As mass spectrometric methods now offer a level of specificity and sensitivity unrealized by spectrophotometric- and immunoassay-based methods, mass spectrometry has entered the clinical laboratory where it is being used for a wide range of applications. In Clinical Applications of Mass Spectrometry: Methods and Protocols, expert researchers provide detailed step-by-step procedures for the analysis of number of analytes of clinical importance. This versatile and expansive volume covers mass spectrometry methods for analytes including a variety of drugs, hormones, and metabolic compounds spanning the disciplines of toxicology, therapeutic drug monitoring, endocrinology, and pediatric metabolism. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include brief introductions to the analytes, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, readily reproducible analytical protocols, and detailed notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Comprehensive and dependable, Clinical Applications of Mass Spectrometry: Methods and Protocols offers its readers a wide array of valuable methods for experienced mass spectrometric labs that are looking to introduce new analyses as well as for those laboratories currently considering the addition of this resourceful and vital technology.

This book provides the most updated information of how membrane lipids mediate protein signaling from studies carried out in animal and plant cells. Also, there are some chapters that go beyond and expand these studies of protein-lipid interactions at the structural level. The book begins with a literature review from investigations associated to sphingolipids, followed by studies that describe the role of phosphoinositides in signaling and closing with the function of other key lipids in signaling at the plasma membrane and intracellular organelles.

In this thesis single-molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy was used to study the folding of a protein that belongs to the large and important family of repeat proteins. Cohen shows that the dynamics of the expanded conformations is likely to be very fast, suggesting a spring-like motion of the whole chain. The findings shed new light on the elasticity of structure in repeat proteins, which is related to their function in binding multiple and disparate partners. This concise research summary provides useful insights for students beginning a PhD in this or a related area, and researchers entering this field.

In this book, density functional theory (DFT) is introduced within the overall context of quantum chemistry. DFT has become the most frequently used theory in quantum chemistry calculations. However, thus far, there has been no book on the fundamentals of DFT that uses the terminology and methodology of quantum chemistry, which is familiar to many chemists, including experimentalists. This book first reviews the basic concepts and historical background of quantum chemistry and then explains those of DFT, showing how the latter fits into the bigger picture. Recent interesting topics of DFT in chemistry are also targeted. In particular, the physical meanings of state-of-the-art exchange-correlation functionals and their corrections are described in detail. Owing to its unconventionality, this book is certain to be of great interest not only to chemists but also to solid state physicists.

Lepidoptera and Coleoptera - butterflies and beetles - are the most beautifully colored insects we can find. This book explores the origin of these brilliant colors from a physics perspective, beginning with the simplest question: Why Colors? The author masterfully explains at an introductory level the coloring of insects and illustrates his points with more than 240 brilliant figures. The book is a rich source for optical physicists, biologists, and teachers alike.

This book covers the latest research work done in the area of interface mechanics of collagen and chitin-based biomaterials along with various techniques that can be used to understand mechanics of biological systems and materials. Topics covered include Raman spectroscopy of biological systems, scale dependence of the mechanical properties and microstructure of crustaceans thin films as biomimetic materials, as well as the role of molecular-level modeling. The use of nanomechanics to investigate interface thermomechanics of collagen and chitin-based biomaterials is also covered in detail. This book also: * Details spectroscope experiments as well as nanomechanic experiments * Reviews exhaustively phenomenological models and Raman spectroscopy of biological systems * Covers the latest in multiscaling for molecular models to predict lab-scale sample properties and investigates interface thermomechanics

Advances in the synthesis of new materials with often complex, nano-scaled structures require increasingly sophisticated experimental techniques that can probe the electronic states, the atomic magnetic moments and the magnetic microstructures responsible for the properties of these materials. At the same time, progress in synchrotron radiation techniques has ensured that these light sources remain a key tool of investigation, e.g. synchrotron radiation sources of the third generation are able to support magnetic imaging on a sub-micrometer scale. With the Sixth Mittelwihr School on Magnetism and Synchrotron Radiation the tradition of teaching the state-of-the-art on modern research developments continues and is expressed through the present set of extensive lectures provided in this volume. While primarily aimed at postgraduate students and newcomers to the field, this volume will also benefit researchers and lecturers actively working in the field.

