Integrates knowledge on microfiltration and ultrification, membrane chemistry, and characterization methods with the engineering and economic aspects of device performance, device and module design, processes, and applications. The text provides a discussion of membrane fundamentals and an analytical framework for designing and developing new filtrations systems for a broad range of technologically important functions. It offers information on membrane liquid precursors, fractal and stochastic pore space analysis, novel and advanced module designs, and original process design calculations.

A comprehensive collection of optimized methods for dissecting the mechanisms that control epidermal growth factors (EGF) and their regulators in both normal and pathological states. These readily reproducible techniques range from the study of purified EGF receptor to complex signaling and processing networks in intact cells, including a chapter on the clinical and pharmacological considerations of their use in cancer therapy. The protocols follow the successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, each offering step-by-step laboratory instructions, an introduction outlining the principles behind the technique, lists of the necessary equipment and reagents, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls.

Electromagnetic Waves-Based Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy: Principles and Applications of Nanomaterials is a reference solution for radiation-based methods in cancer therapy that benefit from nanosystems. The book gives foundational knowledge and the latest techniques across the electromagnetic wave spectrum. It assesses the advantages and limitations of nanosystems in therapy, providing researchers and specialists with the insight to leverage novel nanostructures for therapy and to improve the efficacy of existing methods. It presents a comprehensive reference on the use of nanosystems in radiation-based cancer therapy. What makes this book unique is its coverage of the electromagnetic wave spectrum. Six chapters cover radio-wave-involved cancer therapy and imaging; cancer therapy by microwaves hypothermia; infra-red waves in cancer theranostics; the use of visible light in diagnosis; X-ray based treatments; and gamma ray-involved therapy and imaging. This book offers researchers and specialists a comprehensive overview of radiation-based methods using nanosystems. It will be of great use to researchers and specialists in cancer diagnosis who want to take advantage of novel nanostructures and to improve the performance of conventional methods in radiation-based cancer diagnosis and therapy.

The 5th International Conference on Aspartic Proteinases was held on September 19 through 24, 1993, at Naito Museum of Pharmaceutical Science and Industry, Kawashima cho, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, about 15 miles northwest of Nagoya City. About 100 scientists attended the conference, including 52 from 14 countries outside Japan, and 32 papers were presented by invited speakers, and 58 papers as posters. The purpose of this conference was to present and discuss new information on the structure, function, and biology, and related topics, including biomedical implications, of aspartic proteinases, and this book is a collec tion of nearly all the papers presented at the meeting. Aspartic proteinases belong to one of the four major classes of proteinases, the others being serine, cysteine, and metalloproteinases, and are so called since they have two catalytic aspartic acid residues in common in their active sites. Most of them are optimally active at acidic pH, hence the long-used name "acid proteinases," which, indeed, was the major title of the first conference of this series. However, some of them are active at around neutral pH, indicating their physiological roles in a wider range of pH than hitherto considered.

Over the past several decades, vanadium has increasingly attracted the interest of biologists and chemists. The discovery by Henze in 1911 that certain marine ascidians accumulate the metal in their blood cells in unusually large quantities has done much to stimulate research on the role of vanadium in biology. In the intervening years, a large number of studies have been carried out to investigate the toxicity of vanadium in higher animals and to determine whether it is an essential trace element. That vanadium is a required element for a few selected organisms is now well established. Whether vanadium is essential for humans remains unclear although evidence increasingly suggests that it probably is. The discovery by Cantley in 1977 that vanadate is a potent inhibitor of ATPases lead to numerous studies of the inhibitory and stimulatory effects of vanadium on phosphate metabolizing enzymes. As a consequence vanadates are now routinely used as probes to investigate the mechanisms of such enzymes. Our understanding of vanadium in these systems has been further enhanced by the work of Tracy and Gresser which has shown striking parallels between the chemistry of vanadates and phosphates and their biological compounds. The observation by Shechter and Karlish, and Dubyak and Kleinzeller in 1980 that vanadate is an insulin mimetic agent has opened a new area of research dealing with the hormonal effects of vanadium. The first vanadium containing enzyme, a bromoperoxidase from the marine alga Ascophyllum nodosum, was isolated in 1984 by Viltner.

