Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE), known as prion diseases, have been recognized for nearly 300 years in animals and almost 100 years in humans. Modern studies, including the protein-misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA), have greatly advanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of prion diseases and facilitated the identification of new prion diseases in animals and humans. In the second edition of Prions and Diseases, more than 60 leading researchers and clinicians worldwide provide an up-to-date discussion of these unique infectious pathogens and their associated diseases. The book provides up-to-date knowledge about the etiology, pathogenesis, classification, histopathological, and clinical aspects of the full range of animal and human prion diseases. As a result, the book contains by far the most authoritative views about the past, present, and future of prions and prion diseases. The new second edition covers such important emerging topics such as inherited human prion disease, stem-cell models in prion research, human prion disease surveillance, and gene therapy strategies.

There are many separate groups working in gut biology, and they feel that the gut is an excellent model for investigating general problems in differentiation, growth control, stem cell biology, and regeneration and adaptive responses. There is a pressing need to define the objectives of the next 5 to 10 years, and the meeting, Part III of the Gastroenterology Symposia Freiburg 1996 (Falk Symposium No. 94), held in Freiburg, Germany, October 25-26, brought together some of these groups with a view to identifying areas which are not being utilized and need to be exploited, such as transgenic and knockout approaches, retrovirus delivery systems, and model cell/tissue systems. The main themes of the book are gastrointestinal development and differentiation, gut stem cell biology, and the control of gut growth in normal and abnormal situations. Basic research findings are related to clinical situations, and the book will appeal not only to gut cell and molecular biologists, but also to gastroenterologists interested in the potential applications of these subject areas.

A state-of-the-art summary from leading laboratories around the world of our current knowledge of the molecular biology, the physiology, and the pharmacology of the P2 receptors. The authoritative contributions cover the major aspects of these receptors, describing the relationships between physiological and pharmacological effects of ATP and other nucleotides and the various cloned P2 receptors, as well as providing an historical perspective and discussing current issues of nomenclature. They also illuminate how P2 receptor structures contribute to their function, including the physical differences underlying the pharmacological and functional variations among P2 receptor subtypes.

This book covers key topics in polyamine research from a range of organisms, including plants, mammals, and prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea. The book provides an introduction to general concepts in the field of polyamine research, as well as more detailed information. With the availability of genome sequence data from a broad range of organisms, the evolution of the genes involved in polyamine metabolism is discussed. The mode of action of polyamines has been shown to be dependent on cation channels, and this mechanism is described in the book. The origin of polyamine transporters (from bacteria, yeasts, and plants) is described. The various effects of polyamines on growth and survival are also documented. The book details the mechanisms of polyamine homeostasis and the role of polyamine molecules as precursors of secondary metabolites such as plant alkaloids and toxins derived from spiders and wasps. The role of polyamines in longevity and disease is discussed. A link between polyamine contents and cancer progression is reported, as is the use of polyamine metabolites as diagnostic markers in the initial stages of cancer. Moreover, a novel approach that utilizes the polyamine pathway of a parasite as a drug target in African sleeping sickness is described. Therefore, this book is a valuable resource, both as a textbook for undergraduate and graduate students and also as a reference book for front-line polyamine researchers.

This volume introduces the concepts of income and optimal choice to the realms of brain activity and behavior regulation. It begins by developing the concept of the Income-Choice approach in the field of biological control systems, then deals with the problems of control of brain activity, and finally presents a model of behavior disturbance based on the idea that its cause is a definite and simple change in the income system of the organism. Other areas to which the proposed Income-Choice approach could be applied are also addressed including the origin of the epileptic aura and why it is a predictor of the imminent attack, the mechanism of the phenomena of "personality switching" in schizophrenics, and the possible connection between schizophrenic- like symptoms and epileptic status. Written nearly 20 years ago in Russia and now published in the West, this book will be of value to many professionals in related fields. This volume introduces the concepts of income and optimal choice to the realm of brain activity and behavior regulation. It begins by developing the concept of the Income-Choice approach in the field of biological control systems, then deals with the problems of control of brain activity, and finally presents a model of behavior disturbance based on the idea that its cause is a definite and simple change in the income system of the organism. Other areas to which the proposed Income-Choice approach could be applied are also addressed, including the origin of the epileptic aura and why it is a predictor of the would-be attack, the mechanism of the phenomena of "personality switching" in schizophrenics, and the possible connection between schizophrenic- like symptoms andepileptic status. Originally written nearly 20 years ago in Russia and now published for the first time in the West, this book will be of value to many professionals in related fields.

