Conceptually unsavoury, airway mucus is vital to homeostasis in the respiratory tract. In contrast, when abnormal, mucus contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of a number of severe bronchial diseases, including asthma, chronic bronchitis and cystic fibrosis. This volume provides wide ranging and in-depth coverage of the scientific and clinical aspects of airway mucus. It commences with introductory chapters which address the biochemical and molecular biological basis of airway mucus and continues with comprehensive coverage of the various physiological and rheological aspects of respiratory secretions. The clinical aspects of the topic are then considered, with chapters discussing the involvement of mucus secretions in bacterial infection and in hypersecretory diseases of the airway. The volume concludes with a discussion of the therapeutic aspects of the topic, both in terms of the possible approaches to the treatment of mucus hypersecretion and the interaction of these drugs with airway mucus. Written by leading experts in the field, each contribution provides a comprehensive review of its particular subject. Reflecting the latest advances in this important area of respiratory research, this volume will be of great interest to scientists and clinicians working in the field of airway secretions and related areas.

This is a pocket book to assist in the interpretation of routine biochemical results. It contains comprehensive tests of causes of abnormalities and associated algorithms, that is, an aide-memoire plus flow charts to assist in diagnosis. The material is based on the author's vast experience in teaching hospitals and in providing services to general practitioners.This book, which covers all routine bichemical tests, is aimed at medical students, house officers and general practitioners.

Before the introduction of antisepsis and inoculation, people commonly died due to unsanitary conditions in the home, or following surgery or childbirth. Between them, the great scientists Louis Pasteur (1822-1893) and Joseph Lister (1827-1912) extended widely the practice of inoculation and revolutionized medical practice. Pasteur's discovery that living organisms are the cause of fermentation formed the basis of the modern germ theory. Following Pasteur's researches, Lister proceeded to develop his antiseptic surgical methods. These breakthroughs in medicine are to be reckoned among the greatest discoveries of the nineteenth century.

Scientists often look askance at their colleagues whose research appears too strongly focused on a single gene or gene product. We are supposed to be interested in the "big picture" and excessive zeal in pursuit of a single pixel might seem to border on an obsession that is likely to yield only details. However as this volume of Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology demonstrates, this is certainly not the case for myc. Intense study of this en- matic proto-oncogene over the last twenty years has only broadened our view of its functions and led to insights into mechanisms relating to transcriptional regulation as well as to cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and organismal development. The myc gene originally came to light as a retroviral oncogene (v-myc) associated with a wide range of acute neoplasms. It was later shown to be a virally transduced cellular gene (c-myc) which is a member of family of on- genes (c-myc,N-myc,L-myc). These family members are themselves subject to a bewildering assortment of genetic rearrangements associated with many different types of tumors derived from many different types of cells. These rearrangements (including chromosomal translocation, viral integration, and gene ampli?cation) act to uncouple expression of the myc family genes from their normal physiological regulators. The chapter by LIU and LEVENS - scribes the key pathways leading to regulation of myc expression, showing that such regulation occurs at several different levels and through multiple mechanisms.

A practical hands-on bench book covering difficult areas of autopsy for the modern pathologist. Rutty's book is unique - chapters deal with issues never previously discussed and have been specifically selected to fill a gap in the market, not just re-hash old ideas.

Designed for consultants and trainees alike, not only pathologists of all types but also non-medics involved with the dead in any way - lawyers, police, bereavement officers, undertakers. The first volume has become a reference aid to autopsy issues for all grades of lawyers. Thus the audience that the book reaches is greater than a pure autopsy or forensic pathology textbook.

