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Alcohol is one of the major risk factors for negative health outcomes worldwide. It accounts for more than 60 alcohol-related diseases, ranging from addiction, through liver cirrhosis, to cancer. Collectively, these conditions account for mortality and morbidity that make alcohol use one of the leading preventable causes of disability adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost globally. In this book, an international faculty covers all aspects of alcohol-related disorders, ranging from addiction/alcohol use disorders (AUD) to alcohol-related diseases of other organs such as liver, heart or cancer. A special focus is to reach out to primary care physicians who are in the front line of this major health problem. The book also provides an update for addiction specialists, as well as specialists in internal medicine, gastroenterology and hepatology. The book is divided into sections that include epidemiology, alcohol use disorders and addiction, alcohol-related liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis,primary care and interdisciplinary approaches and other alcohol-related diseases. Besides current diagnostic measures and treatment strategies, the book deals with the many underlying molecular and genetic mechanisms of alcohol toxicity. Novel insights include prospective data on all-cause mortality and the emerging major role of alcohol-mediated hemolysis and enhanced red blood cell turnover. The book also aims at guiding policy makers to handle the topic of alcohol in our society more responsibly.

This book provides a reference guide describing the current status of medication in all major psychiatric and neurological indications, together with comparisons of pharmacological treatment strategies in clinical settings in Europe, USA, Japan and China. In addition, it highlights herbal medicine as used in China and Japan, as well as complementary medicine and nutritional aspects. This novel approach offers international readers a global approach in a single dedicated publication and is also a valuable resource for anyone interested in comparing treatments for psychiatric disorders in three different cultural areas. There are three volumes devoted to Basic Principles and General Aspects, offering a general overview of psychopharmacotherapy (Vol. 1); Classes, Drugs and Special Aspects covering the role of psychotropic drugs in the field of psychiatry and neurology (Vol. 2) and Applied Psychopharmacotherapy focusing on applied psychopharmacotherapy (Vol. 3). These books are invaluable to psychiatrists, neurologists, neuroscientists, medical practitioners and clinical psychologists.

The current book is focussed on the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are the first pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) discovered in humans. For example, TLR4 was first recognized in humans in 1997 as a PRR recognizing the Gram-negative bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). This discovery revolutionized the field of innate immunity and filled the long-standing gap in the pathogen recognition by the immune system. Now, it is well established that humans have 10 (TLR1-TLR10) and mice have 12 (TLR1-TLR13) functional TLRs, excluding TLR10 that is present as a defective pseudogene. TLRs are present as both membrane-bound extracellular (TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR5, TLR6, and TLR10) and intracellular (TLR3, TLR7, TLR8, and TLR9) PRRs in humans, which identify different pathogen or microbe-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs or MAMPs) and death or damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) released by the host cells. A lot of development in the TLR biology has occurred in last 24 years since there first discovery in humans.The book is intended to describe their role in the host defence, human reproduction, non-infectious sterile inflammatory conditions, including brain immunity and cerebrovascular diseases, signaling mechanisms, adaptive immunity, and their targeting for drug development.

Substance misuse and addictions are a public health issue. They affect the well-being of each community and nation as a whole. It is, therefore, necessary to identify, educate, and treat individuals who are addicted to substances. Policies and procedures go hand-in-hand with public health education and safety. The science behind the public health issues of one drug may be applicable to other drugs as well. However, marshalling all of the aforementioned information into a single source is somewhat difficult due to the wide array of material. The Editors address this by compiling the research in this single reference work that serves as a'one-stop-shopping'approach to everything readers need to know about the scientific basis of public health and addictions and agents of misuse.Apart from active agents that have a plant or chemical basis, there is a need to consider that there are other forms of addiction which may havecommon modes of causality or prevention. These include food addiction, gaming, gambling, and other non-drug addictions. These types of addiction may be related to the addiction of drugs.The Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions: From Biology to Public Health offers a holistic understanding of the relationship between public health and substance misuse. The text provides a common platform upon which other forms of addiction or substance misuse can be understood and treated. Addiction processes involve understanding the biological processes as well as behavior, psychology, sociology, and public health, all of which are interlinked. This Handbook is a useful reference for lecturers, students, researchers, practitioners, and other professionals in public health, addiction science, epidemiology, health education, health promotion, and health sciences.

This volume covers the science of ALDH enzymes in relation to chronic disease processes and the future therapeutic potentials of targeting ALDH in these processes. It thoroughly reviews the roles of ALDH family in alcohol metabolism, as well as recent findings of their emerging roles in a variety of human pathologies such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, stroke, cancer, liver diseases and kidney diseases. Delicate contribution of ALDH enzymes in the therapeutics against chronic diseases is also discussed. It demonstrates the unique value of targeting genetic polymorphism in ALDH enzymes in personalized medicine. The book will appeal to scientists, physicians, graduate and professional students in the fields of ALDH enzymes, alcohol metabolism, cardiometabolic and other chronic diseases. Pharmaceutical and other companies developing new tools for cardiometabolic and chronic diseases treatment will also find this a valuable resource.

