Non-vesicular intracellular cholesterol transport is an important mechanism for maintaining membrane cholesterol homeostasis. Recent reports of studies directed at soluble cholesterol transport proteins indicate that aberrant expression of the START proteins may contribute to disease states associated with disorders in cholesterol homeostasis. This is an exciting new direction in the field and the purpose of this book will be to highlight the current research directed at potential roles for the START family in diabetes, cancer and atherogenesis. This book also provides a personal and historical perspective of the discovery-to-publication journey that the authors had for their particular START domain family member. The goal will be to provide perspectives to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and endocrinology fellows on the research discovery process.

The increasing prevalence of morbid obesity has led the World Health Organization to coin the descriptive term "globesity" to reflect the worldwide nature of the problem. Providing health care to these patients, especially when surgery is required, can be extremely challenging owing to the specific needs in respect of logistics, facilities, and professional expertise. Appropriate care has to date often been unachievable and unaffordable outside of established bariatric centers, but such centers themselves usually have insufficient capacity and resources to cope with the demand among the general population. This book therefore provides a wealth of guidance and helpful tips and tricks on how to deal with obese patients within a general surgery setting. Importantly, it highlights the need for global rethinking on public health as regards resource allocation and patterns and standards of care, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes through greater affordability.

Studies on Diabetes examines how increased oxidative and nitrosative stress - one of the leading causes of diabetes complications - pathologically affects multiple tissues in the body. The volume editors and chapter authors are leading investigators in the field of basic and clinical research in diabetes and vascular disease. Their contributions represent a wealth of knowledge on and research into how diabetes triggers metabolic abnormalities that lead to hyperactivation of cellular and mitochondrial pathways that ultimately result in oxidative and nitrosative stress that left un-neutralized, results in tissue damage. Each chapter provides the reader with invaluable insight to the complicated mechanisms responsible for diabetes complications and vascular disease. Potential treatments for diabetes complications from animal models to the patient will also be discussed. This is essential reading for researchers and clinicians in endocrinology, diabetes, vascular disease and oxidative stress.

Primary Aldosteronism (PA) is a disease caused by the overproduction of aldosterone hormone from the adrenal glands. PA causes hypertension and the majority with this disease are undiagnosed for PA. There are new insights into this matter by using biochemistry as well as advanced radiology. In 2011, a breakthrough in the genetic derangements came, identifying a mutated potassium channel gene - KCNJ5 - in about 40% of PA with adenoma. Chapters in this book include a history of the disorder, epidemiology, genetics derangements, the KCNJ5 mutations and phenotype and more.

The purpose of the The Active Female: Health Issues Throughout the Lifespan, 2nd Edition is twofold: (1) to increase the awareness of wellness and fitness issues for active females and their family members; and (2) to provide an avenue for medical practitioners, allied health professionals, health educators, and certified individuals in sports medicine to gain critical, updated knowledge of a field specific to active females. Part I of the book offers a foundation to help the reader understand the interrelationship among body image concerns, the female reproductive cycle, and musculoskeletal anatomy/physiology of females that makes their health risks and concerns unique. Reproductive health is discussed by a prominent researcher in reproduction/endocrinology. An overview of the Female Athlete Triad which is a syndrome of three interrelated conditions (isordered eating, menstrual disturbances and bone loss) is presented in Part II. Physicians and certified professionals in sports medicine discuss the individual components of the triad, relating not only to the athletic female but also to the recreationally active woman throughout the lifespan. In Part III, Prevention and management of common musculoskeletal injuries is addressed by a female orthopedic surgeon who sub-specializes in treating female athletes. Finally, appropriate exercise and nutritional guidelines for active females are discussed in Parts IV-V of the book by certified professionals and licensed physicians in sports medicine. An invaluable addition to the literature, The Active Female: Health Issues Throughout the Lifespan, 2nd Edition will be of great interest to physicians, allied health care practitioners, medical/other wellness educators, and students who are interested in advancing women's health issues. Sports medicine specialists, family practitioners, gynecologists, team physicians, residents in sports medicine, athletic trainers, health educators, nurses, physicians assistants, physical therapists, sport psychologists, counselors, athletic trainers, and other members of the sports medicine team should also find this title of significant interest.

Bone Drugs in Pediatrics brings together in one place the evidence for the use of certain drugs in the treatment and prevention of bone loss in children, as well as the reservations still present in the pediatric community regarding their use. Beginning with a discussion of developmental pharmacokinetics and drug development for pediatric diseases where bone loss occurs, such as osteogenesis imperfecta, the physiology of pediatric bone and how best to monitor the safety and efficacy of these drugs is presented. The pros and cons of utilizing the drugs themselves - such as bisphosphonates, antiresorptives and anabolic agents - within the pediatric population are carefully considered, with an eye toward safe and effective integration. The potential use of drugs in future treatment is also highlighted. On the whole, Bone Drugs in Pediatrics is a cogent presentation of the ongoing debate surrounding the potential for pharmacological interventions in pediatric bone loss.

