Molecular Biology of the Cell
Author :
Publisher :
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 23,66 MB
Release : 2002
Category : Cells
ISBN : 9780815332183
Progress in Parasitology
Author : Heinz Mehlhorn
Publisher : Springer
Page : 338 pages
File Size : 19,53 MB
Release : 2013-11-27
Category : Science
ISBN : 9783642270796
Book Description
Parasites threaten the health of animals and humans alike. Especially in times of increasing globalization and global warming, parasites can enlarge their “kingdom” by spreading. At the same time many of the existing medical products have become ineffective. As these products have been used for many decades, parasites have developed resistances, so that they have progressed in their fight for survival. Therefore it is obvious that humans must develop new methods to face these dangers. Thus parasitological knowledge increases daily and must be formulated to be accessible for as many parasitologists (veterinarians, physicians, biologists) as possible. Therefore it is necessary that reviews reflecting the present status of the progress in many fields of research be published. Therefore this book, published on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the German Society of Parasitology, compiles 18 reviews on recent “hot topics,” including a new vaccine against malarial parasites; severe diseases with poor chances of treatment (cryptosporidiosis, coccidiosis, theileriosis); vectors (mosquitoes, ticks) and their transmission activities; and fish parasites, including molecular insights into the sex of parasites with a focus on the survival abilities that made them so dangerous. These chapters provide detailed information for researchers, as well as for teachers and students in parasitology.
Plagues and the Paradox of Progress
Author : Thomas J. Bollyky
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 277 pages
File Size : 10,18 MB
Release : 2018-10-09
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0262038455
Book Description
Why the news about the global decline of infectious diseases is not all good. Plagues and parasites have played a central role in world affairs, shaping the evolution of the modern state, the growth of cities, and the disparate fortunes of national economies. This book tells that story, but it is not about the resurgence of pestilence. It is the story of its decline. For the first time in recorded history, virus, bacteria, and other infectious diseases are not the leading cause of death or disability in any region of the world. People are living longer, and fewer mothers are giving birth to many children in the hopes that some might survive. And yet, the news is not all good. Recent reductions in infectious disease have not been accompanied by the same improvements in income, job opportunities, and governance that occurred with these changes in wealthier countries decades ago. There have also been unintended consequences. In this book, Thomas Bollyky explores the paradox in our fight against infectious disease: the world is getting healthier in ways that should make us worry. Bollyky interweaves a grand historical narrative about the rise and fall of plagues in human societies with contemporary case studies of the consequences. Bollyky visits Dhaka—one of the most densely populated places on the planet—to show how low-cost health tools helped enable the phenomenon of poor world megacities. He visits China and Kenya to illustrate how dramatic declines in plagues have affected national economies. Bollyky traces the role of infectious disease in the migrations from Ireland before the potato famine and to Europe from Africa and elsewhere today. Historic health achievements are remaking a world that is both worrisome and full of opportunities. Whether the peril or promise of that progress prevails, Bollyky explains, depends on what we do next. A Council on Foreign Relations Book
Immunoparasitology: A Unique Interplay Between Host and Pathogen
Author : Xun Suo
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 429 pages
File Size : 18,94 MB
Release : 2020-06-25
Category :
ISBN : 2889638014
Book Description
Parasites, Pathogens, and Progress
Author : Robert A. McGuire
Publisher : MIT Press
Page : 353 pages
File Size : 29,76 MB
Release : 2011-09-30
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 0262297493
Book Description
The crucial role played by diseases in economic progress, the growth of civilizations, and American history. In Parasites, Pathogens, and Progress, Robert McGuire and Philip Coelho integrate biological and economic perspectives into an explanation of the historical development of humanity and the economy, paying particular attention to the American experience, its history and development. In their path-breaking examination of the impact of population growth and parasitic diseases, they contend that interpretations of history that minimize or ignore the physical environment are incomplete or wrong. The authors emphasize the paradoxical impact of population growth and density on progress. An increased population leads to increased market size, specialization, productivity, and living standards. Simultaneously, increased population density can provide an ecological niche for pathogens and parasites that prey upon humanity, increasing morbidity and mortality. The tension between diseases and progress continues, with progress dominant since the late 1800s. Integral to their story are the differential effects of diseases on different ethnic (racial) groups. McGuire and Coelho show that the Europeanization of the Americas, for example, was caused by Old World diseases unwittingly brought to the New World, not by superior technology and weaponry. The decimation of Native Americans by pathogens vastly exceeded that caused by war and human predation. The authors combine biological and economic analyses to explain the concentration of African slaves in the American South. African labor was more profitable in the South because Africans' evolutionary heritage enabled them to resist the diseases that became established there; conversely, Africans' ancestral heritage made them susceptible to northern “cold-weather” diseases. European disease resistance and susceptibilities were the opposite regionally. Differential regional disease ecologies thus led to a heritage of racial slavery and racism.
Biology of Foodborne Parasites
Author : Lihua Xiao
Publisher : CRC Press
Page : 514 pages
File Size : 30,55 MB
Release : 2015-04-06
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 1466568852
Book Description
While a number of introductory books on basic and molecular biology are available, none highlight the foodborne parasitic pathogens. Until now. A state-of-the-art review, Biology of Foodborne Parasites charts significant progress and outlines key biological techniques applied to foodborne parasitic pathogens research. The book covers basic biology, genetics and genomics, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, control, and prevention. It showcases recent research that can then be used to spark further breakthroughs. The book addresses challenging issues in food pathogen detection. It details individual foodborne protists and helminthes, with each chapter following a similar format for a consistent presentation of information. It discusses topics ranging from basic biology, genetics and genomics, molecular detection and typing, and pathogenesis to epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, treatment and prevention, among other current concerns. It also details the methods used to diagnose the infection, characterize the pathogen, and detect parasites in three food commodities: meats, water, and fresh produce. With chapters written by experts in their respective fields, the book presents a reliable roadmap for future development of improved, innovative biological and molecular methods for analysis of foodborne parasitic pathogens. A handy, comprehensive reference on all aspects of biology of foodborne parasites, it highlights research needs and directions, helping you develop advanced diagnostic tools and new intervention measures.
