Amino acid transport is a part of each of two larger subjects, amino acid metabolism and the biomembrane transport of various . small molecules and ions. Nevertheless in this volume we treat amino acid transport as more than a fragment of either of these two larger subjects. A more comprehensive approach is justified when we remember two historic and ongoing aspects of the title subject. First, amino acid transport had its beginning and acquired a distinct momentum (even if somewhat interrupted from 1913 until about 1945) as amino acid metabolism with the central and pioneer work of Van Slyke and Meyer in 1913. The reviews in this volume will show that it steadily becomes a larger aspect of amino acid metabolism, broadly perceived. These chapters will show for how many organelles, cells, tissues, organs and organ systems, the transmembrane compartmentations and flows of amino acids play very large parts in their fundamental biological relations. The authors here are tending collectively to evaluate an understanding of amino acid flows across biomernbranes, and the regulation of these flows, as necessary to an ultimate understanding of the full range of development and metabolism. Such an understanding goes far beyond the purely substrate-destabilizing contributions by enzymes, which have often been arbitrarily limited to that conceptual entity, "the cell," and which for so long a splendid time had most of biochemical research attention.

Since programmed cell death was first described in insects in 1964 and apoptosis was described in 1972, rapid progress has been made in understanding the basic mechanisms and genes regulating programmed cell death and apoptosis. In addition, defects in various genes regulating programmed cell death have been delineated in several experimental models of human diseases. This volume surveys various aspects of these rapidly developing areas of research in programmed cell death/apoptosis. This volume should be of interest to basic immunologists and molecular biologists. The volume begins with a historical perspective of cell death. The remainder of the volume is divided into four different parts. Part I deals with the signaling pathways in apoptosis, including cell cycle control of apoptosis, role of ceramide in apoptosis, role of antibody signaling, and biochemical regulation of apoptosis. The mechanisms for recognition of apoptotic lymphocytes by macrophages are also reviewed. Part II examines the role of various genes that regulate apoptosis, including the role ofFas, FasL, and other TNF family members in apoptosis and homeostatic regulation of immune response. Recently described splice variants and their influence on apoptosis are also reviewed, and the role of the members of the Bcl-2 family in apoptosis is discussed in detail. Part III reviews various aspects of apoptosis in B lymphocytes, including mechanisms that regulate apoptosis/survival of B lymphocytes and the regulation of Fas-mediated apoptosis in B lymphocytes.

The past decade has seen a steady increase in studies oflemur behavior and ecology. As a result, there is much novel information on newly studied populations, and even newly discovered species, that has not yet been published or summarized. In fact, lemurs have not been the focus of an international symposium since the Prosimian Biology Conference in London in 1972. Moreover, research on lemurs has reached a new quality by addressing general issues in behavioral ecology and evolutionary biology. Although lemurs provide important comparative information on these topics, this aspect of research on lemurs has not been reviewed and compared with similar studies in other primate radiations. Thus, as did many in the field, we felt that the time was ripe to review and synthesize our knowledge of lemur behavioral ecology. Following an initiative by Gerry Doyle, we organized a symposium at the XIVth Congress of the International Primatological Society in Strasbourg, France, where 15 contributions summarized much new information on lemur social systems and their ecological basis. This volume provides a collection of the papers presented at the Strasbourg symposium (plus two reports from recently completed field projects). Each chapter was peer-reviewed, typically by one "lemurologist" and one other biologist. The first three chapters present novel information from the first long-term field studies of three enigmatic species. Sterling describes the social organization of Daubentonia madagascariensis, showing that aye-aye ranging patterns deviate from those of all other nocturnal primates.

During the past few decades, much research has been reported on the formation of insoluble monomolecular films of lipids and biopolymers (synthetic polymers and proteins) on the surface of water or at the oil-water interface. This interest arises from the fact that monomolecular film studies have been found to provide much useful information on a molecular scale, information that is useful for understanding many industrial and biological phenomena in chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical, medical, and food science applications. For instance, information obtained from lipid monolayer studies has been useful in determining the forces that are known to stabilize emulsions and biological cell membranes. The current texts on surface chemistry generally devote a single chapter to the characteristics of spread monolayers of lipids and biopolymers on liquids, and a researcher may have to review several hundred references to determine the procedures needed to investigate or analyze a particular phenomenon. Furthermore, there is an urgent need at this stage for a text that discusses the state of the art regarding the surface pheqomena exhibited by lipids and biopolymers, as they are relevant to a wide variety of surface and interfacial processes.

