The accurate and reliable diagnosis of transmissible diseases is the most powerful weapon available to ensure their control, and in some cases eradication. The detection of parasites in clinical cases, companion and farm animals, and in the environment is relatively easy since many of them are visible to the naked eye, and those that are not are readily detected by light microscopy. Fungal infections can similarly be determined. Bacteria are somewhat harder to detect. Although their presence can frequently be detected by light microscopy, differential diagnosis, beyond their gross morphology, is almost always impossible. However, most bacterial pathogens can be cultured in the laboratory and can be accurately identified by combinations of a series of simple tests such as morphology, staining, antibiotic sensitivity, biochemical analyses, nutrient dependence, and phage sensitivity. Viruses, however, have proved much more difficult; their size and absolute dependence of the host cell for propagation have rendered useless the methods traditionally used for other microorganisms. Until the development of tissue culture in the middle of this century, diagnosis was entirely dependent on the skill and experience of the clinician. But this was an unreliable process since many of the common virus infections exhibit similar clinical symptoms, such as coryza, exanthema, vomiting, diarrhea, neuralgia, and lethargy. Indeed many viral infections display clinical signs that are indistinguishable from bacterial or parasitic infections.

In recent years a growing number of proteases have been identified that catalyse peptide bond hydrolysis in the plane of the cellular membrane. These so-called intramembrane-cleaving proteases (I-CLiPs) are involved in a diverse range of cellular processes, including cell regulation, signalling, quorum sensing, protein processing, lipid metabolism and the unfolded protein response. Some I-CLiPs play critical roles in diseases such as Alzheimer s and viral infection. The authors, who are all world leaders in this exciting field of cell biology, provide an overview of the various proteases including recent data derived from the structural determination of some of the I-CliPs, and discuss the various roles that these proteases play in biology and disease. The aim of this book is to provide an update on this emerging group of unusual but important proteases for both the specialist and those with a broader interest in proteases. Amongst the target audience will be protease researchers, enzymologists, those working in academia and the pharmaceutical industry on biological processes and diseases involving I-CLiPs."

Internationally recognized investigators review the latest developments in, and novel approaches to, understanding the prion protein and prion diseases at the molecular level. Utilizing a variety of cutting-edge techniques, these distinguished scientists seek to define the normal function of a prion protein, to detect and measure the early immune response to prion disease, and to discover possible therapeutic targets. They also use transgenic mice and new electrophysiological investigations to elucidate the pathogenetic mechanisms involved in prion diseases. State-of-the-art and richly insightful, Molecular Pathology of the Prions captures for basic and clinical neuropathologists the latest developments and approaches to understanding the pathogenesis of prion diseases, and by analogy suggests possible research techniques for the more common proteinopthies, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Oxidation-reduction (i.e. redox) processes at the plasma membrane of any cell have been attracting more and more attention, both in basic and in applied research, since the first workshop dealing with the plasma membrane oxidoreductases was organized in Cordoba, Spain, in 1988. This evolution is evident considering the numerous cell functions performed by plasma membrane redox systems not only in healthy cells but also in cells that escaped from the normal metabolic control (e.g. cancer cells) and cells under attack by pathogens. Plasma membrane redox processes have now been demonstrated to play an essential role in growth control and defense mechanisms of these cells. The great importance of the plasma membrane redox systems originates in the fact that they are located in the membrane which is essentially the site of communication between the living cell and its environment. We may say that the plasma membrane can be considered as the "sensory part" of the cell. No chemical substance can enter the cell interior without interaction with the plasma membrane.

This book is intended as a reference manual that will provide the busy clinician with up-to-date information on the diagnosis and treatment of uncommon and rare gynecological cancers. While standard textbooks briefly cover these tumors, this is intended as a more comprehensive yet easy-to-use guide. After opening chapters on epidemiology, pathology, and diagnostic imaging, the full range of infrequently encountered gynecological cancers (ovarian, uterine, cervical, vaginal, and vulval) is presented and discussed with the aid of high-quality illustrations. In each case, detailed attention is paid to both differential diagnosis and current treatment options. The book has been written by an international panel of experts and is the first to gather all the uncommon and rare gynecological cancers together within one volume.

