An analysis of cell death in reproductive physiology. It examines topics such as the control of apoptosis in the uterus during decidualization and stern cell factor regulation of apoptosis in mouse primordial germ cells.

The Myocardium, Second Edition is a comprehensive presentation of cardiac function, including ultrastructure, cellular development and morphogenesis, ion channels, ion transporters, excitation-contraction coupling and calcium compartmentation, mechanics and force production, and energy metabolism. The Second Edition presents the new molecular, subcellular, and cellular developments which have occurred in this rapidly expanding field during the past 22 years.
Key Features
* Comprehensive overview of all aspects of heart function at the cellular, subcellular, and molecular level
* Integrates molecular events to give understanding of global cardiac function
* Includes basis of important pathological states

This book summarizes the work of several decades, culminating in a revolutionary model of recent human evolution. It challenges current consensus views fundamentally, presenting in its support a mass of evidence, much of which has never been assembled before. This evidence derives primarily from archaeology, paleoanthropology, genetics, clinical psychology, neurosciences, linguistics and cognitive sciences. No even remotely similar thesis of recent human origins has ever been published, but some of the key elements of this book have been published by the author in major refereed journals in the last two years. Its implications are far-reaching and profoundly affect the way we perceive ourselves as a species. This book about what it means to be human is heavily referenced, with a bibliography of many hundreds of scientific entries.

Many new antileukotriene drugs are now marketed as antiasthma drugs and represent the first new drugs in this field since the 1970s. This book covers the steps that have led to the discovery and development of these new drugs and offers detailed descriptions of their clinical applications. The review chapters on the main aspects of basic and applied leukotriene research are written by leading specialists in the field, and the volume takes a new approach in presenting information of particular interest to both scientists and clinicians in the fields of asthma, inflammation and allergic diseases.

PCR Strategies expands and updates the landmark volume PCR Protocols. It is a companion laboratory manual that provides a completely new set of up-to-date strategies and protocols for getting the most from PCR.
The editors have organized the book into four sections, focusing on principles, analyses, research applications, and alternative strategies for a wide variety of basic and clinical needs. If you own PCR Protocols, you will want PCR Strategies. If you don't own PCR Protocols, you will want to buy both!
Key Features
* Concepts explained
* Methods detailed
* Trouble-shooting emphasized
* Novel applications highlighted
* Major sections
* Key concepts for PCR
* Analysis of PCR products
* Research applications
* Alternative amplification strategies

The one and only comprehensive reference for all aspects of human genetics Unique in breadth and authority The fourth, completely revised edition of this classical reference and textbook presents a cohesive and up-to-date exposition of the concepts, results, and problems underlying theory and practice in human and medical genetics. In the 10 years since the appearance of the third edition, many new insights have emerged for understanding the genetic basis of development and function in human health and disease. Human genetics, with its emphasis on molecular concepts and techniques, has become a key discipline in medicine and the biomedical sciences. The fourth edition has been extensively expanded by new chapters on hot topics such as epigenetics, pharmacogenetics, gene therapy, cloning and genetic epidemiology. In addition a section giving an overview on the main model organisms (mouse, dog, worm, fly, yeast) used in human genetics research has been introduced. This book will be of interest to human and medical geneticists, scientists in all biomedical sciences, physicians and epidemiologists, as well as to graduate and postgraduate students who desire to learn the fundamentals of this fascinating field