Endocrinology, and diabetes care in particular, is a dynamic field where clinicians must translate new evidence into clinical practice at a rapid pace. Designed in an engaging, case-based format, Endocrinology and Diabetes: A Problem Oriented Approach offers a wide range of thought-provoking case studies that reflect contemporary, challenging, hands-on clinical care. Further, by providing a list of specific clinical problems, this format offers the reader a more convenient and pointed way to solve precise clinical problems in a timely manner. Developed by a renowned, international group of experts, this comprehensive title covers the most common clinical problems in endocrinology and diabetes and should be of great interest to endocrinologists, diabetologists, internal medicine physicians, family physicians, fellows, and residents.

This book tackles the problem of overshoot and undershoot in blood glucose levels caused by delay in the effects of carbohydrate consumption and insulin administration. The ideas presented here will be very important in maintaining the welfare of insulin-dependent diabetics and avoiding the damaging effects of unpredicted swings in blood glucose - accurate prediction enables the implementation of counter-measures. The glucose prediction algorithms described are also a key and critical ingredient of automated insulin delivery systems, the so-called "artificial pancreas". The authors address the topic of blood-glucose prediction from medical, scientific and technological points of view. Simulation studies are utilized for complementary analysis but the primary focus of this book is on real applications, using clinical data from diabetic subjects. The text details the current state of the art by surveying prediction algorithms, and then moves beyond it with the most recent advances in data-based modeling of glucose metabolism. The topic of performance evaluation is discussed and the relationship of clinical and technological needs and goals examined with regard to their implications for medical devices employing prediction algorithms. Practical and theoretical questions associated with such devices and their solutions are highlighted. This book shows researchers interested in biomedical device technology and control researchers working with predictive algorithms how incorporation of predictive algorithms into the next generation of portable glucose measurement can make treatment of diabetes safer and more efficient.

Twenty years after its discovery, recombinant human leptin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of patients with lipodystrophy. Beginning with a synthesis of the vast body of work on its discovery, dissection of mechanisms, and effects in experimental models , the focus of this book shifts to a consideration of the regulation and role of leptin in humans. The emphasis on human-level data is a unique feature of this book. The results of numerous studies indicate that leptin is indeed a regulated human hormone. Leptin provides a detailed account of the myriad physiological, hormonal, metabolic, immunological, mitogenic and inflammatory modulators and targets of leptin in a single volume. Next follows a comprehensive presentation of the therapeutic trials of recombinant leptin in patients with congenital leptin deficiency, lipodystrophy, hypothalamic amenorrhea, and other emerging areas, including leptin supplementation in leptin-replete subjects, leptin substitution for insulin in diabetic models, and novel combination regimens of leptin and other biogenic peptides. Unanswered questions and future directions in leptin research are highlighted in the Foreword by Dr. Jeffrey Friedman and throughout the volume. Identifying such questions helps direct research that could deepen understanding of the complex regulation of leptin under physiological and pathological conditions, a critical prerequisite to its rational deployment in the treatment of human disorders.

Defining and understanding cellular and molecular mechanisms that are relevant to women's health has become a critical area of scientific pursuit. Until recently, very little effort has been place on defining or understanding critical differences between women and men that may be critical to the overall health of the woman. In 1990, the National Institutes of Health recognized this gap in knowledge resulting in the creation of the Office of Research on Women's Health. One of the purposes of this office was to advance the understanding of health issues from the women's perspective from both a basic and clinical scientific perspective. From a scientific evolution of understanding, the existence of this office is new and thus there has not been enough time for new information to integrate itself in our current scientific thought process. This book will seek to capture and disseminate our current understanding of scientific advancements relevant to women's health and provide the information to a broad audience. The purpose of this work is to discuss recent advancements in basic science across three areas of concern for women's health. In addition, the book will provide "translational" chapters that attempt to place the basic science work in context within our current understanding of the human. Although it is well acknowledge that gender differences exist across organ function which translates into differences in whole body function, until recently little effort has been made to define basic mechanisms within various tissues within the woman. This work will focus on recent scientific findings that are relevant to women's health and to provide novel and relevant information to interested scientists and clinicians.

