Аннотация

Nicotine is considered to be the main agent in the maintenance of the tobacco smoking habit and is largely responsible for the behavioral and physiological responses to the inhalation of tobacco smoke. This work presents advances made in the elucidation of the action of nicotine in the body–essential information for developing treatments to help people give up smoking. The book reviews the progress made in identifying nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain, using the techniques of molecular biology to characterize receptors and investigate the functional differences between receptors composed of different types of subunits. Sex-specific differences in the response to nicotine, the effects of nicotine on locomotor activity, and its still-debated influence on cognitive performance are considered. The book also examines the habit-forming role of nicotine, the development of tolerance to nicotine, and the less clearly understood phenomenon of withdrawal. Also discusses some potential therapeutic strategies.

Аннотация

Discusses the various theories of consciousness from different perspectives: psychological, neurophysiological and philosophical. Theories regarding the interaction of pain, schizophrenia, the brain and the nervous system with consciousness are included. Also includes a discussion of the relative merits of the different theories together with the latest data from the experimental disciplines.

Аннотация

The number of factors implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation is already considerable and more are continually being identified. This book concentrates on tumor necrosis factor (cachectin) and lymphotoxin, but includes observations of their interactions with other cytokines, especially the interferons and interleukins. TNF can be either cytostatic or cytotoxic to cultured cell lines, and a variety of mechanisms are proposed, ranging from DNA fragmentation to activation of phospholiopases. TNF is also reported to stimulate the growth of normal fibroblasts in vivo. The in vivo actions of TNF described here include haemorrhagic necrosis of tumors, cachexia, effects on the vasculature, and antiparasitic and antiviral activities. Also presented is some interesting data from the first stages of clinical trials of TNF as an anticancer agent.

Аннотация

Working on Corticotropin-Releasing Factor in a variety of systems, experts present a coherent depiction of this peptide's role in the control and coordination of the response to stress-inducing situations.

Аннотация

The term «unconventional virus» refers to virus-like agents that differ from conventional viruses in significant respects–resistance to agents that inactivate normal viruses, for example. Certain rare and fatal neurological disorders, such as the Creutzfeldt-Jacob syndrome and the Gerstmann-Straussler syndrome, are clearly produced by virus-like infectious agents, but the nature of these agents is not understood. This volume brings together the latest information on one such disease: Scrapie, a disease occurring in sheep. It discusses the nature of this infectious agent and insights gained through new techniques in molecular genetics. The work as a whole focuses on the implications of animal data for research on human disorders, such as the possible connection between unconventional viruses and Alzheimer's Disease. The discussions represent the work of specialists from a broad spectrum of fields including virology, neuropathology, and molecular biology.

Аннотация

An interdisciplinary and multinational group of specialists present contributions describing the current status of vaccines against virally induced tumors and discuss the means by which they can be improved.