76 2. Short Oligonucleotide Mass Analysis 76 2. 1. Method Outline 76 2. 2. Design of PCR Primers and Fragments for Analysis 78 2. 3. Typical PCR Reaction Conditions 79 3. Electrospray Ionisation Mass Spectrometry 79 Formation of Ions 3. 1. 79 3. 2. Tandem Mass Spectrometry 79 3. 3. Typical ESI-MS Settings for SOMA 80 4. Purification Procedures 80 4. 1. Phenol/Chloroform Extraction and Ethanol Precipitation 80 4. 2. In-line HPLC Purification 81 5. Genotyping Using SOMA 81 5. 1. APC Genotyping in Human Subjects 81 5. 2. APC Genotyping in Min Mice 85 5. Mutation Detection Using SOMA 86 6. 1. Analysis of p53 Mutations in Liver Cancer Patients 86 6. 1. 1. p53 Mutations in Liver Tumours 87 6. 1. 2. p53 Mutations in Plasma Samples 88 7. Advantages and Disadvantages of SOMA 89 8. Future Perspectives 90 9. Acknowledgements 91 10. References 91 CHAPTER 7 WV. Bienvenut, M. Muller, PM. Palagi, E. Gasteiger, M. Heller, E. Jung, M. Giron, R. Gras, S. Gay, PA. Binz, G J. Hughes, JC. Sanchez, RD. Appel, DF. Hochstrasser Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry: Some Aspects and Recent Developments 1. Introduction to Proteomics 93 2. Protein Biochemical and Chemical Processing Followed by Mass Spectrometric Analysis 94 2. 1. 2-DE Gel Protein Separation 95 Protein Identification Using Peptide Mass Fingerprinting and Robots 96 2. 2. 2. 2. 1. MALDI-MS Analysis 98 2. 2. 2. MS/MS Analysis 102 Improvement of the Identification by Chemical Modification of Peptides 106 2. 2. 3."

Evolutionary Theory and Human Nature is an original, highly theoretical work dealing with the transition from genes to behavior using general principles of evolution, especially those of sexual selection. It seeks to develop a seamless transition from genes to human motivations as bio-electric brain processes (emotional-cognitive processes), to human nature propensities (various constellations of emotional-cognitive forces, desires and fears) to species typical patterns of behavior. This work covers two often antagonistic fields: biology and the social sciences. It should be of strong interest to anthropologists, sociologists, sociobiologists, psychobiologists and psychologists who are interested in the question of human nature influences on social behavior.

Market: Those interested in speech, especially speech production, and graduate students studying the anatomy and physiology of speech. Katherine Safford Harris is known throughout the speech research community for her contributions to our understanding of speech behaviors and her leadership at Haskins Laboratories. Her research has shown how the study of speech disorders can provide a window through which we can observe normal behaviors and learn much about the control systems of speech production. In recognition of this work, each section of this book contains chapters on normal speech production as well as speech disorders. These original contributed chapters cover a wide range of subjects, including respiratory patterns in normal speech, speech breathing processes in hearing-impaired persons, laryngeal adductory behaviors, spasmodic dysphonia, tongue shaping and vowel articulation, speech production in children with cochlear implants, and more.

This volume contains selected papers presented at the Sendai International Sympo sium on Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Regulation held from May 10-12, 1995, to honor the contributions ofProfessorNorio Taira, Chairman of the Department of Pharmacology (1972-1995), Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. The Department of Pharmacology at Sendai has a long tradition of significant contribution to the development of drug therapy for cardiovascular diseases. The late Professor Koroku Hashimoto, the predecessor of Professor Norio Taira, first suggested the mode of action of calcium antagonists and their potential usefulness in therapy of ischemic heart disease and hypertension at an early stage of their development. The need for greater understanding of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular dis eases is more critical now than ever before because modern advances in basic and clinical sciences have prolonged the average life expectancy. Using a wide range of molecular and electrophysiological techniques, major advances are occurring frequently in the field of cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology. Such multifaceted approaches are preferred because human cardiovascular diseases are complex, requiring multiple interventions and an in-depth understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying the disease. The first section of this book focuses on molecular mechanisms of ion channel regulation. Eight of ten chapters in this section are devoted to the recent advances in molecular characterization and regulation of various types of potassium channels in cardiac, vascular, and neuronal tissues. A discussion of the structure and function of sodium and calcium channels is also included.

