These proceedings of the 2018 XIII International Symposium on Spermatology focus on comparative biology, and encourages discussion and the exchange of ideas. The aim of this Symposium was to provide a unique opportunity and bring together scientists from a wide spectrum of research fields - human, domestic animals and other mammals, vertebrates, insects, and plants. The underlying focus is on the function of the spermatozoon - a common feature for sexual reproduction, but extremely varied. By exploring the variability, a better understanding of male reproductive functions can develop. These proceedings address the mechanisms of physiology and pathophysiology, rather than diagnosis and treatment. The symposium featured keynote lectures by invited speakers, followed by presentations on specific aspects of the general topic of the session. Experimental studies are given priority over clinical studies of patient populations. The proceedings comprise both keynote speakers' texts and selected free communications. Posters were considered for publication in the proceedings, and the volume includes exhibited materials on the work of prominent spermatologists, highlighting their important past achievements in the field.

This book aims to address a number of controversies concerning the use of testosterone treatment. It explains topics that clinicians regularly encounter such as whether to use free or total testosterone in the evaluation of the patient with testosterone deficiency; what factors actually impact testosterone levels, polycythemia, gynecomastia, bone density, and hyperprolactinemia in the testosterone deficient patient; critical analysis of the numerous questionnaires that are available to clinicians; and the impact of testosterone therapy on male fertility, cardiovascular disease, and prostate events including prostate cancer. Guiding the reader in both evaluation and management, the book also illuminates novel concepts in the T space such as testosterone use in the transgender population, T therapy as an endothelial modulator, bipolar testosterone therapy in the patient with advanced prostate cancer, and testosterone therapy as a performance enhancer. Controversies in Testosterone Deficiency is intended for any clinician involved in the care of patients with testosterone deficiency, exploring hot topics and correcting existent misinformation in the routine care of patients.

This new volume in the Reproductive Medicine for Clinicians series focuses on the practical clinical impact of problems linked to infertility, discussing topics such as luteal support in ART cycles, ovulation induction using pulsatile administration of GnRH, how to deal with the metabolic changes in PCOS, treatment to restore fertility in endometriosis and how to improve implantation, which are common aspects of daily clinical practice. It also addresses significant novel areas like the biological clock in human reproduction, reproduction at advanced parental age and medical and social egg freezing, offering valuable insights for patients and their doctors. Further, the book covers various areas of growing importance, such as how to access the uterine cavity; the future of imaging in reproduction; non-invasive prenatal testing; ART and male infertility; as well as breast cancer and fertility preservation. Last but not least, it examines the medical, ethical and legal aspects of a number of challenges for current and future reproductive medicine, including uterine transplantation and human genetic modification. Bringing together updates on some of the most important problems in reproductive medicine and also covering ethical and legal bases, this book offers an overview of potential treatments for infertility. As such, it is a valuable resource for gynecologists, obstetricians, endocrinologists and all specialists dealing with reproductive health.

The ideal of equality constitutes a criterion for assessing current practice through attention to differences among individuals and groups. Inequality occurs when irrelevant differences are invoked in order to secure power or advantages over others. This book examines health care issues from an egalitarian perspective, focusing particularly on those that affect the lives of women and children. These are some of the most hotly debated, controversial, yet genuinely humanitarian issues of our time. They include gender stereotypes in medicine and in adolescent socialization, fertility curtailment and enhancement, coercive treatment during pregnancy, fetal tissue transplantation, decisions regarding newborns, decision-making by minors, the feminization of poverty and its impact on women's and children's health, and the meaning and role of "family" in health care decisions. The book describes a case-based or "feminine" model of reasoning as appropriate to the health care setting, but also as a possible rationale for exploitation of women. Different versions of feminism are clearly explained and specifically related to care-based reasoning. To overcome the pitfalls of paternalism and excessive stress on patient autonomy, a concept of "parentalism" is defended. An egalitarian perspective, the author claims, involves use of one's power to empower others. Because of the timeliness of the topics discussed, and the depth of detail, this book will be necessary reading for all bioethicists, health-care analysts and policy-makers, and women's studies researchers.

Cambridge Pocket Clinician Neonatology covers a wide variety of topics related to neonatal medicine, as well as clinical questions on maternal and neonatal conditions, symptoms, and procedures that will challenge providers in both the outpatient and inpatient settings. The topics are organized under headings on different diagnoses, evaluation, treatment, complications, and prognosis so that the user will find the desired information quickly and easily. More than 200 diseases and conditions are discussed in detail. Editors Richard A. Polin, M.D. John M. Lorenz, M.D. An electrionic version of this book can be purchased at http: //www.

