The health of a population is most accurately reflected in the rate of growth of its children. This theme, prevalent in this book, underlies the analysis and presentation of what is by far the largest compilation of growth data ever assembled in one source. The first edition, published in 1976, included all known reliable recent results on height, weight, skinfolds, and other body measurements from all parts of the globe. In this edition, numerous subsequent measurements taken between 1976 and 1988 have been included, as well as the results of a large number of new studies made on rate of maturation as evinced by bone age and pubertal development stages. Many sections of the book dwell on disentangling the effects of the environment and heredity on growth, and attempt to answer the question of whether one universal standard suffices for all peoples of the world or whether different populations (such as races or nations) should each have their own optimal growth standards.

Most philosophers writing about personal identity in recent years claim that what it takes for us to persist through time is a matter of psychology. In this groundbreaking new book, Eric Olson argues that such approaches face daunting problems, and he defends in their place a radically non-psychological account of personal identity. He defines human beings as biological organisms, and claims that no psychological relation is either sufficient or necessary for an organism to persist. Rejecting several famous thought experiments dealing with personal identity, he instead argues that one could survive the destruction of all of one's psychological contents and capabilities as long as the human organism remains alive.

Praise for Howard Bloom and GLOBAL BRAIN

"With this bold vision of evolution and human behavior, Bloom has raced ahead to explore possibilities that the timid scientific herd may well be forced to follow."––David Sloan Wilson, Coauthor of Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior

"Filled with scientific firsts."––Elizabeth Loftus, past president, American Psychological Society

"I doubt there is any stronger intellect than Bloom’s on the planet."––Joseph Chilton Pierce

"A soaring song of songs about the amorous origins of the world and its almost medieval urge to copulate."––Kevin Kelly, Editor-at-Large, Wired

"A superbly written and totally original argument. . . . A must-read."––Robin Fox, coauthor of The Imperial Animal

"As someone who has spent forty years in psychology with a long-standing interest in evolution, I’ll just assimilate Howard Bloom’s accomplishment and my amazement."––David Smillie, Duke University

"Howard Bloom is next on a very short list that includes Darwin, Freud, Einstein, and Buckminster Fuller."––Richard Metzger

"Howard Bloom may be the new Stephen Hawking."––Aaron Hicklin, Gear

"You have not lived until you have interacted with Howard Bloom."––James Brody, organizer of the "Healing the Moral Animal" seminars

"Bloom’s concept of collective information processing may startle skeptical readers with its explanatory power."––Publishers Weekly

"I am awestruck."––Douglas Rushkoff, author of Media Virus, Coercion, and Ecstasy Club.

Fertility in animals reflects access to scarce resources, such as food and territory. In humans the situation is more complex. Patterns of breast feeding, contraception and ideas about age at marriage and desired family size all affect fertility. The relation between these and access to scarce resources such as housing and employment, via income, education and other factors which affect status, is explored in this book, which aims to bridge the gap between socioecology and population demography by showing how animals and humans adjust their fertility to environmental conditions.

Evolutionary Medicine is based upon the view that many contemporary social, psychological, and physical illnesses are related to an incompatibility between current human lifestyles and environments and the conditions under which human biology developed. This book, featuring contributions from many of the leading workers in this developing area, provides a good introduction and overview to this emerging field.

This book provides accurate concise information concerning the evaluation and the treatment of patients with sleep problems. Because management of sleep disorders requires an understanding of sleep itself, the first portion discribes aspects of normal sleep. The remainder of the book follows an approach based on the clinical method, in which the chief complaints (the symptoms and the signs) and the psychosocial and the medical background of the individual are used, in conjunction with an understanding of the neurobiological and psychological basis of sleep disorders, to formulate a clinical assessment. The results of polysomnographic studies and other laboratory tests supplement and redefine clinical information and assist with consideration of treatment options.

