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Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book's title betrays at once that it belongs in the forecast literature. Peering into the future is a notoriously treacherous venture. Nevertheless, it has become a prac tice endemic to the business and government worlds as well as to academia, especially economics. We like to be lieve that the enormous growth of forecasting in the face of some disappointments reflects real needs of decision makers (as well as the general public's well-warranted curiosity about the future). Fashion alone could hardly explain the sustained increase in the market for forecast services during the past few decades. Some professionals insist on fine distinctions be tween the forecast, the projection, the prediction-and the prophecy. The differences are more semantic than real, as the mandatory resort to Webster confirms. The entry 'forecast' includes references to prediction and prophecy without differentiation, while 'projection' is defined, among other things, as prediction or 'advance estimate.' We use mainly the term projections because v PREFACE vi much of our statistical research is based on forward es timates of population and households by the U.S. Bu reau of the Census which the bureau itself, the greatest fountain of data in the world, records as projections. 228 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Although not the only volume in this series in which lipids are discussed, the present volume is devoted entirely to methods for the study of membrane lipids. Even now, when membrane proteins are properly receiving so much attention, this emphasis on membrane lipids is appropriate. Essentially all of the phospholipids and sterols of cells are in membranes. Moreover, although membrane proteins are certainly of utmost importance, the more we learn about the functional properties of membrane proteins, the more we appreciate the unique features of phospholipids, without which biological membranes would be impossible. The hydrophobic-hydrophilic duality of phospholipids allows, indeed requires, their association, in an aqueous environment, into an essentially two-dimensional membrane-only molec ularly thick in one dimension but relatively infinite in the other two; a structure composed of small molecules, not covalently linked, and therefore, infinitely mobile and variable, but yet a structure with great stability and one largely impermeable to most biomolecules. These membrane-forming properties are shared by many amphipathic polar lipids-phospholipids, glycolipids, and sphingolipids-that differ significantly from each other in the nature of their polar head groups and their fatty acids. These variations in structure allow a range of specific interactions among membrane lipids and between lipids and proteins and also provide for membranes of variable, but controlled, fluidity. In this way, phospholipids provide an appropriate milieu for functional membrane proteins and also significantly modulate their catalytic activities. 392 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume marks the first of a new series, Contemporary Geriatric Medicine, joining the ever growing 'Contemporary' family. As with the other 'Contem porary' volumes, our goal is to assist the reader in maintaining currency in a rapidly changing field. Perhaps no field has shown such major advances in such a short time as geriatrics. Over the last several years, the 'demographic impera tive' has become a source of concern for many, including clinicians, scientists, econ omists, and health planners. Our geriatric knowledge base continues to grow, often making it difficult to keep abreast of advances and current therapeutic modalities. Contemporary Ger iatric Medicine presents the state-of-the-art thinking regarding a variety of topics all of major concern to the health practitioner caring for the elderly person. The authors, for the most part serving as members of a stable editorial board, have chosen topics that should have immediate interest to the readership. By having a stable editorial board, continuity is ensured in successive volumes. Every two years, a subsequent issue will either address new thoughts on already presented topics or focus on new topics of current interest. As with the other 'Contempo rary' series volumes, the every other year interval is intended to allow new find ings to develop and be tested. It also provides the authors with time to provide the highest quality of work. 440 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The volatile anesthetics continue to be one of the most mysterious yet commonly used class of drugs in medical practice today. A prominent and troublesome side effect of volatile anesthetics is their ability to alter hemodynamics. This arises from two diverse but interrelated phenomena, depression of cardiac contractility and dilation of the vasculature. These effects of volatile anesthetics on cardiac and smooth muscle plus the action of volatile anesthetics on skeletal muscle in the malignant hyperthermic syndrome have led to concern about the interaction of volatile anesthetics (and other anesthetic agents) with calcium metabolism in the muscle cell. Many of the phenomena caused by anesthetics appear to have common mechanisms in all of the muscle types; however, the differences among skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle also lead to distinct effects of the anesthetics in each. Given the diverse research disciplines which have been brought to hear on the mechanism of anesthetic alteration of contractility, the symposium from which this book originates was convened for the purpose of gathering those with common interests in anesthetic agents and their cellular and subcellular actions in muscle. The recent symposium had its origins in a small but exciting meeting that took place at the University of Texas at Houston in 1984. At that time, Robert Merin and Jacques Chelly convened a group of people who had interest in cardiac muscle and calcium antagonists. 