Böcker utgivna av Mdpi AG

The articles published in this Special Issue reprint offer a sound update of research fieldswhere the concepts of modular crystallography are important and provide unique keys tounderstand and to solve problems of structural crystallography. Polytypism,polysomatism, and twinning are fertile fields of research, and their basic principles-o����en coupled with the OD (order-disorder) theory-are powerful tools to solve andclassify related crystal structures. Research on twinning and its consequences onstructure and properties of crystalline materials is cutting-edge, e.g., dealing withrelations between twin walls and piezoelectricity.

Micro electrical discharge machining (micro-EDM) is a thermo-electric and contactlessprocess most suited for micro-manufacturing and high-precision machining, especiallywhen difficult-to-cut materials, such as super alloys, composites, and electro conductiveceramics, are processed. Many industrial domains exploit this technology to fabricatehighly demanding components, such as high-aspect-ratio micro holes for fuel injectors,high-precision molds, and biomedical parts.Moreover, the continuous trend towards miniaturization and high precision functionalcomponents boosted the development of control strategies and optimizationmethodologies specifically suited to address the challenges in micro- and nano-scalefabrication.This Special Issue showcases 12 research papers and a review article focusing on novelmethodological developments on several aspects of micro electrical dischargemachining: machinability studies of hard materials (TiNi shape memory alloys, Si3N4-TiNceramic composite, ZrB2-based ceramics reinforced with SiC fibers and whiskers,tungsten-cemented carbide, Ti-6Al-4V alloy, duplex stainless steel, and cubic boronnitride), process optimization adopting different dielectrics or electrodes,characterization of mechanical performance of processed surface, process analysis, andoptimization via discharge pulse-type discrimination, hybrid processes, fabrication ofmolds for inflatable so���� microactuators, and implementation of low-cost desktop micro-EDM system.

This book, which is a reprint of articles published in the Special Issue "Advances inHydrogen Energy" in Energies, seeks to contribute to disseminating the most recentadvancements in the field of hydrogen energy. It does so by presenting scientific worksfrom around the world covering both modeling and experimental analysis. The focus isplaced on research covering all aspects of the hydrogen energy, from production tostorage and final use, including the development of other easy to transport and versatilehydrogen-based energy carriers via the power-to-x (PtX) route, such as ammonia andmethanol.Hydrogen energy research and development has attracted growing attention as one ofthe key solutions for clean future energy systems. In order to reduce greenhouse gasemissions, governments across the world are developing ambitious policies to supporthydrogen technology, and an increasing level of funding has been allocated for projectsof research, development, and demonstration of these technologies. At the same time,the private sector is capitalizing on the opportunity with larger investments in hydrogentechnology solutions.While intense research activities have been dedicated to this field, several issues requirefurther research prior to achieving full commercialization of hydrogen technologysolutions. This book addresses some of these issues by presenting detailed models tooptimize design strategies and operating conditions for the entire hydrogen value chain,covering production via electrolysis, storage and use in different types of fuel cells and indifferent forms of energy carriers.

This book focuses on original research works about Green Technologies for Production Processes, including discrete production processes and process production processes, from various aspects that tackle product, process, and system issues in production. The aim is to report the state-of-the-art on relevant research topics and highlight the barriers, challenges, and opportunities we are facing. This book includes 22 research papers and involves energy-saving and waste reduction in production processes, design and manufacturing of green products, low carbon manufacturing and remanufacturing, management and policy for sustainable production, technologies of mitigating CO2 emissions, and other green technologies.

