The Series will provide microbiologists, hygienists, epidemiologists and infectious diseases specialists with well-chosen contributed volumes containing updated information in the areas of basic and applied microbiology involving relevant issues for public health, including bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections, zoonosis and anthropozoonosis, environmental and food microbiology. The increasing threat of the multidrug-resistant microorganisms and the related host immune response, the new strategies for the treatment of biofilm-based, acute and chronic microbial infections, as well as the development of new vaccines and more efficacious antimicrobial drugs to prevent and treat human and animal infections will be also reviewed in this series in the light of the most recent achievements in these fields. Special attention will be devoted to the fast diffusion worldwide of the new findings of the most advanced translational researches carried out in the different fields of microbiological sciences, with the aim to promote a prompt validation and transfer at clinical level of the most promising experimental results.

This volume reviews the current understanding of the taxonomy, disease syndromes, genetics, biology, and pathogenic factors of Histophilus somni, as well as the host immune response to this pathogen. H. somni is one of the most important bacterial pathogens in cattle and other ruminants, and its virulence factors are highly conserved with Haemophilus influenzae and other members of the Pasteurellaceae. H. somni has been recognized as a major cause of thrombotic meningoencephalitis, respiratory disease syndromes, myocarditis, reproductive disease syndromes, polyarthritis, mastitis, ocular disease, and septicemia. The only known habitats of H. somni are the mucosal surfaces of ruminants, making this bacterium an opportunistic pathogen. Although it is capable of causing inflammation at systemic sites and is toxic to epithelial and phagocytic cells, the bacterium's wide array of virulence factors act primarily as a defense against, or to escape recognition from, host innate and adaptive immunity.

This Volume presents key microscopy and imaging methods for revealing the structure and ultrastructure of environmental and experimental samples, of microbial communities and cultures, and of individual cells. Method adaptations that specifically address problems concerning the hydrophobic components of samples are highlighted and discussed. The methods described range from electron microscopy and light and fluorescence microscopy, to confocal laser-scanning microscopy, and include experimental set-ups for the analysis of interfacial processes like microbial growth and activities at hydrocarbon:water interfaces, biofilms and microbe:mineral interfaces. Three forms of fluorescence in situ hybridization - CARD-FISH, MAR-FISH and Two-pass TSA-FISH - are described for the ecophysiological analysis of functionally active microbes in samples. The methods presented will enable readers to obtain an ultrastructural picture of, and identify the key functional microbes in, samples under investigation. This in turn will constitute a key framework for the interpretation of information from other experimental approaches, such as physicochemical analyses and genomic investigations. Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology ProtocolsThere are tens of thousands of structurally different hydrocarbons, hydrocarbon derivatives and lipids, and a wide array of these molecules are required for cells to function. The global hydrocarbon cycle, which is largely driven by microorganisms, has a major impact on our environment and climate. Microbes are responsible for cleaning up the environmental pollution caused by the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs and will also be pivotal in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels by providing biofuels, plastics and industrial chemicals. Gaining an understanding of the relevant functions of the wide range of microbes that produce, consume and modify hydrocarbons and related compounds will be key to responding to these challenges. This comprehensive collection of current and emerging protocols will facilitate acquisition of this understanding and exploitation of useful activities of such microbes.

This volume brings together recent developments in quasispecies theory extended to variable environments and practical applications in elucidating viral dynamics and treatment designs. In particular, the existence of an error threshold in rugged fitness landscapes has opened the way to a new antiviral strategy termed lethal mutagenesis, which is now under intensive theoretical, experimental and clinical investigation. As such the book explains how an understanding of quasispecies dynamics within infected organisms has increased our knowledge of viral disease events. From a clinical perspective, population dynamics highlights important problems for viral disease control, such as the selection of drug-resistant mutants that often accompanies treatment failures, and suggests means of increasing the effectiveness of antiviral treatments. The book is intended for students and scientists interested in basic and applied aspects of biophysics, chemistry, biology, evolution and medical virology.

