This comprehensive reference details the techniques for establishing vascular access for hemodialysis and other acute and chronic conditions that require access to the circulation along with peritoneal dialysis access methods. Includes over 960 references and more than 160 tables, figures, and photographs. Vascular Access in Clinical Practice contains the latest material on -autogenous AV fistula formation and maintenance methods -diagnosis of fistula problems prior to thrombosis -salvaging acutely thrombosed grafts -percutaneous methods of salvaging access sites -preoperative assessment of the access patient -materials used for vascular access and their healing responses -access techniques for pediatric patients and features extensive coverage of central venous catheters including -catheter selection -catheter placement techniques -catheter related complications -operative imaging -catheter care and maintenance Vascular Access in Clinical Practice is an essential reference for general and vascular surgeons, residents, and fellows; nephrologists; dialysis practitioners; intravenous infusion practices; and medical, physician assistant, and nursing students who have contact with dialysis and other critically ill patients.

Written and edited by world-renowned leaders in the field! Presents new directions for the prevention and treatment of arterial and venous cardiovascular thrombotic and thromboembolic diseases. Updates contemporary thinking regarding low-molecular-weight-heparins (LMWH), platelet receptor antagonists, and direct thrombin inhibitors to manage acute coronary syndromes. Evaluates contemporary strategies for anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy to improve early clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention. Offering diagnostic and management strategies to reduce morbidity and mortality from acute coronary syndromes and acute pulmonary embolism, Thrombosis and Thromboembolism is a superb reference for cardiologists, internists, primary care physicians, vascular medicine specialists, vascular surgeons, hematologists, pulmonologists and critical care physicians, cardiovascular surgeons, cardiac care nurses, and upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and medical school students in these disciplines.

