Recent years have seen a considerable emphasis on growth factors and the elucidation of their mode of function, which has led to the recognition that growth factors, their receptors as well as downstream elements of signalling associated with their function might be potential targets in therapeutic management of human diseases. Humanised monoclonal antibodies raised against growth factor receptors have proved to be valuable for targeted cancer treatment and in patient management.

This book reviews the latest developments providing insights into the signalling processes involved in morphogenesis and pathogenesis with emphasis on using the elements of the signalling cascades as targets for therapeutic deployment.

Provides afundamental understanding of the basic functions of growth factors and their receptors, describing how they are linked in biological processes

Aids the development of therapeutic treatments for cancer

Focuses on the interrelationships and convergence of growth factors and their receptors in development and pathogenesis and encourages greater cooperation and integration in the areas of developmental, cancer and cancer therapeutic research "

Description
Using chips composed of thousands of spots, each with the capability of holding DNA molecules corresponding to a given gene, DNA microarray technology has enabled researchers to measure simultaneously gene expression across the genome. As with other large scale genomics approaches, microarray technologies are broadly applicable across disciplines of life and biomedical sciences, but remain daunting to many researchers. This guide is designed to demystify the technology and inform more biologists about this critically important experimental technique.
.Provides a basic overview of microarray technology and available platforms for those unfamiliar with the technology
.Includes detailed discussion of experimental design and analysis of microarray experiments, giving first-time users valuable information that can be tailored to their own research needs
.Provides discussion of such hot areas as ChIP (chromatin immunoprecipitation) with hybridization to DNA arrays, microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), and cell and tissue arrays
Expert author team highlights the utility of the technology using examples from human health and disease--e.g., malaria and cancer diagnostics.

This Handbook provides a complete compendium of methods for evaluation of IT-based systems and solutions within healthcare. Emphasis is entirely on assessment of the IT-system within its organizational environment. The author provides a coherent and complete assessment of methods addressing interactions with and effects of technology at the organizational, psychological, and social levels.
It offers an explanation of the terminology and theoretical foundations underlying the methodological analysis presented here. The author carefully guides the reader through the process of identifying relevant methods corresponding to specific information needs and conditions for carrying out the evaluation study. The Handbook takes a critical view by focusing on assumptions for application, tacit built-in perspectives of the methods as well as their perils and pitfalls.
*Collects a number of evaluation methods of medical informatics
*Addresses metrics and measures
*Includes an extensive list of anotated references, case studies, and a list of useful Web sites

This book is the first systematic, detailed treatment of the approaches to ethical issues taken by biotech and pharmaceutical companies. The application of genetic/genomic technologies raises a whole spectrum of ethical questions affecting global health that must be addressed. Topics covered in this comprehensive survey include considerations for bioprospecting in transgenics, genomics, drug discovery, and nutrigenomics, as well as how to improve stakeholder relations, design ethical clinical trials, avoid conflicts of interest, and establish ethics advisory boards. The expert authors represent multiple disciplines including law, medicine, bioinformatics, pharmaceutics, business, and ethics.

The book deals with both the abstract and practical aspects of moving from a univerisity laboratory to a position in the biotech industry. Each chapter lists common and unique features to evaluate breaking down complex decisions into manageable elements. Several sections provide "how to" guides for the preparation of manuscripts, patents, grants, and internal company documents.
*Written by an experienced academician and successful biotechnology entrepreneur
*Reviews the basic tools taught in a traditional university
*Identifies new ways these these tools will be used in the corporate world
*Details the 'nuts and bolts' necessary to negotiate a successful position in the biotech industry

This groundbreaking work, now available in paperback, has helped to shape the emerging discipline of molecular epidemiology. Molecular Epidemiology has proven useful to epidemiologists unfamiliar with the terminology and techniques of molecular biology as well as to the molecular biologist working to understand the determinants of human disease and to use that information to control disease. This book demonstrates how molecular epidemiology utilizes the same paradigm as traditional epidemiology in addition to using biological markers to identify exposure, disease, or susceptibility.

