Adaptive clinical trial designs, unlike traditional fixed clinical trial designs, enable modification of studies in response to the data generated in the course of the trial. This often results in studies that are substantially faster, more efficient, and more powerful. Recent developments in web-based real-time data entry and advances in statistical methods have made adaptive clinical trials much more popular because they have become both more practical and attractive. However, there is paucity of resources that explain the mathematical framework and the practical considerations for adaptive designs without the use of highly technical statistical jargon. Suitable for readers in academia, industry, and government involved in drug development, Adaptive and Flexible Clinical Trials is the first book that comprehensively explains all essential aspects of adaptive clinical trials. Written in an easy-to-understand style aimed at clinicians and other non-statisticians, this book focuses not on the statistical details, but rather on the application of statistical concepts for adaptive clinical trials. Utilizing concrete examples, the book thoroughly explains the design, conduct, and analysis of adaptive and flexible clinical trials, allowing readers to select and design the appropriate trial designs from a conceptual perspective. From basic theory to real-life practical issues, it covers all aspects of adaptive and flexible clinical trials, including regulatory issues, interim analysis, adaptive dosing, and sequential designs.

The application of Biotechnology dates back to the early era of civilization, when people first started to cultivate food crops. While the early applications are certainly still relevant, modern biotechnology is primarily associated with molecular biology, cloning and genetic engineering not only to increase the yield and to improve the quality of the crop but also its potential impact has touched upon virtually all domains of human interactions. Within the last 50 years, several key scientific discoveries revolutionized the biological sciences that facilitated the rapid growth of the biotechnology industry. 'Biotechnology and Biological Sciences III' contains the contributions presented at the 3rd International Conference on Biotechnology and Biological Sciences (BIOSPECTRUM 2019, Kolkata, India, 8-10 August 2019). The papers discuss various aspects of Biotechnology such as: microbial biotechnology, bioinformatics and drug designing, innovations in pharmaceutical industries and food processing industries, bioremediation, nano-biotechnology, and molecular-genetics, and will be of interest to academics and professionals involved or interested in these subject areas.

Together, the nano explosion and the genomic revolution are ushering in a new frontier in drug delivery. In recent years we've seen how polymers can play a crucial role in controlling the rate of drug release, enhancing solubility and uptake, and limiting degradation and toxicity. In the very near future, they may well be used to deliver gene therapy. While Polymers in Drug Delivery offers much new insight for the veteran specialist, this work has been compiled with the non-specialist in mind. It includes contributions from many of the world's leading drug delivery specialists, yet avoids jargon and presents background information that initiates the next generation of scientists into the amazing work going on at the frontiers of this rapidly evolving science. Targeting specific issues at the forefront of drug delivery today, this engaging volume- * Outlines the issues that must be considered when selecting a polymer for fabricating a drug delivery agent or other medical devices * Explains the more commonly used methods by which polymers may be characterized prior to use * Profiles polymer matrices that have been used in the formulation of solid oral dosage forms, drug delivery scaffolds, and hydrogels * Examines the issues surrounding the encapsulation of biologics within microspheres * Explores the use of nanoparticulates, especially solid nanoparticles and nanocapsules prepared from largely-water-insoluble cyanoacrylate polymers * Discusses polymeric micelles and investigates the potential of soluble polymer prodrugs and polymer nanomedicines * Details the contribution made by polymers and dendrimers to the gene delivery effort, which may one day lead to effective treatments for largely incurable diseases Noting a dramatic paradigm shift that is bridging the gap between materials science and life science, the editor's have compiled this volume to paint an interdisciplinary portrait of drug delivery that will challenge young scientists to turn their attention and effort towards this critical branch of biomedicine. Containing state-of-the-art information for drug delivery scientists, it is also a great choice for medical and pharmaceutical students and others seeking an in-depth introduction to the field.

