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Biochemical analysis is a rapidly expanding field and is a key component of modern drug discovery and research. Methods of Biochemical Analysis provides a periodic and authoritative review of the latest achievements in biochemical analysis. Founded in 1954 by Professor David Glick, Methods of Biochemical Analysis provides a timely review of the latest developments in the field.

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Biochemical analysis is a rapidly expanding field and is a key component of modern drug discovery and research. Methods of Biochemical Analysis provides a periodic and authoritative review of the latest achievements in biochemical analysis. Founded in 1954 by Professor David Glick, Methods of Biochemical Analysis provides a timely review of the latest developments in the field.

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The ability at the molecular level to keep track of time is a property shared by organisms ranging from the simplest unicells to humans. The primary feature of these biological clocks is their ability to entrain to environmental stimuli. The dominant stimulus comes from environmental light cues, which requires the existence of photopigments sensitive to light. The exact identity of the molecules involved in circadian photoreception has remained elusive. The classical view of the circadian system is of diverse physiological rhythms regulated by a centralized clock structure. This book presents evidence that challenges this view. Experiments in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems demonstrate that the circadian timing system is dispersed throughout the animal and suggest that possibly every cell contains an autonomous clock mechanism. A variety of tissues and cells contain have been shown to maintain an oscillation when placed in vitro and removed from any external cues or signals that originate from the classical clock structures and/or the environment. This book draws together contributions from an international and interdisciplinary group of experts whose work is focused on all aspects of the topic. Coverage includes the mechanisms of light signalling to the vertebrate clock, the connections between central and peripheral clocks, circadian gene expression patterns and output pathways of clock mechanisms.

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About the Series… Metal Ions in Life Sciences links coordination chemistry and biochemistry in their widest sense and thus increases our understanding of the relationship between the chemistry of metals and life processes. The series reflects the interdisciplinary nature of Biological Inorganic Chemistry and coordinates the efforts of scientists in fields like biochemistry, inorganic chemistry, coordination chemistry, molecular and structural biology, enzymology, environmental chemistry, physiology, toxicology, biophysics, pharmacy, and medicine. Consequently, the volumes are an essential source for researchers active in these and related fields as well as teachers preparing courses, e.g., in Bioinorganic Chemistry. About this Book… Volume 1, devoted solely to the vital research area concerning the role of metal ions in neurodegenerative diseases, offers in 15 stimulating chapters an authoritative and timely view of this fascinating subject. Written by 41 internationally recognized experts, Neurodegenerative Diseases and Metal Ions highlights, supported by 130 illustrations, the recent progress made in understanding the role metal ions play in diseases like transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (Creutzfeldt-Jakob and related diseases), Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, Wilson's and Menkes' diseases, as well as in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and others. The interplay between metal ions, catecholamines and the formation of reactive oxygen species resulting in oxidative stress is considered, as is the metalloneurochemistry of zinc and the neurotoxicity of aluminum, cadmium, lead, and mercury. The need for novel drugs which manipulate metal-centered neuropathology is emphasized.

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This book features scientists from a broad spectrum of disciplines discussing recent data on aggression in laboratory animals with particular reference to possible implications for understanding human aggression. Chapters focus on the major current experimental issues in the study of aggression in humans and animals. The extensive discussions deal with specific problems of interpretation at the molecular level, as well as general issues relating to our understanding of human and animal aggression.

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Advances in computer technology have conveniently coincided with trends in numerical analysis toward increased complexity of computational algorithms based on finite difference methods. It is no longer feasible to perform stability investigation of these methods manually–and no longer necessary. As this book shows, modern computer algebra tools can be combined with methods from numerical analysis to generate programs that will do the job automatically. Comprehensive, timely, and accessible–this is the definitive reference on the application of computerized symbolic manipulations for analyzing the stability of a wide range of difference schemes. In particular, it deals with those schemes that are used to solve complex physical problems in areas such as gas dynamics, heat and mass transfer, catastrophe theory, elasticity, shallow water theory, and more. Introducing many new applications, methods, and concepts, Computer-Aided Analysis of Difference Schemes for Partial Differential Equations * Shows how computational algebra expedites the task of stability analysis–whatever the approach to stability investigation * Covers ten different approaches for each stability method * Deals with the specific characteristics of each method and its application to problems commonly encountered by numerical modelers * Describes all basic mathematical formulas that are necessary to implement each algorithm * Provides each formula in several global algebraic symbolic languages, such as MAPLE, MATHEMATICA, and REDUCE * Includes numerous illustrations and thought-provoking examples throughout the text For mathematicians, physicists, and engineers, as well as for postgraduate students, and for anyone involved with numeric solutions for real-world physical problems, this book provides a valuable resource, a helpful guide, and a head start on developments for the twenty-first century.

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Presents new information on the mutual interaction of skeletal muscle fibers and motoneurons at all levels, from the physiological to the molecular. Covers genetic, physiological, and hormonal factors affecting skeletal muscle development, control of acetylcholine receptor gene expression, selection and organization of motoneurons, and remodelling and refinement of synaptic inputs under the influence of muscle-derived growth factors. Also discusses the plasticity of the neuromuscular system during regeneration after injury, and in the modification of muscle properties and movement patterns in disease states by changes in sensory input or by electrical stimulation.

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The ability to control the rates of metabolic processes in response to changes in the internal or external environment is an indispensable attribute of living cells that must have arisen with life’s origin. This adaptability is necessary for conserving the stability of the intracellular environment which is, in turn, essential for maintaining an efficient functional state. The advent of genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics has revolutionised the study of plant development and is now having a significant impact on the study of plant metabolism and its control. In the last few years, significant advances have been made, with the elucidation of enzyme gene families and the identification of new proteinaceous and allosteric regulators. The first part of this volume is devoted to generic aspects of metabolic control, with chapters on the key control points in pathways. Part Two considers the control of specific pathways, with detailed descriptions (including structures) and discussions of the regulation of these pathways, particularly in terms of the enzymology. The book is directed at researchers and professionals in plant biochemistry, physiology, molecular biology and cell biology.

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This is the first volume to provide comprehensive coverage of the biology of water use efficiency at molecular, cellular, whole plant and community levels. While several works have included the phenomenon of water use efficiency, and others have concentrated on an agronomic framework, this book represents the first detailed treatment with a biological focus. The volume sets out the definitions applicable to water use efficiency, the fundamental physiology and biochemistry governing the efficiency of carbon vs water loss, the environmental regulation of this process and the detailed physiological basis by which the plant exerts control over such efficiency. It is aimed at researchers and professionals in plant physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, developmental biology and agriculture. It will also inform those involved in formulating research and development policy in this topic around the world.

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Wood is the most versatile raw material available to man. It is burned as fuel, shaped into utensils, used as a structural engineering material, converted into fibres for paper production, and put to newer uses as a source of industrial chemicals. Its quality results largely from the chemical and physical structure of the cell walls of its component fibres, which can be modified in nature as the tree responds to physical environmental stresses. Internal stresses can accumulate, which are released catastrophically when the tree is felled, often rendering the timber useless. The quality of timber as an engineering material also depends on the structure of the wood and the way in which it has developed in the living tree. Tree improvement for quality cannot be carried out without an understanding of the biological basis underlying wood formation and structure. This volume brings together the viewpoints of both biologists and physical scientists, covering the spectrum from the formation of wood to its structure and properties, and relating these properties to industrial use. This is a volume for researchers and professionals in plant physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry.