Bayesian analysis is one of the important tools for statistical modelling and inference. Bayesian frameworks and methods have been successfully applied to solve practical problems in reliability and survival analysis, which have a wide range of real world applications in medical and biological sciences, social and economic sciences, and engineering. In the past few decades, significant developments of Bayesian inference have been made by many researchers, and advancements in computational technology and computer performance has laid the groundwork for new opportunities in Bayesian computation for practitioners. Because these theoretical and technological developments introduce new questions and challenges, and increase the complexity of the Bayesian framework, this book brings together experts engaged in groundbreaking research on Bayesian inference and computation to discuss important issues, with emphasis on applications to reliability and survival analysis. Topics covered are timely and have the potential to influence the interacting worlds of biostatistics, engineering, medical sciences, statistics, and more. The included chapters present current methods, theories, and applications in the diverse area of biostatistical analysis. The volume as a whole serves as reference in driving quality global health research.

The biennial TNF-family conferences have been held over the past 20 years, from the time that TNF was cloned. These meetings have followed the enormous progress in this field. Much is now known about the members of the TNF ligand and receptor families, their signaling proteins, mechanisms of action and cellular functions. This volume is the proceedings of the 12th TNF International Conference, held in April 2009. This conference focuses on the physiological, pathophysiological, and medical significance of these important regulators. Sessions at the meeting specifically address their involvement in immunity, development, apoptosis, autoimmunity, cancer, and infection, the normal function and pathology of the neuronal system, as well as major unresolved questions about their mechanisms of action.

This book collects protocols from different areas of knowledge to assist in the identification of toxic effects exerted by different xenobiotics. At the same time as classical techniques are presented, modern techniques with alternative models to the use of animals are also presented. Given the ever-increasing exposure to different compounds and their effects on population health, the assessment of multiple endpoints is of utmost importance for better risk assessment, and this collection addresses that need. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology 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. Authoritative and practical, Toxicity Assessment: Methods and Protocols aims to serve researchers in this vast field of science as they seek to better understand the mechanisms of action of different xenobiotics.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in a wide range of biomaterials for the development of smart and advanced functional materials. It discusses the fundamentals of bio-interfacial interactions and the surface engineering of emerging biomaterials like metals and alloys, polymers, ceramics, and composites/nanocomposites. In turn, the book addresses the latest techniques and approaches to engineering material surfaces/interfaces in, e.g., implants, tissue engineering, drug delivery, antifouling, and dentistry. Lastly, it summarizes various challenges in the design and development of novel biomaterials. Given its scope, it offers a valuable source of information for students, academics, physicians and particularly researchers from diverse disciplines such as material science and engineering, polymer engineering, biotechnology, bioengineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, nanotechnology, and biomedical engineering for various commercial and scientific applications.

Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine has become a classic text in the field of free radical and antioxidant research. Now in its fifth edition, the book has been comprehensively rewritten and updated whilst maintaining the clarity of its predecessors. Two new chapters discuss 'in vivo' and 'dietary' antioxidants, the first emphasising the role of peroxiredoxins and integrated defence mechanisms which allow useful roles for ROS, and the second containing new information on the role of fruits, vegetables, and vitamins in health and disease. This new edition also contains expanded coverage of the mechanisms of oxidative damage to lipids, DNA, and proteins (and the repair of such damage), and the roles played by reactive species in signal transduction, cell survival, death, human reproduction, defence mechanisms of animals and plants against pathogens, and other important biological events. The methodologies available to measure reactive species and oxidative damage (and their potential pitfalls) have been fully updated, as have the topics of phagocyte ROS production, NADPH oxidase enzymes, and toxicology. There is a detailed and critical evaluation of the role of free radicals and other reactive species in human diseases, especially cancer, cardiovascular, chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. New aspects of ageing are discussed in the context of the free radical theory of ageing. This book is recommended as a comprehensive introduction to the field for students, educators, clinicians, and researchers. It will also be an invaluable companion to all those interested in the role of free radicals in the life and biomedical sciences.

This volume provides methodologies for ES and iPS cell technology on the study of cardiovascular diseases. Chapters guide readers through protocols on cardiomyocyte generation from pluripotent stem cells, physiological measurements, bioinformatic analysis, gene editing technology, and cell transplantation studies. 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. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes aims to help researchers set up experiments using pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac cells.