The enhancement of life and the performance of metal engineering components ismainly determined by surface characteristics. The latter has a pivotal role in enhancingthe life of products since they control the mechanical, electrical, thermal, and electronicproperties. Nevertheless, the surface and near-surface properties are crucial in failuremechanisms since the loss of performance and failures mostly begin from the surface.Research advances in the designing, processing, and characterizing of textured surfacesbroadly support innovative industrial applications and products.The performance improvement in engineering components during operation is achallenging issue and surface engineering methods have been attracting considerableinterest in both research and industrial fields. Even though many attempts have beenmade to face the wear of metals by tuning the physical, chemical, mechanical, andmetallurgical properties of their surfaces, several important aspects need to be stilldeepened.The present book collects original research papers and a review that covers the latestdevelopment in methods for enhancing the life and functionality of engineeringcomponents by tuning the physical, chemical, mechanical, and metallurgical propertiesof their surfaces. Attention is focused on processing and characterizing methods capableof supporting industrial applications and products to both tackle surface degradationand improve the performance and reliability of components.

This e-book aims to compile advances in the area of food manufacturing includingpackaging to address issues of food safety, quality, fraud, and how these processes (newor old) could affect the organoleptic characteristics of foods, with the aim to promoteconsumers'' satisfaction. Moreover, food supply issues are explored. New and improvedtechnologies are employed in the area of food manufacturing to address consumerneeds in terms of quality and safety. The issues of research and development should betaken into account seriously before launching a new product onto the market. Finally,food fraud and authenticity are very important issues, and the food industry should focuson addressing them.

Fermented foods are consumed all over the world and their consumption shows anincreasing trend. They play many roles, from preservation to food security, improvednutrition and social well-being. Different microorganisms are involved in thefermentation process and the diversity of the microbiome is high.Fermented foods are food substrates that are invaded or overgrown by ediblemicroorganisms whose enzymes hydrolyze polysaccharides, proteins and lipids tonontoxic products with flavors, aromas, and textures that are pleasant and attractive tothe human consumer. Fermentation plays different roles in food processing, includingthe development of a wide diversity of flavors, aromas, and textures in food, lactic acid,alcoholic, acetic acid, alkaline and high salt fermentations for food preservationpurposes, biological enrichment of food substrates with vitamins, protein, essentialamino acids, and essential fatty acids and detoxification during food fermentationprocessing.

Ambient air quality in the present-day Czech Republic (CR), one of the two successioncountries of Czechoslovakia post-1993, was perceived as a major problem with severehuman health and environmental consequences, particularly between the 1970s and1990s. Since that time, the ambient air quality in the CR has improved substantially, dueto newly introduced stringent legislation and technical countermeasures. Nevertheless,there are still activities which represent significant emission sources, such as localheating and increased vehicle travel through communities. A����er a substantial decreasein emissions in both the CR and its neighbouring countries, the levels of some ambientair pollutants from the 2000s are still not satisfactory. In this respect, aerosol, groundlevelozone, and benzo[a]pyrene remain major problems, as they do elsewhere inEurope. The book provides a valuable update both on time trends and spatial changes inambient air quality, and highlights the recent activities in both monitoring and modellingof principle ambient air pollutants in the CR.

Satisfying the increasing number of consumer demands for high-quality seeds withenhanced performance is one of the most imperative challenges of modern agriculture.In this view, it is essential to remember that the seed quality of crops does not improve.

For the past 50 years, there has been increasing consideration and debate about how to best educate learners with special educational needs and disabilities. Competing paradigms of special education and inclusive education have been developed, disseminated and discussed at length over the years. These discussions have focused the attention on effectively educating learners with different types and severities of special educational needs and disabilities, who are living in either developing and developed countries in various parts of the world.The aim of this Special Issue of Education Sciences is to focus on the latest theory, practice and research relevant to special education and inclusive education. Articles that present new ideas, suggest future research directions or potential ways forward for educational practice are of particular interest.

