Книги автора: Jamie A. Goode

Rice is the most important food crop for half the world's population. Over the last three decades, the imporvement in human nutrition and health in Asia has largely been attributable to a relatively stable and affordable rice supply. The challenge to produce enough rice for the future, however, remains daunting, as the current rate of population growth outpaces that of increases in rice production. Science has a central role to play in raising rice productivity and this book highlights areas of plant science that are particularly relevant to solving the major constraints on rice production. Examining molecular, genetic and cellular techniques, it considers recent advances in four research approaches for increasing yields and improving the nutritional quality of rice. Plant genomics: knowing the identity and location of each gene in the rice genome is of immense value in all aspects of rice science and cultivar improvement. Molecular biological approaches to increase yield: to produce more biomass by increasing photosynthetic rate and duration, and by improving grain filling. Enhancing tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses: with new DNA array technologies, it is now possible to assess global genomic response to stresses. Understanding the relationships among stress pathways may create new opportunities for gene manipulation to enhance tolerance to multiple biotic and abiotic stresses. Improving nutritional quality in the grain: knowledge of the biosynthesis of micronutrients in plants permits genetic engineering of metabolic pathways to enhance the availability of micronutrients.

Understanding stem cells at the molecular level is essential to understanding their behaviour in a physiological context. This volume in our acclaimed Novartis Foundation series features animated discussion from the world’s experts in this topic on the important ethical issues that are raised by research on stem cells. They review the various regulatory regimes, which apply in different countries – a key factor in determining where future stem cell research is carried out. Potential clinical applications covered in the book include the production of cardiomyocytes to replace damaged heart tissue, the production of insulin-producing cells for patients with diabetes, and the generation of neurons for the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease or spinal cord injury. Particular attention is paid to the factors that maintain stem cells in a pluripotent state or which drive them to create differentiated and lineage-committed cells in vitro and in vivo. Nuclear reprogramming, the process by which a nucleus acquires developmental potential, is covered here as well. It is relevant to stem cell research generally, and also to research on the cloning of animals by nuclear transfer. This book is an essential purchase for all those engaged in stem cell research, whether in the laboratory, the clinic or the regulatory authorities. From the reviews: «…this book provides: a comprehensive overview of current issues in stem cell research, with contributions from leading figures…» —BRITISH SOCIETY OF CELL BIOLOGY

This exciting book brings together an international and interdisciplinary group of experts to discuss the importance of pulsatile signalling in the induction of biological responses. Coverage includes the basic mechanisms involved in hormone pulsatility, the significance of pulsatility in normal and disease conditions, the relevance of circadian rhythms, changes with ageing, and detailed consideration of specific peptide hormone systems. This book includes contributions from professionals working in both basic and clinical research and reveals much new and exciting work in this area and promises new research directions.

Over the last several years, immunologists have re-discovered the importance of regulatory lymphocytes, formerly termed 'suppressor cells'. Many recent reports have documented their existence, effector functions and potential therapeutic benefits in autoimmunity and transplantation. However, even though modern techniques have allowed us to get a much more detailed picture of these cells, they are still highly controversial. Several unresolved issues responsible for this dilemma are discussed in this book: it is difficult to grow and clone such cells, their phenotypes and effector functions are diverse and can sometimes easily be lost, and it is not well understood how they interact with antigen-presenting cells. This book contains contributions from leading investigators from around the world, including lively discussion of the current state of the art in studies of regulatory lymphocytes. Topics featured are the physiological control of autoimmunity, the role of antigen-specific cells in various diseases and disease models and effector mechanisms. Therapeutic applications are considered, particularly for type 1 diabetes, tissue transplantation and the control of viral infection. This important and groundbreaking book should be of interest to all immunologists. Related Novartis Foundation symposia: 254 Immunoinformatics: bioinformatic strategies for better understanding of immune function Chair: Hans-Georg Rammensee 256 Cancer and inflammation Chair: Siamon Gordon

