Reviews (2)

Wisdom you need!
Even if you are not dieting, it is an essential book to learn about the vitamin, minerals, foods that benefit your personal situation. I just wished it went deeper into each topic and was not so short. Definite quick read and valuable reference.

Well organized, excellent information
This book is not a step by step guide to balancing your diet. It focuses on giving background information on all of the nutrients that a person needs, as well as detailed information on deficiencies and excesses of many body-building elements. It goes into great detail and gives lists of foods that are high in important nutrients. A great reference and general knowledge book. ... Read more

Book Description

Authoritative. Concise. Easy-to-Use.

Schaum's Easy Outlines are streamlined versions of best-selling Schaum's titles. We've shortened the text, broadened the visual appeal, and introduced study techniques to make mastering any subject easier. The results are reader-friendly study guides with all the impressive academic authority of the originals.

Schaum's Easy Outlines feature:

• Concise text that focuses on the essentials of the course
• Quick-study sidebars, icons, and other instructional aids
• Sample problems and exercises for review
• Expert advice from authorities in the field

Reviews (1)

Excellent outline and overview
This little review and outline packs a lot of information into only about 130 pages. This means it makes for fairly dense reading given the technical level but it's obviously intended for the biochem or serious student. The book consists of 15 chapters ranging from 5 to 20 pages in length, depending on the subject. Key concepts or facts are emphasized and often highlighted in dark gray boxes throughout the text, and some chapters include solved problems. A sampling of the chapter titles includes Proteins; Lipids and Membranes; Enzyme Catalysis and Kinetics; Carhohydrate Metabolism; the Citric Acid Cycle; Nitrogen Metabolism; and Gene Expression and Protein Synthesis.

There are about 100 illustrations ranging from graphs and tables to the usual molecular structures and also diagrams of more complex molelcular reactions that require several steps or mechanisms such as the elongation step of polypeptide synthesis, the metabolic pathways of beta oxidation, as well as illustrations of longer ones requiring many steps, like the citric acid cycle, the role of amino transferases and glutamate dehydrogenase in nitrogen metabolism, the urea cycle and metabolism, and others.

Overall this is a useful little book that is one of the most concise and informative presentations of the most important concepts in biochemistry that I've seen, and at only nine bucks the price is right too. ... Read more

Book Description

The latest version of this popular textbook updates the content and format of previous editions to make it more appealing to students and more useful to instructors. Concentrates on the relationship between basic chemical concepts and the chemistry of living organisms. Delves into such topical issues as alcoholism, radiation therapy, and effects of food chemicals on the brain. This edition features a STEP problem solving strategy which provides a consistent method to solve all problems in the book, an extensive glossary plus full-color art work. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Very good book for allied health sciences
I am using this book for my freshman year chemistry students who wish to major in allied health science field like nursing or dentistry.There is appropriate material for these students. The special feature"perspectives" relates the chemistry to everyday life and helpsto increase the interest in chemistry. The problems solving strategy helpsthe students to make problem solving easy.Overall this book helps studentsbetter understand many things happening around the world. ... Read more

Book Description

Recent investigations in the rapidly expanding field ofnanobiomechanics have produced a wealth of exciting new data providingnovel insights into the mechanisms of elasticity of "stretchy"biomolecules. A representative cross-section of elastic biomoleculesis covered in this volume, which combines seventeen contributions fromleading research groups. State-of-the-art molecular mechanicsexperiments are described dealing with the elasticity of DNA andnucleoprotein complexes, titin and titin-like proteins in muscle, aswell as proteins of the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix.The book speaks particularly to cell biologists, biophysicists, orbioengineers, and to senior researchers and graduate students alike,who are interested in recent advances in single-molecule technology(optical tweezers technique, atomic force microscopy), EM imaging, andcomputer simulation approaches to study nanobiomechanics. The findingsdiscussed here have redefined our view of the role mechanical signalsplay in cellular functions and have greatly helped improve ourunderstanding of biological elasticity in general. ... Read more

