American Scientific Publishers

Cancer nanotechnology; nanomaterials for cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Fifty-one international academics and researchers contribute 19 chapters on the use of nanotechnology in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. On the biological side, topics covered include bone cancer, colon cancer, gastric cancer, leukemia, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, chemotherapy, use of stem cells in cancer treatment, immunotherapy, and new cancer biological markers. On the nanotechnology side, topics addressed include synthesis of nanoparticles; fabrication of bulk nanomaterials; use of tools, such as scanning probe and atomic force microscopy, in cancer research; elucidation of nanoscale mechanisms of cellular functions relevant to cancer; and nanoscale computational modeling. For a wide audience of scientists, research professionals in R&D laboratories, students, and college and university professors working in cancer research, nanotechnology, health sciences, pharmaceutics, gene therapy, biotechnology, biological sciences, materials science, chemistry, and related fields. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Encyclopedia of sensors; 10v.

From Accurate IC Temperature Sensor without Trimming to Zinc Oxide Thin Films Applied to UV Light and Ozone Sensors, this 10-volume encyclopedia collects 225 review chapters from an international group of contributors summarizing the current state of the art in sensor science and engineering. The editors (all of the U. of Pennsylvania) have sought to include the full breadth of the field that might be of interest to practitioners, whether they be concerned with medical diagnostics, control or automation of industrial manufacturing processes, or the chemical and physical analysis of other planets. Entries average 20 pages each and include full listings of references, with the encyclopedia amassing some 35,000 references in all. A few examples of topics may demonstrate the diversity of coverage: acoustic gas sensors, cantilever-based biosensors, computer screen photo-assisted techniques, drug ion-selective sensors, fiber-optic hydrogen gas sensor, humidity sensors, low-dimensional semiconducting scintillators, mathematical analysis of sensor properties, monitoring brain chemical signals by microdialysis, piezo-optical sensors, sensor and detector technologies for chemical warfare agents, techniques for linearization of sensor data, and temperature sensors for hostile environments. A comprehensive index is included in the final volume, as is the full listing of articles. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Engineering the grid; status and perspective.

Five widespread editors affiliated, respectively, with Second U. of Napoli (Italy), U. of Tennessee, Los Alamos National Laboratory, St. Francis Xavier U. (Canada), and the California Institute of Technology bring together 34 contributions (from authors based in Europe, Asia, and North America) describing recent research achievements in grid technology, applications, and large-scale projects. An overview of heterogeneous high performance and grid computing is followed by discussion of multi-objective optimization, air quality prediction, media-streaming, bioinformatics, the European GridLab Project, various aspects of programming languages and environments, resource management and scheduling, platforms, visualization, and the semantic grid, among other topics. The subject is of fundamental importance for researchers and technical managers in virtually all areas of science, engineering, and economics. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Functional nanomaterials.

Geckeler (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, South Korea) and Rosenberg (University of Montana) present work reviewing the international state of the art in materials and processes for tailoring nanomaterials toward desired functions in various applications. The book covers major classes of nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, carbon and polymer nanofibers, and fullerenes, and highlights various physiochemical properties of different nanostructures, such as catalytic, dielectric, and luminescent properties. The range of applications discussed, including photonics, proteomics, biomolecular electronics, homeland security, and drug delivery, will be of interest to a broad spectrum of scientists and professionals working in fundamental and applied research dealing with nanomaterials, nanotechnology, and related scientific disciplines. B&w images and illustrations are included. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Handbook of organic electronics and photonics; 3v.

