron Interactions. The symposium was held in Saskatoon, Canada at the University of Saskatchewn in May, 1992 in memory of Rudolf Altschul, a graduate of the University of Prague and a pioneer in the fields of the biology of the vascular and nervous systems. Dr. Altschul was Professor and Head of the Department of Anatomy at the University of Saskatchewan from 1955 to 1963. The Altschul Symposia were made possible by an endowment left by Anni Altschul and by other contributions. The symposia are held biennially. One of the greatest challenges for present day scientists is to uncover the mechanisms of brain function. Although cellular anatomy of the nervous system has already been well outlined and indeed was delineated by the beginning of the century, experimental analysis of the function of the brain is relatively recent. The framework of the brain is made up of stellate cells, the astrocytes, which are interconnected by means of their processes, thus presenting a meshwork through which the neurons send their axons, accompanied by oligodendrocytes. Microglia are distributed throughout the brain.

In the past few years, the scientific community has witnessed significant progress in the study of ion channels. Technological advancement in biophysics, molecular biology, and immunology has been greatly ac celerated, making it possible to conduct experiments which were deemed very difficult if not impossible in the past. For example, patch-clamp techniques can now be used to measure ionic currents generated by almost every type of cell, thereby allowing us to analyze whole-cell and single channel events. It is now possible to incorporate purified ion channel components into lipid bilayers to reconstitute an "excitable membrane." Gene cloning and monoclonal antibody techniques provide us with new approaches to the study of the molecular structure of ion channels. A variety of chemicals have now been found to interact with ion channels. One of the classical examples is represented by tetrodotoxin, a puffer fish poison, which was shown in the early 1960s to block the voltage-activated sodium channel in a highly specific and potent manner.

Techniques in the neurosciences are evolving rapidly. There are currently very few volumes dedicated to the methodology - ployed by neuroscientists, and those that are available often seem either out of date or limited in scope. This series IS about the methods most widely used by modern-day neuroscientists and is written by their colleagues who are practicing experts. Volume 1 will be useful to all neuroscientists since it concerns those procedures used routmely across the widest range of s- disciplines. Collecting these general techniques together in a s- gle volume strikes us not only as a service, but will no doubt prove of exceptional utilitarian value as well. Volumes 2 and 3 - scribe current procedures for the analyses of amines and their - tabolites and of amino acids, respectively. These collections will clearly be of value to all neuroscientists working in or contempl- ing research in these fields. Similar reasons exist for Volume 4 on receptor binding techniques since experimental details are p- vided for many types of ligand-receptor binding, including ch- ters on general principles, drug discovery and development, and a most useful appendix on computer programs for Scatchard, nonlinear and competitive displacement analyses. Volume 5 p- vides procedures for the assessment of enzymes involved in biogenic amine synthesis and catabolism. Volumes in the NEUROMETHODS series will be useful to neuro-chemists, -pharmacologists, -physiologists, -anatomists, psychopharmacologists, psychiatrists, neurologists, and chemists (organic, analytical, pharmaceutical, medicinal); in fact, everyone involved in the neurosciences, both basic and clinical.

During the past few decades, much research has been reported on the formation of insoluble monomolecular films of lipids and biopolymers (synthetic polymers and proteins) on the surface of water or at the oil-water interface. This interest arises from the fact that monomolecular film studies have been found to provide much useful information on a molecular scale, information that is useful for understanding many industrial and biological phenomena in chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical, medical, and food science applications. For instance, information obtained from lipid monolayer studies has been useful in determining the forces that are known to stabilize emulsions and biological cell membranes. The current texts on surface chemistry generally devote a single chapter to the characteristics of spread monolayers of lipids and biopolymers on liquids, and a researcher may have to review several hundred references to determine the procedures needed to investigate or analyze a particular phenomenon. Furthermore, there is an urgent need at this stage for a text that discusses the state of the art regarding the surface pheqomena exhibited by lipids and biopolymers, as they are relevant to a wide variety of surface and interfacial processes.