This original six chapter book will briefly review and integrate the basic concepts behind water distribution and movement in the body. This fills a knowledge gap that most medical and undergraduate physiology students acquire when these topics are studied separately. As of now, there is no textbook that fully integrates renal, cardiovascular and water physiology in a clear understandable manner. The book is intended primarily for medical students and undergraduate physiology students. Chapters include: 1) Water and its Distribution; 2) Water Dynamics; 3) Fluid Handling by the Heart and Blood Vessels; 4) Fluid Handling by the Kidneys; 5) Water and Oxygen Delivery; 6) Integration in the Response to Hemorrhage, Volume Depletion, and Water Redistribution.
An easy-to-read, step by step explanation of how water is distributed, how it moves, how this aides in oxygen delivery and how this is regulated in the human body.

Presentsa complex and detailed topicin an original way that will allow students to understand more complex textbooks and explanations"

One major example of the synergy of bioactive foods and extracts is their role as an antioxidant and the related remediation of cardiovascular disease. There is compelling evidence tosuggest that oxidative stress is implicated in the physiology of several major cardiovascular diseases including heart failure and increased free radical formation and reduced antioxidant defences. Studies indicate bioactive foods reduce the incidence of these conditions, suggestive of a potential cardioprotective role of antioxidant nutrients.

BioactiveFood as Dietary Interventions for Cardiovascular Diseaseinvestigates the role of foods, herbs and novel extracts in moderating the pathology leading to cardiovascular disease. It reviews existing literature, and presents new hypotheses and conclusions on the effects of different bioactive components of the diet.
Addresses the most positive results from dietary interventions using bioactive foods to impact cardiovascular diseaseDocuments foods that can affect metabolic syndrome and other related conditionsConvenient, efficient and effective source that allows readers to identify potential uses of compounds or indicate those compounds whose use may be of little or no health benefitAssociated information can be used to understand other diseases that share common etiological pathways"

At present, human society is facing a health care crisis that is affecting patients worldwide. In the United States, it is generally believed that the major problem is lack of affordable access to health care (i.e. health insurance). This book takes an unprecedented approach to address this issue by proposing that the major problem is not lack of affordable access to health care per se, but lack of access to better, safer, and more affordable medicines. The latter problem is present not only in the United States and the developing world but also in countries with socialized health care systems, such as Europe and the rest of the industrialized world. This book provides a comparative analysis of the health care systems throughout the world and also examines the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

Examines the health care structure of the United States, Europe, and the third world, both separately and comparativelyOffers primary source insight through in-depth interviews with pharmaceutical and health care industry leaders from around the worldCarefully explains, in clear terms, the intricacies of the health care and pharmaceutical system and how these intricacies have led to the current crisisOffers concrete, comprehensive solutions to the health care crisis

Molecular Tools and Infectious Disease Epidemiology examines the opportunities and methodologic challenges in the application of modern molecular genetic and biologic techniques to infectious disease epidemiology. The application of these techniques dramatically improves the measurement of disease and putative risk factors, increasing our ability to detect and track outbreaks, identify risk factors and detect new infectious agents. However, integration of these techniques into epidemiologic studies also poses new challenges in the design, conduct, and analysis. This book presents the key points of consideration when integrating molecular biology and epidemiology; discusses how using molecular tools in epidemiologic research affects program design and conduct; considers the ethical concerns that arise in molecular epidemiologic studies; and provides a context for understanding and interpreting scientific literature as a foundation for subsequent practical experience in the laboratory and in the field. The book is recommended for graduate and advanced undergraduate students studying infectious disease epidemiology and molecular epidemiology; and for the epidemiologist wishing to integrate molecular techniques into his or her studies.