This book focuses on sensing and the evolution of animals. Using the five senses (visual, auditory, and olfactory perception, and taste and touch), animals can receive environmental stimuli and respond to them. Changes in these sensitivities might cause changes in aspects of animals lives such as habitat, activity timing, and diet and vice versa. Recent advances in genome and molecular analysis enable us to investigate certain changes in the receptors or mechanisms involved in sensing and provide clues for understanding the evolution of animals related to those changes. The first chapter deals with the molecular evolution of opsins. In addition to the well-known function of opsins as visual receptors, opsins can be related to non-visual photoreception such as photoentrainment of circadian rhythm, photoperiodism, and background adaptation. Molecular phylogenic studies reveal that all opsin genes have evolved from one ancient opsin gene. The evaluation of the functions of each extant opsin protein based on the molecular features enables us to predict the molecular evolution and diversification of opsins during the evolution of animals. These studies shed light on which amino-acid substitutions cause the functional diversification of opsins and how they have influenced the evolution of animals. The second chapter has to do with bitter taste perception, a key detection mechanism against the ingestion of bioactive substances. Genetic and behavioral evidence reveal the existence of "non-taster" Japanese macaques for specific bitter compounds, which originated in a restricted region of Japan. This finding might provide a clue for elucidating the ecological, evolutionary, and neurobiological aspects of bitter taste perception of primates. The third chapter presents an extreme example of the evolution of olfaction, namely, that fully aquatic amniotes have generally reduced their olfactory capacity considerably compared to their terrestrial relatives. Interestingly, the remaining olfactory abilities are quite different among three fully aquatic amniotes investigated: toothed whales have no nervous system structures that mediate olfaction, but baleen whales can smell in air, and it has been suggested that sea snakes smell underwater."

Methods in Bone Biology is unique in being devoted to describing the methodology used by bone researchers. This book describes in detail the techniques of cell and organ culture used in the study of bone and bone cell function and the techniques used to monitor the skeleton and skeletal remodelling both in clinical and experimental settings.

Charles E. Hess Department of Environmental Horticulture University of California Davis, CA 95616 Research in the biology of adventitious root formation has a special place in science. It provides an excellent forum in which to pursue fundamental research on the regulation of plant growth and development. At the same time the results of the research have been quickly applied by commercial plant propagators, agronomists, foresters and horticulturists (see the chapter by Kovar and Kuchenbuch, by Ritchie, and by Davies and coworkers in this volume). In an era when there is great interest in speeding technology transfer, the experiences gained in research in adventitious root formation may provide useful examples for other areas of science. Interaction between the fundamental and the applied have been and continue to be facilitated by the establishment, in 1951, of the Plant Propagators' Society, which has evolved into the International Plant Propagators' Society, with active programs in six regions around the world. It is a unique organization which brings together researchers in universities, botanical gardens and arboreta, and commercial plant propagators. In this synergistic environment new knowledge is rapidly transferred and new ideas for fundamental research evolve from the presentations and discussions by experienced plant propagators. In the past 50 years, based on research related to the biology of adventitious root formation, advances in plant propagation have been made on two major fronts.

In this introductory text, Dr. Birdi demonstrates experimental methods and analyses of fractal dimensions in natural processes. In addition to a general overview, he discusses in detail problems in the fields of chemistry, geochemistry, and biophysics. Both students and professionals with a minimum of mathematics or physical science training will learn to find and model shapes and patterns from their own everyday observations.

