Everyone has heard of nature's "biological clocks", the phenomenon of periodic activity in plants, animals and humans. But what does chronobiology have to do with modern medicine? This book presents in a concise but comprehensive fashion the basic principles of chronobiology and their application to clinical medicine. The chapters are written by specialists in the field; they summarize the physiology, pathophysiology and pathology of the human time structure and outline the application of chronobiologic principles and techniques for diagnosis and treatment.

Introducing Biological Rhythms is a primer that serves to introduce individuals to the area of biological rhythms. It describes the major characteristics and discusses the implications and applications of these rhythms, while citing scientific results and references. Also, the primer includes essays that provide in-depth historic and other background information for those interested in more specific topics or concepts. It covers a basic cross-section of the field of chronobiology clearly enough so that it can be understood by a novice, or an undergraduate student, but that it would also be sufficiently technical and detailed for the scientist.

Every aspect of immune function and host defense is dependent upon a proper supply and balance of nutrients. Severe malnutrition can cause significant alteration in immune response, but even subclinical deficits may be associated with an impaired immune response, and an increased risk of infection. Infectious diseases have accounted for more off-duty days during major wars than combat wounds or nonbattle injuries. Combined stressors may reduce the normal ability of soldiers to resist pathogens, increase their susceptibility to biological warfare agents, and reduce the effectiveness of vaccines intended to protect them. There is also a concern with the inappropriate use of dietary supplements. This book, one of a series, examines the impact of various types of stressors and the role of specific dietary nutrients in maintaining immune function of military personnel in the field. It reviews the impact of compromised nutrition status on immune function; the interaction of health, exercise, and stress (both physical and psychological) in immune function; and the role of nutritional supplements and newer biotechnology methods reported to enhance immune function. The first part of the book contains the committee's workshop summary and evaluation of ongoing research by Army scientists on immune status in special forces troops, responses to the Army's questions, conclusions, and recommendations. The rest of the book contains papers contributed by workshop speakers, grouped under such broad topics as an introduction to what is known about immune function, the assessment of immune function, the effect of nutrition, and the relation between the many and varied stresses encountered by military personnel and their effect on health.

Chronopharmacology is the study of time-dependent variations in the pharmacokinetics, effects, and side and toxic effects of drugs. After three chapters on basic aspects, the remaining 46 contributions cover various types of drugs and discuss the regulatory issues related to circadian mechanisms and the predictive aspects of the science. Annotation(c) 2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

In nature, many physical processes are governed by the passage of time. The study of these processes - chronobiology - reveals rhythmic patterns which may be yearly, monthly, daily or more frequent. Novel drug delivery systems are currently being delivered that will release varying quantities of a drug at optimum times to coincide with these rhythmic patterns.Chronotherapeutics considers the pharmaceutical and therapeutic implications associated with biological clocks. The book presents a comprehensive discussion of specific diseases that are time dependent, and the drugs and new drug formulations that can be used as treatments.Written by leading international experts in the field, Chronotherapeutics provides up-to-date information on chronobiology for non-chronobiologists in pharmaceutical and medical sciences. Peter Redfern is Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Bath, UK.

Everyone has heard of nature's "biological clocks", the phenomenon of periodic activity in plants, animals and humans. But what does chronobiology have to do with modern medicine? This book presents in a concise but comprehensive fashion the basic principles of chronobiology and their application to clinical medicine. The chapters are written by specialists in the field; they summarize the physiology, pathophysiology and pathology of the human time structure and outline the application of chronobiologic principles and techniques for diagnosis and treatment.

Eating enough food to meet nutritional needs and maintain good health and good performance in all aspects of lifeâ€"both at home and on the jobâ€"is important for all of us throughout our lives. For military personnel, however, this presents a special challenge. Although soldiers typically have a number of options for eating when stationed on a base, in the field during missions their meals come in the form of operational rations. Unfortunately, military personnel in training and field operations often do not eat their rations in the amounts needed to ensure that they meet their energy and nutrient requirements and consequently lose weight and potentially risk loss of effectiveness both in physical and cognitive performance. This book contains 20 chapters by military and nonmilitary scientists from such fields as food science, food marketing and engineering, nutrition, physiology, psychology, and various medical specialties. Although described within a context of military tasks, the committee's conclusions and recommendations have wide-reaching implications for people who find that job-related stress changes their eating habits.

Measured by any criteria, research in chronobiology in general and chronopharmacology in particular has expanded rapidly in recent years. This expansion has been paralleled by an increasing recognition by those outside the field of the relevance and significance of recent developments in chronobiology. Advances in two areas have been chiefly responsible. First, application of the full range of modern techniques in behavioral, neurochemical, and molecular biology have greatly improved our understanding of basic clock mechanisms. In several species the genetic basis of the circadian clock is being progressively delineated. A complete picture of the neurochemical and neuroanatomical structure of the mammalian clock is emerging and the complex pattern of control mechanisms involving endogenous clock mechan isms and photic and nonphotic zeitgebers is being built up as a result of behavioral studies. Secondly, in parallel with these exciting developments in basic science, clinical applications are being convincingly demonstrated in the general fields of pharmacology and medicine as well as in specific areas, e.g., jet lag, shiftwork maladaption syndrome, blindness, and cardiovascular system. It is therefore an opportune time to review progress in the field of chronopharmacology and to introduce some of the exciting developments and prospects to a readership beyond the confines of the chronobiological cognoscenti. This volume is therefore aimed primarily at the pharmacologist - whether basic, applied, or clinical-who is not a specialist in chronobiology.

Written by experts in exercise physiology, exercise science, and biomechanics, this volume focuses specifically on exercise science in relation to athletic performance and to the diagnosis, management, and prevention of athletic injuries. The text is logically organized into sections on energy metabolism, exercise physiology, organ system responses to exercise, general concerns in applied exercise science, sports biomechanics, and applied sports physiology. The biomechanics and sports physiology sections focus on particular sports, to determine specific diagnosis and treatment aspects. The book also includes chapters on exercise in children and the elderly, environmental influences on physical performance, overtraining, chronobiology, and microgravity.