Bücher veröffentlicht von Mdpi AG

Human activity recognition (HAR) and human behavior recognition (HBR) play increasingly important roles in the digital age. High-quality sensory observations applicable to recognizing users' activities and behaviors, including electrical, magnetic, mechanical (kinetic), optical, acoustic, thermal, and chemical biosignals, are inseparable from sensors' sophisticated design and appropriate application.Traditional sensors suitable for HAR and HBR, including external sensors for smart homes, optical sensors such as cameras for capturing video signals, and bioelectrical, biomagnetic, and biomechanical sensors for wearable applications, have been studied and verified adequately. They continue to be researched in depth for more effective and efficient usage, and brand-new areas facilitated by sensor-based HAR/HBR are emerging, such as interactive edutainment, single-motion duration analysis, time series information retrieval, handcrafted and high-level feature design, and fall detection. Meanwhile, innovative sensor research for HAR or HBR is also very active in the academic community, including new sensors appropriate for HAR/HBR, new designs and applications of the above-mentioned traditional sensors, and the usage of non-traditional HAR-/HBR-related sensor types, among others.

Plants show different strategies for coping with stress factors. They develop various types of adaptations to avoid the stressor or to activate defense reactions consisting of damage repair and running alternative metabolic pathways. This Special Issue, "What Makes the Life of Stressed Plants a Little Easier? Defense Mechanisms against Adverse Conditions", contains several original articles that deal with such changes that occur at the level of the transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome, as well as structural adaptations in response to a stress factor. It also provides four review articles on drought stress, metal stress, various abiotic stress responses of cultivated beet, and crosstalk between Ca2+ and other regulators in stress signaling.

Non-equilibrium thermodynamics is a relatively new field of research, and one which is also becoming increasingly important in engineering applications. However, despite the many approaches developed in recent decades, they all raise questions from a mathematical point of view, for instance on the proper definitions of initial and boundary conditions, analytical and numerical solution methods, and geometrical background. These questions cover numerous topics, including the mathematical analysis of various thermodynamic approaches, the investigation of the resulting governing equations, symmetry analysis of the solutions, and how the numerical methods can be built on the geometrical background. The aim of this Special Issue is to discuss and present up-to-date problems that may not be constrained to the previously mentioned aspects but must be connected to non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Thus, in the present Special Issue we aim to present the open mathematical questions on and characteristics of different thermodynamic approaches.

Conventional ophthalmic formulations lack prolonged drug release effects and mucoadhesive properties, decreasing their residence time in the precorneal area and, therefore, in drug penetration across ocular tissues, presenting a low bioavailability with a consequent reduction in the therapeutic efficacy. These limitations are related to the physiological mechanisms of the eye, for example, the diluting effect of formulations exerted by the tear fluid, constant turnover of the tear fluid, blink reflex, limited capacity of the conjunctival sac, and drainage of formulations applied by gravity.To increase the residence time of formulations on the surface of ocular tissues and increase their ability to penetrate these tissues, different strategies can be used, namely, the use of viscosifying agents, mucoadhesive polymers, stimuli-responsive polymers, microparticles, and colloidal carriers (e.g., micelles, liposomes, nanosuspensions, nanoemulsions, polymeric, and lipid nanoparticles). This Special Issue combines the latest research and review works reporting the use of nanoparticles in ophthalmic formulations to increase their bioavailability and improve the therapeutic efficacy of ophthalmic formulations.

The development of science has led to the emergence of many new modern materials, which also require more advanced tools for their characterization and analysis. NMR and MRI are certainly among such tools, also due to their continuous development, which has made them more powerful, versatile, and sensitive. With these advances, these two techniques have been able to address many open problems associated with the emergence of new materials.This reprint comprises a collection of advanced NMR and MRI techniques and methods, together with a demonstration of their application to the target materials for which they were designed and optimized. These are presented in 25 original, peer-reviewed articles for the Special Issue in the MDPI journal Molecules. The topics covered include MR methods in pharmaceutical research, NMR in cement research, MR methods in wood research, diffusion in materials, characterization of materials by NMR relaxometry, NMR spectroscopy of materials, and MRI of materials.

