This book provides comprehensive coverage of the most recent progress and developments in the field of magnetic nanoparticles, with special emphasis on new materials design approaches for magnetic nanoarchitectures, advanced characterization techniques, and a wide range of applications areas including permanent magnets, biomedicine, and life sciences. The book also features an exhaustive section on fundamentals, covering single particle effects, surface effects, and interparticle interactions. The book delivers a strong focus throughout on the multidisciplinarity of the subject spanning physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, medicine, and environmental science. This forward-looking contributed volume highlights future perspectives and areas of emerging research, and will be of great interest to advanced undergraduates, as well as researchers in academia and industry.

This book deals with the electro-chemo-mechanical properties characteristic of and unique to solid electrode surfaces, covering interfacial electrochemistry and surface science. Electrochemical reactions such as electro-sorption, electro-deposition or film growth on a solid electrode induce changes in surface stress or film stress that lead to transformation of the surface phase or alteration of the surface film. The properties of solid electrode surfaces associated with the correlation between electrochemical and mechanical phenomena are named "electro-chemo-mechanical properties". The book first derives the surface thermodynamics of solid electrodes as fundamentals for understanding the electro-chemo-mechanical properties. It also explains the powerful techniques for investigating the electro-chemo-mechanical properties, and reviews the arguments for derivation of surface thermodynamics of solid electrodes. Further, based on current experimental findings and theories, it discusses the importance of the contribution of surface stress to the transformation of surface phases, such as surface reconstruction and underpotential deposition in addition to the stress evolution during film growth and film reduction. Moreover, the book describes the nano-mechanical properties of solid surfaces measured by nano-indentation in relation to the electro-chemo-mechanical properties. This book makes a significant contribution to the further development of numerous fields, including electrocatalysis, materials science and corrosion science.

This book highlights numerical models as powerful tools for the optimal design of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS). Most MEMS experts have a background in electronics, where circuit models or behavioral models (i.e. lumped-parameter models) of devices are preferred to field models. This is certainly convenient in terms of preliminary design, e.g. in the prototyping stage. However, design optimization should also take into account fine-sizing effects on device behavior and therefore be based on distributed-parameter models, such as finite-element models. The book shows how the combination of automated optimal design and field-based models can produce powerful design toolboxes for MEMS. It especially focuses on illustrating theoretical concepts with practical examples, fostering comprehension through a problem-solving approach. By comparing the results obtained using different methods, readers will learn to identify their respective strengths and weaknesses. In addition, special emphasis is given to evolutionary computing and nature-inspired optimization strategies, the effectiveness of which has already been amply demonstrated. Given its scope, the book provides PhD students, researchers and professionals in the area of computer-aided analysis with a comprehensive, yet concise and practice-oriented guide to MEMS design and optimization. To benefit most from the book, readers should have a basic grasp of electromagnetism, vector analysis and numerical methods.

This volume gathers the proceedings of the Joint International Conference of the XIII International Conference on Mechanisms and Mechanical Transmissions (MTM) and the XXIV International Conference on Robotics (Robotics), held in Timisoara, Romania. It addresses the applications of mechanisms and transmissions in several modern technical fields such as mechatronics, biomechanics, machines, micromachines, robotics and apparatus. In doing so, it combines theoretical findings and experimental testing. The book presents peer-reviewed papers written by researchers specialized in mechanism analysis and synthesis, dynamics of mechanisms and machines, mechanical transmissions, biomechanics, precision mechanics, mechatronics, micromechanisms and microactuators, computational and experimental methods, CAD in mechanism and machine design, mechanical design of robot architecture, parallel robots, mobile robots, micro and nano robots, sensors and actuators in robotics, intelligent control systems, biomedical engineering, teleoperation, haptics, and virtual reality.

