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Receptor-Ligctrld Irltercrctions: A Practical Approach will help the researcher to choose an appropriate ligand. make a suitable receptor preparation, design and per- form a well thought-out series of assays, and correctly analyse the data obtained. It is a valuable bench manual for all researchers in biochemistry, molecular biology, neuroscience, and pharmacology who are interested in receptor function.

Fundamentals of Psychopharmacology. BE Leonard. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, New York, Brisbane. Toronto, Singapore, 1992.

Psychopharmacology is concerned with the study of drugs used to treat mental illness and is one of the most rapidly advancing fields in modern medicine. This book is written by a leading expert at the interface of psy- chiatry and pharmacology and stresses the practical advantages of understanding how drugs work. Each chapter describes the biochemical aetiology of a partic- ular psychiatric or neurological disorder, followed by the properties of the drugs used to treat the illness with particular emphasis on their mode of action at the cellu- lar level. A list of key references is included at the end of each chapter and a glossary of terms, abbreviations and synonyms used in psycho-pharmacology completes the text. This book will be of interest to all under- graduates in pharmacology and the neurosciences, postgraduate neuropharmacologists and psychopharma- cologists, psychiatrists in training and in practice and medical researchers.

Human Protein Data. A Haeberli. VCH, Weinheim, 1992.

Up to now, researchers have often been frustrated in their search for information on human proteins. Sources were either limited, outdated or difficult to access.

With the new compendium, Human Protein Data, help is finally at hand: this ongoing handbook offers all the information on human proteins which could pre- viously only be found with difficulty in many different original articles and reviews. A unique collection of data collected in leading laboratories worldwide, it covers the characteristics and descriptions of the biological functions and structures of human proteins.

The brief descriptions on the proteins pack contain an amazing amount of information. A questionnaire-like approach ensures maximum coverage in a minimum space. The first part of Hurnnrt Proteh Dora contains data on 147 human proteins. It covers mainly circulating blood proteins and some intracellular and membrane proteins. Further installments will fill the gaps in coagu- lation and immunology.

Hurt~m Proteirt Data is an invaluable information source and tool for researchers, medical doctors, labora-

tory staff, and teachers in the fields of medical and bio- logical science.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. S Schaefer, RS Balaban. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Boston, Dordrecht, London, 1992.

The application of magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to the cardiovascular system is a relatively new phenomenon. Its ability to non-invasively examine myo- cardial metabolism has led to its use to answer basic questions in animal models of normal and diseased myocardium. Extension of these investigations into the realm of human myocardial metabolism has been made possible by the advent of relatively high-field magnets with spectroscopic capabilities and sufficient bore di- mensions to allow human studies. While ongoing and future studies promise to enhance our understanding of myocardial metabolism, their success will, in part, de- pend on a thorough understanding of the technical and biological aspects of cardiovascular MRS, as well as the current state of research in the many areas encom- passed by this discipline.

The organization and content of this book is useful not only for the novice who is interested but not con- versant in cardiovascular MRS, but is also useful for the active investigator who wishes to refer to a volume that deals with the many issues of this field in a concise but complete manner. The book is structured with a general overview of the field, followed by a section ad- dressing the technical issues of cardiovascular MRS. The next section is devoted to biological issues of both normal and abnormal myocardial metabolism, primarily investigations employing phosphorus-3 I. This is fol- lowed by a section dealing with more specialized issues, generally involving other nuclei such as protons, car- bon, and sodium. Finally, the clinical applications of cardiovascular MRS are addressed.

Spectroscopic and Structural Studies of Biomaterials: I. Proteins. J Twardowski. Sigma Press, Wilmslow, Cheshire, 1993.

This is a unique collection of papers of great interest to all those involved in current biomedical research. The papers have been written by prominent research workers from Europe - both East and West, the United States and Japan. These formed the basis of the third inter- national scientific school on “Spectroscopic and Struc- tural Studies of Materials and Systems of Fundamental Importance to Biology and Medicine”, held in Ustron. Poland in 1987.

The papers are wide ranging, and of interest both to specialists and to workers in related fields. They de- monstrate that international collaboration is alive and well, and that there is considerable scope for workers in diverse fields of scientific endeavour to co-operate successfully.