Excessive Sleepiness, or hypersomnia, is one of the most common sleep complaints.? In this issue, Dr. Alon Avidan of UCLA brings together a set of articles that offer a completely updated overview of hypersomnia, from neurophysiology of sleepiness and wakefulness to quality of life issues and public health.? The main focus of the issue is the diagnosis and treatment of hypersomnia, including objective and subjective measurement of sleepness, biomarkers of sleepiness, narcolepsy, and hypersomnia in medical, neurological and psyhchiatric comorbidities. Excessive sleepiness among specific patient populations (children, elderly) and periodic hypersomnia are discussed.? Pharmacotherapy of hypersomnia is given special attention, as are behavioural treatments.

This issue of Nursing Clinics includes the following topics: Nursing interventions for smoking cessation; tobacco cessation clinics; Cessation strategies for pregnant and postpartum mothers; Evidence-based cessation strategies and policies for college-age smokers; Evidence-based cessation strategies for rural communities; Gender differences and tobacco cessation; Optimizing tobacco cessation outcomes; Community based participatory research and cessation interventions; Use of quit-lines for cessation; Advocacy and smoke-free laws; Hookah use in adolescents and adults; Chewing tobacco; and E-cigarettes.

This volume of Methods in Enzymology looks at Protein Engineering for Therapeutics. The chapters providean invaluable resource for academics, researchers and students alike. With an international board of authors, this volume is split into sections that cover subjects such asPeptides, and Scaffolds
Chapters providean invaluable resource for academics, researchers and students alike Iinternational board of authorsThis volume is split into sections that cover subjects such aspeptides, and scaffolds"

Sleep Medicine is a relatively new medical specialty that has demonstrated its clear relevance to the practice of many other specialties, and dentistry is no exception. This issue of Dental Clinics of North America includes articles that address aspects of sleep medicine most relevant to the dentist, such as bruxism, breathing disorders, and Insomnia.

This completely new and updated issue takes a focused look at addiction psychiatry in three sections: Diagnostics, Therapeutics, and New Directions. Dr. Danovitch, from Cedars-Sinai and Dr. Mariani from Columbia hone in on the most rapidly advancing and relevant areas of addiction for practitioners today, from defining addiction (implications of DSM-V), to genetics and neurobiology, to specific treatment options for a variety of patient populations: for pregnant women, adolescents, and patients suffering from chronic pain, for example.? A variety of addiction types are discussed (ie, opioid, stimulant, and cannabis).? The issue closes with discussions of emerging trends, systems of care, investigational therapeutics and the role of the criminal justice system.

This volume of Methods in Enzymology looks at Gene Transfer Vectors for Clinical Application. The chapters providean invaluable resource for academics, researchers and students alike. With an international board of authors, this volume covers such topics as General principles of retrovirus vector design, Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), Gene therapy for blindness, and Retrovirus genetic strategy and vector design.
Chapters provide an invaluable resource for academics, researchers and students alikeInternational board of authorsThis volume covers such topics as general principles of retrovirus vector design, chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), gene therapy for blindness, and retrovirus genetic strategy and vector design"

Obesity has become a worldwide epidemic that is also driving the marked increase in Type 2 diabetes across the globe.? While it is easily recognizable clinically, and readily measurable in the United States, a feature that is not well recognized is the central adiposity that may be the only or primary feature in South East Asian communities.? Thus it is imperative for clinicians to be brought up do date in order for preventative or therapeutic modalities are introduced early in the disease process.
This issue of Medical Clinics of North America covers numerous clinical aspects of obesity including metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, the link with cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.? Several treatment modalities are covered including diet, exercise, cognitive and behavioral approaches, medications, and surgery.