Hermeticity of Electronic Packages is a book about the integrity of sealed packages to resist foreign gases and liquids penetrating the seal or an opening (crack) in the packageuespecially critical to the reliability and longevity of electronics. The author explains how to predict the reliability and the longevity of the packages based on leak rate measurements and the assumptions of impurities. Non-specialists in particular will benefit from the author's long involvement in the technology. Hermeticity is a subject that demands practical experience, and solving one problem does not necessarily give one the background to solve another. Thus, the book provides a ready reference to help deal with day to day issues as they arise. The book gathers in a single volume a great many issues previously available only in journalsuor only in the experience of working engineers. How to define the ""goodness"" of a seal? How is that seal measured? How does the integrity of the seal affect circuit reliability? What is the significance of the measured integrity of the seal? What is the relationship of Residual Gas Analysis and the seal integrity? The handbook answers these questions and more, providing an analysis of nearly 100 problems representative of the wide variety of challenges that actually occur in industry today.

This book gathers selected papers from the 16th UK Heat Transfer Conference (UKHTC2019), which is organised every two years under the aegis of the UK National Heat Transfer Committee. It is the premier forum in the UK for the local and international heat transfer community to meet, disseminate ongoing work, and discuss the latest advances in the heat transfer field. Given the range of topics discussed, these proceedings offer a valuable asset for engineering researchers and postgraduate students alike.

This book introduces readers to interfacial reactions in confinement on stimuli-responsive homopolymer and diblock copolymer films. It also includes investigations concerning the immobilization of (bio)molecules and the fabrication of biomolecular patterns by reactive microcontact printing on these reactive polymer films. In turn, the book takes advantage of the microphase separation of diblock copolymer films to study the fabrication of nanopatterns, which could contribute to the future development of a model system that allows us to area-selectively deposit and address (bio)molecules. Given its scope, the book broadens readers' perspective on the microfabrication of stimuli-responsive polymers.

This book includes selected, peer-reviewed contributions from the 2018 International Conference on "Physics and Mechanics of New Materials and Their Applications", PHENMA 2018, held in Busan, South Korea, 9-11 August 2018. Focusing on manufacturing techniques, physics, mechanics, and applications of modern materials with special properties, it covers a broad spectrum of nanomaterials and structures, ferroelectrics and ferromagnetics, and other advanced materials and composites. The authors discuss approaches and methods in nanotechnology; newly developed, environmentally friendly piezoelectric techniques; and physical and mechanical studies of the microstructural and other properties of materials. Further, the book presents a range of original theoretical, experimental and computational methods and their application in the solution of various technological, mechanical and physical problems. Moreover, it highlights modern devices demonstrating high accuracy, longevity and the ability to operate over wide temperature and pressure ranges or in aggressive media. The developed devices show improved characteristics due to the use of advanced materials and composites, opening new horizons in the investigation of a variety of physical and mechanical processes and phenomena.

This book highlights a novel and holistic approach to multiscaled PVA bionanocomposite films used for electrical sensing, medical and packaging applications. With a combination of material characterization and modeling to understand the effect of nanoparticle size and shape, as well as 3D interphase properties and features such as interphase modulus and nanoscale dimensions, this book substantiates how excellent mechanical and thermal properties of these materials are achieved. Also it addresses the importance of using economical and ecofriendly bionanocomposites as potential green materials to support the goal of environmental sustainability with multifunctional properties.

This book compiles the fundamentals, applications and viable product strategies of biomimetic lipid membranes into a single, comprehensive source. It broadens its perspective to interdisciplinary realms incorporating medicine, biology, physics, chemistry, materials science, as well as engineering and pharmacy at large. The book guides readers from membrane structure and models to biophysical chemistry and functionalization of membrane surfaces. It then takes the reader through a myriad of surface-sensitive techniques before delving into cutting-edge applications that could help inspire new research directions. With more than half the world's drugs and various toxins targeting these crucial structures, the book addresses a topic of major importance in the field of medicine, particularly biosensor design, diagnostic tool development, vaccine formulation, micro/nano-array systems, and drug screening/development. Provides fundamental knowledge on biomimetic lipid membranes; Addresses some of biomimetic membrane types, preparation methods, properties and characterization techniques; Explains state-of-art technological developments that incorporate microfluidic systems, array technologies, lab-on-a-chip-tools, biosensing, and bioprinting techniques; Describes the integration of biomimetic membranes with current top-notch tools and platforms; Examines applications in medicine, pharmaceutical industry, and environmental monitoring.