Contents:
1. What do gap junctions do anyway? 2. Cardiovascular gap junctions: Functional Diversity, complementation and specialization of connexins 3. Endothelium and smooth muscle pathways for conduction along resistance microvessels 4. Membrane potential and calcium responses evoked by acetylcholine in submucosal arterioles of the guinea-pig small intestine 5. The effects of ouabain, 18a-glycyrrhetinic acid and connexin-mimetic peptides on intercellular communication in cells expressing a Cx43-GFP chimeric protein 6. Role of gap junctions in endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizations 7. Heterogeneity of EDHF-type relaxations of rabbit and rat arteries analysed with peptides homologous to the extracelluar loops of connexins 37, 40 and 43 8. Myoendothelial and circumferential spread of endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization in coronary arteries 9. Direct myoendothelial contact in human pulmonary microvessels 10. Role of gap junctional communication in EDHF-mediated responses and mechanisms of K-induced dilatations 11. Comparison of alpha and beta isoforms of glycyrrhetinic acid and carbenoxolone as inhibitors of EDHF-type relaxation 12. Inhibitory effect of 18-beta-glycyrrhetinic acid on the relaxation induced by acetylcholine in the rat aorta 13. A central role for endothelial cell potassium channels in EDHF-mediated responses 14. Could the EDHF be K in porcine coronary arteries? 15. Nitro-L-arginine/indomethacin-resistant relaxations to acetylcholine in small gastric arteries of the rat: Effect of ouabain plus Ba2+ and relation to potassium ions 16. Effects of barium, ouabain and K+ on the resting membrane potential and endothelium-dependent responses in rat arteries 17. EDHF and potassium: Blockade of chloride channels reveals relaxations of rat mesenteric artery to potassium 18. Cytochrome P450 2C is a source of EDHF and reactive oxygen species in the porcine coronary artery 19. Cortisol increases EDHF-mediated relaxations in porcine coronary artery 19. Cortisol increases EDHF-mediated relaxations in porcine coronary arteries and up-regulates the expression of cytochrome P450 2C9 20. An arachidonic acid metabolite(s) produced by the endothelial cytochrome P450 isoform, CYP3A4, relaxes the lingual artery of the monkey via K+ channel opening 21. EDHF-mediated responses induced by bradykinin in the porcine coronary artery 22. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid release mediates nitric oxide-independent dilatation of rat mesenteric vessels 23. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acid and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization in porcine coronary arteries 24. Lipoxygenase-derived metabolites of arachidonic acid are not involved in the endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization to acetylcholine in the carotid artery of the guinea-pig 25. Cytochrome P450 isoforms in the brain encode cell specific hyperpolarizing factors with a common mechanism of action 26. Expression of recombinant cytochrome P450 epoxygenase in rat brain 27. Identification of 11, 12, 15-trihydroxyeicosatrienoic acid as the mediator of acetylcholine- and arachidonic acid-induced relaxations in the rabbit aorta 28. Identification of hydrogen peroxide as an endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor in mice 29. Components of the potassium currents underlying the actions of endothelium- derived hyperpolarizing factor in arterioles 30. Evidence for relaxation to endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) in isolated small mesenteric arteries of the mouse 31. Pharmacological characterization of potassium channels in intact mesenteric arteries and single smooth muscle cells from eNOS-/- and +/+ mice 32. EDHF, which is not NO, is a major endothelium-dependent vasodilator in mice 33. Prostacyclin and iloprost in the isolated carotid artery of the guinea pig 34. Role of charybdotoxin/apamin sensitive K+ Ca channels in pulsatile perfusion- mediated coronary vasodilatation in vivo 35. Essential role of estrogen in the EDHF-mediated responses of mesenteric arteries from middle-aged female rats: Possible contribution of gap junctional protein connexin 43 36. Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF) and utero-feto-placental circulation in the rat 37. Endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor maintains a normal relaxation to bradykinin despite impairment of the nitric oxide pathway in porcine coronary arteries with regenerated endothelium 38. Mechanisms underlying the vasodilatation caused by bradykinin in essential hypertensive patients 39. Influence of diabetes on endothelium-dependent responses in mesenteric and femoral arteries of rats 40. Folate restores the NO synthase- and cyclooxygenase-resistant renal vasodilator response to acetylcholine in diabetes 41. Resistance of EDHF-mediated relaxations to oxidative stress in human radial arteries 42. Critical limb ischemia results in different types of endothelial dysfunction depending on the vascular bed studied 43. Potentiated EDHF-mediated dilatations in the rat middle cerebral artery following ischemia/reperfusion 44. The EDHF-dependent but not the NO-dependent component of the acetylcholine-induced relaxation of the rabbit aorta is resistant to ionized radiation 45. Inhibition of converting enzyme prevents the age-related decline in endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization 46. Effects of a converting enzyme inhibitor, an AT1-receptor antagonist and their combination on endothelial dysfunction in hypertension 47. EDHF: Gap junction or chemical? And many other questions

This book provides simple and practical instructions on how to perform safe and easy venous cannulation, and how to insert midlines and PICC lines using ultrasound. It aidsunderstanding of the relevant anatomy, shows how to use the ultrasound machine, and how to insert such lines using ultrasound guidance. Readers will feel confident and well prepared to deal with patients requiring difficult venous access, giving them simple solutions that can be learned very quickly. These skills will also be globally beneficial for patients and healthcare institutions alike. Follows the trends of the NHS and riding the wave of the midline/PICC line revolution Compact and affordable highly relevant to daily practice Useful for specialists and generalists alike, truly multi-disciplinary

Diabetes and hypertension have evolved as two of the modern day epidemics affecting millions of people around the world. These two common co-morbidities lead to substantial increase in cardiovascular disease, the major cause of morbidity and mortality of adults around the world. In Diabetes and Hypertension: Evaluation and Management, a panel of renowned experts address a range of critical topics -- from basic concepts in evaluation and management of diabetes and hypertension, such as dietary interventions, to evaluation and management of secondary hypertension in clinical practice. Other chapters focus on high cardiovascular risk populations such as those with coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease and minority patients. In addition, evolving concepts and new developments in the field are presented in other chapters, such as prevention of type 2 diabetes and the epidemic of sleep apnea and its implication for diabetes and hypertension evaluation and management. An important title covering two of the most troubling disorders of our time, Diabetes and Hypertension: Evaluation and Management will provide the busy practitioner with cutting edge knowledge in the field as well as practical information that can translate into better care provided to the high-risk population of diabetics and hypertensive patients.

