Current thinking holds that obesity derives primarily from overnutrition (though compelling arguments for other mechanisms, like endocrine disruption by environmental pollutants, also gain support from the literature). In animals, overnutrition is initially handled by adipose tissue expansion; however, exhaustion of this route of lipid sequestering results in oversupply of lipid to other tissues including skeletal muscle, heart, liver, and others. Failure of these tissues to clear excess lipids through either metabolism or sequestration into putatively inert triacylglycerols results in perturbation of bioactive lipid metabolism in cells. In particular, aberrant generation of bioactive sphingolipids is implicated in a multitude of pathological outcomes of metabolic disease including insulin resistance, inflammation, cardiomyopathy, and others. This volume addresses not only the fundamentals of sphingolipid metabolism and analysis, but also the roles of sphingolipids in these disease processes.

Helicobacter pylori Protocols offers an outstanding collection of state-of-the-art protocols for the identification and molecular manipulation of H. pylori. The authoritative contributors supply detailed and readily reproducible protocols for the culturing of H. pylori, for the isolation and restriction endonuclease digestion of H. pylori chromosomal DNA, and for the transformation and insertional mutagenesis of H. pylori. They also provide molecular epidemiological techniques, including ribotyping, PCR-RFLP, and RAPD-PCR. These procedures have been developed by leading practitioners to solve the difficult technical problems created by the application of the powerful bacterial genetic and molecular cloning techniques to H. pylori.

This book documents the primary role of acute hunger (semi- and frank starvation) in the 'fulminant' malaria epidemics that repeatedly afflicted the northwest plains of British India through the first half of colonial rule. Using Punjab vital registration data and regression analysis it also tracks the marked decline in annual malaria mortality after 1908 with the control of famine, despite continuing post-monsoonal malaria transmission across the province. The study establishes a time-series of annual malaria mortality estimates for each of the 23 plains districts of colonial Punjab province between 1868 and 1947 and for the early post-Independence years (1948-60) in (East) Punjab State. It goes on to investigate the political imperatives motivating malaria policy shifts on the part of the British Raj. This work reclaims the role of hunger in Punjab malaria mortality history and, in turn, raises larger epistemic questions regarding the adequacy of modern concepts of nutrition and epidemic causation in historical and demographic analysis. Part of The Social History of Health and Medicine in South Asia series, this book will be useful to scholars and researchers of colonial history, modern history, social medicine, social anthropology and public health.

Various foods, herbs and spices are used to treat or prevent disease and there have been considerable advances in scientific techniques over the last few decades. These have been used to examine the composition and applications of traditional cures. Modern science has also seen the investigation of herbs, spices and botanicals beyond their traditional usage. Contributions are from leading national and international experts including those from world renowned institutions. Please target oncologists, cancer specialists, physicians, health scientists, healthcare workers, pharmacologists, and research scientists. The audience also includes federal and state program directors. It is valuable to academic libraries that cover the domains of health and medical sciences. It is also suitable for undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers, and academic professors.

LA WRENCE G. RAISZ, MD Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Connecticut Health Center. Farmington. CT The rapid transfer of new knowledge concerning the pathogenesis, diagnosis, preven tion, and treatment of disease into clinical practice has always been a major challenge in medicine. This challenge is particularly difficult to meet in osteoporosis, not only because has been so much new knowledge generated in recent years, but also because this there disorder has not caught the attention of many practicing physicians. The goal of this volume is to help primary care physicians develop a better understanding of osteoporosis and a more effective approach to diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. As primary care physicians become more and more responsible for the maintenance of health and the prevention of disease, osteoporosis must become one of their important concerns. The magnitude of the problem of osteoporosis has been widely publicized. Within the next 30 years, the cost of hip fractures alone is expected to exceed $40 billion a year in the United States and will be a major cause ofincreased mortality. In addition, vertebral crush fractures will cripple more and more of our elderly population, both men and women. This enormous toll is not inevitable. Current methods of identifying individuals at risk and applying preventive programs could reduce the incidence offractures by 50% or more. This should be the minimum goal of clinicians."