In this era of finite budgets, healthcare rationing, medication shortages, and the global aging and burgeoning of populations, numerous stakeholders in the healthcare arena must understand the basic principles of pharmacoeconomics and how these may be correctly applied to facilitate drug development, rationing, patient segmentation, disease management, and pricing model development. Pharmacoeconomics: From Theory to Practice, Second Edition focuses on how to more efficiently and rationally leverage these healthcare resources, not by restricting access to necessary services, but by using them more efficiently. This updated volume arms decision makers with the tools they need to make wise choices in an area where the stakes are extremely high-the health of the global population. Key Features: Introduces the major concepts and principles of Pharmacoeconomics Gives updated information about pharmacoeconomic models, value-based pricing, novel modelling methodologies and international utilization of these modalities in government, the pharmaceutical industry, and health care settings Demonstrates the full range of ethical and moral issues, as well as overall public health and commercial concerns that are often involved in decisions entailing pharmacoeconomic issues Presents both theory and methodology discussions, including real-world examples, in each chapter 'The methods and application of pharmacoeconomics are rapidly evolving, so the new edition of this textbook is very timely. It provides an excellent introduction for those new to the field, whether they be students, professionals within the pharmaceutical industry, or health care professionals more generally. A particularly useful feature of the book is that it gives an introduction both to the main methods used in pharmacoeconomics studies and how these studies are used in decisions about the reimbursement or appropriate use of medicines in several countries.' - Michael Drummond, Professor of Health Economics, University of York

Includes a revised taxonomic outline for the phyla Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Chlamydiae, Spirochetes, Fibrobacters, Fusobacteria, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Dictyoglomi, and Gemmatomonadetes based upon the SILVA project as well as a description of more than 153 genera in 29 families. Includes many medically important taxa.

Review of the First Edition: The authors strive to reduce theory to a minimum, which makes it a self-learning text that is comprehensible for biologists, physicians, etc. who lack an advanced mathematics background. Unlike in many other textbooks, R is not introduced with meaningless toy examples; instead the reader is taken by the hand and shown around some analyses, graphics, and simulations directly relating to meta-analysis... A useful hands-on guide for practitioners who want to familiarize themselves with the fundamentals of meta-analysis and get started without having to plough through theorems and proofs. -Journal of Applied Statistics Statistical Meta-Analysis with R and Stata, Second Edition provides a thorough presentation of statistical meta-analyses (MA) with step-by-step implementations using R/Stata. The authors develop analysis step by step using appropriate R/Stata functions, which enables readers to gain an understanding of meta-analysis methods and R/Stata implementation so that they can use these two popular software packages to analyze their own meta-data. Each chapter gives examples of real studies compiled from the literature. After presenting the data and necessary background for understanding the applications, various methods for analyzing meta-data are introduced. The authors then develop analysis code using the appropriate R/Stata packages and functions. What's New in the Second Edition: Adds Stata programs along with the R programs for meta-analysis Updates all the statistical meta-analyses with R/Stata programs Covers fixed-effects and random-effects MA, meta-regression, MA with rare-event, and MA-IPD vs MA-SS Adds five new chapters on multivariate MA, publication bias, missing data in MA, MA in evaluating diagnostic accuracy, and network MA Suitable as a graduate-level text for a meta-data analysis course, the book is also a valuable reference for practitioners and biostatisticians (even those with little or no experience in using R or Stata) in public health, medical research, governmental agencies, and the pharmaceutical industry.

Colloidal systems occur everywhere in soils, seawater, foodstuff, pharmaceuticals, paints, blood, biological cells, and microorganisms. Colloids and Interfaces in Life Sciences and Bionanotechnology, Second Edition, gives a concise treatment of physicochemical principles determining interrelated colloidal and interfacial phenomena.

New in the Second Edition

• New topics, including phase separations in polymer systems, electrokinetics of charged permeable surface coatings, and polymer brush coatings to control adsorption and adhesion of particles
• Emphasis on inter-particle interactions and surface phenomena in (bio)nanotechnology
• More than 100 new or updated exercises
• Full solutions to the exercises are presented in the Appendix

Focusing on physicochemical concepts that form the basis of understanding colloidal and interfacial phenomena rather than on experimental methods and techniques this book is an excellent primer for students and scientists interested in colloidal and interfacial phenomena, their mutual relations and connections, and the fascinating role they play in natural and man-made systems.

Understanding Research in Clinical and Counseling Psychology, Second Edition, is written and designed for graduate students in the psychology and counseling fields, for whom the value of psychological research is not always readily apparent. Contributed to by experts in their respective fields, this text presents research as an indispensable tool for practice, a tool that is used every day to advance knowledge and improve assessment, treatment choice, and client outcomes. The book is divided into four logical parts: Research Foundations, Research Strategies, Research Practice, and finally, Special Problems. Included is a chapter that addresses one of the most important controversies, the distinction between realistic and "gold standard" efficacy studies. The remainder of the book addresses salient issues such as conducting research in various cultures, operating an empirically-oriented practice, and performing research with families, children, and the elderly. Students and professors will find the coverage ample and penetrating, without being too overwhelming.

