12 Ergebnisse.

Sepsis, the complex, systemic, clinical syndrome resulting from the innate host inflammatory response to infection, is an increasingly common condition, particularly in an ageing population with multiple comorbidities. The mortality rate remains high - about 30% in the USA and Europe and much higher in the developing world. Indeed, the annual number of deaths from sepsis rivals those due to myocardial infarction and exceeds the mortality rate ...

Nature employs a wide variety of sex determining mechanisms and it is only comparatively recently that the tools have become available for these to be explored at the cellular and molecular levels. A major landmark was the discovery in 1990 of the "SRY gene and the subsequent demonstration of its key role in triggering male sex determination in transgenic mice. This book reviews and discusses our current understanding of the molecular genetic ...

A number of chronic respiratory diseases including chronic bronchitis, asthma, cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis are characterized by mucus hypersecretion. Following damage to the airway epithelium, a repair process of dedifferentiation, regenerative proliferation and redifferentiation takes place that is invariably accompanied by mucus hypersecretion as a key element in the host defence mechanism. In chronic respiratory diseases, however, ex...

The heart beats an estimated three billion times during the lifespan of the average person. Each of these cycles of contraction depends on specialized cardiac tissues involved in the rhythmic generation and coordinated spread of electrical excitation. Collectively, these tissues are known as the pacemaking and conduction system--the PCS. Since the PCS is vital for generating and synchronizing the heartbeat, its dysfunction can be a direct cau...

Ein modernes Thema - vor allem angesichts der Entwicklung eines Rotavirus-Impfstoffs und der Identifizierung zahlreicher neuer Gastroenteritis-Viren. Beschrieben werden Struktur und Molekularbiologie der SSRVs wie Caliciviren und Astroviren sowie Aspekte der Pathologie der Infektion. Der interdisziplinäre Ansatz faßt Ergebnisse aus der Grundlagen- und der klinischen Forschung zusammen.

Insect-Plant Interactions and Induced Plant Defence Chair: John A. Pickett 1999 This book examines the sophisticated mechanisms that plants use to defend themselves against attack by insects and pathogens, focusing on the networks of plant signalling pathways that underlie these defences. In response to herbivory, plants release a complex blend of as many as 100 volatile chemicals, known as semiochemicals ('sign chemicals'). These act as an ai...

Social and medical developments during the past century have led to a dramatic increase in life expectancy and hence populations in countries of the developed world in which up to half of adults are in the age range of 60-100. This has encouraged the study of organismic changes associated with healthy ageing, of which an early example is the erosion of homeostatic capabilities in multiple endocrine systems. This book reviews and discusses the ...

ATP, the intracellular energy source, is also an extremely important cell-cell signalling molecule for a wide variety of cells across evolutionarily diverse organisms. The extracellular biochemistry of ATP and its derivatives is complex, and the multiple membrane receptors that it activates are linked to many intracellular signalling systems. Purinergic signalling affects a diverse range of cellular phenomena, including ion channel function, ...

The field of mitochondrial research has experienced a renaissance in recent years encompassing a complete re-evaluation of mitochondrial biochemistry and biology. It is now clear that mitochondria are not only involved in the business of ATP synthesis, but are also intimately involved in cell signalling and, particularly, in cell death. Containing contributions from many of the leading laboratories in mitochondrial biology worldwide, this boo...

The heat shock, or cell stress, response was first identified in the polytene chromosomes of Drosophila. This was later related to the appearance of novel proteins within stressed cells, and the key signal stimulating this appearance was identified as the presence of unfolded proteins within the cell.

The recent identification of susceptibility genes for schizophrenia, depression and learning and memory dysfunction suggest that psychiatric disorders may be influenced by a small number of genes with multiple actions.

Smooth muscle contraction is a vital component of the functioning of blood vessels, the uterus, airways and the bladder. Its malfunction can lead to serious pathological conditions, such as hypertension and pre-term labour. The calcium ion plays a central role in its function, increasing in concentration for contraction and decreasing for relaxation. The source of calcium is through entry across the surface membrane and release from the sarcop...