This book presents cutting-edge concepts, paradigms, and research highlights in the field of computational materials science and engineering, and provides a fresh, up-to-date perspective on solving present and future materials challenges. The chapters are written by not only pioneers in the fields of computational materials chemistry and materials science, but also experts in multi-scale modeling and simulation as applied to materials engineering. Pedagogical introductions to the different topics and continuity between the chapters are provided to ensure the appeal to a broad audience and to address the applicability of integrated computational materials science and engineering for solving real-world problems.

Reflecting the expanding field's need for reliable protocols, Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy: Methods and Protocols offers techniques from a worldwide team of experts on this versatile and vital subject. The topics covered fall into four broad categories: steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy, time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescent probe development, and the various sub-categories of fluorescence microscopy, such as fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), live cell FRET imaging (FRETim), fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy (FFS), and single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy (smFS). Written as a part of the popular Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include the kind of unambiguous detail and key implementation advice that proves essential for successful results. Comprehensive and practical, Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy: Methods and Protocols aims to guide both 'novice' and established scientists toward furthering their research with these invaluable techniques.

The minimum temperature in the natural universe is 2.7 K. Laboratory refrigerators can reach temperatures in the microkelvin range. Modern industrial refrigerators cool foods at 200 K, whereas space mission payloads must be capable of working at temperatures as low as 20 K. Superconducting magnets used for NMR work at 4.2 K. Hence the properties of materials must be accurately known also at cryogenic temperatures. This book provides a guide for engineers, physicists, chemists, technicians who wish to approach the field of low-temperature material properties. The focus is on the thermal properties and a large spectrum of experimental cases is reported. The book presents updated tables of low-temperature data on materials and a thorough bibliography supplements any further research. Key Features include: Degrees Detailed technical description of experiments Degrees Description of the newest cryogenic apparatus Degrees Offers data on cryogenic properties of the latest new materials Degrees Current reference review

In this thesis the author presents the results of extensive spectroscopy experiments beyond the bounds of each transition element to clarify the origins of characteristic spectral features and charge dynamics in charge-spin-orbital coupled phenomena in Mott-transition oxides. Several counterpart 3d transition-metal oxides were adopted as model systems suitable for examining the mechanisms involved, and their electronic structures were systematically investigated using three main spectroscopy methods. Comparative studies on the charge dynamics and Mott transition features of transition-metal oxides were performed: Charge dynamics and thermoelectricity in a typical Mott transition system La1 xSrxVO3, charge dynamics in a doped valence-bond solid system (Ti1 xVx)2O3 and in layered nickelates R2-xSrxNiO4 with charge-ordering instability are investigated thoroughly. The results obtained successfully provide a number of novel insights into the emergent phenomena near the Mott transition.

This book presents a comprehensive description of phonons and their interactions in systems with different dimensions and length scales. Internationally-recognized leaders describe theories and measurements of phonon interactions in relation to the design of materials with exotic properties such as metamaterials, nano-mechanical systems, next-generation electronic, photonic, and acoustic devices, energy harvesting, optical information storage, and applications of phonon lasers in a variety of fields. The emergence of techniques for control of semiconductor properties and geometry has enabled engineers to design structures in which functionality is derived from controlling electron behavior. As manufacturing techniques have greatly expanded the list of available materials and the range of attainable length scales, similar opportunities now exist for designing devices whose functionality is derived from controlling phonon behavior. However, progress in this area is hampered by gaps in our knowledge of phonon transport across and along arbitrary interfaces, the scattering of phonons with crystal defects, interface roughness and mass-mixing, delocalized electrons/collective electronic excitations, and solid acoustic vibrations when these occur in structures with small physical dimensions. This book provides a comprehensive description of phonons and their interactions in systems with different dimensions and length scales. Theories and measurements of phonon interactions are described in relation to the design of materials with exotic properties such as metamaterials, nano-mechanical systems, next-generation electronic, photonic, and acoustic devices, energy harvesting, optical information storage, and applications of phonon lasers in a variety of fields.

The book bridges the gap between fundamental physics courses (such as optics, electrodynamics, quantum mechanics and solid state physics) and highly specialized literature on the spectroscopy, design, and application of optical thin film coatings. Basic knowledge from the above-mentioned courses is therefore presumed. Starting from fundamental physics, the book enables the reader derive the theory of optical coatings and to apply it to practically important spectroscopic problems. Both classical and semiclassical approaches are included. Examples describe the full range of classical optical coatings in various spectral regions as well as highly specialized new topics such as rugate filters and resonant grating waveguide structures. The second edition has been updated and extended with respect to probing matter in different spectral regions, homogenous and inhomogeneous line broadening mechanisms and the Fresnel formula for the effect of planar interfaces.