This volume describes important medical discoveries, from the introduction of the first antibiotic to the present, where serendipity, intuition, coincidence, or laboratory accident played an important role in bringing a discovery to light. Although chance is the principal determinant, the book emphasizes other factors, such as economic and political exigencies and being in the right place at the right time.

Providing reliable information on an intervention effect, meta-analysis is a powerful statistical tool for analyzing and combining results from individual studies. Meta-Analysis of Binary Data Using Profile Likelihood focuses on the analysis and modeling of a meta-analysis with individually pooled data (MAIPD). It presents a unifying approach to modeling a treatment effect in a meta-analysis of clinical trials with binary outcomes. After illustrating the meta-analytic situation of an MAIPD with several examples, the authors introduce the profile likelihood model and extend it to cope with unobserved heterogeneity. They describe elements of log-linear modeling, ways for finding the profile maximum likelihood estimator, and alternative approaches to the profile likelihood method. The authors also discuss how to model covariate information and unobserved heterogeneity simultaneously and use the profile likelihood method to estimate odds ratios. The final chapters look at quantifying heterogeneity in an MAIPD and show how meta-analysis can be applied to the surveillance of scrapie. Containing new developments not available in the current literature, along with easy-to-follow inferences and algorithms, this book enables clinicians to efficiently analyze MAIPDs.

Bayesian analyses have made important inroads in modern clinical research due, in part, to the incorporation of the traditional tools of noninformative priors as well as the modern innovations of adaptive randomization and predictive power. Presenting an introductory perspective to modern Bayesian procedures, Elementary Bayesian Biostatistics explores Bayesian principles and illustrates their application to healthcare research. Building on the basics of classic biostatistics and algebra, this easy-to-read book provides a clear overview of the subject. It focuses on the history and mathematical foundation of Bayesian procedures, before discussing their implementation in healthcare research from first principles. The author also elaborates on the current controversies between Bayesian and frequentist biostatisticians. The book concludes with recommendations for Bayesians to improve their standing in the clinical trials community. Calculus derivations are relegated to the appendices so as not to overly complicate the main text. As Bayesian methods gain more acceptance in healthcare, it is necessary for clinical scientists to understand Bayesian principles. Applying Bayesian analyses to modern healthcare research issues, this lucid introduction helps readers make the correct choices in the development of clinical research programs.

Integrated Drug Discovery Technologies provides a global overview of emerging drug development technologies by presenting and integrating new techniques from the disciplines of chemistry, biology, and computational sciences. It combines integration of contemporary mechanization with strategies in drug delivery. Topics include: functional genomics, microfabrication techniqes, integrated proteomics technologies, high throughput screening, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy methods.

A comprehensive guide for physicians conducting clinical research, this second edition addresses a broader research perspective. It includes information on the implications of the ICH Guidelines, current FDA regulations, and an Internet address directory. Everything the clinical trial manager, planner, monitor, and investigator need to know about the design, establishment, monitoring, and close-out of a trial is in this book. The chapters address the elements of clinical research, professional interactions, FDA regulations and good clinical practices guidelines, investigational agent management, designing a study and protocol development, conducting the study, and more.

From the discovery of x-rays in 1895 through the emergence of computed tomography (CT) in the 1970s and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the 1980s, non-invasive imaging has revolutionized the practice of medicine. While these technologies have thoroughly penetrated clinical practice, scientists continue to develop novel approaches that promise to push imaging into entirely new clinical realms, while addressing the issues of dose, sensitivity, or specificity that limit existing imaging approaches. Emerging Imaging Technologies in Medicine surveys a number of emerging technologies that have the promise to find routine clinical use in the near- (less than five years), mid- (five to ten years) and long-term (more than ten years) time frames. Each chapter provides a detailed discussion of the associated physics and technology, and addresses improvements in terms of dose, sensitivity, and specificity, which are limitations of current imaging approaches. In particular, the book focuses on modalities with clinical potential rather than those likely to have an impact mainly in preclinical animal imaging. The last ten years have been a period of fervent creativity and progress in imaging technology, with improvements in computational power, nanofabrication, and laser and detector technology leading to major new developments in phase-contrast imaging, photoacoustic imaging, and optical imaging.