There are at least four reasons why a sleep clinician should be familiar with rating scales that evaluate different facets of sleep. First, the use of scales facilitates a quick and accurate assessment of a complex clinical problem. In three or four minutes (the time to review ten standard scales), a clinician can come to a broad understanding of the patient in question. For example, a selection of scales might indicate that an individual is sleepy but not fatigued; lacking alertness with no insomnia; presenting with no symptoms of narcolepsy or restless legs but showing clear features of apnea; exhibiting depression and a history of significant alcohol problems. This information can be used to direct the consultation to those issues perceived as most relevant, and can even provide a springboard for explaining the benefits of certain treatment approaches or the potential corollaries of allowing the status quo to continue. Second, rating scales can provide a clinician with an enhanced vocabulary or language, improving his or her understanding of each patient. In the case of the sleep specialist, a scale can help him to distinguish fatigue from sleepiness in a patient, or elucidate the differences between sleepiness and alertness (which is not merely the inverse of the former). Sleep scales are developed by researchers and clinicians who have spent years in their field, carefully honing their preferred methods for assessing certain brain states or characteristic features of a condition. Thus, scales provide clinicians with a repertoire of questions, allowing them to draw upon the extensive experience of their colleagues when attempting to tease apart nuanced problems. Third, some scales are helpful for tracking a patient's progress. A particular patient may not remember how alert he felt on a series of different stimulant medications. Scale assessments administered periodically over the course of treatment provide an objective record of the intervention, allowing the clinician to examine and possibly reassess her approach to the patient. Finally, for individuals conducting a double-blind crossover trial or a straightforward clinical practice audit, those who are interested in research will find that their own clinics become a source of great discovery. Scales provide standardized measures that allow colleagues across cities and countries to coordinate their practices. They enable the replication of previous studies and facilitate the organization and dissemination of new research in a way that is accessible and rapid. As the emphasis placed on evidence-based care grows, a clinician's ability to assess his or her own practice and its relation to the wider medical community becomes invaluable. Scales make this kind of standardization possible, just as they enable the research efforts that help to formulate those standards. The majority of Rating Scales in Sleep and Sleep Disorders: 100 Scales for Clinical Practice is devoted to briefly discussing individual scales. When possible, an example of the scale is provided so that readers may gain a sense of the instrument's content. Groundbreaking and the first of its kind to conceptualize and organize the essential scales used in sleep medicine, Rating Scales in Sleep and Sleep Disorders: 100 Scales for Clinical Practice is an invaluable resource for all clinicians and researchers interested in sleep disorders."

Serpins are a group of proteins with similar structures that were first identified as a set of proteins able to inhibit proteases. This volume in the "Methods in Enzymology" series comprehensively covers this topic. With an international board of authors, this volume covers subjects such asCrystallography of serpins and serpin complexes, Serpins as hormone transporters, and Production of serpins using cell free systems.

This volume in the "Methods in Enzymology" series comprehensively covers the topic of serpins

With an international board of authors, this volume covers subjects such asCrystallography of serpins and serpin complexes, Serpins as hormone transporters, and Production of serpins using cell free systems"

Drs. Vos and Barlow have assembled an impressive list of authors to provide a very comprehensive review of the current status and challenges facing the treatment of pediatric obesity. The issue begins with a look at the prevalence and etiology of childhood obesity.? Next, comorbidities are discussed, such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, NAFLD, sleep, and psychologic complications. The remainder of the issue focuses on prevention and therapies, including portion size, increased consumption of vegetables, the role of sugar in obesity, the effect of artificial sweetners, the role of dietary fats, physical activity and obesity, and the effect of social media, texting, or any "screen time? on obesity. The issue concludes with an important article devoted to policies to support the prevention of obesity.

Obesity and psychiatric concerns are closely linked.? This issue examine obesity and psychiatric status, and includes articles on binge eating disorder and night eating syndrome.? This issue provides guidance on the medical evaluation of the obese individual, behavioral assessment, dietary management, and behavioral treatment.? Articles on motivational interviewing, pharmacotherapy for obesity and surgical treatment of obesity give the full spectrum of treatment options.? Finally this issue examines obesity as a public health epidemic.

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.

