Bücher veröffentlicht von Mdpi AG

This reprint is the compilation of the articles submitted in the Special Issue entitled "Metallic or Metallic Oxide (Photo)catalysts for Environmental Applications" from the journal Catalysts, which gives an overview of the latest advances in the development of metallic or metallic oxide (photo)catalytic materials, with environmental applications for the elimination of organic pollutants or the valorization of biomass.

This Special Issue summarizes, in a single reference, timely emerging topics related to power electronics for sustainable energy conversion. Furthermore, at the same time, it provides the reader with valuable information related to open research opportunity niches.

Antibiotic resistance represents one of the most important challenges in the world and involves humans, animals and the environment.For this reason, it is increasingly important to focus our attention on the present scenarios and the future prospects relating to this problem. The One Health approach helps us and can provide the tools to consider the problem from different points of view, also providing alternative solutions to the use of the antibiotic itself.

Manufacturers of soft polymer products, as well as suppliers and processors of polymers, raw materials, and compounds or blends are compelled to use predictive and advanced laboratory testing in their search for high-performance soft polymer materials for future applications. The collection of 12 publications contained in this edition therefore presents different methods used to solve problems in the characterization of various phenomena in soft polymer materials, asks relevant questions and offers appropriate solutions.

Cumulative evidence demonstrates that healthy nutrient intake and regular physical exercise are both powerful lifestyle strategies that modulate lifelong health through their ability to improve body composition, musculoskeletal health, sex steroid hormones, sleep quality, and physical and cognitive performance, as well as to prevent chronic diseases across the lifespan, especially in women. While the benefits of nutrition and physical exercise are commonly studied separately, the integration of nutrition and physical exercise has the potential to produce greater benefits in women than strategies focusing only on one or the other. Studying the specificities of women in response to interventions is of the utmost importance for providing optimal healthcare and aids the design of guidelines that are better suited for women. A better knowledge regarding nutrient intake and physical exercise and their interaction in women is therefore needed. This Special Issue entitled "nutrient intake and physical exercise as modulators of healthy women" will comprise manuscripts that highlight this integrational approach as a potential modulator of lifelong outcomes in women.

Rainfall is the main input for all hydrological models, such as rainfall-runoff models and the forecasting of landslides triggered by precipitation, with its comprehension being clearly essential for effective water resource management as well. The need to improve the modeling of rainfall fields constitutes a key aspect both for efficiently realizing early warning systems and for carrying out analyses of future scenarios related to occurrences and magnitudes for all induced phenomena. The aim of this Special Issue was hence to provide a collection of innovative contributions for rainfall modeling, focusing on hydrological scales and a context of climate changes.We believe that the contribution from the latest research outcomes presented in this Special Issue can shed novel insights on the comprehension of the hydrological cycle and all the phenomena that are a direct consequence of rainfall. Moreover, all these proposed papers can clearly constitute a valid base of knowledge for improving specific key aspects of rainfall modeling, mainly concerning climate change and how it induces modifications in properties such as magnitude, frequency, duration, and the spatial extension of different types of rainfall fields. The goal should also consider providing useful tools to practitioners for quantifying important design metrics in transient hydrological contexts (quantiles of assigned frequency, hazard functions, intensity-duration-frequency curves, etc.).

The World Health Organization (2002) classified violence as a leading international public health problem that requires immediate intervention. Violence is a pervasive social problem whose causes and consequences are inextricably linked to individuals, families, institutions, communities, and societies. The negative consequences of violence, and serious violence in particular, reverberate beyond the immediate moment and location of it. By bringing together partners with varied skills, whole-system multiagency approaches are advocated as the leading means of targeting serious violence. With this context in mind, this Special Issue examines a variety of collaborative, community-based approaches to preventing and reducing serious violence across the global landscape. The contributions from practitioners and researchers focus on the prevention and reduction of serious interpersonal violence in communities. The typologies of serious violence discussed by the collaborators include gang membership, domestic violence, and sexual violence. The contributions address the collaborative nature of serious violence prevention work, recognizing that violence is multicausal and that solutions are needed across various socioecological domains. The contributions describe community-level collaborative approaches to preventing and reducing serious violence. The successes and lessons learned from the approaches are identified, and the applicability of the approaches to other areas are explored.

This Special Issue on "Soft Photonic Crystals and Metamaterials" from Materials consists of 10 papers that highlight recent advances in a broad scope of optical-wavelength and sub-wavelength structures made of soft materials and particles. Soft matter shows plenty of unique and improved optical properties for deep scientific understanding, thereby promoting fabrication, characterization and device performance for potential photonic applications that include, but are not limited to, photovoltaic cells, photodetectors, light-emitting diodes, tunable microlasers, optical filters for biosensors, smart windows, virtual/augmented reality head-mounted elements, and high-speed spatial light modulators in glasses-free 3D displays.