Parasite Infections: From Experimental Models to Natural Systems
Author : Toni Aebischer
Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
Page : 294 pages
File Size : 29,20 MB
Release : 2018-07-06
Category :
ISBN : 2889454851
Book Description
Eukaryotic parasites (including parasitic protozoans, worms and arthropods) are more complex and heterogeneous organisms than pathogenic bacteria and viruses. This notion implies different evolutionary strategies of host exploitation. Typically, parasites establish long-term infections and induce relatively little mortality, as they often limit pathological changes by modulating host cells and downregulating adverse immune responses. Their pattern of distribution tends to be endemic rather than epidemic. Despite these seemingly benign traits, parasites usually cause substantial chronic morbidity, thus constituting an enormous socioeconomic burden in humans, particularly in resource poor countries, and in livestock worldwide. Parasite-induced fitness costs are an evolutionary force that can shape populations and contribute to species diversity. Therefore, a thorough understanding of parasites and parasitic diseases requires detailed knowledge of the respective biochemical, molecular and immunological aspects as well as of population genetics, epidemiology and ecology. This Research Topic (RT) bridges disciplines to connect molecular, immunological and wildlife aspects of parasitic infections. The RT puts emphases on four groups of parasites: Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Giardia and intestinal helminths. Co-infections are also covered by the RT as they represent the most common form of parasite infections in wildlife and domestic animal populations. Within the four types of parasites the following topics are addressed: (1) Experimental models: hypothesis testing, translation and limits. (2) Critical appraisal of experimental models. (3) Natural systems: Technological advances for investigations in natural parasite-host systems and studies in natural systems. (4) The urgent need for better models and methods in natural parasite systems. Hence, the RT covers and illustrate by the means of four main parasitic infections the parasite-host system at the molecular, cellular and organismic level.
Foodborne Parasites
Author : Ynes R. Ortega
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 301 pages
File Size : 19,82 MB
Release : 2006-11-22
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 0387311971
Book Description
This book examines the two major parasite groups that are transmitted via water or foods: the single-celled protozoa, and the helminths: cestodes (tapeworms), nematodes (round worms), and trematodes (flukes). Each chapter covers the biology, mechanisms of pathogenesis, epidemiology, treatment, and inactivation of these parasites. This important new text offers a better understanding of the biology and control of parasitic infections necessary to reduce or eliminate future outbreaks in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Evolution of Infectious Disease
Author : Paul W. Ewald
Publisher : Oxford University Press
Page : 309 pages
File Size : 44,27 MB
Release : 1994-01-06
Category : Medical
ISBN : 0195345193
Book Description
Findings from the field of evolutionary biology are yielding dramatic insights for health scientists, especially those involved in the fight against infectious diseases. This book is the first in-depth presentation of these insights. In detailing why the pathogens that cause malaria, smallpox, tuberculosis, and AIDS have their special kinds of deadliness, the book shows how efforts to control virtually all diseases would benefit from a more thorough application of evolutionary principles. When viewed from a Darwinian perspective, a pathogen is not simply a disease-causing agent, it is a self-replicating organism driven by evolutionary pressures to pass on as many copies of itself as possible. In this context, so-called "cultural vectors"--those aspects of human behavior and the human environment that allow spread of disease from immobilized people--become more important than ever. Interventions to control diseases don't simply hinder their spread but can cause pathogens and the diseases they engender to evolve into more benign forms. In fact, the union of health science with evolutionary biology offers an entirely new dimension to policy making, as the possibility of determining the future course of many diseases becomes a reality. By presenting the first detailed explanation of an evolutionary perspective on infectious disease, the author has achieved a genuine milestone in the synthesis of health science, epidemiology, and evolutionary biology. Written in a clear, accessible style, it is intended for a wide readership among professionals in these fields and general readers interested in science and health.
Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases
Author : Michel Tibayrenc
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 807 pages
File Size : 36,37 MB
Release : 2007-07-31
Category : Science
ISBN : 0470114193
Book Description
Discover how the application of novel multidisciplinary, integrative approaches and technologies are dramatically changing our understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and their treatments. Each article presents the state of the science, with a strong emphasis on new and emerging medical applications. The Encyclopedia of Infectious Diseases is organized into five parts. The first part examines current threats such as AIDS, malaria, SARS, and influenza. The second part addresses the evolution of pathogens and the relationship between human genetic diversity and the spread of infectious diseases. The next two parts highlight the most promising uses of molecular identification, vector control, satellite detection, surveillance, modeling, and high-throughput technologies. The final part explores specialized topics of current concern, including bioterrorism, world market and infectious diseases, and antibiotics for public health. Each article is written by one or more leading experts in the field of infectious diseases. These experts place all the latest findings from various disciplines in context, helping readers understand what is currently known, what the next generation of breakthroughs is likely to be, and where more research is needed. Several features facilitate research and deepen readers' understanding of infectious diseases: Illustrations help readers understand the pathogenesis and diagnosis of infectious diseases Lists of Web resources serve as a gateway to important research centers, government agencies, and other sources of information from around the world Information boxes highlight basic principles and specialized terminology International contributions offer perspectives on how infectious diseases are viewed by different cultures A special chapter discusses the representation of infectious diseases in art With its multidisciplinary approach, this encyclopedia helps point researchers in new promising directions and helps health professionals better understand the nature and treatment of infectious diseases.
