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.

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.

Environmental Contaminants and Endocrine Health focuses specifically on contaminants with hormonal disrupting activities. The book provides insights into the multiple effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and their mechanism of action (MoA) on metabolism, reproduction and the multiple physiological roles of the endocannabinoid system which has recently been indicated as new target. The content systematically covers EDC sources and effects, EDCs as sources of disease and health impairment in laboratory models, EDCs as the cause of disease and health impairment in humans and wild species, and the removal of hazardous pollutants from wastewaters to highlight intervention, mitigation and adaptation for reduced threat. This content will be a foundational resource for academic and research staff in endocrinology and hormone toxicology as well as for professors, researchers and students in these areas.

Cytokines are polypeptide mediators which act as communication signals among cells of the immune system as well as among other cells and tissues in the body. They are a heterogeneous and complex group and include interferons, tumor necrosis factor and chemokines. They play a key role in homeostasis and in host defense and are involved in such inflammatory and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis as well as infectious diseases such as HIV infection and spetic shock. Modulation of the production and action of cytokines, as well as their exploitation of therapeutic agents has been the object of intense and competitive research. This book overviews the field of cytokine research and describes the various approaches that have been taken to develop the pharmacology of these novel mediators. The pharmacology of cytokines is an exploding area which is entering the clinical arena. The book in the framework of the immunobiology of cytokines, examines the interactions with the cytokine system of a variety of compounds ranging from simple synthetic chemicals to biotechnological products. In addition to examining individual agents and approaches, the book examines the pathophysiology of individual body systems and analyzes specific contexts for the pathophysiology of individual body systems and analyzes specific contexts for the pathophysiology of these mediators as well as pharmacological approaches for their control.

This volume is a clinically-oriented book that can be used for patient care, teaching, or research. It covers the entire field of lymphedema, including both primary and secondary disease, as well as all diagnostic and treatment modalities. The text begins with a foundation for the condition, including its pathophysiology, epidemiology, and morbidity. Next, the classification of lymphedema is covered which is the template for accurate diagnosis. Clinical, radiological, and differential diagnosis of lymphedema is also reviewed. Finally, conservative and operative management is presented, including both physiologic and excisional procedures. Lymphedema: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Treatment provides a comprehensive, easy-to-read reference for any health care provider managing a patient with lymphedema. The text is clinically-focused, evidence-based, and practical. The reader, regardless of his/her level of training or specialty, will be able to adequately treat a patient with lymphedema using this resource. To facilitate its use in clinical settings, the book was designed to be portable. In addition, diagnostic and treatment algorithms are included to further simplify the management of these patients. Patient images are presented throughout the text to illustrate the clinical care of lymphedema. All chapters are written by experts in the field, and contain the most current information on the topic.

Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the first volume to be written on the neuropeptide PACAP. It covers all domains of PACAP from molecular and cellular aspects to physiological activities and promises for new therapeutic strategies.
Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide is the twentieth volume published in the Endocrine Updates book series under the Series Editorship of Shlomo Melmed, MD.

Precision Medicine in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Part One, Volume 192 deals with the "Why" in the approach to slow the progression of those suffering from diseases of accelerated brain aging. Matching a biology-correcting therapy with those biologically suitable to benefit from such therapy represents the vision and mission of precision medicine, the highest level of personalized medicine. This first Handbook of Clinical Neurology volume is intended to provide a scholarly background on the framework, basic science, and conceptual pitfalls related to disease-modifying efforts in Parkinson, Alzheimer, and other neurodegenerative disorders. Among the topics covered are the different models of precision medicine, the lumping-versus-splitting tension in biomarker development and therapeutics, and the rationale for replacing the convergence of the prevailing autopsy-based nosology of neurodegenerative diseases with the divergence of a systems biology approach to human diseases. Specific chapters are dedicated to the promise of genetic subtypes and the lessons in disease modification offered by the fields of oncology and cystic fibrosis that can be adapted to the field of neurodegeneration.