Scientists now understand that cancer is a genetic disease and cutting -edge molecular therapies are making their way from the laboratory into clinical practice. Introduction to Oncogenes and Molecular Cancer Medicine provides the physician with a solid understanding of molecular biology and its applications for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The book reviews the basic molecular principles and the basic principles of cancer medicine, including controls of cell growth and senescence, carcinogenesis, tumorogenesis, and epidemiology. The second part of the book gives clinical examples to demonstrate the basic science principles, including chapters on leukemia, colon cancer, and breast cancer. A chapter on molecular diagnostics and screening plus a chapter on new molecular anti-cancer therapies give the reader a look at current cutting-edge therapies as well as as the future of molecular cancer medicine. A useful glossary defines new terminology at-a-glance. Introduction to Oncogenes and Molecular Cancer Medicine is for all physicians seeking a better understanding of the modern molecular principles of cancer medicine. Written in a user-friendly, conversational format, this text will be welcomed by all physicians eager to sharpen their own understanding of molecular cancer medicine as well as to help them provide patients with balanced information on the advances and limitations of current treatment options.

Based on a two day symposium in the annual Society for the Study of Human Biology Ssymposium Series, this book covers a wide spectrum of growth physiology, and presents a state-of-art review of human auxology, from factors affecting cellular growth, through nutritional factors affecting the growth of the infant, to endocrine and other factors affecting the growth of the child before and after adolescence.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most important molecular biological methods ever devised, with numerous applications to cli- cal molecular medicine. Since its description in 1985, PCR has undergone tremendous improvements, and many variations on the basic PCR theme have been published. With such a large volume of PCR-related literature, a clinical scientist wishing to use the technique will have a difficult task loc- ing the relevant information to implement it effectively. There is thus clearly a need for an up-to-date volume with detailed protocols to facilitate the setting up of those techniques most relevant to clinical applications. Unlike some other books on this topic, Clinical Applications of PCR includes only methods that are of direct relevance in clinical settings. The book is organized in three parts: an introductory section, a section on general methodology, and a final section with specific clinical applications. The first section covers the basic principles of PCR and is most useful to those new to molecular diagnosis. The next chapter includes useful tips for setting up a PCR laboratory. Section 2 then outlines some of the most commonly used PCR-based techniques in molecular diagnosis. Section 3 includes carefully chosen examples that represent typical applications of PCR in diverse clinical fields, encompassing hematology, oncology, genetics, and microbiology.

The current explosive progress in molecular biological research can be definitively traced to the development of molecular cloning technology. The ability to insert specific gene sequences into cloning vectors and their subse quent expansion is the cornerstone of modem molecular biology. A direct practical outcome of molecular cloning technology is its application to ex press specific recombinant genes. Currently, recombinant gene products are used in a wide spectrum of applications, including gene therapy, production of bioactive pharmaceuticals, synthesis of novel biopolymers, in agriculture and animal husbandry, and so on. A fundamental requirement for successful recombinant gene expression is the design of the cloning vector and the choice of the host organism for expression. Recombinant Gene Expression Protocols grows out of the need for a laboratory manual that provides the reader the background and rationale, as well as the practical protocols for the preparation of "expression constructs" and their introduction into appropriate host cells and/or organisms. The chap ters in this book are grouped by their expression hosts, including E. coli, yeast, mammalian cells, nonmammalian eukaryotes such as plants, Xenopus, and insects, as well as in transgenic organisms. In-depth information is presented on the important characteristics of expression cloning vectors and the various methods for efficiently introducing expression constructs into target cells and/ or organisms. Throughout Recombinant Gene Expression Protocols, the authors have consistently striven for a balanced presentation of both background informa tion and actual laboratory details.

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, has a long and multifaceted scientific history. In 1937, the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine was awarded to Albert Szent-Gyorgyi'in recognition of his discoveries concerning the biological oxida tion processes with special reference to vitamin C', and the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was shared by Sir Norman W. Haworth, who was the first to synthesize the vitamin. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant, and this action represented the theoretical basis for various lines of investigation on this molecule in which the potential role of ascorbic acid in the prevention and treatment of a series of dis eases, whose pathogenesis is linked to an excess of free radicals such as athero sclerosis and cancer, have been examined. These data have been analyzed in detail by experts in biochemistry, epidemi ology, and preventive and clinical medicine in the International Symposium Vitamin C, the state of the art in disease prevention sixty years after the Nobel Prize, held in Monte Carlo from October 31 to November 1, 1997, under the aus pices and the scientific endorsement of the Nutrition Foundation of Italy and with the financial support of Bracco SpA and Merck."