The era of molecular pathology has arrived. From its promising beg- nings in research laboratories, the field has grown, and continues to grow, to become a vital part of the care of an ever-increasing number of patients. Because of its recent emergence from the research taboratory, many molecuIar pathology protocols we still to be found in the primary litcramre, and have not appeared in a text. MO~PCU~Q~ Padhoiogy Protocob contains la- ratory protocoIs that have been developed by many of the authors for use in clinical molecular pathology laboratories and describe in detail Row to perform these assays. This book is therefore intended for clinical laboratory use by medical technologists and pathologists. It will dso be of interest to research workers who are performing these assays. In its broadest meaning, pathology is the study of disease, and therefore it follows that any disease for which the molecular basis is understood would be suitable as a topic for inclusion in this work. When seiecting protocols, it was necessary to place limits on the number of chapters that could be feasibly presented in a single work. Those protoculs that were selected are performed more frequently, or have achieved recognition as having important diagnostic utility in contemporary practice. A decision was made to exclude inherited genetic diseases with certain exceptions, such as those diseases that are associated with thrombotic states and are part of the traditional dumain of pathology.

One Health is an emerging concept that aims to bring together human, animal, and environmental health. Achieving harmonized approaches for disease detection and prevention is difficult because traditional boundaries of medical and veterinary practice must be crossed. In the 19th and early 20th centuries this was not the case then researchers like Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch and physicians like William Osler and Rudolph Virchow crossed the boundaries between animal and human health. More recently Calvin Schwabe revised the concept of One Medicine. This was critical for the advancement of the field of epidemiology, especially as applied to zoonotic diseases. The future of One Health is at a crossroads with a need to more clearly define its boundaries and demonstrate its benefits. Interestingly the greatest acceptance of One Health is seen in the developing world where it is having significant impacts on control of infectious diseases. "

Many new antileukotriene drugs are now marketed as antiasthma drugs and represent the first new drugs in this field since the 1970s. This book covers the steps that have led to the discovery and development of these new drugs and offers detailed descriptions of their clinical applications. The review chapters on the main aspects of basic and applied leukotriene research are written by leading specialists in the field, and the volume takes a new approach in presenting information of particular interest to both scientists and clinicians in the fields of asthma, inflammation and allergic diseases.

This book is a complete guide to medical parasitology for undergraduate and postgraduate students. The new edition has been fully revised to provide the latest updates and advances in the field, highlighting epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of numerous parasitic diseases. Presented in bullet format, the text is divided into four main sections, each further sub-divided to cover different parasites. The second edition covers recent advances in laboratory diagnosis, treatment guidelines, vaccine prophylaxis, epidemiology of infectious diseases, and hospital infection control. Each chapter features questions on the topic to assist revision, as well as clinical images, schematic diagrams, tables and flowcharts. Key points Complete guide to medical parasitology for students Fully revised, new edition covering latest advances in the field Includes questions on each topic to assist revision Previous edition (9789351523291) published in 2014

In recent years, the development of new molecular biology tools and the elucidation of whole genome sequences have revolutionized research on pathogenic fungi. Such advances have led to the development of faster, more reliable, diagnostic techniques for medically important pathogens such as Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans. In addition, they have led to a major breakthrough in the approach for the generation of novel anti-fungal agents. Now it is possible to search for agents that target essential genes. Research in this area has never been more exciting. In this book, a panel of expert international mycologists critically review the most important cutting-edge topics. Chapters are written from a molecular and genomic perspective, and through the provision of extensive reference sections positively encourage readers to pursue the subject in greater detail. Topics include: gene expression and regulation, heterozygosity in Candida, molecular diagnosis

In eukaryotic cells, the nuclear genome and its transcriptional apparatus is separated from the site of protein synthesis by the nuclear envelope. Thus, a constant flow of proteins and nucleic acids has to cross the nuclear envelope in both directions. This transport in and out of the nucleus is mediated by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and occurs in an energy and signal-dependent manner. Thus, nucleocytoplasmic translocation of macro molecules across the nuclear envelope appears to be a highly specific and regulated process. Viruses that replicate their genome in the cell nucleus are therefore forced to develop efficient ways to deal with the intracellulZlr host cell transport machinery. Historically, investigation of Polyomavirus replication allowed identification ofsequences that mediate nuclear import, which led subsequently to our detailed understanding of the cellular factors that are involved in nuclear import. Transport ofmacromolecules in the opposite direction, however, is less well understood. The investigation of retroviral gene expression in recent years pro vided the first insights into the cellular mechanisms that regulate nuclear export. In particular, the detailed dissection of the function of the human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-I) Rev trans-activator protein identified CRMI, as a hona fide nuclear export receptor. CRM I appears to be involved in the nucleocytoplasmic translocation of the vast majority of viral and cellular proteins that have subsequently been found to contain a Rev-type leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES)."

