Advances in Medicine & Biology : Volume 102

The chapters in this volume present the latest developments in medicine and biology. Chapter One reviews epigallocatechin-3-gallate in autoimmunity. Chapter Two discusses the detection of hepatic and breast cancer stem cells through concurrent monitoring of multiple markers using an acousto-optical tunable filter (AOTF) and quantum dots. Chapter Three examines differential roles of the α4β2- and α7 nicotine acetylcholine receptors in nicotine addiction. Chapter Four focuses on thermodynamic and chemometric descriptions of molecular interactions over hydrogen bonds in micelles of bile acid anions. Chapter Five studies interactions between organic molecules on silicon surface by means of the rate theory and an in situ measurement using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Chapter Six discusses sleep in Lewy body diseases. Chapter Seven addresses the issue of artificial skins in wound healing and reconstruction of damaged organs. Chapter Eight reviews the current immunosuppression and immunosuppressive monitoring for better understanding and guiding physicians in clinical practice of kidney transplantation.