This book presents a comprehensive, state-of the-art guide and review of ultrasound applications for children and infants with surgical problems. It is meant as a single source to provide information about sonographic application, interpretation and technique for a diversity of pediatric surgical care providers, making it a useful tool for the ultrasound novice as well as the more advanced ultrasonographer. Sections address initial obstacles faced by a physician starting with ultrasound such as the scanning techniques, underlying anatomy and normal sonographic findings. The initial chapter provides an introduction and basic overview about ultrasound theory and techniques. Subsequent chapters focus on specific body parts and systems and their disease processes as it pertains to pediatric and neonatal patients. The text also includes a chapter on abdominal trauma and its evaluation with the FAST (focused abdominal sonography for trauma) exam. Diagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound in Pediatric Surgery serves as a useful resource for a broad spectrum of pediatric care providers, including a growing number of ultrasound users, surgeons and pediatricians alike.

This issue of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Clinics entitled "Ventricular Arrhythmias in Apparently Normal Hearts" is being edited by Drs. Frank M. Bogun, Thomas Crawford, and Rakesh Latchamsetty. The issue will cover topics including, the mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias, the role of genetic testing, papillary muscle arrhythmias, fascicular arrhythmias, exercised induced VT, VF, and SCD in the normal heart, and various management techniques.

In this issue an impressive group of contributors at the forefront of sedation research has been assembled to provide endoscopists and dedicated nursing personnel alike a comprehensive review of important topics in the field sedation and analgesia. A discussion on the pharmacology and agents used to provide moderate and deep sedation provides the basic framework that is a crucial element in determining the driving force behind the developments in sedation and analgesia. An evidence-based approach on the use of unsedated endoscopy is also provided. Other topics included the use of propofol, patient-controlled sedation and analgesia, extended physiologic monitoring, risk management, and quality assurance as they apply to the spectrum of sedation in the endoscopy suite. Sedation and analgesia in the pediatric patient is also addressed.

Health surveillance and intelligence play an important role in modern health systems as more data must be collected and analyzed. It is crucial that this data is interpreted and analyzed effectively and efficiently in order to assist with diagnoses and predictions. Diagnostic Applications of Health Intelligence and Surveillance Systems is an essential reference book that examines recent studies that are driving artificial intelligence in the health sector and helping practitioners to predict and diagnose diseases. Chapters within the book focus on health intelligence and how health surveillance data can be made useful and meaningful. Covering topics that include computational intelligence, data analytics, mobile health, and neural networks, this book is crucial for healthcare practitioners, IT specialists, academicians, researchers, and students.

The topics covered in this issue, an update from what was first published in the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Clinics in 2008, reflect the fact that NOTES is seeing a resurgence in popularity. Now, eight years later, there is more data to confirm safety, to look at the best options for using natural orifices, and to talk about optimal training scenarios. The Guest Editor has enlisted some of the top experts on NOTES to contribute articles devoted to Seminal Developments: SM Tunnel Technique; Peroral Endoscopic Myotomoy (POEM); Submucosal Tumor Endoscopic Resection; Endoscopic Full Thickness Resection; Submucosal Tunneling for NOTES Procedures Beyond Resection; Pyloromyotomy; New NOTES: Western Perspective; and Why Did the Old NOTES Fail: Lessons Learned that can Guide New NOTES Development.

