During the past several decades, the fetus has been diversely represented in political debates, medical textbooks and journals, personal memoirs and autobiographies, museum exhibits and mass media, and civil and criminal law. Ourselves Unborn argues that the meanings people attribute to the fetus are not based simply on biological fact or theological truth, but are in fact strongly influenced by competing definitions of personhood and identity, beliefs about knowledge and authority, and assumptions about gender roles and sexuality. In addition, these meanings can be shaped by dramatic historical change: over the course of the twentieth century, medical and technological changes made fetal development more comprehensible, while political and social changes made the fetus a subject of public controversy. Moreover, since the late nineteenth century, questions about how fetal life develops and should be valued have frequently intersected with debates about the authority of science and religion, and the relationship between the individual and society. In examining the contested history of fetal meanings, Sara Dubow brings a fresh perspective to these vital debates.

The first edition of Human Genome Epidemiology, published in 2004, discussed how the epidemiologic approach provides an important scientific foundation for studying the continuum from gene discovery to the development, applications and evaluation of human genome information in improving health and preventing disease. Since that time, advances in human genomics have continued to occur at a breathtaking pace.
With contributions from leaders in the field from around the world, this new edition is a fully updated look at the ways in which genetic factors in common diseases are studied. Methodologic developments in collection, analysis and synthesis of data, as well as issues surrounding specific applications of human genomic information for medicine and public health are all discussed. In addition, the book focuses on practical applications of human genome variation in clinical practice and disease prevention. Students, clinicians, public health professionals and policy makers will find the book a useful tool for understanding the rapidly evolving methods of the discovery and use of genetic information in medicine and public health in the 21st century.

Denial in cancer patients is a well-known concept. The definition of denial, however, is not unequivocal and covers different ways of evading painful events or feelings. This thesis studies denial and its relation to the quality of life in lung cancer patients. To assess the level of denial the 'Denial of Cancer Interview' (DCI) was developed. Denial was measured at different time points in the course of the disease. The key-finding from this study is that patients fare better when they express a moderate level of denial or increase their level of denial from the moment of diagnosis over time. This study shows convincingly that denial in lung cancer patients deserves attention in clinical practice. In this era of self-disclosure it is good to realize that some patients need protection against unbearable facts and feelings. Denial can serve this need and should be respected.

Evaluation is crucial for determining the effectiveness of social programs and interventions. In this nuts and bolts handbook, social work and health care professionals are shown how evaluations should be done, taking the intimidation and guesswork out of this essential task. Current perspectives in social work and health practice, such as the strengths perspective, consumer empowerment, empowerment evaluation, and evidence-based practice, are linked to evaluation concepts throughout the book to emphasize their importance. This book makes evaluation come alive with comprehensive examples of each different type of evaluation, such as a strengths-based needs assessment in a local community, a needs assessment for Child Health Plus programs, comprehensive program descriptions of HIV services and community services for the aged, a model for goals and objectives in programs for people with mental illness, a monitoring study of private practice social work, and process evaluations of a Medicare advocacy program and a health advocacy program to explain advance directives. Equal emphasis is given to both quantitative and qualitative data analysis with real examples that make statistics and concepts in qualitative analysis un-intimidating. By integrating both evaluation and research methods and assuming no previous knowledge of research, this book makes an excellent reference for professionals working in social work and health settings who are now being called upon to conduct or supervise program evaluation and may need a refresher on research methods. With a pragmatic approach that includes survey design, data collection methods, sampling, analysis, and report writing, it is also an excellent text or classroom resource for students new to the field of program evaluation.

As the recent war in Lebanon demonstrated, an understanding of the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group Hizbullah remains an important component of any attempt to solve the problems of the Middle East. "The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology" provides an in-depth analysis of the group's motivations, tracking the changes it has undergone since Hizbullah's founding by Lebanese Shi'ite clergy in 1978. Joseph Alagha demonstrates that Hizbullah, driven at its founding chiefly by religious concerns, in the latter half of the 1980s became a full-fledged social movement, with a structure and ideology aimed at social change. Further changes in the 1990s led to Hizbullah's becoming a mainstream political party--but without surrendering its militarism or willingness to use violence to advance its ends.
In tracking these changes, "The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology" covers such disparate topics as Hizbullah's views of jihad, suicide and martyrdom, integration, pan-Islamism, anti-Zionism, and the relationship with Israel and the United States. It will be necessary reading for both scholars and policymakers.