The major objective of this book is to review in detail health problems occurring with significant frequency in aging adults which are proposed to be treated or ameliorated using nutriceuticals as foods and dietary supplements as well as other complementary and alternative therapies. Chapters primarily focusing on nutrients have been excluded to maintain a focus on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Overview of the Book: The book is divided into three general sections as follows: I. Nutriceuticals and Botanicals in Health Promotion; (A) Specific Nutriceuticals Used in Treating Aged, (B) General Nutraceutical Approaches to Therapy with emphasis on cancer. II. Non-nutritional CAM Therapies. (A) Mind-mediated Therapies, (B) Physically Applied CAM Therapies

I. Non-Nutritional Components in Diet and Supplements, Nutriceuticals and their Role in Health Promotion in the Mature Adult.
Nutrient requirements for optimum health and function of aging physiological systems often are quite distinct from young ones. Nutriceuticals, without nutrients as foods or dietary supplements benefit the aged by both protecting nutrients from oxidative damage as well as through their direct biological activity. Recognition and understanding of the role of CAM nutriceuticals in health of the aged is being intensively researched and tested, especially due to the increases in the elderly in the general population. In developed countries, economic restrictions and physical inactivity during aging can significantly reduce food intakes, contributing to nutritional stresses and needs. Many disease entities and cancers are found with higher frequency in the aged. Cancer, trauma, or infectiousdisease can alter intakes of nutriceutical containing foods and/or requirements for various nutrients. Nutriceuticals, especially those of botanical origins have thousands of biologically active chemicals. Thus specific foods and nutriceutical supplementation may be helpful in treatment of aged adults including cancer patients. Many adults and elderly are using foods and nutriceutical supplements above the recommended daily allowance, which may not always be needed for optimal health. To some extent, treatment of these conditions with diet or nutriceutical supplements is a unique problem in the aged. In summary, increasing numbers of older adults and elderly in the population require detailed study and directed research to understand their health problems, using novel nutriceutical and CAM therapies.
II. Nutriceuticals in Disease and Cancer Therapy in Seniors.
Research continues to show that non-nutritional materials in the diet or as supplements can have important health promotion benefits. Those that are antioxidants act, in part, by protecting antioxidant vitamins. However much needs to be learned about benefits and risks of nutriceuticals which have a variety of biological activities in their own right. Therefore botanical extracts and components will be reviewed for their benefits to seniors.
III. Non-dietary Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) Use and Benefits to the Elderly in Health.
The elderly are frequently using various non-traditional and often unproven CAM therapies, beyond nutritional and nutraceutical supplements. Therefore a variety of physical and psychosocial treatments will be evaluated by experts in CAM research for their benefits/risks andthe extent of scientific testing.
*Identifies the important nutritional requirements of the aging population, and how nutraceuticals and other CAM options affect those
* Addresses the many disease entities and cancers are found with higher frequency in the aged, including cancer, trauma, or infectious disease that can alter intakes of nutraceutical containing foods and/or requirements for various nutrients.
* Explores the nutritional materials botanical extracts and components that can have important health promotion benefits and risks, to ensure safe consumption
* Reviews the frequently used non-traditional and often unproven CAM therapies, beyond nutritional and nutraceutical supplements, including a variety of physical and psychosocial treatments.

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is an adaptive form of cell death that plays a critical role in turnover of mitotic cells and various tissues in the adult, including epithelial cells, fibroblasts and various endocrine cells. Programmed cell death also plays a major role in development in organizing the body plan and molding intricate cellular structures such as nerve cell circuits in the brain. Rapidly progressing research into the molecular and biochemical underpinnings of the programmed cell death process are revealing novel genetic programs and molecular interactions that coordinate a process that results in death and removal of cells without an immune response and in the absence of the adverse effects on neighboring cells.

"Programmed Cell Death, Volume I," critically details the molecular, biochemical and cellular mechanisms of apoptosis. This volume covers programmed cell death in a variety of tissues and organ systems highlighting the interesting families of proteins involved in promoting or preventing apoptosis. These include the caspase and calpain families of proteases, Bcl-2 family members, and inhibitors of apoptosis proteins. Each chapter is written by an internationally recognized expert in a particular aspect of programmed cell death.

This book will provide the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the cascade of events leading from an apoptotic signal, such as trophic factor withdrawal or increased oxidative stress, to cell death. Importantly, this volume also covers signaling mechanisms designed to prevent apoptosis. Such anti-apoptotic signaling cascades involve neurotrophic factors and stress response pathways. "Programmed Cell Death, Volume I," provides the molecular and cellular foundation for http: //www.elsevier.com/locate/isbn/0444507302Programmed Cell Death, Volume II in which the roles of aberrant regulation of apoptosis in human diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's disease are considered.