Metabolism is the sum of the chemical reactions in cells that produce life-sustaining chemical energy and metabolites. In the post-genome era, metabolism has taken on new significance for biological scientists: metabolites are the chemical basis of phenotypes that are final expressions of genomic information. This book covers research on metabolomics, ranging from the development of specialized chemical analytical techniques to the construction of databases and methods for metabolic simulation. The authors have been directly involved in the development of all the subject areas, including capillary electrophoresis, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, metabolic databases, and metabolic simulation. Breakthrough achievements and the future of metabolome studies are described, making this book a valuable source for researchers in metabolomics in diverse fields, such as plant, animal, cellular, microbial, pharmaceutical, medical, and genetic sciences.

This is the only book of its kind to provide an overview of the science of flavonoids in plants.

This work offers succinct, medically-oriented coverage of biochemistry, examining biologically important materials and presenting the properties of nucleic acids as well as nucleic acid metabolism. Each metabolic process is integrated in a review of overall energy metabolism, diabetes and starvation. A solutions manual is available to instructors only.

Recent years have witnessed striking advances in research on axons at a cellular level that substantially impact our current understanding of axonal biology. Newer findings and their ramifications are critically reviewed in the 16 chapters of this volume by authors highly qualified by virtue of their scientific contributions to research areas they know and write about. Five basic areas (I to V) germane to axonal biology are highlighted, beginning with (I) signaling interactions mediating myelination, and differentiation of axonal membrane domains; (IIa) issues surrounding organization and transport dynamics of neurofilaments in axons, (IIb) mechanisms regulating microtubule organization and dynamics, misregulation of which causes axonal degeneration, and (IIc) the roles actin binding proteins play in regulating organization and functions of the actin filament system in mature and growing axons; (IIIa) myosin motor proteins and cargoes intrinsic to the axon compartment, (IIIb) mitochondrial transport motors, and imperatives governing transport dynamics and directional delivery, (IIIc) mechanisms mediating retrograde signaling associated with NGF's role in trophic-dependent neuronal survival, and (IIId) potential for impaired subcellular targeting of a -synuclein as a mechanism for accumulation of Lewy body inclusions in synucleinopathies; (IVa) occurrence and organization of discrete ribosome-containing domains in axons, (IVb) endogenous mRNAs, classes of proteins translated locally, and RNP trafficking in axons, (IVc) importance of locally synthesized nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins for maintenance, function and survival of axons, (IVd) occurrence of RNA trafficking from glial cells to axons, and significance glial RNA transcripts may play in expression in axons and axon terminals, (IVe) RNA trafficking and localization of RNA transcripts in axonal growth cones, and signaling pathways that modulate local protein synthesis for directional elongation, and (IVf) genetic and molecular defects underlying spinal muscular atrophy, and roles that SMN gene product plays as a molecular chaperone in mRNA transport and translation; (Va) injury-induced local synthesis of a protein forming a retrograde signaling complex in axons to stimulate regeneration, and (Vb) endogenous and exogenous factors that condition axonal regenerative capacity in PNS and CNS, including injury-induced activation of specific genes governing regeneration. Emergent complexities revealed in this volume compel a major revision in the traditional conceptual model of the axon's intrinsic makeup and capacities.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203482980

This book presents a detailed examination of the physical properties of proteins and their associations with solvents, ligands, and each other. Incorporating observations from his classic work on the thermodynamics of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions, the internationally recognized author offers a complete conceptual and quantitative description of proteins and their associations. The book begins with an overview of basic thermodynamic principles and goes on to describe the covalent and noncovalent binding of single and multiple ligands and their effects on protein-protein associations. Discussions of protein-solvent interactions address issues including protein folding, membrane associations, and protein dynamics. Attention is given to the effect of temperature and pressure on protein structure, oligomerization, and ligand binding, as well as to ideas about the basis of biological specificity. Although experimental work is discussed throughout the text, the book is not technique oriented. Its theoretical framework is clear, general and easily understandable, making this an essential textbook for beginning graduate students in biological sciences, as well as a valuable reference for advanced researchers in industry and academia.

With the erratic changes in climate, crop plants are facing many forms of biotic stresses. When plants are under stress, among several gene families, regulatory genes play a vital role in signal transduction in modulating the expression of genes underpinning several defense pathways and targeting regulatory proteins (viz, transcription factors (TFs)) can be the alternative. Transcription factors directly regulate the downstream R genes and are excellent candidates for disease resistance breeding. Till date, numerous transcription factors have been identified and characterized structurally and functionally. Of them, TF families such as WRKY, NAC, Whirly, Apetala2 (AP2), ethylene responsive elements (ERF) etc. are found to be associated with transcriptional reprogramming of plant defense response. These TFs are responsive to the pathogen's PAMPs/DAMPs - host's PRR protein interactions and specifically binds to the cis-elements of defense genes and regulate their expression. With this background, realizing the importance of TFs in resistance breeding, this book discusses the recent research and developments in this field for various crops.

