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This volume first covers the supplementation of aquafeeds with terrestrial plant material used in human medicine and nutrition. Mainly based on the “trial and error” approach, many supplements enhance growth, immunity and resistance to stress. However, other supplements appear to be ineffective and some have adverse effects. A robust and guiding hypothesis for sup­plementation is not apparent. Therefore, the book proposes the use of artificial intelligence to end the trial-and-error phase. In addition, a graded dosing is rarely used, especially in the low-dose range, so the physiological mechanisms behind the supplements are often only partially understood. This topic of aquatic animal nutrition is still in its infancy. Chapters cover medicinal plants in general, selected medicinal plants in detail, food plants, fruits, essential oils, fermentation residues, and genetically modified plants. One chapter attempts to answer the question of what mechanism may underlie ineffective or even harmful supplementation. Overall, the importance of the intestinal microflora is becoming increasingly clear and points to the imperative need to include gut microbiota in replacement studies. Based on the few epigenetic studies currently available, the importance of these processes is demonstrated. The need to integrate such approaches into future studies is emphasized. The so-called hologenomics approach is inevitable. Can adverse effects be mitigated by adding functional feed ingredients such as prebiotics or probiotics? This volume concludes with aquatic plants (macroalgae, filamentous algae, and macrophytes) as food sources for natural and farmed aquatic animals. Can aquaculture learn from natural aquatic herbivores?

This two-volume set LNCS 1319 and 13320 constitutes the thoroughly refereed proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Digital Human Modeling and Applications in Health, Safety, Ergonomics and Risk Management, DHM 2022, which was held virtually as part of the 24rd HCI International Conference, HCII 2022, in June/July 2022.The total of 1271 papers and 275 poster papers included in the 39 HCII 2022 proceedings volumes was carefully reviewed and selected from 5487 submissions. DHM 2022 includes a total of 56 papers. The first volume focuses on topics related to ergonomic design, anthropometry, and human modeling, as well as collaboration, communication, and human behavior. The second volume focuses on topics related to task analysis, quality and safety in healthcare, as well as occupational health and operations management, and Digital Human Modeling in interactive product and service design.

This book addresses emerging issues in usability, interface design, human–computer interaction, user experience and assistive technology. It highlights research aimed at understanding human interactions with products, services and systems and focuses on finding effective approaches for improving the user experience. It also discusses key issues in designing and providing assistive devices and services for individuals with disabilities or impairment, offering them support with mobility, communication, positioning, environmental control and daily living. The book covers modeling as well as innovative design concepts, with a special emphasis on user-centered design, and design for specific populations, particularly the elderly. Further topics include virtual reality, digital environments, gaming, heuristic evaluation and forms of device interface feedback (e.g. visual and haptic). Based on the AHFE 2021 Conferences on Usability and User Experience, Human Factors and Wearable Technologies, Human Factors in Virtual Environments and Game Design, and Human Factors and Assistive Technology, held virtually on 25–29 July, 2021, from USA, this book provides academics and professionals with an extensive source of information and a timely guide to tools, applications and future challenges in these fields.

This book presents selected papers from the 7th International Conference on Advances in Energy Research (ICAER 2019), providing a comprehensive coverage encompassing all fields and aspects of energy in terms of generation, storage, and distribution. Themes such as optimization of energy systems, energy efficiency, economics, management, and policy, and the interlinkages between energy and environment are included. The contents of this book will be of use to researchers and policy makers alike.

This book presents the latest knowledge and the most recent research results in the field of ganglioside biochemistry. The early chapters cover all relevant background on sialic acids and their biosynthesis, on N-glycolylneuraminic acid (Neu5Gc), which cannot be synthesized by humans, and on general aspects of ganglioside research. Ganglioside adsorption, disorders of ganglioside degradation, and the regulation of gangliosides are thoroughly discussed. A major focus of the book is the role of gangliosides in cancer. Here, the discussion encompasses, for example, the biological importance, antigenicity, and immunological actions of tumor-associated gangliosides (TAGs), the significance of different glycolipids and gangliosides as TAGs, and emerging anti-cancer vaccine strategies. The ability of sialic acids and TAGs of tumor cells to escape immunosurveillance and immunoediting also receives detailed attention. The significance of sialic acids in regulation ofthe complement system is explained, and the closing chapter focuses especially on the role of sialyl T antigen in cancer. The book will be of value for all who are interested in functional glycobiology and glycomic studies.