This book provides a practically applicable guide to designing evidence-based medical apps and mHealth interventions. It features detailed guidance and case studies where applicable on the best practices and available techniques from both technological (platform technologies, toolkits, sensors) and research perspectives. This approach enables the reader to develop a deep understanding of how to collect the appropriate data and work with users to build a user friendly app for their target audience. Information on how researchers and designers can communicate their intentions with a variety of stakeholders including medical practitioners, developers and researchers to ensure the best possible decisions are made during the development process to produce an app of optimal quality that also considers usability. Developing Medical Apps and mHealth Interventions comprehensively covers the development of medical and health apps for researchers, informaticians and physicians, and is a valuable resource for the experienced professional and trainee seeking a text on how to develop user friendly medical apps.

Primary Aldosteronism (PA) is a disease caused by the overproduction of aldosterone hormone from the adrenal glands. PA causes hypertension and the majority with this disease are undiagnosed for PA. There are new insights into this matter by using biochemistry as well as advanced radiology. In 2011, a breakthrough in the genetic derangements came, identifying a mutated potassium channel gene - KCNJ5 - in about 40% of PA with adenoma. Chapters in this book include a history of the disorder, epidemiology, genetics derangements, the KCNJ5 mutations and phenotype and more.

This book offers comprehensive information on the new and rapidly evolving science of identifying and targeting senescent cells, and on the exciting prospect of new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities for stopping, and even reversing, the progression of disease and the deterioration of the human body due to ageing. According to recent United Nations data, by 2050 one in six people worldwide will be older than age 65, with peaks rising to one in four people in Europe and North America. Remarkably, the number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple, from 143 million in 2019 to 426 million in 2050. First documented in the 1960s, the concept of cellular senescence as an underlying cause of ageing has been established in the course of the last decade. Using genetically engineered mouse models, researchers have demonstrated that the selective elimination of senescent cells can block and even reverse a number of age-related dysfunctions and pathologies, promoting both better health and longer life in the elderly. These include cardiovascular diseases; neurological disorders; type 1 and type 2 diabetes; inflammatory diseases; fibrosis; geriatric syndromes; chronic diseases resulting in organ dysfunction; the integrity of the musculoskeletal system; and cancer. Some senolytic agents have already progressed into trials. These include UBX0101 for the treatment of osteoarthritis (now in phase II), a cocktail of dasatinib and quercetin for the management of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic kidney disease, and ABT-263 in combination with senescence-inducing chemotherapies for the treatment of advanced solid tumours. In addition, the book discusses pathways to early phase clinical trials and translational approaches in medicine and ageing, highlighting new opportunities as well as current limitations, challenges and alternatives. Given its scope, it will benefit a broad audience of advanced educators, researchers, graduate students and practitioners.

Clinical Chemistry: Principles, Techniques, and Correlations, Ninth Edition is the most student-friendly clinical chemistry text available today.

The Ninth Edition keeps students at the forefront of what continues to be one of the most rapidly advancing areas of laboratory medicine with clear explanations that balance analytic principles, techniques, and correlation of results with coverage of disease states.

The book not only demonstrates the how of clinical testing, but also the what, why, and when of testing correlations to help students develop the knowledge and interpretive and analytic skills they'll need in their future careers.

The core principles of statistical analysis are too easily forgotten in today's world of powerful computers and time-saving algorithms. This step-by-step primer takes researchers who lack the confidence to conduct their own analyses right back to basics, allowing them to scrutinize their own data through a series of rapidly executed reckonings on a simple pocket calculator. A range of easily navigable tutorials facilitate the reader's assimilation of the techniques, while a separate chapter on next generation Flash prepares them for future developments in the field. This practical volume also contains tips on how to deny hackers access to Flash internet sites. An ideal companion to the author's co-authored works on statistical analysis for Springer such as Statistics Applied to Clinical Trials, this monograph will help researchers understand the processes involved in interpreting clinical data, as well as being a necessary prerequisite to mastering more advanced statistical techniques.

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The principles of statistical analysis are easily forgotten in today's world of time-saving algorithms. This step-by-step primer takes researchers back to basics, enabling them to examine their own data through a series of sums on a simple pocket calculator."

This volume discusses methods used in the fields of molecular and cellular biology for detecting and studying cell death, especially in cancer and cancer therapy. Chapters in this book cover topics such as non-destructive, real-time Annexin V apoptosis assay; assessment of the immune response to tumor cell apoptosis and efferocytosis; mass cytometry assessment of cell phenotypes and signaling states in human whole blood; cell cycle analysis of ER stress and autophagy; and simultaneous detection of inflammasome activation and membrane damage during pyroptosis. 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 practical, Apoptosis and Cancer: Methods and Protocols is a valuable resource and practical guide for both novice and expert researchers looking into the "meaning of death."

