The field of genetics is rapidly evolving, and new medical breakthroughs are occurring as a result of advances in our knowledge of genetics. This series continually publishes important reviews of the broadest interest to geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines. This thematicvolume reviews the latest research findings in the area of vascular proteomics related to the receptors of the vascular endothelium, and expands insights into diseases that exhibit distinct vascular characteristics, including cancer, obesity, andinflammation.

* Provides contrasting roles of VEGF, givingresearchers a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of VEGF *Includeschapters that review research employing a variety of organisms, allowing researchers to compare and contrast *Focuses onmaterial that translates basic research to real-life treatment applications, showing primary researchers how the basic science is being used in the clinical setting"

Epigenetics has emerged recently as an important area of molecular biological studies. Epigenetic modifications lead to potentially heritable but reversible alterations in the expression of genes that determine cell fate. Epigenetic misregulation is thus often linked to degenerative diseases, cancer and neuronal disorders. Recent biomedical interest in this regulatory system stems from the fact that epigenetic, in contrast to genetic, alterations are in principle amenable to pharmacological intervention. A few epigenetically active drugs, for example histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) inhibitors, have been approved by FDA for treatment of cancers such as CTCL, MDS, and AML. This volume explores the scientific background for clinical applications of epigenetically active drugs. Included are descriptions of epigenetic controls over gene expression, the post-transcriptional silencing of genes by RNA interference (RNAi) and microRNAs, as well as new findings from stem cell research which are relevant to pharmacological applications. Content Level Research

In Polyadenylation: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers in the field detail many of the protocols which are now commonly used to study polyadenylation. Focusing on recent advances in the fast-moving polyadenylation filed, that has recently been recognized as a key contributor to the complexity of mammalian gene expression. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology 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.

"Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science" provides a forum for discussion of new discoveries, approaches, and ideas in molecular biology and translational science. It contains contributions from leaders in their fields and abundant references. This volume focuses on translational control in health and disease.

* Contributions from leading scholars and industry experts * Reference guide for researchers involved in molecular biology and related fields

This work provides a state-of-the art overview on the most relevant aspects of cell polarity. Volume 2 discusses the physiological and pathophysiological relevance of cell polarity. It especially focuses on pathophysiological conditions in which one or several aspects of cell polarity are impaired, and in which a loss of cell polarity possibly contributes to disease (e.g. epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in cancer, role of polarity proteins in cancer). Both volumes are intended for professors, group leaders and researchers in cell biology as well as for medical professionals working in anatomy, cell biology, physiology, pathology and tumor biology.

Together with early theoretical work in population genetics, the debate on sources of genetic makeup initiated by proponents of the neutral theory made a solid contribution to the spectacular growth in statistical methodologies for molecular evolution. Evolutionary Genomics: Statistical and Computational Methods is intended to bring together the more recent developments in the statistical methodology and the challenges that followed as a result of rapidly improving sequencing technologies. Presented by top scientists from a variety of disciplines, the collection includes a wide spectrum of articles encompassing theoretical works and hands-on tutorials, as well as many reviews with key biological insight. Volume 1 includes a helpful introductory section of bioinformatician primers followed by detailed chapters detailing genomic data assembly, alignment, and homology inference as well as insights into genome evolution from statistical analyses. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, this work provides the kind of advice on methodology and implementation that is crucial for getting ahead in genomic data analyses. Comprehensive and cutting-edge, Evolutionary Genomics: Statistical and Computational Methods is a treasure chest of state-of the-art methods to study genomic and omics data, certain to inspire both young and experienced readers to join the interdisciplinary field of evolutionary genomics.

This textbook considers the medical, surgical, legal and ethical aspects of establishing and maintaining an office-based egg donation programme. Chapters discuss: indications and success rates; screening and demographics of recipients and donors; preparation of the endometrium; synchronization of cycles; obstetrical outcomes; risks and complications; gestational carriers; consents and contracts; and ethics.

This is by far the most exhaustive biography on Niels Stensen, anatomist, geologist and bishop, better known as "Nicolaus Steno". We learn about the scientist's family and background in Lutheran Denmark, of his teachers at home and abroad, of his studies and travels in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Bohemia and Germany, of his many pioneering achievements in anatomy and geology, of his encounters with Swammerdam, Malpighi and with members of the newly established Royal Society of London and the Accademia del Cimento in Florence, and with the philosopher Spinoza. It further treats Stensen's religious conversion. The book includes the full set of Steno's anatomical and geological scientific papers in original language. The editors thoroughly translated the original Latin text to English, and included numerous footnotes on the background of this bibliographic and scientific treasure from the 17th century.

