CRC Press

Oxidative stress and inflammatory mechanisms in obesity, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome.

To say that metabolic conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension are epidemic in Western society is a deadly understatement. So is to say that oxidative stress is involved. Written for researchers in these and related fields, and focusing on producing evidence-based nutritional and pharmacological therapies, this offers an overview of intercellular events that mediate oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory processes in obesity and type 2 diabetes, analyzes dietary factors, including micronutrients, examines the increased incidence of atherosclerotic and cardiovascular disease associated with obesity and systemic oxidative stress and evaluates those conditions' effects in the perinatal period and in pregnancy, and presents a rationale for the development of drugs to improve the cellular redox status. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Pattern discovery in bioinformatics; theory & algorithms.

As in most scientific endeavors, bioinformatics requires more than a manual and a few anecdotes. Parida (no affiliation given) proves that researchers in bioinformatics need algorithmic and statistical expertise and ingenuity. Without using models she explains how to locate modes of regularities in large amounts of biological data, including string patterns, patterned clusters, permutation patterns, topological patterns, partial order patterns, and boolean expressions. She starts with the fundamentals for novices, including basic algorithms and statistics and the characteristics of patterns, then moves on the biopolymers, Bernoulli schemes and Markov, string pattern specifications, algorithms and pattern statistics, motif learning and patterns on meta-data such as permutation patterns and their probabilities, topological motifs, set-theoretic algorithmic tools, expression and partial order motifs. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Personalized nutrition; principles and applications.

Personalized nutrition is an emerging field that merges nutrition science with other disciplines, including molecular biology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics, to develop individual diets. Kok (nutrition and health, Wageningen University, The Netherlands) combines biomedical and social science perspectives to explore the molecular, physiological, epidemiological, and public health aspects of personalized nutrition, and gives examples from major diseases. The first section of the book, on scientific principles, discusses nutrigenomics technologies, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, and their use in understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in major diet-related chronic disorders. The second section, on the consumer and society in personalized nutrition, compares five interest groups (scientists, food companies, consumers, competitive athletes, and healthcare providers) regarding their practices and opinions of personalized nutrition. A final section on examines humanitarian issues related to developing countries, and looks at personalized nutrition in the context of ongoing innovations in food technology, nutrigenomics, and food delivery systems. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Pharmaceutical dosage forms and drug delivery.

In this text for US Doctor of Pharmacy and foreign Bachelor of Pharmacy students, Mahato (pharmaceutics and drug delivery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center) explains basic physiochemical principles, outlines their relevance in biopharmaceutical aspects of drugs, and describes their application in the design of dosage forms for delivery of proteins, peptides, oligonucleotides, and genes. Coverage also encompasses the latest developments in the application of biomaterials, and various biotechnology-based developments. This integrated approach saves students and teachers from having to consult many texts to gain an overall view of the field. Learning features include chapter review questions and thoroughly explained answers. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Physique, fitness, and performance, 2d ed.

Battinelli (exercise and sport science, Fitchburg State College, Massachusetts) presents a revised and updated edition of his textbook for undergraduate students in exercise and sport studies, examining the relationship of structure to function in human performance. Coverage includes an overview of the study of body build and body composition, physical and physiological conditioning, motor learning and motor control, exercise and nutrient function, the relationships of nutrition and obesity to heart disease, and evaluation and programming. Specific revisions to the second edition are not stated. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Poisoning and toxicology handbook, 4th ed.

This hefty 'handbook' (9x11 inches, and 2.5 inches thick) contains detailed reviews of 900 medicinal, biological, non-medicinal, herbal, and antidotal agents, and information on diagnostic tests and procedures. The reference begins with an introductory section with notes on safe writing. Sections are introduced by essays from leaders in the field. The section on biological agents covers foods, common plants found in urban and rural environments, and various toxin-bearing living creatures. The section on herbal agents covers 63 plant-based natural remedies, from aloe to wormwood. Entries give information on CAS number and brand names, uses and mechanisms of action, adverse reactions, signs and symptoms of overdose, and dosage and monitoring parameters. Entries also include notes on contraindications and warnings, treatment of overdose, drug interactions, and pregnancy risk factors and implications. Lists of poison information centers and general poison and teratology information sources and services are included, and a 250-page section of appendices provides statistics, tables, treatment protocols, position statements, and practice guidelines. This fourth edition covers newer drugs, chemicals, and environmental toxins, including drugs that have recently been approved by the FDA. Leikin is director of medical toxicology at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare-OMEGA, Glenbrook Hospital. Paloucek teaches pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois-Chicago. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Polymers; chemistry and physics of modern materials, 3d ed.

Maintaining the mission of providing students with a relatively inexpensive introductory text on polymer science that illustrates the interdisciplinary nature of the subject, Cowie (editor of the journal Polymer) and Valeria Arrighi (chemistry, Heriot-Watt U., UK) present the third edition of a volume that first appeared in 1973, which has been updated to provide coverage of recent advances in various areas of the field. It now includes discussion of the control over molecular weight, macromolecular structure and architecture, controlled radical polymerizations, metallocene chemistry, preparation of block and graft copolymers, and preparation of multiarmed and dendritic structures. It also has expanded the discussion of areas where polymeric materials can be used in electronic, biological, and medical applications and has added series of problems to each chapter. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Practical and experimental robotics.

