Wide and fascinating is the field of research on tryptophan, a most versatile amino acid, transformed, as it is, in our organism into many biologically active substances. This volume contains the proceedings of the Eighth International Meeting on Tryptophan Research, held at the University of Padova, Padova, Italy, from June 25 to 29 1995, under the auspices of the University of Padova, National Research Council, Italian Chemical Society-Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Region ofthe Veneto and City of Padova. The meeting was held in Padova to commemorate Prof. Luigi Musajo twenty years after his death and the editors dedicate this book to him in recognition of his pioneering work in tryptophan metabolism. Prof. Osamu Hayaishi delivered the Musajo Memorial Award Lecture: Tryptophan oxygenase. and sleep. Figure I shows the ISTRY President Prof. Simon N. Young presenting the Musajo Memorial Medal to Prof. Hayaishi during the Opening Ceremony. Two hundred scientists from twenty two countries participated in the meeting. These proceedings contain 121 papers encompassing a variety of topics and disciplines.

Cell signalling lies at the heart of many biological processes and currently is the focus of intense research interest. In multicellular organisms, it is central to how different types of cell communicate with each other and how they detect and respond to extracellular signals. Intercellular communication is vital to single-celled organisms as well, allowing them to respond to environmental cues and signals.

To date, much of the understanding of signalling mechanisms has come from research on specific cell types (eg mouse lymphocyte and cardiomyocyte) or on organisms in which communication systems such as nervous and endocrine systems are well established. This volume therefore aims to 'fill the gap' by concentrating on 'simple organisms' where the elements of those signalling systems first evolved. Many of the groups covered contain important pathogens or parasites, and the potential for manipulating signalling pathways for therapeutic intervention will be highlighted.

The second edition of the book on language comprehension in honor of Pim Levelt's sixtieth birthday has been released before he turns sixty-one. Some things move faster than the years of age. This seems to be especially true for advances in science. Therefore, the present edition entails changes in some of the chapters and incorporates an update of the current literature. I would like to thank all contributors for their cooperation in making a second edition possible such a short time after the completion of the first one. Angela D. Friederici Leipzig, November 23, 1998. Preface to the first edition Language comprehension and production is a uniquely human capability. We know little about the evolution of language as a human trait, possibly because our direct ancestors lived several million years ago. This fact certainly impedes the desirable advances in the biological basis of any theory of language evolution. Our knowledge about language as an existing species-specific biological sys tem, however, has advanced dramatically over the last two decades. New experi mental techniques have allowed the investigation of language and language use within the methodological framework of the natural sciences. The present book provides an overview of the experimental research in the area of language com prehension in particular."

The auditory system presents many features of a complex computational environment, as well as providing numerous opportunities for computational analysis. This volume represents an overview of computational approaches to understanding auditory system function. The chapters share the common perspective that complex information processing must be understood at multiple levels; that disciplines such as neurobiology, psychophysics, and computer science make vital contributions; and that the end product of computational analysis should be the development of formal models.

This volume, The Adrenal Gland, is the second in the Clinical Surveys in Endo crinology series. Like its predecessor on the pituitary gland, this work is written with one purpose in mind-to view the vast, relevant adrenal literature through a clinician's eyes. The intricate, and often complex, interrelationship between the clinical and research perspectives of "adrenology" poses a challenge. This is, in part, due to the commonly held belief that the milieux of steroid hormone research and clinical medicine are parallel phenomena, not destined to meet. But the twain do meet, and often with relative ease, when viewed as twin facets of the same gem. The view presented in this work is from the vantage point of the clinical endocrinologist who applies the research literature to understand adre nal diseases more clearly. Adrenal pathology is arguably the most fascinating of all endocrinopathies. The images of patients suffering from adrenal diseases are of kaleidoscopic quality: the newborn child with ambiguous genitalia, in whom the very first ritual of assigning sex becomes shrouded with uncertainty; the revitalized pa tient with hitherto undiagnosed Addison's disease, who but for the cognitive powers of the endocrinologist would have ultimately succumbed, undiagnosed; the virilized female with adrenal tumor and its attendant onslaught on the body and mind; the febrile patient with pheochromocytoma masquerading as fever of undetermined origin for months."