Radiological Imaging: The Theory of Image Formation, Detection, and Processing is intended to prepare the student to do research in radiological imaging, to teach general image science within a radiographic context, and to help the student gain fluency with the essential analytical tools of linear systems theory and the theory of stochastic processes that are applicable to any imaging system. The book contains chapters devoted to the discussion of linear systems, Poisson processes, analysis of radiographic systems, radiographic image detectors, and the various aspects of three-dimensional or tomographic imaging. Computed tomography, psychophysics, and scattered radiation and its effect on image are also elucidated. Radiology technicians will find the book very invaluable.

If you investigate biological systems and might use mass spectrometry in your research but need to know more about it, this book is for you. It introduces the fundamental concepts of mass spectrometry and how mass spectrometers work. It also presents recent advancements particularly interesting to bio-researchers in an easy-to-understand manner that does not require extensive background in chemistry, math, or physics.
Key Features
* Glossary of basic terms
* Abundant illustrations
* Examples of applications
* Practical tips on using mass spectrometric techniques
* Useful for peptide, protein, oligonucleotide, and carbohydrate analysis
* Simplified description of mass spectrometry including:
* Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI)
* Electrospray Ionization (ESI)
* Fast Atom/Ion Bombardment (FAB)

Immunoassay procedures (isotopic and non-isotopic) have become one of the single most important techniques in present-day diagnostic medicine. This book is designed as an introductory test for the staff of clinical research laboratories who conduct or intend to conduct such techniques, and will be of great value to the clinicians who make use of such services. The volume takes a three-pronged approach in it's in-depth presentation: explanation of the basic principles and applications of radioimmunoassays and non-isotopic immunoassays; practical illustrations of the various steps involved in immunoassays; discussion of the problems and pitfalls in immunoassays and how to avoid them. This fifth revised edition is a worthy successor to it's predecessors in this famous "Laboratory Techniques" series.

Part I covers modern advances in the determination of
glycoprotein structure and in the biosynthesis of mammalian,
bacterial, yeast, plant and insect glycoproteins. There are also
two chapters on functional aspects (glycoprotein hormones and
collagens).
The content of the volume is very comprehensive in that, most
contributors have focussed on discussing, in depth, the wealth
of most recent advances in their field, and referring to previous
reviews of older work for background information. This method can
effectively produce a very wide subject coverage in a smaller
number of chapters/volumes. The volume is an important
information source for all glycobiologist researchers (senior
investigators, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students), and
as a good, comprehensive, reference text for scientists working in
the life sciences.

The results of today's genome projects promise enormous medical and agricultural benefits and point to a new predictive approach to the conduct of future research in biology. Biocomputing: Informatics and Genome Projects represents a survey of the needs and objectives of genome projects as of the early 1990's. It provides the groundwork necessary to understand genome-related informatics, including computational and database storage objectives. The book covers four general areas: automated laboratory notebooks, nucleic acid sequence analysis, protein structure, and database activities.

Dry chemistry has been accepted as an important technology in medical laboratories for many years. Many evaluations of this technology have been undertaken by reputable clinical laboratories, the results of which were excellent when compared with conventional wet chemistry analysis.

This book contains a detailed overview of the current knowledge in the field of dry chemistry both in the physicians' office laboratories and large medical laboratories. The results from many evaluation studies are presented, as is data from interference studies which complete the descriptions of many dry chemistry methods.

A detailed description of various commercially available dry chemistry systems such as Ektachem, Reflotron, Seralyzer, Cobas Ready, Drichem, Opus and Stratus are also included.

This book effectively describes the current state-of-the-art technology and knowledge and succeeds in filling the gap in information in this important field of clinical chemistry science.

Originally published as 'Trockenchemie' by Georg Thieme Verlag,
Stuttgart, Dr. Sonntag has taken the opportunity of this translation to completely revise and update the contents of his book.