In the post-genomic era, cancer is a genetic disease. However, cancer genotype does not always equal cancer phenotype. Cancers with the same genetic abnormalities don't always behave the same. Understanding and eradicating cancers will require an appreciation for cancer's ecology.

This book is the first to comprehensively explore and critically appraise cancer microenvironments and host interactions with an eye towards exploiting our understanding for new treatments. The team of contributors share amongst them impressive experiences at the laboratory bench and in the clinic. These physician-scientists have dedicated themselves to the tension between the urgency for cures and the technical challenges of discovery.

The target audience includes clinical oncologists, clinical hematologists, research oncologists, research hematologists, immunologists, stem cell researchers, oncology and hematology fellows (trainees), oncology educators (graduate and undergraduate levels), and course book for graduate students and undergraduate students.

In 1971, J. Folkman published in the New England Journal of Medicine a hypothesis that tumor growth is angiogenesis-dependent. Folkman introduced the concept that tumors probably secrete diffusible molecules that could stimulate the growth of new blood vessels toward the tumor and that the resulting tumor neovascularization could conceivably be prevented or interrupted by angiogenesis inhibitors. Solid and haematological tumors consist of an avascular and a subsequent vascular phase. Assuming that this depends on the release of angiogenic factors, acquisition of angiogenic capability can be seen as an expression of progression from neoplastic transformation to tumor growth and metastasis.

Beginning in the 1980 s, the biopharmaceutical industry began exploiting the field of antiangiogenesis for creating new therapeutic compounds for modulating new blood vessels in tumor growth. In 2004, Avastin (Bevacizumab), a humanized anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody, was the first angiogenesis inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of colorectal cancer. At present, it has been estimated that over 20,000 cancer patients worldwide have received experimental form of antiangiogenic therapy.

This book offers a historical account of the relevant literature. It also emphasizes the crucial and paradigmatic role of angiogenesis as a biological process and the significance of antiangiogenic approach for the treatment of tumors."

Modern cardiovascular science has produced a revolutionary new idea: the heart acts not merely as a pump, but as a "gland," that is as a regulator of circulatory homeostasis and salt-water balance. This book combines the classical heamodynamic view with the new neuro-hormonal paradigm, in all its potential clinical implications. The book will interest physiologists and clinicians involved in the study of the cardiovascular system and care of heart patients.

What we now call 'deep venous thrombosis' (DVT) has been elucidated by a diversity of investigative approaches during the past four centuries. The authors of this book survey the history of the field and ask: why has one of these perspectives - the haematological/biochemical - come to dominate research into the causation of DVT during the past 50 years and to exclude alternatives? In answering this question, the authors show that the current consensus model is conceptually flawed.

Developments in telepathology are progressing at a great speed. As a consequence, there is a need for a broad overview of the field. This first ever book on telepathology is presented in such a way that it should make it accessible to anyone, independent of their kno- edge of technology. The text is designed to be used by all prof- sionals, including pathologists, surgeons, nurses and allied health professionals, and computer scientists. In a very short time, driven by technical developments, the field of telepathology has become too extensive to be covered by only a small number of experts. Therefore, this Telepathology book has been written with chapter contributions from a host of renowned international authorities in telepathology (see the Table of Contents and the List of Contributors). This ensures that the subject matter focusing on recent advances in telepathology is truly up to date. Our guiding hope during this task was that as editors of multiple chapters we could still write with a single voice and keep the content coherent and simple. We hope that the clarity of this book makes up for any limitations in its comprehensiveness.

An invaluable work that will help dentists and oral surgeons to recognize and diagnose gross dental abnormalities. This book provides practically applicable knowledge on histology and histopathology of the changes that are seen in diseases of the dental and periodontal tissues. It includes the disturbances in tooth formation, acquired dental diseases including caries and its sequelae for the tooth-surrounding tissues, periodontal disease and odontogenic tumours. Also, attention is paid to the histological alterations induced by dental treatment.

