Bücher veröffentlicht von Mdpi AG

The subject of this reprint covers the latest research in the field of wind energy methods and technologies. The results of work on modeling and optimization of wind turbines, their location, methods of monitoring and diagnostics, and development prospects were presented. Contemporary problems, dangers and risks in the field of wind engineering were also pointed out.

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) continues to be an effective technique for the label-free identification and manipulation of targeted particles in multiple applications. This second volume of the "Micromachines for Dielectrophoresis" series includes 13 novel contributions to the field in aspects ranging from fundamentals and theoretical modeling to applications.

At present, the textile sector is involved in many diversified fields for the development and sustainability of novel products and polymer-based composites, with several challenges present when it comes to producing innovative, novel, and durable materials. The fabrication of textiles and polymer-based composites as advanced and multifunctional materials in applied industries is a core fundamental concept of this Special Issue, including textile materials, their structures, surface-treated textiles, nanocoated textiles, mathematical modeling, and the use of artificial intelligence (machine learning) for the predicting their most important parameters; textile material reinforcement in composites and polymer composites; and the synthesis, characterization, and applications of textile-based polymer composites for economic and environmental sustainability. This Special Issue covers the following research topics:Synthesis and characterization of functional textiles-natural, synthetic, blended, etc.;Synthesis and characterization of polymer composites-natural, synthetic, hybrid, inorganic, etc.;Analysis of developed composites-interfacial, mechanical, thermal, physical, etc.;Surface treatment of textile-based polymer composites-coating, sorption processes. etc.

Multicomponent pharmaceutical materials are solids in which at least one component is an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). This kind of pharmaceutical solid has attracted interest in the past decade as a promising alternative to the laborious and expensive process of traditional pipeline drug development. The application of crystal engineering techniques into the design of pharmaceutical salts, co-crystals, and other multicomponent materials, in addition to the achievement of more environmentally friendly synthetic approaches, has succeeded in modulating the physicochemical, mechanical, and pharmacokinetic properties of drugs, thereby working toward the enhancement of their clinical performance.This Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews devoted to all aspects related to the field of multicomponent pharmaceutical solids. Our interests include the fundamentals of applied research, using theoretical and experimental approaches, the development of synthetic methods, the screening of multicomponent materials, structure-activity rationale, the salt-co-crystal continuum identification, the enhancement in physicochemical/mechanical/pharmacokinetic performance, as well as the functionality and applications of multicomponent pharmaceuticals solids.

Social good is typically defined as an actions and services that benefit the general public. In this case, internet connection, education, and healthcare are all good examples of social goods. However, new media innovations and the explosion of online communities have added new meaning to the term. Social good is now about global citizens uniting to unlock the potential of individuals, technology, and collaboration to create a positive societal impact.

Carbazoles are important aromatic heterocyclic compounds isolated from plants or synthetically obtained. Today, many carbazole derivatives are used in different industrial sectors, especially in the fields of physical chemistry, materials chemistry, and pharmaceuticals.In this Special Issue, "Carbazole derivatives: latest progress and prospects", recent studies on carbazole derivatives that are utilized, such as ¿1-blocking, anticancer (e.g., STAT inhibitors, microtubule-targeting agents), and antidiabetic as well as antiviral (e.g., for the treatment of COVID-19 infection) agents, are reported.

This reprint focuses on recent advances in the processing of surface electromyography (EMG) signals acquired during human movement, as well as on innovative approaches to sense muscle activity.A wide range of methods is examined, including machine learning techniques to detect the onset/offset timing of muscle activity and approaches to evaluate muscle fatigue and analyze muscle synergies and co-contractions. Applications of these techniques are explored in different medical scenarios, e.g., for the benefit of patients suffering from low back pain, stroke survivors, and patients requiring polysomnography.

This reprint covers different aspects of the West Nile virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne pathogen that belongs to the Flavivirus genus (family Flaviviridae).The virus is maintained in nature in a rural cycle between mosquito vectors, mainly Culex species, and avian hosts. Spillover from this cycle occasionally results in outbreaks in horses and humans. In severe cases, the infection can induce neurological signs, such as meningitis and encephalitis, and in some cases, it can lead to death. The virus has spread across the world in this century, including its expansion in the Americas since 1999, and an increase in the number of outbreaks and its severity has been observed in Europe in recent years. Considering all these aspects, an approach including public, animal and environmental health is the best option to increase the knowledge of this problem, making this disease an excellent example of a "One Health" issue. Bearing in mind this multidisciplinary aspect, the volume includes contributions related to the pathogenesis, vaccines, diagnosis and epidemiology of the virus both in humans and animals.

