As in many other fields, biomedical engineers benefit from the use of computational intelligence (CI) tools to solve complex and non-linear problems. The benefits could be even greater if there were scientific literature that specifically focused on the biomedical applications of computational intelligence techniques. The first comprehensive field-specific reference, Computational Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering provides a unique look at how techniques in CI can offer solutions in modelling, relationship pattern recognition, clustering, and other problems particular to the field. The authors begin with an overview of signal processing and machine learning approaches and continue on to introduce specific applications, which illustrate CI's importance in medical diagnosis and healthcare. They provide an extensive review of signal processing techniques commonly employed in the analysis of biomedical signals and in the improvement of signal to noise ratio. The text covers recent CI techniques for post processing ECG signals in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease and as well as various studies with a particular focus on CI's potential as a tool for gait diagnostics. In addition to its detailed accounts of the most recent research, Computational Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering provides useful applications and information on the benefits of applying computation intelligence techniques to improve medical diagnostics.

The goal of the second edition is to introduce the advance undergraduate or graduate student and more seasoned research scientists in any of the allied health sciences to a wide array of methodological and biostatistical issues, as they occur in the context of both published and ongoing research. Some sixty-four articles published between 1992 and 2002 have been selected from the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, The Clinical Neuropsychologist, and Child Neuropsychology and reproduced in this volume. While building upon a working knowledge and understanding of the basic univariate data analytic techniques and the research designs to which they apply, the approach to the more complex multivariate techniques is presented primarily at a conceptual and essentially non-mathematical level.
While the issue of the complexity of some of the more recent and standard approaches to data analytic strategies, and their important role to specific research designs is important to convey, there remains an even more fundamental issue of whether the results of correctly applied data analytic strategies make any practical or clinical sense, above and beyond their having reached levels of "statistical significance." These critical issues are addressed throughout various commentaries that the editors make at appropriate points in the text.
The volume will appeal to advanced undergraduate and graduate students as well as clinical neuropsychologists and research scientists in any of the allied health disciplines.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every human being on the planet and forced us all to reflect on the bioethical issues it raises. In this timely book, Gregory Pence examines a number of relevant issues, including the fair allocation of scarce medical resources, immunity passports, tradeoffs between protecting senior citizens and allowing children to flourish, discrimination against minorities and the disabled, and the myriad issues raised by vaccines. KEY FEATURES A thorough overview of the many ethical issues connected with the COVID-19 pandemic. Engages with empirical data and the real-world practical problems that bear on pandemic response. Informed by foundational ideas in ethics as well as the latest in bioethics scholarship. Examines COVID-19 in the context of other historical pandemics. A portion of the revenue from this book's sales will be donated to Doctors Without Borders to assist the humanitarian work of nurses, doctors, and other health care providers in the fight against COVID-19 and beyond.

There is no substitute for extensive testing when it comes to IT systems. Recognition that problems are easier and cheaper to fix before the system is in use (rather than after), has turned testing into a cost-effective tool. However, when developing computer systems for pharmaceuticals manufacturing, testing to meet regulatory requirements adds an additional layer of complexity. Testing Computers Systems for FDA/MHRA Compliance focuses on software module, software integration, hardware, and system acceptance testing. Reflecting the renewed emphasis of the FDA and other global regulatory agencies towards systematic inspections and risk-based validation with an underlying scientific rationale, this guide focuses on current best practices in computer systems testing in the regulatory environment. David Stokes demonstrates how the principles detailed in the GAMP 4 Guide can be used to define a pragmatic approach to testing. He includes techniques for testing large Internet-based systems for compliance with the stringent requirements of regulations such as 21CFR Part 11, and clarifies the relationship and responsibilities of the system "user" and "supplier". The author also delineates where testing starts in the project lifecycle, who performs what testing, where the lines of responsibility start and end, and the differences in the terminology used in the healthcare and general IT sectors. A checklist of questions to be used when developing System Test Specification(s), and templates for documenting typical system test results, round out the features that make this book a practical guide for all those involved in the development and implementation of IT systems for the pharmaceutical and related healthcare manufacturing industries. Senior managers, team project leaders, project team members, and industry trainees, will all benefit from this clear and practical guide.

Mismeasurement of explanatory variables is a common hazard when using statistical modeling techniques, and particularly so in fields such as biostatistics and epidemiology where perceived risk factors cannot always be measured accurately. With this perspective and a focus on both continuous and categorical variables, Measurement Error and Misclassification in Statistics and Epidemiology: Impacts and Bayesian Adjustments examines the consequences and Bayesian remedies in those cases where the explanatory variable cannot be measured with precision.