324 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -It is now widely acknowledged that at the beginning of this century Claude von Pirquet first pointed out that a viral disease, i. e. , measles, resulted in an anergy or depression of preexisting immune response, namely, delayed continuous hypersensitivity to PPD derived from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Thereafter ob servations that viral infections may result in immunosuppression have been recorded by many clinicians and infectious disease investigators for six or seven decades. Nevertheless, despite sporadic reports that infectious diseases caused by viruses may result in either transient or prolonged immunodepression, investigation of this phenomenon languished until the mid-1960s, when it was pointed out that a number of experimental retroviral infections of mice with tumor viruses may result in marked immunosuppression. However, it was not until the recognition of the new epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syn drome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus and related vi ruses that acquired immunodeficiencies associated with virus infection became general knowledge among biomedical investigators as well as the lay public. A number of reviews published during the past decade or so pointed out that numerous viruses may affect humoral and cellular immune responses. Furthermore, expanding knowledge about the nature and mechanisms of both humoral and cellular immunity and pathogenesis of viral infections has pro vided clinical and experimental models for investigating in depth how and why viruses of man and animals profoundly affect immune responses. 500 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Since the discovery of HIV-l as the etiologic agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in the early 1980s, remarkable progress has been made in both the basic understanding of the biological processes leading to AIDS and an accelerated effort in finding new treatments. As is often the case in rapidly advancing fields, most of the scientific discussions are best handled in specialized groups. The effort to organize a meeting on advances in molecular biology and targeted treatment for AIDS was an experiment of sorts to gather experts in selected areas of overlapping interests where advances in basic biology and its application in the development of new drugs could be discussed. Of necessity, the scope of the meeting had to be limited to maintain a certain focus. Important areas of rapid development in AIDS research, such as the vaccine development, epidemiology, animal models, etc. , had to be left out for more specialized meetings. The result, from all accounts, appeared to be quite a successful gathering, which provided a forum for informal discussions among scientists from industry and academic institutions. A remarkable feature of the AIDS virus is its genetic complexity and how some of its seemingly 'extra genes' manage to regulate the normal functions of the host and most importantly its immune system. 380 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Even when one is willing to estimate the various loss coefficients in a given system, it is not always an easy matter to determine the flow rate and/or the total pressure drop across the system. While there are gas dynamics books that contain Fanno tables which involve flow with losses, such tables are never specific; that is, the conventional tabulations are never given in terms of specific loss coefficients or specific total pressure ratios. The tables contained in this book are unique in this respect. The user can establish from these tables not only the various state point functions, but the total pressure losses as well. (The total pressure ratio is shown to be the only true indica tion of loss in a flow system.) Both compressible and constant-density solutions are presented. Tables for fluids of various ratios of specific heats are included. Use of these tables is not restricted to constant-area systems, nor does their use require iterative procedures. For compressible flows, tables of solutions for both the subsonic and supersonic regimes are given. The loss coefficients obtained from these tables are unique in that they are shown to be additive in series systems. This permits the investigator to evaluate a flow system either as a series of components or in its entirety. 204 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -From August 25 - 28, 1978 a conference on averaged evoked po tentials was held at Konstanz, West Germany. Research on human evoked potentials has progressed rapidly in the past decade, and a series of international conferences have served to maintain com munication between active workers in the field. Among the organiza tions that have a tradition of supporting such mUlti-national com munication are the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Scientific Affairs Division, the u.s. Office of Naval Research and the German Research Society (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft). We have been fortunate to have the support of all three. In the early stages of planning, a committee was formed composed of Professors Rudolph Cohen (Konstanz), Otto Creutzfeldt (Goettingen), John Desmedt (Brussels), A.M. Halliday (London), Anthony Remond (Paris) and Herbert Vaughan (New York). A call for papers was circulated as widely as possible, and this committee carried out the difficult task of selecting a limited number of participants from a large number of excellent abstracts. At the same time Professor Cohen of the University of Konstanz was generous enough to shoulder the task of playing host to the conference. His thoughtful arrangements contributed enormously to the comfort of the participants. He and his colleagues also engi neered an ideal ambience for sharing of ideas and observations, while the University of Konstanz generously provided audio-visual support. 