This collection of reviews by leading Japanese researchers covers topics like ultrafast optical responses, terahertz and phonon studies, super-sensitive surface and high-pressure spectroscopy, combination of visible and x-ray photonics. Several related areas at the cutting edge of measurement technology and materials science are included. This book is partly based on well-cited review articles in the Japanese language in special volumes of the Journal of the Vacuum Society of Japan.

This handbook presents electronic structure data and tabulations of Slater-Koster parameters for the whole periodic table. This second edition presents data sets for all elements up to Z = 112, Copernicium, whereas the first edition contained only 53 elements. In this new edition, results are given for the equation of state of the elements together with the parameters of a Birch fit, so that the reader can regenerate the results and derive additional information, such as Pressure-Volume relations and variation of Bulk Modulus with Pressure. For each element, in addition to the equation of state, the energy bands, densities of states and a set of tight-binding parameters is provided. For a majority of elements, the tight-binding parameters are presented for both a two- and three-center approximation. For the hcp structure, new three-center tight-binding results are given. Other new material in this edition include: energy bands and densities of states of all rare-earth metals, a discussion of the McMillan-Gaspari-Gyorffy theories and a tabulation of the electron-ion interaction matrix elements. The evaluation of the Stoner criterion for ferromagnetism is examined and results are tabulated. This edition also contains two new appendices discussing the effects of spin-orbit interaction and a modified version of Harrison's tight-binding theory for metals which puts the theory on a quantitative basis.

This book covers the state-of-the-art of modern MALDI (matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization) and its applications. New applications and improvements in the MALDI field such as biotyping, clinical diagnosis, forensic imaging, and ESI-like ion production are covered in detail. Additional topics include MS imaging, biotyping/speciation and large-scale, high-speed MS sample profiling, new methods based on MALDI or MALDI-like sample preparations, and the advantages of ESI to MALDI MS analysis. This is an ideal book for graduate students and researchers in the field of bioanalytical sciences. This book also: * Showcases new techniques and applications in MALDI MS * Demonstrates how MALDI is preferable to ESI (electrospray ionization) * Illustrates the pros and cons associated with biomarker discovery studies in clinical proteomics and the various application areas, such as cancer proteomics

The series Topics in Current Chemistry presents critical reviews of the present and future trends in modern chemical research. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field. Review articles for the individual volumes are invited by the volume editors. Readership: research chemists at universities or in industry, graduate students

This book presents a unified outlook on counter-current, ion size exclusion, supercritical fluids, high-performance thin layers, and gas and size exclusion chromatographic techniques used for the separation and purification of organic and inorganic analytes. It also describes a number of green techniques, green sample preparation methods and optimization of solvent consumption in the chromatographic analysis of organic and inorganic analytes. This book offers a valuable resource not only for learners, but also for more experienced chromatographers, conveying a deeper understanding of green chromatographic techniques, green solvents and preparation methods.

This book provides a thorough account of the current status of achievements made in the area of soft X-Ray laser source development and of the increasingly diverse applications being demonstrated using such radiation sources. There is significant effort worldwide to develop very bright, short duration radiation sources in the X-Ray spectral region - driven by the multitude of potential applications in all branches of science. This book contains updates on several different approaches for comparative purposes but concentrates on developments in the area of laser-produced plasmas, whereby transient population inversion and gain between ion states is pumped by optical lasers interacting with pre-formed plasmas. Topics covered will include Laser-driven XRLs, Collisional XRLs, Recombination XRLs, Transient Inversion Collisional XRLs, Optical Field Ionization XRLs, Alternative XRL, pumping schemes Theory and simulations of XRL gain media and beam properties High order harmonic sources of XUV radiation, Free-electron lasers and other accelerator based X-Ray sources, X-Ray Laser drives, X-Ray optics and instrumentation Spectroscopy, and other diagnostics of laser media Applications of XRLs.

