CRC Press
Adaptive design theory and implementation using SAS and R.
This work provides approaches for using adaptive design methods in pharmaceutical clinical trials through the application of statistical software such as SAS and R. It covers statistical methods for various adaptive designs such as adaptive group sequential design, adaptive dose-escalation design, adaptive seamless phase II/III trial design, and biomarker-adaptive design. Emphasis is on the relationship among different methods. The book incorporates most current regulatory views as well as discussions of challenges, execution, analysis, and reporting for adaptive designs. It will be of interest to biostatisticians, clinical scientists, and reviewers in regulatory agencies who are engaged in pharmaceutical research and development. Chang is affiliated with a private sector pharmaceutical company. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Amyloidosis.
Amyloids are proteins that have been made into a particular insoluble form due to alterations in their secondary structure and when deposited in organs and tissues can cause disease in a process referred to as amyloidosis. This volume presents the proceedings of the eleventh International Symposium on Amyloidosis, held in November of 2006, which focused on new basic science and translational research in the systemic amyloidoses. The proceeding consist of 198 papers organized into sections concerning the mechanisms of fibril formation and cellular response, AA and localized amyloidoses, familiar and TTR amyloidoses, AL amyloidosis, new diagnostics and emerging translational approaches, and clinical trials. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Analysis of bipolar and CMOS amplifiers.
Sodagar (engineering, K.N. Toosi U. of Technology and the U. of Michigan) offers a quick and intuitive analysis and design method to replace the tedious and time-consuming classical approach to analog circuit analysis. He demonstrates how to achieve approximate results that fall within an acceptable range of accuracy and are based on sound scientific principles for the basics such as amplifiers and transistors and yet applicable to biasing, single and multistage amplifiers, current sources and mirrors. He asserts his methods work for analysis at midband and in a range of frequencies. Along with extensive descriptions of his analysis-by-inspection method for each application Sodagar includes a set of computer simulation examples for each topic. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Antiangiogenic cancer therapy.
Davis, president of a molecular diagnostic company, brings together basic scientists and oncologists to introduce fundamental concepts of angiogenesis and to review techniques for targeting angiogenesis for specific types of cancer. Coverage encompasses specific molecular targets for inhibiting angiogenesis in cancer therapy, and clinical trial design and translational research approaches, including noninvasive imaging methods and direct analysis of tissue biopsies. Chapters on antiangiogenic treatment for specific cancer types outline the current understanding of the molecular biology of each cancer type, and discuss strategies for targeting angiogenesis. The readership for the book includes scientists and physicians engaged in the study of antiangiogenic agents, as well as medical professionals, medical and graduate students, and allied health professionals interested in learning more about the biology and clinical use of angiogenesis inhibitors. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Antisense drug technology; principles, strategies, and applications, 2d ed.
Updated to reflect developments in the field, including the failure of some promising drugs (their stories are included), this volume presents a thorough treatment of the drugs, their study, development, and applications. The 28 chapters are divided into sections on introducing antisense drug action, the basics of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics, hybridization-based drugs, other chemical classes, and applications. Among the topics of individual chapters are discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, locked nucleic acid, morpholinos, applications for inflammatory diseases, and potential applications in ophthalmology. The majority of the contributors are with the Carlsbad, California-based Isis Pharmaceuticals, founded by Crooke; others are with academic or commercial institutions in Europe, Canada, and the US. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Automated data analysis using Excel.
Focusing on the built-in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) scripting language of Excel, this book/CD-ROM package teaches readers how to construct an automated data analysis application for use in both industrial and academic settings. It covers the manipulation and calculation of data within the Excel environment, then shows how to use Excel to obtain data from nonnative sources such as databases and third-party calculation tools. A final chapter shows how to put concepts together to create a cohesive and robust application. Reference appendices are included. The CD-ROM contains sample workbooks, worksheets, and source code. Bissett is a molecular properties scientist. Readership for the book includes those with engineering or scientific background and some experience coding in a higher level language. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Automated taxon identification in systematics; theory, approaches, and applications.
MacLeod (The Natural History Museum, UK) believes that the technologies for automating taxonomic classification and identification based on morphological characteristics is currently available and presents 18 papers intended to provide an introduction to current trends in quantitative approaches to the group-recognition problem, the capabilities of various software systems available for identifying systematic objects and groups, and applications of the technology to present and future systematic problems. Special attention is paid to showing how different approaches to automated identification can be applied to various organismal groups and in varied applied research contexts such as biodiversity studies, biostratigraphy, conservation, and agriculture. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Bayesian biostatistics in diagnostic medicine.
