Stem cell biology has drawn tremendous interest in recent years as it promises cures for a variety of incurable diseases. This book deals with the basic and clinical aspects of stem cell research and involves work on the full spectrum of stem cells isolated today. It also covers the conversion of stem cell types into a variety of useful tissues which may be used in the future for transplantation therapy. It is thus aimed at undergraduates, postgraduates, scientists, embryologists, doctors, tissue engineers and anyone who wishes to gain some insight into stem cell biology. This book is important as it is comprehensive and covers all aspects of stem cell biology, from basic research to clinical applications. It will have 33 chapters written by renowned stem cell scientists worldwide. It will be up-to-date and all the chapters include self-explanatory figures, color photographs, graphics and tables. It will be easy to read and give the reader a complete understanding and state of the art of the exciting science and its applications.

Myopia is the most common optical disorder in the world, and is on the rise in many countries, particularly in East Asia. The impact of myopia is evident as the driving force in the development of refractive surgery and of the spectacle and contact lens industries. While myopia is often seen as a childhood disease that involves complex genetic-environmental factors, it is also a major cause of adult blindness. In Singapore (where myopia has reached one of the highest rates in the world) as well as in Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong, affected patients have greater severity of myopia, leading to additional secondary complications such as glaucoma.This book provides a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of myopia. It is aimed at ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians, scientists and pharmaceutical companies. The topics are uniquely treated in that they cover research at the laboratory bench as well as clinical applications and population-based approaches in epidemiology.