The Taurine Symposium- "Taurine: Beginning the 21'' Century"- was held September 20-23, 2002, on the beautiful island of Kauai in Hawaii. The headquarters of the meeting was the Radisson Kauai Beach Resort. This international meeting was attending by approximately 80 individuals from 23 nations and 4 continents. Seventy-five papers were presented either as platform presentations or poster presentations. Taurine, first isolated from ox bile in 1827 by Tiedemann and Gmelin and named in 1838 by Demarcay, became of significant scientific interest in 1968 when the first extensive review article was published by Jacobsen and Smith. Interest in taurine grew exponentially after 1975 when the first taurine symposium was organized by Ryan Huxtable in Tucson, Arizona. Since that date, taurine symposia have been held approximately every two years held in various cities and resort areas around the world. Taurine investigators have had the privilege of attending these scientific meetings on three continents - Asia, Europe, and North America. Since the initial meeting in 1975, a central question addressed during many of the symposia has been: "What is physiological, pharmacological, nutritional, and pathological role of taurine?." Although taurine has been established as an important osmolyte, it appears to affect many other biological processes. However, the exact mechanism(s) by "which taurine acts" has not yet been definitively answered. In Kauai, the patticipants discussed many topics and asked many questions regarding the role and actions of taurine.

The study of functional glycomics requires the continuous development of rapid and sensitive methods for the identification of glycan structures and integration to structure-function relationships. In Functional Glycomics: Methods and Protocols, a panel of world-renowned experts provide new developments and emerging glycomics techniques in the form of detailed protocols exploring the fundamental challenges and most cutting-edge novel applications. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters in this volume present brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes sections, highlighting key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easy to use, Functional Glycomics: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal reference for scientists working in biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, microbiology, and virology and a guide to appropriate techniques and the design of achievable research plans in this vital field.

This book focuses on all of the major problems associated with the absence of body weight in space, by analyzing effects, adaption, and re-adaptation upon returning to Earth, using sound scientific principles embedded in a historical context. Serious problems for space travelers range from Space Motion Sickness (SMS) to recently discovered ocular effects that may permanently impair vision. Fluid loss and shifts, spinal changes, and bone and muscle loss are also all results of weightlessness. Starting with a brief definition and history of weightlessness, the authors then address in detail each problem as well as the countermeasures aimed at alleviating them. In some cases, alternative hypotheses regarding what can and should be attempted are also presented. As plans for long-term missions to the Moon and Mars develop, it will be essential to find countermeasures to weightlessness that are effective for missions that could span years.

Ion channels are the major class of membrane proteins responsible for rapid and regulated transport of ions across biological membranes and for the generation and propagation of electrical signals in the brain, heart, and skeletal and vascular tissues. Ion channels are also known to play critical roles in regulation of cell proliferation, insulin secretion and intracellular signaling in a variety of cell types. This book focuses on the roles of ion channels in vascular tissues under normal and pathological conditions. Vascular abnormalities are known to underlie a plethora of severe pathological conditions, such as atherosclerosis, systemic and pulmonary hypertension, coronary or cerebral vasospasm, and diabetes. In addition, misregulated angiogenesis is one of the major contributors to the development of tumors. Therefore, it is clearly imperative to obtain a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms that contribute to vascular disorders. This book will be the first comprehensive assembly of assays to present the studies that have been done during the last decade to elucidate the roles of ion channels in different vascular diseases.

With rapid improvements in instrumentation, lasers, fluorophores, and data analysis software, flow cytometry is riding the crest of unprecedented, innovative advances. This thoroughly revised and up-to-date third edition of Flow Cytometry Protocols highlights the expanding contribution of flow cytometry to basic biological research and diagnostic medicine. Written by leading experts in the field, the book presents cutting-edge topics such as polychromatic, quantitative, and high throughput flow cytometry, novel multiparametric data analysis which breaks the dimensionality barrier, standard practice and safety measures for aerosol-generating cell sorting, conventional and imaging flow cytometry as well as minimalist imaging cytometry. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular BiologyT series, chapters contain brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and extensive notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and comprehensive, Flow Cytometry Protocols, Third Edition presents established as well as new flow cytometric methodologies in order to introduce beginning users to basic applications while opening new avenues of innovation for seasoned users. Content Level Professional/practitioner

Chemical genomics technology has been steadily improving, delivering new biological probes and drugs, and the explicit use of the term 'chemical proteomics' has increased with it, as proteins have always been at the heart of this technology. In "Chemical Genomics and Proteomics: Reviews and Protocols," experts in the field present updated reviews of the chemistry of small molecules and their interaction with protein targets as well as detailed protocols that cover different types of ligands, carbohydrates, and lipids. For example, the generation of their protein targets and methods for measuring their interactions is covered. Written in the highly successful "Methods in Molecular Biology " series format, methodology chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Thorough and up to date, "Chemical Genomics and Proteomics: Reviews and Protocols" aims to provide inspiration to those who wish to use chemical genomics and proteomics in their work and develop this young field into full maturity through the incorporation of the new biological and chemical technologies beginning to emerge here."

