Per-Olov Lowdin's stature is a symbol of the world of quantum theory during the past five decades, through his basic contributions to the development of the conceptual framework of Quantum Chemistry and introduction of the fundamental concepts; through a staggering number of regular summer schools, winter institutes, innumerable lectures at Uppsala, Gainesville and elsewhere, and Sanibel Symposia; by founding the International Journal of Quantum Chemistry and Advances of Quantum Chemistry, and through his vision of the possible and his optimism for the future, which has inspired generations of physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and biologists to devote their lives to molecular electronic theory and dynamics, solid state, and quantum biology.
Fundamental World of Quantum Chemistry forms a collection of papers dedicated to the memory of Per-Olov Lowdin. These volumes are of interest to a broad audience of quantum, theoretical, physical, biological, and computational chemists; atomic, molecular, and condensed matter physicists; biophysicists; mathematicians working in many-body theory; and historians and philosophers of natural science. The volumes will be accessible to all levels, from students, PhD students, and postdocs to their supervisors."

Within the various aspects of life-science technologies medicine and information technology will change next millennium's quality-of-life fundamentally. Thanks to the rapid growth of telecommunication industry and the success and popularity of the internet the face of medicine will essentially change, because information technology is expected to play a major role in future health care systems. The conference MEDICOM 2000 is a discussion forum on fast and cost efficient patient-data exchange systems between doctors' offices, medical laboratories, telearchive services, health care insurances, highly specialized experts in hospitals etc. The conference brought together scientific, medical and application experts from university, clinical and commercial sites of both areas - medicine and communication - to stimulate synergy between these rapidly evolving future technologies. We would like to acknowledge all the parties who contributed to the success of the conference. Especially, we would like to thank Gisela Niedzwetzki and Waltraud Ott for secretarial support as well as Dirk Thomsen for web mastering. Additionally, we have to acknowledge the valuable support of Holger Dorle, Thomas Giese, Peter Just, Stefan Klockner, Heike Lahr and Kerstin Ltidtke-Buzug during the conference.

The International Scientific Symposium on Fibrinogen, Thrombosis, Coagulation, and Fibrinolysis was held in Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China, on August 30 - September 1, 1989. This Symposium has provided a forum for the free exchange of information in this important and rapidly advancing research field. This proceedings volume provides a published record of 46 papers presented at the Symposium. The sponsors have exerted no influence on the scientific opinions or positions of the participants in the Symposium. It is hoped that this Symposium will stimulate further worldwide cooperation and collaboration in these vital fields for the benefit of all human kind. This volume is composed of four parts. The first part consists of 8 papers on Fibrinogen and Fibrin: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Physiology. The second part contains 16 papers on Coagulation and Fibrinolysis: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Physiology. The third part has 10 papers on Cardiovascular Cell Biology: Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Physiology. The fourth part comprises 12 papers on Clinical Studies of the Cardiovascular System: Thrombotic and Bleeding Disorders and Thrombolytic Therapy. The Author Index with addresses of all contributors and the Subject Index of all 46 papers are arranged at the end of this volume.

A decade ago, for most scientists investigating various issues in life sciences the word "NO" was used in a negative context. It is astounding to observe how recently researchers are addressing the issue of NO, namely, nitric oxide, in over fifty publications weekly. Science journal, while naming nitric oxide: "Molecule of the Year" (December 1992), said it all: "NO news is good news. " For a long period of time NO was considered as a pollutant and every ecology minded person tried to eliminate it. It was the discovery of NO involvement in the process of host killing by macrophages and several years later the finding that EDRF is none else but NO, that promoted this field. Nitric oxide's major role in the control of blood pressure is merely one factor of an extensive list of effects and functions attributed to it. NO is implicated in long-term potentiation (LPT), a principal process involved in memory consolidation and it is considered as the main biochemical substance responsible for penile erection. It should be noted that additional roles for NO are discovered continuously as many laboratories join the quest for the mystery of this small molecule. The observation that NO is involved in various biological processes is not unique, as other second messengers (i. e., cyclic AMP), participate in a diverse set of functions."

