Journal of Circadian Rhythms
The official organ of the Brazilian Sleep Society
REVIEWS
SPECIAL ISSUE OF PERIODIC JOURNAL
Smolensky MH, Peppas NA (Theme Editors). Chronobiology, Drug Delivery and Chronotherapeutics. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews 2007; vol. 59, issues 9-10, pages 823-1070.
Medical chronobiologists have been searching for systems to make possible better and safer therapeutics based on the principles and findings of chronobiology, and drug-delivery scientists have been searching for new applications of already existing as well as new systems and technology to make possible better and safer therapeutics. Over the years, the cross-talk between the scientists of these two fields has been extremely limited, despite tremendous advances in the knowledge of medical chronobiology and in drug-delivery systems and technology. Thus, the major goal of this special issue is to bring together the two complementary fields of medical chronobiology and drug-delivery engineering. Scientists of several fields of medicine and pharmacology contribute here in-depth reviews and annotated comments regarding drug-delivery opportunities of those medical conditions that are logical targets for the successful application of new drug-delivery systems and devices to improve outcomes by chronotherapeutic strategies. The content of these articles clearly makes apparent many potential new applications of existing drug-delivery systems and devices, and it serves also as the basis for future developments. For detailed table of contents see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0169409X/
BOOKS
Koukkari WL, Sothern RB. Introducing Biological Rhythms. A primer on the temporal organization of life, with implications for health, society, reproduction and the natural enviromìnment. New York: Springer, 2006, 655 pp. (Language: English; ISBN-13: 978-1-4020-3691-0)
This text has been written for students and others, including teachers in the life sciences, clinical personnel, biomedical researchers and the general public, who are interested in the topic of biological rhythms, in general, and the implications and applications of the cycles of nature in us and around us, in particular. The authors have tried to be as thorough as possible in covering all aspects of the world of rhythms in order to create the first comprehensive textbook on biological rhythms since the books by Bünning in 1958 and Moore-Ede, Sulzman and Fuller in 1982. Thus, information is provided in 13 chapters on 1) the general features of rhythms, 2) a background on physical and biological time, 3) photoperiodism, 4) models and mechanisms of rhythms (including clock genes), 5) tidal and lunar rhythms, 6) sexual rhythms in various organisms, including plants, animals and humans, 7) rhythms in natural resources, agriculture, and society (including effects of light pollution), 8) rhythms in clinical and veterinary medicine, 9) self-monitoring of rhythms, and 10) analysis for rhythms. The book consists of 655 pages of text, 225 figures, more than 2,300 references, and many essays and footnotes that provide historic and anecdotal background information. Reviews of this book have appeared in:
1) the Bulletin du Grupes d’Etude des Rhythmes Biologiques 2006; 37(4): 98. (by B. Millet);
2) La Clinica Terapeutica 2006; 157(5): 469. (by P. Cugini);
3) Chronobiol Intl 2007; 24(4): 777-779. (by M. Smolensky).
More information about this book can be found on the Springer (includes a detailed table of contents) and Amazon websites listed below:
http://www.springer.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/0,11855,4-40289-22-49211909-0,00.html?changeHeader=true
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1402036914/sr=1-1/qid=1138740229/ref=sr_1_1/102-2354292-0216944?%5Fencoding=UTF8
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White WB (Editor). Blood Pressure Monitoring in Cardiovascular Medicine and Therapeutics. 2nd edition. Totowa (New Jersey): Humana Press, 2007. 484 pages.
In this newly updated second edition of Blood Pressure Monitoring in Cardiovascular Medicine and Therapeutics, William B. White, MD, and a panel of experienced clinicians critically review every aspect of out-of-office evaluation of blood pressure, including home and ambulatory pressure, the relationship between whole-day blood pressure and the cardiovascular disease process, and the effects of numerous antihypertensive therapies on these blood pressure parameters. The Authors writing here describe the significant advances in our understanding of the circadian pathophysiology of cardiovascular disorders and demonstrate that ambulatory blood pressure values are independent predictors of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The book is available both in hardcover and electronic format. For detailed table of contents see http://www.humanapress.com/
