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Admixture Dynamics, Natural Selection and Diseases in Admixed Populations (Springer Theses)
by Wenfei JinIn this thesis, Dr. Jin presents the distribution of ancestral chromosomal segments in the admixed genome, which could provide the information needed to explore population admixture dynamics. The author derives accurate population histories of African Americans and Mexicans using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data. Mapping the genetic background facilitates the study of natural selection in the admixed population, and the author identifies the signals of selection in African Americans since their African ancestors left for America. He further demonstrates that many of the selection signals were associated with African American-specific high-risk diseases such as prostate cancer and hypertension, suggesting an important role these disease-related genes might have played in adapting to their new environment. Lastly, the author reveals the complexity of natural selection in shaping human susceptibility to disease. The thesis significantly advances our understanding of the recent population admixture, adaptation to local environment and its health implications.
Operative Techniques in Liver Resection
by Lunan YanThis book presents the latest knowledge in liver resection. It includes preoperative assessment, hepatic vascular occlusion, live parenchyma transection, various liver resection techniques, liver transplantation, ex situ ex vivo resection, auto-transplantation, laparoscopic liver resection and outcome of liver resection. It describes 21 resection techniques in the same style. Each chapter is built around a series of descriptive photographs and illustrations, which are explained in detail in the text. At the end of each section there are key points that are critical for surgeons performing liver resections. The authors share their extensive experience of liver resections. This book will help practitioners perform safe and expeditious resections and reduce postoperative liver failure. Hepato-bilio pancreatic surgeons, hepatologists, radiologists, clinicians and researchers who are interested in liver surgery will find this book an invaluable guide.
Non-coding RNA and the Reproductive System (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology #886)
by Dagmar Wilhelm Pascal BernardThis book provides an overview of the role and function of regulatory RNAs that lack protein-coding potential in key reproductive tissues. This includes the role of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Through clear, detailed and comprehensive debate, international leading experts discuss the role these novel regulators in normal development of sexual dimorphisms, including the differentiation of ovaries and testes, the genital tract including prostate, epididymis and uterus, as well as mammary glands. In addition, particular attention is paid on their role in pathophysiological processes within the reproductive tract.The power of next generation sequencing has proved to be an invaluable tool to discover new non-coding RNAs. While the identification of non-coding RNA is relatively easy, analysing their function represents still a challenge today. In this book, authors present historical and conceptual background information, highlight the ways in which non-coding RNAs function is analysed and present their vision of the future research in their key research area.
Sadness or Depression?: International Perspectives on the Depression Epidemic and Its Meaning (History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences #15)
by Jerome C. Wakefield Steeves DemazeuxThe World Health Organization states that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and predicts that by 2030 the epidemic of depression raging across the world will be the single biggest contributor to the overall burden of disease of all health conditions. Yet this gloomy picture masks a number of paradoxes concerning the diagnosis and cultural interpretation of depression that appear to challenge the claimed prevalence rates on which it is based. This book’s essays by some of the world’s leading researchers and scholars on depression explores these anomalies in detail from multidisciplinary and multicultural perspectives, and in doing so reshapes the debate on the nature of depression that is currently under way in the US and abroad. At the book’s core is the exploration from the multiple perspectives of a key dilemma: is the epidemic of depression real or is it just apparent? In particular, could it be the result of criteria laid down in the official American classification system of mental disorders, the DSM, interacting with cultural changes to reshape our view of melancholy, pathologizing what were formerly normal symptoms of grief or intense sadness? The debate over the DSM's conception of depression has an international relevance, with the WHO’s upcoming revisions to its International Classification of Diseases requiring coordination with the DSM. This collection of perspectives has an unprecedented international dimension, as scholars from Europe and around the world join US academics to explore a central and controversial element of contemporary psychiatric diagnosis - and one that has enormous practical implications for the future of mental health care and how we view our emotions. The book’s accessible essays will make it useful to scholars, practitioners, and students across a wide range of disciplines.