The formation of patterns in developing biological systems involves the spatio-temporal coordination of growth, cell-cell signalling, tissue movement, gene expression and cell differentiation. The interactions of these complex processes are generally nonlinear, and this mathematical modelling and analysis are needed to provide the framework in which to compute the outcome of different hypothesis on modes of interaction and to make experimentally testable predictions. This collection contains papers exploring several aspects of the hierarchy of processes occurring during pattern formation. A number of papers address the modelling of cell movement and deformation, with application to pattern formation within a collection of cells in response to external signalling cues. The results are considered in the context of pattern generation in Dictyostelium discoideum and bacterial colonies. A number of models at the macroscopic level explore the possible mechanisms underlying spatio-temporal pattern generation in early development, focussing on primitive streak, somitogenesis, vertebrate limb development and pigmentation patterning.The latter two applications consider in detail the effects of growth on patterning. The potential of models to generate more complex patterns are considered and models involving different modes of cell-cell signalling are investigated. Pattern selection is analyzed in the context of chemical Turing patterns, which serve as a paradigm for morphogenesis and a model for vegetation patterns is presented.

This conference and monograph were the result of many collective efforts. The whole concept was formulated one early Wednesday morning at our weekly research meeting at Children's Hospital in our division of urology. We have been most fortunate to have a close collaboration with Bob Levin, Ed Macarak, and Pam Howard who have helped steer the course of our division's growing interest in basic science. At our weekly meetings our laboratory fellow will summarize their current work. Other ongoing areas of investigation in our labs and elsewhere are discussed. We have always made an effort to try and understand what other groups are doing who are working in the area of bladder smooth muscle research. It occurred to us that the best way to really know what everyone working in this field was doing would be to sponsor a 2-day meeting where we could all gather to discuss our ongoing work. A major limitation of the annual meeting of the American Urologic Association or the urology section of the American Academy of Pediatrics is that the scientfic sessions are limited as these are meant to be primarily clinical meetings (as they should be). For this reason the idea of a meeting devoted solely to research about the urinary bladder had great appeal. In addition to allowing for longer presentations than the standard 5 to 7 minutes, every effort would be made to encourage a dialogue amongst the presenters and the audience.

The mathematical technique of Monte Carlo, as applied to the transport of sub-atomic particles, has been described in numerous reports and books since its formal development in the 1940s. Most of these instructional efforts have been directed either at the mathematical basis of the technique or at its practical application as embodied in the several large, formal computer codes available for performing Monte Carlo transport calculations. This book attempts to fill what appears to be a gap in this Monte Carlo literature between the mathematics and the software. Thus, while the mathematical basis for Monte Carlo transport is covered in some detail, emphasis is placed on the application of the technique to the solution of practical radiation transport problems. This is done by using the PC as the basic teaching tool. This book assumes the reader has a knowledge of integral calculus, neutron transport theory, and Fortran programming. It also assumes the reader has available a PC with a Fortran compiler. Any PC of reasonable size should be adequate to reproduce the examples or solve the exercises contained herein. The authors believe it is important for the reader to execute these examples and exercises, and by doing so to become accomplished at preparing appropriate software for solving radiation transport problems using Monte Carlo. The step from the software described in this book to the use of production Monte Carlo codes should be straightforward.

Biophysics deals with biological systems, such as proteins, which ful?ll a va- ety of functions in establishing living systems. While the biologistuses mostly a phenomenological description, the physicist tries to ?nd the general c- cepts to classify the materials and dynamics which underly speci?c processes. The phenomena span a wide range, from elementary processes, which can be induced by light excitation of a molecule, to communication of living s- tems. Thus, di?erent methods are appropriate to describe these phenomena. From the point of view of the physicist, this may be Continuum Mechanics to deal with membranes, Hydrodynamics to deal with transportthrough vessels, Bioinformatics to describe evolution, Electrostatics to deal with aspects of binding, Statistical Mechanics to account for temperature and to learn about the role of the entropy, and last but not least Quantum Mechanics to und- stand the electronic structure of the molecular systems involved. As can be seen from the title, Molecular Biophysics, this book will focus on systems for which su?cient information on the molecular level is available. Compared to crystallizedstandard materials studied in solid-state physics, the biological systems arecharacterizedby verybig unit cells containingproteinswith th- sands of atoms. In addition, there is always a certain amount of disorder, so that the systems can be classi?ed as complex. Surprisingly, the functions like a photocycle or the folding of a protein are highly reproducible, indicating a paradox situation in relation to the concept of maximum entropy production.

