This comprehensive ‘Major Reference Book’ compiles all current and latest information on aging skin in a two-volume set. Highly structured with a reader-friendly format, it covers a wide range of areas such as basic sciences, the different diseases and conditions which occur with aging (from malignant to non-malignant), the latest techniques and methods being used such as bioengineering methods and biometrics as well as toxicological and safety considerations for the elderly population. It also illustrates the global consumers’ sociological and psychological implications, ethnicity and gender differences and includes marketing considerations for this elderly group. This unique and comprehensive guide will become the main reference textbook on this topic.

This presentation describes various aspects of the regulation of tissue oxygenation, including the roles of the circulatory system, respiratory system, and blood, the carrier of oxygen within these components of the cardiorespiratory system. The respiratory system takes oxygen from the atmosphere and transports it by diffusion from the air in the alveoli to the blood flowing through the pulmonary capillaries. The cardiovascular system then moves the oxygenated blood from the heart to the microcirculation of the various organs by convection, where oxygen is released from hemoglobin in the red blood cells and moves to the parenchymal cells of each tissue by diffusion. Oxygen that has diffused into cells is then utilized in the mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of all cells. The mitochondria are able to produce ATP until the oxygen tension or PO2 on the cell surface falls to a critical level of about 4–5 mm Hg. Thus, in order to meet the energetic needs of cells, it is important to maintain a continuous supply of oxygen to the mitochondria at or above the critical PO2 . In order to accomplish this desired outcome, the cardiorespiratory system, including the blood, must be capable of regulation to ensure survival of all tissues under a wide range of circumstances. The purpose of this presentation is to provide basic information about the operation and regulation of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, as well as the properties of the blood and parenchymal cells, so that a fundamental understanding of the regulation of tissue oxygenation is achieved.

How do mammals manage to maintain their body temperature within the same narrow range in environments as different as polar regions and hot deserts? This advanced text describes the morphological features and physiological mechanisms by which humans and other mammals maintain their body temperature within a narrow range despite large variations in climatic conditions and internal heat production. Its 19 chapters deal with the physics of heat exchange with the environment, and the autonomic and behavioural mechanisms available to control the loss and production of heat. The neuronal basis of temperature regulation and current concepts of the central nervous interface between temperature signals generated in the body and control mechanisms are examined in detail. This book is of invaluable help for undergraduates, postgraduates, teachers, physicians and scientists.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the multitude of different forms of thermotherapy in connection with aspects of thermal physiology and cell biology. The aim is to elucidate the scientific background of therapeutic actions and to promote effective new applications at the beginning of the 21st century. Significant to these purposes is cooperation between experts in the fields of thermal biology, hyper thermic oncology, rheumatology, and balneology, as represented by the editors. Emphasis has been placed on a balanced choice of contributions, in the hope that this will enable the reader to draw helpful connections between the principles and prac tice of thermotherapy. It is apparent that a wealth of published data exists concerning thermotherapy on the one hand and thermal physiology on the other. However, in the former field empirical aspects of therapeutic usefulness prevail, while in the latter, aspects of basic science are in the foreground. Accordingly, the sources where published data may be found are quite different and as a consequence many findings of potential mutual interest published in medical journals have gone unnoticed by readers of physio logical journals, and vice versa. It is hoped that this book will bridge the gap and encourage researchers' efforts to integrate the available knowledge to attain optimal coordination of clinical and theoretical aspects.

This is a user-friendly monograph designed for medical students as well as graduate students and postdoctoral trainees in medicine and other health-related sciences who need a comprehensive overview of thermoregulation. It presents the bases of the modern concepts in thermal physiology and pathophysiology, bringing together the disciplines encompassed by this highly integrative field ? physiology, anatomy, biophysics, molecular and cellular biology, pharmacology, neuroscience, pathology, medicine, and others ? into a clear and concise form that can be read comfortably in a relatively short time. This text was conceived by the Commission on Thermal Physiology of the International Union of Physiological Sciences in response to its concern over the inadequate and outdated coverage of this topic in traditional textbooks. The membership of this Commission comprises international experts in each of the subfields of thermal physiology, with extensive research and teaching experience in their respective specialties. They are the authors of the chapters of this indispendable textbook.