Böcker utgivna av Mdpi AG

Nanomaterials are a large area of research at present. These materials, which have at least one of their dimensions in the nanoscale (i.e., in a length range from 1 nm to 100 nm), have remarkable or unconventional properties, unlike bulk materials. These materials are currently used in many applications; however, new potential uses are being investigated. In this sense, there is large interest in their use in medicine, electronic devices, the production and storage of energy, composite materials, etc. The production of nanomaterials is addressed through physical and/or chemical methods; however, most of these methods exhibit low reproducibility or a low production rate or make use of toxic chemicals. In order to avoid most of these drawbacks, the laser-based synthesis of nanomaterials has emerged as an alternative to overcome these limitations. This family of methods use a laser beam to produce different nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles, nanowires or 2D materials) using diverse approaches. Techniques such as those based on laser ablation, laser vaporization, pulsed laser deposition (PLD), laser-chemical vapor deposition (LCVD), etc., are being explored at present to fabricate these nanoscale materials with a controlled size and shape. In this context, here we present research papers addressing the most recent developments in this field to summarize the current state of the art in the synthesis of nanomaterials using laser techniques.

This reprint focuses on fundamental and applied research involving the combination of biomaterials and cancer cells to develop a three-dimensional (3D) tumor microenvironment in vitro, in which carcinogenesis mechanisms can be studied and therapies can be screened. Such models are becoming quite popular within the bioengineering community; thus, many technologies are being tested to obtain the best scaffold for each tumor. In any case, only a tight interaction of bioengineers with cancer biologists and oncologists can make such 3D models progress, with them finally reaching a clinical relevance. On the other hand, the medical community is approaching simpler 3D in vitro models not provided with sufficient extracellular matrix biomimicry, such as spheroids and organoids, which may not be self-exhaustive; therefore, cancer researchers could benefit from closer contact with bioengineers. The aim of this reprint is to help generate shared knowledge and promote strong interdisciplinary collaboration with the ultimate goal of contributing to the acceleration of the discovery and validation of more precise therapies to fight cancer.

The reprint "Sustainable Healthy Working Life for All Ages-Work Environment, Age Management and Employability" provide an outlet of research contributing to the development of theoretical and practical knowledge influencing people's working life. Working life is complex and there are many different factors that influence, such as the demographic change, pandemic and rapid technological development, etc., which place constantly changing demands on both employees, organizations/companies and society in different countries.This reprint covers new knowledge, as identified factors and areas that affect employees' ability to work to an older age, interventions and measures that enable a healthy and sustainable working life throughout the entire working life journey, from young to senior employees. The reprint also addresses the pressured work situation of school leaders in managing the education of children and young people in society, and what makes them stay or leave their jobs. In addition, the reprint addresses the way in which the Covid-19 pandemic has affected working life, not least for the health care professional groups and organizations.

This reprint focuses on fungi as they are considered one of the most harmful organisms, endangering the conservation of historical and artistic heritage worldwide. Fungi are a large group of organisms occupying many ecological niches, even those considered extreme, due to their ability to cope with many environmental factors and to feed on all organic materials, even those considered toxic. For these reasons, the conservation of artefacts of historical or artistic value must consider information on fungal diversity, ecology, and the methods of controlling or limiting their destructive action.Biocides have been used for decades as the method of choice to stop or mitigate fungal spreading when preventive measures fail. Recently, more attention has been paid to alternative control methods that are more respectful of the operator and the environment. Due to the wide range of materials used throughout history, and the microclimatic conditions to which they are subjected worldwide, more efforts are needed to cover this knowledge gap and set more sustainable protocols.

A major task for health professionals and health systems is effectively preventing and treating cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. This book offers an updated set of experimental and clinical information on the usefulness of nutraceutical products for the management of cardiometabolic diseases, which range from obesity and diabetes mellitus and their complications to hypercholesterolemia. The nutraceutical option may be used according the "beyond diet, before drug" strategy and is particularly relevant in the cardiometabolic field. The chapters of this book offer a deep insight into relevant issues in this nutraceutical field, such as experimental research for the preclinical identification of interesting compounds of natural origin, quality of nutraceutical products and their efficacy and safety, regulatory aspects, and the quality of evidence-based medicine.