As a dynamic interface between agriculture and forestry, agroforestry has only recentlybeen formally recognized as a relevant part of land use with ''trees outside forest'' inimportant parts of the world-but not everywhere yet. The Sustainable DevelopmentGoals have called attention to the need for the multifunctionality of landscapes thatsimultaneously contribute to multiple goals. In the UN decade of landscape restoration,as well as in response to the climate change urgency and biodiversity extinction crisis, anincrease in global tree cover is widely seen as desirable, but its management by farmersor forest managers remains contested. Agroforestry research relates tree-soil-crop-livestock interactions at the plot level with landscape-level analysis of social-ecologicalsystems and efforts to transcend the historical dichotomy between forest and agricultureas separate policy domains. An ''ecosystem services'' perspective quantifies landproductivity, flows of water, net greenhouse gas emissions, and biodiversity conservation,and combines an ''actor'' perspective (farmer, landscape manager) with that of''downstream'' stakeholders (in the same watershed, ecologically conscious consumerselsewhere, global citizens) and higher-level regulators designing land-use policies andspatial zoning.

Taking the papers'' collection of this Special Issue as a whole, it is clear that "MunicipalWastewater Management" is an ongoing field of research with the ability to incorporatecurrent environmental and human health challenges. The use of municipal sewage tomonitor COVID-19 virus circulation in communities and the estimation of possibleoutbreaks, even before clinical cases have been identified, is a fact that justifies this.In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, the interest of the impact that research onmunicipal wastewater management can have on improving humans'' health andprotecting the environment is being rethought. In respect to this, there is an essentialneed for scientific publications that present varieties of case studies and discuss bestpractices, so as wastewater treatment plants to be seen not only as sites of pollutantsremoval but also as places where energy is efficiently used and environmentalsustainability is being practiced, in close relation to the needs of the community.Viewed in this way, the papers'' collected in this Special Issue are looking forward to reacha broad readership that can gain awareness and understanding of their topics and bestimulated into future research and collaborations that would improve all stakeholdersengagement in promoting a sustainable municipal wastewater management.

This book collected recent studies on the latest methodological and operationaladvances in hydrological forecasting. Specifically, the collection of papers covers a rangeof topics related to improving hydrological forecasting via new datasets and innovativeapproaches.

In this Special Issue of Life, we invited researchers from all over the world to share advances in their understanding of ecological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms of cyanobacterial survival. This includes original work and review articles dealing with signaling pathways, strategies of gene and protein regulation, global studies, and new discoveries related to the differentiation of spore-like akinetes, motile hormogonia, and nitrogen-fixing heterocysts.

Power converters have progressively become the most efficient and attractive solution inrecent decades in many industrial sectors, ranging from electric mobility, aerospaceapplications to attain better electric aircra���� concepts, vast renewable energy resourceintegration in the transmission and distribution grid, the design of smart and efficientenergy management systems, the usage of energy storage systems, and the achievementof smart grid paradigm development, among others.In order to achieve efficient solutions in this wide energy scenario, over the past fewdecades, considerable attention has been paid by the academia and industry in order todevelop new methods to achieve power systems with maximum harmonicperformance aiming for two main targets. On the one hand, the high-performanceharmonic performance of power systems would lead to improvements in their powerdensity, size and weight. This becomes critical in applications such as aerospace orelectric mobility, where the power converters are on-board systems. On the other hand,current standards are becoming more and more strict in order to reduce the EMI and EMCnoise, as well as meeting minimum power quality requirements (i.e., grid code standardsfor grid-tied power systems).

The sense of hearing is vulnerable to environmental challenges, such as exposure tonoise. More than 1.5 billion people experience some decline in hearing ability during theirlifetime, of whom at least 430 million will be affected by disabling hearing loss. If notidentified and addressed in a timely way, hearing loss can severely reduce the quality oflife at various stages. Some causes of hearing loss can be prevented, for example fromoccupational or leisure noise. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1billion young people put themselves at risk of permanent hearing loss by listening to loudmusic over long periods of time. Mitigating such risks through public health action isessential to reduce the impact of hearing loss in the community. The etiology ofsensorineural hearing loss is complex and multifactorial, arising from congenital andacquired causes. This book highlights the diverse range of approaches to sensorineuralhearing loss, from designing new animal models of age-related hearing loss, to the use ofmicroRNAs as biomarkers of cochlear injury and drug repurposing for the therapy of agerelatedand noise-induced hearing loss. Further investigation into the underlyingmolecular mechanisms of sensorineural hearing loss and the integration of the noveldrug, cell, and gene therapy strategies into controlled clinical studies will permitsignificant advances in a field where there are currently many unmet needs.

