Freshwater Fishes of the Eastern Himalayas provides a guide to describe the internationally accepted methods used in the accurate identification of fishes, morphometry, i.e., body proportions, meristics, i.e., counts of countable characters, viz., scales, fin rays, pores, vertebrae etc., characters of bones wherever necessary, special characters, viz., serrations of fin spines, axillary lobes, lobes, color patterns, etc. All the available taxa of the region are covered, making this an essential reference that provides the original description of genera and species. Diagnostic characters in the book can be easily examined by an unaided eye or by a binocular dissecting microscope with transmitted light.

Busvine's introductory account of the evolutionary histories of insects and mites leads on to a fascinating study of human reactions to ectoparasites. It shows how the extent of man's curiosity about them and references to their prevalence provide a continuous commentary both on the history of biological science from Aristotle to the present day and on the modes and manners of ages past. Subjects of ribald verse, quack medicine and morbid imagination as well as literary symbols of piety, love and human insignificance, this is also the history of how medicine discovered that ectoparasites acted as transmitters for epidemic diseases.

This issue of Surgical Pathology Clinics, guest edited by Dr. Jessica Davis, is devoted to Challenges & Updates in Pediatric Pathology. Articles in this issue include: Advances and Pitfalls in the Diagnosis of Hirschsprungs Disease, Updates in Pediatric Enteropathies: Differential Diagnosis, Testing, and Genetics, Pediatric Liver Tumors: Updates in Classification, New Prognostic Indicators in Pediatric Adrenal Tumors: Neuroblastoma & Adrenal Cortical Tumors, Pediatric Cystic Lung Lesions, Strategies for the Neonatal Lung Biopsy: Histology to Genetics, Wilm's Tumor: Challenges and Newcomers in Prognosis, Pediatric Renal Tumors: Updates in the Molecular Era, Newcomers in Vascular Anomalies, Spindle Cell Rhabdomyosarcoma: Further Subcategorization, Pediatric & Infantile Fibroblastic/myofibroblastic Tumors in the Molecular Era, Round Cell Sarcomas: Newcomers and Diagnostic Approaches, CNS Embryonal Tumors: Testing Strategies for Integrated Diagnosis, Updates in Pediatric Gliomas, and more.

As bacterial antibiotic resistance continues to exhaust the supply of effective antibiotics, a global public health disaster appears likely. Poor financial investment in antibiotic research has exacerbated the situation. A call to arms - raised by several prestigious scientific organizations a few years ago - rallied the scientific community and now the scope of antibacterial research has broadened considerably. Multi-disciplinary approaches have yielded a wealth of new data on areas ranging from the identification of novel antibacterial targets to the use of biological agents for antibacterial therapy. In this book, respected international experts summarize the most important concepts and pioneering strategies currently being used to develop novel antibacterials. The book opens with chapters on cellular processes that could be used as novel antibacterial targets. Examples include cell division, efflux pumps, metabolite-sensing riboswitches, and bacterial secretion systems. These are followed by excellent chapters on the identification of new, naturally occurring antibacterial agents, including phage and biosynthetically engineered compounds. Understanding the host-microbe interaction and microbial communities and how they can be exploited to develop new antibacterial strategies is discussed in subsequent chapters. Other topics include antibacterial vaccines adjuvants, host defense peptides, antibodies, within-host models, and diagnostics.

Paramyxoviruses are a diverse family of non-segmented negative strand RNA viruses that include many important human, animal, and zoonotic pathogens. Despite their enormous importance, the nature of the viral genome had proved an obstacle to research, with the result that paramyxoviral research had lagged behind that of other viruses. The advent of reverse genetics in recent years has changed this, enabling great strides in the understanding of the genomics, molecular biology, and viral pathogenesis. This book provides a timely and comprehensive review of current knowledge of all paramyxoviruses and is written by renowned scientists who have made seminal contributions in their respective paramyxovirus fields of expertise. Topics include: mumps virus * simian virus 5 * parainfluenza viruses * Newcastle disease and related avian paramyxoviruses * Sendai virus * Hendra virus * Nipah virus * measles virus * canine distemper virus * rinderpest virus * peste des petits ruminants virus * human respiratory syncytial virus * metapneumoviruses * new and emerging paramyxoviruses. Each chapter covers current knowledge on history, genome organization, viral proteins, reverse genetics, epidemiology, pathogenesis, immunity, diagnosis, prevention, and control and future challenges. This book is an invaluable reference source of timely information for virologists, microbiologists, immunologists, physicians, veterinarians, and scientists working on paramyxoviruses. It is also strongly recommended for all medical and veterinary school libraries.

