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Elsevier Science

  • Handbook of Radioactive Contamination and Decontamination

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 47
    • J. Severa + 1 more
    • English
    The objective of this book is to present a comprehensive picture, first of the fundamentals of general contamination of solid surfaces and water, and in the second part, to review the main practical procedures and means of applied decontamination used in the fields of activity. The most emphasis on radioactive contamination deals with decontamination of the operational facilities in nuclear power plants. Other special decontamination branches of current interest are also dealt with briefly.The art of decontamination is being enriched by the progress achieved in relevant scientific disciplines and employs these relative advances. The current volume discusses in detail the following trends in decontamination: Firstly, the development and use of new decontamination methods that are highly efficient, non-agressive to decontaminated materials, and economically feasible; secondly, the utilization of progressive elements of automation and robotics; thirdly, the development and use of such decontamination formulations that would minimize the volume of wastes and would produce wastes in a form in which they could be either easily further treated or safely disposed of without risk to human health or the environment; finally, the choice of suitable materials used both for the structural and the technological parts of nuclear installations with regard to their minimal contaminability and ease of decontamination.
  • Chemiluminescence Immunoassay

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 29
    • I. Weeks
    • English
    Chemiluminescence immunoassay is now established as one of the best alternatives to conventional radioimmunoassay for the quantitation of low concentrations of analytes in complex samples. During the last two decades the technology has evolved into analytical procedures whose performance far exceeds that of immunoassays based on the use of radioactive labels. Without the constraints of radioactivity, the scope of this type of analytical procedure has widened beyond the confines of the specialist clinical chemistry laboratory to other disciplines such as microbiology, veterinary medicine, agriculture, food and environmental testing. This is the first work to present the topic as a subject in its own right. In order to provide a complete picture of the subject, overviews are presented of the individual areas of chemiluminescence and immunoassay with particular emphasis on the requirements for interfacing chemiluminescent and immunochemical reactions. The possible ways of configuring chemiluminescence immunoassays are described. State-of-the-art chemiluminescence immunoassay systems are covered in detail together with those systems which are commercially available. The book is aimed at researchers and routine laboratory staff in the life sciences who wish to make use of this high-performance analytical technique and also at those interested in industrial applications of the technology in the food, agricultural and environmental sciences.
  • Poisoning and Promotion in Catalysis based on Surface Science Concepts and Experiments

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 70
    • M.P. Kiskinova
    • English
    The topics covered in this book include a variety of adsorption and model reaction studies on clean and modified single crystal metal surfaces obtained by means of properly selected surface sensitive techniques. The accent is on the revelation of the physics and chemistry involved in the effects of various modifiers on the adsorptive and reactivity properties of the surface with respect to different reactants. In this book current information that contributes to the fundamental understanding of the effect of additives is summarized. Some of the additives act as promoters, others as poisons, in a number of important catalytic reactions. A description of single- and double-component systems has been obtained by using surface-sensitive techniques, particularly suited for this purpose. For the benefit of the reader, a short summary of the main surface science techniques has been given in Chapter 2. Three general and interrelated topics are reviewed. The first concerns the interaction of electronegative (Cl, S, Se, C, N, O, P) and electropositive (alkali metals) atoms with metal surfaces (Chapter 4). The second topic covers the chemisorptive properties of metal surfaces modified by varying amounts of additives with respect to different reactants (CO, NO, N2, O2, H2, CO2, NH3, H2O and hydrocarbons) (Chapters 5 and 6). In particular the adsorption kinetics and energetics, and the electronic, structural and reactive properties of the coadsorbate systems are considered, whereby particular attention is given to recent surface science studies with well-characterized, single crystal, metal surfaces. In these chapters, special attention is paid to showing the contribution of different factors (the nature and adsorption state of the modifier and the coadsorbed molecule, the structure of the adsorbed layer, the type of interactions in the mixed overlayers, etc.) to the modifier effects. In the discussion of the third topic, model studies of several important catalytic reactions (Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, ammonia synthesis, CO oxidation, water-gas shift synthesis) on modified metal surfaces (Chapter 8) are considered.The book will be particularly useful to scientists who are interested in adsorption phenomena, surface properties and catalysis. It should also prove invaluable to those addressing the questions of condensed matter (surfaces and interfaces), materials science (e.g. corrosion of metals) and electrochemistry.
  • Applications