Why a Second Edition?
The Second Edition provides practical answers to the general question, "How can I obtain useful sequence information from my protein or peptide?" rather than the more specific question asked in the first edition, "How can I obtain the N-terminal sequence?" Important new methods include ways of dealing with blocked N termini, computer analysis of protein sequences, and the recent revolution in mass spectrometry.
Key Features
Highlights of the Second Edition:
* Mass spectrophotometric characterization of proteins and peptides
* N-terminal sequencing of proteins with blocked N termini
* Internal amino acid sequence analysis after protease digestion in-gel and on-blot
* Improved microscale peptide purification methods
* Computer analysis of protein sequences
* New protocols tested and refined through everyday use in authors' laboratories
* Updated reference chapter covering all aspects of protein microsequencing

The series Practical Methods in Electron Microscopy, edited by Audrey M. Glauert has an international reputation as
a unique source of practical information for all electron microscopists.
Each book of the series starts from first principles, assuming no
specialist knowledge, and is complete in itself. The series will
eventually cover the whole range of techniques for electron microscopy.

In this latest volume in the popular series, Peter Lewis and David Knight describe in practical detail the whole range of staining techniques for electron microscopy, including contrast staining for ultrastructural studies, specific cytological staining methods, and enzyme cytochemical techniques.

The chemical basis of cytochemical methods is discussed and analysed in a straightforward manner with great clarity. In consequence this book will help the beginner to choose between the sometimes bewildering variety of published technical procedures.

Electron microscopists will find this volume to be an invaluable and compact source-book for all those cytochemical techniques that have proved to be both reliable and convenient to use. As with previous titles in this popular series, the unique type of practical guidance provided will be of value for many years to come.

Free radical species are generally short-lived due to their high reactivity and thus direct measurement and identification are often impossible. ESR is the only technique which has the potential for direct detection of radicals but in biological systems even these must be trapped by a spin-trapping agent. Thus most investigations involve recognition of indicators of the presence of radicals in vivo or "FOOTPRINTS" of radical-mediated damage.

"Techniques in Free Radical Research" assembles and critically assesses the most relevant and reliable experimental approaches used towards the measurement of radicals and radical-mediated damage in chemical systems, in cells and in tissues under the following six headings: a) Footprints of DNA damage, b) Footprints of protein damage, c) Footprints of lipid peroxidation, d) Footprints of antioxidant consumption, e) Footprints via indirect radical assays, and f) Footprints via the availability of transition metal complexes.

"Designing Science Presentations "guides researchers and graduate students of virtually any discipline in the creation of compelling science communication. Most scientists never receive formal training in the creation, delivery, and evaluation of such material, yet it is essential for publishing in high-quality journals, soliciting funding, attracting lab personnel, and advancing a career.

This clear, readable volume fills that gap and provides visually intensive guidance at every step-from the construction of original figures to the presentation and delivery of those figures in papers, slideshows, posters, and websites. It provides pragmatic advice on the preparation and delivery of exceptional scientific presentations; demonstrates hundreds of visually striking presentation techniques, giving readers inspiration for creating their own; and is structured so that readers can easily find answers to particular questions.
Clear heading for each section indicates its message, highlighted with graphic illustrations Two summary paragraphs that complement the visual images and clearly discuss the main pointNumerous examples of high-quality figures, page layouts, slides, posters, and web pages to help stimulate readers' ideas for their own presentationsNumerous "before and after" examples to illustrate the contrast between poor and outstanding presentations

Aging occurs at the level of individual cells, a complex interplay between intrinsic "programming" and exogenous "wear and tear," with genetically-determined cellular capacity to repair environmentally-induced DNA damage playing a central role in the rate of aging and its specific manifestations. In 12 chapters, "The Role of DNA Damage and Repair in Cell Aging" provides an intellectual framework for aging of mitotic and post-mitotic cells, describes a variety of model systems for further studies, and reviews current concepts of DNA responses and their relationship to the phenomenon of aging.

As part of a series entitled "Advances in Cell Aging and Gerontology," this volume also summarizes seminal recent discoveries such as the molecular basis for Werner syndrome (a mutant DNA helicase), the complementary roles of telomere shortening and telomerase activity in cell senescence versus immortalization, the role of apoptosis in the homeostasis of aging tissue, and the existence of an inducible SOS-like response in mammalian cells that minimizes DNA damage from repeatedly encountered injurious environmental agents. Insights into the relationship between cellular aging and age-associated diseases, particularly malignancies, are also provided in several chapters.

This book is an excellent single source of information for anyone interested in DNA repair, mechanisms of aging, or certainly their intersection. Students will gain a general appreciation of these fields, but even the most senior investigators will benefit from the detailed coverage of rapidly advancing areas.