The theme of entrepreneurship in the post-pandemic context is essential for the economic and social revitalization of economies. Despite this importance, this theme has hardly been explored, and therefore one of the central aspects of this reprint is to bring the debate on the competitiveness of micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in various sectors to academic discussion. Through 11 chapters, involving the collaboration of more than 30 authors, this reprint pragmatically discusses a wide range of strategies and critical success factors for fostering entrepreneurship. This reprint also presents a set of practical solutions for various sectors, from tourism to agriculture, covering several countries, from Latin America to Asia to Europe. The various chapters present very diverse methodological approaches.

The application of novel experimental tools in many scientific fields has created an urgent need for an improved understanding of many new physical phenomena that emerge under such conditions. In particular, phenomena that occur in low-dimensional systems have drawn the interest of many experimental and theoretical groups globally. The aim of this reprint is to provide an overview of the current research in low-dimensional systems by attracting contributions from a number of specialists in the field. This way, we attempt to provide important insights on the large variety of scientifically fascinating and technologically important phenomena that are currently being investigated. The covered topics include original research articles on the fundamental principles and experimental aspects that apply to various low-dimensional systems, such as quantum dots, graphene systems, ultrathin films, superconducting films, novel nanoscale devices, etc. This reprint includes research papers from both theoretical and experimental groups. Many phenomena are studied from a multi-disciplinary perspective in such a way as to explore key important developments in the field.

This book focuses on research concerning various types of nanoparticles in terms of their toxicity, removal of antibiotics, and behavior in natural environments. In addition, reviews on microplastics in the atmosphere and the possible health impacts of microplastics/nanoplastics on humans are included

This book, entitled "Microbial Diseases of Marine Organisms", was conceived to raise awareness of threats to the sustainability of marine environments that we are increasingly facing today and are caused by various human activities. Each marine organism plays a unique role in the marine ecosystem, regardless of whether it is prey or predator or its status in the food chain. Microorganisms such as protists, bacteria, fungi, and viruses mostly share mutually beneficial symbiotic relationships, with their hosts. However, environmental changes, including climate change, which are mostly induced by anthropogenic impacts, can affect these relationships and consequently influence the health, welfare, physiology, and ecology of marine organisms and environments. Many microorganisms have exhibited changes in nature and have been reported as causes of diseases or mortality of marine organisms. These disease outbreaks may lead to declines in the host populations, resulting in changes in diversity and imbalances in marine environments.

It was recently reported that pollution was responsible for 9 million premature deaths in 2015, making it the world's largest environmental risk factor for disease and premature death. Human and industrial activities generate various forms of residual wastes and by-products in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state. Waste generation starts with simple processes such as living, eating, and breathing. Managing waste and minimizing associated environmental impacts have become more challenging as worldwide populations and economies continue to grow. Once these hazardous chemicals are present in the environment, people can become exposed to them. Human health can be influenced by many factors, including exposure to physical, chemical, biological, and radiological contaminants in the environment.This reprint comprises research papers related to the aspects of environmental exposure to multiple toxic chemicals and human health. The manuscripts are focused on toxicology, biomonitoring, exposure and risk assessment, and endocrine disruptors.

Today, a great variety of contraceptive techniques are available to women; this, coupled with improving the educational levels of female children and adults, is hastening a decline in fertility and consequently, population growth. With the advent of sustained fertility rates lower than replacement levels in many countries, including China and India, we are already witnessing major economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical consequences.Given this situation, today, the promotion of the use of contraception means improving health, not demography, placing emphasis on individuals and not just on methods alone; on the quality of services, and not simply on availability. Indeed, there is an increasing awareness that contraception can help women reduce health risks that are associated with reproductive events and specifically, with unwanted pregnancies. This means that, no matter how ideal a method may be from a purely scientific viewpoint, it must be submitted to the free, decision-making of well-informed women.To contribute to this new user-centric perspective, this reprint presents a series of articles in which technology is considered withing the broader concept of women's health. Five articles deal with issues related to the users' and providers' perspectives; three discuss a modality that is receiving increasing attention, the so-called Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC); and the last three contributions highlight the new advances in oral hormonal contraception.

The prevalence of dietary supplement is increased in the world. The primary purpose of dietary supplements is the provide nutrients, such as vitamin and mineral, to maintain health. However, the functional ingredients in food, especially polyphenols, have attracted attention in recent decades, and these ingredients have beneficial effects on human health. On the other hand, a lot of ingredients with poor evidence as to their effects have also been marketed as dietary supplements, and adverse events associated with dietary supplement use have been reported. It is important to choose dietary supplements whose efficacy and safety for our health have been studied. In this regard, you are invited to submit proposals for manuscripts that fit the objectives and the topics of this Special Issue.