Health Promotion in Midwifery explores the principles of health promotion within the practical context of midwifery. It clearly outlines and discusses the midwife's role in health promotion, making it essential reading for all student and practising midwives, as well as clinical practitioners. Emphasizing the link between theory and practice, the second edition incorporates chapters on domestic violence, sexual health, breastfeeding, and mental health promotion. Text boxes make the text accessible and user-friendly and case studies and summaries put the material in practical context. Additional readings encourage readers to further research and reflection on their own practice. Throughout the book, the importance of the role of the midwife in health promotion is emphasized. This second edition brings together contributions from a variety of experienced practitioners.

This book tells the extraordinary story of how the function of the first - and so far almost the only - human organ was replaced by a machine, and the "artificial kidney" entered medical and public folk-lore. A practical artificial kidney, or dialyser, came about by advances in science followed by the acquisition of new synthetic materials which made the application of these ideas possible. However it was the dedication and persistence of a number of talented pioneers who pressed ahead against professional opposition to achieve success, first in the treatment of temporary, recoverable kidney failure, and then permanent renal shut-down which made it a success. The apparent high cost and limited availability of this form of treatment immediately raised ethical questions which had never been questioned before, centering around equity of access to treatment, when and if treatment could be denied, and - worst of all - the agonising decision of when, once established, it should be stopped. Spiralling costs as the true number of people with kidney failure became evident raised major political and financial questions, which were addressed in different countries in different ways which reflected - but also helped change - patterns of how medical care is provided. In developed countries, the problem could be solved by allocating a disproportionate amount of money to the treatment of relatively few kidney patients, but in the developing world the cost of treatment still limits its availability, as it does all forms of modern health care. Nevertheless, today almost one million people world-wide are maintained alive following terminal kidney failure, two thirds of them by various forms of dialysis and the remainder bearing kidney transplants, almost always placed after a period on dialysis. The story is also the sum of the often heroic lives of these hundreds of thousands of patients, a few of whom have today been maintained alive and active for more than 35 years, and many of whom suffered known, but also unexpected complications as a result of their treatment.

Neeltje Elisabeth Langeveld (1954) worked at the Emma Children's Hospital where she was promoted to the position of Research Nurse in the Children's Cancer Department. From 1990 she trained in Clinical Epidemiology for Nurses at the AMC. In 1996 she started the research which is the subject of this dissertation. She will remain active as Research Nurse in the Children's Cancer Department when she has completed it. This dissertation focuses on aspects of the quality of life of young adults who have recovered from childhood cancer. Some fivehundred childhood cancer survivors, aged from 16 to 49 years, were asked to complete a questionnaire during their annual clinical check up at the 'Polikliniek Late Effecten Kindertumoren' (plek). The dissertation compares the results with a control group of subjects who had never suffered from cancer.

Dive into a world of new insights and self-discovery as you unlock the secrets of your subconscious with this collection of 1,000+ common dream symbols and their meanings.

Unlock the mysteries of your dreams with this comprehensive dream dictionary, featuring over 1,000 of the most common dreams and their interpretations. Whether you dream of being underwater, flying, or taking an exam, this handy guide offers insightful and straightforward explanations that illuminate the deeper meanings behind your dreams. Each concise entry will provide you with greater clarity and understanding of yourself and your subconscious thoughts, desires, and fears. Whether you’re a dream enthusiast or a newcomer to dream analysis, this book is your essential companion. Decode the secrets of your dreams and unravel your subconscious with the turn of every page.

GAIN NEW INSIGHTS: Uncover the layers of your subconscious and learn how your dreams reflect your desires, fears, and aspirations, providing you with valuable insights into your waking life.

1,000+ ENTRIES: Entries cover a wide range of the most common dreams, from falling to flying.

EASY TO REFERENCE: Perfect for those new to dream interpretation, with alphabetized entries and simple-to-understand explanations.

EYE-CATCHING DESIGN: In addition to being a practical and comprehensive resource for dream analysis, this dictionary is a high-quality, deluxe product with spot illustrations throughout.

COMPACT AND DURABLE: Durable materials and a portable 5.75" x 8.25" size make this dictionary ideal for taking on overnight trips and fitting on a nightstand.

At a time of increasing demands on budgets, governments around the world are seeking to reduce health expenditure and introduce market-oriented reforms to the health sector. This is leading to profound shifts in the relationship between the state and the individual, as policy makers dismantle the welfare state and move towards a user-pays sytem.Health Policy in the Market State offers an overview of health policy in Australia, locating it within the broader context of power and interests analysis and shifts in government policy and public sector restructuring. It outlines the key issues in current health policy and assesses the strengths and weaknesses of specific policies and programs.Contributors include Ian Anderson and Maggie Brady, Mary Draper, Stephen Duckett, Liz Eckerman, Sophie Hill, Sharon Moore, Michael Muetzelfeldt, Janine Smith and Beth Wilson.Health Policy in the Market State is a valuable overview for students, as well as a comprehensive reference for health professionals and policy-makers.

