The scientific study of aging is a relatively nascent field of inquiry. Although philosophic and literary reflections on what it means to grow older appear in the earliest historical records, the systematic study of aging began in earnest about a century ago. Scholarly interest in the topic has accelerated in recent decades, due in part to rapid population aging in developed nations. As a result, the study of aging has been incorporated into many disciplines, emphasizing concepts, theories, and methods to elucidate the antecedents and consequences of growing older. Although each discipline has key concepts and empirical generalizations about aging, there is little agreement across disciplines about the intellectual core of gerontology. Each discipline brings its own intellectual heritage and perspective to the study of aging, but the question posed by author Ken Ferraro is whether there is an emergent perspective or way of thinking about aging that transcends the disciplines. Biologists, psychologists, and sociologists may claim an interest in gerontology, but do they have a common image of aging or a set of principles to guide their research? Do they share a paradigm-a fundamental image of aging-that incorporates concepts and empirical generalizations from multiple disciplines? And when disciplinary approaches to gerontology clash, which approach or conceptualization of aging is likely to emerge as part of the paradigm? Although biologists, psychologists, and social scientists share an interest in the study of aging, they are distinctive in how they conduct their research. The Gerontological Imagination provides an integrative paradigm of aging that makes it the first book to identify intellectual common ground among scholars studying aging. Ferraro identifies an underlying set of principles that constitute a paradigm for the study of aging: causality, life course analysis, multifaceted change, heterogeneity, accumulation processes, and ageism. The proposed paradigm provides an efficient way to identify and interpret essential ideas, findings, models, and theories across multiple disciplines that study aging.

Developmental theorists have struggled with defining the relations among biology, psychology, and sociocultural context, often reducing psychological functions of a person to either biological functioning or the role of sociocultural context - nature or nurture - and considering each area of human development separately. New Perspectives on Human Development addresses fundamental questions of development with a unified approach. It encompasses theory and research on cognitive, social and moral, and language and communicative development, in various stages of life, and explores interdisciplinary perspectives. New Perspectives on Human Development revisits old questions and applies original empirical findings, offering new directions for future research in the field.

Humans and flies look nothing alike, yet their genetic circuits are remarkably similar. Here, Lewis I. Held, Jr compares the genetics and development of the two to review the evidence for deep homology, the biggest discovery from the emerging field of evolutionary developmental biology. Remnants of the operating system of our hypothetical common ancestor 600 million years ago are compared in chapters arranged by region of the body, from the nervous system, limbs and heart, to vision, hearing and smell. Concept maps provide a clear understanding of the complex subjects addressed, while encyclopaedic tables offer comprehensive inventories of genetic information. Written in an engaging style with a reference section listing thousands of relevant publications, this is a vital resource for scientific researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students.

How did human thought evolve into the highly complex process it is today? In the field of evolutionary cognitive archaeology, cognitive science and archaeology intersect to provide a more complete and grounded picture of the mind. With the combination of cognitive theories and archaeological evidence, this burgeoning field is only beginning to tap into the potential for a better understanding of the development of specific cognitive abilities. Cognitive Models in Palaeolithic Archaeology explores hominin cognitive development by applying formal cognitive models to analyze prehistoric remains from the entire range of the Palaeolithic, from the earliest stone tools 3.3 million years ago to artistic developments that emerged 50,000 years ago. Several different cognitive models are presented, including expert cognition, information processing, material engagement theory, embodied/extended cognition, neuroaesthetics, visual resonance theory, theory of mind, and neuronal recycling. By examining archaeological remains, and thereby past activities and behavior, through the grounded lenses of these models, a mosaic pattern of human cognitive evolution emerges. This volume, authored by many leading authorities in the field of cognitive archaeology, will attract scholars and students of cognitive evolution and paleoanthropology, who will find a new understanding of hominin cognitive evolution and substantive conclusions about our hominin evolution as opportunities for further research.