Dear Colleagues, Zoological institutions contribute a large amount of fundamental and applied knowledge on a diverse array of animal species. Despite this significant contribution, research conducted within zoos or other captive wildlife facilities has historically been skewed toward charismatic mammals, which comprise only a small proportion of the species that are held in captive collections. Modern zoos play an important role in animal welfare, conservation, and environmental education; therefore, this shortfall in knowledge may have large, unseen, and negative impacts on these "forgotten species". Hypothesis-driven, experimental research plays a key role in filling these knowledge gaps; however, other avenues of data collection exist which may be equally important. These include observational data (collected without experimental interventions), operational data (data collected within the general management activities of a facility), and incidental data (data collected for one purpose which may reveal further important information when explored in more detail). These unpublished datasets may provide fundamental information on species for which comparatively little is known.

The scope of this reprint, entitled "Emerging Protein Sources for Food Production and Human Nutrition", encompasses the latest advancements in analytics and the application of new methods in the processing of proteins, both plant and animal, as well as methods of producing and testing foods enriched with these proteins.

Traditional wood composites are produced with synthetic, formaldehyde-based adhesives, commonly made from fossil-derived constituents, such as urea, phenol, melamine, etc. Along with their undisputable advantages, these adhesives are characterized by certain problems, connected with the emission of hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including free formaldehyde emission from the finished wood composites, which is carcinogenic to humans and harmful to the environment. The growing environmental concerns, connected with the adoption of circular economy principles, and the new, stricter legislative requirements for the emission of harmful VOCs, e.g., free formaldehyde, from wood composites, have posed new challenges to researchers and industrial practice, related to the development of sustainable, eco-friendly wood composites, optimization of the available lignocellulosic raw materials, and use of alternative resources. This reprint presents a collection of 10 high-quality original research and review papers providing examples of the most recent advances and technological developments in the fabrication, design, characteristics, and applications of eco-friendly wood and wood-based composites.

Available research has indicated a decline in physical fitness and motor competence over the last several decades. Movement restrictions and policies that have emphasized social distancing, due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, may have further increased the prevalence of youth with insufficient physical fitness and motor competence. As physical fitness and motor competence are critical contributors to an active and healthy lifestyle, it is important to re-emphasize their role in the general health and development of children and adolescents and, accordingly, future public health. Particularly with the re-opening of schools, sports clubs and public parks, the promotion of activities that enhance physical fitness and motor competence in children and adolescents is warranted. This reprint highlights the importance of physical fitness and motor competence for the health and well-being of children and adolescents, by providing an interdisciplinary platform for research addressing this topic.

This monograph "Earth Observations for Environmental Sustainability for the Next Decade" is a collection of original viewpoints and knowledge advancements regarding the use of Earth observations to address a number of urgent issues of great concern for humanity and covers such topics as land use/land cover (LULC) classification, debris flow assessment, precipitation estimates, drought assessment, hyperspectral image classification, Kuroshio-induced wakes, sea water primary production, weather system (tropical cyclone) interaction, habitat suitability, and biodiversity conservation. Evidence of the rapid degradation of the Earth's natural environment has gained strength in recent years. Sustaining our planet has become the greatest concern faced by humanity. In the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Earth observations are identified as major contributors to nine of these: 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Well-being), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production), 13 (Climate Action), 14 (Life Below Water), and 15 (Life on Land). Achieving the SDGs by turning knowledge into action is the critical challenge facing scientists and other subject matter experts throughout the world.

Toxins are biologically active substances produced by most kinds of living organisms, bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. They present a vast diversity of molecular structures and target a wide variety of receptors involved in a range of physiological processes. As toxins are selected during evolution to acquire/improve their disabling/lethal effects, they display finely tuned functional properties often associated with high affinities and selectivity. Moreover, toxins are valuable tools to unravel cellular processes due to their extreme specificity for cell surface and/or intracellular targets. Therefore, toxins are very attractive compounds because of their Janus-like character; while they mostly act as deadly poisons like monstrous Mr. Hyde, they can also be tamed into good remedies like admirable Dr. Jekyll. As such, they have been primarily investigated not only for the light they can throw on fundamental physiological processes but also for their potential therapeutic applications. This book, emerging from the 27th Annual Meeting of the French Society of Toxinology (SFET, http://sfet.asso.fr/international), will be of great interest for those in the scientific community who want to know more about the fascinating world of toxins.