Book Description

Based on nearly 40 years of teaching, this book thoroughly describes the principles and fundamentals of insect physiology. Readers will quickly understand the terminology needed to navigate the voluminous, scattered literature in the field. With approximately 1500 references and more than 240 figures and tables, Insect Physiology and Biochemistry is useful as a core text for upper division and graduate students, as well as a valuable reference for scientists who work with insects in genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and behavior. ... Read more

Book Description

John R. Crowther provides today's premier practical guide to the understanding and application of ELISA. Updating and greatly expanding his widely appreciated earlier publication, ELISA Theory and Practice (1995), this important work introduces chapters on such major new topics as checkerboard titrations, quality control of testing, kit production and control, novel monoclonal antibodies, validation of assays, statistical requirements for data examination, and epidemiological considerations. With its numerous worked examples, detailed instructions, and extensive illustrations, The ELISA Guidebook offers a powerful synthesis of all the basic concepts and practical experimental details investigators need to understand, develop, and apply the new ELISA methodology successfully in day-to-day basic and clinical research. ... Read more

Book Description

An up-to-date, comprehensive yet compact source of biochemical and molecular biological data containing more than 4,500 entries and over 1,000 figures, formulas and tables. The ideal reference book for the researcher, teacher and student. In the third edition existing entries have been revised and where necessary, entirely re-written. Many new entries on Molecular and Cell Biology have been included. Advances in our knowledge of metabolic pathways have not been ignored. There are also new entries on methods for the determination of macromolecular structure and conformation. Several topics have been reorganized, and certain subjects previously grouped together have now been separated anbd accorded more extensive treatment as separate entries. ... Read more

Book Description

Reach your peak with Hein/Best/Pattison/Arena!

Now updated and revised, Hein, Best, Pattison, and Arena’s highly successful text provides a strong foundation for a future career in allied health or nursing—a foundation built on fundamental principles and solid problem-solving skills.

Recent developments and advances in the field: The new edition is revised and updated throughout, particularly in the area of biochemistry. Cutting-edge topics include cancer chemotherapy, programmed cell death, and herbal dietary supplements.

Strong general chemistry coverage: Hein, Best, Pattison, and Arena offer the most thorough general chemistry coverage in any general, organic, and biochemistry text.

An emphasis on problem-solving skills: Throughout, the focus is on problem solving over rote memorization. The text provides a variety of exercises, including new practice exercises and end-of-chapter exercises, as well as challenge exercises and worked examples.

A clear, engaging, and highly accessible presentation: The authors skillfully anticipate areas of difficulty and pace the text accordingly. The new edition is even more student friendly with improved explanations, a new design, and an updated illustration program with new molecular art.

Real-world relevance: The text relates chemistry to everyday life. Several new Chemistry in Action essays discuss the impact of chemistry in a variety of applications.

Additional support for students:

• eGrade (online): homework management and additional opportunities for practice.
• Interactive LearningWare (online): A step-by-step problem-solving tutorial with over 40 interactive problems.
• Student Solutions Manual (0-47-141139-3): Solutions to all end-of-chapter questions & Exercises.
• Lab Manual (0-471-45194-0): 48 experiments, 6 study aids, 26 exercises, and appendices.

Reviews (1)