During the past several years there has been a shortage of flight opportunities for biological and medical projects. And those that were available usually had severe restrictions on instrumentation, number of subjects, duration, time allotted for performing the experiments, a possibility for repetition of experiments. It is our hope and expectation that this will change once the international Space Station is in full operation. The advantages of a permanent space station, already demonstrated by the Russian Mir station, are continuous availability of expert crew and a wide range of equipment, possibility of long-term experiments where this is waranted, increased numbers of subjects through larger laboratory space, proper controls in the large 1-G centrifuge, easier repeatability of experiments when needed.
The limited number of flight opportunities during recent years probably explains why it has taken so long to acquire a sufficient number of high quality contributions for this seventh volume of Advances in Space Biology and Medicine. While initially the series wassailed at annually appearing volumes, we are now down to a biannual appearance. Hopefully, it will be possible to return to annual volumes in the future when results from space station experimentation at beginning to pour in.
The first three chapters of this volume deal with muscle. Fejtek and Wassersug provide a survey of all studies on muscle of rodents flown in space, and include an interesting demography of this aspect of space research. Riley reviews our current knowledge of the effects of long-term spaceflight and re-entry on skeletal muscle, and considers the questions still to be answered before we can be satisfied that long-term space missions, such as on the space station, can be safely undertaken. Stein reviews our understanding of the nutritional and hormonal aspects of muscle loss in spaceflight, and concludes that the protein loss in space could be deleterious to health during flight and after return. Strollo summarizes our understanding of the major endocrine systems on the ground, then considers what we know about their functioning in space, concluding that there is much to be learned about the changes taking place during spaceflight. The many problems of providing life support (oxygen regeneration and food supply) during extended stay on the Moon, on Mars, or in space by means of plant cultivation are discussed by Salisbury. The challenges of utilizing electrophoresis in microgravity for the separation of cells and proteins are illustrated and explained by Bauer and colleagues. Finally, the chapter on teaching of space life sciences by Schmitt shows that this field of science has come of age, but also that its multidisciplinary character poses interesting challenges to teaching it.

Breast cancer research has never been in such an exciting and hopeful phase as today. From a clinical perspective, the discovery of genetic markers of risk in a proportion of familial breast cancer cases has opened up new vistas for understanding and ultimately preventing this disease. On the other hand, aggressive - even daring - therapies are being proven to be effective against advanced breast cancer. For the breast cancer experimentalist, this is also a time of great advance. Although animal and cell culture breast cancer models have proven to be of great use, there are now increasing opportunities to test the concepts developed in these models in actual clinical samples and cases. It is gratifying to see how well these concepts "translate" into the clinical setting. A very active area of research that is linking the laboratory to the clinic is the dissection of the biology and elucidation of the significance of proliferate breast disease and the identification of true, "high risk" or "preneoplastic" legions within the previously ill-defined spectrum of fibrocystic or benign breast disease. One anticipates that discoveries made here will also lead to earlier detection, intervention and prevention of life-threatening cancer.
Even, however, as we look with optimism to the eventual eradication of breast cancer, we are once again forced to face the reality that we have not yet achieved our goal. Thus, we are saddened by the much too premature death of Dr. Helene Smith from breast cancer. Helena's work was at the forefront of efforts to understand the biology of human breast cancer at the molecular level. Her insight, open-mindedness, and refusal to sacrifice relevance for convenience will continue to set the standard for all breast cancer researchers. This volume is dedicated to her memory.

For many years, it has been known that when rats and mice are given a reduced amount of food, their life span is increased and they remain healthy and vigorous at advanced ages.

