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Academic Press

  • Biochemical Actions of Hormones V8

    • 1st Edition
    • Gerald Litwack
    • English
    Biochemical Actions of Hormones, Volume VIII is an eight-chapter text that covers the developments in the understanding of the biochemical aspects of hormonal action and regulation. This volume examines first the messenger functions of calcium in hormonal systems. The next chapters deal with the neuronal regulation of blood pressure; the regulation of protein synthesis by phosphorylation; and the hormonal control of hepatic gluconeogenesis. These topics are followed by discussions on the effects of insulin in intracellular functions, the mechanisms of steroidal hormones, and the membrane recognition and effector sites in steroid hormone action. A chapter focuses on the activation of steroid-receptor complexes. The final chapters survey the estradiol and progesterone receptors in the human endometrium. This book will be of great value to biologists, biochemists, and researchers in the field of hormonal action.
  • Digital Image Processing Techniques

    • 1st Edition
    • Michael P. Ekstrom
    • English
    Digital Image Processing Techniques is a state-of-the-art review of digital image processing techniques, with emphasis on the processing approaches and their associated algorithms. A canonical set of image processing problems that represent the class of functions typically required in most image processing applications is presented. Each chapter broadly addresses the problem being considered; the best techniques for this particular problem and how they work; their strengths and limitations; and how the techniques are actually implemented as well as their computational aspects. Comprised of eight chapters, this volume begins with a discussion on processing techniques associated with the following tasks: image enhancement, restoration, detection and estimation, reconstruction, and analysis, along with image data compression and image spectral estimation. The second section describes hardware and software systems for digital image processing. Aspects of commercially available systems that combine both processing and display functions are considered, as are future prospects for their technological and architectural evolution. The specifics of system design trade-offs are explicitly presented in detail. This book will be of interest to students, practitioners, and researchers in various disciplines including digital signal processing, computer science, statistical communications theory, control systems, and applied physics.
  • Microbiological Quality of Foods

    • 1st Edition
    • L Slanetz
    • English
    Microbiological Quality of Foods contains the proceedings of a conference held in Franconia, New Hampshire, on August 27-29, 1962. Contributors review the state of knowledge of foodborne diseases and discuss the use and efficiency of microbiological tests and standards for food quality from the academic, regulatory, and industrial standpoints. Problems related to the use of microorganisms as an index of food quality are given special attention. This book includes a consideration of total counts, coliforms, fecal streptococci, and the detection of specific pathogens. This text is organized into 26 chapters and begins with an overview of the status of microbiological tests and standards that have been developed to ensure food quality. The book then discusses the concerns of regulators at the federal and local levels concerning food microbiology, particularly the safety or wholesomeness of foods. The next chapters focus on industry perspectives regarding food safety; the role of universities in food microbiological research; and problems and challenges presented by foodborne diseases. The book also introduces the reader to staphylococcal enterotoxins, halophilic bacteria, botulism, and Clostridium perfringens that causes food poisoning. This book is a valuable resource for those involved in food microbiology, science and technology, and industry; bacteriology; and public health.
  • Serotonin and Behavior

    • 1st Edition
    • Jack Barchas
    • English
    Serotonin and Behavior contains the proceedings of the 1972 symposium on the behavioral effects of changes in brain serotonin, held at Stanford University in California. The papers explore the role of serotonin in behavior as well as the key biochemical and pharmacological issues involved in behavioral studies of severe psychiatric disorders in both humans and animals. The book is organized into eight sections comprised of 65 chapters, with topics ranging from the fundamental biochemistry and pharmacology of the enzymes synthesizing serotonin, particularly, tryptophan hydroxylase and its inhibitors, to the physiology and pharmacology of serotonin. Some papers discuss the link between the telencephalic content of serotonin and pain sensitivity. Other papers focus on the effects of altering serotonin on neurons in the central nervous system. There are chapters that explain the effects of altering serotonin on animal behavior, the relationship between serotonin and sleep, the use of high doses of probenecid to estimate central serotonin turnover in affective disorders and addicts, the behavioral and metabolic effects of L-tryptophan in unipolar depressed patients taking methadone, and amygdala unit activity as a reflection of functional changes in brain serotonergic neurons. Biochemists, pharmacologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and anyone interested in psychopharmacology will find this book extremely useful.
  • Electrical Interactions in Molecular Biophysics

    An Introduction
    • 1st Edition
    • Raymond Gabler
    • English
    Electrical Interactions in Molecular Biophysics: An Introduction deals with electrical interactions between biomolecules and therefore encompasses two disciplines, molecular biology and physics. The emphasis is on the electrical nature of biochemical or molecular biological reactions. The principles of electrostatics are used to explain some of the basic units of structure on a molecular level. Comprised of nine chapters, this book opens with an overview of the concepts and structures of biochemistry, with particular reference to different structural biochemical groups and how they are used as building blocks in forming molecules. The following chapters discuss the basics of elementary electrostatics; dielectric constants and dipoles; the dipole moments of biomolecules; van der Waals forces; and Debye-Huckel theory. Water and water structure are also considered from a physical standpoint. The final chapter is devoted to experimental techniques that rely upon the electrical properties of biomolecules and explains what types of information can be obtained from each experimental form. This monograph will be of interest to students and practitioners in biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, or microbiology.
  • Software Engineering