Even though transmitter release and re-uptake are very complementary and physically in close proximity, researchers usually focus on only one of these two aspects. This volume, however, covers both processes and brings together two major presynaptic events in transcellular communication. It comprises 24 chapters and is divided into two parts: Part I, Neurotransmitter Release, and Part II, Neurotransmitter Uptake. The included topics range from ultrastructure and molecular control mechanisms to pathophysiology of some diseased states. Neuronal as well as non-neuronal mechanisms are treated. The concluding chapter emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and provides a link between the events in the presynaptic terminal and behavior.

nd The 22 meeting of the International Society on Oxygen Transport to Tissue (LS. O. T. T. ) of which this volume is the scientific proceedings, was held in Istanbul, Turkey on August 22-26, 1994. It was a historical occasion in that it was almost 200 years to the day that one of the founding fathers of oxygen research, Antoine Lavoisier, on May 8, 1794 found his early demise at the hands of the guillotine. This spirit of history set the tone of the conference and in the opening lecture the contribution that this part of the world has given to the understanding of oxygen transport to tissue was highlighted. In particular, the contribution of Galen of Pergamon (129-200) was discussed who for the first time demon strated that blood flowed through the arteries and whose view on the physiology of the circulation dominated the ancient world for well over a millennium. A forgotten chapter in the history of the circulation of the blood is the contribution made by Ibn al Nafis of Damascus (1210-1280) who for the first time described the importance of the pulmonary circulation by stating that all venous blood entering the right ventricle ofthe heart passes to the left ventricle, not through pores in the septum of the heart as had been postulated by Galen, but through the circulation of the lungs."

How do mammals manage to maintain their body temperature within the same narrow range in environments as different as polar regions and hot deserts? This advanced text describes the morphological features and physiological mechanisms by which humans and other mammals maintain their body temperature within a narrow range despite large variations in climatic conditions and internal heat production. Its 19 chapters deal with the physics of heat exchange with the environment, and the autonomic and behavioural mechanisms available to control the loss and production of heat. The neuronal basis of temperature regulation and current concepts of the central nervous interface between temperature signals generated in the body and control mechanisms are examined in detail. This book is of invaluable help for undergraduates, postgraduates, teachers, physicians and scientists.

Interest in mechanisms of embryo implantation is increasing, particularly with the realization that failure of implantation after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer places significant limits on the success of treatment. In addition, there is a need to provide hypotheses, and ultimately mechanisms, for the high rates of embryonic loss in women in the population at large. Traditionally, implantation research has concentrated on genetics and endocrinology without providing many therapeutic benefits. A new era is now beginning with the application of modem cellular and molecular approaches to the investigation of the relationship between trophoblast and endometrium. At the same time, older data can be reevaluated in the light of current research into cell cell and cell-matrix interactions. The feeling that new avenues of research are open was apparent when an international group of scientists came together at a workshop on "The Cell Biology of Trophoblast Invasion In Vivo and In Vitro" held during the XXIV Annual Meeting of the Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture Study Group (C.T.O.C.) at Heidelberg in 1986. What was unusual about this Conference was the interdisciplinary dialogue between implantation researchers and tumor biologists, highlighting aspects common to invasion of trophoblast and tumor cells."