The field of microbial endocrinology is expressly devoted to understanding the mechanisms by which the microbiota (bacteria within the microbiome) interact with the host ("us"). This interaction is a two-way street and the driving force that governs these interactions are the neuroendocrine products of both the host and the microbiota. Chapters include neuroendocrine hormone-induced changes in gene expression and microbial endocrinology and probiotics. This is the first in a series of books dedicated to understanding how bi-directional communication between host and bacteria represents the cutting edge of translational medical research, and hopefully identifies new ways to understand the mechanisms that determine health and disease.

The field of endocrine disruption or endocrine active compounds (EACs), which is just emerging and still controversial, is comprehensively covered by leading experts in Volume 3, Subvolumes L (the present volume, Part I) and M (Part II). The major classes of endocrine active chemicals are discussed, as well as methods for their detection and their association with health disturbances in humans and wildlife. The etiology of several of the human diseases associated with endocrine disruptors, e.g. breast and prostate cancer, decreased fertility and malformations, is still poorly understood, and the current state of knowledge is presented. Since hormonally active agents appear to have the potential of both adverse and beneficial effects, the evidence of health benefits associated with endocrine active compounds in humans is also presented. Basic chapters on the mode of action of EACs and on the etiology of the associated diseases facilitate the understanding of this complex subject for non-medical readers.

Practical Stress Management: A Comprehensive Workbook, Seventh Edition, is a focused, personal, worksheet-based text that combines theory and principles with hands-on exercises to help readers manage the negative impact of stress in life. As a practical tool for recognizing and preventing stress, the action-oriented approach enables the student to make personal change through self-reflection and behavior change techniques. This approach allows the book to be used as a text in a course or as a self-study/reference book. In this edition, the authors cover financial stress and expand their section on sleep. The book is accompanied by online MP3 files of guided relaxation techniques and downloadable worksheets. In addition, worksheets and thoughts for reflection boxes help users determine their own level of stress and apply effective stress management techniques.

Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor, is critical in the control of food intake and energy balance. The ghrelin receptors are now known to have important physiological properties as modulators of growth hormone release, appetite, glucose homeostasis, metabolism, immune function, neurotransmitter activity, cognitive function and neurodegeneration. Bringing all of this information together in the first comprehensive text on the topic, Ghrelin in Health and Disease provides a state-of-the-art synthesis of the latest work in this area for physicians and physician-scientists. This volume addresses the unique property of ghrelin as a modulator of function. Such a property provides potential utility for safe intervention in a wide variety of disease states. Indeed as we learn more about the basic physiology of ghrelin, the potential for treating new disease targets emerge requiring validation in the clinic. Each chapter in this volume is authored by a leading investigator in the field. The introductory chapter sets the background for the book and provides a superb overview of the relevance of ghrelin to physiology, describing how the discovery of ghrelin has prompted us to completely rethink traditional physiology. The authors conclude their chapters by critically addressing the future translational aspects of ghrelin biology and outlining what key basic research and clinical questions remain to be addressed. An invaluable resource, Ghrelin in Health and Disease distinguishes itself as the first comprehensive title covering all of the molecular and clinical issues relating to ghrelin and advancing our clinical understanding of obesity, growth, and reproductive pathogenesis.

The authors address in particular the role of hormones and their links with other maternal environmental mediators in developmental programming. The crucial nature of the placenta as an interface and target between maternal and foetal environments is addressed. Emphasis is made on the emerging science of epigenetics as a potential explanation for how environmental events that occur during brief windows of development may exert effects that impact upon somatic cells through many rounds of mitosis for much of the life span of the subsequent organism.