This volume provides an overview of the latency strategies developed during the estimated 200 Myears long coevolution of Alpha-, Beta- and Gammaherpesvirinae and their host species. The main emphasis is on herpesviruses infecting humans. However, relevant cases if herpesviruses infecting animals are covered as well. Special emphasis is drawn on results on molecular mechanisms regulating latent promoters of herpesvirus genomes and signals and molecular pathways resulting in reactivation of latent viral genomes. To balance the volume, epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation, histone modification, chromatin structure) involved in cell type specific expression of growth-transformation-associated Gammaherpesvirus genes will also be discussed at length)

This updated volume on clinical forensic medicine covers the topics required for forensic healthcare professionals working in general forensic medicine and sexual offence medicine. All chapters have been reviewed and revised to reflect how the provision of forensic medical services has changed since the previous edition with multidisciplinary teams working in the custodial environment, comprising doctors, nurses, and paramedics and those practitioners providing sexual offence examinations. New and updated topics include: the increasing importance of photo documentation by health care professionals; updated information on strangulation, torture; a review of bite mark injuries; the explosion of Novel Psychoactive Substances worldwide; the changing patterns of deaths in custody and deaths following police contact; and the introduction in various jurisdictions of legal limits for drugs based on zero tolerance or a risk based approach. Written by a team of experts, the new edition of this book is a valuable resource for forensic healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses and paramedics working in general forensic medicine and sexual offence medicine, as well as emergency physicians, pediatricians and gynaecologists.

Molecular diagnostic procedures have been described in a number of recent books and articles. However, these publications have not focused on virus detection, nor have they provided practical protocols for the newer molecular methods.
Written by the inventors or principal developers of these technologies, Molecular Methods for Virus Detection provides both reviews of individual methods and instructions for detecting virus nucleic acid sequences in clinical specimens. Each procedure includes quality assurance protocols that are often ignored by other methodology books. Molecular Methods for Virus Detection provides clinically relevant procedures for many of the newer diagnostic methodologies.
Key Features
* Provides state-of-the-art PCR methods for amplification, quantitation, " in situ" hybridization, and multiplex reactions
* Goes beyond PCR with protocols for 3SR, NASBA, LCR, SDA, and LAT
* Covers important virus detection methods such as "in situ" hybridization; Southern, dot, and slot blots; branched chain signal amplification; and chemiluminescence
* Includes quality control information crucial in research and clinical laboratories
* Most chapters are written by the inventors and principal developers of the methodologies
* Includes color plates, 77 figures, and 18 tables

The OHOLO conferences are sponsored by the Israel Institute for Biological Research and take their name from the site of the ?rst meeting on the shores of Lake Kinnereth. The purpose of these meetings is, as it was at their inception over 50 years ago, "to foster interdisciplinary communication between scientists in Israel, and to provide added stimulus by the participation of invited scientists from abroad". The core of the organizers of the OHOLO conferences are scientists from the Israel Institute for Biological Research. From time to time a particular OHOLO conference cooperates with an international scienti?c organization. The present 46th OHOLO Conference marks the resumption of the OHOLO tradition after 8 years of interruption caused by events beyond our control. It is my belief that our uncomp- mising commitment to excellence in research and development in the various areas of science in Israel is essential to our survival in this troubled region. The OHOLO conference tradition is a re?ection of this conviction. The present 46th OHOLO Conference entitled: The Challenge of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms - Mechanisms of Virulence and Novel Medical Countermeasures intends to address the unique virulence features and ho- pathogen interactions of microorganisms constituting emerging biothreat with emphasis on Y. pestis, B. anthracis, F. tularensis and Orthopox viruses. Accordingly we selected classical microbiological as well as genomic, proteomic & transcr- tomic approaches towards developments of novel prophylactic and post-exposure treatment, as well as updated strategies of diagnostics and bioforensics.

