Biology of IGF-1: Its Interaction with Insulin in Health and Malignant States (Novartis Foundation Symposia)

Book Description

the definition of danger zones
the development of methods for early recognition of malignant states linked to IGF-1 and/or insulin
possible approaches to preventative intervention
the relevance in this field of research to the development of novel therapeutic approaches to treating certain cancers.

Download Description

An invaluable book containing a series of interdisciplinary discussions between clinical and basic scientists.Biology of IGF-1: Its interaction with insulin and health and malignant states focuses on key issues such as: the definition of danger zones the development of methods for early recognition of malignant states linked to IGF-1 and/or insulin possible approaches to preventative intervention the relevance in this field of research to the development of novel therapeutic approaches to treating certain cancers.

The GTPase Superfamily -No. 176 (CIBA Foundation Symposia Series)

Average customer rating:

The GTPase Superfamily -No. 176 (CIBA Foundation Symposia Series)
CIBA Foundation Symposium
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Physiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Book Description

The GTPase Superfamily Chairman: Frank McCormick 1993 GTPases are enzymes that use GTP hydrolysis to drive the sequential binding of molecules to a series of reaction partners. They play important roles in ribosomal protein synthesis, translocation of nascent proteins into the endoplasmic reticulum, transmembrane signalling by hormones and light, the control of differentiation and cell proliferation, and the targeting of vesicular traffic within cells. GTPase activity is also associated with two of the mechanochemical enzymes, dynamin and tubulin, that generate force for intracellular movement. Although GTPases fulfil such diverse functions, they are related by the possession of distinct, highly conserved sequence motifs that encode the guanine nucleotide-binding domain. Rapid advances in determining the crystal structures of some of the superfamily members have shed light on the nature of this region, which allows the protein to act as a molecular switch. This switch mechanism, turned `on' by the binding of GTP and `off' by the hydrolysis of GTP to GDP, appears to have arisen early in evolution and has since been adapted to suit a variety of functions in the cell. If the GTPase switch is damaged, or locked `on' then a number of diseases, including cancers, can arise. The effector proteins with which GTPases interact and their downstream target molecules are now being identified: this book contains recent information on these and discussion of their importance in different cellular functions. The various regulatory proteins that modulate GTPase activity are also described by some of the leading biochemists, geneticists and cell and molecular biologists from this field. Other recent Ciba Foundation Symposia: No. 164 Interactions among cell signalling systems Chairman: Y. Nishizuka 1992 ISBN 0 471 93073 3 No. 167 Polyfunctional cytokines: IL-6 and LIF Chairman: D. Metcalf 1992 ISBN 0 471 93439 9 No. 170 Regulation of the eukaryotic cell cycle Chairman: T. Hunter 1992 ISBN 0 471 93446 1

Foundations of Spectroscopy (Oxford Chemistry Primers, 78)

Average customer rating:

Foundations of Spectroscopy (Oxford Chemistry Primers, 78)
Simon Duckett , and Bruce Gilbert
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Analytic | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

Microscopes & Microsocopy | Experiments, Instruments & Measurement | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0198503350

Book Description

This Primer covers the foundations of spectroscopy at a level suitable for first year chemistry undergraduates. Mass spectrometry, and X-ray diffraction, along with traditional spectroscopic techniques: i.r., n.m.r. and u.v. -visible spectroscopy are covered. The essential physical principles of each method are introduced, and many examples of spectral analysis provided. Problems, and further reading are also included. This Primer is designed to reflect the recent advances in the use of spectroscopic and diffraction methods, not only for obtaining an analysis of elements and groups present in a molecule but also for establishing the arrangement of the constituent atoms. These developments have had a profound effect by increasing scientific knowledge in the fields of chemistry and molecular biology, reflected in the elucidation of the structure and function of a wide range of compounds including drugs, proteins and enzymes, and nucleic acids.

Foundations of Organic Chemistry: Worked Examples (Oxford Chemistry Primers)

Average customer rating:

Foundations of Organic Chemistry: Worked Examples (Oxford Chemistry Primers)
Michael Hornby , and Josephine Peach
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0198505833

Book Description

This book provides problems, with answers and tutorial guidance, on the organic chemistry encountered by students in their last year of A-level and at the beginning of undergraduate courses in Chemistry and Biochemistry. The layout of the book runs parallel with that of the successful Foundations of Organic Chemistry by the same authors. The first three chapters cover basic physical organic chemistry, setting the scene for the mechanistic organic chemistry covered later. The problems are accompanied by useful hints, and the answers with tutorial comments which reinforce the chemical principles involved.