This thesis demonstrates a technology that enables pipetting-free high-throughput screening (HTS) on a miniaturized platform, eliminating the need for thousands of one-by-one pipetting and conventional liquid handling systems. This platform enhances accessibility to HTS and enables HTS to be used in small-to-medium scale laboratories. In addition, it allows large-scale combinatorial screening with a small number of valuable cells, such as patients' primary cancer cells. This technique will have a high impact for widespread use of HTS in the era of personalized medicine. In this thesis, the author firstly describes the need and concept of 'partipetting' for pipetting-free HTS platform. It is realized by the one-step pipetting and self-assembly of encoded drug-laden microparticles (DLPs) on the microwells. Next, the technical implementations required for the platform demonstration are described. It includes preparation of encoded DLPs, plastic chip fabrication, and realization of automated system. Lastly, screening of sequential drug combinations using this platform is demonstrated. This shows the potential of the proposed technology for various applications.

This book gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of multibody and mechatronic systems. Topics addressed include the analysis and synthesis of mechanisms; dynamics of multibody systems; design algorithms for mechatronic systems; robots and micromachines; experimental validations; theory of mechatronic simulation; mechatronic systems for rehabilitation and assistive technologies; mechatronic systems for energy harvesting; virtual reality integration in multibody and mechatronic systems; multibody design in robotic systems; and control of mechatronic systems. The contents reflect the outcomes of the 7th International Symposium on Multibody Systems and Mechatronics (7th MuSMe) in 2020, within the framework of the FEIbIM Commission for Robotics and Mechanisms and IFToMM Technical Committees for Multibody Dynamics and for Robotics and Mechatronics.

This book highlights recent advances in thin-film photonics, particularly as building blocks of metamaterials and metasurfaces. Recent advances in nanophotonics has demonstrated remarkable control over the electromagnetic field by tailoring the optical properties of materials at the subwavelength scale which results in the emergence of metamaterials and metasurfaces. However, most of the proposed platforms require intense lithography which makes them of minor practical relevance. Stacked ultrathin-films of dielectrics, semi-conductors, and metals are introduced as an alternative platform that perform unique or similar functionalities. This book discusses the new era of thin film photonics and its potential applications in perfect and selective light absorption, structural coloring, biosensing, enhanced spontaneous emission, reconfigurable photonic devices and super lensing.

This book covers the recent developments in the production of micro and nano size products, which cater to the needs of the industry. The processes to produce the miniature sized products with unique characteristics are addressed. Moreover, their application in areas such as micro-engines, micro-heat exchangers, micro-pumps, micro-channels, printing heads and medical implants are also highlighted. The book presents such microsystem-based products as important contributors to a sustainable economy. The recent research in this book focuses on the development of new micro and nano manufacturing platforms while integrating the different technologies to manufacture the micro and nano components in a high throughput and cost effective manner. The chapters contain original theoretical and applied research in the areas of micro- and nano-manufacturing that are related to process innovation, accuracy, and precision, throughput enhancement, material utilization, compact equipment development, environmental and life-cycle analysis, and predictive modeling of manufacturing processes with feature sizes less than one hundred micrometers.

This book highlights some of the latest advances in nanotechnology and nanomaterials from leading researchers in Ukraine, Europe and beyond. It features contributions presented at the 7th International Science and Practice Conference Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials (NANO2019), which was held on August 27-30, 2019 at Lviv Polytechnic National University, and was jointly organized by the Institute of Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, University of Tartu (Estonia), University of Turin (Italy), and Pierre and Marie Curie University (France). Internationally recognized experts from a wide range of universities and research institutions share their knowledge and key findings on material properties, behavior, and synthesis. This book's companion volume also addresses topics such as nano-optics, energy storage, and biomedical applications.

This book discusses various challenges and solutions in the fields of operation, control, design, monitoring and protection of microgrids, and facilitates the integration of renewable energy and distribution systems through localization of generation, storage and consumption. It covers five major topics relating to microgrid i.e., operation, control, design, monitoring and protection. The book is primarily intended for electric power and control engineering researchers who are seeking factual information, but also appeals to professionals from other engineering disciplines wanting an overview of the entire field or specific information on one aspect of it. Featuring practical case studies and demonstrating different root causes of large power failures, it helps readers develop new concepts for mitigating blackout issues. This book is a comprehensive reference resource for graduate and postgraduate students, academic researchers, and practicing engineers working in the fields of power system and microgrid.