Skeletal Muscle Mechanics: From Mechanisms to Function summarises the variety of approaches used by today’s scientist to understand muscle function and the mechanisms of contraction. This book contains research by leading scientists from numerous fields using many different scientific techniques. Topics covered include:

• Cellular and molecular mechanisms of skeletal muscle contraction
• Historical perspective of muscle research
• The newest developments in techniques for the determination of the mechanical properties of single cross-bridges
• Theoretical modelling of muscle contraction and force production
• Multifaceted approaches to determine the in vivo function of skeletal muscle

"I expect this book to be excellent and timely." Professor R. McNeill Alexander FRS, School of Biology, University of Leeds, UK

This text, by a director of university counselling, examines the interplay of forces shaping the development of masculinity. It is particularly important during a period when the status of men has undergone considerable erosion in society. Counsellors, psychotherapists, mental health professionals, and all those working with teenage males will find this study of sex and gender issues, male bonding, psychosexual adjustment, situational ethics, and sexuality illuminating.

This book deals with the basic concepts of high resolution electrocardiography: the electrophysiological basis of late potentials, mechanism of arrhythmias, the different methods of recording and analysis of high resolution, signal processed electrocardiograms and their clinical applications. This is a new edition and is more up-to-date, provides more clinical utility and addresses more basic concepts of the electrophysiology of re-entrant arrhythmias than any other book published in the same field. The book will appeal to cardiologists (academic and clinical), electrophysiologists, technicians and engineers working in the field of computerized electrocardiography and in industry.

Histochemistry deals with the activities of chemical components in cells, and immunohistochemistry addresses the function of cell types in tissue or organs, such as those leading to acceptance or rejection of grafts or organs.

This book is a methods volume focusing on antigen retrieval, particularly methods used in disease-related antigens. Because the book is a methods volume and a lab manual, it will have an audience of pathologists, biochemists, and lab technicians.

Chromosomes, as the genetic vehicles, provide the basic material for a large proportion of genetic investigations, from the construction of gene maps and models of chromosome organization, to the inves tigation of gene function and dysfunction. The study of chromosomes has developed in parallel with other aspects of molecular genetics, beginning with the first preparations of chromosomes from animal cells, through the development of banding techniques, which permitted the unequivocal identification of each chromosome in a karyotype, to the present analytical methods of molecular cytogenetics. Although some of these techniques have been in use for many years, and can be learned relatively easily, most published scientific reports-as a result of pressure on space from editors, and the response to that pressure by authors-contain little in the way of technical detail, and thus are rarely adequate for a researcher hoping to find all the necessary information to embark on a method from scratch. A new user needs not only a detailed description of the methods, but also some help with problem solving and sorting out the difficulties en countered in handling any biological system. This was the require ment to which the series Methods in Molecular Biology is addressed, and Chromosome Analysis Protocols forms a part of this series.

MicroRNA research and development is the billion-dollar baby and most lucrative option for drug discovery in gene therapy industries worldwide. Personalized microRNA treatments are in many cases the only remedy for viral diseases that have no cure in conventional drugs and offer to bring us closer than ever to "personalized medicine." They also counteract cancer and other infectious and neuro-diseases. Early diagnosis, prognosis, staging, and sub-classification of various cancers can easily be facilitated by microRNA-based biomarkers. MicroRNA surveys recent advances in RNA and RNA-protein components that highlight RNA delivery, its stability, and applications of RNA-based drugs for the modulation of gene/protein expression and gene editing. The book not only focuses on the modern medicines of microRNA-based early diagnostic and therapy development, but also works as a hidden treasure for drug discovery of multiple rare diseases worldwide. It offers indispensable learning materials for academic researchers, graduate, and medical students, and offers a powerful practical guide for RNA-Pharma and gene therapy industries.

