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This book is a comprehensive review of the recent research on the lipotoxicity-related mechanisms in obesity and the development of new treatment strategies. In this second edition, the possible molecular treatment methods and their recent clinical approaches are discussed in addition to the basic mechanisms that are available and thoroughly reviewed previously. Moreover, all chapters have been reviewed, according to the current concepts and seven new chapters are added, covering obesity-related epigenetic modifications, senescence, obesity-related cancer development, endocrine disruptors, as well as nanotechnology-based clinical approaches. This book is an essential resource for clinicians and basic science researchers, such as biochemists, toxicologists, immunologists, nutritionists, adult and pediatric endocrinologists, and cardiologists, as well as all researchers or students who want to learn the mysteries of obesity.

As the age of childbearing increases, reduced female gamete (egg) quality has emerged as the primaery cause of infertility in women. This book addresses molecular mechanisms that regulate oocyte quality as well as intrinsic and extrinsic factors that compromise these mechanisms. Eggs are produced through a unique cell division called meiosis. Oocyte meiosis is initiated early in fetal life. Shortly before birth, the oocyte undergoes a prolonged arrest at prophase I until the age of puberty, at which selected oocytes resume meiosis I. Following meiotic resumption and during oocyte maturation, tight regulation of nuclear and DNA-related mechanisms ensures proper homologous chromosome segregation prior to another arrest at metaphase II. Any errors prior to completion of meiosis I can lead to chromosome segregation errors and aneuploidy, the most common genetic cause of miscarriage and congenital disorders such as Down syndrome. In addition to nuclear maturation, several cytoplasmic processes are orchestrated to support cell division and to generate developmentally competent eggs capable of supporting fertilization and early embryonic development. The interaction between these nuclear and cytoplasmic processes is critical for producing good-quality oocytes. This volume in the Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology book series presents current reviews by leading experts. It offers valuable insights for researchers, physicians and Ph.D. students interested in reproductive biology, particularly oocyte quality and meiosis.

Environmental conditions and processes are one of the major pillars on which the human well-being rests. It is the core responsibility of the society to preserve and enhance better conditions for the human well-being. Indeed, there are several evolving unmet needs in public health. Emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and a surge in the incidence of non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases (CAD), chronic respiratory diseases, and metabolic diseases have been impediments to sustainable well-being. Many factors are critical in the global surge in the rate and incidence of cardiovascular diseases. These include the shift from acute to chronic conditions, the shift from single risk factor vs. multiple influences, aging population, global health disparities, exposure to lower harmful influences over a longer period, etc. However, the epigenetic factors due to unhealthy environment play a most significant role in the underlying pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Unfortunately, this has been ignored for a long time and realized lately to expand and disseminate knowledge to general population, expand research activities to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms, and develop better preventive and treatment strategies. The most significant environmental impoverishment in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases include different genetical, chemical, physical, and biological influences, but not limited to, socio-economic status and lack of nutrients, nutritional aspects including habits, diets and additives, inhaled and ingested pollutants, exhaust gas and gasoline products, tobacco smoke, water pollution, alcohol consumption, soil and mineral pollution, solvents, pesticides, microplastics, non-critical usage of drugs, climate change, extreme atmospheric conditions, extremes in noise and temperature, electromagnetic influences, microwaves and radiation, outdoor light pollution, mental stressors, lack of or over exercise, microbiota and microbiological agents like SARS CoV-2 virus, etc.

Hematological cancers or blood cancers are a heterogeneous group of malignant neoplasms, including leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, primarily affect the blood and bone marrow. The “Hematological Cancer Pathophysiology: An Interdisciplinary Approach” is the tenth volume of the “Interdisciplinary Cancer Research” series, publishes a comprehensive volume on the pathophysiology of hematological cancers. This volume has an interdisciplinary approach in hematological cancers, including myeloproliferative neoplasms, T-cell lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and intraocular lymphoma. Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia and IgG4-related diseases are also discussed in the last chapters. This interdisciplinary series is of special value to researchers working on hematology and oncology. This is the main concept of Cancer Immunology Project (CIP), which is a part of Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN). This interdisciplinary book will be of special value to hematologists and oncologists who wish to extend their knowledge on hematological cancers.

This handbook systematically presents biomarkers for traumatic injuries. The book covers topics such as traumatic brain injury, liver injury, burn severity, muscle heart damage, and acute inflammation in polytrauma and their detection by biomarkers.Biomarkers and methods used in critical care and critically ill patients are discussed, as well as biomarkers in trauma and special conditions. Specific biomarker components are explained and models for modeling trauma in research are presented.This systematic handbook is an excellent resource for researchers and specialists in trauma research and treatment, as well as clinicians and physicians who want a thorough overview of various injuries, trauma, and their detection methods.

