This volume is divided into three sections, synaptic transmission, synaptic modulation, and synaptic plasticity, and deals with disorders brought on by alcohol. Some of the topics covered include: molecular targets underlying ethanol-mediated reduction of hormone release from neurohypophysial nerve terminals; alcohol and general anesthetic modulation of GABAA and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; alcohol and the 5-HT3 receptor, adenosine and ethanol; metabotropic hypothesis for ethanol sensitivity of GABAergic and glutamatergic central synapses; alcohol, memory, and molecules; novel...

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is the fourth leading cause of kidney failure. The disease affects 600,000 in the United States and 12.5 million worldwide. Because it is an inherited disease, PKD can devastate families. This happened to Walter A. Hunt's family. Hunt, author of "Kidney Disease: A Guide for Living," recounts the heartbreak of PKD that resulted in the loss of his family, his career, and, ultimately his health. His is a story of survival and renewal that shows that anyone can conquer tragedies in life with knowledge, perseverance, and determination. Keys to his recovery were...

Over the past two years, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has begun a series of symposia to highlight the need for more integrative re search to understand how ethanol alters behavior. Much of the research to date has dealt either at the molecular level or has been whole animal studies. More studies are needed to build our base of knowledge between these two extremes by focusing more on cellular and network levels of organization. To begin this focus on the intermediate steps in this scheme, the NIAAA presented a satellite symposium entitled "Approaches for...