This open access book presents an ethical approach to utilizing personal medical data. It features essays that combine academic argument with practical application of ethical principles. The contributors are experts in ethics and law. They address the challenges in the re-use of medical data of the deceased on a voluntary basis. This pioneering study looks at the many factors involved when individuals and organizations wish to share information for research, policy-making, and humanitarian purposes. Today, it is easy to donate blood or even organs, but it is virtually impossible to donate one's own medical data. This is seen as ethically unacceptable. Yet, data donation can greatly benefit the welfare of our societies. This collection provides timely interdisciplinary research on biomedical big data. Topics include the ethics of data donation, the legal and regulatory challenges, and the current and future collaborations. Readers will learn about the ethical and regulatory challenges associated with medical data donations. They will also better understand the special nature of using deceased data for research purposes with regard to ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice. In addition, the contributors identify the key governance issues of such a scheme. The essays also look at what we can learn in terms of best practice from existing medical data schemes.

Growth in the pharmaceutical market has slowed down - almost to a standstill. One reason is that governments and other payers are cutting costs in a faltering world economy. But a more fundamental problem is the failure of major companies to discover, develop and market new drugs. Major drugs losing patent protection or being withdrawn from the market are simply not being replaced by new therapies - the pharmaceutical market model is no longer functioning effectively and most pharmaceutical companies are failing to produce the innovation needed for success. This multi-authored new book looks at a vital strategy which can bring innovation to a market in need of new ideas and new products: Systems Biology (SB). Modeling is a significant task of systems biology. SB aims to develop and use efficient algorithms, data structures, visualization and communication tools to orchestrate the integration of large quantities of biological data with the goal of computer modeling. It involves the use of computer simulations of biological systems, such as the networks of metabolites comprise signal transduction pathways and gene regulatory networks to both analyze and visualize the complex connections of these cellular processes. SB involves a series of operational protocols used for performing research, namely a cycle composed of theoretical, analytic or computational modeling to propose specific testable hypotheses about a biological system, experimental validation, and then using the newly acquired quantitative description of cells or cell processes to refine the computational model or theory.

This book begins with an introduction of pragmatic cluster randomized trials (PCTs) and reviews various pragmatic issues that need to be addressed by statisticians at the design stage. It discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each type of PCT, and provides sample size formulas, sensitivity analyses, and examples for sample size calculation. The generalized estimating equation (GEE) method will be employed to derive sample size formulas for various types of outcomes from the exponential family, including continuous, binary, and count variables. Experimental designs that have been frequently employed in PCTs will be discussed, including cluster randomized designs, matched-pair cluster randomized design, stratified cluster randomized design, stepped-wedge cluster randomized design, longitudinal cluster randomized design, and crossover cluster randomized design. It demonstrates that the GEE approach is flexible to accommodate pragmatic issues such as hierarchical correlation structures, different missing data patterns, randomly varying cluster sizes, etc. It has been reported that the GEE approach leads to under-estimated variance with limited numbers of clusters. The remedy for this limitation is investigated for the design of PCTs. This book can assist practitioners in the design of PCTs by providing a description of the advantages and disadvantages of various PCTs and sample size formulas that address various pragmatic issues, facilitating the proper implementation of PCTs to improve health care. It can also serve as a textbook for biostatistics students at the graduate level to enhance their knowledge or skill in clinical trial design. Key Features: Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of PCTs, and provide sample size formulas, sensitivity analyses, and examples. Address an unmet need for guidance books on sample size calculations for PCTs; A wide variety of experimental designs adopted by PCTs are covered; The sample size solutions can be readily implemented due to the accommodation of common pragmatic issues encountered in real-world practice; Useful to both academic and industrial biostatisticians involved in clinical trial design; Can be used as a textbook for graduate students majoring in statistics and biostatistics.