Rapid population aging, once associated with only a select group of modern industrialized nations, has now become a topic of increasing global concern. This volume reframes aging on a global scale by illustrating the multiple ways it is embedded within individual, social, and cultural life courses. It presents a broad range of ethnographic work, introducing a variety of conceptual and methodological approaches to studying life-course transitions in conjunction with broader sociocultural transformations. Through detailed accounts, in such diverse settings as nursing homes in Sri Lanka, a factory in Massachusetts, cemeteries in Japan and clinics in Mexico, the authors explore not simply our understandings of growing older, but the interweaving of individual maturity and intergenerational relationships, social and economic institutions, and intimate experiences of gender, identity, and the body.

People in developed countries are living longer and, just as the aged population around the world is steadily growing, the number of adults eighty-five and older in the United States is projected to quadruple to twenty-one million people by 2050. The aging of our population has huge implications for baby boomers and their children, and has generated a greater interest in the causes and effects of aging.
"Our Aging Bodies" provides a clear, scientifically based explanation of what happens to all the major organ systems and bodily processes--such as the cardiovascular and digestive systems--as people age. The first section is an overview of secondary aging--changes that occur with age that are related to disease and the environment--and include the effect of such things as diet, humor, and exercise. Readers will also learn about primary aging--intrinsic changes that occur with the aging of specific organs and body systems (including the prostate, the heart, the digestive system, and the brain). Throughout the book, Gary F. Merrill weaves in personal anecdotes and stories that help clarify and reinforce the facts and principles of the underlying scientific processes and explanations. "Our Aging Bodies" is accessible to a general reader interested in the aging phenomenon, or baby boomers wanting to be more informed when seeing their doctor and discussing changes to their bodies as they age.

This latest addition to the "Fast Facts" series, authored by nursing luminary Judith Herrman, is a pithy, authoritative guide to adolescent health designed specifically for nurses at all levels and other health care professionals. It is the only book written for nurses and other health care professionals who work with adolescents in schools, community agencies, neighborhoods, and other settings, and contains the resources needed to best serve this population. Designed to provide speedy information retrieval, the guide describes a broad spectrum of health and health care issues particular to adolescents, reviews current data, explores behaviors and risk factors, and addresses nursing implications for treatment. Framed in a positive perspective of adolescence, the book also includes suggestions for working and communicating effectively with teens.

Chapters are consistently organized according to the domain model, a whole-person health model comprised of six pillars: physical, intellectual, sexual, spiritual, emotional, and relational. Special features include brief chapters with bullet points; an introduction, objectives, and summary in each chapter;Fast Facts in a Nutshell; tables summarizing important information: and a reference list including key resources. The book also includes a special section on chronic illness and complex health issues in teens. Each chapter contains a case study to reinforce health care interventions. This is a compact, affordable resource for students and health professionals "on the front lines" alike.

Key Features: Identifies and addresses the key aspects of working with adolescents in an accessible, portable, and user-friendly format Written by a highly respected leader of adolescent nursing Presents a broad spectrum of adolescent health issues in many settings Incorporates current issues related to adolescent health and risk behaviors throughout Includes information on communicating and intervening with teens

In this worldwide survey, Clive Gamble explores the evolution of the human imagination, without which we would not have become a global species. He sets out to determine the cognitive and social basis for our imaginative capacity and traces the evidence back into deep human history. He argues that it was the imaginative ability to 'go beyond' and to create societies where people lived apart yet stayed in touch that made us such effective world settlers. To make his case Gamble brings together information from a wide range of disciplines: psychology, cognitive science, archaeology, palaeoanthropology, archaeogenetics, geography, quaternary science and anthropology. He presents a novel deep history that combines the archaeological evidence for fossil hominins with the selective forces of Pleistocene climate change, engages with the archaeogeneticists' models for population dispersal and displacement, and ends with the Europeans' rediscovery of the deep history settlement of the Earth.

The menstrual cycle is the scientific term for the physiological changes that occur in fertile women and other female primates for the purposes of sexual reproduction. In this book, the authors discuss the signs and symptoms, psychological/behavioural changes and abnormalities of the menstrual cycle. Topics include the evolution of the menstrual cycle with a focus on the role of the luteal phase, extended sexual receptivity and the concept of concealed ovulation; functional and structural brain alterations associated with menstrual pain; premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS); the fluctuations on appetite and food intake that occur during the female reproductive cycle; and assessing energy intake and physical activity energy expenditure during the menstrual cycle.

