Respiratory infections constitute a major public health concern. The goal of this book is to share knowledge on the best advances in influenza and influenza-like viral infections, and new molecular-based diagnostic methods that discern the antigenic shift enabling viruses to constantly evolve and elude the host immune response. Co-infections, co-morbidities, persistently meager anti-flu vaccination coverage, and infection complications are dealt with. The chapters also further insight into such topics as the effects of sex hormones, and socioeconomic and anthropometric measures on respiratory and immune functions underlying the severity of asthma and respiratory allergy. Psychological functioning in respiratory disorders, taking into account quality of life, illness acceptance, and depressive symptoms is also reviewed as it is all too often underestimated by healthcare providers. The book is intended for clinicians, researchers, students, and all other actors in health-related issues.

In this book, a new approach for diagnosis and risk evaluation of ar-terial hypertension is introduced. The new approach was implement-ed as a hybrid intelligent system combining modular neural net-works and fuzzy systems. The different responses of the hybrid system are combined using fuzzy logic. Finally, two genetic algo-rithms are used to perform the optimization of the modular neural networks parameters and fuzzy inference system parameters. The experimental results obtained using the proposed method on real pa-tient data show that when the optimization is used, the results can be better than without optimization. This book is intended to be a refer-ence for scientists and physicians interested in applying soft compu-ting techniques, such as neural networks, fuzzy logic and genetic algorithms, in medical diagnosis, but also in general to classification and pattern recognition and similar problems.

This book provides a comprehensive framework for treatment and management of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. In recent years great strides have been made toward understanding the pathogenesis and clinical aspects of BPD, which is the most common chronic lung disease affecting infants. This one-stop resource is written by leading scientists and clinicians in the field, and chapters discuss the most recent developments in the basic scientific, translational, and clinical characteristics of the disease. Topics such as hyperoxia, pre- and post-natal inflammation, and genetics and biomarkers of BPD are included, as well as non-invasive ventilation techniques, nutrition, and radiology applications from pre-term birth to adulthood. The book closes with an in-depth look at emerging therapeutic options for prevention of BPD. Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia is an essential volume for all neonatologists, pediatric pulmonologists, and scientists interested in developmental disorders of the lung.

This book is a blend of medical research and clinical practice. Advancements in practice are inextricably bound to have research underpinnings. The articles highlight a range of practical topics. The respiratory tract is upfront as the first line of defense of the organism. Virological and bacteriological aspects of the infections that continue to be a scourge worldwide, influenza and tuberculosis, are dealt with. Sleep disordered breathing is another hot topic. Allergy and atopy, and the role of nutraceuticals in providing anticancer benefits due to the inhibitory effects on tumor growth and angiogenesis are referred to. Other chapters describe the use of mesenchymal stem cells for regeneration of the worn away cartilage tissue in the knee. The assessment and management of cognitive decline, sarcopenia and frailty of old age also figure prominently in the texts. The book is an attempt to demonstrate the viability of a bench-to-bedside design in point-of-care patient applications. Hopefully, it will be a source of information on interdisciplinary medical research advancements, addressing the needs of medical professionals, from scientists to clinicians and allied health professionals.

This timely volume provides an overview to the causes, effects on systems and clinical approaches of metabolic acidosis. Beginning with a basic understanding of the physiology, pathophysiology and development of this disease, subsequent chapters cover the characteristics and context of the processes that can cause it and a thorough presentation of management strategies. Recommended treatments include those carried out by the health care provider as well as the individual patient, such as dietary management. Clinicians and healthcare professionals will find the tools needed to recognize, work up and manage patients with metabolic acidosis in this practical and concise resource.

