The type 2 immune response that develops during infectious disease has undergone major paradigm shifts in the last several years as new cell types and pathways have been identified. It is now clear that the type 2 immune response, characterized by elevations in specific cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, is associated with helminth infections in both humans and mice. This response is complex and includes effector functions that mediate resistance, contributing to expulsion and in some cases destruction, of the parasite. But just as importantly, the type 2 immune response can also mediate tolerance mechanisms, which can mitigate tissue injury as these large multicellular parasites transit through vital organs. The tolerance mechanisms include both tissue repair and immune regulatory effects. These latter aspects of the helminth-induced type 2 immune response are increasingly recognized as a potential resource that can be mined for the development of novel immunotherapies that may enhance wound healing, control of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and regulation of metabolic homeostasis. In this book, leading researchers in this exciting and dynamic field discuss the latest findings and emerging concepts, providing an intellectual framework that can be used as a basis for new discoveries and potentially new treatments for diseases associated with inflammation.

Viruses and RNAi share an intricate relationship at many levels. RNAi is an important antiviral defense mechanism in plants and invertebrates, microRNAs - of viral or cellular origin - affect many aspects of virus biology, and replication of many, if not all, mammalian viruses can be suppressed by RNAi. Antiviral RNAi: Concepts, Methods, and Applications provides a collection of protocols for the analysis of viral small RNAs and natural antiviral RNAi responses as well as for the development and optimization of RNAi-based antiviral drugs. As RNAi is a central regulatory mechanism in the cell, the methods in this volume can also be applied out of the context of a virus infection. Divided into five convenient parts, this detailed volume reviews important basic concepts in the field of antiviral RNAi, provides experimental and bio-informatic tools for the analysis of small silencing RNAs, covers methods to biochemically dissect RNAi-based antiviral defense and viral counter-defense mechanisms, describes methods for the design, expression, and delivery of therapeutic antiviral siRNAs, and finally presents genome-wide RNAi approaches for the identification of factors involved in virus replication. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters contain introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and accessible, Antiviral RNAi: Concepts, Methods, and Applications serves as an ideal guide for both novice and experienced researchers alike striving to dissect the role of RNAi in the viral life cycle or to further boost the development of novel therapeutics and experimental tools based on RNAi technology.

This volume presents a collection of reviews derived from work presented at the Aegean Conference: "4th Crossroads between innate and adaptive immunity". This meeting was the fourth 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 something necessary for 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. The conference had limited participation and a scientific and social program that maximized scientific interchange through lecture presentations, poster sessions and informal discussions.

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.

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.

Although there are many texts that provide quality information for the identification of fungi, researchers and technologists rarely have time to read the text. Most are rushed for time and seek morphological information that helps guide them to the identification of fungi. The Atlas of Clinically Important Fungi provides readers with an alphabetical list of fungi as well as listing the division of fungi by both sporulation and morphology. The characteristic traits for a particular fungus are displayed through a series of images, with the fungi appearing as they did in the author's lab on the day(s) that testing was performed. For this reason, numerous (6-20) color photographs are included so that technologists will have sufficient reference photos for identifying the various morphologies of a single organism. Organism photographs begin with the macroscopic colony views followed by the microscopic views. Also included for some microorganisms, are clinical pathology photographs demonstrating how the organism appears in human tissues. A collection of literature citations are also provided to enable further reading. This user-friendly fungi atlas provides a resource for those seeking information in the field of medical mycology, specifically with regards to identifying an organism using the parameters of culture morphology.

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.

The aim of this book is to publicise and bring to a wider audience the concept that the cause of two neurological diseases, namely multiple sclerosis (MS) and "mad cow disease" also known as "bovine spongiform encephalopathy" are related through exposure to a common microbe Acinetobacter which is found in human sinuses, on skin and in the soil. An infection is the cause of a neurological disease in man and in animals. Elevated levels of antibodies to Acinetobacter have been found in multiple sclerosis patients as well as in ruminants who have been described as suffering from "mad cow disease" following exposure to contaminated feed supplements. The overall objective and scope of this book is to inform the audience, the reader, that multiple sclerosis may be linked to a microbe Acinetobacter which carries molecular structures resembling myelin, the outer sheath covering of neurons.

