These proceedings showcase the best papers selected from more than 500 submissions, and introduce readers to the hottest research topics and the latest developmental trends in the theory and application of MMESE. The integrated and advanced science research topic Man-Machine-Environment System Engineering (MMESE) was first established in China by Professor Shengzhao Long in 1981, with direct support from one of the greatest modern Chinese scientists, Xuesen Qian. In a letter to Long from October 22nd, 1993, Qian wrote: "You have created a very important modern science and technology in China!" MMESE primarily focuses on the relationship between Man, Machine and Environment, studying the optimum combination of man-machine-environment systems. In this system, "Man" refers to working people as the subject in the workplace (e.g. operators, decision-makers); "Machine" is the general name for any object controlled by Man (including tools, machinery, computers, systems and technologies), and "Environment" describes the specific working conditions under which Man and Machine interact (e.g. temperature, noise, vibration, hazardous gases etc.). The three main goals of optimizing man-machine-environment systems are to ensure safety, efficiency and economy. These proceedings present interdisciplinary studies on essential concepts and methods from physiology, psychology, system engineering, computer science, environmental science, management, education, and other related disciplines. As such, they offer a valuable resource for all researchers and professionals whose work involves interdisciplinary areas touching on MMESE subjects.

This volume gathers a selection of original articles and reviews on timely topics about the application of Taurine in human health written by members of the International Taurine Society, including COVID-19, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, among others. Chapters are written by Taurine experts across the globe in North and South America, Asia, and Europe. A majority of the articles are based on original studies recently carried out in individual laboratories worldwide. The book is divided into eight parts, each covering a unique aspect of Taurine. Each section will highlight new research findings on Taurine and its application in various human systems, including the nervous system, immune system, and cardiovascular system, to combat disease. The first section covers COVID-19, the dominant health event of 2020. Experts will explore and clarify the potential therapeutic effectiveness of Taurine against COVID-19. The volume will promote further research into the application of Taurine in human health, and will be of use to a wide audience, including basic and clinical scientists, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies, and libraries.

This book offers a summary and discussion of the advances of inflammation and infection in various cancers. The authors cover the classically known virus infections in cancer, novel roles of other pathogens (e.g. bacteria and fungi), as well as biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy. Further, the chapters highlight the progress of immune therapy, stem cells and the role of the microbiome in the pathophysiology of cancers. Readers will gain insights into complex microbial communities, that inhabit most external human surfaces and play a key role in health and disease. Perturbations of host-microbe interactions often lead to altered host responses that can promote cancer development. Thus, this book highlights emerging roles of the microbiome in pathogenesis of cancers and outcome of therapy. The focus is on mechanistic concepts that underlie the complex relationships between host and microbes. Approaches that can inhibit infection, suppress chronic inflammation and reverse the dysbiosis are discussed, as a means for restoring the balance between host and microbes. This comprehensive work will be beneficial to researchers and students interested in infectious diseases, microbiome, and cancer as well as clinicians and general physiologists.

This book covers a wide range of topics concerning human tear based science, starting from basics such as the normal composition of tears and moving up to novel disease detection platforms. The entire approach is pioneering, as tears are beginning to be recognized as the most invaluable non-invasive tool in diagnostics. Interestingly, the concept is not restricted to ocular diseases: In recent years, tear diagnostics is increasingly being tapped even for cancer detection. Hopefully, non-invasive tear diagnostics will eventually replace today's invasive disease detection and monitoring techniques. Previous literature on tear diagnostics has been restricted to scientific journal articles, most of which dealt with a single tear constituent, such as a protein. This book offers a far more comprehensive and handy 'reference guide,' presenting both basic and advanced information and data. Accordingly, it will be useful for researchers in academia and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as healthcare professionals and diagnostic kit developers.

Alzheimer's Disease Theranostics discusses the latest information on recent theranostic avenues for both the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's patients. It presents the pros and cons of the probable mechanistic role of nanoparticles in crossing the blood-brain barrier and improving disease symptoms. Finally, it highlights the merits of existing maneuvers and suggests perspectives to aid in future developments. Despite the difficulty of drug delivery to the brain, there are some nanoparticulate platforms demonstrating promise in treating neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. Manifold theranostic maneuvers include antioxidants, natural bioactive compounds, gene therapy, and nanotechnological approaches, all of which are discussed in this important work.

This volume comprises select proceedings of the International Conference on Humanizing Work and Work Environment organized by the Indian Society of Ergonomics (HWWE2019). The book presents research findings on different areas of ergonomics for developing appropriate tools and work environment considering capabilities and limitations of working people for maximum effectiveness on their performance. This volume will be of interest to academics, professionals and practitioners in the field of ergonomics.