What is the reason for this change in the usual pattern of aging? The evidence is overwhelming that the life extension results from a slowing of aging processes. And the factor responsible is the decrease in caloric intake. The obvious question: How does this factor work? A good question - and the reason that research on the anti-aging action of caloric restriction is today one of the most studied research areas in biological gerontology. For it is felt that if the biological mechanisms of the anti-aging action of caloric restriction can be uncovered, we would gain an understanding of the basic nature of aging processes, which would, in turn, yield possible interventions in human aging. This book aims to provide the growing number of researchers in this field (faculty, postdoctoral trainees, and graduate students) with a detailed knowledge of what is known about caloric restriction within the frame of gerontology, as well as insights on future of this field.

Bringing the hard-to-quantify aspects of lived experience to analysis, and emphasizing what might be lost in interventions if cultural insights are absent, this book includes case studies from across the Asia and Pacific regions -Bangladesh, Malaysia, New Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Tuvalu and the Cook Islands. When Culture Impacts Health offers conceptual, methodological and practical insights into understanding and successfully mediating cultural influences to address old and new public health issues including safe water delivery, leprosy, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and body image. It contains useful methodological tools - how to map cultural consensus, measure wealth capital, conduct a cultural economy audit, for example. It provides approaches for discerning between ethnic and racial constructs and for conducting research among indigenous peoples. The book will be indispensible for culture and health researchers in all regions.
Discusses global application of case descriptionsDemonstrates how a cultural approach to health research enriches and informs our understanding of intractable public health problemsCovers methods and measurements applicable to a variety of cultural research approaches as well as actual research resultsCase studies include medical anthropology, cultural epidemiology, cultural history and social medicine perspectives

"In Situ Molecular Pathology and Co-Expression Analyses" explains, in easy-to-understand language, simplified waysof understanding and performing in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry tests. The book also focuses on straightforward protocols used to simultaneously detect two or more proteins/nucleic acids within intact tissue by doing co-expression analyses.

The fields of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry have expanded rapidly due to the use of computer-based analysis. To get the most out of these automated platforms, researchers and diagnostic biomedical investigators must have a solid understanding of the basics of in situ-based tests, protocols, and regimens for troubleshooting.

Practicing molecular pathologists, clinical chemists, and toxicologists, as well as clinicians and researchers in training, will benefit from this book's clear presentation of protocols and theoretical framework.
Includes over 200 easy-to-follow experimental protocolsFeatures chapter-ending summaries of "Key Points to Remember" to bring beginners up to speed with any seasoned veteran in the fieldOffers two chapters written by industry leaders in the fields of in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and computer software for co-expression analyses"

This book identifies and analyzes the genetic basis of bone disorders in humans and demonstrates the utility of mouse models in furthering the knowledge of mechanisms and evaluations of treatments. The book is aimed at all students of bone biology and genetics, and with this in mind, it includes general introductory chapters on genetics and bone biology and more specific disease-orientated chapters, which comprehensively summarize the clinical, genetic, molecular genetic, animal model, functional and molecular pathology, diagnostic, counselling and treatment aspects of each disorder.
Saves academic, medical, and pharma researchers time in quickly accessing the very latest details on a broad range of genetic bone issues, as opposed to searching through thousands of journal articles.

Provides a common language for bone biologists and geneticists to discuss the development of bone cells and genetics and their interactions in the development of disease Researchers in all areas bone biology and genetics will gain insight into how clinical observations and practices can feed back into the research cycle and will, therefore, be able to develop more targeted genomic and proteomic assays

For those clinical researchers who are also MDs, correct diagnosis (and therefore correct treatment) of bone diseases depends on a strong understanding of the molecular basis for the disease.

This volume of "Advances in Cell Aging and Gerontology" provides a timely review on the molecular and cellular basis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Age itself is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, which include loss of vasomotor function, athero- and arterio-sclerosis, hypertension, congestive heart failure and stroke. Together these pathologies comprise the leading causes of permanent disability, hospitalization and death for individuals over the age of 65. Thus, there is a critical need to assess both the age-associated causes leading to CVD as well as the current state of knowledge on preventive regimens designed to slow or modulate disease progression.

This book concisely summarizes the current knowledge related to the major aspects contributing to cardiovascular disfunction in the elderly as well as potential ways of maintaining or improving human cardiovascular healthspan.

