Kidney transplantation is worldwide considered the best replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease. However, although impressive improvements in surgical techniques and in the management of immunosuppression, long-term results have not significantly changed over the last decades. The purpose of this book is not to be a comprehensive review on kidney transplantation, but it would overview the recent acquisitions in the field of kidney transplantation, by offering to clinicians the future directions and the possible fields of research to improve the long term outcome. The book is divided into 27 chapters. The first part of the book is devoted to the basic principles of immunity and organ transplantation and the clinical evaluation of potential recipient. Moreover, in this section are discussed the most recent strategies to increase the donor pool trying to offer a kidney transplantation to a growing number of patients. The second part of the book is devoted to the immunosuppression. In these two chapters, the authors present an overview on the immunosuppressive management of kidney transplant recipients, with particular emphasis on the minimization of immunosuppression. The third part of the book is devoted to the complications of immunosuppression and to the psychological aspects of transplantation. This section is particularly detailed, and offers a complete point of view on the consequences and benefits of kidney transplantation. Last section is devoted to the future. The clinical tolerance and xenotransplantation are not still the present, but the authors illustrate the fields of application of these fundamental aspects of organ transplantation. The authors and editors have tried to select an appropriate mix of citations, but it has not been possible to cite all the relevant articles. Apologies are due to those authors whose works we have failed to cite. Our goal was to provide the most recent acquisitions in a practical manner. We hope that we have succeeded. Special thanks to all the authors for their excellent and enthusiastic collaboration and special thanks to our patients to whom are dedicated all our efforts.

Recent Advances in Alzheimer Disease Research is a book series focusing on contemporary research on Alzheimer’s disease epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and therapy. The series features reviews by experts in neuroscience and aims to provide current information in the field to both researchers and clinicians. Down syndrome is a chromosomal disorder affecting more than 5.8 million individuals worldwide. Down syndrome can be viewed as a complex multi-system disorder as it manifests into significant physical, psychological, and cognitive abnormalities in affected persons. With aging, most adults with Down syndrome develop the clinical and neuropathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, no extant treatments have proven beneficial for cognitive dysfunction for either Down syndrome or Alzheimer’s disease. An incomplete understanding of the common pathogenic mechanisms that link these two disorders has limited researchers’ progress to this end. Common Pathogenic Mechanisms between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease: Steps toward Therapy is a novel attempt to fill this void, by summarizing the work of world-renowned scientists in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and Down syndrome, and thus providing an unprecedented opportunity to attract attention to Down syndrome as a tool for understanding the common molecular mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer’s disease and to develop new therapies for similar neurodegenerative disorders of the brain. The book covers the fundamental pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms behind the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in Down syndrome affected individuals as well other key topics such as diagnosis and management, in vivo brain imaging studies, and progressive neurodegeneration of the monoaminergic system. The book concludes with a review of recent clinical trials of drugs designed to mitigate cognitive dysfunction in aging adults with Down syndrome and establishes a scientific warrant for the increased testing of candidate pharmacotherapies. Common Pathogenic Mechanisms between Down syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease: Steps toward Therapy is a useful reference clinicians involved in treating Down syndrome patients as well as for neuroscience researchers seeking to understand the influence of a specific case of aneuploidy on Alzheimer’s disease incidence and its progression at the molecular level.

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the product of the slow and progressive degenerative alteration that develops in the adult brain and can remain asymptomatic for a considerable time before cognitive deficits becomes evident. The main challenge for researchers is to identify markers of this degenerative process, and, in this sense, data has been generated through experiments bringing to light new mechanisms and hypothesis to explain its pathophysiology. This book is a review of recent studies in AD molecular biology. Chapters explain various facets of AD, which include animal models, morphological changes, membrane composition, amyloidogenic peptides, intracellular transport systems, and the role of oxidative stress and calcium deregulation. Readers will understand the molecular mechanisms behind AD and therefore broaden their perspective on this neurodegenerative disease and its progression.

