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Editorial

The Encyclopedia of the Neuroscience explores all areas of the discipline in its focused entries on a wide variety of topics in neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry and other related areas of neuroscience. Each article is written by an expert in that specific domain and peer reviewed by the advisory board before acceptance into the encyclopedia. Each article contains a glossary, introduction, a reference section, and cross-references to other related encyclopedia articles. Written at a level suitable for university undergraduates, the breadth and depth of coverage will appeal beyond undergraduates to professionals and academics in related fields. Arranged alphabetically by title, the articles encompass 10 volumes, making this the authoritative reference for the field.It provides a comprehensive coverage of neuroscience in 10 volumes. 32 separate areas of neuroscience and neurology are covered for breadth and depth of content. Language is accessible for undergraduates, depth appropriate for scientists. It is authored and edited by world class researchers in neuroscience, followed by peer review. The title makes extensive use of figures, tables, and color illustrations and photographs. Glossaries, further reading suggestions, and cross-references provide additional tools to understand material. The Index provides opportunities to find entries under multiple relevant terms or find related material easily. The title is available in print and online versions.

Instructions for authors

The extraordinary growth of global interest in nanotechnology is based on a number of advances that make the fabrication of materials and devices with single atom/molecule precision possible. Unlike any other technology before, the scale of the nanometre unifies the physical and life sciences, and also engineering, so that one can now speak about controlling and manipulating physical properties at the smallest limit of scale. Although there are many current examples of how nanotechnology is revolutionizing electronics and materials, our expectations for the future are even greater. Medicine, computing, electronics, mechanical engineering, healthcare and energy conservation will all ultimately benefit from the exploitation of nanotechnology.The proliferation of interest in the field is mirrored by the number of new journals appearing that address some aspects of what is essentially an enormously broad discipline. Nanotechnology is unique in that it precedes all other publications in having produced its first issue in 1990. At that time, when the first images of atoms on surfaces were being recorded with the scanning tunnelling microscope, the term nanotechnology was more strictly applied to mechanical engineering with nanometre accuracy. In a prophetic editorial, the first issue predicted the interdisciplinary potential of nanotechnology and that it would become a ubiquitous technology of the future. It is a great pleasure, therefore, to be associated with the re-launch of Nanotechnology which builds upon its established publication record and responds to the importance of the field in the future. The journal is changing its scope to specifically cover research of an interdisciplinary nature and aims to publish papers at the forefront of nanoscale science and technology. I am particularly delighted at the acceptance by many of the leading practitioners in the field to join the Editorial Board. Nanotechnology has always had a close relationship with its Editorial Board and this will continue so that it has a comprehensive representation both geographically and scientifically.I am also pleased to announce improvements in the service to authors who will now have an opportunity to publish colour figures in print at no cost. This is an addition to the facility of free colour reproduction and inclusion of multimedia attachments in the online version that the journal has been offering to authors for a number of years. To achieve fast publication times, the journal now offers online refereeing and papers appear on the Web as soon as they are ready, weeks or months in advance of the printed version. Papers published in Nanotechnology receive a huge worldwide visibility through print and online versions. At present IOP offers free access to the current issue online for everyone. Please visit the journal's home page at www.iop.org/Journals/nano for more details.I believe that all of these factors will extend and enhance the journal's reputation and position it as the premier publication in the area, making it indispensable reading for you and your colleagues. Mark Welland Editor-in-Chief

