This book offers readers cutting-edge research at the interface of polymer science and engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science, and biology. State-of-the-art developments in microscale technologies for cell engineering applications are covered, including technologies relevant to both pluripotent and adult stem cells, the immune system, and somatic cells of the animal and human origin. This book bridges the gap in the understanding of engineering biology at multiple length scale, including microenvironmental control, bioprocessing, and tissue engineering in the areas of cardiac, cartilage, skeletal, and vascular tissues, among others. This book also discusses unique, emerging areas of micropatterning and three-dimensional printing models of cellular engineering, and contributes to the better understanding of the role of biophysical factors in determining the cell fate. Microscale Technologies for Cell Engineering is valuable for bioengineers, biomaterial scientists, tissue engineers, clinicians, immunoengineers, immunologists and stem cell biologists, as it offers a review of the current cutting-edge cell engineering research at multiple length scale and will be valuable in developing new strategies for efficient scale-up and clinical translation.

Authored by the developer of dressed photon science and technology as well as nanophotonics, this book outlines concepts of the subject using a novel theoretical framework that differs from conventional wave optics. It provides a quantum theoretical description of optical near fields and related problems that puts matter excitation such as electronic and vibrational ones on an equal footing with photons. By this description, optical near fields are interpreted as quasi-particles and named dressed photons which carry the material excitation energy in a nanometric space. The author then explores novel nanophotonic devices, fabrications, and energy conversion based on the theoretical picture of dressed photons. Further, this book looks at how the assembly of nanophotonic devices produces information and communication systems. Dressed photon science and technology is on its way to revolutionizing various applications in devices, fabrications, and systems. Promoting further exploration in the field, this book presents physically intuitive concepts, theories, and technical details for students, engineers, and scientists engaged in research and development in dressed photon science and technology as well as nanophotonics.

The book describes first the principle photon generation processes from nuclear reactions, electron motion and from discrete quantum transitions. It then focuses on the use of photons in various selected fields of modern natural and life sciences. It bridges disciplines such as physics, chemistry, earth- and materials science, proteomics, information technology, photoelectrochemistry, photosynthesis and spintronics. Advanced light sources and their use in natural and life sciences are emphasized and the effects related to the quantum nature of photons (quantum computing, teleportation) are described. The content encompasses among many other examples the role of photons on the origin of life and on homochirality in biology, femtosecond laser slicing, photothermal cancer therapy, the use of gamma rays in materials science, photoelectrochemical surface conditioning, quantum information aspects and photo-spintronics. The book is written for scientists and graduate students from all related disciplines who are interested in the science beyond their immediate research field. It is meant to encourage interdisciplinary research and development in an age where nanoscience results in a convergence of formerly more disparate science.

UK Colloids 2011 - the first multi-day conference on the topic of colloid science held in the UK for many years, jointly organized by the RSC Colloid and Interface Science Group and the SCI Colloid and Surface Science Group. The conference had over 250 delegates, from all across the world - good representation from Japan, China, Australia, USA, France, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Spain, Poland, Georgia - as well as a substantial number of UK based researchers. This Special Issue of "Progress in Colloid and Polymer Science" collects together a selection of 20 papers, mostly presented during the Conference. The papers included cover the wide variety of topics from fundamentals in colloid and interface science to industrial applications. The current Special Issue also reflects the international character of the Conference.

Twenty-eight years after its first publication, the best-selling Watchmaking continues to inspire and encourage the art of watchmaking, especially among new generations of enthusiasts. As a supreme master of his art, George Daniels' advice is constantly sought by both students and watch repairers, his understanding of the problems that can beset the would-be watchmaker, especially in an age of mass production, and his expert knowledge of the history of watchmaking being second to none. Here, the making of the precision timekeeper is described step-by-step and illustrated at each stage with line drawings and brief explanatory captions. The text is easy to follow and care has been taken to avoid complicated technical descriptions. As Daniels is particularly interested in the development of the escapement - many are described in this book, several of his own design - the reader is encouraged to explore this aspect of watchmaking in even greater detail. This classic handbook still remains indispensable to generations of watchmakers and repairers, and also provides a fascinating insight to the enthusiast and watch-collector who, until its publication, had rarely been able to admire the superb craftsmanship of a fine watch without understanding how it works.