This book describes modern biophysical techniques that enable us to understand and examine dynamic processes of infection at the molecular level. Cutting-edge research articles, laboratory protocols, case studies and up-to-date reviews cover topics such as single-molecule observation of DNA replication repair pathways in E. coli; evolution of drug resistance in bacteria; restriction enzymes as barriers to horizontal gene transfer in Staphylococcus aureus; infectious and bacterial pathogen biofilms; killing infectious pathogens through DNA damage; bacterial surfaces in host-pathogen interactions; bacterial gene regulation by riboswitches; transcription regulation in enterobacterial pathogens; the bacterial flagellar motor; initial surface colonization by bacteria; Salmonella Typhi host restrictions; as well as monitoring proton motive force in bacteria; microbial pathogens using digital holography; mathematical modelling of microbial pathogen motility; neutron reflectivity in studying bacterial membranes; force spectroscopy in studying infection and 4D multi-photon imaging to investigate immune responses. The focus is on the development and application of complex techniques and protocols at the interface of life sciences and physics, which increase the physiological relevance of biophysical investigations.

This book intends to provide information about detection and health effects due to bacteria, fungi and viruses in indoor environments. The book will cover also information about preventive and protective measures to avoid health-hazardous. Case studies will be also addressed to enrich the book with the expertise of each invited author. The book also intends to fill a gap regarding information about all biologic agents, since most of the books available are dedicated to only one type of microorganisms. For various different biologic agents and metabolites this book will compile information about indoors presence, detection methods, exposure assessment and health effects. Several problems regarding the exposure of biologic agents will be presented through case studies, and also the implementation of preventive and protective measures to avoid/minimize exposure. Besides, all the book will focus on occupational health and/or public health point of view.

The third edition of this volume expands upon the previous two editions with new and up-to-date methods and protocols. Chapters include step-by-step procedures involved in quantifying cell growth, baculovirus infection and cell metabolism, methods to isolate new cell lines and develop your own serum-free medium, and routine maintenance and storage of insect cell lines and baculoviruses, small- and large-scale recombinant protein production with the BEVS in both insect and mammalian cell culture and in insect larvae, production and characterization of baculoviruses, green fluorescent protein, tubular reactors and RNAi, and baculovirus/insect cell system to study apoptosis and generating envelop-modified baculovirus for gene delivery into mammalian cells. 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 key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Baculovirus and Insect Cell Expression Protocols, Third Edition aims to not only aid the user in successfully completing the tasks described, but also stimulate the development of improved techniques and new applications of baculoviruses and insect cell culture.

This book describes the molecular biology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, and potential strategies for control of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection. It offers insight into the structure and functions of CHIKV proteins as they relate to host response, interaction with the arthropod vector, and vaccination. A detailed account of both the epidemiological outlook and the clinical syndrome of CHIKV infection is provided. The complex host-virus interaction and the signaling pathways that mediate such interactions are also covered. Throughout the book, graphics and charts are used to provide stimulating discussion on important findings in the field of chikungunyalogy. The chapters are written with a global perspective by experts of CHIKV from around the world. This project is especially significant given that CHIKV is a pathogen of worldwide public health concern. Although the presence of CHIKV infection is not global yet, worldwide dissemination is predicted in the future due largely to the lack of effective treatment/therapy, efficient control of transmission, and knowledge about mechanisms of pathogenesis. Additionally, globalization of CHIKV is predicated on its mode of dissemination (mosquito vector) and cross border travel and migration.

Written by specialists in the different fields, this book presents new perspectives and insights into strategies and weapons to fight microbial infections. It also reviews the "state of the art" of alternative treatment approaches and new therapeutic agents to deal with infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. In an era of accumulated resistance to current antibiotics, it is vital that this is undertaken without further delay. Aspects discussed include the control of RNA synthesis, the use of bacteriocins or enzybiotics (bacteriophages or purified lysins), the specific control of pathogenic clostridia, the design of new drugs affecting DNA synthesis in bacteria, the use of fecal-matter transplant strategies, the specific control of quorum sensing responses in bacteria, the use of new peptides as antibiotics and new ways to control bacteria that cause cancer, such as Helicobacter pylori cancers.