The author explores both measurement error in continuous variables and misclassification in discrete variables, and shows how Bayesian methods might be used to allow for mismeasurement. A broad range of topics, from basic research to more complex concepts such as "wrong-model" fitting, make this a useful research work for practitioners, students and researchers in biostatistics and epidemiology."

Cancers are on the rise across the world. Except for viral-based cancers, overall cancers are diseases that may be preventable. This book looks at the many levels of determined, probable, and possible causation for several common cancers. These causes include realities found in culture, anthropology, sociology, politics, the environment, agriculture and food, beliefs, and the modern lifestyle. These realities are filtered through the perennial science of Chinese medicine - an ecological system of knowing and understanding the human body as it relates to the world around us.The book covers lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, and virally-caused cancers. It interweaves conventional medical knowledge of these cancers with modern realities of everyday life we all live, and with Chinese medicine interpretations and strategies for treating probable pre-cancerous conditions. This makes it a book that is useful for the practitioner of Chinese medicine. It is also useful for the patient suffering a cancer diagnosis in terms of survivorship and for other medical practitioners who wish to understand how integrated care for cancerous diseases and conditions may relate to Chinese medicine and prevention.The final chapters of the book are dedicated to finding answers for a cure for cancer through making connections between how we live, what we believe, the environment we are creating based on those beliefs, and the social and political mechanisms we now have in place that keep us from change and, therefore, from the cure for cancer.

Bayesian analyses have made important inroads in modern clinical research due, in part, to the incorporation of the traditional tools of noninformative priors as well as the modern innovations of adaptive randomization and predictive power. Presenting an introductory perspective to modern Bayesian procedures, Elementary Bayesian Biostatistics explores Bayesian principles and illustrates their application to healthcare research. Building on the basics of classic biostatistics and algebra, this easy-to-read book provides a clear overview of the subject. It focuses on the history and mathematical foundation of Bayesian procedures, before discussing their implementation in healthcare research from first principles. The author also elaborates on the current controversies between Bayesian and frequentist biostatisticians. The book concludes with recommendations for Bayesians to improve their standing in the clinical trials community. Calculus derivations are relegated to the appendices so as not to overly complicate the main text. As Bayesian methods gain more acceptance in healthcare, it is necessary for clinical scientists to understand Bayesian principles. Applying Bayesian analyses to modern healthcare research issues, this lucid introduction helps readers make the correct choices in the development of clinical research programs.

Collecting and analyzing data on unemployment, inflation, and inequality help describe the complex world around us. When published by the government, such data are called official statistics. They are reported by the media, used by politicians to lend weight to their arguments, and by economic commentators to opine about the state of society. Despite such widescale use, explanations about how these measures are constructed are seldom provided for a non-technical reader. This Measuring Society book is a short, accessible guide to six topics: jobs, house prices, inequality, prices for goods and services, poverty, and deprivation. Each relates to concepts we use on a personal level to form an understanding of the society in which we live: We need a job, a place to live, and food to eat. Using data from the United States, we answer three basic questions: why, how, and for whom these statistics have been constructed. We add some context and flavor by discussing the historical background. This book provides the reader with a good grasp of these measures. Chaitra H. Nagaraja is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York. Her research interests include house price indices and inequality measurement. Prior to Fordham, Dr. Nagaraja was a researcher at the U.S. Census Bureau. While there, she worked on projects relating to the American Community Survey.

Recent decades have seen a steady rise in the incidence of antisocial behavior in youth. Possible direct consequences aside, such behavior is predictive of chronic emotional, educational, vocational, and emotional impairment that is associated with hundreds of millions of dollars in costs to overtaxed mental health, social services, special education, and juvenile justice systems. Written by an eminent group of international experts, Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorders: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Treatment offers the first comprehensive cutting-edge overview of all the major aspects of conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in children and adolescents. It is organized into three sections. The first summarizes classification and assessment, epidemiology and comorbidity, as well as course and outcome. The second examines factors that put children and adolescents at risk to develop CD and ODD: contextual, familial/genetic, and neuropsychological and neuroendocrine. The third presents numerous empirically supported approaches to prevention and treatment. An epilogue reviews recent progress and unresolved questions, and suggests needs for future research. Special attention is devoted to gender and developmental pathways in etiology, symptom expression, courses, and outcomes. This volume will be crucial reading for all mental health professionals whose work involves them with these exceptionally difficult clients.

