Books published by Springer Basel

Ibuprofen is one of the most successful drugs used worldwide for the treatment of mild to moderate pain and various inflammatory conditions. Over the past 40 years, ibuprofen has been proven to be as safe or even safer and also as effective as the established non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and the coxibs. This well-written book reviews the pharmacology, clinical uses and the various adverse effects of Ibuprofen, the disposition and unique modes of action in relation to clinical effects of the drug as well as various formulations. The use of combinations with other drugs (e.g. paracetamol, codeine, caffeine) are critically assessed and the impact of natural products and Chinese Medicines on the safety of ibuprofen.

Further chapters discuss the role of antimicrobial peptides in disease, by providing an overview of mechanisms in bacterial resistance to antimicrobial peptides and a discussion of their role in inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidases (y-GTs) are members of the N-terminal nucleophile hydrolase superfamily, enzymes that cleave the y-glutamyl amide bond of glutathione to liberate cysteinylglycine. The released y-glutamyl group can be transferred to water (hydrolysis) or to amino acids or short peptides (transpeptidation). y-GT plays a key role in the gamma glutamyl cycle by regulating the cellular levels of the antioxidant glutathione, hence it is a critical enzyme in maintaining cellular redox homeostasis.y-GT is upregulated during inflammation and in several human tumors, and it is involved in many physiological disorders related to oxidative stress, such as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. Furthermore, this enzyme is used as a marker of liver disease and cancer. This book covers current knowledge about the structure-function relationship of y-GTs and gives information about applications of y-GTs in different fields ranging from clinical biochemistry to biotechnology and biomedicine.

There is now compelling evidence that the complexity of higher organisms correlates with the relative amount of non-coding RNA rather than the number of protein-coding genes. Previously dismissed as "e;junk DNA"e;, it is the non-coding regions of the genome that are responsible for regulation, facilitating complex temporal and spatial gene expression through the combinatorial effect of numerous mechanisms and interactions working together to fine-tune gene expression. The major regions involved in regulation of a particular gene are the 5' and 3' untranslated regions and introns. In addition, pervasive transcription of complex genomes produces a variety of non-coding transcripts that interact with these regions and contribute to regulation. This book discusses recent insights into the regulatory roles of the untranslated gene regions and non-coding RNAs in the control of complex gene expression, as well as the implications of this in terms of organism complexity and evolution.

This book offers comprehensive information on the polymorphisms of genes encoding pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Following a short description of the general role of PRRs in the immune system, the structure and function of Toll-like and NOD-like receptors are examined in detail. The main focus is on the role of inherited variation in PRRs and their correlation to cancer and cardiovascular diseases. A review of all epidemiological investigations is included, and a concept of genomic risk markers for the prevention of various diseases is also discussed.

Diese botanische Gebietsmonographie ist das Ergebnis 20-jähriger Feldarbeit in den Jahren 1982-2003 im Gebiet der Südrätischen Alpen der Regionen Oberengadin, Livignasco und Bormiese (Schweiz, Italien). Aus den aufgezeichneten Daten hat der Autor einen umfassenden Katalog der Gefäßpflanzen dieser Region erstellt, deren Vielfalt nach den Aspekten Standort, Substrat, Ökologie, Häufigkeit, Verbreitung, Höhenlage, höchste Fundorte und Pflanzensoziologie charakterisiert wird. Die Pflanzengesellschaften der subalpinen, alpinen und subnivalen Stufe werden mittels zahlreichen Tabellen vorgestellt. Es handelt sich also um ein einmaliges Inventar, das den grossen Reichtum unseres bedeutenden botanischen Naturerbes in einmalig vollständiger Weise aufzeigt.Diese erstmalig veröffentlichte Gebietsmonographie vermittelt eine umfassende Synthese für alle floristisch, standortkundlich, ökologisch und pflanzensoziologisch interessierten Leserinnen und Leser.