Sensory Guidance of Movement Chairman: Mitchell Glickstein, 1998 In the past few years there has been an increasing recognition of the multiplicity of sensory and motor areas of the cerebral cortex. However, still relatively little is known about the way in which sensory areas are functionally linked to motor areas. On the basis of current anatomical evidence, there are three major pathways involved in this linking. One of these routes is by way of cortico-cortical links, beginning in the primary sensory areas of the cortex, and connecting via a series of synaptic relays to motor or premotor areas. There are also two massive subcortical routes. One of these involves the basal ganglia, the other the cerebellum. This book focuses on current research on the structure and functions of these three pathways and their role in the sensory guidance of movement. Motor psychophysicists have made progress in characterizing the nature of movements such as reaching and grasping, and how such movements are modified by incoming sensory information. Anatomical studies have revealed important new information about the ways in which sensory information is relayed to the basal ganglia and cerebellum. There is now a volume of scanning evidence about the activity of brain areas in humans and recordings from individual neurons in animals during sensory guided movement. This book summarizes much of this recent knowledge and provides a forum for suggesting new avenues for further study. The topics covered also have important implications for understanding the role of these pathways in human disease.

Empathy is the process that allows us to share the feelings and emotions of others, in the absence of any direct emotional stimulation to the self. Humans can feel empathy for other people in a wide array of contexts: for basic emotions and sensation such as anger, fear, sadness, joy, pain and lust as well as for more complex emotions such as guilt, embarrassment and love. It has been proposed that, for most people, empathy is the process that prevents us doing harm to others. Although empathy seems to be an automatic response of the brain to others’ emotional reactions, there are circumstances under which we do not share the same feeling as others. Imagine, for example, that someone who does the same job as you is paid twice as much. In this case, that person might be very satisfied with their extra salary, but you would not share this satisfaction. This case illustrates the ubiquitous feeling of fairness and justice. Our sense of fairness has also become the focus of modern economic theories. In contrast to the prominent self-interest hypothesis of classic economy assuming that all people are exclusively motivated by their self-interest, humans are also strongly motivated by other-regarding preferences such as the concern for fairness and reciprocity. The notion of fairness is not only crucial in personal interaction with others in the context of families, workplace or interactions with strangers, but also guides people’s behaviour in impersonal economic and political domains. This book brings together work from a wide range of disciplines to explain processes underlying empathy and fairness. The expert contributors approach the topic of empathy and fairness from different viewpoints, namely those of social cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, evolutionary anthropology, economics and neuropathology. The result is an interdisciplinary and unitary framework focused on the neuronal, developmental, evolutionary and psychological basis of empathy and fairness. With its extensive discussions and the high calibre of the participants, this important new book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in this topic.

Over recent decades vast amounts of biological data have been accumulated. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to apply traditional theoretical methods to the formulation of coherent pictures of cell and organ function because it is no longer possible for a human theorist to integrate all of the available information. Instead, computer technologies must now be used to perform this integration. This book brings together contributions from many different fields to summarize the current status of computer-assisted modelling of biological processes. The initial chapters deal with fundamental developments in hardware, software and mathematics that underlie current approaches to biological modelling. Next, different approaches to collating data on gene structure and function are presented. These databases form a vital resource for any investigator trying to construct an integrated picture of particular biological systems. Cell signalling systems form a particularly complicated aspect of all cellular function and are important both in the understanding of basic cellular processes and in selecting targets for drugs. Recent approaches to integrating data on cell signalling into computer models are covered. Further chapters build on these approaches to show how computerized models of intact cells can be developed. Finally, approaches to the computer modelling of whole organs such as the heart are presented. The role of computer modelling in drug design is the subject of the final chapter and is also touched on throughout the discussions.

This book brings together contributions from key investigators in the area of Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channel structure and function. It covers the structure, function and regulation of mammalian TRP channels and mechanisms of signal transduction. The discussions indicate research that would improve understanding of the role of TRP channels in normal cellular physiology, the involvement of TRP channels in disease states and their potential use as molecular targets for novel therapeutic agents.

