During the last years computational methods lead to new approaches that can be applied within medical practice. Based on the tremendous advances in medical imaging and high-performance computing, virtual testing is able to help in medical decision processes or implant designs. Current challenges in medicine and engineering are related to the application of computational methods to clinical medicine and the study of biological systems at different scales. Additionally manufacturers will be able to use computational tools and methods to predict the performance of their medical devices in virtual patients. The physical and animal testing procedures could be reduced by virtual prototyping of medical devices. Here simulations can enhance the performance of alternate device designs for a range of virtual patients. This will lead to a refinement of designs and to safer products. This book summarizes different aspects of approaches to enhance function, production, initialization and complications of different types of implants and related topics.

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) is the first FDA approved cellular photoimmunotherapy for cancer, namely cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and has demonstrated efficacy in various diseases that have a suspected involvement of pathogenic T-cells including prevention and treatment of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease, organ transplant rejection, selected autoimmune diseases and Sezary syndrome. In ECP, patient's blood mononuclear cells are collected, exposed to ultraviolet light in the presence of extracorporeally administered liquid 8-methoxypsoralen and reinfused. Besides its considerable efficacy ECP has an exceptional safety profile, does not cause general immunosuppression and thus, does not increase risk of infectious complications and relapse of malignant disease. Exciting preclinical data and clinical observations provide insight into the mechanisms of action of ECP and support its immunomodulatory role. This book will provide an overview on the historical development of ECP, technical aspects for its use in various patient populations including children and adults, novel research findings both in preclinical models and in various patient cohorts and will stimulate further research in organ, tissue and cell transplantation and autoimmune disorders.

The purpose of this book is to provide public health, disability, and rehabilitation professionals and practitioners evidence-based science with respect to health disparities faced by people with disabilities, especially people with mobility limitations; alternative methods of rehabilitation and exercise science for this population; assistive device technology; and, improved access to health care, employment, and social participation. According to the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), approximately 57 million Americans live with a disability. Disability severity and types vary considerably, such that each individual with a disability faces unique physical, social, and environmental barriers in order to enjoy quality of life and full participation in society. A large research literature shows that people with disabilities face substantial employment and health disparities compared to people without disabilities. People with mobility limitations often experience secondary conditions to compound their primary disability. Hollar (2013) and Hollar and Lewis (2015) showed that people with mobility limitations were significantly more likely to experience obesity and lack of access to physical exercise. Other studies have shown that access to proper physical examination facilities and equipment remain a substantial barrier in many clinics and hospitals despite the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act 25 years ago. Research on alternative exercise programs and new assistive device technologies offers promise to improve physical functioning and exercise for people with mobility limitations. Furthermore, increased focus on biopsychosocial over traditional medical models for disability will help policymakers and the public to recognize the complex, contextual issues (e.g., personal, social, environmental) that affect the lives of people with disabilities. Readership includes public health practitioners and educators, disability and rehabilitation researchers, clinicians and sports medicine practitioners, and disability advocates. There have been general handbooks on disability, but advances in technology and alternative exercise programs, as well as novel disability health programs, are dispersed in the research literature. This book will help to highlight these programs for health policy experts, especially given the high health and social disparities experienced by this population.

This book offers a comprehensive treatment of nonlocal elasticity theory as applied to the prediction of the mechanical characteristics of various types of biological and non-biological nanoscopic structures with different morphologies and functional behaviour. It combines fundamental notions and advanced concepts, covering both the theory of nonlocal elasticity and the mechanics of nanoscopic structures and systems. By reporting on recent findings and discussing future challenges, the book seeks to foster the application of nonlocal elasticity based approaches to the emerging fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. It is a self-contained guide, and covers all relevant background information, the requisite mathematical and computational techniques, theoretical assumptions, physical methods and possible limitations of the nonlocal approach, including some practical applications. Mainly written for researchers in the fields of physics, biophysics, mechanics, and nanoscience, as well as computational engineers, the book can also be used as a reference guide for senior undergraduate and graduate students, as well as practicing engineers working in a range of areas, such as computational condensed matter physics, computational materials science, computational nanoscience and nanotechnology, and nanomechanics.

