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Elsevier Science

Protein Flexibility and Folding
1st Edition
Volume 1
L.A. Kuhn + 1 more
English
The papers in this volume are from the workshop on Protein Flexibility and Folding held in Traverse City, Michigan from August 13 - 17, 2000. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together diverse people interested in protein folding and flexibility from theoretical, computational and experimental perspectives and to encourage discussion on new approaches and challenges in the field. The workshop was held in the Park Plaza Hotel with 43 participants, including 24 invited speakers. The small size of the group made for easy exchanges, and many of the presentations by the invited speakers appear in this volume. There was also a very lively poster session. The three-day workshop was organized so that the first day covered Flexibility and Dynamics, the second day Folding and Unfolding, and the third day Evolution and Design. This area of science is particularly appealing as it spans a range of questions from very fundamental - as to how proteins fold in such short times with such reliability - to applications such as the role of flexibility in screening for new ligands to a protein. Protein flexibility and folding have attracted the attention of scientists from many disciplines, ranging from mathematics to molecular biology. The scientists at the workshop represented the breadth of challenges in theory and applications that keep this field so fascinating and dynamic.The present volume is organized along these same lines.
Cosmic Rays at Earth
1st Edition
P.K.F. Grieder
English
In 1912 Victor Franz Hess made the revolutionary discovery that ionizing radiation is incident upon the Earth from outer space. He showed with ground-based and balloon-borne detectors that the intensity of the radiation did not change significantly between day and night. Consequently, the sun could not be regarded as the sources of this radiation and the question of its origin remained unanswered. Today, almost one hundred years later the question of the origin of the cosmic radiation still remains a mystery.Hess' discovery has given an enormous impetus to large areas of science, in particular to physics, and has played a major role in the formation of our current understanding of universal evolution. For example, the development of new fields of research such as elementary particle physics, modern astrophysics and cosmology are direct consequences of this discovery. Over the years the field of cosmic ray research has evolved in various directions: Firstly, the field of particle physics that was initiated by the discovery of many so-called elementary particles in the cosmic radiation. There is a strong trend from the accelerator physics community to reenter the field of cosmic ray physics, now under the name of astroparticle physics. Secondly, an important branch of cosmic ray physics that has rapidly evolved in conjunction with space exploration concerns the low energy portion of the cosmic ray spectrum. Thirdly, the branch of research that is concerned with the origin, acceleration and propagation of the cosmic radiation represents a great challenge for astrophysics, astronomy and cosmology. Presently very popular fields of research have rapidly evolved, such as high-energy gamma ray and neutrino astronomy. In addition, high-energy neutrino astronomy may soon initiate as a likely spin-off neutrino tomography of the Earth and thus open a unique new branch of geophysical research of the interior of the Earth. Finally, of considerable interest are the biological and medical aspects of the cosmic radiation because of it ionizing character and the inevitable irradiation to which we are exposed. This book is a reference manual for researchers and students of cosmic ray physics and associated fields and phenomena. It is not intended to be a tutorial. However, the book contains an adequate amount of background materials that its content should be useful to a broad community of scientists and professionals. The present book contains chiefly a data collection in compact form that covers the cosmic radiation in the vicinity of the Earth, in the Earth's atmosphere, at sea level and underground. Included are predominantly experimental but also theoretical data. In addition the book contains related data, definitions and important relations. The aim of this book is to offer the reader in a single volume a readily available comprehensive set of data that will save him the need of frequent time consuming literature searches.
Environmental Contamination in Antarctica
A Challenge to Analytical Chemistry
1st Edition
S. Caroli + 2 more
English
This thought-provoking and ambitious volume surveys the causes and extent of environmental contamination in Antarctica, and looks critically at future prospects. It highlights the key role that modern techniques of analytical chemistry play in achieving reliable empirical data in this field and their impact on shaping legal provisions. Written by prominent scientists and experts in Antarctic sciences, this work gives an overview of the studies undertaken by countries to assess the impact of pollution phenomena on the uniquely clean environment of Antarctica. Empirical studies and regulatory issues are evaluated in context with the goal of providing a model approach to more polluted areas of the world.
New Foundation of Biology
1st Edition
Volume 1
I. Berczi + 1 more
English
A new scientific discipline, acknowledged 65 years after its discovery, was the focus of the first Conference on Neuroimmune Biology in Canada. The papers presented at the conference, and in this volume, are dedicated to Dr. Hans Selye who is recognized as discovering the existence of a hypothalamic-pituita... axis. This axis plays an important role in the adaptation of higher animals and man to various physical, chemical, biological and emotional challenges.The conference and participants also honored Dr. Andor Szentivanyi whose opening paper, "Studies on the hypothalamic regulation of histamine synthesis", is contained in the introduction to this book. Dr. Szentivanyi has dedicated his long research career to the clarification of the role of the central nervous system in immune and inflammatory reactions, and his experimental results are presented here.With an ultimate goal to achieve a more thorough understanding of higher organisms in their entire complexity, this book, the first in the series http://serval.elsevi... Biology presents a coordinated and integrated view of the growing body of knowledge rapidly accumulating in this area.