How to decelerate loss of global biodiversity is one of the greatest challenges of our generation. Reproductive technologies have enormous potential to assist the recovery of species by enhancing reproductive output, facilitating genetic management, and supporting reintroduction of threatened species. Of particular value are cryopreservation technologies coupled with the establishment of global gene banks to conserve, in perpetuity, the remaining extant genetic diversity of threatened amphibians. Reproductive Technologies and Biobanking for the Conservation of Amphibians brings together leading experts in the field to provide a comprehensive overview of current best practices, summarise technological advancements, and present a framework for facilitating the integration of reproductive technologies and biobanking into conservation breeding programs for threatened amphibians. It is an invaluable reference for the next generation of conservation practitioners: captive breeding facilities, researchers, and policy-makers involved with biodiversity conservation

Neural tube defects, spina bifida, anencephalus, and encephalocoele, are among the commonest severe congenital abnormalities in most countries. The last decade has seen many advances, including the use of antenatal diagnosis by chemical and ultrasound methods, population screening, and many new findings in epidemiology, culminating in the demonstration of the protective effect of folic acid on recurrences. The progress in both antenatal diagnosis and in aetiological research on neural tube defects has been particularly dramatic, and may well anticipate developments in regard to other congenital abnormalities. Primary prevention now appears as an attainable goal. This book presents a critical review of the extensive findings of epidemiological studies, discusses several methodological issues of wider relevance such as ascertainment, seasonal variation, ethical and legal issues. As well as providing a unique resource in regard to neural tube defects, much of the material is relevant to those with wider interests in the prevention, antenatal diagnosis, and control of major diseases.

The question of whether abortion should or should not be permitted, and under what circumstances, is among the most difficult and sometimes anguished decisions for contemporary men and women. How we feel about this issue, and what actions we take, help to define our image of who we are as social beings. In the midst of the surrounding political, ethical, and religious debate, people everywhere are once again examining their conscience and their beliefs, and turning to unutilized sources of information as they seek to come to terms with this contentious issue. And as emotions run high, it is helpful to step back from the highly charged arena to reconsider the underlying scientific facts about human development.
In The Facts of Life, Harold Morowitz and James Trefil, two distinguished scientists and science writers, examine what modern biology can contribute to our understanding of this debate. Sensitive to the myriad ethical and religious arguments beyond the realm of science that swirl around abortion, the authors focus on one crucial question--when does a fetus acquire "humanness," that quality that sets us apart from all other living things. From the viewpoint of science, they argue, "humanness" begins with the possession of a highly developed cerebral cortex. While humans are linked via cell structure and cell chemistry with all life on our planet--from monkeys to fruit flies to pumpkins--it is the human brain structure which makes us who we are. Reviewing the latest advances in molecular biology, evolutionary biology, embryology, neurophysiology, and neonatology--fields that all bear on this question--the authors reveal a surprising consensus of scientific opinion on when humanness begins.
A lucid primer on the biological aspects of the abortion issue, The Facts of Life is also a fascinating inquiry, across various scientific disciplines, into what makes us uniquely human. Anyone who struggles with the issue of abortion will be grateful to find a work that moves this heated issue from the intensely emotional area it has occupied to the calmer domain of science.

The University of Florida has an ambitious goal: to harness the power of its faculty, staff, students, and alumni to solve some of society's most pressing problems and to become a resource for the state of Florida, the nation, and the world. In the upcoming decades, an unprecedented demographic shift will take place; the eighty-five and over population is projected to climb far higher than any other age group. To keep the current elderly population healthy and help prevent future generations from experiencing poor health outcomes, researchers are studying crucial connections between skeletal muscles and whole-body health. The University of Florida is at the forefront of this research, utilizing its nationally recognized excellence in the fields of muscle biology and exercise physiology to discover unique ways to preserve muscle health in the aging and those with diseases. Find out how the proteins within muscle can be manipulated to reduce recovery times for individuals who are bedridden. Learn how older, elite athletes have resisted the inevitable degeneration that comes with aging, and how intermittent fasting may help you live longer and healthier. Step inside the lab where a researcher is uncovering the origins of cancer cachexia a wasting syndrome responsible for 20 percent of cancer deaths worldwide to improve the lives of patients. The loss of skeletal muscle through disease, disuse, or aging is associated with a host of poor health outcomes, but promising new avenues of research are being studied every day at the University of Florida to make for a healthier tomorrow.

