Phase transitions occur throughout nature. The most familiar example is the one that occurs in water the abrupt, discontinuous transition from a liquid to a gas or a solid, induced by a subtle environmental change. Practically magical, the ever-so-slight shift of temperature or pressure can induce an astonishing transition from one entity to another entity that bears little resemblance to the first.

So "convenient" a feature is seen throughout the domains of physics and chemistry, and one is therefore led to wonder whether it might also be common to biology. Indeed, many of the most fundamental cellular processes are arguably attributable to radical structural shifts triggered by subtle changes that cross a critical threshold. These processes include transport, motion, signaling, division, and other fundamental aspects of cellular function.

Largely on the basis of this radical concept, a symposium was organized in Poitiers, France, to bring together people who have additional evidence for the role of phase transitions in biology, and this book is a compendium of some of the more far-reaching of those presentations, as well as several others that seemed to the editors to be compelling.

The book should be suitable for anyone interested in the nature of biological function, particularly those who tire of lumbering along well trodden pathways of pursuit, and are eager to hear something fresh. The book is replete with fresh interpretations of familiar phenomena, and should serve as an excellent gateway to deeper understanding."

This book deals with the role of water in cell function. Though long recognized to be central to cell function, water's role has not received the attention lately that it deserves. This book brings the role of water front and central. It presents the most recent work of the leading authorities on the subject, culminating in a series of sometimes astonishing observations. Water is a subject of interest to virtually everyone. It is becoming increasingly important in health therapy, in the environment, in chemistry and physics, and certainly in cells. Thus, this groundbreaking volume will be of great interest to a broad audience, well beyond those in biology alone. The reader will be richly awarded with insights difficult or impossible to obtain in current textbooks, which generally treat water merely as a background carrier with limited significance.

Elastic filaments refer mainly to titin, the largest of all known proteins. Titin was discovered initially in muscle cells, where it interconnects the thick filament with the Z-line. Titin forms a molecular spring that is responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of contracting muscle, ensuring efficient muscle contraction. More recently, it has become clear that titin is not restricted to muscle cells alone. For example, titin is found in chromosomes of neurons and also in blood platelets. This topic is fast becoming a focal point for research in understanding viscoelastic properties at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. In titin may lie a generic basis for biological viscoelasticity. It has become clear that titin may hold the key to certain clinical anomalies. For example, it is clear that titin-based ventricular stiffness is modulated by calcium and that titin is responsible for the altered stiffness in cardiomyopathies. It is also clear from evidence from a group of Finnish families that titin mutations may underlie some muscular dystrophies and that with other mutations chromatids fail to separate during mitosis. Thus, it is clear that this protein will have important clinical implications stemming from its biomechanical role. One aspect of this field is the bringing together of bioengineers with clinical researchers and biologists. Genetic and biochemical aspects of titin-related proteins are being studied together with front-line engineering approaches designed to measure the mechanics of titin either in small aggregates or in single molecules.

In Won in Translation Roger Chartier, one of the world's leading historians of books, publishing, and reading, considers the mobility of the early modern text and the plurality of circulating versions of the same work. The agent for both is translation, for through their lexical, aesthetic, and cultural decisions, translators always assign new meaning or new status to what they translate. Won in Translation proceeds by way of four case studies, three dedicated to works originally in Spanish, the fourth to a Portuguese dramatic adaptation of Don Quixote. Bartolome de Las Casas' Brevisima relacion de la destruccion de las Indias, first printed in 1552, was a powerful instrument for the construction of what was later called the "black legend" of Spanish monarchy. Baltasar Gracian's Oraculo Manual, published in 1647, became the most famous courtier's manual in Europe. Both traveled more widely and were translated more often than any other books of their era. For Chartier they illustrate the great power of translation, which allowed Las Casas' account to be placed in multiple and successive contexts and enabled Gracian's book to take on a range of meanings it had not originally had. Chartier's next two chapters are devoted to plays, one by Lope de Vega, the other by Antonio Jose da Silva. In the case of Lope's Fuente Ovejuna, the "translation" was one from historical chronicle to dramatic performance. In Antonio Jose da Silva's Vida do Grande D. Quixote, the textual migration is twofold, as Cervantes' hero moves from Spanish to Portuguese and from novel to play. In an Epilogue, Chartier moves three centuries forward to consider the paradox that it is the absolute immobility of the text, "reinvented" word for word, that creates its mobility in Jorge Luis Borges' fiction "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote." Works are transformed through changes of genre or language, to be sure; but even when the texts remain fixed, their readers give them different or inverted meaning.