For more than 30 years, "Current Topics in Developmental Biology" has provided a forum for dissemination and discussion of new ideas and thought in developmental biology. Bringing together a series of articles on the structural, functional, and developmental characteristics of epithelials, this thematic volume represents a timely and valuable contribution to an exciting and multidisciplinary field of study. Because defects in epithelial function and growth control play a major role in human disease-cancerous tumors, spina bifida, cardiac malformations, for example-this volume will be of particular interest to researchers working in cancer drug design and development and those working in therapeutic areas to treat developmental abnormalities.

Coverage of current research findings and thought on cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions gives researchers a better understanding of the processes of remodeling and morphogenesis, which are critical to the development of drugs aimed at disrupting the early formation and proliferation of cancerous tumors.

Inclusion of chapters that discuss the most contemporary thought on cell polarity and tissue morphogenesis, providing researchers with a better understanding of the control of cellular organization and polarity (particularly important to researchers who are developing treatments for developmental abnormalities and those working in cancer drug development).

Use of a variety of animal models, allowingresearchers to compare and contrast the molecular mechanisms that underlie cell-cell and cell-extracelluar matrix interactions in a variety of research models."

This book covers different omics aspects related to the extracellular matrix (ECM), namely specific omics resources focused on the extracellular matrix (e.g., databases, repositories and atlases), quantitative proteomics applied to specific extracellular matrices (e.g. basement membranes), biological processes such as ECM degradation (degradomics), cell-matrix interactions (adhesomes), signaling pathways, biomarker discovery and diseases, and interactomics (extracellular matrix interaction networks including not only protein-protein but also protein-glycosaminoglycan interactions). The volume also includes recent advances in glycomics and glycobioinformatics applied to proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, which are key biological players. The use of omics data to build dynamic models of ECM-regulated biological pathways is addressed, together with the requirement to standardize omic data, which is a prerequisite for the FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability) guiding principles for scientific data management. This book will be of great interest to a broad readership from beginners to advanced researchers, who are interested in extracellular matrix omics and will inspire future research topics.

The volume provides a forum for original peer-reviewed short communications, full-length research and review articles on new research findings and developments on the topic of genetic targets on cancer therapies. As the field is highly important it requires co-operation between research communities from all over the world to share their knowledge and experience in order to move the field forward. Each chapter includes a discussion of the impact of the tumor microenvironment and cancer stem cells and cover current knowledge in this area as it pertains to the disease, including emerging therapy targeting the microenvironment and/or cancer stem cells.

The primary purpose of this book and its companion volume The Neuropharmacology of Nicotine Dependence is to explore the ways in which recent studies on nicotine and its role in tobacco addiction have opened our eyes to the psychopharmacological properties of this unique and fascinating drug. While the present volume considers the molecular and genetic factors which influence behavioral responses to nicotine and how these may impact on the role of nicotine in tobacco dependence, the book The Neuropharmacology of Nicotine Dependence focuses on the complex neural and psychological mechanisms that mediate nicotine dependence in experimental animal models and their relationship to tobacco addiction in humans. These volumes will provide readers with a contemporary overview of current research on nicotine psychopharmacology and its role in tobacco dependence from leaders in this field of research and will hopefully prove valuable to those who are developing their own research programmes in this important topic.

This book includes a series of reviews on general aspects of biomarker use in the study of psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases and the development of medications involved in their treatment. It describes the pros and cons of the various approaches and covers the successes and failures in this research field. It is only by a thorough understanding of the shortcomings that progress can be made. The overall goal is to facilitate the understanding and treatment of these disorders, by providing a viable mechanism of catching up with other areas of modern medicine, such as diabetes and heart disease. Finally, it is anticipated that the development and application of valid biomarker tests and the leveraging of novel drug targets will help the fields of psychiatry on neurodegenerative disorders move into the area of personalized medicine where the right patients can receive the right medication at the right time for the best possible outcome.

Genotoxicity and DNA Repair: A Practical Approach provides a key reference for determining how to analyze the genotoxic activity of molecules or materials and, at the same time, serves as a useful tool for researchers in the Environmental Mutagenesis and DNA Repair fields. Focused on genotoxicity assays recommended by the "OECD guidelines for the testing of chemicals", this volume also covers other useful assays, such as some gene mutation assays, the comet assay in different species and applications, and the SMART assays of Drosophila. For all the assays, the book presents brief theoretical introductions to the topics and updated standard and modified step-by-step protocols to perform them. Special emphasis is placed on the analysis of nanoparticles, including an integrative approach analysis. The DNA Repair section includes several assays that provide information on repair activity in vitro and in vivo, as well as recent applications to study DNA repair in humans, cell cultures, and animal models. As a volume in the Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology series, the chapters contain the kind of detail and key implementation advice that ensures reproducible results in the lab. Authoritative and invaluable, Genotoxicity and DNA Repair: A Practical Approach aims to aid scientists in their pursuit of forwarding this vital field of study.

