Bücher veröffentlicht von Mdpi AG

Satellite measurements of night-time lights are widely recognized as a valuable indicator of human activity on Earth. These measurements capture the amount of light emitted from Earth at night and provide significant insights into a range of fields, including urbanization processes, socio-economic dynamics, local and regional GDP, economic impacts of conflicts, effects of epidemics on economic activity, and the various impacts of natural and man-made disasters. This reprint includes 16 articles that were published in the Remote Sensing Special Issue "Remote Sensing of Night-Time Light" and that highlight novel research on the remote sensing of night-time lights. The reprint aims to stimulate progress in the remote sensing research domain related to the utilization of night-time lights in a wide range of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary domains, including urban studies, ecology, economics, oceanography, sociology, epidemiology, and more.

Speech is the most spontaneous and natural means of communication, as well as the preferred modality for interacting with mobile or fixed electronic devices, but speech in-terfaces have drawbacks, such as a lack of user privacy; non-inclusivity for certain users; poor robustness in noisy conditions; and the difficulty of creating complex man-machine interfaces. The Special Issue "Future Speech Interfaces with Sensors and Machine Intelligence" assembles eleven contributions that cover multimodal and silent speech interfaces; lip reading applications; novel sensors for speech interfaces; and enhanced speech inclusivity tools for future speech interfaces. The articles make important improvements beyond the state of the art, advancing the state of the art to new frontiers in some cases. Short summaries of all articles, grouped by topic, are presented, followed by a global commentary and evaluation.

This book focuses on the application of groundwater models developed with the aim of optimizing the management of water resources in urban environments, coastal areas, karst aquifers, and riparian zones, among other environments. The testing of innovative techniques applied to traditional models, including machine learning techniques, is of particular interest. Special attention is given to the application of tools for the evaluation of climate change effects on groundwater.

This Antimicrobial Prescribing and Stewardship Issue (volume 1) consist of manuscripts, including original research, review articles, case series, and opinion papers for topics related to antimicrobial (antibiotic, antifungal) stewardship, including:Disease-based/organism-based antimicrobial stewardship;Diagnostic stewardship;Influence of antimicrobial utilisation changes in antimicrobial resistance;Impact of antimicrobial stewardship on quality performance measures and patient outcomes;Novel antimicrobial stewardship education and training approaches or interventions aimed at the public and/or healthcare workers;Behavioural change approaches to antimicrobial stewardship;Collaborative practice agreements in antimicrobial stewardship;Antimicrobial stewardship in special populations (e.g., paediatrics, geriatrics, emergency medicine, hematology/oncology);Tackling AMR through antimicrobial stewardship in low- and middle-income countries;Antimicrobial stewardship for animal health;Antimicrobial stewardship in alternative settings (e.g., community practice, long-term care, and resource-limited small and rural hospitals);Antimicrobial use and stewardship in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic;Global collaborations to tackle AMR through antimicrobial stewardship.

This reprint includes contributions focusing on theoretical and experimental studies that report on the innovative processing and characterization of materials and nanostructured materials engineered for photovoltaic applications. In particular, the reprint presents a collection of twelve high-quality articles, among which are two comprehensive reviews, one communication letter and nine original research papers. These articles exhaustively cover state-of-the-art aspects of the four essential constitutive building-blocks of a photovoltaic element: the main absorber component, the "window" layer, the electron- and hole-transporter media, as well as the back- and top-electrodes of the solar cell.

By joining the two previous editions, this Special Issue completes the trilogy of Special Issues entitled "Biological and Pharmacological Activity of Plant Natural Compounds", which deal with the properties and effects of phytonatural products in preclinical models. This third edition has also remained focused on their therapeutic potential, with the aim of increasing and contributing to the expansion of our scientific knowledge on plants in human health. We hope readers will enjoy this Special Issue as much as the previous publications.