The sustained skin research efforts over the past decades has led to the accumulation of a significant collection of information on skin structure and physiology as well as on the pathogenesis of cutaneous diseases. In Molecular Dermatology: Methods and Protocols, leading experts in the field provide a collection of state-of-the-art reliable protocols covering a wide spectrum of techniques and experimental models, specific molecular assays and disease models, as well as overviews of diagnostic and research areas relevant to molecular dermatology. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and authoritative, Molecular Dermatology: Methods and Protocols emphasizes the vital importance of skin research and collects the methodologies necessary to aid scientists in moving forward in this valuable field.

This book reports the text of the lectures of the 6th International Conference on Sodium Calcium Exchange held in Lacco Ameno in the Island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples, Italy, from October 1 to October 5, 2011. The present book uncovers the most striking new findings on NCX that emerged since the previous Conference on Sodium Calcium Exchange, such as the structural dissection of the molecular determinants of Ca2+ sensitivity of the exchanger, the epigenetic regulation of ncx1 gene, the molecular identification of the mitochondrial Sodium Calcium Exchanger, and the discovery of NCX in unexpected anatomical locations such as the female reproductive tract. The book is organized into 11 parts covering NCX structural aspects, genetic and epigenetic regulation, regulatory mechanisms, subcellular localization in mitochondria, involvement in neurodegenerative diseases and in immune regulation, and the role of the cardiovascular and endocrine systems, as well as diabetes in physiology and pathophysiology. Selected chapters of the book are also devoted to the interaction of NCKX and other ion channels and transporters with NCX, like ASICs, TRPM, and NHE.

This book pursues a multidisciplinary approach, presenting chapters with updated information on various aspects of treatment for patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Authors have been selected from expert centers in Europe and the United States. The goal of this book is to comprehensively summarize recent data and provide inspiring ideas to optimize the care of patients with neuroendocrine tumors. Neuroendocrine tumors are fascinating multifaceted diseases that can primarily localize in many organs with various presentations. These tumors are rare but their increasing incidence renders likely that physicians caring for cancers may have either already faced or may be certainly exposed to diagnose and/or treat a patient with neuroendocrine tumors. Over the last years, novel therapeutic options have emerged for neuroendocrine tumors, profoundly challenging practices that had previously been the standards for decades. These include - but are not limited to - somatostatin analogues, targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase and mTOR inhibitors, antiangiogenic compounds, but also peptide-receptor targeted therapy or radioembolization. This changing field has generated novel treatment algorithms to guide medical decisions. To better understand and handle the multidisciplinary approaches that are required for optimizing the care of neuroendocrine tumor patients, physicians are now looking for references from experts and comprehensive reviews summarizing current knowledge on treatments for patients with neuroendocrine tumors.

Darwinian medicine looks at the ecological and evolutionary roots of disease. A disease is an interaction between a genome and its biotic or abiotic environment and therefore a disease is essentially an ecological process. Good understanding of ecology and a Darwinian way of thinking can give us novel and useful perspectives on health and disease. If we understand the disease process better, we can certainly prevent, control as well as treat diseases in a better way. Although the thought that the origins of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) might lie in our hunter gatherer adaptations is not new, research over the last decade makes us rethink many of the classical concepts. Brain and behavior is increasingly being recognized as central to all the endocrine, metabolic and immunological changes that earmark type 2 diabetes and other metabolic syndrome disorders. A major change in paradigm appears to be on the horizon and the proposed book intends to speed up the paradigm shift by raising important questions, pointing out flaws and inadequacies in the prevalent paradigm and stimulating radical rethinking which would redirect and refine the line of research as well as bring some fundamental changes in drug discovery and clinical practice.

This book offers a complete overview on non colorectal non neuroendocrine (NCRNNE) liver metastases and describes in detail the currently available therapies. Each chapter focuses on the treatment of metastases from a particular primary malignancy and also provides valuable information on incidence, natural history and diagnosis. NCRNNE liver metastases are rare entities compared with colorectal and neuroendocrine metastases, for which the treatments are well codified. While more publications have appeared on the topic in recent years, an in-depth study has to date been lacking. Furthermore, most published series are insufficiently comparable as they comprise patients with NCRNNE hepatic metastases from a variety of primary malignancies and consequently overlook differences in tumor behavior, frequency of isolated hepatic metastases, response to neoadjuvant or adjuvant therapy and interval between diagnosis of the primary tumor and the liver metastases. This book, with its more specific approach, will serve not only as an up-to-date guide to diagnosis and treatment but also as a reference on which to base future studies.

