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Progress in clinical biochemistry and medicine
0020-71IX/87 $3.00+ 0.00 Copyright 0 1987Pergamon Journals Ltd
ant. J. Biochem.Vol. 19, No. 3, p. 293, 1987 Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
BOOK REVIEWS
Physical Methods for Inerganlc Bioehemlstry-Jam R. WRIGHT,WAYNE A. HENDRICKSON,SHIGEMASAOSAKI and GORDON T. JAMES.384 pp. 1986. Plenum Press, New York. S59.50.
compounds and may assist in designing new leads. This important series of volumes will be a very valuable addition to the reference library and help all scientists interested in drug research and design.
Reliable and relatively inexpensive electronics have led to a rapid advance in the use of physical measurement systems in biochemistry. This volume provides a useful introduction to NMR, nuclear quadrupole resonance, Mossbauer spectroscopy, ESR, X-ray diffraction, electron spectroscopy, resonance Raman spectroscopy, circular dichroism, kinetic methods, microprobe analysis and neutron activation analysis. This book will be very useful for students who wish to have a clear summary of the advantages and limitations of the different methods. It also provides basic information how each system works, what they are used for, sample results, and a good literature section for further reading.
Review of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Vol. 102. 234~~. 1985. Springer, Berlin. $29.95. Three reviews are in this volume: (1) Relation between mitochondrial calcium transport and control of energy metabolism; (2) Acetylcholine receptor mediated ion fluxes in Eiectrophorus electricus and Torpedo californica membrane vesicles; (3) Organization of the lumbar sympathetic outflow to skeletal muscle and skin of the cat hind limb and tail. The reviews are well written and presented. There are good author and subject indexes. Non-Mammalian Models for Research on Aging-Edited F. A. LINT.S.288~~. 1985. Karger, Basel. $84.25.
Progress in Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine, Vol. 2. 162~~. 1985. Springer, Berlin. $29.50. Four subjects are reviewed in this volume. They are: (1) Oncogenes and the genetic dissection of human cancer; implications for basic research and clinical medicine; (2) Alterations of blood groups and blood groups precursors in cancer: (4) Conner and inflammation; (4) Human insulin, chemistry, bioiogical characteristics and clinical use. The reviews are well written and give insight and historical background to the subjects as well as excellent up to date information. They are a valuable contribution to the literature. Survey of Drug Research on Immunologic Diseases-Vassil St Georgiev, Vol. 4: Non-Condensed Aromaties Part III. 332 pp. i984. $200. Vol. 5: Non-Condensed Aromatics Part IV. 606~~. 1984. $293. Vol. 6: Non-Condensed Aromatics Part V. -586 pp. 1985. $208. Karger, Basel. These three volumes are part of a set of eight proposed volumes that provide basic data on the chemistry and biological action of drugs that have action on the immune systems of the body. Each drug is presented with its chemical structure, methods of preparation, biological activity (pharmacokinetics, immune actions, dose response, toxicology, clinical applications), and literature references. Each volume has four indexes: a literature author reference index, a chemical substance index, a biological substance index and a biological activity index. The extensive presentation of all the substituents for a given chemical series will help in understanding why so many patents have been issued for structurally similar
by
Though much of the research on aging has been done on mammals, there are many studies carried out on other species. The present multi-authored volume provides a useful summary of the work that has been done on plants, fungi, protozoa, rotifers, nematodes, insects, fish and birds. These often have the advantage in that it is possible to work on a large number of individual specimens and so get good statistical results. They are often less expensive than mammals, have a shorter life span and so age more quickly, and in many cases the basic biochemical systems of the cells are similar to those in mammals. It is probable that the basic biochemical lesions associated with aging will be found more easily in these examples than in mammals. The Elements of Graphing Data-WILLIAM S. CLEVELAND. 323 pp. 1985. Wadsworth Books, California. Cloth $27,95/Paperback $18.95. One graph is better than a thousand words; that is providing the graph is presented correctly. This volume discusses how to present graphical data in the best manner so that the message in the data comes over clearly and with high impact. Most authors do not give enough thought to the presentation of data, as can be seen by published tables with yards and yards of minute print description of the table and experimental data beneath, that require a magnifying glass, and a couple of hours to decipher. If there is gold in the data, then it is up to the author to clean it up, and present it clearly and shining bright. The present book will help you do this. (But then don’t send a nasty messy smudged spotty crumpled indistinct photocopy of the graph into the journal for publication: it is what some authors do!)