This book provides a systematic introduction to the principles of microscopic imaging through tissue-like turbid media in terms of Monte-Carlo simulation. It describes various gating mechanisms based on the physical differences between the un scattered and scattered photons and method for microscopic image reconstruction, using the concept of the effective point spread function. Imaging an object embedded in a turbid medium is a challenging problem in physics as well as in bio photonics. A turbid medium surrounding an object under inspection causes multiple scattering, which degrades the contrast, resolution and signal-to-noise ratio. Biological tissues are typically turbid media. Microscopic imaging through a tissue-like turbid medium can provide higher resolution than transillumination imaging in which no objective is used. This book serves as a valuable reference for engineers and scientists working on microscopy of tissue turbid media.

Based on the third symposium on "Molecular Immunology of Complex Carbohydrates," this text covers the latest in glycotopes, structures and functions of complex carbohydrates, recognition factors of lectins, biomolecular interactions and other glycosciences. This volume highlights the informative events of the Symposium on Molecular Immunology of Complex Carbohydrates III, held at the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, on July 15-20, 2007, in Taipei, Taiwan.

This volume is the most recent installment of the Progress in Motor Control series. It contains contributions based on presentations by invited speakers at the Progress in Motor Control IX meeting held in at McGill University, Montreal, in July, 2013. Progress in Motor Control is the official scientific meeting of the International Society of Motor Control (ISMC). The Progress in Motor Control IXI meeting, and consequently this volume, provide a broad perspective on the latest research on motor control in humans and other species.

This Springer Protocols manual is a practical guide to the application of key molecular biology techniques in microbiological research. The focus is on experimental protocols, which are presented in an easy-to-follow way, as step-by-step procedures for direct use in the laboratory. Notes on how to successfully apply the procedures are included, as well as recommendations regarding materials and suppliers. In addition to the practical protocols, important background information and representative results of experiments using the described methods are presented. Researchers in all areas applying microbial systems, such as in molecular biology, genetics, pathology, and agricultural research will find this work of great value.

Cervical cancer is a major disease worldwide, with 500,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Through aetiological studies, an association has been established with human papilloma virus (HPV) infection throughout the pathological spectrum of this disease. Studies of the molecular and biological basis for the role of HPV in cervical lesions involve clinicians, virologists, cell and molecular biologists, and most recently immunologists. This book is a review of HPV infection in cervical cancer, providing the background to the potential for immunological intervention. Individual chapters have been written so that the reader, irrespective of level or discipline, can follow the text, and each is integrated so that the book as a whole provides a detailed insight into the most relevant scientific issues of HPV and cervical cancer. This book should provide an interface for students, scientists and clinicians with a realistic and critical evaluation of the advances and problems in the implementation of immunologically based prophylactic and therapeutic strategies in HPV-associated disease. This book should be of use to postgraduate students, research scientists and clinicians involved in eith

The notion that contaminated environments in hospital settings significantly contribute to the risk of an individual acquiring an infection while hospitalized is continuously gaining recognition by the medical community. There is a clear correlation between the environmental bioburden present in a clinical setting and the risk of patients acquiring an infection. Thus using self-disinfecting surfaces can be a very important adjunct in the fight against nosocomial pathogens. This book reviews the increasing evidence that contaminated non-intrusive soft and hard surfaces located in the clinical surroundings are a source of nosocomial pathogens and focuses on the utility of copper containing materials in reducing bioburden and fighting hospital acquired infections. It also reviews other biocidal surface alternatives and the economics of using biocidal surfaces in a hospital environment. Finally, it discusses the pros and cons of existent disinfection modalities other than biocidal surfaces.