Aluminum, bound almost exclusively to oxygen in various combinations, is the most abundant metal in the earth's crust and, therefore, of great commercial potential. Once methods were developed (in the 1880's) to free useable quantities of the element from oxygen, applications for the element began developing rapidly. This growth has resulted in the ubiquity of the metal in today's world. Therefore it can be found intentionally introduced in many products in direct contact with human beings. It is commonly known that soluble forms of aluminum aretoxic to living organisms. However, aluminum is not known to be bioavailable under everyday conditions. In fact, the solubility product of common aluminum compounds, such as AI(OH)3 is so low as to make it essentially unavailable. This volume of Structure and Bonding seeks to provide in one source, a resource where the basic science related to aluminum toxicity may be obtained. It should be stressed that this volume is not intended to be a warning to avoid contact with aluminum. Living organisms have adequate defenses to prevent aluminum toxicity under normal conditions. Rather the volume was created to simply provide an understanding of the biological effects of aluminum. As such, the present volume should be considered in the context of the companion volumes in this three part series of Structure and Bonding. The first volume was devoted to fundamental developments in group 13 chemistry.

This second edition offers an expanded and updated history of the field of fetal and neonatal development, allowing readers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the biological aspects that contribute to the wellbeing or pathophysiology of newborns. In this concluding opus of a long and prominent career as a clinical scientist, Dr. Longo has invited new contributions from noted colleagues with expertise in various fields to provide a historical perspective on the impact of how modern concepts emerged in the field of fetal physiology and contributed to the current attention paid to the fetal origins of diseases in adults. In addition to new chapters on maternal physiology and complications during pregnancy, others trace the history of the Society for Reproductive Investigation, governmental funding of perinatal research, and major initiatives to support training in the new discipline of maternal fetal medicine, including the Reproductive Scientist Development program. The extensive survey provided by the author, who personally knew most of the pioneers in the field, offers a unique guide for all clinical and basic scientists interested in the history of - and future approaches to diagnosing and treating - pathologies that represent the leading causes of neonatal mortality and, far too often, life-long morbidity.

Leading researchers are specially invited to provide a complete understanding of the key topics in these archetypal multidisciplinary fields. In a form immediately useful to scientists, this periodical aims to filter, highlight and review the latest developments in these rapidly advancing fields.

This volume contains the proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) "Multisensory Control of Movement" held at SISSA, Trieste (Italy), July 3-12, 1994. The ASI took the format of a Summer School that we organized with the collaboration of a scientific committee formed by A. Berthoz (Paris), H. Collewijn (Rotterdam), H. Heuer (Dortmund), M. Jeannerod (Lyon), and J. F. Stein (Oxford). The School was attended by sixty students selected from twice as many applicants from fourtheen countries. Their contribution to the discussions, and the presentation of their own ongoing research organized in informal sessions proved very stimulating. The main focus of the School was on brain mechanisms involved in multisensory control of movement. This broad topic was addressed with a multidisciplinary approach, integrating contributions from neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, psychophysics, neurology, and cognitive science. This choice is reflected in the content of the present volume. Lacquaniti reviews recent advances in the field of motor control, with a special emphasis on the role of reference frames and coordinate transformations. Visuomotor channels are discussed by Jeannerod within the context of the control of object oriented actions. Johnson, Ferraina and Caminiti describe the functional architecture of cortical networks involved in reaching under visual guidance. Fogassi, Gallese, Fadiga and Rizzolatti present new data on space coding in inferior premotor cortex (area F4). The import of neurological findings for understanding human motor control is illustrated by Freund."

Leading researchers are specially invited to provide a complete understanding of a key topic within the multidisciplinary fields of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology. In a form immediately useful to scientists, this periodical aims to filter, highlight and review the latest developments in these rapidly advancing fields.

This book provides an overview of the latest experimental work on sex-based differences in lung function and inflammation. Readers will learn how these differences relate to individual predispositions for the development of lung disease in men and women, and in different stages of their reproductive lives. Further, the book focuses on diseases that predominantly affect women or men, with an emphasis on the physiological mechanisms underlying their pathobiology. In turn, these findings are complemented by chapters on recent studies, which investigate how circulating sex hormone levels impact the lung's innate immune response to environmental agents and air pollution. The pathogeneses of asthma and viral respiratory infection are also major focus areas. As an outlook, the book also discusses current and future research directions aimed at developing sex-specific therapies for lung disease. To examine these anatomical and physiological differences in the male and female respiratory systems, the authors employ a broad range of methods from molecular and clinical biology. Accordingly, the book will be a fascinating read for physiologists and clinicians alike.

