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A NATO Advanced Study Institute on'Oxygen Radicals in Biological Systems: Recent Progress and New Methods of Study'was held in Braga, Portugal between Sep­ tember 1 and September 14, 1985, in order to consider the basic chemistry and biochem­ istry of activated oxygen (both radical and non-radical species) and their effect in biolog­ ical systems. This book summarizes the main lectures given at this meeting. While there is no attempt to cover all the major topics in the expanding subject of oxidative mechanisms in biology, an effort has been made to provide overviews on some key aspects of this field. The authors have attempted to convey a clear picture of both what is known and what remains unclear in their respective subjects. Not only are some of the techniques used for detecting activated oxygen species described, but also their strengths and limi­ tations. The chemistry of many of these species is discussed and the biological and/or pathological implications are carefully reviewed. The medical and therapeutic aspects of some of the well established pathways of damage and protection are analyzed. It is our hope that the material included in this book might be useful for both researchers and teachers at the graduate level. The success of this meeting was to a large extent due to the tireless committment of Professor Alberto Amaral and Dr. Concei~a:o Rangel; without their outstanding efforts in dealing with all the aspects of the organization, this summer school would not have been possible.

Magnetic resonance has constantly been able to surprise with its ability to exhibit new phenomena. Just when it appears to be entering a quiet middle age it bursts into activity with some new manifestation of its versatility. This happened a few years ago, when observations on anomalous intensities were looked at more closely, and the pursuit of explanations and further evidence laid the foundations of the subjects treated in this volume. In organizing the NATO Advanced Study Institute we attempted to bring together a number, but by no means all, of those who had contributed significantly to the subject, and to obtain from them a comprehensive and detailed exposition of the subject. We were particularly anxious to avoid a set of lectures that dealt solely with the theory of the subject, because much of the interest in chemically induced magnetic polarization is due to its usefulness in applications to chemical problems: it is a real chemical tech­ nique, not just an amusing diversion for theoreticians. We set about organizing the course with the idea of making it useful to people who wanted to use the technique (for, after all, in the case of nuclear polarization, CIDNP, the technique can be used in any laboratory with minor modification of standard equipment).

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, January 20-24, 1986

Frontiers of Free Radical Chemistry covers the proceedings of the 1979 symposium on Frontiers of Free Radical Chemistry, held in Louisiana State University Chemistry Department, supported by the Exxon Education Foundation. The contributors discuss the mechanisms of hydrocarbon cracking; oxidation processes; inhibition; and the theory of organic radical reactions, halogenations, and organic peroxide chemistry. This book is organized into three parts encompassing 15 chapters. Part I deals with the understanding of molecular and free radical mechanisms in predicting thermochemical data for radicals and molecules. This part also describes the relationship between distortions of organic molecules and the reactions of pericyclic, ionic, and radical molecules. Part II presents quantitative evaluations of gas phase reactions or carbynes and hydrocarbon pyrolysis and cracking. Discussions on the reactions of free atoms and radicals in the chemistry of the stratosphere and natural troposphere, with an emphasis on the ozone layer and its potential depletion by artificial pollutants, are included in this part. Part III explores the pertinent free radical reactions related to fuel research. Petroleum chemists, researchers, and engineers will find this book invaluable.