With the gradual transition from the technology-driven, intervention-oriented perspective of the last decade to a new, preventive, molecular-based perspective, Joanne Foody, MD, has amassed new preventive measures for use in everyday practices in this new edition of Preventive Cardiology. This new edition provides practical information for the management of patients at risk for cardiovascular disease and also offers an overview of the new paradigms in the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease (CAD).
Divided into three parts, Part I focuses on the atherosclerotic process, the important central role of the endothelium in the maintenance of cardiovascular health, and the role of inflammation in CAD. Part II provides insights into gender-specific aspects of CAD risk and concentrates on traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Part III provides an overview of approaches for the identification of patients at risk for CAD events and reviews of stress testing in patients with CAD and the important role of antiplatelets in coronary disease.
Preventive Cardiology: Insights Into the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease, Second Edition provides an overview of the exciting opportunities to prevent the progression, and in some instances to regress the process, of coronary atherosclerosis and incorporate these strategies into the daily practice of clinical medicine. This valuable new edition provides clinical cardiologists, internists, primary care providers, and allied health care professionals with the tools and understanding necessary for their practice in preventive cardiology.

Approximately eight to twelve million individuals in the United States are affected by peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Thus this disease is common and well represented in nearly all adult medical practices. Peripheral arterial diseases include diverse clinical entities that encompass atherosclerotic, aneurysmal, vasospastic, and inflammatory disorders that affect the arteries. The Peripheral Arterial Disease Handbook presents a unique compendium of evidenced-based and expert approaches for the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral arterial diseases, written for all practitioners who care for adults with these disorders. This comprehensive, easy-to-use book presents both epidemiological and pathophysiological data in succinct form, along with a practical clinical review of the diagnosis and treatment of the most important areas of peripheral arterial disease care.

This collection of articles on oxidative stress in clinical practice surveys essential current research in what is a rapidly evolving field. As well as giving the reader a mechanistic overview of how oxidative stress affects cardiovascular disease, it analyzes the potential of a number of therapeutic options that target these pathways. Understanding the complexity of the cellular redox system could lead to the development of better targeted interventions that facilitate patient recovery. Even as large-scale clinical trials of so-called simple' antioxidant approaches such as vitamins C and E show that significant benefits for cardiovascular patients remain elusive, Studies on Cardiovascular Disorders demonstrates that such approaches are too simplistic. Beginning with a summary of redox signalling models that could induce the progression of redox-associated cardiovascular disorders, the volume moves on to examine redox-mediated protein modification under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. It provides an outline of the signalling pathways in cardiovascular development during embryogenesis and what impact these might have in the differentiation process of resident cardiac and blastocyst-derived stem cells. Further chapters detail our current knowledge of the influence the sensory nervous system exerts on the cardiovascular system, and the paradoxical role of mitochondria-derived ROS in cardiac protection. In all, almost 30 contributions cover issues as diverse as the antioxidant properties of statins in the heart and the oxidative risk factors for cardiovascular disease in women. A range of medical practitioners will find the contents of Studies on Cardiovascular Disorders provides illuminating insight into the Janus-faced role of ROS in the cardiovascular system.