Key features: Offers chapters by renowned experts which are comprised of three subunits: a theoretical discussion of the content area, a description of the methods employed to address the content area, and finally, and most importantly, a discussion of the ways that relevant aspects of the content area can be easily employed/adapted to enhance the behavioral management of NHPs Provides case studies that highlight the areas of expertise of the authors and emphasize 'success stories' that can be used to develop behavioral management strategies and build behavioral management programs Presents 'Genera-specific' chapters which focus on behavioral management strategies that, typically, are successfully employed with particular taxa of NHPs Includes a novel, pioneering 'Product/services' section that provides the producers of important technologies, equipment, and services with an opportunity to highlight the ways in which their products enhance the ability of their clients to manage the behavior of NHPs Illustrated with full color images and drawings throughout. The Handbook of Primate Behavioral Management (HPBM) fills a void in the scientific literature, providing those who work with nonhuman primates (NHPs) with a centralized reference for many issues related to the care and behavioral management of captive nonhuman primates. While there are numerous publications scattered throughout the literature that deal with the behavioral management of NHPs, this comprehensive handbook is the first single-source reference to summarize and synthesize this information. The HPBM is organized into six complementary parts starting with an introductory section. The book then provides in-depth coverage of content issues, applications and implementation, genera-specific chapters, technology-related questions involved in the behavioral management of NHPs, and a concluding section. Primate behavioral management is a topic that has recently generated a considerable number of primary publications in the scientific literature, mostly with an applied focus. Similarly, there are many primary publications currently available that address more basic issues related to the understanding of primate behavior. One of the principal goals of the HPBM is to highlight and synthesize basic science advances that can be adapted and applied to enhance the behavioral management of captive NHPs.

As a result of new statistical and mathematical approaches, improved visualization tools, and recognition by international regulatory groups, quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) now play important roles in pharmacology for the design of new drugs as well as in toxicology and ecotoxicology for hazard identification and risk assessment. Providing up-to-date coverage of the field, Three Dimensional QSAR: Applications in Pharmacology and Toxicology presents the most recent QSAR methods and illustrates their scope, advantages, and limitations. Part I The first part of the book addresses CoMFA and related methods, such as CoMSIA, FLUFF, SOMFA. It also describes shape-, surface-, and volume-based approaches, including MSA, excluded volume, LIV, HASL, receptor surface model, COMPASS, and CoMSA. Part II Focusing on methods that use 3D information, the second part covers autocorrelation methods, such as GRIND; similarity-based methods, including similarity matrices and quantum similarity indices; and quantitative spectroscopic data-activity relationships. Some applications in data mining are also explored. Part III The third part deals with post-3D models. The authors discuss the adaptation of the receptor and simultaneous presence of several conformers or solvation mechanisms. Part IV The final part presents receptor-related approaches as well as docking and free energy calculations, which are treated at various levels. This part concerns the extensive sampling of phase space and approximate methods, such as linear interaction energy, Poisson-Boltzmann, and generalized Born models. A case study covering several parallel approaches is also developed. An appendix offers the basic principles of modeling and statistical tools routinely required in QSAR methodologies, including optimization methods, molecular mechanics and dynamics, multivariate analysis, nonlinear models, and evolutionary techniques. It provides newcomers

This book aims to set out the political, social, legal and scientific underpinning of risk assessment and risk management for toxic substances. It describes the principles and processes the practitioners undertake when looking at the regulatory risk implications of their work.

Key features: Serves as the detailed, authoritative source of the clinical chemistry of the most commonly used laboratory animals Includes detailed chapters dedicated to descriptions of clinical chemistry-related topics specific to each laboratory species as well as organ/class-specific chapters Presents information regarding evaluation and interpretation of a variety of individual clinical chemistry end points Concludes with detailed chapters dedicated to descriptions of statistical analyses and biomarker development of clinical chemistry-related topics Provides extensive reference lists at the end of each chapter to facilitate further study Extensively updated and expanded since the publication of Walter F. Loeb and Fred W. Quimby's second edition in 1999, the new The Clinical Chemistry of Laboratory Animals, Third Edition continues as the most comprehensive reference on in vivo animal studies. By organizing the book into species- and organ/class-specific chapters, this book provides information to enable a conceptual understanding of clinical chemistry across laboratory species as well as information on evaluation and interpretation of clinical chemistry data relevant to specific organ systems. Now sponsored by the American College of Laboratory Animal Medicine (ACLAM), this well-respected resource includes chapters on multiple laboratory species and provides pertinent information on their unique physiological characteristics, methods for sample collection, and preanalytical sources of variation for the particular species. Basic methodology for common procedures for each species is also discussed. New Chapters in the Third Edition Include: The Laboratory Zebrafish and Other Fishes Evaluation of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Function and Injury Evaluation of Skeletal Muscle Function and Injury Evaluation of Bone Function and Injury Vitamins Development of Biomarkers Statistical Methods The Clinical Chemistry of Laboratory Animals, Third Edition is intended as a reference for use by veterinary students, clinical veterinarians, verterinary toxicologists, veterinary clinical pathologists, and laboratory animal veterinarians to aid in study design, collection of samples, and interpretation of clinical chemistry data for laboratory species.