Every day for the next twenty years, more than 10,000 people in the United States will turn 65. With life expectancies increasing as well, many of these Americans will eventually require round-the-clock attention--and we have only begun to prepare for the challenge of caring for them. In Labors of Love, Jason Rodriquez examines the world of the fast-growing elder care industry, providing a nuanced and balanced portrait of the day-to-day lives of the people and organizations that devote their time to supporting America's aging population. Through extensive ethnographic research, interviews with staff and management, and analysis of internal documents, Rodriquez explores the inner workings of two different nursing homes--one for-profit and one non-profit--to understand the connections among the administrative regulations, the professional requirements, and the type of care provided in both types of facilities. He reveals a variety of challenges that nursing home care workers face day to day: battles over the budget; the administrative hurdles of Medicaid and Medicare; the employees' struggle to balance financial stability and compassionate care for residents. Yet, Rodriquez argues, nursing home workers give meaning and dignity to their work by building emotional attachments to residents and their care. An unprecedented study, Labors of Love brings new insight into the underlying structures of a crucial and expanding sector of the American health care system.

As technology becomes an increasingly vital aspect of modern social interaction, the field of disability informatics and web accessibility has made significant progress in consolidating theoretical approaches and exploring new application domains for those with motor and cognitive disabilities. Disability Informatics and Web Accessibility for Motor Limitations explores the principles, methods, and advanced technological solutions in the use of assistive technologies to enable users with motor limitations. This book is essential for academia, industry, and various professionals in fields such as web application designers, rehabilitation scientists, ergonomists, and teachers in inclusive and special education. This publication is integrated with its pair book Assistive Technologies and Computer Access for Motor Disabilities.

This new 12th edition of Dale and Appelbe's Pharmacy and Medicines Law is your guide to law and ethics for pharmacy practice in the UK. It covers law and professional regulation and is firmly established as the definitive student textbook and reference work on this subject in the UK. This edition has been extensively restructured and revised to include all the most recent changes to pharmacy laws and regulation.

"This book successfully combines scholarly work with practical, easy-to-understand advice that has appeal even beyond nursing and healthcare. It provides a view of mentoring that is much deeper than most readers would expect. The connection the author makes between empowering mentors and mentees and successful organizations provides readers with a sense of hope for improvement and change in the workplace environment. Bravo "--Doody's Medical Reviews

Thoroughly updated with new content and wide revisions, this award-winning text provides educators and practitioners with the perspectives and skills they need to bring the next generation of educators, researchers, and clinicians to the forefront of nursing&#8212whether in academia, the hospital or health care facility, and/or through their professional nursing organization. Completely new content includes:

Best practices in mentoring and menteeing Real-life exemplars of effective mentoring Discussion of newest research on mentoring, precepting, and coaching Relationship of mentoring culture and healthy environments in health care Creating collaborative mentorships with the interdisciplinary health team Working across generations in nursing: mentor to mentee Maximizing effective leadership through mentoring Future implications for mentoring in the profession Annotated bibliography of key references

Topics that have been revised include perceptions of definitions and components of the mentoring process, empowering versus enabling others, the mentor and mentee perspective of mentoring experience, models and strategies of different types of mentoring, creating a mentoring culture, strategies of mentoring for personal and professional improvement, and measurement of mentoring outcomes. Key Features:

Presents case studies of effective mentoring relationships Provides numerous and varied mentoring strategies and models Includes suggestions for measuring outcomes of mentoring Offers best practices in mentoring, precepting, and coaching

This book focuses on interdisciplinary research in the field of biomedical engineering and neuroscience. Biomedical engineering is a vast field, ranging from bioengineering to brain-computer interfaces. The book explores the system-level function and dysfunction of the nervous system from scientific and engineering perspectives. The initial sections introduce readers to the physiology of the brain, and to the biomedical tools needed for diagnostics and effective therapies for various neurodegenerative and regenerative disorders. In turn, the book summarizes the biomedical interventions that are used to understand the neural mechanisms underlying empathy disorders, and reviews recent advances in biomedical engineering for rehabilitation in connection with neurodevelopmental disorders and brain injuries. Lastly, the book discusses innovations in machine learning and artificial intelligence for computer-aided disease diagnosis and treatment, as well as applications of nanotechnology in therapeutic neurology.

The cognitive and behavioral implications of sleep deprivation have been noted in the medical literature for many years. In addition, emerging research continues to demonstrate the contribution of sleep deprivation to some of the most common and costly health conditions today.

"Sleep Deprivation and Disease" provides clinically relevant scientific information to help clinicians, public health professionals, and researchers recognize the ramifications of sleep deprivation across a broad spectrum of health topics. This timely reference covers sleep physiology, experimental approaches to sleep deprivation and measurement of its consequences, as well as health and operational consequences of sleep deprivation. Clinical challenges and areas of uncertainty are also presented in order to encourage future advancements in sleep medicine and help patients avoid the outcomes associated with the myriad causes of sleep deprivation.