This book presents cutting-edge research on a wide range of nanotechnology techniques and applications. It features contributions from scientists who participated in the International Summer School "Nanotechnology: From Fundamental Research to Innovations" in Bukovel, Ukraine on August 26 - September 2, 2012 funded by the European Commission FP7 project Nanotwinning implemented by the Institute of Physics of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and partner institutions: University of Tartu (Estonia), European Profiles A.E. (Greece), University of Turin (Italy) and Universite Pierre et Marie Curie (France). Worldwide experts present the latest results on such key topics as microscopy of nanostructures; nanocomposites; nanostructured interfaces and surfaces; nanooptics; nanoplasmonics; and enhanced vibrational spectroscopy. Imaging technique coverage ranges from atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy, multiphoton imagery, and laser diagnostics of nanomaterials and nanostructures, to resonance Raman and SERS for surface characterization, and scanning tunneling microscopy of organic molecules. The breadth of topics highlights the exciting variety of research currently being undertaken in this field and suggests new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and future research.

This book contains a selection of papers presented at the First National Conference on Sensors held in Rome 15-17 February 2011. The conference highlighted state-of-the-art results from both theoretical and applied research in the field of sensors and related technologies. This book presents material in an interdisciplinary approach, covering many aspects of the disciplines related to sensors, including physics, chemistry, materials science, biology and applications. * Provides a selection of the best papers from the First Italian National Conference on Sensors; * Covers a broad range of topics relating to sensors and microsystems, including physics, chemistry, materials science, biology and applications; * Offers interdisciplinary coverage, aimed at defining a common ground for sensors beyond the specific differences among the different particular implementation of sensors.

Colloidal nanocrystals show much promise as an optoelectronics architecture due to facile control over electronic properties afforded by chemical control of size, shape, and heterostructure. Unfortunately, realizing practical devices has been forestalled by the ubiquitous presence of charge "trap" states which compete with band-edge excitons and result in limited device efficiencies. Little is known about the defining characteristics of these traps, making engineered strategies for their removal difficult. This thesis outlines pulsed optically detected magnetic resonance as a powerful spectroscopy of the chemical and electronic nature of these deleterious states. Counterintuitive for such heavy atom materials, some trap species possess very long spin coherence lifetimes (up to 1.6 s). This quality allows use of the trapped charge's magnetic moment as a local probe of the trap state itself and its local environment. Beyond state characterization, this spectroscopy can demonstrate novel effects in heterostructured nanocrystals, such as spatially-remote readout of spin information and the coherent control of light harvesting yield.

Polycrystalline SiGe has emerged as a promising MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) structural material since it provides the desired mechanical properties at lower temperatures compared to poly-Si, allowing the direct post-processing on top of CMOS. This CMOS-MEMS monolithic integration can lead to more compact MEMS with improved performance. The potential of poly-SiGe for MEMS above-aluminum-backend CMOS integration has already been demonstrated. However, aggressive interconnect scaling has led to the replacement of the traditional aluminum metallization by copper (Cu) metallization, due to its lower resistivity and improved reliability. Poly-SiGe for MEMS-above-CMOS sensors demonstrates the compatibility of poly-SiGe with post-processing above the advanced CMOS technology nodes through the successful fabrication of an integrated poly-SiGe piezoresistive pressure sensor, directly fabricated above 0.13 m Cu-backend CMOS. Furthermore, this book presents the first detailed investigation on the influence of deposition conditions, germanium content and doping concentration on the electrical and piezoresistive properties of boron-doped poly-SiGe. The development of a CMOS-compatible process flow, with special attention to the sealing method, is also described. Piezoresistive pressure sensors with different areas and piezoresistor designs were fabricated and tested. Together with the piezoresistive pressure sensors, also functional capacitive pressure sensors were successfully fabricated on the same wafer, proving the versatility of poly-SiGe for MEMS sensor applications. Finally, a detailed analysis of the MEMS processing impact on the underlying CMOS circuit is also presented.

This book presents a multifunctional approach to the design of bulk nanostructured metals through severe plastic deformation (SPD). Materials engineering has traditionally involved selecting a suitable material for a given application. However, modern engineering frequently requires materials with a set of multifunctional, often conflicting properties: Enhanced mechanical properties need to be combined with improved physical (electrical, magnetic, etc.) and/or chemical (corrosion resistance, biocompatibility) properties. So disparate materials properties need to be engineered and optimized simultaneously. These requirements have created a paradigm shift in which the classical materials selection approach is replaced by design of material microstructures to achieve certain performance requirements, subject to constraints on individual properties such as strength, conductivity, and corrosion resistance. Written by researchers at the forefront of this new materials design approach, the present volume provides a comprehensive introduction to multifunctional design of bulk nanostructured materials, with applications ranging from hydrogen storage to construction engineering.

