Kidney transplantation is worldwide considered the best replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease. However, although impressive improvements in surgical techniques and in the management of immunosuppression, long-term results have not significantly changed over the last decades. The purpose of this book is not to be a comprehensive review on kidney transplantation, but it would overview the recent acquisitions in the field of kidney transplantation, by offering to clinicians the future directions and the possible fields of research to improve the long term outcome. The book is divided into 27 chapters. The first part of the book is devoted to the basic principles of immunity and organ transplantation and the clinical evaluation of potential recipient. Moreover, in this section are discussed the most recent strategies to increase the donor pool trying to offer a kidney transplantation to a growing number of patients. The second part of the book is devoted to the immunosuppression. In these two chapters, the authors present an overview on the immunosuppressive management of kidney transplant recipients, with particular emphasis on the minimization of immunosuppression. The third part of the book is devoted to the complications of immunosuppression and to the psychological aspects of transplantation. This section is particularly detailed, and offers a complete point of view on the consequences and benefits of kidney transplantation. Last section is devoted to the future. The clinical tolerance and xenotransplantation are not still the present, but the authors illustrate the fields of application of these fundamental aspects of organ transplantation. The authors and editors have tried to select an appropriate mix of citations, but it has not been possible to cite all the relevant articles. Apologies are due to those authors whose works we have failed to cite. Our goal was to provide the most recent acquisitions in a practical manner. We hope that we have succeeded. Special thanks to all the authors for their excellent and enthusiastic collaboration and special thanks to our patients to whom are dedicated all our efforts.

Over the past several decades the incidence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has increased dramatically. The etiology of ASD remains an unsolved puzzle to scientists, physicians, pediatricians, psychiatrists, and pharmacologists. Our E-book will address what is presently known concerning the pathophysiology of ASD from a cellular and molecular perspective. Our explanation is based on the interaction between repetitive systemic immune stimulation with concomitant chronic brain activation of microglia, which leads to overstimulation of glutamate receptors and inflammatory cytokine receptors. Our E-book will explain, for the first time, the effects of immunoexcitotoxicity on the brain development, neurophysiology, and pathology. Our book will not only attempt to explain the finding in ASD, but will offer treatment proposals that address each of these mechanisms. It will also explain how previous, often successful treatment methods, may indeed operate through the immunoexcitotoxic mechanism.

This is the story of how Wilson’s disease, a previously rare and fatal inherited disease, was conquered by a series of individual discoveries, leading to highly effective treatments. It also describes the difficulties which had to be overcome to achieve this in the face of government and institutional bureaucracy. It should be of interest to those involved in medical research, to doctors interested in rare diseases and to the lay public who want to know how medical advances are made. Technical details are kept to a minimum so that an understanding of medical and technical terms is not needed. The Ebook should prove to be a very useful resource for researchers studying Wilson’s disease and its history in medicine.

Contemporary Sleep Medicine should be of interest to a large number of readers interested in sleep medicine. It is divided into two parts – one for patients or simple readers and another for physicians or advanced readers. The Ebook explores new research grounds for sleep disorders. These include novel methodologies for epidemiological research and strategies for curing individuals who suffer from sleep disorders. The volumes seek to update interested readers on the latest advances in the uncharted territory of sleep medicine.

Contemporary Sleep Medicine should be of interest to a large number of readers interested in sleep medicine. It is divided into two parts – one for patients or simple readers and another for physicians or advanced readers. The Ebook explores new research grounds for sleep disorders. These include novel methodologies for epidemiological research and strategies for curing individuals who suffer from sleep disorders. The volumes seek to update interested readers on the latest advances in the uncharted territory of sleep medicine.

Schizoaffective disorder is a psychotic disease with schizophrenic and affective i.e. depressive and/or manic symptoms. The disease can result in different patient outcomes depending upon the treatment applied. Patients suffering from the disease have in increased vulnerability towards stress and need an appropriate prophylactic medication so that they can perform social and maybe professional activities. Classical Neurotransmitters and Neuropeptides involved in Schizoaffective Disorder is a brief monograph that gives readers an overview of frequent psychotic diseases affecting patients. The contents of the monograph include details about biochemical alterations of classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in specific regions of the human brain, the susceptible genes and cellular mechanisms behind schizoaffective disorder, the neural networks of schizoaffective disorder and prophylactic pharmacotherapies administered to patients. Three case reports which demonstrate the alterations of classical neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the brain are also presented. This monograph is a useful guide for medical residents and clinicians in training who wish to understand the basics about treating patients suffering from schizoaffective disorder.