Thousands of different microbial species colonize the human body, and are essential for our survival. This book presents a review of the current understanding of human microbiomes, the functions that they bring to the host, how we can model them, their role in health and disease and the methods used to explore them. Current research into areas such as the long-term effect of antibiotics makes this a subject of considerable interest. This title is essential reading for researchers and students of microbiology.

Reviewing exhaustively the current state of the art of tissue engineering strategies for regenerating bones and joints through the use of biomaterials, growth factors and stem cells, along with an investigation of the interactions between biomaterials, bone cells, growth factors and added stem cells and how together skeletal tissues can be optimised, this book serves to highlight the importance of biomaterials composition, surface topography, architectural and mechanical properties in providing support for tissue regeneration. Maximizing reader insights into the importance of the interplay of these attributes with bone cells (osteoblasts, osteocytes and osteoclasts) and cartilage cells (chondrocytes), this book also provides a detailed reference as to how key signalling pathways are activated. The contribution of growth factors to drive tissue regeneration and stem cell recruitment is discussed along with a review the potential and challenges of adult or embryonic mesenchymal stem cells to further enhance the formation of new bone and cartilage tissues. This book serves to demonstrate the interconnectedness of biomaterials, bone/cartilage cells, growth factors and stem cells in determining the regenerative process and thus the clinical outcome.

This bookwas designed as a reference tool for pharmacists involved in the treatment of patients with infections. It is clinically oriented and designed to help students in all medical disciplines, and especially pharmacists and students of pharmacy who need information on choosing the correct drug, dose, and method of administration of an agent to patients with infectious diseases. Nurse practitioners and clinical microbiologists who need to understand the use of anti-infective agents in patients will also find this volume useful."

Digenetic trematodes constitute a major helminth group that parasitize humans and animals, and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The diseases caused by trematodes have been neglected for years, especially as compared with other parasitic diseases. However, the geographical limits and the populations at risk are currently expanding and changing in relation to factors such as growing international markets, improved transportation systems, and demographic changes. This has led to a growing international interest in trematode infections, although factors such as the difficulties entailed in the diagnosis, the complexity of human and agricultural practices, the lack of assessments of the economic costs or the limited number of effective drugs are preventing the development of control measures of these diseases in humans and livestock. In-depth studies are needed to clarify the current epidemiology of these helminth infections and to identify new and specific targets for both effective diagnosis and treatments. The main goal of this book is to present the major trematodes and their corresponding diseases in the framework of modern parasitology, considering matters such as the application of novel techniques and analysis of data in the context of host-parasite interactions and to show applications of new techniques and concepts for the studies on digenetic trematodes. This is an ideal book for parasitologists, microbiologists, zoologists, immunologists, professional of public health workers, clinicians and graduate and post-graduate students.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the most notorious pathogens on earth, causing the death of approximately 1.5 million people annually. A major problem in the fight against tuberculosis is the emergence of strains that have acquired resistance to all available antibiotics. One key to the success of M. tuberculosis as a pathogen is its ability to circumvent host immune responses at different levels. This is not only a result of the special makeup of M. tuberculosis in terms of genetic diversity and DNA metabolism and its possession of specialized secretion systems, but also of its ability to hijack the host's innate immune defence mechanisms. In this volume, researchers from different disciplines provide a topical overview of the diverse mechanisms that contribute to the virulence of M. tuberculosis, ranging from their genetic, metabolic and molecular makeup, as well as the complex strategies these bacteria utilize to escape immune destruction within infected hosts.

This book represents proceedings of the 19th American Peptide Symposium. It highlights many of the recent developments in peptide science, with a particular emphasis on how these advances are being applied to basic problems in biology and medicine. Specific topics covered include novel synthetic strategies, peptides in biological signaling, post-translational modifications of peptides and proteins, and peptide quaternary structure in material science and disease.

