This volume focuses on the etiology and morphogenesis of congenital heart diseases. It reviews in detail the early development and differentiation of the heart, and later morphologic events of the cardiovascular system, covering a wide range of topics such as gene functions, growth factors, transcription factors and cellular interactions that are implicated in cardiac morphogenesis and congenital heart disease. This book also presents recent advances in stem cell and cell sheet tissue engineering technologies which have the potential to provide novel in vitro disease models and to generate regenerative paradigms for cardiac repair and regeneration. This is the ideal resource for physician scientists and investigators looking for updates on recent investigations on the origins of congenital heart disease and potential future therapies.

This book is a roadmap of the exact health disparities that burden the health of South Texas residents, especially Hispanics, compared to the rest of Texas and nation. This type of knowledge has the potential to fuel and motivate researchers and public health leaders to create and shape interventions to reverse those health disparities. Most notably, focus on obesity and diabetes prevention efforts and modifiable risk factors—such as nutrition, reproductive factors and access to health care—has significant potential to reduce the burden of disease in South Texas communities.

Management of atypical breast lesions continues to evolve. There is considerable controversy as to whether these entities represent risk factors for future breast cancer or whether they are instead precursor lesions. A better understanding of the prognostic and therapeutic implications of each of these lesions is important for assessing subsequent breast cancer risk. Risk assessment tools are available for screening high risk patients and understanding the utility and limitations of these tools is important for all clinicians involved in the care of patients.

This book includes real-time photographical recording and panoramic summary of 105 cases with oral mucosal diseases along with their diagnosis and management. This book reflects the characteristic clinical manifestations through images of each case presented. In addition to the medical history, examination, diagnosis, pathology and management of each case, a comprehensive commentary is introduced in the end of each chapter with an emphasis on the normative clinical train of thoughts and guidelines.

This text provides a concise yet comprehensive overview of Alagille syndrome. The book reviews the pathophysiology and genetics of the disorder, discusses recent molecular advances and its impact on diagnostics, and describes management challenges and strategies. The text also touches upon future treatment options.

The cannabinoid system plays a central role in a wide variety of physiological functions that touch upon cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, immune, and nervous systems. Cannabinoids also play a central role in developmental physiology, management of pain, and shaping of human behaviour. Recent movements towards legalization of marijuana use have bolstered scientific interest in the cannabinoid field and led to research efforts that would unveil multi-faceted effects and mechanisms of cannabinoid presence in different organs and at various stages of development.

Carrion, or dead animal matter, is an inherent component of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, and is exploited by a wide diversity of organisms from different trophic levels, including microbes, arthropods and vertebrates. Further, carrion consumption by scavengers, i.e. scavenging, supports key ecosystem functions and services such as recycling nutrients and energy, disposing of carcasses and regulating disease spread. Yet, unlike dead plant matter, dead animal decomposition has received little attention in the fields of ecology, wildlife conservation and environmental management, and as a result the management of carrion for maintaining biodiversity and functional ecosystems has been limited.