512 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -With the growing realization that pain and its control are vital areas for both theoretical and practical research as well as clinical treatment has come the desire for an assessment of the state-of-the-art. Pain research by itself is not new. Yet, approaches to the study and control of pain are new. This book is based upon a symposium-workshop on the study and control of pain that took place at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advance ment of Science, January, 1975. It was destgned to deal with a number of theoretical and clinical issues. We at tempted to assess previous years of research, how conceptions of pain phenomena have changed and what are some of the gaps in our knowledge. Presentations were also geared to show our increased methodological sophistication. Clinically, we have also changed our treatment conceptualization of pain control. We have not merely added a few 'tricks' to deal with pain. Entirely new approaches are now available. View ing pain as a public health problem we find many areas of needed research that should be directed toward the epidemio logy of pain, the reduction of fear of obtaining health care, and unmet treatment needs. Obviously, this book cannot provide full, comprehensive treatment of all the issues involved. It can, however, pro vide the reader with an understanding of the current, major thrusts, new research and treatment goals in pain control. 240 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -English-speaking scientists start with one vast advantage: the bulk of the world's scientific transactions are conducted in English. There are many who would go further and say that any scientific work of importance is published in English. This book, which is, in effect, the tip of a large iceberg, gives them the lie! In the Soviet Union alone we have a vast wealth of expertise supported by a treasury of books and publications, but it is effectively cut off from Western scrutiny by the language barrier. It therefore seems timely to lift the curtain a little and put some of the best of it on display. In this excellent compilation, Professor Valdman and Dr. Burov have assembled a cast list of leading Soviet scientists who provide us with a refreshingly different slant on a set of problems of con cern to neuroscientists throughout the world. These scientific presentations are neither better, nor worse than but, rather, com plementary to Western pharmacological thinking. Traditional Soviet approaches to animal psychology are here coupled with sophisticated latter-day neurochemistry and neurophysiology and, in the process, provide us with new insights into the molecular bases of animal responses to environment and to certain drugs. Apart from shedding new light on many contemporary problems, the findings reported here provide an important window on the thought processes of the foremost neuroscientists of the Soviet Union. This book cannot fail to be of interest to all who work in this expanding (and exciting) area. M. 516 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Recent years have seen great strides in research on the pathogenesis of thromboses, unmatched by progress in other branches of hemostasiology. The orthodox concepts of the mechanisms of thrombus formation described by Virchow have come down to us as a 'classical triad' of factors. Now, due to developments in molecular biology, pharmacology, and patho physiology, they appear in a basically new light. The fruits of modern research, currently being tested or already imple mented in clinical practice, have opened up the possibility of controlling the hemostatic process and developing effec tive antithrombotic drugs. Much progress has been achieved in the past years, but much more remains to be achieved in such areas as the patho genesis of venous and arterial thromboses, early diagnosis, therapy, and control of disorders. Many scientists in the U.S.S.R. are involved in studying these problems. Their data, from years of research carried out in leading laboratories and clinics in the U.S.S.R., are summarized in this monograph. This work is written by experts in various fields of biology and medicine. It deals with new and original con cepts on the structure and function of the fibrinolytic sys tem, the role of nonenzymatic fibrinolysis in regulating physiological hemostasis, the heterogeneous and discrete pat terns of the system regulating blood coagulation, the molecu lar mechanisms of fibrin polymerization, and the anticoagu lating effects of fibrinogen/fibrin degradation products. 444 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume contains the proceedings of a workshop held at Drexel University from September 1 to September 3, 1980, under the joint auspices of Drexel University, The University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University. The workshop dealt with subjects of topical importance to the nuclear physics community: high spin phenomena, heavy ion reactions, transfer reactions, microscopic theories of nuclear structure and the interacting boson model, and miscellaneous topics. This pro ceedings contains all of the invited papers plus short manuscripts expanding on the materials of the invited papers. A total of about 85 participants came to the workshop. The format of the conference was kept informal on purpose, so as to facilitate the discussions. Unfortunately, these discussions, at times intense, could not be included in this volume due to the lack of secretarial help during the meeting. A great deal of current information was exchanged during the conference. However, the full impact of a conference can only be realized when the proceedings have been published and read by par ticipants as well as other colleagues in this field of physics who were not in attendance. We sincerely hope that these proceedings will be useful in this regard. 