The revolutionary discovery of Helicobacter pylori started a new era in the understanding and management of gastroduodenal diseases. H. pylori is associated with chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, MALT lymphoma, the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and several extra-gastric diseases. The organism displays an enormous genetic diversity and some strains harbor numerous virulence factors. No vaccines are available yet and increased antibiotic resistance of the bacteria is of growing concern. Many questions about H. pylori pathogenesis, epidemiology, prophylaxis, and treatment remain to be answered. In addition, the role of non-pylori Helicobacter species is becoming a topic of considerable medical interest. This book highlights recent research and provides an up-to-date summary of current knowledge for microbiologists, clinicians, and advanced students working with Helicobacter. The contributors offer an outstanding collection of reviews on many aspects of Helicobacter research, including: microbiology * virulence factors * immunology * vaccine research * epidemiology * diseases associated with the infection * antibiotic resistance * treatment (including the use of non-antibiotic agents). As a major reference volume on Helicobacter pylori and how it impacts on public health worldwide, the book is essential reading for those with an interest in the microbiology of H. pylori and is recommended for all microbiology libraries.

Waterborne Pathogens: Detection Methods and Applications, Second Edition, gives an overview of advanced and emerging technologies in the detection of a range of waterborne pathogens. In addition, the book presents existing methodologies, highlights where improvements can be made, includes applications, and touches on the ways in which new technologies can be applied in water management. Finally, the book addresses issues of sample preparation (from sampling, to concentration and enrichment), a key stage in any detection protocol.

Medicinal Plants in Asia and Pacific for Parasitic Infections: Botany, Ethnopharmacology, Molecular Basis, and Future Prospect offers an in-depth view into antiprotozoal pharmacology of natural products from medicinal plants in Asia with an emphasis on their molecular basis, cellular pathways, and cellular targets. This book provides scientific names, botanical classifications, botanical description, medicinal uses, chemical constituents and antiprotozoal activity of more than 100 Asian medicinal plants, with high quality original botanical plates, chemical structures, and pharmacological diagrams and lists hundreds of carefully selected references. It also examines the pharmacological and medicinal applications of Asian medicinal plants especially in drug development for protozoan prevention and treatment. Medicinal Plants in Asia and Pacific for Parasitic Infections is a research tool and resource for the discovery of leads for the treatment of protozoal diseases based on interrelated botanical, biochemical, ethnopharmacological, phylogenetic, pharmacological, and chemical information.

This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine, guest edited by Dr. A. Zara Herskovits, will cover Laboratory Testing for Neurologic Disorders. This issue is one of four selected each year by our Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Milenko Jovan Tanasijevic. Topics discussed in this issue will include: molecular approach to diagnostic testing for children with developmental delay and congenital anomalies, proteopathic and seeding assays (such as RT-QUIC), genetic testing for ALS and FTD, Diagnostic and prognostic testing for Alzheimer's disease, confounds in the interpretation of paraneoplastic antibody panels, Review of neurologic disease sendout testing at an academic medical center, development of new diagnostic tests for neurologic disorders, assuring quality in laboratory testing for sendout reference tests, diagnostic testing for patients with spinal muscular atrophy, among others.

Agrios' Plant Pathology, Sixth Edition is the ultimate reference in the field. Here, Dr. Richard Oliver provides a fully updated table of contents with revised and new chapters and invited contributors from around the globe. Building on his legacy, this new edition is an essential read for students, faculty and researchers interested in plant pathology. Sections outline how to recognize, treat and prevent plant diseases and provide extensive coverage on abiotic, fungal, viral, bacterial, nematode and other plant diseases and their associated epidemiology. A large range of case studies take a deep dive into the genetics and modern management of several plant species.

