The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre was founded in 1994 with the support of a grant from the Danish National Research Foundation. Among the goals for the Centre is the organization of research symposia, with the aim of bringing a limited number ofintemation ally renowned scientists together to discuss the latest developments and perspectives in their field. The first Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre Conference was held in 1995 and dealt with cardiovascular regulation. The Second Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre Confer ence was held from October 23-26, 1997. The topic of the Symposium was Muscle Metabo lism: Regulation, Exercise, and Diabetes. Seventy invited scientists from all over the world discussed their latest research related to skeletal muscle metabolism. The speakers were asked to expand on their presentations and to write short, but comprehensive, chapters about their given topics. The result is 28 peer-reviewed and edited chapters covering many if not all aspects of muscle energy metabolism related to exercise and diabetes. Emphasis is on regulation of glucose and fatty acid metabolism and the mechanisms regulating their use as fuels for the muscle during exercise. In addition, abnormalities in the regulation of glucose metabolism in the diabetic state are described. However, amino acid and protein metabolism are also thoroughly discussed. We believe that this volume brings an unparralleled, up to date, and comprehensive review of the frontiers in muscle metabolism. Erik A."

Excess of homocysteine, a product of the metabolism of the essential amino acid methionine, is associated with poor health, is linked to heart and brain diseases in general human populations, and accelerates mortality in heart disease patients. Neurological and cardiovascular abnormalities occur in patients with severe genetic hyperhomocysteinemia and lead to premature death due to vascular complications. Although it is considered a non-protein amino acid, studies over the past dozen years have discovered mechanisms by which homocysteine becomes a component of proteins. Homocysteine-containing proteins lose their normal biological function and become auto-immunogenic and pro-thrombotic. In this book, the author, a pioneer and a leading contributor to the field, describes up-to date studies of the biological chemistry of homocysteine-containing proteins, as well as pathological consequences and clinical implications of their formation. This is a comprehensive account of the broad range of basic science and medical implications of homocysteine-containing proteins for health and disease.

Nutrients have been recognized as essential for maximum growth, successful reproduction, and infection prevention since the 1940s; since that time, the lion's share of nutrient research has focused on defining their role in these processes. Around 1990, however, a major shift began in the way that researchers viewed some nutrients particularly the vitamins. This shift was motivated by the discovery that modest declines in vitamin nutritional status are associated with an increased risk of ill-health and disease (such as neural tube defects, heart disease, and cancer), especially in those populations or individuals who are genetically predisposed. In an effort to expand upon this new understanding of nutrient action, nutritionists are increasingly turning their focus to the mathematical modeling of nutrient kinetic data. The availability of suitably-tagged (isotope) nutrients (such as B-carotene, vitamin A, folate, among others), sensitive analytical methods to trace them in humans (mass spectrometry and accelerator mass spectrometry), and powerful software (capable of solving and manipulating differential equations efficiently and accurately), has allowed researchers to construct mathematical models aimed at characterizing the dynamic and kinetic behavior of key nutrients in vivo in humans at an unparalleled level of detail."

Structure and Function of the Extracellular Matrix: A Multiscale Quantitative Approach introduces biomechanics and biophysics with applications to understand the biological function of the extracellular matrix in health and disease. A general multiscale approach is followed by investigating behavior from the scale of single molecules, through fibrils and fibers, to tissues of various organ systems. Through mathematical models and structural information, quantitative description of the extracellular matrix function is derived with tissue specific details. The book introduces the properties and organization of extracellular matrix components and quantitative models of the matrix, and guides the reader through predicting functional properties. This book integrates evolutionary biology with multiscale structure to quantitatively understand the function of the extracellular matrix. This approach allows a fresh look into normal functioning as well as the pathological alterations of the extracellular matrix. Professor Suki's book is written to be useful to undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers interested in the quantitative aspects of the extracellular matrix. Researchers working in mechanotransduction, respiratory and cardiovascular mechanics, and multiscale biomechanics of tendon, cartilage, skin, and bone may also be interested in this book.

