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BOOKREVIEWS
The jacket points out t h a t “the material contained in this book is, for the most part, the result of a series of lectures given under the Engineering Extension Program of the University of California in Berkeley during the summers of 1956 and 1957. This course, entitled ‘A Survey of Nuclear Engineering for Management,’ consisted of lectures presented by apprqyimately twenty guest speakers-all specialists in the field. A t least several of the eighteen chapters have been updated to about 1959. The presentation is directed toward the industrialist who has a n engineering degree but has not been actively engaged in engineering for five to ten years. Accordingly, the general level of presentation is relatively unsophisticated. This should not detract from its value to most non-experts in nuclear reactors. The book is divided into four parts, plus a n introductory history of atomic energy by Edward Teller. Part I , Nurlear Energy-Basics and Part 11, ?;ucleav Energy-Applications, are about one hundred pages each. Part 111, Nucleay Energy-Safety, which includes a chapter on medical aspects of radiation, and Part I V , iyuclear Energy-the Future, are each about fifty pages in length. More than half of Part 11- is devoted to a chapter on controlled-fusion power. Parts I and I1 include chapters on fundamental principles of nuclear reactors, breeder and converter reactors, the production and processing of nuclear materials, economics of nuclear power, research reactors, sodium-graphite and organic-moderated reactors, and industrial uses of isotopes. There is a chapter dealing specifically with the Shippingport Atomic Power Station. As a result of the multiplicity of authors there is some non-uniformity in presentation and some overlapping in coverage as well as areas of non-coverage. However, these are only minor drawbacks in a generally valuable book. CHEMISTRY DIVISION .%RGONNE KATIOXAL LABORATORY W. M. MASNING 9i00 S. CASSAVENUE ARGONNE, ILLISOIS
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The following chapters describe for the most part semiquantitative observations on enzymes of questionable homogeneity and poor characterization: “Invertase,” “Cathezsins,” “Glutaminase,” “Plasmin,” “Other Glucosidases, “0-Glucuronidase,” “Hyaluronidases,” “Xeuraminidases,” “Fatty Acid Esterases of Low Eserine Sensitivity and Related Enzymes,” “Butyryl- and Propinylcholinesterases and Related Types of Eserine-Sensitive Esterases” and “Phospholipases.” The book is valuable in directing attention t o rich areas of research of varying complexity, suitable for both the physical scientist and the biologist. Volume IV of “The Enzymes” belongs in every biochemistry and chemistry library. It is recommended to all enzymologists, to thosc interested in the special topics covered, and to all students of molecular biology. DEPARTMENT OF BIOCHEMISTRY CORXELLUNIVERSITY GEORGE P. HESS ITHACA,SEW YORK Organic Electronic Spectral Data. Volume I. 1946-1952. MORTIMERJ. KAMLET,Editor. Interscience Publishers, Inc., 250 Fifth Avenue, New York 1, N. Y. 1960. xiv 1208 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. Single copy price: $28.50; Subscription price: $25.00.
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Organic Electronic Spectral Data. Volume 11. 1953-1955. Editor. Interscience Publishers, HERBERTE. UPU‘GNADE, Inc., 250 Fifth Avenue, New York 1, N. Y . 1960. x 919 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. Single copy price: tl7.5O; Subscription price 815.00.