The Guest Editors have assembled key opinion leaders to provide state of the art articles on this important update on ERCP. A chapter on cannulation techniques and sphincterotomy will highlight recent literature on wire-guided cannulation, use of papillotomes, when and if to precut for entry and the use of smart circuitry for papillotomy. A chapter on surgically altered anatomy will highlight the increasing occurrence of biliary tract disease in patient's s/p gastric bypass for obesity along with other surgery and the use of balloon enteroscopes, overtubes and intraoperative procedures A chapter on EUS assisted biliary and pancreatic access will highlight the growing experience with these combine techniques. There is growing literature on preventing post-ercp pancreatitis which is changing the standard of care and Joe Elmunzer is the best person to highlight this. Stu Sherman will review advances in the management of bile duct stones and when to intervene in gallstone pancreatitis. Peter Cotton just published a landmark study on SOD that will change the standard of care and will review the state of the science on this disease as it relates to both biliary tract and pancreatic disease. The management of benign biliary strictures and leaks is evolving with the introduction of covered metal stents and Jacques Deviere is at the forefront. Amrita Sethi will discuss diagnosis of biliary malignancy highlighting the use of FISH, molecular markers and enhanced imaging such as pCLE. Michele Kahaleh will review recent experience with biliary tumor ablation using RFA probes and PDT. Alan Barkun helps endoscopists determine when to use plastic stents, metal stents, and covered stents and when to drain one, two or three segments of liver in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. George Papachristo and Dhiraj Yadav will review most recent data on endoscopic therapy for acute recurrent and smoldering acute pancreatitis. Nagy Reddy will provide on update on endotherapy for painful chronic pancreatitis. Finally, Raj Shah will update on advances in pancreatoscopy and cholangioscopy including the use of ultra slim per-oral scopes and new digital mother/baby scopes.

Based on George Engel's model, The Biopsychosocial Formulation Manual presents ways to help psychiatry residents and students effectively gather and organize patient data to arrive at a complete mental health history in a limited timeframe. While most current models only take one factor into account, Campbell and Rohrbaugh emphasize and analyze three essential components (biological, social, and psychological). The process of identifying pertinent data for each component of the biopsychosocial formulation is explicated in detail. A separate section outlines how to use the biopsychosocial formulation to generate treatment recommendations. This volume includes a complete package for practicing the biopsychosocial method; this easy-to-use guide includes a data record sheet and downloadable resources to facilitate organization and assessment, appealing to both the psychiatric professional and the trainee.

This issue on Diagnostic Testing for Enteric Patholgens is led by two experts in the field of clinical pathology: Alexander J. McAdam and Collette Fitzgerald. Topics include Salmonella, Shigella and Yersinia; Escherichia coli; Campylobacter; Clostridium difficile; Use of markers of intestinal inflammation for diagnosis of infectious gastroenteritis; Antibiotic susceptibility testing of bacteria that cause gastroenteritis; Norovirus; Rotavirus; Intestinal Abebae; Intestinal coccidia and cryptosporidium; Intestinal microsporidia; and Multiplex PCR tests for gastroentieritis. An added features of this issues a Q and A on a controversial area in clinical microbiology, related to STI testing. Several participants from different fields each answer the same series of questions; specialists from clinical laboratory medicine, public health and clinical patient care participate. Each question is introduced by the lead Editors.

Volume 70 in the internationally acclaimed Advances in Clinical Chemistry contains chapters authored by world renowned clinical laboratory scientists, physicians and research scientists. The serial provides the latest and most up-to-date technologies related to the field of clinical chemistry and is the benchmark for novel analytical approaches in the clinical laboratory.

Advanced conceptual modeling techniques serve as a powerful tool for those in the medical field by increasing the accuracy and efficiency of the diagnostic process. The application of artificial intelligence assists medical professionals to analyze and comprehend a broad range of medical data, thus eliminating the potential for human error. Medical Diagnosis Using Artificial Neural Networks introduces effective parameters for improving the performance and application of machine learning and pattern recognition techniques to facilitate medical processes. This book is an essential reference work for academicians, professionals, researchers, and students interested in the relationship between artificial intelligence and medical science through the use of informatics to improve the quality of medical care.