Many complex molecular interactions are involved in the development of the mammalian brain. Molecules serving as guidance cues for migratory cells, growing axons and for recognition of postsynaptic targets are a major topic for research because they are directly involved in the formation of neuronal circuits, thus creating the foundation for subsequent functional refinement through interactions with the environment. In addition, most guidance cue molecules are also involved in plasticity, damage repair and regeneration in the adult brain. This volume reviews current knowledge on major classes of molecules involved in: guidance of growing axons; tau proteins involved in the establishment of axonal polarity, outgrowth and contact recognition; gangliosides and lectins involved in neuronal migration, neurite outgrowth and contact recognition; and myelin molecules that inhibit nerve regeneration.

This book provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the state of knowledge on the role of microbes in inducing autoimmune diseases. The initial chapters address the basic concept and clinical implications of immunology, while the following section discusses the role of genetics, epigenetics, hormones, stochastic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. The third section introduces readers to various autoimmune disorders and presents the cellular and molecular mechanisms of autoimmune diseases. In closing, the book examines the role of intestinal flora in the development of autoimmune diseases, delineates the underlying mechanism responsible for autoimmunity onset, and examines the potential of microbial therapeutics in the prevention and treatment of autoimmune diseases. Given its scope, the book offers a valuable asset for all scientists and clinicians working in immunology, rheumatology and autoimmune diseases.

Human Growth and Development, Third Edition provides a comprehensive volume covering the biology of human growth and the genetic, endocrine, environmental, nutritional, and socio-economic factors that contribute towards its full expression. Human Growth and Development continues to be a valuable resource for researchers, professors and graduate students across the interdisciplinary area of human development. For the new edition, updates are made to all fourteen of the "core chapters" of the book which form the essential reading for a comprehensive understanding of human growth and development. Additionally, new special topics are covered including the interpretation of recently found sub-adult fossils that expand our understanding of the evolution of human growth and a discussion of the early pattern of growth and development as the developmental origins of risk for non-communicable diseases of adulthood. Human Growth and Development, Third Edition includes contributions from the well-known experts in the field and is the most reputable, comprehensive resource available.

Regeneration, the homeostatic ability to maintain tissue structure in the face of normal cell turnover or loss of tissue damaged by trauma or disease, is an essentialdevelopmental process that continues throughout life. As recently as a decade ago, any serious discussion of the possibility of regeneration becoming a practical medical tool in the near future had the air of science fiction or over-optimistic speculation. The term regenerative medicine was certainly on many lips but few actually expected to soon see it applied in a clinical setting. A tidal wave of discovery has changed that and investigating the cellular mechanisms of natural regeneration has become one of the hottest topics in developmental biology and biomedicine in general. Many researchers entering the field find that the regeneration literature is still quite diffuse perhaps owing to the disparate biological systems that have been the object of study including hydra, planaria, newts, axolotls and more recently several mouse strains. The volume editors believe that an attempt to organize or systematize the literature is long overdue. In this volume, respected experts highlight the latest findings in vertebrate (including mammals) wound healing and regeneration. They present eleven reviews that cover a wide range of topics, from wound repair and its relationship to regeneration, through systems including lenticular, neural, and musculoskeletal tissues and limbs, to epigenetics and the role of the cell cycle. Nuclear reprogramming and cellular plasticity, which open the door for potential regenerative medical therapies for injury and degenerativedisease, are recurring themes throughout the book. We are all now part of the regeneration revolution."

The Encyclopedia of Cell Biology, Four Volume Set offers a broad overview of cell biology, offering reputable, foundational content for researchers and students across the biological and medical sciences. This important work includes 285 articles from domain experts covering every aspect of cell biology, with fully annotated figures, abundant illustrations, videos, and references for further reading. Each entry is built with a layered approach to the content, providing basic information for those new to the area and more detailed material for the more experienced researcher. With authored contributions by experts in the field, the Encyclopedia of Cell Biology provides a fully cross-referenced, one-stop resource for students, researchers, and teaching faculty across the biological and medical sciences.