This volume describes our current understanding of the biological role of the delta-opioid receptor (DOR) system, focusing on its unique mechanisms of receptor trafficking and signaling in disease states. Part 1 covers the endogenous ligands that regulate the DOR system as well as novel compounds and therapies used to modulate the DOR system. Part 2 describes new insights into the localization and trafficking of the DOR and how ligand-directed signaling alters the fate of the receptor. Part 3 concentrates on the potential role of the DOR system in disease states, such as pain, mood, addiction, and Parkinson's disease. Throughout the book, the DOR system as a target for drug development will be discussed.

The book is aimed at a wide audience, including academics, economic geography, spatial planning and regional policy researchers, institutional leaders and managers, national and institutional policy makers, practitioners, administrators, master's and senior bachelor's students on related courses, general readers. A list of courses and corresponding programmes in Geography, Planning, Economics and Management will be prepared later.

This book provides a comprehensive overview on biotechnological applications of unicellular and multicellular fungi in a variety of industrial branches. Targeted genetic and metabolic engineering of fungi allows production of native and transgenic enzymes and proteins in industrial scales. Those most prominently find application in biorefineries for the production of value-added chemicals and biofuels, in the pharmaceutical industry as well as in biomedicine. Each chapter is dedicated to applications and potential beneficial use of particular strains of yeasts and filamentous fungi and their produced biomolecules. The book targets researchers from both academia and industry and graduate students working in microbial biotechnology.

This comprehensive, edited book explores carotenoids and their important functional roles in yeast, bacteria and plants and a profound exposition on the structures of carotenoid molecules, focusing in the first of three parts on the biosynthesis of carotenoids. The regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in photosynthesis as well as in plant, fruits, storage roots and algae is central to the second part, and discoveries about the function of carotenoids in human health feature in the third and final part. Many helpful illustrations, explanations, overviews and examples help to bring readers up to date on relevant themes including carotenogenic genes, carotenoids in fruits and metabolic engineering. The book explores where carotenoids are synthesized in nature, including in carrots and algae. Contributing expert authors examine enzyme functions and plant models, and analyze the structure of carotenoid molecules. The function of carotenoids in photosynthesis and in photosynthetic organs as well as during fruit ripening are then explored. A whole chapter is dedicated to the latest research on apocarotenoids and further chapters cover interesting and novel themes on plastid development and the epigenetic regulation that affects carotenoid synthesis in plants. The metabolic engineering of carotenoids that has been done in fruits, plants, and seeds is another area that readers can explore, along with evidences on the function of carotenoids in human nutrition, as antioxidants, as in the control of lipid metabolism and in the absorption of carotenoids. This is a highly informative and wide-ranging work which will update researchers in the field, as well as supporting students of plant physiology and biotechnology, as supplementary reading.

This volume describes the more relevant secondary metabolites of different fungi with current information on their biosynthesis and molecular genetics. Bolstered with color illustrations and photographs, the book describes the possible application of molecular genetics to directed strain improvement in great detail. The needs for future developments in this field are also discussed at lengthWritten by authorities in the field, Biosynthesis and Molecular Genetics of Fungal Secondary Metabolites provides a cutting-edge perspective on fungal secondary metabolism and underlying genetics and is a valuable resource for scientists, researchers, and educators in the field of fungal biology.

Die Neuropathologie hat sich dank ihrer engen Anlehnung an klinische Fragestellungen, ihrer klaren Diktion und der reichhaltigen Bebilderung rasch einen breiten Leserkreis unter neurologisch interessierten Ärzten und Pathologen erworben. Nach wie vor ist die Morphologie der Krankheiten des Nervensystems und der Skelettmuskulatur die Voraussetzung für das Verständnis der Pathogenese und die Basis der neurologischen, neurochirurgischen und -radiologischen Diagnostik; von gleichem Interesse aber auch für Psychiater und Neuropädiater in Klinik und Praxis. Die rasche Entwicklung der Molekulargenetik mit ihrer Konsequenz neuer Klassifikationen, differenzierter Diagnostik und Prognoseeinschätzung machte eine 3. Auflage notwendig. Einige neue Autoren mit speziellen Erfahrungen, z.B. auf dem Gebiet der Prionenerkrankungen, bürgen für die Aktualität der Darstellungen.

The book deals with various clinical aspects of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) which is a potent source for oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is critical for pathogenesis of diseases and CYP2E1 is a major contributor for oxidative stress. Several clinical disorders are associated with changes in regulation of CYP2E1 and the consequent abnormalities which include alcoholic liver disease, alcoholic pancreatitis, carcinogenesis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, obesity, hepatitis C virus infection, reproductive organ toxicity, hepatocellular and cholestatic liver cirrhosis, inhibition of bone repair, cross-tolerance in smokers and people treated with nicotine, disorders of central nervous system, changes in metabolism of protoxicants in the circulatory system and susceptibility to human papillomavirus infection. Hence, CYP2E1 emerges as a new and potent player in aggravating injury and furthering disease complications.