Evolutionary biomechanics is the study of evolution through the analysis of biomechanical systems. Its unique advantage is the precision with which physical constraints and performance can be predicted from first principles. Instead of reviewing the entire breadth of the biomechanical literature, a few key examples are explored in depth as vehicles for discussing fundamental concepts, analytical techniques, and evolutionary theory. Each chapter develops a conceptual theme, developing the underlying theory and techniques required for analyses in evolutionary biomechanics. Examples from terrestrial biomechanics, metabolic scaling, and bird flight are used to analyse how physics constrains the design space that natural selection is free to explore, and how adaptive evolution finds solutions to the trade-offs between multiple complex conflicting performance objectives. Evolutionary Biomechanics is suitable for graduate level students and professional researchers in the fields of biomechanics, physiology, evolutionary biology and palaeontology. It will also be of relevance and use to researchers in the physical sciences and engineering.

This volume contains the scientific papers and abstracts of posters presented at the International Symposium on Molecular Insect Science held in Tucson, Arizona, October 22-27, 1989. This meeting was organized by the Center for Insect Science at the University of Arizona in response to the growing need for a forum dedicated to the impact of modern biology on insect science. While scientific studies of a few insects, notably Drosophila melanogaster, have always had a central role in the development of biology, it is only recently that tools have become available to extend these studies to other insects, including those having economic and medical importance. The Tucson meeting was evidence of how far we have come in extending modern biological tools to the study of insects. It is also evident from the contents of this book that the study of insects is making an increasingly important contribution to the advancement of biology generally. Given the large impact of insects on human life, such a development has considerable importance for human welfare, and of the welfare of the ecosystem as a whole. It should be noted that several of the participants who presented posters were invited to prepare full length papers to ensure that the book covered the major areas of insect science. The financial support of the National Science Foundation and the Monsanto Corporation is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also due to Sharon Richards for her dedicated work on the manuscripts. Henry H.

The Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER) has supported and continues to support development of computational approaches in biology and medicine. OHER's Radiological and Chemical Physics Program initiated development of computational approaches to determine the effects produced by radiation of different quality (such as high energy electrons, protons, helium and other heavy ions, etc. ) in a variety of materials of biological interest-such as water, polymers and DNA; these include molecular excitations and sub-excitations and the production of ionization and their spatial and temporal distribution. In the past several years, significant advances have been made in computational methods for this purpose. In particular, codes based on Monte Carlo techniques have .been developed that provide a realistic description of track-structure produced by charged particles. In addition, the codes have become sufficiently sophisticated so that it is now possible to calculate the spatial and temporal distribution of energy deposition patterns in small volumes of subnanometer and nanometer dimensions. These dimensions or resolution levels are relevant for our understanding of mechanisms at the molecular level by which radiations affect biological systems. Since the Monte Carlo track structure codes for use in radiation chemistry and radiation biology are still in the developmental stage, a number of investigators have been exploring different strategies for improving these codes."