The past decade has brought great advances in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying auditory pathologies. This volume presents recent developments in research and their potential translation to the clinical setting. It brings together the basic and clinical sciences very nicely in that while most chapters are written by basic scientists, each topic has a pretty direct clinical application or implication.

Many unexplored complex cellular and organismal adaptations occur in response to the stress of alcohol exposure, and its contribution to the development of chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, heart disease and diabetes, is particularly relevant today, given the increased incidence of these diseases in our aging population. In Alcohol: Methods and Protocols, the pleiotropic effects of ethanol in animal and cell culture models are rigorously examined through a collection of detailed procedures written by experts in the field. Sections present clearly defined models of ethanol exposure, recent advances in the development of specific methodologies to mimic the impact of ethanol metabolism in cultured cells, and methodologies to investigate a variety of cells and tissues that are known to be disrupted by ethanol, amongst other topics.

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a distinctive abnormality of small cerebral blood vessels, one that has intrigued neuroscientists for decades. The time seems right for a book which examines the phenomenon of CAA using a multifaceted approach: What does it produce clinically? How might CAA be imaged? What are the crucial biochemical/cellular events within cerebral vessel walls that lead to CAA? How can in vitro or transgenic experimental systems be used to understand the etiology of, or even potential treatments for, CAA? The editors have assembled key figures in the field of CAA research to examine these (and other) questions in a series of focused chapters that address specific issues of importance in understanding CAA and its clinical manifestations. Comprehending the biology and pathogenesis of this fascinating vascular lesion may even provide clues to less common forms of cerebral microvascular disease that have been recognized for decades (hypertensive microangiopathy) or more recently (CADASIL).

In recent years, the need to develop acceptable alternatives to conventional animal testing for neurotoxicity and developmental neurotoxicity has been increasingly recognized, and much effort is being directed toward the development of alternative models, utilizing mostly mammalian cells in culture but also non-mammalian model systems. "In Vitro Neurotoxicology: Methods and Protocols" presents a series of cellular, biochemical, and molecular methodological protocols in the area of in vitro neurotoxicology, with an emphasis on mammalian cell culture systems. Opening with a section on methodologies for preparing several cellular systems of variable complexity, amenable for in vitro neurotoxicological studies, the thorough volume continues with coverage of methods to measure cellular death and major mechanisms, methods for assessing mechanisms of nervous system cell toxicity related to impairment of cell signaling, while a final section illustrates additional methods for assessing important nervous system processes such as cell proliferation, neuritogenesis, and synaptogenesis. Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology " series format, chapters include introductions to their respective subjects, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Comprehensive and cutting-edge, "In Vitro Neurotoxicology: Methods and Protocols" serves researchers with an interest in assessing or characterizing the potential neurotoxicity of environmental contaminants, drugs, or other chemicals."

This book provides cardiologists with access to the wealth of imaging from the Royal Brompton Hospital and National Heart and Lung Institute in London to enable them to improve on their own skills and refine their imaging technique. The authors correlate this echocardiography experience with the pathological and surgical aspects of congenital heart defects. They include a review of the pathologic, physiologic and surgical observations of different congenital diseases to assist in understanding the various echocardiographic presentations. The book contains large numbers of echocardiographic images.

A comprehensive reference guide to the successful performance of pediatric autopsies and to the optimal recognition and interpretation of their pathologic findings. The authors cover such major developmental disorders as hydrops, chromosomal defects, and congenital abnormalities, metabolic disorders, and review the major organ systems. Additional chapters address sudden infant death, cytogenetics, the medical and forensic autopsy, special procedures, cultures and infection control, and biological hazards at the autopsy. Numerous standard reference tables, copious illustrations and drawings, and an appendix at the end of each chapter provide a wealth of practical information and bibliographic citations.

This reference book provides an update on the advances and developments in autopsy practice. The book is designed to be kept in laboratories, offices and mortuaries so that pathologists can quickly reach for it and look up how to undertake procedures or interpret findings found in autopsy practice. Useful to both trainees and consultants in all specialty areas within pathology, the book also serves as a guide to all those involved in death investigation.