Light is the main source of energy for the primary process that sustains life on our planet, known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the strategy adopted by many living organisms for capturing and incorporating energy, and it is under this context that light is primarily experienced, explored, and exploited. Plants perceive information from the ambient environment and communicate with other organisms using light. They have developed a plethora of photoreceptors that permit this communication with the surrounding environment. Additionally, the physical properties of light, such as the spectral quality, irradiance, intensity, and photoperiod, play an integral role in the morphogenesis, growth, and metabolism of many biochemical pathways in plants.To facilitate photosynthesis in controlled environments, light¿emitting diodes (LEDs) have been shown to offer interesting prospects for use in plant lighting designs in controlled-environment agriculture (greenhouses) and growth chambers for in vitro cultures. In high-technology greenhouses (for instance, vertical agriculture), artificial light may assume both assimilative (optimizing photosynthetic efficiency) and control functionality (guiding growth and development or the synthesis and accumulation of plant metabolites). In vitro cultures are regulated by different factors, and among them, light is the most important.

The thermal analysis of materials encompasses a variety of methods used to detect changes in material properties as a function of temperature. Before temperature measurement became routine in all stages of metal and ceramic processing, early metallurgists relied on the color and brightness of hot metal, and glassmakers used viscosity for guidance. Nowadays, techniques of differential thermal analysis (DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) routinely yield heat capacities, temperatures, and enthalpies of phase transformations in the temperature range from ¿150 to 1500 °C. The measurement of any physical property as a function of temperature brings the method into the realm of thermal analysis.This Special Issue provides a sampling of the current use, diversity, and ongoing developments of techniques and approaches in the thermal analysis of materials. It combines contributions solicited by editors that reflect their scientific interests and networks, with generally related submissions received over two years. It contains 16 articles and 1 short review submitted by authors from 10 countries.

In this book (Volume I), 13 papers have been published on different topics of the wide research areas of Semantic Web and Recommender systems. These papers have been carefully selected based on the peer review of several respectful reviewers organized by MDPI's BDCC journal. This issue has attracted well-known international research teams, who we would like to thank for their work.

This reprint discusses the relation between nonviolence and religion by adopting Mohandas K. Gandhi's concept of satyagraha as a starting point and by also discussing nonviolent hermeneutics of holy scriptures with a special emphasis on interpretations of the Qur'an. The first part consists of chapters that directly deal with Gandhi's concept of nonviolence and how it influenced later faith-based peace activists. By reading Gandhi's active nonviolence through the lens of Judith Butler's recent work on nonviolence, it engages with contemporary discussions about violence and nonviolence and also reflects on how nonviolence relates to gender. It also looks at how Gandhi related to different religions and further broadens the usual focus on physical violence by addressing economic violence and environmental degradation. Gandhi's view of Judaism and Zionism is critically discussed in one chapter. The second part comprises contributions that study the use of holy scriptures in relation to (non)violence, its problems, its boundaries and its inspiration. Religious authoritative texts play a major role in the continuation and legitimation of connected belief systems. Again, Gandhi's own nonviolent hermeneutics of holy scriptures are investigated and his interpretation of the biblical figure of Daniel is especially discussed. Three contributions deal with the interpretation of the Qur'an and its potential for nonviolence. A concluding chapter provides a range of hermeneutic guidelines for an Islamic theology of nonviolence.

This reprint covers some significant impacts in the recent research in both the private and public sectors of cancer diagnosis and therapy, in which Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning are significant. This reprint is also a collection of forty different complex and challenging problems arranged in five groups: AI in prognosis, grading, and prediction, AI in clinical image analysis, AI models for pathological diagnosis, ML and statistical models for molecular cancer diagnostics and genetics, and AI in triage, risk stratification, and screening cancer, which are all focused on using AI in cancer diagnosis and therapy.All the necessary concepts, solutions, methodologies, and references are supplied except for some fundamental knowledge that is well-known in the general ¿elds of AI and cancer diagnosis and therapy. The readers may, therefore, gain the main concepts of each chapter, with as little of a need as possible to refer to the concepts of the other chapters and references. The readers may hence start to read one or more chapters of the book for their own interests.