Bayesian approaches, which combine diverse data with any prior information available from expert knowledge, have become very popular in diagnostic medicine, especially in clinical studies. Broemeling (medicine, U. of Texas) gives those who wish to apply the approach to their practice and research an introduction to basic techniques specifically as they relate to medicine, covering diagnostic medicine and other diagnostic procedures, Bayesian statistics, Bayesian methods for diagnostic accuracy, regression and test accuracy, agreement, diagnostic imaging, clinical trials and other applications, such as imperfect diagnosis test procedures or periodic screening. Each topic includes a wide range of examples and applications, and Broemeling makes sure the statistically-inclined understand the application to medicine and those more inclined toward medicine understand the statistics and how they are used correctly. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Berry fruit; value-added products for health promotion.
Long a staple in the jam and beverage industries, berry fruit is becoming increasingly important in other foods as well, the result being more dissemination of production technologies and information about nutritional and health benefits to smack on those consumer-attracting labels. This collection of papers introduces readers to the bioactive components of berry fruit, including its incidence worldwide, its chemical components and phytochemicals, natural pigments, antioxidant capacity and phenolic content and potential for protecting against cancer and coronary heart disease, postharvest handling and storage, including quality issues, microbial safety, treatment of fresh market berries, and processing techniques, including freezing, dehydrating, commercial canning and production of jams and jellies. The last chapter details utilization of berry pomace, a processing byproduct. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Biomaterials.
When medical devices must work inside the body, their materials are the most significant aspects of their design. In addition, industries demand that such devices are reliable, economical and compatible with the environment into which they are placed. These articles provide general overviews of various materials found to be of use in bioengineering and medicine, including ceramics, polymers and synthetic polymers, metals, composites and biodegradable hydrogels. It also covers biomaterials including tissue-derives biomaterials such as collagen, soft and hard tissue replacements, and a new chapter for this edition on controlling and assessing cell-biomaterial interactions at the micro- and nano-scale, especially in tissue engineering. Each article includes references. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Bioinformatics; a practical approach.
In 16 chapters, this volume details bioinformatics applications that biologists need to know. An international group of contributors working in bioinformatics and other fields discuss applications such as genome analysis, common DNA analysis tools, and phylogenetics, SNP, and haplotype analysis. Other chapters cover microarray, SAGE, regulation of gene expression, miRNA, siRNA, and programs and tools in proteome analysis, protein sequences and functions, and functional annotation of proteins in murine models. The final section describes the programming languages used in biology, website and database design, and the interchange of data between Microsoft Excel and Access. Each chapter has a step-by-step tutorial and complex math is minimized. The book is also accessible to computer scientists and nonspecialists. Ye is a professor of surgery, molecular microbiology, and immunology at the U. of Missouri, Columbia. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Biology and chemistry of Jerusalem artichoke; helianthus tuberosus L.
It is a lumpy vegetable, and even when pared assumes no particular shape. But what the Jerusalem artichoke lacks in good looks it more than makes up for in utility. It is potentially a major source of inulin, a fructose polymer that serves as a prebiotic for intestinal health and as a low-calorie carbohydrate useful in treating obesity and diabetes. Along with medical uses inulin has many industrial applications, including as a biofuel. Kays (horticulture, U. of Georgia) and independent researcher Nottingham introduce readers to this underutilized resource, describe its nomenclature, origin, history, classification, identification and distribution, then analyze its plant morphology and anatomy, chemical composition and inulin chemistry, value in human and animal diet or as biofuel, and describe its genetic resources, breeding, cultivars, propagation, development biology, resource allocation, yield, pollinators, pests, diseases, agronomic practices, storage and associated economics. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Biochemistry and molecular biology compendium.
This reference for academic and industrial researchers offers a range of practical information not found in more database-oriented resources. Bridging the old school of protein research with the newer field of proteomics, the reference provides an extensive list of acronyms and abbreviations, and a glossary of systems and techniques used in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, proteomics, genomics, and systems biology. It describes the properties of chemicals commonly used in biochemistry and molecular biology, including those employed in commercial mixtures, and lists Log P values, water solubility, and molecular weight for selected chemicals. The book gives a detailed listing of protease inhibitors and cocktails, and includes a selection of commonly used analytical procedures. Author information is not given. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Bioassays with arthropods, 2d ed.
