Genetic Basis For Respiratory Control Disorders

Bringing together top-level contributions on all aspects of the subject, this book provides an overview of the recent advances in the genetics of respiratory control in health and disease. It also shows how combined studies in humans and mouse models have helped to improve our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie genetically determined respiratory control disorders with the goal of developing new therapeutic interventions.

This volume comprises the proceedings of the 10th Oxford Conference held at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, in September, 2006. It contains the most up-to-date research in cardio-respiratory control and its content spans the disciplines of respiratory physiology, neurobiology, modeling, and biomedical engineering. The volume will be of interest to clinicians working with patients with breathing disorders.

This report considers the biological and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie the pathogenicity of tobacco smoke. Many Surgeon General's reports have considered research findings on mechanisms in assessing the biological plausibility of associations observed in epidemiologic studies. Mechanisms of disease are important because they may provide plausibility, which is one of the guideline criteria for assessing evidence on causation. This report specifically reviews the evidence on the potential mechanisms by which smoking causes diseases and considers whether a mechanism is likely to be operative in the production of human disease by tobacco smoke. This evidence is relevant to understanding how smoking causes disease, to identifying those who may be particularly susceptible, and to assessing the potential risks of tobacco products.

Based on careful analysis of burden of disease and the costs ofinterventions, this second edition of 'Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries, 2nd edition' highlights achievable priorities; measures progresstoward providing efficient, equitable care; promotes cost-effectiveinterventions to targeted populations; and encourages integrated effortsto optimize health. Nearly 500 experts - scientists, epidemiologists, health economists,academicians, and public health practitioners - from around the worldcontributed to the data sources and methodologies, and identifiedchallenges and priorities, resulting in this integrated, comprehensivereference volume on the state of health in developing countries.

Infants and children spend one- to two-thirds of their life asleep. Despite this, very little attention has been paid to understanding both normal sleep and sleep-related abnormalities during child development. This volume is devoted to breathing during sleep, its changes with development (from the fetus onwards), and the pathophysiology of sleep-r

A unique resource on sleep medicine Written by contemporary experts from around the world, Sleep: A Comprehensive Handbook covers the entire field of sleep medicine. Taking a novel approach, the text features both syndrome- and patient-oriented coverage, making it ideally suited for both clinical use and academic study. Sleep: A Comprehensive Handbook begins with a brief introduction to the basic science of sleep, from neurobiology to physiologic processes. This leads into sections offering comprehensive coverage of insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, parasomnias, movement disorders, and much more. Sleep and related disorders are also discussed, followed by chapters on considerations for special patient groups. Special materials for practitioners include a sample interview and questionnaire as well as a chapter on operating and managing a sleep center. The text concludes with discussions of sleep assessment methods such as polysomnography, actigraphy, and video EEG monitoring. With full coverage of over 100 key topics in sleep medicine, Sleep: A Comprehensive Handbook offers the most practical, thorough, yet handy resource available on adult and pediatric sleep medicine. Praise from the reviews: "...no other publication in the field can begin to compare with the breadth or depth of the 'Handbook'...I cannot imagine a functioning sleep disorders clinic without at least one copy on standby as a ready reference." PscyCRITIQUES "Sleep: A Comprehensive Handbook is a first-rate textbook with concise, up-to-date information covering a wide range of subjects pertinent to the practice of sleep medicine." DOODY'S HEALTH SERVICES

Although respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been a high priority for vaccine development for over 50 years now, still no vaccine is available and none has yet demonstrated sufficient promise to move to licensure. The success of RSV immune prophylaxis and the availability of ever more powerful tools to study the immune response and pathogenesis of disease, combined with the ability to construct a wide variety of vaccines using different vaccine platforms, give us grounds to believe that an RSV vaccine is within reach. This book brings together in one source what is currently known about the virus: its clinical and epidemiologic features; the host response and pathogenesis of the disease; vaccines, vaccine platforms, and treatment; and animal and tissue culture models of RSV infection. It is designed to organize the critical information relevant to RSV vaccine development, facilitate the assimilation of data, and speed progress toward producing a safe and effective vaccine.