Whilst the body has recently assumed greater sociological significance, there has been less engagement in social work and social care on the bodily experience of health, illness and disease. This innovative volume redresses the balance by exploring chronic illness and social work, through the specific lens of autoimmunity, engaging in wider debates around vulnerability, resistance and the lived experience of ongoing ill-health. Moving beyond existing conceptualisations of vulnerability as an issue of mental distress, ageing, child protection and poverty, Price and Walker demonstrate the role that society has to play in actively engaging the physical body, rather than working around and through it. The book focuses on auto-immune conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. Conditions like these allow for an exploration of the materiality of illness which exacerbates social and economic vulnerability and may precipitate personal and social crises, requiring a variety of interventions and support. The risks and challenges associated with chronic illness include disruptions to a sense of self and identity, altered relationships and the renegotiation of roles and responsibilities in a variety of relationships in addition to an economic impact, with the potential for disruption to employment status and financial insecurity. This text opens up a range of debates around some of the central concerns of the social work profession, including vulnerability, ill-health, and independence. It will be of interest to scholars and students of social work, nursing, disability studies, medicine and the social sciences.

The Understanding GERD chart presents a detailed overview of the symptoms and causes of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Several views show normal esophagus and stomach anatomy, as well as GERD, esophagitis and Barrett's esophagus. Heavy cover stock with protective varnish for durability.

Research into metabolic bone disease has made remarkable progress over the last 20 years, with the identification of numerous new molecules and pathways regulating bone cells as well as their plasma milieu. Their activities are largely regulated by the physiological status of the body incorporating the biochemical, physical and mechanical functions of bone, kidney and intestinal tissues. The Physiological Basis of Metabolic Bone Disease integrates the knowledge derived from molecular techniques with the fundamental principles of the physiology of these organs. The book places particular emphasis on bone cell activities and the regulation of plasma calcium, phosphate homeostasis, and whole body nutrition. It reviews the nutritional requirements for calcium and vitamin D for the prevention of osteoporosis. It covers vitamin D, calcium and phosphate absorption; calcium sensing receptors; the role of parathyroid hormone; physiological actions of calcitonin; and the diagnosis and significance of osteoporosis. Reviewing the physiological significance of advances in the molecular biology of metabolic bone disease, this book provides a valuable reference for researchers as well as practicing clinicians.

Anthocyanins, polyphenolic compounds abundant in certain foods, are responsible for the orange-red to blue-violet hues evident in many fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, and flowers. Interest in these pigments has intensified due to their potential health-promoting properties as dietary antioxidants, as well as their use as natural dyes in a variety of products. Mechanistic studies from in vitro experiments as well as in vivo clinical trials demonstrate wide-ranging efficacy and biological activity of anthocyanins. Anthocyanins in Health and Disease presents the first comprehensive review of modern-day research on the relationship of anthocyanins to human health and disease. Written by an interdisciplinary group of distinguished scientists, this book examines the bioavailability, chemistry, metabolism, and efficacy of anthocyanins, as well as their role in protecting the body from several age- and obesity-related chronic diseases. Chapters cover the absorption, digestion, metabolism, and excretion of anthocyanins; current methodology for the assessment of anthocyanins in the blood, plasma, urine, and tissues; and anthocyanins as potent antioxidants. The book discusses health-related topics such as anthocyanins and protection against disease, including cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, type-2 diabetes, and cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. It also addresses health-promoting effects of anthocyanins, namely, maintenance of normal vision and prevention of ocular pathologies, protective effects against skin aging, and their role in innate immunity and exercise. Covering a wide array of specialized knowledge, this book provides an authoritative source of information on the role of anthocyanins in health and disease, an important step toward advancing research and enhancing communication on these functional ingredients.

This book presents key concepts in the structure and function of vascular smooth muscle cells in health and disease. Supplemental reading may be drawn from the extensive references listed at the end of each chapter. Vascular smooth muscle cell is the major cell type in blood vessels. Dysfunction of vascular smooth muscle cells is an important cause of vascular diseases, for example, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and circulatory shock. Vascular smooth muscle cells are phenotypically plastic, capable of switching between two major phenotypes - contractile/differentiated phenotype and invasive/proliferative phenotype in response to environmental clues. Chapter 1 introduces the major areas of research presented in this monograph. Chapters 2 to 4 address the structure and function of the contractile/differentiated phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cell. Chapters 5 and 6 address the developmental basis of vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype and structure and function of podosomes (invasive organelles) in the invasive/proliferative phenotype of vascular smooth muscle cell. Chapters 7 to 9 address the role of vascular smooth muscle cell dysfunction in vascular diseases - atherosclerosis, hypertension, and circulatory shock.