This volume summarizes the proceedings of the Reisensburg workshop which took place at Reisensburg Castle in November 1997." The castle is built on the site of an - cient Roman compound and situated in the south of Germany at the Danube river. Sci- tists from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States participated in the workshop. Like the 1996 workshop, the proceedings of which will be published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Ex- cise in 1998, the 1997 workshop also focused on the topic of overtraining in its widest sense to deepen our knowledge in this particularly sensitive field of sports science and sports practice. The authors see the present volume in a context with the proceedings p- sented by Guten (ed. ) "Running Injuries"; Saunders, Philadelphia (1997) and Kxeider, Fry, and O'Toole (eds. ) "Overtraining in Sport"; Human Kinetics, Champaign IL (1997). Overtraining, that is, too much stress combined with too little time for regeneration, can be seen as a crucial and threatening problem within the modern athletic community, of which significance can already be recognized reading daily newspapers: ." . . During the 1996 European championships, a gymnast shook his head almost imperceptibly, closed his eyes briefly and left the arena without looking up. He was fatigue personified. 'Suddenly, I just couldn't do any more. I just wanted to rest'." A look at his schedule showed why.

Stuart Handwerger, MD and a distinguished panel of clinicians and experts review the most significant recent developments in molecular and cellular biology, powerful advances that have produced new diagnostic methods and improved treatments for many pediatric endocrine diseases. Topics range from the growth hormone/prolactin/placental lactogen gene family and their regulation of growth, to steroid hormones, sexual development, and mineral corticoid action. Additional chapters examine the pathophysiology of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, the molecular genetics of thyroid cancer, the molecular basis of hypophosphatemic rickets, and inherited diabetes insipidus. Molecular and Cellular Pediatric Endocrinology offers today's clinicians and researchers not only the latest findings on endocrine diseases in their pediatric manifestations, but also highly practical insights into today's cutting-edge diagnostics, treatment strategies, and powerful new therapeutics.

A state-of-the-art and concise guide to the clinical management of pediatric endocrine disorders, the second edition of the highly regarded Pediatric Endocrinology: A Practical Clinical Guide covers the most common and challenging conditions seen by practicing endocrinologists and primary care physicians, including growth, hypothalamic, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, calcium and bone, and reproductive disorders, as well as metabolic syndromes. This expanded second edition includes new topics being seen more commonly in pediatric endocrinology practices related to obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus and lipid disorders. Each chapter contains an introductory discussion of the problem, a review of the clinical features that characterize it, the criteria needed to establish a diagnosis, and a comprehensive therapy section delineating the risks and benefits of the best therapeutic options available. Invaluable tables summarize the critical factors in etiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and therapeutic dosages. Pediatric Endocrinology: A Practical Clinical Guide, Second Edition, is a comprehensive resource for all clinicians concerned with the myriad endocrinologic disorders seen in children and adolescents.

Summarizes insulin and the closely related IGF-1 receptor signaling. Depicts concepts of insulin resistance. Highlights the importance of conserved brain insulin signaling for brain function, metabolism and behavior Describes potential behavioral and pharmacological approaches to support brain insulin signaling

This book is a guide for clinicians seeking to use metabolic approaches in the care of hospitalized patients. Since a nutritional component exists for practically any disease process managed, it is important to properly address the macro- and micronutrient issues that can help facilitate a favourable clinical outcome. Metabolic medicine is a newly recognized speciality that applies proven nutritional approaches to support hospitalized patients within existing standards of care. Optimizing Metabolic Status for the Hospitalized Patient: The Role of Macro- and Micronutrition on Disease Management addresses the gap of nutrition knowledge among physicians who generally care for patients without addressing the nutritional and metabolic perspective. Features: State-of-the-art guidelines for practicing metabolic medicine in the hospital setting "Hands on" guide for day-to-day metabolic management of hospitalized patients Personal insights from one of the field's leading practitioners, drawing upon decades of experience Historical reviews of key scientific developments This book is written by Dr Michael M. Rothkopf, Clinical Professor of Medicine at Rutgers/New Jersey Medical School. Dr Rothkopf founded the Metabolic Medicine Center at Morristown Medical Center and is the current Metabolic Medicine Consultant for the Heart Transplant, Lung Transplant, Cardiac Surgery and Wound Care Programs at RWJBH/Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. This book is directed at the physician level of hospital care. It provides value to a broad range of physicians regardless of their medical specialty or subspecialty. It will also be useful for medical students and resident physicians in training as well as nurse practitioners and physician assistants working in hospital settings.

