The successful prophylaxis and treatment of ubiquitous respiratory infections is essential for the enhancement of public health. The chapters provide new insights into the biology of causative pathogens, tackle the epidemiological aspects, and present an update on diagnostics, prevention and therapy of infections. The emerging new pathogens and antibiotic resistance of the old ones are discussed. Novel markers of the severity of community acquired pneumonia, which bears high morbidity and mortality, also are presented.

This volume provides a modern look on the age-old influenza infection and the preventive role of anti-influenza shots. Influenza pandemic outbreaks are unrelenting despite the growing understanding of the molecular basis of viral infection and its spreads. A leap in medical technologies has revolutionized the design of new influenza vaccines. The chapters cover vaccination strategies in various age-groups of people and provide the extensive amount of knowledge on the immune response to influenza vaccination in a spectrum of disease conditions.

The dynamics of body metabolism are changed in the disease process and interact with physical activity. The alteration of metabolism and its consequences raise the need for simple and reliable methods for assessment of body composition. The chapters aim to investigate various interacting components converging on metabolic changes in lung and muscle tissues taking into consideration the drug effects. The effects of exercise and nutritional status are dealt with at a great extent.

The book presents the latest advances in research into health effects of air pollution, with heavy motor vehicle traffic or cigarette smoke as the exemplar of pollution. The airways are the first-line defense system against pollution. The book focuses on respiratory ailments underlain by inflammation, increased susceptibility to infection, particularly acquired during harsh environmental conditions and exposures to particulate matter or pathogens. The importance of astute analysis of lung function for early diagnosis of disorders is underscored. A knowledge deficit concerning the aerosolized...

The book blends basic and clinical research on respiratory carcinogensis. The contributions tackle a variety of respiratory-related cancers, notably non-small cell lung carcinoma, pleural mesothelioma, mediastinal tumors, or larynx cancer. The focus is on the search for novel molecular markers, derived from easily accessible tissues in clinical settings, such as the serum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, which could help diagnose cancer at an early stage and have a prognostic therapeutic value. The transcriptional mechanisms which endow cells with the capacity for unlimited proliferation are...

The respiratory tract is a frequent target of infections caused by a wide range of organisms. The book provides reader-friendly information on aspects of pulmonary infections, including comprehensive accounts of bacterial and viral diseases, therapeutic approaches, molecular and classical culture-related techniques of diagnosis and explaining the basic cell biological mechanism. The role of oxidative stress, both helpful in fighting invading pathogens and detrimental in yielding to infection is detailed as it is often undervalued and needs focus. The chapters encompass latest developments and...

Pulmonary Function

The tracheobronchial tree is open to the environment surrounding the body. Respiration has thus the essential bearing on general morbidity, vulnerability to disease and immunity. Further, respiratory function shapes the neuropsychological responses to succumbing to disease, controls the mind-to-body interaction and sets the perception of quality of life. The chapters of this book deal with the preventable drivers of poor respiratory health, the role of health information technology, the improvement in health care delivery and the integration of respiratory health and behavioral health...

Diseases of the respiratory system often cause multisystem dysfunction and morbidity.

Respiratory function is a major determinant of the overall quality of health and well-being of an individual. This book runs the gamut of chapters devoted to chronic cough-related conditions in children and adults, health care quality and safety, environmental pollution health effects, efficiency of therapeutic approaches and a mutual dependence of respiratory and non-respiratory illnesses. An integrated approach to the investigation and treatment of sleep disordered breathing as well as the use of new and more efficient diagnostic strategies for pleural tuberculosis are presented. Chapters...