Integrins are heterodimeric cell surface receptors which anchor cells to different extracellular matrix proteins or act as cell-cell receptors. They play pivotal roles not only across a wide range of physiological processes including tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, and regulation of cell growth, but also in numerous pathological conditions such as autoimmunity, infectious disease, and carcinogenesis. This book aims to provide readers a summary of the most important integrins and their respective biological functions. Readers will learn about knockout- and animal models to study the functionality of key collagen-, laminin-, and nephronectin-binding integrins. Additionally, the role of integrins in pathological tissue remodeling in joints and in developing and diseased cardiac tissue are discussed. Reviews of the current knowledge of the role of integrins in tissue and tumor fibrosis, angiogenesis and tumor progression are an important part of this work. Finally, the bookdiscusses integrins in the context of the immune system, how to target integrin-ligand interactions with antibodies, and the role of integrins as receptors for bacterial and viral cell invasion. Both experienced researchers and clinicians, as well as PhD students who wish to study the extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules will find “Integrins in Health and Disease - Key Effectors of Cell-Matrix and Cell-Cell Interactions” authoritative, easily accessible, and vastly informative.The series Biology of Extracellular Matrix is published in collaboration with the American Society for Matrix Biology and the International Society for Matrix Biology.

This book provides the latest research progress on genome editing in cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and includes bioinformatics research methodology of genome editing. Genome editing is a genetic engineering technique precisely modified specific target genes of organism genome, which has been applied to basic theoretical research and production applications from plants and animals to gene therapy of human beings. Cardiovascular and metabolic diseases have become major factors affecting human health worldwide. This book contains information about bioinformatics, genome editing in cardiovascular diseases, genome editing in metabolic diseases and therapeutic effects. It will be useful for biologist, cardiologist, cardiovascular surgeons, endocrinologist, internists, nurses, undergraduate and graduate students in medicine and cell biology and others interested in cardiovascular and metabolic medicine.

This unique book opens with a presentation of the current etiology and pathogenesis of clubfoot and vertical talus. Practical approaches to these pediatric congenital disorders are discussed. It includes in-depth discussions of the various age-appropriate treatment strategies along with genetic research for children of all ages. Treatment of deformity recurrences and non-isolated conditions will be explored. Additional chapters cover techniques in both initial treatment and the treatment of clubfoot and vertical talus relapse. Bracing and physical therapy strategies will be discussed.Written and edited by leading researchers and clinicians, this text is essential for all treating pediatric foot and ankle conditions.

This book examines the correlation of the coronavirus disease-19 [CE1] [AAS2] (COVID-19) infection with sleep, circadian rhythm, and sleep disorders. The chapters of the book explore sleep problems during the COVID-19 pandemic and its association with psychological distress and also review the prevalence of clinical cases of insomnia, anxiety, and depression in COVID-19 patients. The book further presents the correlation between sleep, circadian rhythms, and immunity that contributes toward more severe COVID-19. It summarizes the evidence on the interplay between circadian biology, sleep, and COVID-19. The chapters of the book discuss the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and adverse COVID-19 outcomes. Towards the end, the book presents studies on the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunotropic properties of melatonin and provides mechanistic insights into the potential therapeutic use of melatonin during the SARS-CoV-2 infection. The last chapter describes the publication output of sleep-related research during the pandemic and provides an overview and trends on sleep and covid-19 publication output. This book is an excellent source for neurologists, sleep specialists, and public health specialists.

This handbook focuses specifically on biomarkers in diabetes and provides a comprehensive understanding of this field. Readers will gain deep insights into bioinformatics and network analysis of biomarkers in diabetes, and will learn about circulating biomarkers in body fluids and specific pathological features of diabetes. Various animal models in diabetes research are also presented.In addition, like the previous volumes in this large reference series, the book provides a comprehensive look at genetics, cellular, and histological variables. The goal of this handbook is to provide information on markers of this disease to facilitate diagnosis, introduce new technologies, and ultimately improve health.It is a must for researchers as well as advanced students and physicians in the field of diabetes and biomarker research and application.

In diesem Buch vermitteln renommierte Spezialisten lückenlos und verständlich den Kenntnisstand zum Thema Kinder und Jugendliche mit Adipositas. Das Standardwerk beantwortet Fragen nach den Ursachen und dem Krankheitswert und erklärt, wie das Körpergewicht des Menschen reguliert wird. Ausführliche Informationen zur Diagnostik und zu therapeutischen Ansätzen werden mit zahlreichen Praxistipps und Beratungshinweisen ergänzt. Zusätzlich bietet das Buch Empfehlungen und Instrumente für die Betreuung Betroffener und ihrer Familien.