Foundations of Physics for Chemists (Oxford Chemistry Primers, 93)

Average customer rating:

Foundations of Physics for Chemists (Oxford Chemistry Primers, 93)
G. A. D. Ritchie , and D. S. Sivia
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Foundations of Physics for Chemists presents the fundamental physics required for a full understanding of a diverse range of chemical phenomena and techniques such as diffraction, reaction rates and nuclear magnetic resonance. The text begins with a discussion of classical and wave mechanics which allows quantum mechanics to be introduced at an early stage. The ideas presented in these early chapters are subsequently developed to deal with the traditional physics topics of kinetic theory, electrostatics, magnetism and optics. However, the text maintains a distinct chemical perspecive by focusing on relevant chemical examples rather than the more hypothetical examples favoured by the majority of introductory physics texts. The students will find the information presented directly applicable to the concepts and examples that they will encounter throughout an undergraduate course in chemistry.

The Genetics and Biology of Sex Determination -No. 244 (Novartis Foundation Symposia)

Average customer rating:

The Genetics and Biology of Sex Determination -No. 244 (Novartis Foundation Symposia)
Novartis Foundation
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Genetics | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Engineering | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Science | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0470843462

Book Description

Nature employs a wide variety of sex determining mechanisms and it is only comparatively recently that the tools have become available for these to be explored at the cellular and molecular levels. A major landmark was the discovery in 1990 of the SRY gene and the subsequent demonstration of its key role in triggering male sex determination in transgenic mice.

This book reviews and discusses our current understanding of the molecular genetic pathways of sex determination, with special emphasis on vertebrates. It features comparisons with other modes of sex determination, consideration of the biology of sexual development and discussion of the evolution of sex-determining mechanisms.

Book Description

Chronic inflammation predisposes to some forms of cancer and the host response to malignant disease shows several parallels with inflammation and wound healing. The cells involved in inflammation are detected in a range of common cancers, together with the inflammatory cytokines and members of the chemokine ligand/receptor systems.

Neutralization or deletion of the gene for some inflammatory cytokines confers resistance to tumour induction and experimental metastasis. Over-expression of such cytokines in tumour cells may enhance malignant potential. Certain chemokines are likely to subvert antitumour immunity by favouring development of ineffective Type 2 responses. Tumour cells may even utilize chemokine receptors in homing to lymph nodes and other organs. Thus, the cells, cytokines and chemokines found in tumours are more likely to contribute to tumour growth, progression and immunosuppression than they are to mount an effective host antitumour response.

This book draws together contributions from an international group of scientists and clinicians from diverse disciplines, ranging from epidemiology to immunology, cell biology, molecular oncology, molecular medicine and pharmacology to debate these and related issues. Topics covered include the epidemiological links between cancer and inflammation, the parallels between inflammation and cancer, the role of inflammation in cancer, inflammatory genes as risk factors for cancer initiation and progression, inflammation and cancer angiogenesis, and preventative and therapeutic strategies.

Related Novartis Foundation symposia:
252 Generation and Effector Functions of Regulatory Lymphocytes
Chair: Jean-François Bach

254 Immunoinformatics: Bioinformatic Strategies for Better Understanding of Immune Function
Chair: Hans-Georg Rammensee

Download Description

"Chronic inflammation predisposes to some forms of cancer and the host response to malignant disease shows several parallels with inflammation and wound healing. The cells involved in inflammation are detected in a range of common cancers, together with the inflammatory cytokines and members of the chemokine ligand/receptor systems.

Neutralization or deletion of the gene for some inflammatory cytokines confers resistance to tumour induction and experimental metastasis. Over-expression of such cytokines in tumour cells may enhance malignant potential. Certain chemokines are likely to subvert antitumour immunity by favouring development of ineffective Type 2 responses. Tumour cells may even utilize chemokine receptors in homing to lymph nodes and other organs. Thus, the cells, cytokines and chemokines found in tumours are more likely to contribute to tumour growth, progression and immunosuppression than they are to mount an effective host antitumour response.

This book draws together contributions from an international group of scientists and clinicians from diverse disciplines, ranging from epidemiology to immunology, cell biology, molecular oncology, molecular medicine and pharmacology to debate these and related issues. Topics covered include the epidemiological links between cancer and inflammation, the parallels between inflammation and cancer, the role of inflammation in cancer, inflammatory genes as risk factors for cancer initiation and progression, inflammation and cancer angiogenesis, and preventative and therapeutic strategies.