Proceedings of a NATO ARW held in Cargese, France, October 9-13, 1989

The fifth Oxford Conference was held on September 17th-19th, 1991, at the Fuji Institute of Training in Japan -the first time that the meeting has taken place in the Asian area. The facts that only a relatively few Japanese had attended previous Oxford Conferences and that Japan is far from other regions with possible participants made the organizers anticipate a small attendance at the meeting. However, contrary to our expectations, 198 active members (72 foreign and 126 domestic participants) submitted 146 papers from 15 countries. This was far beyond our preliminary estimate and could have caused problems in providing accommodation for the participants and in programming their scientific presentations. These difficulties, however, were successfully overcome by using nearby hotels, by telecasting presentations into a second lecture room and by displaying a substantial number of poster presentations during the whole period of the meeting. The meeting had two types of sessions: regular and current topics. The first paper in each session represented a shon overview or introduction so as to make it easier for the audience to comprehend the problems at issue. Because of the large number of papers submitted, carefully selected speakers (mostly well-known scholars) made excellent presentations that were followed by lively discussions. In this way, the conference laid a foundation on which to base its continued scientific success.

This book was originated from a series of lectures given in a course on the physical properties of biological membranes and their functional implica tions. The course was intended to allow students to get acquainted with the physical techniques used to study biological membranes. The experience was valuable and we feel that a detailed description of the procedures used and of various examples of the results obtained allowed many students to become familiar with a theme that is not often part of regular courses on membrane physiology or biophysics. This book is designed as a tutorial guide for graduate students interested in understanding how physical methods can be utilized to study the proper ties of biological membranes. It includes first a detailed description of applications of physical techniques-such as X-ray fiber diffraction methods (Chapter 1), 2H and 13C NMR spectroscopy (Chapter 2), and calorimetry (Chapter 3)-in the study of the properties of lipid model membranes. A description of how to measure molecular mobility in membranes (Chapter 4) follows, and the book concludes with three chapters in which biological membranes are the subject of study. Chapter 5 deals with the acetylcholine receptor and its membrane environment; Chapter 6 discusses how fluorescence techniques can be applied in the study of the calcium ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum; and Chapter 7 explains how protein lipid interactions modulate the function of the sodium and proton pumps."

This comprehensive treatise on the reticuloendothelial system is a project jointly shared by individual members of the Reticuloendothelial (RE) Society and bio- medical scientists in general who are interested in the intricate system of cells and molecular moieties derived from those cells that constitute the RES. It may now be more fashionable in some quarters to consider these cells as part of what is called the mononuc1ear phagocytic system or the lymphoreticular system. Nevertheless, because of historical developments and current interest in the subject by investigators from many diverse areas, it seems advantageous to present in one comprehensive treatise current information and knowledge con- cerning basic aspects of the RES, such as morphology, biochemistry, phylogeny and ontogeny, physiology, and pharmacology, as well as c1inical areas inc1uding immunopathology, cancer, infectious diseases, allergy, and hypersensitivity. It is anticipated that, by presenting information concerning these apparently het- erogeneous topics under the unifying umbrella of the RES, attention will be focused on the similarities as well as interactions among the cell types constitut- ing the RES from the viewpoint of various disciplines. The treatise editors and their editorial board, consisting predominantly of the editors of individual vol- umes, are extremely grateful for the enthusiastic cooperation and enormous task undertaken by members of the biomedical community in general and especially by members of the American as well as European and Japanese Reticuloen- dothelial Societies.

This is a book about how Cl- crosses the cell membranes of nerve, muscle, and glial cells. Not so very many years ago, a pamphlet rather than book might have resulted from such an endeavor! One might ask why Cl-, the most abundant biological anion, attracted so little attention from investigators. The main reason was that the prevailing paradigm for cellular ion homeostasis in the 1950s and 1960s assigned Cl- a ther modynamically passive and unspecialized role. This view was particularly prominent among muscle and neuroscience investigators. In searching for reasons for such a negative (no pun intended) viewpoint, it seems to us that it stemmed from two key experimental observations. First, work on frog skeletal muscle showed that Cl- was passively distributed between the cytoplasm and the extracellular fluid. Second, work on Cl- transport in red blood cells confirmed that the Cl- transmembrane distribution was thermodynamically passive and, in addition, showed that Cl- crossed the mem brane extremely rapidly. This latter finding [for a long time interpreted as being the result of a high passive chloride electrical permeability(? CI)] made it quite likely that Cl- would remain at thermodynamic equilibrium. These two observations were gener alized and virtually all cells were thought to have a very high P Cl and a ther modynamically passive Cl- transmembrane distribution. These concepts can still be found in some physiology and neuroscience textbooks.