Written by experts in the analytical chemistry of tobacco smoke, Tobacco Smoke Exposure Biomarkers summarizes the toxicology, metabolic pathway, and biomarkers of nicotine, TSNAs, PAHs, VOCs, AAs, Catechol and Hydroquinone, HCN, CO and NOx, and heavy metals, and the use of this biomarker in exposure assessment and/or cigarette smoke exposure environmental epidemiology. A convenient one-stop guide, the book brings together information on some exposure biomarkers and nicotine addiction in humans with regulatory implications and strategies. The authors also include discussions of how smoke exposure biomarkers may be used to shape regulation and health policy. Ethics guidelines, details of method development, and the validated relative bioanalytical method provided in the appendixes rounds out the coverage. The book gives you tools to further research biomarkers for tobacco carcinogens and to face emerging health challenges such as delivery of nicotine via electronic cigarettes.

THE GROUNDBREAKING, FORMATIVE WORK IN SPATIAL EPIDEMIOLOGY - NOW UPDATED FOR A NEW GENERATION OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN PUBLIC HEALTH In 2003, Neighborhoods and Health codified the idea that a neighborhood's social and physical makeup can influence the health of people who live in it. More than a decade later, with the relationship between place and health firmly entrenched at the center of how we understand public health (and as its own scientific discipline, spatial epidemiology), this second edition of the landmark text offers another giant leap forward for the field. Offering both a synthesis of the essential research and a practical overview of the methods used to garner it, the second edition of Neighborhoods and Health is the essential guide to understanding this core component of contemporary population health - both the journey to date and what's next.

Mathematical and Statistical Skills in the Biopharmaceutical Industry: A Pragmatic Approach describes a philosophy of efficient problem solving showcased using examples pertinent to the biostatistics function in clinical drug development. It was written to share a quintessence of the authors' experiences acquired during many years of relevant work in the biopharmaceutical industry. The book will be useful will be useful for biopharmaceutical industry statisticians at different seniority levels and for graduate students who consider a biostatistics-related career in this industry. Features: Describes a system of principles for pragmatic problem solving in clinical drug development. Discusses differences in the work of a biostatistician in small pharma and big pharma. Explains the importance/relevance of statistical programming and data management for biostatistics and necessity for integration on various levels. Describes some useful statistical background that can be capitalized upon in the drug development enterprise. Explains some hot topics and current trends in biostatistics in simple, non-technical terms. Discusses incompleteness of any system of standard operating procedures, rules and regulations. Provides a classification of scoring systems and proposes a novel approach for evaluation of the safety outcome for a completed randomized clinical trial. Presents applications of the problem solving philosophy in a highly problematic transfusion field where many investigational compounds have failed. Discusses realistic planning of open-ended projects.

This monograph on vertigo is based on the personal, hands-on, practical and clinical experience of managing vertigo in a large university-affiliated hospital. It covers all aspects of the subject, offering the latest information on epidemiology, aetiopathogenesis, diagnostics, the battery of vestibular and allied tests, treatment, rehabilitative management and ethical considerations. The neglected but substantial problem of paediatric vertigo is addressed, as are the many pathologies in the elderly population that can lead to disequilibrium and repeated falls. This book will prove of value to a range of practitioners, including family physicians, otologists, audiologists, vestibular scientists, neurologists, paediatricians, geriatricians, physiotherapists, rehabilitation therapists and general doctors, as well as medical and nursing students.

How to apply statistical methods to survey data—a guide to effective analysis of health surveys.

With large health surveys becoming increasingly available for public use, researchers with little experience in survey methods are often faced with analyzing data from surveys to address scientific and programmatic questions. This practical book provides statistical techniques for use in survey analysis, making health surveys accessible to statisticians, biostatisticians, epidemiologists, and health researchers. The authors clearly explain the theory and methods of survey analysis along with real-world applications. They draw on their work at the National Institutes of Health as well as up-to-date information from across the literature to present:

• The sampling background necessary to understand health surveys.
• The application of such techniques as t-tests, linear regression, logistic regression, and survival analysis to survey data.
• The use of sample weights in survey data analysis.
• Dealing with complications in variance estimation in large health surveys.
• Applications involving cross-sectional, longitudinal, and multiple cross-sectional surveys, and the use of surveys to perform population- based case-control analyses.
• Guidance on the correct use of statistical methods found in software packages.
• Extensive bibliography.