A growing number of people suffer from so-called resistant hypertension, that is to say, high blood pressure that does not respond to treatment. This disorder is of great current interest and importance for public health, being a common clinical problem faced by both primary care clinicians and specialists. Furthermore, as older age and obesity are among the strongest risk factors for uncontrolled hypertension, the incidence of resistant hypertension will likely increase as the population becomes more elderly and heavier. While the prognosis of resistant hypertension is unknown, cardiovascular risk is undoubtedly increased since patients often have a history of long-standing, severe hypertension complicated by multiple other cardiovascular risk factors. This volume, compiled by a panel of world-renowned experts, offers a comprehensive exploration of resistant hypertension, covering epidemiology, complex diagnostic aspects, and the therapeutic options currently available, with due attention to overall treatment strategies. New therapeutic agents and procedures, such as renal denervation and baroreceptor stimulation, are also described. In addition, the book addresses the economic aspects of resistant hypertension and the role of the different professional figures, from GPs to hypertension specialists, in dealing with it.

Answering the demand for acomprehensive, all-purpose volume focusing on the challenging needs of pediatric patients, Mechanical Support for Cardiac and Respiratory Failure in Pediatric Patients summarizes a wealth of knowledge on the mechanical devices, clinical management, alternative applications, and future directions in the specialized field of pediatric critical care. Condensed advice from experts on the shelf offers guidance in critical intensive care settings! Combining clinical aspects with the latest experimental results, Mechanical Support for Cardiac and Respiratory Failure in Pediatric Patients -examines current modalities and the best uses of mechanical support, including step-by-step techniques for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ventricular assist devices (VAD), and intra-aortic balloon pumps -highlights the use of mechanical support in nonsurgical diseases such as myocarditis and cardiomyopathy, with implanted ventricular devices and in long-term follow-up care -discusses the optimal management for perioperative support in cardiac and pulmonary transplantations in children -reviews successful cases of mechanical support, including resuscitation after cardiac arrest, pediatric patients with myocarditis, and circulatory support of patients without cardiac disease -explores anticipated improvements and uses of the Berlin Heart, the Nimbus Rotary Pump, and applications of the Medos-HIA VAD in young patients -and much more! Authored by nearly 40 internationally recognized experts and containing over 500 literature references, drawings, photographs, and tables, Mechanical Support for Cardiac and Respiratory Failure in Pediatric Patients is an invaluable referencefor cardiologists and pediatric cardiologists, intensivists, cardiac surgeons, pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, general pediatricians, nursing personnel, perfusionists, and medical school students in these disciplines.

Since the publication of the 3rd Edition 17 years ago, progress has been truly remarkable in all areas of electrocardiography. Five of the seven chapters in this 4th Edition have been extensively revised. Out of the total of 125 ECGs, 65 are new. Each ECG is crisp and clear and all the abnormalities are highlighted by arrows for easy recognition and understanding. This book is the culmination of the author's 45 years of experience in the teaching of electrocardiography to coronary care unit nurses, medical undergraduates, postgraduates, interns, residents, senior residents and above. As the title of the book implies, the approach to the subject has been entirely from the viewpoint of a clinician. Hence, clinical-electrocardiographic correlations have been emphasized simply and succinctly throughout the text.

Summarizing state-of-the-art developments in long-term mechanical ventilation use, this comprehensive treatise reviews the applications, complications, and care of breathing disorders affecting the growing population of ventilation-assisted individuals-including neuromuscular and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) and chest wall deformities.
Qualitatively considers reimbursement options for management outside of acute care settings
Covering both noninvasive ventilation (NIV) and invasive ventilation techniques and procedures, Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation
provides an epidemiology of long-term mechanical ventilation with a review of recent trends
examines the pathophysiological mechanisms contributing to chronic respiratory failure, including the pathogenesis and treatment of restrictive thoracic and central hypoventilatory disorders
investigates the controversy over conflicting results for NIV management of patients with chronic respiratory failure due to severe stable COPD
details critical care for children with severe ventilatory defects such as congenital neuromuscular diseases, cystic fibrosis, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia
chronicles new insights into the role of the upper airway and glottis in determining the effectiveness of NIV
considers weaning dependent patients off ventilation and methods of care for different sites using the least complicated and most economical means
explores tools for measuring the impact and outcomes of long-term mechanical ventilation and determining patients' quality of life
and more
Containing over 1400 literature references, tables, drawings, and photographs, Long-Term Mechanical Ventilation is a necessary reference for pulmonary and thoracic specialists, chest physicians, anesthesiologists, physiologists, physiatrists and rehabilitation physicians, respiratory therapists, intensive care specialists, and medical school and graduate school students in these disciplines.