This book gives insight into the functional role of non-coding RNAs in central pathways contributing to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure. It also sheds light on the relationship of this cluster with cancer. Tumor cells, in contrast to cells in cardiometabolic tissues, can regulate this cluster of non-coding RNAs to escape from oxidative stress and anti-tumor immunity and maintain insulin sensitivity, facilitating cancer progression. The book presents a cluster of non-coding RNAs that may be prospectively analyzed in extensive cohort studies to determine their value in risk-predicting machine learning algorithms. In addition, it emphasizes the role of microvesicles in communication between tumor-adjacent tissue, inflammatory cells, and tumor cells, with a special focus on the role of miR-155. The book intends to promote interdisciplinary research. Due to the comprehensive background information provided in each chapter, it is suitable for researchers in academia and industry and for graduate students in biology, bioengineering, and medicine.

This multi-chapter book focuses on one of the hottest topics in ageing research - the role of hormones in health and longevity, offering a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of their mechanistic roles in health, ageing and longevity. Hormones are an excellent system of communication between cells and tissues within an organism, and they coordinate a wide range of processes in biological systems, including neuroendocrine and immunological controls. The book offers insights into the latest significant advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of hormonal signaling that control a variety of processes involved in development and ageing. It is divided into four parts: Part I includes a review of the hundred-year history of hormones by the illustrious hormone biochemist Dr. J.R. Tata. Part II presents various chapters on the hormones involved in growth, stress and metabolism, while Part III addresses the hormones controlling cognition and rhythms in ageing processes. Lastly, Part IV discusses the hormones affecting reproduction, immunity and life span. It also explores the use of hormones as pharmaceuticals to maintain health in the elderly. It is a valuable resource for those working in the area of hormone signaling in general and in the field of ageing research in particular.

The book presents the latest advances in research into health effects of air pollution, with heavy motor vehicle traffic or cigarette smoke as the exemplar of pollution. The airways are the first-line defense system against pollution. The book focuses on respiratory ailments underlain by inflammation, increased susceptibility to infection, particularly acquired during harsh environmental conditions and exposures to particulate matter or pathogens. The importance of astute analysis of lung function for early diagnosis of disorders is underscored. A knowledge deficit concerning the aerosolized drug delivery through the airways also is addressed. Recent developments and viewpoints in the field of environmental health hazards as well as methodological advances in their assessment are provided. The book will be of interest to pulmonologists, healthcare providers, researchers and clinicians engaged in environment-related respiratory diseases, but also to policy makers concerned with clean ambient air quality.

In this monograph, the author -Head researcher at the Institute of Cell Biophysics of Russian Academy of Sciences- discusses the results of his own long-term studies of mitochondria as well as alternative points of view and experiments of other important researchers in the field. The monograph contains the main aspects of mitochondrial research by a number of physical methods: fluorescence spectroscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry, IR spectroscopy, light-scattering, optical microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, colorimetry, photobleaching, polarography, among others. The monograph is very useful for researchers and graduate students specializing in mitochondrial biophysics, biochemistry, molecular biology and cytology. The book was published in Russian in 2019 by Photon Publishers (Pushchino, Moscow region).

This book is a compendium of articles providing insights into a range of contemporary ideas concerning the core yet unsettled clinical issues. Important aspects of pulmonary disorders are tackled such as occupational respiratory health hazards, asthma, or the role of vitamin D in obstructive airway diseases. Genotyping offers a clear promise in the diagnostics of chronic pulmonary lesions of autoimmune background. Cardiac and respiratory-driven pulsation of cerebrospinal fluid content offers novel arguments in the pathophysiologic savvy of a range of brain dysfunctional conditions, including respiratory-related hypoxic pathologies. Some other articles tackle the heady topics of rehabilitation medicine, offering an insight into research-underpinned diagnostics and practical management solutions in a range of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries that affect the human body's movement, particularly those controlled by the autonomic nervous system. The book is addressed to clinicians, researchers, physiotherapists, and medical professionals engaged in patient care.

This volume reviews disparities in cancer genetics, etiology, treatment and survivorship that are associated with differences in energy balance and how those differences and disparities may be affected by geography, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, biology, behavior and others. State-of-the-art strategies are outlined to alter these problems at the individual, community and policy levels. The book provides a comprehensive assessment of the multiple contributions of disparities in energy balance and how they affect cancer. this volume should constitute a valuable resource to disparity focused investigators at all levels and serves an important guide to professionals that deal with these issues, especially those who determine and implement policy."