Using a minimum of mathematics and Greek symbols, which apparently cause many biology students to cease functioning as human life forms, this introductory text and handbook focuses on the practical as it describes how to set up experimental bioassays with insects. Novices can learn to calculate doses, replicates, and numbers of insects in these chapters covering quantal response bioassays, binary quantal response with one or multiple explanatory variables, binary quantal response data analysis and response, natural variation in response, quarantine statistics, statistical analysis of data from bioassays with microbial products, pesticide resistance, mixtures, time as a variable, body weight and multinomial quantal response. For the more advanced the authors include advice on improving predictions based on dose-response bioassays. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Bitter nemesis; the intimate history of strychnine.
It was a new technology. It was discovered in the wake of the marketing and medical success of quinine, and as often happened in nineteenth century science, researchers were confident its identification and isolation would lead to medical advances, and tried it on everything from paralysis to constipation. However, it appeared strychnine's main ability was in killing, which it eventually did by the millions in the case of vermin and wildlife and sometimes individually, as in the case of murder. Buckingham brings readers through the discovery and experimentation processes, the first blushes of success, its distribution in commercial products, the awful realization strychnine was basically a poison and nothing else, the steps taken to control it, its place in literature, and its treatment in forensics. Underneath it all is a clear warning about hype and new technologies. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Cancer and the search for selective biochemical inhibitors, 2d ed.
Writing in a clear, often informal, yet unbiased style, Hoffman searches the published literature for the underlying biochemical principles of complementary, alternative, and integrative treatments for cancer and compares them to chemotherapy and other traditional allopathic methods. An extensive first chapter, written for patients as well as medical professionals, overviews issues in the politics and research of allopathic and complementary cancer treatment and the drug industry in general. Subsequent chapters offer detailed, yet still accessible, chapters on cancer origins and characteristics, and biochemical and genetic aspects of cancer. The author then describes what is known about the mechanisms and results of enzymatic biochemical treatment and a variety of medicinal herbs and plants from around the world. The audience for the book includes patients and other general readers as well as medical professionals. Author information is not given. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Coarse wavelength division multiplexing; technologies and applications.
Prized for its low cost and simplicity, coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) technology has had significant attention in both research and applications in recent years, and has broadened the market considerably. Many of the contributors of these ten papers helped to develop CWDM and the resulting G.694.2 and G.695 standards, and all are conducting research leading to the next generation of CWDM. Topics include the development and contents of standards, optical filters to support CWDM, transceivers, WDM filters, optimizing CWDM for nonamplified networks, amplifiers, upgrade paths toward 10 Gb/s, CWDM in metropolitan networks, CWDM in CATV/HFC networks and CWDM for fiber access solutions. The editors provide a general index. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Computational economic analysis for engineering and industry.
The interrelationships among engineers, financial experts and managers are becoming increasingly complex and co-dependent. The authors here (both U. of Tennessee) note that about two-thirds of all engineers will spend about two-thirds of their careers as managers and decision-makers, a situation for which they may not have prepared in school. Writing for those professionals and students who have the good fortune to be going to schools that prepare engineers for the real world, they describe the process of finding and analyzing business data that supports engineering projects, covering economic analysis, cost concepts and techniques, economic methods for comparing investment alternatives, asset replacement and retention analysis, depreciation methods, break-even analysis, inflation and taxes, advanced cash-flow analysis, and budgeting and capital allocations. They provide exercises and a software tool for economic evaluation along with a cost benchmarking case study. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Computational pharmacokinetics.
Writing primarily for statisticians, Källén (AstraZeneca R&D, Sweden) introduces the basic concepts and models of pharmacokinetics — the handling and distribution of drugs in the body — from a mathematical perspective. After describing fundamental concepts of basic empirical pharmacokinetics, he discusses statistical analysis of pharmacokinetic data, physiological models of pharmacokinetics, modeling drug distribution in pharmacokinetics, and modeling the relationship between drug concentration and effect. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Corrosion science and technology, 2d ed.
Corrosion of materials is vital to aviation, automotive manufacturing and food processing as well as in construction. With this wide range of applications and their respective concerns it is no wonder this new edition has been fully updated with new chapters on copper, nickel, titanium and their respective alloys and on cathodic protection by impressed current and sacrificial anodes. Along with describing the materials and their corrosion characteristics, this gives an overview of corrosion and protection strategies, descriptions of structures that are part of the corrosion process, the thermodynamics and kinetics of corrosion, mixed-metal systems, intervention of stress, protective coatings, and corrosion of steels, aluminum and the aforesaid metals. Chapters also cover the specific needs of aviation, the marine environment, power generation and other industries and procedures for testing. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
