Saliva as a unique sample for health assessment is gaining attention among researchers of different fields in the last 20 years; being reflected in an impressive increase in the number of papers published studying saliva from different biological aspects in human and veterinary species. Once deemed merely a digestive juice is now considered a biological fluid capable of communicating information about physiopathological processes occurring in organisms, since saliva has been shown to contain molecular and bacterial compounds that can change in response to local and systemic pathologies. Furthermore, the interest of saliva as a diagnostic, prognostic and monitoring biofluid is forced by its non-invasive nature being of easy and inexpensive sampling, involving only minimal discomfort and allowing the collection of multiple/repeated specimens at anytime, anywhere and without need for specialized staff. In this contributed volume, the authors bring together, summarize and reflect the generated knowledge about saliva as a source of biomarkers for health and welfare evaluation in humans and animal models. This volume also highlights the importance of confounding factors, such as sampling methods, flow, total protein content, contamination, or storage. This book will serve as a manual for graduates, practitioners and researchers by providing general ideas about the possibilities and utilities of saliva in clinical practice or investigation, and indicating the main cautions each should have in mind before saliva usage.

The discovery of dopamine in 1957-1958 was one of the seminal events in the development of modern neuroscience, and has been extremely important for the development of modern therapies of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Dopamine has a fundamental role in almost all aspects of behavior: from motor control to mood regulation, cognition and addiction and reward, and dopamine research has been unique within the neurosciences in the way it has bridged basic science and clinical practice. Over the decades research into the role of dopamine in health and disease has been in the forefront of modern neuroscience. The Dopamine Handbook is the first single-volume publication to capture current progress and excitement in this dynamic research field.

Major advancements in the field of in situ molecular pathology have occurred since publication of the first edition. In Situ Molecular Pathology and Co-expression Analyses, Second Edition, continues to teach both the molecular basis for the improvements and the actual protocols. This is the unique feature that separates it from the pack of other "cook-book" type approaches. The fields of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry have expanded rapidly where computer-based analyses systems have greatly expanded the power of these methods. Further, knowledge of the marked improvements in the reagents themselves since the first edition can make the difference of excellent versus misleading data. The automated platforms require that researchers and diagnostic biomedical investigators have a good understanding of the basics of in situ based tests, protocols, and biochemistry for troubleshooting in order to maximize the use of these platforms. This second edition focuses attention on straightforward protocols used to simultaneously detect two or more proteins/nucleic acids within intact tissue by doing co-expression analyses. Practicing molecular pathologists, diagnostic pathologists, laboratory directors, and toxicologists, as well as clinicians and researchers in training, will benefit from this clear presentation of protocols and theoretical framework. Data derived from in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry.

This book presents an overview of up-converting phosphor (UCP), including UCP preparation, development of the rapid detection strips and UCP industrialization. It also discusses the wide clinical applications of this technology, such as in food poisoning, infectious diseases, drug-abuse and disaster rescue, where rapid point-of-care testing is often critical. Conventional testing methods are mainly based on gold immunochromatography, which relies heavily on results being read with the naked eye. However, up-converting phosphor technology (UPT) employs UCP particles as labels for rapid target detection. Unlike other conventional fluorescence techniques, UCP is excited by infrared light and emitted visible light. This anti-stokes phenomenon provides this special label with significant advantages, including zero background detection, high resistance to environmental influences (e.g. pH, salts, sample contamination), high sensitivity and quantitative detection. Systematically summarizing UCP technology and its wide applications, this book is a valuable resource for researchers and technicians in the field.

The second volume of Behavioral Genetics of the Mouse provides a comprehensive overview of the major genetically modified mouse lines used to model human neurobehavioral disorders; from disorders of perception, of autonomous and motor functions to social and cognitive syndromes, drug abuse and dependence as well as neurodegenerative pathologies. Mouse models obtained with different types of genetic manipulations (i.e. transgenic, knockout/in mice) are described in their pathological phenotypes, with a special emphasis on behavioral abnormalities. The major results obtained with many of the existing models are discussed in depth highlighting their strengths and limitations. A lasting reference, the thorough reviews offer an easy entrance into the extensive literature in this field, and will prove invaluable to students and specialists alike.