21st CENTURY SOLUTIONS!
For once, a book is all it claims to be. The Superhormone Promise certainly is the definitive work on DHEA, Pregnenolone, Testosterone, Estrogen and Progesterone, Thyroid Hormone, Growth Hormone and Melatonin. It clearly explains the power of superhormones to boost immune systems, increase sex drive, strengthen bone and muscle, relieve depression & stress, enhance memory, reduce body fat, reverse aging, and much more. And the best news is that these I can vouch that these claims are true as far as DHEA, Pregnenolone and Melatonin are concerned (I haven't personally tried the others). I have been experimenting with the above-mentioned three hormones for the past four years and have achieved remarkable results. Pregnenolone is the best safe substance for increasing mind power and lifting depression, DHEA is superb for increasing the sex drive and providing energy, whilst Melatonin is my choice for a good night's sleep and for strengthening immunity. I have also found that by combining these with the use of free-form amino acids, the results are even more spectacular and impressive. I strongly recommend this book to all people aged 30 and over. It is easy to understsand and written in an engaging style so that it answers every possible question. There are various indexes and a good bibliography. I also recommend "The Amino Revolution" by Erdman & Jones and the various books by Dr Ray Sahelian, all available here on amazon.com ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides for the first time a single comprehensive source of information on the analytical chemistry of nicotine and related alkaloids. The editors have brought together scientists from academia and the tobacco industry to describe the state-of-the-art of the chemistry and analytical methods for measurement of nicotine. Both the scope and detail of the book are impressive. Chapters describe the history, pharmacology and toxicology of nicotine, the biosynthesis of nicotine and other alkaloids in the tobacco plant, the general chemistry of nicotine and the analytical methodologies that have been used to measure nicotine and related alkaloids in biological specimens, in tobacco and pharmaceutical products and in tobacco smoke. There is also a comprehensive review of the chemistry and toxicology of nicotine-derived nitrosamines, an important class of tobacco carcinogens. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides students and researchers in plant sciences with a concise general account of plant biochemistry. The edited format allows recognized experts in plant biochemistry to contribute chapters on their special topics. Up-to-date surveys are divided into four sections: the cell, primary metabolism, special metabolism, and the plant and the environment. There is a strong emphasis on plant metabolism as well as enzymological, methodological, molecular, biological, functional, and regulatory aspects of plant biochemistry. Illustrations of metabolic pathways are used extensively, and further reading lists are also included.

Key Features
The coverage of the subject is divided into four sections:
* The plant cell-describing both molecular components and function
* Primary metabolism-including the pathways of carbohydrate, lipid, nitrogen, nucleic acid and protein metabolism as well as gene regulation
* Special metabolism-chapters on phenolics, isoprenoids and secondary nitrogen compounds
* The plant and the environment-discussions of pathology, ecology and biotechnology at the molecular level ... Read more

Book Description

Common to all DNA and protein array-based technologies is the necessity to analyze digital images of the scanned DNA array. The focus of Kamberova and Shah book is microarray image analysis-from theoretical and application perspective. The topic of microarray image processing is usually neglected due to the availability of various software tools for image processing. The focus of today microarray bioinformatics is data analysis. However, how can one be certain that the data obtained from a microarray experiment through the image analysis is of high quality? How can one perform data mining on data derived from different microarray technologies, where microarray images were analyzed with different image analysis softwares? This book addresses various questions related to microarray image processing. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good book, great value.
To my knowledge this is the first book to appear focusing on analysis of microarray images, though the topic is commonly addressed to some extent in general books on microarray technology. Because microarray technology evolves so quickly, books such as this one are almost of necessity put together in a hurry. Unfortunately, the hurry really shows in this case. In addition to the grammatical problems all too common in scientific texts, there are technical inconsistencies. For example, the term "signal to noise ratio" is defined at three places in the book, with three different definitions. First, we are told (chapter two, page 38) that the signal to noise ratio is defined as the ratio of mean signal to mean error. Later (chapter five, page 86), the signal to noise ratio is defined as signal (minus background), divided by the standard deviation of background. Finally (chapter six, page 101) tells us that the signal to noise ratio "can be estimated by computing the peak signal divided by the variation in the signal." Only that part of the discussion starting on page 86 is included in the index.

Chapter one provides an introduction to microarrays. Chapter two introduces image analysis with a focus on issues pertinent to micro array analysis, though it is not perfectly customized as background for the other chapters. For example, though Chapter two's appendixes include Fourier analysis, this is not really used explicitly further in the book. The next three chapters concern microarray scanning. They are each written by groups at different commercial firms, and they provide vendor oriented views. These chapters are redundant in the sense that they all cover the same topic, but taken as a whole, they provide some balance. It might be preferable to have an academic team write a single, more objective chapter, but it's understandable to take this approach in the interest of timeliness. Chapters six and seven are the ones that directly address image processing. Though Chapter seven is entitled "microarray data normalization", it really provides the most detailed information about image processing and analysis. Two short chapters cover a comparison of commercially available software and a brief overview of information workflow. The final chapter on bacterial artificial chromosomes is a general (and worthwhile) overview of that application, but it is not particularly focused on image analysis.