In this Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology on "High Density Lipoproteins - from biological understanding to clinical exploitation" contributing authors (members of COST Action BM0904/HDLnet) summarize in more than 20 chapters our current knowledge on the structure, function, metabolism and regulation of HDL in health and several diseases as well as the status of past and ongoing attempts of therapeutic exploitation. The book is of interest to researchers in academia and industry focusing on lipoprotein metabolism, cardiovascular diseases and immunology as well as clinical pharmacologists, cardiologists, diabetologists, nephrologists and other clinicians interested in metabolic or inflammatory diseases.

Cell Therapy for Brain Injury is a thorough examination of using state-of-the-art cell therapy in the treatment of strokes and other traumatic brain injuries. This invaluable book covers this niche topic in depth from basic stem cell biology and principles of cell therapy through proposed mechanisms of action of cell therapy in stroke, pre-clinical data in stroke models, ongoing clinical trials, imaging and tracking of cells with MRI, neural stem cells in stroke and the "big pharma" perspective of cell therapy. Each chapter is written by well-known leaders in each field, thus providing a wealth of expertise. The breadth of this book makes it essential reading for neuroscientists, stem cell biologists, researchers or clinical trialists at pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. It also serves as a thorough introduction for graduate students or post-doctoral fellows who hope to work in these fields.

A single volume of 85 articles, the Handbook of the Neurobiology of Aging is an authoritative selection of relevant chapters from the Encyclopedia of Neuroscience, the most comprehensive source of neuroscience information assembled to date (AP Oct 2008).
The study of neural aging is a central topic in neuroscience, neuropsychology and gerontology. Some well-known age-related neurological diseases include Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, but even more common are problems of aging which are not due to disease but to more subtle impairments in neurobiological systems, including impairments in vision, memory loss, muscle weakening, and loss of reproductive functions, changes in body weight, and sleeplessness. As the average age of our society increases, diseases of aging become more common and conditions associated with aging need more attention by doctors and researchers.
This book offers an overview of topics related to neurobiological impairments which are related to the aging brain and nervous system. Coverage ranges from animal models to human imaging, fundamentals of age-related neural changes and pathological neurodegeneration, and offers an overview of structural and functional changes at the molecular, systems, and cognitive levels. Key pathologies such as memory disorders, Alzheimer's, dementia, Down syndrome, Parkinson's, and stroke are discussed, as are cutting edge interventions such as cell replacement therapy and deep brain stimulation. There is no other current single-volume reference with such a comprehensive coverage and depth.
Authors selected are the internationally renowned experts for the particular topics on which they write, and the volume is richly illustrated with over 100 color figures. A collection of articles reviewing our fundamental knowledge of neural aging, the book provides an essential, affordable reference for scientists in all areas of Neuroscience, Neuropsychology and Gerontology.
* The most comprehensive source of up-to-date data on the neurobiology of aging, review articles cover: normal, sensory and cognitive aging; neuroendocrine, structural and molecular factors; and fully address both patholgy and intervention
* Chapters represent an authoritative selection of relevant material from the most comprehensive source of information about neuroscience ever assembled, (Encyclopedia of Neuroscience), synthesizing information otherwise
dispersed across a number of journal articles and book chapters, and saving researchers the time consuming process of finding and integrating this information themselves
* Offering outstanding scholarship, each chapter is written by an expert in the topic area and over 20% of chapters feature international contributors, (representing 11 countries)
* Provides more fully vetted expert knowledge than any existing work with broad appeal for the US, UK and Europe, accurately crediting the contributions to research in those regions
* Fully explores various pathologies associated with the aging brain (Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's, memory disorders, stroke, Down's syndrome, etc.)
* Coverage of disorders and key interventions makes the volume relevant to clinicians as well as researchers
* Heavily illustrated with over 100 color figures

Reproductive disruptions, such as infertility, pregnancy loss, adoption, and childhood disability, are among the most distressing experiences in people s lives. Based on research by leading medical anthropologists from around the world, this book examines such issues as local practices detrimental to safe pregnancy and birth; conflicting reproductive goals between women and men; miscommunications between pregnant women and their genetic counselors; cultural anxieties over gamete donation and adoption; the contested meanings of abortion; cultural critiques of hormone replacement therapy; and the globalization of new pharmaceutical and assisted reproductive technologies. This breadth - with its explicit move from the local to the global, from the realm of everyday reproductive practice to international programs and policies - illuminates most effectively the workings of power, the tensions between women s and men s reproductive agency, and various cultural and structural inequalities in reproductive health. Marcia C. Inhorn is Professor of Medical Anthropology at the University of Michigan, where she directs the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies. A specialist on infertility and assisted reproductive technologies in the Muslim Middle East, she is the author or editor of four books on the subject. Her publications include Quest for Conception: Gender, Infertility, and Egyptian Medical Traditions (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1994, winner of Eileen Basker Prize for outstanding research in gender and health), Infertility and Patriarchy: The Cultural Politics of Gender and Family Life in Egypt (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1996) and Local Babies, Global Science: Gender, Religion, and In Vitro Fertilization in Egypt (Routledge Press, 2003)."