This handbook offers a comprehensive review of intellectual disabilities (ID). It examines historical perspectives and foundational principles in the field. The handbook addresses philosophy of care for individuals with ID, as well as parent and professional issues and organizations, staffing, and working on multidisciplinary teams. Chapters explore issues of client protection, risk factors of ID, basic research issues, and legal concerns. In addition, chapters include information on evidence-based assessments and innovative treatments to address a variety of behaviors associated with ID. The handbook provides an in-depth analysis of comorbid physical disorders, such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy and seizures, and developmental coordination disorders (DCD), in relation to ID.Topics featured in this handbook include:Informed consent and the enablement of persons with ID. The responsible use of restraint and seclusion as a protective measure. Vocational training and job preparation programs that assist individuals with ID. Psychological and educational approaches to the treatment of aggression and tantrums. Emerging technologies that support learning for students with ID. Key sexuality and relationship issues that are faced by individuals with ID.Effective approaches to weight management for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Handbook of Intellectual Disabilities is an essential reference for researchers, graduate students, clinicians and related therapists and professionals in clinical child and school psychology, pediatrics, social work, developmental psychology, behavioral therapy/rehabilitation, child and adolescent psychiatry, and special education.

In the marine environment, single-celled, microscopic, plant-like organisms naturally occur in the well-lit surface layer of any body of water. These organisms, referred to as phytoplankton or microalgae, form the base of the food web upon which nearly all other marine organisms depend. Algal bloom is a rapid increase in or accumulation of the population of about 300 species of algae due to excess nutrients (eutrophication), and is of major global interest as it causes reduction in species diversity, abrupt changes in water quality, and discoloration of the water (green, yellow, brown or red) depending on the species of algae and the type of pigments they contain. Dying blooms can also be an environmental concern as when the cells sink and decay, bacteria break down the organic material, which in turn strips oxygen from the water. This microbial oxygen demand at times leads to very low oxygen levels in the bottom waters, harming aquatic life. Documentation of this sporadic high abundance of algae, together with the significant species richness of the diatoms, requires comprehensive studies in the Sundarban coastal environment, which is facing severe degradation due to natural & anthropogenic stressors. In addition, a better understanding of the effects of algal blooms on seafood quality, the complex biological, chemical and physical interactions and subsequent effects on trophodynamics is needed to develop strategies for effective coastal zone management. The book discusses the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by the dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium and Karenia, or diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia, which have large and varied impacts on marine ecosystems (such as large-scale marine mortality events that have been associated with various types of shellfish poisonings) depending on the species involved, the environment where they are found, and the mechanism by which they exert negative effects. HABs represent a major environmental problem in all regions of the U.S., and their occurrence is on the rise due to increased nutrient pollution. HABs have severe impacts on human health, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. Such blooms, known colloquially as red tides due to their red or brown hues, are increasing in frequency and magnitude worldwide as a result of changes in oceanic climate, increased coastal eutrophication and enhanced long-distance dispersal in ballast water. As such, the book offers an in-depth account of the complex biological, chemical and physical interactions of the algal blooms (both innocuous and harmful ones). It also discusses the highly topical issue of the impact of global climate change on the frequency and severity of HABs in the context of alterations in temperature, stratification, light and ocean acidification.Focusing on both basic and applied limnology, this book is a reliable and up-to-date referenceresource for students, teachers and researchers engaged in the field of coastal research/management at regional and global scales.

The series Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry presents critical reviews on present and future trends in the research of heterocyclic compounds. Overall the scope is to cover topics dealing with all areas within heterocyclic chemistry, both experimental and theoretical, of interest to the general heterocyclic chemistry community. The series consists of topic related volumes edited by renowned editors with contributions of experts in the field. All chapters from Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry are published Online First with an individual DOI. In references, Topics in Heterocyclic Chemistry is abbreviated as Top Heterocycl Chem and cited as a journal.