The molecular and genetic signatures of cancer are represented in the peripheral circulation and other body fluids, giving rise to the "liquid biopsy" concept. This new paradigm of molecular profiling of cancer cells offers several advantages over traditional tissue biopsy. It is convenient, noninvasive, conforms to current clinical practice, enables real time disease monitoring and the study of tumor evolution, can easily be sampled multiple times, and this sample is more representative of the heterogeneous cancer cells than biopsy sampling. Indeed, all aspects of cancer molecular genetic information, stemming from DNA (both nuclear and mitochondria), RNA (coding and noncoding), peptides and proteins, metabolites and lipids are present in body fluids as free, cell surface bound or enclosed in membrane vesicles, and are being harnessed for disease management. Additionally, circulating tumor, and tumor stem cells provide prognostic information, and also enable the study of the intricate molecular processes associated with metastasis and drug resistance. This treatise deals with the general principles of the molecular pathology of cancer, and its associated imprints in circulation. The transitional process from discovery, prototype development, translational research, to product development can be complex and costly. The critical path to biomarker development and qualification for successful use in drug development is detailed herein as well. This book is of interest to Cancer Researchers, Oncologists, Clinicians, Surgeons, Medical Students, Nurses, Diagnostic Laboratories, and Pharmaceutical Industries.

Volume 67 in the internationally acclaimed Advances in Clinical Chemistry contains chapters authored by world renowned clinical laboratory scientists, physicians and research scientists. The serial provides the latest and most up-to-date technologies related to the field of Clinical Chemistry and is the benchmark for novel analytical approaches in the clinical laboratory.

To effectively serve minority clients, clinicians require a double understanding: of both evidence-based practice and the cultures involved. This particularly holds true when working with Asian-Americans, a diverse and growing population. The Guide to Psychological Assessment with Asians synthesizes real-world challenges, empirical findings, clinical knowledge and common-sense advice to create a comprehensive framework for practice. This informed resource is geared toward evaluation of first-generation Asian Americans and recent immigrants across assessment methods (self-report measures, projective tests), settings (school, forensic) and classes of disorders (eating, substance, sexual). While the Guide details cross-cultural considerations for working with Chinese-, Japanese-, Korean and Indian-American clients, best practices are also included for assessing members of less populous groups without underestimating, overstating or stereotyping the role of ethnicity in the findings. In addition, contributors discuss diversity of presentation within groups and identify ways that language may present obstacles to accurate evaluation.Among the areas covered in this up-to-date reference: * Structured and semi-structured clinical interviews.* Assessment of acculturation, enculturation and culture.* IQ testing.* Personality disorders.* Cognitive decline and dementia.* Mood disorders and suicidality.* Neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents and adults.* Culture-bound syndromes. Designed for practitioners new to working with Asian clients as well as those familiar with the population, the Guide to Psychological Assessment with Asians is exceedingly useful to neuropsychologists, clinical psychologists, health psychologists and clinical social workers.

This issue of Medical Clinics of North America, edited by Dr. Irl Hirsch, is devoted to Diabetes Management. Articles in this issue include: Diabetes Classification Update; Internet Diabetes Management: An Effective, Efficient, and Cost Effective Approach; Monitoring Glycemia in Diabetes; Glycemic Targets: What is the Evidence?; Lifestyle Modification in Diabetes; Metformin, Sufonlyureas, Acarbose, Thiazolidnediones, Bromocriptine, and Colesevalam; Incretins; SGLT-2 inhibitors; Insulin therapy in Type 1 Diabetes; Insulin Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes; Non-Glycemic Targets for Patients with Diabetes; Screening and Treatment for the Primary Care Provider of Common Diabetes Complications; and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.

Volume64 in the internationally acclaimed "Advances in Clinical Chemistry" contains chapters authored by world renowned clinical laboratory scientists, physicians and research scientists.The serialprovides the latest and most up-to-date technologies related to the field of Clinical Chemistry andis the benchmark for novel analytical approaches in the clinical laboratory.
Expertise of international contributorsLatest cutting-edge technologiesComprehensive in scope"

Written by authors representing the diverse field of clinical chemistry and diagnostics, reviews in Advances in Clinical Chemistry cover a range of cutting-eduge research ranging from basic biochemical exploration to microarray technology.
Written by authors representing the diverse field of clinical chemistry and diagnostics, reviews in Advances in Clinical Chemistry cover a range of cutting-eduge research ranging from basic biochemical exploration to microarray technology.

