Based on almost a decade of research in the Kathmandu Valley, Planning Families in Nepal offers a compelling account of Hindu Nepali women as they face conflicting global and local ideals regarding family planning. Promoting a two-child norm, global family planning programs have disseminated the slogan, ""A small family is a happy family,"" throughout the global South. Jan Brunson examines how two generations of Hindu Nepali women negotiate this global message of a two-child family and a more local need to produce a son. Brunson explains that while women did not prefer sons to daughters, they recognized that in the dominant patrilocal family system, their daughters would eventually marry and be lost to other households. As a result, despite recent increases in educational and career opportunities for daughters, mothers still hoped for a son who would bring a daughter-in-law into the family and care for his aging parents. Mothers worried about whether their modern, rebellious sons would fulfill their filial duties, but ultimately those sons demonstrated an enduring commitment to living with their aging parents. In the context of rapid social change related to national politics as well as globalization - a constant influx of new music, clothes, gadgets, and even governments - the sons viewed the multigenerational family as a refuge. Throughout Planning Families in Nepal, Brunson raises important questions about the notion of ""planning"" when applied to family formation, arguing that reproduction is better understood as a set of local and global ideals that involve actors with desires and actions with constraints, wrought with delays, stalling, and improvisation.

A detailed exploration of leadership problems that can develop during public health crises such as the anthrax attacks, SARS, and Mad Cow disease. An imminent threat to the public health, such as the swine flu outbreak, is no time for a muddled chain of command and contradictory decision making. Who's In Charge? Leadership during Epidemics, Bioterror Attacks, and Other Public Health Crises explores the crucial relationships between political leaders, public health officials, journalists, and others to see why leadership confusion develops. Who's In Charge? begins by looking at the overarching issues of leadership, public health administration, and the threats of bioterrorism. It then examines five recent emergencies-the 2001 anthrax attacks and 1993 cryptosporidium outbreak in the United States, the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto, the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis, and the decade-long battle against Mad Cow Disease in the U.K. A perfect text for schools in public health, or as a reference for elected officials at every level of government, the book shows how each event developed step-by-step to pinpoint specific leadership issues. Engaging and absorbing, the work presents official reports, medical literature, first-person accounts from officials and journalists, and discussions of the role of law enforcement and the military during health care emergencies. First-person accounts from leaders involved in the actual crises, as well as leading experts, scientists, and others Primary documents including excerpts from official reports and the medical literature Chronologies of five recent public health emergencies A comprehensive index organized by disease and by individuals involved in emergency response

In Biomedical Hegemony and Democracy in South Africa Ngambouk Vitalis Pemunta and Tabi Chama-James Tabenyang unpack the contentious South African government's post-apartheid policy framework of the ''return to tradition policy''. The conjuncture between deep sociopolitical crises, witchcraft, the ravaging HIV/AIDS pandemic and the government's initial reluctance to adopt antiretroviral therapy turned away desperate HIV/AIDS patients to traditional healers. Drawing on historical sources, policy documents and ethnographic interviews, Pemunta and Tabenyang convincingly demonstrate that despite biomedical hegemony, patients and members of their therapy-seeking group often shuttle between modern and traditional medicine, thereby making both systems of healthcare complementary rather than alternatives. They draw the attention of policy-makers to the need to be aware of ''subaltern health narratives'' in designing health policy.

This book examines bullying and victimization at different points across the lifespan, from childhood through old age. It examines bullying at disparate ecological levels, such as within the family, in school, on the internet, at the work place, and between countries. This volume explores the connections between variations of bullying that manifests in multiple forms of violence and victimization. It also describes how bullying dynamics can affect individuals, families, and communities. Using a universal definition of bullying dynamics, chapters discuss bullying roles during different developmental periods across the lifespan. In addition, chapters review each role in the bullying dynamic and discuss behavioral health consequences, prevention strategies, and ways to promote restorative justice to decrease the impact of toxic bullying behaviors on society. The book concludes with recommendations for possible solutions and prevention suggestions. Topics featured in this book include: Mental health and the neurobiological impacts of bullying. The prevalence of bystanders and their behavior in bullying dynamics. The relationship between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. How bullying causes trauma. Sibling violence and bullying. Bullying in intimate partner relationships. Elder abuse as a form of bullying. Why bullying is a global public health concern. Bullying and Victimization Across the Lifespan is a must-have resource for researchers, professors, clinicians, and related professionals as well as graduate students in clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, social work, public health, and family studies as well as anthropology, social psychology, sociology, and criminology.

