Volume 47 in the internationally acclaimed "Advances in Clinical Chemistry" contains chapters submitted from leading experts from academia and clinical laboratory science. Authors are from a diverse field of clinical chemistry disciplines and diagnostics, ranging from basic biochemical exploration to cutting-edge microarray technology.
Leading experts from academia and clinical laboratory science Volume emphasizes novel laboratory advances with application to clinical laboratory diagnostics and practical basic science studies

Technology is playing an increasing role in the lives of the elderly. One of the most prevalent developments for the aging population is the use of technological innovations for intervention and treatment of individuals with mental impairments. The Handbook of Research on Innovations in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia offers empirical research and theoretical analyses on the cognitive impairment of the aging. Featuring studies in gerotechnology, this book is an essential resource for researchers, students, and practitioners in the field of geriatrics who are interested in the emerging research, clinical practices, therapy, and technological innovations concerning the development and treatment of dementia.

"Kroll-Smith and Floyd have, with both clarity and sensitivity, provided considerable insight into an important arena of contemporary experience."
--"American Journal of Sociology"

"Elegantly written. . . . the book is built around the narratives of multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) sufferers themselves. . . . Due to its relevant subject matter, its interdisciplinary approach, its readability, and its interesting theoretical arguments, "Bodies in Protest" should be appealing to a wide audience."
--"Organization and Environment"

"This engagingly written and thought-provoking book provides one of the first sustained sociological analyses of a baffling, controversial, and spectacular medical condition."
--"Social Forces"

Gulf War Syndrome: Is It a Real Disease? asks a recent headline in the "New York Times," This question--are certain diseases real?--lies at the heart of a simmering controversy in the United States, a debate that has raged, in different contexts, for centuries. In the early nineteenth century, the air of European cities, polluted by open sewers and industrial waste, was generally thought to be the source of infection and disease. Thus the term miasma--literally deathlike air--came into popular use, only to be later dismissed as medically unsound by Louis Pasteur.

While controversy has long swirled in the United States around such illnesses as chronic fatigue syndrome and Epstein-Barr virus, no disorder has been more aggressively contested than environmental illness, a disease whose symptoms are distinguished by an extreme, debilitating reaction to a seemingly ordinary environment. The environmentally ill range from those who have adverse reactionsto strong perfumes or colognes to others who are so sensitive to chemicals of any kind that they must retreat entirely from the modern world.

"Bodies in Protest" does not seek to answer the question of whether or not chemical sensitivity is physiological or psychological, rather, it reveals how ordinary people borrow the expert language of medicine to construct lay accounts of their misery. The environmentally ill are not only explaining their bodies to themselves, however, they are also influencing public policies and laws to accommodate the existence of these mysterious illnesses. They have created literally a new body that professional medicine refuses to acknowledge and one that is becoming a popular model for rethinking conventional boundaries between the safe and the dangerous.

Having interviewed dozens of the environmentally ill, the authors here recount how these people come to acknowledge and define their disease, and themselves, in a suddenly unlivable world that often stigmatizes them as psychologically unstable. "Bodies in Protest" is the dramatic story of human bodies that no longer behave in a manner modern medicine can predict and control.

Volume 49 in the internationally acclaimed "Advances in Clinical Chemistry" contains chapters submitted from leading experts from academia and clinical laboratory science. Authors are from a diverse field of clinical chemistry disciplines and diagnostics ranging from basic biochemical exploration to cutting-edge microarray technology.

* Leading experts from academia and clinical laboratory science * Volume emphasizes novel laboratory advances with application to clinical laboratory diagnostics and practical basic science studies

This book explores how PPPM, clinical practice, and basic research could be best served by information technology (IT). A use-case was developed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The subject was approached with four interrelated tasks: (1) review of clinical practices relating to HCC; (2) propose an IT system relating to HCC, including clinical decision support and research needs; (3) determine how a clinical liver cancer center can contribute; and, (4) examine the enhancements and impact that the first three tasks will have on the management of HCC. An IT System for Personalized Medicine (ITS-PM) for HCC will provide the means to identify and determine the relative value of the wide number of variables, including clinical assessment of the patient -- functional status, liver function, degree of cirrhosis, and comorbidities; tumor biology, at a molecular, genetic and anatomic level; tumor burden and individual patient response; medical and operative treatments and their outcomes.

A detailed description of up-to-date methods used for computer processing and interpretation of medical images is given. The scope of the book include images acquisition, storing with compression, processing, analysis, recognition and also its automatic understanding In introduction general overview of the computer vision methods designed for medical images is presented. Next sources of medical images are presented with their general characteristics. Both traditional (like X-ray) and very modern (like PET) sources of medical images are presented. The main emphasis is placed on such properties of medical images given by particular medical imaging methods which are important form the point of view of its computer processing, analysis and recognition. The consecutive parts of the book describe compression and processing methods, including many methods developed by authors especially for medical images. After parts describing analysis and recognition of medical images come most important part, in which the new method of automatic understanding of medical images is given. This new method of image interpretation, described in previous works of the same authors with applications for simple 2D images now is generalized for 3D images and for complex medical images with many objects observed and with complicated relations between these objects.