Elastic filaments refer mainly to titin, the largest of all known proteins. Titin was discovered initially in muscle cells, where it interconnects the thick filament with the Z-line. Titin forms a molecular spring that is responsible for maintaining the structural integrity of contracting muscle, ensuring efficient muscle contraction. More recently, it has become clear that titin is not restricted to muscle cells alone. For example, titin is found in chromosomes of neurons and also in blood platelets. This topic is fast becoming a focal point for research in understanding viscoelastic properties at the molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. In titin may lie a generic basis for biological viscoelasticity. It has become clear that titin may hold the key to certain clinical anomalies. For example, it is clear that titin-based ventricular stiffness is modulated by calcium and that titin is responsible for the altered stiffness in cardiomyopathies. It is also clear from evidence from a group of Finnish families that titin mutations may underlie some muscular dystrophies and that with other mutations chromatids fail to separate during mitosis. Thus, it is clear that this protein will have important clinical implications stemming from its biomechanical role. One aspect of this field is the bringing together of bioengineers with clinical researchers and biologists. Genetic and biochemical aspects of titin-related proteins are being studied together with front-line engineering approaches designed to measure the mechanics of titin either in small aggregates or in single molecules.

In contrast to common practice, we have always tried to include as many discussions held at the meeting in our proceedings as possible, so as to enable readers to properly evaluate each paper presented, as well as to learn of future prospects in this field of research. Although the policy of including discussions occasions a long publication delay, we believe that it is worth repeating in our future publication, as we have met a number of young investigators fascinated by the discussions in our proceedings.... In the concluding remarks in this volume, Dr. Hugh E. Huxley, a principal architect of the sliding filament mechanism of muscle contraction, states that the molecular mechanism of myofilament sliding remains mysterious to all of us. We hope that this volume will stimulate muscle investigators to design and perform novel experiments to clarify the mysteries in muscle contraction.' Haruo Sugi and Gerald H. Pollack, excerpted from the Preface.

This introduction to classical theoretical physics emerged from a course for students in the third and fourth semester, which the authors have given several times at the University of Freiburg (Germany). The goal of the course is to give the student a comprehensive and coherent overview of the principal areas of classical theoretical physics. In line with this goal, the content, the terminology, and the mathematical techniques of theoret ical physics are all presented along with applications, to serve as a solid foundation for further courses in the basic areas of experimental and theoretical physics. In conceiving the course, the authors had four interdependent goals in mind: * the presentation of a consistent overview, even at this elementary level * the establishment of a well-balanced interactive relationship between phys ical content and mathematical methods * a demonstration of the important applications of physics, and * an acquisition of the most important mathematical techniques needed to solve specific problems. In relation to the first point, it was necessary to limit the amount of material treated. This introductory course was not intended to preempt a later, primarily On the other hand, we aimed for a certain completeness in theoretical, course.

This book deals with the role of water in cell function. Long recognized to be central to cell function, water 's role has not received the attention lately that it deserves. This book brings the role of water front and central. It presents the most recent work of the leading authorities on the subject, culminating in a series of sometimes astonishing observations. This volume will be of interest to a broad audience.

Stopping Anxiety Medication Therapist Guide, Second Edition outlines a treatment program for individuals who have difficulties with anxiety and panic to discontinue using medication, specifically benzodiazepines otherwise known as minor tranquilizers. These medications can be habit-forming and individuals may have trouble reducing their dosage. Many people wish to taper their use of these medicines for various reasons including, a planned pregnancy, personal preference, bothersome side effects, etc.

Millions of people are prescribed medication for anxiety and panic everyday. One of the most common medications prescribed are tranquilizers which can be addictive and habit-forming. Many individuals may wish to discontinue their medication for various reasons. Some have been free of anxiety symptoms for some time and feel they no longer need meds. Women may wish to become pregnant and others may suffer from bothersome side effects. Whatever the reason, weaning off anxiety medications can be extremely difficult. This Workbook, in conjunction with the corresponding Therapist Guide, outlines a treatment program for helping individuals discontinue their medication. This evidence-based treatment incorporates the basic principles of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which is also effective for treating the underlying Panic Disorder itself.
This revised edition of the Workbook teaches the skills necessary to help individuals wean off their medicine through the use of cognitive restructuring techniques, along with exposure to panic and anxiety sensations. New to this edition is a reorganized Chapter 2 that places the core emphasis on the role of fears of anxiety sensations in enhancing the difficulties associated with stopping medication, and a section on discontinuing the use of antidepressants. Blank logs are included for keeping track of homework assignments, as well as for monitoring progress.

It is well-established that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a rich and effective tool for treating a range of anxiety and mood disorders and behavioral disturbances. Most clinicians, however, have not been formally trained in how to administer CBT, and integrating one of the many available manuals detailing week-by-week protocols into their individual clinical practices is a daunting task. Whether brief interventions are desired for use in medication visits or whether key elements of CBT are needed for use in an eclectic treatment practice, clear instruction is needed on how to improve patient outcomes by adapting key components of cognitive-behavioral interventions.
10-Minute CBT provides such guidance with a clear and straightforward account of the principles of CBT that fit into the realities of current practice for clinicians from any interventional perspective. Instead of offering a full regimented program of treatment, this book provides the philosophy and elements of CBT so that select targeted interventions can be integrated into already-established clinical practice. This book offers a comprehensive overview of disorder-specific strategies and core principles of CBT, as well as the empirical base that supports these principles. Other features include therapist-patient dialogues, an intervention troubleshooting guide, and "treatment principle" boxes that provide rapid identification of key concepts. Written by a team of experts representing a range of practice formats, this book offers tools that will make CBT accessible to and employable by all practitioners who wish to incorporate elements of CBT into their treatment.