Recent Advances in Prolactin Research summarizes the current knowledge of prolactin (PRL), PRL receptor, PRL-dependent signaling pathways, the role of PRL in oncogenesis and PRL crosstalk with other oncogenic factors. The chapters are written by experts in these fields and focus on identifying and reviewing timely experimental findings that provide new insights into the expanding role of PRL in the pathophysiology associated with a variety of human conditions. Prolactin is a peptide hormone that is best known for its role in lactation. Prolactin also has an influence on hematopoiesis and angiogenesis, and is involved in the regulation of blood clotting through several pathways. Although PRL was discovered more than 80 years ago, the understanding of PRL signaling and its relationship to various pathologies is still very incomplete. PRL is not only a pituitary hormone with an important role in reproduction, but PRL also acts as a cytokine, modulating a wide variety of physiological processes. For example, data gathered during the last decade have demonstrated that locally produced PRL acts as the autocrine/paracrine factor and plays a contributory role during breast oncogenesis. In fact, the scientific and clinical communities have suggested that the manipulation of the PRL axis may lead to the successful treatment of breast cancer. However, recent work has demonstrated that the role of the PRL axis is much more complex than first envisaged.

This book outlines risk assessments for 28 diseases and medical conditions including the following aspects: genetics, biochemistry, serology, past medical history, family history, co-morbidities, age, gender, ethnicity, nutrition and lifestyle. Recommendations are made for how to avoid, eliminate or mitigate risks. Preventing measures concerning chemical compound intake, lifestyle and nutrition are proposed. The unique content and approach of the book to chronic disease management make it a state-of-the-art reference work, addressing a missing component of medical care and reflecting the cutting edge of preventive medicine.

This volume presents key topics of current interest with regard to several pathophysiological conditions including (a) the basic and clinical aspects of bradykinin receptor antagonists, (b) the kallikrein-kinin pathways in hypertension and diabetes, (c) tissue kallikrein-kinin therapy for hypertension and organ damage, (d) the renal (tissue) kallikrein-kinin system in the kidney and novel potential drugs for salt-sensitive hypertension, (e) the kallikrein-kinin system in diabetes retinopathy, and (f) genetic manipulation and genetic variation of the kallikrein-kinin system and their impacts on cardiovascular and renal disease. Written by internationally reputed scientists, the book provides an essential overview of the latest developments in the field of kinin research, making it a valuable asset for endocrinologists, nephrologists, cardiologists, pharmacologists, physiologists, ophthalmologists and rheumatologists. Furthermore, it is also intended for postgraduate students in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, physiology and pharmacology, and those working at research organizations.

During vertebrate hematopoiesis many specialized cell types are formed with vastly different functions such as B cells, T cells, granulocytes, macrophages, erythrocytes and megakaryocytes. To tightly control the enormous proliferative potential of developing blood cells, an intricately balanced signaling and transcription network has evolved that ensures that the different cell types are formed at the right time and in the right numbers. Intricate regulatory mechanisms ensure that blood cells function properly and have a determined life span. Moreover, in the adaptive immune system, long-lived memory cells have evolved that ensure that when pathogens have been seen once they will never cause a problem again. In this book we will therefore make a journey from asking how more primitive organisms use the epigenetic regulatory machinery to balance growth with differentiation control towards digging deep into what controls the function of specialized cells of the human immune system. We will first discover that flies make blood but exist without blood vessels, why fish make blood cells in the kidney and which precise genetic circuitries are required for these developmental pathways. We will then learn the regulatory principles that drive the differentiation of mature blood cells from stem cells and what controls their function in mammals. In the process, we will find out what unites hematopoietic stem cells and endothelial cells. Finally, we will shed light on the molecular mechanisms that either alter hematopoietic cell differentiation or lead to the development of cells with impaired function.

It is a pleasure to introduce this new book, Clinical and Pathological Aspects of Skin Diseases in Endocrine, Metabolic, Nutritional, and Deposition Disease, edited by two of my friends and respected colleagues, Franco Rongioletti and Bruce R. Smoller. In fact, I was very ent- siastic when I learned that they were preparing this work. Although endocrine, metabolic, w, and deposition diseases are regularly included in general textbooks of dermatology and d- matopathology, one gains the general impression that these topics receive little emphasis and are mainly included for completeness. The prospect of having all of this information in one volume, lovingly described and detailed by experts in the feld, should be of great interest not only to dermatologists, pathologists, and dermatopathologists but also to internists and en- crinologists, who may well gain a different perspective on these disorders. As a derma- pathologist, I am also pleased that this project has been organized and undertaken by two distinguished authorities in cutaneous pathology. This assures a close integration of histo- thology and other laboratory techniques with the clinical aspects of these disorders, which will make it possible - perhaps for the frst time - to view these conditions in a truly comprehensive way. So I invite you, the reader, to open this volume and dig in; be prepared for an eye-catching, intellectually stimulating, and ultimately rewarding experience! Charlottesville, VA James W. Patterson v w Foreword II Dermatopathology is a bridge between Dermatology and Pathology.