The development of proteomic analyses using advanced mass spectrometry techniques has revolutionized the way proteins are studied, namely, as individual molecules within a complex system. HIV-1 Proteomics: From Discovery to Clinical Application comprehensively covers protein analysis from the early classic experimental days to current state-of-the-art HIV-1 proteomics in a clear informative style that brings expert-level understanding to the novice. Discussion of important clinical applications and future directions for the field also make this an ideal read for the expert. After finishing this book, the reader will have a complete and functional understanding of protein analysis from traditional biochemistry to modern proteomics.

In this second edition of Infectious Diseases and Arthropods, Jerome Goddard summarizes the latest thinking about the biological, entomological, and clinical aspects of the major vector-borne diseases around the world. His book covers mosquito-, tick-, and flea-borne diseases, and a variety of other miscellaneous vector-borne diseases, including Chagas' disease, African sleeping sickness, onchocerciasis, scrub typhus, and louse-borne infections. The author provides for each disease a description of the vector involved, notes on its biology and ecology, distribution maps, and general clinical guidelines for treatment and control. Among the diseases fully discussed are malaria, dengue and yellow fevers, lymphatic filariasis, spotted fevers, ehrlichiosis, lyme disease, tularemia, and plague. Other arthropod-caused or related problems-such as myiasis, imaginary insect or mite infestations, and arthropod stings and bites-are also treated.
At a time when vector-borne diseases are spreading ever more widely, Infectious Diseases and Arthropods provides physicians, infectious disease specialists, medical entomologists, and public health officials with an up-to-date, readily accessible, gold-standard reference source.

This book focuses on the function of antibodies in vivo. Recent years have seen an exponential growth in knowledge about the molecular and cellular mechanisms of antibody activity. These new results dramatically changed our view of how antibodies function in vivo. The importance of this class of molecules is demonstrated by the heightened susceptibility to infections of humans and mice with an altered capacity to generate pathogen specific antibody responses. Thus, the majority of our currently available vaccines, such as vaccines against influenza, measles and hepatitis focus on the generation of long lasting antibody responses. Recent evidence from a variety of in vivo model systems and from human patient cohorts has highlighted the exclusive role of cellular Fc-receptors for certain immunoglobulin isotypes and subclasses. With the recent discovery of a human Fc-receptor for IgM all different human immunoglobulin isotypes now have a cellular receptor, providing a feedback mechanism and link between antibodies and the cellular components of the immune system. Moreover it has become clear the complement and Fc-receptor system are tightly connected and regulate each other to ensure a well balanced immune response. Among the immunoglobulin isotypes IgG plays a very important protective role against microbial infections and also as a therapeutic agent to kill tumor cells or autoantibody producing B cells in autoimmune disease. Transfer of our knowledge about the crucial function of Fc-receptors has led to the production of a second generation of therapeutic antibodies with enhanced binding to this class of receptors. Binding of antibodies to Fc-receptors leads to the recruitment of the potent pro-inflammatory effector functions of cells from the innate immune system. Hence, Fc-receptors link the innate and adaptive immune system, emphasizing the importance of both arms of the immune system and their crosstalk during anti-microbial immune responses. Besides this pro-inflammatory activity immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules are long known to also have an anti-inflammatory function. This is demonstrated by the use of high dose intravenous immunoglobulins as a therapeutic agent in many human autoimmune diseases. During the past five years several new insights into the molecular and cellular pathways of this anti-inflammatory activity were gained radically changing our view of IgG function in vivo. Several lines of evidence suggest that the sugar moiety attached to the IgG molecule is responsible for these opposing activities and may be seen as a molecular switch enabling the immune system to change IgG function from a pro- to an anti-inflammatory activity. There is convincing evidence in mice and humans that aberrant IgG glycosylation could be an important new pathway for understanding the impaired antibody activity during autoimmune disease. Besides this tremendous increase in basic knowledge about factors influencing immunoglobulin activity the book will also provide insights into how these new insights might help to generate novel therapeutic approaches to enhance IgG activity for tumor therapy on the one hand, and how to block the self-destructive activity of IgG autoantibodies during autoimmune disease on the other hand.