This volume details the construction, theory, and experiments for different types of robots. Sahin (Rochester Institute of Technology) and Kachroo (electrical and computer engineering, Virginia Tech) address the fundamentals of electrical and mechanical systems, the Basic Stamp Microcontroller, PC interfacing, and advanced topics such as forward and inverse kinematics of an arm robot, dynamics of a mobile robot, and vision control. In addition, they describe types of robots available as kits, such as arm robots, bipeds, hexapods, and robotic submarines, their mechanical construction and electrical control, and how to use and operate them using microcontollers or software. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

A practical guide to data structures and algorithms using Java. (CD-ROM included)

This handbook/CD-ROM package of data structures and algorithms is designed as a resource for computer science students and practitioners. Marrying theory and practice, the book offers a top-down, application-centered approach and a systematic treatment of data structure design and practical implementation. Early chapters introduce object oriented design principles and explain how to select an abstract data type. The next two sections, the bulk of the book, provide complete object-oriented implementations for a variety of important collection data and graph data structures and algorithms. The book includes many abstract data types not provided in the standard Java libraries, but for those data types that are also present in the Java Collections classes, the authors have tried to remain consistent with the Java interfaces and semantics. Appendixes overview the major features of the Java programming language, review asymptotic notation and complexity analysis, and discuss the design patterns illustrated in the book. The CD-ROM provides source code for all data types described in the book, as well as complete documentation in Javadoc format. Sally Goldman and Kenneth Goldman are both affiliated with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Washington University. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Principles and techniques of electromagnetic compatibility, 2d ed.

Christopoulos (George Green Institute for Electromagnetics Research, University of Nottingham, UK) presents the physical basis of and analytical models for important interactions in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The author adopts a practical approach, but mathematical analysis and numerical techniques are also presented in connection with the development of EMC predictive tools. The main thrust of this second edition is to update material, introduce new technologies and materials that have emerged over the past 10 years, and add more worked examples. A section on EMC in systems design is entirely new, with chapters on EMC and signal integrity, wireless technologies, broadband technologies, EMC and safety, and statistical EMC. Mathematical appendices list useful vector formulae and cover circuit parameters of conductor configurations, the sinx/x function, spectra of trapezoidal waveforms, and calculation of the electrical field received by a short electric dipole. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Principles of toxicology testing.

Focusing on how animal testing principles and in vitro alternative methods highlight the importance of each for determining the significance and relevance of the other, Barile (toxicology, St. John's U.) also carefully considers human risk assessment and emphasizes universal applications rather than steps in laboratory procedures. He begins with basic principles of toxicology and the effects of chemicals, including biochemical properties and interactions, toxicokinetics, including absorption, and distribution as well as biotransformation and elimination, risk assessment and regulatory toxicology, descriptive animal toxicology tests and the correlation with human exposure; testing in vivo, including acute testing, dermal and ocular testing and testing for fertility and reproduction, carcinogenicity and mutagenicity; testing in vitro, including cell culture methodology, mutagenicity testing, reproductive and teratogenicity testing, microarray analysis, experimental design and statistics, and standardization and validation of alternative methods and their applications. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Programming ArcObjects with VBA; a task-oriented approach, 2d ed. (CD-ROM included)

ArcObjects is the development platform for ArcGIS, a software package for managing geographical information systems (GIS), and ideally should be leaned before it. Acknowledging the world he actually lives in, Chang offers a tutorial and textbook for readers who in fact already use ArcGIS and have figured out that programming ArcObjects can reduce the amount of repetitive work, streamline the workflow, and even produce functionalities that are not easily available with ArcGIS toolbars and commands. No date is noted for the first edition nor rationale for a second. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Railroad vehicle dynamics; a computational approach.

This text is intended to be useful for an introductory course on railroad vehicle dynamics suitable for senior undergraduate and first-year graduate students familiar with intermediate dynamics and basic vector and matrix algebra. The text presents computational multibody system formulations and discusses their computer implementation for developing programs for analyzing derailment and accident scenarios, design issues, and performance evaluation. It focuses on the development of fully nonlinear formulations, supported by an explanation of the linearized formulations that are frequently used in the analysis of railroad vehicle systems. Major topics addressed by the text's eight chapters include contact mechanics of vehicle/rail interaction, modeling of wheel/rail contact in multibody system formulations, and the use of trajectory coordinates for developing specialized formulations for railroad vehicle systems. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Sample size calculations in clinical research, 2d ed.

