In vertebrates, the integrin family includes 24 members. As the alpha-chains were sequenced, some were observed to have an inserted domain similar to the A domain in several matrix and complement proteins. This inserted ligand binding domain is interactive and was called the I domain in integrins. More recently structural data have shown that an integrin beta-chain also contains an I domain. Nine of the currently known 18 alpha-chains contain an I domain.
This book systematically goes through the current knowledge about these integrins, including the newest additions to the integrin family, the collagen-binding alpha10beta1 and alpha11beta1 integrins. The book discusses ligand binding, signalling properties, knock-out phenotypes and possible involvement in disease. This book comprehensively reviews the current knowledge about I domains in integrins and will serve as a useful reference book for scientists in this field.

The Annexins is focused on a specific family of calcium and membrane-binding proteins, annexins, ubiquitously spread within living organisms, including animals, plants and fungi. The volume covers important areas of annexinology. The characterization of structural-functional relationship within the annexin family of proteins, together with emerging transgenic animal models, provides an up-to-date overview of potential physiological roles of annexins. Growing evidence of participation of annexins in human diseases, called annexinopathies, related to disturbances in signal transduction, vesicular traffic, ion homeostasis and energy metabolism within the cell.
The book will attract a broad scientific audience, not only scientists interested in annexins, but also others involved in multidisciplinary studies, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students. It can be used in courses relating to special topics such as calcium homeostasis, calcium-binding proteins, membrane structure and transport properties, various signal transduction pathways, and membrane trafficking.

Authoritative researchers and clinicians review our latest understanding of andrology in both basic science and clinical medicine. Topics range from explaining the biology of androgens-from several different perspectives-to illuminating their role in the development and modulation of physiologic systems. Authors demonstrate in a number of cases that testosterone can be a useful adjunct to the treatment of a variety of disease states. Other chapters consider important topics such as androgens use in athletes, the potential of androgens to improve physical function and quality of life in older men, and androgens as potential male contraceptives.

Western Medicine as seen today has a strong scientific basis in its development. The pathogenesis of most diseases and their symptomatology and physical signs are well studied and understood. The management of patients is based on firm understanding of these disease processes. In contrast, Traditional Chinese Medicine came about through the experience of many generations of practitioners over thousands of years. Undoubtedly, many of these treatments have proved to be effective in their own way, however, firm scientific basis is still lacking.

While most Western Medicine advocates control of disease by eradication of pathogens and surgical removal of diseased organs as in the case of cancer, Traditional Chinese Medicine seeks to improve resistance against disease. There is probably a great wealth of therapeutic value in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which has not been discovered or explored fully. By combining the knowledge of both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine, one might be able to improve the results of efficacy of treatments and the survival of patients. The integration of Medicine from East and West will take time to evolve and will need interested physicians from different parts of the world to work closely together to realize such a possibility.

This book is an attempt to bridge the medical world of two great and ancient civilizations in their approach to the treatment of disease. It is informative with a detailed account of the history of medical development. It is highly recommended for those medical practitioners from both East and West who are interested to explore alternative medicine and research new areas of the medical frontier.

Experienced physicians concisely explain the pathophysiology and clinical manifestations of endocrine disorders and survey all the latest laboratory diagnostics. Topics range widely from an overview of the diagnosis of diabetes and the long-term monitoring of its complications to the evaluation of menstrual dysfunction. Coverage is also given to the diagnosis of pituitary tumors, Cushing's syndrome, thyroid disease, and hypoglycemia; the evaluation of endocrine-induced hypertension; the assessment of dyslipidemia and obesity; and approaches to diagnosing hyper- and hypocalcemia. There are also discussions of osteoporosis, hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction, and hyperandrogenism in women. The authors each review the complex physiological basis of the relevant endocrine processes and provide richly instructive recommendations for followup and long-term management of patients.

In ambulantenund stationaren Pflegeieinrichtungenist mehr als jeder 4. Bewohner Diabetiker. Viele von ihnensind insulinbehandelt.Die Tendenz ist steigend. Das Pflegepersonal ubernimmt hier einen wichtigen Part in der Betreuung und Therapiebegleitung geriatrischer Patienten mit Diabetes. Die Schulung der Pflegekrafte wahrendder Ausbildung ist unzureichend undviele Aspekte der modernen Diabetologie sind den Pflegenden nicht bekannt.