Venous disorders, while generally not life-threatening, affect millions worldwide, causing pain, disability and negatively impacting the lives of sufferers. Enormous advances have been made recently in treatments, providing minimally invasive solutions, increasing rates of success, low rates of morbidity and better care for a greater number of patients. With contributions from experts in a number of specialties, this highly practical guide provides an understanding of the pathophysiology of venous disease and authoritative information on management, and details of all the current treatment options available to physicians. The new techniques and skills described in this book afford patients with venous disease healthier and more productive lives. The Fundamentals of Phlebology is a valuable resource for all those involved in the field, including physicians from a variety of specialties, including dermatology, vascular surgery, and interventional radiology, also also for nursing staff, ultrasonographers, allied health professionals, and scientists. The Editor, Helane Fronek MD, is a Fellow of the American College of Phlebology and the American College of Physicians, and has specialized since 1986 in the field of Phlebology, recently recognised by both the American Medical Association and American Ossteopathic Association as a distinct medical specialty field.

Public interest in the health impacts of carbon monoxide (CO) has been increasing rapidly during the past decade. And rightly so: it is the most ubiquitous environmental poison. Car exhaust fumes, furnaces, gas-powered engines, home water heaters, smoke from all types of fire, and tobacco smoke all contribute to carbon monoxide intoxication - the leading cause of poisoning death in the United States. Even when it doesn't cause death, it often produces lasting, deleterious effects on the central nervous system.

From one of the world's top CO experts, Carbon Monoxide Toxicity examines the latest basic science and clinical research from around the world. It addresses the gamut of health-related CO issues, from the history of CO studies to the hidden threat of chronic low-level exposure. The broad themes center on clinical management of various forms of CO poisoning and education of the public on the constant dangers of CO.

Thanks to the success of CO environmental health regulations in the U.S., society is much more aware of the threat of CO poisoning. Increasing numbers of people use CO detectors in public buildings, homes, pleasure boats, and aircraft. Carbon Monoxide Toxicity meets the need for current research on the clinical management of CO poisoning.


Visit the author's Web site at www.coheadquarters.com

Vortex Formation in the Cardiovascular System will recapitulate the current knowledge about the vortex formation in the cardiovascular system, from mechanics to cardiology. This can facilitate the interaction between basic scientists and clinicians on the topic of the circulatory system. The book begins with a synopsis of the fundamentals aspects of fluid mechanics to give the reader the essential background to address the proceeding chapters. Then the fundamental elements of vortex dynamics will be discussed, explaining the conditions for their formation and the rules governing their dynamics. The main equations are accompanied by mathematical models. Cardiovascular vortex formation is first analyzed in physiological, healthy conditions in the heart chambers and in the large arterial vessels. The analysis is initially presented with an intuitive appeal grounded on the physical phenomena and a focus on its clinical significance.In the proceeding chapters, the knowledge gained from either clinical or basic science literature will be discussed. The corresponding mathematical elements will finally be presented to ensure the adequate diligence. The proceeding chapters ensue to the analysis of pathological conditions, when the reader may have developed the ability to recognize normal from abnormal vortex formation phenomenon. Pathological vortex formation represents vortices that develop at sites where normally laminar flow should exist, e.g. stenosis and aneurisms. This analysis naturally leads to the interaction of vortices due to the surgical procedures with respect to prediction of changes in vortex formation. The existing techniques, from medical imaging to numerical simulations, to explore vortex flows in the cardiovascular systems will also be described. The presentations are accompanied by the mathematical definitions can that be understandable for reader without the advanced mathematical background, while an interested reader with more advanced knowledge in mathematics can be referred to references for further quantitative analyses. The book pursues the objective to transfer the fundamental vortex formation phenomena with application to the cardiovascular system to the reader. This book will be a valuable support for physicians in the evaluation of vortex influence on diagnosis and therapeutic choices. At the same time, the book will provide the rigorous information for research scientists, either from medicine and mechanics, working on the cardiovascular circulation incurring with the physics of vortex dynamics.