This open access book is supported by the European Atherosclerosis Society Association (EAS). This follow-up edition of the well-received Handbook volume'Atherosclerosis: Diet and Drugs'reflects the state-of-the-art and most recent developments in atherosclerosis research. Outstanding international experts give a comprehensive overview of the field covering topics, such as improving the treatment focusing on established targets, novel drug developments addressing pre-defined targets, hypothesis-based and hypothesis-free approaches to unravel novel targets.

This book reviews the myriad of elements that layer substance abuse disorder, a significant public health issue. It addresses the strong stigma associated with the disease, particularly in regard to the doctor patient relationships. The book begins by explaining the importance of integrating psychiatric and substance use disorder treatment by demonstrating the efficacy of this treatment model. Subsequent to this are chapters dedicated to specific addiction disorders, including cocaine, opioids, gambling, food, and sex addictions. Chapters also examine how addiction can differ among various neurobiological, genetic, socioeconomic, and age demographics. The book closes with histories, policies, and modalities of drug use which serve as a key component to building a foundation for effective and ethical health policy. Written by international experts in addiction psychiatry, Substance and Non-Substance Related Addictions: A Global Approach is avaluable resource for all practitioners seeking to expand their knowledge of addiction medicine.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States and worldwide. It is well recognized that traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease have limited predictive utility in the identification of new cardiovascular disease cases and outcomes. Thus, investigators have argued that application of a biopsychosocial research paradigm in this field may be of particular utility in understanding cardiovascular disease pathogenesis. Accordingly, a subdiscipline within the field of behavioral medicine – cardiovascular behavioral medicine – examines interrelations among biological, behavioral, psychological, social, and environmental factors in cardiovascular health and disease. In 1989, Schneiderman and colleagues published a seminal work entitled'Research Methods in Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine.'Since that time, there has been an exponential increase in the amount and scope of work in this topic area, but no similar edited volume has been undertaken. The present handbook provides a compendium of work in the field of cardiovascular behavioral medicine, the purposes of which are to summarize research in this area, promote transdisciplinary research and clinical practice, and encourage researchers and clinicians to consider all relevant facets of the disease process in their evaluation and study of cardiovascular disease pathogenesis and outcomes. This handbook has four sections: Section I provides perspectives on the past, present, and future of cardiovascular behavioral medicine, an overview of basic cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, cardiovascular disease classification, and application of the biopsychosocial model to the study of cardiovascular disease. Section IIcovers risk factors for cardiovascular disease from a behavioral medicine perspective, including sociodemographic, behavioral, psychosocial, biomedical, psychophysiological, and environmental risk factors for cardiovascular disease.These chapters offer a discussion of construct definitions, measurement issues, and epidemiological evidence for relations to cardiovascular disease. Section III offers review of multi-level influences in specific cardiovascular disease entities, the evidence- base for relevant biopsychosocial interventions, evaluation of the impact of cardiovascular diseases on behavior, and consideration of common co-morbidities. Section IV covers select statistical and bioethical topics relevant to the field of cardiovascular behavioral medicine. This volume is unique in several respects. First, there is no similar work available in terms of the scope of topic coverage. Second, the inclusion of relevant measurement issues and construct definitions of a comprehensive set of risk factors will be of great assistance to researchers and clinicians in this area who wish to improve their assessment of these variables yet are not familiar with or trained in the various methodologies. Third, the use of multidisciplinary contributors enhances the utility of the work. Representative disciplines include psychology, psychiatry, medicine (e.g., cardiology), nursing, epidemiology, and public health. The primary audiences for this work are researchers, clinicians, and students in each of these disciplines.

Now in a revised and expanded second edition, this concise, straightforward and clearly written text presents the latest information on the evaluation and management of common issues and conditions in pediatric endocrinology. Endocrinologists, pediatricians, family physicians, residents, fellows and medical students will all benefit from the discussion of endocrine physiology and its application to common clinical practice. As in the original edition, the text presents the major signs and symptoms in the diagnosis and management of pediatric endocrine disorders, often allowing the practitioner to avoid an unnecessary consultation and preparing a provider for informed communication with parents of a child with an endocrine condition. The concepts covered in the text are designed to address the first 10 headings in the content outline of the Sub-board of Pediatric Endocrinology of The American Board of Pediatrics: disorders of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, growth, calcium metabolism and bone, the thyroid gland, puberty, and the adrenal gland, among others. Concluding each chapter is a Suggested Reading section, directing the reader to outstanding larger and more detailed texts, manuscripts and websites that offer increased detail.Practical and user-friendly, Pediatric Endocrinology, Second Edition is not simply a checklist of everything that could be done but leads the reader toward a more specific goal of what should be done.