Protein Adaptations and Signal Transduction
1st Edition
Volume 2
K.B. Storey + 1 more
English
This volume of Cell and Molecular Responses to Stress has two broad themes: an examination of selected protein adaptations that support stress tolerance and an analysis of signal transduction systems, those critical links between the perception of stress and the activation of the coordinated metabolic responses that ensure survival. Several chapters deal with adaptive responses to environmental cold temperature and highlight novel advances in mammalian hibernation, low temperature enzyme function, cold-shock and antifreeze proteins, and freezing survival. Other chapters stretch out to explore biochemical responses to diverse stresses including water stress, mechanical stress, nutrient availability, oxygen limitation and oxidative stress. The integral roles of protein kinases, transcription factors, oxygen free radicals, and oxygen-sensitive ion channels in the detection and mediation of stress responses are explored. The multiplicity of responses is emphasized and shows us the vast potential of cells and organisms to respond to innumerable stresses, great and small, and the regulatory principles and mechanisms that are used to allow life to adapt and endure in every environment on Earth.Featuring: A discussion of new advances in understanding protein adaptations that support organismal survival of stress. State-of-the-art analysis of key components of cellular signal transduction pathways including protein kinases and calcium and the control, integration and action of signal transduction pathways in response to stresses including mechanical stress, nutrient availability, oxidative stress.
Advanced Polymer Composites and Polymers in the Civil Infrastructure
1st Edition
L.C. Hollaway
English
In recent years, the fabrication technologies for the production of advanced polymer composites have been revolutionised by sophisticated manufacturing techniques. These methods have enabled polymer composite materials to produce good quality laminates with minimal voids and accurate fibre alignment.This book familiarises and provides a background to the understanding and use of advanced polymer composites in the civil infrastructure; numerous examples have been provided to illustrate the use and versatility of the material. Furthermore, the book discusses the current fabrication techniques, design methods and formulae for the design of structural composite systems. In addition it discusses the fundamentals of geosynthetics used in geotechnical engineering. The book introduces the fibres and matrices that are used to manufacture composites, their mechanical and in-service properties and their long term loading characteristics; all these properties are specifically associated with the construction industry. The chapters then discuss the design aspects for 'all composite' units, as well as systems used for the renewal of civil infrastructure. Finally, the book demonstrated the unique possibilities of combining composites with conventional materials to form units in which the various materials making up the unit are loaded in the mode that specifically suits their mechanical characteristics.
Advances in Crystal Growth Research
1st Edition
Y. Furukawa + 1 more
K. Sato
English
The aim of this book is to provide a timely collection that highlights advances in current research of crystal growth ranging from fundamental aspects to current applications involving a wide range of materials. This book is published on the basis of lecture texts of the 11th International Summer School on Crystal Growth (ISSCG-11) to be held at Doshisha Retreat Center in Shiga Prefecture Japan, on July 24-29, 2001. This school is always associated with the International Conference of Crystal Growth (ICCG) series that have been held every three years since 1973; thus this school continues the tradition of the past 10 schools of crystal growth.
Advances in Metal and Semiconductor Clusters
Metal Ion Solvation and Metal-Ligand Interactions
1st Edition
Volume 5
M.A. Duncan
English
In previous volumes in this series, Advances in Metal and Semiconductor Clusters, the focus has been on atomic clusters of metals, semiconductors and carbon. Fundamental gas phase studies have been surveyed, and most recently scientists have explored new materials which can be produced from clusters or cluster precursors. In this latest volume, the focus shifts to clusters composed primarily of non-metal molecules or atoms which have one or more metal atoms seeded into the cluster as an impurity. These clusters provide model systems for metal ion solvation processes and metal-ligand interactions.Metal-l... bonding underlies the vast fields of organometallic chemistry, transition metal chemistry and homogeneous catalysis. Catalytic activity, ligand displacement reactions and photochemical activity depend on the specific details of metal-ligand bonding. Likewise, metal ions are ubiquitous in chemistry and biology and weaker electrostatic interactions play a leading role in their function. In solution, metals exist in different charge states depending on the conditions, and the solvation environment strongly influences their chemistry. Many enzymes have metal ions at their active sites, and electrostatic interactions influence the selectivity for metal ion transport through cell membranes. Metal ions (e.g., Mg+, Ca+) are deposited into the earth's atmosphere by meteor ablation, resulting in a rich variety of atmospheric chemistry. Similarly, metal ions ( Mg+) have been observed in planetary atmospheres and in the impact of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter. In various circumstances, the electrostatic interactions of metal ions determine the outcome of significant chemistry. Cluster chemistry has made significant contributions to the understanding of these stronger metal ligand interactions and weaker metal ion solvation interactions. In this volume, the authors explore a variety of work in these general areas, where new cluster science techniques in the gas phase have made it possible to synthesize new kinds of complexes with metals and to measure their properties in detail.
Solution NMR of Paramagnetic Molecules
Applications to Metallobiomolecules and Models
1st Edition
Volume 2
Ivano Bertini + 2 more
English
NMR is a growing technique which represents a generalized, spread, common tool for spectroscopy and for structural and dynamic investigation. Part of the field of competence of NMR is represented by molecules with unpaired electrons, which are called paramagnetic. The presence of unpaired electrons is at the same time a drawback (negative effect) and a precious source of information about structure and dynamics. New phenomena and effects are described which are due to the high magnetic fields and advances in the methodology. Solution NMR of Paramagnetic Molecules is unique in dealing with these matters. The scope is that of presenting a complete description, which is both rigorous and pictorial, of theory and experiments of NMR of paramagnetic molecules in solution. Pertinent examples are described. From the time dependent behaviour of electrons in the various metal ions including polimetallic systems to the hyperfine-based information, and from NMR experiments to constraints for solution structure determination. The book's major theme is how to perform high resolution NMR experiments and how to obtain structural and dynamic information on paramagnetic metal ion containing systems.
Advances in Neural Population Coding
1st Edition
Volume 130
M.A.L. Nicolelis
English
A collective research effort by scientists working in laboratories around the world, this book addresses issues covering all aspects of neural population coding. This volume, with contributions from distinguished neuroscientists, is divided into six sections containing a historical overview of the concept of neural population, introducing a series of new experimental paradigms and analytical techniques for investigating potential neural coding schemes and four sections focusing on recent advances in population coding in a broad range of areas of brain research.

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