This book describes the demographic and clinical patterns of Zika infection and evaluates the risk of it spreading to Europe. It reflects the hands-on experience of the author, who as a physician, was faced with the first-ever cases reported in Europe. Providing essential background information on the viral vector, it addresses the various symptoms after infection, and places them in the epidemiological context of past outbreaks. The book addresses the needs of physicians attending patients with infectious diseases, including infectious-disease specialists, pediatricians, internal medicine specialists, general practitioners, obstetricians, tropical medicine and travel medicine specialists, preventive medicine and public health specialists, microbiologists, biologists and vectorial control specialists. It raises clinicians' and travel health clinics' awareness of the evolution of Zika virus outbreaks and the affected areas so that they can include this infection in their differential diagnoses for travelers from those areas.

The Common Cold vs. the Flu chart compares the causes, symptoms and treatment of these two respiratory problems. Images and text show normal & inflamed tissue, inflammation of the bronchial airway and middle ear infection. A point by point comparison chart is included. Heavy gauge 3ml lamination with sealed edges and two metal eyelets for hanging makes chart highly durable. Write-on/wipe-off with dry erase marker (not included).

Food Safety Management: A Practical Guide for the Food Industry, Second Edition continues to present a comprehensive, integrated and practical approach to the management of food safety throughout the production chain. While many books address specific aspects of food safety, no other book guides you through the various risks associated with each sector of the production process or alerts you to the measures needed to mitigate those risks. This new edition provides practical examples of incidents and their root causes, highlighting pitfalls in food safety management and providing key insights into different means for avoiding them. Each section addresses its subject in terms of relevance and application to food safety and, where applicable, spoilage. The book covers all types of risks (e.g., microbial, chemical, physical) associated with each step of the food chain, making it an ideal resource.

This text is an essential study guide for undergraduates studying microbiology modules on degree courses in pharmacy and the pharmaceutical sciences. Written by two pharmacists each with over 30 years experience of teaching, research and publishing in pharmaceutical microbiology, it distills the subject down into the essential elements that pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists need to know in order to practice their profession, and it covers all the microbiology components of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's indicative syllabus that is at the heart of every UK pharmacy degree.

Much of the applied microbiology that a pharmacist or pharmaceutical scientist needs to know is unique: topics like the manufacture of microbiologically sterile medicines and their subsequent protection against microbial contamination and spoilage, the detection of hazardous microorganisms in medicines and antibiotics' manufacture and assay are all covered here. Essential Microbiology for Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science Students displays material in an easy to-digest format and concepts are explained using diagrams, tables and pictures wherever possible. The book contains an extensive self-assessment section that includes typical multiple choice, short answer and essay-style examination questions, and a companion website to further test your knowledge from a selection of questions along with further links to relevant sites.

Microbial Resources: From Functional Existence in Nature to Applications provides an exciting interdisciplinary journey through the rapidly developing field of microbial resources, including relationships to aspects of microbiology. Covers the functional existence of microorganisms in nature, as well as the transfer of this knowledge for industrial and other applications. Examines the economic perspective of revealing the potential value of microbial material and figuring it into socio-economic value; legal perspectives; and how to organize a fair allotment of socio-economic benefits to all stakeholders who have effectively contributed to the preservation, study, and exploitation of microbiological material.

