Americans are living longer, and the elder population is growing larger. To meet the ongoing need for quality information on elder health, the Encyclopedia of Aging and Public Health combines multiple perspectives to offer readers a more accurate and complete picture of the aging process. The book takes a biopsychosocial approach to the complexities of its subject. In-depth introductory chapters include coverage on a historical and demographic overview of aging in America, a guide to biological changes accompanying aging, an analysis of the diversity of the U.S. elder population, legal issues commonly affecting older adults, and the ethics of using cognitively impaired elders in research. From there, over 425 entries cover the gamut of topics, trends, diseases, and phenomena: -Specific populations, including ethnic minorities, custodial grandparents, and centenarians -Core medical conditions associated with aging, from cardiac and pulmonary diseases to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s -Mental and emotional disorders -Drugs/vitamins/alternative medicine -Disorders of the eyes, feet, and skin -Insomnia and sleep disorders; malnutrition and eating disorders -Sexual and gender-related concerns -And a broad array of social and political issues, including access to care, abuse/neglect, veterans’ affairs, and assisted suicide Entries on not-quite-elders’ concerns (e.g., midlife crisis, menopause) are featured as well. And all chapters and entries include references and resource lists. The Encyclopedia has been developed for maximum utility to clinicians, social workers, researchers, and public health professionals working with older adults. Its multidisciplinary coverage and scope of topics make this volume an invaluable reference for academic and public libraries.

Aging inspired a large number of theories trying to rationalize the aging process common to all living beings. In this publication the most important environmental and intrinsic mechanisms involved in the aging process and in its pathological consequences are reviewed. Furthermore theoretical and experimental evidence of the most important theoretical elements based on Darwinian evolution, cellular aging, role of cell membranes, free radicals and oxidative processes, receptor-mediated reactions, the extracellular matrix and immune functions as well as the most important environmental and intrinsic mechanisms involved in the aging process and in its pathological consequences are discussed. These presentations of theories and related experimental facts give a global overview of up to date concepts of the biology of the aging process and are of essential reading not only for specialists in this field but also for practitioners of scientific, medical, social and experimental sciences.

A comprehensive, multidisciplinary review, Neural Plasticity and Memory: From Genes to Brain Imaging provides an in-depth, up-to-date analysis of the study of the neurobiology of memory. Leading specialists share their scientific experience in the field, covering a wide range of topics where molecular, genetic, behavioral, and brain imaging techniq

For a long time, immunology has been dominated by the idea of a simple linear cause-effect relationship between the exposure to an antigen and the production of specific antibodies against that antigen. Clonal selection was the name of the theory based on this idea and it has provided the main concepts to account for the known features of the immune response. More recently, immunologists have discovered a wealth of new facts, in the form of different regulatory cells (helpers, suppressors, antigen presenting cells), genetic determinations of immune responses such as those involved in graft re jections, different molecular structures responsible for intercellular interactions such as interleukins, cytokins, idiotype-antiidiotype recognition and others. While furthering our understanding of the local interactions (molecular and cellular) in volved in the immune response, these discoveries have led to a questioning of the simplicities of the classical clonal selection theory. It is clear today that every single immune response is a cooperative phenomenon involving several different molecular and cellular interactions taking place in a coupled manner. In addition, cross reactivity to different antigens has shown that responses of the whole im mune system to different antigens are not completely isolated from one another and that the history of encounters with different antigens plays a crucial role in the maturation of the whole system. Thus, problems of complexity, generation of di versity and self-organization have entered the field of immunology.

The Janeway's Immunobiology CD-ROM, Immunobiology Interactive, is included with each book, and can be purchased separately. It contains animations and videos with voiceover narration, as well as the figures from the text for presentation purposes.

"A unique collaboration between Ian Mackay, one of the prominent founders of clinical immunology, and Warwick Anderson, a leading historian of twentieth-century biomedical science. Connection laboratory research, clinical medicine, social theory, and lived experience, the authors reveal how doctors and patients have come to terms with this new concept of pathogenesis, one that was accepted only in the 1950s." --

A controversial, revisionist approach to autoimmune and allergic disorders considers the perspective that the human immune system has been disabled by twentieth-century hygiene and medical practices.

In 1956, three groups independently reported evidence that some thyroid disease appearing spontaneously in humans or experimentally induced in animals are related to autoimmune processes. The interval between these landmark discoveries and the present has witnessed a remarkable and continuing growth of both knowledge and concepts concerning the mechanisms of immune regulation, the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases, and their clinical and laboratory manifestations. More importantly knowledge of thyroid autoimmunity has, in many respects, comprised the vanguard of an ever increasing appreciation and understanding of autoimmune diseases in general. On November 24-26 1986, an International Symposium on Thyroid Autoimmunity was held in Pisa. Its purpose was to commemorate the birth of thyroid autoimmunity as a scientific discipline, to summarize current knowledge and concepts in this area, and where possible, to anticipate areas of opportunity for the future - hence the theme of the Symposium, Memories and Perspectives. To open the meeting, the Magnifico Rettore (Chancellor) of the University of Pisa granted special Awards to Dr. Deborah Doniach, Dr. Ivan Roitt, and Dr. Noel R. Rose, who published the first fundamental studies in the field of thyroid autoimmunity, and to Dr. Duncan G. Adams, whose discovery of the long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) opened the door to our current understanding of the pathogenesis of Graves' disease. During the meeting thirty plenary lectures were presented.

Immunology asserts that an individual can be defined through self and nonself. Thomas Pradeu argues that this theory is inadequate, because immune responses to self constituents and immune tolerance of foreign entities are the rule, not the exception.

The collection of essays reviews, explores, and reports state-of-the-art autoimmunity issues with a cause and effect relationship. It provides a comprehensive presentation of immunity and autoimmunity and their connection to related diseases, current trends, data and possible future developments in health sciences. As such, it represents a unique resource for medical educators, medical practitioners and academics.