Transcriptomics and Gene Regulation (Translational Bioinformatics #9)
by Jiaqian WuThis volume focuses on modern computational and statistical tools for translational gene expression and regulation research to improve prognosis, diagnostics, prediction of severity, and therapies for human diseases. It introduces some of state of the art technologies as well as computational and statistical tools for translational bioinformatics in the areas of gene transcription and regulation, including the tools for next generation sequencing analyses, alternative spicing, the modeling of signaling pathways, network analyses in predicting disease genes, as well as protein and gene expression data integration in complex human diseases etc. The book is particularly useful for researchers and students in the field of molecular biology, clinical biology and bioinformatics, as well as physicians etc. Dr. Jiaqian Wu is assistant professor in the Vivian L. Smith Department of Neurosurgery and Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Centre, Houston, TX, USA.
Principles of Cancer Genetics
by Fred BunzThis is the second edition of a widely used textbook that consolidates the basic concepts of the cancer gene theory and provides a framework for understanding the genetic basis of cancer. Particular attention is devoted to the origins of the mutations that cause cancer, and the application of evolutionary theory to explain how the cell clones that harbor cancer genes tend to expand. Focused on the altered genes and pathways that cause the growth of the most common tumors, Principles of Cancer Genetics is aimed at advanced undergraduates who have completed introductory coursework in genetics, biology and biochemistry, medical students and medical house staff. For students with a general interest in cancer, this book provides a highly accessible and readable overview. For more advanced students contemplating future study in the field of oncology and cancer research, this concise book will be useful as a primer.
Drug Use Trajectories Among Minority Youth
by Yonette F. Thomas LeShawndra N. PriceThis volume examines trajectories of drug use among ethnic minority youth in the United States with a focus on African Americans and Hispanics. It also highlights what research designs have been employed to address these differences as well as suggests strategies for moving this discourse forward by identifying potential targets for prevention and intervention with minority youth. This book features essays by leading experts in the field who have grappled with this issue for decades. Inside, readers will find an insightful dialogue that addresses such questions as: Why are African American and Hispanic youth more likely than their White peers to abstain from drug use during adolescence but are more likely to become problem users later in life? What impact does the stress caused by discrimination have on potential drug use? To what extent does religiosity protect minority youth from drug use as past research suggests that it protects White youth? What is the influence of neighborhood context on exposure to and use of substances among urban African American children? Taken together, the essays in this book identify underexplored risk and protective factors and gaps in the current state of knowledge that can be used to develop effective, culturally specific drug abuse prevention strategies. This book is for anyone with an interest in the initiation and escalation of drug use among African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos and factors that influence these patterns over the life course. It will also be an ideal resource for those interested in better understanding the mechanisms by which risk and protective factors are related to the development of drug use and addiction, particularly the ways in which such factors contribute to health differences and have disproportionately more negative consequences for ethnic minorities.
Neurourology: Theory and Practice
by Limin Liao Helmut MadersbacherThis book introduce neurourology as an emerging interdisciplinary area that covers the basic and clinical studies of the neural control on the normal lower urinary tract and the lower/upper urinary tract dysfunction due to neuropathy disorders. It systematically describes all aspects of neurourology from the epidemiology of the neurogenic bladder; to the pathology and pathophysiology of the lower urinary tract; to the diagnosis and treatment of the neurogenic bladder by conservative therapies or surgeries. This book provides a useful resource for medical doctors, nurses and students in the field of neurourological conditions. All the topics are written by internationally recognized specialists in their field.
Modeling the Injury Flow and Treatment after Major Earthquakes
by Lulu ZhangThis book discuss a series of earthquake emergency medical rescue complex models, which can provide theoretical support for medical disaster rescue work in the future. This book consists of three parts. The first part is an introduction (chapter 1) which makes an overview of the purpose, meaning, methods and relative theory using in the research. The second part (chapter 2 to 8) includes “casualty flow” related factors such as the occurrences of earthquake casualty, the Length of Stay among the Hospitalized Patients, the medical evacuation in earthquake and rescue force related factors such as the medical rescue forces allocation in earthquake, the organization and command of earthquake rescue forces, Location and Distribution of Medical Rescue Institutions and from peacetime to wartime in hospital. The third part (chapter 9) is a summary including conclusion and policy-making suggestion.