As the name indicates, 75 Ways to Happiness is an invaluable collection of 75 value-based stories written and compiled by the well-known author, J.M. Mehta. Each story begins with a line of wisdom expressing the crux of the story and teaching a simple, but important value of life which should be imbibed by one and all to remain happy and become successful. It is a fact that in our busy lifestyle of today, we rarely get the time to understand the singificance of values which form the basis of our lives and help us to remain happy. The value-based stories given in the book basically aim to carve out this happiness and teach us the ways to lead a happy life. There is also a box at the end of each story named ""Something Extra"". This is where the author has emphasised the deep, inner meaning hidden within the story highlighting the moral value associated with it to stay happy and contented in life. Therefore dear readers, go through these 75 invaluable collection of stories and enlighten your mind and soul.

"Recommended."--CHOICE: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries

"Coughlin and D'Ambrosio's edited volume is a welcome contribution to highlighting this issue for gerontologists. The collection is an informative and useful reference for students, researchers, practitioners, planners, and policy analysts"--The Gerontologist

This solution-focused volume fills a gap in the literature by addressing the key issues around mobility and transportation for the aging Baby Boomer generation--issues that will be significantly different than those of previous generations of older adults. This new generation, many of whom will continue to work past the traditional retirement age and expect to pursue an active lifestyle, may have to confront new transportation technology, the need to use public transportation, and ways to continue driving safely as their eyesight fades and reaction time slows down. This volume examines many of the issues faced by policymakers, transportation officials, vehicle manufacturers, health and human services professionals, and aging adults themselves as the largest generation prepares to enter late adulthood.

The volume's editors are both at the MIT AgeLab, whose multi-disciplinary team designs, develops and deploys innovations to enhance quality of life for aging populations. Through the contributions of a diverse group of theorists and practitioners, including recommendations from the National Older Driver Safety Advisory Council, a collaboration between AARP's Driver Safety Program and the MIT AgeLab, the book discusses several key topics pertinent to Aging America and transportation. Among them are the changing demographics of the population, how this generation's lifestyle choices affect mobility, technology trends in private vehicles, changes in the infrastructure and transportation system, the "new" older driver, and issues of safety and education among older drivers. This book also explores practical solutions and strategies, such as new transportation options and innovations that will significantly impact the future of mobility for older adults, for keeping these seniors active and mobile well into their later years. Key Features:

Focuses on the unique mobility needs of the aging Baby Boomer generation Provides practical solutions and strategies for policy changes to enhance the mobility of older adults Examines issues faced by policymakers, transportation officials, vehicle manufacturers, health and human services professionals, and aging adults Discusses strategies for updating the infrastructure and transportation system, driving safety education for older drivers, and trends in private vehicle innovations

The world often falls short of how we'd like it to be, and our ability to make even just a little difference can seem limited. Sometimes it feels like you need to be a super-hero to achieve anything meaningful. But what if by re-conceiving what you do, you could change the world for the better? In THE REGENERATIVE LIFE, Carol Sanford shows you how to fundamentally change the roles you play in society, enabling you to do more than you ever believed possible; grow yourself and others, provide astounding innovations for your clients, children and students, generate extraordinary social returns, become more creative, and bring new life and opportunity to everything around you. THE REGENERATIVE LIFE teaches you to see your roles differently: stripping away all preconceptions of how it should be done, understanding what your role is at its core, and building yourself back up to become something new; something so grounded, inspiring, and resilient, it can change the world.

Predicting water runoff in ungauged water catchment areas is vital to practical applications such as the design of drainage infrastructure and flooding defences, runoff forecasting, and for catchment management tasks such as water allocation and climate impact analysis. This full colour book offers an impressive synthesis of decades of international research, forming a holistic approach to catchment hydrology and providing a one-stop resource for hydrologists in both developed and developing countries. Topics include data for runoff regionalisation, the prediction of runoff hydrographs, flow duration curves, flow paths and residence times, annual and seasonal runoff, and floods. Illustrated with many case studies and including a final chapter on recommendations for researchers and practitioners, this book is written by expert authors involved in the prestigious IAHS PUB initiative. It is a key resource for academic researchers and professionals in the fields of hydrology, hydrogeology, ecology, geography, soil science, and environmental and civil engineering.