Longitudinal studies often incur several problems that challenge standard statistical methods for data analysis. These problems include non-ignorable missing data in longitudinal measurements of one or more response variables, informative observation times of longitudinal data, and survival analysis with intermittently measured time-dependent covariates that are subject to measurement error and/or substantial biological variation. Joint modeling of longitudinal and time-to-event data has emerged as a novel approach to handle these issues. Joint Modeling of Longitudinal and Time-to-Event Data provides a systematic introduction and review of state-of-the-art statistical methodology in this active research field. The methods are illustrated by real data examples from a wide range of clinical research topics. A collection of data sets and software for practical implementation of the joint modeling methodologies are available through the book website. This book serves as a reference book for scientific investigators who need to analyze longitudinal and/or survival data, as well as researchers developing methodology in this field. It may also be used as a textbook for a graduate level course in biostatistics or statistics.

Interval-Censored Time-to-Event Data: Methods and Applications collects the most recent techniques, models, and computational tools for interval-censored time-to-event data. Top biostatisticians from academia, biopharmaceutical industries, and government agencies discuss how these advances are impacting clinical trials and biomedical research. Divided into three parts, the book begins with an overview of interval-censored data modeling, including nonparametric estimation, survival functions, regression analysis, multivariate data analysis, competing risks analysis, and other models for interval-censored data. The next part presents interval-censored methods for current status data, Bayesian semiparametric regression analysis of interval-censored data with monotone splines, Bayesian inferential models for interval-censored data, an estimator for identifying causal effect of treatment, and consistent variance estimation for interval-censored data. In the final part, the contributors use Monte Carlo simulation to assess biases in progression-free survival analysis as well as correct bias in interval-censored time-to-event applications. They also present adaptive decision making methods to optimize the rapid treatment of stroke, explore practical issues in using weighted logrank tests, and describe how to use two R packages. A practical guide for biomedical researchers, clinicians, biostatisticians, and graduate students in biostatistics, this volume covers the latest developments in the analysis and modeling of interval-censored time-to-event data. It shows how up-to-date statistical methods are used in biopharmaceutical and public health applications.

Now viewed as its own scientific discipline, clinical trial methodology encompasses the methods required for the protection of participants in a clinical trial and the methods necessary to provide a valid inference about the objective of the trial. Drawing from the authors' courses on the subject as well as the first author's more than 30 years working in the pharmaceutical industry, Clinical Trial Methodology emphasizes the importance of statistical thinking in clinical research and presents the methodology as a key component of clinical research. From ethical issues and sample size considerations to adaptive design procedures and statistical analysis, the book first covers the methodology that spans every clinical trial regardless of the area of application. Crucial to the generic drug industry, bioequivalence clinical trials are then discussed. The authors describe a parallel bioequivalence clinical trial of six formulations incorporating group sequential procedures that permit sample size re-estimation. The final chapters incorporate real-world case studies of clinical trials from the authors' own experiences. These examples include a landmark Phase III clinical trial involving the treatment of duodenal ulcers and Phase III clinical trials that contributed to the first drug approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Aided by the U.S. FDA, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the pharmaceutical industry, and academia, the area of clinical trial methodology has evolved over the last six decades into a scientific discipline. This guide explores the processes essential for developing and conducting a quality clinical trial protocol and providing quality data collection, biostatistical analyses, and a clinical study report, all while maintaining the highest standards of ethics and excellence.

Judge Your Practices Against This Benchmark Manual COST Action B-24 established four working groups to research and discuss issues relevant to laboratory animal science. These included the housing of animals, environmental needs, refinement of procedures, genetically modified animals, and cost-benefit analysis. Based on the groups' findings, The COST Manual of Laboratory Animal Care and Use: Refinement, Reduction, and Research provides a consensual European view of best practices for individuals and institutions caring for and working with laboratory animals. What is COST? COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is an intergovernmental initiative that promotes coordination of nationally funded science and research at a European level. This book focuses on reduction and refinement strategies and includes insightful contributions from 44 experts drawn from various EU countries. Addressing only the most commonly used mammalian species-rats, mice, and rabbits-each chapter of the book follows a similar structure: * Objectives outline the breadth of the chapter's coverage * Key Factors summarize the central issues that underpin good practice * Questions Unresolved close each chapter, identifying areas of uncertainty and prompting investigations directed at advancing knowledge and application within relevant fields The COST Manual of Laboratory Animal Care and Use: Refinement, Reduction, and Research is the reference sure to be found in the lab coats of those responsible for the care and welfare of animals and those overseeing and conducting activities related to the use of animals for scientific purposes.

