Profound progress has been made in the fields of chronobiology and psychobiology within the past decade, in theory, experiment and clinical application. This volume integrates these new developments on all levels from the molecular, genetic and cellular to the psycho social processes of everyday life. We present a balanced variety of research from workers around the globe, who discuss the funda mental significance of their approach for a new understanding of the central role of ultradian rhythms in the self-organizing and adaptive dynamics of all life processes. The years since the publication of Ultra dian rhythms in physiology and behavior by Schultz and Lavie in 1985 have seen a burgeoning realization of the ubiquity and importance of ultradian rhythms within and between every level of the psychobiological hierarchy. The experimental evidence lies scattered through a disparate litera ture, and this volume attempts, albeit in a highly selective manner, to bring together some of the different strands. The editors are very conscious of the omission of many important current aspects; e.g. we have not included any of the fascinating and indeed long and well-established experiments with plants (Bunning 1971, 1977; Guillaume and Koukkari 1987; Millet et al. 1988; 10hnsson et al. 1990) that are widely regarded as having initiated the whole field of chronobiology (De Mairan 1729). Neither have we reviewed recent developments on glycolytic oscillations, since a great deal of the seminal work was already completed by 1973 (Chance et al. 1973).

Profound progress has been made in the fields of chronobiology and psychobiology within the past decade, in theory, experiment and clinical application. This volume integrates these new developments on all levels from the molecular, genetic and cellular to the psycho social processes of everyday life. We present a balanced variety of research from workers around the globe, who discuss the funda mental significance of their approach for a new understanding of the central role of ultradian rhythms in the self-organizing and adaptive dynamics of all life processes. The years since the publication of Ultra dian rhythms in physiology and behavior by Schultz and Lavie in 1985 have seen a burgeoning realization of the ubiquity and importance of ultradian rhythms within and between every level of the psychobiological hierarchy. The experimental evidence lies scattered through a disparate litera ture, and this volume attempts, albeit in a highly selective manner, to bring together some of the different strands. The editors are very conscious of the omission of many important current aspects; e.g. we have not included any of the fascinating and indeed long and well-established experiments with plants (Bunning 1971, 1977; Guillaume and Koukkari 1987; Millet et al. 1988; 10hnsson et al. 1990) that are widely regarded as having initiated the whole field of chronobiology (De Mairan 1729). Neither have we reviewed recent developments on glycolytic oscillations, since a great deal of the seminal work was already completed by 1973 (Chance et al. 1973).

5. 1. 1 Biological Rhythms and Clocks From an evolutionary perspective, the adaptation of an organism’s behavior to its environment has depended on one of life’s fundamental traits: biological rhythm generation. In virtually all light-sensitive organisms from cyanobacteria to humans, biological clocks adapt cyclic physiology to geophysical time with time-keeping properties in the circadian (24 h), ultradian (24 h) domains (Edmunds, 1988; Lloyd, 1998; Lloyd et al. , 2001; Lloyd and Murray, 2006; Lloyd, 2007; Pittendrigh, 1993; Sweeney and Hastings, 1960) By definition, all rhythms exhibit regular periodicities since they constitute a mechanism of timing. Timing exerted by oscillatory mechanisms are found throughout the biological world and their periods span a wide range from milliseconds, as in the action potential of n- rons and the myocytes, to the slow evolutionary changes that require thousands of generations. In this context, to understand the synchronization of a population of coupled oscillators is an important problem for the dynamics of physiology in living systems (Aon et al. , 2007a, b; Kuramoto, 1984; Strogatz, 2003; Winfree, 1967). Circadian rhythms, the most intensively studied, are devoted to measuring daily 24 h cycles. A variety of physiological processes in a wide range of eukaryotic organisms display circadian rhythmicity which is characterized by the following major properties (Anderson et al. , 1985; Edmunds, 1988): (i) stable, autonomous (self-sustaining) oscillations having a free-running period under constant envir- mental conditions of ca.

Introducing a radical approach to wellness: This self-help guide rejects ‘one-size-fits-all’ dieting and health advice to offer practical strategies and tools for getting healthy—your way. What kind of society makes being healthy and happy so difficult that only a single-digit percentage of the population can hope to pull it off? The answer: A sick society. And within a sick society—one where illness, anxiety, and depression are the prevailing norms—what does it mean to be one of the few people to beat those unhealthy odds? It means bucking a lot of your society’s norms and rejecting a lot of its conventional health prescriptions. It also means acknowledging a disturbing truth: If you aren’t breaking the rules, you’re probably breaking yourself. That’s the simple, provocative philosophy behind The Healthy Deviant, one seasoned health journalist’s quest to reframe healthy choices as a positive form of social rebellion. Combining hand-drawn infographics and statistics with insights from sociology, psychology, evolutionary biology, functional medicine, and the school of hard knocks, this category-defying book rejects the idea that diet and exercise alone can save us—or are even the best places to start. Gerasimo’s 14-day Healthy-Deviant Adventure Program presents a series of powerful perspective shifts and simple daily practices—plus illustrations, infographics, worksheets, reminders, and progress tracking tools—that put you firmly back in charge of your own wellbeing. Part manifesto, part whispered wake-up call, The Healthy Deviant is a modern-day survival guide for being a healthy person in an unhealthy world. Starting now.

Principles of Hormone/Behavior Relations, Second Edition, provides an introduction to the underlying principles of endocrine regulation of behavior, a newly emerging area of research within neurobiology and endocrinology. It addresses the properties of hormone/behavior relations, including the influence of family background, timing issues, neuroanatomical features, cellular mechanisms, and the importance of environmental context and evolution. This new edition incorporates critical advances in the field, also including increased coverage of hormonal influences on food intake, and on the cardiovascular system. The addition of entirely new principles provides further coverage of epigenetics and appetite. Thoroughly revised and updated, this book is an ideal resource for neuroscientists and researchers engaging in this rapidly expanding field of study. Provides a unique structure where each chapter addresses a key principle that is illustrated by numerous basic experimental and clinical examples Includes user-friendly features, such as boxed figures with extended captions and references, numerous clinical notes, and a comprehensive list of abbreviations Contains numerous illustrations that highlight both the clinical and basic science information

Recent years have seen spectacular advances in the field of circadian biology. These have attracted the interest of researchers in many fields, including endocrinology, neurosciences, cancer, and behavior. By integrating a circadian view within the fields of endocrinology and metabolism, researchers will be able to reveal many, yet-unsuspected aspects of how organisms cope with changes in the environment and subsequent control of homeostasis. This field is opening new avenues in our understanding of metabolism and endocrinology. A panel of the most distinguished investigators in the field gathered together to discuss the present state and the future of the field. The editors trust that this volume will be of use to those colleagues who will be picking up the challenge to unravel how the circadian clock can be targeted for the future development of specific pharmacological strategies toward a number of pathologies.