Recent studies have provided clear evidence on the role of neural-immune interactions in normal brain function and neuropathological conditions. Neuroimmune factors, which play an essential role in neuroinflammatory response, have been implicated in the regulation of neuronal function and plasticity. Thus, neural-immune interactions provide a new frame work for understanding the role of the neuroimmune system in normal brain function, neurodevelopment, and a variety of neurological disorders. These advances have a far reaching impact on many areas of neuroscience, including alcohol research. Studies using human alcoholic brains, gene knockout mice, and gene expression profiling have established a clear link between alcoholism and an altered neuroimmune profile. This book integrates emerging knowledge on neural-immune interactions with key discoveries in alcohol research and provides a comprehensive overview of neural-immune interactions in brain function and behavior associated with alcohol use disorders. While Neural–Immune Interaction in Brain Function and Alcohol Related Disorders focuses on neural-immune interactions in areas directly related to alcohol use disorders, it is not intended to be all inclusive. Several areas, including sleep disorders, pain, and cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways, are not covered as independent chapters but briefly mentioned in the text. The close relevance of these topics to neural-immune interactions and alcohol use disorders warrants future discussion and more research efforts.

The question how alcohol alters mood states and why this may end up becoming an addiction is puzzling alcohol researchers since decades. In this volume, an assembly of highly distinguished experts and leaders in alcohol addiction research provides lucid presentations of the current knowledge and research challenges as well as interesting viewpoints on future research directions aimed to stimulate communication and convergence between clinical and preclinical researchers, and to renew interest in the vibrant field of alcohol addiction research among a wide scientifically minded audience. Five Current Topics are discussed in this volume: Neurobiological mechanisms of alcoholism, Genetics, Clinical phenotypes and their preclinical models, Brain imaging, and Translational approaches for treatment development, both pharmacological and non-pharmacological. These areas have in our opinion brought alcohol research substantially forward and influenced our thinking about how to reach our common paramount goal, namely to offer effective treatment solutions for an extensive group of patients with largely unmet medical needs.

This volume represents the proceedings of the Fifth Congress of the International Society of Ocular Toxicology (ISOT), which was held at the Grove Park Inn and Resort in Asheville, North Carolina, October 13-17, 1996. We are delighted to present this volume to the ophthalmic community, especially those with a significant interest in ocular toxicol­ ogy. The Fifth Congress was developed around themes relating to ocular drug metabolism, the ocular pathophysiological effects of nitric oxide, government issues relating to the use of alternative methods for toxicity testing, and a workshop that encompassed comparisons of both in vitro versus in vivo models as well as different animal models. The outcome of this congress, embodied in this volume, is a contribution to the methodologies currently employed or under development and to various drug or physical effects on different ocular tissues. While the focus of this proceedings is on ocular effects of drugs or other materials, many of the contributions deal with topics that have a much broader interest. The workshop concerning the use of different model systems and the choice of the best animal model for drug testing covers a wide range of interests that ex­ tends far beyond specific ocular effects. This is especially true in the area of alternative methods and in the choice of the best animal model for examination of different disease entities.

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) is an enigmatic compound abounding in animal tissues. It is present at relatively high concentrations in all electrically excitable tissues such as brain, sensory organs, heart, and muscle, and in certain endocrine glands. Some of its physiological functions are already established, for example as an essential nutrient during development and as a neuromodulator or osmolyte, but the cellular mechanisms are still mostly a matter of conjecture. Moreover, there are a number of other putative functions of taurine less well known at present. Taurine 7 contains the proceedings of the 16th International Taurine Meeting. This meeting is a multidisciplinary symposium, with participants presenting different fields of biological science. This volume focuses on all aspects of taurine research from immunology and its effect on health to chemistry and biochemistry, including future clinical applications.

Incorporating the most recent literature and state-of-the-art methods, this practical work and atlas covers the entire domain of neuropathology for forensic pathologists as well as for specialists in associated fields. Its concise, direct style provides the reader with succinct and easy-to-find answers to forensic, pathological, pathophysiological, biomechanical, and molecular biology problems. Additionally, the authors cover several basic and practical problems that may stimulate further research.Each chapter includes an overview of the literature as well as specified references, and features a wealth of figures, graphs, and tables.The present volume deals with specific aspects of neuropathology, and is particularly appropriate for all those interested and involved in the field of forensic pathology, forensic sciences, clinical pathology, neurology, neurosurgery, law, and criminology. Special emphasis is placed on expertise concerning the field's relevance for everyday practice and also on up-to-date data in basic research.