Much recent research in evolutionary developmental biology has focused on the origin of new body plans. However, most evolutionary change at the population and species level consists of tinkering: small-scale alterations in developmental pathways within a single body plan. Such microevolutionary events have been well studied on a population genetic level and from the perspective of adaptive phenotypic evolution, but their developmental mechanisms remain poorly studied. This book explores both theoretical and practical issues of tinkering. It features a wide range of perspectives to address several fundamental questions. How does tinkering occur developmentally, and how is it manifested phenotypically? Are the developmental mechanisms by which tinkering occur different from those that underlie larger evolutionary changes? What are the developmental constraints on tinkering? And how do we test hypotheses about microevolutionary shifts in development from the fossil record? With contributions from experts in a range of fields, this fascinating book makes exciting reading for anyone studying evolution, developmental biology or genetics.

This book explores the possibility that life exists on Mars. It provides an interdisciplinary overview of the early evolution of life in hydrothermal ecosystems on Earth, focusing on the problem of remote sensing and incorporating geological work relevant to the search for evidence of early life on Earth and Mars. It discusses the belief that studying thermal spring deposits as part of this search may be the best opportunity to test whether life on earth is a «unique experiment,» or whether there is life elsewhere in the solar system.

Both timely and topical, this book examines the most important aspects of the relationship between alcohol consumption and health. Drawing together much new and exciting work in this area, it reviews this emotive subject from a dispassionate perspective. It will provide a firm base for further research into the effects of alcohol on the cardiovascular system, and into public health attitudes to what is both a universal pleasure and problem.

The book presents recent advances relating to the factors and mechanisms that regulate the growth, differentiation and function of mast cells and basophils; discussion of new technologies used to study these cells, and integration of the basic scientific findings in the context of therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of diseases such as allergic inflammation and autoimmune disease which are mediated, in part, by these granulocytes.

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. This is the first book to investigate the role of growth factors in these disorders, which should provide clues to the underlying biochemical mechanisms. For example, recent studies have substantiated the provocative finding that neuregulin 1 (NRG1)is a candidate gene for schizophrenia. Neuregulin and its receptors, the ErbB tyrosine kinases, are essential for development of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Lack of NRG1 function may be involved in dysregulation of synaptogenesis and synaptic plasticity in the adult mediated through glutamate receptor function. Polymorphisms for BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. BDNF is a prevalent neurotrophic factor that plays an important role in the pathophysiology of depression, bipolar disease and other psychiatric disorders. Other topics addressed in this book include neuroplasticity and neurotrophic factors, signal transduction by neurotrophins, intracellular trafficking of growth factors, trophic factors and cognitive functions, neurotrophins and depression, and pharmacological treatments of schizophrenia.

Many different pathological conditions are currently under investigation as therapeutic targets of purines including cancer, cardiovascular conditions, behavioural disorders, inflammation, immunoregulation, and neuroendocrine function. This book draws together research on all aspects of P2 purinoceptors and discusses their use in different therapeutic areas.

This book brings together contributions from key investigators in the area of pathological pain. It covers the molecular basis of receptors and channels involved in nociception, the possible messages that cause neuropathic plasticity, spinal plasticity in neuropathy, plastic changes in opioid systems in neuropathy and opioid tolerance, and plastic changes related to pathological pain.

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. It is now known that this is a key mechanism enabling cells to survive a multitude of physical, chemical and biological stresses. Since the promulgation of the ‘molecular chaperone’ concept as a general cellular function to control the process of correct protein folding, a large number of molecular chaperones and protein folding catalysts have been identified, and it has been recognized that not all molecular chaperones are stress proteins and vice versa. The discovery of molecular chaperones as folding proteins went hand-in-hand with their recognition as potent immunogens in microbial infection. It was subsequently shown that administration of molecular chaperones such as Hsp60, Hsp70 or Hsp90 could inhibit experimental autoimmune diseases and cancer. More recently evidence has accumulated to show that certain molecular chaperones are also present on the surface of cells or in extracellular fluids. A new paradigm is emerging: at least some molecular chaperones are secreted proteins with pro- or anti-inflammatory actions, regulating the immune response in human diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. In addition to having direct effects on cells, molecular chaperones can bind peptides and present them to T cells to modulate immune responses. This may be significant in the treatment of cancer. This is the first book bringing leading researchers in this field together to review and discuss: our current knowledge of cell stress response and molecular chaperones the changing paradigms of protein trafficking and function cell stress proteins as immunomodulators and pro- and anti-inflammatory signalling molecules the role of these proteins in various chronic diseases and their potential as preventative or therapeutic agents. The Biology of Extracellular Molecular Chaperones is of particular interest to immunologists, cell and molecular biologists, microbiologists and virologists, as well as clinical researchers working in cardiology, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