This book explores the non-interventional aspects of interventional pulmonology, focusing on diseases of the central airways. As the field of bronchology and interventional pulmonology expands, newer conditions involving the central airways are being recognized with increasing frequency. Current literature has mainly focused on technical aspects of the subspecialty, but this book illuminates what else interventional pulmonology has to offer the pulmonologist, including diagnosis and alternate therapeutic options. Diseases of the Central Airways: A Clinical Guide presents techniques for the diagnoses, management and treatment of patients with intriguing central airway conditions such as: black bronchoscopy, tracheobronchomalacia, endobronchial tuberculosis, and tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica. In-depth chapters are written by international experts and are up-to-date and comprehensive reviews. This important new book will contribute significantly to the welfare of patients with lung ailments of the central airways.

This Brief is devoted to the CFTR protein and cystic fibrosis, and it provides an updated perspective of the genetic, functional and cellular processes involved in this conformational disorder. Starting with a historical perspective on cystic fibrosis and its clinical features, the author departs into an in-depth description of the biology of the CFTR protein, ending with a discussion on the latest approaches aimed at developing corrective therapies for cystic fibrosis. First the basic aspects of cystic fibrosis as a disorder are addressed, focusing on genetics and mutation prevalence. Then the CFTR protein is discussed in detail: its structure and classification within the ABC transporter superfamily, its biogenesis with membrane insertion and chaperone assisted folding, its glycosylation and how it regulates the endoplasmatic reticulum quality control mechanisms that assess CFTR folding status. Extra attention is given to post-ER trafficking and regulation of membrane stability and anchoring, and to CFTR functions. This is linked to the molecular mechanisms through which different CFTR mutations cause cystic fibrosis. Finally, the different efforts aiming at rescuing the basic defect, most of which aim at repairing CFTR dysfunction, are covered. Through this integrated perspective, readers will obtain a unique insight into this fascinating membrane-bound protein and its associated disease. This Brief appeals to an audience interested in human genetics, protein folding, protein trafficking and physiology.

Obtain practice-focused guidance on the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of the most commonly encountered pediatric respiratory conditions, asthma-related difficulties, and sleep disorders. Starting with the signs, symptoms, and conditions most commonly encountered in primary pulmonary care, the book provides advice for appropriate testing, treatment plans, and common complications for which to watch. Topics include: Evaluation of Children With Respiratory Disease Anatomic Disorders and Congenital Anomalies of the Airway, Lungs, Pulmonary Vessels, and Chest Wall Asthma and Related Conditions Infections of the Respiratory Tract Genetic Respiratory Diseases Pediatric Sleep Medicine Pediatric Respiratory Care Miscellaneous Respiratory Diseases Respiratory Disease in Association With Other Systemic Diseases Special expanded sections on asthma, sleep medicine, and respiratory care provide non-specialists with the knowledge needed to effectively treat these often-complicated conditions. Each chapter is presented in a concise, bulleted format with tables and figures that make it easy to locate key information. Also included is direction on when to refer patients who require the care of a pulmonary specialist.

This book provides the framework for a singular reference in the field of pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary vascular disease is a complex and heterogeneous condition characterized by remodeling of distal pulmonary arterioles that increases pulmonary vascular resistance to affect cardiopulmonary hemodynamic and right ventricular function adversely, resulting in a clinical syndrome of diminished exercise tolerance, shortness of breath, and heart failure-associated morbidity and mortality. Owing to the availability of novel pulmonary circulation-selective pharmacotherapies over the previous decade, the number of pulmonary hypertension patients eligible for treatment has increased substantially. Despite this progress, under-awareness persists within the practicing pulmonary, cardiovascular, and general internal medicine communities. This is due, in part, to the complex array of molecular mechanisms implicated in the pathobiology of PH, as well as cutting-edge discoveries from translational scientific works that provide a new framework by which to understand pulmonary vascular-right ventricular coupling. Taken together, a key educational opportunity is exposed to bridge this knowledge gap through the synthesis of a contemporary text that emphasizes basic science, translational and clinical principles, and treatment strategies for understanding pulmonary hypertension.

