The logic of the overall approach to protein isolation is explained and the physical principles of each separation method are made clear by the use of simple models and analogies drawn from everyday experiences. The author's aim has been to deepen the readers' insight into protein isolation methods, so that they may tackle new problems and perhaps devise new approaches to old problems. Many of the methods described are drawn from the author's own research and are thus uniquely described here; examples are three-phase partitioning, non-linear electrophoresis and a simple approach to buffer making. In this 2nd edition, the treatment of the basic physical principles has been expanded and clarified, the importance of ionic strength in measuring enzyme pH optima is emphasised and a computer program for the calculation of buffers of defined ionic strength is provided. The section on three-phase partitioning has been expanded to include the latest research findings on the use of t-butanol to inhibit enzymes and minimise homogenisation artefacts, the treatment of HPLC has been expanded and the most common practical methods are explained in detail in a new chapter. Additional study questions are provided, as are the answers to all study questions.

Pui-Yan Kwok, MD, PhD, has assembled a comprehensive collection of readily reproducible techniques for the difficult process of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) discovery and genotyping. These cutting-edge protocols for mutation/SNP detection utilize denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC), single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP), conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis (CSGE), chemical cleavage, and direct sequencing. Equally powerful and up-to-date methods are given for genotyping SNPs, including molecular beacons, the Taqman assay, single-base extension approaches, pyrosequencing, ligation, the Invader assay, and primer extension with mass spectrometry detection.

Monte Carlo Methods are among the most broadly applicable and thus most powerful tools for valuing derivative securities and measuring their risks. As computer speeds continue to increase and new research expands the scope and efficiency of these methods, their use is destined to grow. This book is devoted to the use of Monte Carlo methods in finance. Advances in Monte Carlo methods in financial engineering take place at the interface between academic research and industry practice. This book targets that interface developing theory closely tied to applications. It is roughly divided into three parts: the first three chapters concentrate on the basics of Monte Carlo methods; the next three develop ways to improve Monte Carlo methods; and the final four chapters deal with more specialized problems arising, in particular applications of Monte Carlo to financial engineering. This book will serve as a reference for practitioners and researchers and will also be suitable as a graduate text for courses on computational finance.

In this revised and expanded second edition, seasoned experts describe in step-by-step detail their best state-of-the-art techniques for studying neuronal cell death. These readily reproducible methods solve a wide variety of research problems, including the detection of the key proteins involved in neuronal apoptosis (Bax protein, cytochrome c, and caspases), the direct assessment of the role of pro-apoptotic proteins in neurons by viral infections and microinjections, and the detection of pro-apoptotic proteins in situ. There are also hands-on methods for the study of apoptosis mechanisms in neuronal compartments, for studying synaptosis, and for establishing gene expression profiles in neurodegenerative brain tissues by using DNA microarrays.

A presentation of the most advanced application of optical near-field microscopy to studies of fine metallic structures and related surface plasmons.

Donald Armstrong updates and expands his highly praised Free Radical and Antioxidant Protocols (Humana, 1998) with a collection of new and valuable methods for evaluating the pertubations in cell function resulting from increased oxidative stress. Presented in a user-friendly, step-by-step format, these readily reproducible techniques cover both free radical-derived and antioxidant biomarkers. The methodologies demonstrated include ELISA, HPLC, infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, immunoblotting, electroelution fractionation, isoelectric focusing, voltametry, and electron paramagnetic resonance imaging. Special emphasis is given to the separation of complex mixtures of plant antioxidants, soft drug design to protect from toxic oxidative metabolites, in vitro oxidation conditions, and correcting for random measurement error to improve statistical interpretation. A soon-to-be-published companion volume, Oxidants and Antioxidants: Ultrastructural and Molecular Biology Protocols (0-89603-851-3), contains state-of-the-art molecular and ultrastructural methods that expand the total number of protocols to 109 assays.

In Situ Detection of DNA Damage: Methods and Protocols, Vladimir Didenko and a panel of experts describe all the major in situ techniques for studying DNA damage and apoptosis, and how approaches originally designed to label apoptotic cells can be used for DNA damage analysis (and vice versa). The readily reproducible techniques presented here include all those designed to detect specific single and double-stranded DNA breaks in tissue sections while using polymerases, ligases, nucleases, and kinases. There are also novel instrumental techniques that use ultrasound for in vivo and in situ detection of apoptotic DNA damage, and in situ applications of flow and laser-scanning cytometry for analysis of DNA strand breaks and apoptosis. State-of-the-art and highly practical, In Situ Detection of DNA Damage: Methods and Protocols presents for the first time a complete set of enzymatic methods for determining DNA breaks, and will greatly facilitate the work of all those studying the in situ detection of DNA damage and the labeling of apoptotic cells.

Leading biostatisticians and biomedical researchers describe many of the key techniques used to solve commonly occurring data analytic problems in molecular biology, and demonstrate how these methods can be used in the development of new markers for exposure to a risk factor or for disease outcomes. Major areas of application include microarray analysis, proteomic studies, image quantitation, genetic susceptibility and association, evaluation of new biomarkers, and power analysis and sample size.

The aim of this book is to give an overview of the most important aspects of physiological and biochemical basis for metal toxicity and tolerance in plants. The book is expected to serve as a reference to university and college teachers, students of plant sciences, environmental biology, environmental biotechnology, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, plant molecular biology, and genetics.