In 2003 the role of government in the regulation of cannabis is as hotly debated as it was a century ago. In this lively study James Mills explores the historical background of cannabis legislation, arguing that the drive towards prohibition grew out of the politics of empire rather than scientific or rational assessment of the drug's use and effects.

The onset of the quadruple burden of disease in South Africa, the challenges faced by the medical establishment to curtail the rapid growth of multiple epidemics, the inadequate response by the state to various inequities in the health system, and the public debates associated with it, have all combined to draw attention to the sociological aspects of health and disease. Sociology as a resource of knowledge and a unique analytical and conceptual perspective can be used to understand, explain and positively influence the course of health and disease in South African society and our responses to it. As a health practitioner or scholar you must be equipped with the skills to critically evaluate research and debates in your profession, be able to adapt to changes and contribute to the development of knowledge and best practice. This reader will familiarise you with relevant content and assist you to develop the analytical capacity and conceptual skills you will need. Society, Health and Disease in South Africa is authored by experienced educators and researchers in the fi elds of sociology, social work, anthropology, healthcare policy and practice.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is finally recognized as a common neurodevelopmental disorder, and has gained increasingly high social awareness and scientific interest worldwide. Knowledge of its clinical presentation, mechanisms of disease, and available treatment approaches has increased remarkably over the last decade. Likewise, the way clinicians, teachers, social care workers and families face the problems manifested by patients with TS is rapidly evolving. Tourette Syndrome, edited by Davide Martino and James F. Leckman, offers a unique opportunity to capture this interesting momentum through a comprehensive and up-to-date overview. Tourette Syndrome covers all of the main aspects related to TS, analyzing the complexity of its clinical presentation, the novel viewpoints of causes and mechanisms, the best way to assess TS patients, and the multifaceted and multidisciplinary treatment options. The multidisciplinary and up-to-date content is the main asset of this volume, which represents a useful source of consultation for a wide audience of professionals, all of whom will have access to what is known so far on TS within their particular area of expertise, at the same time being able to expand and update their knowledge in other areas. Medical and PhD students, as well as post-doctoral scientists, will be able to use the volume as a valuable learning source. Also, questions for future research are clearly presented in the volume, providing a summary of the viewpoint of the contributing authors upon where research on TS should be heading. Finally, clinicians and other health professionals will have access at a glance to the main patients' associations and organizations dedicated to TS worldwide, which can facilitate the direct contact with patients.

Reprogenetic technologies, which combine the power of reproductive techniques with the tools of genetic science and technology, promise prospective parents a remarkable degree of control to pick and choose the likely characteristics of their offspring. Not only can they select embryos with or without particular genetically-related diseases and disabilities but also choose embryos with non-disease related traits such as sex. Prominent authors such as Agar, Buchanan, DeGrazia, Green, Harris, Robertson, Savulescu, and Silver have flocked to the banner of reprogenetics. For them, increased reproductive choice and reduced suffering through the elimination of genetic disease and disability are just the first step. They advocate use of these technologies to create beings who enjoy longer and healthier lives, possess greater intellectual capacities, and are capable of more refined emotional experiences. Indeed, Harris and Savulescu in particular take reprogenetic technologies to be so valuable to human beings that they have insisted that their use is not only morally permissible but morally required. Rethinking Reprogenetics challenges this mainstream view with a contextualised, gender-attentive philosophical perspective. De Melo-Martin demonstrates that you do not have to be a Luddite, social conservative, or religious zealot to resist the siren song of reprogenetics. Pointing out the flawed nature of the arguments put forward by the technologies' proponents, Rethinking Reprogenetics reveals the problematic nature of the assumptions underpinning current evaluations of these technologies and offers a framework for a more critical and sceptical assessment.

How does AI compare to a doctor when it comes to saving lives?

Doctors are under-resourced and face unprecedented levels of stress, with rising patient numbers and ever developing medical knowledge. But at the same time, they are all too human, prone to racial, class and social biases that affect the care patients receive.

Can we improve patient experience and alleviate the burdens of doctors at the same time? In this groundbreaking study, Charlotte Blease reveals how AI, if handled with care, could emerge as the most reliable physician in history.

Drawing on interviews with authorities in AI, doctors and patients, Blease shows how technology – despite some resistance – is already making a difference. From diagnosis and second opinions to treatment and aftercare, AI has the potential to revolutionize our healthcare.

The prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) has never been more important. Throughout the world death rates from cardiovascular causes are rising and are soon estimated to overtake infectious diseases as the leading global cause of death for the first time in history. All healthcare professionals need to understand what causes this disease and how to prevent it. This new edition of this highly successful book brings together the latest information and research on CHD; in particular, the health professional's role in prevention of the disease. It gives practical advice on correcting these factors through lifestyle and medical management. Updates for the second edition include:coverage of the new large lipid-lowering drug trials therapeutic advances in the use of thrombolytic, antiplatelet and anti-hypertensive drugs advances in treatments including diabetic control, anti-smoking therapy, prescription of exercise and the use of dietary advice. This book is aimed at the broad range of professionals who come into contact with CHD patients and with those at risk of CHD, including nurses, physiotherapists, dieticiansdietitians, occupational therapists, clinical psychologists, general practitioners, doctors who are involved in prevention and rehabilitation and all staff working in coronary care units, lipid and hypertension clinics and general cardiology clinics. evidence-based content ensures a firm scientific basis for practice the practical nature of the content can be immediately applied in the working environment e.g. smoking cessation strategies, dietary counseling and risk assessment the multidisciplinary group of contributors ensures that the content reflects the multidisciplinary nature of CHD prevention work case studies and practice exercises enable the application of theory to practice summaries of key points facilitate understanding and retention the implications from clinical governance legislation, the National Service Frameworks and Joint British Recommendations on prevention of CHD in clinical practice recent research outcomes e.g. the HOT trial diabetes and its links with CHD material relating to ethnic minorities more 'global' statistics where possible to make the text more appealing to international markets the inequalities arising from socio-economic exclusion

This book presents a logical system of critical appraisal, to allow readers to evaluate studies and to carry out their own studies more effectively. This system emphasizes the central importance of cause and effect relationships. Its great strength is that it is applicable to a wide range of issues, and both to intervention trials and observational studies. This system unifies the often different approaches used in epidemiology, health services research, clinical trials, and evidence-based medicine, starting from a logical consideration of cause and effect. The author's approach to the issues of study design, selection of subjects, bias, confounding, and the place of statistical methods has been praised for its clarity and interest. Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and the applications of this logic to evidence-based medicine, knowledge-based health care, and health practice and policy are discussed. Current and often controversial examples are used, including screening for prostate cancer, publication bias in psychiatry, public health issues in developing countries, and conflicts between observational studies and randomized trials. Statistical issues are explained clearly without complex mathematics, and the most useful methods are summarized in the appendix. The final chapters give six applications of the critical appraisal of major studies: randomized trials of medical treatment and prevention, a prospective and a retrospective cohort study, a small matched case-control study, and a large case-control study. In these chapters, sections of the original papers are reproduced and the original studies placed in context by a summary of current developments.

Stem cell therapy is ushering in a new era of medicine in which we will be able to repair human organs and tissue at their most fundamental level- that of the cell. The power of stem cells to regenerate cells of specific types, such as heart, liver, and muscle, is unique and extraordinary. In 1998 researchers learned how to isolate and culture embryonic stem cells, which are only obtainable through the destruction of human embryos. An ethical debate has raged since then about the ethics of this research, usually pitting pro-life advocates vs. those who see the great promise of curing some of humanity's most persistent diseases.
In this book Cynthia Cohen agrees that we need to work toward a consensus on the issue of how we treat the embryo. But more broadly she claims that we need to transform and expand the ethical and policy debates on stem cells (adult and embryonic). This important and much-needed book is both a primer and a means by which to understand the implications of this research. Cohen starts by introducing readers to the basic science of stem cell research, and the core ethical questions surrounding the embryo. She then expands the scope of the debate, looking at the moral questions that will crop up down the line, such as e.g. the use of therapeutic cloning to overcome the body's immune resistance to stem cells; the ethics of using animals to test stem cells; how to disentangle federal and state legal and regulatory policies in pursuit of a coherent national policy; and how to develop an ethics of stem cell research that will accommodate new techniques and controversies that we cannot even foresee now. Her final chapter develops a concrete plan for an oversight systemfor this research.
This is the first single-author book that addresses the many broad ethical and legal issues related to stem cells, and it should be of great interest to bioethicists, researchers, clinicians, philosophers, theologians, lawyers, policy makers, and general readers.

Ethical Issues in International Biomedical Research is the definitive book on the ethics of research involving human subjects in developing countries. Using 21 actual case studies, it covers the most controversial topics, including the ethics of placebo research in Africa, what benefits should be provided to the community after completion of a research trial, how to address conflicts between IRBs in developed and developing countries, and undue inducement of poor people in developing countries. Each case is accompanied by two expert commentaries, written by many of the worlds leading experts in bioethics as well as new voices with research experience in developing countries. No other volume has this scope. Students in bioethics, public and international health, and ethics will find this book particularly useful.