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Mathematical models in molecular and cellular biology
Transfer Theory for Trapped Electromagnetic Energy. By Georges Lucas. Pp. 74. Wiley, Chichester. 1983. Paperback f8.00.
reading for the graduate student working in this exciting area. G. Stephenson.
In this book the author presents in a lucid and compact form a transfer theory for trapped electromagnetic radiation based on the hypothesis put forward by him some years ago in which he postulated lifetime lengthening of a free particle if generated within a grid-isolated and intensely irradiated gas phase. The practical demonstration of stimulated emission is now available in almost every physics laboratory in the form of the laser but the question of what would happen to the irradiated phase if emission of the laser beam were to be prevented is rarely asked. The author presents his view of the answer to this question. He argues that because of the openness of a system which is essentially a laser with the reflective mirrors replaced by high opacity grids, the irradiated system will lose few photons and, after attaining saturation, activated species will transfer through the grid thus increasing the amount of trapped electromagnetic energy. Although not all of the author’s conclusions may be universally accepted the book will undoubtedly provide stimulating reading to workers in radiation physics and chemistry. Consisting of 74 pages, it is more of a monograph than a book, nevertheless the clarity of argument does not suffer from the brevity of presentation. W. D. McGrath
Quantum Theory and Measurement. Edited by J. A. Wheeler and W. H. Zurek. Pp. 812. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 1984. Cloth f65.00, Paper f 16.80.
Quantum Fields in Curved Space. By N. D. Birrell and P. C. W. Davies Pp. 340. Cambridge University Press. 1984. Paperback f 13.75 ($27.951 It is two years since this important and elegant book first appeared, and a paperback edition is now most welcome. In this short interval significant advances have been made in the general area of quantum gravity, and the authors very helpfully specify in their additional preface the topics which have been further developed in recent research papers. These include quantum field theory calculations in de Sitter space relating to the Guth inflationary universe scenario, and the calculation of the quantum stress-tensor for a Schwarzschild black hole-to mention just two. It is a pity that some of this more recent work could not have been included in this paperback edition, but judging by the high reputation of the authors as both researchers and expositors an enlarged second edition will soon be called for. Of course, it should be emphasised that doing quantum field theory in a curved space is but a step en route (hopefully) to the full understanding of how to quantise the gravitational field and obtain a consistent theory of quantised interacting fields. How the subject will develop is anyone’s guess, and no doubt we are in for a good many more surprises. For the moment, however, this book must be seen as providing a very clear account of the present situation in the subject and is essential
152
In this book the editors have collected together some fifty seminal papers on the conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics. The content is somewhat broader than the title might suggest, and includes the Bohr-Einstein debates, the EPR paradox, hidden variables, the Bell inequality and nonlocality, as well as the problems specifically associated with the theory of measurement. The classics are all here in convenient translation where appropriate. The only topics not covered are quantum logic and axiomatic foundations. There is a useful annotated guide to further literature at the end of the book. It is noteworthy that all the papers reprinted are by physicists. The philosophical literature on these matters is almost totally ignored even in the otherwise extensive bibliography. The editors themselves provide no detailed commentary on the papers that are. reprinted. The book would, therefore, be most useful in courses on the foundations of quantum mechanics as a supplement to works such as M. Jammer’s ‘The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics’, where the student can find extensive commentary, but without the original papers themselves. I heartily commend the book to the enquiring physicist although he must not expect to find any agreed answers to the many intriguing questions raised. M. L. G. Redhead Mathematical Models in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Edited by Lee A. Sege/. Pp. 757. Cambridge University Press. 