Neuroendocrine Factors in Ulcer Pathogenesis: Role of Sensory Neurons in the Control of Gastric Mucosal Blood Flow and Protection; P. Holzer, et al. Sympathoadrenergic Regulation of Duodenal Mucosal Alkaline Secretion; L. Fandriks, C. Joenson. Potentiation of Intestinal Secretory Responses to Histamine: Pathophysiological Implications; P. Rangachari, et al. Braingut Interactions in Ulcer Pathogenesis: Neuroendocrine Control of Gastric Acid Secretion; Y. Osumi. Corticotropinreleasing Factor in Stressinduced Changes in Gastrointestinal Transit; T. Burks. Stress, Corticotrophinreleasing Factor; (CRF) and Gastric Function; H. Weiner. Novel Therapeutic Approaches to Gastrointestinal Ulceration: The Gastric Mucosal Barrier: A Dynamic, Multifunctional System; A. Garner, et al. New Approaches to Gastroprotection: Calcium Modulators; G.B. Glavin, A.M. Hall. Efficacy of Dopaminergic Agents in Peptic Ulcer Healing and Relapse Prevention: Further Indication of the Importance of Stomach Dopamine in the Stressorganoprotection Concept; P. Sikiric, et al. Dietary Factors Influencing Gastrointestinal Ulceration: The Luminal Regulatory System; F. Guarner, et al. 14 additional articles. Index.

First Published in 1993. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Recognized experts comprehensively review the clinical, surgical, radiological, and scientific aspects of atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD), including endovascular, gene, and drug therapies. In their far-ranging discussions, the authors examine in depth the risk factors and antiplatelet therapies for PAD patients at high risk for suffering a heart attack and/or and stroke, the question of exercise rehabilitation, the surgical approaches to revascularization, and the preoperative evaluation and perioperative management of the vascular patient. Completing this detailed overview is important information on ameliorating the risk factors for PAD, its pathogenesis and epidemiology, and the physiological and pathophysiological basis of available diagnostic tests.

Although the first description of patients with what we now call Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis was published well before 1900, both disorders seem to be diseases of the twentieth century. At the very start of the twenty-first century, it therefore seems appropriate to look back and at the same time look forward and to assess what knowledge has been gained during the last 100 years and in what direction research and thereby clinical practice will go in the future. This book, the proceedings of Falk Symposium No. 111 held in Freiburg, Germany, on June 19-20 1999, contains contributions from experienced senior scientists on the state of the art in pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment, together with unpublished and new findings from young researchers. Basic scientists and clinicians are thereby involved in an exchange of information which will lead to new directions for future research and clinical management of inflammatory bowel diseases.

Part of the "What Do I Do Now?: Palliative Care" series, Pain uses thought-provoking, real-world cases to illustrate concepts, approaches to therapy, and potential barriers to optimal care presented by a diverse panel of interdisciplinary authors. Pain is a frequent and distressing symptom encountered by those with serious or life-limiting illness and may present in a multitude of fashions and from a wide array of etiologies. This book intertwines pharmacologic, nonpharmacologic, and ethical principles of pain control within case-based discussions, allowing readers to expect: * Unique perspectives of pain control, from numerous essential members of the healthcare team; * An engaging collection of cases that illustrate the most current approaches to the most commonly encountered pain syndromes in palliative care; * Chapters that begin with cases and that utilize a conversational tone throughout, like a "curb-side" consult with a seasoned colleague. Consisting of 46 chapters that cover everything from antidepressants to cannabis, cultural competency to bone pain, this volume is also a self-assessment tool that tests the reader's ability to answer the question, "What do I do now?"

This book is a fact-based guide to the appropriate use of fish oil as nature's safest and most effective anti-inflammatory.