The books in this acclaimed series are the most detailed, up-to-date accounts of the field available. Volume 3 explores the oncogenic potential shared by retroviruses of different species, the widespread presence of retrovirues in nature, and the role of retroviruses in normal development and pathogenesis.

The understanding how complement relates to glomerular diseases has evolved considerably during the last years. Substantial evidence has accumulated that explain how a defective or deregulated complement system results in kidney diseases. The combination and close interaction of basic research with clinical medicine has demonstrated an important role of complement effector and regulatory proteins in pathological settings of the kidney. A large panel of distinct human kidney diseases such as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), membrano proliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and in ischemic reperfusions injury and transplantation are caused by defective complement control. Genetic analyses have identified mutations in complement regulators that are associated with these diseases. Mutations have been identified in the fluid phase alternative pathway regulator Factor H and the membrane regulator Membrane Cofactor Protein MCP (CD46). The functional characterization of the mutant proteins allows to define the pathophysiological events on a molecular level. These new concepts and data on disease mechanisms already allowed to establish new diagnostic and novel promising therapeutic approaches for several human kidney diseases.

Epigenetic modification of cellular genomes is a fascinating means of regulating tissue- and cell type-specific gene expression in all developmental stages of the life of an organism. Carefully orchestrated processes, such as DNA methylation and a plenitude of specific histone modifications secure the faithful transmission of gene expression patterns to progeny cells. Upon chronic infection, the epigenetic cellular balance can become disrupted and, in the long run, through the epigenetic reprogramming of host cell genomes, contribute to the malignant conversion of formerly healthy cells, in many cases preceded by the establishment of an epigenetic field of cancerization. The present volume undertakes to highlight the interactions of infectious pathogens and their effector molecules with the epigenetic regulatory machinery of the cell. Clearly, the recent take-off of epigenetics research did not leave Research on Infectious Diseases and Infection-Associated Cancer untouched. This resulted in a great many of clinically relevant data on understanding the molecular mechanisms of chronic infectious disease. Infectious pathogen- and disease-specific epigenetic alterations are already being used for the early detection of malignant disease and for the prediction of chemotherapy resistance or response to treatment.

The consequences of diseases involving the immune system such as AIDS, and chronic inflammatory diseases such as bronchial-asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and atherosclerosis, now account for a considerable economic burden to governments worldwide. In response there has been an enormous research effort investigating the basic mechanisms underlying such diseases, and a tremendous drive to identify novel therapeutic applications for their prevention and treatment. Though a plethora of immunological studies have been published in recent years, little has been written about the implications of such research for drugs development. As a consequence, this area has not gained the prominence of other fields such as molecular pharmacology or neuropharmacology, and a focul information source for the many pharmacologists interested in diseases of the immune system remains unpublished.
The Handbook of Immunopharmacology series provides such a source through the commissioning of a comprehensive collection of volumes on all aspects of immunopharmacology. Editors have been sought after for each volume who are not only active in their respective areas of expertise, but who also have a distinctly pharmacological bias to their research.
The series follows three main themes, each represented by volumes on individual component topics. The first covers each of the major cell types and classes of inflammatory mediators ("cells and mediators"). The second covers each of the major organ systems and the diseases involving the immune and inflammatory responses that can effect them ("systems"). The third covers different classes of drugs currently used to treat these diseases as well as those under development ("drugs").
This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the adhsion molecules, processes and concepts that govern both inflammatory and infectious diseases, and also deals in detail with the specific in vivo pathways involved.
The first chapter introduces some of the molecules that mediate leukocyte adhesion and ranges from their discovery using monoclonal antibodies and a congenital adhesion deficiency, to their antagonism in preliminary clinical trials as novel therapeutics. An in-depth analysis of the structure, distribution and function of the cell surface glycoproteins that regulates lymphocyte (specific immune response), granulocyte (acute inflammatory response) and metastatic cell (malignant processes) adhesions respectively is provided by the next three chapters. Chapters 5 and 7 detail the molecular structure, intracellular pathways, specificty of carbohydrate interactions, and signalling of the molecules that regulate leukocyte-leukocyte and leukocyte-mesenchymal cell interactions.
There follows an exploration into the contributions of specific molecules in inflammatory diseases in various organs from chapters 8-11. The concluding part is unique to this volume by reviewing the comparable, and in some cases same, cell surface molecules that mediate virus, bacteria and parasite interactions with host cells.
The research is far from complete, but Adhesion Molecules is extremely comprehensive and will be a valuable resource for many a year to come.