This book provides a comprehensive review of recent developments in the field of motor neuroprosthetics and brain-machine interfaces. Chapters in this book are provided by leading experts in the field and include topics such as the design and control of multidimensional prosthetics and exoskeletons, deep brain stimulation, functional electrical stimulation, deep learning for brain machine interfaces, biofeedback, and cognitive intent for adaptation of motor prostheses. This book is a great resource for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, engineers from related disciplines, entrepreneurs, and anyone interested in the latest progress in the field of motor neuroprostheses.

The last decades have seen remarkable advances in computer-aided design, engineering and manufacturing technologies, multi-variable simulation tools, medical imaging, biomimetic design, rapid prototyping, micro and nanomanufacturing methods and information management resources, all of which provide new horizons for the Biomedical Engineering fields and the Medical Device Industry. Advanced Design and Manufacturing Technologies for Biomedical Devices covers such topics in depth, with an applied perspective and providing several case studies that help to analyze and understand the key factors of the different stages linked to the development of a novel biomedical device, from the conceptual and design steps, to the prototyping and industrialization phases. Main research challenges and future potentials are also discussed, taking into account relevant social demands and a growing market already exceeding billions of dollars. In time, advanced biomedical devices will decisively change methods and results in the medical world, dramatically improving diagnoses and therapies for all kinds of pathologies. But if these biodevices are to fulfill present expectations, today's engineers need a thorough grounding in related simulation, design and manufacturing technologies, and collaboration between experts of different areas has to be promoted, as is also analyzed within this handbook.

Delineates essential pediatric knowledge and skills that will greatly enhance nursing orientation and ongoing educationThis pocket-sized resource for nurses confronting pediatric emergencies provides immediate access to vital, life-saving information. Ideal for a variety of settings, this guide distills the wisdom of expert pediatric emergency clinicians who provide a wealth of critical information from basic foundational knowledge through red flag presentations and triage. After describing how to best incorporate the guide into practice, the book conveys important contextual information about pediatric developmental stages, anatomy and physiology, and how to communicate effectively with patients and caregivers. This essential resource provides comprehensive triage content; a combination of concept-based learning, disease pathology, and recognition according to body system; and psychosocial considerations. Additionally, behavioral health issues, congenital cardiac anomalies, and children with unique needs, along with assessments, interventions, critical medications, and selected components of resuscitation are covered. This text provides emergency, urgent care, clinic, school nurses and others, both experienced and inexperienced, with a pocket reference when caring for the pediatric patient. A quick-reference section highlights emergency pediatric procedures and medication administration for at-a-glance information. Chapters contain space for taking notes, inscribing important phone numbers, or pasting facility-specific policies and procedures. Key Features: Concise, pocket-sized, immediate-access format Useful for emergency, urgent care, clinic, school, detention center, summer camp settings, and others Utilizes a systematic evidence-based approach for the triage, assessment, and identification of appropriate interventions for a variety of clinical presentations Describes nursing pearls and critical concepts of pediatric emergency care Addresses typical vs. atypical patient presentations Provides step-by-step information for pediatric procedures Addresses anatomic and physiologic age-specific considerations applicable to each disease pathology or injury Icons are used throughout the book to quickly direct the user to specific content areas Contains blank note pages for customization

1. Newborn Care 2. Assessment Procedures 3. Assisting in Diagnostic Procedures 4. Meeting Nutritional Needs 5. Respiratory Care 6. Administration of Medications and Vaccines 7. Elimination Needs 8. Emergency Procedures 9. Safety and Recreation 10. Care of Child with Fracture 11. Care of Child Undergoing Surgery 12. Meeting Children's Hygiene Needs 13. Recent Advances in Prenatal, Neonatal, and Pediatric Care Appendix Index

This book investigates the latest developments in supramolecular assembly systems for mimicking biological structures and functions. Consisting of 14 chapters, it covers various assembly systems, such as polysaccharides, peptides, proteins, biopolymers, natural materials and various hybrid systems. Further, it focuses on different types of supramolecular systems with particular functions or structures that are relevant to living systems. A number of modern techniques used to study the supramolecular systems, such as total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy (TIRFM) and two-photon confocal microscopy, are also introduced in detail. Unlike conventional books on supramolecular assemblies, this book highlights the functions of the assembly systems, particularly their biological applications. As such, it offers a valuable resource for experienced researchers, as well as graduate students working in the field of supramolecular chemistry and biomimetic systems.