At present, the increasing demand for novel biotechnological products is supported through the continuous development of biocatalytic applications. As a consequence, the progress of research regarding enzymatic catalysis in aqueous, non-aqueous, organic (polar or non-polar), and/or non-solvent media is decisive. Experimental design methods, which also may comprise in silico studies, the design of specific reactors and conditions, the reactions of significant chemical and/or biochemical processes that are relevant to industrial production, enzyme kinetic methods, the investigation of enzymatic mechanisms and the use of immobilized enzymes and/or microbial cells on various inert matrices, are all useful. A plethora of enzymes of several classes, which may potentially be used as biocatalysts in biotechnological applications, are available. Among these enzymes, the more common are oxidoreductases (laccase, catalase, glucose oxidase, etc.), hydrolases (amylases, lipases, proteases, amidases, cellulases, esterases, etc.), isomerases (epimerases, topoisomerases, mutases, etc.), and others. By means of the aforementioned biocatalysts and the utilization of specific biotechnological methods, important, cost-effective, sustainable, and environmentally friendly processes have been applied for the synthesis and/or the conversion of a huge number of market-required products.

In this Special Issue of Genes entitled "Genetic Conditions Affecting the Skeleton: Congenital, Idiopathic Scoliosis and Arthrogryposis", evidence is presented that suggests that congenital, idiopathic scoliosis, and arthrogryposis share similar overlapping, but also distinct, etiopathogenic mechanisms, including connective tissue and neuromuscular mechanisms. Congenital scoliosis (CS) is defined by the presence of an abnormal spinal curvature, due to an underlying vertebral bony malformation (VM). Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) is defined by the presence of an abnormal structural spinal curvature of ¿10 degrees in the sagittal plane, in the absence of an underlying VM. Arthrogryposis is defined by the presence of congenital contractures in two or more joints of the appendicular skeleton. All three conditions have complex genetic causes. This Special Issue highlights the complex nature of these conditions and current concepts in our approach to better understand their genetics.

Filter-feeding in marine invertebrates is a big and important research subject, which cannot be even approximately covered by the present six articles. But although these articles deal with a limited and rather random selection of both topics and filter-feeding species, they give an update of certain aspects of important ongoing research. The articles deal with many topics, such as: filtration rates, energy budgets, growth rates, bioenergetic modeling, filter-pump design, particle-capture mechanisms, functional morphology, and hydrodynamics studied in sponges, jellyfish, mussels, and other filter-feeding marine invertebrates. This makes the Special Issue relevant for all marine biologists.

This book reports cutting-edge technology in nanoprobes or nanobiomaterials used for the accurate diagnosis and therapy of tumors, involving a multidisciplinary of chemistry, materials science, oncology, biology, and medicine.

Phenolic compounds in food such as fruits, vegetables, wine, spices, and oils have been characterized and their possible effects on human health has been studied in depth. Several technological aspects have also been considered concerning the sustainable extraction of phenolic compounds, the long-term storage effects, and the influence of fermentation and boiling techniques on their properties.

Metal manufacturing is a fundamental and indispensable technology in the processing of raw metals into desired products, which significantly promotes the development of industry and society overall. This book presents original research and a state of the art review of contemporary metal manufacturing processes, especially in the modeling, optimization, and design of the manufacturing processes. This book covers topics such as machine learning algorithms in manufacturing metal products, the fabrication and optimization of mechanical properties of metals, and numerical simulations and experiments in the machining of metals. The book presents some essential theories and successful manufacturing techniques for the low-cost and highly efficient production of metals.

This book presents recent advances in the field of bone tissue engineering, including molecular insights, innovative biomaterials with regenerative properties (e.g., osteoinduction and osteoconduction), and physical stimuli to enhance bone regeneration.

This Special Issue of Forests explores the role of soundscapes in urban forested areas. It is comprised of 11 papers involving soundscape studies conducted in urban forests from Asia and Africa. This collection contains six research fields: (1) the ecological patterns and processes of forest soundscapes; (2) the boundary effects and perceptual topology; (3) natural soundscapes and human health; (4) the experience of multi-sensory interactions; (5) environmental behavior and cognitive disposition; and (6) soundscape resource management in forests.