This reprint collected the cutting-edge developments of CFD in the area of marine science and technology. CFD methods including novel numerical algorithms, advanced treatments of solving procedures, parallel acceleration techniques, and the utilization of CFD for fluid-structure interaction, wave modeling, ship dynamics, etc., are included. The audience of this reprint can be researchers and engineers in the area of marine science and technology.

This reprint book is a compilation of the articles and reviews published in the Special issue entitled "Controversies and Recent Advances in Senescence and Aging" in Cells. The Editorial summarises and highlights the contents of the published articles. Aging is the leading predictive factor of many chronic diseases that account for most of the morbidity and mortality worldwide, i.e., neurodegeneration, cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, and bone diseases, as well as cancers. Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species generation, the over-production of inflammatory cytokines, the activation of oncogenes, DNA damage, telomere shortening, and the accumulation of senescent cells are all widely accepted mechanisms contributing to aging. Senescence is mainly thought to be provoked by negative cellular stress but might also be induced by physiological developmental stimuli. Senescence is characterized by irreversible cell cycle arrest independent of quiescence and terminal differentiation. The Special Issue entitled "Controversies and Recent Advances in Senescence and Aging", which is contained in this reprint, comprises an excellent collection of original articles and reviews highlighting different novel aspects in the fields of senescence and aging research. They will hopefully stimulate discussions and further research in these fields, which are extremely important in a constantly aging human population.

This reprint focuses on research and practice concerning assessment and evaluation in higher education, crucial processes for the advancement of higher education. The different dimensions and forms of assessment within higher education, the impact of assessment methods on students' learning processes and approaches to learning are of particular interest. Special attention is given to assessment methods and purposes, assessment rubrics and the assessment of learning outcomes (knowledge and skills). Research on the challenges, strengths, and opportunities of online and virtual assessment, active learning approaches and new pedagogical methodologies, based on student-centred assessment practices, is also explored and discussed in this reprint.

Europe's zero-pollution agenda should depart from an understanding of how the European citizens' bodies are polluted by synthetic chemicals and prioritize the reduction of the chemical body burden and associated health impacts. In this context, Human Biomonitoring (HBM) is an important and valuable tool for assessing the internal exposure of humans resulting from aggregated exposure to chemicals. Though many obstacles still hinder the use of HBM data, the growing availability of HBM data offers an opportunity for improving and refining Human Risk Assessment. This Special Issue intends to illustrate, using case studies, how HBM data could be used to better estimate internal exposure and resulting risks. Case studies on exposure from consumer products (cosmetic products, non-food products, etc.) or exposures via food or water in the general population or among workers contributed to better identifying the obstacles hindering a broader use of HBM data in RA. A better understanding of population exposure and the exposure of vulnerable groups against health-based human biomonitoring guidance values also provides the basis for effective risk management to reduce impacts on health. I would like to thank all the authors for submitting their original contributions to this Special Issue. We greatly appreciate the support of all the reviewers who spent time evaluating and improving the quality of the manuscripts. I would also like to thank the editors of Toxics for their kind invitation and Selena Li of the Toxics Editorial Office for her invaluable support.

Adaptation to external changes is necessary for all cells to survive and thrive in diverse environments. Key to these responses are the MAPK-mediated signaling pathways, intracellular communication routes that sense stimuli at the cell surface, and are ubiquitous in all eukaryotic organisms. In the case of fungi, MAPKs mediate essential processes, such as adaptation to environmental stresses, morphology regulation, or developmental processes. First studied in the early nineties in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the fungal cell wall integrity (CWI) pathway has proven to be a central MAPK-mediated signaling cascade conserved in the fungal kingdom. Cells need to sense cell wall-perturbing conditions and mount the appropriate salvage response. Understanding this CWI pathway-mediated compensatory mechanism is key for the development of cell wall-targeted antifungal therapies. Moreover, its functional roles go beyond the maintenance of this essential structure, reaching many other physiological aspects that have major implications in development or virulence.In this Special Issue, expert researchers in this relevant subject have contributed with seven reviews and eleven original articles to advance our understanding of the CWI pathway by covering different structural, regulatory, and functional aspects in distinct yeasts and filamentous fungi.