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The systematic documentation of molecular spectra is becoming a problem of rapidly increasing magnitude, and electronic and vibrational spectra are now recognized as the principal physical characteristics of organic molecules. Much of this information is first reported as incidental detail in publications t h a t are not written with the spectroscopic interest specifically in mind, and the difficulties in extracting The Enzymes. Second Edition, Completely Revised. the information from the original sources are such t h a t the Volume 4. Hydrolytic Cleavage (Part A). Peptide Bond organic chemist often finds it quicker to determine the Cleavage, Other C-N Bond Cleavage. Glycoside Bond spectrum anew. This of course is only possible if he has the Cleavage. Carboxyl Ester Cleavage. Edited by PAULD. reference compound on his laboratory shelf, and laboratory BOYER, Department of Physiological Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, HENRY shelves have limited capacities. A search of the decennial and annual indexes of “Chciiiical LARDY,Institute for Enzyme Research, University of Iyisconsin, Madison, n’isconsin, and KARL MYRRKCK, Abstracts” is the classical method of extracting spectral data from the literature. Prior t o 1958, “Chemical 2.1)Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Unistracts” listed all types of molecular spectra collcctiv-ely versity of Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Acadcmic Press Inc., 111 Fifth .Avenue, S e w York 3, S . \-. 1960. under the single heading “Spectra,” but, a t the suggestioii of the Commission on Molecular Structure and Spectroscopy sx 631 pp. 16 X 23.5 cm. Price, $18.00, of IUPAC, a more detailed form of iiidesing has now been I badopted. Beginning with J-olnme 52, “Cheniical : I-olume I V contains a n interesting and useful coilectiou “infrarccl ,’ ’ stracts’ ’ classifies spectra into suhs:ctions o f articles on specific hydrolytic enzymes. The treatment of “visible and ultraviolet,” “Raman, etc. IVhilc the the chemical and physical properties of these proteins is for “Chemical Abstract” index and the “Chemisches Zentralthe most part excellent. Howcvcr, there is as pet not blatt” index provide machinery for the extraction of spectral enough known about the catalytic pruperties of these data from the literature, they d o not adequately incet the enzymes to write a n integrated book in this field. The Editors provide some cohesioii by orgaiiiziiig this book into rcquirernents of the chemical spectroscopist. I k needs :t sections. These are introduced by thc following chapters: more concentrated source reference and preferabl?. cinc whicli is immediately available beside his spectrometer. For “Peptide Bond Cleavage,” “Other C--X Bond Hydrnlyses,” vibrational spectra this problem presents extreme difficulty. “Cleavage of 0- and S-Glycosidic Bonds, ” and “Carboxyl The necessary information is too coniples to be presented iu Ester Cleavage.” Each contains a brief and concise survey numerical form without resort to digital tapes or putiched (Jf the enzymes discussed in the respective sections. cards. The storage of infrared data thcrefrxc calls for elccThe chapters entitled: “Carboxypeptidases -1and B , ” tronic or mechanical storage systems or bulky grapliical ‘‘Leucine Aminopeptidase, ’ ’ “Pepsin ,” ‘Chymotrypsin, ’ ’ presentation. It is difficult to visualize how the “Papain,” “Thrombin,” “a-Amylase” and “Lysozyme” collation of vibrational spectra can ever bc achicv are all authoritative, ccitnplete and up-to-date. % . great deal has been done to ascertain the purity of the enzynies form; catalogs and atlases of infrared spectra will unuvoidably be limited t o selected groups of compounds. discussed in these chapters, and the work on the chemical Electronic spectra of liquids and solutions are Illt1cll and physical characterization of these proteins is impressive. simpler and the characterizing features of the most c o l l l p h Equally well written, but dealing with less well characterize? spectra (e.g., phenanthrene) can be recorded by about 2 1 enzymes are the chapters: “Bacterial and Mold Proteases, pieces of information (1%band positions and 12 iuteiisities). “Urease,” “Arginase,” “Penicillinasc,” “Aden>-lic Dc-1 complete summary of the eiectrotlic~ sprctra o f cirganic aminase,” “@-Galactosidase,” “p-Am>-lase” and “Acetylcompounds, in the ranges currently useful to orgarlic chclncholinesterase.” Included in these chapters, together with ists, is therefore :I practical possibility. 111 the volunlc.: the usual review of the literature, are many satisfying cliiwhich we are reviewing, D r . Kamlet and D r . Ungnadc, witti cussions and provocative speculations. Among these i. a the assistance of some fifty collaborators, have brought discussion of the effect of substrate binding on acetyltogether data based on a review of 50,000 electroni cholinesterase-catalyzed reactions, an account of the actiraextracted from 10,000 references. This wiis initial1 tion of procarboxypeptidase A, and speculations on t h e in 1956 as a volunteer co-operative project, and a. year later mechanism of action of leucine ainiiioI,eDtidasc, pepsin, i t was incorporated as Organic Electronic S1)cctr:il n;lt:i a-amylase arid p-galactosidase.
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