Understanding the influence and interaction between physical activity and the endocrine system are of paramount importance in dealing with a multitude of health problems. In Endocrinology of Physical Activity and Sport, renowned physicians and researchers provide a comprehensive and expanded update on the scientific, clinical and practical components of endocrinology as related to sport and exercise. The authors thoroughly review what is known about how such activity effects the endocrine system and how in turn these hormonal responses affect many other organs and systems of the body. In addition, aspects of endocrinology in non-glandular tissue which have endocrine actions are addressed; for example, adipocytes and the release of leptin and related adipocytokines. Further, a wide range of clinically related topics such as athletic amenorrhea, osteopenia, sarcopenia, and hypogonadism are included. This new edition critically integrates what is known about the complex interaction of the endocrine system in the sports context and will again prove immensely valuable to all physicians and clinical investigators treating those active in sports today.

The book covers areas of cellular physiology and metabolism that are of interest to scientists involved in research in diabetes and metabolic diseases. Some chapters of the book are specifically research-oriented, as all the authors are actively practicing either bench or clinical research in the area. Nonetheless, since the work is fully comprehensive of the discipline, it is also suitable for university classes of graduate and undergraduate students. In particular, the book discusses classical aspects of cellular physiology and the metabolism of physical exercise, as well as novel topics like exercise in transplantation and exercise in beta-cell failure, which mark the frontiers of research in sport-related sciences and research. Exercise physiologists, biologists and physicians are the specific professional and academic targets of this work. The team of authors together with the editor are world-renowned experts in the field of physiology and metabolism applied to sport sciences.

In recent years, human studies have made enormous contributions towards an understanding of the genetic basis of diabetes mellitus; however, most of the experimentation needed for the invention and testing of novel therapeutic approaches cannot be performed in humans. Thus, there is no alternative to appropriate animal models. In Animal Models in Diabetes Research, expert researchers explore the current status of the most important models and procedures in order to provide a timely resource in experimental diabetology. The first half of the volume serves as a comprehensive overview on our current knowledge of the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of diabetes in animal models through a series of reviews in model strains. The book then continues with vital, established protocols that are employed in the characterization and study of animal models of diabetes. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series, this work contains the type of detailed description and key implementation advice necessary to achieve successful results. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Animal Models in Diabetes Research delivers essential content that will be an important resource to advance diabetes research in the years to come.

In modern medicine, the aging population is prone to many simultaneous cardiovascular (CV) risk factors which often produce co-incident pathology. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the interaction between Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), Diabetes and diverse CV diseases (CVD). This is a complex and challenging area, as the presence of CKD/diabetes promotes CVD while also complicating its treatment. The emergence of CKD as a public health priority is one of the most challenging problems of modern medicine. It is now solidly established that renal dysfunction portends a high risk for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular diseases remains the main cause of death in western societies and the amplification of the death risk conveyed by coexisting CKD, even though still poorly understood, appears considerable. The bidirectional link that associates renal and cardiovascular diseases, the high risk of the death signalled by their coexistence and the considerable epidemiological burden imposed by this link is at the basis of the emergence of a new discipline aiming at making the borders between nephrology and cardiovascular medicine even more permeable than before. The term Cardio-Renal Syndrome was coined around 5 years ago to try to formalize this link, and act as a stimulus to interaction between clinical teams, researchers and others to achieve better management and outcomes for all. This book takes clinical presentations and clinical problems as its base, and then discuss the evidence for best management of common clinical problems as well as the reasons for the complex interplay between the cardiac and renal systems. Moreover, it addresses the issue of organizing healthcare to maximize the opportunities for prevention and best healthcare economic returns, building on cutting edge initiatives at the Karolinska, Stockholm. The book will be of immediate value and interest to all cardiologists and renal physicians.

This book's aim is to increase the awareness of a great variety of posttranslational modifications in the male and female reproductive system. Some of the most intriguing reproductive strategies, mechanisms, and pathways involving PTM are discussed, with an added angle of evolutionary conservation and diversity. The book also chapters on sperm-egg binding, as well as on histone modification in both the embryo and sperm. Chapters are also devoted to protein ubiquitination, the regulation of sperm function during fertilization in mammals and tubulin modifications in gametes and embryos. There are no other current books on posttranslational protein modifications as they relate to reproduction, making this contribution unique in the field. It is useful for both researchers and graduate students alike.