Breathing is performed by the rhythmic contraction of respiratory muscles. It ma- tains homeostasis of the organism by taking in the oxygen necessary to live and work and by controlling the level of CO within the organism. At first glance, breathing 2 seems simple; however, it is produced by a complex system in the brain with various afferents and efferents. The control of breathing is of the utmost importance in s- taining life, and although more than 150 years have passed since research on brea- ing control was first begun, many unsolved mysteries still remain. Breathing is like watching the tides at a beach that are created by the vast, complex open sea. The first Oxford Conference on Modeling and Control of Breathing was held 30 years ago in September of 1978 at the University Laboratory of Physiology in Oxford, England. During this first conference, the participants engaged in a hot d- cussion on the problem of whether breathing rhythm was produced by pacemaker cells or a neural network. This was before the discovery of the Bötinger complex in the medulla, and at the time, central chemoreceptive areas were still the focus of research. This conference was an especially unforgettable moment in the dawning of the new age of respiratory research. It has since been held every 3 years in various countries around the globe and is widely appreciated as the best respiratory meeting in the world.

Breathing is performed by the rhythmic contraction of respiratory muscles. It ma- tains homeostasis of the organism by taking in the oxygen necessary to live and work and by controlling the level of CO within the organism. At first glance, breathing 2 seems simple; however, it is produced by a complex system in the brain with various afferents and efferents. The control of breathing is of the utmost importance in s- taining life, and although more than 150 years have passed since research on brea- ing control was first begun, many unsolved mysteries still remain. Breathing is like watching the tides at a beach that are created by the vast, complex open sea. The first Oxford Conference on Modeling and Control of Breathing was held 30 years ago in September of 1978 at the University Laboratory of Physiology in Oxford, England. During this first conference, the participants engaged in a hot d- cussion on the problem of whether breathing rhythm was produced by pacemaker cells or a neural network. This was before the discovery of the Bötinger complex in the medulla, and at the time, central chemoreceptive areas were still the focus of research. This conference was an especially unforgettable moment in the dawning of the new age of respiratory research. It has since been held every 3 years in various countries around the globe and is widely appreciated as the best respiratory meeting in the world.

The field of neural control of breathing has advanced rapidly in the past two decades, with the emergence of many new and promising research directions of increasing sophistication. The complexity and diversity of the current methodologies signify its remarkable vivacity, albeit at the price of much confusion. Captured in this book are the broad and intricate nature of the field and its multifaceted frontiers, including aspects of genetics, cell and molecular biology, comparative biology, neurophysiology, neurochemistry, neuroanatomy, imaging, human physiology in health and disease, and influence of environmental factors. Major topics include chemosensitivity, respiratory sensation, respiratory neurons, rhythmogenesis, plasticity, development, chemoreflex and exercise, respiratory instability and variability with behavioral and sleep states, etc., which are systematically laid out in the book for easy referencing.

Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems: Modeling, Analysis, and Control uses a principle-based modeling approach and analysis of feedback control regulation to elucidate the physiological relationships. Models are arranged around specific questions or conditions, such as exercise or sleep transition, and are generally based on physiological mechanisms rather than on formal descriptions of input-output behavior. The authors ask open questions relevant to medical and clinical applications and clarify underlying themes of physiological control organization. Current problems, key issues, developing trends, and unresolved questions are highlighted. Researchers and graduate students in mathematical biology and biomedical engineering will find this book useful. It will also appeal to researchers in the physiological and life sciences who are interested in mathematical modeling.

The seventh edition of the most authoritative and comprehensive book published on lung function, now completely revised and restructured Lung function assessment is the central pillar of respiratory diagnosis. Most hospitals have lung function laboratories where patients are tested with a variety of physiological methods. The tests and techniques used are specialized and utilize the expertise of respiratory physicians, physiologists, and technicians. This new edition of the classic text on lung function is a theoretical textbook and practical manual in one that gives a comprehensive account of lung function and its assessment in healthy persons and those with all types of respiratory disorder, against a background of respiratory, exercise, and environmental physiology. It incorporates the technical and methodological recommendations for lung function testing of the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society. Cotes' Lung Function, 7th Edition is filled with chapters covering respiratory surveys, respiratory muscles, neonatal assessment, exercise, sleep, high altitude, hyperbaria, the effects of cold and heat, respirable dusts, fumes and vapors, anesthesia, surgery, and respiratory rehabilitation. It also offers a compendium of lung function in selected individual diseases and is filled with more diagrams and illustrative cases than previous editions. The only text to cover lung function assessment from first principles including methodology, reference values, and interpretation Completely re-written in a contemporary style—includes user-friendly equations and more diagrams Covers the latest advances in the treatment of lung function, including a stronger clinical and practical bias and more on new techniques and equipment Keeps mathematical treatments to a minimum Cotes' Lung Function is an ideal guide for respiratory physicians and surgeons, staff of lung function laboratories, and others who have a professional interest in the function of the lungs at rest or on exercise and how it may be assessed. Physiologists, anthropologists, pediatricians, anesthetists, occupational physicians, explorers, epidemiologists, and respiratory nurses should also find the book useful.

It is clear that many fascinating problems still remain to be addressed in parasite transmission modelling, from better understanding of transmission processes and natural history of infection to investigating the impact of ecological and spatial scales, climate change, host immunity and social behaviour, parasite-host evolutionary dynamics and parasite community ecology on parasite transmission. This book captures some of the advances made in recent years and provides indications of ways forward for addressing these questions by shedding light on developments in conceptual frameworks and modelling tools as well as the emergence of new data forms for aiding model construction, testing and analysis. Another important advance has been the parallel development of robust computationally-intensive statistical methods to allow model testing and parameterization by aiding the fitting of models to complex data. This is an exciting area of work, which we believe will broaden the scope of mathematical modelling in investigating parasite transmission processes. In particular, we expect this advance will now allow modellers to begin the successful development and analysis of mechanistically-rich models of parasite transmission that will facilitate better integration of the variety of mechanisms increasingly recognized as important in simultaneously affecting transmission, including abiotic processes, trophic and evolutionary interactions, movement in space, and behaviour and even physiology of the individual. We foresee a continuing bright future for using mathematical modelling to clarify parasite transmission dynamics and address problems related to effective parasite control. Ultimately, through this improved application of models to research and management, we expect that parasite control would be an achievable goal bringing benefits to a vast number of our fellow human beings.