Tackling inequalities in health and healthcare is more important than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic starkly illustrated the disproportional impact of the virus on those who already faced disadvantage and discrimination. Moreover, there is evidence that the public health measures taken to contain the virus are likely to have longstanding differential impacts across populations. Numerous studies have documented avoidable differences in health, within and between populations. Similarly, studies have consistently shown inequalities in access, use, experience and outcomes from healthcare and public health programmes. The focus has often been on individual determinants, such as gender, age and ethnicity. Less attention has been paid to structural or contextual determinants, except for area-level socioeconomic conditions. In addition, to tackle inequalities, there is a need to move beyond measuring; to understand why inequalities arise and how they can be addressed. This Special Issue sought to extend the parameters of inequalities research in health and healthcare beyond measuring and documenting inequalities. Reviews, observational studies, and quasi-experimental and other evaluation designs (using quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods), focusing on the following were welcomed: ¿ understanding inequalities across health and care systems; ¿ methodological developments to understand drivers of inequalities; ¿ efforts to reduce inequalities, particularly in evidence-based healthcare or public health policy and practice; ¿ understanding and mitigating the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inequalities.

The goal of this Special Issue is to disseminate emerging techniques and innovative solutions that comprehensively address unmet needs in cardiovascular disease and can be rapidly translated into the clinical arena in order to significantly improve diagnostic accuracy and precision in treatment delivery, as well as to enhance therapy guidance and procedural success. The volume includes research contributions from cross-disciplinary scientists and professionals who work in the cardiovascular field at the interface of basic and translational research, clinical practice, medical (bio)physics, engineering, mathematics, and computer science. Several compelling contributions are focused on the development of advanced techniques in cardiovascular imaging (MRI, CT, ultrasound, optics) to investigate structure-function interaction and identify pathology, image analysis (e.g. registration, segmentation, visualization), deep-learning/AI classification methods to better characterize tissue and physiological signals, novel preclinical experimental models and clinical approaches employed in electro-anatomical mapping and image-aided therapies (e.g., cardiac ablation, resynchronization), as well as innovative interventional procedures for vascular applications.

Two-dimensional bearing-only filtering (BOF) arises in many real-world tracking problems, including underwater tracking using a passive sonar, aircraft surveillance using a passive radar, navigation of a robot using a passive sonar, and undersea exploration of natural resources using sonar. BOF using a single sensor is also a challenging nonlinear filtering problem due to poor observability and the nonlinear measurement model. This filtering problem and associated tracking problem have been studied extensively.Three-dimensional angle-only filtering (AOF) is a two-dimensional counterpart of BOF . Real-world AOF problems include passive ranging using an infrared search and track (IRST) sensor, passive sonar, passive radar in the presence of jamming, ballistic missile and satellite tacking using a telescope, satellite to satellite passive tracking, and missile guidance using bearing-only seekers. The number of publications in the AOF and angle-only tracking in 3D is rather limited compared with the corresponding problems in 2D.

Based on this evidence, a deep understanding of the immunological status and biological targets modulating immunological microenvironments should be quite informative for the development of future immunotherapy in HCC. From this point of view, this Special Issue will highlight the current state of the art in the immunotherapy of HCC from both the basic and clinical perspectives, and outline future perspectives for improving therapies.

This Special Issue reprint covers the synthesis of luminescent nanomaterials, applications for in vitro and in vivo imaging, detection based on fluorescence resonance energy, and the applications of luminescent nanoparticles for photodynamic activation and solid-state displays, as well as new materials and structures, such as perovskite quantum dots, and novel phenomena, such as aggregation-induced emissions. In total, there are 15 papers (2 reviews and 13 research articles) in this Special Issue consisting of the major areas of upconversion of luminescent nanomaterials; luminescent nanomaterials for solid-state lighting, displays, and anti-counterfeiting; particle-based sensing technology; particle-based therapeutics; and new materials and structures. This Issue represents new developments in luminescence nanotechnology.