This book introduces readers to the concept of 'frugal innovation' and describes novel low-cost technologies that aid in diagnosing infectious diseases. Rapidly deployable, portable, and affordable diagnostic tools have the potential to tremendously benefit populations in resource-limited settings and improve global health outcomes. Specifically, the book includes the following features: Cutting-Edge Research: Thorough coverage of scientific advances related to frugal bioengineering that have been developed within the last few years. A few examples of technologies covered in detail include low-cost paper-based and CD-based microfluidic diagnostic systems. Industry and Non-Profit Voices: Chapters written by scientists currently working in industry and philanthropic sectors.

In a unique way, the laboratory professionalist's knowledge about the molecular diagnostics of infectious diseases is connected with the clinician's practical experience. The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases makes correct diagnosis, ordering the right tests, quality control and correct interpretation of the results even more important. The possible pathogens are discussed in the second part according to the specific symptoms or to where the infection is located in the body.

Features:

* For clinicians and laboratory professionalists

* Up-to-date diagnostics of all infectious diseases

* Molecular diagnostics, diseases, choice of methods

* Specific pathogens in alphabetic order

* Tables and flow charts

There are more than 80 different sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, hypersomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, and parasomnia. Good sleep is necessary for optimal health and can affect hormone levels and weight. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and biomedical signals and images can help in healthcare diagnostics that are related to these and other sleep disorders. Advancing the Investigation and Treatment of Sleep Disorders Using AI presents an overview of sleep disorders based on machine intelligence methods in order to learn and explore the latest advancements, developments, methods, systems, futuristic approaches, and algorithms towards sleep disorders and to address their challenges. This book also discusses recent and future advancements in various feature extraction techniques and machine learning methods. Covering topics such as biomedical signal processing, augmented reality for clinical investigation, and sleep disorder detection, this book is essential for sleep medicine practitioners, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, medical technologists, doctors, IT specialists, biomedical engineers, researchers, graduate students, and academicians.

Written by a single author and authority in the field, "The Clinical Marker hCG" addresses several sensitive areas of clinical tests for the marker hCG: interpretation of results, different reference standards, application to pregnancy testing, early detection of hCG, differential of diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy, diagnostic potential in conjunction with ultrasound, use as a tumor marker, immunocytochemical applications, low-level hCG analysis, discordant results, and significance of subunits and their measurement. The evolution of hCG tests is thoroughly reviewed, with a clear description of the new generation immunoenzymetric tests and their advantages.

Oxidative stress is the result of an imbalance in pro-oxidant/antioxidant homeostasis that leads to the generation of toxic reactive oxygen species. Brain cells are continuously exposed to reactive oxygen species generated by oxidative metabolism, and in certain pathological conditions defense mechanisms against oxygen radicals may be weakened and/or overwhelmed. DNA is a potential target for oxidative damage, and genomic damage can contribute to neuropathogenesis. It is important therefore to identify tools for the quantitative analysis of DNA damage in models on neurological disorders. This book presents detailed information on various neurodegenerative disorders and their connection with oxidative stress. This information will provide clinicians with directions to treat these disorders with appropriate therapy and is also of vital importance for the drug industries for the design of new drugs for treatment of degenerative disorders.
* Contains the latest information on the subject of neurodegenerative disorders
* Reflects on various factors involved in degeneration and gives suggestions for how to tackle these problems

Volume forty-two in the internationally acclaimed Advances in Clinical Chemistry series, contains chapters submitted from leading experts from academia and clinical laboratory science. Authors are from a diverse field of clinical chemistry disciplines and diagnostics ranging from basic biochemical exploration to cutting edge microarray technology. In keeping with the tradition of the series, this volume emphasizes novel laboratory advances with application not only to both clinical laboratory diagnostics, but as well as practical basic science studies.
This volume of Advances in Clinical Chemistry is an indispensable resource and practical guide for twenty-first century practitioners of clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, pathology, and clinical laboratory sciences in general.

This fourth edition volume expands on the previous editions by presenting readers with new and emerging methodologies in cytometry. The chapters in this book cover various topics such as quantifying surface and intracellular protein biomarkers, intracellular cytokine staining, apoptosis analysis, cell cycle analysis, tracking cell proliferation, and monitoring protein-protein interactions using FRET. Some developing methodologies that explored are mass cytometry, vesicle flow cytometry, time-resolved flow cytometry, and real-time label-free deformability cytometry. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Cutting-edge and comprehensive, Flow Cytometry Protocols, Fourth Edition researchers and scientists who are interested in continuing or expanding their knowledge of flow cytometry.