This book provides a comprehensive update on the latest information and knowledge which emerged from translational and basic science research endeavors, targeting the regeneration of salivary glands. The coverage includes salivary gland growth and development, stem cell therapy, bioengineering of salivary glands, and perspectives on and practical approaches to restoration of secretory function. More specifically, among the individual topics addressed are the various types of stem cell of value for cell replacement therapy, technological advances with respect to 3D printing, gene therapy, organ culture of salivary glands, and surgical aspects of the feasibility and practicality of transplantation. Readers will find helpful practical guidance on functional restorations of damaged salivary glands and stimulating insights into potential future directions in salivary gland regeneration research. The authors are all acknowledged experts from a range of academic and clinical backgrounds.Accordingly, the book will be of interest not only to clinicians, such as general dental practitioners, oral medicine specialists, and surgeons who manage dry mouth patients, but also to biomedical engineers, stem cell researchers, and transplant surgeons.

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to translational efforts in breast cancer, addressing the latest approaches to precision medicine based on the current state of understanding of breast cancer. With the latest developments in breast cancer research, our understanding of the genomic changes and the oncogenic signaling cascade of breast cancer has made considerable strides. Further, the immuno-environment has been demonstrated as the barrier to clinical cancer. In addition, major advances in cancer biology, immunology, genomics and metabolism have broken new ground for designing therapeutic approaches and selecting appropriate treatments on the basis of more precise information on the individual patient. As a result of these two trends, a clearer picture of the molecular landscape of breast cancers has facilitated the development of diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarkers for clinical oncology. All these aspects are addressed in this volume, which offers a comprehensive resource for researchers, graduate students and oncologists in cancer research.

This volume aims to connect current ideas and concepts about GI disorders with the search for novel therapeutics. Towards this goal, authors provide a timely state-of-the-art overview of the GI tract in health and disease, current treatment approaches and ongoing developments in drug discovery, and their potential for the better treatment of patients with GI disorders.

This book is a collection of cutting-edge studies on the functions and mechanisms of glycosylation in cancers. Along with progress in genomics and proteomics, new findings in the significance of these complex carbohydrates, through the regulation of cell signals, have been elucidated in a wide variety of biological events. This volume provides a comprehensive summary of glycosignals and their involvement in cancer, covering numerous topics such as glycosylation machineries, regulation of phenotypes, cell signaling, immune regulation, complex carbohydrate organization, and clinical applications. The contents have been organized to promote ready understanding, covering basic to clinical research and studies on micromolecules, to animal/human cells and tissues. This book is an essential read for students and young researchers interested in cancers and carbohydrates. Specialists in glycobiology will also benefit from the new results and approaches detailed here, which provide insights into future directions of functional studies of sugar chains in both basic and applied research.

“High praise to Hodgson, Lamson, Mendenhall, and Crane and in creating a seminal work for systemic researchers, educators, supervisors, policy makers and financial experts in health care. The comprehensiveness and innovation explored by every author reflects an in depth understanding that reveals true pioneers of integrated health care. Medical Family Therapy: Advances in Application will lead the way for Medical Family Therapists in areas just now being acknowledged and explored.”- Tracy Todd, PhD, LMFT, Executive Director of the American Association for Marriage and Family TherapyIntegrated, interdisciplinary health care is growing in stature and gaining in numbers. Systems and payers are facilitating it. Patients and providers are benefitting from it. Research is supporting it, and policymakers are demanding it.The emerging field of Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) is contributing greatly to these developments and Medical Family Therapy: Advanced Applications examines its implementation in depth. Leading experts describe MedFT as it is practiced today, the continuum of services provided, the necessary competencies for practitioners, and the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of health that the specialty works to integrate. Data-rich chapters model core concepts such as the practitioner as scientist, the importance of context in health care settings, collaboration with families and communities, and the centrality of the relational perspective in treatment. And the book's wide-spectrum coverage takes in research, training, financial, and policy issues, among them: Preparing MedFTs for the multiple worlds of health careExtending platforms on how to build relationships in integrated careOffering a primer in programevaluation for MedFTsEnsuring health equity in MedFT researchIdentifying where policy and practice collide with ethics and integrated careRecognizing the cost-effectiveness of family therapy in health care With its sophisticated insights into the current state – and the future – of healthcare reform, Medical Family Therapy: Advanced Applications is essential reading for researchers and practitioners in the fields of clinical psychology, counseling, family therapy, healthcare policy, psychiatric nursing, psychiatry, public health, and social work.

