The biological membranes of cellular organization enfold an important group of membrane proteins called the ATPases, which are not only versatile in maintaining chemical gradient and electrical potential across the membrane but also bring metabolites necessary for cell metabolism and drive out toxins, waste products and solutes that otherwise can curb cell functions. ATPases are distributed virtually in all live forms starting from unicellular to multicellular and also in viruses. There are different types of ATPases, which differ in function and structure and in the type of ions they transport. The three main types of the ion pump ATPase family are: (i) P-type ATPases that transport different ions across membranes and Ca2+ATPases belongs to this catagory (ii) F-type ATPase in mitochondria, chloroplasts and bacterial plasma membranes produce ATP using the proton gradient; and (iii) V-type ATPase catalyzes ATP hydrolysis to transport solutes and maintains acidic pH in organelles like lysosomes. Genetic defects in either of the ATPases cause several diseases and a number of researches have demonstrated the involvement of the members of ATPases in the cell pathology and diseases, thereby penetrating exciting new areas of our understanding. In this book, the authors summarize recent knowledge about the molecular mechanisms associated with Ca2+-ATPase, V-ATPase and F-ATPase in intracellular and extracellular Ca2+ transport, mitochondrial ATP synthase, vesicular H+ transport, and lysosomal pH regulation. This book thereby bridges the gap between fundamental research and biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. The book provides an informative resource to improve ATPase research and modern therapeutic approaches toward different life threatening diseases that are associated with dysregulation of the ATPases.

Na+-K+ ATPase or Na-pump ATPase, a member of "P"-type ATPase superfamily, is characterized by association of multiple isoforms mainly of it's - and - subunits. At present four different - ( -1, -2, -3 and -4) and three - ( -1, -2, and -3) isoforms have been identified in mammalian cells and their differential expressions are tissue specific. Regulation of Na+-K+ ATPase activity is an important but a complex process, which involves short-term and long-term mechanisms. Short-term regulation of Na+-K+ ATPase is either mediated by changes in intracellular Na+ concentrations that directly affect the Na+-pump activity or by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation-mediated by some stimulants leading to changes in its expression and transport properties. On the other hand, long-term regulation of Na+-K+ ATPase is mediated by hormones, such as mineralocorticoids and thyroid hormones, which cause changes in the transcription of genes of - and - subunits leading to an increased expression in the level of Na+-pump. Several studies have revealed a relatively new type of regulation that involves the association of small, single span membrane proteins with this enzyme. These proteins belong to the FXYD family, the members of which share a common signature sequence encompassing the transmembra ne domain adjacent to the isoform(s) of - subunits of Na+-K+ ATPase. Considering the extraordinary importance of Na+-K+ ATPase in cellular function, several internationally established investigators have contributed their articles in the monograph entitled "Regulation of Membrane Na+-K+ ATPase" for inspiring young scientists and graduate students to enrich their knowledge on the enzyme, and we are sure that this book will soon be considered as a comprehensive scientific literature in the area of Na+-K+ ATPase regulation in health and disease.

This book provides a detailed overview of the plasma fluidized bed. It is an innovative tool and generally combines plasma process with another efficient reactor, fluidized bed, providing an excellent method for particulate processes over conventional technology. The development and designs of typical types of plasma fluidized beds, mainly thermal plasma fluidized beds and non-thermal plasma fluidized beds are discussed. The influencing factors on the performance of plasma fluidized beds are analyzed in detail. The mechanism, i.e. the discharge characteristics, hydrodynamics, heat transfer and mass transfer are analyzed to offer a further insight of plasma fluidized beds. Applications of plasma fluidized beds for different areas, including metallurgy extraction, green energy process, environmental protection and advanced materials are presented. The book is a valuable reference for scientists, engineers and graduate students in chemical engineering and relative fields.

Thermal processes are ubiquitous and an understanding of thermal phenomena is essential for a complete description of the physics of nanoparticles, both for the purpose of modeling the dynamics of the particles and for the correct interpretation of experimental data. The second edition of this book follows the logic of first edition, with an emphasis on presentation of literature results and to guide the reader through derivations. Several topics have been added to the repertoire, notably magnetism, a fuller exposition of aggregation and the related area of nucleation theory. Also a new chapter has been added on the transient hot electron phenomenon. The book remains focused on the fundamental properties of nanosystems in the gas phase. Each chapter is enriched with additional new exercises and three Appendices provide additional useful material.