Dear Colleagues, Ruminant production systems are very important in many areas of the world and a key aspect of the economy and culture. Food quality is a complex term that includes, in addition to safety, such intrinsic characteristics as appearance, color, texture, and flavor, which are modified by both pre- and post-mortem factors. For this Special Issue, we included studies on any of these factors or preservation methods for improving the quality and shelf-life of meat. We also collected manuscripts on carcass development, quality, and valorization. We are interested in applied research and the interaction between pre- and post-mortem factors, e.g., nutrition and preservation methods for improving the quality and conservation of a carcass and meat, and methods for assessing carcass quality (ultrasound, image analysis, etc.). However, manuscripts related to the extrinsic characteristics (origin, quality labels, price, etc.) of a carcass or meat do not fall into the scope of this Special Issue.

Dinoflagellates are an important group of aquatic microbial eukaryotes, showing great diversity in life histories, ecological niches, morphology, and pigment composition. They include species with photosynthetic, heterotrophic, symbiotic, mixotrophic, and parasitic lifestyles, and encompass coral symbionts, harmful algal bloom forming species, and important fish parasites. They are present in fossil records that date back several hundred million years. Dinoflagellates include the majority of species that produce marine biotoxins, impacting aquaculture. In recent years, molecular approaches have been applied to understand dinoflagellate biology, including techniques for studying dinoflagellate ecology, physiology, basic genetics, and evolution. This Special Issue, edited by Professor Shauna Murray, is dedicated to the application and development of molecular approaches for enhancing our understanding of dinoflagellate biology.

The primary objective of this book is to provide the current status of and new data on the molecular mechanisms affecting the efficacy of somatic cell cloning, but also insightful interpretations of the topical and coming trends in the exploration of genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic and proteomic profiles for nuclear donor cells, nuclear recipient oocytes and SCNT-derived embryos. Comprehensively deciphering the crucial molecular scenarios responsible for inter-genomic, inter-epigenomic, inter-transcriptomic and inter-proteomic communication within the framework of the aforementioned scenarios might be a milestone giving rise to the enhancements in the extra- and intracorporeal epigenetic reprogrammabilities of donor cell nuclei in nuclear-transferred oocytes, embryos, conceptuses and neonates. In turn, this might allow us to use SCNT-mediated ARTs in such research fields as biotechnology, transgenics, medicine, and biopharmacology, as well as scientific efforts targeted at designing the in vitro and in vivo models of molecular and epigenomic landscapes specific for inheritable and acquired disorders in humans and other mammalian species.

Researchers have made great progress in the mechanism of mycotoxins biosynthesis, pathogenicity, and the construction of detection methods. This collection holds fundamental and applied research on pathogenic fungi and mycotoxins in China, which directly or indirectly affect the health of plants, animals, and humans. Some papers mainly study the mechanism of mycotoxin biosynthesis, including the crucial genes, environmental factors, and regulation mechanisms, which is beneficial to advancing our knowledge of this area. Some papers focus on the toxicity of mycotoxins, which is helpful to the detoxification of mycotoxins and the reduction of the hazardous effect of mycotoxins. Special attention is given to the leading detection methods, especially on-site rapid detection. These effective and feasible methods are important for discovering and controlling the risk of mycotoxins.

Fused filament fabrication, also known as 3D printing, is extensively used to produce prototypes for applications in, e.g., the aerospace, medical, and automotive industries. In this process, a thermoplastic polymer is fed into a liquefier that extrudes a filament while moving in successive X-Y planes along the Z direction to fabricate a 3D part in a layer-by-layer process. Due to the progressive advances of this process in industry, the application of polymeric (or even composite) materials have received much attention. Researchers and industries now engage in 3D printing by implementing numerous polymeric materials in their domain. In this Special Issue, we will present a collection of recent and novel works regarding the application of polymers in 3D printing.

In irrigated agriculture, the study of the various ways water infiltrates into the soils is necessary. In this respect, soil hydraulic properties, such as soil moisture retention curve, diffusivity, and hydraulic conductivity functions, play a crucial role, as they control the infiltration process and the soil water and solute movement. This Special Issue presents the recent developments in the various aspects of soil water movement in irrigated agriculture through a number of research topics that tackle one or more of the following challenges: irrigation systems and one-, two-, and three-dimensional soil water movement; one-, two-, and three-dimensional infiltration analysis from a disc infiltrometer; dielectric devices for monitoring soil water content and methods for assessment of soil water pressure head; soil hydraulic properties and their temporal and spatial variability under the irrigation situations; saturated-unsaturated flow model in irrigated soils; soil water redistribution and the role of hysteresis; soil water movement and drainage in irrigated agriculture; salt accumulation, soil salinization, and soil salinity assessment; effect of salts on hydraulic conductivity; and soil conditioners and mulches that change the upper soil hydraulic properties and their effect on soil water movement.