Related Novartis Foundation symposia:
252 Generation and Effector Functions of Regulatory Lymphocytes
Chair: Jean-François Bach

Book Description

Chemical biology is born out of a desire to understand the molecular basis of life. What are the molecules found in cells? How do their intrinsic properties equip them to perform all the complex processes found in cells? This book introduces the fundamental chemistry of the molecules that are essential to all cells. The molecules covered include amino acids and sugar phosphate derivatives, and the macromolecules derived from them (proteins and nucleic acids respectively). In such a short text it is not possible to provide a comprehensive account of the chemistry of these molecules; instead this book introduces important concepts concerning their intrinsic chemistry. The aim is to provide the fundamental ideas relating to the chemistry of life that can then be applied to more advanced aspects of chemical biology.

GPCRs: From Deorphanization to Lead Structure Identification (Ernst Schering Foundation Symposium Proceedings)

Average customer rating:

GPCRs: From Deorphanization to Lead Structure Identification (Ernst Schering Foundation Symposium Proceedings)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Genetics | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

Biochemistry | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Microbiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Pharmacology | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 3540489819

Book Description

Based on the international workshop GPCRs: From Deorphanisation to Lead Structure Identification, held in Berlin in May 2006, the book highlights the following topics: Structure of GPCRs, Design of GPCR Ligands, GPCR Signalling, Deorphanization and Assay Development. All chapters are written by leading experts in the field, discussing the most recent state of the art. They give insight into the approaches taken by industry and academia to address GPCRs and depict how mature this target class-oriented research has become in the last decade. The book reflects the actual trends in the fast-emerging field of GPCR research in academia and industry.

Reversible Protein Acetylation (Novartis Foundation Symposia)

Average customer rating:

Reversible Protein Acetylation (Novartis Foundation Symposia)
Novartis Foundation
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Biochemistry | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Genetics | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0470862610

Book Description

A comprehensive review of recent work on chromatin and non-histone proteins, this book arises from the interactions of a multidisciplinary group of scientists involved in the study of acetylation. This area of research opens up new and exciting possibilities for drug design, and so the final chapters in the book examine some of the potential applications in the treatment of various diseases.

Download Description

Average customer rating:

Not a good read.

Dissapointing! Darwin's ghost must be feeling very uneasy...

a brilliant concept, brilliantly executed

No respect!

An absolute Must read book!

Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated
Steve Jones
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Evolution | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Y : The Descent of Men

On the Origin of Species: A Facsimile of the First Edition (Harvard Paperbacks)

The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time

The Origin of Species

Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory (Modern Library Chronicles)

ASIN: 0345422775
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Amazon.com

Biologists have a dirty little secret: while practically everyone knows of The Origin of Species (and owes much to it), almost nobody has read it. British geneticist Steve Jones wants to make the arguments contained in that great text accessible to modern audiences, and succeeds with the delightful Darwin's Ghost. Approximating the structure of Darwin's opus, Jones uses the original chapter headings and summaries as a scaffolding to build an up-to-date demonstration of the power of a few simple ideas. Heredity, variation, and natural selection are all you need to infer evolution over time, and now that Jones can fill in the gaps in Darwin's pre-Mendelian understanding of genetics, the case becomes airtight.

More than a polemic, though, Darwin's Ghost is nearly as pleasurable a read as its ancestor is--one suspects that part of Jones's mission is to inspire today's readers to turn back to the grand but humble Origin of Species. While he may not be able to quite match Darwin's vast erudition or hawk's eye for detail, he still makes the theory of evolution shudder and breathe on the page. Dog breeding, mass extinctions, and weird fossils of tiny elephants all march to his drumbeat and--just when you least expect it--return to the main point that all living things share a common ancestor. Whether you're one of the elite who's had the pleasure of Darwin's literary company or you'd like a taste of what you're missing, Darwin's Ghost will bring the spirit of the great man back into your world of ideas. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species is probably the best-known, least-read book. One of the most important achievements of the past millennium, it did for biology what Galileo did for astronomy: made it into a single science rather than a collection of unrelated facts. Important though Origin remains, its examples and intricate Victorian prose are now a century and a half old. They are ripe for renewal and reaffirmation. Writing as "Darwin's ghost," eminent geneticist Steve Jones updates this seminal work—and restates evolution's case for the 21st century.

Jones is a writer of engaging wit and dazzling erudition and has been called "the British Carl Sagan." Using modern examples—the AIDS virus, the puzzles of sexual selection, the physiology and psychology of pets, and the unparalleled genetic success of our own species—he shows the power and immediacy of Darwin's great argument and makes us appreciate how it makes life make sense. Eye-opening and entertaining, filled with astonishing facts, amusing anecdotes, and the very latest research, Darwin's Ghost is contemporary science writing at its very best.

