The three keywords, Orthodontics, Europe and Quality represent the important issues in this book, describing the EURO-QUAL, BIOMED 1 Programme. In this Programme, individuals and representatives of institutions have been asked to contribute to the discussion on the development of a quality system for orthodontic care. The philosophy of Total Quality Management was adopted and specific emphasis was given to patient quality. When considering how the structure and quality of European orthodontic care continuously can be improved, there are certain conditions which are difficult to modify. From the start this has been realised and respected and therefore the guidelines for the quality are flexible and can be adapted to different conditions. Available knowledge has been bundled and an attempt has been made to understand the reality of orthodontic care in Europe: the product and the process.

This third volume in the series Tumor Dormancy, Quiescence, and Senescence discusses the role of tumor dormancy and senescence in a number of diseases, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer and leukemia. The contents are organized under five subheadings: General Applications, Role in Breast Cancer, Role in Ovarian Cancer, Role in Leukemia and Role in Cardiovascular Disease. The first section includes basic information on the definition of dormancy, how cells become senescent and what they do, along with an appraisal of the current state of research on dormancy. Section Two explores dormancy in breast cancer, including the progression of hormone-dependent mammary tumors after dormancy. Section Three details the resistance of Type II ovarian tumors, in which the resistant tumor cell population persists after chemotherapy in a state of dormancy, with recurrent tumors arising upon transformation of such dormant cells back to malignant growth. This section explains how lineage, histological subtypes and grade influence the differential response of ovarian cancer resistance to platinum drugs. The fourth section explores leukemia, discussing regulation of the promyelocytic leukemia protein and its role in premature senescence. The final section explores the role of senescence and autophagy in age-related cardiovascular diseases and the observation that autophagy seems to retard cardiac senescence. Like the two preceding volumes in the series, Volume 3 stands out for its comprehensive approach, its roster of some 26 expert contributors representing seven different countries and its up-to-date review of leading-edge technology and methods.

The field of clinical proteomics has rapidly evolved during the past few years and is continuously growing as new methodologies and technologies emerge. In Clinical Proteomics, a select group of leading researchers has contributed their state-of-the-art methodologies on protein profiling and identification of disease biomarkers in tissues, microdissected cells and body fluids. Experimental approaches involving the application of two-dimensional electrophoresis, multi-dimensional liquid chromatography, SELDI/MALDI mass spectrometry and protein arrays, as well as the bioinformatic and statistical tools pertinent to the analysis of proteomics data, are thoroughly detailed in these readily reproducible methods and protocols, explained through the step-by-step instructional format of the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series.

This book is devoted to the graphics of patient data: good graphs enabling straight-forward and intuitive interpretation, efficient creation, and straightforward interpretation. We focus on easy access to graphics of patient data: the intention is to show a large variety of graphs for different phases of drug development, together with a description of what the graph shows, what type of data it uses, and what options there are. The main aim is to provide inspiration in form of a graphics cookbook. Many graphs provide creative ideas about what can be done. The book is not intended to be technical. It introduces general principles of good visualization to make readers understand the concepts, but the main focus is on the creativity and usefulness: readers are enabled to browse through the book to get ideas of how their own data can be analyzed graphically.

For additional information visit Editor s companion website: http: //www.elmo.ch/doc/life-science-graphics/

Recent years have seen the development of two significant trends namely: the adoption of some Traditional Chinese Medicine Practices into mainstream Allopathic Western Medicine and the advent of the internet and broad band networks leading to an increased interest in the use of Telemedicine to deliver medical services. In this book, we see the convergence of these two trends leading to a semantically-based TCM Telemedicine system that utilizes an ontology to provide sharable knowledge in the TCM realm to achieve this. The underpinning research required the development of a three-layer architecture and an Ontology of the TCM knowledge. As TCM knowledge like all medical knowledge is not frozen in time it was important to develop an approach that would allow evolution of the Ontology when new evidence became available. In order for the system to be practically grounded it was important to work with an industry partner PuraPharm Group/HerbMiners Informatics Limited. This partnership was initiated through Professor Allan Wong and the Chairman of PuraPharm Group Mr. Abraham Chan. This led to the system being utilized in more than 20 Mobile Clinics in Hong Kong and 300 Hospitals in China. In order for these different deployments of the system to be coherent with the main core Ontology, it was necessary for us to develop an Ontology Driven Software System Generation approach.