Editorial

The article highlights the theoretical and practical aspects of studying the development and structure of the cardiovascular system (CVS). Cardiovascular diseases are characterized by a high prevalence and mortality, so the provision of high-quality and timely cardiac care to the population is one of the important tasks of the health care system. A necessary prerequisite for understanding the essence of morphological changes in pathological processes is knowledge of the normal structure and development of CVS structures. The aim of the work was to determine the theoretical and practical aspects of studying the development and structure of CVS structures, which was performed by review of literature sources (part 1 of the article is devoted to theoretical aspects, and part 2 discusses the practical aspects). Publications on human anatomy, histology, cytology and embryology, which are traditionally used in the study of the development and structure of the human body, in particular, CVS organs, have been analyzed. The sets of illustrations of modern publications, in addition to photos of wet gross specimens, corrosion preparations and X-ray radiographs, contain angiograms, in particular, lymphangiograms and arteriograms. The use of color atlases in the study of CVS allows to remember the anatomical structure and relative position of organs, as well as details of their histological structure. It is effective to use anatomical and histological flash cards, which contain color illustrations in combination with short text that identifies the structures and contains relevant information and clinical correlations, in the process of CVS study. The illustrations include photographs of histological sections for light microscopy, electronograms, drawings of preparations, and diagrams of the microscopic structure of CVS structures. Most educational publications in the disciplines "Human Anatomy" and "Histology, Cytology and Embryology" include data on the sources and stages of embryogenesis of the heart and blood vessels. There are also special editions on human embryology with up-to-date data on CVS embryogenesis. The importance of using editions which are manuals for the practical activities of specialists in the field of cardiology and cardiac surgery is determined. All modern editions contain large collections of X-ray, computer, magnetic resonance and histological images. The resources of simulation centers are useful, in particular, touch interactive anatomical tables with special software and anatomical 3D atlases. Software programs designed for educational demonstration of various parts of human CVS under normal and pathological conditions are available for smartphones, tablet PCs and desktop computers. An important feature of virtual resources in histology is their interactivity and the ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practice. Available platforms have dynamic and rich content for the teacher to work with a large number of students simultaneously. Many of the analyzed manuals contain numerous links to external sources of information, online versions of publications, which allows to gain access all texts, links and videos from various devices. Therefore, it is important to use clinically oriented educational publications to obtain high quality theoretical training in the study of the development and structure of the heart and vessels. When developing new educational materials, it is promising to include clinical and experimental data on CVS to them.

Book and media reviews

The history of IUBMB Life (1980-2020).

Edited by Robert M. Savage, M.D., F.A.C.C., Solomon Aronson, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.C.C.P., F.A.H.A., F.A.S.E., and Stanton K. Shernan, M.D. Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2011. Pages: 770. Price: $229.00.As the foreword indicates, the breadth of the second edition of Comprehensive Textbook of Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography is expansive, aptly mirroring the growth of echocardiography in perioperative medicine. For those of us striving to improve our echocardiography skills and improve patient care, this book will serve as a must-read, must-have reference. To reduce the burden of lugging around a heavy textbook, purchasers of each book gain access to an online version accessible from anywhere! The book covers everything a reader could want in an organized, well-thought-out manner. Filled with vibrant color illustrations and an extensive topic list, the text has a wonderful flow.Section 1 details the basics of perioperative echocardiography, starting with physics. This often-maligned topic is covered in detail, yet remains easy to read. Comprehensive illustrations help the reader along as the complex physics of echosonography are unwoven. Although the illustrations in this chapter are slightly busy, they appropriately convey the information needed. The text builds nicely on this basic knowledge by correlating the physical principles of ultrasound with real-life image pitfalls and artifacts in chapter 2 and image optimization in chapter 3. A section called Key Points at the end of each chapter succinctly summarizes important concepts. The book transitions smoothly from “machine” to “man” as the subsequent chapters of section 1 outline the anatomy of the heart, transesophageal echocardiography indications, and both the comprehensive and abbreviated transesophageal echocardiography examination before delving deeper into each area of the heart.Section 2 discusses the use of transesophageal echocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography in the critical care setting. Detailed evaluation of the patient with endocarditis and the use of rescue echocardiography in the intensive care unit are added to this edition as new chapters.Advanced applications of echocardiography are examined in section 3. From a new chapter on epiaortic imaging to chapters on congenital heart disease, as well as surgical considerations in valve and heart failure surgery, this section builds heavily on the basics. The level of detail and precision shines through as each chapter offers a wealth of information, clinical data, and images to support the echocardiographer through tough clinical scenarios. New chapters on strain echocardiography and three-dimensional echocardiography complete this section. It is a must-read for those working toward advanced certification in transesophageal echocardiography.With a text version, online version, 3 sections, 39 chapters, more than 60 contributing authors, 770 pages, and thousands of referenced articles, this text truly lives up to its name. It is comprehensive in every sense of the word. Yet, despite such a vast number of contributors and broad scope, it reads in a singular, focused manner. Topic after topic, it builds on the basics before advancing to an expanse of clinical application. I expect its readership will range from beginner to expert. For beginners, it is simple and easy to follow. For those already skilled, it is detailed and comprehensive. It is clearly informative for those seeking transesophageal echocardiography certification and those certified long ago. In short, it is well worth the asking price.*University of Chicago, Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. jmarymont@northshore.org