This book covers the physical properties of nanosized ferroics, also called nanoferroics. Nanoferroics are an important class of ceramic materials that substitute conventional ceramic ferroics in modern electronic devices. They include ferroelectric, ferroelastic, magnetic and multiferroic nanostructured materials. The phase transitions and properties of these nanostructured ferroics are strongly affected by the geometric confinement originating from surfaces and interfaces. As a consequence, these materials exhibit a behavior different from the corresponding bulk crystalline, ceramic and powder ferroics. This monograph offers comprehensive coverage of size- and shape-dependent effects at the nanoscale; the specific properties that these materials have been shown to exhibit; the theoretical approaches that have been successful in describing the size-dependent effects observed experimentally; and the technological aspects of many chemical and physico-chemical nanofabrication methods relevant to making nanoferroic materials and composites. The book will be of interest to an audience of condensed matter physicists, material scientists and engineers, working on ferroic nanostructured materials, their fundamentals, fabrication and device applications.

Inorganic nanoparticles are among the most investigated objects nowadays, both in fundamental science and in various technical applications. In this book the physical properties of nanowires formed by nanoparticles with elongated shape, i.e. rod-like or wire-like, are described. The transition in the physical properties is analyzed for nanorods and nanowires consisting of spherical and rod-like nanoparticles. The physical properties of nanowires and elongated inorganic nanoparticles are reviewed too. The optical, electrical, magnetic, mechanical and catalytic properties of nanowires consisting of semiconductors, noble and various other metals, metal oxides properties and metal alloys are presented. The applications of nanorods and nanowires are discussed in the book.

The book provides accurate FDTD models for on-chip interconnects, covering most recent advancements in materials and design. Furthermore, depending on the geometry and physical configurations, different electrical equivalent models for CNT and GNR based interconnects are presented. Based on the electrical equivalent models the performance comparison among the Cu, CNT and GNR-based interconnects are also discussed in the book. The proposed models are validated with the HSPICE simulations. The book introduces the current research scenario in the modeling of on-chip interconnects. It presents the structure, properties, and characteristics of graphene based on-chip interconnects and the FDTD modeling of Cu based on-chip interconnects. The model considers the non-linear effects of CMOS driver as well as the transmission line effects of interconnect line that includes coupling capacitance and mutual inductance effects. In a more realistic manner, the proposed model includes the effect of width-dependent MFP of the MLGNR while taking into account the edge roughness.

The development of nanomaterials opens the possibility for new materials with outstanding properties compared to classical engineering materials. These materials can find applications in different fields such as medical treatment or structural mechanics. This monograph focuses on two major groups of nanomaterials, i.e.nanoparticels and nanocomposites. Nanopartices, for example in the form of hollow particles, allow for new possibilities in drug delivery. Different aspects of nanoparticles ranging from manufacturing to modeling and simulation are covered. Nanocomposite materials are formed by mixing two or more dissimilar materials at the nanoscale in order to control and develop new and improved structures and properties. The properties of nanocomposites depend not only on the individual components used but also on the morphology and the interfacial characteristics. Nanocomposite coatings and materials are one of the most exciting and fastest growing areas of research and novel properties being continuously developed which are previously unknown in the constituent materials. Thus, the second part of this monograph gives an overview on the latest developments in the area of composites and coatings based on nanomaterials.

Surface Engineering constitutes a variety of processes and sub processes. Each chapter of this work covers specific processes by experts working in the area. Included for each topic are tribological performances for each process as well as results of recent research. The reader also will benefit from in-depth studies of diffusion coatings, nanocomposite films for wear resistance, surfaces for biotribological applications, thin-film wear, tribology of thermal sprayed coatings, hardfacing, plating for tribology and high energy beam surface modifications. Material scientists as well as engineers working with surface engineering for tribology will be particularly interested in this work.