Multilevel modelling facilitates the analysis of hierarchical data where observations may be nested within higher levels of classification. In health care research, for example, a study may be undertaken to determine the variability of patient outcomes where these also vary by hospital or health care region. Inference can then be made on the efficacy of health care practices.

• Focuses on multilevel modelling for health and medical research
• Covers the majority of analytical techniques required by health care professionals
• Repeated measures, outliers, institutional performance and spatial analysis are all examined in a multilevel framework
• All the methodology is applied to data sets relating to the health of individual or populations
• Includes in-depth discussion of the software packages used in multilevel modelling

Health care professionals and public health researchers interested in the application of statistics will benefit greatly from this text. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students studying medical statistics.

Key Topics in Clinical Research aims to provide a short, clear, highlighted reference to guide trainees and trainers through research and audit projects, from first idea, through to data collection and statistical analysis, to presentation and publication. This book is also designed to assist trainees in preparing for their specialty examinations by providing comprehensive, concise, easily accessible and easily understandable information on all aspects of clinical research and audit.

Cancers are on the rise across the world. Except for viral-based cancers, overall cancers are diseases that may be preventable. This book looks at the many levels of determined, probable, and possible causation for several common cancers. These causes include realities found in culture, anthropology, sociology, politics, the environment, agriculture and food, beliefs, and the modern lifestyle. These realities are filtered through the perennial science of Chinese medicine - an ecological system of knowing and understanding the human body as it relates to the world around us.The book covers lung, colorectal, breast, prostate, and virally-caused cancers. It interweaves conventional medical knowledge of these cancers with modern realities of everyday life we all live, and with Chinese medicine interpretations and strategies for treating probable pre-cancerous conditions. This makes it a book that is useful for the practitioner of Chinese medicine. It is also useful for the patient suffering a cancer diagnosis in terms of survivorship and for other medical practitioners who wish to understand how integrated care for cancerous diseases and conditions may relate to Chinese medicine and prevention.The final chapters of the book are dedicated to finding answers for a cure for cancer through making connections between how we live, what we believe, the environment we are creating based on those beliefs, and the social and political mechanisms we now have in place that keep us from change and, therefore, from the cure for cancer.

This book is dedicated to Dr. Philip A. Schwartzkroin. The book has a novel format because it is not intended to be a set of reviews. Instead, it is an effort to explore important topics in the epilepsy research field. Because articles are written by leaders in the field who have years of experience, and individuals with diverse expertise, articles are likely to have a long-lasting impact and be relevant for both epileptologists and neuroscientists. Authors address topics that are important, unresolved questions in the field of epilepsy research, drawing on available data from both the bench and the clinic to support their points. A given topic is addressed by one or more authors, each writing from his/her own unique perspective. For all of the individuals who have been trained or worked with Philip Schwartzkroin in the past, and/or have appreciated his contributions to the epilepsy field, this volume is an excellent way to celebrate his achievements and look to the ways they have moved the field forward, and continue to stimulate its growth.

This work provides current models, tools, and examples for the formulation and evaluation of scientific hypotheses in causal terms. It introduces a new method of model parametrization, and illustrates structural equations and graphical elements for complex causal systems.

Ideas about the transmission of disease have long formed the core of modern biology and medicine. Heredity and Infection examines their development over the last century. Two scientific revolutions - the bacteriological revolution of the 1890s and the genetic revolution at the start of the twentieth century - acted as the catalysts of major change in our understanding of the causes of illness. As well as being great scientific achievements, these were social and political watersheds that reconfigured the medical and administrative means of intervention. By establishing a clear distinction between transmission by infection and genetic transmission, this shift was instrumental in separating hygiene from eugenism.
The authors argue that the popular perception of such a sharp divide stabilized only after 1945 when the use of antibiotics to end epidemics became commonplace. For health professionals the separation has never become an absolute one, and the book examines the various blends of heredity and infection that have preoccupied biology, medicine and the social sciences. Heredity and Infection recontructs the changing epidemiology of such historically important pathologies as tuberculosis , cancer and AIDS. In doing so, it demonstrates the role of experimental models, medical practices and cultural images in the making of contemporary biochemical knowledge.