This book is devoted to fundamental and applied research in the field of implementing the principles of the circular economy in energy transition, and it substantiates the need for its transformation in the context of sustainable development. Of particular interest are promising areas for the use of secondary energy resources in the economy to create closed production cycles. Specific technologies are considered, and their environmental and economic assessments of scenarios for the introduction of low-carbon technologies in the circular economy, the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through the introduction of a circular economy, and the development of regional cooperation are given. Particular attention is paid to the possibility of using eco-innovations for the national transition to decarbonization in the integrated European energy system, Green intellectual capital as a support for corporate environmental development, a sustainable value chain for the industrial consumption of biocomposites, and various options for programs to reduce CO2 emissions.

Energy transitions and environmental sustainability does not occur overnight as it may take years of policy debates both from within domestic jurisdictions and from international organisations. It often requires energy saving technology innovations to drive appropriate investment decisions that can then allow energy transition to occur. There is no one global solution. Countries progress in their energy transition goals by taking small steps as demonstrated in this special issue, "Energy Transition and Environmental Sustainability". This Special Issue provides thirteen interesting papers showing examples of projects undertaken or challenges encountered in various countries, such as: Legal reforms for energy transition in Taiwan and Japan; Transition towards solar PV in South Korea; Transition to electricity driven buses in Central Europe; Vehicle transition and the development of electric car production in the United States, the European Union and Japan; Cooling solutions for buildings in Pakistan; Projects in Ecuador to replace fossil fuel use with Hydropower; The Role of Electrification in the Decarbonization of Central-Western Europe; Energy technology innovation through the application of new technologies in oil resource development; Wastewater treatment challenges in Poland; Increased climate change litigation facing Australian Energy Companies; Renewable energy solution to a Childcare facility in Tokyo; and Canadian policies to support renewable gas production from organic waste. This Special Issue provides global perspectives and uncertainties on energy transition and will appeal to all levels of readers.

This book focuses on the rapid development of the social economy which is accompanied by the continuous growth of energy demand, such as in the heavy industry, agriculture sector, and tourism sector. Meanwhile, large-scale energy consumption in the short term has increased the risk to the energy supply and ecological safety. This has contributed to the exploration and exploitation of energy supply risk management, carbon emission reduction, and renewable energy technological innovation, aiming to solve the bottlenecks in energy and environmental economics. Thus, this book aims to present and disseminate the most recent advances related to the theory, design, modelling, and application of all types of energy and environmental economics.

Over the past decade, the field of robotics has become increasingly popular among educators and researchers alike as a powerful tool for enhancing learning experiences. From preschool to high school students, educational robotics has shown the potential to improve cognitive and social skills, while facilitating interdisciplinary learning activities in various subjects such as science, mathematics, technology, and computer science. This reprint explores the emerging field of educational robotics, focusing on its creation, implementation, improvement, and validation of pedagogical activities, tools, and technologies. Our goal is to provide an overview of the latest research, trends, and best practices in the field, particularly emphasizing how educational robotics can enhance students' learning experiences in an engaging and interactive environment. Moreover, drawing on a literature review, this book explores the growing field of educational robotics and its potential to revolutionize science and technology education at all levels. Through hands-on, fun activities and an attractive learning environment, educational robotics can spark students' interest and curiosity, making learning a more enjoyable and rewarding experience. We hope this reprint will serve as a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and students alike, inspiring them to explore the exciting world of educational robotics and its potential to transform how we teach and learn.