First published in 1987, this book is about the challenge posed by the unprecedented growth of the world's population and the response that has been made to that challenge by the United Nations and its system of agencies. It focuses in particular on the creation, in 1969, of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) as the principal instrument for the United Nations' population programmes and on the work undertaken by the United Nations and its specialized agencies, including the World Bank, in this field. A substantial part of the book is devoted to discussing the actual achievements, in terms of demographic policies and falling birth rates, which have been realised in different parts of the developing world. At a time when there is a good deal of criticism of the United Nations and its agencies, this book makes it clear that here at least is one area where the world organization is continuing to make an important contribution towards the solution of the most important problem of our time.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Visualization in Biomedical Computing, VBC '96, held in Hamburg, Germany, in September 1996.
The 73 revised full papers presented were selected from a total of 232 submissions. The book reports the state of the art in the field of computer based visualization in medicine and biology. The papers are organized in sections on visualization; image processing; segmentation; registration; brain: description of shape; brain: characterization of pathology; brain: visualization of function; simulation of surgery and endoscopy; image guided surgery and endoscopy.

In recent years, unprecedented advances in many aspects of the molecular biology of nucleic acids have been witnessed. The area of RNA chemistry has undergone a kind of explosion, with a huge interest in RNA-mediated catalysis. At the same time, our structural understanding of DNA-protein interactions has increased enormously, and the related area of RNA-protein interactions is beginning to gather pace. This softcover edition from the successful series Nucleic Acids and Molecular Biology is devoted to the structure and mechanism of ribozymes, and their potential exploitation. The subject has both important evolutionary implications and potential practical application in the development of therapeutic agents for diseases such as AIDS.

Male infertility is a clinician-orientied book aimed at the clinician dealing with the infertile couple because rational, effective management is only possible if the couple are considered together. The aim of the work is to provide advice to the clinician and to give reference to the underlying science. This will not only enable clinicians to understand the underlying science but will also give scientists an insight to clinical work. This blend of science and clinical work is reflected in the contributors who are experts drawn from both fields.

This volume considers the genetic variability of human populations, particularly in the tropics: its origins and maintenance, and its contribution to the phenotypic variability of complex characters. The first section deals with the ways of analysing genetic variation and provides a valuable review of relevant developments in molecular biology. The origin and maintenance of genetic diversity is considered in the second section with data presented for Pacific, African, Asian and Central American populations. The final section concerns characters in which the genetic contribution to variability is complex and shows how such characters may be used to elucidate biological problems of affinity and differentiation, of adaptation and survival. Published as part of the Decade of the Tropics research programme of the International Union of Biological Sciences, this volume will be of particular interest to human geneticists, physical and biological anthropologists.

'A lively study of the Big C, which makes the case that cancer is the price we pay for our marvellously complicated bodies.' The Times, best books of 2020 'This book is packed with big ideas about life. Every chapter has something in it which made me think wow. Having worked in a major cancer charity for many years, Arney writes with genuine in-depth understanding and is a perfect guide.' Daniel M. Davis, author of The Beautiful Cure 'Rebel Cell is a bright, engaging read, fizzing with energy and metaphor. Kat Arney is a science writer for all of us - a powerful and talented story teller.' Stephen McGann 'Kat's book is Dynamite. A crystal clear reappraisal of the story behind that word we fear to mention.' Dallas Campbell, author of Ad Astra: An Illustrated Guide to Leaving the Planet Cancer has always been with us. It killed our hominid ancestors, the mammals they evolved from and the dinosaurs that trampled the ground before that. Tumours grow in pets, livestock and wild animals. Even tiny jelly-like Hydra - creatures that are little more than a tube full of water - can get cancer. Paradoxically, many of us think of cancer as a contemporary killer, a disease of our own making caused by our modern lifestyles. But that's not true. Although it might be rare in many species, cancer is the enemy lurking within almost every living creature. Why? Because cancer is a bug in the system of life. We get cancer because we can't not get it. Cancer starts when cells revolt, throwing off their molecular shackles, and growing and dividing out of control in a shambolic mockery of normal life. This is why we can't avoid cancer: because the very genes that drive it are essential for life itself. The revolution has raged, on and off, for millions of years. But it was only in the twentieth century that doctors and scientists made any significant progress in understanding and treating cancer, and it's only in the past few decades that we've finally begun to kick the mob's malignant arse. Now the game is changing. Scientists have infiltrated cancer's cellular rebellion and are finally learning its secrets. Geneticist and science writer Kat Arney takes the reader back to the dawn of life on planet earth right up to the present day to get to the heart of what cancer really is and how by better understanding it we might one day overcome it.

