Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the DNA sequence. Epigenetics is a rapidly advancing field with an increasing impact on biological and medical research. The editors of this book have assembled top-quality scientists from diverse fields of epigenetics to produce a major new volume. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, the 26 chapters in this book constitute a key reference manual for everyone involved in epigenetics, DNA methylation, cancer epigenetics, and related fields. Topics include: early life environment * DNA methylation and behavior * histone acetyltransferase biology * transgenerational epigenetic inheritance * mammalian X inactivation * epigenetic memory in plants * polycomb-group regulation * centromeres and telomeres * DNA sequence contribution to nucleosome distribution * macrosatellite epigenetics * histones * cell-fate specification and reprogramming * DNA methylation in cancer * variant histone H2A and cancer development * RNA modification * paramutation in plants * DNMT3L dependent methylation during gametogenesis * non-coding RNA * bisulphite-enabled technologies * rapid analysis of DNA methylation * microarray mapping * DNA methylation profiling * ChIP-sequencing * genome-wide DNA methylation analysis * epigenetics in maize. In addition there are useful chapters on bioinformatics in epigenomics, online resources and tools for epigeneticists, and educational resources for epigenetics. This up-to-date reference manual is an essential book for those working in the field and for scientists in other disciplines. It represents a major information resource on the fascinating and fast-moving field of epigenetics.

A crucial element in ensuring patient safety and quality of care is the proper training of the next generation of doctors, nurses, and healthcare staff. To effectively serve their students, health science educators must first prepare themselves with competencies in pedagogy and curriculum design. Transformative Curriculum Design in Health Sciences Education provides information for faculty to learn how to translate technical competencies in medicine and healthcare into the development of both traditional and online learning environments. This book serves as a reference for health sciences undergraduate and graduate faculty interested in learning about the latest health sciences educational principles and curriculum design practices. This critical reference contains innovative chapters on transformative learning, curriculum design and development, the use of technology in healthcare training through hybrid and flipped classrooms, specific pedagogies, interprofessional education, and more.

Although the phenomenon of lateral gene transfer has been known since the 1940's, it was the genomics era that has really revealed the extent and many facets of this evolutionary/genetic phenomenon. Even in the early 2000s with but a handful of genomes available it became clear that the nature of microorganisms is full of genetic exchange between lineages that are sometimes far apart. The years following this saw an explosion of genomic data, which shook the "tree of life" and also raised doubts about the most appropriate species concepts for prokaryotes. This book attempts to represent the many-fold contributions of LGT to the evolution of micro and, to an extent, macro-organisms by focusing on the areas where the Editor felt it had the largest impact: metabolic innovations and adaptations and speciation.

This book discusses unique ion channels and transporters that are located within epithelial tissues of various organs including the kidney, intestine, pancreas and respiratory tract. As the authors show, these channels and transporters play crucial roles in transepithelial ion and fluid transport across epithelia and their contribution to maintaining homeostasis. Readers will be introduced to the fundamentals of ion transport in terms of function, modelling, regulation, structure and pharmacology. This is the first of three volumes highlighting the importance of epithelial ion channels and transporters in basic physiology and pathophysiology of human diseases. This volume focuses on basic fundamentals of epithelial transport physiology. There is a range of chapters dedicated to specific aspects of epithelial ion transport and cell function. Accordingly, the authors discuss techniques used to determine epithelial function, principles of epithelia transport, polarization of epithelial cells, mathematical modelling of epithelial ion transport, protein folding of ion channels, degradation epithelial ion channels, fundamentals of epithelial sodium, potassium and chloride transport, fundamentals of bicarbonate secretion, volume regulation, and microRNA regulation of epithelial channels and transporters. Given its scope, Volume 1 offers a valuable resource for physiology students, scientists and clinicians alike.