Completely revised and updated, this 2nd Edition of Reactivity and Mechanism in Organic Chemistry is an ideal introduction to the quantitative description of organic reactivity for students in undergraduate and masters chemistry programmes. The book proceeds logically from qualitative molecular orbital theory as a tool for the description of bonding phenomena to combining this with thermochemical data to rationalise concepts such as molecular strain and hyperconjugation. Next, transition state theory, for examining organic reactivity phenomena, is introduced and its relation to energy surfaces and simple rate equations is discussed. On this basis more specific reactivity concepts commonly used in organic chemistry are explored such as the Bell-Evans-Polanyi principle, Marcus theory, HSAB principle, Hammett correlations, the Mayr-Patz equation, and FMO theory. How these reactivity models are applied is demonstrated for pericyclic reactions and selected rearrangement reactions involving transient intermediates such as radicals, diradicals, or carbocations, and for reactions involving classical electrophile/nucleophile combinations.

This book presents a comprehensive overview of global environmental problems - past, present and future - examining their roots and implications and suggesting, where possible, ways in which they might be mitigated or avoided by careful management.

Experimental science is a complicated creature. At the head there is a Gordian knot of ideas and hypotheses; behind is the accumulated mass of decades of research. Only the laboratory methods, the legs which propel science forward, remain firmly in touch with the ground. Growth, however is uneven; dinosaurs develop by solid means to give a vast body of results, but few ideas. Others sprint briefly to success with brilliant, though ill-supported, ideas. The problems which this book addresses is to maintain an organic unity between new ideas and the current profusion of innovative experimental tools. Only then can we have the framework on which our research thoughts may flourish. The contributors are outstanding scientists in their respective fields and they record here in a clear manner the methodology with which they perform their experiments. They also illustrate some of their most exciting findings. In all chapters the emphasis is on the critical analysis of the methodology which is often avoided in refereed Journals. These techniques are explained in this book in adequate detail. Each chapter is extensively referenced and contains the most recent material available from author's laboratory at the time of going to press.

In recent years, "clean label" has become a trendy term in the food industry, spurring innovations in food product development. While the concept of "clean label" is relatively new, without any legal definition, it has a high market appearance and industrial relevance. Consumer demands are leading food and beverage manufacturers toward removing synthetic additives (e.g., emulsifiers) and incorporating natural ingredients. Indeed, many big food companies have committed to eliminating artificial food additives from their products altogether. However, the substitution of chemical preservatives for natural ingredients without compromising food safety, convenience, and sensory quality is a challenge for food technologists. The Age of Clean Label Foods offers a guide to this approach with a thorough exploration of "clean label" ingredients in foods and the development of these food products. All aspects of clean label foods are covered in this essential reference, including recent developments in "clean label ingredients," technologies for producing or enhancing the functionality of ingredients, the interaction of ingredients with emerging food processing technologies, legislative frameworks, and consumer attitudes. Particular emphasis is given to trendy topics in the clean label industry, such as products with reduced-fat or reduced salt content, modified starches, natural emulsifiers, antioxidants, flavorings and antimicrobials, and fermented foods, as well as active and intelligent packaging for clean label foods. Through this text, the authors hope to promote a better understanding from which food technologists and food microbiologists can operate in the "clean-label" arena, taking into consideration all the key aspects of food quality, sensory characteristics, and food safety.

Discusses the biochemical and geological cycling of selenium (Se), its worldwide distribution, and the factors controlling its fate and transport within and between major environmental media, presenting a global assessment of selenium's complex environmental behaviour. The focus of this work is upon Se management and remediation strategies.

This unique reference set provides a broad-based, in-depth presentation on angiotensin II receptors, from the genes that encode them to the responses they mediate in humans. The books emphasize known and potential therapeutic applications of the antagonists of angiotensin II receptors and the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. The molecular biology of angiotensin II receptors is reviewed, as are the biochemical effects mediated by angiotensin II receptors.
This is the first publication to analyze in detail the structure-activity relationships for both peptide and nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor agonists and antagonists. It also presents the pharmacological effects mediated by angiotensin II receptors both in the periphery and in the brain.