Focusing on pharmaceuticals, Chow (medicine, Duke U.) and his co-authors update their systematic summaries of statistical concepts and practical applications while explaining how formulas and procedures apply at various stages of clinical research and development. They also describe recent advances in methodology as they address concepts of equality, non-inferiority and superiority, and equivalence in various therapeutic areas. They give researchers and students steps to take when preparing to calculate sample sizes, ways of comparing designs and samples of those designs, exact tests for proportions, methods for testing goodness-of-fit and contingency tables, comparisons of time-to-event data and variables, and procedures for sequential methods, bioequivalence testing, dose response studies, microarray studies, Bayesian sample size calculation and nonparametrics. They include sample size calculations in such areas as vaccine clinical trials and quality of life considerations along with a set of tables of quantiles. The result is a solid professional reference as well as classroom text. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Science and conservation of vernal pools in northeastern North America.

Mostly in forested landscapes, the pools are temporary to semi-permanent, typically fill during the spring or fall, may dry up during the summer or in drought years, and are among the most at-risk wetlands. Biological and environmental scientists explain to policy makers, land use planners, and others engaged in conservation and protection, the unique characteristics and needs of vernal pools and how to address them. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Seymour/Carraher's polymer chemistry, 7th ed.

This introductory text surveys the scientific, engineering, technology, and commercial aspects of polymer science. Emphasizing the fundamental behavior of polymers reflected in current technological developments, this seventh edition contains new chapters on composites, fibers, and naturally occurring polymers in plants and animals. It also highlights nanoscale polymer applications, with new material on drug discovery and design, electronics, optical fibers, textiles, biodegradable materials, smart materials, and adhesives. Listings of common polymer structures, nomenclature and trade names, and Internet resources have been updated and expanded for this edition. Learning features include chapter summaries, study tips, glossaries, and exercises with solutions. The text will be used to teach graduate and undergraduate courses in departments of chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials sciences, and for teaching polymer science and technology in polymer science institutes. Carraher is affiliated with Florida Atlantic University. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Sintering of ceramics.

Sintering, also known as "firing," is the ceramics processing step in which heat is applied to raw material or powder to produce a solid object. Although sintering is a process that began in the darkness of time, this is the first reference on its theories and applications to the production of advanced ceramics with target microstructure. Rahaman (ceramics and materials science, U. of Missouri-Rolla takes readers from the basics to advanced processes, beginning with descriptions of chemical reactions and restructuring in crystalline solids and other materials in sintering, solid-state and viscous sintering, grain growth and microstructure control, liquid-phase sintering, sintering process variables and sintering practice. He also covers such special topics as inhomogeneities and their effects, constrained sintering, constitutive models for porous materials, solid solution additives and reaction sintering. This is well-organized, very well-illustrated and accessible. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Six sigma in the pharmaceutical industry; understanding, reducing, and controlling variation in pharmaceuticals and biologics.

Nunnally is from the U.S. and works in analytical development for a major pharmaceutical company; McConnell is a private management consultant based in Australia. They offer those working in the pharmaceutical industry a practical guide outlining the core concepts of the Six Sigma process — originally developed by Motorola in the 1980s — and how to implement them in order to improve cost efficiency. Using case studies, charts, and critical reviews of data, the authors lay out a conceptual framework for understanding variation, explain control chart theory and practice, and discuss practical applications within the pharmaceutical industry. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Smart polymers; applications in biotechnology and biomedicine, 2d ed.

Inspired by the behavior of natural polymers, researchers have been working for some time to perfect artificial versions (smart polymers) that can respond to external stimuli (magnetic, electronic, thermal) as desired, the result being the potential for significant advances in medicine. These 14 completely updated articles report the results of such research and include such topics as phase transitions in smart polymer solutions in light scattering, responsive polymer brushes at a theoretical level, cross-linked ionic gels, thermally responsive polymers, microgels, protein-based smart polymers, smart polymers in imprinting, smart hydrogels, macroporous hydrogels, smart boronate-containing copolymers and gels and solid-liquid interfaces, drug delivery and carriers for drug therapy, the role of smart polymers in affinity precipitation of proteins, and hydrogels in microfluidics. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Software engineering foundations; a software science perspective.

Wang (University of Calgary) describes the 14 basic constraints of software engineering, 31 fundamental software engineering principles, five theoretical foundations, and six organizational foundations drawn from other disciplines. With an eye towards automated code generation rather than intensive programming, the advanced textbook extends linguistics to artificial languages, explores the cognitive model of internal information presentation in the brain, introduces the generic rules and theories of abstract systems, applies decision theory to engineering management, and provides a framework for optimal allocation of labor, resources, and schedules. Distributed in the U.S. by Taylor & Francis. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Soil sampling and methods of analysis, 2d ed.

Carter and Gregorich, both affiliated with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, compile information on the potential and limitations of commonly used soil analytical and sampling methods. For this second edition, they add several chapters that serve as "primers," describing the overall principles and concepts behind a particular type or types of measurement. All of the chapters retained from the earlier edition have been modified and updated, and there are new chapters added to reflect new microbiological techniques and the burgeoning interest in soil ecology. Other new chapters describe tools for characterizing the dynamics and chemistry of soil organic matter. A new section presents field- and lab-based methods for characterizing saturated and unsaturated soil hydraulic properties. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)