This book presents the latest advances and future trends in electron and phonon spectrometrics, focusing on combined techniques using electron emissions, electron diffraction, and phonon absorption and reflection spectrometrics from a substance under various perturbations to obtain new information on bond-electron-phonon dynamics. Discussing the principles of the bond order-length-strength (BOLS) correlation, nonbonding electron polarization (NEP), local bond average (LBA), and multi-field lattice oscillation dynamics for systems under perturbation, the book covers topics like differential photoelectron/phonon spectrometrics (DPS), which distils transition of the length, energy, stiffness and the fraction of bonds upon chemical or physical conditioning; and the derived performance of electrons in various bands in terms of quantum entrapment and polarization. This book appeals to researchers, scientists and engineers in the fields of chemistry, physics, surface and interface science, and materials science and engineering who are interested in electron and phonon spectrometrics.

This book presents the basics and methods of nanoscale analytical techniques for tribology field. It gives guidance to the application of mechanical, microstructural, chemical characterization methods and topography analysis of materials. It provides an overview of the of state-of-the-art for researchers and practitioners in the field of tribology. It shows different examples to the application of mechanical, microstructural, chemical characterization methods and topography analysis of materials. Friction and Wear phenomena are governed by complexe processes at the interface of sliding surfaces. For a detailed understanding of these phenomena many surface sensitive techniques have become available in recent years. The applied methods are atom probe tomography, in situ TEM, SERS, NEXAFS, in situ XPS, nanoindentation and in situ Raman spectroscopy. A survey of new related numerical calculations completes this book. This concerns ab-initio coupling, numerical calculations for mechanical aspects and density functional theory (DFT) to study chemical reactivity.

'A fascinating journey into our relationship with the physical book...I lost count of the times I exclaimed with delight when I read a nugget of information I hadn't encountered before' Val McDermid, The Times Most of what we say about books is really about the words inside them: the rosy nostalgic glow for childhood reading, the lifetime companionship of a much-loved novel. But books are things as well as words, objects in our lives as well as worlds in our heads. And just as we crack their spines, loosen their leaves and write in their margins, so they disrupt and disorder us in turn. All books are, as Stephen King put it, 'a uniquely portable magic'. Here, Emma Smith shows us why. Portable Magic unfurls an exciting and iconoclastic new story of the book in human hands, exploring when, why and how it acquired its particular hold over us. Gathering together a millennium's worth of pivotal encounters with volumes big and small, Smith reveals that, as much as their contents, it is books' physical form - their 'bookhood' - that lends them their distinctive and sometimes dangerous magic. From the Diamond Sutra to Jilly Cooper's Riders, to a book made of wrapped slices of cheese, this composite artisanal object has, for centuries, embodied and extended relationships between readers, nations, ideologies and cultures, in significant and unpredictable ways. Exploring the unexpected and unseen consequences of our love affair with books, Portable Magic hails the rise of the mass-market paperback, and dismantles the myth that print began with Gutenberg; it reveals how our reading habits have been shaped by American soldiers, and proposes new definitions of a 'classic'-and even of the book itself. Ultimately, it illuminates the ways in which our relationship with the written word is more reciprocal - and more turbulent - than we tend to imagine.

This book gathers the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Mechanical Engineering and Applied Composite Materials (MEACM), held in Beijing, China on October 24-25, 2020. The conference brought together researchers from several countries and covered all major areas of mechanical engineering and applied composite materials, new applications and current trends. The topics covered include: structure and design, mechanical manufacturing and automation, robotics and mechatronics, mechanical behavior of nanomaterials, nanocomposites, and composite mechanics. Given its scope, the book offers a source of information and inspiration for researchers seeking to improve their work and gather new ideas for future developments.