This book is dedicated to the current trends and new challenges that have emerged from the new e-learning environment, focusing on its potential to revolutionize Healthcare Education and exploring how it may help to better prepare future healthcare professionals for their daily practice. "E-learning and Digital Training in Healthcare Education: Current Trends and New Challenges" contains several research articles focused on new insights into the use of interactive and intuitive e-learning tools and innovative teaching methodologies that engage healthcare students in the new web-based environment training. It also includes several case studies of 'pathfinder' e-learning initiatives and surveys related to the penetration and acceptance of digital training in Healthcare Education.

This reprint contains articles published in the Special Issue entitled "Assessing Atmospheric Pollution and Its Impacts on the Human Health" in the journal Atmosphere. The research focuses on the evaluation of atmospheric pollution by statistical methods on the one hand, and on the other hand, on the evaluation of the relationship between the level of pollution and the extent of its effect on the population's health, especially on pulmonary diseases.

This reprint collects high-quality manuscripts with a focus on food composition, with special emphasis on chemical characterization, the content of bioactive molecules, contaminants, and analytical aspects. The roles of variety, cultivation, growing conditions, and technological processes on the nutritional quality of foods have been investigated. Studies dealing with the biological activity and health benefits of bioactive food molecules have been also considered.

Personalized medicine for Parkinson's disease is a growing and emerging concept in light of recent recognition that Parkinson's is a syndromic condition affecting multiple neurotransmitter systems, as well as brain and extracranial structures. The clinical expression is, thus, heterogeneous, and presentation age can range from the 30s to the 90s, with PD in older patients being associated with significant neuropathological comorbidity as well, involving not just misfolded alpha synuclein deposition but also amyloid and tau. Traditional and largely guideline-driven "one size fits all" management strategies adopted in clinical practice are, therefore, often inadequate in holistic management of a patient, particularly when aspects of motor and nonmotor symptoms are taken into consideration. In this supplement of JPM, we present a selection of papers which address several possible strands of personalized medicine in PD, ranging from genomic precision medicine to digital "checklists" to ensure delivery of holistic personalized medicine involving nonpharmacological strategies, as well. We are soliciting any papers addressing biomarkers, genetics and pharmacogenetics, treatment or complementary therapies for personalized or individualized treatment for PD.

This volume is focused on a wide range of topics, including adaptive optic components and tools, wavefront sensing, different control algorithms, astronomy, and propagation through turbulent and turbid media.

This reprint describes the polyphenolic composition of wine and beer, with a special emphasis on extractive and analytical aspects. Furthermore, the effects of wine and beer polyphenols on human health are studied in the depth.

The focus of this Special Issue is language translation in the process of localizing religious musical practice. As an alternative to related concepts (such as contextualization and indigenization), musical localization is presented by ethnomusicologists Monique Ingalls, Muriel Swijghuisen Reigersberg, and Zoe Sherinian in Making Congregational Music Local in Christian Communities Worldwide (Routledge, 2018) as an effective way to account for the complex, diverse, and shifting ways in which religious communities embody what it means to be local through their musical practices: "Musical localization is the process by which Christian communities take a variety of musical practices - some considered 'indigenous,' some 'foreign,' some shared across spatial and cultural divides; some linked to past practice, some innovative - and make them locally meaningful and useful in the construction of Christian beliefs, theology, practice, and identity." (13)This Special Issue shows the balance of translation priorities that local congregations can weigh as they work, between externally prescribed guidelines and exclusively local realities; between translations more oriented to the source language and culture, making that reality more plain, or to the recipients, ensuring that the meaning is adequately transferred to a new context; and between even the decision to translate or not, perhaps choosing to sing the songs of another culture and language as they are while risking appropriation.

The United Kingdom has a proud history of liquid crystal research. Its contributions span from the formulation of the theory of nematic elasticity as it is used today, uncovered via the Leslie-Erickson theory describing the viscosity of mesophases, to the discovery of the first room-temperature nematic and the related developments in the display industry, to name just several pioneering contributions. Today, liquid crystal science in the UK is more diverse and multidisciplinary than ever, ranging from the synthesis of increasingly complex mesogenic molecules, via the physical properties of self-organised systems and composites of both the thermotropic and the lyotropic type, to a wide variety of applications outside of the traditional display sector. The field covers aspects of chemistry, physics, material sciences, chemical engineering, mathematics, biology and device engineering in an overarching effort to advance the fundamental understanding of these soft-matter materials and to promote their technological exploitation in the UK and worldwide. To this end, a large group of individuals and research groups from universities and industry in the UK are working together on a Special Issue to advance the development of this field. The achievements of these scholars can be found in publications in top-class journals and presentations at all large international conferences, in the development of new products, and in events for public engagement.