This book contains the articles collected for the Special Issue entitled "Micro-nanoSurface Functionalization of Materials and Thin Films for Optical Applications" in thejournal Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). These selected articles provide a meaningful overviewof recent advances and concepts beyond the state-of-the-art regarding surfacefunctionalization of materials and deposition of thin films to be used in opticalapplications. The aim was to cover all relevant aspects of the topic (simulation, design,fabrication, characterization and applications) with a special emphasis on nonconventionalmethods for surface modification of materials, combinations of maturefabrication routes with emerging technologies (i.e., additive manufacturing) and largeareafabrication concepts to pave the way to an industrial utilization of the developedmaterials. This overview comprises the recent work of reputed scientists from Germany,Austria, Spain and India on:- New developments on the scale-up deposition of transparent conductive materials bymagnetron sputtering,- Design of hierarchical surface structures at different scale lengths for nanoimprinting ofoptical nano- and micro-structures,- Non-conventional preparation of rutile-type TiO2 films at room temperature for opticalapplications on heat-sensitive substrates,- Design of spectrally selective solar absorber coatings based on computationalsimulation and ellipsometry measurements.

Sensory analysis and consumer research are relevant tools in innovation andnew product development, from design to commercialization. This Special Issuehas collected 13 valuable scientific contributions, including 1 review, 12 originalresearch articles and an editorial. The SI provides an interesting outlookand better understanding of sensorial analysis with the different techniques andconsumer research on new product development. Important practical applicationshave been reported on the development of different novel, functional andenhanced products (meat, fish, biscuits, yogurt, porridge, hybrid meat, molecularproducts, etc.), which helps increase knowledge in this field. This SI isvery useful for both present and future uses for the different players involved inthis kind of product development (industry, companies, researchers, scientists,marketing, merchandising, consumers, etc.).

This book contains 10 reviewed papers published as a Special Issue "Globaland International Logistics" in the journal Sustainability, edited by Prof. Dr.Ryuichi Shibasaki, Prof. Dr. Daisuke Watanabe, and Dr. Tomoya Kawasaki.The topics of the papers contain the impact of logistics development under theChina''s Belt and Road initiative (BRI) by using the improved gravity model,strategies against barriers to the BRI from a logistics and supply chain managementperspective, the dynamic interaction between international logistics,and cross-border e-commerce trade, the effect of China''s restrictive programson the international trade of waste products, the empty container repositioningproblem of shipping companies with foldable containers, port capacity and connectivityimprovement in the hub and feeder network in Indonesia, GHG emissionscenarios for the maritime shipping sector using system dynamics, incorporatinga shipping and shipbuilding market model, the emission inventory andbunker consumption from a LNG fleet from an automatic identification systemdatabase, the factors that can help select between land transport and maritimeshipping in long-distance inter-regional cross-border transport, and containertransport simulations in Myanmar with the global logistics intermodal networkassignment model including both maritime shipping and land transport in theland-based Southeast Asia region. Some papers are related to the 8th InternationalConference on Transportation and Logistics (T-LOG 2020) which washeld online on 6-7 September 2020 hosted by Universitas Internasional SemenIndonesia.