This book presents research dedicated to solving scientific and technological problems in many areas of electronics, photonics and renewable energy. Energy and information are interconnected and are essential elements for the development of human society. Transmission, processing and storage of information requires energy consumption, while the efficient use and access to new energy sources requires new information (ideas and expertise) and the design of novel systems such as photovoltaic devices, fuel cells and batteries. Semiconductor physics creates the knowledge base for the development of information (computers, cell phones, etc.) and energy (photovoltaic) technologies. The exchange of ideas and expertise between these two technologies is critical and expands beyond semiconductors. Continued progress in information and renewable energy technologies requires miniaturization of devices and reduction of costs, energy and material consumption. The latest generation of electronic devices is now approaching nanometer scale dimensions, new materials are being introduced into electronics manufacturing at an unprecedented rate, and alternative technologies to mainstream CMOS are evolving. Nanotechnology is widely accepted as a source of potential solutions in securing future progress for information and energy technologies. Semiconductor Nanotechnology features chapters that cover the following areas: atomic scale materials design, bio- and molecular electronics, high frequency electronics, fabrication of nanodevices, magnetic materials and spintronics, materials and processes for integrated and subwave optoelectronics, nanoCMOS, new materials for FETs and other devices, nanoelectronics system architecture, nano optics and lasers, non-silicon materials and devices, chemical and biosensors, quantum effects in devices, nano science and technology applications in the development of novel solar energy devices, and fuel cells and batteries.

Written by the inventors and leading experts of this new field, the book results from the International Symposium on "Atomic Switch: Invention, Practical use and Future Prospects" which took place in Tsukuba, Japan on March 27th - 28th, 2017. The book chapters cover the different trends from the science and technology of atomic switches to their applications like brain-type information processing, artificial intelligence (AI) and completely novel functional electronic nanodevices. The current practical uses of the atomic switch are also described. As compared with the conventional semiconductor transistor switch, the atomic switch is more compact (~1/10) with much lower power consumption (~1/10) and scarcely influenced by strong electromagnetic noise and radiation including cosmic rays in space (~1/100). As such, this book is of interest to researchers, scholars and students willing to explore new materials, to refine the nanofabrication methods and to explore new and efficient device architectures.

The extended and revised edition of this textbook provides essential information for a comprehensive upper-level graduate course on the crystalline growth of semiconductor heterostructures. Heteroepitaxy is the basis of today's advanced electronic and optoelectronic devices, and it is considered one of the most important fields in materials research and nanotechnology. The book discusses the structural and electronic properties of strained epitaxial layers, the thermodynamics and kinetics of layer growth, and it describes the major growth techniques: metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy, molecular-beam epitaxy, and liquid-phase epitaxy. It also examines in detail cubic and hexagonal semiconductors, strain relaxation by misfit dislocations, strain and confinement effects on electronic states, surface structures, and processes during nucleation and growth. Requiring only minimal knowledge of solid-state physics, it provides natural sciences, materials science and electrical engineering students and their lecturers elementary introductions to the theory and practice of epitaxial growth, supported by references and over 300 detailed illustrations. In this second edition, many topics have been extended and treated in more detail, e.g. in situ growth monitoring, application of surfactants, properties of dislocations and defects in organic crystals, and special growth techniques like vapor-liquid-solid growth of nanowires and selective-area epitaxy.

Plant Nanobionics, Volume 2 continues the important discussion of nanotechnology in plants, but focuses with a focus on biosynthesis and toxicity. This book discusses novel approaches to biosynthesis of nanoparticles for the increase of plant production systems, controlled release of agrochemicals and management of plant biotic stress. Green biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles from bee propolis, artificial photosynthesis and hybrid structures are presented. Although engineered nanoparticles have great potential for solving many agricultural and societal problems, their consequences on the ecosystems and environment must be responsibly considered. This volume aims to contribute to the limited literature on this topic through its comprehensive examination of nanoparticle toxicity on plants, microbes and human health. Environmental risks with recent data are discussed as well as risks associated with the transfer of nanoparticles through the food chain. This volume highlights the study of a mechanistic approach and the study of nanoparticles towards nanobionics. The application of polymeric materials for smart packing in the food industry and agriculture sector as well as the future of nanomaterials in detecting soil microbes for environmental remediation are also included.

This book presents a picture of the advances in the research of theoretical and practical frameworks of wastewater problems and solutions. The book deals with a basic concept and principles of modern biological, chemical and technical approaches to remediate various hazardous pollutants from wastewater. The latest empirical research findings in wastewater treatment are comprehensively discussed. Examples of low-cost technologies are also included.The book is written for professionals, researchers, academics and students wanting to improve their understanding of the strategic role of environmental protection and advanced applied technologies.