Measurement of Cardiac Deformations from MRI: Physical and Mathematical Models describes the latest imaging and imag analysis techniques that have been developed at leading centers for the visualization, analysis, and understanding of normal and abnormal cardiac motion with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The use of MRI in measuring cardiac motion is particularly important because MRI is non-invasive, and it is the only modality capable of imaging detailed intramural motion within the myocardium. Biomedical engineers, medical physicists, computer scientists, and physicians interested in learning about the latest advances in cardiovascular MRI should find this book to be a valuable educational resource. In particular, it is more tutorial in nature than most of the technical papers where the research was originally published. Practitioners and researchers working in the field of cardiovascular MRI will find the book to be filled with practical technical details and references to other work, enabling the implementation of existing methods and serving as a basis for further research in the area.

A compilation of the proceedings of a conference held to honor Alvin M. Liberman for his outstanding contributions to research in speech perception, this volume deals with two closely related and controversial proposals for which Liberman and his colleagues at Haskins Laboratories have argued forcefully over the past 35 years. The first is that articulatory gestures are the units not only of speech production but also of speech perception; the second is that speech production and perception are not cognitive processes, but rather functions of a special mechanism. This book explores the implications of these proposals not only for speech production and speech perception, but for the neurophysiology of language, language acquisition, higher-level linguistic processing, the visual perception of phonetic gestures, the production and perception of sign language, the reading process, and learning to read. The contributors to this volume include linguists, psycholinguists, speech scientists, neurophysiologists, and ethologists. Liberman himself responds in the final chapter.

Presenting the work of researchers who are at the forefront of the study of memory mechanisms, this volume addresses a wide range of topics including: physiological and biophysical studies of synaptic plasticity, neural models of information storage and recall, functional and structural considerations of amnesia in brain-damaged patients, and behavioral studies of animal cognition and memory. The book's coverage of diverse approaches to memory mechanisms is intended to help dissolve the borders between behavioral psychology, cognitive neuropsychology, and neurophysiology.

Sunao Tawara's epoch-making work on the excitation conduction system of the mammalian heart paved the way for the advancement of modern cardiology in the 20th century. Even today, more than 90 years after the publication of the German monograph "Das Reizleitungssystem des Saugetierherzen", his precise account of the conduction system from the atrioventricular node through the His-Purkinje system to the ordinary ventricular muscle fibers retains all of its original actuality.This English edition of Tawara's monograph will serve as an invaluable reference for both basic and clinical cardiological research in the years ahead.

Measured by any criteria, research in chronobiology in general and chronopharmacology in particular has expanded rapidly in recent years. This expansion has been paralleled by an increasing recognition by those outside the field of the relevance and significance of recent developments in chronobiology. Advances in two areas have been chiefly responsible. First, application of the full range of modern techniques in behavioral, neurochemical, and molecular biology have greatly improved our understanding of basic clock mechanisms. In several species the genetic basis of the circadian clock is being progressively delineated. A complete picture of the neurochemical and neuroanatomical structure of the mammalian clock is emerging and the complex pattern of control mechanisms involving endogenous clock mechan isms and photic and nonphotic zeitgebers is being built up as a result of behavioral studies. Secondly, in parallel with these exciting developments in basic science, clinical applications are being convincingly demonstrated in the general fields of pharmacology and medicine as well as in specific areas, e.g., jet lag, shiftwork maladaption syndrome, blindness, and cardiovascular system. It is therefore an opportune time to review progress in the field of chronopharmacology and to introduce some of the exciting developments and prospects to a readership beyond the confines of the chronobiological cognoscenti. This volume is therefore aimed primarily at the pharmacologist - whether basic, applied, or clinical-who is not a specialist in chronobiology."

This volume presents selected papers presented during the 16th International Conference on Humanizing Work and Work Environment (HWWE 2018). The book presents a confluence of ideas on ergonomics and technology implementation to improve workplace environments and work systems to maximize effectiveness and performance. The volume is thematically arranged, with papers covering different aspects of ergonomics and design. The volume will be of use to researchers, practitioners and students working in different fields of ergonomics.