Dieses Handbuch fur die Praxis und die Fortbildung enthalt alle wichtigen Zusatzinformationen, die Pflegende benotigen: Symptome und Krankheitsbild Diabetes mellitus Typ 2 bei geriatrischen Patienten, Begleit- und Folgeerkrankungen wie z.B.Diabetesbei Demenz, Therapiemoglichkeiten, Pflegemassnahmen, Patientenempowerment, Qualitatsmanagement und Schulung der Mitarbeiter.

Ein Handbuch fur die Pflegepraxis, Fortbildung und alle Mitarbeiter, die altere Menschen mit Diabetes mellitus betreuen und unterstutzen.

"

As discussed in this book, a large body of evidence indicates that selenium is a cancer chemopreventive agent. Further evidence points to a role of this element in reducing viral expression, in preventing heart disease, and other cardiovascular and muscle disorders, and in delaying the progression of AIDS in HIV infected patients. Selenium may also have a role in mammalian development, in male fertility, in immune function and in slowing the aging process. The mechanism by which selenium exerts its beneficial effects on health may be through selenium-containing proteins. Selenium is incorporated into protein as the amino acid selenocysteine. Selenocysteine utilizes a specific tRNA, a specific elongation factor, a specific set of signals, and the codeword, UGA, for its cotranslational insertion into protein. It is indeed the 21st naturally occurring amino acid to be incorporated into protein and marks the first and only expansion of the genetic code since the code was deciphered in the mid 1960s.

Protein degradation has been identified as a major mechanism for the regulation of cellular functions. Not surprisingly, its deregulation is implied in almost any pathological condition. This book describes how aged proteins are eliminated during cell metabolism, how cell proliferation is regulated by protein degradation and how its deregulation can contribute to the development of cancer, how protein degradation is modified during normal and abnormal aging, in particular with regard to Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative diseases of the brain and central nervous system. Attempts aiming at correcting these pathologies by interfering with deviations of the normal pathway of protein degradation are also treated.

During the last 8-10 years the research on homocysteine has become very active. Hundreds of articles are now published each year. A disturbed homocysteine metabolism can be an underlying factor for pregnancy complications and fetal malformations, cardiovascular disease, dementia, psychiatric and neurologic disorders and possibly carcinogenesis. A disturbed homocysteine metabolism can in most cases be normalized by treatment with folate and/or vitamines B12 and B6. Many of these findings therefore directly concern most practitioners.

Leading academic and biomedical researchers comprehensively review the status of essential fatty acids (EFA) in nutrition, medicine, psychology, and pharmacology. Topics range from a discussion of EFA basic mechanisms to their effects on individual psychiatry and behavior, and include extensive coverage of pathology, DHA in CNS development, and phospholipid and fatty acid composition and metabolism. Comprehensive and forward-looking, Fatty Acids: Physiological and Behavioral Functions reviews and critically evaluates our current knowledge of EFA, setting the stage for oncoming wave of discovery about the biochemical and molecular functions of essential fatty acids, as well as their critical role in human physiology, immunology, and behavior.

Atherosclerosis leading to coronary heart disease and to cerebrovascular disorders is the number one cause of death in industrialized societies. For the last two decades, great ad vances have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of those disorders. Recent studies have revealed that the earliest event in atherogenesis is the adhesion of circulating leukocytes to the vascular endothelial cells and their migration into the subendothelial space. These cells are known to playa central role in the formation of a fatty streak consist ing of lipid-laden foam cells. As pathological events continue, the lesion is converted to a more fibrous lesion associated with vascular smooth muscle cells. To solve the enigma of this complicated process, intensive studies in molecular biology have disclosed the genes involved in those events. Some of the genes have been verified by creation of novel animal models, which have led to novel therapeutic strategies for subjects with atherosclerosis. This volume contains papers presented at the International Symposium on Lipoprotein Metabolism and Atherogenesis held in Kyoto December 5-8, 1998, supported in part by the Japan Intractable Diseases Research Foundation. The following three topics were the focus of the three-day program: I) The molecular approach to studying risk factors and prevention 2) The creation of novel animal models 3) Lipoprotein disorder as a cause of activation of vascular endothelial cells Thirty distinguished researchers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Finland, Australia, and Japan were invited.