The book illuminates the complex problems in genetic studies of substance use and addiction. It provides a comprehensive overview that fills the gap in the literature and points out future directions.The book includes three sections that apply to any complex traits and disorders, particularly psychological and psychiatric. The first section covers the traits and phenotypes that are the target of genetic research in substance use and addiction. Following this, the second section analyzes the methods and results of biometric genetic studies in this area. The third section reviews research in gene mapping and epigenetics. Genetics of Substance Use is a first-of-its-kind monograph that presents contemporary solutions and methods for a wide range of researchers and practitioners across disciplines.

Substance misuse and addictions are a public health issue. They affect the well-being of each community and nation as a whole. It is, therefore, necessary to identify, educate, and treat individuals who are addicted to substances. Policies and procedures go hand-in-hand with public health education and safety. The science behind the public health issues of one drug may be applicable to other drugs as well. However, marshalling all of the aforementioned information into a single source is somewhat difficult due to the wide array of material. The Editors address this by compiling the research in this single reference work that serves as a'one-stop-shopping'approach to everything readers need to know about the scientific basis of public health and addictions and agents of misuse.Apart from active agents that have a plant or chemical basis, there is a need to consider that there are other forms of addiction which may havecommon modes of causality or prevention. These include food addiction, gaming, gambling, and other non-drug addictions. These types of addiction may be related to the addiction of drugs.The Handbook of Substance Misuse and Addictions: From Biology to Public Health offers a holistic understanding of the relationship between public health and substance misuse. The text provides a common platform upon which other forms of addiction or substance misuse can be understood and treated. Addiction processes involve understanding the biological processes as well as behavior, psychology, sociology, and public health, all of which are interlinked. This Handbook is a useful reference for lecturers, students, researchers, practitioners, and other professionals in public health, addiction science, epidemiology, health education, health promotion, and health sciences.

The Advanced Dairy Chemistry series was first published in four volumes in the 1980s (under the title Developments in Dairy Chemistry) and revised in three volumes in the late 1990s and again in the 2000s and 2010s. For nearly four decades, the series has been the leading reference source on dairy chemistry and is now in its fourth edition. Advanced Dairy Chemistry Volume 3: Lactose, Water, Salts, and Minor Constituents, fourth edition, reviews the extensive literature on lactose and its significance in milk products. This volume also reviews the literature on milk salts, vitamins, and the behaviour of water in dairy products and the physical properties of milk. Most topics covered in the third edition are retained in the current edition, which has been updated and expanded considerably. New chapters cover chemically and enzymatically prepared derivatives of lactose and oligosaccharides indigenous to milk and some chapters from earlier editions are consolidated.

This book gathers cutting-edge research and best practices relating to occupational risk and safety management, healthcare and ergonomics. It covers strategies for different industries, such as construction, chemical and healthcare. It emphasises challenges posed by automation, discusses solutions offered by technologies, and reports on case studies carried out in different countries. Chapters are based on selected contributions to the 18th International Symposium on Occupational Safety and Hygiene (SHO 2022), held on September 8–9, 2022, in Porto, Portugal. By reporting on different perspectives, such as the ones from managers, workers and OSH professionals, and covering timely issues, such as implications of telework,issues related to gender inequality and applications of machine learning techniques in occupational health, this book offers extensive information and a source of inspiration to OSH researchers, practitioners and organizations operating in both local and globalcontexts.

Glycobiology is an emerging field of studying glycans (sugars) and glycoconjugates that are essentially involved in almost all biological processes, from fine-tuning glycoprotein function to protein-protein interactions, signaling, immune response, host-pathogen interactions, etc. However, due to structural complexity of glycans and analytical challenges this exciting field was lagging behind other areas of biology. With technological advancements growing number of glycans'functions are being discovered and the study of glycans is becoming a cutting-edge discipline in basic and clinical research.Despite recent developments in glycobiology field, many aspects of glycosylation process still remain unknown, both in a healthy human organism and in pathological states. Human glycome is dynamic and changes with physiological triggers, immune challenges and disease. Atypical glycosylation is consequently a subject of disease biomarker research, and a target for therapeutic interventions. On the other hand, properties of glycosylated biotherapeutics are predominantly determined by their glycans.The Role of Glycosylation in Health and Disease provides a comprehensive overview of types and functions of glycans in a healthy human organism as well as their role in pathophysiology of different diseases and efficiency of glycosylated biotherapeutics. Written by the experts in the field, this book aims to bring glycobiology field closer to students, researchers in life sciences and professionals in biopharmaceutical industry.

This book discusses unique ion channels and transporters that are located within epithelial tissues of various organs including the kidney, intestine, pancreas and respiratory tract. The authors will show, that each of these channels and transporters play crucial roles in transepithelial ion and fluid transport across epithelia and their responsibility in maintaining homeostasis. The reader gains an understanding of the fundamentals of epithelial ion transport, in terms of function, modelling, regulation, trafficking, structure and pharmacology. This is the third of three volumes highlighting the importance of epithelial ion channels and transporters in basic physiology and pathophysiology of human diseases. The focus of this volume lies with different ion channel and transporter families. Additionally, this volume benefits from pharmaceutical contributors and their insights into recent pre-clinical drug discovery efforts and results from clinical trials. Overall, these chapters offer a more thorough coverage of individual epithelial ion channels and transporters from the 1st Edition, along with eleven new chapters. That makes Volume 3 an insightful contribution for physiology students, scientists and clinicians.