In the Preface to his volume on Ecophysiology of the Camelidae and Desert Ruminants in this series, Trevor Wilson mentions his hesitation at the invitation from John Cloudsley-Thompson to write the book, because he had been out of direct touch with desert biology for some years. My response to John's invitation to write Ecophysiology of Desert Birds was much the same, and for the same reasons. However, with his encouragement and, taking account of the fact that a colleague of mine who is much better suited to do the job had turned it down because of pressure of work, I accepted the challenge and have enjoyed it immensely. It has been my privilege to spend much time in the deserts of North and South America, southern Africa and Australia, some of it with my wife, Cherie, whose editing of the entire text has improved the work immeasurably. Indeed, I believe it would have been proper for her to accept coauthorship, but she graciously declined the offer I owe her a debt of gratitude which I hope will be repaid in part by her seeing the text finally between covers. The chapters on water regulation (Chap. 5) and thermo regulation (Chap. 6) have benefited from the refereeing of my colleague, Dr. Barry Lovegrove, of the Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg."

Entomological research benefits from a great diversity of technical approaches - from the molecular to the descriptive - and these are applied to an even greater diversity of insect species. As a consequence, common themes and trends in entomological research can often be overlooked as each researcher focuses on his or her own area of interest. The purpose of this volume is to bring together diverse areas of research under one common theme. The book is divisible into four conceptual areas: the structural biology of the midgut; digestion and transport; the insect midgut as a target for control strategies; and the idgut as an environment for other organisms. Each chapter is written by scientists active in the reviewed research area and a truly international team of contributors has been chosen by the editors. Biology of the Insect Midgut will be of immense use to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students, and researchers in entomology, physiology and pest control.

This volume addresses a fundamental puzzle in biology and medicine, namely, how does tissue develop, repair and replace itself. The answer appears to lie in growth factors and their regulation. To thrive and survive we need growth factors and this book concentrates on two factors that are related to growth hormone. Growth hormone does not act directly on all tissues, but mediates many of its actions through the release of insulin-like growth factors from the liver. The growth factors were originally called somatomedins by McConaghey and Sledge (1), who discovered that they mediated growth-like effects of growth hormone. However, the factors were purified on the basis of their insulinomimetic actions on fat and muscle and it is their relationship to the insulin family of pep tides that now gives them their name (2,3) of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). They mediate the actions of. growth hormone on the proteoglycan synthesis of cartilage and produce mitogenic effects in fibroblast cultures.

The frontispiece, Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of the embryo in the womb, was chosen as a starting point for this book. It was Leonardo who in his notebooks and drawings combined artistic composition and accurate recording of the anatomy of the human body. Leonardo studied human anatomy in order to execute artistic drawings. His aim was to clarify form and function of human organs including reproductive organs. He followed up his extensive research with graphic representa tion and thereby initiated record keeping as a basis of scientific investigation. His records, accurate three-dimensional drawings, allowed others to reproduce his find ings and to test for correctness. Results could be updated and refined. Only after these steps can abnormalities be ascertained and defined as pathology. Though Leonardo was both artist and scientist, it is assumed that his anatomic drawings were used to improve his art, and thus scientific endeavor was at the service of his art. Anatomy, the offspring of science and art, is an integration of the two and became an accepted branch of the natural sciences. Although art and science continued to interact throughout the Renaissance, art was often placed in the service of science. In the course of history that followed, art and science in creasingly followed separate ways."

I organized this book because there is a need to put together in book form recent advances in our knowledge of how airway smooth muscle: works in health and in disease. After a period when it seemed that progress was very slow, there has been in the past few years an incredibly rapid gathering of knowledge in this area. In particular, our understanding has improved regarding the cascades of events that follow the initial binding of agonist to plasma membrane receptors and that lead to the cross-bridge movements that determine contraction. This advance in our knowledge was stimulated by use of single-and whole-cell channel recordings of plasma membrane currents and by description of the l3-receptor-GTP-binding protein-adenylate cyclase-cAMP coupling system, which serves as a model for other coupling mechanisms. The discovery of the receptor-activated inositol phospholipid transduction system has greatly stimulated research and led to advances in our understanding of mechanisms involved in smooth muscle con traction. Major advances were also triggered by the development of indicators for measuring free cytosolic calcium concentration and starting the unraveling of 2 the events involved in Ca + -dependent activation of contractile proteins. Al though most of the studies that led to our current understanding of these areas were performed on nonairway smooth muscle, these studies usually add to our understanding of airway smooth muscle, and there is an enlarging body of data that have been obtained on airway smooth muscle."