The book is concise (it took me about eight hours to read it cover to cover) and the price is right (under $30 at amazon.com). The editors and author are to be congratulated on producing a timely book, and I'm delighted that the publisher has made it so affordable. Keep up the good work.

CURRENT DRUG DISCOVERY , DECEMBER 2002 - Book Review
DNA microarrays form an indispensable tool in molecular biology, allowing researchers to gain insight into the intricate mechanisms of gene expression. Microarray technology also aids the researcher in transforming and supplementing data available on genes and cells into useful information about gene expression, and ultimately, cellular biology.
cDNA arrays experiments use many gene-specific polynucleotides derived from the ends of RNA transcripts. These are arrayed on a single matrix and simultaneously probed with a fluorescently tagged cDNA representation of total RNA pools from test and reference cells. This allows one to determine the relative amount of transcript present in the pool by the type of fluorescent signal generated. Thus, the relative message abundance is based on a comparison of the test cell state to a reference cell state. Common to all array-based technologies is the need to analyze digital images of the scanned DNA array.
Shishir Shah is an Associate Professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, and is the author of numerous publications on image analysis and data mining, while Gerda Kamberova is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Hofstra University, New York, where she teaches computer vision, computer graphics, and artificial intelligence. With this book, the authors address the fact that the topic of microarray image processing is usually neglected due to the availability of various software tools for image processing. The focus of microarray bioinformatics today is data analysis, but how can one be certain that the data obtained through image analysis of a microarray experiment through is of high quality? How can one perform data mining on data derived from different microarray technologies, where microarray images were analyzed with different image analysis softwares?
In Kamberova's introductory chapter, she describes the basics of image analysis for molecular biology researchers. Although some of the formulas in her chapter may seem intimidating to many biologists, they are necessary to fully understand the subject. However, the mathematical load in this book is concentrated in this chapter, and the text thereafter becomes very friendly, with more advanced discussions saved for an appendix.
Chapters on the design and performance of CCD and laser microarray scanners serve as a forum for three companies representing a good cross-section of the technology in the microarray arena. The book then moves on to spot finding and segmentation issues with tips for practical image analysis. Quality control of image analysis is discussed at the application level.
Elsewhere, Kamberova and Shah have invited a team from Fox Chase Cancer Center to discuss aspects of image background corrections and data normalization. Another interesting aspect of this publication is the inclusion of statistical comparison of data generated by various softwares. Finally, Shah's chapter on BAC arrays and image analysis is of particular interest because it is a new application gaining momentum in the microarray field.
This book emphasizes aspects of both theory and application and therefore, can be used for teaching as well as self-study. It will be a useful reference not only for computer and biology scientists, but also for anyone using or interested in microarray technology.

Nuts, Bults and More for your microarrays
DNA Array Image Analysis is the most comprehensive book that I have read, dealing with Microarray analysis topic. My background is in genomics, which is too far away from statistics. Nevertheless, this book gave me a very nice perspective on statistical approaches for microarrays. Recommend it to all, especially for those who are running microarray facilities.

A great reference for the microarray lab
The topic of microarray image analysis has always been on the backburner. However, it is a very crucial step in the microarray experiment and image analysis is misunderstood by many colleagues. This book covers the basics of microarray image analysis, as well as some advanced topics. It is a really helpful reference. Good to include in class studies. ... Read more

Book Description

An unprecedented wealth of data is being generated by genome sequencing projects and other experimental efforts to determine the structure and function of biological molecules. The demands and opportunities for interpreting these data are expanding rapidly. Bioinformatics is the development and application of computer methods for management, analysis, interpretation, and prediction, as well as for the design of experiments. Machine learning approaches (e.g., neural networks, hidden Markov models, and belief networks) are ideally suited for areas where there is a lot of data but little theory, which is the situation in molecular biology. The goal in machine learning is to extract useful information from a body of data by building good probabilistic models--and to automate the process as much as possible.

In this book Pierre Baldi and Sren Brunak present the key machine learning approaches and apply them to the computational problems encountered in the analysis of biological data. The book is aimed both at biologists and biochemists who need to understand new data-driven algorithms and at those with a primary background in physics, mathematics, statistics, or computer science who need to know more about applications in molecular biology.