Micro Metal Forming, i. e. forming of parts and features with dimensions below 1 mm, is a young area of research in the wide field of metal forming technologies, expanding the limits for applying metal forming towards micro technology. The essential challenges arise from the reduced geometrical size and the increased lot size. In order to enable potential users to apply micro metal forming in production, information about the following topics are given: tribological behavior: friction between tool and work piece as well as tool wear mechanical behavior: strength and formability of the work piece material, durability of the work pieces size effects: basic description of effects occurring due to the fact, that the quantitative relation between different features changes with decreasing size process windows and limits for forming processes tool making methods numerical modeling of processes and process chains quality assurance and metrology All topics are discussed with respect to the questions relevant to micro metal forming. The description comprises information from actual research and the young history of this technology branch to be used by students, scientists and engineers in industry who already have a background in metal forming and like to expand their knowledge towards miniaturization. tribological behavior: friction between tool and work piece as well as tool wear mechanical behavior: strength and formability of the work piece material, durability of the work pieces size effects: basic description of effects occurring due to the fact, that the quantitative relation between different features changes with decreasing size process windows and limits for forming processes tool making methods numerical modeling of processes and process chains quality assurance and metrology All topics are discussed with respect to the questions relevant to micro metal forming. The description comprises information from actual research and the young history of this technology branch to be used by students, scientists and engineers in industry who already have a background in metal forming and like to expand their knowledge towards miniaturization.

The book consists of chapters based on selected papers of international conference "Power, Control and Optimization 2012", held in Las Vegas, USA. Readers can find interesting chapters discussing various topics from the field of power control, its distribution and related fields. Book discusses topics like energy consumption impacted by climate, mathematical modeling of the influence of thermal power plant on the aquatic environment, investigation of cost reduction in residential electricity bill using electric vehicle at peak times or allocation and size evaluation of distributed generation using ANN model and others. Chapter authors are to the best of our knowledge the originators or closely related to the originators of presented ideas and its applications. Hence, this book certainly is one of the few books discussing the benefit from intersection of those modern and fruitful scientific fields of research with very tight and deep impact on real life and industry. This book is devoted to the studies of common and related subjects in intensive research fields of power technologies. For these reasons, we believe that this book will be useful for scientists and engineers working in the above-mentioned fields of research and applications.

This is a richly imaginative study of machines for writing and reading at the end of the nineteenth century in America. Its aim is to explore writing and reading as culturally contingent experiences, and at the same time to broaden our view of the relationship between technology and textuality.
At the book's heart is the proposition that technologies of inscription are materialized theories of language. Whether they failed (like Thomas Edison's "electric pen") or succeeded (like typewriters), inscriptive technologies of the late nineteenth century were local, often competitive embodiments of the way people experienced writing and reading. Such a perspective cuts through the determinism of recent accounts while arguing for an interdisciplinary method for considering texts and textual production.
Starting with the cacophonous promotion of shorthand alphabets in postbellum America, the author investigates the assumptions--social, psychic, semiotic--that lie behind varying inscriptive practices. The "grooves" in the book's title are the delicate lines recorded and played by phonographs, and readers will find in these pages a surprising and complex genealogy of the phonograph, along with new readings of the history of the typewriter and of the earliest silent films. Modern categories of authorship, representation, and readerly consumption emerge here amid the un- or sub-literary interests of patent attorneys, would-be inventors, and record producers. Modern subjectivities emerge both in ongoing social constructions of literacy and in the unruly and seemingly unrelated practices of American spiritualism, "Coon" songs, and Rube Goldberg-type romanticism.
Just as digital networks and hypertext have today made us more aware of printed books as knowledge structures, the development and dissemination of the phonograph and typewriter coincided with a transformed awareness of oral and inscribed communication. It was an awareness at once influential in the development of consumer culture, literary and artistic experiences of modernity, and the disciplinary definition of the "human" sciences, such as linguistics, anthropology, and psychology. Recorded sound, typescripts, silent films, and other inscriptive media are memory devices, and in today's terms the author offers a critical theory of ROM and RAM for the century before computers.

This book represents the first comprehensive overview over amorphous nano-optical and nano-photonic systems. Nanophotonics is a burgeoning branch of optics that enables many applications by steering the mould of light on length scales smaller than the wavelength with devoted nanostructures. Amorphous nanophotonics exploits self-organization mechanisms based on bottom-up approaches to fabricate nanooptical systems. The resulting structures presented in the book are characterized by a deterministic unit cell with tailored geometries; but their spatial arrangement is not controlled. Instead of periodic, the structures appear either amorphous or random. The aim of this book is to discuss all aspects related to observable effects in amorphous nanophotonic material and aspects related to their design, fabrication, characterization and integration into applications. The book has an interdisciplinary nature with contributions from scientists in physics, chemistry and materials sciences and sheds light on the topic from many directions.