Most of the progress in cardiac energetics in recent years has been spurred by the pressure-volume area concept, the natural extension into energetics of earlier pioneering work delineating the time-varying elastance framework for ventricular contraction. The book draws together a broad spectrum of researchers - basic, applied and clinical - having a shared interest in the energetics of cardiac muscle and ventricle, providing an overview of the current state of the art.

This book was written by many outstanding investigators who have spent decades to study different aspects of blood-tissue barrier function. They have summarized some of the latest and fascinating development in their fields of research including the blood-brain barrier, the blood-retinal barrier, the gut barrier, the blood-biliary barrier, the blood-follicle barrier, the blood-epididymis barrier, the blood-testis barrier, the tight junction barrier in general as well as barriers in the female reproductive tract. Included are also chapters that focus on topics that are physiologically applicable to all blood-tissue barriers. Many of these chapters also include information on specific human diseases, such as pathological changes of the gut barrier that cause bowel disorders resulting from inflammation of the epithelial lining in the intestine, and infertility in men as a result of disruption of the blood-epididymal and/or blood-testis barriers; and on new therapeutic approaches (e.g., drug delivery across the blood-brain and the blood-retinal barriers).

The problem of the long-term proliferation of cells is a seminal one. It has always been a hot subject in biology, a source of far-reaching hypotheses, even more so now when explanations for the mechanisms of cell prolifera tive mortality or immortality seem within our reach. A question which is still debated is whether an infinite division potential can be a normal trait or is always the result of modifications leading to abnormal cell growth and escape from homeostasis. In general, investigators have been advocates of one of the two extremes, universal limited or unlim ited normal proliferative potential. Since the long-term proliferative potential of cells concerns regulation of development, regeneration of tissues, and homeostatic control of cell growth, in brief survival of living organisms, and since the regulation of these processes is so different along the evolutionary scale, it is not surpris ing that there does not seem to be any universal trait. The question of whether cells are endowed with finite or infinite prolifera tive phenotypes has to be seen using the perspective of comparative biology."

This issue of Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics will cover Pediatric Endocrinology. Curated by Dr. Andrea Kelly, this issue will explore topics in the field that are relevant for practicing clinicians. This issue is one of four selected each year by the series Consulting Editor, Adriana G. Ioachimescu. The volume will include articles on: Endocrine Sequelae in Childhood Cancer Survivors, Bone Health in Childhood Chronic Disease, Advances in Bone Health Assessment, Inhaled Glucocorticoids and Endocrine Outcomes, Atypical DM (mitochondrial, transplant, CFRD, monogenic), Pediatric Thyroid Cancer (outcomes, genetics, therapeutics), New Technologies in Type 1 diabetes (bionic pancreas, insulin, mobile health), Precocious and Delayed Puberty-Genetic Underpinnings and treatments (various GNRH formulations, implant), Pediatric Type 2 diabetes, Adolescent health outcomes in relation to phthalates.

This textbook explores the fundamental qualitative and quantitative aspects of human physiology. It approaches biological and physiological processes and phenomena from a quantitative perspective, revealing how physiological problems can be mathematically formulated starting from simple laws of physics. The book addresses a broad range of topics, including: the statics and dynamics of circulation; muscle and sarcomere force-length and force-velocity relations, together with their mechanisms and functional consequences; subdivisions and meaning of the heat produced by muscle; locomotion, statics and dynamics of respiration; diffusion of gases and acid base equilibrium; phonation; general functions of the kidney and of the different sections of the nephron; changes in clearance with a substance's plasmatic concentration; pH regulation and the kidney; Donnan's equilibrium and its consequences; and the Nernst equation. The book offers the ideal learning resource for students of human physiology courses in medicine and biomedicine, as well as biomedical engineering and biophysics graduate students. An elementary grasp of mathematics and physics is sufficient to understand the content.