Translational Research in Pain and Itch (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology #904)
by Chao Ma Yuguang HuangThis book provides a comprehensive review of the latest advances in translational pain and itch research, and presents the cutting-edge developments in the study of our two principal, yet most mysteries sensations. Despite the slow progress in the discovery of effective therapies for chronic pain and pruritus, scientists around the globe now have a better understanding of why and how these conditions occur. Based on these findings, a series of novel treatment strategies are currently under development, and hopefully in a few years, medical practitioners will become more confident and optimistic when facing patients with these annoying and sometimes severe disorders. The contributing authors are world-renowned research scientists, who have made significant discoveries. The book is of interest to neuroscientists, neurologists and pharmacologists
Application of Clinical Bioinformatics (Translational Bioinformatics #11)
by Xiangdong Wang Christian Baumgartner Denis C. Shields Hong-Wen Deng Jacques S. BeckmannThis book elucidates how genetic, biological and medical information can be applied to the development of personalized healthcare, medication and therapies. Focusing on aspects of the development of evidence-based approaches in bioinformatics and computational medicine, including data integration, methodologies, tools and models for clinical and translational medicine, it offers an essential introduction to clinical bioinformatics for clinical researchers and physicians, medical students and teachers, and scientists working with human disease-based omics and bioinformatics. Dr. Xiangdong Wang is a distinguished Professor of Medicine. He is Director of Shanghai Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Director of Fudan University Center for Clinical Bioinformatics, Deputy Director of Shanghai Respiratory Research Institute, Director of Biomedical Research Center, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China; Dr. Christian Baumgartner is a Professor of Health Care and Biomedical Engineering at Institute of Health Care Engineering with European Notified Body of Medical Devices, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria; Dr. Denis Shields is a Professor of Clinical Bioinformatics at Conway Institute, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland; Dr. Hong-Wen Deng is a Professor at Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, USA; Dr. Jacques S Beckmann is a Professor and Director of Section of Clinical Bioinformatics, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Switzerland.
Progress in Cancer Immunotherapy (Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology #909)
by Shuren ZhangThis book provides readers an extensive overview of recent progress in basic and clinical research on cancer immunotherapy. Thanks to rapid advances in molecular biology and immunology, it has become increasingly evident that cancer growth is influenced by host immune responses. With the success of a number of clinical trials, immunotherapy has become a promising treatment modality of cancer. This book covers five major topics, including monoclonal antibodies, biological response modifiers, cancer vaccines, adoptive cellular therapy and oncolytic viruses. It also examines the combination of different immune strategies as well as the combination of immunotherapy with other treatments to increase anti-tumor effects. Through the comprehensive discussion of the topic, the book sheds valuable new light on the treatment of tumors.
Emerging Issues in Prison Health
by Bernice S. Elger Catherine Ritter Heino StöverThis volume recognizes and addresses the health care issues of prisoners, to establish best practices and to learn about approaches to these challenges from around the world. It presents new evidence on several emerging and classical prison health issues. The first goal of this volume is to address emerging issues related to health in prison. Second, it presents the most recent research-based evidence and translates it to the practice. The third goal, is that it allows for sufficient diversity while also incorporating updates of some important already recognized prison health. The volume discusses prisons and the life and well-being of prisoners and staff, after growing problems as drug misuse (incl. tobacco smoking), infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, STIs and TB), psychiatric problems, inadequate and unhealthy living conditions (incl. nutrition), overcrowding of prisons. These are addressed adequately in order to meet the international requirements of equivalence of health care.The scope of this volume is at the same type specific and diverse enough to cover the interests of a large audience that includes many types of practitioners involved in health-related issues in the field of prison health care, such as psychologists, nurses and prison administration officers responsible for health care, legal professionals and social workers.
