In 1979, Bob Jahn and Brenda Dunne, two individuals with vastly different backgrounds, experiences, and styles, and who had little in common beyond a shared vision, joined forces to create the unique scholarly enterprise that became the PEAR laboratory at Princeton University’s Engineering School. Over the next 28 years their “molecular bond,” with its associated complementarity, provided the foundation for a remarkable personal friendship and creative professional partnership. Just as it is only in the interaction of the constituent “atoms” in a physical molecule that the characteristics of the unified system become apparent, this book attempts to capture the magic, and the humor, of that dynamic bond through an assortment of vignettes that illustrate their shared voyage of discovery.
The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."
Combining insights from both cognitive neuroscience and molecular biology, two of the world's leading experts address memory from molecules and cells to brain systems and cognition. What is memory and where in the brain is it stored? How is memory storage accomplished? This book touches on these questions and many more, showing how the recent convergence of psychology and biology has resulted in an exciting new synthesis of knowledge about learning and remembering. Memory: From Mind to Molecules is an ideal primer for courses on learning and memory or for general readers who are interested in discovering what is currently known about one of the basic aspects of human existence.
A comprehensive, multidisciplinary review, Neural Plasticity and Memory: From Genes to Brain Imaging provides an in-depth, up-to-date analysis of the study of the neurobiology of memory. Leading specialists share their scientific experience in the field, covering a wide range of topics where molecular, genetic, behavioral, and brain imaging techniq
This fully revised second edition provides the only unified synthesis of available information concerning the mechanisms of higher-order memory formation. It spans the range from learning theory, to human and animal behavioral learning models, to cellular physiology and biochemistry. It is unique in its incorporation of chapters on memory disorders, tying in these clinically important syndromes with the basic science of synaptic plasticity and memory mechanisms. It also covers cutting-edge approaches such as the use of genetically engineered animals in studies of memory and memory diseases. Written in an engaging and easily readable style and extensively illustrated with many new, full-color figures to help explain key concepts, this book demystifies the complexities of memory and deepens the reader's understanding. - More than 25% new content, particularly expanding the scope to include new findings in translational research. - Unique in its depth of coverage of molecular and cellular mechanisms - Extensive cross-referencing to Comprehensive Learning and Memory - Discusses clinically relevant memory disorders in the context of modern molecular research and includes numerous practical examples
This special volume of Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science provides a current overview of how memory is processed in the brain. A broad range of topics are presented by leaders in the field, ranging from brain circuitry to synaptic plasticity to the molecular machinery that contributes to the brain's ability to maintain information across time. Memory systems in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala are considered as well. In addition, the volume covers recent contributions to our understanding of memory from in vivo imaging, optogenetic, electrophysiological, biochemical and molecular biological studies. - Articles from world renowned experts in memory - Covering topics from signaling, epigenetic, RNA translation to plasticity - Methodological approaches include molecular and cellular, behavioral, electrophysiological, optogenetic and functional imaging
Integrating molecular physics and information theory, this work presents molecular electronics as a method for information storage and retrieval that incorporates nanometer-scaled systems, uses microscopic particles and exploits the laws of quantum mechanics. It furnishes application examples employing properties of distinct molecules joined together to a macroscopic ensemble of virtually identical units.
Täglich benutzen wir Schalter, um strombetriebene Geräte an- und abzuschalten und kein Compuer würde ohne sie funktionieren. Nach den gleichen Prinzipien funktionieren auch molekulare Schalter, die unter dem Einfluß ihrer Umwelt zwischen zwei definierten Zuständen wechseln können. Im Gegensatz zu den gewöhnlichen Schaltern sind molekulare Schalter aber außerordentlich klein und ihre Anwendung in der Nanotechnologie, Biomedizin und im Computerchipdesign öffnet neue Horizonte. Im vorliegenden Zweibänder berichten Herausgeber und Autoren über molekulare Schalter aus Katenanen und Rotaxanen, Fulgiden, Flüssigkristallen und Polypeptiden. Die Bandbreite der behandelten Themen reicht von chiroptischen Schaltern über multifunktionale Systeme bis hin zu molekularen logischen Schaltungen. Chemiker und Materialwissenschaftler in Industrie und Hochschule, die sich für einen der innovativsten Bereiche ihrer Wissenschaft interessieren, werden dieses Buch mit Gewinn lesen!
This consistent and comprehensive text is unique in providing an informed insight into molecular electronics by contrasting the prospects for molecular scale electronics with the continuing development of the inorganic semiconductor industry. Providing a wealth of information on the subject from background material to possible applications, Molecular Electronics contains all the need to know information in one easily accessible place. Speculation about future developments has also been included to give the whole picture of this increasingly popular and important topic.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the rapidly developing field of molecular electronics. It focuses on our present understanding of the electrical conduction in single-molecule circuits and provides a thorough introduction to the experimental techniques and theoretical concepts. It will also constitute as the first textbook-like introduction to both the experiment and theory of electronic transport through single atoms and molecules. In this sense, this publication will prove invaluable to both researchers and students interested in the field of nanoelectronics and nanoscience in general. Molecular Electronics is self-contained and unified in its presentation. It may be used as a textbook on nanoelectronics by graduate students and advanced undergraduates studying physics and chemistry. In addition, included are previously unpublished material that will help researchers gain a deeper understanding into the basic concepts involved in the field of molecular electronics.