Milton Taylor, Indiana University, offers an easy-to-read and fascinating text describing the impact of viruses on human society. The book starts with an analysis of the profound effect that viral epidemics had on world history resulting in demographic upheavals by destroying total populations. It also provides a brief history of virology and immunology. Furthermore, the use of viruses for the treatment of cancer (viral oncolysis or virotherapy) and bacterial diseases (phage therapy) and as vectors in gene therapy is discussed in detail. Several chapters focus on viral diseases such as smallpox, influenza, polio, hepatitis and their control, as well as on HIV and AIDS and on some emerging viruses with an interesting story attached to their discovery or vaccine development. The book closes with a chapter on biological weapons. It will serve as an invaluable source of information for beginners in the field of virology as well as for experienced virologists, other academics, students, and readers without prior knowledge of virology or molecular biology.

This volume covers all aspects of infection by pathogenic Leptospira species, the causative agents of the world's most widespread zoonosis. Topics include aspects of human and animal leptospirosis as well as detailed analyses of our current knowledge of leptospiral structure and physiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, genomics, immunity and vaccines. Updates are presented on leptospiral systematics, identification and diagnostics, as well as practical information on culture of Leptospira. Contact information is also provided for Leptospira reference centers. All chapters were written by experts in the field, providing an invaluable reference source for scientists, veterinarians, clinicians and all others with an interest in leptospirosis.

This book describes the growing body of information on the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, transmission, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of Kingella kingae infections in young children. In addition, it covers experimental methods that have been developed to study the microbiology, genetics, and virulence factors of K. kingae, information that provides the foundation for new approaches to treatment and prevention of K. kingae disease. With this content in mind, excerpts from the book will be of relevance for clinicians who care for pediatric patients, for clinical microbiologists who are involved in detecting organisms in clinical specimens, and for scientists who are studying K. kingae in an effort to develop novel targets for antimicrobial therapy and new approaches to prevention. First isolated in the 1960s by Elizabeth O. King, a bacteriologist at the CDC, Kingella kingae was largely ignored over the next two decades as a human pathogen because of its uncommon recovery from patients with disease. However, in recent years K. kingae has been increasingly recognized as a clinically important pathogen in young children, and is currently recognized as the leading cause of osteoarticular infections in young children in a growing number of countries. Research into this organism has grown tremendously over the past 15 years, resulting in a better appreciation of the importance of K. kingae in pediatric patients and of the molecular mechanisms of disease.

Since penicillin and salvarsan were discovered, a number of new drugs to combat infectious diseases have been developed, but at the same time, the number of multi-resistant microorganism strains is increasing. Thus, the design of new and effective antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal agents will be a major challenge in the next years. This book reviews the current state-of-the-art in antimicrobial research and discusses new strategies for the design and discovery of novel therapies. Topics covered include the use of genetic engineering, genome mining, manipulation of gene clusters, X-ray and neutron scattering as well as the antimicrobial effects of essential oils, antimicrobial agents of plant origin, beta-lactam antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides, and cell-wall-affecting antifungal antibiotics.

Reports on the emergence and prevalence of resistant bacterial infections in hospitals and communities raise concerns that we may soon no longer be able to rely on antibiotics as a way to control infectious diseases. Effective medical care would require the constant introduction of novel antibiotics to keep up in the "arms race" with resistant pathogens. This book closely examines the latest developments in the field of antibacterial research and development. It starts with an overview of the growing prevalence of resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, including their various resistance mechanisms, prevalence, risk factors and therapeutic options. The focus then shifts to a comprehensive description of all major chemical classes with antibacterial properties, their chemistry, mode of action, and the generation of analogs; information that provides the basis for the design of improved molecules to defeat microbial infections and combat the emerging resistances. In closing, recently developed compounds already in clinical use, those in preclinical or first clinical studies, and a number of promising targets to be exploited in the discovery stage are discussed.