    • 5th Edition
    • Volume 51B
    • English
  • Mechanism and Kinetics of Addition Polymerizations

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 31
    • M. Kucera
    • English
    This volume presents an up-to-date survey of knowledge concerning addition type polymerizations. It contains nine chapters, each of which covers a particular basic term. Whenever necessary, the phenomena are discussed from the viewpoint of both stationary and non-stationary state of radical, ionic (i.e. anionic and cationic) and coordination polymerization. Special attention has been paid to the propagation process. It provides not only a general overview but also information on important special cases (theoretical conditions of propagation, influence of external factors, controlled propagation, copolymerization, mechanism of various propagation types, etc.). The book is arranged according to the basic steps in chain reactions, which is a novel approach in a monograph on this topic. It facilitates the identification of common features of various polymerization types which may appear quite different. This useful, comprehensive text should prove invaluable to all those involved in the field of macromolecular chemistry. It will also be of interest to all chemists who, beside the profound study of their own field, are looking for interdisciplinary liaison points.
  • Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

    Theory, Design and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 5
    • S.J. Haswell
    • English
    Atomic absorption spectroscopy is now a well-established technique for the determination of trace elements covering a wide range of analyte types. The early theory and instrumentation chapters incorporate recent trends in instrumental design and methodology, in particular those associated with electrothermal techniques and background correction. The major thrust of the book is represented by 14 application chapters which give an extensive well referenced review of the practical use of the technique written by experts drawn from their own speciality areas. These include the determination of trace elements in areas as diverse as environmental, chemical and industrial analysis. Whilst the book is primarily concerned with atomic absorption spectroscopy, any analyst involved in sample handling prior to trace elemental analysis will find this book a valuable compendium of methodology drawn from a very wide range of applications. For the current user of the technique the well referenced sections critically evaluate the state-of-the-art, while for the newer user the text will form the basis of a good laboratory handbook which offers a comprehensive instruction on the theory and instrumental design in atomic absorption spectroscopy.
  • Biosynthesis of Tetrapyrroles

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 19
    • P.M. Jordan
    • English
    The study of the structure and function of tetrapyrrolic compounds has excited the interests of organic chemists, biochemists, botanists and biologists for more than a hundred years. Scientific analysis began with the first descriptions of naturally occurring porphyrins, and progress was made towards understanding the structure of chlorophyll. This was followed by the use of newly available isotopes of carbon and nitrogen to investigate the formation of porphyrins in biological systems. Further discoveries led to the elucidation of the atoms in protoporphyrin IX, made possible by the application of physical methods, such as NMR spectroscopy and recombinant DNA technology. The present volume discusses many more exciting and unexpected developments which have been made in the field over the last ten to fifteen years. While not all questions have yet been answered, the forum is set for a great scope of further research in the study of tetrapyrroles.• Of interest to biochemists, organic chemists and plant scientists• The book focusses on the exciting and unexpected developments in the field of tetrapyrolles over the last ten years• It paves the way for future research in this area
  • Neurobiology of the Locus Coeruleus

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 88
    • English
  • Biosensors

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 11
    • F. Scheller + 1 more
    • English
    Biosensors combine the unique properties of biological systems to selectively recognize and convert molecules with the benefits of physicochemical sensor technology, such as high sensitivity, simplicity of operation and mass production, and modern electronics. Consequently, their development is closely related to progress in two branches of high technology - biotechnology and microelectronics. This book not only presents the state-of-the-art of biosensor research and development to the specialist, but also introduces the layman to the fundamentals of the subject. The relevant features of physicochemical transducer elements as well as biochemical recognition molecules (enzymes, antibodies, receptors) are outlined. Biochemical and biotechnological aspects of biomolecule immobilization and the interplay of biochemical reactions and mass transfer processes are comprehensively treated with regard to their impact on successful sensor design. Examples of immobilization methods are described in detail. The employment of coupled enzyme reactions, higher integrated biocatalytic systems (cell organelles, microbes, tissue sections) and immunocomponents in biosensors is covered extensively. Optical, thermometric, piezoelectric and particularly electrochemical biosensors for more than 100 analytes are presented, including immunosensors. The relative merits and limits of biosensors are discussed using several examples of their application in clinical chemistry, bioprocess control and environmental monitoring. Finally, the application of biosensors in medicine, biotechnology, food industry and environmental control is discussed, including commercialization and problems to be addressed in future research.