Strategy and Statistics in Clinical Trials deals with the research processes and the role of statistics in these processes. The book offers real-life case studies and provides a practical, how to guide to biomedical R&D. It describes the statistical building blocks and concepts of clinical trials and promotes effective cooperation between statisticians and important other parties. The discussion is organized around 15 chapters. After providing an overview of clinical development and statistics, the book explores questions when planning clinical trials, along with the attributes of medical products. It then explains how to set research objectives and goes on to consider statistical thinking, estimation, testing procedures, and statistical significance, explanation and prediction. The rest of the book focuses on exploratory and confirmatory clinical trials; hypothesis testing and multiplicity; elements of clinical trial design; choosing trial endpoints; and determination of sample size. This book is for all individuals engaged in clinical research who are interested in a better understanding of statistics, including professional clinical researchers, professors, physicians, and researchers in laboratory. It will also be of interest to corporate and government laboratories, clinical research nurses, members of the allied health professions, and post-doctoral and graduate students.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (S.L.E.), commonly called lupus, is a chronic autoimmune disorder that can affect virtually any organ of the body. In lupus, the body's immune system, which normally functions to protect against foreign invaders, becomes hyperactive, forming antibodies that attack normal tissues and organs, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and blood. Lupus is characterized by periods of illness, called flares, and periods of wellness, or remission.
Because its symptoms come and go and mimic those of other diseases, lupus is difficult to diagnose. There is no single laboratory test that can definitively prove that a person has the complex illness.
To date, lupus has no known cause or cure. Early detection and treatment is the key to a better health outcome and can usually lessen the progression and severity of the disease. Anti-inflammatory drugs, anti-malarials, and steroids (such as cortisone and others) are often used to treat lupus. Cytotoxic chemotherapies, similar to those used in the treatment of cancer, are also used to suppress the immune system in lupus patients.
A new edition of this established and well regarded reference which combines basic science with clinical science to provide a translational medicine model. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is a useful reference for specialists in the diagnosis and management of patients with SLE, a tool for measurement of clinical activity for pharmaceutical development and basic research of the disease and a reference work for hospital libraries.

* Highly illustrated and in full color throughout
* Basic science section expanded to allow the reader to focus on the newest techniques in molecular medicine and its effects on disease expression and treatment
* Clinical aspects and new drugs will be covered in great detail providing a useful reference to both experienced clinicians and physicians with an interest in lupus in their clinical practice

This is a unique book on thyroid neoplasms in that it covers many current topics in the area including tumor development, tumor markers and preclinical treatment for advanced cancer as well as practical approaches (radioiodine, ultrasound, thyroglobulin monitoring and PET scanning). This book will give the general reader and specialist a good foundation for what is currently going on in the area of thyroid neoplasms.
*A translational approach to thyriod neoplasms
*Contributions from national experts in research and clinical medicine
*Current and practical approaches to patients with thyroid neoplasms

This streamlined "essential" version of the Molecular Pathology (2009) textbook extracts key information, illustrations and photographs from the main textbook in the same number and organization of chapters. It is aimed at teaching students in courses where the full textbook is not needed, but the concepts included are desirable (such as graduate students in allied health programs or undergraduates). It is also aimed at students who are enrolled in courses that primarily use a traditional pathology textbook, but need the complementary concepts of molecular pathology (such as medical students). Further, the textbook will be valuable for pathology residents and other postdoctoral fellows who desire to advance their understanding of molecular mechanisms of disease beyond what they learned in medical/graduate school.
Offers an essentialintroduction to molecular genetics and the "molecular" aspects of human diseaseTeaches from the perspective of "integrative systems biology," which encompasses the intersection of all molecular aspects of biology, as applied to understanding human diseaseIn-depth presentation of the principles and practice of molecular pathology: molecular pathogenesis, molecular mechanisms of disease, and how the molecular pathogenesis of disease parallels the evolution of the disease using histopathology. "Traditional" pathology section provides state-of-the-art information on the major forms of disease, their pathologies, and the molecular mechanisms that drive these diseases.Explains the practice of "molecular medicine" and the translational aspects of molecular pathology: molecular diagnostics, molecular assessment, and personalized medicineStudent web site hosts "self-assessment" questions; Professor web site hosts all figures from bookEach chapter ends with Key Summary Points and Suggested Readings

"

The biological function of clusterin (CLU, also known as ApoJ, SGP2, TRPM2, CLI) has been puzzling researchers since its discovery and characterization in the early 1980s. Approaches such as cloning, expression and functional characterization of the different protein products generated by the CLU gene have now produced a critical mass of information of tremendous biological importance that are teaching us an important lesson in molecular biology of gene expression regulation. This volume brings together the contributions of top researchers in the field, providing an overview and synthesis of the latest thought and findings relating to CLU.