Respiratory allergy is constantly encountered and is sharply on the rise, particularly in the two most vulnerable age-groups: young children and seniors. Allergy results in airway hyperactivity and increased airway resistance, with all inflammatory sequelae being ensued. The chapters show how respiratory allergy research is interconnected with other disciplines by discussing neurotransmitter, membrane receptor, and ionic channel mechanisms of allergy and by giving diagnostic and pharmacological cues on desensitization and therapy.

Mitochondria, often referred to as the "powerhouses" of the cell, generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by oxidative phosphorylation or OXPHOS, and maintain cellular homeostasis. In addition to generating ATP, mitochondria are involved in regulation of cell cycle, proliferation, free radical production, innate immune responses and apoptosis. Mitochondrial Function in Lung Health and Disease fills the current gap in the literature and outlines the growing clinical relevance of mitochondrial dysfunction. Currently, there is no overview on the role of mitochondria in pulmonary diseases and this volume focuses on the mitochondrial metabolism, redox signaling, and mechanisms of mitochondrial pathways in lung injury, inflammation, repair and remodeling. Furthermore, in addition to their well-recognized role in cellular energy production and apoptosis, mitochondria appear to play a role in many respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Chapters are written by top notch researchers and clinicians and outline the evidence for mitochondrial biogenesis in inhalational lung injury, COPD and asthma.

While specialists often guide the care to lung cancer patients, it is often a general radiologist who is left to interpret studies that impact patient care and management. Lung Cancer Imaging provides a comprehensive guide to the diagnosis, staging and overview of the management of lung cancer relevant to practicing radiologists so that they can better understand the decision making issues and provide more directed and useful communication to the treating physicians. It Primary Care physicians will also find this book valuable to understand the relevant issues that they face when one of their patients is being treated for lung cancer.

Sleep Loss and Obesity: Intersecting Epidemics represents a major contribution to the field of sleep medicine. It is a comprehensive review of the neurobiology of sleep, circadian timing and obesity, the deleterious effects of sleep loss and obesity on health, and the worrisome associated social and medical costs in a range of patient populations and overall to society. The number of individuals who are obese has reached alarming levels. As a result, the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, heart disease, and kidney failure have also increased. The surgeon general estimates that the total annual cost of obesity in the US is about $117 billion. This cost is expected to escalate significantly because the number of overweight and obese children is increasing rapidly. Indeed, the new generation is expected to have a shorter life-span then their parents. In addition, sleep loss is emerging as an important contributing factor to obesity. People who sleep less or are sleep deprived tend to eat more, especially carbohydrates, and have a higher body mass index. Increased weight restricts the upper airway, causing obstructive sleep apnea and further sleep loss. In the end there is a vicious cycle of weight gain and sleep loss. In the past few years there has been a tremendous growth in our understanding of brain mechanisms controlling energy metabolism. Interestingly the neurons regulating waking also regulate feeding. There is also a mechanism that regulates the timing of feeding and sleep. In shift-workers this system is likely to be disturbed, and this has an adverse impact on both feeding and sleep. Sleep Loss and Obesity: Intersecting Epidemics is the first title to clearly examine how obesity and sleep loss are interacting epidemics. This fascinating title makes the link between energy metabolism, sleep and circadian timing; identifies poor sleep as a risk-factor for obesity in children and adults and offers treatment strategies for obstructive sleep apnea and obesity. This book will be a vital source of information for all physicians interested in sleep disorders and obesity. It will also be of value to neuroscientists, health system administrators, and policy makers.

Interstitial lung diseases comprise a significant part of any respiratory medicine practice. This timely second edition of Diffuse Lung Disease is a practical clinically-oriented resource, covering all the major advances in diagnostic techniques and therapies. Authored by world authorities in the field, this book provides clear and specific recommendations for the management of all forms of interstitial lung diseases. This book is divided into two sections. The first section addresses the general aspects of diagnosis and management, including clinical approach, radiographic approach, physiological changes, and classification. The second section details each individual form of interstitial lung disease. Organized in an easy to follow format, each disease specific chapter includes tables outlining diagnostic approach, differential diagnosis, disease monitoring, and treatment. Illustrative cases, replete with high quality HRCT images, bring an added dimension to this outstanding book.