Recent research, which Bone- Metabolic Function and Modulators expands on, has added new support to the idea that bone not only serves as a support system, but also functions as an integrating organ, with a significant regulatory role for lipid and energy metabolism. Links between physical activity and the skeleton are also becoming increasingly clear. This fully illustrated volume contains up-to-date information on the metabolic role of the skeleton and what this can mean for the treatment of metabolic as well as skeletal and auditory diseases. Bone- Metabolic Function and Modulators is of particular interest to clinician scientists, clinical and basic bone researchers, orthopedists, endocrinologists, internists, dentists, nurse practitioners, medical and dental residents and physiotherapists as well as students of the musculoskeletal system. Bone- Metabolic Function and Modulators is the seventh volume in the series Topics in Bone Biology, edited by Felix Bronner and Mary C. Farach-Carson. Other titles in this series:- Bone Formation Bone Resorption Engineering of Functional Skeletal Tissues Bone and Osteoarthritis Bone and Cancer Bone and Development Bone- Metabolic Function and Modulators is of particular interest to clinician scientists, clinical and basic bone researchers, orthopedists, endocrinologists, internists, dentists, nurse practitioners, medical and dental residents and physiotherapists as well as students of the musculoskeletal system. Bone- Metabolic Function and Modulators is the seventh volume in the series Topics in Bone Biology, edited by Felix Bronner and Mary C. Farach-Carson. Other titles in this series:- Bone Formation Bone Resorption Engineering of Functional Skeletal Tissues Bone and Osteoarthritis Bone and Cancer Bone and Development Bone- Metabolic Function and Modulators is of particular interest to clinician scientists, clinical and basic bone researchers, orthopedists, endocrinologists, internists, dentists, nurse practitioners, medical and dental residents and physiotherapists as well as students of the musculoskeletal system. Bone- Metabolic Function and Modulators is the seventh volume in the series Topics in Bone Biology, edited by Felix Bronner and Mary C. Farach-Carson. Other titles in this series:- Bone Formation Bone Resorption Engineering of Functional Skeletal Tissues Bone and Osteoarthritis Bone and Cancer Bone and Development

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.

Dr. Howard House, founder of the House Ear Institute and House Ear Clinic often uses the analogy of planting a seed when referring to establishing the House Ear Institute in 1946. Two grateful patients of Dr. House put forth the idea that his knowledge and innovative skills could be used to expand the understanding of hearing impairment and its treatment. Those two early patients provided the "seed money" to begin the Institute. Since that time, the growth has been phenomenal from a one-man laboratory to a multidisciplinary facility boasting over 175 scien tists, physicians, and support staff, all dedicated to the advancement of otologic research and education. Six years ago after a half-century of remarkable success with prosthetic and device research, the Institute began cultivating a new field of endeavor-cell and molecular biology. Don Nielsen, then the Institute's Executive Vice President for Research and Scientific Director, began exploring the potential for hair cell regen eration and presented his ideas to the Board of Trustees. For a period of six months, we did a lot of fact finding to assess what role the Institute might take in this excit ing new field."

The goal of Biological Aging: Methods and Protocols is to present some of the most promising and important tools that are currently used in biological aging research. These tools include established protocols such as aging cell culture as well as many more contemporary approaches such as nuclear transfer, microarray and proteomics technologies and the use of ribozymes in aging research. Collectively, these powerful tools combined with the many other techniques that are presented are rapidly advancing the exciting and expanding field of biological aging.

Proceedings of the 5th Biannual International Meeting on Angiogenesis: From the Molecular to Integrative Pharmacology, held July 1-7, 1999, in Crete, Greece. Angiogenesis, as a vastly complex biological process, has challenged researchers from all basic scientific disciplines, including pharmacology, biochemistry, physiology, embryology and anatomy. The significance of this phenomenon for the study of disease states has also interested clinicians from a number of specialist fields. This multidisciplinary work reflects the growth of awareness of concepts such as angiogenesis based therapy, the enormous therapeutic and commercial potential of which has attracted major research and investment in recent years. This volume, which aims to bridge the gap between basic and clinical methodology and understanding, presents the most up-to-date developments in this field.

Following systematic development of technical aspects and physiological understanding, and clinical applicability of cardiac autonomic testing, this book provides a detailed guide to performing individual autonomic tests in both research and clinical settings. The book is structured in three parts covering the physiological background of cardiac autonomic regulations, description of technology and interpretation of individual autonomic tests, and applicability of the individual tests under various clinical circumstances and in defined populations of patients. The book is intended to serve both research and clinical cardiologists as well as research and clinical specialists of other medical fields who use the assessment of cardiac modulations to investigate the autonomic nervous system.