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus global health crisis, state restrictive provisions imposed to restrain or at least limit the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, have had an overwhelming impact not only on our daily lives but also on the exercise of religious freedom, which has suffered unprecedented restrictions.With the expertise of academics and legal scholars of different jurisdictions, this book analyzes the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the exercise of religious freedom in different legal contexts and investigates how the pandemic crisis emphasized underlying judicial, political, social, cultural, ethnic, and economic challenges, giving rise to a clash between competing rights and exacerbating the tension between public, religiously neutral policies and claims for religious accommodation. Experts from different legal fields examine distinctive legal responses to the health crisis in terms of restrictions to the exercise of religious freedom, even in a comparative perspective; reactions of religious groups, in terms of opposition or cooperation, and the ability of religious leaders to provide guidance and support to their faith communities; the specific impact of restrictions on some religious communities; and the increase in religious discrimination against disliked faith-communities in specific geographical contexts.

This book includes a selection of papers showing the potential of the dynamic modellingapproach to treat problems related to the musculoskeletal system. The state-of-the-art ispresented in a review article and in a perspective paper, and several examples ofapplication in different clinical problems are provided.

Our collective volume is focused on an ambitious interdisciplinary project that unites several existing disciplines in humanities with Slavic religion and mythology. We are dealing with the topic of Slavic mythology and religion, not only from purely historical or folklorist standpoints, but we also add to this by including philosophy, creative arts, modern theory, and critiques. We hope this sheds more light on ways in which mythologies and religious traditions inform ideas and artistic practices, past and present. General topics of the volume include but are not limited to: Religious traditionalism merged with occult-mystical tradition and their ideological aspects in literature, culture, and various relevant motifs in the oeuvre of several Slavic authors; Slavic folklore and popular culture in general-philosophical and theoretical critique, religious and occult texts; Slavic literature, its mythological and religious motifs; and modern orthodox fundamentalism. This is merged with analyses of Slavic religious experience of folklore, Slavic popular religious culture, occult themes, and topics of sectarian mythology and discourse. The chronological framework of the project is not limited to any specific period.

The book covers all of the specific aspects of this topic, ranging from preparatory approaches, functionalization strategies of NPs and polymers, processing and integration of nanocomposites in additive manufacturing materials, and technological methodologies to obtain functional multiphase materials for advanced application.

Absorbable metals have shown significant clinical potential for temporary implantapplications, where the material is eventually replaced by healthy, functioning tissue.However, several challenges remain before these metals can be used in humans.Innovations and further improvements are required. This book collects scientificcontributions dealing with the development of absorbable metals with improved andunique corrosion and mechanical properties for applications in highly loaded implants orcardiovascular and urethral stents.

Papers published in metals in 2020 and 2021, related to the special issue "News trends in powder metallurgy: microstructures, properties, durability. a review of the scientific advances in this field have been carried out through a selection of 13 original research papers (progress reviews and articles) on the impact of the microstructure on the mechanical and functional properties of metallic alloys obtained by sintering (SPS) and additive manufacturing (PBF) routes.

Natural products or organic compounds isolated from natural sources as primary orsecondary metabolites have inspired numerous drugs. It is not an overstatement that themajority of medicines in clinics, even in the 21st century, have been derived from naturalresources despite the decline of industry research into natural products due to a varietyof drawbacks. Saffron crocus, considered to be the most valuable spice by weight, and itsbioactive constituents, have been studied for the treatment of a wide range ofpathologies, including neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, cancer,diabetes, and even cardiovascular diseases. In this book on the chemistry, pharmacology,and therapeutic potential of Crocus sativus L. extract and its constituents, we aimed toassess new advances in the understanding of the therapeutic action of saffron and itsconstituents in targeting different pathologies. In this context, eight original researcharticles covering recent advances in the therapeutic actions of saffron and its ingredientsin different diseases are reported. Two studies reporting novel methods regarding thebioanalysis of saffron extracts have been included. The collection is completed with twovery interesting reviews reporting advances in the fields of schizophrenia and cancer. Inconclusion, in this book, we are delighted to have received several contributions that wehope will provide new and interesting information for the scientific community on thechemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutic potential of Crocus sativus L. extract and itsconstituents.