Aircraft electrification is one of the most important and strategic initiatives currently supporting the innovation of the aviation industry. This manifests in the well-known more-electric aircraft concept (with the ultimate aim of achieving the all-electric long-term target), which aims to gradually replace onboard systems based on mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic power sources with electrically powered ones to reduce the weight and costs, optimize energy, and increase the eco-compatibility and reliability of future aircrafts.A key technological enabler for pursuing these challenging objectives is electro-mechanical actuation. The applicability of electro-mechanical actuators (EMAs) in aerospace has been proved in terms of dynamic performances, but it still entails several concerns in terms of reliability/safety and operation in a harsh environment. In civil aircrafts, EMAs are often avoided for safety-critical functions (flight controls, brakes, landing gears, and nose wheel steering), essentially because the statistical database on the components' fault modes is poor.This Special Issue is thus focused on advancements and innovations in the design, modelling/simulation, architectural definition, reliability/safety analysis, control, condition-monitoring, and experimental testing of EMAs developed for safety-critical aerospace applications. The research papers included in this Special Issue will undoubtedly contribute to progress towards the objective of more electric flights.

Our environment has been severely affected by the intensive production and use of plastics derived from fossil fuels and their uncontrolled end-of-life disposal. The return to using natural products is a characteristic of the most recent decades, and nanocellulose occupies a privileged position among these intensively studied products. Nanocellulose is obtained from cellulose, which is the most abundant natural polymer, by applying different chemical, mechanical, enzymatic and, most often, combined methods. A huge effort has been invested in the application of nanocellulose as a modifier or reinforcing agent in polymer nanocomposites. This Special Issue brings together twelve original articles and studies that contribute to our understanding of the fundamental and technological knowledge of cellulose-polymer nanocomposites. The isolation of nanocellulose from cheap sources and, especially, from agro-food industry waste is an important step to be implemented for cost reduction and environmental protection. An appropriate surface treatment of nanocellulose is a key element for achieving a good interfacial adhesion and superior properties in polymer nanocomposites. The use of more appropriate and green solvent systems for cellulose, the use of biobased plasticizers and toughening agents in nanocellulose nanocomposites, and the use of molecular dynamics simulations for the prediction of the compatibility of cellulose blends are valuable methods for expanding the application of nanocellulose.

miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. It has been recognized that dysregulation of miRNAs reflects the state and function of cells and tissues, contributing to their dysfunction. The identification of hundreds of extracellular miRNAs in biological fluids has underscored their potential in the field of biomarker research. In addition, the therapeutic potential of miRNAs is receiving increasing attention in numerous conditions. On the other hand, many operational issues, including stability, delivery systems, and bioavailability, have yet to be resolved. In this dynamic field, biopharmaceutical companies are increasingly engaged, and ongoing clinical trials point to anti-miR and miR-mimic molecules as novel classes of molecules for upcoming therapeutic applications. This reprint aims to provide a broad overview of current knowledge on several outstanding issues and new opportunities offered by miRNAs in the treatment of diseases and as early diagnostic tools for next-generation medicine.

Modern society faces various global and regional challenges, including climate change and sustainable development. In order to deal with these challenges, society must be managed properly to follow a sustainable and low-carbon pathway. To advance the studies on this topic, 13 articles have been included in a Special Issue of the "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health". This is a reprint of the 13 articles published in the Special Issue. The themes covered by the 13 articles include the driving forces of carbon emissions, the carbon market, implications of regional and global low-carbon pathways, green finance, green growth, and air pollution. Various methods have been used in these studies, such as computable general equilibrium (CGE) models, econometric models, and machine learning methods. Most of the articles provide new insights based on evidence from China while the others focus on several regions and the global economy.