Genome research will certainly be one of the most important and exciting sci- tific disciplines of the 21st century. Deciphering the structure of the human genome, as well as that of several model organisms, is the key to our understanding how genes fu- tion in health and disease. With the combined development of innovativetools, resources, scientific know-how, and an overall functional genomic strategy, the origins of human and other organisms'geneticdiseases can be traced. Scientificresearch groups and dev- opmental departments of several major pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies are using new, innovative strategies to unravel how genes function, elucidating the gene protein product, understanding how genes interact with others-both in health and in the disease state. Presently, the impact of the applications of genome research on our society in medicine, agriculture and nutrition will be comparable only to that of communication technologies. In fact, computational methods, including networking, have been playing a substantial role even in genomics and proteomics from the beginning. We can observe, however, a fundamental change of the paradigm in life sciences these days: research focused until now mostly on the study of single processes related to a few genes or gene products, but due to technical developments of the last years we can now potentially identify and analyze all genes and gene products of an organism and clarify their role in the network of lifeprocesses.

Electron magnetic resonance spectroscopy is undergoing something akin to a renaissance that is attributable to advances in microwave circuitry and signal processing software. EPR: Instrumental Methods is a textbook that brings the reader up to date on these advances and their role in providing better experimental techniques for biological magnetic resonance. Chapters in this book guide the reader from basic principles of spectrometer design through the advanced methods that are providing new vistas in disciplines such as oximetry, imaging, and structural biology. Key Features: Spectrometer design, particularly at low frequencies (below X-band), Design of spectrometer components unique to ENDOR and ESEEM, Optimization of EMR spectrometer sensitivity spanning many octaves, Algorithmic approach to spectral parameterization, Application of Fourier Methods to polymer conformation, oximetry, and imaging.

The present volume is a continuation of the EL.B.A. Forum Series, which was initiated in the spring of 1995 with the first volume, entitled From Neural Network and Biomolecular Engineering to Bioelectronics, in which a brief outline of modem bioelectron ics given as "the use of biological materials and biological architectures for information processing and sensing systems and devices down to molecular level. " The present volume highlights the aspects of advanced biotechnology and electronics originating from molecular manufacturing, which has been emerging as an independent branch of research. This volume appears in a crucial moment, when significant progress has already been made in this strategic field and when technologies derived from it are recognized as critical for the welfare of our society. In addition, acknowledging to the Italian Ministry of University and Scientific and Technological Research for launching the National Research Program "Technologies for Bioelectronics" in 1992 and for continuation of support of this advanced multidisciplinary research, we would like to acknowledge the support of the National Research Council of Italy through the "Molecular Manufacturing" CNR Strategic Project since 1994. The significant unique role of Technobiochip in the organization of the EL.B.A. Forums and in bringing to light the enormous industrial potential of bioelectronics is duly acknowledged, as well as its attraction and support of top level scientists to the series of EL.B.A. Forums of which this volume is part. Dr. Sergey Vakula of the EL.B.A."

The present book relates to the scientific records of a workshop held in Patras, Greece, in June 1989, under the auspices and with financial support of the European Economic Communities (Concerted Action EUROBIOMAT - Hemocompatibility - of the Medical Research Programme, Project: 11.1.212). This concerted action promotes the collaboration on science and technology on the particular field of hemocompatible biomaterials: exchange of experts, scholarships and scientific workshops within the EC-member countries and COST countries such as Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Switzerland. The first part of this monography refers to the oral presentations of the par ticipants. The second part gives the book its unique character: the scientific discussion on updated aspects of protein adsorption of synthetic polymers in contact with blood. This second part is subdivided into nine chapters where specific topics were discussed freely, open-minded and even controversially. This book intends to elucidate recurrent questions concerning the initial event when blood contacts artificial surfaces. Young investigators will consider this book to be appropriate to get familiar with the scientific background and the most relevant techniques and methods."