Rapid progress has been made in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cell growth and oncogenesis during the past decade. Special attention has been given to the presentation of the frequently neglected close correlation between changes in signal transduction and metabolic pathways during oncogenesis. This book advances the knowledge of mechanisms regulating metabolism and functioning of vitamin A and offers the most recent results of research on the clinical efficiency of retinoids in skin disorders and cancer. The book presents recent findings on the regulation of cell growth in normal and neoplastic tissues by growth factors including hormones, and by the activation and inactivation of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, respectively. It also offers a survey of the molecular and cell biochemistry of retinoids. Basic researchers in biochemistry, pharmacology and cell biology as well as clinicians will find this book very informative and up-to-date. This book advances the knowledge of mechanisms regulating metabolism and functioning of vitamin A and offers the most recent results of research on clinical efficiency of retinoids in skin disorders and cancer. Basic researchers in biochemistry, pharmacology, cell biology, and clinicians will find this book very informative and up-to-date. The chapters, organized in six sections, are contributed by leading scientists who have been working in the retinoid field for decades. Their experience and competence is aknowledged worldwide.

calcium exchanger, which is the topic of the final chapter of the book by N. Gabellini, A. Zatti, and E. Carafoli. Padova Zurich, Ernesto Carafoli February 2000 Joachim Krebs "Yes, calcium, that is everything ..." Contents Calcium Homeostasis and Its Evolution Robert J. P. Williams ...Evolution of EF-Hand Proteins Susumu Nakayama, Hiroshi Kawasaki and Robert Kretsinger...29 . Calmodulin Target Recognition: Common Mechanism and Structural Diversity Tao Yuan, Kyoko L. Yap and Mitsuhiko Ikura ...59 ...Calcium-Binding EGF-like Domains A. K. Downing, P. A. Handford and J. D. Campbell...83 ...Calmodulin-Dependent Protein Kinases Joachim Krebs...101 ...Structure of Calcineurin and Its Complex with Immunophilins Claude B. Klee ...125 ...2 The Ca + Pump of Sarcoplasmic and Endoplasmic Reticulum Membranes Giuseppe Inesi and Chikashi Toyoshima...143 ...2 The Plasma Membrane Ca + ATPase Danilo Guerini ...155 ...2 The Na+/Ca+ Exchanger: Structural Aspects, Function and Regulation Nadia Gabellini, Alessandra Zatti and Ernesto Carafoli ...173 ...Calcium Homeostasis and Its Evolution Robert J. P. Williams Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OXl 3QR, UK E-mail: Susie. Compton@chem. ox. ac. uk The homeostasis of calcium is managed very differently in different organisms. A general outline of homeostasis, a dynamic balanced flow, is therefore described before a description of the systems in particular classes of organism. The organisms are treated in the sequence: prokaryotes, single-cell eukaryotes and, lastly, multicellular organisms reaching up to man.

In September 1991, Victor Zammit and I were in the Department of Biochemistry, the University of Cambridge, discussing ou r collaborative research project when we real ized thepotential value and need fora conference specifically concerned with fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis. Thei dea, onceseeded, was indulged and flourished into the first "Fatty Acid Oxidation & Ketogenesis (FAOx&K) Conference"t hatwas held in the Department at Eastertime, 1992. Itw as attended byc olleagues mainly from the U. K., France and Spain. From these modest beginnings atradition for holding a conference every second yearh asgrown and this Book results from the 4th International FAOx&K Conference that was held in London at the Institute of Child Health & Great Ormond Street Hospital forChildren NHSTrust, University College London Medical School in the new Conference Suite and was attended by colleagues from over twenty c ountries and five different c ontinents. I would like to thank allm y colleagues who havec ontributed to the conferences and, mos t importantly, to this Book. The first two c onferences were held in the University of Cambridge and were orga nized entirely by me but Simon Eaton, who came to work in London with me in Febru ary 1997, b ecame Conference Secretary andco organized the last two meetings. His contribution tot he conferences has been invaluable and w ithout hisdedicated help and effort neither the latermeetings n ort his Book would haveb een possible.