This book draws together the most relevant and recent advances in the area of ionic transport in animals. In particular, it describes the role of modern cell and molecular biology research techniques in this rapidly advancing field. These techniques have led to important advances in our knowledge of cellular mechanisms of ion transporting epithelia, the role and expression of osmoregulatory hormones and a new understanding of whole body salt and water balance.

The fundamental understanding of the production of biological effects by ionizing radiation may well be one of the most important scientific objectives of mankind; such understanding could lead to the effective and safe utilization of the nuclear energy option. In addition, this knowledge will be of immense value in such diverse fields as radiation therapy and diagnosis and in the space program. To achieve the above stated objective, the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors embarked upon a fundamental interdisciplinary research program some 35 years ago. A critical component of this program is the Radiological and Chemical Physics Program (RCPP). When the RCPP was established, there was very little basic knowledge in the fields of physics, chemistry, and biology that could be directly applied to understanding the effects of radiation on biological systems. Progress of the RCPP program in its first 15 years was documented in the proceedings of a conference held at Airlie, Virginia, in 1972. At this conference, it was clear that considerable progr:ess had been made in research on the physical and chemical processes in well-characterized systems that could be used to understand biological effects. During this period of time, most physical knowledge was obtained for the gas phase because the technology and instru mentation had not progressed to the point that measurements could be made in liquids more characteristic of biological materials.

Space missions subject human beings or any other target of a spacecraft to a radiation environment of an intensity and composition not available on earth. Whereas for missions in low earth orbit (LEO), such as those using the Space Shuttle or Space Station scenario, radiation exposure guidelines have been developed and have been adopted by spacefaring agencies, for exploratory class missions that will take the space travellers outside the protective confines of the geomagnetic field sufficient guidelines for radiation protection are still outstanding. For a piloted Mars mission, the whole concept of radiation protection needs to be reconsidered. Since there is an increasing interest ci many nations and space agencies in establishing a lunar base and lor exploring Mars by manned missions, it is both, timely and important to develop appropriate risk estimates and radiation protection guidelines which will have an influence on the design and structure of space vehicles and habitation areas of the extraterrestrial settlements. This book is the result of a multidisciplinary effort to assess the state of art in our knowledge on the radiation situation during deep space missions and on the impact of this complex radiation environment on the space traveller. ]t comprises the lectures by the faculty members as well as short contributions by the students given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute "Biological Effects and Physics of Solar and Galactic Cosmic Radiation" held in Armacao de Pera, Portugal, 12-23 October, 1991.

Over the past decade, the study of microglial cells has gained increasing importance, in particular for those working in the fields of degeneration and regeneration. Microglia in the Regenerating and Degenerating CNS supports the assertion that understanding microglial biology could perhaps be pivotal for unraveling the pathogenetic mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer's disease, currently the most widely studied disorder of the central nervous system. In addition, microglia are also critical for understanding the sequelae of traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, and for the vitally important post-traumatic repair processes. This book gives an up to date account of the role of microglia in degeneration and regeneration of the nervous system and also reviews microglial cell function and physiology. Cellular neurobiologists will find that this is a valuable guide to the importance and role of microglia in the CNS.