The field of protein NMR spectroscopy has rapidly expanded into new areas of biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology research that were impossible to study as recently as ten years ago. This third edition of Protein NMR Techniques, expands upon the previous editions with current, detailed authoritative but down-to-earth descriptions of new methodologies. These include techniques for NMR sample preparation, solution and solid state NMR methodologies and data processing. Written in the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology (TM) series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and key tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Protein NMR Techniques,Third Edition, seeks to aid scientists in understanding the latest innovations in the field of protein NMR.

First volume of a 40-volume series on nanoscience and nanotechnology, edited by the renowned scientist Challa S.S.R. Kumar. This handbook gives a comprehensive overview about Raman spectroscopy for the characterization of nanomaterials. Modern applications and state-of-the-art techniques are covered and make this volume essential reading for research scientists in academia and industry.

This thesis combines highly accurate optical spectroscopy data on the recently discovered iron-based high-temperature superconductors with an incisive theoretical analysis. Three outstanding results are reported: (1) The superconductivity-induced modification of the far-infrared conductivity of an iron arsenide with minimal chemical disorder is quantitatively described by means of a strong-coupling theory for spin fluctuation mediated Cooper pairing. The formalism developed in this thesis also describes prior spectroscopic data on more disordered compounds. (2) The same materials exhibit a sharp superconductivity-induced anomaly for photon energies around 2.5 eV, two orders of magnitude larger than the superconducting energy gap. The author provides a qualitative interpretation of this unprecedented observation, which is based on the multiband nature of the superconducting state. (3) The thesis also develops a comprehensive description of a superconducting, yet optically transparent iron chalcogenide compound. The author shows that this highly unusual behavior can be explained as a result of the nanoscopic coexistence of insulating and superconducting phases, and he uses a combination of two complementary experimental methods - scanning near-field optical microscopy and low-energy muon spin rotation - to directly image the phase coexistence and quantitatively determine the phase composition. These data have important implications for the interpretation of data from other experimental probes.

This book presents the dispersion relation in heavily doped nano-structures. The materials considered are III-V, II-VI, IV-VI, GaP, Ge, Platinum Antimonide, stressed, GaSb, Te, II-V, HgTe/CdTe superlattices and Bismuth Telluride semiconductors. The dispersion relation is discussed under magnetic quantization and on the basis of carrier energy spectra. The influences of magnetic field, magneto inversion, and magneto nipi structures on nano-structures is analyzed. The band structure of optoelectronic materials changes with photo-excitation in a fundamental way according to newly formulated electron dispersion laws. They control the quantum effect in optoelectronic devices in the presence of light. The measurement of band gaps in optoelectronic materials in the presence of external photo-excitation is displayed. The influences of magnetic quantization, crossed electric and quantizing fields, intense electric fields on the on the dispersion relation in heavily doped semiconductors and super-lattices are also discussed. This book contains 200 open research problems which form the integral part of the text and are useful for graduate students and researchers. The book is written for post graduate students, researchers and engineers.

This book pays tribute to an extraordinary researcher and personality, Manuel Cardona. He had significant influence in the development of science and inside the scientific community. The book consists of contributions by former collaborators and students of Prof. Manuel Cardona. The short contributions deal with personal encounters with Manuel Cardona describing his extraordinary personality. This includes descriptions of scientific discussions, Manuel Cardona's involvement in social justice and his enormous knowledge about human culture, languages and history.

This book is the result of a working group sponsored by ISSI in Bern, which was initially created to study possible ways to calibrate a Far Ultraviolet (FUV) instrument after launch. In most cases, ultraviolet instruments are well calibrated on the ground, but unfortunately, optics and detectors in the FUV are very sensitive to contaminants and it is very challenging to prevent contamination before and during the test and launch sequences of a space mission. Therefore, ground calibrations need to be confirmed after launch and it is necessary to keep track of the temporal evolution of the sensitivity of the instrument during the mission. The studies presented here cover various fields of FUV spectroscopy, including a catalog of stellar spectra, datasets of Moon Irradiance, observations of comets and measurements of the interplanetary background. Detailed modelling of the interplanetary background is presented as well. This work also includes comparisons of older datasets with current ones. This raises the question of the consistency of the existing datasets. Previous experiments have been calibrated independently and comparison of the datasets may lead to inconsistencies. The authors have tried to check that possibility in the datasets and when relevant suggest a correction factor for the corresponding data.