This A-Z encyclopedia provides a broad and evenhanded overview of America's complex relationship with marijuana, examining political, recreational, cultural, medical, and economic aspects of marijuana use both historically and in the present day. Marijuana in America is an accessible and comprehensive exploration of the many changes in medical, legal, and cultural issues surrounding cannabis in the United States. This multidisciplinary volume features contributions from several different fields to explain all facets of marijuana, including its chemical composition, evolving depictions in popular culture, and historical, legal, and social settings in which marijuana use occurs. A mix of coverage provides readers with a full and accurate understanding of the spectrum of issues and controversies swirling around marijuana today, including: the changing legal landscape pertaining to the sale, possession, and use of marijuana, both at the state and federal levels; the factual basis for arguments for and against so-called "medical marijuana"; claims that marijuana is a gateway drug to harder drugs; changing cultural attitudes about marijuana and "potheads"; economic arguments for and against marijuana legalization; and the impact of marijuana on families, communities, the economy, and the criminal justice system. Detailed, authoritative, and evenhanded coverage of all medical, legal, cultural, and economic aspects of legal and illegal marijuana in America. Information sources for further research included in each entry. Timeline of legal, cultural, and social events and trends concerning marijuana and its use in the United States. Contributions from several different fields giving the volume a multidisciplinary focus.

From the beginning of mankind, health and health issues have played a major role in life, but the issues and care have evolved enormously from the time when the first settlers set foot in America to the present. In "The History and Evolution of Healthcare in America," author Thomas W. Loker provides a historical perspective on the state of healthcare and offers fresh views on changes to Obamacare.

Insightful and thorough, "The History and Evolution of Healthcare in America" offers a look at

what healthcare was like at the birth of the nation;

how the practice of providing healthcare has changed for both caregivers and receivers;

why the process has become so corrupt and expensive;

what needs to happen to provide both choice and effective and efficient care for all;

where we need to most focus efforts to get the biggest change;

what is needed to get control over this out-of-control situation.

Loker narrates a journey through the history of American healthcare-where we've been, how we arrived where we are today, and determine where we might need to go tomorrow. The history illustrates how parts of the problem have been solved in the past and helps us understand what might be necessary to solve our remaining problems in the future.

Written specifically for case managers, this innovative reference presents a practical integration of disease management and case management to ensure comprehensive coverage of these two rapidly evolving and expanding fields. It explains and clarifies these two areas with in-depth expert commentary that offers a fresh, contemporary approach and captures both provider and payor perspectives. Its strong emphasis on evidence-based practice helps ensure that disease managers are using the best evidence to formulate the best results. Comprehensive, targeted content makes it one of the only resources available for practicing disease managers Wide variety of coverage includes chronic illnesses such as congestive heart failure, as well as management of those conditions such as pregnancy that do not indicate an unhealthy or diseased state Expert author contributions offer practical guidance and interdisciplinary perspectives Chapters provide case studies or case scenarios to demonstrate the ways in which case managers nationwide have responded to treatment challenges with success Emphasis on preventive care stresses the most practical and cost-effective solution to today's rising health care costs Authors detail specific tips, tools, and techniques that managers can put to use in practice Chapters are organized into three separate parts to present the information logically

As we grow older, many of us experience a tremendous amount of frustration because something inside us doesn't work the way it used to. Nutrition experts tell us to eat certain kinds of food ... some claim free radicals are the sole cause of aging, and that the only way to longevity is through antioxidant supplements. Fitness gurus tell us the only answer is exercise. When we do exercise or go on a diet, we feel a little better-but not much, and not the way we felt when we were younger. We exercise or diet twice as much to stay at the same place, and even that is a challenge.

The story has been the same throughout history, so we wonder if we should continue to fight the battle, or if we should just learn to grow old gracefully.

Improvements in medical technology and new knowledge about exercise, nutrition, and rest are all part of the solution to remaining young and healthy. However, we continue to see some people who do not take particularly good care of themselves, yet are aging more gently-and we know instinctively that parts of the anti-aging puzzle must still be missing.