Pulmonary Biology in Health and Disease was conceived as a companion to a handful of expensive, multivolume textbooks. This is part of the promising trend to publish shorter textbooks on the subjects of lung biology and remodeling. Whoever is familiar with human biology and the far-reaching consequences of the genome and postgenome revolutions is apt to concede that the centerpiece in remodeling lies in the ?eld of m- ecular cardiobiology. The ?eld of molecular cardiobiology includes the syndrome of chronic heart failure as well as ischemic cardioprotection. By analogy, the centerpiece in pulmonobiology is chronic asthma. Key topics in the present volume include s- naling mechanisms regulating the endothelium and smooth muscle cells,in?ammatory cells, mediators, airway surface liquid, and pharmacological therapy that focuses on how in?amed airways are altered. Written primarily for predoctoral and postdoctoral graduates in the basic medical sciences, the medical student and postdoctoral physician, graduates in the allied s- ences, nurses, pulmonologists, and physicians in critical care medicine, this book p- vides many of the fundamentals of contemporary pulmonology. It is divided into several parts devoted to the control of respiration, arterial chemoreceptors,muscles of ventilation, pulmonary physiology, and gas exchange in health, exercise, and disease. Special emphasis is placed on emphysema and its pathobiology, acute lung injury, asthma and inhaled toxicants. Because the ?eld is always evolving, each chapter includes recommended readings that lead the reader to sources of additional information, such as the review on remodeling of the blood gas barrier by West and Mathieu-Costello.

This book contains aseries of review papers related to the lectures given at the Third Course on Bioelectrochemistry held at Erice in November 1988, in the framework of the International School of Biophysics. The topics covered by this course, "Charge Separation Across Biomembranes, " deal with the electrochemical aspects of some basic phenomena in biological systems, such as transport of ions, ATP synthesis, formation and maintenance of ionic and protonic gradients. In the first part of the course some preliminary lectures introduce the students to the most basic phenomena and technical aspects of membrane bioelectrochemistry. The remaining part of the course is devoted to the description of a selected group of membrane-enzyme systems, capable of promoting, or exploiting, the processes of separation of electrically charged entities (electrons or ions) across the membrane barrier. These systems are systematically discussed both from a structural and functional point of view. The effort of the many distinguished lecturers who contributed to the course is aimed at offering a unifying treatement of the electrogenic systems operating in biological membranes, underlying the fundamental differences in the molecular mechanisms of charge translocation.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has sponsored research and personnel safety standards development for exposure to Radiofrequency Radiation (RFR) for over twenty years. The Aerospace Medical Panel of the Advisory Group For Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD) sponsored Lecture Series No. 78 Radiation Hazards,! in 1975, in the Netherlands, Germany, and Norway, on the subject of Radiation Hazards to provide a review and critical analysis of the available information and concepts. In the same year, Research Study Group 2 on Protection of Personnel Against Non-Ionizing Electromagnetic Radiation (Panel VIIl of AC/243 Defence Research Group, NATO) proposed a revision to Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 2345. The intent of the proposal was to revise the ST ANAG to incorporate frequency-dependent-RFR safety guidelines. These changes are documented in the NATO STANAG 2345 (MED), Control and Recording of Personnel Exposure to Radiofrequency Radiation,2 promulgated in 1979. Research Study Group 2 (RSG2) of NATO Defense Research Group Panel VIII (AC1243) was organized, in 1981, to study and contribute technical information concerning the protection of military personnel from the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation. A workshop at the Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, U. K. was held to develop and/or compile sufficient knowledge on the long-term effects of pulsed RFR to maintain safe procedures and to minimize unnecessary operational constraints.

Biophysics, being an interdisciplinary topic, is of great importance in modern biology. This book addresses the needs of biologists, biochemists, and medical biophysicists for an introduction to the subject. The text is based on a one-semester course offered to graduate students of life sciences, and covers a wide range of topics from quantum mechanics to pre-biotic evolution. To understand the topics, only basic school level mathematics is required.

The first chapter introduces and refreshes the reader's knowledge of physics and chemistry. The next chapters cover various physico-chemical techniques used to study biomolecular structures, followed by treatments of spectroscopy, microscopy, diffraction, and computational techniques.

X-ray crystallography and NMR are dealt with in greater detail. The latter half of the book covers results obtained from applications of the above techniques. Some of the other topics dealt with are energy pathways, biomechanics, and neuro-biophysics.