This book covers the state-of-the-art approaches for automated non-invasive systems for early cardiovascular disease diagnosis. It includes several prominent imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, and PET technologies. There is a special emphasis placed on automated imaging analysis techniques, which are important to biomedical imaging analysis of the cardiovascular system. Novel 4D based approach is a unique characteristic of this product. This is a comprehensive multi-contributed reference work that will detail the latest developments in spatial, temporal, and functional cardiac imaging. The main aim of this book is to help advance scientific research within the broad field of early detection of cardiovascular disease. This book focuses on major trends and challenges in this area, and it presents work aimed to identify new techniques and their use in biomedical image analysis. Key Features: Includes state-of-the art 4D cardiac image analysis Explores the aspect of automated segmentation of cardiac CT and MR images utilizing both 3D and 4D techniques Provides a novel procedure for improving full-cardiac strain estimation in 3D image appearance characteristics Includes extensive references at the end of each chapter to enhance further study

As Americans and citizens of other industrializing countries began to enjoy lives of increasing affluence and ease during the first half of the 20th century, a rising tide of heart attacks and strokes displaced infectious diseases as the leading cause of death, killing millions in the United States and throughout the world. Although cardiovascular disease remains serious and widespread, the significant decline of per capita deaths is one of the greatest accomplishments of modern public health and medicine. Death rates from heart attack and stroke have fallen dramatically by 80% in the past 50 years -- the progress has been hard won by a combination of basic and applied laboratory research, broad and far-reaching epidemiological studies by physicians, scientists, and public health experts. Cardiovascular disease is no longer viewed as an as an inevitable feature of the natural course of aging, and complacency has given way to hope. This book focuses on developments that influenced the rise and decline of cardiovascular mortality since 1900, but also includes insider insights from the author, a 42-year NIH employee.

This book makes sense of complex topics by distilling them to basic concepts. It provides normal physiology integrated with indications for and evaluation of disease states. With a fresh clinical approach, it helps answer reoccurring questions.

Coronary Heath Disease reminds the leading cause of premature death in most western countries, accounting, in the UK, for 40 percent of deaths in men and 10 percent of deaths in women, aged between 45 and 64 years. The psychological and social impact of heart disease can have adverse effects on the individual, the family and the disease itself, whilst a heart attack might involve not only an immediate threat to life, but also loss of a sense of control.

This book provides a practical framework for supporting and helping the patient and the family both in the acute medical setting and in the longer term in the community. It focuses on skills and techniques needed to provide important information, reduce stress and to set realistic goals during rehabilitation. The role of open communication between helper and patient is emphasized and demonstrated using examples and case studies.

This book has been written for all concerned with heart disease: professionals and lay helpers, clinicians and non-clinicians.

The Foreword is by Dr Alastair McDonald of the Cardiac Department, The Royal London Hospital, who also acted as medical advisor for the book.