Sleep has recently been recognized as a critical determinant of energy balance regulating, restoration and repair of many of the physiologic and psychologic processes involved in modulating energy intake and utilization. In addition to having an impact on obesity, sleep abnormalities, both quantitative and qualitative, have now been shown to have significant effects on obesity associated comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome, premalignant lesions and cancer. Sleep problems and fatigue also constitute a significant challenge for the ever expanding group of cancer survivors. Moreover, circadian misalignment, such as that experienced by "shift workers" has been shown to be associated with an increased incidence of several malignancies including, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer, consistent with the increasing recognition of the role of clock genes in the metabolic processes. Of increasing concern is the accelerating incidence of sleep disorders in childhood, their association with childhood obesity and associated abnormalities of circulating cytokines, adipokines and metabolic factors, many of which are implicated as etiologic mediators of the connection between obesity and cancer. Extensive studies have now been initiated to investigate the mechanisms by which disturbances in sleep duration, sleep continuity and sleep related breathing affect circadian rhythm, central and peripheral tissue oxygenation and metabolism, quality and quantity of dietary intake and circulating inflammatory cytokines and regulatory hormones. This volume aims to present the latest research on sleep, sleep disturbance and its correlation to obesity and cancer.

In vitro utilization of liposomes is now recognized as a powerful tool in many bioscience investigations and their associated clinical studies, e.g., liposomes in drug targeting; liposomes in gene transport across plasma and nuclear membranes; liposomes in enzyme therapy in patients with genetic disorders. However, before these areas can be effectively explored, many basic areas in liposome research require elucidation, including: (a) attachment of liposomes to cell surfaces; (b) permeation of liposomes through the plasma membranes; and (c) stability of liposomes in cell or nuclear matrices. None of these areas have been exhaustively explored and liposome researchers have ample opportunities to contribute to our knowledge. The aim of Liposome Methods and Protocols is to bring together a wide range of detailed laboratory protocols covering different aspects of liposome biology in order to assist researchers in those rapidly advancing medical fields mentioned earlier. With this goal in mind, in each protocol chapter we have detailed the materials to be used, followed by a step-by-step protocol. The Notes section of each protocol is also certain to prove particularly useful, since the authors include troubleshooting tips straight from their benchtops, valuable information that is seldom given in restricted methods sections of standard research journals. For this reason we feel that the book will prove especially useful for all researchers in the liposome field.

The health of the proteome depends upon protein quality control to regulate the proper synthesis, folding, translocation, and clearance of proteins. The cell is challenged constantly by environmental and physiological stress, aging, and the chronic expressions of disease associated misfolded proteins. Substantial evidence supports the hypothesis that the expression of damaged proteins initiates a cascade of molecular events that leads to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, and other diseases of protein conformation.

This is an important and timely volume. The history of research in homocysteine metabolism can be divided into three periods. The first phase was the exploration of the individual reactions and metabolites that characterize the transmethylation and transsulfuration sequences. The former originated with his description of the biosynthesis of methylpyridine and culminated in the work of Cantoni and Axelrod. Similarly the finding that insulin contained cystine was a potent catalyst for the metabolic and nutritional studies of Rose and du Vigneaud. The description and the definition of homocystinuria, a rare inherited meta bolic disorder, marked the beginning of the second historical period. Where previously there had been few laboratories located largely in the United States soon there were numerous research groups representing many nationalities. The more intense focus led to major advances, both in the laboratory and in the clinics. Studies of afflicted individuals, when combined with investigations in experimental animals, provided the basis for a concept of methionine metabo lism that encompassed both transmethylation and transsulfuration. The central role of homocysteine was apparent."

Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells which reside in a variety of tissues. They differentiate into several mesodermal lineages, secrete a multitude of trophic factors and contribute to tissue homeostasis. MSCs are able to exert immunosuppressive activities by interfering with inflammatory cytokine production and with T- and B-cell proliferation. These immunomodulating properties make MSCs promising candidates for the treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. There are, however, certain caveats involved including inappropriate migration of cells in the body, immune rejection, tumor formation, or graft versus host disease (GvHD). This book investigates the current state of the MSC-dependent therapy of chronic inflammatory disorders and autoimmune diseases. Among the covered topics are GvHD, chronic kidney, liver and lung disease, ischemic heart and inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, various rheumatic and neurological disorders and, lastly, tumors and solid organ transplantations. This book also questions the immunoprivileged status of MSCs, discusses the therapeutic role of MSCs in experimental animal disease models and their translation to the corresponding human disorders, envisions a role for MSCs in tumor interventions and, lastly, describes a systems biology approach for stem cells and inflammation.

Jurgen Schulte and Christian Endler met in 1990 at an international conference on the Structure of Water held in the Lecture Halls of the University of Graz (Austria). Disappointed by the lack of a systematic strategy of research into the physics of homoeopathy Jurgen Schulte started to work on the establishment of scientifically acceptable research standards in physics of homoeopathy and encouraged academic researchers to establish a coordinated and focused research strategy. In 1994, with the help of major representatives of the international research community, they edited one of the fIrst academic interdisciplinary books on Ultra High Dilution and homoeopathy that underwent a rigorous scientific international referee process before publishing. Due to the dedicated help of the prominent referees (BD Josephson, Nobel Laureate, Cavendish Lab. , Cambridge; M Bastide, Fac de Pharmacy, University Montpellier; RG Jahn, Aerospace Science, Princeton University), the book 1994 was quickly considered a mile stone and turning point for the scientific approach of research into Ultra High Dilution and homoeopathy. Since then the academic research community has grown considerably and many international conferences have been held. Today, research into homoeopathy is to be accepted by the European Union as part of the academic sciences, worthy to be funded at European Union level; an effort that took many years of research coordination and research strategy development. Excerpts of the Research Strategy of the European Committee for Homoeopathy (ECH) have been included in this book.

This book presents state-of-the-art works and systematic reviews in the emerging field of computational intelligence (CI) in electronic health care. The respective chapters present surveys and practical examples of artificial intelligence applications in the areas of Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and affective computing, machine learning, big health data and visualization analytics, computer vision and medical image analysis. The book also addresses new and emerging topics in CI for health care such as the utilization of Social Media (SM) and the introduction of new intelligent paradigms in the security and privacy domains, which are critical for the health sector. The chapters, while of course not exhaustively addressing all the possible aspects of the aforementioned areas, are indicative of the dynamic nature of interdisciplinary research being pursued. Accordingly, the book is intended not only for researchers in the respective fields, but also for medical and administrative personnel working in the health sector, as well as managers and stakeholders responsible for making strategic decisions and defining public health policies.

This book is about Nutraceuticals in cancer therapy, specifically targeted and Adjuvant therapy. It shows several approaches for possibly reducing systemic toxicity. This book illustrates the role of several dietary agents, collectively called nutraceuticals or natural agents in the prevention and/or treatment of human malignancies known to be mediated through alterations in multiple molecular targets. This book contains sixteen chapters which begin with historical perspective on the value of natural agents in the prevention of human malignancies followed by a series of current topics on multiple nutraceuticals targeting multiple cancers. This collection would likely be useful for bringing newer generations with broader perspectives in launching cutting-edge innovative molecular research, which would certainly help in designing targeted clinical trials in order to realize the dream of customize strategies for the prevention and/or treatment of human malignancies without causing any systemic toxicity. Moreover, the knowledge gained would allow novel utilization of nutraceuticals as adjunct to both conventional chemotherapy and radiation therapy in order to improve the overall quality of life and survival of patients diagnosed with cancers.