What Every Woman Should Know about Cervical Cancer: Revised and Updated
by Nenad Markovic Olivera MarkovicThis book (an updated and extended edition) is about mobilizing women and health care policy makers and providers to unite their efforts in a single strategy for fighting cervical cancer worldwide. The objective of this strategy would be to reverse cervical cancer prevalence and mortality rates among all 2.4 billion women at risk and to achieve this goal within 10-15 years of implementation. Cervical Cancer Screening (Pap test, VIA, VILI, or HPV) failed to stop cervical cancer worldwide simply because many countries could not afford developing infrastructure necessary to carry on the global strategy, and because the outreach could not accomplish the targeted 51% of the population at risk. In 2015, there is still 600,000 women getting cervical cancer annually and 300,000 of them die. Every minute one woman gets cervical cancer and every 2 minutes one woman dies from this preventable disease. In 21st Century the Information Technology (IT) Revolution has made substantial impact on medicine enabling remote points-of care, scattered around the world, to be e-connected with experts in distant medical centers and to obtain quality diagnosis and proper guidelines for curative therapy of early stages of cervical cancer. Low frequency of costly interventions needed makes IT-based screening financially and socially beneficial for mass screening. This new Mobile Health technology with the Global Strategy for Fighting Cervical Cancer is subject to elaboration in our book as the new hope when old efforts have failed to stop the world “epidemics” of this grave but preventable disease. The language is adapted for easy reading and understanding by professionals and lay-persons. This book is intended for women at risk for cervical cancer, their health care providers, health insurance companies, government responsible for making health policy and healthcare industry because all of them have special role in the new Global Strategy elaborated in details in this book.
Conceptual and Methodological Issues on the Adjustment to Aging: Perspectives on Aging Well (International Perspectives on Aging #15)
by Sofia von HumboldtThis book approaches the concept of adjustment to aging and endeavors to build reader understanding of this construct through a critical review and discussion. Once the reader understands the origins and nature of adjustment to aging, a second innovation encompasses the development of a proposed empirical model of adjustment to aging and the analysis of its components and correlates. Measures to assess adjustment to aging, policies, programs and interventions comprising adjustment to aging and its components and correlates will also be addressed. Another innovation includes the multidimensional experience of adjustment to aging from the cultural perspective. Lastly, it addresses areas of future development related to this construct.Future policies and interventions in older populations need to integrate and debate the role of adjustment to aging, and ultimately consider a variety of different strategies, each with a different set of costs and benefits. Health and social professionals will be at the vanguard of policy making and community and institutional interventions. Hence, resources and tools to adequately prepare these individuals for the future years will be vital. It is the author's hope that this resource can be valuable for professionals and students working within the field of aging, as they develop research and intervention policies encompassing adjustment to aging in the coming years.
Child Maltreatment Fatalities in the United States: Four Decades of Policy, Program, and Professional Responses
by Emily M. DouglasThis book focuses on the prevention of child abuse and neglect deaths in the U.S. In 2013 1,520 children died from maltreatment. This book defines child maltreatment fatalities (CMFs) and discusses the prevalence of deaths in the U.S. over the last several decades. It addresses the known risk factors for maltreatment deaths including child, parent, the parent-child relationship, and household risk factors. The main focus of the book addresses the responses and interventions that have been put in place in order to prevent CMFs: the child welfare profession, child death review teams, safe haven laws, criminal justice responses, public education, and new, federal efforts in the U.S. to reduce CMFs in the U.S. The book finishes by making recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers about how to prevent fatal maltreatment among children in the U.S.
Biodemography of Aging: Determinants of Healthy Life Span and Longevity (The Springer Series on Demographic Methods and Population Analysis #40)
by Anatoliy I. Yashin Eric Stallard Kenneth C. LandThis volume is a critical exposition of the data and analyses from a full decade of rigorous research into how age-related changes at the individual level, along with other factors, contribute to morbidity, disability and mortality risks at the broader population level. After summarizing the state of our knowledge in the field, individual chapters offer enlightening discussion on a range of key topics such as age trajectory analysis in select and general populations, incidence/age patterns of major chronic illnesses, and indices of cumulative deficits and their use in characterizing and understanding the detailed properties of individual aging.The book features comprehensive statistical analyses of unique longitudinal data sets including the unique resource of the Framingham Heart Study, with its more than 60 years of follow-up. Culminating in penetrating conclusions about the insights gained from the work involved, this book adds much to our understanding of the links between aging and human health.
