Melatonin is a powerful hormone and antioxidant with numerous effects on the metabolism and the health of humans. Available as a dietary supplement in the United States since 1993, it is one of the most popular over-the-counter alternative remedies available. Comprising contributions from researchers who have studied the role of melatonin in various disease and physiological states, Melatonin in the Promotion of Health, Second Edition provides a wide variety of expert reviews on the biology of melatonin relevant to health. Beginning with a history of melatonin and its relation to circadian rhythms, the book examines its use in a host of applications, including: Gut motility and gastrointestinal diseases Anesthesia and surgery Bone health Breast cancer Cardiovascular diseases Diabetes Age-related macular degeneration and uveitis Melanoma, solar skin damage, and collagen synthesis The prevention of DNA damage Mental disorders, sleep, and issues related to jet lag and shift work The data gathered from a large number of carefully controlled animal and human studies have clearly implicated melatonin in the control mechanisms of a wide variety of physiological and psychological activities, making it a potent candidate for therapeutic use in the treatment of a diverse range of diseases. This volume demonstrates that continued studies of this molecule raise the exciting prospect of providing new avenues of treating numerous diseases more effectively and with less side-effects than those found in conventional treatment modalities.

Channels and transporters are multi-functional proteins that mediate substrate transport and signal transmission and simultaneously act as regulators for other proteins and biosensors for environmental materials. Patch clamping is an epoch-making technique that allows researchers to perform real-time measurements of electrogenic channel/transporter functions at the single/multiple molecular level. This book describes not only the conventional patch clamp techniques but also their newly developed variations or applications, such as perforated patch, slice patch, blind patch, in vivo patch, imaging patch, smart patch, and automated patch clamping. These patch clamp techniques are now essential and are extensively used across the life sciences and in related industries. With plain and practical descriptions of patch clamping and how to carry it out, especially for beginners, the book also shows how widely and exquisitely the patch clamp techniques can be applied by expert electrophysiologists. This work serves as a useful guide for young researchers and students in training and laboratory courses as well as for senior researchers who wish to extend their repertoire of techniques.

Atrial Fibrillation from an Engineering Perspective provides an up-to-date overview of techniques developed for acquisition, modeling, and analysis of noninvasive, bioelectrical signals reflecting this common arrhythmia. Special emphasis is put on emerging technologies for monitoring of atrial fibrillation in connection with ischemic stroke, interventional ablation procedures, and pharmacological treatment, applications which all depend on the availability of techniques for detecting and characterizing episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Detectors exploring both rhythm and morphology are described, as well as detectors confined to rhythm and better suited for low power implementation. A wide variety of approaches to modeling and characterization of atrial activity are described, emanating from a statistical and deterministic starting points. This book is suitable for graduate students, researchers, and engineers who want a comprehensive treatise of atrial fibrillation from an engineering perspective. It may be used for self-study, as a supplement to courses in signal processing, or as a modern monograph by researchers in the field of atrial fibrillation.

A handbook for how we can use the power of our hormones to master any stage of life. Joint pain, weight gain, migraines, acne, sleepless nights, loss of libido - all of these and more can be caused by hormone imbalances. Our health is impacted by our hormones all the way through our lives. So why do we often assume they're mainly 'a menopause thing', and wait until hot flushes arrive before we take them seriously? The truth is that many women find that their hormone-related symptoms aren't acknowledged, despite the impact they can have, years before menopause hits, on almost every aspect of their lives. With advances in medical science, however, effective new treatment options are available, including modern hormone replacement therapy (HRT), diet, and exercise. So why don't more of us know that help is at hand? Why are we still being told that we have to put up with these conditions? Our Hormones, Our Health is written by two doctors who draw on their experience as practitioners, and as women. With the aid of pioneering research from epigenetics, stress medicine, nutritional medicine, and modern HRT, they show us how women can live with health and happiness - no matter what their age.