608 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In the world outside the laboratory, life goes on in a chang ing rather than in a constant environment and organisms must continually accommodate to changes in temperature, light, humidity, nutrition, etc. Since studies of the enzymatic process, in vitro, indicate that, in general, biological catalysis can proceed only over limited ranges of temperature, pH, substrate concentration, etc. , it seems reasonable to assume that biological systems have an ability to maintain a relatively constant internal milieu in the face of drastic external environmental change. This concept, as applied particularly to the mammal, was enun ciated by Bernard (1878) in the latter part of the last century. Cannon (1939) designated the phenomenon as homeostasis stating (cf Potter, 1970) that 'in an open system such as our bodies represent, compounded of unstable material and subjected continually to disturbing conditions, constancy is in itself evidence that agencies are acting or are ready to act, to maintain this constancy. ' He further proposed that 'if a state remains steady, it does so because any tendency towards change is automatically met by increased effectiveness of the factor or factors which resist the change. ' Considerable evidence (cf Prosser, 1958) suggests that homeo stasis is a general phenomenon which applies to all living things and at all levels of biological complexity. Survival in the face of environmental stress would seem to depend upon the ability of the organism to respond by appropriate biochemical modulations so as to maintain homeostasis. 168 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Atomic diffusion in metals was first discovered some sixty-five years ago, and since then a considerable wealth of data has ac cumulated on diffusion in various systems. However, work prior to about the year 1940 is now mainly of historical interest, since ex periments were often carried out under experimental conditions and with methods of analysis leading to uncertainties in inter preting the measured diffusion coefficients. Data on diffusion rates are of importance in processes which are controlled by rates of atomic migration such as growth of phases and homogenization of alloys. In addition diffusion plays an important part in theories of such phenomena as oxidation, plastic deformation, sintering, and creep. A tremendous advance in diffusion studies was made possible by the availability of radioactive isotopes of sufficiently high spe cific activity after the second world war. Measurements of self diffusion rates then became possible using radioactive isotopes having the same chemical properties as the solvent material, and it also became possible to study tracer impurity diffusion when the concentration of the impurity is so small as not to alter the chemi cal homogeneity of the system. In the last ten to fifteen years the purity of materials used in diffusion studies has increased con siderably and the methods of analysis have become more stand ardized. 120 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -A wonderfully successful NATO Advanced Study Institute on 'Sulfur-Centered Reactive Intermediates in Chemistry and Biology' was held 18-30 June, 1989, at the Hotel Villa del Mare in Maratea, Italy. Despite the beautiful setting with mountains behind us and over looking the clear blue Mediterranean Sea under a cloudless sky (and with a private beach available), the lectures were extremely well attended. While some credit can go to the seriousness of the students, more must go to the calibre of speakers and the high quality of C. Chatgilialoglu, and Co-Director, Professor K. -D. their presentations. The Director, Dr. Asmus, are to be congratulated for putting together such an outstanding scientific program. Dr. Chatgilialoglu is also to be commended for arranging an equally stimulating social pro gram which included bus, train and boat trips to many local sites of interest. It was particularly fitting that a meeting on the chemistry and biochemistry of sulfur should be held in Italy since Italian chemists have made major contributions to our under standing of the organic chemistry of sulfur, including the chemistry of its reactive inter mediates. The early Italian interest in sulfur chemistry arose from the fact that Italy, or more specifically, Sicily, was a major world producer of sulfur prior to the development and exploitation of the Frasch process in Texas and Louisiana. 468 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -During the past five years there has been a reawakening of interest in the psychotherapy of patients with medical disorders characterized as psychosomatic. For three decades, psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic psychotherapy were used extensively to treat and study psychosomatic disorders. Early in the 1960s, interest in this approach to these conditions faded, and the Psychosomatic Service in most hospitals became the Consultation Liaison Service (Lipowski, 1967). The recent focus of biofeedback on psychosomatic conditions provides a new technique with which the physician or psychiatrist may treat these patients (Rickles, 1981). In addition, the successful application of biofeedback training to a variety of complaints such as those presented in this volume has heralded the addition of biofeedback to the treatment modalities used for medical complaints. Frequently, psychological factors can still be seen; for example, when biofeedback treatment may require lifestyle changes on the part of the patient, the exploration of secondary gains or resistances before the disorder can be success fully treated, and the establishment of rapport and empathy which is so important for truly effective biofeedback training. Aside from certain psychological dimensions that are always present in biofeed back training, in this case biofeedback is being used in a primarily medical setting for primarily medical complaints. 