1983. Paperback f 75.00 This book of some 7.50 pages is the result of a course given at The Weizmann Institute in 1978. It has sixteen contributors but the whole has been skilfully blended together by its editor. As well as a helpful introduction and guide for classroom use, there is an appendix covering the main mathematical tools used-a calculus refresher, algebra, the qualitative theory of ordinary differential equations, and the numerical solution of these. The first chapter is on biochemical reaction theory beginning with the basic law of mass action and applying it, for example, to enzyme induction. The secondchapter is an interesting attempt to formalize the idea of simplifying the complex reactions which occur in nature by ‘lumping’ them: it is well written by B. P. Zeigler. Chapter 3 is on biological applications of control theory and Chapter 4 is on case studies in kinetics. Mathematical immunology is covered in Chapter 5 and various diffusion processes
occurring m biology are dealt with in Chapter 6. The book certainly provides a good introduction to the mathematics of biochemistry; certainly sufficient to enable a mathematician to consult with research workers in medicine, biochemistry, and cancer research. The reward for the book will be if they do! R. R. Laxton Mitochondria 1983. NucleoMitochondrial Interactions. Edited by R. J. Schweyen, K. Wolf and F. Kaudewitz. Pp. 648. de Gruyter, Berlin. 1983. DM 240. This book represents the proceedings of a conference at Schliersee, Germany, in July 1983 held in connection with an international training course for young scientists who cannot fail to have been dazzled by the fascinating applications of modern techniques to the investigation of mitochondrial molecular biology. The forty-seven experimental papers vary in length, style, and content. Nearly half the papers are on the organisation and expression of mitochondrial genes and RNA processing and splicing. The papers from the laboratories of Borst, Dujon, Kaudewitz, and Slonimski deserve special praise, and it is clear that the relatively small mitochondrial genome has special advantages for the study of the intricacies of gene expression and RNA processing. However, I doubt the wisdom of publishing an expensive conference volume even when the research area is developing rapidly. Most of the information is available in scientific journals about the same time, and a collection of critical reviews by leading workers would be a cheaper and more concise presentation. Indeed, the opening section of the book contains excellent reviews by Dujon on mitochondrial genetic maps and by Grivell on mitochondrial gene expression. An additional four or five articles of the same type and standard would have made a superior book. J. M. Haslam Recombinant DNA. A Short Course. By J. D. Watson, J. Tooze and D. T. Kurtz. Pp. 260. W. H. Freeman, Oxford. 1983. Board f24.95, Paper f 14.95. This book is a timely production, coming at a time when recombinant DNA techniques are starting to have a considerable impact upon so many areas in the biological sciences. For some time now there has been the need for a concise textbook on the subject rather than a specialised tome. This book fills the gap admirably and should be recommended reading for all students of biotechnology and molecular biology. Individual topics are introduced in a clear, logical order, thereby helping the reader to appreciate the existing and potential applications of recombinant DNA. Furthermore all the ‘incisive’ experiments that led to our current understanding of DNA and our ability to manipulate it are discussed in
reading for the graduate student working in this exciting area. G. Stephenson.
In this book the author presents in a lucid and compact form a transfer theory for trapped electromagnetic radiation based on the hypothesis put forward by him some years ago in which he postulated lifetime lengthening of a free particle if generated within a grid-isolated and intensely irradiated gas phase. The practical demonstration of stimulated emission is now available in almost every physics laboratory in the form of the laser but the question of what would happen to the irradiated phase if emission of the laser beam were to be prevented is rarely asked. The author presents his view of the answer to this question. He argues that because of the openness of a system which is essentially a laser with the reflective mirrors replaced by high opacity grids, the irradiated system will lose few photons and, after attaining saturation, activated species will transfer through the grid thus increasing the amount of trapped electromagnetic energy. Although not all of the author’s conclusions may be universally accepted the book will undoubtedly provide stimulating reading to workers in radiation physics and chemistry. Consisting of 74 pages, it is more of a monograph than a book, nevertheless the clarity of argument does not suffer from the brevity of presentation. W. D. McGrath
Quantum Theory and Measurement. Edited by J. A. Wheeler and W. H. Zurek. Pp. 812. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 1984. Cloth f65.00, Paper f 16.80.