The versatility of oocyte and embryo donation has proven to be extremely valuable to both patients and doctors engaged in reproductive medicine. Originally thought to be applicable only to a rather small subset of infertile women, today busy practices commonly recommend the procedure and it is estimated that nearly all of the 400 or more IVF programs in the United States provide these services. Oocyte and embryo donation has established itself as a mainstay procedure within assisted reproductive care, and the breadth, depth and complexity of practice is deserving of focused attention. Much has changed within the field of oocyte and embryo donation since the publication of the first edition of Principles of Oocyte and Embryo Donation in 1998, thus the need for a completely updated and more expansive text. The second edition of this book provides an overview of the major issues affecting men and women engaged in the practice of oocyte and embryo donation. A primary emphasis has been placed on defining the standards of practice that have evolved over the past 30 years, clearly stating the outcomes expected from adhering to these established protocols. Details of both the basic science and the clinical medicine are presented together and attention is also focused on the non-reproductive aspects inherent to this unique method of assisted reproduction that involves opinions from lawyers, ethicists, mental health care professionals and theologians. Oocyte and embryo donation requires a working knowledge of the medicine, the law and the ethics that underlies its foundation. This book is intended to serve as a complete and comprehensive reference for all health care professionals that provide services related to egg donation, reproductive endocrinologists, obstetrician- gynecologists, and fellows and residents entering the fertility field.

Neuropalliative Care, Part Two, Volume 191 covers a type of care that is given when there is no cure for the neurological disorder and the patient is in distress. It provides a scholarly background of neuropalliative care, from historic underpinnings to its practice in various geographical regions, along with best practices for specific neurological disorders. It covers the work of multi or interdisciplinary teams whose care is intended to make the patient as comfortable as possible and includes partners and families in treatment plans.

Endocrinology, and diabetes care in particular, is a dynamic field where clinicians must translate new evidence into clinical practice at a rapid pace. Designed in an engaging, case-based format, Endocrinology and Diabetes: A Problem Oriented Approach offers a wide range of thought-provoking case studies that reflect contemporary, challenging, hands-on clinical care. Further, by providing a list of specific clinical problems, this format offers the reader a more convenient and pointed way to solve precise clinical problems in a timely manner. Developed by a renowned, international group of experts, this comprehensive title covers the most common clinical problems in endocrinology and diabetes and should be of great interest to endocrinologists, diabetologists, internal medicine physicians, family physicians, fellows, and residents.

In 1890 a case of myxedema was treated in Lisbon by the implantation of a sheep thyroid gland with the immediate improvement in the patient's condition. A few years later, medications for the then ill-explained condition of the menopause included tablets made from cow ovaries. In the first quarter of the 20th century the identification of vitamin D, and its sunlight driven production in skin, paved the way to the elimination of rickets as a major medical problem. Twenty years or so later, Sir Vincent Wigglesworth established the endocrine basis of developmental moulting in insects, arguably the most commonly performed animal behaviour on Planet Earth. A paradigm that would unify these disparate observations arose between 1985 and 1987 beginning with the identification of the glucocorticoid receptor and the nuclear receptor super-family. What follows is a timely and positive manifestation of the capacity, productivity and value of international human scientific endeavour. Based on intrigue, lively competition and cooperation a global effort has rapidly fostered a school of biology with widespread ramifications for the understanding of metazoan animals, the human condition and the state of the planet. This book is the first this century to try and capture the spirit of this endeavour, to depict where the field is now and to identify some of the challenges and opportunities for the future.