Systemic, Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Physiological Functions and Their Disorders

The I. Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine was established in 2010 on the basis of merging four well-known Georgian research institutes. They are: The I. Beritashvili Institute of Physiology, one of the most prominent research centers of Georgia, where basic and applied research in different fields of neurophysiology has been conducted since 1935; the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biophysics; the Center for Radiology and Radiation Ecology, which for many years operated as departments at the I. Beritashvili Institute of Physiology; and one of the leading research centers for Georgia: The Center of Experimental Neurology. This edited book is the second volume containing chapters constituting the research priorities of the I. Beritashvili Center of Experimental Biomedicine and covers the experimental study of fundamental issues in the functioning of physiological (mainly, neurophysiological) mechanisms during normal and pathological conditions. The first book Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Physiological Functions and Their Disorders published by Nova Science Publishers Inc. in 2015, was also devoted to the same general problems. In the present edited book, particular attention is drawn to the study of extremely important processes underlying the basic mechanisms and disorders of various phenomenon of integrative activity of the brain: General behavior, learning and memory processes, the sleep-wakefulness cycle, regulation of adequate blood supply, hormesis, vision, depression, experimental comatose state, epilepsy, tumor diseases, pain and analgesia, the state of anxiety and aggression. All of the mentioned processes are studied on the molecular, cellular and systemic levels of their organization. It has to be noted herewith that each chapter within the collection of works represents the results of separate, independent studies implemented by different scientific departments of the Center; therefore, the chapters are not directly related to each other and have been arranged alphabetically based on the surnames of the authors. The authors would like to take this opportunity and present to the reader the scientific and institutional infrastructure of the Center, which consists of departments and laboratories. Nowadays, the Center is comprised of seven departments: Neurophysiology, Membranology, Biochemistry, Blood Circulation and Metabolism, Neurotoxicology, Biophysics and Radiobiology and nine laboratories: Behavior and Cognitive Functions, Physiology of Vision, Neurobiology of Sleep-Wakefulness Cycle, Ultra- and Nanoarchitectonics of the Brain, Experimental Neurology, Pain and Analgesia, Bioinformatics, Structure and Function of Genomes, and the Problems of Radiation Safety. In addition to bilateral scientific cooperation with many famous European and American scientific institutions, the Center is a member of the International Science Consortium From Molecular to Cellular Events in Human Pathologies, of which the 2015 Annual Meeting was held in Tbilisi. The authors are sure that readers are fully aware of the theoretical and practical importance of the research related to problems of systemic, cellular and molecular mechanisms of physiological functions and their disorders. The presented collection of works contains the results of relevant research conducted over the last three years (2015-2018). The authors will be very grateful for any feedback, recommendations and suggestions regarding their research for the implementation of which they have invested a lot of effort, time, knowledge and experience.