Blackwell Publishing

Pheochromocytoma; diagnosis, localization, and treatment.

These rare but perfidious tumors are frequently missed or easy to misdiagnose, yet if left untreated is always fatal. They produce catecholamine, so diagnosis must be prompt, with treatment consisting largely of surgical resection. This comprehensive update provides the latest research along with best clinical practices and includes pathology, clinical presentations including signs and symptoms, differential diagnosis, special presentations such as when incidentally discovered with an adrenal mass, as an endocrine emergency, in children or in pregnancy, or as pseudopheochromocytoma, current trends in research of the genetics of pheochromocytoma, including in sporadic and other pheochromocytomas, catecholamines and adrenergic receptors, current trends in biochemical diagnosis and in localization, medical therapy and preparation for surgery, postoperative management and future trends from genomics, proteomics and therapeutic modalities. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Primary health care; theory and practice.

Writing primarily for scholars in primary health care and those who aspire to enter the field as researchers or teachers, Greenhalgh (Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University College London) untangles the diverse roots of primary health care, emphasizing that different primary disciplines (such as basic biomedical science, epidemiology, psychology, and sociology) provide different theoretical lenses through which the multifaceted problems of primary care can be studied. While the author admits that she is biased towards her own areas of expertise (sociological aspects of illness and healthcare, ethnic health, electronic records), the book's single-author format offers a holistic overview of the field along with a consistency of style that can't be achieved in a multi-author text. The book will also be of interest to general practitioners, practice and community nurses, and other primary care professionals. The book is distributed in the US by Blackwell Publishers. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Psychology.

Barker (nursing, Bournemouth University, UK) provides a concise, accessible introduction to key psychological theories and outlines their relevance to nursing practice. In an introductory chapter, she offers insight into five different perspectives in psychology: biological, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, and humanistic. These perspectives underpin subsequent material on health and illness throughout the lifespan, relationship theory and interpersonal relationships, managing the therapeutic relationship, and how people cope with suffering. Examples from all branches of nursing practice relate psychological themes specifically to nursing practice. Chapter objectives, case studies, and activities are included. No prior knowledge of psychology is assumed. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Randomized controlled trials; questions, answers, and musings, 2d ed.

Jadad (health policy, University of Toronto, Canada) and Enkin (clinical epidemiology, emeritus, McMaster University, Canada) describe the underlying principles and practice of randomized controlled research trials and their role in decision making. Structured in a jargon-free, question-and-answer format, each chapter provides concise information on aspects of randomized controlled trials, from the basics of trial design and terminology to the interpretation of results and their use in driving evidence-based medicine. The authors end each chapter with "musings," new to this edition, that go beyond the evidence or citations, and sometimes even beyond orthodox correctness, sharing their concerns about the role of randomized controlled trials in the health system. Updated to include insights from the past decade, this second edition challenges over-reliance on randomized controlled trials by debating their strengths and limitations and discussing their optimal use in modern healthcare. In also includes a new chapter on ethics. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Reviewing research evidence for nursing practice; systematic reviews.

Nursing has come to include a significant element of qualitative, quantitative and integrative research, leading to the need for skills in preparing and evaluating of data. This collection of articles gives nurses and other health practitioners methodologies as well as samples of to use as models or for practice. The editors and contributors give and overview of basic methods, key stages in systematic reviews, methods of conducting meta-synthesis and meta-study of qualitative research, methods of conducting integrative reviews of qualitative and quantitative research, and ways to apply and use reviews in health services. The samples are especially helpful and cover specialized aspects of nursing including obstetrics, geriatrics, health education, anatomy and psychological elements of chronic illness, giving readers a range of standard practices and options in conducting and preparing literature reviews. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Rowing.

The 13 chapters in this volume, presented by Secher (anesthesia, U. of Copenhagen, Denmark) and Volianitis (sport and education, Brunel U., UK), cover the historical, nutritional, and psychological aspects of rowing, the health and welfare of athletes, and physiology and biomechanics. The information has been presented for scientific purposes, and to help athletes and coaches in their training, testing, and team selection. The book is also useful to novice and recreational rowers and those in competitions. Contributors work in sports medicine, sport pedagogy and coaching sciences, anesthesia, and related fields around the world. The book was published under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee in collaboration with the International Rowing Federation. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Saving the earth as a career; advice on becoming a conservation professional.