This book is based on a series of lectures for a course on ionic channels held in Santiago, Chile, on November 17-20, 1984. It is intended as a tutorial guide on the properties, function, modulation, and reconstitution of ionic channels, and it should be accessible to graduate students taking their first steps in this field. In the presentation there has been a deliberate emphasis on the spe cific methodologies used toward the understanding of the workings and function of channels. Thus, in the first section, we learn to "read" single channel records: how to interpret them in the theoretical frame of kinetic models, which information can be extracted from gating currents in re lation to the closing and opening processes, and how ion transport through an open channel can be explained in terms of fluctuating energy barriers. The importance of assessing unequivocally the origin and purity of mem brane preparations and the use of membrane vesicles and optical tech niques in the stUGY of ionic channels are also discussed in this section. The patch-clamp technique has made it possible to study ion channels in a variety of different cells and tissues not amenable to more conven tional electrophysiological methods. The second section, therefore, deals with the use of this technique in the characterization of ionic channels in different types of cells, ranging from plant protoplasts to photoreceptors.

It is now over 30 years since the idea of ion-conducting pores burst on the elec- trophysiological scene, 15 years since these were generalIy realized to be mem- brane-spanning proteins, and 10 years since the first observations of single ion channels from higher organisms were made. During the past 5 years, several integral membrane channel proteins have been purified in a functionalIy competent state: the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, the Na + channel, mitochondrial "VDAC," and a variety of porins. The stage is thus set to attack ion channels in the same ways that biochemists have been attacking enzymes for decades: isolation folIowed by functional analysis in as simple a system as possible, with a view towards understanding the molecular mechanisms ofthe protein's behavior and how this is related to the underlying molecular structure. This is always a daunting task, alI the more so with ion channels because of our still primitive and scanty understanding of channel structures and because of the difficulty in iso- lating functionally active channel proteins. In this volume, which can be considered a biochemically slanted companion to Sakmann and Neher's Single-Channel Recording, I have tried to present a view of the current landscape of ion-channel reconstitution. These chapters illustrate not only the different approaches and techniques of the major practitioners of ion- channel reconstitution but, as importantly, the varied motivations for doing this kind of work.

Primate locomotion has typically been studied from two points of view. Laboratory-based researchers have focused on aspects like biomechanics and energetics, whereas field-based researchers have focused on (locomotor) behaviour and ecology. Unfortunately, to date, there is relatively little scientific exchange between both groups. With a book, which will be the result of a symposium on the 2008 Meeting of the International Primatological Society in Edinburgh, we would like to bring together laboratory and field-based primate locomotion studies. We are convinced this will be beneficial for both research lines. For example, biomechanists might wonder how frequently the locomotor style they study in the lab actually occurs in nature, and field workers might use calculated costs of locomotion to understand why certain locomotor behaviours are favoured under specific conditions. Thus, on the one hand, an established link between both groups may help interpret the results by using each other's findings. On the other hand, recent technological advances (e.g. portable high-speed cameras) make it possible to bridge the gap between lab-based and field-based research by actually collecting biomechanical data in situ. Again, communication between both groups is necessary to identify the specific needs and start up achievable and successful research projects in the field. In order to generate a wide interest, we have invited biomechanists, ecologists, and field-based researchers who combine both disciplines, and we hope their combined contributions will facilitate lasting cooperation between the mentioned disciplines and stimulate innovative research in Primatology. We are convinced that the most appropriate format to publish the different symposium contributions is a conference volume within an existing book series. Firstly, the chapters will not only contain new data but will also review existing data and elaborate on potential future work - more so than can be done in a journal article. Secondly, the combination of chapters will form an entity that is more valuable than the sum of the separate chapters and therefore they need to be presented together. Lastly, this volume will benefit from the typically long "shelf life" of a book in a renowned series, allowing it to be used as reference book for both researchers and students.