Advanced multifunctional coatings have made great unexpected advances in synthesis, characterization and properties, and they are also used in a variety of different fields. The mechanical properties of multifunctional coatings play a vital role in their interaction with external forces and environmental factors. Therefore, it is necessary to fully study the mechanical properties of advanced multifunctional coatings. After the launch of the Special Issue, thirteen papers have been collected and published. These original research articles cover not only the relevant research of advanced multifunctional coatings but also the interesting mechanical behaviour of surfaces and interfaces. We feel that the Special Issue provides a forum to share current research results and to promote further research into the mechanical behaviour of advanced multifunctional coatings.

Quantum information and quantum computing are very rapidly developing research directions in recent years. This book introduces some of the latest developments in quantum theory, including basic physical theories such as quantum entanglement, and quantum information processing; and applications such as quantum secret key allocation, and several types of quantum algorithms. This book is suitable for some researchers or students to read.

Today, researchers are focused on studying and identifying new products that can be beneficial for both food and pharmaceutical purposes. In this context, sprouts and microgreens are widely recognized as functional foods due to their high nutritional value, and in particular, their high bioactive compound content, which is mainly composed of phytochemicals. However, despite extensive research on the germination of species cultivated under optimal conditions, knowledge gaps remain regarding various aspects of sprout and microgreen production. To address this research issue, interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial. This involves the identification of novel species for edible sprout cultivation, the exploration of innovative strategies to stimulate bioactive compound production, and the development of new "nutraceutical" foods. Moreover, it is imperative to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of the consumption of microgreens. This reprint presents cutting-edge research on sprouts and microgreens, providing valuable insights for the academic community.

This reprint is a collection of studies on antimicrobial nanodrugs; it includes four review papers on anti-biofilm therapy, carbon dot-based antimicrobial materials, and supramolecular assemblies for combating antibiotic resistance, as well as six research papers on antibiotic-loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticles, mesostructured spherical nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, perfluorocarbon nanoemulsion, nano-polyoxometalates, and gold nanoprisms.

Radiofrequency (RF) heating has been identified as one potential thermal treatment method with which to replace chemical fumigation and other conventional thermal methods because it is relatively easy to apply and leaves no chemical residues. RF equipment is commercially available today and is commonly used by the baking industry for the final drying of crackers, as well as by other industries. It involves the direct transfer of electromagnetic energy into bulk materials, providing fast and volumetric heating.This Special Issue aims to focus on recent developments in and applications of RF heating in food processing, such as disinfestation, drying, pasteurization, sterilization, temping, and thawing. This Special Issue will provide major methods, research strategies, and protocols used in the development of environmentally friendly food processes based on RF energy.

Genetic aberrations and epigenetic modifications are critical drivers of cancer progression and metastasis. Although recurrent mutations in primary and metastatic cancers have been shown to be concordant, there are several metastasis-associated mutations responsible for resistance to specific therapies that are frequently located in genes that regulate DNA methylation and chromatin modifications. Recent studies have shown that distinct subgroups of poor-prognosis tumors lack genetic alterations but are epigenetically regulated, pointing to the critical role of epigenetic modifications in cancer progression. This Special Issue provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying processes associated with cancer cell plasticity and the development of metastatic disease.

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructure, one of most famous nanomaterials in past decades, provides extensive and adaptive applications to wide communities include material, physics, daily-use chemical industry and medical societies. Controlled synthesis, advancing characterization tools, and endless healthcare from materials, drive rapid evolution of understanding and engineering on ZnO nanomaterials. Here, in this reprint, novel research articles and mini reviews are included with the focus on the novel synthesis, applications on the air and liquid purifications by using the photocatalytic merits of ZnO. Additionally, antibacterial performance from the ZnO nanostructures were demonstrated by these original contributions, which directs the new possibility from ZnO towards medical usage.

This book focuses on the preparation of polymer nanocomposites for various fields, such as structural, electronic, sensing, energy harvesting, and biomedical applications. A wide variety of matrices have been considered, such as polymer-modified asphalt, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, polymethyl methacrylate, polydimethylsiloxane elastomer, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyvinyl amide, poly(e-caloprolactone), and ureasyl polyether. The results corroborate that incorporating nanomaterials into polymeric matrices facilitates developing advanced materials with improved properties. Issues such as filler¿matrix interactions, molecular organization and rearrangement, size-dependent functionality, etc., are addressed in detail. Advanced nanosensing, nanofabrication, and nanocharacterization procedures are advantageously applied.

This book focuses on new advances and developments in the topic of vibration control and structural health monitoring.In order to reduce the adverse impact of vibration on structures, vibration control and structure health monitoring have become increasingly important. In this book, frontier research topics in the following areas have been published: theory and computational methods of vibration control, materials and devices for vibration control, tests and applications of vibration mitigation or isolation techniques, structural health monitoring, vibration analysis, and tests and applications in relative fields.