This book is devoted to motility disorders of the gut and their diagnosis, a field which can be frustrating when classical histological staining techniques are used. The use of enzyme histochemical techniques, however, provides important information on functional abnormalities of colon motility, which is demonstrated here in more than two...

In memory of J. Wayne Streilein, the pioneer in ocular immunology The second edition of Immune >Response and the Eye' highlights recent insights into the >dangerous compromise' between the immune system and the eye, which protects the eye against pathogens while limiting inflammation and immune-mediated injury to ocular tissues...

Overweight and obesity have quite recently become a major problem affectingmany countries worldwide. Obviously, both environmental and genetic This publication gives a comprehensive overview on the current knowledge ofthe pathophysiological mechanisms in the regulation of hunger and satiety. An insight into the important facets of...

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most frequent chronic diseases affecting children and adolescents. The number of young children being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is increasing worldwide and an epidemic of type 2 diabetes already at a young age is being observed in most societies around the world. In this book, leading experts from the USA,...

Over the last 15 years, apoptosis has become a dominant focus of medical research in the field of immunology. This publication discusses the three major areas of apoptosis research: extrinsic death receptor pathways, intrinsic cell death pathways and the mechanisms responsible for apoptotic cell clearance. Each section delineates the proteins...

Function and disease of the pituitary gland have long been at the center of research interest. Based on a recent meeting held at Iguazu Falls, Argentina, this volume of Frontiers of Hormone Research highlights scientifically exciting and clinically relevant areas in this fast-developing filed. Renowned specialists and experts from Latin and...

The pancreas is an unobtrusive organ, and the prospects and possibilities of solving the physiological and pathological nature of its behavior are numerous. When conducting a pathological study or an investigation of the pancreas, it is important to consider its anatomical and embryological basis as well as the occurrence of age-related...

Otosclerosis is a disorder causing a hardening of the middle ear bones which leads to a progressive hearing loss. Internationally renowned experts met in Saas Fee (Switzerland) in 2004 to discuss otosclerosis and stapes surgery, and they have subsequently been invited by the editor to present their findings in this publication. From basic to...

Over the years, there has been much controversy regarding whether today’s children and adolescents are fitter than their peers of the past and whether they are fitter if they live in the more affluent than the less affluent countries. This publication starts by examining data cumulated since the late 1950s on secular trends and...

Cystic fibrosis used to be thought of as a respiratory and digestive disease, with a uniformly and rapidly fatal outcome. The spectrum of the disease has broadened into the mild atypical case, presenting in middle age, with the potential for complications in virtually every system of the body. In the past few years there has been an explosion...