Gene therapy for inflammatory diseases is a new, burgeoning field of medicine. Edited by the undisputed pioneers of this area of research, this volume is the first devoted to its topic. It contains thirteen chapters, each written by leaders in their respective fields, that summarize the state of the art in developing novel, gene based treatments for inflammatory diseases. As well as providing an introduction to the basic concepts of gene therapy and the use of naked DNA approaches, the book describes the advances that have been made in applying them to arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Sjogrens syndrome and transplantation.One chapter is devoted to discussing the first human clinical trials that apply gene therapy to the treatment of an inflammatory disease. As well as providing novel therapeutic approaches, gene therapy facilitates the development of new and improved animal models of disease; a chapter describing these advances is also included. As an up-to-date, timely book written by th

These proceedings of Falk Symposium 110 on `Intestinal Mucosa and its Diseases - Pathophysiology and Clinics' held at Titisee/Black Forest, Germany, 16-17 October 1998, comprehensively review salient clinical as well as scientific aspects - pending or settled - of the main intestinal diseases. In particular, chapters deal with infectious and neuroendocrine diarrhoeas, coeliac sprue, allergic enteropathy, intestinal lymphomas, colorectal carcinomas, and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, in terms of clinical presentation as well as underlying mechanisms. This book therefore aims to bridge the gaps between basic science and clinics for the eventual treatment of patients afflicted with these diseases.

The monograph applies sophisticated topological symmetry tools to biological applications of information theory, along with a Black-Scholes model invocation of the Data Rate Theorem which links information and control theories. The focus is on statistical mechanics and other models that explore pathological phase transitions - driven by changes in available rates of mitochondrial free energy - in physiological functions, a cutting-edge topic in the study of chronic disease. One of the key focuses is Alzheimer's disease - a relatively simple canonical example.

Whilst the body has recently assumed greater sociological significance, there has been less engagement in social work and social care on the bodily experience of health, illness and disease. This innovative volume redresses the balance by exploring chronic illness and social work, through the specific lens of autoimmunity, engaging in wider debates around vulnerability, resistance and the lived experience of ongoing ill-health. Moving beyond existing conceptualisations of vulnerability as an issue of mental distress, ageing, child protection and poverty, Price and Walker demonstrate the role that society has to play in actively engaging the physical body, rather than working around and through it. The book focuses on auto-immune conditions such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. Conditions like these allow for an exploration of the materiality of illness which exacerbates social and economic vulnerability and may precipitate personal and social crises, requiring a variety of interventions and support. The risks and challenges associated with chronic illness include disruptions to a sense of self and identity, altered relationships and the renegotiation of roles and responsibilities in a variety of relationships in addition to an economic impact, with the potential for disruption to employment status and financial insecurity. This text opens up a range of debates around some of the central concerns of the social work profession, including vulnerability, ill-health, and independence. It will be of interest to scholars and students of social work, nursing, disability studies, medicine and the social sciences.

This book synthesizes the flourishing field of anthropology of infectious disease in a critical, biocultural framework. Leading medical anthropologist Merrill Singer holistically unites the behaviors of microorganisms and the activities of complex social systems, showing how we exist with pathogenic agents of disease in a complex process of co-evolution. He also connects human diseases to larger ecosystems and various other species that are future sources of new human infections. Anthropology of Infectious Disease integrates and advances research in this growing, multifaceted area and offers an ideal supplement to courses in anthropology, public health, development studies, and related fields.

The global outbreak of Covid-19 appears to be unprecedented in a world which has not suffered a serious pandemic for a century, while society had almost forgotten the enormous impact of highly infectious diseases throughout history. Pestilence, however, has played a major role in ending the Golden Age of Athens, wrecking Justinian's plans to restore the Roman Empire to its former glory, and killing untold millions in Latin America after the Spanish invasion. Despite its importance, historians have tended to minimise the role of infectious disease, partly because of a lack of scientific knowledge. This has resulted in a distorted view both of the past and of the danger of disease to modern society. In Armies of Pestilence, R.S. Bray, a distinguished biologist and an able historian, corrects this view with an exploration of the influence of disease on history. The book surveys the principal epidemics around the world and across the centuries, including scholarly discussion around those which cannot be certainly identified. In each case, Bray examines the origins of the outbreaks, as well as the symptoms, the mortality rate and the social and economic turmoil left in their wake. Bray pays special attention to the infamous organism that caused the Black Death, Yersina pestis, as well as other grimly familiar bogey-men of pestilential history including malaria, smallpox, typhus, cholera and influenza, and AIDS. Government responses to outbreaks are assessed, and the inability of governments to deal effectively with disease is a recurring theme. The relationship between disease and war, with the former often responsible for more deaths than the latter, is also considered in detail, as was the case during the last great influenza pandemic of 1918-19, at the end of the First World War