Osteoarthritis is a chronic degenerative disease associated with joint pain and loss of joint function. It has an estimated incidence of 4 out of every 100 people and significantly reduces the quality of life in affected individuals. The major symptoms are chronic pain, swelling and stiffness; severe, chronic joint pain is often the central factor that causes patients to seek medical attention. Within the affected joint, there is focal degradation and remodelling of articular cartilage, new bone formation (osteophytes) and mild synovitis. Several mechanisms are thought to contribute to osteoarthritic joint pain. These include mild synovial inflammation, bone oedema, ligament stretching, osteophyte formation and cartilage-derived mediators. Changes in joint biomechanics and muscle strength also influence the severity and duration of joint pain in osteoarthritis. Within the nervous system, the relative contributions of peripheral afferent nociceptive fibres and central mechanisms remain to be defined, and there is limited information on the phenotype of sensory neurons in the OA joint. Importantly, there is no relation between clinical severity, as measured by radiographic changes, and the presence and severity of joint pain. Patients with severe joint pain may have normal joint architecture as determined by X-ray, whereas patients with considerable evidence of joint remodelling may not have significant joint pain. Treatments for osteoarthritic joint pain include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds, exercise, corrective shoes and surgical intervention. There remains a critical need for improved control of joint pain in osteoarthritis. This book brings together contributions from key investigators in the area of osteoarthritic joint pain. It covers the clinical presentation of joint pain, the pathways involved in joint pain, osteoarthritis disease processes and pain, experimental models and pain control. The discussions provide insights into the nature of osteoarthritic joint pain, identify key studies needed to advance understanding of the problem, highlight possible intervention points and indicate future pathways towards a better treatment of osteoarthritic joint pain.

Degeneration of sensory receptors or of the nerves innervating them leads to a sensory deficit. Various strategies have been tried for promoting regrowth of sensory receptors, particularly in the eye and ear. The latest data from experimental studies in animals are presented in the book including applications of BDNF and CNTF in the eye and epidermal growth factor in the ear.

The potential lipotoxic effect of accumulation of fatty acids in non-adipose tissues is thought to be a major component in the development of insulin resistance. Chronic exposure to high concentrations of free fatty acids in the blood affects pancreatic β cell function, insulin secretion and lipid synthesis in the liver, and storage in adipose tissue. Maintaining the normal levels of fatty acids requires coordinated regulation between the liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. This book deals with the molecular aspects of fatty acid action in obesity and insulin resistance. The topics include lipid metabolism and adipose tissue biology, and β cell function and insulin resistance. Chapters deal with the molecular genetics and molecular physiology of energy homeostasis.

This book explores existing and potential strategies for using the genome sequences of human, mouse, other vertebrates and human pathogens to solve key problems in the treatment of immunological diseases and chronic infections. The assembled genome sequences now provide important opportunities for solving these problems, but a major bottleneck is the identification of key sequences and circuits controlling the relevant immune reactions. This will require innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative strategies of a scale and complexity we are only now beginning to comprehend. Specific problems addressed include the following: What kinds of information are we lacking to understand how the genome sequence specifies the differentiation and response of immune system cells, and system behaviour such as immunological memory and tolerance? Which genome sequences and cellular circuits cause or prevent pathological immune responses to foreign pathogens, allergens or self-tissues? Which host and pathogen genome sequences and cellular circuits explain the failure of sterilizing immune responses to sophisticated human pathogens such as the agents of tuberculosis, malaria, metazoan parasites and chronic viruses? Containing contributions from a range of leading experts in the field, this book provides an important new perspective for clinical immunologists and basic researchers alike.