This book documents the state of the art in the field of ambient assisted living (AAL), highlighting the impressive potential of novel methodologies and technologies to enhance well-being and promote active ageing. The coverage is wide ranging, with sections on assistive devices, elderly people monitoring, home rehabilitation, ICT solutions for AAL, living with chronic conditions, robotic assistance for the elderly, sensing technologies for AAL, and smart housing. The book comprises a selection of the best papers presented at the Fifth Italian Forum on Ambient Assisted Living, which was held in Catania, Italy, in September 2014 and brought together end users, technology teams, and policy makers to develop a consensus on how to improve provision for elderly and impaired people. Readers will find that the expert contributions offer clear insights into the ways in which the most recent exciting advances may be expected to assist in addressing the needs of the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

The application of methodological approaches and mathematical formalisms proper to Physics and Engineering to investigate and describe biological processes and design biological structures has led to the development of many disciplines in the context of computational biology and biotechnology. The best known applicative domain is tissue engineering and its branches. Recent domains of interest are in the field of biophysics, e.g.: multiscale mechanics of biological membranes and films and filaments; multiscale mechanics of adhesion; biomolecular motors and force generation.

Modern hypotheses, models, and tools are currently emerging and resulting from the convergence of the methods and phylosophycal apporaches of the different research areas and disciplines. All these emerging approaches share the purpose of disentangling the complexity of organisms, tissues, and cells and mimiking the function of living systems.

The contributions presented in this book are current research highlights of six challenging and representative applicative domains of phyisical, engineering, and computational approaches in medicine and biology, i.e tissue engineering, modelling of molecular structures, cell mechanics and cell adhesion processes, cancer physics, and physico-chemical processes of metabolic interactions. Each chapter presents a compendium or a review of the original results achieved by authors in the last years. Furthermore, the book also wants to pinpoint the questions that are still open and that could propel the future research.

This book describes medical applications of photochemistry. In the first part, a general introduction to photochemistry and related phototechnologies is provided. In the second part, photochemistry-based medical applications for diagnostics (biochips and bioimaging) and therapeutics (biomaterials for artificial organs, medical adhesives, dental materials, drug-delivery systems, tissue engineering, and photodynamic therapy) are described, with examples of recent research. The year 2015 is the International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies. Light plays a vital role in our daily lives and is important in many interdisciplinary scientific fields in the twenty-first century. Light-based concepts have revolutionized medicine, including areas such as oncology, molecular biology, and surgery. Although photochemistry has contributed significantly to medicine directly and through photochemical fabrication of biomaterials, a book giving a comprehensive overview of recent progress has not been published until now. The aim of this book is to highlight the contributions of photochemistry in interdisciplinary fields of chemistry and medical engineering. This book will be useful for chemists who are interested in medical applications of photochemistry and engineers who are eager to learn the principles of photochemistry to enable its use in practical applications.

As nurses and other healthcare professionals become increasingly responsible for triage, assessment and treatment of minor injuries, this comprehensive training manual offers clear, reliable and up-to-date guidance for all those working in this rapidly changing field. The first text of its kind, written by former nurse practitioner Dennis Purcell, Minor Injuries has been fully revised in its fourth edition and reorganized into a more logical structure. It provides easy-to-follow guidance on all common presentations occurring in children, adults and older patients, taking the reader through each region of the body and providing core anatomy and examination principles to support treatment decisions. This popular text is richly illustrated throughout and will be indispensable for trainees undertaking minor injuries courses as well as practising nurses, emergency nurse practitioners, paramedics and advanced practitioners working in standalone minor injury units. Simple and accessible - takes you through the body step by step Beautifully illustrated, now with more images (many based on the author's own designs) Diagrams highlight anatomy, types of injuries, techniques such as suture, photos of examination procedures, and X-rays 11 videos showing examination of all limb joints, the cranial nerves, chest, neck and back Aligned with current NICE and SIGN guidelines New figures illustrating cranial nerve examination and other areas New case studies for each chapter on limb examination, helping readers from examination through to diagnosis and note taking New material on changes to the laws on X-ray requesting and on tetanus vaccination

The book provides an up-to-date overview of the diverse medical applications of advanced polymers. The book opens by presenting important background information on polymer chemistry and physicochemical characterization of polymers. This serves as essential scientific support for the subsequent chapters, each of which is devoted to the applications of polymers in a particular medical specialty. The coverage is broad, encompassing orthopedics, ophthalmology, tissue engineering, surgery, dentistry, oncology, drug delivery, nephrology, wound dressing and healing, and cardiology. The development of polymers that enhance the biocompatibility of blood-contacting medical devices and the incorporation of polymers within biosensors are also addressed. This book is an excellent guide to the recent advances in polymeric biomaterials and bridges the gap between the research literature and standard textbooks on the applications of polymers in medicine.