In present book, an analysis of the literature pertaining to parametric and nonparametricdescriptions of surface topography in basics manufacturing processes (e.g.,turning, milling, grinding) has been performed. The book focuses on the improvement ofmachining processes, with particular attention to the functional properties of surfaces,and, also, in the control of process parameters by a selected group of parameters. Here,the specific areas of interest are: surface topography analysis; advanced manufacturingmetrology; surface metrology; measurement science; and measurement systems. Theproposed approach of the description of surface for the functional properties of surfacesleads to the control of the whole manufacturing process, reduction of production cost byeliminating manufacturing defects and energy consumption, as well as theimprovements of surface quality. The study presented in the book is a compendium ofknowledge regarding surface metrology and emerging aim in a novel scientific approach.

The last few decades have seen considerable progress in the development of high-performance metals and alloys that have microstructures and plastic behaviors with a high level of complexity. Ultrafine-grain materials, metallic glasses, gradient microstructures, etc., have clearly been gaining the attention of researchers and are gaining a place in the industry. Concurrently, the self-organized nature of plastic deformation, leading to complex behaviors on mesoscopic scales even in pure metals with highly symmetric lattices, has been generally recognized. Such progress has demanded the development of sophisticated experimental techniques (in situ TEM, digital image correlation, nano-indentation, etc.), advanced multiscale modeling (molecular dynamics, discrete dislocation dynamics, strain gradient models, etc.), and methods of analysis of the observed and simulated behaviors from the viewpoint of self-organization, with an aim of filling gaps between the elementary atomic-scale mechanisms and the scale of a laboratory sample. The current research has evolved in two main areas. First, new approaches to old questions and traditional model materials allow for a deeper understanding of physical mechanisms. Second, a better understanding of the process-microstructure-property links provides a basis for the elaboration of new materials and processing routes, as well as for the creation of powerful computer models that are able to predict the behavior of complex materials. This Special Issue aims at presenting examples of such recent progress and trends in the plasticity of metals and alloys.

Disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods, heat waves, nuclear accidents, andlarge-scale pollution incidents take lives and incur major health problems. The majorityof large-scale disasters affect the most vulnerable populations, which often compriseextreme ages, remote living areas, and endemic poverty, as well as people with lowliteracy. Health emergency and disaster risk management (Health-EDRM) refers to thesystematic analysis and management of health risks surrounding emergencies anddisasters, and plays an important role in reducing the hazards and vulnerability alongwith extending preparedness, responses, and recovery measures. This conceptencompasses risk analyses and interventions, such as accessible early warning systems,the timely deployment of relief workers, and the provision of suitable drugs and medicalequipment to decrease the impact of disasters on people before, during, and after anevent (or events). Currently, there is a major gap in the scientific literature regardingHealth-EDRM to facilitate major global policies and initiatives for disaster risk reductionworldwide.

The aim of the Special Issue "Applications of Fuzzy Optimization and Fuzzy Decision Making" is to expand the applicability of fuzzy optimization and decision making for solving various types of problems in the areas of economics, business, engineering, management, operations research, etc. Any experimental research or empirical study of theoretical developments in fuzzy optimization and decision making is highly welcome. Additionally, research papers presenting solution methods and/or studying their computational complexity, and proposing new algorithms to solve fuzzy optimization and decision making problems, in an effective and efficient manner, are also welcome. We are looking forward to receive innovative approaches that apply, in practical settings, state-of-the art mathematical/algorithmic techniques from fuzzy technology, computational intelligence and soft-computing methodologies, with the aim to offer robust solutions for complex optimization and decision making problems characterized by non-probabilistic uncertainty, vagueness, ambiguity, and hesitation. Such type of papers will address the suitability, validity, and advantages of using fuzzy technologies and the enhancement of them using intelligent methods to treat real-life problems from various disciplines.