    Proceedings of the Third Symposium on Computer and Information Sciences held in Miami beach, Florida, December, 1969
    • 1st Edition
    • Julius Tou
    • English
    Software Engineering, Volume I is a compilation of the proceedings of the Third Symposium on Computer and Information Sciences held in Miami Beach, Florida, on December 18-20, 1969. The papers explore developments in software engineering and cover topics ranging from computer organization to systems programming and programming languages. This volume is comprised of 15 chapters and begins with an overview of the emergence of software engineering as a profession, followed by a discussion on computer systems organization. A virtual processor for real-time job or transaction control is then described, along with the architecture of the B-6500 computer. Subsequent chapters focus on the use and performance of memory hierarchies; the use of extended core storage in a multiprogramming operating system; methods of improving software development; and techniques for automatic program translation. The final chapter considers the extensibility of FORTRAN. This book is intended for scientists, engineers, and educators in the field of computer and information science.
  • Primates in Nutritional Research

    • 1st Edition
    • K Hayes
    • English
    Primates in Nutritional Research is a result of a workshop on primate nutrition, held in October 1978. This book presents the topics in the workshop, which are the nutrient requirements and various techniques of feeding monkeys and the in-depth reviews of investigated aspects of nutritional research, where nonhuman primates are the models for human disease. This volume has 16 chapters and is basically divided according to two main themes. The first part (Chapters 1-7) deals with the practical matters of nutritional husbandry. Topics in this section include dietary allowances for nutrients; liquid formulas and protein requirements; caloric intake and weight changes; folic acid needs; and semipurified diets. The second part (Chapters 8-16) describes different models under investigation at the time of publishing. Included in this section are discussions on diet and atherosclerosis; selected aspects of metabolic behavior of the squirrel monkey; effects of dietary fat on plasma lipids; acute and chronic effects of ethanol; and the induction of obesity. Students, teachers, scientists, and researchers interested in nonhuman primate research will find this book very helpful. Professionals in other areas of study, such as nutrition and food science, medicine, metabolic diseases, and animal research, will also benefit from this book.
  • Solar Cell Device Physics

    • 1st Edition
    • Stephen J. Fonash
    • English
    Solar Cell Device Physics offers a balanced, in-depth qualitative and quantitative treatment of the physical principles and operating characteristics of solar cell devices. Topics covered include photovoltaic energy conversion and solar cell materials and structures, along with homojunction solar cells. Semiconductor-semico... heterojunction cells and surface-barrier solar cells are also discussed. This book consists of six chapters and begins by introducing the reader to the basic physical principles and materials properties that are the foundations of photovoltaic energy conversion, with emphasis on various photovoltaic devices capable of efficiently converting solar energy into usable electrical energy. The electronic and optical properties of crystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous materials with both organic and inorganic materials are considered, together with the manner in which these properties change from one material class to another and the implications of such changes for photovoltaics. Generation, recombination, and bulk transport are also discussed. The two mechanisms of photocarrier collection in solar cells, drift and diffusion, are then compared. The remaining chapters focus on specific solar cell device classes defined in terms of the interface structure employed: homojunctions, semiconductor-semico... heterojunctions, and surface-barrier devices. This monograph is appropriate for use as a textbook for graduate students in engineering and the sciences and for seniors in electrical engineering and applied physics, as well as a reference book for those actively involved in solar cell research and development.
  • Optical Image Formation and Processing

    • 1st Edition
    • M Francon
    • English
    Optical Image Formation and Processing describes modern physical optics, particularly concerning interference, diffraction, and a simplified theory of partial coherence. The book also discusses polarization, with emphasis on interference phenomena on polarized light. An image is formed in terms of the filtering of spatial frequencies, filtering that is due to transfer function. The text explains holography—a reconstruction of the image of an object beginning from the diffraction patterns produced by the object. A computer can also create artificial variations from the photographic plate which records the hologram, and can synthesize the hologram. The book cites an example of the synthesis of a hologram by a computer using the principle of binary holograms. The text also reviews some experiments dealing with the properties of lasers associated with temporal coherence and power. The book explains that lasers can carry large amounts of information due to their very high frequencies in the order of 300, 000 gigahertz, and recommends the use of optical fibers as the transmission medium instead of using open air. This book can prove useful for technicians, students, and professor connected with optical physics.
  • Pest Control Strategies

    • 1st Edition
    • Edward H. Smith
    • English
    Pest Control Strategies is a compilation of papers presented at the symposium held at Cornell University in June 1977. It covers various aspects and issues on pest control. It also discusses the risks and benefits of using pesticides on human health as well as on the economy and environment. Composed of four parts, the book provides an overview of the various alternative pest control techniques and identifies possible solutions on crop pest problems. Part 1 discusses the role of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the integrated pest management programs and policy. The following part discusses the complexity of pest management in terms of socioeconomic and legal aspects. Part 3 presents the different case studies about pest management. These case studies include the potentials for research and implementation of integrated pest management on deciduous tree-fruits and other agricultural crops. The last part of this collection describes the current status, needs, and future developments of integrated pest management. This book will be relevant to extension leaders, educators, government officials, and agriculturists as well as to students, teachers, and researchers who are interested in the integrated pest management program.