This book describes recent radiotherapy technologies including tools for measuring target position during radiotherapy and tracking-based delivery systems. This book presents a customized prediction of respiratory motion with clustering from multiple patient interactions. The proposed method contributes to the improvement of patient treatments by considering breathing pattern for the accurate dose calculation in radiotherapy systems. Real-time tumor-tracking, where the prediction of irregularities becomes relevant, has yet to be clinically established. The statistical quantitative modeling for irregular breathing classification, in which commercial respiration traces are retrospectively categorized into several classes based on breathing pattern are discussed as well. The proposed statistical classification may provide clinical advantages to adjust the dose rate before and during the external beam radiotherapy for minimizing the safety margin. In the first chapter following the Introduction to this book, we review three prediction approaches of respiratory motion: model-based methods, model-free heuristic learning algorithms, and hybrid methods. In the following chapter, we present a phantom study-prediction of human motion with distributed body sensors-using a Polhemus Liberty AC magnetic tracker. Next we describe respiratory motion estimation with hybrid implementation of extended Kalman filter. The given method assigns the recurrent neural network the role of the predictor and the extended Kalman filter the role of the corrector. After that, we present customized prediction of respiratory motion with clustering from multiple patient interactions. For the customized prediction, we construct the clustering based on breathing patterns of multiple patients using the feature selection metrics that are composed of a variety of breathing features. We have evaluated the new algorithm by comparing the prediction overshoot and the tracking estimation value. The experimental results of 448 patients' breathing patterns validated the proposed irregular breathing classifier in the last chapter.

The cybersecurity of connected medical devices is one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare today. The compromise of a medical device can result in severe consequences for both patient health and patient data. Cybersecurity for Connected Medical Devices covers all aspects of medical device cybersecurity, with a focus on cybersecurity capability development and maintenance, system and software threat modeling, secure design of medical devices, vulnerability management, and integrating cybersecurity design aspects into a medical device manufacturer's Quality Management Systems (QMS). This book is geared towards engineers interested in the medical device cybersecurity space, regulatory, quality, and human resources specialists, and organizational leaders interested in building a medical device cybersecurity program.

Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis: A Handbook for Healthcare Research provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles and methods that healthcare researchers need when considering, conducting or using individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis projects. Written and edited by researchers with substantial experience in the field, the book details key concepts and practical guidance for each stage of an IPD meta-analysis project, alongside illustrated examples and summary learning points. Split into five parts, the book chapters take the reader through the journey from initiating and planning IPD projects to obtaining, checking, and meta-analysing IPD, and appraising and reporting findings. The book initially focuses on the synthesis of IPD from randomised trials to evaluate treatment effects, including the evaluation of participant-level effect modifiers (treatment-covariate interactions). Detailed extension is then made to specialist topics such as diagnostic test accuracy, prognostic factors, risk prediction models, and advanced statistical topics such as multivariate and network meta-analysis, power calculations, and missing data. Intended for a broad audience, the book will enable the reader to: Understand the advantages of the IPD approach and decide when it is needed over a conventional systematic review Recognise the scope, resources and challenges of IPD meta-analysis projects Appreciate the importance of a multi-disciplinary project team and close collaboration with the original study investigators Understand how to obtain, check, manage and harmonise IPD from multiple studies Examine risk of bias (quality) of IPD and minimise potential biases throughout the project Understand fundamental statistical methods for IPD meta-analysis, including two-stage and one-stage approaches (and their differences), and statistical software to implement them Clearly report and disseminate IPD meta-analyses to inform policy, practice and future research Critically appraise existing IPD meta-analysis projects Address specialist topics such as effect modification, multiple correlated outcomes, multiple treatment comparisons, non-linear relationships, test accuracy at multiple thresholds, multiple imputation, and developing and validating clinical prediction models Detailed examples and case studies are provided throughout.

This book shares the experimental findings and views in current multidisciplinary medical science combining both basic and applied research aimed at resolving problematic health issues. The key topics address contagious diseases, in particular the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and management of influenza and influenza-like infections as well as brain tuberculosis. Pulmonary medicine is represented by articles addressing a range of practical issues, including the diagnosis, symptoms, comorbidities, and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a syndrome whose incidence shows a persistent upward trend worldwide. Other articles address the pathogenesis of air pollution toxicity and allergy and sensory irritation in toxic exposure studies. An intriguing relation of atopic dermatitis to depression and serotoninergic system is debated. The book attempts to integrate research into clinical work and to implement findings to improve care and to decrease suffering from diseases. It is dedicated to the practicing professionals, researchers, and all engaged in health care.