The Oath of Hippocrates, administered to generations of physicians as they embark on their profession, begins:'I will look upon him who shall have taught me this art even as one of my parents. I will share my substance with him, and I will supply his necessities, if he be in need.'Despite that solemn promise, we have too often ignored or neglected the physician in trouble. Even if we could put aside the human concerns of one physician for an impaired colleague (can our profession truly permit that?), we must concede that our society can ill afford it. This book, which has been assembled and edited by Stephen C. Scheiber and Brian B. Doyle, may be a lifesaver for the doctor in trouble and will be a health­ saver for the population of our country. A land which decried the lack of physicians a quarter century ago and spent the vast resources to double the number of graduates in medicine, cannot permit a tenth of all doctors to be out of commission. That would be a large, and for the most part preventable, addition to the cost of health care in America. In this book, Scheiber and Doyle have gathered the expertise of many psychiatrists who are knowledgeable about the impaired physi­ cian.

This collection focuses on all aspects of science and technology related to friction stir welding and processing.

This volume represents the proceedings of an international symposium on sample preparation, held at the University of Surrey, and jointly organised by the Chromatographic Society and the Robens Institute. The Chromatographic Society is the only international organisation devoted to the promotion of, and the exchange of information on, all aspects of chromatography and related techniques. With the introduction of gas chromatography in 1952, the Hydrocarbon Chemistry Panel of the Hydrocarbon Research Group of the Institute of Petroleum, recognising the potential of this new technique, set up a Committee under Dr S.F. Birch to organise a symposium on'Vapor Phase Chromatography'which was held in London in June 1956. Almost 400 delegates attended this meeting and success exceeded all expectation. It was to afford discussion of immediately apparent that there was a need for an organised forum development and application of the method and, by the end of the year, the Gas Chromatog­ raphy Discussion Group had been formed under the Chairmanship of Dr A.T. James with D.H. Desty as Secretary. Membership of this Group was originally by invitation only, but in deference to popular demand, the Group was opened to all willing to pay the modest sub­ scription of one guinea and in 1957 A.J.P. Martin, Nobel Laureate, was elected inaugural Chairman of the newly-expanded Discussion Group.

Like the ten preceding volumes in the series Tumors of the Central Nervous System, this book is distinguished for its comprehensive approach, its distinguished roster of some 93 contributors representing 8 different countries and its embrace of leading-edge technology and methods. Volume 11: Imaging, Glioma and Glioblastoma, Stereotactic Radiotherapy, Spinal Cord Tumors, Meningioma, and Schwannomas concentrates on the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of four types of tumors, namely Glioblastoma, Meningioma, Schwannoma and Spinal Tumors. The book offers an in-depth survey of a range of new technologies and their applications to tumor diagnosis, treatment and therapy assessment. The contributors explain in thorough detail a range of current and newly developed imaging methods, including molecular imaging and PET scan. Also covered is molecular profiling of brain tumors to select therapy in clinical trials of brain tumors. Discussion includes a review of such surgical treatments as resection and the application of non-invasive stereotactic radiosurgery for treating high-risk patients with brain metastasis. Additional discussion is devoted to tumor seeding.

Die Speicheldrüsen sind in mannifacher Weise in den Organismus eingebunden, so daß aus der Analyse des Speichels Rückschlüsse auf krankhafte Funktionen anderer Organsysteme gezogen werden können. Wechselwirkungen zwischen Speicheldrüsen und Organismus spielen in der Ätiologie und Pathogenese der verschiedenen Formen der Sialadenitis eine bedeutsame Rolle. Hierzu gehören Immunkrankheiten, metabolische Erkrankungen, hormonale Dysfunktionen, neurologische und auch genetische Erkrankungen. Auf dem Gebiet der Speicheldrüsentumoren sind durch den Einsatz neuer Methoden (Immunhistochemie, Molekularpathologie, Prolifikationsmarker, Chromosomenanalyse) viele neue Erkenntnisse gesammelt worden.