This PhD thesis characterises the damage that occurs in tungsten when it is exposed to a fusion-like environment. The book presents pioneering work on the use of grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) to measure nano-bubble formation in tungsten exposed to helium plasma. The phenomenon of nanoscale bubble formation within metals during helium plasma exposure can lead to undesirable changes in the material properties, such as complex nanoscale surface modification or a reduction in thermal conductivity. As a result of this work, it is now possible to quantify how nanobubble behaviour changes within different materials, and under different plasma conditions. In 2015 the author published the first GISAXS study of helium-induced nanobubble formation in tungsten, demonstrating the viability of using GISAXS for this work. This paper has generated significant interest from the international fusion community and was selected as one of the highlights for the journal Nuclear Fusion.

This book details groundbreaking experiments for the sensing and imaging of terahertz-frequency electromagnetic radiation (THz) using Rydberg atoms. The major advances described include the development and implementation of a new technique for THz imaging using atomic fluorescence; the demonstration of a THz-driven phase transition in room-temperature atomic vapour; and a novel method for probing the excited-state dynamics of atoms using quantum beats. The work has formed the basis for several articles published in journals including Nature Photonics and the Physical Review, and has sparked industry interest, becoming the subject of ongoing collaborative research and development. This exceptionally well-written book provides a definitive account of terahertz sensing with Rydberg atoms.

This thesis presents a series of experimental techniques based on scanning probe microscopy, which make it possible access the degree of freedom of protons both in real and energy space. These novel techniques and methods allow direct visualization of the concerted quantum tunneling of protons within the hydrogen-bonded network and quantification of the quantum component of a single hydrogen bond at a water-solid interface for the first time. Furthermore, the thesis demonstrates that the anharmonic quantum fluctuations of hydrogen nuclei further weaken the weak hydrogen bonds and strengthen the strong ones. However, this trend was reversed when the hydrogen bond coupled to the local environment. These pioneering findings substantially advance our understanding of the quantum nature of H bonds at the molecular level.

Combining incisive experiments with the latest theoretical advances, this book presents an extensive study of transfer-triggered breakup, the dominant process by which breakup occurs in reactions involving light, weakly bound nuclei. It demonstrates not only that lifetimes of resonant states shorter than a zeptosecond are crucially important for these reactions to suppress complete fusion, but also that such short lifetimes are experimentally accessible. By making quantitative predictions of the effect of breakup from short-lived resonant states on incomplete fusion at above-barrier energies, the book suggests that the extent to which near-target breakup can suppress complete fusion is much more limited than previously thought. With an impressive amount of complex data and state-of-the-art models, which were developed, modified, and tested over course of the Ph.D., it examines all aspects of nuclear reactions - nuclear models, modern detectors and spectrometers, as well as data analysis, and offers a detailed discussion of experimental results and technical developments like new radioactive beams. This excellent and beautifully written book presents outstanding quality experimental work that establishes a cornerstone in our understanding of the reaction dynamics of light weakly bound nuclei at energies around the Coulomb barrier.

This book presents the Generalized Multipole Technique as a fast and powerful theoretical and computation tool to simulate light scattering by nonspherical particles. It also demonstrates the considerable potential of the method. In recent years, the concept has been applied in new fields, such as simulation of electron energy loss spectroscopy and has been used to extend other methods, like the null-field method, making it more widely applicable. The authors discuss particular implementations of the GMT methods, such as the Discrete Sources Method (DSM), Multiple Multipole Program (MMP), the Method of Auxiliary Sources (MAS), the Filamentary Current Method (FCM), the Method of Fictitious Sources (MFS) and the Null-Field Method with Discrete Sources (NFM-DS). The Generalized Multipole Technique is a surface-based method to find the solution of a boundary-value problem for a given differential equation by expanding the fields in terms of fundamental or other singular solutions of this equation. The amplitudes of these fundamental solutions are determined from the boundary condition at the particle surface. Electromagnetic and light scattering by particles or systems of particles has been the subject of intense research in various scientific and engineering fields, including astronomy, optics, meteorology, remote sensing, optical particle sizing and electromagnetics, which has led to the development of a large number of modelling methods based on the Generalized Multipole Technique for quantitative evaluation of electromagnetic scattering by particles of various shapes and compositions. The book describes these methods in detail.