Physiology of Human Reproduction bietet Studenten einen pragnanten und zuganglichen UEberblick uber mehr 200 Themenkomplexe, von der grundlegenden Physiologie von Mannern und nicht schwangeren Frauen bis hin zu Befruchtung, Wachstum des Embryos und Foetus, Geburt, Laktation u.v.m. Im Text werden Kernbegriffe durchgangig hervorgehoben, um Informationen zu einem Themenbereich schnell zu finden. Dieses Lehrbuch hilft dem Leser, die menschliche Fortpflanzung besser zu verstehen und kann von Anfang bis Ende oder selektiv nach Themen durchgearbeitet werden. Dieser unverzichtbare Lernbegleiter zu Kursen in Anatomie und Physiologie - beschaftigt sich mit der Physiologie von Mannern, der Physiologie von nicht schwangeren Frauen sowie mit Schwangerschaft und Laktation und altersbedinges Veranderungen wie die Menopause. - diskutiert Themen wie Schwangerschaft, Geburtenkontrolle, das Fortpflanzungssystem im Kindesalter, in Adoleszenz und Pubertat. - beschreibt Anatomie, Physiologie und Phasen des menschlichen Sexualempfindens. - erklart genetischbedingte Erkrankungen und Stoerungen, wie Androgen-Insensitivitat und das Kallmann-Syndrom. Physiology of Human Reproduction ist ein Pflichtlehrbuch fur Studenten der Medizin- und Biowissenschaften, wie Medizin, Pflege, Biologie, Physiologie, Biomedizin, Kurse zu menschlicher Fortpflanzung und Schwangerschaft.

Brain Mapping: A Comprehensive Reference offers foundational information for students and researchers across neuroscience. With over 300 articles and a media rich environment, this resource provides exhaustive coverage of the methods and systems involved in brain mapping, fully links the data to disease (presenting side by side maps of healthy and diseased brains for direct comparisons), and offers data sets and fully annotated color images. Each entry is built on a layered approach of the content - basic information for those new to the area and more detailed material for experienced readers. Edited and authored by the leading experts in the field, this work offers the most reputable, easily searchable content with cross referencing across articles, a one-stop reference for students, researchers and teaching faculty.

In the past few years, the application of proteomics to examine the molecular mechanisms underlying (mal-)functioning of the nervous system and brain disorders has risen steeply, which in many cases has yielded novel insights. As neuroproteomics is a new research field involving the use of a number of high-end analytical instruments and technologies, both promises and pitfalls may not be well appreciated by the researchers, and the design of a proper proteomics experiment may not be obvious. "Neuroproteomics" brings together a collection of detailed protocols written by experienced professionals in the field in order to cover aspects of various dimensions of this new technology, together with some established methods that have supporting roles in the workflow of neuroproteomics. Written for the popular "Neuromethods" series, the chapters in this book contain step-by-step, easy to follow instruction along with practical tips and key implementation advice essential for successful implementation of the techniques.

Authoritative and cutting-edge, "Neuroproteomics" will be of great assistance to all researchers seeking to design and execute their own proteomics experiments in an optimal way and continue moving forward this exciting area of study.

This book shares the experimental findings and views in current multidisciplinary medical science combining both basic and applied research aimed at resolving problematic health issues. The key topics address contagious diseases, in particular the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and management of influenza and influenza-like infections as well as brain tuberculosis. Pulmonary medicine is represented by articles addressing a range of practical issues, including the diagnosis, symptoms, comorbidities, and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a syndrome whose incidence shows a persistent upward trend worldwide. Other articles address the pathogenesis of air pollution toxicity and allergy and sensory irritation in toxic exposure studies. An intriguing relation of atopic dermatitis to depression and serotoninergic system is debated. The book attempts to integrate research into clinical work and to implement findings to improve care and to decrease suffering from diseases. It is dedicated to the practicing professionals, researchers, and all engaged in health care.