Tryptophan is a rate-limiting essential amino acid and a unique building block of peptides and proteins. This largest amino acid serves as the precursor for the important endogenous indoleamines serotonin, N-acetylserotonin, and melatonin that act as neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and neurohormones. Kynurenic acid is the most potent endogenous antiexitotoxic agent. Other highly relevant pathways of tryptophan are the reversible transamination to indole-3-pyruvate with formation related indolic acids that act as potent antioxidant agents. Tryptophan metabolites, such as melatonin, and structurally related agents, such as indole-3-propionic acid, act as potent catalytic antioxidants and bioenergetic agents that facilitate regeneration and protection against stress and aging. Several indole compounds act as uremic toxins since these agents can induce radical formation that is associated with enhanced oxidative stress and damage. The exploration of the effects of these protective and toxic tryptophan derived agents has revealed important molecular mechanisms and mediators of adaptation and aging. Research on tryptophan in nutrition and health can facilitate the development of new approaches to extend human health and life span. Amino acids are the building blocks of life that enable repair, as well as recycling and regeneration. Research on nutrients like amino acids, such as tryptophan and its metabolites, as well as peptides and proteins, or extracts containing this molecular metabolism modifiers can improve health. Research into the indololome is a new emerging and rapidly growing field of utmost relevance to science and society.

Many existing and newly constructed bridges are composed of reinforced and prestressed concrete. Advanced concrete materials play an increasingly important role in concrete bridges to facilitate the strengthening and repair of existing bridges, to facilitate a (fast) replacement solution for (part of) an existing bridge, and for the design of new challenging bridge projects. The development of advanced concrete materials and their structural applications is thus an important topic in the built environment.This reprint brings together research and practical applications from the perspective of material scientists and bridge engineers for applications to new and existing bridges.

Remote sensing is developing rapidly due to progress in many interconnected fields. It includes the emergence of new sensors, development of sophisticated platforms for those sensors, and advances in signal and data processing. The progress in the fields of radar, optoelectronic, acoustic, magnetic, chemical, and other sensors is stunning. Whereas the mentioned sensors are currently more sensitive and accurate, have improved resolutions, data rates, and dynamical ranges, they still have their limitations. The utilization of multi-sensor systems and joint processing of their signals or data has long been considered an effective solution for reducing the disadvantages and best utilizing their strengths. The emergence of new types of sensors creates an opportunity for scientists and engineers to develop new and more capable integrated multi-sensor systems. It is necessary to mention that the users' expectations with respect to the size of the observed area or volume, data resolution, accuracy, speed of operation, and functionality of remote sensing systems are still increasing. Extended frequency bands, improved resolutions, and data rates of the new sensors as well as the common use of distributed sensors increase the influx of data in contemporary multi-sensor systems. These facts pose new challenges for the data fusion algorithms that must often employ the newest achievements from the areas of big data mining, statistical estimation, artificial intelligence, etc. This book contains a collection of papers that provide a fresh insight into the newest developments in the fields of multi-sensor systems and data fusion.

Papers collected in the present Special Issue relate to the field of sericulture. They cover different aspects based on a very ancient human agricultural activity, taking into consideration classical agronomic aspects, such as the impact of feeding on silk quality and sericulture in different parts of the world. Nonetheless, cutting edge topics are addressed as well, with papers studying silk as a biomaterial, the silkworm as a model organism, and the possibility of exploring its physiology and the molecular mechanisms that stand behind it with the aid of modern tools such as gene profiling, the CRISPR/Cas-9 system, and -omics sciences.

Novel Anticancer Strategies (Volume II) reviews important findings and updates within the cancer therapy field of great interest to those in academic research studying the development and validation of novel anticancer approaches. The Editor invited preeminent specialists to contribute to original and review articles devoted to key areas of major progress and expectations. Key Features:Nanoparticle-based drug delivery in cancer therapy;Nanoerythrosomes;Cancer immunotherapy;Therapeutic vaccines;Oncogenic and tumor suppressive components of the cell cycle;Antimitotics in cancer clinical trials;Multifunctional enzymes as anti-cancer drug targets;Targeting undruggable proteins and non-coding RNAs;Cell-penetrating peptides;Repurposed cancer drugs in clinical trials;Circulating tumour cells.