In Vitro Neurochemical Techniques is one of three volumes that rep- sent an update of the original Volume 1 of Neuromefkods, General Neu- chemical Techniques The expansion to three volumes was necessitated by the rapidly increasing number of techniques being used by neuroscrentists and the general tendency of neuroscience research to become more multidisciplrnary and collaborative in recent years. The two companion volumes are concerned primarily with In Vwo Neurometkods in one case, and with Cell Neurobiology Techniques in the other case. Even with three volumes, the coverage of General Neuvometkods is obviously not exhaustive. We have attempted to cover those techniques that seem particularly popular in multidisciplinary neuroscience research. Though some important techniques may have been omitted, we believe that most of these have been covered in detail in other recent volumes of Neurometkods or will be the subjects of upcommg volumes The editors anticipate that these volumes will prove unusually useful to neuroscientists across a wide range of fields-e.g., neurochemistry, neuropsychopharmacology, neurology, psychiatry, and neuroanatomy. Each chapter has been written by well-known neuroscientists with - tive research programs. Experienced researchers in the specific areas treated will appreciate the present updates on those topics, and neuros- entists expecting their research programs to become more multidisciplinary or to expand into new areas of research should find these volumes of enormous value, particularly those sections offering protocols with u- ful hints about the advantages and potential pitfalls of a particular te- nique.

This book provides systematic knowledge of basic principles in the design of fluorescence sensing and imaging techniques together with critical analysis of recent developments. Fluorescence is the most popular technique in chemical and biological sensing because of its ultimate sensitivity, high temporal and spatial resolution and versatility that enables imaging within the living cells. It develops rapidly in the directions of constructing new molecular recognition units, new fluorescence reporters and in improving sensitivity of response up to detection of single molecules. Its application areas range from control of industrial processes to environment monitoring and clinical diagnostics. Being a guide for students and young researchers, it also addresses professionals involved in active basic and applied research. Making a strong link between education, research and product development, this book discusses prospects for future progress.

Electrocardiography of Laboratory Animals, Second Edition, is the only publication covering electrocardiography of laboratory animals. With countries instituting requirements for the care of laboratory animals in research, this publication offers a standard on performing and analyzing ECGs. Topics covered include safety electrocardiography, toxicology, safety pharmacology, and telemetry, all important areas of discussion for biological and medical researchers, veterinarians, zoologists, and students who need to understand the electrocardiography of five species of animals used in research: canines, nonhuman primates, mini pigs, rodents (rats and mice), rabbits and cats.

The book provides a reference for years to come, written by world-renowned expert investigators studying sex differences, the role of sex hormones, the systems biology of sex, and the genetic contribution of sex chromosomes to metabolic homeostasis and diseases. In this volume, leaders of the pharmaceutical industry present their views on sex-specific drug discovery. Many of the authors presented at the Keystone Symposium on "Sex and gender factors affecting metabolic homeostasis, diabetes and obesity" to be held in March 2017 in Lake Tahoe, CA. This book will generate new knowledge and ideas on the importance of gender biology and medicine from a molecular standpoint to the population level and to provide the methods to study them. It is intended to be a catalyst leading to gender-specific treatments of metabolic diseases. There are fundamental aspects of metabolic homeostasis that are regulated differently in males and females, and influence both the development of diabetes and obesity and the response to pharmacological intervention. Still, most preclinical researchers avoid studying female rodents due to the added complexity of research plans. The consequence is a generation of data that risks being relevant to only half of the population. This is a timely moment to publish a book on sex differences in diseases as NIH leadership has asked scientists to consider sex as a biological variable in preclinical research, to ensure that women get the same benefit of medical research as men.

This volume collects essays by the late bioethicist John D. Arras, best known for his many contributions to the methodology of bioethics. Always open-minded, Arras did not favor a single theory or view of method in bioethics, eschewing labels such as "casuist" or "pragmatist." He was conversant with the main philosophical methods that have dominated bioethics since the field's origin, including principlism, Gert's common morality, the "new casuistry", pragmatism, and others. Rather than defending any particular theory or method, though, Arras rigorously investigated those methods - and how they both expand and limit our field of vision. He sought, in the tradition of Kierkegaard, to make life "harder" for bioethics, by uncovering challenges to the field's analytical methods. His favorite mode of exploration and expression was the thoughtful essay. The essays collected here reveal him thinking through new problems and new possibilities, and they invariably yield fresh and valuable insights.

This first edition volume demystifies the complex topic of flow cytometry by providing detailed explanations and nearly 120 figures to help novice flow cytometry users learn and understand the bedrock principles necessary to perform basic flow cytometry experiments correctly. The book divides the topic of flow cytometry into easy to understand sections and covers topics such as the physics behind flow cytometry, flow cytometry lingo, designing flow cytometry experiments and choosing appropriate fluorochromes, compensation, sample preparation and controls and ways to assess cellular function using a variety of flow cytometry assays. Written as a series of chapters whose concepts sequentially build off one another, using the list of materials contained within each section along with the readily reproducible laboratory protocols and tips on troubleshooting that are included, readers should be able to reproduce the data figures presented throughout the book on their way to mastering sound basic flow cytometry techniques. Easy to understand and comprehensive, Flow Cytometry Basics for the Non-Expert will be a valuable resource to novice flow cytometry users as well as experts in other biomedical research fields who need to familiarize themselves with a basic understanding of how to perform flow cytometry and interpret flow cytometry data. This book is written for both scientists and non-scientists in academia, government, biotechnology, and medicine.