This atlas provides a detailed insight into the complex structure and organization of cells and tissues, and highlights their specific functions as well as the dynamics of diverse intracellular processes. Highly informative electron micrographs are complemented by explanatory texts, selected references and schemes. The concept that subcellular organelles provide the structural foundation for fundamental processes of living organisms is emphasized. The first part covers the cellular organelles and changes caused by experiments or occurring under pathological conditions. The second part employs selected examples to illustrate the principles of functional tissue organization and typical changes resulting from experimental induction or pathological situations. The third edition of the atlas, revised and extended by 23 plates, thus provides an invaluable resource for scientists and students of medicine and biological sciences, particularly of histology, cell and molecular biology. Moreover, it will serve as a handy reference guide for diagnostic and research electron microscopy laboratories in clinical, industrial, and academic settings.

This book addresses the major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) – based on their prevalence and the years of healthy life lost to disability – in Latin American and Caribbean countries. These include Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, hookworm infection, and other soil-transmitted helminth infections, followed by dengue, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, cysticercosis, bartonellosis, Plasmodium vivax malaria, and onchocerciasis. Topics like disease burden, major manifestations and approaches to the control and elimination of NTDs in Latin America and the Caribbean are discussed in detail. As such, the book will be of general interest to basic researchers and clinicians engaged in infectious disease, tropical medicine, and parasitology, and a must-have for scientists specialized in the characteristics of this region of the world.​

The purpose ofthis book isto provide acritical appraisal oftheconcept thatschizophreniacan becaused by viralinfections. The ability of viruses to cause psychiatric symptoms is not in question - the mental depression following a bout with mononucleosis or hallucinations associated with herpesencephalitisarewell-described examples. However, aviraloriginfor chronic disorders such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, is another matter. The claim of an infectious etiology for these disorders has beenmetinthemainstream scientific community byavagueskepticism that occasionally erupts into stringent criticism. Too often, however, the viral hypotheses of these disorders is simply disregarded; marginalized with the hopethat itwillgoaway sothatthe "serious" researchaimed atuncovering therealcauseoftheseillnesses willnotloseitsfocus.This beingsaid, much of the criticism is valid, and as a researcher with formal training in both neuroscience and viral immunology, I view the proposed viral etiology of thesedisorderswithaskepticaleye. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore the growing number of well-performed studies pointing to the role of viral infections as important antecedents of schizophreniaand other disorders inthe schizophreniaspectrum. Inthe last 30 years there have been hundreds of articles in peer-reviewed journals presenting evidenceorpositingtheoriestosuggestthatatleastsomecasesof schizophrenia have a viral origin. Moreover, many schizophrenia experts have been calling for the recognition that schizophrenia isa heterogeneous group of disorders that may have different causes. This idea of disease heterogeneity is reaching a crescendo, and there is undoubtedly a place for viruses among alternative etiologies; but we have to look. The intellectual climate tolooknowisbetterthanitwas20yearsago, inpartbecause inthe last 2 decades a number of chronic diseases of unknown etiology (e.g. gastric ulcers, Kaposi's sarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma) have been ascribedtoinfectiouscauses.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the sixth most prevalent cancer worldwide, remains a very difficult disease to treat and cure despite intensive investigation into molecular etiologies and tumor progression pathways. Due to public health efforts encouraging smoking cessation, the overall incidence of HNSCC has decreased in recent years in many countries. In contrast, the incidence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) has increased significantly, and this subtype of HNSCC is commonly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Moreover, individuals with HPV-positive OPSCC are generally younger and are frequently non-smokers, suggesting that HPV-associated OPSCC represents a distinct biologic entity. This volume summarizes the spectrum of current HPV-associated OPSCC research from the fundamental basic science to translational surgery and treatment approaches. Chapters are contributed by authoritative leaders in the fields of research and clinical care. Initial chapters address epidemiology, behavioral correlates of HPV infection, and racial disparities in oropharyngeal cancer. This is followed by chapters detailing HPV virology with focus on viral transformation, viral replication, and host response to viral infection. The molecular biology of HPV-associated OPSCC is investigated in chapters detailing alterations in signaling networks and unique mutational profiles of human tumors. Clinical presentation, surgical perspectives, and treatment paradigms specific to HPV-associated OPSCC conclude the volume. This comprehensive volume provides an up-to-date overview of both scientific discovery and clinical management of this emerging public health problem.

