S. Geley,M. Fiegl, B.L. Hartmann, R. Kofler: Genes Mediating Glucocorticoid Effects and Mechanisms of Their Regulation J.O. Holloszy, P.A. Hansen: Regulation of Glucose Transport into Skeletal Muscle F. Lehmann-Horn, R. Rudel: Molecular Pathophysiology of Voltage-Gated Ion Channels

Contents: R.L. Moss, G.M. Diffee, M.L. Greaser: Contractile Properties of Skeletal Muscle Fibers in Relation to Myofibrillar Protein Isoforms.- J.E. Wilson: Hexokinases.- J. Rassow, N. Pfanner: Molecular Chaperones and Intracellular Protein Translocation.- H. Fuder, E. Muscholl: Heteroreceptor-Mediated Modulation of Noradrenaline and Acetylcholine Release from Peripheral Nerves.

This volume synthesizes pathways in respiratory mechanics and the dynamics of air-blood and blood-cellular gas exchange for students and teachers in respiratory physiology. The authors strive to make physiology fun to learn. This aspect of knowledge acquisition is reflected in the way topics are approached, for example by using playing cards in what is coined 'Respi-CARDology'. The first section of this book reviews the framework and foundations of basic respiratory physiology. Since this book was not written to be a comprehensive physiology text, the authors have focused on leading students to appreciate and understand integrative principles and homeostatic mechanisms in lung function. The second section of this book mainly deals with the clinical application of fundamental knowledge of respiratory physiology.

Cardiac ion channels and mechanisms for protection against atrial fibrillation. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells. Quantifying and modeling the temperature-dependent gating of TRP channels.

Cilia are tiny microtubule-based organelles projecting from the plasma membrane of practically all cells in the body. In the past 10 years a flurry of research has indicated a crucial role of this long-neglected organelle in the development and function of the central nervous system. A common theme of these studies is the critical dependency of signal transduction of the Sonic hedgehog, and more recently, Wnt signaling pathways upon cilia to regulate fate decisions and morphogenesis. Both primary and motile cilia also play crucial roles in the function of the nervous system, including the primary processing of sensory information, the control of body mass, and higher functions such as behavior and cognition, serving as "antennae" for neurons to sense and process their environment. In this book we describe the structure and function of cilia and the various tissues throughout the brain and spinal cord that are dependent upon cilia for their proper development and function.

In this second special issue on signal transduction leading specialists in their fields again present overviews of topics related to the highly topicalsubject of signal transduction. The first contribution, by Keppler, deals with the biosynthesis, transport, inactivation, and analysis of leukotrienes. Mohr et al. present an excellent overview of the biology of the peptide hormone oxytocin and its role in signal transduction.The review by Holzer describes the significance of peptinergic sensory neurons in the control of vascular functions. In the contribution by Wolf etal the molecular biology of the Y chromosome is discussed.

In this volume of Reviews of Physiology we present three articles on modulation of PKC in antitumor treatment, compartment-specific functions of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and transgenic models of alpha2-adrenergic receptor subtype function.

Cardiovascular fluid mechanics is now used as a tool in determining diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis by physicians and surgeons working in the fields of cardiology and angiology. The text is based on a considerable amount of clinical and experimental data on blood flow in the heart and large vessels obtained using various methods such as ultrasound pulsed Doppler velocimetry (including Doppler color flow imaging), catheter-tip electromagnetic velocimetry, hot-film anemometry, and laser Doppler velocimetry. The book will introduce medical researchers and clinicians to this rapidly developing field and allow them to apply the knowledge and the methods of fluid mechanics to practical medicine.

Information flow as nerve impulses in neuronal circuits is regulated at synapses. The synapse is therefore a key element for information processing in the brain. Much attention has been given to fast synaptic transmission, which predominantly regulates impulse-to-impulse transmission. Slow synaptic transmission and modu lation, however, sometimes have been neglected in considering and attempting to understand brain function. Slow synaptic potentials and modulation occur with a considerable delay in response to the accumulation of synaptic and modulatory inputs. In these contexts, they are plastic in nature and play important roles in information processing in the brain. A symposium titled "Slow Synaptic Responses and Modulation" was held as the satellite symposium to the 75th Annual Meeting of the Physiological Society of Japan on March 30-31, 1998, in Kanazawa. The theme was selected not only for the reason mentioned above, but also because of the considerable involvement of many Japanese scholars in establishing the basic issues. Following the dawn of synaptic physiological research, as Sir John Eccles, Sir Bernard Katz, and Professor Stephen Kuffler carried out pioneer work, Professor Kyozou Koketsu and Professor Benjamin Libet, the students of Sir John Eccles, and their colleagues established the concept of slow synaptic responses and modulation by studying vertebrate sympathetic ganglia. Since then, the concept has been ex panded with detailed investigations of both peripheral and central synapses at the levels of single ion channels, intracellular Ca"+ dynamics, intracellular transduc tion mechanisms, and genes.

In this volume of Reviews there are three outstanding articles, one on phspholipase D, an enzyme that is widely distributed in bacteria, protozoa, fungi, plants and animals. Phospholipase D carries out a transphosphatidylation reaction, which is unique to this enzyme. This review is focussed on mammalian PLDs. The second review deals with endotoxin tolerance, the term which describes the phenomenon that immune responses and metabolic changes are mitigated after repeated LPS administration. The third article summarizes the current knowledge relevant to understanding the molecular basis of GPCR function and focusses on the underlying mechanisms of GPCR malfunctions responsible for diferent human diseases.

Book chapters are authored by participants in the International Meeting on "Staging Neuropsychiatric Disorders: Implications for Etiopathogenesis and Treatment," held in Mojacar (Almeria) Spain from 14-18 October 2009. Chapters are organized into four sections on themes encompassed by Staging Neuropsychiatric Disorders: 1) Clinical Staging in the Pathophysiology of Psychotic and Affective Disorders, 2) Staging Perspectives in Neurodevelopmental Aspects of Neuropsychiatry, 3) Epigenetics and Biomarkers in the Staging of Neuropsychiatric Disorders, and 4) Staging Neurodegenerative Disorders. This volume should serve as a resource for physicians and neuroscientists alike, highlighting the importance of staging neuropsychiatric disorders and the underlying mechanistic dysfunction, for prevention and treatment strategies at different stages of disease progression."

The study of signal transduction mechanisms has become one of the most important branches of biomedical science, indispensable to understanding the normal actions of hormones, neurotransmitters and other extracellular signaling molecules as well as many pathophysiological processes, including inflammation and cancer. In this volume, the various techniques for measuring Ca2+ in the cytosol, in the various organelles, and in the immediate surroundings of individual cells are described in practical detail by experts. Also included is a chapter on tracking calmodulin inside cells using fluorescence technology. A Springer Lab Manual

The concept of homeostasis, the maintenance of the internal physiological environment of an organism within tolerable limits, is well established in medicine and physiology. In contrast, allostasis is a relatively new idea of 'viability through change'. With allostatic regulation by cephalic involvement, the body adapts to potentially diverse and dangerous situations through the activation of neural, hormonal, or immunological mechanisms. Allostasis explains how regulatory events maintain organismic viability, or not, in diverse contexts with varying set points of bodily needs and competing motivations. This 2005 book introduces the concept of allostasis and sets it alongside traditional views of homeostasis. It addresses basic regulatory systems and examines the behavior of bodily regulation under duress. The basic concepts of physiological homeostasis are integrated with disorders like depression, stress, anxiety and addiction. It will therefore appeal to graduate students, medical students and researchers working in physiology, epidemiology, endocrinology, neuroendocrinology, neuroscience, and psychology.

Induced pluripotent stem cells in cardiovascular research.- TRPs in the brain.- The channel physiology of the skin.

It has been known for over 150 years that hallmarks of inflammation can be observed in the wall of atherosclerotic vessels. It was, however, not clear if this inflammation is the cause or the consequence of atherogenesis. More recently, it has become evident that inflammation mediated both by innate and adaptive immunity is instrumental even in the earliest stages of the development of atherosclerotic lesions, i.e., that it plays an important pathogenetic role. In this volume, international experts in the field discuss the pathogenetic, diagnostic, preventive and possible therapeutic relevance of inflammation in atherogenesis. This book is intended for researchers and physicians in the fields of vascular biology, immunology and atherosclerosis.

Based on the 38th annual conference of the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue (ISOTT), held in Ascona, Switzerland in July 2010, this volume covers all aspects of oxygen transport from air to the cells, as well as looking at organs and organism, instrumentation, and methods to sense oxygen and clinical evidence.

This volume is unique to the existing literature in the Peptide Nucleic Acid field, in that it focuses on comparing and contrasting PNA with other available oligonucleotide homologues and considers areas in which these biomolecules could be profitably applied to clinical and diagnostic applications. Part I of the book addresses comparative strengths and weaknesses of various nucleoside homologues. Part II of the book addresses specific translational or clinical applications for PNA and related antisense biomolecules. The editors have succeeded in presenting a balanced yet broad view of the methods available for gene targeting and modification.

This book is a concise, easy-to read guide to a selection of the most important contemporary electrophysiological techniques, their implementation, applications, and ways in which they can be combined and integrated with related neuroscience techniques. It is intended for students, postdocs and faculty with a basic neuroscience background, so does not obscure the relevant technical details with textbook neuroscience tutorials as many other books do. Each chapter provides a concise overview of the underlying theory, a comprehensive description of equipment, materials, methods, data management and analysis, a troubleshooting guide, and a list of frequently asked questions. No book or online resource can function as a strictly DIY set of instructions on how to implement a complex technique. However, this book provides a fundamental and accessible set of information intended to form a foundation prior to, during, and after hands-on experience and training, greatly facilitating the initial learning process and subsequent fine-tuning of technical details.