This is the second edition of a full colour reference atlas published first to excellent reviews in 1994. Every renal unit needs to have a reference text of this kind and urine microscopy is an important diagnostic aid in nephrology. After the 'Historical Introduction' by J Stewart Cameron, chapter 1 descibes the methods used to prepare and analyse the urine samples. Chapter 2, which is the most important section of the book, describes with the help of 249 illustrations (over 200 in full colour) the elements of the urinary sediment. Chapter 3 deals with the urinary sediment of the normal subject, while chapter 4 deals with the urinary changes which are observed in the main diseases of the kidney and urinary tract. Chapter 5 describes the changes of the urinary sediment caused by drugs. Chapter 6 is about the interpretation of the urinary findings shown in the previous chapters. Chapter 7 covers the new systems to analyse the urinary sediments. An appendix shows how to adjust the microscope to analyse the urine specimens. The primary audience is practising nephrologists and nephrologists in training, and also those in internal medicine rotating through the renal unit who perform routinely the analysis of the urinary sediment. Clinical pathologists would also find this an attractive and useful book. The illustrations are outstanding and additional clinical information has been added in this new edition. From review from the Lancet of the first edition in comparison with a competing title: 'Every nephrologist knows and teaches that urine microscopy is an important diagnostic aid. What has been urgently needed is a colour guide to the subject.....I preferred the pictures in the European book. They were of high quality, not repetitive and with clear legends...if I wanted to teach myself.. then the European book was well ahead. The latter is also accompanied by an elegant introductory essay by JS Cameron on the history of urine analysis. Every renal unit needs at least one of these books.' The Lancet

The Biomaterials Science and Engineering Series is designed to help stimulate further developments in biomaterials science and engineering by disseminating up-to-the-minute, quality information to academic and industrial research and development scientists employed in all areas of the medical, biomedical and bioengineering sciences whether in medical device R&D, pharmaceutical and pharmacological research or materials science, and to clinical specialists in prosthesis and surgery.

Biocompatibility Assessment of Medical Devices and Materials presents both an overview and forward assessment of medical device materials and test methods. Highlighting the complex problem of host responses and related issues which may restrict the accuracy and reliability of existing test methodology, the book provides an unbiased appraisal of the requirements for biocompatibility and the approaches that have been developed to evaluate it. This much-needed volume specifically addresses:

• The rapid development of regulation and standards in the biomedical field over recent years.
• The test methods necessary as part of the evaluation of safety of medical materials and devices.
• The advantages of standardised, valid analytical measurement, inter- and intra-laboratory testing and certified reference materials.
• The problems of surface interaction evaluation, processing techniques and degradation effects.
• The application of risk analysis to assessment of biological safety, including the very latest protocols.

to the Animal Models Volumes This and several other volumes in the Neuromethods series will describe a number of animal models of neu- psychiatric disorders. Because of increasing public concern over the ethical treatment of animals in research, we felt it incumbent upon us to include this general preface to these volumes in order to indicate why we think further research using animals is necessary and why animal models of psychi- ric and neurologic disorders, in particular, are so important. We recognize that animals should only be used when suitable alternatives are not available. We think it self-e- dent, however, that humans can only be experimented upon in severely proscribed circumstances and alternative pro- dures using cell or tissue culture are inadequate in any models requiring assessments of behavioral change or of complex in vivo processes. However, when the distress, discomfort, or pain to the animals outweighs the anticipated gains for human welfare, then the research is not ethical and should not be carried out.

Principles of Animal Research is the first publication to offer a broad look at animal research science for a student, early researcher, or technician. Offering guidance for all aspects of the research experience, including the research and development of a thesis, model selection, experimental design, IACUC protocol preparation, and animal husbandry and technical procedural needs, the book is a necessary addition to every student, technician, and researcher's education.

Basic Science Methods for Clinical Researchers addresses the specific challenges faced by clinicians without a conventional science background. The aim of the book is to introduce the reader to core experimental methods commonly used to answer questions in basic science research and to outline their relative strengths and limitations in generating conclusive data. This book will be a vital companion for clinicians undertaking laboratory-based science. It will support clinicians in the pursuit of their academic interests and in making an original contribution to their chosen field. In doing so, it will facilitate the development of tomorrow's clinician scientists and future leaders in discovery science.