This book provides an overview of the latest experimental work on sex-based differences in lung function and inflammation. Readers will learn how these differences relate to individual predispositions for the development of lung disease in men and women, and in different stages of their reproductive lives. Further, the book focuses on diseases that predominantly affect women or men, with an emphasis on the physiological mechanisms underlying their pathobiology. In turn, these findings are complemented by chapters on recent studies, which investigate how circulating sex hormone levels impact the lung's innate immune response to environmental agents and air pollution. The pathogeneses of asthma and viral respiratory infection are also major focus areas. As an outlook, the book also discusses current and future research directions aimed at developing sex-specific therapies for lung disease. To examine these anatomical and physiological differences in the male and female respiratory systems, the authors employ a broad range of methods from molecular and clinical biology. Accordingly, the book will be a fascinating read for physiologists and clinicians alike.

The purpose of this book is to provide a broad scope of substance use disorder research and how these findings can impact treatment outcomes. The research and outcomes described in this book represent important principles related to identifying and understanding factors related to substance use disorders. The first section is dedicated to methodology including population-based surveys, basic neuroanatomy, chemistry, molecular biology, behavioral models and brain imaging. The second section utilizes this methodology in research related to opioids, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and nicotine. The book is aimed at both professionals (academics, clinicians, practitioners) and students or trainees.

This book focuses on respiratory proteins, the broad hemoglobin family, as well as the molluscan and arachnid hemocyanins (and their multifunctional roles). Featuring 20 chapters addressing invertebrate and vertebrate respiratory proteins, lipoproteins and other body fluid proteins, and drawing on the editors'extensive research in the field, it is a valuable addition to the Subcellular Biochemistry book series. The book covers a wide range of topics, including lipoprotein structure and lipid transport; diverse annelid, crustacean and insect defense proteins; and insect and vertebrate immune complexes. It also discusses a number of other proteins, such as the hemerythrins; serum albumin; serum amyloid A; von Willebrand factor and its interaction with factor VIII; and C-reactive protein. Given its scope, the book appeals to biologists, biomedical scientists and clinicians, as well as advanced undergraduates and postgraduates in these disciplines. Available as a printedbook and also as an e-book and e-chapters, the fascinating material included is easily accessible.

This book is a wide-ranging guide to risk assessment and risk-based prevention in oral health and dentistry. Readers will find clear explanations of the principles, models, and tools of risk assessment, as well as practical information on risk assessment in relation to periodontal disease, caries, tooth wear, and oral cancer. The lessons that the oral healthcare profession can learn from experiences regarding risk assessment in primary medical care practice, particularly in cardiovascular and diabetes medicine, are highlighted. The closing section focuses specifically on implementation of risk assessment within the dental practice, including training of the oral healthcare team and the need to take into account medicolegal considerations. The book is a very timely addition to the literature, given the move towards wellness- rather than repair-based models of healthcare in Europe and North America and the focus of dental contracts on risk-driven care pathways. It will be of high value for not only practitioners but also professionals and healthcare funding bodies.

This thoroughly revised third edition provides a comprehensive grounding on hereditary heart diseases with special emphasis on the genetic aspects of these conditions. It continues to provide the expertise that all cardiologists, clinical and molecular geneticists, and related medical professionals require to provide optimal care for patients with cardiac disease of genetic origin and for their relatives. Topics covered include the different cardiomyopathies, the primary arrhythmia syndromes and the hereditary thoracic aortic disorders. In addition other topics such as cardiac involvement in hereditary neuromuscular diseases, the clinical policy for sudden cardiac death and the possibilities of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis are included to extend the discussion. Clinical Cardiogenetics compiles current knowledge on the topic in an easy to understand reference. It provides a practical clinical primer for cardiologists, clinical geneticists, trainees and other physicians involved in the management of these patients.

Written by the leading melanoma experts from the United States, Australia, and Europe, this new edition incorporates the clinical outcomes of more than 70,000 patients treated at major melanoma centers throughout the world and is the definitive and most authoritative textbook on melanoma used worldwide. Providing the most up-to-date and comprehensive information needed for the clinical management and scientific study of melanoma, Cutaneous Melanoma, 6th edition covers everything from precursors of melanoma to advanced stages of metastatic disease.