Customer Reviews:

Not a good read........2006-03-28

I tend to agree with criticism presented in previous reviews.
I found "Darwin's Ghost" (my first attempt to learn more about Darwin and recent progress on his evolution theory) rather difficult to read. Certain fragments are very interesting and even shocking to the layman (just for example: Earth's history, details about bacterias, ants, bees and behavior of cuckoos and other birds/animals). And OK, I understand: there is no charity in Nature, everything comes down to DNA, its mobility, exchange, transmittance, etc.(meaning DNA science is a key in today's research on evolution). However I had to struggle quite often over many sections of this text. Swamped by chaos of too many examples, "Darwin's Ghost's" huge disadvantage is a lack of 'Glossary of Scientific Terms' - a MUST for any popular science book! I suspect that Richard Dawkins would be better pick, though on the other hand beware: he is focused too much on preaching atheism.

Dissapointing! Darwin's ghost must be feeling very uneasy..........2005-05-27

I expected to find an easy and enjoyable introduction to Darwin's original. I ended up reading only the extracts from Darwin's original. How much more rationally structured and carefully exposed were Darwin's ideas and how sad the contrast with Jones' clumsy arguments and unstructured accumulation of examples. I needed no convinving about evolution against creationism. I was looking though for an adequate exposition of the alternative theories of evolution. Jones takes adaptionist/genetically-determined evolution as the "truth" and he discards alternative views in a few sentences (in his view "punctuated equilibrium" theories have been rejected....I wonder what Gould would have to say about it...). And while rejecting both in the intro and the conclusions that biological evolution can be extrapolated into human affairs, the book is full of unfounded anthropomorphic examples (e.g. cities "struggling for survival", some surviving and others vanishing!). No doubt that the acknowledgement of Lewontin, a radical Harvard biologist, at the first page of the book was the one that fooled me. The book is a tribute to Dawkins' and Spencerian ideas of evolution, not the complex evolution that Lewontin, Gould, Eldrege and others write about.

The book is the perfect example of what popular science writing SHOULD NOT BE. In order to make science accessible to the public, contestable theories are presented as undoubted "truths" and long and complex scientific debates muted.

Dr Giorgos Kallis, University of California at Berkeley

a brilliant concept, brilliantly executed.......2005-04-15

This is a great book, an update of Darwin's THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES, taking the structure of the revolutionary 1859 book and writing new chapters with the latest research findings, of course including modern genetics, which Darwin knew nothing about. The author, Steve Jones, is a genetics professor at University College London, so he is well qualified for this project. Every chapter is packed with fascinating examples of the mechanisms of "descent with modification through natural selection." While Jones makes clear where gaps have been filled in Darwin's theorizing, modern biology has mainly vindicated Darwin in every chapter, and has built on his amazing insights.

I thoroughly enjoyed Jones's style, which is infused with mordant wit. Over the years I have tried to read Darwin's great work more than once, and my eyes have glazed over. It is considered great literature by some, and I know it contains some beautiful phrases, but I found Jones to be far more entertaining. With DARWIN'S GHOST he joins Gould and Dawkins as one of the leading popularizers of biology of our times. This book claims a place on a very short list of essential books for any non-biologist who wants to gain a basic understanding of evolutionary biology in the early 21st century.

[NEWSFLASH -- the school board in Kansas is trying to downgrade evolution again -- it may be the Earth is flat, the sun revolves around the Earth, the Earth is only 6000 years old, and there is no such thing as evolution. It may also be the case that pigs can fly.]

No respect!.......2004-06-02

It is interesting to notice that while Charles Darwin remains the main reference in evolutionary theory, it is becoming more and more difficult to show respect for the ideas of a man that, besides being mentally sick, didn't really know what he was talking about. Since Darwin thought that the cell was just a little bit of indiferenciated protoplasm, it was fairly easy for him to come up with some just so stories about its hipothetical evolution out of nothing. Random mutations and natural selection have proved to be incapable of explaining evolution. Today, what we know about DNA and molecular machines is enough for us to conclude that there is no such thing as simple life and that we can hardly imagine how the complex specified information in the cell could be generated without the work of God, the Super Inteligent Designer. Besides, all the mutations that are generally presented as evidence of evolution has proved to be totally incapable to generate new DNA information. What is remarkable is how easily the intelectual community accepted Darwin's just so stories. But then again, if one thinks about how easily many intelectuals accepted Karl Marx's "scientific socialism" one just has to conclude that most intellectuals will readily accept all kinds of nonsense, as long as it keeps God out of the equation. They call this science, but for me it is just a (not that clever) form of self deceit.

An absolute Must read book!.......2004-03-06

A MUST READ for any lover of Darwin's works or evolution in general. If you are a believer in creationism, you may not like it, but then again, you would not like any book other than the bible anyway.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books