In recent years, many animal-derived polymers have emerged as an attractive category of naturally derived polymers because of their advantageous physicochemical, chemical, and biological properties. The important biological properties of these natural polymers derived from animals are biocompatibility and biodegradation. These polymers are generally composed of repeated units of amino acids. Moreover, these polymers can be modified physically and/or chemically to improve their biomaterial properties. Natural Polymers for Pharmaceutical Applications, Volume 3: Animal-Derived Polymers looks at how these polymers can be exploited as pharmaceutical excipients in various pharmaceutical dosage forms, like microparticles, nanoparticles, ophthalmic preparations, gels, implants, etc. The commonly used animal-derived polymers used as pharmaceutical excipients are hyaluronic acid (hyaluronan), albumin, collagen, gelatin, chondroitin, etc.

This book focus on genetic diagnostics for Uniparental Disomy (UPD), a chromosomal disorder defined by the exceptional presence of a chromosome pair derived from only one parent, which leads to a group of rare diseases in humans. First the molecular and cytogenetic background of UPD is described in detail; subsequently, all available information of the various chromosomal origins and the latest findings on genotype-phenotype correlations and clinical consequences are discussed. Numerous personal reports from families with a child suffering from a UPD-induced syndrome serve to complement the scientific and clinical aspects. Their experiences with genetic counseling and living with a family member affected by this chromosomal aberration present a vivid picture of what UPD means for its victims.

Advances in Clinical Chemistry, Volume 77, the latest installment in this internationally acclaimed series, contains chapters authored by world-renowned clinical laboratory scientists, physicians, and research scientists. The serial discusses the latest and most up-to-date technologies related to the field of clinical chemistry and is the benchmark for novel analytical approaches in the clinical laboratory.

Atlas of Histology of the Juvenile Rat should be of interest to toxicologic pathologists, toxicologists, and other biological scientists who are interested in the histomorphology of juvenile rats. For several decades the laboratory rat has been used extensively in nonclinical toxicology studies designed to detect potential human toxicity of drugs, agrochemicals, industrial chemicals, and environmental hazards. These studies traditionally have involved young adult rats that are 8-10 weeks of age as studies are started. It is becoming increasingly apparent that children and young animals may have different responses to drug/chemical exposures, therefore, regulatory agencies are emphasizing toxicology studies in juvenile animals. While the histologic features of organs from young adult and aged laboratory rats are well known, less is known about the histologic features of organs from juvenile rats. Final histologic maturity of many organs is achieved postnatally, thus immature histologic features must be distinguished from chemical- or drug-related effects. While this postnatal organ development is known to exist as a general concept, detailed information regarding postnatal histologic development is not readily available. The Atlas includes organs that are typically sampled in nonclinical toxicology studies and presents the histologic features at weekly intervals, starting at birth and extending through postnatal day 42.

Plasmodium falciparum malaria is responsible for the deaths of nearly 500,000 people each year. Much attention has been paid to antibody and cellular mechanisms of immunity against this pathogen. By contrast, the role that the complement system plays in immunity and pathogenesis in this infection is not very well recognized or understood. Based on the work of a number of research groups, we know that complement plays an important role in these processes. In this book, some of the leading scientists in the field discuss the mechanisms of complement activation during malaria infection as well as the role of complement in the pathogenesis of key syndromes such as severe malarial anemia, cerebral malaria, and placental malaria. In addition, they review recently-identified complement evasion strategies of P. falciparum merozoites, and how these mechanisms may translate into paradoxical enhancement of infection rather than protection. Finally, they also discuss the role of the mosquito complement system on immunity against the parasite.

Genetically-engineered mouse models for cancer research have become invaluable tools for studying cancer biology and evaluating novel therapeutic approaches. This volume focuses on state-of-the-art methods for generating, analyzing and validating such models for studying aspects of human cancer biology. Additionally, these models are emerging as important pre-clinical systems in which to test cancer prevention and therapeutic strategies in order to select compounds for testing in clinical trials.

Expert authors provide critical, in-depth reviews of available methods for retrieving selective information out of complex biological systems. Sensors, probes and devices are present and future tools of medicinal diagnostics, environmental monitoring, food analysis and molecular biology. These are based on fluorescence, electrochemistry and mass spectrometry. Coverage of this volume includes sensor development for the detection of small analytes, monitoring of biomolecular interactions, analysis of cellular function, development of diagnostic tools.

"Human Retroviruses: Methods and Protocols" collects key experimental protocols that have provided the basis of the major discoveries of the field. Split into five sections, this detailed volume covers mapping of the HIV life cycle, isolation, co-receptor use, and cell tropism of HIV-1, in vivo quantification of HIV-1, biological aspects of HIV-1, as well as HTLVs. Some articles explore assay and function of accessory genes, largely involving the interface between retroviral and host factors, the extracellular role of Tat and Tax, resembling the function of cytokines, and the biotechnological exploitation of HIV as lentiviral vector to carry foreign genes with therapeutic value. 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.

Comprehensive and authoritative, "Human Retroviruses: Methods and Protocols" provides state-of-art methodological protocols from world leaders in human retrovirology, essential for any lab working this vital field."