According to Nalwa (founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology), organic materials and polymers offer a range of advantages in electronic and photonic applications, including a higher degree of tailoring and versatility in the manipulation of their physical properties, ease of modification and functionalization, ease of processing and fabrication, low-cost mass production, environmental stability, and biocompatibility. He presents a three-volume handbook covering the synthesis and electrical properties of these materials, as well as a range of applications. The first volume, on electronic materials and devices, includes 13 chapters discussing such topics as synthetic approaches to band gap control in conjugated polymeric materials; synthesis, characteristics, and applications of conducting polymer nanotubes, nanowires, and nanocomposites; charge transport and morphology in conjugated polymers; nano/microfabrication techniques for organic electronics and photonics, self-assembled supramolecular structures for organic electronics and photonics; organic thin-film transistor fundamentals and applications; electropolymers for mechtronics and artificial muscles; and biologically inspired large contraction conducting polymer actuators. The second volume switches focus towards photonic materials and devices and includes 12 chapters discussing such topics as organic nonlinear optical crystals and single-crystalline thin films, organic semiconducting thin films, organic random lasers, nonlinear optical properties of organometallic and metalloorganic compounds, nonlinear optical responses and photoinduced electron transfer process in phthalocyanines and related compounds, liquid crystal diffractive optical elements, magnetoresistance and spin effects in organic light-emitting diodes, and photoinduced transfer between electron donors and fullerenes as unique electron acceptors. The final volume is concerned with devices and includes 10 chapters on such topics single-molecule transistors; nanostructured arrays as suitable materials for batteries, sensors, and electrochromic devices; organic field-effect transistors; flexible display applications in organic electronics and photonics; physics and technology and organic light emitting diodes; organic and polymeric solar cells; luminescent lanthanide complexes for advanced photonic applications; and DNA based biosensors. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Handbook of semiconductor nanostructures and nanodevices; 5v.

Electrical engineers Balandin and Wang (both of the U. of California) present a five-volume reference handbook aimed at an audience ranging from upper-level undergraduates to advanced researchers interested in advanced and emerging developments in the field of semiconductor nanotechnology. The first of the separately-themed volumes, covering quantum dots, nanowires, and self-assemblies contains ten chapters on different aspects of germanium quantum dots on silicon, controllable growth of nanocrystalline silicon films, growth of semiconductor quantum dots by epitaxy, and properties of silicon nanodots embedded in silicon-based dielectric film, fabrication and characterization of nanodot arrays, and electrochemical synthesis of one-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures. Nanofabrication and nanoscale characterization is the topic of the second volume, which includes chapters on semiconductor nanocrystals, advanced transmission-electron microscopic characterization of semiconductor quantum structures, dilute nitrade semiconductors for optoelectronic devices, properties and applications of nanocrystalline diamond, characterization of semiconductor nanocrystals, and dye-sensitized semiconductor nanostructures. The third volume covers spintronics (spin electronics) and nanoelectronics, with chapters that specifically address spin-lattice relaxation in magnetic semiconductor nanostructures, material and device issues of high-electron mobility transistors, and room-temperature operating silicon single-electron devices, among other topics. The fourth volume deals with the optical processes in semiconductor nanostructures, light-matter interactions, and nanophotonic and optoelectronic applications. Finally, volume five presents review chapters on the device applications of nanostructures such as nanocrystal nonvolatile memory, few-electron memory devices, and nanoscale metal-oxide-semiconductor devices. Each chapter includes extensive references. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Handbook of theoretical and computational nanotechnology; 10v.

If one wishes to control unpredictability and unintended consequences in nanoscience, declare the editors (Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Germany), than there is no alternative to the use of computational and theoretical methods of nanoscience, hence this 10-volume reference compendium, which provides an introduction and overview of the interdisciplinary breadth of the field. The Handbook's 138 cross-referenced chapters cover mainly the following fields: computational biology, including DNA, enzymes, proteins, biomechanisms, neurogenetic information processing, and nanomedicine; computational chemistry, including quantum chemistry, molecular design, chemical reactions, drugs, and design; computational methods and simulation techniques from ab initio to multiscale modeling; materials behavior at the nanolevel, such as mechanics, defects, diffusions, and dynamics; nanoscale processes, including membranes, pores, diffusion, growth, friction, wear, and catalysis; nanostructured materals such as metals, composites, polymers, liquid crystals, photonic crystals, colloids, and nanotubes; nanostructures, including fullerenes, nanotubes, clusters, layers, quantum dots, thin films, surfaces, and interfaces; nanoengineering and nanodesign of nanomachines, nano-computer-aided-design, nanodevices, and logic circuits; nanoelectronics, including molecular electronics, nanodevices, electronic states, and nanowires; magnetic properties nanostructures and nanostructured materials, nanooptics, including optical response theory, quantum dots, luminescence, and photonic crystals; and quantum computers, covering theoretical aspects, devices, and computational methods for simulating quantum computers and algorithms. Where color illustrations are included, coded stock is used, while otherwise regular paper is used. Each article includes extensive references. An index for the full set is included in the final volume. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Nanoparticles for pharmaceutical applications.