Since the Tokyo Sarin Subway Attack, the threat of chemical warfare agents has migrated from the battlefield to become a major concern for homeland security in the 21th century. While current fielded antidotes are able to mitigate acute high mortality arising from exposure to nerve agents, achieving effective neuroprotection in subjects with nerve agent induced prolonged seizures or status epilepticus is currently lacking. To overcome this challenge, establishing an improved understanding on the mechanism linking seizure onset during chemical (including nerve agents) poisoning to the subsequent cascade of biochemical, neurotoxicological, pathophysiological, genomic and behavioral changes post exposure is vital. Due to ethical, safety and chemical surety related issues, looking for surrogate chemicals has also become important for chemical defense research. In this book, internationally well-known clinicians and basic research scientists with expertise on chemical-induced seizures will update readers on the relevant areas. Doctors (civil and military), paramedics and medical students will find this book informative and timely for the current battle against asymmetric terrorist conflicts.

Remarkable advances have been made in embolization of cerebral aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations and stroke treatment during the past decades. Endovascular techniques are less invasive than other forms of neurosurgery. However, endovascular neurosurgery is becoming more complicated as the technology is becoming more sophisticated. Frontiers in Neurosurgery is an ebook series which triggers principle issues that still fuel debate in neurosurgery. The series is intended as a reference for practicing endovascular neurosurgeons, vascular neurosurgeons, interventional neurologists and neuroradiologists who have a solid knowledge of neuroangiography. </p><p> The first volume of this series brings reviews on a variety of challenges that neuroendovascular surgeons can face such as: - Devices for Neuroendovascular Treatment - Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Neuroendovascular Procedures - Endovascular Reperfusion Management for Acute Ischemic Stroke - Spinal Vascular Pathology - Anesthesia Options for Endovascular Neurosurgery … and much more.

This video atlas covers a broad range of spinal surgical procedures. The volume includes a collection of high quality 3-to-8 minute videos of some of the most critical spine operations performed by internationally renowned expert surgeons. Key features of the book contents include: o Downloadable high quality video content with subtitles suitable for viewing on any display (A brief preview of the book content can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxMi4UFj7HA ) o Detailed descriptions of surgical indications, preoperative planning, patient positioning, surgical technique, complications, postoperative care and outcomes for each procedure o Full color images and illustrations highlighting different key stages of each surgical technique The video format allows skill development of its intended audience by conveying temporal and spatial details which often go unnoticed in photograph format. This volume will be of immense interest to both the novice and the experienced spinal surgeon as they can benefit from the visual guides presented in the book. It also serves as an ideal teaching tool for spine surgery units in medical schools.

Stroke is thought to be the second biggest killer worldwide, and is responsible for over 5 million deaths per year. Several strategies have been developed to enhance treatment of stroke patients. Multimodal neuroimaging allows physicians to diagnose and evaluate not only the ischemic core but also the vessel pattern and collateral status. Stroke Treatment involves extensive intravenous drug administration. Several new drugs with long lasting efficacy are now being tested in randomized clinical trials. In this context, endovascular treatment is a promising avenue that allows physicians to treat patients in extended time windows especially patients in whom intravenous RTPA has failed. A new era has emerged with new devices called stent retrievers and aspiration techniques, which have demonstrated higher rates of recanalization and clear superiority over previous devices employed in RCTs. The third volume of Frontiers in Neurosurgery presents updated information on ischemic stroke treatment. The volume comprehensively covers the epidemiology, physiology, diagnosis and treatment modalities of stroke. Readers will also find key information on diagnosing and treating rare and lesser known causes of stroke as well as notes about new devices and medical procedures to combat ischemic stroke. This volume is a useful resource for neurosurgery specialists as well as nurses, physiotherapists and caregivers.