This reference work provides comprehensive information about the bioactive molecules presented in our daily food and their effect on the physical and mental state of our body. Although the concept of functional food is new, the consumption of selected food to attain a specific effect existed already in ancient civilizations, namely of China and India. Consumers are now more attentive to food quality, safety and health benefits, and the food industry is led to develop processed- and packaged-food, particularly in terms of calories, quality, nutritional value and bioactive molecules. This book covers the entire range of bioactive molecules presented in daily food, such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, isoflavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C, polyphenols, bioactive molecules presented in wine, beer and cider. Concepts like French paradox, Mediterranean diet, healthy diet of eating fruits and vegetables, vegan and vegetarian diet, functional foods are described with suitable casestudies. Readers will also discover a very timely compilation of methods for bioactive molecules analysis. Written by highly renowned scientists of the field, this reference work appeals to a wide readership, from graduate students, scholars, researchers in the field of botany, agriculture, pharmacy, biotechnology and food industry to those involved in manufacturing, processing and marketing of value-added food products.

This multivolume reference work addresses the fact that the well being of humankind is predicated not only on individuals receiving adequate nutrition but also on their genetic makeup. The work includes more than 100 chapters organized in the following major sections: Introduction and Overview; Epigenetics of Organs and Diseases in Relation to Diet and Nutrition; Detailed Processes in Epigenetics of Diet and Nutrition; Modulating Epigenetics with Diet and Nutrition; and Practical Techniques. While it is well known that genes may encode proteins responsible for structural and dynamic components, there is an increasing body of evidence to suggest that nutrition itself may alter the way in which genes are expressed via the process of epigenetics. This is where chemically imposed alteration in the DNA sequence occurs or where the functional expression of DNA is modulated. This may include changes in DNA methylation, non-coding RNA, chromatin, histone acetylation or methylation, and genomic imprinting. Knowledge regarding the number of dietary components that impact on epigenetic processes is increasing almost daily. Marshalling all the information on the complex relationships between diet, nutrition, and epigenetic processes is somewhat difficult due to the wide myriad of material. It is for this reason that the present work has been compiled.

This book examines the utility of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in the era of next-generation sequencing and big data, identifies limitations and potential means of overcoming them, and looks to the future of GWAS and what may lay beyond. GWAS are among the most powerful tools for elucidating the genetic aspects of human and disease diversity. In Genome-Wide Association Studies, experts in the field explore in depth the impacts of GWAS on genomic research into a variety of common diseases, including cardiovascular, autoimmune, diabetic, cancer, and infectious diseases. The book will equip readers with a sound understanding both of the types of disease and phenotypes that are suited for GWAS and of the ways in which a road map resulting from GWAS can lead to the realization of personalized/precision medicine: functional analysis, drug seeds, pathway analysis, disease mechanism, risk prediction, and diagnosis.

Today, microbiology is a rapidly growing discipline in the life sciences, and the technologies are evolving on a virtually daily basis. Next-generation sequencing technologies have revolutionized microbial analysis, and can help us understand the biology and genomic diversity of various bacterial species with significant impacts on agro-ecosystems. In addition, advances in molecular biology and microbiology techniques hold the potential to improve the productivity and sustainability of agriculture and forestry.This new volume addresses the role of microbial genomics in understanding the living systems that exist in the soil and their interactions with plants, an aspect that is also important for crop improvement. The topics covered focus on a deeper and clearer understanding of how microbes cause diseases, the genome-based development of novel antibacterial agents and vaccines, and the role of microbial genomics in crop improvement and agroforestry. Givenits scope, the book offers a valuable resource for researchers and students of agriculture and infectious biology.

This state-of-the-art review on longevity focuses on centenarians, studied as a model of positive biology. The extraordinary rise in the elderly population in developed countries underscores the importance of studies on ageing and longevity in order to decrease the medical, economic and social problems associated with the increased number of non-autonomous individuals affected by invalidating pathologies. Centenarians have reached the extreme limits of human life span. Those in relatively good health, who are able to perform their routine daily tasks, are the best examples of extreme longevity, representing selected individuals in which the appearance of major age-related diseases – including cancer and cardiovascular diseases – has been consistently delayed or avoided. The relationship between causality and chance is an open discussion topic in many disciplines. In particular, ageing, the related diseases, and longevity are difficult to define as a consequence of causality, chance or both. Discussing the relevance of these different factors in the attainment of longevity, the book gathers contributions on genetic, epigenetic and phenotypic aspects of centenarians.The “positive biology” approach is applied to clarify the causes of positive phenotypes, as well as to explain the biological mechanisms of health and well-being with the aim of preventing and/or reducing frailty and disability in the elderly.