Itisonlyrecently thatthe naturaloccurrenceoffree radicalsin biological tissue has become widely accepted, and that the suspi- cion with which biologists previously viewed the free radicals of radiationchemistryhas beenplacedin a broaderperspective. Now, oxygen-derived free radicals are considered respectable biochemi- cal intermediates, given always the caveat that unwanted tissue damage may arise if these active species are produced in such abundance that they overwhelm the natural antioxidant and free- radical defense mechanisms, or if these systems have become hypoeffective. Many factors, including several dietary manipula- tions, can lead toelevatedproductionofsuperoxide and may result in free radical overload, whereas a deficiency of those micronutri- ents associated with the antioxidant defense mec.hanisms may re- sult in substantially diminished antioxidant capacity. By now, antioxidants have become a household word and al- most everyone is aware of their imponance in protecting the body against attack by active oxygen species. Indeed, it is a paradox of nature that oxygen, which is so essential to sustain aerobic life, ul- timately contributes to its destruction. Not surprisingly, recogni- tion ofthis dilemma has generated a spate ofantioxidant strategies intended to reduce the risk of tissue damage by rampant oxygen radicals, some sadly based less on science than on speculation.

One of the mysteries of mammalian reproduction is the physiologic process that determines the length of gestation. The proper timing of birth ensures that the young individual is sufficiently developed to survive and adapt in the extrauterine environment, and that the mother is capable to provide nutrition and protection to the newborn. This volume summarizes new knowledge obtained by many researchers seeking to unravel the compile mechanisms that contribute to the maintenance and termination of pregnancy. The most important common goal of these efforts is to reduce the incidence of preterm birth, which is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in numerous countries.
Separate chapters are devoted to the best-studied animal models of parturition. In sheep, the fetus is in control of the timing of its own birth, while in avian species, oviposition is evidently determined by the female laying the feritlized egg. In humans and non-human primates, the roles of the fetus and the mother are more balanced, and involve a complicated and poorly understood interplay between the mother, the fetus, and the placenta. Some major aspects of these interactions, such as trophoblast function, myometrial contractility, and the endocrine-paracrine systems, are discussed in further chapters.

Do our genes determine our behavior? Do education and environment have any influence at all? Do humans occupy a unique position in evolution? To clarify these provoking questions, the author takes the reader on an ambitious and entertaining journey through a variety of scientific disciplines. In doing so, he creates an image of human evolution that says that our entire individual knowledge is determined - to the smallest detail - by phylogeny. " ... before shocked humanists discard such radical theses as mere nonsense, they should not completely close their minds to the explanations of a biologist who says that we still know very little about the genetic determination of human behavior and that the invariance of many forms of behavior present in all cultures nourish the suspicion that the determining role of genes is probably far more comprehensive than we have ever dreamed."Wolfgang Wieser, translated from his review in "Merkur" (Sept./Oct. 1999)

From an expert in pulmonary medicine, the story of our extraordinary lungs, the organ that both explains our origins and holds the keys to our future as a species We take an average of 7.5 million breaths a year and some 600 million in our lifetime, and what goes on in our body each time oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide expelled is nothing short of miraculous. "Our lungs are the lynchpin between our bodies and the outside world," writes Dr. Michael Stephen. And yet, we take our lungs for granted until we're incapacitated and suddenly confronted with their vital importance. In Breath Taking, pulmonologist Michael Stephen takes us on a journey to shed original and much-needed light on our neglected and extraordinary lungs, at a most critical societal moment. He relates the history of oxygen on Earth and the evolutionary origins of breathing, and explores the healing power of breath and its spiritual potential. He explains in lay terms the links our lungs have with our immune system and with society at large. And he offers illuminating chronicles of pulmonary research and discovery--from Galen in the ancient world to pioneers of lung transplant--and poignant human stories of resilience and recovery--from the frantic attempts to engage his own son's lungs at birth to patients he treats for cystic fibrosis today. Despite great advances in science, our lungs are ever more threatened. Asthma is more prevalent than ever; rising stress levels make our lungs vulnerable to disease; and COVID-19 has revealed that vulnerability in historic ways. In this time, Breath Taking offers inspiration and hope to millions whose lungs are affected and vital perspective to us all.