There are over 400 CHD risk factors that need to be evaluated, prevented, and treated. It is crucial that we have tests for early identification, prevention and treatment of CHD and MI. CHD remains the number one cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. This book discusses not only older traditional risk factors of heart disease, but new considerations including updated genetic material which is state of the art. This book provides a new and detailed explanation of the causes of CHD and MI based on genetics, blood tests, urine tests. vascular tests and cardiac tests. Once this information is understood and applied to the patient the control of CHD risk factors, cardiovascular complications such as MI and heart failure will be improved with fewer adverse effects and lower cost. No other heart book on the market has this updated and extensive data based on published trials and the experience of the author. Chapters are written in an easy- to -understand format and all medical terms are defined for the reader. Tables and figures are provided each chapter to better illustrate what is described in the text, provide concise, understandable, and valuable information. All references are numbered in the text and then listed at the end of each chapter - the references provide additional medical information. Summaries and Key Take Away Points are provided at the end of each chapter. A sources section is listed at the end of the book which lists contact information for the best nutritional supplement companies, lab, and testing companies, as well as other important sources mentioned in the text of the book.

Asthma is a disease of high prevalence that has shown a trend toward increasing incidence, morbidity, and mortality over the last three decades despite apparently effective drug treatments and increasing awareness of the need for better disease management. Often the inflammatory component of asthma is studied; however, the tissue remodelling process is a significant process that should not be overlooked. This valuable reference synthesizes current data and concepts developed to determine the relationship between airway wall remodelling and the pathogenesis of asthma. It discusses evidence for structural changes in asthmatic airway, the relationship between airway thickening and hyperresponsiveness, the relationship between cytokine production and tissue remodelling and inflammation, the significance of epithelial changes and the extracellular matrix, and in vivo and in vitro experimental approaches to the assessment of remodelling. Pharmacological and biochemical mechanisms that control cell proliferation are also examined. The consequences of airway wall remodelling for airway hyperresponsiveness is the unique focus of this volume, offering a fresh perspective of advances in asthma research.

Cardiovascular disease remains the chief cause of mortality and morbidity in adults in many parts of the world, and diagnosis and treatment is increasingly based on cellular, intracellular, and molecular parameters as well as systems analysis. Consequently, it is vital that medical students learn the fundamental physiology of the cardiovascular system. This book, along with its interactive electronic learning modules, breathes life into the subject, with animations, videos, and game-like decision-making.

Cardiovascular disease remains the chief cause of mortality and morbidity in adults in many parts of the world, and diagnosis and treatment is increasingly based on cellular, intracellular, and molecular parameters as well as systems analysis. Consequently, it is vital that medical students learn the fundamental physiology of the cardiovascular system. This book, along with its interactive electronic learning modules, breathes life into the subject, with animations, videos, and game-like decision-making.

Examining the layers of meaning encoded in software and the rhetoric surrounding it, this book offers a much-needed perspective on the intersections between software, morality, and politics. In software development culture, evangelism typically denotes a rhetorical practice that aims to convert software developers, as well as non-technical lay users, from one platform to another (e.g., from the operating system Microsoft Windows to Linux). This book argues that software evangelism, like its religious counterpart, must also be understood as constructing moral and political values that extend well beyond the boundaries of the development culture. Unlike previous studies that locate such values in the effects of code in-use or in certain types of code like free and open source (FOSS) software, Maher argues that all code is meaningful beyond its technical, executable functions. To facilitate this analysis, this study builds a theory of evangelism and illustrates this theory at work in the proprietary software industry and FOSS communities. As an example of political liberalism at work at the level of code, these evangelical rhetorics of software construct competing conceptions of what is good that fall within a shared belief in what is just. Maher illustrates how these beliefs in goodness and justice do not always execute in replicable ways, as the different ways of decoding software evangelisms in the contexts of Brazil and China reveal. Demonstrating how software evangelisms exert a transformative force on the world, one comparable in significance to code itself, this book highlights the importance of rhetoric in even the most seemingly a-rhetorical of technical endeavors and foregrounds the crucial need for rhetorical literacy in the digital age.

This book demonstrates evidence of a new microorganism infecting a person complaining of a dermopathy and fibers spontaneously exiting the dermis who was diagnosed with delusional parasitosis. The organism is likely a fungus that lives beneath the epidermis with the ability to infect common fibers including cotton, feathers and hair follicles.