Mechanisms of Gene Regulation
by Carsten Carlberg Ferdinand MolnárThis textbook aims to describe the fascinating area of eukaryotic gene regulation for graduate students in all areas of the biomedical sciences. Gene expression is essential in shaping the various phenotypes of cells and tissues and as such, regulation of gene expression is a fundamental aspect of nearly all processes in physiology, both in healthy and in diseased states. This pivotal role for the regulation of gene expression makes this textbook essential reading for students of all the biomedical sciences, in order to be better prepared for their specialized disciplines.A complete understanding of transcription factors and the processes that alter their activity is a major goal of modern life science research. The availability of the whole human genome sequence (and that of other eukaryotic genomes) and the consequent development of next-generation sequencing technologies have significantly changed nearly all areas of the biological sciences. For example, the genome-wide location of histone modifications and transcription factor binding sites, such as provided by the ENCODE consortium, has greatly improved our understanding of gene regulation. Therefore, the focus of this book is the description of the post-genome understanding of gene regulation.The purpose of this book is to provide, in a condensed form, an overview on the present understanding of the mechanisms of gene regulation. The authors are not aiming to compete with comprehensive treatises, but rather focus on the essentials. Therefore, the authors have favored a high figure-to-text ratio following the rule stating that “a picture tells more than thousand words”. The content of the book is based on the lecture course, which is given by Prof. Carlberg since 2001 at the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio. The book is subdivided into 4 sections and 13 chapters. Following the Introduction there are three sections, which take a view on gene regulation from the perspective of transcription factors, chromatin and non-coding RNA, respectively. Besides its value as a textbook, Mechanisms of Gene Regulation will be a useful reference for individuals working in biomedical laboratories.
How Science Works: The Nature of Science & The Science of Nature
by John EllisEvolution is just a theory, isn’t it? What is a scientific theory anyway? Don’t scientists prove things? What is the difference between a fact, a hypothesis and a theory in science? How does scientific thinking differ from religious thinking? Why are most leading scientists atheists? Are science and religion compatible? Why are there so many different religious beliefs but only one science? What is the evidence for evolution? Why does evolution occur? If you are interested in any of these questions and have some knowledge of biology, this book is for you.
Multidisciplinary Management of Liver Metastases in Colorectal Cancer: Early Diagnosis and Treatment
by Xinyu Qin Jianmin Xu Yunshi ZhongThis book focuses on early diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment, which is the key to preventing the occurrence of the liver metastases in colorectal cancer, and to increasing the resection rate of the liver metastasis foci and the 5-year survival after surgery. This book is divided into five parts: the introduction, basics, diagnosis, treatment and prevention. It has 20 chapters in total, covering the latest advances in colorectal cancer liver metastases epidemiology, pathogenesis, molecular diagnostics, marker screening, imaging technology, surgery, chemotherapy and prevention, etc. It provides professionals with up-to-date and comprehensive information on colorectal liver metastases. This book is relevant for senior surgeons and physicians working in oncology, general surgery, chemotherapy, digestive medicine, liver medicine and hepatic surgery.
Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells, Volume 12: Therapeutic Applications in Disease and Injury (Stem Cells and Cancer Stem Cells #12)
by M. A. HayatVolume 12 in this series explores the latest experimental and clinical uses of stem cells in the treatment of disease and of injuries and reviews methods for isolating multipotent endothelial-like cells from human adipose tissue and discusses clinical applications in cell therapy and regenerative medicine.The book is organized in five parts: Cancer Stem Cells, Pluripotent Stem Cells, Dendritic Stem Cells, Regenerative Medicine and General Applications. The first section includes chapters on histamine in the neural and cancer stem cell niches and emerging concepts of stem cell organization in the normal lung and in lung cancer. The section on Pluripotent Stem Cells includes discussion of the differentiation of dendritic cells from human induced pluripotent stem cell and the molecular mechanisms involved in reprogramming human somatic cells to generate induced pluripotent stem cells. Additional chapters cover the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells into functional cardiomyocytes, characteristics of satellite cells and multipotent adult stem cells in the skeletal muscle. The section on Dendritic Stem Cells explores the critical role of notch signaling in the differentiation and function of dendrite. Other chapters cover hypertensive emergencies in children after stem cell transplantation and overcoming the radio resistance of lung cancer stem cells. The section on Regenerative Medicine reports on experiments on improved renal revascularization in pigs using stem cells and phenotypic correction of murine Hemophilia A using cell-based therapy. The concluding section, General Applications, discusses such topics as methods in mathematical modeling for stem cells, as well as molecular and functional characterization of human adipocytes.Like its eleven predecessors in the series, this volume stands out for its comprehensive approach, its roster of some 51 expert contributors representing a dozen different countries and its up-to-date review of leading-edge technology and methods.