Introducing "A Feasible Approach for Natural Products to Treatment of Diseases"-an exploration of the therapeutic potential locked within nature's abundant offerings. This comprehensive reprint delves into the fascinating realm of natural products, uncovering their inherent properties, mechanisms of action, and potential roles in effective disease management. Through extensive scientific research and reviews, the authors shed light on the immense potential of natural products as a viable approach to enhancing health and combating diseases. This reprint presents a diverse and multidimensional exploration, bridging the gap between traditional wisdom and contemporary scientific understanding and offering new avenues for healthcare professionals, researchers, and enthusiasts to harness the power of nature's remarkable resources. As a catalyst for unlocking the healing potential of natural products, this reprint inspires further investigation and innovation, and drives us towards a future where their integration into mainstream healthcare becomes indispensable. Discover the possibilities and embark on a health and well-being journey with "A Feasible Approach for Natural Products to Treatment of Diseases".

This book showcases the advanced and emergent research in the field of biosaline agriculture from salinity mapping and plant breeding for a salinity-resistance purpose to the value-chain development of salt-tolerant crops.

Global cancer incidence and death are expected to increase in the next decades. Inappropriate therapeutic regimens and tumor recurrence due to the development of drug resistance are two major clinical challenges impacting poor patient outcomes, which is critical to the discovery and development of new anticancer drugs. Over the last few decades, the marine environment has proved to be a key source of molecules with potent anticancer properties. The Special Issue, "Marine Natural Products as Anticancer Agents 2.0", gathered eleven publications, including two reviews and nine research articles, about the anticancer activities of marine natural and/or derived products on in vitro 2D and 3D cellular models, and/or in vivo models of colorectal, breast, lung, myeloma, liver, leukemia, and melanoma cancers. Altogether, the eleven scientific papers published in this Special Issue provide an exciting overview of marine natural products as potential anticancer agents.

The great economic and strategic importance of catalysis makes it a rapidly evolving field. Catalysis is fundamental in areas such as sustainable development, energy production, environmental protection, food production, and water purification. In the face of the significant challenges of the present day, acquiring fundamental knowledge about the structure and phenomena on the surface of catalysts and the relationships between the composition, synthesis method, properties, and performance of catalysts in industrial processes is essential. Research is still needed to improve existing catalysts or design new systems which may efficiently and selectively conduct a given reaction toward the desired product. This Special Issue was devoted to designing and characterizing heterogeneous catalytic systems for industrial chemical processes. The reprint collects 10 research articles providing insight into important aspects of modern catalyst design. The papers cover recent advances and comprehensive experimental studies of synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of catalyst performance in the following processes: ammonia synthesis, selective catalytic reduction of nitrogen oxides, hydrogen production from ethanol, and photocatalysis.

The Laser Wakefield Acceleration (LWFA) has advanced the accelerating gradient many orders of magnitude over the conventional technologies. Their application to high energy accelerators has been considered, while a new field of micrometric accelerators appears for medical applications.

Membrane Distillation (MD) is based on the evaporation of a hot feed through a microporous and hydrophobic membrane. Thermal energy is needed to heat the feed up to the desired temperature during the process. Therefore, improvements of the thermal performance of MD are important to apply this technology at large scale. The Special Issue "Thermal Performance of Membrane Distillation" focuses on the recent research efforts made in this direction, covering both the development of new membranes and the optimization of the process.¿¿

This open access Special Issue brings together original research and review articles on molecular oncology, with attention given to endometrial cancer. It highlights new findings, methods, and technical advances in molecular cancer research. The main feature of this Special Issue is that it is a platform for open-source sharing of significant works in the field of molecular oncology that can increase our understanding of endometrial cancer development, which may lead to the discovery of new molecular diagnostic technologies and targeted therapeutics.Topics include:Molecular methods to personalize endometrial cancer screening and detection;Identification and new aspects of cellular signaling molecules and pathways for target discovery, drug design, and personalized and gender medicine;DDI discovery in endometrial cancer management;Drug repurposing for endometrial cancer prevention/treatment;Molecular modeling studies.