The present book entitled "Novel Frontiers in the Production of Compounds for Biomedical Uses" can perhaps be placed in its best perspective by the Shakespearean character in The Tempest who exclaimed" What's past is prologue." Indeed, this compilation of some of the outstanding presentations in the field of biomedicine made at th the 9 European Congress on Biotechnology (Brussels, Belgium, July 11-15, 1999) not only reflects the achievements of the recent past, but provides a privileged glimpse of the biotechnology that is emerging in the first decade of the new Millennium. It is becoming increasingly apparent that biotechnology is offering biomedicine novel approaches and solutions to develop a sorely needed new generation of biopharmaceuticals. This is all the more necessary because in recent years, new diseases have emerged with extraordinary lethality in all corners of the globe, while age-related chronic illnesses have filled the gap wherever biomedicine has made successful inroads. The rise of antibiotic resistance also poses major threats to public health. Thus, as disease patterns evolve, the rational development of new drugs is becoming urgent, not only for the clinical outcome of patients, but also in optimising the allocation of scarce health care resources through the use of cost-effective productions methods. It is in response to all these challenges that biotechnology offers new strategies that go beyond the more traditional approaches. By the mid-1990's, the number of recombinant products approved annually for therapeutic use reached double digits. With the advent of the genomics revolution.

There has been a dramatic increase in knowledge of tight junctions in the past decade. The molecular structure of tight junctions, cellular functions and the pathophysiological roles of tight junctions are becoming clear. Of the most important functions, the role of the cellular structure in cancer spread and drug delivery are increasingly realised. It is now clear that there are fundamental changes to tight junctions during the process of cancer development. Tight junctions are also critical to the metastatic process of cancer cells. The cellular structure is also crucial in drug therapies, namely, the permeability and bioavailability of the drugs, penetration of barriers such as the blood brain barrier. This current volume aims to summarise the current knowledge of tight junctions, their role in cancer and cancer metastasis and is of interest to scientists and clinicians.

The concept of 'biomineralization' signifies mineralization processes that take place in close association with organic molecules or matrices. The awareness that mineral formation can be guided by organic molecules notably contributed to the understanding of the formation of the inorganic skeletons of living organisms. Modern electron microscopic and spectroscopic analyses have successfully demonstrated the participation of biological systems in several mineralization processes, and prominent examples include the formation of bio-silica in diatoms and sponges. This insight has already made the application of recombinant technology for the production of valuable inorganic polymers, such as bio-silica, possible. This polymer can be formed by silicatein under conditions that cannot be matched by chemical means. Similarly, the efforts described in this book have elucidated that certain organisms, bacteria in deep-sea polymetallic nodules and coccoliths in seamount crusts, are involved in the deposition of marine minerals. Strategies have already been developed to utilize such microorganisms for the biosynthesis and bioleaching of marine deposits. Moreover, studies reveal that bio-polymers enhance the hydroxyapatite formation of bone-forming cells and alter the expression of important regulators of bone resorption, suggesting a potential for bone regeneration and treatment / prevention of osteoporosis.

Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia and Analgesia, Fifth Edition provides a basic guide to anesthesia for a very diverse audience involved in animal testing. This has been the go-to resource for current, clear and evidence-based information for over 30 years. The book is divided into four parts that deal with preparation for anesthesia, including definitions, equipment, preparations, anesthetic and analgesic agents, the management and monitoring of anesthesia, including pre-procedural preparations, monitoring and problems and emergencies through the procedure, advanced and specialized techniques, and analgesia and post-operative care, including recovery and the prevention and management of post-operative pain. Final sections cover anesthesia in common laboratory species, specifically: rodents, rabbits, cats, dogs, ferrets, pigs, sheep and goats, primates, reptiles, amphibians and new specific chapters on birds, fish and cephalopods. This edition keeps up with the tradition of bringing a balanced dose of practical advice, foundational content, and current, updated references, drugs and procedures to veterinarians, technicians, researchers and ethics committee personnel.