Unlike many first books that have a very narrow focus, this prizewinning history monograph (available on the Gutenberg.e open access Web site) is constructed broadly enough to attract readers of various backgrounds and interests. At the outset the author apologizes for subjects not covered. For example, gender, class, and ethnicity are left for future in-depth study. She warns that her colonial periodization is largely unitary, with little exploration of the nature of changes occurring between 1521 and 1808. In spite of the warnings, she covers these and much more.The author points out that the work “explains the cultures of health and illness that were formed amid the high mortality and morbidity rates during the colonial years of Mexico’s history” (p. xi). The general order is geographical and chronological. In chapter 1 the author focuses on the nature of health and sickness in Mexico, when possible using the words of those experiencing it. She begins in the centuries prior to Spanish contact then moves to the colonial era, starting with the newly introduced acute communicable diseases, moving on to endemic diseases, and ending with everyday ailments. Her sources here and elsewhere are varied: codices, biographies of doctors and medical institutions, personal letters, traveler’s accounts, the rich results of the government ordered relaciones geográficas of the 1570s – 80s, and texts written by health care givers of one kind or another; all these sources are exceptionally rich for colonial Mexico. And she mines the less-used ex-votos, small votive paintings that were often contracted and placed as gifts in shrines dedicated to one of the “saints of the church” most often associated with miraculous cures.In the second chapter the author deftly surveys the range of medical providers, beginning with the “educated,” the nature of training dependent on the cultural complex. For Mesoamerica the emphasis is on the Nahua, and the sources are surprisingly good. For the healers in New Spain she devotes sections to the licensed physicians, barber surgeons, midwives, and the unlicensed lay healers from curanderos to simple peddlers of false cures. She concludes the chapter with a fine analysis of the role of the church in treating the ill, and the nature and effectiveness of hospitals. The subsequent chapter deals with Nahua concepts of the body and the causes of disease, and the richly detailed fourth chapter shifts back to the Europeans. In it she traces the continued impact of humoralism on medicine and the ideas concerning the spread of disease. Her discussion of the supposed impact of noxious airs, as well as lack of moderation in lifestyle (including sin) are well peppered with revealing first-hand accounts. In the last chapter she explores the nature of a “culture of sickness” in which death was never far away. The church’s role in possible miraculous cures is also examined.Caution must be exercised at some points. For example, Fields falls into the common assumption that the catastrophic impact of the 1520 – 21 smallpox epidemic is explained by the long isolation of Amerindians peoples from the Old World pathogens (true) that had “forced the immunological systems of Old World peoples to erect defenses” (false) (p. 9). Although she characterizes some Europeans as “immunological supermen,” they did not, contrary to what she reports, possess “one of the most evolved immunological systems in the world at that time” (p. 10). Instead it was the almost constant exposure to Old World pathogens that helped protect the Europeans from the massive mortality confronting Amerindians in their initial experience with new epidemics. Europeans who lived in isolated communities for three generations without exposure to smallpox, for example, faced the same massive morbidity and mortality that Amerindians experienced. And, for a variety of reasons, the first Europeans reaching American soil lost one-third to two-thirds of their companions within two or three years. The statement that guinea pigs “may have been the source of Chagas’s disease or leishmaniasis” (p. 11) is misleading at best, and the assumption that humans did not live in close contact with llamas and alpacas, and that their herds were never as large as European herds, both arguments made by Jared Diamond, are unfounded. As Jorge Flores Ochoa has pointed out, herds of llamas and alpacas reached 50,000 head and remained numerous even following their destruction by the Spanish conquest and civil wars in the central Andes. Although Fields analyzed numerous descriptions of the symptoms and devastation of the epidemics of 1545 – 48 and 1576 – 80, she did not question the recent thesis of Rodolfo Acuña-Soto and others that the cause was native American hemorrhagic fevers, likely carried by rodent vectors, rather than the commonly assumed Old World typhus.The advantage of the e-book venue is immediately apparent in comparing the standard book format published by Columbia University Press with the online version. Due to cost, publishers are increasingly reluctant to include color illustrations, maps, and sometimes complex tables. While the print volume contains no illustrations, the open access version (http://www.gutenberg-e.org) is filled with full-color illustrations, some from Nahua codices, as well as colonial ex-votos, which would not be feasible to include in a standard book. The quality and accessibility of both illustrations and text makes the book convenient for advanced surveys as well as seminars, and suitable for the undergraduate as well as the advanced student. In sum, Fields provides one of the best broad introductions available on medical theory and practice in colonial Mexico.

Free colour illustrations in the online version of articles

Free colour illustrations in the on-line version of articles

Free colour illustrations in the online version of articles

Free colour illustrations in the online version of the articles

Free colour illustrations in the online version of articles