The proposed book is envisioned for the nascent and entry-level researchers who are interested to work in the field of drug delivery and its applications specifically for macrophage targeting. Macrophages have gained substantial attention as therapeutic targets for drug delivery considering their major role in health and regulation of diseases. Macrophage-targeted therapeutics have now added significant value to the lives and quality of life of patients, without undue adverse effects in multiple disease settings. We anticipate examining and integrating the role of macrophages in the instigation and advancement of various diseases. The major focus of the book is on recent advancements in various targeting strategies using delivery systems or nanocarriers followed by application of these nanocarriers for the treatment of macrophage associated disorders. Macrophage Targeted Delivery Systems is primarily targeted to Pharmaceutical Industry & Academia, Medical & Pharmaceutical Professionals, Undergraduate & Post graduate students and Research Scholars, Ph.D, post docs working in the field of medical and pharmaceutical sciences.

Serendipitous discovery has played an important role m the identification of physiological mechanisms in central and peri- eral neurotransmission. In many cases, the subsequent followup of these discoveries has been substantially aided by previouslyiden- fied natural substances that interfered with these mechanisms. The site of neuromuscular blockade produced by curare extracts, for example, was shown in the 1850s by Claude Bernard, and Sir Henry H. Dale m 1906 discovered the reversal of the pressor effects of adrenal extracts by ergot alkaloids. These findings were the first clues that led eventually to the definition of mcotinic cholinergic receptors and the present classification of adrenergic receptors. In the 1950s many discoveries, including the identification of the catecholamines and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the central n- vous system, followed by the development of specific sensitive biochemical and histochemical methods and the introduction of modern psychotropic drugs led to our increased understanding of chemical transmission and the formulation of theories that attempt to explain the causes of some mental disorders. The finding that hydroxylated derivatives of noradrenaline and- hydroxytryptamine are readily taken up by catecholaminergic or serotonergic neurons, and that this is followed by poisoning and death of the cell, encouraged the use of these compounds for the mapping of central and peripheral catecholamine or- hydroxytryptamine systems, and the mvestigation of the re- vance of these pathways to receptor regulation or behavioral - sponses.

This volume provides up-to-date information on toxic pollutants in the environment and their harmful effects on human health and nature. The book covers many important aspects of environmental toxicology, such as features, characterization, applications, environmental routes for dispersion, nanotoxicity, ecotoxicity and genotoxicity of nanomaterials, with emphasis on radiation toxicology, polar ecotoxicology, plastic toxicology, microbrial toxicology, nanotoxicology and pesticide toxicology. Also discussed is the use of microbes and nanotechnology for medicinal purposes, which has revealed important chemical prototypes in the discovery of new agents, stimulating the use of refined physical techniques and new syntheses of molecules with pharmaceutical applications for human welfare. The chapters also address the fate of nanoparticles in the environment, as well as nanotoxicology mechanisms impacting human health. The book will be of interest to toxicologists, environmental scientists, chemists, and students of microbiology, nanotechnology and pharmacology.

Over the past 25 years, biobanks of human specimens have become a cornerstone for research on human health and have empowered the "omics "revolution that characterizes biomedical science in the XXIst Century. Today, biobanking of human specimens is a critical component of the interface between clinical practice and translational research, supporting the discovery and validation of new biomarkers of disease etiology, risk, early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, prediction and relapse. With the development of personalized medicine, biobanking of cryopreserved specimens has become standard practice in order to investigate genetic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomics and immunological biomarkers useful to inform caregivers for therapeutic decisions. Data generated from biobanked specimens represent a rapidly growing and highly valuable resource, participating in the emergence of Big Data Medicine. With the development of large computing capabilities and artificial intelligence, data associated with biobanked specimens constitute a unique resource for the discovery and validation of new biomarkers and therapeutically actionable targets. Interconnecting, interoperating and sharing this data have become major issues for national health systems, raising enormous stakes as well as major societal, legal and cybersecurity challenges in terms of compliance with the protection of personal sensitive information. This book project is the second part of an initiative launched in 2012 to produce a published corpus of knowledge encompassing all aspects of human biobanking as a central practice for research and medicine. The first volume, published in 2017, is entitled: Human Biobanking: Principles and Practice. This first volume compiled a series of high level contributions overseeing the main developments that carried the progression of human biobanking as a research and biotechnological field over the past two decades. This new book project will constitute de facto Volume 2 of the same initiative, under the title: Biobanking of Human Biospecimens: lessons from 25 years of biobanking experience. Hence, the two volumes will share the same generic title (Biobanking of Human Biospecimens), with different subtitles, making clear that the two volumes are interrelated while highlighting their specificities in terms of what they actually cover. As a result, the two books are "twins" but can also be used independently of each other. The overarching aim of the two volumes of Biobanking of Human Biospecimens is to provide a published "one-stop shop" for state-of-the-art information on what constitutes the field of human biobanking, from conception of a biobank, standard operating procedures, ethical and societal aspects, governance, networking, interoperability and economic sustainability. This inclusive publication concept meets the needs of a vast readership, including scientists, doctors and technical staffs who are directly involved in biobanking operations, scientists in other disciplines that heavily rely on biobanking (such as genomics or proteomics), stakeholders and policy makers, and of course students for whom biobanking is becoming an important part of the training curriculum. So far, there has been a lack of major textbooks on biobanking. Documentation for biobanking is widely available through numerous publications, regulatory documents published by International or Governmental Agencies, and sets of recommendations essentially accessible through the Internet. However, it is difficult to access a single, top-of-the shelf reference that provides at a glance a large coverage of all aspects of human biobanking. Fulfilling this need is the main origin of the concept for this back-to-back publication project. To our knowledge, there is currently no other publication project with the same breath and scope as this one in the field of biobanking.

