Social exclusion and community capital

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Paul Weindling

This is a collection of original studies on the new international health and welfare organisations between the First and the Second World Wars. The diversity of such organisations and their many-sided activities make this a rich and complex area of historical investigation which has direct relevance to current issues in international health. Multilateral organisations such as the League of Nations and a variety of types of non-governmental organisations are discussed. The role of scientific and professional factors, as well as the priorities of women's employment, eugenics and pronatalism are also considered. Together, the various chapters present a cohesive and integrated view of a hitherto neglected area of study. The book also complements comparative studies of welfare states by emphasising the importance of international interactions between expert groups in a broader political and social context.

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Roy G. Smith, Michael O. Thorner

<p>Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue (GHS) receptor, is critical in the control of food intake and energy balance. The ghrelin receptors are now known to have important physiological properties as modulators of growth hormone release, appetite, glucose homeostasis, metabolism, immune function, neurotransmitter activity, cognitive function and neurodegeneration. Bringing all of this information together in the first comprehensive text on the topic, <i>Ghrelin in Health and Disease</i> provides a state-of-the-art synthesis of the latest work in this area for physicians and physician-scientists. This volume addresses the unique property of ghrelin as a modulator of function. Such a property provides potential utility for safe intervention in a wide variety of disease states. Indeed as we learn more about the basic physiology of ghrelin, the potential for treating new disease targets emerge requiring validation in the clinic. Each chapter in this volume is authored by a leading investigator in the field. The introductory chapter sets the background for the book and provides a superb overview of the relevance of ghrelin to physiology, describing how the discovery of ghrelin has prompted us to completely rethink traditional physiology. The authors conclude their chapters by critically addressing the future translational aspects of ghrelin biology and outlining what key basic research and clinical questions remain to be addressed. An invaluable resource, <i>Ghrelin in Health and Disease </i>distinguishes itself as the first comprehensive title covering all of the molecular and clinical issues relating to ghrelin and advancing our clinical understanding of obesity, growth, and reproductive pathogenesis.</p>

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Mohammed H. Mufti

"Healthcare Development Strategies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia acquaints readers with the current health policy environment, organization, and delivery of health services in the kingdom. Present financing means, both government and private, and future financing methods, such as a proposed national health insurance program and user-changes are presented and reviewed. Important strategic issues are discussed in regard to cost effectiveness, quality of services, utilization management, certificate of need, and the necessity for integration and cooperation among health sector agencies." "Providing information on the Saudi health system and any planned or proposed reformation in the health sector, is beneficial to healthcare directors, planners and strategists and will be of interest to experts and international investors in health system reorganization."--BOOK JACKET.

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Kevin Dew

"In contemporary manifestations of public health rituals and events, people are being increasingly united around what they hold in common--their material being and humanity. As a cult of humanity, public health provides a moral force in society that replaces 'traditional' religions in times of great diversity or heterogeneity of peoples, activities and desires. This is in contrast to public health's foundation in science, particularly the science of epidemiology. The rigid rules of 'scientific evidence' used to determine the cause of illness and disease can work against the most vulnerable in society by putting sectors of the population, such as underrepresented workers, at a disadvantage. This study focuses on this tension between traditional science and the changing vision articulated within public health (and across many disciplines) that calls for a collective response to uncontrolled capitalism and unremitting globalization, and to the way in which health inequalities and their association with social inequalities provides a political rhetoric that calls for a new redistributive social programme. Drawing on decades of research, the author argues that public health is both a cult and a science of contemporary society."--pub. desc.