This comprehensive treatise on the reticuloendothelial system is a project jointly shared by individual members of the Reticuloendothelial (RE) Society and bio medical scientists in general who are interested in the intricate system of cells and molecular moieties derived from those cells which constitute the RES. It may now be more fashionable in some quarters to consider these cells as part of what is called the mononuclear phagocytic system or the lymphoreticular system. Nevertheless, because of historical developments and current interest in the subject by investigators from many diverse areas, it seems advantageous to present in one comprehensive treatise current information and knowledge con cerning basic aspects of the RES, such as morphology, biochemistry, phylogeny and ontogeny, physiology, and pharmacology as weIl as clinical areas including immunopathology, cancer, infectious diseases, allergy, and hypersensitivity. It is anticipated that by presenting information concerning these apparently heterogeneous topics under the unifying umbrella of the RES attention will be focused on the similarities as weIl as interactions among the cell types constitut ing the RES from the viewpoint of various disciplines. The treatise editors and their editorial board, consisting predominantly of the editors of individual vol umes, are extremely grateful for the enthusiastic cooperation and enormous task undertaken by members of the biomedical community in general and especially by members of the American as weIl as European and Japanese Reticuloendothe lial Societies."

Anatomy, to be sure, is the essential foundation of clinical practice, but it is much more than that. First and foremost, anatomy is a biological science. There is order and logic to the organization of the human body and the arrangement of its parts. And, as all sciences, anatomy offers challenge and discovery. Concepts in Anatomy is not a textbook, but more of a brief handbook that is selective rather than encyclopedic in scope, conception rather than particular in its approach. It stresses general principles, so as to minimize rote learning, and it provides order and direction to the study of gross anatomy. Anatomy is inherently complicated and confusing; this volume helps you make sense of it in a way that also aims to inspire its study. Richly illustrated with original drawings, Concepts in Anatomy is a valuable resource for anyone currently studying or teaching the subject, or as a reference for advanced researchers.

(Chapters 11 to 14) summarise important features of the biological clock at the level of whole animal covering all vertebrate classes (fish to mammal). Chapters 15 and 16 are on long term (seasonal) rhythms in plants and higher vertebrates. Short term rhythms (ultradian rhythms), the significance of having a clock system in animals living in extreme (arctic) environments, and the diversity of circadian responses to melatonin, the key endocrine element involved in regulation of biological rhythms, have been discussed in Chapters 17 to 19. Finally, a chapter on sensitivity to light of the photoperiodic clock is added which, using vertebrate examples, illustrates the importance of wavelength and intensity of light on circadian and non-circadian functions. A well-known expert writes each chapter. When presenting information, the text provides consistent thematic coverage and feeling for the methods of investigation. Reference citation within the body of the text adequately reflects the literature as subject is developed. A chapter begins with an abstract that enables a reader to know at the first glance the important points covered in that chapter. The chapter concludes with a full citation of references included in the text, which could be useful for further reading. The book ends with a comprehensive subject index that may be useful for quick searches.

A wealth of information has been accumulated about the function of ion channels of excitable cells since the extensive and pioneering voltage clamp studies by Hodgkin, Huxley, and Katz 36 years ago. The study of ion chan nels has now reached a stage at which a quantum jump in progress is antici pated. There are many good reasons for this. Patch clamp techniques origi nally developed by Neher and Sakmann 12 years ago have made it possible to study the function of ion channels in a variety of cells. Membrane ionic currents can now be recorded practically from many types of cells using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. The opening and closing of individual ion channels can be analyzed using the single-channel patch clamp method. Techniques have also been developed to incorporate purified ion channels into lipid bilayers to reconstitute an "excitable membrane. " Advanced tech niques developed in molecular biology, genetics, and immunology, such as gene cloning and the use of monoclonal antibodies, are now being applied to the study of ion channels. A variety of drugs have now been found or are suspected to interact with ion channels to exert therapeutic effects. In addition to the classical exam ples, as represented by local anesthetics, many other drugs, including cal cium antagonists, psychoactive drugs, cardiac drugs, and anticonvulsants, shown to alter ion channel function. For certain pesticides such as have been pyrethroids and DDT, sodium channels are clearly the major target site.