The seventh "Oxford Conference" on Modeling and Control of Ventilation was held in the beautiful setting of Northem Ontario at the Grandview Inn in Hunstville. This meet- ing was called the Canadian Conference on Modeling and Control ofVentilation (CCMCV) to follow on LCMCV held in London, England, three years ago. The beautiful view over Fairy Lake greeted everyone in the moming and provided an ideal setting for many discus- sions about respiratory physiology and modeling. The Oxford Conferences began in 1971 when Dr. Richard Hercynski (a mathematical modeler with an interest in respiratory physiology) and Dr. Dan Cunningham (a respiratory physiologist with an interest in modeling) decided to organize a meeting "Modelling of a Biological Control System: Tbe Regulation of Breathing" in Oxford, England, in 1978. The meeting was a success, and it spawned aseries of meetings that have continued to today. A second conference was organized at Lake Arrowbead, Califomia, in 1982. After tbis, con- ferences were repeated at tbree-year intervals. My first Oxford Conference was at tbe abbey in Solignac, France, in 1985. Next, we met in tbe cabins overlooking Grand Lake, Colorado, in 1988. In 1991, we traveled to the training institute at the base ofMt. Fuji (or at least they tell us Mt. Fuji was out there--we never saw it because of a typhoon rolling through). Our last meeting was at Royal Holloway College (University of London) where we got to dine in a castle among artwork that required guards and an electronic security system.

This book provides an introduction to qualitative and quantitative aspects of human physiology. It examines biological and physiological processes and phenomena, including a selection of mathematical models, showing how physiological problems can be mathematically formulated and studied. It also illustrates how a wide range of engineering and physics topics, such as electronics, fluid dynamics, solid mechanics and control theory can be used to describe and understand physiological processes and systems. Throughout the text, there are introductions to measuring and quantifying physiological processes using both signaling and imaging technologies. This new edition includes updated material on pathophysiology, metabolism and the TCA cycle, as well as more advanced worked examples. This book describes the basic structure and models of cellular systems, the structure and function of the cardiovascular system, and the electrical and mechanical activity of the heart, and provides an overview of the structure and function of the respiratory and nervous systems. It also includes an introduction to the basic concepts and applications of reaction kinetics, pharmacokinetic modelling and tracer kinetics. It appeals to final year biomedical engineering undergraduates and graduates alike, as well as to practising engineers new to the fields of bioengineering or medical physics.

MICHAEL S. GAZZANIGA The investigation of the human brain and mind involves a myriad of ap proaches. Cognitive neuroscience has grown out of the appreciation that these approaches have common goals that are separate from other goals in the neural sciences. By identifying cognition as the construct of interest, cognitive neuro science limits the scope of investigation to higher mental functions, while simultaneously tackling the greatest complexity of creation, the human mind. The chapters of this collection have their common thread in cognitive neuroscience. They attack the major cognitive processes using functional stud ies in humans. Indeed, functional measures of human sensation, perception, and cognition are the keystone of much of the neuroscience of cognitive sci ence, and event-related potentials (ERPs) represent a methodological "coming of age" in the study of the intricate temporal characteristics of cognition. Moreover, as the field of cognitive ERPs has matured, the very nature of physiology has undergone a significant revolution. It is no longer sufficient to describe the physiology of non-human primates; one must consider also the detailed knowledge of human brain function and cognition that is now available from functional studies in humans-including the electrophysiological studies in humans described here. Together with functional imaging of the human brain via positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), ERPs fill our quiver with the arrows required to pierce more than the single neuron, but the networks of cognition."

Biomechanics of the Gastrointestinal Tract is an up-to-date book for researchers on the study of the mechanical properties and the motor system of the gastrointestinal tract. A well-illustrated book, it provides a comprehensive overview to relevant tissue geometry, morphology and biomechanical theory. Separate chapters cover smooth muscle and nerve function including the application to animal and human studies of motility, symptoms and pain, determination of the true resting state, history-dependent properties, and tissue remodelling in disease. Several methods and diagnostic applications such as determination of in vivo length-tension diagrams and multimodal pain testing are completely new but will undoubtedly be used by many in the future. New non-invasive imaging techniques based on ultrasound, MR- and CT-scanning in combination with balloon distension are emerging as the techniques for future in vivo studies.