Alzheimer's disease is the most frequent cause of dementia that slowly and progressively causes cognitive impairment and profoundly alters the daily activities of the patients. Approximately, ten percent of all persons over the age of seventy experience significant memory loss, and in more than half of the cases, the cause is Alzheimer's disease. </p> <p> This reference book is an update on the most relevant pathological and clinical findings of this neurological disorder. Chapters cover the basic hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease, pathological features of the disease in the brain, Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and therapy. Information provided in the book is focused on research in developed countries. </p> <p> The book offers students of medicine and nursing as well as medical practitioners and specialists (internists, neurologists, gerontologists, and psychiatrists), the necessary information to understand the pathological and clinical aspects of the disease in depth, with the goal of improving medical outcomes in the care of their patients.

Over the past several decades the incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased dramatically. The etiology of ASD remains an unsolved puzzle to scientists, physicians, pediatricians, psychiatrists, and pharmacologists. Our E-book will address what is presently known concerning the pathophysiology of ASD from a cellular and molecular perspective. Our explanation is based on the interaction between repetitive systemic immune stimulation with concomitant chronic brain activation of microglia, which leads to overstimulation of glutamate receptors and inflammatory cytokine receptors. Our E-book will explain, for the first time, the effects of immunoexcitotoxicity on the brain development, neurophysiology, and pathology. Our book will not only attempt to explain the finding in ASD, but will offer treatment proposals that address each of these mechanisms. It will also explain how previous, often successful treatment methods, may indeed operate through the immunoexcitotoxic mechanism.

This is the story of how Wilson’s disease, a previously rare and fatal inherited disease, was conquered by a series of individual discoveries, leading to highly effective treatments. It also describes the difficulties which had to be overcome to achieve this in the face of government and institutional bureaucracy. It should be of interest to those involved in medical research, to doctors interested in rare diseases and to the lay public who want to know how medical advances are made. Technical details are kept to a minimum so that an understanding of medical and technical terms is not needed. The Ebook should prove to be a very useful resource for researchers studying Wilson’s disease and its history in medicine.

Contemporary Sleep Medicine should be of interest to a large number of readers interested in sleep medicine. It is divided into two parts – one for patients or simple readers and another for physicians or advanced readers. The Ebook explores new research grounds for sleep disorders. These include novel methodologies for epidemiological research and strategies for curing individuals who suffer from sleep disorders. The volumes seek to update interested readers on the latest advances in the uncharted territory of sleep medicine.

Contemporary Sleep Medicine should be of interest to a large number of readers interested in sleep medicine. It is divided into two parts – one for patients or simple readers and another for physicians or advanced readers. The Ebook explores new research grounds for sleep disorders. These include novel methodologies for epidemiological research and strategies for curing individuals who suffer from sleep disorders. The volumes seek to update interested readers on the latest advances in the uncharted territory of sleep medicine.

Schizoaffective disorder is a psychotic disease with schizophrenic and affective i.e. depressive and/or manic symptoms. The disease can result in different patient outcomes depending upon the treatment applied. Patients suffering from the disease have in increased vulnerability towards stress and need an appropriate prophylactic medication so that they can perform social and maybe professional activities. Classical Neurotransmitters and Neuropeptides involved in Schizoaffective Disorder is a brief monograph that gives readers an overview of frequent psychotic diseases affecting patients. The contents of the monograph include details about biochemical alterations of classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in specific regions of the human brain, the susceptible genes and cellular mechanisms behind schizoaffective disorder, the neural networks of schizoaffective disorder and prophylactic pharmacotherapies administered to patients. Three case reports which demonstrate the alterations of classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the brain are also presented. This monograph is a useful guide for medical residents and clinicians in training who wish to understand the basics about treating patients suffering from schizoaffective disorder.

Since the Tokyo Sarin Subway Attack, the threat of chemical warfare agents has migrated from the battlefield to become a major concern for homeland security in the 21th century. While current fielded antidotes are able to mitigate acute high mortality arising from exposure to nerve agents, achieving effective neuroprotection in subjects with nerve agent induced prolonged seizures or status epilepticus is currently lacking. To overcome this challenge, establishing an improved understanding on the mechanism linking seizure onset during chemical (including nerve agents) poisoning to the subsequent cascade of biochemical, neurotoxicological, pathophysiological, genomic and behavioral changes post exposure is vital. Due to ethical, safety and chemical surety related issues, looking for surrogate chemicals has also become important for chemical defense research. In this book, internationally well-known clinicians and basic research scientists with expertise on chemical-induced seizures will update readers on the relevant areas. Doctors (civil and military), paramedics and medical students will find this book informative and timely for the current battle against asymmetric terrorist conflicts.