"The Protective Arm of the RAS: Functional Aspects and Therapeutic Implications" is the first comprehensive publication to signal the protective role of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) providing readers with early insight into a system which will become of major medical importance. It is extensively demonstrated that the RAS, when over activated, represents a disease-promoting and disease-sustaining system. But recently the protective role of the RAS has emerged supported by a large number of experimental studies. In fact, specific components of the RAS, namely angiotensin AT2 receptors (AT2R), the angiotensin (1 7) peptide with its receptor Mas, and the enzyme ACE 2 exert significant beneficial actions by counter-balancing the well-known harmful side of the RAS.
Provides a complete understanding of the protective, beneficial role of the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS).Combines the knowledge of editors who pioneered research on protective renin angiotensin system including Dr. Robson Santos who discovered angiotensins-(1-7) and its receptor Mas; and Dr. U. Muscha Steckelings and Dr. Thomas Unger who made contributions to AT2 receptor research and were the first to use a novel specific AT2-antagonist in preclinical studies.Shows the protective RAS axes are able to ameliorate the course of several cardiovascular, renal and neurological diseases.
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Comparative Biology of the Normal Lung, Second Edition, offers a rigorous and comprehensive reference for all those involved in pulmonary research. This fully updated work is divided into sections on anatomy and morphology, physiology, biochemistry, and immunological response. It continues to provide a unique comparative perspective on the mammalian lung. This edition includes several new chapters and expanded content, including aging and development of the normal lung, mechanical properties of the lung, genetic polymorphisms, the comparative effect of stress of pulmonary immune function, oxygen signaling in the mammalian lung and much more. By addressing scientific advances and critical issues in lung research, this 2nd edition is a timely and valuable work on comparative data for the interpretation of studies of animal models as compared to the human lung.

I wrote this book urged by the overwhelming desire that arises towards the end of life to recapitulate the past. My goal was to summarize my experience of practicing science at the end of the 20th and early 21st centuries in Argentina, a country located far away from the world's leading scientific centers. In the book, I summarize the intricacies of the pineal gland ("the stone of madness") as historical, mystical and medical entity and its entry in contemporary medicine with the description of melatonin. I also reflect on how being associated with an unexplored subject at the beginning of his scientific career impacts the life of a scientist throughout their entire life. Today we know that in humans pineal melatonin is released every day late in the evening, and there is evidence that it is the trigger for the sleep process. But the most exciting aspect of melatonin is that it is a substance that is present in all living creatures, from unicellular organisms to plants and higher mammals, a fact that evinces its importance for life. Further, the neuroprotective action of melatonin promises to be crucial for the control of neurodegenerative diseases we face as a pandemic in this century. The discoverer of melatonin, Aaron Lerner, based its name on melano, the Greek word for black, because of its effect on the pigment cells of the skin. As in "La vie en rose", the immortal Edith Piaf song written in 1946, my lifelong work with melatonin could well be called "Ma vie en noir".

This work provides the reader with various sets of questions and answers related to basic human physiology. The questions are formulated to test concepts and assess the thinking process in physiology and to discover any misperceptions in the current knowledge of physiology. Readers will find that this book has been split into three main themes; cardiovascular, respiratory and renal physiology. The homeostatic mechanisms within each system will be covered. In addition, the functional integration of the physiology of these three organ systems will also be considered. The author of this physiology question-based learning book has taught physiology for more than twenty five years. He is also the pioneer of the physiology quiz, which he facilitates as quiz master, for which he generates the challenging physiology questions. This book is a distillation of the questions asked at the international editions of the physiology quiz. This physiology question-based learning book will be useful to all students of physiology in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and other allied health sciences. This question-based learning text aims to provoke thinking and it should make learning physiology both enjoyable and challenging.

This proceedings volume highlights a selection of papers presented at the Sixth International Conference on High Performance Scientific Computing, which took place in Hanoi, Vietnam on March 16-20, 2015. The conference was jointly organized by the Heidelberg Institute of Theoretical Studies (HITS), the Institute of Mathematics of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR) at Heidelberg University, and the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, Ministry of Education The contributions cover a broad, interdisciplinary spectrum of scientific computing and showcase recent advances in theory, methods, and practical applications. Subjects covered numerical simulation, methods for optimization and control, parallel computing, and software development, as well as the applications of scientific computing in physics, mechanics, biomechanics and robotics, material science, hydrology, biotechnology, medicine, transport, scheduling, and industry.

This volume provides state-of-the-art techniques for studying various aspects of cholesterol homeostasis, including its uptake, synthesis and efflux from the cell, as well as its trafficking within the cell. Chapters also cover techniques for studying the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis at both the transcriptional and post-translational levels, as well as studying the membrane topology and structure of cholesterol-related proteins. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, 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. Authoritative and practical, Cholesterol Homeostasis: Methods and Protocols aims to provide key techniques in tackling the investigation of cholesterol homeostasis.