Hunter (conservation biology, wildlife ecology, University of Maine) explores the skills needed to become an effective conservation professional. Writing in an informal and engaging style, he takes a roughly chronological approach, beginning with first-year undergraduates, and on through the years of graduate work and into the job market. He gives advice on selecting an educational program, designing a program of study, executing a research project, attending conferences, and finding a job. Vignettes and original b&w cartoons are included. Although university students are the primary target audience, the book will also be of use to older readers (those contemplating a career change) and younger readers still planning their educational and career paths. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Stable isotopes in ecology and environmental science, 2d ed.

New studies on the uses of stable isotopes in analysis have resulted in improvements for a variety of ecological disciplines. The contributors of these 14 articles have taken this situation to heart and updated their articles to be sure natural abundance isotopes and ways of interpreting patterns are up-to-date. They cover stable isotope chemistry and measurement, sources of variation in the stable isotope composition of plants, natural abundance isotopes as indicators of forest nitrogen status and soil carbon dynamics, soil nutrition isotope composition, isotopic studies of the biology of modern ad fossil vertebrates, isotopic tracing of migrant wildlife, the natural abundance of a nitrogen isotope in marine plankton ecosystems, marine chemoautotrophically based ecosystems, tracers in marine food webs, temporal and spatial variability in organic matter sources to freshwater ecosystems, watershed hydrology, anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen, models of ecosystem biochemistry, and isotope analysis in ecology and paleoecology. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Treating the critically ill patient.

This pocket (5x7.5 inches) guide outlines how to recognize and treat acutely ill patients who are at risk of further deterioration. It includes early warning scoring systems to identify patients at risk, lists key priorities for care, and equips nursing students and newly qualified staff with the clinical skills needed to provide effective care. Each chapter follows a standard layout, and includes bullet points and b&w photos of equipment and procedures. Procedures are demonstrated on dummies and occasionally live models. Chapters on ethics and record keeping are also included. Jevon is a Resuscitation Council UK ALS Instructor at Manor Hospital, UK. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Veterinary parasitology, 3d ed.

Taylor (veterinary surveillance, Central Science Laboratory, UK) offers a major update of a reference for veterinary practitioners and students. New authors have revised and restructured the book to reflect modern teaching practices and recent advances in the field. Material is arranged by host species and organ system within the host, with extensive cross-referencing. The core focus is on parasites of livestock and companion animals, but new sections also cover parasites of poultry and game birds, laboratory animals, exotic pets, and 'farmed' species. This edition features expanded sections on protozoa and ectoparasites, as well as coverage of a larger selection of parasites of veterinary significance around the world. A standardized format allows for easy reference and identification and for comparison between species within a genus. The art program offers color and b&w photos, drawings, and microimages on almost every page. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Water activity in foods; fundamentals and applications.

Barbosa-Cánovas (food engineering, Center for Nonthermal Processing of Food, Washington State University) brings together an international group of food scientists, chemists, and engineers to present a detailed overview of the influence of water activity on food attributes. Progressing from the scientific to the practical, the book examines the fundaments and relationships of water activity, looking at the ways in which water activity affects microorganisms and chemical reaction rates, moisture gain and loss through packaging, and applications of water activity management in the food industry and non-food systems. Discussion of practical applications is illustrated by examples from the food industry. Thirty pages of reference tables and formulas are included. The book can serve as an introduction to the concept of water activity for neophytes and as a reference for seasoned food science professionals in academe and industry. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Zoo animal and wildlife immobilization and anesthesia.

This major textbook provides a thorough and practical approach to immobilization methods for non-human animals. Five initial chapters describe pharmacology and drug delivery, including those used for euthanasia. Seven subsequent chapters describe supportive care, monitoring, and complications, including human safety during wildlife capture and the techniques of physical restraint. The remaining 48 chapters are each devoted to a different type of animal, including invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, as well as mammals of all types. The volume is well-illustrated with diagrams and color photos. Written by specialists working in zoos, universities, and veterinary colleges in North America, Australia, Europe, and Africa, the chapters richly display their hands-on expertise in the attention to detail and savvy advice on what to watch for that's found throughout the text. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)