Despite extensive physiological, biochemical, and structural studies, the mechanisms of muscle contraction operating in living muscle fibres are still not clearly understood. This book aims to describe and assess various experimental methods currently used in the field of muscle research. For
each method discussed, there is a comprehensive description of its advantages, problems, and limitations. Each chapter also contains a summary of the central results to have been obtained using each method. Comprehensively written by experts in their respective fields, this book will be of interest
to all investigators in muscle physiology.

The major scientific advancements in the study of nutrition and cancer in the last six years derive from the extensive use of molecular approaches to perform research in the nutritional field. Moreover, the fundamental observation of R. Doll and R. Peto (1981), which suggested that at least 35% of all cancers (with large differences among different tumors) might be prevented by dietary regimens, has been definitively confirmed by epidemiological studies. The molecular studies reported in this volume include all of the major aspects of investigation on human nutrition and malignant transformation. In the last decade a large number of compounds responsible for the biological activity of human foods has been identified and characterized. These molecules not only include important and well-known risk factors but, most promising, compounds, which might exert chemopreventive activity. Among them, antioxidants (such as vitamins, phenols, and lycopene) seem to play a critical role in reducing the risk of cancer at different anatomical sites, including colon, breast, and prostate malignancies. Other molecules, derived from fiber bacterial intestinal degradation (short fatty acids), are of interest, even if their importance has not been completely unraveled and is still the subject of debate.

The volume is comprehensively covers emerging technologies for health care, various aspects of biomedical research towards understanding of pathophysiology of the diseases, advances in improvement in diagnostic procedures and therapeutic tools, the fundamental role of biomedical research in the development of new medicinal products

The volume is comprehensively covers emerging technologies for health care, various aspects of biomedical research towards understanding of pathophysiology of the diseases, advances in improvement in diagnostic procedures and therapeutic tools, the fundamental role of biomedical research in the development of new medicinal products

This book is intended to serve as an authoritative reference source for a broad audience involved in the research, teaching, learning, and practice of nanotechnology in immunotherapy. The combination of nanotechnology and immunotherapy is recognized as a promising treatment modality. In particular, the use of nanoparticles in immunotherapy has attracted increased attention for their unique efficacy and specificity in cancer treatment. A wide variety of nanoparticles, such as polymeric and liposomal nanosystems, carbon nanotubes, and gold nanoparticles have provided important nanoplatforms for immunotherapeutic approaches. They have been shown to improve delivery and efficacy of immunotherapeutic agents such as vaccines or adjuvants. Nanoparticle-mediated thermal therapy has demonstrated the effectiveness for precise tumor cell ablation, radio-sensitization of hypoxic regions, enhancement of drug delivery, activation of thermosensitive agents, and enhancement of the immune system. Plasmonic nanoparticles are a special type of metallic nanoparticles that has received great interest due to their enhanced optical and electromagnetic properties and their superior capacity to convert photon energy into heat for selective photothermal therapy at the nanoscale level. Nanoparticle sizes can also be controlled such that they accumulate preferentially in tumors due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect of tumor vasculature. Various nanosystems such as gold nanoparticles have also been shown to stimulate the immune system. Immunotherapies could thus synergistically benefit from the combination with targeted nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapies, especially when hyperthermia around immune-checkpoint inhibitors in the tumor bed is combined with precise thermal ablation of cancer cells. Of great importance is the possibility that such an approach can induce long-term immunological memory that can provide protection against tumor recurrence long after treatment of the initial tumors, like an 'anticancer vaccine'. Nanoparticle-mediated immunotherapy could lead to an entirely new treatment paradigm that challenges traditional surgical resection approaches for many cancers and metastases.

Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability globally, with about 65 million people suffering from COPD, and 334 million from asthma, the most common chronic disease. Each year, tens of millions of people develop and can die from from respiratory infections such as pneumonia and TB. Systemic inflammation may induce and exacerbate local inflammatory diseases in the lungs, and local inflammation can in turn cause systemic inflammation. There is increasing evidence of the coexistence of systemic and local inflammation in patients suffering from asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases, and the co-morbidity of two or more local inflammatory diseases often occurs. For example, rheumatoid arthritis frequently occurs together with, and promotes the development of, pulmonary hypertension. This co-morbidity significantly impacts quality of life, and can result in death for those affected. Current treatment options for lung disease are neither effective, nor condition-specific; there is a desperate need for novel therapeutics in the field. Additionally, the molecular and physiological significance of most major lung diseases is not well understood, which further impedes development of new treatments, especially in the case of coexistent lung diseases with other inflammatory diseases. Great progress has been made in recent years in many areas of the field, particularly in understanding the molecular geneses, regulatory mechanisms, signalling pathways, and cellular processes within lung disease, as well as basic and clinical technology, drug discovery, diagnoses, treatment options, and predictive prognoses. This is the first text to aggregate these developments. In two comprehensive volumes, experts from all over the world present state-of-the-art advances in the study of lung inflammation in health and disease. Contributing authors cover well-known as well as emerging topics in basic, translational, and clinical research, with the aim of providing researchers, clinicians, professionals, and students with new perspectives and concepts. The editors hope these books will also help to direct future research in lung disease and other inflammatory diseases, and result in the development of novel therapeutics.

MILS-13 provides an up-to-date review on the relationships between essential metals and human diseases, covering 13 metals and 3 metalloids: The bulk metals sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, plus the trace elements manganese, iron, cobalt, copper, zinc, molybdenum, and selenium, all of which are essential for life. Also covered are chromium, vanadium, nickel, silicon, and arsenic, which have been proposed as being essential for humans in the 2nd half of the last century. However, if at all, they are needed only in ultra-trace amounts, and because of their prevalence in the environment, it has been difficult to prove whether or not they are required. In any case, all these elements are toxic in higher concentrations and therefore, transport and cellular concentrations of at least the essential ones, are tightly controlled; hence, their homeostasis and role for life, including deficiency or overload, and their links to illnesses, including cancer and neurological disorders, are thoroughly discussed. Indeed, it is an old wisdom that metals are indispensable for life. Therefore, Volume 13 provides in an authoritative and timely manner in 16 stimulating chapters, written by 29 internationally recognized experts from 7 nations, and supported by more than 2750 references, and over 20 tables and 80 illustrations, many in color, a most up-to-date view on the vibrant research area of the Interrelations between Essential Metal Ions and Human Diseases.

Skin cancer is the most frequent malignancy in humans and its incidence is still increasing. This situation calls for major efforts to manage the disease. Preventive measures must include reduced UV exposure and an enhanced common awareness of skin lesions. Advanced surgical techniques allow safe removal with excellent cosmetic results. In many cases alternative treatment modalities such as radiotherapy, cryosurgery and photodynamic therapy are applicable. The development of optimal sun screens and UV-protective clothes, new tools for early diagnosis of malignant lesions including videomicroscopy, improved evaluation of biopsy material and new treatment schemes will contribute to better patient care. New developments in therapy including pegylated interferons, cytokine-inducing molecules, monoclonal antibodies and vaccination approaches using peptides, dendritic cells, viruses or nDNA give hope for well-tolerated and efficient treatments.

This handbook provides an in-depth review of information across the developmental spectrum of gene and cell therapy products. From introductory information to state-of-the-art technologies and concepts, the book provides insights into upstream processes such as vector design and construction, purification, formulation and fill/finish as well as delivery options. Planning steps for compliance with current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) to readiness for chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) are also discussed.This book wraps up with examples of successes and pitfalls addressed by experts who have navigated the multiple challenges that are part of any innovative endeavor. Features Intended as a one-stop resource for availability of state-of-the-art information related to cell and gene therapy products for researchers, scientists, management and other academic and research institutions. Provides the most up to date information on the development of gene therapy, from the technology involved to gene correction and genome editing. Discusses siRNA, mRNA, and plasmid manufacturing. Describes the importance of supplier-sponsor synergies on the path to commercialization. Diverse audience with a large number of individuals in the core technologies and supportive practices.

Basic Science Methods for Clinical Researchers addresses the specific challenges faced by clinicians without a conventional science background. The aim of the book is to introduce the reader to core experimental methods commonly used to answer questions in basic science research and to outline their relative strengths and limitations in generating conclusive data. This book will be a vital companion for clinicians undertaking laboratory-based science. It will support clinicians in the pursuit of their academic interests and in making an original contribution to their chosen field. In doing so, it will facilitate the development of tomorrow's clinician scientists and future leaders in discovery science.

