Bone Chase

In true The Da Vinci Code fashion, a taut thriller filled with rival factions vying for control of the truth in a giant global conspiracy. There were giants on the earth in those days—at least that’s what the Bible says. But, where are they? Did they ever really exist at all? When out-of-work math teacher Ethan McCloud is sent a mysterious box, he and his ex-girlfriend begin to unravel a mystery 10,000 years in the making—and he is the last hope to discovering the world’s greatest conspiracy. Chased by both the Six-Fingered Man and the Council of David, Ethan must survive the chase—and find the truth.

Metabolic Bone Disease, Volume II describes the clinical disorders of bone and mineral metabolism characterized by elevated levels of circulating parathyroid hormone. This book emphasizes the relationship between hormonal synthesis, biological activity, and abnormalities in specific clinical syndromes. The metabolism and structure-function relationships of parathyroid hormone and other revealing interactions with specific receptors in target organs are also elaborated in this publication, including a basis for some understanding of the parathyroid hormone and vitamin D-“resistant states. Other topics discussed include the fundamental considerations of the physiology and biochemistry of parathyroid hormone; pathogenesis of renal osteodystrophy; and metabolic aspects of Paget's disease. This publication also covers the effects of hypercalcemia and normocalcemic disorders of mineral metabolism. This volume is beneficial to clinicians and students concerned with metabolic bone diseases.

The Neanderthals populated western Europe from nearly 250,000 to 30,000 years ago when they disappeared from the archaeological record. In turn, populations of anatomically modern humans, Homo sapiens, came to dominate the area. Seeking to understand the nature of this replacement, which has become a hotly debated issue, Paul Mellars brings together an unprecedented amount of information on the behavior of Neanderthals. His comprehensive overview ranges from the evidence of tool manufacture and related patterns of lithic technology, through the issues of subsistence and settlement patterns, to the more controversial evidence for social organization, cognition, and intelligence. Mellars argues that previous attempts to characterize Neanderthal behavior as either "modern" or "ape-like" are both overstatements. We can better comprehend the replacement of Neanderthals, he maintains, by concentrating on the social and demographic structure of Neanderthal populations and on their specific adaptations to the harsh ecological conditions of the last glaciation. Mellars's approach to these issues is grounded firmly in his archaeological evidence. He illustrates the implications of these findings by drawing from the methods of comparative socioecology, primate studies, and Pleistocene paleoecology. The book provides a detailed review of the climatic and environmental background to Neanderthal occupation in Europe, and of the currently topical issues of the behavioral and biological transition from Neanderthal to fully "modern" populations.

The New York Times bestselling author of Demon Mistress returns with a new sensual Otherworld paranormal... Another equinox is here, and life's getting more tumultuous for the D'Artigo sisters. Smoky, the dragon of Camille's dreams, must choose between his family and her. Plus, the sisters can't locate the new demon general in town. And Camille's summoned to Otherworld, thinking she'll reunite with her long-lost soul mate Trillian. But once there, she must undergo a drastic ritual that will forever change her and those she loves.

The Biochemistry and Physiology of Bone, Second Edition: Volume I: Structure focuses on the nature and behavior of bone cells, the structure of the organic matrix of bone, mineral organization, and bone strength. It explores the histology of bone, the pathological calcification and radiation effects on bone, particularly, the morphology and cytochemistry as well as the functional significance of osteoblasts, the mode of action of the osteoclast, the ultrastructure of bone, and the mechanical engineering problems presented by bone. Organized into nine chapters, this edition begins with an overview of the general histology of bone, including tissues related to bone and its elementary constituents. It then discusses the origin of osteoblasts, the role of the osteoclast in the mechanism whereby calcium is unlocked from the skeleton under the influence of the parathyroid hormone, and the physiological and pathological effects of vitamins and hormones on skeletal tissue in vitro. It also explains the chemical composition of bone and the chemistry of bone collagen, the relationship between bone mineral and the organic matrix, the macromolecular organization of apatite and collagen, and the examinations of bone by scanning electron microscopy. The book concludes with a chapter on the shape, strength, and elasticity of bone. This book is a valuable source of information for anatomists, orthopedists, biochemists, cell biologists, physiologists, biomedical engineers, pathologists, clinicians, graduate students, professors, and others interested in the biochemical and physiological aspects of bone.