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Elsevier

Elsevier Science

  • Global Ergonomics

    • 1st Edition
    • P.A. Scott + 2 more
    • English
    Jointly hosted by the Ergonomics Society of South Africa (ESSA) and the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), this conference was attended by over 300 delegates and represented the largest and most prestigious gathering of eminent international ergonomists in the history of Africa. It also marked the beginning of a revival in concern for the well-being and productivity of people at work in South Africa.The conference aimed to juxtapose two great ergonomic themes – the under-developed ethos of the affluent societies and the technologically advanced ethos of the most affluent societies. The structure of the proceedings reflects this with the first section addressing the priorities of countries in transition and the last section addressing the priorities of the most industrially-develop... countries, who have, by and large, long since solved the sorts of ergonomics problems currently of concern in the under-developed world. In between these, in a roughly hierarchical arrangement from micro- to macro- levels of analysis, are sections which collectively help span the whole field of ergonomics. Section overviews are provided to outline the topics included in each section.

  • Applications of Markov Chains in Chemical Engineering

    • 1st Edition
    • A. Tamir
    • English
    Markov chains make it possible to predict the future state of a system from its present state ignoring its past history. Surprisingly, despite the widespread use of Markov chains in many areas of science and technology, their applications in chemical engineering have been relatively meager. A possible reason for this phenomenon might be that books containing material on this subject have been written in such a way that the simplicity of Markov chains has been shadowed by the tedious mathematical derivations. Thus, the major objective of writing this book has been to try to change this situation.There are many advantages, detailed in Chapter 1, of using the discrete Markov-chain model in chemical engineering. Probably, the most important advantage is that physical models can be presented in a unified description via state vector and a one-step transition probability matrix. Consequently, a process is demonstrated solely by the probability of a system to occupy or not occupy a state.The book has been written in an easy and understandable form, where complex mathematical derivations are abandoned. The fundamentals of Markov chains are presented in Chapter 2 with examples from the bible, art and real life problems. An extremely wide collection is given of examples viz., reactions, reactors, reactions and reactors as well as combined processes, including their solution and a graphical presentation of it, all of which demonstrates the usefulness of applying Markov chains in chemical engineering.

  • Light-Weight Materials for Transportation and Batteries and Fuel Cells for Electric Vehicles

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 71
    • R. Ciach + 5 more
    • English
    This hardbound volume covers Symposia J 'Light-Weight Materials for Transportation' and E 'Material Aspects for Electric Vehicles including Batteries and Fuel Cells' which were presented at the combined 1997 International Conference on Applied Materials/European Materials Research Society Spring meeting (ICAM'97/E-MRS'97) held in Strasbourg (France) from 16-20 June 1997. Modern materials are the basis for further progress in industry and in our life. Among them the light-advanced materials with desired ratios of weight/properties and cost/properties are of special value for transportation for almost all applications. Progress in this area depends on cooperation and development of metallurgy, casting and solidification techniques, plastic and superplastic deformation, heat and surface treatment. When dealing with common alloys there are well-defined materials with a wide data base available. However, designing materials based on composites still requires thorough research in order to establish data bases to avoid not only high costs, but also inefficient designs and less than optimal structures. But, however difficult and problematic the composites are they bear the inherent potential of new materials. Materials science in the field of light materials is now transforming from an empirical approach to a more quantitative scientific stage. The revolution in materials has begun with the emergence of supercomputer simulation and computer-enhanced quantitative microscopic image analysis.The advanced materials applied previously in the defence and aerospace area should expand over the commercial market including air transportation and civil engineering. The new generation of modern cars and trains as well as aircraft (Boeing 777) are good examples for the application of new materials.

  • Cell Polarity

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 26
    • J.R. Bartles
    • English
    Few cells conform to the stereotype of the spherical blob hastily scribbled on chalkboards and, regrettably, sometimes even displayed prominently in textbooks. Instead, real cells display a remarkable degree of structural and functional asymmetry. In modern cell biological parlance, this asymmetry has come to be lumped under the general heading of "cell polarity". Cell polarity is by no means restricted to the cells of tissues and organs, but can also be displayed by cells that lead a more solitary existence. The amazing extent to which cell morphology is correlated with function has long been a source of inspiration for biologists. Today the fascination continues unabated in the field of cell polarity, where it is fueled by an ever-deepening appreciation for the ways that fundamental cellular processes, such as membrane trafficking and cytoskeleton assembly, contribute to the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. In the ensuing chapters, a collection of experts will summarize and interpret the findings obtained from basic research on cell polarity in a diverse array of experimental systems.