In addition to its metabolic and endocrinologic effects, obesity and adipose tissue have now been shown to be associated with low grade inflammation resulting in cellular and humoral inflammatory factors of which the latter may act by endocrine, paracrine and autocrine mechanisms. These inflammatory mediators have increasingly been suggested as contributing to the obesity link to carcinogenesis and cancer promotion. This volume of Energy Balance and Cancer will focus on recent developments and cutting edge research pointing to inflammation and inflammatory factors as key mediators of this linkage. The volume first provides information on inflammation as an important link between obesity and insulin resistance, which is in itself linked to promotion of cancer through hyperinsulinemia. The volume then covers some of the most important mechanisms by which obesity leads to inflammation, including the novel inflammasome concept, alterations in chromatin structure, circulating inflammatory factors, unique cellular interactions between adipocytes and macrophages and the direct link of dietary fat to inflammation and cancer. Overall, this volume will provide important insight to help understand how inflammation may help modulate the linkage between obesity and cancer and serve as a platform for developing future research in this area.

Volume I highlights the association of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) with copper and zinc, the potential roles of PrPC in Alzheimer's disease and cancers, insoluble PrPC, PMCA, molecular and cellular mechanisms of PrPSc formation and clearance, possible co-factors involved in the conversion of PrPC into PrPSc, infectious and pathogenic forms of PrP, cell biology of prions, prion strains and their interference, as well as yeast prions and their inheritable and structural traits. This unique volume will take you through the fascinating chronicle of prions in mammals, yeast, and fungi.

Cook et al.: Phospholipases C and D in Mitogenic Signal Transduction. Moolenaar et al: Lysophosphatidatic Acid: A Bioactive Phospholipid with Growth Factor-Like Properties. Kozma et al.: Serine/Threonine Kinases in thePropagation of the Early Mitogenic Response. Diringer et al: A Retrospective on Transformation, Growth Control, and some Peculiarities of Lipid Metabolism. Villereal et al.: Calcium Signals in Growth Factor Signal Transduction. Wakabayashi et al.: Structure Function of the Growth Factor-Activatable Na+/H+ Exchanger. Herrlich et al.: DNA Damage-Induces Gene Expression: Signal Transduction and Relation to Growth Factor Signaling. Lucibello et al.: Transcription Factor Encoding Oncogenes

As the title suggests, and unlike other existing books on sleep medicine, Neuroendocrine Correlates of Sleep/Wakefulness will be devoted primarily to endocrine regulation of the behavioral state control. It will address a wide spectrum of sleep./wakefulness phenomena (both animals and humans), including pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. From molecular biology to applied clinical therapy, sleep research has been transformed in the last few years from a research backwater to an important interdisciplinary field. Anyone who regularly reads the literature on sleep, biological rhythms, or neuroendocrinology is aware that one of the subspecialties within sleep medicine, the neuroendocrine correlates of sleep/wakefulness, has in particular experienced a growth rate that is even faster than that of the field as a whole. To a significant extent this has been due to the introduction of new research technologies. The widespread adoption of a range of new methods in sleep research has opened a window into activities at the cellular and molecular level, which previously had been tightly closed. Consequently these activities are being characterized with a degree of precision and sensitivity that is without precedent. This volume invites the reader to explore the new vistas that have been opened onto the neuroendocrine frontier of sleep medicine. The editors have selectively identified a number of key articles having a citation frequency, which is considerably above the norm or which otherwise have contributed importantly to defining the neuroendocrine perspective. This new volume on Neuroendocrine Correlates of Sleep/Wakefulness is an up-to-date resource of research summaries and reviews written by major contributors to the fields of sleep, biological rhythms and neuroendocrinology. Its coverage is broad and its basic and clinical science reviews are detailed. In this volume, an international team of experts discuss their latest ideas, concepts, methods, and interpretations with supporting examples. This volume is intended for advanced students and specialists in psychobiology, neuroscience, neuroendocrinology, and psychiatry but might also be interest to anyone concerned with understanding the Neuroendocrine correlates of sleep/wakefulness. The contributions are directed more towards providing an integrated view of the field from the perspective of the authors, rather than being a compendium of recent results. The intent is to provide a reference book for recent and future workers in this and related areas of medicine and biology. Each topic in this volume has received the attention of a panel of authors who have responded to our request to review and place into perspective the major issues, which will undoubtedly confront newcomers to the field. The topics dealt with in Neuroendocrine correlates of Sleep/wakefulness are both diverse and complex. The editors hope that this volume will provide an authoritative summary of important issues in the neuroendocrine correlates of sleep/wakefulness. We also hope that it will motivate new researchers to join the quest for solutions to the problems that have been identified by our contributing authors.

Since the publication of the first edition of this book ten years ago, international research into the physiological ecology of plants in the tropics has increased enormously in quantity and quality. This brand new edition brings the story right up to date. New approaches have been developed in remote sensing while at the other end of the scale molecular biology has come on in leaps and bounds, particularly regarding ecological performance of tropical plants, e.g. in understanding the adaptation of resurrection plants to the extreme habitat of inselbergs. In this fully revised and updated second edition the wealth of new information has made it necessary to break large chapters down into smaller ones.