In this volume of ASPA, devoted to developmental biology research, 9 authors from different fields of developmental biology present their investigations on various developing plant and animal models. An "a priori" concern in mind that weightlessness might have negative effects on developmental processes, it is encouraging to know that the overall development of various organisms tested so far is essentially correct under spaceflight conditions, leading to viable individuals with viable offspring. On the other hand, particular studies on specifically neurophysiological aspects in developing organisms reveal important flight or postflight disturbances; however it is encouraging to know that they appear to be transient only.
The book contains ten chapters, giving details on how, in technical terms, experiments for spaceflights are prepared, performed and analysed and on how, in scientific terms, the available results have to be interpreted. One contribution is devoted to plant systems, five consider the overall aspects of embryonic development in invertebrates and vertebrates, two focus on neurophysiological aspects and one reports on the "mother-offspring system" in weightlessness in a mammalian model, the last chapter presents new ESA facilities and instruments to be integrated into the European research Laboratory "Columbus" of the ISS.

Hyaluronan biology is being recognized as an important regulator of cancer progression. Paradoxically, both hyaluronan (HA) and hyaluronidases, the enzymes that eliminate HA, have also been correlated with cancer progression. Hyaluronan, a long-chain polymer of the extracellular matrix, opens up tissue spaces through which cancer cells move and metastasize. It also confers motility upon cells through interactions of cell-surface HA with the cytoskeleton. Embryonic cells in the process of movement and proliferation use the same strategy. It is an example of how cancer cells have commandeered normal cellular processes for their own survival and spread. There are also parallels between cancer and wound healing, cancer occasionally being defined as a wound that does not heal.
The growing body of literature regarding this topic has recently progressed from describing the association of hyaluronan and hyaluronidase expression associated with different cancers, to understanding the mechanisms that drive tumor cell activation, proliferation, drug resistance, etc. No one source, however, discusses hyaluronan synthesis and catabolism, as well as the factors that regulate the balance. This book offers a comprehensive summary and cutting-edge insight into Hyaluronan biology, the role of the HA receptors, the hyaluronidase enzymes that degrade HA, as well as HA synthesis enzymes and their relationship to cancer.
* Offers a comprehensive summary and cutting-edge insight into Hyaluronan biology, the role of the HA receptors, the hyaluronidase enzymes that degrade HA, as well as HA synthesis enzymes and their relationship to cancer
* Chapters are written by the leading international authorities on this subject, from laboratories that focus on the investigation of hyaluronan in cancer initiation, progression, and dissemination
* Focuses on understanding the mechanisms that drive tumor cell activation, proliferation, and drug resistance

Genetic Diseases of the Kidney identifies and analyzes genetic abnormalities causing renal diseases in human subjects. Although in a sense the genome contains all the instructions required for the formation of a phenotype, the information is encoded in an extremely complicated fashion. In primary genetic diseases, the genetic instruction specifies a phenotype clearly linked with a discreet lesion confined to the kidney. However, the genetic disturbance may be imbedded in a complicated physiologic ensemble, so that the nexus between the genetic disturbance and the phenotype may be obscured; in consequence, the causal sequence is extremely difficult to unravel. In many instances the renal disease is one component of a complicated systemic hereditary disease, either monogenic or polygenic. Indeed, renal disease may arise as the sum of minor inputs from many different, seemingly unrelated genes, so that the genetic contributions may be difficult to identify. Confounding the problem further are environmental influences, originating either in the chromosomal environment from modifier genes, or in the extra-chromosomal environmental from intrauterine or postnatal influences. These considerations have determined both the organization of the text as well as the detailed description of the genetic disorders and the physiologic derangements that emerge.
* Lays the essential foundation of mammalian genetics principles for medical professionals with little to no background in genetics
* Analyzes specific renal diseases - both monogenic disorders confined to the kidney as well as systemic diseases with renal involvement - and explains their genetic causes.
*World-renowned editors andauthors offer expert frameworks for understanding the links between genes and complex clinical disorders (i.e., lupus, diabetes, HIV, and hypertension)