  • Breast Cancer

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • W.P. Peters + 1 more
    • English
    Breast cancer research has never been in such an exciting and hopeful phase as today. From a clinical perspective, the discovery of genetic markers of risk in a proportion of familial breast cancer cases has opened up new vistas for understanding and ultimately preventing this disease. On the other hand, aggressive - even daring - therapies are being proven to be effective against advanced breast cancer. For the breast cancer experimentalist, this is also a time of great advance. Although animal and cell culture breast cancer models have proven to be of great use, there are now increasing opportunities to test the concepts developed in these models in actual clinical samples and cases. It is gratifying to see how well these concepts "translate" into the clinical setting. A very active area of research that is linking the laboratory to the clinic is the dissection of the biology and elucidation of the significance of proliferate breast disease and the identification of true, "high risk" or "preneoplastic" legions within the previously ill-defined spectrum of fibrocystic or benign breast disease. One anticipates that discoveries made here will also lead to earlier detection, intervention and prevention of life-threatening cancer.Even, however, as we look with optimism to the eventual eradication of breast cancer, we are once again forced to face the reality that we have not yet achieved our goal. Thus, we are saddened by the much too premature death of Dr. Helene Smith from breast cancer. Helena's work was at the forefront of efforts to understand the biology of human breast cancer at the molecular level. Her insight, open-mindedness, and refusal to sacrifice relevance for convenience will continue to set the standard for all breast cancer researchers. This volume is dedicated to her memory.

  • Cell Injury

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 13
    • Edward Bittar
    • English
    At no time since the introduction of cell pathology by Virchov more than a century ago has the outlook for pathology as an integrated discipline been brighter. It is surely clear that the revolution of molecular biology and biotechnology has wrought profound changes in the various basic medical sciences including pathology. But to say this is hardly enough, particularly since the burgeoning field of molecular pathology has been challenged and altered by a powerful concept, namely, programmed cell death. Called apoptosis, which in Greek means falling off, it is intimately connected with cell removal and regeneration; that is, with tissue homeostasis. Nowhere is this more dramatically illustrated as a physiological process than in the gut, endometrium, and embryo. Similarly, little doubt is left that clusters of apoptotic-induced genes are involved in the control of carcinogenesis. The evidence for this is already compelling; it is plain, for instance, that p53 triggers apoptosis whenever DNA repair is incomplete. The question now is, how quickly can the Genome project shed some light on the genetics underlying apoptosis?It is tolerably clear that there is no such thing as a general model of cell injury, but there are models, as it should be. One thing is already certain: cell stress during septicemia is the quintessential model. Death here requires the failure of at least three organs! We are told that oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of the syndrome. This is not surprising. The whole subject of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is thus given much weight. By far, the most important mechanisms underlying membrane lesions, due to ROS, are those involving inactivation of several key enzymes among a host of enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and iron speeding up bydroxyl radical production. The stark fact is that evolutionary pressure has produced a fiasco by not endowing the cell with enough antioxidant power or reducing the ROS pool. In organs with high O2 consumption, mitochondrial leakage of O2 (the superoxide anion) could well be considerable. Thus our main point here is that caloric restriction gives us a way of tackling the problem for the time being. One has only to remember that it improves survival.Whether there has been a "breakthrough" is not yet quite certain, but oxidative stress combined with long-term overactivation of glutamate receptors may enable us to understand several neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease. This broad topic is touched upon in detail in the Neurobiology module (Volume 14).There is a vast literature relating to injury of heart muscle. Two chapters address this topic. Looking back, are we to conclude that a membrane lesion, which is essentially functional, does not exist? Consider, as an example, the NMR experiments in which a raised Pco2, leads very rapidly to a fall in heart muscle pH. We also venture whether it begs several fundamental questions relating to events that precede the onset of necrobiosis. A telling argument is that an early event could be as simple as the root of the problem in ischemia is not as simple as that of a leaky membrane. But the initiating event would seem to be a redox imbalance vix., changes in cytosolic and mitochondrial NAD+/NADH.We urge the student to go back to Volume 4 (Part II) and read, once more, the chapter on Cellular ATP by Harris. In Part IV, the chapter on the Human Heat Shock Response by Jurivich merits a second reading. Though the present volume is a veritable source of many unanswered questions, it has the distinct simplicity of telling us that molecular pathology, like molecular biology, represents a way of thinking.

  • A Dictionary of Pharmacology and Allied Topics

    • 2nd Edition
    • D.R. Laurence + 1 more
    • English
    This dictionary spans the practice of pharmacology, and of allied sciences insofar as they are related to it, with particular emphasis on the development, regulation and use of human medicine. It is offered to students as well as to professionals in pharmacology and allied sciences for reference and for browsing, and as a bedside book and travelling companion. Its size (approximately 2000 entries) is appropriate for these uses.Features of this dictionary:• Provides definitions of terms in pharmacology, both basic and clinical• Gives information on new medicine development and official regulations• Covers allied topics, including statistics, ethics, scientific miscounduct, authorship, publication and law.