Cannabis Physiopathology and Detection features an outstanding collection of contributions from leading researchers around the world. Papers were presented at the Second International Colloquium on Illicit Drugs, held at the French National Academy of Medicine in April 1992. The book reviews the latest clinical reports describing the effects of cannabis on the brain (imaging techniques, memory and psychomotor performance, cannabis, and schizophrenia), effects on reproduction (male and female), and carcinogenicity. Aspects of detection covered in the volume include methods, results of different testing groups, and legal issues associated with testing and detection. Cannabis Physiopathology and Detection will be an important addition to the reference collections of marijuana researchers, pathologists, government agencies, medical school libraries, and drug testers.

Covering all major arthropods of medical importance worldwide, this award-winning resource has established itself as a standard reference for almost 25 years. With the globilization of commerce and the world becoming more intimately connected through the everyday ease of travel, unknown arthropod species are being increasingly encountered. This means access to up-to-date, authoritative information in medical entomology has never been more important. Now in its seventh edition, this book maintains its well-acclaimed status as the ultimate easy-to-use guide to identify disease-carrying arthropods, the common signs and symptoms of vector-borne diseases, and the current recommended procedures for treatment. Includes an in-depth chapter with diagnostic aids to help physicians to recognize and accurately diagnose arthropod-related diseases and conditions more easily Updates all chapters with the latest medical and scientific findings, including Zika virus, red meat allergy, new viruses found in ticks, and vaccine development for malaria and dengue fever Presents a greater medical parasitology emphasis throughout Offers electronic downloads containing additional photographs of arthropod-caused diseases and lesions, as well as instructional videos with pest identification aids, basic entomology, and insect and pest ecology. Illustrated throughout with detailed color images to aid identification, The Goddard Guide to Arthropods of Medical Importance, Seventh Edition will remain an essential guide for physicians, public health officials, and pest control professionals.

This book is a history of the diseases of humankind and their causes from earliest times to the present day. It is a tour de force drawing upon the author's extensive work on the history of infection, as well upon evidence drawn from archaeology, history and demography.

Both infectious and almost all non-communicable diseases are potentially eradicable. Just how they are and the significance of Professor McKeown's finding for health policies in developing countries, are the concluding themes of this controversial work.

Historians have long recognized epidemics to be a significant, though sometimes hidden, factor in the fortunes of societies and civilizations. The study of epidemics heightens our understanding of relationships between economic systems and living conditions. It illuminates the ideologies and religious beliefs of the affected community and illustrates the efforts and inadequacies of public health systems. This investigation of the history of epidemics in various parts of Peru during the twentieth century opens up a new field for Latin American studies to include health and disease. These are important areas of the past that enable us to understand better the living conditions of people, the role of state authority and the dynamics of social movement. Marcos Cueto examines five series of epidemics: the bubonic plague of 1903-1930; the fever epidemic of 1919-1922; the typhus and small pox epidemics in the Andes; attempts to control and eradicate malaria, and the cholera epidemics of 1991. In each case he studies the biological and ecological factors that caused the outbreak, and the techniques and policies applied to fight it, together with the response of the affected society. The experience of epidemics in Peru has been cyclical. Poverty breeds disease which in turn results in further poverty. One of the aims of this study is to highlight areas of success and failure in the fight against epidemics in the hope that such awareness may help break this vicious circle.

Finite element analysis has been widely applied to study biomedical problems. This book aims to simulate some common medical problems using finite element advanced technologies, which establish a base for medical researchers to conduct further investigations. This book consists of four main parts: (1) bone, (2) soft tissues, (3) joints, and (4) implants. Each part starts with the structure and function of the biology and then follows the corresponding finite element advanced features, such as anisotropic nonlinear material, multidimensional interpolation, XFEM, fiber enhancement, UserHyper, porous media, wear, and crack growth fatigue analysis. The final section presents some specific biomedical problems, such as abdominal aortic aneurysm, intervertebral disc, head impact, knee contact, and SMA cardiovascular stent. All modeling files are attached in the appendixes of the book. This book will be helpful to graduate students and researchers in the biomedical field who engage in simulations of biomedical problems. The book also provides all readers with a better understanding of current advanced finite element technologies. Details finite element modeling of bone, soft tissues, joints, and implants Presents advanced finite element technologies, such as fiber enhancement, porous media, wear, and crack growth fatigue analysis Discusses specific biomedical problems, such as abdominal aortic aneurysm, intervertebral disc, head impact, knee contact, and SMA cardiovascular stent Explains principles for modeling biology Provides various descriptive modeling files