This comprehensive update offers practical advice for professionals working inneuropsychology with older adults. Focusing on fundamentals, common issues,special considerations, and late-life cognitive disorders, respected names in this criticalspecialty address a wide range of presenting problems and assessment, diagnostic,and treatment concerns. Th roughout, coverage pays keen attention to detail, bringingreal-world nuance to large-scale concepts and breaking down complex processes intodigestible steps. And like its predecessor, the new Handbook features recommendationsfor test batteries and ends each chapter by extracting its “clinical pearls.”A sampling of the topics covered:• Assessment of depression and anxiety in older adults.• The assessment of change: serial assessments in dementia evaluations.• Elder abuse identifi cation in older adults.• Clinical assessment of postoperative cognitive decline.• Cognitive training and rehabilitation in aging and dementia.• Diff erentiating mild cognitive impairment and cognitive changes of normalaging.• Evaluating cognition in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.This Second Edition of the Handbook on the Neuropsychology of Aging and Dementiaoffers a wealth of expert knowledge and hands-on guidance for neuropsychologists,gerontologists, social workers, and other clinicians interested in aging. Th is can be avaluable reference for those studying for board certifi cation in neuropsychology as wellas a resource for veteran practitioners brushing up on key concepts in neuropsychologyof age related disorders.

This new volume in the Subcellular Biochemistry series will focus on the biochemistry and cellular biology of aging processes in human cells. The chapters will be written by experts in their respective fields and will focus on a number of the current key areas of research in subcellular aging research. Main topics for discussion are mitochondrial aging, protein homeostasis and aging and the genetic processes that are involved in aging. There will also be chapters that are dedicated to the study of the roles of a variety of vitamins and minerals on aging and a number of other external factors (microbiological, ROS, inflammation, nutrition). This book will provide the reader with a state of the art overview of the subcellular aging field. This book will be published in cooperation with a second volume that will discuss the translation of the cell biology of aging to a more clinical setting and it is hoped that the combination of these two volumes will bring a deeper understanding of the links between the cell and the body during aging.

This largely revised second edition comprehensively reviews the need and rationale for the integration of medical and dental patient data. The reader will find extensive guidance on issues involved with care and data integration, and how to achieve an integrated model of healthcare. The book discusses how the use of state-of-the-art, fully integrated (dental-medical), electronic health records can improve clinical, financial as well as societal outcomes. In the book you will also find different aspects that play a role in integration including existing clinical software implementations (and their paths for integration), clinical touch points, and how current and future developments will facilitate the integration process in a more efficient way. This second edition of Integration of Medical and Dental Care and Patient Data details the available methods and technologies for successfully integrating patient medical and dental data. It is, therefore, an important and timely update for informaticians and a broad range of both dental and medical professionals and other health professionals (dental assistants, hygienists, nurses) as well as clinical students entering the professional environment.

The main aim of this volume is to provide an updated overview of the genetic basis of a group of complex disorders that are considered rare individually, but show a relatively high prevalence on the whole in developed countries: the rare autoimmune diseases. These are chronic disorders that involve long and expensive treatments with considerable side effects that may dramatically reduce the quality of life of affected people. Therefore, shedding light into their pathologic mechanisms is a major concern given their growing social and economic awareness and impact. General sections include different chapters on single entities as systemic lupus and sclerosis, Behçet's disease, Sjogren's syndrome and polymiositis, and sections devoted to autoimmune vasculitis, hepatic autoimmune conditions, as well as those affecting the nervous system, and a concluding chapter in which the shared predisposition amongst all diseases is discussed. All the chapters are given a homogeneous scheme in which the authors explain the clinical singularities of every disease and report the recent breakthrough discoveries related to them, giving a critical interpretation and suggesting future perspectives. All contributors are renowned researchers with high expertise in each disease. Due to the exponential increase in our understanding of the genetic causes of these complex diseases, a major advance in biomedical discovery is taking place. However, most of the achievements in this field are very recent and there is a lack of bibliography gathering them together. This book is thus filling a gap and will prove a useful companion to clinicians in the first place (internists, rheumatologists, clinical immunologists, and hematologists) but also to basic and applied researchers.

Melanoma is a cutting edge, comprehensive reference work on the topic of melanoma. The overarching goal is to provide detailed scholarly information which broadly covers all aspects of the clinical presentation and management of the disease, as well as the biological and scientific understanding of its pathogenesis and treatment. Key topics highlighted include recent breakthroughs in molecular diagnostics, breakthroughs in targeted therapeutic approaches, overviews of signaling and transcriptional pathways, and important controversies such as screening, early diagnosis, sentinel node biopsy, and prevention strategies. In all, the volume provides a cutting edge and comprehensive presentation of the field of melanoma, written by a team of internationally renowned thought-leaders.

