Willoughby - Böcker

Energy levels, resonanees, vibrations, feature extraetion, faetor analysis - the names vary from discipline to diseipline; however, all involve eigenvalue/eigenveetor eomputations. An engineer or physicist who is modeling a physieal proeess, strueture, or deviee is eonstrained to seleet a model for whieh the subsequently-required eomputations ean be performed. This eonstraint often leads to redueed order or redueed size models whieh may or may not preserve all of the important eharaeteristies of the system being modeled. Ideally, the modeler should not be foreed to make such apriori reduetions. It is our intention to provide here proeedures wh ich will allow the direct and suceessful solution of many large 'symmetrie' eigenvalue problems, so that at least in problems where the computations are of this type there will be no need for model reduetion. Matrix eigenelement eomputations can be c1assified as smalI, medium, or large seale, in terms of their relative degrees of difficulty as measured by the amount of computer storage and time required to eomplete the desired eomputations. A matrix eigenvalue problem is said to be sm all scale if the given matrix has order smaller than 100.Well-documented and reliable FORTRAN pro grams exist for small scale eigenelement computations, see in particular ElS- PACK [1976,1977]. Typically those programs explicitly trans form the given matrix into a simpler canonieal form. The eigenelement eomputations are then performed on the canonical form.

This volume will be of great value to all those researchers in the area of the inflam­ matory response, notably academics, clinicians and members of the pharmaceutical industry. The book has in the main been restricted to three inducible enzymes, namely nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and hemeoxygenase (HO-l), although matrix metalloproteinases, xanthine oxidoreductase and tissue transgluta­ minases are reviewed. The modulation of these enzymes is viewed as possible novel therapeutic advances in the area of inflammation and also cancer. The latter topic may well be the subject of a further book. It will be interesting to observe the progress of such new therapies in the next decade. Already some of these enzyme modulators have been approved for the treat­ ment of inflammatory disease, as evidenced by the new families of COX-2 inhibitors. We believe such advances will herald a series of new and exciting agents to be included in the clinician's armamentarium in the constant struggle against inflammatory disease. The editors wish to thank all contributors to this volume on inducible enzymes. It should however be stressed that the views expressed by the authors are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors. Indeed, the reader may find con­ flicting statements in a number of the chapters. We believe that this is entirely appro­ priate as this volume reflects the latest work in a rapidly developing area.

This monograph consists of different reviews summarizing and discussing those enzymes, such as cyclo-oxygenase, nitric acid synthase and heme oxygenase, which are specifically induced in the cells in response to an inflammatory process.