The author, blind since 1984 from complications of diabetes, talks about his own experiences.

"Therapeutic Outcome of Endocrine Disorders: Efficacy, Innovation and Quality of Life" presents the proceedings of an international symposium held from November 13-16, 1997 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The proceedings discuss scientific and clinical studies related to the treatment of endocrine disorders, including growth hormone deficiency, Turner Syndrome, constitutional delay of growth, treatment of diabetes, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and congenital hypothyroidism.

Take control of your weight--and your diabetes. Managing your weight is critical when you have diabetes. In fact, losing as little as 10 to 20 pounds can improve diabetes control. With this innovative book, you can manage your weight and your diabetes by making gradual lifestyle changes you'll be able to live with for the rest of your life--like following a low-fat meal plan, becoming more active, and managing stress. Weight Management for Type II Diabetes will help you assess habits, teach you techniques of behavior change, and motivate you to find the support you need to manage both diabetes and your weight. This interactive guide takes you through the steps of developing a personalized plan that considers your lifestyle, personality, family situation, and wants and needs. Authors Jackie Labat, MS, RD, CDE, and Annette Maggi, MS, RD, will help you:
* Set reasonable goals
* Keep pace with an exercise program
* Design your own meal plan
* Handle special occasions
* Manage stress
* Learn to deal with lapses
The book also provides fat and calorie counts, grocery shopping tips, and a lesson in low-fat cooking.

The critically ill patient in intensive care may present with serious metabolic alterations caused directly by the illness or secondarily by complications (e.g. infections, organ failure or sepsis) developing within a few hours of hospitaliza tion or in the following days. Among the situations which maintain and further trigger rapidly evolving altered metabolism are complex hormonal reactions, particularly those of the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal axis, and abnormal stimulation of the autonomic nervous system. In fact, the sympathetic nervous system is known to cause significant metabolic alterations. For example, a surgery patient afflicted by septic complications may become hypercatabolic and experience significant nitrogen loss; the altered protein metabolism may in turn heavily influence carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as well. Thus, it is apparent that for optimal care of patients with altered metabolic functions, further knowledge is necessary regarding the physiopathology of metabolism and the physiopathological mechanisms, which alter the consump tion of principal energy substrates. Many experimental and clinical studies have investigated the metabolic aspects of individual organs or organ systems. However, for a correct evaluation of such metabolic events, in addition to studying the roles of metabolic enzymes, active metabolites, and the glutathione system, it is interesting to consider the use of indirect calorimetry as a valid and important investigative technique. The critically ill patient with major alterations in nutritional status may require artificial nutritive support administered through either parenteral or enteral routes."

The nitrogen-containing ring structures are at the hub of metabolism and include ATP, nucleic acids, many coenzymes, metabolic regulators and integrators such as adenosine and GTP, signalling compounds such as cyclic nucleotides and plant cytokinins and biochemically functional pigmets of which haemoglobin, the cytochromes and chlorophyll are examples. This important book collates and integrates current knowledge of all the biologically important N-heterocyclic compounds, covering the relationship between their chemical structures and physiological functions within this key group of compounds. Few biochemical reaction sequences do not involve one of these compounds as a substrate, product or coenzyme and a full understanding of the interrelationship between their structure and function is vital for all those woorking in the field of biochemistry. Professor Eric Brown who has a huge wealth of experience in teaching and research on these compounds has written a very comprehensible and thorough book which will be of great value for advanced students and researchers in biochemistry and those at the interfacing subject areas of chemistry, biology and pharmacology including all those employed in researching biological function within pharmaceutical companies.