Precision Medicine in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Part Two, Volume 193 deals with the "How" in the reconfiguration of our approach to slow the progression of those suffering from diseases of accelerated brain aging. This second Handbook of Clinical Neurology volume offers a rethinking of the animal models on which therapies are tested; outlines the progress and expected changes in biological subtyping efforts using lysosomal, endosomal, mitochondrial, immune dysregulation, and inflammatory mechanisms of disease pathophysiology; and the growing role of microbiome in shaping disease and as a future target of therapeutic efforts. The volume separates the potentially disease-modifying neurorescue and neurorestoration, (e.g., gene therapy and cell replacement therapy) from true precision medicine -matching the biology of those affected with the mechanism of the intervention of interest. Specific chapters are dedicated to the promise and challenges of extracellular vesicles for both diagnosis and treatment, the growing application of digital measures and other evaluations of clinical response, the nuts and bolts of novel adaptive clinical trial designs, and the regulatory changes needed to facilitate drug development for disease-modification purposes.

The increasing importance of sickness and disability data across health-related disciplines is the focus of this concise but comprehensive resource. It reviews the basics of morbidity at the population level by defining core concepts, analyzing why morbidity has overtaken mortality as central to demographic study, and surveying ways these data are generated, accessed, and measured. Subsequent chapters demonstrate how this knowledge can be used to better understand-and potentially solve-critical public health issues, benefitting not only populations served, but also areas such as health services planning, resource allocation, and health policy-setting. To make this material useful to the most readers, this reference: Explains why and how morbidity data are categorized by health professionals and other data users. Examines various methods of identifying and measuring morbidity data. Identifies demographic and non-demographic factors associated with morbidity. Describes and evaluates sources of U.S. morbidity data. Reviews the current state of morbidity in the U.S., and what it means for healthcare and society in general. Suggests future uses of morbidity data in reducing health disparities and improving population health. In Sickness and In Health is uniquely relevant to demographers and demography students, public health professionals, and epidemiologists. Its presentation of concepts and applications makes the book a valuable classroom text and a useful guide for those addressing challenges facing U.S. healthcare.

This, the first of two volumes on personalized medicine in lung cancer, touches on the core issues related to the understanding of lung cancer-statistics and epidemiology of lung cancer-along with the incidence of lung cancer in non-smokers. A major focus of this volume is the state of current therapies against lung cancer-immune, targeted therapies against EGFR TKIs, KRAS, ALK, angiogenesis; the associated challenges, especially resistance mechanisms; and recent progress in targeted drug development based on metal chemistry. Chapters are written by some of the leading experts in the field, who provide a better understanding of lung cancer, the factors that make it lethal, and current research focused on developing personalized treatment plans. With a unique mix of topics, this volume summarizes the current state-of-knowledge on lung cancer and the available therapies.

The sustained skin research efforts over the past decades has led to the accumulation of a significant collection of information on skin structure and physiology as well as on the pathogenesis of cutaneous diseases. In Molecular Dermatology: Methods and Protocols, leading experts in the field provide a collection of state-of-the-art reliable protocols covering a wide spectrum of techniques and experimental models, specific molecular assays and disease models, as well as overviews of diagnostic and research areas relevant to molecular dermatology. As a volume in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series, 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. Comprehensive and authoritative, Molecular Dermatology: Methods and Protocols emphasizes the vital importance of skin research and collects the methodologies necessary to aid scientists in moving forward in this valuable field.

John R. Petersen and Amin A. Mohammad, along with a panel of leading basic and clinical investigators, review those CE methods that are now replacing many routine serum and blood tests in clinical and forensic laboratories. Major areas reviewed include the coating of columns; the analysis of serum, urine, and CSF proteins and paraproteins; abnormal hemoglobins and hemoglobin Alc; peptides, amino and organic acids; therapeutic drugs; drugs of abuse; viral load; and short tandem repeats (STR). The methods discussed include capillary zone, micellar, electrokinetic, capillary gel, and non-aqueous electrophoresis. Innovative and highly practical, Clinical and Forensic Applications of Capillary Electrophoresis demonstrates the power and versatility of CE-not only to develop new assays, but also to markedly simplify today's clinical and forensic laboratory methodology.

