Scientific developments in recent years have led to significant strides and advancements within the medical field. By integrating these findings into medical practice, optimal healthcare can be delivered to the public. Emerging Applications, Perspectives, and Discoveries in Cardiovascular Research is a comprehensive reference source for the latest academic material on the exploration of cardiovascular diseases and provides an interdisciplinary examination of novel developments and applications for cardiovascular sciences. Highlighting a range of diverse topics, such as pharmacology, pathophysiology, and alternative medicine, this book is ideally designed for researchers, professionals, practitioners, graduate students, and academics interested in the latest medical advancements.

Due to population aging, calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) has become the most common heart valve disease in Western countries. No therapies exist to slow this disease progression, and surgical valve replacement is the only effective treatment. Calcific Aortic Valve Disease covers the contemporary understanding of basic valve biology and the mechanisms of CAVD, provides novel insights into the genetics, proteomics, and metabolomics of CAVD, depicts new strategies in heart valve tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, and explores current treatment approaches. As we are on the verge of understanding the mechanisms of CAVD, we hope that this book will enable readers to comprehend our current knowledge and focus on the possibility of preventing disease progression in the future.

Cancer is a leading cause of death that affects numerous people at every age and their relatives. In recent years, there has been a tremendous advancement in imaging and biotechnology technologies and techniques for aiding in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Emerging Developments and Practices in Oncology provides research on recent advances in oncology aiming to improve early detection and personalized treatment of cancer. While highlighting applied methods of therapy, such as body radiotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, and immunotherapy, readers learn about the transforming approach to oncology in modern medicine and new technologies used to diagnose and treat cancer. This book is an important resource for medical trainees, graduate students, active practitioners, researchers, and clinical scientists seeking current research on oncology trends and applications.

Stemming from environmental, genetic, and situational factors, chronic disease is a critical concern in modern medicine. Managing treatment and controlling symptoms is imperative to the longevity and quality of life of patients with such diseases. Chronic Illness and Long-Term Care: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice features current research on the diagnosis, monitoring, management, and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, autoimmune disorders, and many more. Highlighting a range of topics such as medication management, quality-of-life issues, and sustainable health, this publication is an ideal reference source for hospital administrators, healthcare professionals, academicians, researchers, and graduate-level students interested in the latest research on chronic diseases and long-term care.

Yoga has evolved into a popular fitness practice across the globe. With the various schools of practice, it is imperative for practitioners to study both traditional texts and emerging scientific research in this area. Research-Based Perspectives on the Psychophysiology of Yoga is a unique reference source for the latest academic material on the physiological effects of yoga and cultivating a deeper understanding of yoga practice through the intersection of traditional texts and contemporary research. Including a range of topics such as occupational health, neurobiology, and women’s health, this book is ideally designed for professionals, practitioners, students, educators, and academics interested in the effects, challenges, and benefits of yoga practice.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a screening tool called the Listing of Impairments to identify claimants who are so severely impaired that they cannot work at all and thus immediately qualify for benefits. In this report, the IOM makes several recommendations for improving SSA's capacity to determine disability benefits more quickly and efficiently using the Listings.

Is it advisable to go back from bedside to the bench? During the last decade, few topics encountered such a broad interest in bio- gy and medicine as angiogenesis. The amazing ability of the body to restore blood flow by induction of blood vessel growth as part of an adaptive process has alarmed physicians dealing with diseases in which angiogenesis is either exaggerated (as in tumors) or too slow (as in ischemic diseases of heart and brain). Not surprisingly, pro- and antiangiogenic strategies have found their way into clinical trials. For instance, for the USA, the NIH website in early 2004 displayed 38 clinical studies involving either pro- or antiangiogenic th- apies. Given the expected overwhelming wealth of clinical data, the question may be asked whether further exploration of biological mechanisms is required or whether results from the bedside are instructive enough to proceed. This question depends also on the progress of pro- and antiangiogenic clinical trials. In the following, I give a short overview about some of the progress that has been made in this field. Since Judah Folkman proposed antiangiogenic tumor therapy thirty years ago, it has become increasingly evident that agents which interfere with blood vessel formation also block tumor progression. Accordingly, antiangiogenic therapy has gained much attention as a potential adjunct to conventional c- cer therapy.