The German land of Hesse (Bundesland Hessen) is well known for its excellent wines (Rheinhessen), for its financial centre and for its airport (FrankfurtlMain). It is, unjustifiably, far less well known for its importance to thennoregulation. Within the small area of Bad Nauheim, Giessen and Marburg (in alphabetical order) a greater concentration of students of thenno regulation has been trained or worked or is working than probably in any other single area of Europe, if not the world. It is thus most appropriate to hold the Ninth International Symposium on the Pharmacology of Thennoregulation in Giessen, from August 7 to 12, 1994. The community of students of thennoregulation was extremely grateful that Professor Kurt Bruck and the lustus-Liebig-University of Giessen had extended this invitation. The same community was even more saddened that Kurt Bruck died on April 27, 1992 and thus could not participate in this event that had been planned to honour his achievements. As a small token of friendship and affection, the many friends of Kurt Bruck from all over the world who will participate in this event dedicate this symposium to the memory of Kurt Bruck. Another staunch friend, researcher of temperature regulation and supporter of this series of symposia died in October 1993: Professor Wilhelm Siegmund Feldberg. We feel fortunate to be able to start this volume with two brief infonnal and personal accounts of professors Bruck and Feldberg."

The concept for Vasopressin: Principles and Properties originated during the sum mer of 1983. From reviewing the rich and diverse literature on vasopressin, it became evident that the rapid advancements in this field made it difficult to syn thesize the information gathered from divergent scientific disciplines into a coherent view of the biological role of vasopressin. We perceived the need for a series of critical reviews delineating this recent progress. Over the past decade, major advances have been made in studies of the anatomy, physiology, phar macology, molecular biology, and behavioral activities of vasopressin. This is, in no small measure, due to the finding that vasopressin can no longer be regarded solely as a neurohypophysial hormone. Our present knowledge is that vasopressin is synthesized in also has an axonal messenger role in the nervous system and of the brain, although the functions of vasopressin in these periph sites outside of vasopressin eral sites are not well understood. In order to prepare an overview concentrating on recent studies in vertebrates, authors were selected based on their expertise and asked to review their research area, including the work from other laboratories. It was our intent to provide an updated definitive reference which would complement and extend such past texts as Neurohypophysial Hor mones and Similar Polypeptides (Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, Vol ume XXIII, 1968) and The Pituitary Gland and Its Neuroendocrine Control (Handbook of Physiology, Section 7: Volume IV, 1974)."

Regeneration, i.e. the replacement of lost body parts by new outgrowths or by remodelling existing tissues, has been studied for centuries. However, in recent years important developments took place in this field too, owing to new soph isticated techniques and to novel theoretical concepts. Advances in Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell and Neurobiology, Immunology, to mention a few of them, are the main causes of this resurgence of interest in regeneration. As a consequence, more and more meetings and pUblications are devoted, either exclusively or for a large part, to basic and applied research of regenerative processes. "Regeneration ists" scattered in laboratories allover the world and accus tomed to know each other through exchange of reprints - occa sionally an encounter in a large conference - tend now to form small groups, even societies and to institutionalize their meetings. Although the critical mass of scientists involved in regeneration research does not seem yet to be reached, for an autonomous development of this sector, regular and frequent meetings of experts appear useful, even necessary. Such a meeting was convened in Saronis, near Athens, Greece, from 19 to 23 September 1988 and sponsored by the NATO Science Committee and the University of Athens. The present volume contains the contributions to this Advanced Research Workshop on "Recent Trends in Regeneration Research". About 50 biologists from different countries, either mem bers of the Alliance or outside it (U.R.S.S., India, Egypt, Switzerland, Sweden) took part, mostly as invited speakers.