293
ant. J. Biochem.Vol. 19, No. 3, p. 293, 1987 Printed in Great Britain. All rights reserved
BOOK REVIEWS
Physical Methods for Inerganlc Bioehemlstry-Jam R. WRIGHT,WAYNE A. HENDRICKSON,SHIGEMASAOSAKI and GORDON T. JAMES.384 pp. 1986. Plenum Press, New York. S59.50.
compounds and may assist in designing new leads. This important series of volumes will be a very valuable addition to the reference library and help all scientists interested in drug research and design.
Reliable and relatively inexpensive electronics have led to a rapid advance in the use of physical measurement systems in biochemistry. This volume provides a useful introduction to NMR, nuclear quadrupole resonance, Mossbauer spectroscopy, ESR, X-ray diffraction, electron spectroscopy, resonance Raman spectroscopy, circular dichroism, kinetic methods, microprobe analysis and neutron activation analysis. This book will be very useful for students who wish to have a clear summary of the advantages and limitations of the different methods. It also provides basic information how each system works, what they are used for, sample results, and a good literature section for further reading.
Review of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Vol. 102. 234~~. 1985. Springer, Berlin. $29.95. Three reviews are in this volume: (1) Relation between mitochondrial calcium transport and control of energy metabolism; (2) Acetylcholine receptor mediated ion fluxes in Eiectrophorus electricus and Torpedo californica membrane vesicles; (3) Organization of the lumbar sympathetic outflow to skeletal muscle and skin of the cat hind limb and tail. The reviews are well written and presented. There are good author and subject indexes. Non-Mammalian Models for Research on Aging-Edited F. A. LINT.S.288~~. 1985. Karger, Basel. $84.25.
Progress in Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine, Vol. 2. 162~~. 1985. Springer, Berlin. $29.50. Four subjects are reviewed in this volume. They are: (1) Oncogenes and the genetic dissection of human cancer; implications for basic research and clinical medicine; (2) Alterations of blood groups and blood groups precursors in cancer: (4) Conner and inflammation; (4) Human insulin, chemistry, bioiogical characteristics and clinical use. The reviews are well written and give insight and historical background to the subjects as well as excellent up to date information. They are a valuable contribution to the literature. Survey of Drug Research on Immunologic Diseases-Vassil St Georgiev, Vol. 4: Non-Condensed Aromaties Part III. 332 pp. i984. $200. Vol. 5: Non-Condensed Aromatics Part IV. 606~~. 1984. $293. Vol. 6: Non-Condensed Aromatics Part V. -586 pp. 1985. $208. Karger, Basel. These three volumes are part of a set of eight proposed volumes that provide basic data on the chemistry and biological action of drugs that have action on the immune systems of the body. Each drug is presented with its chemical structure, methods of preparation, biological activity (pharmacokinetics, immune actions, dose response, toxicology, clinical applications), and literature references. Each volume has four indexes: a literature author reference index, a chemical substance index, a biological substance index and a biological activity index. The extensive presentation of all the substituents for a given chemical series will help in understanding why so many patents have been issued for structurally similar
by
Though much of the research on aging has been done on mammals, there are many studies carried out on other species. The present multi-authored volume provides a useful summary of the work that has been done on plants, fungi, protozoa, rotifers, nematodes, insects, fish and birds. These often have the advantage in that it is possible to work on a large number of individual specimens and so get good statistical results. They are often less expensive than mammals, have a shorter life span and so age more quickly, and in many cases the basic biochemical systems of the cells are similar to those in mammals. It is probable that the basic biochemical lesions associated with aging will be found more easily in these examples than in mammals. The Elements of Graphing Data-WILLIAM S. CLEVELAND. 323 pp. 1985. Wadsworth Books, California. Cloth $27,95/Paperback $18.95. One graph is better than a thousand words; that is providing the graph is presented correctly. This volume discusses how to present graphical data in the best manner so that the message in the data comes over clearly and with high impact. Most authors do not give enough thought to the presentation of data, as can be seen by published tables with yards and yards of minute print description of the table and experimental data beneath, that require a magnifying glass, and a couple of hours to decipher. If there is gold in the data, then it is up to the author to clean it up, and present it clearly and shining bright. The present book will help you do this. (But then don’t send a nasty messy smudged spotty crumpled indistinct photocopy of the graph into the journal for publication: it is what some authors do!)
293