Surnames are inherited in much the same way as are biological traits. Since surnames were generally adopted - in Europe during Medieval times - their distribution has become very uneven: analysis of the present geographic patterns provides an insight into the kind of redistribution of genes that has resulted from all the migrations of the intervening years. Using non-technical language and a minimum of mathematics, this book presents a lucid description and evaluation of these studies of the genetic structure of human populations. A special feature is the appendix which presents computer-generated maps and distribution diagrams of 100 common surnames in England and Wales.

"Fractals in Biology and Medicine" explores the potential of fractal geometry for describing and understanding biological organisms, their development and growth as well as their structural design and functional properties. It extends these notions to assess changes associated with disease in the hope to contribute to the understanding of pathogenetic processes in medicine. The book is the first comprehensive presentation of the importance of the new concept of fractal geometry for biological and medical sciences. It collates in a logical sequence extended papers based on invited lectures and free communications presented at a symposium in Ascona, Switzerland, attended by leading scientists in this field, among them the originator of fractal geometry, Benoit Mandelbrot. "Fractals in Biology and Medicine" begins by asking how the theoretical construct of fractal geometry can be applied to biomedical sciences and then addresses the role of fractals in the design and morphogenesis of biological organisms as well as in molecular and cell biology. The consideration of fractal structure in understanding metabolic functions and pathological changes is a particularly promising avenue for future research.

This volume is a compendium of the lectures, presentations, and workshops of the International Congress entitled "Facing the Pancreatic Dilemma" and of the 17th Meeting of the Italian Association for the Study of the Pancreas, held in Verona on 16 -19 June 1993. Pancreatology is still a relatively young science. Many pathophysiological aspects of pancreatic disease are as yet obscure, and a fair number of the etio pathogenetic mechanisms adduced are no more than hypothetical. We have therefore chosen to compare and contrast in a single volume the various hypo theses and interpretations put forward by leading experts in the field. In view of the swift evolution of this branch of medical science, it is sound policy to bear in mind that yesterday's heresies have become today's orthodoxy, and that todays's heresies may well turn out to be accepted orthodoxy in a not too distant future. The various "pancreatic dilemmas" are addressed systematically in these pages, and we believe that the book will prove an invaluable tool for the special ist and for any physician dealing with pancreatic disease. The book also represents a tribute by the Verona School of Pancreatology to the memory of Prof. L. A. Scuro, founder of the School and one of the outstanding Italian pioneers of pancreatology."

This book is about animals and humans - their common features and their gradual and principle differences. It tells of democracy in baboons, prostitution in hummingbirds, bigamy in wrens, baby sitting in jackals, of chimpanzees at the computer console and of the super-ego of dogs - but it is also about the labour productivity of hunter and gatherer peoples, incest avoidance in animals and humans and of the myths about matriarchy. In a language accessible to any interested layman, Georg Breuer, gives a balanced account of the main ideas and achievements of sociobiology and the main criticisms levelled against it. According to him sociobiology has given many a valuable impetus but sometimes presents a distorted or one-sided view. In particular it has not answered or addressed the question of why man, and man only, is able to identify and feel sympathy with any other human being. The evolution of this most human of all traits confers on us the capability for charity and solidarity and for the happiness of true love which is unattainable by any animal.

