Modern Methods in Protein Nutrition and Metabolism grew out of a series of seminars (Modern Views in Nutrition) held in 1989 at Iowa State University. These seminars and this book were financed primarily through the Wise and Helen Burroughs Lectureship endowment generously established by the late Dr. Wise Burroughs and his wife Helen. This book comprises 12 chapters, and begins with a focus on amino acid analysis in food and physiological samples. Succeeding chapters go on to discuss concepts and techniques on nitrogen balance; determination of the amino acid requirements of animals; and novel methods for determining protein and amino acid digestibilities in feedstuffs. Other chapters cover measurement of protein digestion in ruminants; evaluation of protein status in humans; surgical models to measure organ amino acid metabolism in vivo; and measurement of whole-body protein content in vivo. The remaining chapters discuss estimation of protein synthesis and proteolysis in vitro; isotopic estimation of protein synthesis and proteolysis in vivo; n-glycine as a tracer to study protein metabolism in vivo; and mathematical models of protein metabolism. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of human nutrition and medicine.
Vitamin D: The Calcium Homeostatic Steroid Hormone provides a continuing coordinated group of edited critiques of the dynamic state of the science and art of nutrition. The most recent basic advances will be reviewed within the broad framework of the scientific knowledge of food and nutrition, including its application to man, individually and societally. The volumes, authored singly or by invited contributors, will appeal to serious scholars concerned with pure or applied nutrition. This volume comprises 13 chapters, with the first discussing the progress of vitamin D-cholecalciferol from vitamin to steroid hormone. Succeeding chapters then discuss the biological and chemical assay of vitamin D, its metabolites, and analogs; metabolism of vitamin D; and the tissue and subcellular localization of vitamin D and its metabolites. Other chapters cover binding proteins and receptors for vitamin D and its metabolites; interrelationships between vitamin D and other hormones; intestinal effects of vitamin D; vitamin D actions in the kidney; vitamin D actions on bone; and vitamin D and its clinical relationships. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of chemistry, nutrition, and medicine.
Signal Transduction during Biomembrane Fusion begins with three review articles that put the problem of signal transduction and biomembrane fusion into a general perspective. Each subsequent chapter begins with an introduction which reviews past work on a specific biological system. The authors' current research is then detailed. The chapters conclude with final comments wherein the contributors express viewpoints about the general significance and progression of their work. This book comprises 12 chapters, with the first focusing on signal transduction during biomembrane fusion. The succeeding chapters then discuss the ""focal membrane fusion"" model; osmotic phenomena in membrane fusion; cell signaling and regulation of exocytosis at fertilization of the egg; and signal transduction during exocytosis in mast cells. Other chapters cover protein kinase c and granule membrane fusion; GTP-binding proteins and formation of secretory vesicles; and signal transduction during phagocytosis. The remaining chapters discuss calcium signal transduction pathway and myoblast fusion; phospholipid metabolism during calcium-regulated myoblast fusion; protein kinase c, membrane protein phosphorylation, and calcium influx in chick embryo skeletal myoblast fusion; and signal transduction and cell fusion in dictyostelium. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of neurobiology, zoology, and the biological sciences.
The Mechanism of Gated Calcium Transport Across Biological Membranes presents the proceedings of a symposium, which was an unprecedented attempt to bring together diverse groups working on various aspects of the problem of gated Ca2+ transport. A variety of tissues, from Paramecium to vertebrate, and from the cell membrane to the internal membrane system, are included. This attempt appears to have been a success as many participants felt that they learned a great deal about the phenomenon in different preparations. This book is divided into six sections, with the first focusing on gated calcium transport in various tissues. It discusses such topics as the general properties of gated calcium transport, development of calcium channels in the cleavage-arrested embryo of a certain ascidian, and calcium currents in mammalian neurons. The following sections then focus on the kinetics of gated calcium transport; the pharmacology of gated calcium transport; regulation of gated calcium transport; calcium release from fragmented SR; and calcium-induced calcium release. This book will be of interest to practitioners in the fields of pharmacology, physiology, and experimental pathology.