Hyperthermia as a safe and effective cancer treatment modality is rapidly evolving propelled by widespread research and clinical efforts worldwide. Presentations on Hyperthermia experience are now commonplace at Oncology meetings, as are congresses dedicated entirely to the intertwined interactions between basic sciences and patient treatment that together are forming the structure of a new medical specialty. Such was the XII International Symposium on Clinical Hyperthermia held in Rome, Italy, April 27 - 29, 1989. Papers presented therein constitute the backbone of this book. Biology research has provided data describing mechanisms of action for the cancer cell killing and physiological effects of Hyperthermia. Physics research has led to the development of equipment enabling treatment of many areas of the human body, as well as explained the limitations that still constrain our ability to treat, especially in the areas of deep seated tumor heating and non-invasive thermometry. The main question that will decide the future of this modality is that of its clinical use. To put it succinctly, what do we do with this potentially useful tool in an everyday clinical oncological practice . ** ? This is the main question addressed in this book as "Consensus on Hyperthermia for the 1990s. " The book in cludes 28 presented papers and 25 invited chapters from some of the leading experts in the field. Their basic mechanisms of action were physics principles, treatment quality assurance and especially, clinical indications.

It has been acknowledged that the physiological effects of dietary fiber are an exceedingly complex matter which requires a multidisciplinary research effort. The increased scientific involvement of the medical community, nutritionists, chemists and physicists is not only warranted but it has become mandatory. This is because we are entering a more advanced research phase in which the observed . in vivo effects should not be only recorded, but they should be systematically correlated with the physicochemical and analytical properties of the individual dietary fibers. The Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry of the American Chemical Society has recognized this for some time, and has asked us to organize another International Symposium, similar to one in 1982, which would address the latest developments in this field. We decided to ask a cross section of leading experts from industrial and academic research institutions to assess the state of the art in dietary fiber, namely in the areas of the physiological effects, physicochemical attributes, and in existing and proposed analytical methods. We also felt that chemistry and physical chemistry should playa greater role in fiber research to complement and better explain the existing . in vivo data. There is a large volume of animal and human physiological and nutritional data available. Unfortunately, the generated information is frequently confusing. One reason is that this research is not conducted with well characterized compounds, but rather with loosely defined complex mixtures or entities.

This extensively revised and expanded new edition offers concepts, principles and applied information that relates to the wellbeing of reptiles. As a manual on health and welfare in a similar vein to volumes addressing the sciences of anatomy, behaviour or psychology, this book thoroughly examines the biology of reptile welfare and is about meeting biological needs. The editors, acknowledged experts in their own right, have once again drawn together an extremely impressive international group of contributors. Positive and negative implications of general husbandry and research programs are discussed. In addition to greatly revised original content are nine new chapters offering readers novel insight into: * sensory systems * social behaviour * brain and cognition * controlled deprivation and enrichment * effects of captivity-imposed noise and light disturbance on welfare * spatial and thermal factors* evidential thresholds for species suitability in captivity * record keeping as an aid to captive care * arbitrary husbandry practices and misconceptions The authors have adopted a user-friendly writing style to accommodate a broad readership. Although primarily aimed at academic professionals, this comprehensive volume is fundamentally a biology book that will also inform all involved in captive reptile husbandry. Among others, zoo personnel, herpetologists, veterinarians, lab animal scientists, and expert readers in animal welfare and behavioural studies will benefit from this updated work.

an attempt to rationalize these terminological and conceptual difficulties we have considered the origins of mammalian heat production from two different points of view. The scheme depicted in Fig. 1. 1 illustrates the fate of energy in the body as seen by the nutritionist. After allowing for losses of energy in faeces and urine, the metabolizable energy obtained from food is utilized for main taining and increasing body energy content (maintenance, external work, growth and production). The transformation of metabolizable energy into these forms of net energy also involves inevitable energy losses in the form of heat - thermic energy. Similarly, maintaining homeothermy in cold en vironments involves shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) and the energy costs of assimilating nutrients and retaining net energy results in obligatory heat losses due to diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT). This obligatory DIT is mainly due to the energy cost of protein and fat synthesis but, in addition to this, there is an adaptive component of DIT that helps maintain body energy content (i. e. body weight) by dissipating the metabolizable energy consumed in excess of the requirements for maintenance, growth and production. In Fig. 1. 2, we have converted this nutritionist's scheme (A) into one that A B r-------. . ., I I Production, Growth I I External work I I I I Essential energy expenditure NET BASAL Obligatory 1 I ENERGY Maintenance HEAT heat I FASTING at (BMR) productlpn for t ROC thermoneutrallty homeothermia r."