The Textbook of Nephro-Endocrinology is the definitive translational reference in the field of nephro-endocrinology, investigating both the endocrine functions of the kidneys and how the kidney acts as a target for hormones from other organ systems. It offers both researchers and clinicians expert, gold-standard analysis of nephro-endocrine research and translation into the treatment of diseases such as anemia, chronic kidney disease (CKD), rickets, osteoprosis, and, hypoparathyroidism.
* Investigates both the endocrine functions of the kidneys and how the kidney acts as a target for hormones from other organ systems.
* Presents a uniquely comprehensive and cross-disciplinary look at all aspects of nephro-endocrine disorders in one reference work.
* Clear translational presentations by the top endocrinologists and nephrologists in each specific hormone or functional/systems field.

With cancer-related deaths projected to rise to 10.3 million people by 2020, the need to prevent, diagnose, and cure cancer is greater than ever. This book presents readers with the most up-to-date imaging instrumentation, general and diagnostic applications for various cancers, with an emphasis on lung and breast carcinomas--the two major worldwide malignancy types. This book discusses the various imaging techniques used to locate and diagnose tumors, including ultrasound, X-ray, color Doppler sonography, PET, CT, PET/CT, MRI, SPECT, diffusion tensor imaging, dynamic infrared imaging, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. It also details strategies for imaging cancer, emphasizing the importance of the use of this technology for clinical diagnosis. Imaging techniques that predict the malignant potential of cancers, response to chemotherapy and other treatments, recurrence, and prognosis are also detailed.
Concentrates on the application of imaging technology to the diagnosis and prognosis of lung and breast carcinomas, the two major worldwide malignancies
Addresses the relationship between radiation dose and image quality
Discusses the role of molecular imaging in identifying changes for the emergence and progression of cancer at the cellular and/or molecular levels"

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is one of the most common maladies of mankind. Approximately 40% of the adult population of the USA suffers from significant heartburn and the numerous antacids advertised incessantly on national television represents a $8 billion per year drug market. The ability to control acid secretion with the increasingly effective acid-suppressive agents such as the H2 blockers ("pepcid, zantac") and proton pump inhibitors ("nexium, prevacid") has given physicians an excellent method of treating the symptoms of acid reflux.
Unfortunately, this has not eradicated reflux disease. It has just changed its nature. While heartburn, ulceration and strictures have become rare, reflux-induced adenocarcinoma of the esophagus is becoming increasingly common. Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cardia is now the most rapidly increasing cancer type in the Western world.
The increasing incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma has created an enormous interest and stimulus for research in this area. GERD brings together a vast amount of disparate literature and presents the entire pathogenesis of reflux disease in one place. In addition to providing a new concept of how gastroesophageal reflux causes cellular changes in the esophagus, GERD also offers a complete solution to a problem that has confused physicians for over a century. Both clinical and pathological information about reflux disease and its treatment are presented. GERD is meant to be used as a comprehensive reference for gastroenterologists, esophageal surgeons, and pathologists alike.
*Outlines how gastroesophageal reflux causes cellular changes in the esophagus
*Brings together the pathogenesis of the disease in one source and applies it toward clinical treatment
*Tom DeMeester is THE leading international expert on reflux disease; Parakrama Chandrasoma is one of the leading pathologists in the area
*Book contains approximately 350 illustrations
*Ancillary web site features color illustrations: www.chandrasoma.com

The present volume is the first in the advances in oncobiology series. It is meant to be useful not only to clinical and non-clinical oncologists but also to graduate students and medical students. The individual chapters are presented as self-contained summaries of current knowledge rather than as reviews. The last chapter deals with the subject of chemotherapy.