In 1962, 30 years after the discovery by du Vigneaud have pathologic consequences. One potentially sig- of a new sulfur amino acid, homocysteine; Carson and nificant health outcome of such mild to moderate Neil reported two siblings with mental retardation in hyperhomocysteinemia is an increased risk of occlu- northern Ireland with elevated urinary homocystine. sive vascular disease. Homocysteine concentrations in Nearly simultaneously, Gerritsen and Waisman patients with vascular disease were, on average, 31 % greater than in normal controls. Prospective assess- identified increased homocystine in the urine of a mentally retarded infant in Wisconsin. Within two ment of vascular disease risk among men with higher years, Harvey Mudd, James Finkelstein, and their homocysteine concentrations indicated that plasma coworkers at the National Institutes of health (USA) homocysteine at only 12% above the upper limit of that the enzyme cystathionine ~- normal levels was associated with a 3. 4-fold increase had reported synthase was lacking in a liver biopsy specimen from in risk of acute myocardial infarction. Studies from another patient with homocystinuria. This was the original Framingham Heart Study cohort (USA) the first indication of a vitamin relationship to have shown strong, positive correlation between homocystinuria, because that enzyme has as its co- plasma homocysteine concentration and degree of factor vitamin B6 (pyridoxal phosphate). Thereafter, carotid stenosis.

As an endocrinologist and research scientist--and a diabetic for over 29 years--Dr. Joseph Juliano has devoted his life to understanding the disease. Now, he shows the millions of Type I, insulin-dependent diabetes sufferers how to avoid complications and overcome them if they occur, empowering readers with the motivation and information to control their disease.

Helping your patients maintain healthy weight is a key to promoting th eir well-being and longevity. Now, in this new guide for the health pr ofessional, you can get an up-to-date analysis of the causes and preve ntion of obesity to help you design effective, appropriate weight mana gement plans. Overweight and Weight Management explains how to use bas ic counseling skills and advanced behavior modification techniques to help patients change lifelong habits and develop healthy lifestyles. A nd you'll get assessment tools to help you improve your working relati onship with overweight clients, along with diaries, goal attainment sc ales, and other essential tools to keep your patients on track.

1. 1 Scientific Aims In recent years, there has been a definite trend away from the casuistic scientific thinking which has dominated the scientific world, at least in the field of medicobi ological research. Now, in the last decade of this century, scientists are returning to a conceptual way of thinking that characterized the beginning of this century, namely organismal thinking. The holistic concept is not a new one; it was rekindled by a small group of scientists who, in the previous two decades, have begun to warn against too great an emphasis being placed on a molecular casuistic approach as the final pursuit to science (see Duncker 1983). These thinkers were perhaps instrumental in helping to turn the tide, to instruct and encourage fellow researchers to extend their findings from the molecular and to the organismal (see Duncker 1983, 1992a, b; Duncker and Kreite 1987). Having observed the ceca of many different animals for many years and having described their morphology at different levels of study -from the macroscopic to the electron microscopy level - the need to compare and observe these morphological entities in a quantitiative way became increasingly imminent. Quantitative methodol ogy in morphology requires the use of morphometry, which in the most general terms can be described as the measurement of the forms of animals. As defined by Reith and Meyhew (1988), it is quantitative morphology, i. e., the measurement of structures by any method, including stereology."

Internationally eminent scientists illuminate the most important scientific aspects of essential fatty acids (EFAs)-from their biochemistry to their physiological consequences in both health and illness. The distinguished contributors integrate a wide range of topics, including the basic biochemistry of EFAs and lipid metabolism, the role of EFAs in the neuronal membrane, the effects of EFAs and lipids in various diseases, and the effects of normal levels and EFA deficiencies on cognition and behavior. The book's consolidation of our knowledge of the biology and metabolism of the EFAs lays the groundwork for dramatic advances in our understanding of these ubiquitous biochemicals and their role in health and illness.

Issues authoritative recommendations concerning nutritional requirements and safe ranges of intake for nineteen trace elements important to human health. Representing the consensus reached by a large number of international experts, the book aims to give scientists and those responsible for nutrition planning a solid basis for assessing dietary intakes of trace elements, detecting deficiencies and excesses, and recognizing the clinical features of related disorders. Throughout, guidelines and advice respond to greatly expanded knowledge about the significant impact that even subtle differences in trace elements can have on health and disease. The core of the report, which has three parts, provides authoritative recommendations on the nutritional significance, requirements for health, and safe range of daily intakes for nineteen trace elements in three categories. These include essential elements, such as iodine and zinc, probably essential elements, such as manganese and silicon, and potentially toxic elements, such as fluoride, lead, cadmium and mercury, which may also have some essential functions at low levels.