260 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book has developed from a short residential course organised by the Department of Minerals Engineering and the Department of Extra Mural Studies of the University of Birmingham. The course was concerned mainly with physical methods of analysis of minerals and mineral products, and particular regard was given to 'non-destructive' methods, with special emphasis on newly available techniques but with a review of older methods and their recent developments included therein. Mineral analysis is obviously of great importance in all the stages of mineral exploration, processing, and utilisation. Selection of a method for a particular mineral or mineral product will depend upon a number of factors, primarily whether an elementary analysis or a phase or structure analysis is required. It will also depend upon the accuracy required. The chapters in the book covering the different methods show the range of useful applicability of the methods considered and should prove valuable as an aid or methods for a given set of circumstances. in selecting a suitable method The book, referring as it does to the majority of the instrumental methods available today (as well as, for comparison, a useful contribution on the place of classical wet chemical analysis) will be valuable to the student as well as to those analysts, research workers, and process engineers who are concerned with the winning, processing, and utilisation of minerals and mineral products. 528 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) established the 'Committee on the Challenges of Modern Society' (CCMS) in 1969. The CCMS was charged with developing meaningful environmental and social programmes for solving existing problems and developing long-range goals for environmental protection. In 1983, at the Fall Plenary of the CCMS, the Norwegian delegate Dr. H.C. Christensen, proposed a Pilot Study on 'Risk Management of Chemicals in the Environment'. A draft proposal, written by Dr. Kari Kveseth of the Center for Industrial Research in Oslo, was presented. Dr. Christensen also informed the participants at the meeting that Norway was willing to act as the Pilot Country. The project was initially planned for 3 years, but it was later extended through 1987. The inaugural meeting was held in Oslo in April 1984 with participants from Denmark, Greece, France and Italy, in addition to representatives from several Norwegian institutions. The attendees concluded that a Pilot Study, as delineated in the draft proposal, would be useful, and it was decided to work out a detailed project plan based on the proposal. 240 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Linear chain substances span a large cross section of contemporary chemistry ranging from covalent polymers, to organic charge transfer com plexes to nonstoichiometric transition metal coordination complexes. Their commonality, which coalesced intense interest in the theoretical and exper imental solid state physics/chemistry communities, was based on the obser vation that these inorganic and organic polymeric substrates exhibit striking metal-like elec,trical and optical properties. Exploitation and extension of these systems has led to the systematic study of both the chemistry and physics of highly and poorly conducting linear chain substances. To gain a salient understanding of these complex materials rich in anomalous aniso tropic electrical, optical, magnetic, and mechanical properties, the conver gence of diverse skills and talents was required. The constructive blending of traditionally segregated disciplines such as synthetic and physical organic, inorganic, and polymer chemistry, crystallography, and theoretical and ex perimental solid state physics has led to the timely development of a truly interdisciplinary science. This is evidenced in the contributions of this monograph series. Within the theme of Extended Linear Chain Compounds, experts in important, but varied, facets of the discipline have reflected upon the progress that has been made and have cogently summarized their field of speciality. Consequently, up-to-date reviews of numerous and varied aspects of 'extended linear chain compounds' have developed. Within these vol umes, numerous incisive contributions covering all aspects of the diverse linear chain substances have been summarized. 536 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book is designed to meet the modern need for a better understanding of drug-receptor interaction as applied to the gathering and interpretation of dose-response data. It is an introduction suitable for any student who has had a first course in pharmacology. This book is an extension of the pharmacology course into one area of what is now known as molecular pharmacology. The material included is an outgrowth of courses that we have given in recent years to health-science students in several professional schools and universities. The area of drug-receptor theory, although just a part of molecular phar macology, is already very broad. One major line of investigation is concerned with the chemical and structural nature of specific receptors and with efforts to isolate specific receptors. Another line of investigation is concerned with the kinetic theories of drug-receptor interaction, the effort there being to provide a general theory that is applicable to wide classes of drugs. We have chosen to deal with the latter. There are several reasons for our choice of topics. First, the information is very practical; that is, it permits one to use properly and consistently terms such as 'efficacy,' 'partial agonist,' 'pure antagonist,' 'potency,' 'pA2'' etc., when describing drug action. Second, many students fail to appreciate the differences in and the limitations of the various theories, beginning with the classical theory of A. J. Clark, on up to the very recent allosteric theories. 