Since 1963, lasers have been applied in the field of material processing—in laser generating, laser
polishing, laser cleaning and laser metrology. Many physicists involved in laser material processes are
looking to understand the underlying physical processes. This book is for them. It is focused on laser
applications and includes relevant comments and examples. The fundamentals of laser materials processing are described in part 1. The book is well organized and includes references, appendices and
an index. It is suitable for graduate students as well as researchers and engineers who are working in
the area of laser applications.
Review by Lisa Tongning Li, InPhenix Inc., Livermore, Calif., U.S.A.
Nanoplatform-Based Molecular Imaging
Xiaoyuan Chen, ed.
Wiley, 2011; $195.00 (hardcover).
This monumental work of more than 800 pages is dedicated to the visualization of cellular behavior
and molecular processes in living organisms using nanotechnologies. The book is written in a clear
manner by tens of experts in the field. It is divided into four parts. The first, formed by chapters 1-4,
contains the basics of molecular imaging and nanobiotechnology.
The second part, encompassing chapters 5-17 and 300 pages, is dedicated to molecular imaging using nanoparticles, nanotubes, quantum dots for in vivo imaging, Raman imaging, fluorescence,
computer tomography, magnetic resonance and radiolabeled platforms. This section could be a
single book.
The third part, which includes chapters 18-31 and another 300 pages, moves from the issues related
to molecular imaging towards therapeutic applications in diseases such as cancer, where nanoparticles
play multiple roles in imaging, controlled drug delivery and therapy. The final section is comprised of a
single chapter that addresses future prospects for nanoparticle-based human medicine.
Review by Mircea Dragoman, National Research and Development Institute in Microtechnology, Bucharest, Romania.
Reliability in Scientific Research: Improving the Dependability
of Measurements, Calculations, Equipment and Software
I.R. Walker
Cambridge University Press, 2011; $79.00 (hardcover).
It would be very helpful for a newbie researcher to have a wise mentor who would share two decades of
lab experience. The next best option is to consult this book, which distills the same advice in print. It
discusses issues and possible solutions in many areas of wide interest for an experimental researcher
(human error, calculation errors, hardware and software), but also in fairly specialized types of lab
work (vacuum and cryogenic systems, visible and near-visible optics etc). The range of topics covers
the needs of any engineer or researcher in the physical sciences. The writing is clear and succinct,
and it is backed by key references. In each chapter, a “Further Reading” section directs the reader to
the most useful among the chapter references. One particularly handy feature is a summary of important points provided at the end of each chapter. A detailed index is also included.
Review by Bogdan Hoanca, a professor of management information systems at the University of Alaska
Anchorage, U.S.A.
50 | OPN Optics & Photonics News
www.osa-opn.org
