In the ten years since the scientific rationale for the design, synthesis and application of inorganic and organometallic polymers (IOPs) was first conceptualised, we have witnessed the first tentative exploration of IOPs as precursors to new materials, with efforts focusing on the design and synthesis of novel ceramic precursors. Developing expertise led to precursor studies combined with the characterisation of the transformation processes that occur when IOPs are converted to ceramic materials. Now at maturity, the science presented in this volume reveals the polymer precursor approach to...

Plants are an important source of food and of valuable products for industry, agriculture and medicine. They are unique in many aspects of metabolic processes, development and reproduction. Most of these aspects can now be studied by the modern methods and technolo- gies of molecular and cellular biology. Such studies are also encouraged as to improve plant yield and quality. During the past decade research in plant sciences has demonstrated the feasibility of plant cell and tissue culture techniques as major tools in biology and agriculture. These techniques are also essential in strategies...

This volume contains the lectures presented at the first course of the Inter national School of Space Chemistry held in Erice (Sicily) from May 10 to May 20 at the 'E. Majorana Centre for Scientific Culture'. The course was attended by 57 participants from 11 countries. The recognition by Professor A. Zichichi that space chemistry is one of the important and rapidly growing scientific disciplines with many and varied appli cations provided the stimulation to initiate this new school. Historically, the study of chemistry in space had its major origins in comets, the solar nebula and...

Many fundamental aspects of the methods used in mass spectrometry are presented here, with reference to recent developments. The principles and applications of electrospray, ion spray and MALDI ionization technique are included, together with optimised GC/MS interfacing systems and tools for quantitative analysis. There is also a comprehensive treatment of modern instrumentation for mass analysis and detection.

Empirical Studies in Industrial Organization brings together leading scholars who present state-of-the-art research in the spirit of the structure-conduct-performance paradigm embodied in the work of Leonard W. Weiss. The individual chapters are generally empirically or public policy oriented. A number of them introduce new sources of data that, combined with the application of appropriate econometric techniques, enable new breakthroughs and insights on issues hotly debated in the industrial organization literature. For example, five of the chapters are devoted towards uncovering the link...

This book contains the contributions of 13 well known specialists in the field of solid state chemistry who had been invited as lecturers at a 1992 NATO Advanced Study Institute in Erice, Sicily. The chapters of a more general character concern the use of the space group - subgroup relationships for the recognition of structure families, the crystal chemical formulae (which is a way of denoting simple crystal chemical information in a condensed form), the concepts of atom co-ordination, atom volume and charge transfer and the physicist's view of the bond strength in the solid which is...

This varied and impressive volume is a record of the major presentations at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on the Development of Sex Differences and Similarities in Behavior held at Chateau de Bonas, Gers, France, July 14-18, 1992."

The Elementary Reaction Steps in Heterogeneous Catalysis was studied during the first week in November, 1992, by 54 participants, drawn from 11 countries, with both industrial and academic backgrounds."