First Published in 1988. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In this volume of Reviews of Physiology there are three outstanding contributions, the first on Selenium-containing proteins in mammals and other forms of life, and the second on constitutively active and G-protein coupled inward rectifier K+ channels: Kir2.0 and Kir3.0 and the third on Chloroplast quest: a journey from the cytosol into the chloroplast and beyond.

This book describes the recent advancement of basic research on the biology of aging and longevity studies in various organisms, as well as the neurobiology of aging and neurodegeneration mechanisms. Chapters present new findings and conceptual developments concerning the basic mechanisms of aging and longevity determination. As a follow-up volume to the previous book Aging Mechanisms (2015), it overviews the rapid progress of aging research introducing new topics from leading laboratories in Japan. Chapter contributors are selected based on recent scientific achievements on the mechanisms of aging in various model organisms, including yeast, worm (C. elegans), fly (Drosophila), mice, and rats. Chapters are ordered from the discussion on molecular and cellular levels to physiological and systemic levels. The book also provides an overview of aging science in the region and helps readers quickly grasp who is doing what in this research area. As the aging of population becomes an ever more pressing issue in Asia, advancing the understanding of basic mechanisms of organism aging and longevity determination will be crucial to developing more effective therapies and protective strategies. Researchers and graduate students in biomedical aging research will find this as a rich source of information and a stimulus to novel research directions.

First published in 1987. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This is the first book about both normal development of the nervous system and how early exposure to alcohol and nicotine interferes with this development. The developing nervous system is highly dynamic and vulnerable to genetic and epigenetic factors that can be additive or synergistic. Disruption of normal brain development leads to an array of developmental disorders. One of the most common of these is mental retardation, the prime cause of which is prenatal exposure to alcohol. As chapters in this book show, alcohol has direct effects on the developing neural system and it affects genetic regulation. Another common neurotoxin is nicotine, and it is discussed in this book for three reasons: (1) the number of adolescents who smoke cigarettes is rising in some populations; (2) prenatal exposure to nicotine affects neurotransmitter systems that are critical for normal brain development and cognition; and (3) prenatal exposure to nicotine is often accompanied by prenatal exposure to alcohol.LThe mature brain is the culmination of an orderly sequence of the basic ontogenetic processes--cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, and death. Neural stem cells and progenitors proliferate in discrete sites; then, young neurons migrate long distances to their residences where they form neural networks. During this sequence many immature cells die, presumably eliminating unsuitable or non-competitive cells. Each process is regulated by genetic and environmental factors. When this regulation goes awry, a dysmorphic and dysfunctional brain results. Though this can be tragic in clinical settings, in experimental contexts it provides keen insight into normal brain development.LThe book isdivided into three parts. The first describes neural ontogeny in the normal brain. The second and third deal with the consequences of early exposure to alcohol and nicotine. Though there are similarities in the effects of these two toxins, there are also intriguing differences. The commonalities reflect the plasticity and resilience of the developing brain while the differences point to the targeted effects of the two toxins. Exploring these effects brings a richer appreciation of brain development. The book will be of interest to neuroscientists, developmental biologists, teratologists, pharmacologists, toxicologists, neurologists, neuropsychologists, and to their students and trainees.

The seven papers of this volume present a glimpse into current research on soft tissue mechanics as well as some future directions. The seven papers concern tissues within the cardiovascular system: three focus on arteries, three on the heart, and one on biaxial testing of planar tissues such as heart valves. Given that cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the developed world, the importance of such research is clear.

There are notable common features of the seven papers. First, most of the proposed constitutive relations are motivated directly by data on the underlying microstructure, and especially the orientations of a structurally important protein (collagen) that forms as undulated cross-linked fibers. Another feature of most of the papers is the consideration of the fact that both arteries and the heart contain muscle and that there is a need to quantify the so-called active (contractile) response in addition to the passive (non-contractile) response. Such relations must not only be structurally motivated, they must ultimately include the kinetics of calcium transport in the muscle. Constitutive relations for active behavior are discussed in the majority of the papers. The growth and remodeling of cardiovascular tissues is another common feature of the papers. Over the last twenty years, separate advances in biochemistry, cell biology, genetic engineering, and biomechanics have focused attention on the ubiquitous role of growth and remodeling of tissues. This volume should be of interest to cardiovascular researchers in particular, and to bioengineers and biomechanics soft tissue researchers in general.