This Special Issue of Foods comprises ten research and two review articles, highlighting the recent advances in food authentication and clearly demonstrating that no single method is suitable to cover all aspects of food authenticity.

Personalized medicine plays an important role in cancer prevention. To date, it is clear that many cancers are molecularly distinct subtypes, and different therapeutic approaches would be required for each. Indeed, the identification of cancer susceptibility genes permits identifying patients "at risk" of developing neoplasia and supports modifying individual risk behaviors or the choice of preventive therapy. Additionally, the efficacy of various targeted therapies in different cancer subtypes suggests that treatment choices in the near future will be more and more centered on molecular signatures. Data from preclinical, clinical, and observational studies have revealed the ability to prevent cancer development for compounds with different indications than cancer. The concept of drug repurposing permits combinations that can target several critical pathways of a specific disease, decreasing the risk of resistance observed when using single-agent targeted therapy.This open-access Special Issue brings together original research and review articles on molecular oncology with attention to the early detection and prevention of cancer. It highlights new findings, methods, and technical advances in molecular cancer research. The main feature of this Special Issue is to provide an open-source sharing of significant works in the field of molecular oncology that can increase our understanding of cancer development, which may lead to the discovery of new molecular diagnostic technologies and targeted therapeutics.

The use of composite materials is ubiquitous in every field of human activities, including in the agricultural, industrial, environmental, biomedical and transport sectors. After a pandemic with the simultaneous unfolding of an energy and climatic crisis, we now realize how necessary it is to carry out studies on composite materials based on polymers to positively affect our current society and, in particular, future generations.To this aim, in the present selection of scientific articles we have given visibility to worthy contributions on a wide variety of topics, highlighting how essential plastic-based composite materials and their derivatives are in our daily lives. The articles in this Special Issue were wide-ranging and devoted to the properties and characterization of composites for innovative and strategic applications and, more generally, for the development of the chemical-physical properties of these materials.

This reprint comprises 17 papers published in the Special Issue entitled "The Impact of COVID-19 on Financial Markets and the Real Economy", centered on socioeconomic models affected by the pandemic (Vasin, 2022); the COVID-19 impact on various sectors or the economy as a whole, for instance in Canada (Singh et al., 2022), China (Habibi et al., 2022), Slovakia (Svabova et al., 2022), the United States (Rodousakis & Soklis, 2022) or Vietnam (Huynh et al., 2021; Nguyen et al., 2022); the benefits of teleworking on the continuity of operations across various sectors (Santos et al., 2022); research of the tourism and recreational possibilities of Russia and Kazakhstan's cross-border regions and the threats these areas faced during the pandemic (Tanina et al., 2022), the impact of the new coronavirus infection on the Russian labor market (Rodionov et al., 2022); the factors driving young Vietnamese people's intention to use financial technology in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak (Khuong et al., 2022) or those influencing access to credit for informal labor sector (Vu and Ho, 2022); predicting and analyzing Jordanian insurance firms' performance (Altarawneh et al., 2022) or developing an early warning system for solvency risk in the banking industry (Hidayat et al., 2022) during the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of the pandemic on European stock markets (Keliuotyte-Staniuleniene and Kviklis, 2022); the drivers of cross-border mergers and acquisitions during the pandemic (Lee et al., 2021); examining the financial and fiscal variables of Ecuadorian economic groups (Tulcanaza-Prieto and Morocho-Cayamcela, 2021).