Ageing is an inevitable biological process that affects most living organisms. The link between metabolic rate and reactive oxygen species production is an important and long-standing question, and a source of much controversy. A by-product of cell respiration in mitochondria is the formation of reactive oxygen species due to electron leakage from the electron transport chain during oxidative phosphorylation. In simple terms, humans are ageing due to oxygen consumption. Damage induced by oxygen appears to be the major contributor to ageing and the degenerative diseases of ageing such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, immune system decline, and brain dysfunction. This book presents the reasons for oxidative stress formation and the answer to why during the course of evolution the process of free radical damage and defense did not become more perfect so as to produce less free radicals.

Hypertension and osteoporosis are two major age-related diseases. They are clinically silent disorders with high morbidity and mortality and the link between them has been reported recently with inconclusive evidence. This book presents and discusses research in this field which will improve our understanding of the relationship between high blood pressure and bone loss. It will begin by examining the clinical and experimental evidence of the involvement of the Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS), playing a central role in blood pressure control, in bone metabolism. This book concludes by summarising the association between hypertension and osteoporosis in a comprehensive literature review.

Ume Eder Bat (A beautiful child) (popular song from Basque folklore) The aim of this monograph is to introduce the postnatal development of morphological features that are relevant to readers interested in the neurobiology and pathology of the hippocampal formation in terms of the complex phenomena that underlie the progressive anatomical and functional maturation of this brain region. This review focuses on the morphological aspects, while more detailed basic phenomena associated with neuronal maturation-which are undoubtedly also of great interest-are only marginally referred to, although a selection of behavioral and clinical aspects will also be briefly addressed in an attempt to illustrate real situations in different clinical specialties. The creation of this monograph is justified by the increasing importance and growing awareness shown in recent years of neurodevelopmental disorders in children. This awareness is leading to increasing refinement in clinical exami- tions of patients that may suffer from different neurodevelopment-related diseases, such as autism, epilepsy, memory disorders, etc. To the best of our knowledge, this work is the first comprehensive description of the postnatal changes in the hip- campal formation in its different constituent fields. Given the growing sensitivity and accuracy of neuroradiological examinations, particularly MRI, we also sought to offer a glimpse at the MRI aspects related to the development of the hippocampal formation in the human infant.

The word longevity is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography. Aging is the accumulation of changes in an organism or object over time. Aging in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of aging grow and expand over time, while others decline. Reaction time, for example, may slow with age, while knowledge of world events and wisdom may expand. Research shows that even late in life potential exists for physical, mental, and social growth and development. Aging is an important part of all human societies reflecting the biological changes that occur, but also reflecting cultural and societal conventions. Age is usually measured in full years -- and months for young children. At present, the biological basis of aging is unknown. This book presents the latest research in this dynamic field.

The processes that control senescence have been the subject of more then a century of serious biological research. Two institutions closely involved in this programme, the Society for the Study of Human Biology and the British Society for Research in Ageing, held a joint symposium in 1984 to consider human ageing and longevity from an interdisciplinary point of view. The resulting book has four main sections: the evolution and genetics of ageing, biological age assessment, demographic and social aspects, and the nutritional and physiological aspects of ageing and longevity. The fundamental nature of the subject will generate interest across a wide range of biological and medical disciplines.

Growth, Maturation and Body Composition documents one of the most remarkable and significant studies in the field of human biology. The Fels Longitudinal Study is the longest, largest and most productive serial study of human growth, maturation and body composition. This book shows how data collected from more than 1000 participants during the past 60 years have been analysed to test a wide range of hypotheses, and describes how the findings have led to the development of improved research methods. Topics covered include the management and analysis of data, prenatal, familial and genetic studies, physical growth, development and maturation, bones and teeth, body composition, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. With more than 1000 specialized publications of Fels data, the present book provides a unique overview of this fascinating research programme, which will be of interest to a wide range of researchers, including those in the fields of physical anthropology, nutrition science, pediatrics, gerontology, epidemiology, endocrinology, human genetics, as well as statistics.