Two new volumes of Methods in Enzymology continue the legacy of this premier serial with quality chapters authored by leaders in the field. Circadian Rhythms and Biological Clocks Part A and Part B is an exceptional resource for anybody interested in the general area of circadian rhythms. As key elements of timekeeping are conserved in organisms across the phylogenetic tree, and our understanding of circadian biology has benefited tremendously from work done in many species, the volume provides a wide range of assays for different biological systems. Protocols are provided to assess clock function, entrainment of the clock to stimuli such as light and food, and output rhythms of behavior and physiology. This volume also delves into the impact of circadian disruption on human health. Contributions are from leaders in the field who have made major discoveries using the methods presented here.

There are two main reasons for pursuing research in the Sports Sciences. Firstly, by studying responses to exercise, we learn about the normal function of the tissues and or gans whose function allows exercise to be performed. The genetic endowment of elite ath letes is a major factor in their success, and they represent one end of the continuum of human performance capability: the study of elite athletes also demonstrates the limits of human adaptation because nowhere else is the body subjected to such levels of intensive exercise on a regular basis. The second reason for studying Sports Science is the intrinsic interest and value of the subject itself. Elite performers set levels to which others can as pire, but even among spectators, sport is an important part oflife and society. of top sport and elite performers, there is also another reason Apart from the study for medical and scientific interest in sport. There is no longer any doubt that lack ofphysi cal activity is a major risk factor for many of the diseases that affect people in all coun tries: such diseases include coronary heart disease, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. An increased level of recreational physical activity is now an accepted part of the prescription for treatment and prevention of many illnesses, including those with psychological as well as physical causes. An understanding of the normal response to exercise, as well as of the role of exercise in disease prevention, is therefore vital."

Brain Control of Wakefulness and Sleeping explores the history of efforts to understand the nature of waking and sleeping states from a biological point of view. This research represents the synthesis of the work of two individuals who have devoted their careers to investigating the mysterious states of the mind. This landmark book will interest the beginner scientist/researcher as well as the sleep clinician, with chapters on subjects including Neuronal Control of REM Sleep, Motor Systems and the Role of Active Forebrain, and Humoral Systems in Sleep Control. The authors explore the behavioral and physiological events of waking and sleep, analyzing the current realities and the future possibilities of unifying basic studies on anatomy and cellular psychology.

The thoroughly revised edition of Vander's Human Physiology is an integrated package of textual and digital material that delivers basic and clinical content, real-life applications, and educational technologies. All these pieces come together to facilitate learning and enthusiasm for understanding the mechanisms of body function. Key focus areas include homeostasis, exercise, and human health. These and other areas of interest are elaborated upon, beginning with Chapter 1, where the key "General Principles of Physiology," an underlying theme in the book, is first introduced. Unifying themes, such as homeostasis, are explored throughout the book at all levels of system, organ, tissue, and cellular function-themes that are always related to pathophysiology through the use of compelling clinical case studies in all chapters, and a final chapter with several cases that integrate material across the entire book.

Autophagy Processes and Mechanisms details the process of autophagy and its significance in diseases and aging. It provides insights into autophagy mechanisms and processes to broaden our understanding. By collecting recent progress on several aspects of the autophagy process, it provides a more integrative perspective and serves as a resource that can influence future research initiatives in the field. This new book is appropriate for basic and applied researchers in cell biology, biologists and those working in the pharmaceutical sciences.

The Formation of the Heart and its Regulation reviews in considerable detail the major events in heart development and their control via genes, cell-cell interactions, growth factors and other contributing elements. In addition, there is an extensive and useful overview of the field of heart development taken as a whole. The book will appeal to all students and researchers working on cardiovascular development and to pediatric cardiologists.

H; J. Apell: Structure -Function Relationship in P-Type ATPases - A Biophysical Approach; H. Koepsell, B. Schmitt, and V. Goboulev: Organic Cation Transporters; W.G. Wier and K.G. Morgan: Alpha 1- Adrenergic Signaling Mechanisms in Mammalian Resistance Arteries; G. Ahnert-Hilger, M. Holtje, I. Pahner, S. Winter and I.