The new demands of this "computer and technology age" have focused international attention on literacy levels, on literacy development and literacy disorders. Governments have launched programs to reduce literacy difficulties and support functional literacy for all. In this context, the needs of individuals with severe speech and physical impairments may seem relatively small, and even unimportant. However, for this group of individuals in particular unlocking the literacy code opens up tremendous opportunities, minimizing the disabling effects of their underlying speech and motor impairments, and supporting participation in society. Ironically however, for a group for whom literacy is such an important achievement, current studies suggest that achieving functional literacy skills is particularly challenging.
In order to read, individuals with severe speech impairments must access a set of written symbols and decode them to abstract meaning just as anyone else must do. They must convert underlying messages into an alternative external symbol format in order to write. In order to become expert in both of these activities, they must learn at least a certain core of knowledge about how the symbols and messages relate to each other. Just as there are many ways to skin a chicken, there are many possible ways to achieve mastery of reading and writing. Although the essence of the task may remain the same for individuals with congenital speech impairments, they may process the task, or develop task mastery in ways that are quite different from speaking children who have no additional physical impairments.
Literacy and Augmentative and Alternative Communication focuses on individuals withcombined physical and communication impairments, who rely at least some of the time on aided communication. It investigates the range of research and application issues relating to AAC and literacy (primarily reading and writing skills), from the emergent literacy stage up through adulthood use of reading for various vocational and leisure purposes. It provides a balanced view of both the whole language as well as the more analytic approaches to reading instruction necessary for the development of reading skills.

Two viewpoints on pragmatics are of interest to the clinician and researcher: The various types of deficits of pragmatic competence in different neurogenic communication disorders on the one hand, and the use of pragmatic features as a compensatory strategy to supplement impaired linguistic competence on the other. Both are investigated in this volume.
For the purpose of the book, "pragmatics" is understood to include not only discourse organization but also any inference from discourse, situational context, general knowledge, affective prosody and any paralinguistic phenomena used to derive an interpretation for any utterance. It therefore includes the use of metaphors, indirect speech acts, jokes, sarcasm, and any nonliteral interpretation.
The reader will thus find information on pragmatic deficits subsequent to right hemisphere damage, pragmatic disorders in dementias, deficits in discourse organization in right and left hemisphere damaged patients, as well as on the use of pragmatic features by fluent and nonfluent aphasic patients. These studies represent original research by members of the IALP Aphasia Committee and their colleagues carried out over the past two years specifically for this publication.
This is the third in a series of books commissioned by the International Association for Logopedics and Phoniatrics and published by Pergamon. It carries over twenty commissioned chapters on original work by leading researchers and investigates both how communication disorders affect pragmatic competence, and how pragmatic features can be used to compensate for impaired linguistic competence.

This issue describes in detail the most current thinking on the way genes affect and determine sleep patterns, behaviors, disorders and needs. ? Sleep researchers continue to study genetic markers that may someday lead to a personalized approach to treatment of sleep disorders. The genetics of restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, circadian rhythm disorders, obstructive sleep apnea, parasomnias, and insomnia are discussed. A solid understanding of the role genetics and molecular biology play in sleep will aid clinicians in diagnosing and treating these disorders, as well as advising their patients.

A study of the history of modern insomnia, this book explores how poets, journalists, and doctors of the Victorian period found themselves in near-universal agreement that modernity and sleep were somehow incompatible. It investigates how psychologists, philosophers and literary artists worked to articulate its causes, and its potential cures.

Substance use disorders occur in 10% to 20% of patients presenting to the primary care physician, and rates are increasing. Primary care physicians are therefore in an excellent position to screen, provide early intervention, or refer patients to specialty care. This issue covers several types of substance abuse-including alcohol, prescription drugs, and recreational drugs-and gives detailed information on screening for and treating these problems.

The field of narcolepsy has developed enormously within the last 10 years. Indeed the understanding of the basics of sleep-wake regulation and the discovery of new neurotransmitter systems (the hypocretins) has boosted research and key findings in the field, providing important insights into how sleep is regulated. Consequently narcolepsy now receives a great deal of attention from both clinicians and scientists throughout the world. Narcolepsy: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment not only offers an engaging and comprehensive treatment of a fascinating disorder but also includes a DVD that offers a unique and large collection of movies displaying the symptoms of narcolepsy in people and animals. Written by some of the best experts in the field, the book focuses on the pathophysiology of the problem and also provides critical, up-to-date insights on the key clinical issues: how to diagnose the disorder, how to treat it, and how to best manage psychosocial problems. The first and only guide to span the latest advances in narcolepsy, this reference provides sections in etiology, neurochemistry, the role of the hypocretins in sleep-wake regulation, animal models in narcolepsy, the key role of the hypothalamus, REM-sleep dysregulation, diagnosis and classification, and treatment. Compiled by an international group of more than 30 authors, Narcolepsy: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment is an indispensable resource for all clinicians and scientists with an interest in narcolepsy.