The welfare of laboratory animals, as well as the ethical issues involved in the humane use of animals for scientific purposes, are discussed in this new revised edition. Information is included on the biology and husbandry of animal models; on behavior, stress and well-being; genetic and microbiological standardization; health monitoring; anaesthesiology; animal alternatives; ethics. This book addresses all of the aspects that scientists need to know when considering the design of an animal experiment. Replacement, reduction and refinement of animal experiments are the guiding principles for its contents.

Drug development is an iterative process. The recent publications of regulatory guidelines further entail a lifecycle approach. Blending data from disparate sources, the Bayesian approach provides a flexible framework for drug development. Despite its advantages, the uptake of Bayesian methodologies is lagging behind in the field of pharmaceutical development. Written specifically for pharmaceutical practitioners, Bayesian Analysis with R for Drug Development: Concepts, Algorithms, and Case Studies, describes a wide range of Bayesian applications to problems throughout pre-clinical, clinical, and Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Control (CMC) development. Authored by two seasoned statisticians in the pharmaceutical industry, the book provides detailed Bayesian solutions to a broad array of pharmaceutical problems. Features Provides a single source of information on Bayesian statistics for drug development Covers a wide spectrum of pre-clinical, clinical, and CMC topics Demonstrates proper Bayesian applications using real-life examples Includes easy-to-follow R code with Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo performed in both JAGS and Stan Bayesian software platforms Offers sufficient background for each problem and detailed description of solutions suitable for practitioners with limited Bayesian knowledge Harry Yang, Ph.D., is Senior Director and Head of Statistical Sciences at AstraZeneca. He has 24 years of experience across all aspects of drug research and development and extensive global regulatory experiences. He has published 6 statistical books, 15 book chapters, and over 90 peer-reviewed papers on diverse scientific and statistical subjects, including 15 joint statistical works with Dr. Novick. He is a frequent invited speaker at national and international conferences. He also developed statistical courses and conducted training at the FDA and USP as well as Peking University. Steven Novick, Ph.D., is Director of Statistical Sciences at AstraZeneca. He has extensively contributed statistical methods to the biopharmaceutical literature. Novick is a skilled Bayesian computer programmer and is frequently invited to speak at conferences, having developed and taught courses in several areas, including drug-combination analysis and Bayesian methods in clinical areas. Novick served on IPAC-RS and has chaired several national statistical conferences.

This book collects information about the most popular ethnomedicinal plants, which are common in Turkey and around the world. It presents the ethnopharmacological records, in vivo and in vitro studies, side effects, chemical compositions and clinical studies of these medicinal plants. Its special focus is on the novel drug targets for disease and their possible mechanisms of action. It covers botanical descriptions the status of the plants, and food or drug interactions including precautions and warnings about the plants and the available market products. It provides an explanation of recorded and known plant administration dosages. Also, the gap between the traditional practice and scientific/clinical evidences in the use of ethnomedicinal plant is acknowledged. It is well known that traditional knowledge of the use of the medicinal plants in therapy is an important resource for the discovery of novel treatment options and drug targets. The main purpose of this book is to draw attention to ethnomedicinal plant species. Data on the therapeutic potentials of these medicinal plants can now be accessed from a single source. It provides an important resource for future research opportunities for harnessing the full potential of these plants.