Lung diseases are leading causes of death and disability globally, with about 65 million people suffering from COPD, and 334 million from asthma. Each year, tens of millions of people develop and can die from lung infections such as pneumonia and TB. Systemic inflammation may induce and exacerbate local inflammatory diseases in the lungs, and local inflammation can in turn cause systemic inflammation. There is increasing evidence of the coexistence of systemic and local inflammation in patients suffering from asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases, and the co-morbidity of two or more local inflammatory diseases often occurs. For example, rheumatoid arthritis frequently occurs together with, and promotes the development of, pulmonary hypertension. This co-morbidity significantly impacts quality of life, and can result in death for some patients. Current treatment options for lung disease are neither always effective, nor condition-specific; there is a desperate need for novel therapeutics in the field. Additionally, the molecular and physiological significance of most major lung diseases is not well understood, which further impedes development of new treatments, especially in the case of coexistent lung diseases with other inflammatory diseases. Great progress has been made in recent years in many areas of the field, particularly in understanding the molecular geneses, regulatory mechanisms, signalling pathways, and cellular processes within lung disease, as well as basic and clinical technology, drug discovery, diagnoses, treatment options, and predictive prognoses. This is the first text to aggregate these developments. In two comprehensive volumes, experts from all over the world present state-of-the-art advances in the study of lung inflammation in health and disease. Contributing authors cover well-known as well as emerging topics in basic, translational, and clinical research, with the aim of providing researchers, clinicians, professionals, and students with new perspectives and concepts. The editors hope these books will also help to direct future research in lung disease and other inflammatory diseases, and result in the development of novel therapeutics.

This book describes various aspects of current scientific interest in clinical developments and management of pulmonary pathologies. Non-communicable and communicable disorders are tackled. Chronic disorders of an inflammatory background, such as COPD and asthma, often overlapping, diagnostically and therapeutically misguided and always difficult to manage, are in focus due to an increasing prevalence across the age range. The authors dwell on the disease management, exacerbations, care and therapy, taking into account all too often overlooked psychosomatic determinants. Novel markers of pulmonary sarcoidosis, also an inflammatory disease, albeit of unknown etiology, are described. The outstanding lung images of cystic fibrosis are presented in another chapter. Finally, there are reports on the extent of the influenza scourge in Poland during the past 2016/2017 epidemic season. The book is addressed to clinicians, family physicians, medical scholars, and all professionals engaged in the preservation of respiratory health.

Nutrition and Skeletal Muscle provides coverage of the evidence of dietary components that have proven beneficial for bettering adverse changes in skeletal muscle from disuse and aging. Skeletal muscle is the largest tissue in the body, providing elements of contraction and locomotion and acting as an important contributor to whole body protein and amino metabolism, glucose disposal and lipid metabolism. However, muscle loss, atrophy or weakness can occur when there are metabolic imbalances, disuse or aging. This book addresses the topic by providing insight and research from international leaders, making it the go-to reference for those in skeletal muscle physiology.

First published in 1943, Vitamins and Hormones is the longest-running serial published by Academic Press. The Series provides up-to-date information on vitamin and hormone research spanning data from molecular biology to the clinic. A volume can focus on a single molecule or on a disease that is related to vitamins or hormones. A hormone is interpreted broadly so that related substances, such as transmitters, cytokines, growth factors and others can be reviewed. This volume focuses on hormone and transport systems.

This book focuses on the nutrients and nutraceuticals that promote active and healthy ageing - recently defined by the WHO as the process of development and maintenance of functional capacity that allows well-being at an advanced stage of life. There has been a rapid rise in the use of nutritional interventions as well as specific nutraceuticals in the management of multifactorial aspects of clinical health outcomes. Written by leading experts this book comprehensively discusses the various ageing phenotypes and age-related diseases. It also assesses the nutritional status of the elderly and the various epidemiological factors that influence it. It reviews the role of dietary fiber in disease-free and fully functional ageing. Further, the book explores the benefits of polyphenols, which are secondary plant metabolites, in protecting against cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and various neurodegenerative diseases.

Leading researchers are specially invited to provide a complete understanding of a key topic within the multidisciplinary fields of physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology. In a form immediately useful to scientists, this periodical aims to filter, highlight and review the latest developments in these rapidly advancing fields.

