Science and Technology in Medicine : An Illustrated Account Based on Ninety-Nine Landmark Publications From Five Centuries

the History And Evolution Of The Fields Of Science And Medicine Are Symbiotically Linked And Thus Are Mutually Dependent. Discoveries In One Domain Have Allowed For Progress In The Other, And It Is Nearly Impossible To Study One Area In Isolation. The Influence Of Science And Technologic Discoveries On Medicine Has Profoundly Impacted The Way Physicians Practice And Has Resulted In An Extended Life Expectancy And Quality Of Life That Our Ancestors Never Dreamed Possible. Science And Technology In Medicine Is A Collection Of 99 Essays Based On Landmark Publications That Have Appeared In The Medical Literature Over The Past 500 Years. Each Essay Includes A Summary Of The Article Or Chapter; Text And Images Reproduced Directly From The Original Source; A Short Biography Of The Author(s); And A Discussion About The Significance Of The Discovery And Its Subsequent Influence On Later Developments. Original Material By The Likes Of Dürer, Bernoulli, Doppler, Pasteur, Trendelenburg, Curie And Röntgen Offers Readers A Rare Glimpse At Publications Housed In Archives Around The World, Beautifully Reproduced In One Fascinating Volume. N-acetylaspartate, or NAA, is the acetylated form of the amino acid aspartate, and it is present exclusively in the nervous system. Indeed, NAA is one of the most highly concentrated chemicals found in the brain of humans and animals, and yet the functions served by this brain-specific metabolite remain elusive, and controversial. Despite the uncertainties surrounding the functions of NAA in the development and operation of the nervous system, this molecule has attracted the attention of researchers and clinicians for two distinct reasons. First, the acetyl proton on NAA gives off a very prominent signal in water-suppressed, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), which permits clinicians to monitor levels of NAA in the brains of patients in a non-invasive manner. Because NAA is found primarily in neurons, and because the levels in the brain have been found to change rapidly after injury, or slowly during neurodegenerative diseases, MRS has become a preferred method of analyzing nerve cell dysfunction and death without surgical intervention. The second reason that NAA has attracted attention in recent years is that a congenital genetic disorder of NAA metabolism has been found to be the cause of the neurodegenerative disorder known as Canavan's disease. Canavan's disease is an inherited leukodystrophy that involves myelination pathologies of cortical white matter, leading to death within 10 years of birth. The genetic mutation results in a defective enzyme that de-acetylates NAA in the brain, resulting in a significant rise in NAA levels in the brain and urine. This enzyme, known as aspartoacylase (ASPA), appears to be involved in the process of myelination, such that a defective enzyme results in a disruption of the myelination of nerve fibers during development. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together investigators from around the world who are interested in the study of NAA, and the roles it plays in neuronaldevelopment and functioning. It is hoped that bringing researchers and clinicians together in such a forum will facilitate rapid progress in this emerging field, and will help lead to discoveries that can alleviate the suffering caused by a deadly, inheritable infantile disease. N-acetylaspartate, or NAA, is the acetylated form of the amino acid aspartate, and it is present exclusively in the nervous system. Indeed, NAA is one of the most highly concentrated chemicals found in the brain of humans and animals, and yet the functions served by this brain-specific metabolite remain elusive, and controversial. Despite the uncertainties surrounding the functions of NAA in the development and operation of the nervous system, this molecule has attracted the attention of researchers and clinicians for two distinct reasons. First, the acetyl proton on NAA gives off a very prominent signal in water-suppressed, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), which permits clinicians to monitor levels of NAA in the brains of patients in a non-invasive manner. Because NAA is found primarily in neurons, and because the levels in the brain have been found to change rapidly after injury, or slowly during neurodegenerative diseases, MRS has become a preferred method of analyzing nerve cell dysfunction and death without surgical intervention. The second reason that NAA has attracted attention in recent years is that a congenital genetic disorder of NAA metabolism has been found to be the cause of the neurodegenerative disorder known as Canavan's disease. Canavan's disease is an inherited leukodystrophy that involves myelination pathologies of cortical white matter, leading to death within 10 years of birth. The genetic mutation results in a defective enzyme that de-acetylates NAA in the brain, resulting in a significant rise in NAA levels in the brain and urine. This enzyme, known as aspartoacylase (ASPA), appears to be involved in the process of myelination, such that a defective enzyme results in a disruption of the myelination of nerve fibers during development. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together investigators from around the world who are interested in the study of NAA, and the roles it plays in neuronal development and functioning. It is hoped that bringing researchers and clinicians together in such a forum will facilitate rapid progress in this emerging field, and will help lead to discoveries that can alleviate the suffering caused by a deadly, inheritable infantile disease The history and evolution of the fields of science and medicine are symbiotically linked and thus are mutually dependent. Discoveries in one domain have allowed for progress in the other, and it is nearly impossible to study one area in isolation. The influence of science and technologic discoveries on medicine has profoundly impacted the way physicians practice and has resulted in an extended life expectancy and quality of life that our ancestors never dreamed possible. Science and Technology in Medicine is a collection of 99 essays based on landmark publications that have appeared in the medical literature over the past 500 years. Each essay includes a summary of the article or chapter; text and images reproduced directly from the original source; a short biography of the author(s); and a discussion about the significance of the discovery and its subsequent influence on later developments. Original material by the likes of Dürer, Bernoulli, Doppler, Pasteur, Trendelenburg, Curie and Röntgen offers readers a rare glimpse at publications housed in archives around the world, beautifully reproduced in one fascinating volume. "Science and Technology in Medicine offers a window into the past that illustrates ninety-nine significant scientific and technologic discoveries over the last five centuries and how they have impacted the advancement and practice of modern medicine. Each essay includes excerpts from, and a summary of, the original publication; a short biography of the author(s); and a discussion about the significance of the discovery and its subsequent developments. Original material from the likes of Durer, Bernoulli, Doppler, Pasteur, Trendelenburg, Curie and Roentgen offers readers a rare glimpse at publications housed in archives around the world, reproduced and illustrated in one volume."--BOOK JACKET