The last decades have brought a significant increase in research on acoustic communi cation in animals. Publication of scientific papers on both empirical and theoretical aspects of this topic has greatly increased, and a new journal, Bioacoustics, is entirely devoted to such articles. Coupled with this proliferation of work is a recognition that many of the current issues are best approached with an interdisciplinary perspective, requiring technical and theoretical contributions from a number of areas of inquiry that have traditionally been separated. With the notable exception of a collection edited by Lewis (1983), there have been fewvolumes predominatelyfocused on technical issues in comparative bioacoustics to follow up the earlyworks edited by Lanyon and Tavolga (1960) and Busnel (1963). It was the tremendous growth of expertise c: ()ncerning this topic in particular that provided the initial impetus to organize this volume, which attempts to present fundamental information from both theoretical and applied aspects of current bioacoustics research. While a completely comprehensive review would be impractical, this volume offers a basic treatment of a wide variety of topics aimed at providing a conceptual framework within which researchers can address their own questions. Each presentation is designed to be useful to the broadest possible spectrum of researchers, including both those currently working in any of the many and diverse disciplines of bioacoustics, and others that may be new to such studies."

Biological effects of magnetic fields have been studied in many animals and plants. The magnetic fields were of a wide intensity range and, as alternating fields, of a wide frequency range and of a variety of impulse shapes. Effects on the cellular level, on bio chemical processes, growth and development, interactions with physiology, sensory input, reflexes and rhythm control, to name just a few, have been reported. Numerous magnetically induced changes in behavior have also been described. Recently, the amount of literature covering biological effects of magnetic fields has been rapidly increasing. By now it has grown to such an extent that it can no longer be covered in one volume. Most reviews specialize and focus on particular aspects and/or types of fields or effects. For example, the book edited by MARET et al. (1986) gives an overview on biological effects of steady magnetic fields, MISAKIAN et al. (1993) reviewed those of extremely low frequency magnetic fields, focusing on in vitro effects. BERN HARD (1992) reported on 'electromagnetic smog' in view of pos sible effects on human health and well-being, and a series of papers edited by AMEMIYA (1994) summarizes Japanese research on effects of electromagnetic fields ranging from extern ely low to ultra-high frequencies. TENFORDE (1979) and ADEY (1981) sum marized and discussed tissue interactions, REITER (1993a) neu roendocrine and neurochemical changes associated with various kinds of electromagnetic fields. The book edited by KIRSCHVINK et al."

6 Ions can pass through a single membrane channel at a rate of 10 ions/second. Over the last decade the ability to measure ion flux so precisely and to document the opening and closing of individual ion channels has provided a powerful tool to those working on smooth muscle physiology and vascular reactivity. The use of potassium channel blockers by Tom Lloyd in the 1960s and calcium channel blockers by Ivan McMurtry in the 1970s indicated the importance of ion flux in regulating pulmonary vascular tone. Recent advances in technology. principally the patch-clamp technique and fluorescent ion-sensitive dyes. now permit a more detailed description of physiologic mechanisms. This volume arises from the Sixth Grover Conference on the Pulmonary Circulation. a NATO Advanced Research Workshop. held in Colorado in October 1992. A group of international sCientists who are leaders in the field of ion flux focused their attention on the problems of the pulmonary vasculature. The chapters in this book describe the present state of knowledge of the movement and storage of ions in vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Those who are not familiar with the techniques of patch clamping and calcium imaging will find an introduction to these methods in the chapters by Leblanc and Wan and Archer et al. The role of potassium channels in oxygen sensing illustrates the rapid progress which the study of ion currents has made possible.