Amplified Advantage

Amplified Advantage investigates the value and impact of today’s small liberal arts colleges through an extended examination of a recent cohort of students attending them. It demonstrates how these colleges sometimes succeed and sometimes fail in equalizing the experience of all their students. But there is more to the book than that. Although primarily an account of life and learning at small liberal arts colleges in the US today, scholars will find much of theoretical interest underlying the account. The context of the small liberal arts college is used to unpack how class works. Unlike many other books written about class in college, Amplified Advantage is not exclusively focused on how some students fare less well than their peers, but rather how all students’ strategies are affected by their past experiences and classed expectations, particularly in the context of growing inequality. Amplified Advantage draws on Bourdieu’s theory of class, particularly his concepts of capitals operating in a field, and habitus as way of understanding agent’s structured but generative choices, to demonstrate how inequalities are met, resisted, and ultimately reproduced across generations. Chapter by chapter, the book lays out the many ways that class continues to play a role in the college experience, from choosing a major, to frequency of faculty interaction, to participation in the extra-curriculum. The last chapters demonstrate the differential burden of debt on graduates and the impact of varied parental support after graduation. Amplified Advantages adds to our understanding of how class works, the impact of parents and families on social reproduction, and the ways that colleges and universities can contribute to or reduce inequalities.

Amplified Advantage investigates the value and impact of today's small liberal arts colleges on the students who attend them. It adds to our understanding of how class works, the impact of parents and families on social reproduction, and the consequences of attending a "good college" in an era of inequality.

This book offers an overview of state-of-the-art in non amplified DNA detection methods and provides chemists, biochemists, biotechnologists and material scientists with an introduction to these methods. In fact all these fields have dedicated resources to the problem of nucleic acid detection, each contributing with their own specific methods and concepts. This book will explain the basic principles of the different non amplified DNA detection methods available, highlighting their respective advantages and limitations. Non-amplified DNA detection can be achieved by adopting different techniques. Such techniques have allowed the commercialization of innovative platforms for DNA detection that are expected to break into the DNA diagnostics market. The enhanced sensitivity required for the detection of non amplified genomic DNA has prompted new strategies that can achieve ultrasensitivity by combining specific materials with specific detection tools. Advanced materials play multiple roles in ultrasensitive detection. Optical and electrochemical detection tools are among the most widely investigated to analyze non amplified nucleic acids. Biosensors based on piezoelectric crystal have been also used to detect unamplified genomic DNA. The main scientific topics related to DNA diagnostics are discussed by an outstanding set of authors with proven experience in this field.

Human Cholinesterases and Anticholinesterases summarizes the many fundamental concepts of human cholinesterases (ChEs) and their inhibitors. This book is divided into three chapters that represent human cholinesterase research studies from different points of view. Chapter 1 deals with the biochemical and biological background of human ChEs. This chapter also examines the molecular polymorphism, genomic origin, genetic variants, and biological roles of these enzymes. Chapter 2 provides the molecular characterization of human ChE genes and their multileveled regulation, with a special emphasis on butyrylcholinesterase. Chapter 3 discusses the scientific, ecological, and clinical implications of the studies presented in the previous chapters. Protein scientists, engineers, and researchers will find this work invaluable.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of the most important molecular biological methods ever devised, with numerous applications to cli- cal molecular medicine. Since its description in 1985, PCR has undergone tremendous improvements, and many variations on the basic PCR theme have been published. With such a large volume of PCR-related literature, a clinical scientist wishing to use the technique will have a difficult task loc- ing the relevant information to implement it effectively. There is thus clearly a need for an up-to-date volume with detailed protocols to facilitate the setting up of those techniques most relevant to clinical applications. Unlike some other books on this topic, Clinical Applications of PCR includes only methods that are of direct relevance in clinical settings. The book is organized in three parts: an introductory section, a section on general methodology, and a final section with specific clinical applications. The first section covers the basic principles of PCR and is most useful to those new to molecular diagnosis. The next chapter includes useful tips for setting up a PCR laboratory. Section 2 then outlines some of the most commonly used PCR-based techniques in molecular diagnosis. Section 3 includes carefully chosen examples that represent typical applications of PCR in diverse clinical fields, encompassing hematology, oncology, genetics, and microbiology.

This textbook integrates basic research and clinical aspects underlying the most recent results in those malignant diseases where progress is most effective. Recent evidence shows that higher doses are better in inducing higher cure rates in hematological neoplasias, although myeloblation related to dose intensity can be a limiting factor. The toxicity can now be controlled with autologous marrow and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation, used with or without growth factors. The combination of high dose chemoradiotherapy followed by re-infusion of autologous stem cells constitute a dramatic advance in the treatment of refactory and relapse hematological neoplasias.