The book provides a reference for years to come, written by world-renowned expert investigators studying sex differences, the role of sex hormones, the systems biology of sex, and the genetic contribution of sex chromosomes to metabolic homeostasis and diseases. In this volume, leaders of the pharmaceutical industry present their views on sex-specific drug discovery. Many of the authors presented at the Keystone Symposium on "Sex and gender factors affecting metabolic homeostasis, diabetes and obesity" to be held in March 2017 in Lake Tahoe, CA. This book will generate new knowledge and ideas on the importance of gender biology and medicine from a molecular standpoint to the population level and to provide the methods to study them. It is intended to be a catalyst leading to gender-specific treatments of metabolic diseases. There are fundamental aspects of metabolic homeostasis that are regulated differently in males and females, and influence both the development of diabetes and obesity and the response to pharmacological intervention. Still, most preclinical researchers avoid studying female rodents due to the added complexity of research plans. The consequence is a generation of data that risks being relevant to only half of the population. This is a timely moment to publish a book on sex differences in diseases as NIH leadership has asked scientists to consider sex as a biological variable in preclinical research, to ensure that women get the same benefit of medical research as men.

Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability globally, with about 65 million people suffering from COPD, and 334 million from asthma, the most common chronic disease. Each year, tens of millions of people develop and can die from from respiratory infections such as pneumonia and TB. Systemic inflammation may induce and exacerbate local inflammatory diseases in the lungs, and local inflammation can in turn cause systemic inflammation. There is increasing evidence of the coexistence of systemic and local inflammation in patients suffering from asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases, and the co-morbidity of two or more local inflammatory diseases often occurs. For example, rheumatoid arthritis frequently occurs together with, and promotes the development of, pulmonary hypertension. This co-morbidity significantly impacts quality of life, and can result in death for those affected. Current treatment options for lung disease are neither effective, nor condition-specific; there is a desperate need for novel therapeutics in the field. Additionally, the molecular and physiological significance of most major lung diseases is not well understood, which further impedes development of new treatments, especially in the case of coexistent lung diseases with other inflammatory diseases. Great progress has been made in recent years in many areas of the field, particularly in understanding the molecular geneses, regulatory mechanisms, signalling pathways, and cellular processes within lung disease, as well as basic and clinical technology, drug discovery, diagnoses, treatment options, and predictive prognoses. This is the first text to aggregate these developments. In two comprehensive volumes, experts from all over the world present state-of-the-art advances in the study of lung inflammation in health and disease. Contributing authors cover well-known as well as emerging topics in basic, translational, and clinical research, with the aim of providing researchers, clinicians, professionals, and students with new perspectives and concepts. The editors hope these books will also help to direct future research in lung disease and other inflammatory diseases, and result in the development of novel therapeutics.

Originally published in 1985, Hormones and Human Behaviour provides an account of knowledge concerning the influence of hormones on human behaviour, largely from a physiological point of view. The topics covered include the control of eating, drinking, sexual behaviour, emotional behaviour, learning and memory, as well as the ways in which psychiatric states may affect these activities, and in which hormones may alter mental function. Thus the book will be of interest to those working in the behavioural sciences and psychiatry, as well as to those studying for specialist qualifications in psychological medicine.

There are many modes of communication that neurons use to transmit information besides what has come to be called neurotransmission. Many of these other types of communication can be classified as neuromodulatory, where instead of conveying excitation or inhibition, the signal from one neuron changes the properties of other neurons or synapses. This form of neuronal communication is often overlooked by systems physiologists, but it is extremely prevalent in the nervous system and needs to be included in any description of how the nervous system processes information. This book provides the foundations for understanding the cellular and molecular basis for neuromodulatory effects. It illustrates some key examples of the roles played by neuromodulation in sensory processing, neuromuscular transmission, generation of motor behaviours, and learning. Finally, the book seeks to point out areas that are likely to be of importance in the future study of information processing by the nervous system. For neurobiology students and researchers, the book summarizes a vast amount of research, and puts it into the context of how these cellular mechanisms are used in systems of neurons. By spanning the levels of analysis from sub-cellular mechanisms through cellular properties and neuronal systems to behaviour, the book provides a framework for understanding this currently exploding field of research. It is accessible to anyone with a basic understanding of neurobiology, but is in depth enough to satisfy readers who are very familiar with the field.

This book summarizes the most recent data on the molecular and cellular mechanisms which determine the unique properties of nerve cells - their ability to differentiate, establish connections to each other, and to form the nervous system with its immense capability for receiving, analysing, and storing information about our external and internal world. The key role of calcium ions in this process is particularly explored, along with nervous system function in aging and neural pathology. The author, based at a high-profile research unit in the Ukraine, is able to draw on significant new research which has not been widely published. Plasticity in nerve cell function will be of interest to researchers and research students in the fields of neurophysiology, cellular physiology, biophysics, and neurochemistry in particular. It will also be of relevance to researchers and medical doctors interested in neuropathology and aging.