Volume forty-one in the internationally acclaimed Advances in Clinical Chemistry, contains chapters submitted from leading experts from academia and clinical laboratory science. Authors are from a diverse field of clinical chemistry disciplines and diagnostics ranging from basic biochemical exploration to cutting edge microarray technology. In keeping with the tradition of the series, this volume emphasizes novel laboratory advances with application not only to both clinical laboratory diagnostics, but as well as practical basic science studies.
This volume of Advances in Clinical Chemistry is an indispensable resource and practical guide for twenty-first century practitioners of clinical chemistry, molecular diagnostics, pathology, and clinical laboratory sciences in general.
*Addresses taurine as a biomarker
*Reviews development of clinical laboratory diagnostic tools for an aging population
*Written by international leaders in the field of clinical chemistry

Leading academic and industrial investigators surveys the world of microarray technology, describing in step-by-step detail diverse DNA and protein assays in clinical laboratories using state-of-the-art technologies. The advanced tools and methods described are designed for mRNA expression analysis, SNP analysis, identification, and quantification of proteins, and for studies of protein-protein interactions. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principle behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Identify interventions to plan, individualize, and document care. Updated with the latest diagnoses and interventions from NANDA-I 2021-2023, here's the resource you'll turn to again and again to select the appropriate diagnosis and to plan, individualize, and document care for more than 800 diseases and disorders. Only in the Nursing Diagnosis Manual will you find for each diagnosis...defining characteristics presented subjectively and objectively - sample clinical applications to ensure you have selected the appropriate diagnoses - prioritized action/interventions with rationales - a documentation section, and much more! Includes: Assessment tools to help you select the appropriate diagnosis. Alphabetized monographs for hundreds of diseases and disorders reflecting all specialty areas. Associated nursing diagnoses that are presented by priority and written as client problem/need statements. NIC and NOC linkages with each diagnosis.</,li> Unique presentation of action/invention by priority with rationales...with icons for cultural * collaborative * diagnostic studies * medications * community/home health * pediatric/geriatric/lifespan. Documentation section that emphasizes the importance of what and why. Taxonomy information that defines the domain in which the nursing diagnosis belongs, along with the date the nursing diagnosis was approved or revised. Pediatric considerations in the monographs, where appropriate. References to support evidenced-based practice. Detachable, laminated, pocket-minder bookmark on the inside back cover. New & Updated! The latest diagnoses and updated interventions from NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification 2021-2023, 12th Edition, including 46 new diagnoses and 67 revised diagnoses, the most current NANDA-I terminology, and labels from NIC and NOC that link content to nursing diagnosis, and statistic data. Updated & Expanded! The most recent evidence-based practice research for interventions and rationales. Revised! Streamlined preface that focuses on how to use the book. Added & Revised! Nursing interventions based on current practice.

This book has been written step wise by enumerating various aspects of the importance of clinical examination derived by laying one's hands on the affected part. By a thorough clinical examination, it can help an individual to arrive at a tentative differential diagnosis of the condition and hence help in investigating the same by numerous tests which are relevant to the given condition. The manner in which a given case is handled in this way is far more important than the diagnosis of the condition and this feature comes with practicing the same many times. It is a must for anyone embarking in life on Orthopedics as a career.

Molecular Diagnostics covers current molecular biological techniques used to identify the underlying molecular defects in inherited disease. Although an increasing number of laboratories, both academic and private are moving in that direction, there are only a few books in the existing literature, and they deal only partly with diagnosis at the molecular level. Each chapter includes the principle and a brief description of the technique, followed by exmples from the authors' own epertise. Contributors are well-known experts in their field, and derive from a variety of disciplines, to ensure breadth and depth of coverage.
* Examines widely used molecular biology techniques to screen for genetic defects causing inherited disorders
* Includes state-of-the-art techniques for the detection of the underlying genetic heterogeneity leading to inherited disorders
* Identification of genetically modified organisms (GMO's)
* Forensic analysis and every-day issues in a diagnostic laboratory
* Discusses ethics, genetic counselling and quality management

A compendium of the latest published diagnostic criteria for a diverse group of neurological conditions. The criteria cover a wide spectrum of neurological conditions whose diagnosis does not depend solely on histopathology (e.g., brain tumors), including cerebrovascular diseases, dementias and behavioral disorders, demyelinating disorders, and disorders of consciousness and brain death. Standardized criteria are also provided for epilepsy, genetic syndromes, headache, immune-based disorders, infectious diseases, movement disorders, neuromuscular disorders, and sleep disorders. A dazzling array of tables summarizes useful information on both common and uncommon neurological conditions, including many genetic and pediatric neurological disorders. Innovative and authoritative, Diagnostic Criteria in Neurology begins to do for neurology what the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) did for psychiatry.

A detailed description of a new approach to perceptual analysis and processing of medical images is given. Instead of traditional pattern recognition a new method of image analysis is presented, based on a syntactic description of the shapes selected on the image and graph-grammar parsing algorithms. This method of "Image Understanding" can be found as a model of mans' cognitive image understanding processes. The usefulness for the automatic understanding of the merit of medical images is demonstrated as well as the ability for giving useful diagnostic descriptions of the illnesses. As an application, the production of a content-based, automatically generated index for arranging and for searching medical images in multimedia medical databases is presented.

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.