David Evered

This international symposium focuses on the contributions that biomedical research is making to the provision of proper health care for the increasing numbers of elderly people in all countries, developed and developing. Recent, encouraging developments in the areas of malignancy, dementia, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease are emphasized. Also addresses new ways of planning health care and social support systems for the elderly.

Reviews recent basic research into IgE, mast cells, and the allergic response and the relevance of this work to human pathophysiology, and discusses new methods of treatment. This symposium is unique in the IgE field for its breadth of coverage and interdisciplinary nature, and it shows the benefits from the current rapid expansion of knowledge in cell biology, immunology, and molecular genetics, as well as the potential clinical significance of this research to clinical immunologists and...

This work focuses on the autoimmune processes that have now been proven to underlie a number of serious diseases, including diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Papers explore the rapidly expanding developments in research on immune response and regulation, and their potential in the development of treatments for autoimmune diseases. The wide range of subjects covered here include: the nature of intracellular and cell surface-derived ``self'' antigens; competing...

Comprises the proceedings of a symposium held at the Ciba Foundation, March 1988. Contributors present an international, interdisciplinary approach to the biology and biological chemistry of cyanide and related compounds. Addressed are the microbial metabolism of HCN and organic nitrile compounds, cyanogenesis in higher plants, qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis of cyanogenic glycosides, and detoxification of hydrogen cyanide by animals.

Concern about the environmental consequences of the widespread use of pesticides has increased, and evidence of pesticide-resistant virus vectors have continued to emerge. This volume presents a timely survey of the mechanisms of plant resistance and examines current developments in breeding for resistance, with particular emphasis on advances in genetic engineering which allow for the incorporation of viral genetic material into plants. Discusses the mechanisms of innate resistance in strains...

Presents state-of-the-art applications in hyaluronan research, from hyaluronan's physicochemical properties to its clinical role as a connective tissue marker and its surgical implications, particularly in ear, eye and orthopaedic surgery. Covers hyaluronan's synthesis and catabolism, its role in cells, its interactions with specific binding proteins, and its role in the embryonic nervous system.

Presents new information on the mutual interaction of skeletal muscle fibers and motoneurons at all levels, from the physiological to the molecular. Covers genetic, physiological, and hormonal factors affecting skeletal muscle development, control of acetylcholine receptor gene expression, selection and organization of motoneurons, and remodelling and refinement of synaptic inputs under the influence of muscle-derived growth factors. Also discusses the plasticity of the neuromuscular system...

Presents a comprehensive review of current proteoglycan research, which is providing fresh insights into many major chronic diseases. The proteoglycans are a family of macromolecules which contain one or more glycosaminoglycan chains covalently bound to a core protein. Proteoglycans are a major component of the extracellular matrix of connective tissues and help to determine its volume, resiliency, and organization. They are an important medium through which nutrients, hormones, and other...

Contributors to this symposium focus on the interface between genes and cells, covering genetic analysis, cloning studies, and the investigation of cell lineages and cellular interactions. They note how the body axes are already determined in the eggs of invertebrates and amphibia, then consider the mechanisms as the egg cleaves, in annelids, arthropods, amphibia, and mice that underlie assignation of cells to specific lineages, which give rise to different tissues in the adult. Closing chapters...

This collection of presentations from the Ciba Foundation Symposium of 1985 deals with the central role of calcium in intracellular processes. Discusses control of intracellular calcium as well as control by intracellular calcium, covering such topics as muscle contraction, metabolic processes, hormone and transmitter secretion, membrane transport and permeability, cellular architecture and growth, and the possible contribution of calcium gradients to early embryonic development. Includes...

Brings together the latest research in the cellular and molecular biology of bones and teeth, including applications to medical and dental practice. An interdisciplinary group of contributors addresses control of bone formation, resorption and remodelling, osteoblast differentiation and osteoclast activity, factors influencing dental extracellular matrix biomineralization, non-collagen proteins in bone and their function, hormonal regulation of bone growth, and more.