Quantum mechanics is the set of laws of physics which, to the best of our knowledge, provides a complete account of the microworld. One of its chap ters, quantum electrodynamics (QED), is able to account for the quantal phenomena of relevance to daily life (electricity, light, liquids and solids, etc.) with great accuracy. The language of QED, field theory, has proved to be uni versal providing the theoretical basis to describe the behaviour of many-body systems. In particular finite many-body systems (FMBS) like atomic nuclei, metal clusters, fullerenes, atomic wires, etc. That is, systems made out of a small number of components. The properties of FMBS are expected to be quite different from those of bulk matter, being strongly conditioned by quantal size effects and by the dynamical properties of the surface of these systems. The study of the elec tronic and of the collective behaviour (plasmons and phonons) of FMBS and of their interweaving, making use of well established first principle quantum (field theoretical) techniques, is the main subject of the present monograph. The interest for the study of FMBS was clearly stated by Feynman in his address to the American Physical Society with the title "There is plenty of room at the bottom." On this occasion he said among other things: "When we get to the very, very small world - say circuits of seven atoms - we have a lot of new things that would happen that represent completely new opportunities for design" 1]."

This volume contains an Open Access Chapter Stuart A. Karabenick was a prolific scholar and a co-editor of the Advances in Motivation and Achievement book series. At the time of his passing on August 1st, 2020, he was a Professor Emeritus at Easter Michigan University and a Research-Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan. Throughout his long career in Educational Psychology, Dr. Karabenick conducted research in several areas, and with dozens of collaborators. This volume memorializes Dr. Karabenick by asking some of his collaborators and former students to contribute chapters in the research topic that they worked on with him. The collection begins with a reprint of an article that was published just before Dr. Karabenick passed away, sharing the wisdom he had acquired during his long and distinguished career. The book contains three chapters about help- seeking - one of the topics that Dr. Karabenick examined most frequently in his research - followed by three chapters about teacher motivation and professional development. Next, there are chapters about self-regulation, another of Dr. Karabenick's favorite research topics. The volume culminates with chapters on a variety of topics: uses of technology to help foster student self-regulation, defining, measuring, and fostering a sense of relevance among students, and improving research through high-quality cognitive pretesting procedures. Volume 22 provides insights into the many contributions that Dr. Karabenick made to the field of Educational Psychology and the important role he played in the lives of his students, collaborators, and friends.

Economic, social and political disruption, financial recession, international migration and rapid technological advancements have produced major changes throughout the world regarding the availability and access to knowledge, human communication, social relationships, learning and education. As socioeconomic, sociodemographic and sociocultural conditions are constantly changing in parallel with rapid scientific and technological progress, learning environments are also evolving. The increased complexity of educational processes calls for new research and theoretical inquiry to address how these global changes affect education, schools and academic learning. This volume in the Advances in Motivation and Achievement Series is dedicated to the role of motivation in that process. The fundamental assumption of the volume is that, on the one hand, change and challenge have a significant impact on students' and educators' motivation to learn and achieve and, on the other hand, motivation can have a significant impact on students' and educators' capacity to cope with change and challenge effectively. This book opens up a dialogue on how to support achievement motivation in challenging times as a means for successful academic trajectories and positive adaptation to school. Internationally leading researchers provide a critical understanding of the role of current motivational theories during unsettling times, discuss a number of challenges affecting motivation in education, and indicate potential implications of motivational theory and research for educational practice.

Quantum mechanics is the set of laws of physics which, to the best of our knowledge, provides a complete account of the microworld. One of its chap ters, quantum electrodynamics (QED), is able to account for the quantal phenomena of relevance to daily life (electricity, light, liquids and solids, etc.) with great accuracy. The language of QED, field theory, has proved to be uni versal providing the theoretical basis to describe the behaviour of many-body systems. In particular finite many-body systems (FMBS) like atomic nuclei, metal clusters, fullerenes, atomic wires, etc. That is, systems made out of a small number of components. The properties of FMBS are expected to be quite different from those of bulk matter, being strongly conditioned by quantal size effects and by the dynamical properties of the surface of these systems. The study of the elec tronic and of the collective behaviour (plasmons and phonons) of FMBS and of their interweaving, making use of well established first principle quantum (field theoretical) techniques, is the main subject of the present monograph. The interest for the study of FMBS was clearly stated by Feynman in his address to the American Physical Society with the title "There is plenty of room at the bottom." On this occasion he said among other things: "When we get to the very, very small world - say circuits of seven atoms - we have a lot of new things that would happen that represent completely new opportunities for design" 1]."