Only up-to-date title in the market

Current topic with significant media coverage

Internationally relevant, the use of asbestos and its consequences is a global problem

This title aids in pathological diagnosis which is very difficult

Contributors are experts from France, UK, USA, Australia and Canada

Plentiful, colored illustrations complete the text

Target group exceeds pathologists: The diagnosis is evidence for medico-legal purposes, which makes the book invaluable to members of legal profession specializing in this disease "

A comprehensive review of recent molecular discoveries that can clarify the pathophysiology of endocrine disease processes and contribute to the diagnostic aspects of endocrine pathology. Surgeons, medical oncologists, and radiation therapists discuss the treatment of endocrine disorders, especially tumors, with emphasis on differential diagnosis and on broadening the perspective that the endocrine pathologist must have in making specific tissue diagnoses. Of interest to practicing pathologists, pathology residents, endocrinologists, endocrinologists in training, veterinarians, and interested researchers.

Crib death (SIDS) is the most frequent cause of death for infants during the first year. A systematic study of the autonomic nervous system and cardiac system has been performed on a large number of infants and fetuses who died suddenly and unexpectedly, as well as in age-matched control cases. The neurological and cardiac findings are described here, and the relationship between SIDS and unexplained fetal death is discussed.

This volume is based on the 10th International Nidovirus Symposium: Towards Control of SARS and other Nidovirus Diseases. The volume includes articles by all of the major contributors to this burgeoning area of research which summarize the work presented at the meeting.

This represents the only comprehensive book to cover this field in the last five years.

Transforming Growth Factor- ss in Cancer Therapy, Vols. 1 and 2, provides a compendium of findings about the role of transforming growth factor- ss (TGF- ss) in cancer treatment and therapy. The second volume, Cancer Treatment in Therapy, is divided into three parts.

The companion volume details the role of TGF- ss on basic and clinical biology."

Pathology of Asbestos-Associated Diseases integrates the newest research and advances in its discussion of asbestos-induced diseases. Organized in 13 chapters, the book begins with background information on the mineralogy of asbestos, occupation and environmental exposure to asbestos, and asbestosis. A detailed discussion on mesothelioma includes a historical background, addresses etiologic considerations and epidemiology, pathologic features, differential diagnosis and treatment and prognosis. Guidelines for assessing and identifying asbestos-associated carcinomas of the lung, including histopathology and differential diagnosis, are discussed. The text also addresses the explosion of research in the area of molecular biology and the abundance of information bearing on the mechanisms by which asbestos causes disease. Chapters also cover cytopathology and experimental models of asbestos-related diseases. The diseases associated with asbestos have significant medico-legal implications, and there are two chapters dedicated to addressing the issue. More than 190 illustrations complement the text. An invaluable reference for the pathologist, pulmonologist, radiologist, and occupational medical practitioner interested in asbestos-related disease as well as malpractice attorneys needing an understanding of asbestos, the diseases it induces, prognosis and clinical implications.

The era of molecular pathology has arrived. From its promising beg- nings in research laboratories, the field has grown, and continues to grow, to become a vital part of the care of an ever-increasing number of patients. Because of its recent emergence from the research taboratory, many molecuIar pathology protocols we still to be found in the primary litcramre, and have not appeared in a text. MO~PCU~Q~ Padhoiogy Protocob contains la- ratory protocoIs that have been developed by many of the authors for use in clinical molecular pathology laboratories and describe in detail Row to perform these assays. This book is therefore intended for clinical laboratory use by medical technologists and pathologists. It will dso be of interest to research workers who are performing these assays. In its broadest meaning, pathology is the study of disease, and therefore it follows that any disease for which the molecular basis is understood would be suitable as a topic for inclusion in this work. When seiecting protocols, it was necessary to place limits on the number of chapters that could be feasibly presented in a single work. Those protoculs that were selected are performed more frequently, or have achieved recognition as having important diagnostic utility in contemporary practice. A decision was made to exclude inherited genetic diseases with certain exceptions, such as those diseases that are associated with thrombotic states and are part of the traditional dumain of pathology.