A concise clinical reference that facilitates the diagnosis of intrauterine and perinatally acquired infections was the goal in creating the Congenital and Perinatal Infections: A Concise Guide to Diagnosis. Information about the natural history, m- agement, and outcome of these infections is well detailed in many other sources and so has not been included. Rather, the focus of the book is diagnosis. The initial chapters provide general information about serological and nonserological assays that are used for the diagnosis of infections, and a chapter about the placenta includes details about histopathological findings that can be helpful with the diagnosis of congenital inf- tions. The remainder of the book is devoted to the diagnosis of specific congenital and/ or perinatal infections. As illustrated in the chapters about specific infections, the approach to diagnosis of a congenital or perinatally acquired infection in the neonate begins, when possible, with consideration and diagnosis of infection in the pregnant woman, knowledge of how the infection is transmitted, and the risk of that infection for the woman and her fetus or neonate. The possibility of congenital or perinatal infection in neonates is usually considered because of the diagnosis of, or concern about a s- cific infection in, a mother during pregnancy that can be transmitted to the neonate or because of clinical findings in the neonate at birth that suggest an infectious cause.

This unique book explores the role of retrotransposons in human health and disease. The ability of retrotransposons to affect the structure of human genes is recognized since the late 80's. However, the advances of deep-sequencing technologies have shed new light on the extent of retrotransposon-mediated genome variations. These progresses have also led to the discovery that retrotransposon activity is not restricted to the germline - resulting in inheritable genetic variations - but can also mobilize in somatic tissues, such as embryonic stem cells, neuronal progenitor cells, or in many cancers. This book covers topics related to the effects of retrotransposon insertions, and their consequences on germline and somatic genome dynamics, but also discuss the role and impact of retrotransposons sequences in a broader context, including a number of novel topics that emerged recently (long non-coding RNA, neuronal disorders, exaptation) with unexpected connections between retrotransposons, stem cell maintenance, placentation, circadian cycles or aging.

Now in its fourteenth edition, Clinical Anatomy is the definitive text offering medical students, postgraduate trainees and junior doctors the anatomical information they need to succeed in a clinical setting. Professor Harold Ellis and Professor Vishy Mahadevan provide an accessible, comprehensive, and detailed exploration of anatomy, specifically designed for students and trainees at all levels. Revised and updated, the fourteenth edition contains more information about the nervous system as well as medical images, diagrams and photographs that are overlaid with anatomical illustrations, revealing detailed surface anatomy. This edition: Puts greater emphasis on clinical relevance and contains more content for non-surgical trainees Offers a variety of illustrative clinical scenario case studies Contains many more medical images and diagrams such as CT and MRI Presents expanded information on the nervous system Includes a companion website that contains digital flashcards of all the illustrations and photographs presented in the book Written for medical students, junior doctors, and those studying for The Royal College of Surgeons examinations, the new edition of Clinical Anatomy continues to be an essential resource for understanding the basics of clinical anatomy.

The prominence of dementia within the global aging population has undergone an increase in recent years. To improve the living conditions of patients, researchers must place more emphasis on early detection methods. Improving the Quality of Life for Dementia Patients through Progressive Detection, Treatment, and Care provides a thorough overview of emerging research on various neuroscience methods for the early diagnosis of dementia and focuses on the improvement of healthcare delivery to patients. Highlighting relevant issues on health information systems, behavioral indicators, and treatment methods, this book is a pivotal reference source for health professionals, neuroscientists, upper-level students, practitioners, and researchers interested in the latest developments within the field of dementia treatment.

- With a dramatic increase in knowledge of anorectal physiology and imaging over the last five years, this book provides a comprehensive study of anorectal assessment.