Wenn ich das hier nunmehr in zweiter Auflage erscheinende Werk:'Radio­ aktive Isotope in Physiologie, Diagnostik und Therapie'durchblättere, dann überkommt mich ein Staunen, fast auch eine gewisse Bedrückung. Ich sehe, was aus einem noch vor 50 Jahren in den Kinderschuhen steckenden Wissenschafts­ gebiet heute geworden ist. Als ich mich 1906 auf Vorschlag von Sir WILLIAM RAMSAY in London entschloß, mich ganz dem Gebiete der Radioaktivität zu widmen, da habe ich, um die Litera­ tur gut kennenzulernen, einige Jahre lang alle in das Gebiet fallenden Arbeiten für eine Zeitschrift allein referiert. Nachdem Dr. LI SE MEITNER sich zu gemein­ samer Arbeit mit mir verbunden hatte, referierten wir zusammen mehrere Jahre lang alle neu erscheinenden Arbeiten, sie die physikalischen, ich die chemischen. Das war damals noch möglich. Ein entscheidender Fortschritt war 1910 die Aufstellung des Begriffs der Isotopie durch FREDERICK SODDY und ein paar Jahre später die Ausnützung der gleichen chemischen Eigenschaften isotoper Atomarten für physikalisch-chemische und chemische Probleme, die Indikatorenmethode von v. HEVESY und PANETH. Damals konnten L. MEITNER und ich noch die ganze Literatur überblicken und etwas darüber sagen.

Wenn ich das hier nunmehr in zweiter Auflage erscheinende Werk:'Radio­ aktive Isotope in Physiologie, Diagnostik und Therapie'durchblättere, dann überkommt mich ein Staunen, fast auch eine gewisse Bedrückung. Ich sehe, was aus einem noch vor 50 Jahren in den Kinderschuhen steckenden Wissenschafts­ gebiet heute geworden ist. Als ich mich 1906 auf Vorschlag von Sir WILLIAM RAMSAY in London entschloß, mich ganz dem Gebiete der Radioaktivität zu widmen, da habe ich, um die Litera­ tur gut kennenzulemen, einige Jahre lang alle in das Gebiet fallenden Arbeiten für eine Zeitschrift allein referiert. Nachdem Dr. LISE MEITNER sich zu gemein­ samer Arbeit mit mir verbunden hatte, referierten wir zusammen mehrere Jahre lang alle neu erscheinenden Arbeiten, sie die physikalischen, ich die chemischen. Das war damals noch möglich. Ein entscheidender Fortschritt war 1910 die Aufstellung des Begriffs der Isotopie durch FREDERICK SODDY und ein paar Jahre später die Ausnützung der gleichen chemischen Eigenschaften isotoper Atomarten für physikalisch-chemische und chemische Probleme, die Indikatorenmethode von v. HEVESY und PANETH. Damals konnten L. MEITNER und ich noch die ganze Literatur überblicken und etwas darüber sagen.

Die Nachfolgebände der'Gynäkologischen Endokrinologie'(1987) signalisieren bereits im Titel die Erweiterung des Fachgebiets, die aus den zahlreichen Neuentwicklungen der letzten Jahre resultiert. Hierzu zählen z.B. der Nachweis und die Bedeutung neuer Hormone, neue Funktionsteste, die Therapie mit weiblichen Sexualhormonen, die Untersuchung von Umwelteinwirkungen sowie diagnostische und operative Techniken der Fertilitätschirurgie. Damit ist für den deutschsprachigen Raum der aktuelle Kenntnisstand dieses Spezialgebiets umfassend und ausführlich dargestellt. Mit zahlreichen Graphiken und Tabellen sowie ausgezeichnetem Bildmaterial sind deshalb die Bände Gynäkologische Endokrinologie und Fortpflanzungsmedizin für den Gynäkologen in der Klinik wie in der Praxis ein wichtiger Begleiter.

Die Speicheldrüsen sind in mannigfacher Weise in den Organismus eingebunden, so daß aus der Analyse des Speichels Rückschlüsse auf krankhafte Funktionen anderen Organsysteme gezogen werden können. Wechselwirkungen zwischen Speicheldrüsen und Organismus spielen in der Ätiologie und Pathogenese der verschiedenen Formen der Sialadenitis eine bedeutsame Rolle. Hierzu gehören Immunkrankheiten, metabolische Erkrankungen, hormonale Dysfunktionen, neurologische und auch genetische Erkrankungen. Auf dem Gebiet der Speicheldrüsentumoren sind durch den Einsatz neuer Methoden (Immunhistochemie, Molekularpathologie, Prolifikationsmarker, Chromosomenanalyse) viele neue Erkenntnisse gesammelt worden.

