- Email: [email protected]
Books and videotapes received
344
The sections on vertebrate immunity start with a chapter on fish immunoloav bv M. I. Manning. This includes descriptions of lymph&d~tissuds in fish, a’swell as of specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. By this stagein evolution most of the features of mammalian immune responses are present-including T cells, B cells, antibodies and cytokines. The presence or absence of T cell receptors, cytotoxic T cells and antigen presentation have, however, not yet been investigated, although work on MHC equivalents is in progress. The chapter on amphibians (J. D. Horton) concentrates on the anurans (frogs and toads). T cell development in the thymus, and ‘real’ T and B cell immunology can be studied in Xerwpus. Toad immunologists are debating whether T cells can develop outside the thymus, and Xenopus even has its own MHC-equivalent, the XLA system. Xenopus can also be a useful model for exploring ontogen ReptiI’ es and birds are covered in a chapter by R. D. Jurd. Starting from a description of bird and reptile phylogeny, a brief description of what is known about the immune system in reptiles is followed by a more detailed account of the immunology of birds, including of course the famous bursa in which B cells develop, and IgY, the bird’s IgG equivalent. Birds can also be used as models for autoimmunity. A lot of work on avian immunology has been performed on the species which are commercially important, but other species have been relatively neglected. In the final chapter, the mammals are covered by R. J. Turner. This includes the immunological aspects of mammalian reproduction and the development of immunocompetance. Most immunologists will already know about the similarities and differences between the murine and human MHC regions, but they are unlikely to know about MHC class II Penesin other animals such as the red-necked wallaby. &nilarly, somemay have heard that the pig has an ‘inside-out’ structure in its lymph node, but have never had the chance to read why this may be. All the chapters are comprehensively referenced. As a whole, the book is described in the preface as being written for students and research workers with a general knowledge of immunology. It is rather detailed for a general reader who just wants to know more about comparative immunology, but it will be a useful reference book in this fascinating area. H. M. Dockrell Department of Clinical Sciences London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Keppel Street London, WCIE 7HT, UK
Keys to the Cestode Parasites of Vertebrates. L. F. Khalil, A. Jones & R. A. Bray (editors). Wallingford: CAB International, 1994. xiv+752 pp. Price &85 ($$$5,0,&n2North and South America only). ISBN OTapeworms have adapted to parasitic life by jettisoning or simplifying most organs and structures until the adults are ‘little more than bags of reproductive organs suspended in a broth of predigested food’. Add to this simplification their complex life cycles involving one or more intermediate host in which the larval forms bear little resemblance to the adults and you have all the ingredients for a taxonomist’s nightmare. To try to bring some order to this chaos, the editors and other international experts (19 in all) have contributed to this work using conventional descriptive morphology of original type specimens where possible. The principal method is the use of dichotomous keys, well illustrated with line drawings of the diagnostic features, There is an essential
glossary of technical terms. The editors have constructed keys to the 14 cestodeorders, and to the 15 families comprising the order Cyclophylhdea, to produce a total of 28 chapters. Each chapter has an introduction in which the history, host range and taxonomic problems are reviewed before the keys to the families/subfamilies and, ultimately? the diagnosis to genus; the type genus of each group is described in detail. The book is beautifully produced with a comprehensive bibliography and an index of all the genera described. The reappraisal of the status of many of the specimens has given somenew insights into cestode taxonomy. The editors have achieved a high degree of uniformity of style from the different contributors. For enthusiastic taxonomists, especially ‘cestodologists’, it will be an essential reference book-a companion to the Commonwealth Institute of Hehninthology’s Keys to the Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. It is, however, a highly technical book for specialists. I suspect it will have limited appeal to most readers of the Transactions, though it is salutary to find that the dozen or so larval and adult species commonly infecting man occupy less than 1% of the 700 or so pages of this descriptive text. R. F. Sturrock Department of Medical Parasitology London School of Hvtiene and Troaical Medicine Keppel Street - -London, WCIE 7HT, UK
1Books and Videotapes
Received*)
Video tape. Part 1: Chagas Disease-epidemiology, vectors, animal reservoirs, symptoms, diagnosis, pathology, control. Part 2: The Deadly Tsetse Fly-life history. Standard VHS format, playing time 60 min. The narrated tape consists of illustrations collected during 23 years of researchin South America and Africa. Available from Dr W. B. Petana, 2 Maple Close, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 ODX, UK. Philippine Medical Literature Index, 1980-1990. Tokyo: South-east Asian Medical Information Center/International Medical Foundation of Japan. xvi+566 pp. Price not stated. ISBN 4-930783-69-o. Available from SEAMICIIMFJ, Toyo-Kaiji Building No. 6, 7-2 Shinbashi 4-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan. Vector Bionomics in the Epidemiology and Control of Malaria. Part 3. The WHO South-east Asia region and the Western Pacific region. Vol. 1. Classified Bibliography 1970-1991. A. R. Zahar. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1994. xxii+304 pp. Price not stated. WHO Document CTDIMALI94.1. [Mimeographed, A4 pagesize.] World Animal Health in 1993. Part 1: Reports on the animal health status and disease control methods and List A disease outbreaks-statistics. Part 2: Tables on the animal health status and disease control methods. Paris: Office International des Epizooties, 1993. Part 1, 386 pp. Part 2, 808 pp. Price (both parts) FrF 4OO/US$ 474. ISBN 92-9044-357-X.
The price includes postage and packing: obtainable from the Publications Department, OIE, 12 rue de Prony, 75017Paris, France (ref. no. A/068-1993). *Inclusion of titles in this list does not necessarily imply recommendation by the Society, Editorial Board or Editor.
