Humana Press Inc.

This important new book presents advancements in the treatment and prevention of Atrial Fibrillation (AF). The reader is provided with the latest information that is critically important in the daily care and for the potential cure of patients with AF. Each chapter deals with a different aspect of AF and each chapter is authored by internationally recognized experts in the evolving field of cardiac electrophysiology. This book is a single source that provides a multi-perspective look at and approach to AF. Because AF is so prevalent and affects all areas of medicine, the information in this book will be useful to all those in the medical field.

The repair of musculoskeletal tissue is a vital concern of all surgical specialties, orthopedics and related disciplines. Written by recognized experts, this book aims to provide both basic and advanced knowledge of the newer methodologies being developed and introduced to the clinical arena. A valuable resource for researchers, developers, and clinicians, the book presents a foundation to propel the technology and integration of the current state of knowledge into the 21st century.

With the introduction of cardiac surgery more than five decades ago and the use of the heart-lung machine for open heart surgical procedures granting the surgeon unlimited time in which to operate inside the heart, a complex task has been given to the Perfusionist. With a pairing of a perfusionist and a surgeon for each chapter, this book is an essential collection of techniques and protocols to aid in decision making in the operating room.

To date, more than three thousand brain and skull base tumors, along with various vascular problems, have been treated by using advanced, fully endoscopic, minimally invasive surgical techniques. In this book, Dr. Hrayr K. Shahinian, director of the Skull Base Institute, compiles these techniques. The book is highly specific and amply illustrated. The step-by-step operating room procedures provide a definitive guide to the difficult yet essential art of skull base surgery.

Preventive cardiology is a fast moving field that places emphasis on the prevention and treatment of coronary disease. Preventive Cardiology: Insights Into the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease, Second Edition is intended for clinical cardio- gists, internists, primary care providers, and allied health care professionals who wish to extend their knowledge and expertise in the rapidly expanding field of preventive car- ology. It is the mission of this book to provide clinicians with the understanding and tools necessary to implement prevention in their daily practices. Recent changes in the delivery of health care in the United States and abroad, in conjunction with new scientific evidence supporting the role of preventive strategies in the maintenance of cardiovascular health, have focused new attention and efforts on the field of cardiovascular disease prevention. The field of cardiology is thus making a gradual transition from the technology-driven, intervention-oriented perspective of the last several decades to a new, preventive, molecular-based perspective. As fresh evidence amasses that preventive measures produce a considerable decrease in the incidence of both primary and secondary cardiac events and mortality, there is growing, widespread acknowledgment that health care providers from all arenas must initiate preventive str- egies in the management and care of their patients.

In 1994 I coedited a book, Molecular Pathology: Ap- efforts. It should be evident that molecular pathology and proaches to Diagnosing Human Disease in the Clinical diagnostics impact almost every conceivable subspecialty Laboratory, that coined the phrase "molecular pathology" in laboratory medicine and, particularly in the case of to refer to applications of molecular biology in the tradi- pharmacogenomics, have led to the development of new tional areas of laboratory medicine. That compilation of areas of investigation. clinical molecular techniques included 11 chapters and an What is less evident is the burden placed upon the epilogue on "New Directions for the Clinical Laboratory. " laboratorians directing these efforts. Issues regarding Chapter headings included: automation, neoplasia, heri- training, certification, continuing education, and re- table diseases, and infectious diseases. bursement (just to name a few) have demanded enormous Three years later, in 1997, Bill Coleman and Greg Tson- time and effort from professional organizations and g- galis edited Molecular Diagnostics: For the Clinical ernmental agencies. In addition, because conventional Laboratorian, which contained 18 chapters and introduced approaches cannot always be applied to molecular di- the new areas of RT-PCR and In Situ PCR, and included nostics, unique solutions for quality assurance and quality a section on gene therapy. Now, ten years after the intro- control must be developed. These challenges have eng- duction of molecular pathology, we are looking at the dered committees, subcommittees, taskforces, and second edition of Bill Coleman and Greg Tsongalis' text.

Thyroid Disease: A Case-Based and Practical Guide for Primary Care, by Dr. Emanuel Brams, is a supremely readable cased-based approach to understanding the myriad of disorders that encompass thyroid disease. Using cases derived from his busy practice, Dr. Brams gives us the history and physical examination details of each case, along with test results. Then, through a series of questions similar to that which any good clinician asks while caring for a patient, Dr. Brams explains an optimal approach to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of thyroid disease, with an emphasis on the practical and common issues that primary care physicians see in their offices. This is an important book for primary care physicians because thyroid disease is common in the population we take care of and accounts for 3-5% of primary care visits. It is often cited as an area that primary care phy- cians find confusing. Dr. Brams clarifies thyroid disease and, through his generous sharing of cases, allows us to join him in making clear diagnoses as well as share in the ambiguity and decisions about approach when the diagnoses and course of treatment are not clear. In this way, the book is honest, and deals directly with the issues of thyroid disease as they are seen by us as physicians, not as we sometimes may wish they were seen if patients presented with the clarity of walking textbooks. Dr.

Maintaining the original goal of the first edition to integrate the basic science of endocrinology with its physiological and clinical principles, this new edition succinctly summarizes in 450 pages the latest findings on hormone secretion and hormone action, as well as all the most recent insights into the physiology and pathophysiology of hormonal disorders. Coverage extends across the entire spectrum of endocrinology - from mammalian cells, plants, and insects to animal models and human diseases - with much increased coverage of diabetes and metabolism. Highlights include cutting-edge discussions of appetite disorders, obesity, reproductive failure, control of thyroid function, hormone action in man and the lower species, and the mechanisms subserving hormone secretion.

This is a cutting-edge review of the latest findings on key scientific topics and the best strategies for evaluation and management of portal hypertension in the clinic. Writing in an easy-to-read style, the authors review its pathobiology, the progress being made in its experimental understanding, the methodologies to assess it in humans, the treatment of its complications (esophageal varices, ascites, and hepatorenal syndrome), and its treatment in special circumstances (during pregnancy, in children, or when the portal vein is blocked). They also provide in-depth coverage of the pros and cons of the various therapeutic choices available to the clinician managing patients with complicated portal hypertension.

A synthesis of current concepts about the evaluation, treatment, and future directions in MS. On the evaluation side, the authors review the use of MRI, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, functional MRI, and three-dimensional MRI, and consider the rapidly developing body of pathologic information they have yielded. On the treatment side, the focus is on recently approved medications (Novantrone), new indications for medications (CHAMPS Trial), medications in development (Oral Interferon Tau, Oral Copaxone, and Oral Cellcept), immunosuppressive therapy for both progressive disease and symptomatic therapy; the current medications for treating relapsing-remitting MS (Avonex, Betaseron, and Copaxone) are also discussed. For future directions, the authors present the current best thinking, as well as the latest discoveries in immunology relating to MS, including groundbreaking B-cell research and its applications to specific immunotherapies, and the use of immune markers for tracking the disease.