This book covers current controversies in women's health care. It takes a broad interdisciplinary approach to the subject. With topics ranging from the controversies in breast and cervical cancer screening, through osteoporosis and the menopause, to the relationships of older women with their doctors, it provides a well-rounded view of health care for older women. Each chapter has been written by an authority in that field and includes issues of current debate. The book is suitable both for students new to the area and for specialists wishing to read about the work of others in related fields, as well as being a useful source of information for general practitioners about the provision of women's health care from a primary care perspective.

This book provides concrete scientific basis that we can conceive the possibility of modifying or even completely canceling aging process, despite the fact that aging is commonly regarded as the result of the overall effects of many uncontrollable degenerative phenomena. The authors illustrate in detail the mechanisms by which cells and the whole organism age. Actions by which it is possible, or will be possible within a limited time, to operate for modifying aging are also debated. The discussion is conducted within the frame and the concepts of evolutionary medicine, which is also indispensable for distinguishing between the manifestations of aging and: (i) diseases that worsen with age, and (ii) acceleration of normal aging rates, caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits and other avoidable factors. The book also discusses the impact of aging on overall mortality and the strange situation that, according to official statistics, aging does not exist as cause of death. This book is a turning point between a gerontology and geriatrics conceived as the study and vain treatment of an incurable condition and one in which these disciplines examine the how and why of a physiological phenomenon that can be modified up to a possible total control. This means transforming the medical prevention and treatment of physiological aging from the greatest failure to the greatest success of medicine.

This new volume outlines methods of monitoring growth and weight gain, an essential clinical service. The alternative methods described here will be of particular use to workers in Third World countries where the cost of scales as well as illiteracy and cultural differences make weight-plotting especially difficult. Readers will find outlines of such innovative methods as the use of arm growth tape, simplified techniques of weight plotting, and helpful algorithms for decision-making. Among the book's appendices is a point system for comparative evaluation of weighing scales. Many illustrations help clarify the material presented in the text, making this book valuable in the classroom as well as in the field.

Infertility Counseling: A Comprehensive Handbook for Clinicians, 2nd edition, is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary textbook for all health professionals providing care for individuals facing reproductive health issues. It is the most thorough and extensive book currently available for clinicians in the field of infertility counseling, providing an exhaustive and comprehensive review of topics. It addresses both the medical and psychological aspects of infertility, reviewing assessment approaches, treatment strategies, counseling for medical conditions impacting fertility, third-party reproduction, alternative family building and post infertility counseling issues. Each chapter follows the same format: introduction, historical overview, literature review, theoretical framework, identification of clinical issues, suggestions for therapeutic interventions, and future implication. This edition also includes extensive appendixes of clinical tools useful to the clinician, including an Internet database of resources and an extensive glossary of terminology.

The maximum life span of multicellular organisms varies greatly: for a fruitfly it is about 30 days, for a dog about 20 years, and for a human about 100 years. Despite these differences, all animals show a similar pattern of their life spans - growth, adulthood, and aging, followed by death. The basic cause of aging in multicellular organisms (eukaryotes) lies at the level of the genes, although nutrition and various types of stresses do influence the rate and pattern of aging. This book reviews the molecular biology of the gene in relation to aging. Until about a decade ago it was not possible to probe into the types of changes that occur in eukaryotic genes, due to their enormous complexity. The use of genetic engineering techniques, however, is beginning to unravel the changes that occur in the genes as an organism ages: such as the changing expression of specific genes under normal conditions and under various types of stress, the changes in the regulatory roles of the sequences in the promotor regions of genes, conformational changes that may occur in genes during aging, and the protein factors that are involved in the aging process. The author presents basic information on eukaryotic genes and follows this with details of the changes that occur in their structure and function during aging. He reviews the latest studies being carried out in various laboratories, outlines the gaps and deficiencies in our present knowledge and suggests the most profitable future areas of research. Genes and Aging is for all students and researchers interested in the molecular biology of aging.

This is a practical guide to the optimal clinical management of preterm labour, using the best available evidence. Preterm labour remains a challenge today, even with the latest developments summarised here. The editors and authors (mostly practising clinicians) are all actively involved in research into the mechanisms, aetiology, treatment and associated outcomes of preterm labour. The chapters are based on common clinical scenarios and each provides a comprehensive literature review followed by evidence-based recommendations on appropriate management. A summary of the pathophysiology of parturition is provided, and the obstetric scenarios cover management of threatened preterm labour, management of preterm premature ruptured membranes and management of preterm labour with specific complications (such as intrauterine growth restriction). Other chapters include the epidemiology, the prediction and the prevention of preterm labour. Anaesthetic and paediatric issues are explored in depth, and there are chapters on legal and organisational issues around preterm labour.