The present Special Issue refers to the last 30 years of contributions to the application of cytogenetics to domestic animals, as clearly reported in the five-paper review. In addition, eight original contributions regarding the cytogenetics of several animal species are included. In each contribution, several thematic areas and various cytogenetic techniques are proposed to better demonstrate the potentiality of this biological technology in the genetic improvement of livestock. Special attention was paid to the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in domestic animals and their effects on reproduction, suggesting the routine use of karyotype analyses on reproducers to drastically reduce the effects on reproduction and the economic losses encountered by breeders. In addition to classical cytogenetic analyses such as chromosome banding, the use of molecular cytogenetics, especially the FISH mapping technique, with both specific molecular markers (generally BAC clones) and chromosome painting probes were emphasized in all papers to better study the following:(a) Chromosomal abnormalities; (b) The chromosomal evolution of species; (c) Physical gene mapping in light of genomic sequences in the most important domestic species.Finally, a specific review is dedicated to molecular cytogenetics, in which examples of applied molecular techniques, including the FISH technique, comparative genomic hybridization array, and PCR-based method, are reported.

System dynamics is a simulation modeling approach to strategic and policy analysis that has been applied to many health care and public health issues since the 1960s and has become increasingly prevalent since the 2000s. The ten articles in this reprint appeared in a Special Issue of Systems and cover a broad cross-section of relevant methodological topics as well as applications to specific health problems.One methodological article describes the use of cascaded system archetypes, with an application to reducing hospital congestion. Another discusses Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis, with an application to the US opioid crisis. Three of the articles describe models of community response to severe shocks, including recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Two other articles address strategies for dealing with myriad chronic diseases and risk factors in a population. Other papers include in-depth analyses of prostate cancer screening, digital prosthetic services for lower-limb amputees, and the complex behavioral health challenge of youth homelessness.This reprint provides an excellent snapshot of the current state of practice in system dynamics as it is applied to public health, health care delivery, and health policy. It offers practical policy guidance and will be of interest to both experienced practitioners and those new to the field.

For this Special Issue, research leaders in sports nutrition were approached and invited to submit current reviews in their areas of expertise. The topics are novel and wide-ranging, and include updates and insights on protein, dietary patterns, and nutritional interventions to support sleep, older athletes, and sports performance; pre-exercise nutrition; supplementation with betaine, iron, and creatine; and sports nutrition research methodologies for body composition and muscle glycogen analysis. A major emphasis in all of the papers was a focus on strengths and weaknesses for various sports nutrition strategies, and insights for future research. This Special Issue on sports nutrition provided current updates in many core areas, with insights from leading experts for future research. Hopefully, scientific understanding will be advanced as these ideas are converted into novel research designs and discoveries.

The reprint provides a comprehensive review of various topics related to sustainable building design and operation, with a particular focus on energy efficiency and environmental impact. It covers a wide range of topics, including visual comfort assessment, decision-making processes of residents, low-cost devices for CO2 monitoring, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on residential energy use. The reprint also includes discussions on solar energy in urban planning, cost-optimal measures for energy renovation, and passive solar solutions for buildings. It provides insights into the use of different materials and strategies for improving the energy efficiency of building envelopes, including the integration of phase change materials and the use of reflective coatings on building roofs. Several case studies are presented in the book, which explores the implementation of sustainable design strategies in different building types and climates. The authors also discuss the use of advanced modeling techniques to simulate the performance of different building systems, including vertical greenery systems and the solar cadaster.

Computational modeling and simulation are essential to solid and structural mechanics. They have not only covered entire engineering fields (civil, aerospace, mechanical, etc.) but also various scales (from nano to macro) and physics (mono- and multiphysics). Recently, they have been found to be able to offer theoretical backgrounds of digital transformation. Society at large is increasingly enthusiastic about data-driven modeling and simulation, and the possibilities they offer. The aim of this Special Issue reprint was to provide a forum for researchers to discuss recent advanced computational modeling and simulation techniques of solids and structures, and applications to solve challenging engineering problems.