224 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume contains lectures and seminars presented at the Nato Advanced Study Institute on 'Laser Applications to Chemistry' held at San Miniato (Pisa) Italy, June 27 - July 11, 1982. We would like to give our recognition to all who contributed to the superb scientific quality and to the stimulating atmosphere of this summer school. In particular, we thank all speakers and participants in the discussions. We acknowledge the great efforts of Tito Arecchi as the director of the school, and the assistance of Mrs. Maria Bonaria Petrone and Mrs. Giovanna Ravini in the or ganization of the conference. On behalf of all participants we thank Miss Iva Arecchi for the friendly care she has taken and for her profound guidance through its history and the arts of the Toscana during the excursions. We are in particular indebted to Giacinto Scoles who organ ized this meeting together with Karl L. Kompa. Unfortunately, due to health reasons, Giacinto Scoles had to give up the idea of edit ing the proceedings of this meeting. Naturally, the change in the editorial staff caused a delay in the preparation of this volume. The subject of laser application to chemistry has not been review ed comprehensively in recent years. Many of the lectures andsem inars presented in San Miniato had the character of review arti cles. Therefore we feel that the material contained in this vol ume has not lost any of its actuality. 288 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This volume collects a number of the invited lectures and a few selected contrib utions presented at the International Symposium on Structure and Dynamics of Nucleic Acids, Proteins and Membranes held August 31st through September 5th, 1986, in Riva del Garda, Italy. The title of the conference as well as a number of the topics covered represent a continuation of two previous conferences, the first held in 1982 at the University of California in San Diego, and the second in 1984 in Rome at the Accademia dei Lincei. These two earlier conferences have been documented in Structure and Dynamics: Nucleic Acids and Proteins, edited by E. Clementi and R. H. Sarma, Adenine Press, New York, 1983, and Structure and Motion: Membranes, Nucleic Acids and Proteins, edited by E. Clementi, G. Corongiu, M. H. Sarma and R. H. Sarma, Adenine Press, New York, 1985. At this conference in Riva del Garda we were very hesitant to keep the name of the conference the same as the two previous ones. Indeed, a number of topics discussed in this conference were not included in the previous ones and even the emphasis of this gathering is only partly reflected in the conference title. An alternative title would have been Structure and Dynamics of Nucleic Acids, Proteins, and Higher Functions, or, possibly, 'higher components' rather than 'higher functions. 472 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Explosive developments in microelectronics, interest in nuclear metallurgy, and widespread applications in surface science have all produced many advances in the field of ion implantation. The research activity has become so intensive and so broad that the field has become divided into many specialized subfields. An Advanced Study Institute, covering the basic and common phenomena of aggregation, seems opportune for initiating interested scientists and engineers into these various active subfields since aggregation usually follows ion implantation. As a consequence, Drs. Perez, Coussement, Marest, Cachard and I submitted such a pro posal to the Scientific Affairs Division of NATO, the approval of which resulted in the present volume. For the physicist studying nuclear hyperfine interactions, the consequences of aggregation of implanted atoms, even at low doses, need to be taken into account if the results are to be correctly interpreted. For materials scientists and device engineers, under standing aggregation mechanisms and methods of control is clearly essential in the tailoring of the end products. 536 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -When the 1975 and 1976 symposia of The Marie Curie Memorial Foundation took place at the Royal College of Surgeons of England it was IDY great privilege to say a few words at the opening of each of them. It is equally a privilege to contribute these few introductory words to the Volume recording these symposia and I believe that it would not be inappropriate to recall with minor mod ifications some of the thoughts that occurred to me when I opened the symposium in 1976, for they do reflect the spirit of determined optimism, but without complacency, that characterized the contributions on both of these two occasions. In common with many others I always looked forward, from year to year, to the Meetings and admired each time the spirit which was so apparent and so very much in tune with the general philosophy of a surgeon, the spirit which admits that to a doctor and all others who care for patients cancer is a grim and terrible foe but suggests that, rather than sitting down and grizzling about it, we should bestir ourselves, do our best, whatever the difficulties, and at least try to do a little better each year. The title of the symposium in 1976 was typically stimulating,-'Towards a Solution',- not, admittedly a study of the solution itself but a title emphasising that the position was not static - that it was mobile, that we ~ moving forward and we do know where we are going. 