This book brings together the most up-to-date information about the physiology of progestogens. Addressing the bidirectional communication between hormones, fertility, tumors, and autoimmunity, it provides the basic science and clinical perspectives of progestogens which have not been previously available in one volume. In addition to estrogens, androgens, mineralocorticoids and glucocorticoids, progestogens are a major class of steroid hormone. While present in certain phases of estrous and menstrual cycles, progestogens are named for their function in maintaining pregnancy. This book is essentially practical in orientation, addressing the specific issues that confront the practitioner, and provides information to Obstetricians, Gynecologists, Reproductive endocrinologists, as well as Gynecological Oncologists and Rheumatologists. Contributions are from an international team of experts in the field, now completely updated in this new edition with new developments in primary dysmenorrhea and contraception.

This volume focuses on endometriosis from its pathogenesis and the importance of the early diagnosis to treatment, throughout all aspects of femininity that this disease affects, impacting health and quality of life. It also covers treatment strategies for the pain and for the disease management according to the age and needs of the patient, from adolescence to menopause, passing through the fertile age and the consequences that this disease can have on fertility and pregnancy. This book is a useful, clear and up-to-date tool for gynecologists, gynecological surgeons, reproductive medicine and general practitioners and is an important source of information to face this more and more frequent and devastating disease.

In addition to covering clinical topics and surgical procedures, this essential textbook provides detailed commentary on the contemporary social, psychological and economic issues that affect women's health. Acknowledged authorities in respective research fields have contributed specific sections to address the topics of women's mental health, genetics, prescribing for women, health promotion, hormones throughout the life cycle, psychological and behavioral issues.

Our technologies are progressively developing into algorithmic devices that seamlessly interface with digital personhood. This text discusses the ways in which technology is increasingly becoming a part of personhood and the resulting ethical issues. It extends upon the framework for a brain-based cyberpsychology outlined by the author's earlier book Cyberpsychology and the Brain: The Interaction of Neuroscience and Affective Computing (Cambridge, 2017). Using this framework, Thomas D. Parsons investigates the ethical issues involved in cyberpsychology research and praxes, which emerge in algorithmically coupled people and technologies. The ethical implications of these ideas are important as we consider the cognitive enhancements that can be afforded by our technologies. If people are intimately linked to their technologies, then removing or damaging the technology could be tantamount to a personal attack. On the other hand, algorithmic devices may threaten autonomy and privacy. This book reviews these and other issues.

How might we better understand our travels through Grandmotherland? In this lively exploration, an experienced child psychotherapist draws together a wide range of perspectives on the role and experience of grandmothers. Judith Edwards looks back to the past and forward to the future, while being rooted in the reality of the modern grandmother’s life. We meet ‘good’ grannies, ‘bad’ grannies, and all those in between, as well as women who decided to be agents of transmission in other ways than passing on their DNA. Our guide looks at how the behaviour of the grandmother is affected by personality, culture, tradition and ‘norms’ and considers how psychoanalytic insights may help us understand this territory of life.

Women's reproductive tract infections and other gynecological disorders are an enormous global health burden. This significant book helps focus research in this important, neglected area. It is a vital tool for doctors, epidemiologists and public health professionals to formulate effective ways of evaluating the scale of this problem within the local community. The book takes an international perspective and recognizes that gathering gynecological information in different societies requires a sensitive and multidisciplinary approach. This research highlights the social significance of these disorders for women's health and casts new light on effective medical and behavioral interventions.

Asserting that there are many more organic codes in nature than just the genetic code, Marcello Barbieri states that the existence of these codes and their corresponding organic memories can be used to explain the key steps in the evolutionary history of life. With major events corresponding to the appearance of new codes, the organic codes and their corresponding organic memories can also shed new light on the problems of epigenesis and how embryos generate their own complexity.

This insightful and thought-provoking collection of chapters describes the rapid advances that have revolutionized reproductive medicine. From oogenesis and spermatogenesis, through to fertilization, embryogenesis, and cloning, this volume looks at cutting-edge technologies and scientific advances. Subsequent chapters focus on infertility and its diagnosis and treatment using the full armory of assisted reproductive technologies. A concluding section surveys the impact of these developments on the provision, regulation, and financing of reproductive health care in the global community.

This atlas provides valuable information on crucial aspects of sperm examination as well numerous meaningful color illustrations. It discusses successful evaluation of the sperm morphology and the cellular elements other than spermatozoa, enabling readers to unambiguously interpret seminal cytologic images and compare reports for diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic purposes. With its extensive collection of colored images, the book is intended as a reference resource for students and technicians in the field of andrology as well as practitioners and clinicians in andrology, urology, pathology, IVF and other ART programs