This volume marks the end of twenty years of neurosecretion during which there were five symposia, namely Naples (1953), Lund (1957), Bristol (1961), Strasbourg (1966), and Kiel (1970). In comparison with these symposia an exceptionally large number of papers were read at this the sixth symposium, in London, and for economic reasons it has not been possible to publish all the papers in extenso. The editors have therefore been obliged to undertake the unenviable work of selection, a task made all the more difficult by the excel­ lence and importance of contributions of the symposium. We felt that it was of the utmost importance at this moment in the history of neurosecretion to present as complete a picture as possible of the present state of the subject in relation to the past and opportunities for the future. We have therefore given some preference to papers with a strong review element, research papers in areas of current importance and contributions which deal with recently developed techniques with promise for the future. We have more­ over attempted to strike some balance between the different areas of research on neurosecretion so that the volume as a whole may be of interest to the general reader, and that he will find in it a reasonably coherent pattern of thought which demonstrates neurosecretion as the final neuroendocrine pathway. We have attempted a certain degree of uniformity of spelling, symbols, etc.

In the course of history, humans have attempted to interrupt the physiological and psychological bond formed between a nursing mother and her child by substituting breastfeeding with artificial formulas. A growing body of evidence indicates that breast milk, quite apart from its unsurpassed nutritive value, contains a large number of substances that protect the offspring from common infectious agents and allergens and promote the maturation of the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system. In addition to well described milk antibodies and soluble mediators of innate immunity, milk cells and pluripotent secreted factors - cytokines - are currently in the forefront of extensive research with respect to their importance in milk immunology. The purpose of this conference was to critically evaluate the current state of our knowledge concerning the protective role of immune agents found in milk, to provide up-to-date information of milk factors with respect to their role in the maturation of immunological defense systems in the neonate, and to reassess the importance of breastfeeding in the prevention of allergies in formula-fed infants. We hope that the work presented by international participants will prompt many new ideas and stimulate further research in this important area. This conference was sponsored primarily by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. We would like to thank Drs. Sumner Yaffe and Delbert Dayton for their efforts with the organization, planning, and support of this conference.

Immunology has developed quite impressively over the past decade and perhaps very few fields in medicine or biology have grown so explosively. Completely new fields have been elucidated in depth. We recall only the definition of the nature and function of RLA antigens at the molecular level. the chemical and functional identification of several cytokines. and the correlation to particular immunological functions of specific epitopes present on cellular mem­ branes. The extensive application of immunological techniques and concepts to the neurological sciences has led to the development of neuroimmunology. a disci­ pline in its infancy until few years ago. In these last years. neuroimmunology has developed researches in various fields. RLA antigens were studied at the cellular level in brain samples and in CSF cells in several diseases. Cytokines. such as interleukin 1 and 2. gamma- and alpha-interferons. and tumor necrosis factor alpha. were studied at the immunohistological level and with quantitative methods in serum and CSF. With these data. new relevant insights were obtained on the molecular mechanisms underlying CNS immunological diseases. Moreover. neuroimmunological researches were carried on through the development of new and more'specific'technologies for the study of natural and experimental diseases. the most important of which seem to be. at present. the techniques of cell cultures for cell lines specific to the CNS (oligodendrocytes. astroglia. microglia. meningeal cells. brain capillary cells and tumor cells).

Many pathogens and aberrant malignant cells express unique carbohydrates on their surface representing attractive targets for vaccine design. Considerable progress has recently been made in the identification of novel carbohydrate based vaccines and a large number has reached clinical phase studies. The success of several licensed carbohydrate based vaccines against bacterial pathogens such as Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitidis or Streptococcus pneumoniae demonstrates their great potential. However, the study of anti-carbohydrate antibodies is technically challenging and partly because of low affinities and promiscuous specificity they have not been medically exploited to full potential. The study of antibody specificities and identification of protective carbohydrate epitopes lies at the heart of successful vaccine design. In addition to therapy, antibodies in general serve as diagnostic tools in medical and scientific laboratories. In this setting high affinity and exquisite specificity are important factors for their successful use. “Anticarbohydrate Antibodies – from molecular basis to clinical application” compiles current knowledge on the immunological recognition of carbohydrates by the adaptive immune system from a molecular perspective providing fundamental insight needed for advancing clinically relevant diagnostics and therapeutic applications. Based on significant progress in the fields of glycoimmunology and structural biology in recent years, the book comprehensively reviews the state-of-the-art in defining the key elements of carbohydrate recognition by antibodies, the molecular mimicry of carbohydrate epitopes as well as the molecular features leading to specific and relaxed binding modes. Backed-up by a combination of modern technologies to elucidate structural details of carbohydrate-antibody interactions, biomedically important carbohydrate antigens from viral, bacterial, parasite, insect and tumor cells have beenanalyzed in in-depth reviews written by well-known experts in the field. Fundamental knowledge of these molecular mechanisms eventually provides a rational basis to improve efficacy of carbohydrate-based vaccines and to further refine diagnostic tools in detection of pathogens and malignant cells.

