The papers included in this issue of ECS Transactions were originally presented in the symposium ¿Battery and Energy Technology Joint General Session¿, held during the PRiME 2008 joint international meeting of The Electrochemical Society and The Electrochemical Society of Japan, with the technical cosponsorship of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, the Korean Electrochemical Society, the Electrochemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and the Chinese Society of Electrochemistry. This meeting was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from October 12 to 17, 2008.

The papers included in this issue of ECS Transactions were originally presented in the symposium ¿Nanotechnology General Session¿, held during the PRiME 2008 joint international meeting of The Electrochemical Society and The Electrochemical Society of Japan, with the technical cosponsorship of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, the Korean Electrochemical Society, the Electrochemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and the Chinese Society of Electrochemistry. This meeting was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from October 12 to 17, 2008.

The papers included in this issue of ECS Transactions were originally presented in the symposium ¿General Student Poster Session¿, held during the PRiME 2008 joint international meeting of The Electrochemical Society and The Electrochemical Society of Japan, with the technical cosponsorship of the Japan Society of Applied Physics, the Korean Electrochemical Society, the Electrochemistry Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and the Chinese Society of Electrochemistry. This meeting was held in Honolulu, Hawaii, from October 12 to 17, 2008.

"Neither an academic tome nor a prescriptive 'how to' guide, The Theory and Practice of Online Learning is an illuminating collection of essays by practitioners and scholars active in the complex field of distance education. Distance education has evolved significantly in its 150 years of existence. For most of this time, it was an individual pursuit defined by infrequent postal communication. But recently, three more developmental generations have emerged, supported by television and radio, teleconferencing, and computer conferencing. The early 21st century has produced a fifth generation, based on autonomous agents and intelligent, database-assisted learning, that has been referred to as Web 2.0. The second edition of "The Theory and Practice of Online Learning" features updates in each chapter, plus four new chapters on current distance education issues such as connectivism and social software innovations."--BOOK JACKET.

The assessment of young children's development and learning has recently taken on new importance. Private and government organizations are developing programs to enhance the school readiness of all young children, especially children from economically disadvantaged homes and communities and children with special needs. Well-planned and effective assessment can inform teaching and program improvement, and contribute to better outcomes for children. This book affirms that assessments can make crucial contributions to the improvement of children's well-being, but only if they are well designed, implemented effectively, developed in the context of systematic planning, and are interpreted and used appropriately. Otherwise, assessment of children and programs can have negative consequences for both. The value of assessments therefore requires fundamental attention to their purpose and the design of the larger systems in which they are used. Early Childhood Assessment addresses these issues by identifying the important outcomes for children from birth to age 5 and the quality and purposes of different techniques and instruments for developmental assessments.

This book covers both the fundamental and applied aspects of advanced Na-ion batteries (NIB) which have proven to be a potential challenger to Li-ion batteries. Both the chemistry and design of positive and negative electrode materials are examined. In NIB, the electrolyte is also a crucial part of the batteries and the recent research, showing a possible alternative to classical electrolytes – with the development of ionic liquid-based electrolytes – is also explored. Cycling performance in NIB is also strongly associated with the quality of the electrode-electrolyte interface, where electrolyte degradation takes place; thus, Na-ion Batteries details the recent achievements in furthering knowledge of this interface. Finally, as the ultimate goal is commercialization of this new electrical storage technology, the last chapters are dedicated to the industrial point of view, given by two startup companies, who developed two different NIB chemistries for complementary applications and markets.

BETTER BATTERIES Smaller, lighter, more powerful, and longer-lasting: the better battery is a much-sought commodity in the increasingly portable, ever-more-wireless world of electronics. Powering laptops, handhelds, cell phones, pagers, watches, medical devices, and many other modern necessitites, batteries are crucial to today's cutting-edge technologies. BEST CHOICE FOR BATTERY DESIGN AND EVALUATION This definitive guide from top international experts provides the best technical guidance you can find on designing winning products and selecting the most appropriate batteries for particular applications. HANDBOOK OF BATTERIES covers the field from the tiniest batteries yet devised for life-critical applications to the large batteries required for electric and hybrid electric vehicles. EXPERT INFORMATION Edited by battery experts David Linden, battery consultant and editor of the first two editions, and Dr. Thomas Reddy, a pioneer in the lithium battery field, HANDBOOK OF BATTERIES updates you on current methods, helps you solve problems, and makes comparisons easier. Essential for professionals, valuable to hobbyists, and preferred as a consumer guide for battery purchasers, this the THE source for battery information. The only comprehensive reference in the field, HANDBOOK OF BATTERIES has more authoritative information than any other source: * Authored by a team of leading battery technology experts from around the globe * Covers the characteristics, properties, and performance of every major battery type * Entirely revised, including new information on Lithium Ion and Large Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, and portable fuel cells. This one-of-a-kind HANDBOOK helps you: * Apply leading-edge technologies, materials, and methods in new designs and products * Predict battery performance under any conditions * Have all the needed data and equations at your fingertips