It is now well known that proteases are found everywhere, in viruses and bacteria as well as in all human, animal and plant cells, and play a role in a variety of biological functions ranging from digestion, fertilization, development to senescence and death. Under physiological conditions the ability of proteases is regulated by endogenous inhibitors. However, when the activity of proteases is not regulated appropriately, disease processes can result, as seen in Alzheimer s disease, cancer metastasis and tumor progression, inflammation and atherosclerosis. Thus it is evident that there is an absolute need for a tighter control of proteolytic activities in different cells and tissues.

Aimed at graduate students and researchers with an interest in cellular proteolytic events, "Role of Proteases in Cellular Dysfunctions" is the second book on Proteases in this series. The book consists of three parts in specified topics based on current literatures for a better understanding for the readers with respect to their subject-wise interests. The first section of this book covers a brief idea about the neuronal disorders and the involvement of proteases such as calpains, caspases and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). The second section covers the deadly disease cancer and its relation to ubiquitin-proteasome system, MMPs and serine proteases. The last section is about the role of proteases such as calpains, MMPs and serine protease as well as urokinase type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) in causing cardiovascular defects. "

This book examines a range of contemporary ideas and arguments concerning the core yet unsettled clinical issues. Important aspects of pulmonary disorders are tackled such as occupational and environmental respiratory health hazards, the role of vitamin D supplementation in airway allergy, or nutritional aspects of care for lung cancer patients. Metabolic disorders affecting the processes of atherogenesis and systemic inflammation also are tackled. Attention is directed to rare but severe pediatric disease entities. Articles give readers practice at analyzing clinical data. The practical insights emphasize the role of science in transforming biomedical knowledge and care. This volume will be essential reading for clinicians, researchers, and other healthcare professionals engaged in effective patient care and therapy.

Key Features: 1. Describes the development of the randomized, controlled trial as the gold standard of proof. 2. Unravels the meaning of "randomized," "double-blind" and "p-values" in a simplified manner for students and clinicians. 3. Contains timeless information on how medical evidence can be understood.

This book examines the fundamental concepts of multimodality small-animal molecular imaging technologies and their numerous applications in biomedical research. Driven primarily by the widespread availability of various small-animal models of human diseases replicating accurately biological and biochemical processes in vivo, this is a relatively new yet rapidly expanding field that has excellent potential to become a powerful tool in biomedical research and drug development. In addition to being a powerful clinical tool, a number of imaging modalities including but not limited to CT, MRI, SPECT and PET are also used in small laboratory animal research to visualize and track certain molecular processes associated with diseases such as cancer, heart disease and neurological disorders in living small animal models of disease. In vivo small-animal imaging is playing a pivotal role in the scientific research paradigm enabling to understand human molecular biology and pathophysiology using, for instance, genetically engineered mice with spontaneous diseases that closely mimic human diseases.

Intended for students and general readers alike, this encyclopedia covers the history of human medical experimentation, for better and worse, from the time of Hippocrates to the present. Thanks to medical experiments performed on human subjects, we now have vaccines against smallpox, rabies, and polio. Yet the advances that saved lives too often involved the exploitation of vulnerable populations. Covering the history of human medical experimentation from the time of Hippocrates to today, this work will introduce readers to the topic through a mixture of essays and ready-reference materials. The book covers the experiments themselves; the people, companies, and government agencies that carried them out; the relevant medical and sociopolitical background; and the legislation and other protective measures that arose as a result. The encyclopedia is divided chronologically into six periods: pre-19th century, the 19th century, the pre-World War II 20th century, the World War II era, the Cold War era, and the post-Cold War period to today. Each period begins with an introductory essay and ends with a bibliography. Alphabetically arranged entries in each section cover pertinent people, experiments, and topics. The volume is enriched throughout with a wealth of primary sources, such as physicians' descriptions of their experiments. Medical experiments are not just a thing of the past, and readers will also learn about questions and debates related to contemporary efforts to advance medical science.