This book provides a systematic and comprehensive introduction to fusion neutronics, covering all key topics from the fundamental theories and methodologies, as well as a wide range of fusion system designs and experiments. It is the first-ever book focusing on the subject of fusion neutronics research. Compared with other nuclear devices such as fission reactors and accelerators, fusion systems are normally characterized by their complex geometry and nuclear physics, which entail new challenges for neutronics such as complicated modeling, deep penetration, low simulation efficiency, multi-physics coupling, etc. The book focuses on the neutronic characteristics of fusion systems and introduces a series of theories and methodologies that were developed to address the challenges of fusion neutronics. Further, it introduces readers to the unique principles and procedures of neutronics design, experimental methodologies and methodologies for fusion systems. The book not only highlights the latest advances and trends in the field, but also draws on the experiences and skills collected in the author's more than 40 years of research. To make it more accessible and enhance its practical value, various representative examples are included to illustrate the application and efficiency of the methods, designs and experimental techniques discussed.

These proceedings gather invited and contributed talks presented at the XXII DAE-BRNS High Energy Physics (HEP) Symposium, which was held at the University of Delhi, India, on 12-16 December 2016. The contributions cover a variety of topics in particle physics, astroparticle physics, cosmology and related areas from both experimental and theoretical perspectives, namely (1) Neutrino Physics, (2) Standard Model Physics (including Electroweak, Flavour Physics), (3) Beyond Standard Model Physics, (4) Heavy Ion Physics & QCD (Quantum Chromodynamics), (5) Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology, (6) Future Experiments and Detector Development, (7) Formal Theory, and (8) Societal Applications: Medical Physics, Imaging, etc. The DAE-BRNS High Energy Physics Symposium, widely considered to be one of the leading symposiums in the field of Elementary Particle Physics, is held every other year in India and supported by the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India. As many as 400 physicists and researchers attended the 22nd Symposium to discuss the latest advances in the field. A poster session was also organized to highlight the work and findings of young researchers. Bringing together the essential content, the book offers a valuable resource for both beginning and advanced researchers in the field.

The pursuit of nuclear fusion as an energy source requires a broad knowledge of several disciplines. These include plasma physics, atomic physics, electromagnetics, materials science, computational modeling, superconducting magnet technology, accelerators, lasers, and health physics. Nuclear Fusion distills and combines these disparate subjects to create a concise and coherent foundation to both fusion science and technology. It examines all aspects of physics and technology underlying the major magnetic and inertial confinement approaches to developing nuclear fusion energy. It further chronicles latest developments in the field, and reflects the multi-faceted nature of fusion research, preparing advanced undergraduate and graduate students in physics and engineering to launch into successful and diverse fusion-related research. Nuclear Fusion reflects Dr. Morse's research in both magnetic and inertial confinement fusion, working with the world's top laboratories, and embodies his extensive thirty-five year career in teaching three courses in fusion plasma physics and fusion technology at University of California, Berkeley.

In the world market of power-producing nuclear reactors, there is growing interest in small and medium sized or modular reactors (SMRs). These can be assembled in-factory, transported by ship or train, installed on site and connected to the electricity grid in a short time, significantly reducing the financial burden of the investment. This publication, which is the outcome of a technical meeting, presents a detailed overview of the different concepts of fast SMRs and highlights the technological, economic and safety potential of these reactors and the associated innovative systems. Although it is mainly focused on innovative reactor solutions aimed to increase safety and simplicity of design, the parameters that contribute to the final cost of the plant are also considered.