332 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The presence of sophisticated auditory processing in mammals has permitted perhaps the most significant evolutionary development in humans: that of language. An understanding of the neural basis of hearing is thus a starting point for elucidating the mechanisms that are essential to human communication. The cochlear nucleus is the first region of the brain to receive input from the inner ear and is therefore the earliest stage in the central nervous system at which auditory signals are processed for distribution to higher centers. Clarifying its role in the central auditory pathway is crucial to our knowledge of how the brain deals with complex stimuli such as speech, and is also essential for understanding the central effects of peripheral sensorineural hearing loss caused by, for example, aging, ototoxic drugs, and noise. Ambitious new developments to assist people with total sensorineural deafness, including both cochlear and cochleus nuclear implants, require a detailed knowledge of the neural signals received by the brainstem and how these are processed. Recently, many new data have been obtained on the structure and function of the cochlear nucleus utilizing combinations of anatomical, physiological, pharmacological and molecular biological procedures. Approaches such as intracellular dye-filling of physiologically identified neurons, localization of classical neurotransmitters, peptides, receptors and special proteins, or gene expression have opened the door to novel morphofunctional correlations. 556 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -InhaltsangabeI. Advances in the Structural Analysis of Proteins.- 1 Dynamic Processes in Proteins by X-Ray Diffraction.- 1. Dynamic Processes in Proteins.- 2. Enzyme Substrate Complexes by X-Ray Diffraction.- 3. Laue Diffraction.- 4. Reaction Synchronization.- References.- 2 Mass Spectrometric Methods for Determination of the Structure of Peptides and Proteins.- 1. Introduction.- 2. High-Mass Mass Spectrometry.- 3. Tandem Mass Spectrometry.- 3.1. Sequencing of Proteins.- 3.2. Increasing Sensitivity by Using an Array Detector.- 3.3. Computer-Aided Interpretation of CID Spectra of Peptides.- 4. Conclusion.- References.- II. Protein Folding and Stability.- 3 Protein Folding and Stability.- 1. Goals.- 2. Folding of Fragments.- 3. Trapping Folding Intermediates.- References.- 4 Genetic Analysis of Polypeptide Chain Folding and Misfolding in Vivo.- 1. Introduction.- 2. The Protein Folding Grammar.- 3. Intracellular Intermediates in Chain Folding and Assembly.- 4. Temperature-Sensitive Folding Mutations.- 5. Nonsense Mutations.- 6. Intracellular Aggregation and Inclusion Body Formation.- 7. Kinetics of Aggregate Formation.- 8. Isolation of Second-Site Suppressors of Folding Mutants.- 9. The Suppressing Amino Acid Substitutions Act at the Level of Polypeptide Chain Maturation.- 10. The Suppressors Act in the Folding of the Single Chain, Not during Chain-Chain Association.- 11. The Suppressors Increase the Efficiency of Folding of the Wild-Type Chain.- References.- 5 Unfolding and Inactivation: Genetic and Chemical Approaches to the Stabilization of T4 Lysozyme and Human Interferon Gamma against Irreversible Thermal Denaturation.- 1. Introduction.- 2. T4 Lysozyme.- 2.1. Sulfhydryl Oxidation.- 2.2. Thiol/Disulfide Interchange.- 2.3. Adsorption.- 2.4. Aggregation.- 2.5. Chemical Inactivation.- 2.6. Conclusions from T4 Lysozyme Experiments.- 3. Interferon- .- 3.1. In Vitro Experiments.- 3.2. Genetic Experiments.- 4. General Conclusions.- 4.1. Modes of Thermal-Irreversible Denaturation.- 4.2. Strategies for Stabilizing Proteins.- References.- III. Principles of Receptor Design and Regulation.- 6 Protein-Tyrosine Kinases and Their Substrates: Old Friends and New Faces.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Isolation of Novel Protein-Tyrosine Kinases.- 3. Regulation of Protein-Tyrosine Kinase Activity: Phosphorylation of pp60c-src.- 4. Protein-Tyrosine Kinase Substrates.- References.- IV. The Guanine Nucleotide Binding Protein Family.- 7 G Proteins: A Family of Signal-Transducing Molecules.- 1. The Family of G Proteins.- 2. Distribution of G Protein Subunits.- 3. Regulation of o Levels.- 4. G Proteins as Bifurcating Signals.- 5. Organizing Principles.- References.- 8 Model of Signal Transduction by G Proteins: Roles of a Subunits and Dimers in Regulation of Ionic Channels and Adenylyl Cyclase.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Mechanisms of Receptor-Mediated Activation of G Proteins.- 3. Which G-Protein Subunit Mediates the Effect of Receptors .- 3.1. Regulation of Ionic Channels: or , and What Does Each Do to Regulation of Channel Activity .- 3.2. Inhibitory Regulation of Adenylyl Cyclase: i or .- 3.3. What Is the Role of Dimers .- References.- 9 Structural Homologies in G-Binding Proteins.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Structural Homology in Three Dimensions.- 2.1. Elongation Factor Tu (EF-Tu).- 2.2. ras Protein p21.- 3. Sequence Homology.- 3.1. Overall Homology.- 3.2. Consensus Sequences.- 4. Homology and Functional Similarity.- References.- V. Modeling and Structure Prediction in Macromolecules.- 10 Knowledge-Based Protein Modeling and the Design of Novel Molecules.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Learning by Comparison of Structures.- 2.1. Superposition of Structures.