This publication takes a critical, evidence-based look at the efficacy of diagnostic tests which are increasingly being used to evaluate organ damage and dysfunction. The use of biomarkers is growing, with a steady stream of products being brought out by the pharmaceutical industry. Some of these assist in diagnosis, others provide a means of monitoring the state of progression of disease and the effectiveness of therapeutic options. However, in many cases the evidence which supports the use of these methods as opposed to traditional biochemical tests has not yet been demonstrated, and it is intended that this volume will help clarify the strengths and weaknesses of using these biomarkers across a wide range of applications and in the various organs of the body. This approach will provide pathologists, clinical biochemists and medical laboratory scientists with an invaluable overview of the diverse applications of biomarkers in medicine.

Das Buch betont die Bedeutung der Rhetorik fur die Rechtsprechung und zeigt auf, dass sich die in juristischen Entscheidungen verwendete Argumentationsweise enthymematisch, also mittels rhetorischer Schlusse, vollzieht. Fruheren Studien zufolge sind in zahlreichen verfassungs- und verwaltungsgerichtlichen Entscheidungen neben dem den Verstand ansprechenden Logos das emotive Pathos und das sozialcharakterliche Ethos vorhanden. Der Autor unterzieht amtsgerichtliche Strafentscheidungen einer rhetorischen Analyse, um aufzudecken, dass auch Strafrichter alle Wirkmittel der Rhetorik kunstvoll einzusetzen verstehen. Er kategorisiert und visualisiert die Argumentation der Entscheidungen und untersucht das Verhaltnis von Logos und Pathos, um zu ermitteln, ob sich zuvor beobachtete Zusammenhange zwischen diesen beiden rhetorischen Aspekten auch fur die Strafgerichtsbarkeit bestatigen lassen.

This new publication takes a critical, evidence-based look at the efficacy of new diagnostic tests which are increasingly being used to evaluate organ damage and dysfunction. The use of biomarkers is growing, with a steady stream of new products being brought out by the pharmaceutical industry. However, in many cases the evidence which supports the use of these new methods as opposed to traditional biochemical tests has not yet been demonstrated, and it is intended that this volume will help clarify the strengths and weaknesses of using these biomarkers across a wide range of applications and in the various organs of the body. This approach will provide an invaluable overview of the diverse applications of biomarkers in medicine.

New designer drugs, access to databases, and changing availability of samples for analysis have changed the face of modern forensic toxicology in recent years. Forensic Toxicology: Drug Use and Misuse brings together the latest information direct from experts in each sub-field of the discipline providing a broad overview of current thinking and the most innovative approaches to case studies. The text begins with an in-depth discussion of pharmaco epidemiology, including information on the value of nationwide databases in forensic toxicology. The use and abuse of drugs in driving, sport and the workplace are then discussed by industry experts who are conducting case work in their field. Not only are new drug groups discussed (NPS), but also their constantly changing impact on drug legislation. Synthetic cannabinoids, khat and mephodrone are discussed in detail. Following a section devoted to legislation and defence, readers will find comprehensive chapters covering sample choice reflecting the increasing use of hair and oral fluid, and also the less commonly used sweat and nail analysis. New and old case examples are compared and contrasted in the final part of the book, which will enable readers to understand how drugs impact on each other and how the interpretative outcome of a case are dependent on many aspects. From use of pharmaceutical drugs in a clinical setting, through smart drugs to new psychoactive drugs, this book documents the wide range in which drugs today are abused. This book will be an essential resource for postgraduate students in forensic toxicology, and for researchers in forensic toxicology laboratories who need the latest data and knowledge.