Human Milk and Infant Formula focuses on human milk and infant formula as the major sources of infant food. This book discusses the basic composition of human milk and explains the significant causes of variations in vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. Comprised of nine chapters, this monograph starts with an overview of the benefits of breast-feeding with emphasis on the disease-fighting potential of mother's milk. This text then proceeds with a discussion of breast infections, contaminants of breast milk, allergic responses, and issues of drug use. Other chapters explore the formulation and processing of infant formula. This book discusses as well the emergence of milk banks that observe precautions in obtaining, storing, and pasteurizing human milk. The final chapter deals with the inability to digest lactose properly, which is commonly known as lactose intolerance. This monograph is a valuable resource for pediatricians, nutritionists, immunologists, as well as food technologists and chemists.
Genetic Expression in the Cell Cycle provides an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that govern the expression of genetic information during the cell cycle. The initial five chapters describe the intimate relationships between the supramolecular complexes that form the basic structure of chromatin. Emphasis is placed on the dynamics of cycle-dependent changes in the structural organization of some of these components. Subsequent chapters demonstrate that small nuclear RNAs (SnRNA) are actively involved in gene regulation in eukaryotic cells; discuss the relationship between cell cycle regulation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and transcription of ribosomal RNA genes; and describe the use of conditional lethal mutants to study the regulation of the cell cycle of eukaryotic cells. The remaining chapters discuss the concepts and methodologies employed to isolate and study specific cell cycle mutants of S. cerevisiae; the antiproliferative effect of interferon on cultured human fibroblasts; and the role of cell membrane and related subcellular elements in the control of proliferation, differentiation, and cell cycle kinetics.
Animal Energetics, Volume 1: Protozoa through Insecta provides information pertinent to bioenergetics, which is the study of energy transformation in living systems that can be studied at various levels of biological organization, including organismic, population, as well as molecular and cellular. This book discusses the various facets of animal energetics. Comprised of 10 chapters, this book starts with an overview of the wide spectrum of trophic types found within the free-living Protozoa. This text then discusses the substantial differences that occur in the growth, respiration, and overall feeding activities of sponges. Other chapters consider the evolution of symbioses in platyhelminths and rhynchocoelans, which provides an opportunity to understand the physiological adaptations that are favored in their life cycle. This book discusses as well the data on energetics of predators, pests, and parasitoids. The final chapter deals with the inherent difficulties encountered in the estimation of bioenergetics components. Nutritionists, biologists, physiologists, and ecologists will find this book useful.
Animal Energetics, Volume 2: Bivalvia through Reptilia is part of a two-volume treatise focusing on the integrated picture of the energy transformation process at the organismic level. Since it is almost impossible to restrict meaningful discussions to only one level of organization, some reference is made to population energetics as well as to the suborganismic level. The bioenergetics of both vertebrate and invertebrate groups are discussed. Specifically, the bioenergetics of bivalves, gastropods, bryozoans, pogonophorans, echinoderms, lower chordates, fishes, amphibians, and reptiles are covered. Understanding the efficient and fast transformation of biological energy has become an important issue in world affairs; studies on energetics and growth of thermoconformers can therefore be expected to expand greatly in the future. This book aims to provide many keys to a broader understanding of biology as well as open untrodden avenues to biologists with the quest for newer energy sources and efficient methods of energy utilization.
Vertebrate Endocrinology: Fundamentals and Biomedical Implications, Volume 1: Morphological Considerations provides information pertinent to vertebrate endocrine systems, which has significant contributions to basic biological and biomedical research. This book discusses the practical implications of the endocrinological studies. Organized into 15 chapters, this volume starts with an overview of the endocrine process in lower vertebrates, which has provided basic information about the understanding of mammalian and human systems. This text then discusses the pituitary gland, which is considered to be functionally and structurally the most complex organ of the endocrine system. Other chapters consider the function of the pineal organ as a sensory organ capable of perceiving light stimuli in poikilothermic vertebrates. This book discusses as well the caudal neurosecretory system in lampreys, hagfish, holocephalans, and dipnoans. The final chapter provides the comparative morphology of the classical vertebrate endocrine organs. Endocrinologists, biologists, graduate students, and researchers will find this book useful.