Humans possess a remarkable ability to extract rich three-dimensional information about sound environments simply by analyzing the acoustic signals they receive at their two ears. Research in spatial hearing has evolved from a theoretical discipline studying the basic mechanisms of hearing to a technical discipline focused on designing and implementing increasingly sophisticated spatial auditory display systems. This book contains 39 chapters representing the current state-of-the-art in spatial audio research selected from papers presented in Sendai, Japan, at the First International Workshop on the Principles and Applications of Spatial Hearing.

The human brain represents about 2% of the body weight, yet it accounts for approximately 20% of aerobic metabolism. This high dependency on energy-consuming processes is mainly caused by the active transport of ions, which is necessary to compensate for the transmembrane ion currents that are part ofthe complex signaling processes in the brain. Ninety-five percent ofthe brain's ATP is derived from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. Since that organ' s storage capacity for oxygen is minimal, any interruption of oxygen delivery to brain cells willlead to changes in membrane excitability and, there fore, to disruption of neuronal signaling within seconds. It seems that mamma lian brain is especially vulnerable to such an interruption, since oxygen deprivation leads to activation of ion channel mechanisms in neurons that impair their communications. Thus, the function of the brain as a coordinator of vital homeostatic reflexes, and complex body reactions to external challenges, depends critically on the rate of oxygen delivery and oxygen consumption. Oxygen delivery depends on two variables described in the Fick relation ship: volume flow rate ofblood and the arterial oxygen content. A reduction in either of these two variables will have serious effects on vital brain func tions. Reduction of arterial blood flow to the brain can be caused by cardiac arrest, shock, carotid occlusion, Of hypotension (global ischemia). Oxygen content is progressively decreased in asphyxia (including drowning)."

As nutrition research is shifting its focus from epidemiology and physiology to effects of nutrients at the molecular level, a uniquely tailored diet that corresponds to the demands of our genetic signature is emerging as an indispensable need. Using high-throughput genomic tools, nutrigenomics unravels the influence of micro- and macronutrients as potent dietary signals regulating metabolic pathways and unmasks how susceptible genotypes are predisposed to diet-related diseases. Selected topics from this field have been covered in some books, but no other comprehensive text on epigenetics, nutrition, and human health and disease is available, until now. This book illustrates nutrition's influence on epigenetic inheritance and the mechanisms underlying the modification of the metabolic imprint of an individual. This enriched understanding of nutrigenomics can be applied to master a tailored diet that can alleviate imprinted metabolic syndromes. Specifically, the book focuses on: * Maternal, perinatal, and neonatal nutrition * Epigenetic mechanisms and cancer * Impacts of dietary factors, folate deficiency and DNA methylation * Nutrition's influence on genetic imprinting * The basics of nutrigenomics and epigenetic regulation

Molecular Signalling: Ca2+-Signaling in Cardiac Myocytes: Evidence from Evolutionary and Transgenic Models; M. Morad, Y.J. Suzuki. Diastolic Viscoelastic Properties of Rat Cardiac Muscle; Involvement of Ca2+; B.D.M.Y. Stuyvers, et al. The Contractile Mechanism and Energetics: Molecular Control of Myocardial Mechanics and Energetics: The Chemo-Mechanical Conversion; A. Landesberg. Myocardial Cell Energetics; H. Kammermeier. Cardiac Mechanics and Flow Dynamics: How Cardiac Contraction Affects the Coronary Vasculature; N. Westerhof, et al. Dynamic Interaction between Myocardial Contracton and Coronary Flow; R. Beyar, S. Sideman. Vascular Structure and Remodeling: Endothelial Gene Regulation by Laminar Shear Stress; N. Resnick, et al. Myocardial Structure and Function. Tissue Remodeling with Micro-Structurally Based Material Laws; P. Hunter, T. Arts. Electrical Activation and Propagation: Cardiac Excitation: An Interactive Process of Ion Channels and Gap Junctions; Y. Rudy, R.M. Shaw. The Cardionome: Concepts in Modeling: Design and Strategy for the Cardionome Project; J.B. Bassingthwaighte. 20 Additional Chapters. Index.