In the beginning there was not only life but the ability to communicate and eventually to cooperate among the most basic, primeval creatures. In The Naked Neuron Dr. Joseph - an internationally respected neuroscientist and author of the highly praised The Right Brain and the Unconscious: Discovering the Stranger Within - takes us on an intriguing journey through time as he traces the evolution of communication and language from the most primitive single-celled animals to our earliest ancestors to humans today. As he so clearly demonstrates, we are linked to all levels of animals in a common bond of sensing, feeling, and communication. Be it singing wolves, dancing bees, or writhing rock and roll dancers, all communicate a treasure chest of meaning in the absence of the spoken word. Approximately 700 million years ago, a unique type of cell came into being - the neuron. This "naked" neuron, or nerve cell, lacked a protective fatty sheath. Still, it marked a monumental and world altering development, since it would become the building block of the brain. The naked neuron generated a revolutionary change resulting in a greater complexity and subtlety of thought. Dr. Joseph vividly depicts how neurons conferred on early humans advanced powers of mental and sensory acuity, including the gift of remembering one's past and contemplating the future. Although humans possess much of the same ancient brain tissue as our fellow primates, Dr. Joseph reveals to us the singular features of the human brain that have enabled humans uniquely to develop complex, spoken language. He holds us spellbound, revealing that although the new and old brain tissue are couched within the same brain, each often has difficulty understanding the impulses and language of the other. This ground-breaking book draws on Dr. Joseph's brilliant and original research and theories, fusing the latest discoveries made in neuroscience, sociobiology, and anthropology. He illuminates how the languages of th

In this volume a distinguished group of internationally renowned clinicians and basic researchers discuss the present state of knowledge of the etiologyand pathogenesis of Dupuytren's contracture, a disease responsible for a considerable portion of disabilities within the working population allover the world. Although the riddle of how the contracture of the palmar fascia develops is still unsolved, the data on the pathobiochemistry and clinic of Dupuytren's Disease achieved in recent years has led to a better understanding of the biochemical and morphological processes underlying the deformation and malfunction of the afflicted tissues. Research in Dupuytren's Disease now enters the era of molecular medicine, which opens up new experimental means of studying the pathological changes which occur during the formation of the contracture on a molecular level. In particular, data are presented as to the role of specific biological macromolecules influencing the phenotype expression of the palmar fascia cells which are involved in autoimmune reactions and present both at the cell surface as well as in the extracellular matrix to regulate cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions. In vitro cell culture models to investigate fibro-cytic modulations are available and havebeen applied to study the effects of specific biological molecules on isolated cells from healthy palmar fascia and Dupuytren's contracture. Complementary evaluations of morphological, epidemiological, and clinical data contribute essentially to the present understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of Dupuytren's Disease. This comprehensive and informative summary of the state of the art is completed by numerous references affixed to the individual contributions.

The biological action of radiation undoubtedly constitutes an issue of actual con cern, particularly after incidences like those in Harrisburg or Chernobyl. These considerations, however, were not the reason for writing this book although it is hoped that it will also be helpful in this respect. The interaction of radiation with biological systems is such an interesting research objective that to my mind no special justification is needed to pursue these problems. The combination of physics, chemistry and biology presents on one hand a fascinating challenge to the student, on the other, it may lead to insights which are not possible if the dif ferent subjects remain clearly separated. Special problems of radiation biology have quite often led to new approaches in physics (or vice versa), a recent example is "microdosimetry" (chapter 4). Biological radiation a9tion comprises all levels of biological organization. It starts with the absorption in essential atoms and molecules and ends with the development of cancer and genetic hazards to future generations. The structure of the book reflects this. Beginning with physical and chemical fundamentals, it then turns to a description of chemical and subcellular systems. Cellular effects form a large part since they are the basis for understanding all further responses. Reactions of the whole organism, concentrating on mammals and especially humans, are subsequently treated. The book concludes with a short discussion of problems in radiation protection and the application of radiation in medical therapy. These last points are necessarily short and somewhat superficial."