This brief provides an in-depth overview of the physics of hadron therapy, ranging from the history to the latest contributions to the subject. It covers the mechanisms of protons and carbon ions at the molecular level (DNA breaks and proteins 53BP1 and RPA), the physics and mathematics of accelerators (Cyclotron and Synchrotron), microdosimetry measurements (with new results so far achieved), and Monte Carlo simulations in hadron therapy using FLUKA (CERN) and MCHIT (FIAS) software. The text also includes information about proton therapy centers and carbon ion centers (PTCOG), as well as a comparison and discussion of both techniques in treatment planning and radiation monitoring. This brief is suitable for newcomers to medical physics as well as seasoned specialists in radiation oncology.

With the aim of providing a deeper insight into possible mechanisms of biological self-organization, this thesis presents new approaches to describe the process of self-assembly and the impact of spatial organization on the function of membrane proteins, from a statistical physics point of view. It focuses on three important scenarios: the assembly of membrane proteins, the collective response of mechanosensitive channels and the function of the twin arginine translocation (Tat) system. Using methods from equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics, general conclusions were drawn that demonstrate the importance of the protein-protein interactions. Namely, in the first part a general aggregation dynamics model is formulated, and used to show that fragmentation crucially affects the efficiency of the self-assembly process of proteins. In the second part, by mapping the membrane-mediated forces into a simplified many-body system, the dynamic and equilibrium behaviour of interacting mechanosensitive channels is derived, showing that protein agglomeration strongly impacts its desired function. The final part develops a model that incorporates both the agglomeration and transport function of the Tat system, thereby providing a comprehensive description of this self-organizing process.

Fluorescent proteins are intimately connected to research in the life sciences. Tagging of gene products with fluorescent proteins has revolutionized all areas of biosciences, ranging from fundamental biochemistry to clinical oncology, to environmental research. The discovery of the Green Fluorescent Protein, its first, seminal application and the ingenious development of a broad palette of fluorescence proteins of other colours, was consequently recognised with the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2008.

"Fluorescent Proteins I" is devoted to the basic photophysical and photochemical aspects of fluorescent protein technology. Experienced experts highlight colour tuning, the exploration of switching phenomena and respective methods for their investigation. The book provides a thorough understanding of primary molecular processes allowing the design of fluorescent proteins for specific applications."

In the first edition of The Enzymes of Biological Membranes, published in four volumes in 1976, we collected the mass of widely scattered information on membrane-linked enzymes and metabolic processes up to about 1975. This was a period of transition from the romantic phase of membrane biochemistry, preoccupied with conceptual developments and the general properties of membranes, to an era of mounting interest in the specific properties of membrane-linked enzymes analyzed from the viewpoints of modem enzymology. The level of sophistication in various areas of membrane research varied widely; the structures of cytochrome c and cytochrome b5 were known to atomic detail, while the majority of membrane-linked enzymes had not even been isolated. In the intervening eight years our knowledge of membrane-linked enzymes ex panded beyond the wildest expectations. The purpose of the second edition of The Enzymes of Biological Membranes is to record these developments. The first volume describes the physical and chemical techniques used in the analysis of the structure and dynamics of biological membranes. In the second volume the enzymes and met abolic systems that participate in the biosynthesis of cell and membrane components are discussed. The third and fourth volumes review recent developments in active transport, oxidative phosphorylation and photosynthesis."

The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the largest relatively ice-free area on the Antarctic continent. The perennially ice-covered lakes, ephemeral streams and extensive areas of exposed soil are subject to low temperatures, limited precipitation and salt accumulation. The dry valleys thus represent a region where life approaches its environmental limits. This unique ecosystem has been studied for several decades as an analog to environments on other planets, particularly Mars. For the first time, the detailed terrestrial research of the dry valleys is brought together here, presented from an astrobiological perspective. Chapters include a discussion on the history of research in the valleys, a geological background of the valleys, setting them up as analogs for Mars, followed by chapters on the various sub-environments in the valleys such as lakes, glaciers and soils. Includes concluding chapters on biodiversity and other analog environments on Earth.