Beyond Brain Death offers a provocative challenge to one of the most widely accepted conclusions of contemporary bioethics: the position that brain death marks the death of the human person. Eleven chapters by physicians, philosophers, and theologians present the case against brain-based criteria for human death. Each author believes that this position calls into question the moral acceptability of the transplantation of unpaired vital organs from brain-dead patients who have continuing function of the circulatory system. One strength of the book is its international approach to the question: contributors are from the United States, the United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, and Japan. This book will appeal to a wide audience, including physicians and other health care professionals, philosophers, theologians, medical sociologists, and social workers.

The discovery of wide-spread RNA-based regulation in bacteria has led to new evaluations of the importance of bacterial regulatory RNA in every aspect of bacterial physiology. In Bacteria Regulatory RNA: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the methods which are now commonly used to study bacterial regulatory RNA. These include methods and techniques to identify regulatory RNAs, characterizing the function and expression of regulatory RNAs in bacterial cells, RNA structure prediction, and interactions between regulatory RNAs and proteins. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) 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, Bacteria Regulatory RNA: Methods and Protocols seeks to aid scientists in the further study of bacterial regulatory RNA.

Although there have been many books on HIV and AIDS, surprisingly little has been published that focuses on the immunology of retroviral infections in general, and HIV in particular. Retroviral Immunology: Immune Response and Restoration is the first book of its kind to address the most important aspects of the immunology of retroviruses, including not only the virus-specific immune responses, but also genetic and virologic factors modulating these responses. The book also deals directly with the emerging concept of immune restora tion in retroviral infections, a particularly important subject to the thousands of clinicians who deal with this problem on a daily basis. With the advent of highly effective antiviral drug regimens to slow down the replication of HIV and the progression of AIDS, new challenges and opportunities are arising. Restoration of general immune function has brought with it not only complica tions of immune restoration-mediated disease, but also the realistic hope for meaningful restoration of the ability to control HIV replication with the immune system. Leading scientists in the field have summarized the most current informa tion regarding experimental and clinical aspects of retroviral infections. Retroviral Immunology: Immune Response and Restoration should prove an impor tant point of reference for basic scientists and clinicians in this area of research. We are indebted to all of our authors for their excellent contributions."

The realization that epithelial tissues are not simply passive barriers to the adsorption of materials into internal environments has brought about an enormous growth of investigation of mucosal functions and their active and passive protective roles. Epithelia are highly organized but complex structures, subserving numerous functions, including immunological defence. The use of pharmacological tools in these systems is increasing, which is improving our understanding of epithelial immunobiology.;This volume adopts a step-by-step approach whereby each chapter builds upon the previous one, progressively adding important foundation information, culminating in a series of chapters concerning particular epithelia, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal and ocular. The result is a comprehensive, but integrated, treatise of piethelial function and its immunopharmacology, which aims to scrve as an appropriate starting point at which the clinical pulmonologist and the research scientist can obtain an appreciation of some aspects of epithelial immununopharmacology as they are currently understood.

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.