For centuries people have been puzzled by the inevitability of human aging. For most of the second half of the twentieth century aging remained a mystery, or an unsolved biological problem. At the end of the 20th century a remarkable scientific discovery emerged. It was not a single discovery in the usual sense, because it was based on a series of important interconnected insights over quite a long period of time. These insights made it possible for the very first time to understand the biological reasons for aging in animals and man. It can already be said, however, that the many observations and insights that explain aging will not be accepted as established knowledge for a long time. The field is still full of scientists, and non-scientists, who are just happy to go on speculating about the mystery of aging.

Western thought traditionally divides the human being into a body-mind dualism, a divide realized in the divergent research fields of geriatrics and gerontology; the first examines the physical body, and the second focuses instead upon psychological and social aspects of aging. Research Health Scientist Christopher Faircloth's edited volume of original pieces attempts to bridge this rift: reinserting the physical aging body and its lived experiences back into gerontology's study of aging. He asks, 'Is it not the physical body that readily marks us as aging?' Faircloth organizes this text around two major themes of the aging body: everyday experience, and the social and personal impact of its imagery, while concentrating on three areas of substantive concern: medicalization, gender/sexuality, and the body as consumer. This book would be of interest to gerontologists, social scientists, and students of these fields concerned with the aging body, both object and subject, as experienced and alternatively perceived in relation to contemporary society.

Combining anthropological, gerontological and biocultural evidence, this study explores how humans came to grow old as slowly as they do, and what impacts this has had on their health and lives. It is only comparatively recent that humans have developed late-life survival, but much of the research on senescence is based on isolated cells, worms, and fruit flies, which may be only of peripheral relevance to human aging.

"This is by far the best book I've read on the science of aging."—Andrew Weil, M.D.

"Life-span Truth Will Set You Free from Age-old Worries," announced the Chicago Tribune upon the first publication of this book. The New England Journal of Medicine confirmed, "For readers interested in aging and longevity, this small book clearly explains the major concepts...extremely enjoyable to read." From NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw to Scientific American to the New York Times, S. Jay Olshansky and Bruce A. Carnes have stirred up controversy and brought clarity to an issue often muddled by exaggeration and pseudoscience.

Medical science has uncovered a host of answers to the problems of aging, but many of the most exciting discoveries are buried in scientific journals or overshadowed by popular quick-fix treatments. The Quest for Immortality explains the real science of aging and shows which treatments offered by today's multi-billion-dollar anti-aging industries offer real hope, and which are a waste of money and time.

Based on the "Pathways to Life Quality" longitudinal research study, this book explores the ways in which older adults' residential choices impact their health and well-being. The study examines the factors associated with life quality for persons living on their own in the local community, as well as those in various housing arrangements such as a continuing care retirement facility, adult home, income-subsidized housing, and senior apartments. Topics include plans and adjustment to moving; role identities; social relationships, participation, and integration; health and activity patterns; and coping with life events.

In 1998, approximately 30 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, about 5 million of whom became infected that year. The epidemic continues to expand, with an estimated doubling time of 10 years, making AIDS the leading infectious cause of death ahead of tuberculosis and malaria. Even in the U.S.A. where the death rate from AIDS is declining as a result of effective drug therapies, HIV infection rates continue to climb in several population groups. The prevalence of AIDS among people over the age of 50 is steadily increasing, and most older people are unprepared to address it for a number of reasons, including the widespread discomfort with matters sexual and homosexual and the belief that elderly people are not sexually active and therefore not at risk.
This guide for care providers seeks to educate and inform readers about the difficulties and complications that accompany the disease in older people. Thus, while the appendix includes technical descriptions of methodology, data, and results, the narratives in the chapters describing the findings and their practical implications are written in layman's language. Topics covered include biomedical aspects, demographics, sexuality, stressors, mental health, older women, and patient care, all of which are supported by case studies.