This volume presents a collection of reviews derived from work presented at the Aegean Conference: "5th Crossroads Between Innate and Adaptive Immunity". This meeting was the fifth in a series, and assembled a team of scientists working on mechanisms by which the innate immune system of the host senses pathogens, the cellular and signaling networks that orchestrate the innate response and antigen presentation and adaptive immunity. The importance of the crosstalk between innate immunity and the adaptive immune response has only recently started to be appreciated. Although it is well recognized that dendritic cells, NK cells, NK-T cells and T cells are all critical for the host response to pathogens, the respective fields that study the biology of these immune cells tend to exist in parallel worlds with minimum exchange of information and ideas. This fragmentation hinders the integration of these fields towards a unified theory of host response. The Aegean Conference "Crossroads between Innate and Adaptive Immunity" brought together leading international scientists and experts to address critical areas of Innate and Adaptive Immunity, a necessary step in the development of more efficient scientific exchange and crosspollination between these fields. This conference attracted scientists from all over the world to discuss their latest findings on the various aspects of Innate and Adaptive Immunity, and maximized scientific interchange through lecture presentations, poster sessions and informal discussions.

The global medical process is a chain of different medical multidisciplinary procedures. The success in global Patient Safety will depend on the Safety of the consecutive medical processes that intervene in this complex system. Laboratory data is an essential part of health care, indeed it is used in 70% of clinical decisions. Inappropriate laboratory test over requesting is extremely frequent. The prevalence of under requesting has been less studied. The consequences of under requesting are clear, we are missing a diagnosis. Inappropriate over requesting can result not only in a problem of cost but also in a problem regarding patient safety. Additionally, another important consequence of inappropriate tests over requesting is that such amount of unnecessary tests has probably contributed to a significant increase in the volume of those over the last years. In all, there is general consensus that the inadequacy of test requesting must be corrected through strategies and monitored over time through indicators to assure the optimal laboratory contribution to clinical decision-making and patient safety.

This volume thoroughly covers HIV-1 antiretrovirals currently in clinical use, together with their advantages and limitations. HIV-1 inhibitor resistance is discussed in detail, and critical assessments as to what will be required of future antiretrovirals in order to halt viral replication, reduce viral resistance, and alter the state of viral latency are presented. Experts at the forefront of HIV-1 research provide overviews of approaches from the fields of virology, chemical biology and structural biology for obtaining small molecule inhibitors that target viral regulatory and structural components at multiple points in the viral lifecycle. The individual chapters will appeal to scientists and clinicians alike.

In recent years there have been various discoveries connecting inflammation and lung cancer and clearly there is growing interest in this area of cancer research. The link between unresolved inflammation and cancer has been well established with estimates that 15% of cancer deaths are inflammation-related. Evidence for this link includes the following: a) some inflammatory diseases are associated with increased risk of cancer development; b) inflammatory mediators are present surrounding and within most tumors; c) overexpression of inflammatory cytokines increases cancer development and progression in murine studies; d) inhibition of inflammatory mediators decreases cancer development and progression; and e) the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has been found to decrease cancer incidence and delay progression. The volume will present aspects of the inflammatory tumor microenvironment (TME), its many roles in tumor progression and metastasis, including creation of a hypoxic environment, increased angiogenesis and invasion, changes in expression of micro-RNAs (miRNAs) and an increase in a stem cell phenotype. The book will also cover the mechanisms of inflammatory mediators. Chronic overexpression of inflammatory mediators in the TME, as seen in smokers and patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), can also lead to increased tumor initiation, progression, invasion and metastasis. The volume will provide a comprehensive perspective of the latest findings and summaries of progress made regarding inflammation and its connection to lung cancer.