Swallowing difficulty or dysphagia is a common disorder and affects all age groups from the newborn to the elderly. Several medical conditions like lack of dentition, gastroesophageal reflux disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, cardiomegaly and strokes can cause dysphagia. It can also follow head -neck surgeries. It is important to diagnose and treat dysphagia, otherwise it can lead to malnutrition and dehydration. Improved understanding of the physiology of swallowing, advances in endoscopic and radiological techniques along with an increasing elderly population has resulted in development of a separate swallowing disorders discipline. This book would be an aid for clinicians, educators and trainees from the fields of speech language pathology, pediatrics, otolaryngology, gastroenterology, oncology, neurology, geriatrics and rehabilitation, all of who form a part of the multidisciplinary swallowing team.

Presented as a series of lectures, this important volume achieves four major goals:
1) It integrates the results of the author's research as applied to pattern perception -- reviewing current brain research and showing how several lines of inquiry have been converging to produce a paradigm shift in our understanding of the neural basis of figural perception.
2) It updates the holographic hypothesis of brain function in perception.
3) It emphasizes the fact that both distributed (holistic) and localized (structural) processes characterize brain function.
4) It portrays a neural systems analysis of brain organization in figural perception by computational models -- describing processing in terms of formalisms found useful in ordering data in 20th-century physical and engineering sciences.
The lectures are divided into three parts: a Prolegomenon outlining a theoretical framework for the presentation; Part I dealing with the configural aspects of perception; and Part II presenting its cognitive aspects. The appendices were developed in a collaborative effort by the author, Kunio Yasue, and Mari Jibu (both of Notre Dame Seishin University of Okayama, Japan).

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.

In this Edited Volume, a diverse group of exercise metabolism experts, assembled a multi-facetted collection of fascinating contributions. The chapters focus on metabolism during exercise, including anaerobic and aerobic metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism (separate chapters on muscle glycogen and blood glucose), fat metabolism (separate chapters on muscle and adipose tissue) and protein metabolism. Readers will find discussion on various tissues in addition to skeletal muscle, such as liver, heart and brain metabolism during exercise. In addition, the book includes chapters on other perspectives such as thermodynamic and bioenergetic aspects of exercise and a dive into history. Another focal point is on the effects of exercise in relation to training, age, sex, fatigue and the circadian rhythm. This contemporary collection will be an essential resource for Physiologists, Sports Scientists, Coaches, Athletes and students alike.

This book covers the latest developments in the therapeutic implications of angiogenesis, ranging from angiogenesis in the brain, angiogenesis in cancer, angiogenesis' role in atherosclerosis and heart disease as well as metabolic disorders and peripheral vascular disease. The book is comprehensive in its coverage of angiogenesis in a diverse set of diseases and examines the role of cellular and subcellular structures during the development of angiogenesis. Well-organized and thorough, this is an ideal book for researchers and biomedical engineers working in the field of therapeutic implications of angiogenesis. This book also: Covers the basics of the physiology of angiogenesis, including VEGF pathways in angiogenesis, integr ins in angiogenesis, angiogenesis and exercise physiology, and more Details the role of angiogenesis in atherosclerosis and heart disease, including vascular endothelial growth factor and atherosclerotic plaque progression as well as angiogenesis and heart failure Illustrates in detail brain angiogenesis after stroke and the relationship between angiogenesis and Alzheimer's disease

Vasopressin is a hormone which has an increasingly important profile. Not only does it play a physiologically significant role in renal water regulation but it also has other renal actions and plays a role in overall cardiovascular control. Even more interesting is the recent growing interest in its potential effects on the brain, notably its influence on specific behaviours. This monograph about the polypeptide vasopressin covers all aspects relating to the production, control of release, and actions of this molecule within the body, including its roles as a hormone and as a central neurotransmitter. A consideration of the evolution of the molecule across the species and a brief historical perspective are also included. Clinical conditions associated with hypo- and hyper-production states are considered together with aspects of treatment, in addition to other clinical correlates.

An Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology provides the student with the key concepts of cardiovascular physiology, from the fundamentals of how the cardiovascular system works in both health and disease, through to a consideration of more complex physiological mechanisms. This brand new companion work Cardiovascular Physiology: Questions for Self-Assessment allows students to test themselves on all aspects of the topic with over 200 questions and answers, at a pace to suit their learning. Questions follow An Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology's table of contents, and the author has set at least one question on each chapter's learning objective to help the student to assess their progress against the set objectives. The questions are designed to test basic understanding, fundamental principles and medical relevance, and they avoid excessive detail. Most are in a multiple choice, True/False format, with a sprinkling of other question styles including extended matching questions, where the reader chooses the best answer from a list, and testing little numerical problems. Also included with the answers are 'More information' boxes that include a brief explanation, and links to relevant information and figures from a range of chapters, thus encouraging integration of learning across the subject.

Anatomy and Physiology is a complex subject spanning many health science disciplines. Principles of Anatomy and Physiology has always been recognized for its pioneering homeostatic approach to learning the subject.

This International Adaptation of the 16th edition combines exceptional content and outstanding visuals for a rich and comprehensive classroom experience and continues to set the standard for the discipline. It has been paired with a comprehensive Study Guide, offering a thoughtfully designed course in Anatomy and Physiology.

Highly regarded authors, Jerry Tortora and Bryan Derrickson motivate and support learners at every level, from novice to expert, and equip them with the skills they need to succeed in this class and beyond.

What’s new?:

• Packaged as a set, comprising the textbook and single-colour study guide
• The study guide is designed to reinforce the learning from the textbook and build relevance to the concepts studied. It comprises:Chapter Review and features such as Clinical Connection, Disorders, and Medical Terminology; Self-Quiz questions (with solutions); Solutions to Figure Questions

When human muscle fatigues, athletic performance becomes impaired. For those individuals suffering muscle or metabolic diseases the effects of muscle fatigue can make everyday tasks difficult. Understanding the scientific processes responsible for skeletal muscle fatigue is therefore central to the study of the physiology of sport, exercise and health.

Written by a team of leading international exercise scientists, this book explores the mechanisms of muscle fatigue and presents a comprehensive survey of current research on this important topic. Examining the wide variety of protocols, assessment methods and exercise models used to study muscle fatigue, the book explores the differential effects of fatigue as influenced by:

• age
• gender
• fitness and training
• the use of ergogenic aids
• medical conditions including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and glycogenosis.

Human Muscle Fatigue covers both clinical and applied approaches in sport and exercise physiology and devotes an entire section to the conceptual framework underpinning research in this area, helping readers from a wide range of backgrounds to engage with the topic. Accessible and detailed, this book is a key text for students and practitioners working in exercise and sports science, medicine, physical therapy and health.

1. Broad introductory psychology text with a biological focus which includes content on brain anatomy (something normally left out of standard introductory texts). 2. Packed full of pedagogical features including questions to test reader knowledge, sections to demonstrate real-world applications and a key terms and concepts glossary. 3. The book also reflects the latest APA Guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major (2013).

1. Broad introductory psychology text with a biological focus which includes content on brain anatomy (something normally left out of standard introductory texts). 2. Packed full of pedagogical features including questions to test reader knowledge, sections to demonstrate real-world applications and a key terms and concepts glossary. 3. The book also reflects the latest APA Guidelines for the undergraduate psychology major (2013).

This book brings together the most up-to-date information about the physiology of progestogens. Addressing the bidirectional communication between hormones, fertility, tumors, and autoimmunity, it provides the basic science and clinical perspectives of progestogens which have not been previously available in one volume. In addition to estrogens, androgens, mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, progestogens are a major class of steroid hormone. While present in certain phases of estrous and menstrual cycles, progestogens are named for their function in maintaining pregnancy. This book is essentially practical in orientation, addressing the specific issues that confront the practitioner, and provides information to Obstetricians, Gynecologists, Reproductive endocrinologists, as well as Gynecological Oncologists and Rheumatologists. Contributions are from an international team of experts in the field, now completely updated in this new edition with new developments in primary dysmenorrhea and contraception.