Drawing especially on insights emerging from studies of the cellular networks formed by fungi, this book describes the fundamental indeterminacy that enables life forms to thrive in and create inconstant circumstances. It explains how indeterminacy arises from counteraction between associative and dissociative processes at the reactive interfaces between living systems and their surroundings. It stresses the relevance of these processes to understanding the dynamic contexts within which living systems of all kinds - including human societies-explore for, use up, conserve and recycle sources of energy.By focusing on dynamic boundaries, the book counterbalances the discretist view that living systems are assembled entirely from building-block-like units - individuals and genes - that can be freely sifted, as opposed to channeled, by natural selection. It also shows how the versatility that enables life forms to proliferate in rich environments, whilst minimizing losses in restrictive environments, depends on capacities for error and co-operation within a fluid, non-hierarchical power structure. Understanding this point yields a more compassionate, less competitive and less self-centred outlook on life's successes and failures.

The idea of editing this book was born in the winter of 1988/1989. Christian Endler was organizing the workshop 'Wasser und Information' (water and information) in Austria [1], and Jurgen Schulte was working on a publication of his results on atomic cluster stabilities and long-range electromagnetic interaction in atomic clusters. It was Franz Moser from the Technical University of Graz who brought these two together. After a talk that Moser had given in Bremen, Schulte explained to hirn his ideas about clusters and long range interaction, and his concern about reliable theories and experiments in research on ultra high dilutions (UHD) and homoeopathy. He was suggested to be a speaker at the Austrian workshop. Reviewing the contributions of this workshop and the current literature on UHD and homoeopathy, especially the PhD thesis by Giesela King [2] and the excellent survey by Marco Righetti [3], we decided to work on a book in order to critically encou rage more scientists to work and publish in this field with a high scientific standard. What we had in mind was a useful contribution to the goal to lift research on UHD and homoeo pathy to an internationally acceptable scientific standard, to encourage international scien tists to work in this area and to establish UHD and homoeopathy in academic science. Delayed by our individual academic careers in our specific fields, and delayed by lack of funds it took us about four years to finish this book.

Is membership of our species important in itself, or is it just important to have the properties that a normal grown-up human being has? A value subjectivist may argue for a special human value proceeding from the assumption that most of us believe or sense that being human is something important per se and independently of, for instance, those properties that form the basis of personhood. This allows all human beings to have a share in this value. Other attempts to defend a principle of human dignity fail in this respect and are criticized in this book. The book is intended for philosophers with a general interest in moral philosophy or ethics, and more specifically axiological, animal and medical ethics.

The human body contains many specialized tissues that are capable of fulfilling an incredible variety of functions necessary for our survival. This volume in the Human Cell Culture Series focuses on mesenchymal tissues and cells. The in vitro study of mesenchymal cells is perhaps the oldest form of human cell culture, beginning with the culturing of fibroblasts. Fibroblasts have long been generically described in the literature, arising from many tissue types upon in vitro cell culture. However, recent studies, many enabled by new molecular biology techniques, have shown considerable diversity in fibroblast type and function, as described within this volume. Mesenchymal tissue types that are described within include bone, cartilage, tendons and ligaments, muscle, adipose tissue, and skin (dermis). The proper function of these tissues is predominantly dependent upon the proper proliferation, differentiation, and function of the mesenchymal cells which make up the tissue. Recent advancements in primary human mesenchymal cell culture have led to remarkable progress in the study of these tissues. Landmark experiments have now demonstrated a stem cell basis for many of these tissues, and, furthermore, significant plasticity and inter-conversion of stem cells between these tissues, resulting in a great deal of contemporary excitement and controversy. Newly-developed mesenchymal cell culture techniques have even lead to novel clinical practices for the treatment of disease.