- 2.2. Comparison of Properties and Relations.- 2.3. Clustering and Tree Construction.- 3. Rules for Tertiary Templates and Key Residues, and Their Comparison with a Sequence of an Unknown.- 3.1 Consensus Sequences for Framework Regions.- 3.2. Key Res.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Streptomycetes are industrially widely used microorganisms due to their ability to produce numerous different chemical compounds. These show very varied effects upon other living systems, and result from profound and subtle biochemical and morphological differentiation during the streptomycete life cycle. It is therefore not surprising that research on the genetics of antibiotic biosynthesis and differentiation in this group is currently progressing rapidly in many countries. Intimately connected with the production of antibiotics is resistance to them; analysis of this is giving further information about the origin and evolution of this class of genes and their hypothesized spread among other microorganisms. Another interesting feature of the Streptomyces group is their mycelial growth. Also, their ecologically important utilization of high molecular weight compounds requires enzymes to be transported outside the cell to hydrolyze non-diffusible substrates. Finally, we have as yet limited understanding of the various mechanisms of genome rearrangement observed in some of these species; deletions and/or amplifications of enormous amounts of DNA can occur without seriously affecting the viability of the organism under laboratory conditions. The present volume, which includes contributions addressing the above subjects and others, originates from a meeting on 'Genetics and Product Formation in Streptomyces' sponsored by the Federation of European Microbiological Societies in Erfurt on May 1-6 1990. Compared to previous ones of this kind held in 1979, 1983 and 1987 in Weimar, one can point to impressive progress in the study and applications of Streptomyces genetics. 344 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The growth of neurochemistry, molecular biology, and biochemical genetics has led to a burgeoning of new information relevant to the pathogenesis of brain dysfunction. This explosion of exciting new information is crying out for collation and meaningful synthesis. In its totality, it defies systematic summa tion, and, of course, no one author can cope. Thus invitations for contributions were given to various experts in areas which are under active investigation, of current neurological interest, and pregnant. Although this project is relatively comprehensive, by dint of size, other topics might have been included; the selection was solely my responsibility. I believe systematic summation a virtual impossibility-indeed, hardly worth the effort. The attempt to assemble all of the sections involved in a large treatise with multiple authors inevitably results in untoward delays due to the difference in the rate at which various authors work. Therefore, the following strategy has been adopted: multiple small volumes and a relatively flexible format, with publication in order of receipt and as soon as enough chapters are assembled to make publication practical and economical. In this way, the time lag between the ideas and their emergence in print is the shortest. 424 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In the middle and late 1960s, when it was clear that neuroendocrinology was established as a discipline in its own right, it occurred to us that auto biographical accounts of the pioneer work in this field by the major par ticipants would provide a highly interesting and informative account of his tory in the making. With the death of G. W. Harris in late 1971, and the loss thereby of an outstanding pioneer and personality in neuroendocri nology, it appeared to us to be even more urgent to undertake such a ven ture and collect as many stories as possible. The three of us agreed that initially we would limit our invitations to the senior investigators whose re search careers lay mostly behind them, with the hope that if this venture proved successful, we could ask younger and still very active researchers in neuroendocrinology to contribute to a subsequent volume. Most of those invited to write for this book agreed to do so, but regrettably there remain some notable absentees. The authors were requested to write a personal, and even idiosyncratic, account of the steps taken, and the motivation and drive that led them to develop their interest in the relationship between the brain and the endocrine system. 340 pp. Englisch.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -A fundamental step towards gaining a deeper understanding of our world is to increase the resolution of the investigative instruments we use; i.e. to increase the energy, and hence to decrease the wavelength, of the particles which constitute our probes. Almost any substantial progress in our understanding of the fundamental laws of Nature has been obtained when a new generation of accelerators has allowed us to achieve a new energy range. The new results have generated new questions, thus encouraging us to construct new machines to reach even higher energy levels. The relative energy gain from one generation of accelerators to the next is progressively increasing. The energy ga in suggested by the theoretical predictions at the time has usually been much greater than the value allowed by our technical capabilities. But this smaller energy gain permitted by accelerator technology improvement has generally been sufficient up until now to bring about a substantial increase in our knowledge. Hence a large increase in accelerator energy is very important, and we know that this result can essentially be obtained by developing some new device or some new approach. 244 pp. Englisch.