This volume focuses on cadmium (Cd) exposure, its effects on human health, the mechanism of Cd accumulation and the development of mitigation technologies. Further, it discusses clinical, epidemiological, agricultural, toxicological, and biochemical aspects of Cd pollution and presents recent biochemical studies on molecular mechanisms of Cd cytotoxicity and cellular transport as well as the mechanism of Cd-induced disturbances in phosphorus (P) metabolism. It also provides insights into the pathophysiology of itai-itai disease, a serious condition caused by Cd pollution. Cadmium -New Aspects in Human Disease, Rice Contamination, and Cytotoxicity- is a valuable resource for scientists involved in heavy metal toxicology, botanical sciences, and regulatory sciences. Addressing the features of Cd pollution in the past and in the present, as well as future perspectives, this is a must-have book for students, researchers and practitioners interested in global and local metal pollution.

This book reviews key recent advances and new frontiers within psychiatric research and clinical practice. These advances either represent or are enabling paradigm shifts in the discipline and are influencing how we observe, derive and test hypotheses, and intervene. Progress in information technology is allowing the collection of scattered, fragmented data and the discovery of hidden meanings from stored data, and the impacts on psychiatry are fully explored. Detailed attention is also paid to the applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science technology in psychiatry and to their role in the development of new hypotheses, which in turn promise to lead to new discoveries and treatments. Emerging research methods for precision medicine are discussed, as are a variety of novel theoretical frameworks for research, such as theoretical psychiatry, the developmental approach to the definition of psychopathology, and the theory of constructed emotion. Theconcluding section considers novel interventions and treatment avenues, including psychobiotics, the use of neuromodulation to augment cognitive control of emotion, and the role of the telomere-telomerase system in psychopharmacological interventions.

This book elucidates how advances in genomics research are being applied in connection with heart diseases. It describes the development of genome-scale technologies and their applications to all areas of cardiac investigations, such as genomics, functional genomics, epigenomics, etc., and how they relate to a series of important breakthroughs in various heart diseases. Applying unbiased genomics, combined with a disease-focused and hypothesis-driven approach, represents a promising way to advance our understanding of cardiac diseases. The book offers an important reference work on introducing genomics in heart disease for all scientists and graduate students whose work involves genomics and cardiology, as well as for clinical physicians.

This volume presents one of the clinical foundations of vasculopathies: the biological markers and risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. A detailed biological and clinical framework is provided as a prerequisite for adequate modeling. Chapter 1 presents cardiovascular risk factors and markers, where the search for new criteria is aimed at improving early detection of chronic diseases. The subsequent chapters focus on hypertension, which involves the kidney among other organs as well as many agents, hyperglycemia and diabetes, hyperlipidemias and obesity, and behavior. The last of these risk factors includes altered circadian rhythm, tobacco and alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, and diet. The volumes in this series present all of the data needed at various length scales for a multidisciplinary approach to modeling and simulation of flows in the cardiovascular and ventilatory systems, especially multiscale modeling and coupled simulations. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems are tightly coupled, as their primary function is to supply oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the body's cells. Because physiological conduits have deformable and reactive walls, macroscopic flow behavior and prediction must be coupled to nano- and microscopic events in a corrector scheme of regulated mechanisms. Therefore, investigation of flows of blood and air in anatomical conduits requires an understanding of the biology, chemistry, and physics of these systems together with the mathematical tools to describe their functioning in quantitative terms.

This book sheds new light on the management of patients with borderline cardiovascular risk factors in order to prevent their progression to end organ damage. The book stimulates discussion of this poorly understood condition and lays the groundwork for developing recommendations and guidelines.While the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to full-blown diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity is well defined, there is still a lack of clear understanding and guidelines as far as patients with borderline conditions – especially when multiple – are concerned. Moreover, end-organ damage depends on several factors, including genetic factors, making it difficult to predict its extent. As such, the gradual transition from a healthy subject to one with functional hemodynamic changes, and then one with structurally asymptomatic changes and lastly to overt disease needs further investigation.In order to address these knowledge gaps, the book covers a broad variety of topics, making it a valuable tool for identifying which asymptomatic subjects could profit from being appropriately screened and at what stage. Furthermore it offers insights into better treating these patients to prevent their progression to overt disease. The book appeals to cardiologists, primary care physicians and all those healthcare professional looking to optimize the management of these complex and often undiagnosed cases.

This book provides the most recent knowledge on almost all key aspects of the health impact of tobacco smoking. Its 21 chapters focus on both preclinical and clinical studies. The contents are broad, covering the epidemiology of tobacco smoking; genetic epidemiology; identification of susceptibility genomic regions, genes, and pathways as determined by both human and animal studies; evolutionary relations among the different nAChR subunit genes that are so important to the nicotine response; smoking-related diseases; E-cigarettes; and smoking cessation. Furthermore, each chapter includes a detailed and comprehensive list of key references. For both clinical and basic researchers, this book is a valuable resource on nicotine dependence and other addictions.