Books published by Humana Press Inc.

As the presence of genetically modified animal models in research laboratories has multiplied, the role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of brain disorders has become particularly important.

The kingdom Fungi constitutes an independent group equal in rank to that of plants and animals. Fungi are highly amenable to molecular work, and a few fungal species serve as model systems to study basic processes with results that are applicable to many organisms, including humans.

Interest in the field of microbial toxins is ever growing and spreading across a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines. In an effort to supplement the available reference texts on toxins, Microbial Toxins: Methods and Protocols includes protocols on mold fungus toxins, with some focus on aflatoxins.

From the early days when RNA interference was a strange artifact in worms to the 2006 Noble Prize received by Fire and Mello and the current clinical trials, the field of RNA interference has grown at a breakneck pace.

Membrane proteins play a key role in numerous pathologies such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy, hyperinsulinism, and Alzheimer's disease, yet studies on these and other disorders are hampered by a lack of information about the proteins involved.

While there is a wide selection of 'by experts, for experts' books in statistics and molecular biology, there is a distinct need for a book that presents the basic principles of proper statistical analyses and progresses to more advanced statistical methods in response to rapidly developing technologies and methodologies in the field of molecular biology.  Statistical Methods in Molecular Biology  strives to fill that gap by covering basic and intermediate statistics that are useful for classical molecular biology settings and advanced statistical techniques that can be used to help solve problems commonly encountered in modern molecular biology studies, such as supervised and unsupervised learning, hidden Markov models, methods for manipulation and analysis of high-throughput microarray and proteomic data, and methods for the synthesis of the available evidences. This detailed volume offers molecular biologists a book in a progressive style where basic statistical methods are introduced and gradually elevated to an intermediate level, while providing statisticians knowledge of various biological data generated from the field of molecular biology, the types of questions of interest to molecular biologists, and the state-of-the-art statistical approaches to analyzing the data.  As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) series, this work provides the kind of meticulous descriptions and implementation advice for diverse topics that are crucial for getting optimal results.   Comprehensive but convenient, Statistical Methods in Molecular Biology will aid students, scientists, and researchers along the pathway from beginning strategies to a deeper understanding of these vital systems of data analysis and interpretation within one concise volume.  "Here is a comprehensive book that systematically covers both basic and advanced statistical topics in molecularbiology, including parametric and nonparametric, and frequentist and Bayesian methods.  I am highly impressed by the breadth and depth of the applications. I strongly recommend this book for both statisticians and biologists who need to communicate with each other in this exciting field of research."- Robert C. Elston, PhD., Director, Division of Genetic and Molecular Epidemiology, Case Western Reserve University "An extraordinary exposition of the central topics of modern molecular biology, presented by practicing experts who weave together rigorous theory with practical techniques and illustrative examples."- George C. Newman, MD, PhD, Chairman, Neurosensory Sciences, Albert Einstein Medical Center "I cannot think of anything we need now in translation research field more than more efficient cross talk between molecular biology and statistics. This book is just on target. It fills the gap."- Iman Osman, MB, BCh, MD, Director, Interdisciplinary Melanoma Cooperative Program, New York University Langone Medical Center

While commercial instruments have expanded the usage and the related literature has increased, the quality of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) research has been hindered by a lack of knowledge of the processes that influence the SPR signal.  In Surface Plasmon Resonance: Methods and Protocols , experts in the field present a wide variety of applications involving commercially available SPR instruments. The heart of the SPR technique is to construct a dedicated surface for an assay. Protocols describe such surfaces for many needs, including the study of membrane bound proteins. Beyond the protocols-based chapters, the volume also highlights the backgrounds of vital issues in the use of SPR, including processes occurring within the hydrogel environment of sensors and on lipid membrane surfaces as well as the analysis of kinetic information.  Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Surface Plasmon Resonance: Methods and Protocols fills a need for well-described, hands-on SPR experimental protocols and promises to inspire the adaptation of these techniques to fit the needs of labs around the world.

Therefore, the use of pluripotent stem cells has become the focus of a cell source for myocardial repair and regeneration. Once a stem cell source has been selected, the stem cell needs to be tested in an app- priate animal model before being translated into clinical practice.

After the generation of genome sequence data from a wide variety of plants, databases are filled with sequence information of genes with no known biological function, and while bioinformatics tools can help analyze genome sequences and predict gene structures, experimental approaches to discover gene functions need to be widely implemented.

Metagenomics has proven to be a powerful tool for exploring the ecology, metabolic profiling, and comparison of complex microbial communities as well as its important applications in the mining of metagenomes for genes encoding novel biocatalysts and drug molecules for bioindustries.

With an ever-increasing elderly population and the resultant rising levels of dementia-related disorders, preclinical research based on animal models is pivotal to our knowledge of underlying molecular mechanisms and drug discovery aiming at the development of therapeutic strategies alleviating or preventing the neurological devastation.

Endoscopic Therapy is emerging as the preferred therapy for early neoplasia in Barrett's Esophagus. Written by experts in the field of endoscopic therapy, this text educates GI practitioners and researchers about this under-utilized approach to the treatment of Barrett's Esophagus.

In Characterization of Nanoparticles Intended for Drug Delivery, expert researchers explore the latest advances in the field, providing a set of basic methods for the characterization of nanomaterials for medical use.

Written for the practicing surgical pathologist in mind, Surgical Pathology of Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumors provides an up-to-date text on surgical pathology of endocrine and neuroendocrine tumors.

In Functional Selectivity of G Protein-Coupled Receptors expert neuroscientists and pharmacologists review the work that demonstrated the existence of functional selectivity, placed it within a theoretical framework, and provided a mechanistic basis for the phenomenon.

This updated and expanded book was written with the underlying conviction that global health and nutrition problems can only be solved through a firm understanding of the different levels of causality and the interactions between the various determinants.