Highly recommended by CHOICE, Oct 2018 Extremophiles are nature's ultimate survivors, thriving in environments ranging from the frozen Antarctic to abyssal hot hydrothermal vents. Their lifeforms span bacteria to fishes, and are categorized as halophiles from hypersaline environments, acidophiles from acidic waters, psychrophiles from cold habitats, and thermophiles from warm waters. Extremophiles: From Biology to Biotechnology comprehensively covers the basic biology, physiology, habitats, secondary metabolites for bioprospecting, and biotechnology of these extreme survivors. The chapters focus on the novel genetic and biochemical traits that lend these organisms to biotechnological applications. Couples studies of marine extremophile biology/genomics and extremophile culture for biotechnological applications with the latest advances in bio-prospecting and bio-product development Includes practical experiments that a laboratory can use to replicate extreme habitats for research purposes Presents latest advances in extremophile genomics to give the reader a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of extremophiles Offers insights into the production of commercially important extremozymes, carotenoids, bioactive compounds and secondary metabolites of medicinal value. This unique guide serves as a resource for biotechnologists who wish to explore extremophiles for their commercial potential, as well as a valuable reference for teaching undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students.

Nonpharmacological treatments include a wide variety of treatments such as surgery, technical procedures, implantable and non-implantable devices, rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and behavioral interventions. Unlike pharmacological treatments, these have no specific requirements for approval. Consequently, they can be widely proposed in clinical practice but may not have been adequately evaluated. This situation is an important barrier for the evaluation of the beneficial effects of these treatments and the conduct of clinical trials. Randomized Clinical Trials of Nonpharmacologic Treatments focuses on the methods for assessing nonpharmacological treatments, highlighting specific issues and trial design. Features: Chapters written by international experts in the field Highlights specific issues in assessing nonpharmacological treatments in trials including: how to overcome the difficulties of blinding patients, care providers, and outcome assessors the complexity of the intervention, the learning curve, and the clustering effect placebos that can be used issues of assessing harm and assessing the applicability of trials Presents a variety of trial designs for nonpharmacological treatments-including cluster randomized controlled trials, expertise-based trials, pragmatic trials, and nonrandomized trials. Provides several examples of the planning, conduct, analyses, and reporting of trials in different fields, including surgery, technical interventions, medical devices, rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and behavioral interventions. Providing practical examples that underline these issues and solutions, this book is one of the first to exclusively explore this topic, discussing various categories of treatments, from surgical procedures to psychotherapy.

Informatics in Medical Imaging provides a comprehensive survey of the field of medical imaging informatics. In addition to radiology, it also addresses other specialties such as pathology, cardiology, dermatology, and surgery, which have adopted the use of digital images. The book discusses basic imaging informatics protocols, picture archiving and communication systems, and the electronic medical record. It details key instrumentation and data mining technologies used in medical imaging informatics as well as practical operational issues, such as procurement, maintenance, teleradiology, and ethics. Highlights Introduces the basic ideas of imaging informatics, the terms used, and how data are represented and transmitted Emphasizes the fundamental communication paradigms: HL7, DICOM, and IHE Describes information systems that are typically used within imaging departments: orders and result systems, acquisition systems, reporting systems, archives, and information-display systems Outlines the principal components of modern computing, networks, and storage systems Covers the technology and principles of display and acquisition detectors, and rounds out with a discussion of other key computer technologies Discusses procurement and maintenance issues; ethics and its relationship to government initiatives like HIPAA; and constructs beyond radiology The technologies of medical imaging and radiation therapy are so complex and computer-driven that it is difficult for physicians and technologists responsible for their clinical use to know exactly what is happening at the point of care. Medical physicists are best equipped to understand the technologies and their applications, and these individuals are assuming greater responsibilities in the clinical arena to ensure that intended care is delivered in a safe and effective manner. Built on a foundation of classic and cutting-edge research, Informatics in Medical Imaging supports and updates medical physicists functioning at the intersection of radiology and radiation.