The book provides a detailed state-of-the-art overview of inorganic chemistry applied to medicinal chemistry and biology. It covers the newly emerging field of metals in medicine and the future of medicinal inorganic chemistry. Further it includes metal based medicines used in alternative systems of Ayurveda as well as Tibetan Zuotai to make it a holistic approach. It is an essential reading for every researcher and student in medicinal and bioinorganic chemistry.

This book reviews the latest developments in the design, synthesis, and molecular mechanism of action of Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors in the context of potential cancer therapy. HDAC inhibitors are emerging as promising anticancer drug molecules that promote growth arrest, differentiation and apoptosis of cancer cells with tumor selective toxicity. The book begins with an overview of various epigenetic modifying enzymes that are involved in cancer transition and progression; before exploring the potential of HDACs in cancer treatment. It provides a classification of HDAC inhibitors based on their structural attributes, and addresses HDAC-induced cytotoxicity.. Lastly, it discusses and assesses the rationale behind therapies that combine HDAC inhibitors with other anticancer agents to treat solid tumors. Given its scope, it offers a valuable resource for all researchers, clinicians, and students working in formulation, drug discovery, oncology, and personalized medicine.

This book reviews important aspects of polycystic kidney diseases, the latest scientific understanding of the diseases and syndromes, along with the therapies being developed. Cystic kidney diseases comprise a spectrum of genetic syndromes defined by renal cyst formation and expansion with variable extrarenal manifestations. The most prevalent disorder is the autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). It is the most common monogenetic disorder in humans and accounts for 4.4% of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) cases in the U.S. Patients inevitably progress to ESRD and require renal replacement therapy in the form of dialysis or transplantation. Through advancements in genomics and proteomics approaches, novel genes responsible for cystic diseases have been identified, further expanding our understanding of basic mechanisms of disease pathogenesis. The hallmark among all cystic genetic syndromes is the formation and growth of fluid-filled cysts, which originate from tubular epithelia of nephron segments. Cysts are the disease, and treatment strategies are being developed to target prevention or delay of cyst formation and expansion at an early stage, however no such therapy is currently approved.

Metal-Sulfur clusters play an essential role in living organisms through the unique character of sulfur-metal bonding. The new volume in prestigious Metal Ions in Life Sciences explores different transition metal complexes with sulfur, their biosynthesis and biological functions in regulation of gene expression, catalysis of important metabolic reactions and protein structure arrangement.

This volume is designed to provide an understanding of current and potential therapies for osteoporosis. The opening chapter introduces the cells of bone and their interactions. Several following chapters describe factors affecting bone including systemic hormones with significant effects on bone, and local mediators including growth factors, prostaglandins, cytokines and chemokines. Topics that have commanded particular attention recently are calcium, FGF-23, nervous system bone interactions. Drugs that cause bone loss provide important information on mechanism as well as therapeutic considerations. An overview of the genetics of bone disorders and a discussion of the pathophysiology of osteoporosis establish the clinical context. The final chapters discuss current and potential osteoporosis treatments.

How do electrical activity and calcium signals in neurons influence the secretion of peptide hormones? This volume presents the current state of knowledge regarding the electrical, calcium signaling and synaptic properties of neuroendocrine systems from both vertebrate and invertebrate systems. The contributions span in vivo and in vitro studies that address: state-dependent plasticity, relevance of firing patterns, membrane properties, calcium flux (including dynamic imaging and homeostasis), and molecular mechanisms of exocytosis, including from non-neuronal secretory cells. The chapters focus not only on research results but also on how experiments are conducted using state-of-the-art techniques, and how the resulting data are interpreted. While there are many books on the secretory properties of neurons, this is the first to focus on the distinctive secretory properties of neuroendocrine neurons. Accordingly, it offers an important text for undergraduate and graduate neuroscience students, and will also appeal to established scientists and postdoctoral fellows. This is the eighth volume in the Masterclass in Neuroendocrinology series* - now a co-publication between Springer Nature and the INF (International Neuroendocrine Federation). *Volumes 1-7 published by Wiley