This book presents the current concepts of semaphorin biology. In the early 1990s, semaphorins were originally identified as axon guidance cues that function during neuronal development. However, cumulative findings have clarified that they have diverse functions in many physiological processes, including cardiogenesis, angiogenesis, vasculogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, retinal homeostasis, and immune regulation. Additionally, they have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various human diseases, including tumorigenesis/tumor metastasis, neuroregenerative diseases, retinal degeneration, irregular pulse/sudden death, and immune disorders. Based on this current research background, the book covers the essential state-of-the-art findings for basic scientists in biochemistry, molecular biology, neuroscience, developmental biology, and structural biology, as well as for physicians in neurology, cardiology, oncology, orthopedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, ophthalmology, allergology, and rheumatology.

Drawing on expert opinions from the fields of nutrition, gut microbiology, mammalian physiology, and immunology, "Diet-Microbe Interactions for Human Health" investigates the evidence for a unified disease mechanism working through the gut and its resident microbiota, and linking many inflammation-related chronic diet associated diseases. State of the art post-genomic studies can highlight the important role played by our resident intestinal microbiota in determining human health and disease. Many chronic human diseases associated with modern lifestyles and diets - including those localized to the intestinal tract like inflammatory bowel disease and celiac disease, and more pervasive systemic conditions such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease - are characterized by aberrant profiles of gut bacteria or their metabolites. Many of these diseases have an inflammatory basis, often presenting with a chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, hinting at persistent and inappropriate activation of inflammatory pathways. Through the presentation and analysis of recent nutrition studies, this book discusses the possible mechanisms underpinning the disease processes associated with these pathologies, with high fat diets appearing to predispose to disease, and biologically active plant components, mainly fiber and polyphenols, appearing to reduce the risk of chronic disease development.
One comprehensive, translational source for all aspects of nutrition and diet's effect on gastrointestinal health and diseaseExperts in nutrition, diet, microbiology and immunology take readers from the bench research (cellular and biochemical mechanisms of vitamins and nutrients) to new preventive and therapeutic approachesClear presentations by leading researchers of the cellular mechanisms underlying diet, immune response, and gastrointestinal disease help practicing nutritionists and clinicians (gastroenterologists, endocrinologists) map out new areas for clinical research and structuring clinical recommendations

This book examines the new knowledge that has been gained from the objective monitoring of habitual physical activity by means of pedometers and accelerometers. It reviews current advances in the technology of activity monitoring and details advantages of objective monitors relative to physical activity questionnaires. It points to continuing gaps in knowledge, and explores the potential for further advances in the design of objective monitoring devices. Epidemiologists have studied relationships between questionnaire assessments of habitual physical activity and various medical conditions for some seventy years. In general, they have observed positive associations between regular exercise and good health, but because of inherent limitations in the reliability and accuracy of physical activity questionnaires, optimal exercise recommendations for the prevention and treatment of disease have remained unclear. Inexpensive pedometers and accelerometers now offer the epidemiologist the potential to collect relatively precisely graded and objective information on the volume, intensity and patterns of effort that people are undertaking, to relate this data to past and future health experience, and to establish dose/response relationships between physical activity and the various components of health. Such information is important both in assessing the causal nature of the observed associations and in establishing evidence-based recommendations concerning the minimal levels of daily physical activity needed to maintain good health.

This is the first book to assemble the leading researchers in the field of LRRK2 biology and neurology and provide a snapshot of the current state of knowledge, encompassing all major aspects of its function and dysfunction. The contributors are experts in cell biology and physiology, neurobiology, and medicinal chemistry, bringing a multidisciplinary perspective on the gene and its role in disease. The book covers the identification of LRRK2 as a major contributor to the pathogenesis of Parkinson's Disease. It also discusses the current state of the field after a decade of research, putative normal physiological roles of LRRK2, and the various pathways that have been identified in the search for the mechanism(s) of its induction of neurodegeneration.

Written to satisfy a wide audience, from basic scientist to clinical researcher, this volume explores such varied concepts as: the influence of CBF in the pathotrajectory of TBI, modeling TBI as a means to understand underlying pathological states associated with brain injury victims, disrupted vasculature following head trauma and advanced imaging techniques, vasoreactive substances underlying disrupted blood flow, the role of age and sex on injury outcome, and the latest pre-clinical rationale for focusing on CBF and strategies to improve blood flow as a means to improve outcome in patients suffering the effects of TBI.

This new volume of "Current Topics in Developmental Biology" covers the area of mechanisms in regeneration. With an international board of authors, it provides a comprehensive set of reviews covering such topics as control of growth during regeneration, skeletal muscle degeneration and regeneration in mammals and flies, and suppression of regeneration in mammals.
Covers the area of mechanisms in regenerationInternational board of authors Provides a comprehensive set of reviews

This special volume of "Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science" focuses on chronobiology.