Alcohol Use Disorders and the Lung: A Clinical and Pathophysiological Approach is an excellent resource for clinicians who care for individuals affected by alcohol use disorders in diverse settings. Although alcohol abuse alone does not cause acute lung injury, it renders the lung susceptible to dysfunction in response to the inflammatory stresses of sepsis, trauma, and other clinical conditions recognized to cause acute lung injury. In parallel, these same pathophysiological effects of alcohol abuse significantly increase the risk of a wide range of serious lung infections. Many clinicians involved in the primary treatment of alcohol use disorders, such as addiction psychiatrists, will find this text of interest as it will expand their understanding of the health consequences of alcohol use disorders. In parallel, clinicians who specialize in pulmonary and/or critical care medicine will have a unique resource that provides a comprehensive review of the pathophysiology of alcohol-related lung disorders and insights into evolving therapeutic options in these vulnerable individuals. Alcohol Use Disorders and the Lung: A Clinical and Pathophysiological Approach fills a gap in the literature and presents the evolving clinical research that may soon lead to novel therapies that can improve lung health in individuals with alcohol use disorders and co-existing conditions such as HIV infection.

Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: A Guide for the Practicing Clinician is a valuable resource for clinicians of varied disciplines concerning the care of the sarcoidosis patient. Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disorder and represents a major challenge to physicians. Although any organ may be involved with sarcoidosis, the lung is the most common organ affected. Chapters are written by distinguished authors who have extensive experience in caring for these patients. Detailed figures and tables are provided to guide the practicing clinician through all aspects of the condition, from clinical manifestations to treatment options. Pulmonary Sarcoidosis: A Guide for the Practicing Clinician is fully comprehensive and evidence-based and will be an essential addition to the bookshelves of all whose practice involves the care and treatment of patients with sarcoidosis.

Hailed by professional journals and esteemed by primary care physicians, Bronchial Asthma: A Guide for Practical Understanding and Treatment, Sixth Edition, has been fully updated to help physicians face the challenge of diagnosis and management in every variety of patient subpopulation.

Sleep Medicine is a field that attracts physicians from a variety of clinical backgrounds. As a result, the majority of sleep specialists who interpret sleep studies (PSG) do not have specialized training in neurophysiology and electroencephalography (EEG) interpretation. Given this and the fact that PSGs usually are run at a third of the speed of EEGs and that they usually have a limited array of electrodes, waveforms frequently appear different on the PSGs compared to the EEGs. This can lead to challenges interpreting certain unusual looking activity that may or may not be pathological. This Atlas of Electroencephalograpy in Sleep Medicine is extensively illustrated and provides an array of examples of normal waveforms commonly seen on PSG, in addition to normal variants, epileptiform and non-epileptiform abnormalities and common artifacts. This resource is divided into five main sections with a range of topics and chapters per section. The sections cover Normal Sleep Stages; Normal Variants; Epileptiform Abnormalities; Non-epileptiform Abnormalities; and Artifacts. Each example includes a brief description of each EEG together with its clinical significance, if any. Setting the book apart from others in the field is the following feature: Each EEG discussed consists of three views of the same page -- one at a full EEG montage with 30mm/sec paper speed, the same montage at 10mm/sec (PSG speed) and a third showing the same thing at 10 mm/sec, but with the abbreviated PSG montage. Unique and the first resource of its kind in sleep medicine, the Atlas of Electroencephalograpy in Sleep Medicine will greatly assist those physicians and sleep specialists who read PSGs to identify common and unusual waveforms on EEG as they may appear during a sleep study and serve as a reference for them in that capacity.

Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide to Evaluation and Treatment is a comprehensive, timely and up-to-date review of pediatric sleep disordered breathing (SDB) and offers a thorough focus on several key areas: namely, the normal development and maturation of the airway and breathing during sleep, the techniques that are in place for assessment of SDB in children, the clinical manifestations and characteristics of several pediatric populations at risk for SDB, the implications of SDB in various end-organ systems, and, finally, a critical review of the evidence on current therapeutic approaches. This unique and complete text is of welcome interest to all practicing physicians and healthcare professionals who evaluate children with sleep problems -- namely pulmonologists, pediatricians, sleep physicians, pediatric neurologists, pediatric otolaryngologists, and family practitioners, as well as clinical researchers, pediatric nurse practitioners and respiratory therapists. Written by a distinguished and international panel of authors who are renowned experts in their field and who offer an expanded view of the problems associated with SDB, Sleep Disordered Breathing in Children: A Comprehensive Clinical Guide to Evaluation and Treatment is an indispensible resource for all physicians who evaluate children for sleep-disordered breathing.

The field of interventional bronchoscopy is rapidly expanding and has emerged as a new and exciting subspecialty in pulmonary medicine. To date, the impact of interventional bronchoscopy procedures has been felt in diagnosis, staging, and management of lung cancer, the most lethal cancer worldwide. Interventional Bronchoscopy: A Clinical Guide provides a state-of-the art description of interventional bronchoscopy procedures, addressing the scientific basis, indications, techniques, results, complications, and cost issues. Chapters address the current status, the advantages of new techniques and, most importantly, when to choose new techniques over the existing techniques. Each chapter will discuss the future of these procedures. Interventional Bronchoscopy: A Clinical Guide is an essential resource for a successful interventional pulmonology service and will be useful for the bronchoscopist, anesthesiologist, radiologist, thoracic surgeon and oncologist as well as practicing pulmonologists who do not perform these procedures but have to make decisions regarding appropriate referral of their patients to advanced airway centers.

Cardiorespiratory function is prominently affected by oxidative stress. Cigarette smoking is the archetype of oxidative and nitrative stress and free radical formation. New adverse effects of smoking keep on propping up in research. The chapters provide the comprehensive view of new developments in this area regarding cardiovascular and lung function and muscle catabolism. Alterations in inflammatory cytokines and proteins as well as degradation of muscle proteins due to smoking, by far unrecognized, caused by oxidative stress also are presented. Much less is known about the effect of cognitive stress on vagally-mediated cardiorespiratory function and surprisingly, on vagal immune pathway. The experimental studies also show that clinically important meconium aspiration syndrome contains an oxidative trait which is amenable to antioxidative treatment. This volume creates a source of information on the damaging role of oxidative stress in cardiorespiratory function that has by far not been available.

The successful prophylaxis and treatment of ubiquitous respiratory infections is essential for the enhancement of public health. The chapters provide new insights into the biology of causative pathogens, tackle the epidemiological aspects, and present an update on diagnostics, prevention and therapy of infections. The emerging new pathogens and antibiotic resistance of the old ones are discussed. Novel markers of the severity of community acquired pneumonia, which bears high morbidity and mortality, also are presented.

This book comprehensively summarizes the adverse effects of tobacco smoking on human health. The current second edition has integrated a large set of new data that have been published in numerous scientifc studies and meta-analyses over the past few years. Unfortunately, the harmful sequelae of tobacco smoking are played down by the ind- try and politicians in many industrialized countries. However, about 800,000 people/year in the EU die from the immediate consequences of smoking. The particularly insidious feature of tobacco consumption is that smoking-attributable harmful effects on health do not generally become apparent until three or four decades after smoking initiation. Although some positive changes in the legislative handling of tobacco have appeared in the past fve years, we still need to form a pact, sealed by politicians, the medical prof- sionals, teachers and the media, to target the problem across nations. In this respect, a minority of countries, including the US and the UK, have given positive examples. There are four areas that need to be improved in future: (1) strict bans on tobacco adv- tisement on a global level, (2) better measures to protect against side-stream (passive) smoke exposure, (3) establishment of prevention programs, especially for children and (4) tre- ment of tobacco addiction.