Interferons (IFNs) play pivotal roles in shaping the immune responses in mammals and are particularly important for the control of viral infections, cell growth, and immune regulation. These proteins rapidly induce an anti-viral state in cells that surround infected cells. In order to survive, viruses have evolved with multiple strategies to evade the anti-viral effects of IFNs. Elucidating the molecular and cellular biology of the virus-interferon interaction is key to understanding issues, such as viral pathogenesis, latency, and the development of novel antivirals. In this book, international experts review current research topics, producing a timely overview of this exciting field. The book opens with a chapter that comprehensively reviews the antiviral effects of extracellular double-stranded RNA - the viral toxin. This is followed by chapters that review the properties of type I and type III interferons, and the role of interferon-stimulated genes. Additional chapters are devoted to understanding the diverse strategies used by clinically-relevant human viruses to subvert host interferon responses. The book closes with an interesting overview of the clinical application of interferons as antiviral and anticancer agents. It will be essential reading for every scientist involved in interferon or antiviral research and will be a recommended text for all virology laboratories.

Dengue Virus Disease: From Origin to Outbreak provides a detailed accounting of one of the world's fastest growing infections. According to the World Health Organization, Dengue virus incidence has increased 30-fold over the past 50 years, with up to 50 to 100 million infections occurring annually in over 100 endemic countries. This estimate puts nearly half the world's population at risk. This book reviews the history, clinical and diagnostic aspects of dengue virus, also presenting our current knowledge on the pathophysiology of severe dengue and addressing the importance of dengue virus infections in those traveling to parts of the world where it is endemic.

This issue of Surgical Pathology Clinics, Guest Edited by Dr. Justine A. Barletta, will focus on Endocrine Pathology. Topics include, but are not limited to, Pitfalls in Thyroid Cytology, Prognostic Parameters in Differentiated Thyroid Carcinomas, Thyroid Tumors You Don't Want to Miss, Molecular Alterations in Thyroid Carcinomas, Treatment of Differentiated Thyroid Carcinomas, Treatment of Aggressive Thyroid Carcinomas, A Guide to Pheochromocytomas and Paragangliomas, A Diagnostic Approach to Adrenocortical Tumors, Treatment of Adrenocortical Carcinoma and Pheochromocytomas, Parathyroid Pathology, Neuroendocrine Tumors of the GI Tract and Pancreas, Treatment of GI Neuroendocrine Tumors, and Neuroendocrine Tumors of the Lung.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant public health problem of international importance. HCV is capable of establishing chronic infections resulting in progressive liver damage and other problems. Current drug therapies are ineffective, highlighting the need for better antiviral drugs. Recent research in HCV genetics and molecular biology have led to significant advances in our understanding of the life cycle of this important pathogen and may ultimately lead to better antiviral strategies. The editors of this book have recruited experts from around the world to produce a timely and well-compiled review of current HCV research, with an emphasis on antiviral drug development. The chapters provide in-depth reviews of the most critical areas of research. Topics include: the HCV life cycle * HCV assays * HCV resources * HCV databases * HCV infection systems * models of hepatitis C infections * overview of the drug pipeline * clinical trial design * clinical virology and drug development * NS3 protease inhibitors * NS3-NS4A complex inhibitors * NS3 helicase inhibitors * NS4B targets and inhibitors * NS5A inhibitors * nucleoside inhibitors * NS5B polymerase inhibitors * glycoprotein-dependent entry * host cell targets and inhibitors * innate immunity for HCV antiviral therapy.

In recent years, advanced molecular techniques in diagnostic microbiology have been revolutionizing the practice of clinical microbiology in the hospital setting. Molecular diagnostic testing in general and nucleic acid-based amplification methods in particular have been heralded as diagnostic tools for the new millennium. This third edition covers not only the most recent updates and advances, but details newly invented omic techniques, such as next generation sequencing. It is divided into two distinct volumes, with Volume 1 describing the techniques, and Volume 2 addressing their applications in the field. In addition, both volumes focus more so on the clinical relevance of the test results generated by these techniques than previous editions.