Provides in-depth coverage of lectins and their interactions with micro-organisms and demonstrates how lectins function as probes for viral, bacterial, fungal and protozoal surfaces, as well as for blood group antigens.

This volume contains the texts of lectures and posters presented at the Sixth European Conference on the Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules (ECSBM), held at the "Universite des Sciences et Technologies de Lille," Villeneuve d'Ascq, France rd th from 3 to 8 September 1995 at the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Conference. During a NATO Summer School "Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy of Biological Molecules," organized by C. Sandorfy and T. Theophanides in Maratea (Italy) in 1983, a group of spectroscopists decided to organize a regular European meeting to check the lastest research results obtained by the different groups working in this field and to promote new cooperation between spectroscopists, biophysicists, biochemists and physicians. Since then ECSBM has been held biennially at Reims, France (1985), Freiburg, Germany (1987), Rimini, Italy (1989), York, United Kingdom (1991) and Loutraki, Greece (1993). The great increase in both the number of participants in this International Conference and in their countries of origin (from many countries outside as well as within Europe) during the last ten years has proved the necessity of this kind of meeting and the prosperity of this field of research.

Conversion of biomass into chemicals and biofuels is an active research and development area as trends move to replace traditional fossil fuels with renewable resources. By integrating processing methods with microwave and ultrasound irradiation into biorefineries, the time-scale of many operations can be greatly reduced while the efficiency of the reactions can be remarkably increased so that process intensification can be achieved. "Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Microwave" and "Production of Biofuels and Chemicals with Ultrasound" are two independent volumes in the Biofuels and Biorefineries series that take different, but complementary approaches for the pretreatment and chemical transformation of biomass into chemicals and biofuels. The volume "Microwave" provides current research advances and prospects in theoretical and practical aspects of microwave irradiation including properties, effects and temperature monitoring, design of chemical reactors, synergistic effects on combining microwave, ultrasound, hydrodynamic cavitation and high-shear mixing into processes, chemical and catalytic conversion of lignin into chemicals, pyrolysis and gasification, syngas production from wastes, platform chemicals, algal biodiesel, cellulose-based nanocomposites, lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment, green chemistry metrics and energy consumption and techno-economic analysis for a catalytic pyrolysis facility that processes pellets into aromatics. Each of the 12 chapters has been peer-reviewed and edited to improve both the quality of the text and the scope and coverage of the topics. Both volumes "Microwave" and "Ultrasound" are references designed for students, researchers, academicians and industrialists in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering and include introductory chapters to highlight present concepts of the fundamental technologies and their application. Dr. Zhen Fang is Professor in Bioenergy, Leader and founder of biomass group, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and is also adjunct Professor of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China. Dr. Richard L Smith, Jr. is Professor of Chemical Engineering, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Research Center of Supercritical Fluid Technology, Tohoku University, Japan. Dr. Xinhua Qi is Professor of Environmental Science, Nankai University, China.

The prediction of the conformation of proteins has developed from an intellectual exercise into a serious practical endeavor that has great promise to yield new stable enzymes, products of pharmacological significance, and catalysts of great potential. With the application of predic tion gaining momentum in various fields, such as enzymology and immunology, it was deemed time that a volume be published to make available a thorough evaluation of present methods, for researchers in this field to expound fully the virtues of various algorithms, to open the field to a wider audience, and to offer the scientific public an opportunity to examine carefully its successes and failures. In this manner the practitioners of the art could better evaluate the tools and the output so that their expectations and applications could be more realistic. The editor has assembled chapters by many of the main contributors to this area and simultaneously placed their programs at three national resources so that they are readily available to those who wish to apply them to their personal interests. These algorithms, written by their originators, when utilized on pes or larger computers, can instantaneously take a primary amino acid sequence and produce a two-or three-dimensional artistic image that gives satisfaction to one's esthetic sensibilities and food for thought concerning the structure and function of proteins. It is in this spirit that this volume was envisaged."

Extracellular nucleic acids have recently emerged as important players in the fields of biology and the medical sciences. In the last several years, extracellular nucleic acids have been shown to be involved in not only microbial evolution as genetic elements but also to have structural roles in bacterial communities, such as biofilms. Circulating DNA and RNA have been found in human blood and expected to be useful as non-invasive markers for the diagnosis of several diseases. In addition, extracellular nucleic acids have attracted attention as active modulators of the immune system of higher organisms, including humans. This book covers nearly all of the newly developing fields related to extracellular nucleic acids, including those of basic biology, ecology and the medical sciences, and provides readers with the latest knowledge on them.