Book Reviews

Unsigned book reviews are by the Book Review Editor.     

Energy transfer between the flavin chromophores of electron-transferring flavoprotein fromMegasphaera elsdenii as inferred from time-resolved red-edge and blue-edge fluorescence spectroscopy

Both a mode-locked argon-ion laser and synchrotron radiation were used as excitation sources to obtain time-resolved polarized fluorescence of the two FAD cofactors in electron transferring flavoprotein fromMegasphaera elsdenii. Red-edge excited and blue-edge detected fluorescence anisotropy decay curves did not contain a fast relaxation process which was observed upon mainband excitation and detection. This relaxation was assigned to homo-energy transfer between the two FAD cofactors. Failure of energy transfer as observed with edge spectroscopy on this protein excludes restricted reorientational motion of the flavins as a possible mechanism of depolarization. From the global analysis of the fluorescence anisotropy decay surface obtained at multiple excitation and detection wavelengths, the distance between and the relative orientation of the flavins could be estimated. The methodology described has general applicability in other multichromophoric biopolymers and has the potential to acquire accurate geometrical parameters in these systems.     

Synthesis and thermal crosslinking of oxazolidine‐functionalized polyurethanes

A new oxazolidine derivative was obtained from phenol, 2‐amino‐2‐methylpropane‐1,3‐diol and paraformaldehyde. The reaction of this novel oxazolidine diol with phenylisocyanate lead to a urethane model compound which can be polymerized thermally by oxazolidine ring opening to give a Mannich bridge structure. Linear segmented polyurethanes were prepared by reaction of different ratios of oxazolidine diol and commercial polyethylenglycol (M_w ～ 400) with 4,4′‐methylenbis (cyclohexylisocyanate) (HMDI, 90% isomers mixture). The polyurethanes were thermally characterized and crosslinked by oxazolidine ring opening to obtain materials which showed improved thermal stability. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 4965–4973, 2007     

AFM, SEM and GIXRD studies of thin films of red polycarbazolyldiacetylenes

In this paper we report the results of a morphological and structural investigation on film properties of a soluble polydiacetylene, the poly[1,6-bis(3,6-dihexadecyl-N-carbazolyl)-2,4-hexadiyne] (polyDCHD-HS). The red films of this polymer, prepared by standard spin-coating techniques, revealed absence of linear dichroism and birefringence in contrast with the ordered mesophases detected by powder X-ray studies. In order to interpret the optical behavior of this polymer, we performed AFM and SEM studies of polyDCHD-HS films spun on hydrophylic and hydrophobic glass substrates. We found the presence of surfaces organized in rod-like particles, more regularly oriented on the hydrophylic substrate. GIXRD studies, carried out on films sufficiently thick to allow the observation of the diffraction pattern, reveled the presence of a lamellar structure with a spacing of 3.22 nm. The low intensity of the diffraction peaks and the isotropic linear optical properties of the films show that the lamellar mesophases are not extended over large areas. These findings were compared with the data obtained from AFM and SEM studies on films of two other polydiacetylenes, the poly[1-(3,6-dihexadexyl-N-carbazolyl)-6-(N-carbazolyl)-2,4-hexadyine] (polya-DCHD) and the poly[1,6-bis(3,6-dipalmitoyl-N-carbazolyl)-2,4-hexadyine] (polyDPCHD), spun on hydrophylic glass substrate. The results confirmed the presence of nodular morphologies which seem to be a general characteristic of this class of materials. The particles organization appears instead related to the chemical nature of the substituents on the carbazolyl rings.     

Risk-neutral valuation with infinitely many trading dates

The first Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing establishes the equivalence between the absence of arbitrage in financial markets and the existence of Equivalent Martingale Measures, if appropriate conditions hold. Since the theorem may fail when dealing with infinitely many trading dates, this paper draws on the A.A. Lyapunov Theorem in order to retrieve the equivalence for complete markets such that the Sharpe Ratio is adequately bounded.     

In‐situ synthesis of transparent and conductive carbon nanotube networks

A method for the production of transparent carbon nanotube networks (CNTNs) over transparent substrates was developed. In this method, CNTNs were grown directly in the target surface by applying the catalyst in specific zones of the substrate through lithographic techniques. The networks can be also transferred from the original substrate to other surfaces. The newly grown carbon nanotubes have a very high aspect ratio (>50000). Thus far, networks with an optical transmittance of 94% at 550 nm and a surface resistivity of 3.6 kΩ/sq have been produced. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Magnetic calorimeter for registration of small energy release

A scheme of magnetic calorimeter for registration of rare events characterized by small energy release (cosmic rays, WIMPs, solitary X-ray quanta) is proposed. The calorimeter is brought to operation by adiabatic demagnetization, and its magnetic response is measured by a quantum interferometer (SQUID, A. Barone and G. Paterno, Physics and applications of Josephson Effect). Special consideration is given to the specific features of calorimeter operation in the ferromagnetic transition region. The trigger registration of ultrasmall energy release by a ferromagnetic system in the metastable state is described.     

Orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle and their derivatives

We characterize the sequences of orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle whose derivatives are also orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle. Some relations for the sequences of derivatives of orthogonal polynomials are provided. Finally, we pose some problems about orthogonality-preserving maps and differential equations for orthogonal polynomials on the unit circle.     

Inequalities for a unified family of Voigt functions in several variables

The classical Voigt functions occur frequently in a wide variety of problems in astrophysical spectroscopy, emission, absorption and transfer of radiation in heated atmosphere, and plasma dispersion, and indeed also in the theory of neutron reactions. Here, in the present paper, by applying several known upper bounds for the first-kind Bessel function J _ν (x) given recently by (for example) Landau, Olenko and Krasikov, sharp bounding inequalities are obtained for the unified multivariable Voigt function V _μ,ν (x; y) in terms of the confluent Fox-Wright function ₁ψ₀ and its incomplete variant ₁ψ₀. Connections of the unified multivariable Voigt function V _μ,ν (x; y) with other unifications and generalizations of the classical Voigt function are also briefly pointed out.