The sections on vertebrate immunity start with a chapter on fish immunoloav bv M. I. Manning. This includes descriptions of lymph&d~tissuds in fish, a’swell as of specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. By this stagein evolution most of the features of mammalian immune responses are present-including T cells, B cells, antibodies and cytokines. The presence or absence of T cell receptors, cytotoxic T cells and antigen presentation have, however, not yet been investigated, although work on MHC equivalents is in progress. The chapter on amphibians (J. D. Horton) concentrates on the anurans (frogs and toads). T cell development in the thymus, and ‘real’ T and B cell immunology can be studied in Xerwpus. Toad immunologists are debating whether T cells can develop outside the thymus, and Xenopus even has its own MHC-equivalent, the XLA system. Xenopus can also be a useful model for exploring ontogen ReptiI’ es and birds are covered in a chapter by R. D. Jurd. Starting from a description of bird and reptile phylogeny, a brief description of what is known about the immune system in reptiles is followed by a more detailed account of the immunology of birds, including of course the famous bursa in which B cells develop, and IgY, the bird’s IgG equivalent. Birds can also be used as models for autoimmunity. A lot of work on avian immunology has been performed on the species which are commercially important, but other species have been relatively neglected. In the final chapter, the mammals are covered by R. J. Turner. This includes the immunological aspects of mammalian reproduction and the development of immunocompetance. Most immunologists will already know about the similarities and differences between the murine and human MHC regions, but they are unlikely to know about MHC class II Penesin other animals such as the red-necked wallaby. &nilarly, somemay have heard that the pig has an ‘inside-out’ structure in its lymph node, but have never had the chance to read why this may be. All the chapters are comprehensively referenced. As a whole, the book is described in the preface as being written for students and research workers with a general knowledge of immunology. It is rather detailed for a general reader who just wants to know more about comparative immunology, but it will be a useful reference book in this fascinating area. H. M. Dockrell Department of Clinical Sciences London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Keppel Street London, WCIE 7HT, UK
Keys to the Cestode Parasites of Vertebrates. L. F. Khalil, A. Jones & R. A. Bray (editors). Wallingford: CAB International, 1994. xiv+752 pp. Price &85 ($$$5,0,&n2North and South America only). ISBN OTapeworms have adapted to parasitic life by jettisoning or simplifying most organs and structures until the adults are ‘little more than bags of reproductive organs suspended in a broth of predigested food’. Add to this simplification their complex life cycles involving one or more intermediate host in which the larval forms bear little resemblance to the adults and you have all the ingredients for a taxonomist’s nightmare. To try to bring some order to this chaos, the editors and other international experts (19 in all) have contributed to this work using conventional descriptive morphology of original type specimens where possible. The principal method is the use of dichotomous keys, well illustrated with line drawings of the diagnostic features, There is an essential
glossary of technical terms. The editors have constructed keys to the 14 cestodeorders, and to the 15 families comprising the order Cyclophylhdea, to produce a total of 28 chapters. Each chapter has an introduction in which the history, host range and taxonomic problems are reviewed before the keys to the families/subfamilies and, ultimately? the diagnosis to genus; the type genus of each group is described in detail. The book is beautifully produced with a comprehensive bibliography and an index of all the genera described. The reappraisal of the status of many of the specimens has given somenew insights into cestode taxonomy. The editors have achieved a high degree of uniformity of style from the different contributors. For enthusiastic taxonomists, especially ‘cestodologists’, it will be an essential reference book-a companion to the Commonwealth Institute of Hehninthology’s Keys to the Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates. It is, however, a highly technical book for specialists. I suspect it will have limited appeal to most readers of the Transactions, though it is salutary to find that the dozen or so larval and adult species commonly infecting man occupy less than 1% of the 700 or so pages of this descriptive text. R. F. Sturrock Department of Medical Parasitology London School of Hvtiene and Troaical Medicine Keppel Street - -London, WCIE 7HT, UK
1Books and Videotapes
Received*)
Video tape. Part 1: Chagas Disease-epidemiology, vectors, animal reservoirs, symptoms, diagnosis, pathology, control. Part 2: The Deadly Tsetse Fly-life history. Standard VHS format, playing time 60 min. The narrated tape consists of illustrations collected during 23 years of researchin South America and Africa. Available from Dr W. B. Petana, 2 Maple Close, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 ODX, UK. Philippine Medical Literature Index, 1980-1990. Tokyo: South-east Asian Medical Information Center/International Medical Foundation of Japan. xvi+566 pp. Price not stated. ISBN 4-930783-69-o. Available from SEAMICIIMFJ, Toyo-Kaiji Building No. 6, 7-2 Shinbashi 4-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan. Vector Bionomics in the Epidemiology and Control of Malaria. Part 3. The WHO South-east Asia region and the Western Pacific region. Vol. 1. Classified Bibliography 1970-1991. A. R. Zahar. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1994. xxii+304 pp. Price not stated. WHO Document CTDIMALI94.1. [Mimeographed, A4 pagesize.] World Animal Health in 1993. Part 1: Reports on the animal health status and disease control methods and List A disease outbreaks-statistics. Part 2: Tables on the animal health status and disease control methods. Paris: Office International des Epizooties, 1993. Part 1, 386 pp. Part 2, 808 pp. Price (both parts) FrF 4OO/US$ 474. ISBN 92-9044-357-X.
The price includes postage and packing: obtainable from the Publications Department, OIE, 12 rue de Prony, 75017Paris, France (ref. no. A/068-1993). *Inclusion of titles in this list does not necessarily imply recommendation by the Society, Editorial Board or Editor.