During several decades of this century, the classical physiological studies on the cardiovascular system have greatly improved our knowledge on the function of this system under normal and pathological conditions. This knowledge was the basis of the breakthrough for diagnostic techniques like the Swan-Ganz catheter, coronary arteriography, left and right heart biopsies, and invasive measurements of contractility, as well as therapeutic tools including aortocoronary bypass surgery, percutanous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and a broad field of pharmacological interventions for the whole spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, especially chronic heart failure. It was during the last decade that the scientific world focused on the evolution of molecular biology of the cardiovascular system so that cardiovascular physiology seemed to become less important. Regarding the myocardium, molecular alterations of important functional proteins (phenotype changes), as well as signal transduction pathways of contractility and cardiac growth have been elucidated. The functional importance of a number of genes has undoubtedly been proven with the help of transgenic animals. Mechanics and Energetics of the Myocardium provides an overview for those researchers and practioners interested in the broad field of molecular biology and physiology of the cardiovascular system.

In the coming decade, the focus of medicine will shift from a disease-oriented approach, where the physician prescribes according to the disease the patient has, to a personalized approach, in which the physician first considers the patient's individual biochemistry before prescribing a treatment. Personalized medicine has the potential to improve efficacy and safety in virtually all fields of medicine. Unfortunately, few physicians feel confident in their ability to apply the principles of genetics and genomics upon which personalized medicine is based to their practice. This book is intended to help the practicing physician understand and apply the principles of genetic and genomic medicine, regardless of his/her level of background in the field. It provides a thorough foundation/review of classical genetic principles, with an emphasis on how these principles apply to personalized medicine and common complex diseases. In addition, it provides a wide-ranging review of the inroads that personalized medicine has made into several fields, including cancer, psychiatric disorders, cardiovascular disease, substance abuse, Alzheimer disease, respiratory diseases, type 2 diabetes and macular degeneration. Most importantly, this book is intended to enable the practicing physician, physician assistants and their entire healthcare team to anticipate the developments that will emerge in the near future, and stay current with the field as it expands.

Most routine motor tasks are complex, involving load transmission through out the body, intricate balance, and eye-head-shoulder-hand-torso-leg coor dination. The quest toward understanding how we perform such tasks with skill and grace, often in the presence of unpredictable perturbations, has a long history. This book arose from the Ninth Engineering Foundation Con ference on Biomechanics and Neural Control of Movement, held in Deer Creek, Ohio, in June 1996. This unique conference, which has met every 2 to 4 years since the late 1960s, is well known for its informal format that promotes high-level, up-to-date discussions on the key issues in the field. The intent is to capture the high quality ofthe knowledge and discourse that is an integral part of this conference series. The book is organized into ten sections. Section I provides a brief intro duction to the terminology and conceptual foundations of the field of move ment science; it is intended primarily for students. All but two of the re maining nine sections share a common format: (l) a designated section editor; (2) an introductory didactic chapter, solicited from recognized lead ers; and (3) three to six state-of-the-art perspective chapters. Some per spective chapters are followed by commentaries by selected experts that provide balance and insight. Section VI is the largest section, and it con sists of nine perspective chapters without commentaries."

Recent work has revealed that stabilizing G-quadruplexes in telomeric DNA inhibits telomerase activity, providing impetus for the development of G-quartet-interacting drugs, while G-quartet-containing oligonucleotides have been recognized as a potent class of aptamers effective against STAT3 and other transcription factors implicated in oncogenesis, proving these guanine-quartets to be a vital and rich area for future study. In "G-Quadruplex DNA: Methods and Protocols", experts in the field present a collection of detailed techniques for studying G-quartet formation, dynamics, and molecular recognition. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include brief introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, "G-Quadruplex DNA: Methods and Protocols "promises to be a useful resource for those familiar with G-quartets as well as an easy entry point for those researchers from diverse fields who are just developing an interest in the exciting implications of G-quadruplex DNA.

As humans ventured into the twentieth century, the industrialized countries were confronted with the scourge of rickets. Although solariums were becoming common in the early 1900s and phototherapy was gaining popularity as a result of the awarding of a Nobel Prize to Finsen in 1903, it wasn't until 1921 when Hess and Unger demonstrated that rickets could be cured by exposure to sunlight that the healthful benefit of sun exposure appreciated. In 1941, Apperly (Cancer Research; 1: 191-195, 1941) noted that the occasional increased risk of skin cancer was associated with a decreased risk of many other more common and serious cancers. The alarming increase in the number of cases of skin cancer, especially melanoma, has caused great concern about the negative role of sunlight in health. The Sixth International Arnold Rikli Symposium on the Biologic Effects of Light was held in Boston, Massachusetts from June 16th - 18th, 2001. The goal of this Symposium was to focus on the very popular practice of tanning either by sunlight or by artificial light sources and the overall impact this practice has on health and disease. The program was organized by members of the Scientific Advisory Committee and my co-chair emeritus, Professor Ernst G. Jung. The Program Committee organized an outstanding state-of-the-art program that was enthusiastically received by the participants.