Floods are one of the most common natural hazards that substantially affect human lives and properties globally. Engineering is of key importance to cope with flood risk as it provides integrated solutions associated with hydrological-hydraulic and coastal-advanced techniques for analysing flooding risk, for designing flood infrastructures for direct protection, for providing natural retention measures that enhance environmental and river restoration, for developing flood warning systems, and for presenting integrated construction and non-construction measures in order to adapt to emerging climatic challenges and develop resilience under the modern city environment.This Special Issue highlights the current efforts being made to advance the science and applications in flood engineering and, more specifically, in a wide spectrum of its related geosciences, such as hydrology, hydraulics, sedimentation, and river restoration.

Personalized medicine is playing an important role in cancer prevention. To date, it is clear that many cancers are molecularly distinct subtypes, and different therapeutic approaches would be required for each. This Special Issue brings together original research and review articles on molecular oncology with attention to the early detection and prevention of cancer. It highlights new findings, methods, and technical advances in molecular cancer research. The main feature of this reprint was to provide an open-source sharing of significant works in the field of molecular oncology that can increase our understanding of cancer development. Topics include:Molecular methods to personalize cancer screening and detection;Molecular target therapies to prevent cancer development and metastases;Identification and new aspects of cellular signaling molecules and pathways for target discovery, drug design and personalized and gender medicine;Drug repurposing for cancer prevention;Molecular modeling studies.

The article collection of this Special Issue reprint covers a wide range of neurorehabilitation modalities, although they only represent a small proportion of the whole scene. We trust that they will assist clinicians in performing evidence-based interventions and illuminate the necessity of multidisciplinary collaboration. Furthermore, they share an important motivational drive, that is, the inspiration to move forward to a new era where medical, basic research, engineering, and high-tech advances can develop more efficacious approaches, combining neuromodulation techniques under sophisticated neuroimaging guidance. These can be widely and remotely applied to all people that need them, organized under a fresh "patient-centric" approach, with home-based and tele-rehabilitation protocols replacing long stays in medical centers.

This reprint is a collection of recent advanced studies in the field of heat and fluid flow in porous media. The pore size of the studied porous media in this reprint starts from a nanoscale, and the applications include the drying process of materials such as clay and lentil grain as well as the enhancement of heat transfer by using high thermal conductive porous media such as metal foams and stacked woven wire mesh. The use of a suitable porous structure for helium gas cooling under high heat flux conditions of a nuclear fusion divertor is an interesting application of porous structures for heat transfer enhancement, which is discussed in this reprint. A method for the trade-off thermo-hydrodynamic performance of a porous medium, which is an important issue for heat transfer enhancement, is also discussed. In the performed numerical studies, different methods such as finite volume method, lumped analysis and molecular dynamics are employed. Heat and mass transfer in structural ceramic blocks is analyzed by an analytical and phenomenological approach. All chapters of this reprint are advanced studies including wide application areas of porous media as well as interesting computational models that are useful for the researchers in the field of "Heat Transfer in Porous Media".

Energy and its economic implications have been in the spotlight of policymakers, academics, traders, speculators and the industry for decades now. It has been an active research topic for more than 150 years. From the 19th century, the problem of creating, processing, storing and transporting energy was well defined. The issues of efficiently producing, pricing, distributing, and forecasting the demand, supply and prices of energy-related products and services are central to most modern economies irrespective of their level of development. These issues are apparent in times of relative tranquility in the respective markets but become central for all stakeholders in times of turbulence.This volume focuses on emerging methodologies of analysis, description, modelling, and forecasting in the topical area of Energy Economics. Includes emerging and innovative methodological approaches from the areas of machine learning, artificial intelligence, econometrics, and statistics aimed to model, describe or forecast the energy markets at all levels. Additionally, the volume also presents a bibliographical review, summarizes and compares results of different studies in the energy-sustainable economic growth and development nexus. The practical importance of the results to all energy market stakeholders in terms of regulating, pricing, and distributing energy is evident. Theoretical robustness, methodological innovation, and possible direct applicability of the conclusions were the basic requirements for research work to be included in this publication.