In 2003, the secrets of the human genome were cracked open, creating a flurry of anticipation (and more than a little commercial buzz) about the role that genetic modification would play in years to come. This burgeoning field stands poised to redefine old paradigms and reshape industries such as medicine, agriculture, pharmacology, and biotechnology. Public Health Genomics and International Wealth Creation seeks to explore new opportunities and challenges in genomic commercialization by presenting a roadmap of current research, setting forth clear guidelines for how genomics can be wielded safely and ethically in a manner concordant with public welfare. Addressing problems such as chronic disease, world hunger, and global economic disparity, this book is an essential reference source for doctors, bioethicists, human genome specialists, and scientists in the fields of genetics and genomics. This authored monograph contains chapters on topics ranging from agronomics and biotechnology to commercial genomics, genome-sequencing, cancer genomics, and more.

ABOUT THIS BOOK This book is written by an insider. A hospital administrator and practitioner who participated firsthand in laying the foundation for today's collapsing heath care system. A practitioner who then went on to make radical changes in the way he practiced his profession and his philosophy of health care delivery. A practitioner who is now hell-bent on making radical changes in this disastrous health care system he helped to create 30 years ago. This book is an insider's look at the sequence of events and decisions that led to the demise of our health care system. This book is designed to educate you to:

Can the ethical mission of health care survive among organizations competing for survival in the marketplace? On this question hinges not only the future of health care in the US, but that of the health care systems of all advanced countries. This book presents both an analytic framework and a menu of pragmatic answers. The team of authors, physician-ethicists from Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health, worked with a consortium of health care organizations to explore some of the most challenging dilemmas in health care today: How can health plans determine medical necessity in a way that ensures quality care, controls costs, and builds trust with patients and physicians? What are the strategies for caring for vulnerable populations that meet their special neds without dramatically increasing costs? To answer these and other similar questions the authors blend ethical analysis with real-world example. The outcome is a rich analysis of the ethical challenges facing health care organizations, combined with tangible examples of exemplary methods to address these challenges. This book will help health care leaders, regulators, and policy makers incorporate exemplary practices, and the underlying themes they embody, into the very heart and soul of health care organizations.

Geology, one of the basic natural sciences, is proving to be of outstanding importance in solving problems relating to:

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• agriculture
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• exploitation of the Earth's mineral resources
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• environmental issues
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• soil preservation
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• water
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• energy and other resources
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• protection against natural disasters (landslides, floods, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes) as well as human health.
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This monograph consists of the following five segments:

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• Introduction
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• Geological and other factors and their influence on the human health
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• Subject, tasks and methods of geomedical discipline
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• Regional medical geology
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• Applied medical geology
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This popular resource addresses all areas of family health with an emphasis on promoting health and wellness and family self-care. Formerly known as Nurses and Family Health Promotion, this new edition is now entitled Promoting Health in Families, indicating a more proactive approach to working with families. Five new chapters reflect the changing dimensions of family health care and family life. In addition, the new edition introduces an international perspective, recognizing the commonalities of family life across cultures and features special boxes addressing family health promotion issues in Canada. Presents a unique focus on health promotion and illness prevention for families. Addresses all major areas of family life, such as culture, roles, communication, stress management, nutrition, spirituality, sexuality, and recreation. Provides a theoretical and historical perspective of family health and family nursing. Focuses on the nursing process in the discussion of family care, especially specific interventions to use when working with families. Emphasizes key information through pedagogical features such as chapter objectives and chapter highlights. A diverse contributor panel includes experts from all areas of family health, both within nursing and in other health disciplines. Unique! A new chapter, Family Health Promotion During Life Threatening Illness and End of Life (Chapter 18), addresses families experiencing life-threatening illnesses and the end-of-life stage. Unique! A new chapter, Health Promotion of Families in Rural Settings (Chapter 20), describes the unique health care issues of families who live in rural settings. Theoretical Foundations for Family Health Nursing Practice (Chapter 4) presents an overview of the theories specific to family nursing. Using the Nursing Process with Families (Chapter 10) is devoted to all stages of the nursing process as applied to families. Family Health Promotion and Family Nursing in the New Millennium (Chapter 22) discusses the state of family health at the beginning of the twenty-first century and the potential effect of current and future trends. Unique! Canadian Perspective boxes highlight family nursing care practices in Canada, providing an international Perspective. Unique! Critical Thinking Activities challenge students to apply chapter content in practice settings. Promotes family health promotion research studies in Research Synopsis boxes. Presents and discusses "real-life" family health situations through Case Scenarios boxes. Offers more assessment tools that provide guidance for nurses as they assess and determine interventions for families in their care.