This new second edition contains expanded coverage of probabilistic graphical models and of the applications of neural networks, as well as a new chapter on microarrays and gene expression. The entire text has been extensively revised. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Great book if you have the necessary background
Their bayesian presentation of machine learning algorithms can be hard to follow at times, but the authors cover a large amount of very current practical and theoretical material. One of the the book's unique features is it's broad scope. The authors discuss neural networks, hidden markov models, clustering, gaussian processes and support vector machines. The bibliography contains some of the most useful references for those wishing to implement bioinformatics algorithms. The fast pace may leave some wanting more complete explanations.
You should disregard the claim that this book could be used by those unfamiliar with either molecular biology or computer science. To really make the most of this book, you should be comfortable with the material in Pattern Classification (Duda, Hart and Stork), Biological Sequence Analysis (Durbin, Eddy, Krogh, and Mitchison), and Molecular Biology of the Cell (Alberts et al). That said, this is the best bioinformatics book on the market.

Excellent text both for biologists and computer scientists.
I found the book very readable, and full of information combining the machine learning approach (neural nets and Hidden Markov models) with biological problems. The wealth of specific biological information bridges the background gap for computer scientists and mathematicians, and the organization of topics is excellent.

In the mathematics and computer science community, Baldi is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of neural nets and Hidden Markov models and their applications (for instance, he holds a patent for neural net recognition of fingerprints). Concerning HMM's Baldi and co-workers have found statistical models for protein families, sequence signals for nucleosome centers, etc. Moreover, Baldi, together with Chauvin, has developed a gradient descent parameter update method for HMM's which has no zero probability absorptions, and allows on-line updates, useful features not supported by the standard EM method.

From these and other applications, I found the text very useful.

Could have been a great one.
This book is decidedly a mix: some very good information, combined with some very puzzling omissions and uneven editing.

First, the good. The description of stochastic context free grammars is the best I've seen. I don't know any other reference that even hint at how to use generative grammars to evaluate likelihoods. Once they caught my interest, though, the authors did not carry through with training and evaluation algorithms I could really use. I suspect that parts of the information are there, but I'll have to go back over their opaque notation again to work out just what they've given and just what's been left out.

This same pattern - an interesting introduction with missing or mysterious development - recurs throughout the book. The discussion on clustering and phylogeny goes the same way: a number of techniques are mentioned but not developed. The authors mention a tree drawing problem, not just building the tree's topology, but ordering the branches for the most informative rendering. Again, a critical topic and one that most authors miss - in the end, these authors miss it, too, by mentioning but not filling in the idea.

Their discussion of neural nets suffers badly from the authors' partial presentation. Evaluation of network output for a given input is relatively straightforward, and they present it in some detail. Training the net is the real problem, though, and is given less than a page.

Baldi and Brunak give more of the fundamentals than most authors. For example, they explain the maximum entropy principle well enough that I'll use it in lots of other areas. They give some coverage to topics of intermediate complexity, such as the forward and backward algorithms for HMM training. Finally, they fizzle out at the higher levels of complexity - the Baum-Welch algorithm could have followed from the forward and backward methods, but is left as a reference to another book.

There is some good here, especially in the fundamentals behind important techniques. The discussions I wanted - the more avanced topics, in forms I can use - are often weak, missing, or impenetrable. Just a bit more work, clearly within the authors' capability, would have made this a landmark reference.

An excellent book.
Very well written, clear, and self-contained. The authors provide a masterly treatment of machine learning methods (neural networks, hidden markov models, etc.) and their applications to fundamental problems in sequence analyis and biology. The book goes all the way from first principles to advanced research topics and should be valuable for both students and researchers. Second edition has many new topics, including DNA microarrays. Requires some concentration but mathematical details are summarized in the appendices. I strongly recommend it for anyone with an interest in bioinformatics and/or machine learning.