Biological interactions of visible light with photosensitizers have been studied for over a century while controlled clinical applications of light and photosensitizers to treat solid tumors, known as photodynamic therapy, have been evolving since the mid 1970's. In Photodynamic Therapy: Methods and Protocols, leading PDT scientists and clinicians provide the first comprehensive collection of methods and protocols specifically related to relevant mechanistic, dosimetric, preclinical, and clinical procedures used in current PDT research. Reflecting the growing number of studies demonstrating that immunological, tumor microenvironmental, and vascular responses are all contributing to PDT treatment outcomes, the contents of this volume move beyond the more traditional PDT concepts in order to investigate the numerous signal transduction and cell death pathways involved. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and notes which highlight tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Authoritative and cutting-edge, Photodynamic Therapy: Methods and Protocols is an ideal guide for new investigators just starting out in PDT research as well as seasoned investigators changing the direction of their research with the intention of exploring this vital field of study."

This volume explores sleep medicine, sleep science, and the sleep disorders that keep one-quarter of the U.S. population from getting this necessary component of normal cognitive functioning and survival.

With an emphasis on diagnostic techniques, particularly imaging, this handbook shines newfound attention on the genetic and clinical aspects of sleep medicine. Advances in basic science are explored, including a better understanding of sleep-wakefulness and new models of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep mechanisms. Advancements in the understanding of sleep-wake-dependent genes, gene products, and the role of sleep duration in mortality and morbidity are also presented, along with fascinating noninvasive neuroimaging studies that demonstrate marked changes in function during different sleep states.

Clinicians will gain new insights into the diagnosis of sleep disorders and sleep science. In addition, researchers will have an invaluable tool that will form a foundation for new approaches into the ongoing study of sleep medicine.
* A comprehensive resource for the study of sleep science, sleep medicine, and sleep disorders
* Fascinating noninvasive neuroimaging studies that demonstrate marked changes during different sleep states
* A state-of-the-art reference that summarizes the clinical features and management of many of the neurological manifestations of sleep disorders

With recent advances of modern medicine more people reach the "elderly age" around the globe and the number of dementia cases are ever increasing. This book is about various aspects of dementia and provides its readers with a wide range of thought-provoking sub-topics in the field of dementia. The ultimate goal of this monograph is to stimulate other physicians' and neuroscientists' interest to carry out more research projects into pathogenesis of this devastating group of diseases.

This issue comprises two parts.? The first part examines pharmacology of drug classes and effects on the slee--wake processes.? The second part focuses on therapeutics for various sleep disorders.? In the first part, basic neuropharmacology of sleep-wake states is discussed.? Other articles review hypnotics, allergy and cardiovascular drugs, anti-convulsant drugs, anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs, and stimulants.? The second part focuses on pharmacology for specific sleep disorders: primary insomnia, co-morbid insomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, narcolepsy and disorders of daytime sleepiness, movement disroders, parasomnias, and circadian rhythm disorders.

This issue of Medical Clinics of North America is guest edited by Dr. Christian Guilleminault, one of the world's leading experts in the field of sleep medicine.? He is attributor of the Christian Guilleminault Award for Research in Sleep Medicine bestowed by the World Association of Sleep Medicine.? He has put together an outstanding issue that provides the most essential information for the internist on diagnosis and treatment.? Topics such as insomnia, excessive sleepiness, REM behavior disorder, restless legs syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, pediatric sleep disorders, cognitive behavior therapy, pharmacologic therapy, sleep as it relates to various major medical disorders, and more.