The enormous and varied role of calcium in living systems is now widely appreciated by both cell biologists and clinicians. The identification and characterisation of new calcium binding proteins and regulatory pathways is matched by the recognition of the involvement of calcium binding proteins in a growing number of disease states. This book is intended to introduce clinicians to fundamental biological research, whilst at the same time attracting researchers to the clinical world. The publication of the book coincides with the elucidation of the complete Human Genomic Sequence. As a result of this, scientists now have access to an unprecedented array of data, from which new calcium binding proteins and hence new regulatory pathways will undoubtedly be discovered. It is a further aim of this book to provide a key' to open the door to the new postgenomic era. The book is in three parts. The first section introduces the reader to the role of calcium in cell biology, providing an appreciation of how this small, simple, non-metabolisable agent can move rapidly and silently through the different cellular compartments, thereby influencing and controlling the fate of the cell. This section also illustrates and dissects the often-complex interplay between calcium and numerous agents in muscle and endocrine cells, neurons, hepatocytes, and platelets. In the second section the reader will discover the role of calcium and its partners in common diseases such as migraine and drug dependence. New classes of diseases such as annexinopathies, channelopathies, calcium-sensing disorders, and citrullinemia are discussed, and the authors give many new insights into the molecular mechanisms of the diseases, thereby explaining how and why they occur. Such information is clearly of primary importance for the pharmaceutical industry. New ideas and concepts of neurodegenerative diseases are introduced, which should stimulate new approaches. Clinicians will also have access, in a comprehensive and authoritative yet highly readable chapter, to data from recent large-scale clinical studies on the numerous and widely prescribed calcium antagonists. The final section gives information on new methods and devices for calcium imaging, and illustrates how calcium movement and change can be monitored and ingeniously utilised as a fast, cheap, and accurate drug screening instrument.

First published in 1986. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury will enhance readers' understanding of the complexities of the diagnosis and management of spinal cord injuries. Featuring chapters on drug delivery, exercise, and rehabilitation, this volume discusses in detail the impact of the clinical features, diagnosis, management, and long-term prognosis of spinal cord injuries on the lives of those affected. The book has applicability for neuroscientists, neurologists, clinicians, and anyone working to better understand spinal cord injuries. Spinal injury affects about 10 million people annually worldwide, impacting on the family unit and causing lifelong disabilities, with varied symptoms including paresthesia, spasticity, loss of motor control, and often severe pain. Cellular, Molecular, Physiological, and Behavioral Aspects of Spinal Cord Injury will enhance readers' understanding of the biological and psychological effects of spinal cord injury. Featuring chapters on gene expression, metabolic effects, and behavior, this volume discusses in detail the impact of spinal cord injury to better understand the underlying pathways and processes. The book has applicability for neuroscientists, neurologists, clinicians, and anyone working to better understand these injuries.

It is an exciting task to be the editor of the first monograph covering a new area of the biomedical sciences. Since the first report in 1980 by Robert Furchgott and colleagues (see Chapter 1) of the evidence of endothelium-dependent relaxation in isolated arteries, there are ever increasing numbers of vascular physiologists and pharmacologists who are scraping away the endothelium to look into its role in cardiovascular con trol. And the more one looks, the more one discovers. Not only is the list of substances that can induce endothelium-dependent relaxations im pressively long, but these intriguing cells can also secrete vasoconstrictor substances. The ability of the endothelium to modulate the degree of con traction of the underlying smooth muscle is an ancestral property of the blood vessel wall, illustrating the logic of nature, since the endothelial cells are located in the best possible strategic location to continuously monitor the properties (chemical or physical) of the blood. And more and more data emerge suggesting that in several cardiovascular diseases per turbations in endothelium-dependent responses are one of the early signs of the abnormal process. Thus, the importance of endothelium-dependent responses, triggered by the intellectual curiosity of one of the pioneers of vascular physiology and pharmacology, is now recognized not only by basic scientists, but also by all concerned with the cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this monograph is to provide them with a reference work, so that they know where to start."