Quantum Fields in Curved Space. By N. D. Birrell and P. C. W. Davies Pp. 340. Cambridge University Press. 1984. Paperback f 13.75 ($27.951 It is two years since this important and elegant book first appeared, and a paperback edition is now most welcome. In this short interval significant advances have been made in the general area of quantum gravity, and the authors very helpfully specify in their additional preface the topics which have been further developed in recent research papers. These include quantum field theory calculations in de Sitter space relating to the Guth inflationary universe scenario, and the calculation of the quantum stress-tensor for a Schwarzschild black hole-to mention just two. It is a pity that some of this more recent work could not have been included in this paperback edition, but judging by the high reputation of the authors as both researchers and expositors an enlarged second edition will soon be called for. Of course, it should be emphasised that doing quantum field theory in a curved space is but a step en route (hopefully) to the full understanding of how to quantise the gravitational field and obtain a consistent theory of quantised interacting fields. How the subject will develop is anyone’s guess, and no doubt we are in for a good many more surprises. For the moment, however, this book must be seen as providing a very clear account of the present situation in the subject and is essential
152
In this book the editors have collected together some fifty seminal papers on the conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics. The content is somewhat broader than the title might suggest, and includes the Bohr-Einstein debates, the EPR paradox, hidden variables, the Bell inequality and nonlocality, as well as the problems specifically associated with the theory of measurement. The classics are all here in convenient translation where appropriate. The only topics not covered are quantum logic and axiomatic foundations. There is a useful annotated guide to further literature at the end of the book. It is noteworthy that all the papers reprinted are by physicists. The philosophical literature on these matters is almost totally ignored even in the otherwise extensive bibliography. The editors themselves provide no detailed commentary on the papers that are. reprinted. The book would, therefore, be most useful in courses on the foundations of quantum mechanics as a supplement to works such as M. Jammer’s ‘The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics’, where the student can find extensive commentary, but without the original papers themselves. I heartily commend the book to the enquiring physicist although he must not expect to find any agreed answers to the many intriguing questions raised. M. L. G. Redhead Mathematical Models in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Edited by Lee A. Sege/. Pp. 757. Cambridge University Press. 1983. Paperback f 75.00 This book of some 7.50 pages is the result of a course given at The Weizmann Institute in 1978. It has sixteen contributors but the whole has been skilfully blended together by its editor. As well as a helpful introduction and guide for classroom use, there is an appendix covering the main mathematical tools used-a calculus refresher, algebra, the qualitative theory of ordinary differential equations, and the numerical solution of these. The first chapter is on biochemical reaction theory beginning with the basic law of mass action and applying it, for example, to enzyme induction. The secondchapter is an interesting attempt to formalize the idea of simplifying the complex reactions which occur in nature by ‘lumping’ them: it is well written by B. P. Zeigler. Chapter 3 is on biological applications of control theory and Chapter 4 is on case studies in kinetics. Mathematical immunology is covered in Chapter 5 and various diffusion processes
occurring m biology are dealt with in Chapter 6. The book certainly provides a good introduction to the mathematics of biochemistry; certainly sufficient to enable a mathematician to consult with research workers in medicine, biochemistry, and cancer research. The reward for the book will be if they do! R. R. Laxton Mitochondria 1983. NucleoMitochondrial Interactions. Edited by R. J. Schweyen, K. Wolf and F. Kaudewitz. Pp. 648. de Gruyter, Berlin. 1983. DM 240. This book represents the proceedings of a conference at Schliersee, Germany, in July 1983 held in connection with an international training course for young scientists who cannot fail to have been dazzled by the fascinating applications of modern techniques to the investigation of mitochondrial molecular biology. The forty-seven experimental papers vary in length, style, and content. Nearly half the papers are on the organisation and expression of mitochondrial genes and RNA processing and splicing. The papers from the laboratories of Borst, Dujon, Kaudewitz, and Slonimski deserve special praise, and it is clear that the relatively small mitochondrial genome has special advantages for the study of the intricacies of gene expression and RNA processing. However, I doubt the wisdom of publishing an expensive conference volume even when the research area is developing rapidly. Most of the information is available in scientific journals about the same time, and a collection of critical reviews by leading workers would be a cheaper and more concise presentation. Indeed, the opening section of the book contains excellent reviews by Dujon on mitochondrial genetic maps and by Grivell on mitochondrial gene expression. An additional four or five articles of the same type and standard would have made a superior book. J. M. Haslam Recombinant DNA. A Short Course. By J. D. Watson, J. Tooze and D. T. Kurtz. Pp. 260. W. H. Freeman, Oxford. 1983. Board f24.95, Paper f 14.95. This book is a timely production, coming at a time when recombinant DNA techniques are starting to have a considerable impact upon so many areas in the biological sciences. For some time now there has been the need for a concise textbook on the subject rather than a specialised tome. This book fills the gap admirably and should be recommended reading for all students of biotechnology and molecular biology. Individual topics are introduced in a clear, logical order, thereby helping the reader to appreciate the existing and potential applications of recombinant DNA. Furthermore all the ‘incisive’ experiments that led to our current understanding of DNA and our ability to manipulate it are discussed in