Angiogenesis and Anti-Angiogenesis in Hematological Malignancies
by Domenico RibattiIt has been generally accepted that angiogenesis is involved in the pathogenesis of hematological malignancies, like acute and chronic leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndromes, myeloproliferative neoplasms and multiple myeloma. The extent of angiogenesis in the bone marrow has been correlated with disease burden, prognosis and treatment outcome. Reciprocal positive and negative interactions between tumor cells and bone marrow stromal cells, namely hematopoietic stem cells, fibroblasts, osteoblasts/osteoclasts, endothelial cells, endothelial progenitor cells, T cells, macrophages and mast cells, mediated by an array of cytokines, receptors and adhesion molecules, modulate the angiogenic response in hematological tumors. More recently, it has been emphasized the pro-angiogenic role of the so called “vascular niche”, indicating a site rich in blood vessels where endothelial cells and mural cells such as pericytes and smooth muscle cells create a microenvironment that affects the behavior of several stem and progenitor cells, in hematological malignancies.
Spinal Osteotomy
by Yan Wang Oheneba Boachie-Adjei Lawrence LenkeSpinal osteotomy techniques have been dramatically applied as a standard method for severe and rigid spinal deformity. Although clinical results indicate that patients who undergo osteotomy procedures typically experience well deformity correction and ameliorate the clinical appearance, aggressive peri-operative risks and follow-up complications are not rare. More meticulous and standard indication selection, osteotomy plan design and complication prevention strategy and outcome evaluation are critically needed for surgeon majored in spine deformity. The book Spinal Osteotomy is divided into sections that focus on principles of spinal osteotomy, technical and case illustration and outcomes and complications as well as computer navigation and other latest techniques. Each section is heavily illustrated and clearly written for ease of understanding. Orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeon residents and fellows who want to focus on spinal deformity correction will find this instructive and invaluable.
Chinese Burn Surgery
by Zongcheng YangThis is a comprehensive book in burn surgery, written by 25 experts in China. It summarizes the theoretical basis of and clinical experience in the prevention and control of burn injuries. It is a comprehensive and up-to-date reference book for surgeons and scientists working with burn management. The different degree of burns and surgical techniques during burn wound care, reconstruction and healing are reviewed separately. Authors also introduce successful cases in different kinds of burns.
Anhedonia: Conceptual Issues And Neurobiological Advances
by Michael S. RitsnerThis is the first comprehensive two-volume collection on anhedonia, a disorder that played an important role in psychopathology theories at the beginning of the twentieth century. Anhedonia is a condition in which the capacity of pleasure is partially or completely lost, and it refers to both a personality trait, and a “state symptom” in various neuropsychiatric and physical disorders. It has a putative neural substrate, originating in the dopaminergic mesolimbic and mesocortical reward circuit. Over the past three decades cognitive psychology and behavioral neuroscience have expanded our understanding of anhedonia and other reward-related processes. The aim of this new two-volume collection on anhedonia is to highlight the contributions of eminent scientists in this field as well as to provide readers with comprehensive accounts of recent developments as perceived by the authors. This monograph is divided into five parts. Volume I contains parts one and two (Conceptual Issues and Neurobiological Advances) including 14 chapters that serve as an introduction and overview of conceptual issues. Volume II contains three parts (Anhedonia in Psychotic Disorders, Anhedonia in Mood and Personality Disorders, and Anhedonia in Neurological and Physical Disorders) including 15 chapters that provide an overview of the construct, measurement of anhedonia in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, hedonic capacity and related factors in schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, anhedonia as an indicator of genetic liability for schizophrenia, and as a trait marker for depression, the role of an anhedonia in trauma-related disorders, anorexia nervosa, stress-induced eating disorders, schizotypal traits and risk of suicide. This book will be of interest to a broad spectrum of readers including psychiatrists, psychologists, neurologists, neuroscientists, endocrinologists, pharmacologists, general practitioners, geriatricians, graduate students, and health care providers in the fields of mental health.