Key features:

* Contributions from leading authorities * Informs and updates on all the latest developments in the field

With the significant medical role that human cytomegalovirus plays in human disease (from acute disease following primary infection, to chronic disease due to life-long viral persistence), the need to better understand human cytomegalovirus biology and pathogenesis is needed. Human Cytomegaloviruses: Methods and Protocols is designed to be an inclusive document covering all of the techniques and approaches necessary to understand and study the pathobiology of human cytomegalovirus. Topics covered include the history of human cytomegaloviruses, techniques to culture and grow the virus in model cell types, the use of primary cells for the study of human cytomegalovirus pathogenesis, modern molecular techniques for assessing the biological consequences of viral infection, animal models for study of cytomegalovirus replication and numerous other topics of current interest. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, each chapter includes an introduction, list of necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Human Cytomegaloviruses: Methods and Protocols serves as a tool for basic scientists as well as clinical scientists with an interest in the basic fundamental aspects of viral gene expression and specific aspects of viral pathogenesis.

Cell Adhesion Molecules: Implications in Neurological Diseases contains review articles on recent developments in the field of neural cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). The main focus is on the role of cell adhesion molecules in various neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. This perspective has been essentially overlooked in recently published books on neural CAMs. In addition, the contributors cover many newly identified cell adhesion molecules and some that have not received much attention in recent years. This books fills an important gap in the currently available literature.

Humans receive the vast majority of sensory perception through the eyes and ears. This non-technical book examines the everyday physics behind hearing and vision to help readers understand more about themselves and their physical environment. It begins wit

The middle ear plays a vital role in the sense and sensitivity of hearing. Of the various characteristics that distinguish mammals from other vertebrates, several pertain specifically to the middle-ear system, such as the presence of three middle-ear bones and the four-layer composite structure of the tympanic membrane. The Middle Ear attempts to elucidate the role this system plays in sound transmission, as viewed from both scientific and clinical perspectives.

This book provides a comprehensive look at nonhuman primate social inequalities as models for health differences associated with socioeconomic status in humans. The benefit of the socially-housed monkey model is that it provides the complexity of hierarchical structure and rank affiliation, i.e. both negative and positive aspects of social status. At the same time, nonhuman primates are more amenable to controlled experiments and more invasive studies that can be used in human beings to examine the effects of low status on brain development, neuroendocrine function, immunity, and eating behavior. Because all of these biological and behavioral substrates form the underpinnings of human illness, and are likely shared among primates, the nonhuman primate model can significantly advance our understanding of the best interventions in humans.

The concept of immunotherapy was in infancy when the first edition was written; since then, major advances have been made, not only with several prominent clinical trials, but also with the approval of cell-based therapy by the FDA for the treatment of cancer in 2010. These events resulted in a gradually narrowing gap between early scientific knowledge and the late development of immune-based therapies. Consequently, the significance and magnitude of these advances warranted a revision of this contribution; this revised edition will provide a deeper understanding of the recent advances and discoveries related to the function of the immune response and their applications in the development of novel therapies to treat human diseases. Some of the key discoveries during the past five years include: the identification of the new subsets of helper T cells; new cytokines and their networks; and novel signal transduction mechanisms. For example, the identification of TH17 subset of helper T cells, in addition to TH1 and TH2 cells, not only advanced our understanding of the function of the basic immune response, but also raised our awareness of the possible etiology and pathogenesis of diseases such as allergy, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and other auto-immune/immune system based diseases. The newly identified powerful cytokine networks, that regulate both innate and acquired immune responses, emerged as a result of the finding of new cell types such as innate lymphoid cells and iNKT. Identification of the novel cytokines and their networks has advanced our knowledge of the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, including inflammation and tissue repair during stress and injury. The development of HIV vaccines has also seen dramatic changes over the last few years. There has been a shift from a sole focus on T cell vaccines to a holistic approach that pertains to the induction of both humoral and cellular elements. This entails the induction of antibodies - both binding and neutralizing - to prevent infection. The cellular vaccination produces a safety net of CD8+ T-cell responses to suppress the replication of the virus in the infected patients, and both of the effector arms are aided by helper T cells. From the perspective of clinical applications, significant advances have also been made in: oral immunotherapy for allergic disease, the possible treatment of HIV infection, the development of new monoclonal antibodies and their fragments to treat human diseases, and immune cell based therapies for cancer.