In 1772 in Uppsala the Swedish chemist Karl Wilhelm Scheele discovered the element Oxygen. Two hundred and one years later, in 1973, the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue (ISOTT) was founded. Since then there has been an annual ISOTT meeting. After 24 years of international ISOTT meetings it was decided, at the 2005 summit in Bary, Italy, that the 2007 meeting was to be held in Uppsala, Sweden. Thus, after the Louisville meeting we, in the Uppsala group, withdrew to the Edgewater Resort at Taylorsville Lake outside Louisville and prepared the Uppsala ISOTT meeting by tasting Kentucky Bourbons, smoking cigars while bathing in a jacuzzi in the hot dark Kentucky night full of fire flies and a sky full of stars. The ISOTT program should include different aspects of oxygen - however, it is accepted that each meeting has its own local "touch". We decided to focus the Uppsala ISOTT meeting on the theme of "Imaging and measuring oxygen changes". With this in mind we invited scientists within and outside the ISOTT society. We then also received lots of good abstracts from ISOTT members that were included in the program. Lars-Olof Sundeloef introduction speech "AIR AND FIRE" concerned how oxygen was discovered in Uppsala in 1772 by Karl Wilhelm Scheele. After the introduction speech a get together event took place in the magnificent and spacious foyer of Uppsala University main building. The vice chancellor Ulf Pettersson welcomed all delegates to Sweden and Uppsala.

Cardiovascular Pathology, Fifth Edition provides a comprehensive treatise on the pathology of cardiovascular diseases, combining presentations of detailed pathology of cardiovascular diseases coupled with contemporary insights into etiology and pathogenesis. Twenty-two chapters cover general topics, including cardiovascular genetics, heart failure, and transplantation, and specific congenital and acquired cardiovascular diseases, therapeutic interventions, and forensic aspects. New chapters address the scope of practice and training in cardiovascular pathology, with a focus on major diagnostic approaches used in contemporary practice and research in cardiovascular pathology, and a perspective on the field of cardiovascular regenerative medicine linked to the basic pathobiology of cell-based therapy. The book provides a unique combination of details of pathological anatomy essential for pathologists involved in the evaluation of cardiovascular specimens and cardiovascular diseases, and is an excellent reference for anyone interested in the natural history and therapeutic advances in the cardiovascular field.

This significantly updated and expanded new edition presents the scientific foundations of inhalation research essential to the design and conduct of toxicologic studies. It explores the full range of numerous scientific developments in the field, including recent advances in biology and the rapidly increasing global concerns and studies on particulate air pollution.

Key topics in the "Second Edition" include:

- new developments in the ultrafine particle health effects and concentrated aerosol research

- advances in understanding postnatal lung growth and the deposition and clearance of inhaled particles

- new techniques in toxicity testing

- the explosion of knowledge in the genetic and molecular realms

- the introduction of a large number of transgenic animal models

- updated ethical guidelines for animal testing

- the emergence of aerosol medicine

- the growing threat of aerosol-related terrorism

- increased appreciation of nonpulmonary effects of inhaled substances

- use of medical scanning techniques to study respiratory tract structure

- the introduction of new inhalation exposure systems

- the emergence of aerosol concentrators for use in air pollution studies

First published in 1986. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Medicine and engineering work together towards solutions for biomedical problems. The interactions of blood elements with artificial materials (bags, tubes, artificial organs, etc.) require many disciplines for its understanding. Thus the effort presented in this book is the culmination of a genuine discussion on the problems arising in blood banks, in hospitals, in biomaterials development, in experimental haemocompatibility testing when platelets interact with biomaterials. Haematologists, chemists, biologists and engineers have tried to put their own point of view and to understand the point of view of the other disciplines. The main themes that are presented in the discussion are: platelet collection, storage and transfusion; haemostasis and anticoagulation; platelet and biomaterials, extracorporeal circulation and implanted materials; haemorheological parameters; modulation of platelet function; biological tests for evaluating platelet biomaterial interactions.