The proceedings of a workshop conference are presented in this volume entitled Hypothalamic Peptide Hormones and Pituitary Regulation. The workshop was held in Wilson Hall on the campus of the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, during the days of November 1-2, 1976, and is the most recent of three symposia on neuroendocrinology that have been sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The first one was held on December 6 - 8, 1961, in the New Everglades Hotel at Miami, Florida. During the first meeting, much emphasis was given to the anatomical and physiological basis for the fledgling science of neuroendocrinology. The proceedings of that symposium were published under the title of Advances in Neuroendocrinology, A. V. Nalbandov (ed.), University of Illinois Press, Urbana, Illinois, 1963. The second workshop was held on January 8 -11, 1969, in the Arizona Inn at Tucson, Arizona, and was unique in several respects. It was evident to the participants that definitive identification and the determination of the chemical structure of at least one hypothalamic releasing factor was at hand (see Workshop Conference on Bioassay and Chemistry of the Hypophysio­ tropic Hormones of the Hypothalamus: ~Critical Evaluatioi'i':-J. Meites, ed., The Williams and Wilkins Co., Baltimore, Maryland, 1970). Much of what was presented at the second workshop was dedicated to methods of bioassay of the various releasing factors.

by Professor D. E. Games, Mass Spectrometry Research Unit, University College of Swansea Sample preparation can be viewed as occupying a Cinderella role in analytical science. However, the quality of sample preparation plays a key role in high In the past decade, there has been quality analysis and deserves higher stature. considerable interest in the use of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) as an alternative to conventional procedures for the preparation of samples for ana­ lysis. The driving force for this development is the need for automated, sim­ pler, faster, non-destructive and selective methods for extraction, preferably using non-toxic extraction media which are easily disposed of. Utilization of supercritical fluids for extraction fulfils these requirements because of their unique physical chemical properties and usually low toxicity. Selectivity can be achieved by suitable selection of pressure (density), temperature and modi­ fier conditions which enable solvating power to be varied. The high diffusivity of supercritical fluids provides rapid sample penetration and extraction. Use of fluids with low critical temperatures enables extraction to be conducted under mild thermal conditions ensuring that thermally labile compounds do not decompose. The technique can be used off-line, and the extracts analysed by appropriate techniques, or it can be used on-line, by coupling with a variety of chromatographic techniques. These can then, if necessary, be coupled fur­ ther with spectroscopic techniques, such as Fourier transform infrared, ultra­ violet or mass spectrometry, to provide specific identification or structural information.

Integrated care is receiving a lot of attention from clinicians, administrators, policy makers, and researchers. Given the current healthcare crises in the United States, where costs, quality, and access to care are of particular concern, many are looking for new and better ways of delivering behavioral health services. Integrating behavioral health into primary care medical settings has been shown to: (1) produce healthier patients; (2) produce medical savings; (3) produce higher patient satisfaction; (4) leverage the primary care physician's time so that they can be more productive; and (5) increase physician satisfaction. For these reasons this is an emerging paradigm with a lot of interest and momentum. For example, the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health has recently endorsed redesigning the mental health system so that much of this is integrated into primary care medicine.

This volume contains the lectures and seminars given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on “Sensor Systems for Biological Threads: The Algal Toxins Case”, held in Pisa, Italy in October, 2007. The Institute was sponsored and funded by the Scientific Affairs Division of NATO. It is my pleasant duty to thank this institution. This ASI offered updated information on how far the research on algal toxins has gone in the exploration of structures, biosynthesis and regulation of toxins, and the development of technology for bio-monitoring these c- pounds. Algae can form heavy growths in ponds, lakes, reservoirs and sl- moving rivers throughout the world; algae can house toxins which are - ually released into water when the cells rupture or die. Hundreds of toxins have been identified so far. Detection methods, including rapid screening, have been developed to help us learning more about them, especially to find out which toxins are a real threat for people and what conditions encourage their production and accumulation. Early detection of algal toxins is an - portant aspect for public safety and natural environment, and significant efforts are underway to develop effective and reliable tools that can be used for this purpose.