This book focuses the recent progress in nanophotonics technology to be used to develop novel nano-optical devices, fabrication technology, and advanced systems. It begins with a review of near-field excitation dynamics in molecules. Further topics include: wavelength up-converting a phonon-assisted excitation process with degenerate beams and non-degenerate beams in dye grains, a fabrication method of semiconductor quantum dots including self-assembly of InAs quantum dots based on the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode, single-nanotube spectroscopy and time-resolved spectroscopy for studying novel excitonic properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The striking features of ecxitons in the carbon nanotube, multiple-exciton states, and microfluidic and extended-nano fluidic techniques. These topics are reviewed by nine leading scientists. This overview is a variable resource for engineers and scientists working in the field of nanophotonics.

Micro and Nano Flow Systems for Bioanalysis addresses the latest developments in biomedical engineering at very small scales. It shows how organic systems require multi-scale understanding in the broadest sensewhether the approach is experimental or mathematical, and whether the physiological state is healthy or diseased. Micro-and nano-fluidics represent key areas of translational research in which state-of-the-art engineering processes and devices are applied to bedside monitoring and treatment. By applying conventional micro- and nano-engineering to complex organic solids, fluids, and their interactions, leading researchers from throughout the world describe methods and techniques with great potential for use in medicine and clinical practice. Coverage includes the seeming plethora of new, fine-scale optical methods for measuring blood flow as well as endothelial activation and interaction with tissue. Generic areas of modeling and bioelectronics are also considered. In keeping with the recurring theme of medicine and clinical practice, approximately half of the chapters focus on the specific application of micro- and nano- flow systems to the understanding and treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. This book developed from an Expert Overview Session on "Micro & Nano Flows in Medicine: the way ahead" at the 3rd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2011) held in Thessaloniki, Greece. Additional chapters were included to enhance the international, state-of-the-art coverage.

This book presents the state of the art technologies and solutions to tackle the critical challenges faced by the building and development of the WSN and ecological monitoring system but also potential impact on society at social, medical and technological level. This book is dedicated to Sensing systems for Sensors, Wireless Sensor Networks and Ecological Monitoring. The book aims at Master and PhD degree students, researchers, practitioners, especially WSN engineers involved with ecological monitoring. The book will provide an opportunity of a dedicated and a deep approach in order to improve their knowledge in this specific field.

Photophysics of Carbon Nanotubes Interfaced with Organic and Inorganic Materials describes physical, optical and spectroscopic properties of the emerging class of nanocomposites formed from carbon nanotubes (CNTs) interfacing with organic and inorganic materials. The three main chapters detail novel trends in photophysics related to the interaction of light with various carbon nanotube composites from relatively simple CNT/small molecule assemblies to complex hybrids such as CNT/Si and CNT/DNA nanostructures. The latest experimental results are followed up with detailed discussions and scientific and technological perspectives to provide a through coverage of major topics including: -Light harvesting, energy conversion, photoinduced charge separation and transport in CNT based nanohybrids -CNT/polymer composites exhibiting photoactuation; and -Optical spectroscopy and structure of CNT/DNA complexes. Including original data and a short review of recent research, Photophysics of Carbon Nanotubes Interfaced with Organic and Inorganic Materials makes this emerging field of photophysics and its applications available to academics and professionals working with carbon nanotube composites in fundamental and applied fields

This Brief highlights the search for strain gradients and geometrically necessary dislocations as a possible source of strength for two cases of deformation of materials at small scales: nanoindented single crystal copper and uniaxially compressed single crystal submicron gold pillars. When crystalline materials are mechanically deformed in small volumes, higher stresses are needed for plastic flow. This has been called the "Smaller is Stronger" phenomenon and has been widely observed. studies suggest that plasticity in one case is indeed controlled by the GNDs (strain gradient hardening), whereas in the other, plasticity is not controlled by strain gradients or sub-structure hardening, but rather by dislocation source starvation, wherein smaller volumes are stronger because fewer sources of dislocations are available (dislocation starvation hardening).

High quality optical components for consumer products made of glass and plastic are mostly fabricated by replication. This highly developed production technology requires several consecutive, well-matched processing steps called a "process chain" covering all steps from mold design, advanced machining and coating of molds, up to the actual replication and final precision measurement of the quality of the optical components. Current market demands for leading edge optical applications require high precision and cost effective parts in large volumes. For meeting these demands it is necessary to develop high quality process chains and moreover, to crosslink all demands and interdependencies within these process chains. The Transregional Collaborative Research Center "Process chains for the replication of complex optical elements" at Bremen, Aachen and Stillwater worked extensively and thoroughly in this field from 2001 to 2012. This volume will present the latest scientific results for the complete process chain giving a profound insight into present-day high-tech production.