This publication provides guidance to States and their competent authorities on how to implement and maintain a physical protection regime for transport of nuclear material. It will also be useful to shippers or carriers in the design and implementation of their physical protection systems. The publication builds upon IAEA Nuclear Security Series No. 13, Nuclear Security Recommendations on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities (INFCIRC/225/Revision 5), and provides additional guidance on how to implement these recommendations in practice.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous explosions in the universe, which within seconds release energy comparable to what the Sun releases in its entire lifetime. The field of GRBs has developed rapidly and matured over the past decades. Written by a leading researcher, this text presents a thorough treatment of every aspect of the physics of GRBs. It starts with an overview of the field and an introduction to GRB phenomenology. After laying out the basics of relativity, relativistic shocks, and leptonic and hadronic radiation processes, the volume covers all topics related to GRBs, including a general theoretical framework, afterglow and prompt emission models, progenitor, central engine, multi-messenger aspects (cosmic rays, neutrinos, and gravitational waves), cosmological connections, and broader impacts on fundamental physics and astrobiology. It is suitable for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and experienced researchers in the field of GRBs and high-energy astrophysics in general.

The dielectric properties especially of glassy materials are nowadays explored at widely varying temperatures and pressures without any gap in the spectral range from Hz up to the Infrared, thus covering typically 20 decades or more. This extraordinary span enables to trace the scaling and the mutual interactions of relaxation processes in detail, e.g. the dynamic glass transition and secondary relaxations, but as well far infrared vibrations, like the Boson peak. Additionally the evolution of intra-molecular interactions in the course of the dynamic glass transition is also well explored by (Fourier Transform) Infrared Spectroscopy. This volume within 'Advances in Dielectrics' summarizes this knowledge and discusses it with respect to the existing and often competing theoretical concepts.

This monograph presents fundamental aspects of modern spectral and other computational methods, which are not generally taught in traditional courses. It emphasizes concepts as errors, convergence, stability, order and efficiency applied to the solution of physical problems. The spectral methods consist in expanding the function to be calculated into a set of appropriate basis functions (generally orthogonal polynomials) and the respective expansion coefficients are obtained via collocation equations. The main advantage of these methods is that they simultaneously take into account all available information, rather only the information available at a limited number of mesh points. They require more complicated matrix equations than those obtained in finite difference methods. However, the elegance, speed, and accuracy of the spectral methods more than compensates for any such drawbacks. During the course of the monograph, the authors examine the usually rapid convergence of the spectral expansions and the improved accuracy that results when nonequispaced support points are used, in contrast to the equispaced points used in finite difference methods. In particular, they demonstrate the enhanced accuracy obtained in the solutionof integral equations. The monograph includes an informative introduction to old and new computational methods with numerous practical examples, while at the same time pointing out the errors that each of the available algorithms introduces into the specific solution. It is a valuable resource for undergraduate students as an introduction to the field and for graduate students wishing to compare the available computational methods. In addition, the work develops the criteria required for students to select the most suitable method to solve the particular scientific problem that they are confronting.

An up-to-date text, covering the concept of incomplete fusion (ICF) in heavy ion (HI) interactions at energies below 10 MeV/ nucleon. Important concepts including the exciton model, the Harp Miller and Berne model, Hybrid model, Sum rule model, Hot spot model and promptly emitted particles model are covered in depth. It studies the ICF and PE-emission in heavy ion reactions at low energies using off-beam and in-beam experimental techniques. Theories of complete fusion (CF) of heavy ions based on Compound Nucleus (CN) mechanism of statistical nuclear reactions, details of the Computer code PACE4 based on CN mechanism, pre-equilibrium (PE) emission, modeling of (ICF) and their limits of application are discussed in detail.

Beautifully illustrated and engagingly written, Twelve Lectures in Quantum Mechanics presents theoretical physics with a breathtaking array of examples and anecdotes. Basdevant's style is clear and stimulating, in the manner of a brisk lecture that can be followed with ease and enjoyment. Here is a sample of the book's style, from the opening of Chapter 1: "If one were to ask a passer-by to quote a great formula of physics, chances are that the answer would be 'E = mc2'.... There is no way around it: all physics is quantum, from elementary particles, to stellar physics and the Big Bang, not to mention semiconductors and solar cells."