- Explores all the lastest techniques and treatments in the field

- Organized into two, easy to manage, sections

- First book to pull a diverse area together and includes 3-D ultrasound, transperineal ultrasonography and dynamic MRI not found in other texts on anorectal disorders

This book is a collection of articles written by prominent scientists who gathered in the city of Recife, Brazil, 23-27 October 2010, celebrating the 10th International Symposium on Yersinia. The event is held every four years in a different country and for the Yersinia 2010, an interesting and updated program covering advances in research in Yersiniae was organized. The major advances achieved over the past four years since the last symposium held in Lexington, USA in 2006 were divided into eight chapters: Epidemiology, Clinical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic aspects; Ecology and Modeling; Genomic/Transcriptomics and Large Scale Population; Immune Response and Vaccine; Pathogenesis and Pathogenicity Factors; Cellular Yersiniology; Bacterial Structure and Metabolism: Roles in Pathogenesis and Bacterial Life Style. The purpose of the book is to extend cutting edge knowledge on Yersinia discussed during the 10th International Symposium.

The new edition of the book Normal and Abnormal Swallowing, Second Edition, presents an updated practical approach to the role of imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of the patient with dysphagia. Centered around the "gold standard" imaging modality, i.e. videofluorography, the text also includes chapters on other modalities such as ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The broad scope of the text makes it the definitive reference work for professionals already involved with patients with dysphagia as well as newcomers interested in learning more about the imaging approaches to these patients. This is a "must read" for professionals in specialities such as radiology, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, rehabilitation medicine and speech language pathology.

In spite of significant scientific progress in recent years, the aetiopathogenesis of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) remains elusive. With a prevalence of 1: 700 to 1: 500 in central Europe, both diseases are not rare. However, most physicians will generally treat only a few patients with IBD in their clinical practice. Because of this limited experience and the variety of clinical IBD manifestations, IBD patients are frequently treated in specialized tertiary care centres. Nevertheless, IBD patients will also consult less specialized general practitioners, who will not be able to focus extensively on the management of IBD patients due to time constraints.
Physicians who take care of IBD patients have to select among an ever-increasing amount of new scientific information in order to provide optimal and up-to-date care to their patients. In the era of evidence-based medicine it is often under debate whether evidence-based medicine may really improve the management of IBD patients or whether the diversity and complexity of IBD needs an individual and patient-oriented approach.
This book, the proceedings of the Falk Symposium 134 on Trends and Controversies in IBD - Evidence-Based Approach or Individual Management', held in Berlin, Germany, on 12-13 June 2003, critically discusses established and emerging new concepts in the field of IBD. It critically analyzes evidence-based and individual approaches in the management of IBD and discusses these approaches with the help of selected case reports.

Personal stories and professional research findings make this highly readable book a ready summary of the current knowledge surrounding autism. Recent coverage in popular media has increased awareness and understanding of this condition, creating the need for access to current scientific research and reports of common experiences with it. Directed toward parents and professionals, this book explains what research has revealed and supports it with personal accounts written by people with autism and the parents of autistic children. The focus of the book encompasses the wide spectrum of characteristics and ability levels that exist within autism and their implications for individuals as children, older adolescents, and adults.

From the first diagnosis of autism by Leo Kanner in 1943 to the most recent research by neurologists Isabelle Rapin and Robert Katzman, the study of autism has shed increasing light on the mysteries of this disorder. This book summarizes research findings as it explores the dilemmas faced by parents and individuals with autism in their search for early diagnosis, professional help, and suitable services. Chapters include discussions of co-existing conditions, causes of autism, and its relationship to Asperger Syndrome. Appendices include a glossary of related terms and an international directory of support organizations and publications.

Cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions are of fundamental importance for the development and the maintenance of tissues and organs in multicellular organisms. Adhesive processes are mediated and controlled by an increasingly large and complex number of cell adhesion molecules that are anchored to the cell surface membrane by transmembrane domains. According to their structural and functional features, cell adhesion molecules have been classified into at least four major families: the integrins, selectins, cadherins and members of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Apart from linking cells to each other or to components of the extracellular matrix, cell adhesion molecules function also as receptors that interact via their cytoplasmic domain with numerous signalling molecules including protein kinases and phosphatases, G-proteins, or proteins of the beta-catenin/armadillo family. Cell adhesion molecules can activate various signalling pathways and as a consequence play a crucial role in the regulation of cell differentiation, proliferation, migration and apoptosis. During the last decade it has been recognized that acquired as well as inherited defects of cell adhesion molecules and adhesion-linked signalling molecules are the molecular basis of various types of disease including cancer, infectious and inflammatory disease, connective tissue disorders or blistering disease.
This book is the proceedings of a Falk Workshop held in Berlin, Germany, on January 23-24, 2003, which brought together experts in different fields of research to stimulate the transfer of findings from basic research to clinical application. Section I focuses on cell adhesion molecules of the liver and their role inhepatocarcinogenesis and inflammatory liver disease. Section II deals with infection and fibrosis and with transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). Morphogenesis, cell migration and inflammation are the subject of Section III with a focus on the role of integrins in blood cell-endothelial interactions. In Section IV the importance of cell adhesion molecules for cancer and their role as potential target for cancer therapy will be discussed.

How many human immune systems are there? How old are they? Why is there no AIDS vaccine? Is a new approach needed? Why is public opinion growing skeptical of the scientific community after three decades of public awareness about HIV/AIDS?

Consider answers to these puzzling questions. Learn from the decades of experience of two senior scholars: Dr. Omar Bagasra (an eminent molecular biologist, immunologist, and retrovirologist) and Dr. Donald Gene Pace (a highly published writer who examines public health policy). Explore intriguing new possibilities about human immunity, and the development of an effective AIDS vaccine.

Read Immunology and the Quest for an HIV Vaccine. Benefit from an informed synthesis backed by a wealth of peer-reviewed scientific references. Review basic concepts of immunology, and stretch your perspective by contemplating this creative synthesis that provides a provocative treatise on the origin, evolution, and etiology of several forms of immune systems. Consider compelling ideas that will have an important bearing on HIV vaccine development. Enjoy this informative volume designed for anyone interested in the development of a safe AIDS vaccine, for anyone curious about present knowledge about human immunity, and for anyone yearning for a solution to the global pandemic that is AIDS.

The significant impact of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) on basic research and its clinical relevance are reflected by the flourishing publication of original and review research articles; by the appearance of whole issues of journals dedicated to the RAS; and by specialist books on the RAS. In such a rapidly evolving environment, publications that span the spectrum from basic research to the bedside, fill a particularly valuable niche for clinicians and researchers alike. The primary aim of this book is to provide a topical and timely forum for the critical appraisal of an area of RAS research that is expanding rapidly. In this respect, a collection of thirteen chapters from distinguished and world-class experts in the field has been presented on the contemporary research of the RAS and their implications in human disease.

Only recently have we begun to appreciate the role of microbiome in health and disease. Environmental factors and change of life style including diet significantly shape human microbiome that in turn appears to modify gut barrier function affecting nutrient & electrolyte absorption and inflammation. Approaches that can reverse the gut dysbiosis represent as reasonable and novel strategies for restoring the balance between host and microbes. In the book, we offer summary and discussion on the advances in understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms of microbial host interactions in human diseases. We will not only discuss intestinal bacterial community, but also viruses, fungi and oral microbiome. Microbiome studies will facilitate diagnosis, functional studies, drug development and personalized medicine. Thus, this book will further highlight the microbiome in the context of health and disease, focusing on mechanistic concepts that underlie the complex relationships between host and microbes.

This unique and authoritative book presents an up-to-date overview of the many aspects of energy balance and its relationships to disease processes resulting from excess energy consumption and storage. It provides a comprehensive treatment of important research and clinical aspects of energy metabolism and obesity. It will be a valuable resource for endocrinologists, diabetes specialists, internists and family practitioners.