The Human Respiratory System combines emerging ideas from biology and mathematics to show the reader how to produce models for the development of biomedical engineering applications associated with the lungs and airways. Mathematically mature but in its infancy as far as engineering uses are concerned, fractional calculus is the basis of the methods chosen for system analysis and modelling. This reflects two decades' worth of conceptual development which is now suitable for bringing to bear in biomedical engineering. The text reveals the latest trends in modelling and identification of human respiratory parameters with a view to developing diagnosis and monitoring technologies. Of special interest is the notion of fractal structure which is indicative of the large-scale biological efficiency of the pulmonary system. The related idea of fractal dimension represents the adaptations in fractal structure caused by environmental factors, notably including disease. These basics are linked to model the dynamical patterns of breathing as a whole. The ideas presented in the book are validated using real data generated from healthy subjects and respiratory patients and rest on non-invasive measurement methods. The Human Respiratory System will be of interest to applied mathematicians studying the modelling of biological systems, to clinicians with interests outside the traditional borders of medicine, and to engineers working with technologies of either direct medical significance or for mitigating changes in the respiratory system caused by, for example, high-altitude or deep-sea environments.

Debates and controversies about how to treat difficult problems or conditions abound in cardiac electrophysiology.? This issue attempts to bring together a variety of controversial subjects and to present differing views on how to resolve these questions so clinicians will have a handy guide to the most current thinking about these difficult subjects.

An overview of all the available literature on the various aspects of the regulation of the cardiovascular system`s function and physiology by the adrenergic neurohormonal system, i.e. the catecholamines norepinephrine and epinephrine. Although there are several books describing the adrenergic system`s biology, physiology and pharmacology, and also several excellent books on cardiovascular physiology and pathology, this book focuses exclusively on the interface of these two areas: cardiovascular regulation by the adrenergic system and how it affects cardiovascular diseases and their treatments. Each chapter describe the roles of the adrenergic system first in each cardiovascular cell type (cell type-by-cell type) and then in specific areas of cardiovascular physiology, such as in exercise and in cardiovascular metabolism. Finally, the book concludes with a chapter on the adrenergic system`s role in the currently very "hot" (in terms of scientific investigations) area of cardiovascular stem cell biology. The book covers the adrenergic system-specifically and exclusively in the heart and vessels. It is formatted by cardiovascular cell type-by-cell type manner, rather than in an organ-by-organ or in a disease-by-disease manner, as usually discussed in standard, conventional biomedical textbooks. The book also discusses the adrenergic system in novel, cutting-edge cardiovascular research areas, in which it has not been covered well so far (e.g. stem cells, exercise). These three areas constitute the most important assets of the book, which sets it apart from others in the field.

How does contemporary science contribute to our understanding about what it means to be women or men? What are the social implications of scientific claims about differences between ""male"" and ""female"" brains, hormones, and genes? How does culture influence scientific and medical research and its findings about human sexuality, especially so-called normal and deviant desires and behaviours? Gender and the Science of Difference examines how contemporary science shapes and is shaped by gender ideals and images. Prior scholarship has illustrated how past cultures of science were infused with patriarchal norms and values that influenced the kinds of research that was conducted and the interpretation of findings about differences between men and women. This interdisciplinary volume presents empirical inquiries into today's science, including examples of gendered scientific inquiry and medical interventions and research. It analyses how scientific and medical knowledge produces gender norms through an emphasis on sex differences, and includes both U.S. and non-U.S. cases and examples.

The discovery of vitamins in the early 1900s, their later chemical characterization and the clarification of pivotal metabolic functions are sequential aspects of a brilliant chapter in the history of modern nutritional sciences and medicine. The name, derived from "vital-amines", indicates their elementary metabolic key functions in human metabolism. Vitamins are truly families of compounds, which include precursors and various free and bound forms, all with individual roles in metabolism and function. A more recent approach therefore searches for the components, the understanding of their roles in physiology and pathology as well as looking for novel pharmacological applications. When used properly, vitamins are, indeed, "magical" substances. Due to their efficacy, they should therefore be regarded as drugs with effects and side effects to be weighted against each other. Today, it is not the previously fatal deficiency-associated diseases that are in the focus of interest, but rather the relation of suboptimal vitamin bioavailability to chronic disease. This is complicated by genetic susceptibility, lifestyle, and the presence or absence of health-compromising habits, such as smoking. In turn, the development and application of new and more sensitive and specific assays further enable us to look more closely into the many functions of vitamins. Water soluble vitamins are complex molecular structures and even today, many areas in vitamin biochemistry are not yet fully understood. Novel effects and functions of vitamins remain and continue to be discovered. This book presents most recent research results and fascinating new knowledge on the role and effects of the water soluble vitamins in man. Some of the most distinguished chemists, biochemists, biologists and clinicians have contributed valuable chapters sharing unexpected novel insights into the biochemistry, (epi)genetics, metabolism, and function of water soluble vitamins, with their potential for clinical applications. Thus, physicians, clinicians, scientists, researchers, epidemiologists. nutritional specialists and health professionals alike will find stimulating and fascinating new insight in the many roles that water soluble vitamins play in human health and disease.