Twenty-two chapters summarize current research and findings on nanoparticles for drug delivery, their route of administration, and their potential for specific disease therapy. The opening chapter describes liposome preparation methods, analytical techniques, the stability of liposome formulations, and drug-loaded liposomes for treating cancer, infections, arthritis, asthma, and psoriasis. Other topics include polymeric micelles, lipid nanoparticles, antitubercular chemotherapy, carbon nanotubes, dendrimers and hyperbranched nanospheres, toxicity issues, self-assembly of macromolecules, and ocular drug delivery. The contributors are researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and other institutions in Japan, India, Europe, and the States. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Nanotoxicology; interactions of nanomaterials with biological systems.

Zhao (The Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Nalwa (Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology) collect 16 state-of-the-art review chapters on the risks and implications of exposure to nanomaterials, especially potential dangers of nanoparticles to human health and safety and the environment. The book summarizes the toxicological effects of and biological properties (in vitro and in vivo) of a wide variety of man-made nanostructured materials, including metallic nanoparticles, metal oxide nanoparticles, dendrimers, quantum dots, and nanomedicines. In addition to covering the toxicological aspects of recognition, identification, and quantification of hazards of human exposure to various types of nanomaterials during manufacturing and application, the book also outlines possible medical and therapeutic benefits of nanomaterials for clinical diagnosis, drug delivery, disease treatment, and physiological and immunological mechanisms. The audience for the book includes those working in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology, biology, toxicology, chemistry, medicine sciences, public health, and standardization of nanotechnology. The book will also be of interest to policymakers developing regulatory frameworks in government departments and nanotechnology industries. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Polymeric nanostructures and their applications; 2v.

Nalwa (the founder and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology) presents a two-volume reference summarizing the current knowledge of functional polymeric nanostructures for students, researchers, and practitioners working in the fields of polymer science and technology, materials science, chemistry, physics, surface science, engineering, and natochnology. The material is thematically separated, with the first volume primarily focused on types of nanostructured polymeric materials and including 11 chapters on structured polymer nanoparticles; nanostructured functional polymer assemblies; fabrication of multiscale nanostructures from polymeric mebrane templates; synthesis and applications of polysilsesquioxanes; polymer nanostructures constructed via atomic force microscopy and their applications; construction of nanostructures for use as molecular devices (polymeric design, supramolecular approach, and layer-by-layer architecture); nanostructured polymer/surfactant films; nanostructured polypyrrole and composites; nanostructures and organization of compacted single chains of polyelectrolytes; polymer ordering in nanoconfined spaces; and biomimetric particles. The second volume contains 13 review chapters discussing applications in different fields and includes coverage of layered silicate based polymeric nanocomposites; industry-relevant preparation, characterization, and applications of polymer nanocomposites; active composite polymers containing carbon nanotubes; light-induced nanostructure formation using azobenzene polymers; patterning of conjugated polymers for organic electronics and optoelectronics; electrodeposited polymers for the development of biosensors; nanosized polymers in drug delivery; nanoscale spectroscopic characterization of conductive polymer electrocoated carbon fiber surface; and nanosurface-initiated living radical polymerization. Each chapter includes an extensive list of references. Each volume includes a separate subject index. (Annotation ©2008 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)