  • Preparation of Catalysts VII

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 118
    • R. Maggi + 5 more
    • English
    The proceedings of the VIIth International Symposium on the Scientific Bases for the Preparation of Heterogeneous Catalysts, are in line with the general scope of this series of events. Emphasis in all Symposia has been on the scientific aspects of the preparation of new and industrial catalysts, or on new methods of preparation, rather than on the catalytic reactions in which such solids are ultimately used. In the present context, the catalytic event itself has only been considered as another, though often decisive, method of catalyst characterization.

  • Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management - VI

    • 1st Edition
    • P. Vink + 2 more
    • English
    This book contains a series of papers that were presented during the Sixth IEA International Symposium on Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management (ODAM '98). The Symposium was sponsored jointly by the International Ergonomics Society, the Dutch Ergonomics Society, NIA TNO and The Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment. These experiences include new ideas, research results, tools, and applications of human-organization interface technology to improving work systems.New technology, changing work force demographics, changing attitudes and values about work and what constitutes real quality of work life, have heightened the need for a true systems approach to optimizing the interfaces between humans, technology and organizational structures and processes. Growing world competition, and the related need to make organizations more productive and efficient, have further intensified this need to improve work systems. This need is reflected in the rapid development of macroergonomics methods and applications since the first of these ODAM Symposia in 1984. What then was recognized by only a few researchers and practitioners has now become a widely accepted part of the human factors/ergonomics discipline. As demonstrated by the papers contained herein, application of macroergonomics is having a very real positive impact on sociotechnical systems internationally.Incl... in this volume are a broad selection of papers on theory, methodology, tools, research findings, and case studies from leading professionals throughout the world. This volume thus provides the reader with some of the latest developments in human-organization interface technology. Collectively, these papers should provide the reader with a good conceptual understanding of the ergonomic approach to work system design, and of its tremendous potential for improving work systems and the human condition in all cultures.

  • Intracellular Protein Degradation

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 27
    • A.J. Rivett
    • English
    This volume brings together a set of reviews that provide a summary of our current knowledge of the proteolytic machinery and of the pathways of protein breakdown of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Intracellular protein degradation is much more than just a mechanism for the removal of incorrectly folded or damaged proteins. Since many short-lived proteins have important regulatory functions, proteolysis makes a significant contribution to many cellular processes including cell cycle regulation and transciptional control. In addition, limited proteolytic cleavage can provide a rapid and efficient mechanism of enzyme activation or inactivation in eukaryotic cells.In the first chapter, Maurizi provides an introduction to intracellular protein degradation, describes the structure and functions of bacterial ATP-dependent proteases, and explores the relationship between chaperone functions and protein degradation. Many of the principles also apply to eukaryotic cells, although the proteases involved are often not the same. Interestingly, homologues of one of the bacterial proteases, Ion protease, have been found in mitochondria in yeast and mammals, and homologues of proteasomes, which are found in all eukaryotic cells (see below), have been discovered in some eubacteria. Studies of proteolysis in yeast have contributed greatly to the elucidation of both lysosomal (vacuolar) and nonlysosomal proteolytic pathways in eukaryotic cells. Thumm and Wolf (chapter 2) describe studies that have elucidated the functions of proteasomes in nonlysosomal proteolysis and the contributions of lysosomal proteases to intracellular protein breakdown. Proteins can be selected for degradation by a variety of differen mechanisms. The ubiquitin system is one complex and highly regulated mechanism by which eukaryotic proteins are targetted for degradation by proteosomes. In chapter 3, Wilkinson reviews the components and functions of the ubiquitin system and considers some of the known substrates for this pathway which include cell cycle and transcriptional regulators. The structure and functions of proteosomes and their regulatory components are described in the two subsequent chapters by Tanaka and Tanahashi and by Dubiel and Rechsteiner. Proteasomes were the first known example of threonine proteases. They are multisubunit complexes that, in addition to being responsible for the turnover of most short-lived nuclear and cytoplasmic protein, are also involved in antigen processing for presentation by the MHC class I pathway. Recent studies reviewed by McCracken and colleagues (chapter 6) lead to the exciting conclusion that some ER-associated proteins are degraded by cytosolic proteasomes. Lysosomes are responsible for the degradation of long-lived proteins and for the enhanced protein degradation observed under starvation conditions. In chapter 7 Knecht and colleagues review the lysosomal proteases and describe studies of the roles of lysosomes and the mechanisms for protein uptake into lysosomes. Methods of measuring the relative contribution of different proteolytic systems (e.g., ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, calcium-dependent proteases, lysosomes) to muscle protein degradation, and the conclusions from such studies, are reviewed by Attai and Taillinder in the following chapter. Finally, proteases play an important role in signaling apoptosis by catalyzing the limited cleavage of enzymes. Mason and Beyette review the role of the major players, caspases, which are both activated by and catalyze limite proteolysis, and also consider the involvement of other protoelytic enzymes in this pathway leading cell death.

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