This detailed volume provides a collection of protocols for the study of miRNA functions in plants. Beginning with coverage of miRNA function, biogenesis, activity, and evolution in plants, the book continues by guiding readers through methods on the identification and detection of plant miRNAs, bioinformatic analyses, and strategies for functional analyses of miRNAs. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, 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. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Plant MicroRNAs: Method and Protocols aims to ensure successful results in the further study of this vital area of plant science.

Designed specifically to meet the unique needs of students studying to become rehabilitation professionals - including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and chiropractors - this full-color dissection guide helps you connect discoveries in the dissection lab with function and pathology. With the necessary technical information you need - including content on applied anatomy, embryology, and structural histology - in 25 laboratory exploration chapters, this unique guide uses case studies and critical thinking exercises to encourage you to explore human anatomy, synthesize your findings, and apply your knowledge to clinical practice. Extensive coverage of the musculoskeletal and nervous system emphasizes the information on muscles, vertebral column, and the upper and lower extremities that you need as a rehabilitation health professional. Clinical cases, thought-provoking questions, clinical notes, and review exercises encourage you to explore through dissection and apply what you've learned to real-life practice. Sections on embryology and histology provide important insights into the origin and nature of adult anatomy and follow the national guidelines for physical therapy anatomy curricula. References to the most popular human anatomy atlases - Netter's, Gray's, Grant's, and Clemente's - allow for flexibility of use in any program. Emphasis on variations in anatomy reinforces the real-life diversity among patients. Over 200 full-color illustrations clearly demonstrate anatomy and dissection processes.

This is a reference handbook for young researchers exploring gene and cell therapy. Gene therapy could be defined as a set of strategies modifying gene expression or correcting mutant/defective genes through the administration of DNA (or RNA) to cells, in order to treat disease. Important advances like the discovery of RNA interference, the completion of the Human Genome project or the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSc) and the basics of gene therapy are covered. This is a great book for students, teachers, biomedical researchers delving into gene/cell therapy or researchers borrowing skills from this scientific field.

This book presents a collection of articles on various aspects of current research on aging. These include model systems, cellular, biochemical and molecular aspects of experimental aging research, as well as selected intervention studies on age-related diseases. Aging is a global challenge to human society. Children are always in a hurry to become adults, while adults produce offspring and add to the gene pool. However, after adulthood or the attainment of reproductive maturity, all physiological parameters of the living organism start to undergo the aging process. Old age sets in slowly but surely, and usually continues for a prolonged period. If vigor and vitality are the main advantages of adulthood, old age offers the rewards of experience and maturity. Biologists ask questions such as: Why do we age? How do we become old? Is it possible to slow down, postpone or even prevent aging? In turn, medical experts ask: What are the diseases associated with old age? Are there medicines that can help affected elderly patients? In fact both groups are asking themselves how can we add more health to old age. Healthy aging is the dream of every individual. But to achieve this, it is fundamental that we first understand the cellular, biochemical and molecular basis of the aging process in mammalian cells, tissues and intact living organisms, which can serve as experimental model systems in Biomedical Gerontology. Once the biology of aging is understood at the genetic and molecular levels, interventional approaches to aging and its associated diseases may be easier to plan and implement at the preclinical level.

The integrated and advanced science research topic man-machine-environment system engineering (MMESE) was first established in China by Professor Shengzhao Long in 1981, with direct support from one of the greatest modern Chinese scientists, Xuesen Qian. In a letter to Shengzhao Long from October 22nd, 1993, Xuesen Qian wrote: "You have created a very important modern science and technology in China!" MMESE primarily focuses on the relationship between man, machines and the environment, studying the optimum combination of man-machine-environment systems. In this system, "man" refers to people in the workplace (e.g. operators, decision-makers); " machine" is the general name for any object controlled by man (including tools, machinery, computers, systems and technologies), and "environment" describes the specific working conditions under which man and machine interact (e.g. temperature, noise, vibration, hazardous gases etc.). The three goals of optimization of man-machine-environment systems are to ensure safety, efficiency and economy. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering are an academic showcase of the best papers selected from more than 400 submissions, introducing readers to the top research topics and the latest developmental trends in the theory and application of MMESE. These proceedings are interdisciplinary studies on the concepts and methods of physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environment science, management, education, and other related disciplines. Researchers and professionals working in these interdisciplinary fields and researchers on MMESE related topics will benefit from these proceedings.