Electodiagnosis is a method in which diagnostic information is obtained by testing and recording the electrical activities of body parts. It has been used in PMR medicine increasingly in recent years as technology has advanced, and is currently the most common way to diagnose a patient for neuromuscular disorders.

The development of fuzzy expert systems has provided new opportunities for problem solving amidst uncertainties. The medical field, in particular, has benefitted tremendously from advancing fuzzy system technologies. Fuzzy Expert Systems for Disease Diagnosis highlights the latest research and developments in fuzzy rule-based methods used in the detection of medical complications and illness. Offering emerging solutions and practical applications, this timely publication is designed for use by researchers, academicians, and students, as well as practitioners in the medical field.

Immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization are widely used biomedical sciences. They are essential in medical diagnosis and in cell biology research. Affinity labeling is the central goal of the experimental strategy involving a series of techniques in a logical order; from the effects of specimen fixation, through specimen preparation to expose the antigen, to optimizing immunolabeling, to assessing the result and finally to safety considerations. Numerous examples of these techniques in biomedical sciences are included, as well as experimental assays and practical tips. This survey of methods will serve as an invaluable reference source in any laboratory setting (academic, industrial or clinical) involved in research in almost every branch of biology or medicine, as well as in pharmaceutical, biotechnological and clinical applications.

Lung function testing has evolved over the years from a tool purely used for research and is now a commonly utilised form of clinical investigation. This new book is clear, concise and easy to read, providing both the essential scientific information as well as focusing on the practical aspects of lung function testing. The book is designed so that different chapters can be read as stand-alone sections, but cross-referencing to the other chapters completes the picture for the interested reader. The book begins with an outline of lung structure and anatomy, and then proceeds to basic functional considerations before discussing the tests themselves. Particular attention is given to spirometry and lung volume measurements. The text covers the functional assessment of exercise capacity, respiratory muscle strength and concludes with preoperative evaluation and recommendations. The text emphasises practical problems, including controversies associated with lung function testing. Boxes emphasise important topics throughout the text. Highlighted questions can be used for short tutorials or problem-based learning

The book presents a knowledge discovery based approach to build a recommender system supporting a physician in treating tinnitus patients with the highly successful method called Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. It describes experiments on extracting novel knowledge from the historical dataset of patients treated by Dr. P. Jastreboff so that to better understand factors behind therapy's effectiveness and better personalize treatments for different profiles of patients. The book is a response for a growing demand of an advanced data analytics in the healthcare industry in order to provide better care with the data driven decision-making solutions. The potential economic benefits of applying computerized clinical decision support systems include not only improved efficiency in health care delivery (by reducing costs, improving quality of care and patient safety), but also enhancement in treatment's standardization, objectivity and availability in places of scarce expert's knowledge on this difficult to treat hearing disorder. Furthermore, described approach could be used in assessment of the clinical effectiveness of evidence-based intervention of various proposed treatments for tinnitus.

This issue of Clinics in Laboratory Medicine on the topic of Laboratory Medicine in India will be Guest Edited by Tester F. Ashavaid, PhD, FACB, CSCi, and include the following article topics: Tuberculosis; Malaria; STIs and Dengue; Visceral Leishmaniasis; Neglected Tropical Diseases; Hepatitis; HIV; Diabetes; Cardiovascular diseases; Stroke; HPV / Cervical screening; Multiple congenital anomalies; Down Syndrome/Thalessemia; Muscle dystrophy; Spinal muscular atrophy; Wilson Disease; Hemophilia; National and International Accreditation; Blood Banking regulations; Distant Testing; Clinical Trials; Medical Tourism; International Reference labs; and Diagnostics in diet.