This book covers the principles and practices behind the Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF) approach to driven new source of energy. All possible technical methods, including well established theoretical research, as well as findings tested in an experimental tokamak reactor, are examined in order to determine how to best achieve breakeven via this pathway to plasma-driven fusion. The author undertakes a life cycle analysis to compare and contrast the efficiency, environmental impacts, and operating costs of plasma-driven MCF fusion against other forms of energy generation currently in widespread use. The associated computer code and numerical analysis are included in the book. No prior knowledge of MCF and no more than basic background in plasma physics is required.

Rising operating costs and increased competition have focused attention on the need to improve thermal performance in nuclear power plants (NPPs), to ensure efficient electricity generation. Efforts to improve thermal performance require a broad understanding of NPP design, operation, maintenance, ambient conditions, and thermal sciences. This publication provides various methodologies for tracking and trending NPP thermal performance. It describes the essential elements of a thermal performance programme, providing guidelines on the design of the balance of the plant systems for new build NPPs and improvements to an existing programme for operating NPPs.

Recent work has begun to elucidate at the molecular level how albumin is handled by the kidney and how albuminuria develops in various proteinuric diseases including minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the renal handling of albumin - from basic mechanisms to the pathophysiology of proteinuric diseases. In describing the basic mechanisms of albuminuria, a particular highlight will be the focus on advanced imaging techniques such as intravital microscopy that have allowed a detailed "window" into albumin transit through the kidney. The volume will cover the epidemiological studies which show that albuminuria is a strong and independent marker of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular events, the molecular details of albumin handling in the kidney at the level of the glomerulus and the proximal tubule and the pathophysiology of proteinuric diseases including minimal change disease, membranous nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy.

This monograph traces the development of our understanding of how and where energetic particles are accelerated in the heliosphere and how they may reach the Earth. Detailed data sets are presented which address these topics. The bulk of the observations are from spacecraft in or near the ecliptic plane. It is timely to present this subject now that Voyager-1 has entered the true interstellar medium. Since it seems unlikely that there will be a follow-on to the Voyager programme any time soon, the data we already have regarding the outer heliosphere are not going to be enhanced for at least 40 years.

This book describes the interaction of living matter with photons, neutrons, charged particles, electrons and ions. The authors are specialists in the field of radiation protection. The book synthesizes many years of experiments with external radiation exposure in the fields of dosimetry and radiation shielding in medical, industrial and research fields. It presents the basic physical concepts including dosimetry and offers a number of tools to be used by students, engineers and technicians to assess the radiological risk and the means to avoid them by calculating the appropriate shields. The theory of radiation interaction in matter is presented together with empirical formulas and abacus. Numerous numerical applications are treated to illustrate the different topics. The state of the art in radiation protection and dosimetry is presented in detail, especially in the field of simulation codes for external exposure to radiation, medical projects and advanced research. Moreover, important data spread in different up to date references are presented in this book. The book deals also with accelerators, X-rays facilities, sealed sources, dosimetry, Monte Carlo simulation and radiation regulation. Each chapter is split in two parts depending on the level of details the readers want to focus on. The first part, accessible to a large public, provides a lot of simple examples to help understanding the physics concepts under radiation external exposure. The second part, called "Additional Information" is not mandatory; it aims on explaining topics more deeply, often using mathematical formulations. The book treats fundamental radiometric and dosimetric quantities to describe the interaction in materials under the aspects of absorbed dose processes in tissues. Definitions and applications on limited and operational radiation protection quantities are given. An important aspect are practical engineering tools in industrial, medical and research domains. Source characterization and shielding design are addressed. Also more "exotic" topics, such as ultra intense laser and new generation accelerators, are treated. The state of the art is presented to help the reader to work with the book in a self-consistent way. The basic knowledge necessary to apply Monte Carlo methods in the field of radiation protection and dosimetry for external radiation exposure is provided. Coverage of topics such as variance reduction, pseudo-random number generation and statistic estimators make the book useful even to experienced Monte Carlo practitioners. Solved problems help the reader to understand the Monte Carlo process. The book is meant to be used by researchers, engineers and medical physicist. It is also valuable to technicians and students.