Using a discipline-by-discipline approach, Turgeon's Clinical Laboratory Science: Concepts, Procedures, and Clinical Applications, 9th Edition, provides a fundamental overview of the concepts, procedures, and clinical applications essential for working in a clinical laboratory and performing routine clinical lab tests. Coverage of basic laboratory techniques includes key topics such as safety, phlebotomy, quality assessment, automation, and point-of-care testing. Clear, straightforward instructions simplify laboratory procedures and are guided by the latest practices and CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) standards. Written by well-known CLS educator Mary Louise Turgeon, this edition offers essential guidance and recommendations for today's laboratory testing methods and clinical applications. Broad scope of coverage makes this text an ideal companion for clinical laboratory science programs at various levels, including CLS/MT, CLT/MLT, medical laboratory assistant, and medical assisting, and reflects the taxonomy levels of the CLS/MT and CLT/MLT exams. Detailed procedure guides and procedure worksheets on Evolve and in the ebook familiarize you with the exact steps performed in the lab. Vivid, full-color illustrations depict concepts and applicable images that can be seen under the microscope. An extensive number of certification-style, multiple-choice review questions are organized and coordinated under major topical headings at the end of each chapter to help you assess your understanding and identify areas requiring additional study. Case studies include critical thinking group discussion questions, providing the opportunity to apply content to real-life scenarios. The newest Entry Level Curriculum Updates for workforce entry, published by the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) and the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification Exam Content Outlines, serve as content reference sources. Convenient glossary makes it easy to look up definitions without having to search through each chapter. An Evolve companion website provides convenient access to animations, flash card sets, and additional review questions. Experienced author, speaker, and educator Mary L. Turgeon is well known for providing insight into the rapidly changing field of clinical laboratory science. NEW! Content spans traditional principles and practices to the expanding applications of molecular diagnostics that reflect the most current clinical laboratory practices and technology. NEW! New Frontiers in Molecular Diagnostics chapter explores the future of the field. NEW! Coverage of the "new face" of clinical laboratory practice recognizes of the important need for laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 testing during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increased emphasis on safety, patient considerations, and delivery of testing modes. NEW! Exploration of current laboratory safety issues, strategies, and the need for various safety-related officers to control problems such as supply chain interruptions and the risk of infection from aerosols. NEW! Applications of innovative quality models, such as clinical outcomes and biological variation, improve the acceptable standards of laboratory testing and the interpretations of reference ranges. NEW! Expanded information on new oral anticoagulants is presented along with the appropriate laboratory testing, with alternative testing added to the discussion of blood coagulation. NEW! Increased focus on cell types in cerebrospinal fluid includes descriptions of associated clinical disorders and microbial examination. NEW! Expanded comparisons of the characteristics of important body fluids, such as synovial fluid, serous fluids, seminal fluid, and amniotic fluid. NEW! Appendix offers comprehensive overview of COVID-19.

We humans are tribal, grouping ourselves by a multitude of criteria: physical, intellectual, political, emotional, etc. The Internet and its auxiliary technologies have enabled a novel dimension in tribal behavior during our recent past. This growing connectivity begs the question: Will individuals and their communities come together to solve some very urgent global problems? At MMVR, we explore ways to harness information technology to solve healthcare problems - and in the industrialized nations we are making progress. In the developing world however, things are more challenging. Massive urban poverty fuels violence and misery. Will global networking bring a convergence of individual and tribal problem-solving? Recently, a barrel-shaped water carrier that rolls along the ground was presented, improving daily life for many people. Also the One Laptop per Child project is a good example of how the industrialized nations can help the developing countries. They produce durable and simple laptops which are inexpensive to produce. At MMVR, we focus on cutting-edge medical technology, which is generally pretty expensive. While the benefits of innovation trickle downward, from the privileged few to the broader masses, we should expand this trickle into a flood. Can breakthrough applications in stimulation, visualization, robotics, and informatics engender tools as ingeniously as the water carrier or laptop? With some extra creativity, we can design better healthcare for the developing world too.