The Internet serves as an essential tool in promoting health awareness through the circulation of important research among the medical professional community. While digital tools and technologies have greatly improved healthcare, challenges are still prevalent among diverse populations worldwide. Emerging Technologies and Work-Integrated Learning Experiences in Allied Health Education is a critical scholarly resource that examines constructivist teaching methods and active learning strategies in allied health education to enhance student knowledge and prepare them for the digital age. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as e-learning, microscopic morphology, and virtual reality, this book is geared towards researchers, academicians, medical professionals, and upper level students interested in the advancement and dissemination of medical knowledge.

CONTINGENCY PLANNING FOR INCREASED FLOODS AND DROUGHTS RESULTING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE TO PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH Hydrometeorological Extreme Events and Public Health outlines the links between climate change, trends in hydrometeorological extreme events, and the effects on human health, and describes new developments in health adaptation and disaster risk management. The work provides technical facts, examples of international and national approaches and scientific projects, and covers key issues such as multi-sectoral collaboration, disaster preparedness, response and recovery, as well as stakeholder involvement, and costs. Readers will find: Specific observed and projected health effects of heavy precipitation events, floods, and droughts A comprehensive analysis of recent studies on the health costs of extreme weather events A discussion of the impact and interdependency of international health and climate agreements For professionals working in the areas of hydrology, disaster management and prevention, and in the public health sector, Hydrometeorological Extreme Events and Public Health serves as a comprehensive resource on new challenges resulting from climate change and on how we can plan for and adapt to this uncharted territory to protect human lives and human health. The book is the fifth volume of the Hydrometeorological Extreme Events Series.

This new account of the pathogenesis of essential hypertension (EH) represents a detailed analysis of the main components of the circulatory control system. The latter's properties resemble those of man-made adaptive control systems in which regulatory parameters are altered when operating conditions exceed certain limits, often through neural mechanisms.
Inheritance of EH depends on both genes and environment. The high blood pressure (BP) genes have not yet been definitively identified, whilst the main environmental causes are mental stress, high dietary salt intake and obesity. EH occurs as two major syndromes, each initiated by chronic stress: 1) Stress-and-salt related EH, and 2) Hypertensive obesity. Stress is perceived by the cortex, from which increased dopaminergic (DA) neuron activity stimulates the hypothalamic defense area, raising sympathetic neural activity (SNA) and BP. Normally these subside quickly when the stress is over, but in those susceptible to EH the DA synapses become sensitized so that the defense response is evoked by ever lower levels of stress. Sensitization is common in memory circuits, but not in autonomic neurons, so that this property in EH may be genetically determined.
Stress-related hypertension increases hypothalamic responsiveness to high salt, resulting in further rises in SNA and BP. Later, non-neural functional changes (e.g. reduction in nitric oxide) and the structural remodeling of resistance vessels further enhance the vasoconstriction. In contrast, in those developing hypertensive obesity food consumption is excessive, which transiently alleviates stress-related anxiety. The brain ignores the leptin-mediated signals that normally curbappetite, contrasting with normal energy regulation in SSR-EH. In hypertensive obesity, the SNA pattern is similar to that in SSR-EH, but vasoconstriction is masked by vasodilatation and fluid retention due to hyperinsulinemia. This syndrome is a volume overload hypertension, where high cardiac output, renal impairment and other non-neural factors contribute to the elevation of BP.
Other topics include the role of various transmitters in autonomic regulation; the place of baroreflexes in the intact organism; why exercise training lowers resting BP; obstructive sleep apnea; non-pharmacological and drug treatment of EH; the role of the kidney in EH and in different types of renal hypertension and the pathogenesis of the Japanese spontaneously hypertensive rat, which provides a valuable animal model for EH.
The work suggests that physiological systems analysis in a complex disorder like EH is a valuable tool for using the great advances in molecular biology to best advantage.