A very bad book. A colection of references w/o explanations
I just bought this book and am COMPLETEly disappointed with it.
Here is why. The book is badly written, hard to read and follow. Although it is said that this is a book is for " many readers", it is really for those who have already known all the algorithms. It is simply impossible to learn the algorithms from this book. The chapter on neural network is a few pages. It provieds a few equations for backpropagation. That is it! It is pretty much true for every thing else. Equations, hard to understand sentences, abbreviations with no explnantions, tons of citations everywhere. A book should strive to explain, and not to cite what other papers and go look there all the time. I suspect the few good reviews here are from the authors themselves.

I have a good programming background. I also read some papers on neural network and hidden markov models, This book is a lot worse than anything I have read in explaining the stuff. Very disappointed. Save your money and get something else. ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring a bold new look both in and out and a BRAND NEW title in Pathophysiology, the totally revamped PreTest Basic Science series offers an unrivaled study regimen for course work or examination preparation. Each title contains 500 multiple-choice questions which parallel the format and degree of difficulty found on licensing exams. Detailed answers are provided along with references to the recent literature and a bibliography. When used in concert with the appropriate PreTest simulated exam, these titles provide an authoritative review for USMLE Step 1, 2 3 as well as FMGEMS exams. ... Read more

Book Description

The prediction of the three-dimensional structure of a protein from its amino acid sequence is a problem faced by an increasing number of biological scientists. This book provides a practical guide to making these predictions by reviewing strategies of different computer modeling algorithms and highlighting the degree of confidence attributed to them. Also in the volume are descriptions of the following: the principles of protein folding; sequence homology and motif searches; prediction of secondary structure; homology modeling; modeling of antibody combining sites; tertiary fold recognition; modeling of transmembrane proteins; ab initio prediction; protein-ligand docking simulations; and the use of molecular mechanics and dynamics. both non-specialists who require guidance to identify and evaluate appropriate strategies and experts who require a contemporary view of the field, will find this volume a worthy addition to their research libraries. ... Read more

Book Description

An enormous amount of research in spider biology in recent years has resulted in significant new insights into this diverse group of organisms. The response to this outpouring is an updated edition of this widely regarded classic. First published in 1979, this was the first textbook on spiders since 1930; the new edition contains all the information gathered since that time, including the entire world literature on spiders up to 1994. The author has completely updated and revised chapters on ecology, phylogeny and systematics to reflect current knowledge. Over 200 illustrations are included as well as an extensive reference section. The only modern textbook available on the subject, this will prove an invaluable resource for professionals, students, and researchers in zoology, entomology, ecology and physiology. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

great book
This is a super book on spiders. Its technical but still understandable. I don't have a science background so I was hoping it wouldn't be too tough to read and its not. It has pictures and it goes through everything you'd like to know about spiders from how they weave webs to how the webs are structured to how they reproduce etc etc. I was interested because I see all these beautiful webs in my gardens and I wanted to learn more about spiders. This gave me justt the depth I was looking for without expecting me to have a pHd in the subject. I really liked this book

The Best Book on Spiders Without a Shadow of a Doubt
One of the few factorial books I have ever been able to read without dropping off after a couple of pages. A really great book eases you gently into the web of facts without getting snared (sorry!). If you love spiders this is your book, if you don't you may change your mind or at least gain a huge amount of admiration for the little beasties! Wonderfully written with clear diagrams and great photos I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

Comprehensive review of 50 year's research on arachnids
This review covers concisely a half-century of research in spider anatomy, development, behavior, and the complete biological profile. It contains a great number of photographs, drawings, and electron micrographs, illustrating precisely what is known about spiders at the publication date of 1996. There is not another reference that comes close to summarizing this knowledge in one place.

Elegant and beautiful
I came to this book after reading every spider field guide, "popular science" title and Internet site I could find, all of which I also found wanting. Foelix's book has all the information I wanted, presented with the calm majesty that only the very best professors can manage. It's truly a college course in itself, always challenging and never condescending.

An excellent overview of spiders' anatomy and behavior.
"Biology of Spiders" is an excellently-written, detailed look at the anatomy, physiology, taxonomy, and behavior of spiders. Very well organized, with many helpful photographs and diagrams, this book is very helpful to anyone wanting to know about these arachnids ... Read more