Wood is a natural material that is available in large quantities and is easy to produce, making it the perfect material to consider for the circular economy. Its importance has dramatically increased in recent years. This increase is accompanied by the development of new research methods that open new possibilities in the areas related to wood and wood products in the process of their production, processing, and final use. The main topics of this Special Issue were the knowledge of the quality of wood and other lignocellulose materials; the processes of their effective utilization and processing for more efficient processing; the adoption of techniques and research around using wood for environmentally friendly composite production and the positive impact of this on the environment; wood's interaction with solid substances and with different mechanical loads, chemicals, and other substances; and the different forms of energy and surface modification of wood and wood composites.

"Language Development in Children: Description to Detect and Prevent Language Difficulties" is focused on the description of language development and the variables affecting the early detection and prevention of language difficulties. Although language difficulties are very common (14%), these difficulties are misdiagnosed due to the lack of visibility and knowledge from professionals of their long-term consequences in education and mental health. To prevent the misdiagnosed identification and assessment of language difficulties, more typical and atypical language studies are needed. In this sense, a good description of language acquisition could help to detect and prevent language difficulties. Nevertheless, most of the research on child language development has been conducted in English and several cross-linguistic studies have shown that some results about language development in English may not be transferred to other languages. Despite the increase in the number of studies, there is still little research about typical and atypical language acquisition in other languages and in bilingual populations. Therefore, this work aims to fill the current void in these studies, give them visibility, and show the latest research about language acquisition in children. In this sense, this work addresses works with several perspectives of child language from a psycholinguistic, psychological, linguistic, and/or educational point of view, including theoretical and empirical studies on typical and atypical child language acquisition and their association with other variables (either social or genetic) that could affect them.

A disease model displays pathological processes observed in human or animal diseases. The models are fundamental tools in biomedical research, and they are invaluable for providing new insights into mechanisms underlying organ function, establishing the pathophysiology of a disease, and testing potential therapeutic approaches.Models have been long used to study several diseases, including cardiovascular, oncologic, metabolic, infectious, and neurological diseases, among others. Animals or cells displaying pathological processes observed in human or animal diseases have been used as models. Moreover, mathematical models are also of great importance to disease modeling. Animal models offer the unique opportunity to investigate the function of genes and pathways and the in vivo effects of drugs, bridging the gap between basic science and the treatment of diseases. The selection of a suitable model system is a crucial step in research design. For disease modeling to be meaningful, a relevant cellular or genetic phenotype must be observed. Without the use of models, both research and clinical practice worldwide would be vastly different today.This Special Issue aimed to publish original research works or reviews with models of disease, highlighting their importance to search for new therapeutic strategies.

This reprint is mainly aimed at economists involved in the energy market. Energy market processes have an enormous impact on people's day-to-day economic activities. The economics of sustainability leads the way in theorizing how best to prevent environmental degradation whilst also fostering positive economic development. For these reasons, the focus of this reprint is mainly on pollution and the energy transition. Works on energy resources and future-oriented solutions that reduce the consumption of classical energy resources are explored in the reprint. Papers relating to contemporary accounting and the stock market are also presented. The geographical area of the works showcased here essentially covers the entire eastern hemisphere of the globe (Asia, Africa and Europe). They are mainly empirical studies, although in one case a bibliometric analysis is included.

This reprint focuses on land use/land cover (LULC), natural hazards and their interactions, changes, and impacts. Over the past few decades, the risks due to natural hazards have increased significantly, to a large extent due to changes in LULC, which are triggered mainly by anthropic pressure on landscapes, i.e., urbanization, forest management practices, agricultural practices, and the like. As a result, LULC changes contribute significantly to changes in the variability or magnitude of natural hazards, such as floods, landslides, and erosion. Therefore, this reprint provides a collection of studies focused on the interactions between LULC and different types of natural hazards, which were studied in several research areas around the world.

The Special Issue reprint covers a wide range of applications of 3D-printing in dentistry. Five out of eleven research papers deal with applications of 3D printing in orthodontics, one study presents a 3D-printed fitting system for the FFP2 that were applied during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the others address applications in prosthodontics and restorative dentistry.

The incidence of obesity has dramatically increased in recent decades, which has placed great pressure and a significant burden on people's lives and the economy. Drug treatment of obesity may have certain side effects, while surgical treatment also has risks and can cause negative emotions in people. Weight loss obtained through diet and exercise leads to a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the possible beneficial effects of dietary supplements, which are products intended to "supplement" the diet. In addition to vitamins, minerals and amino acids, dietary supplements can contain herbs or other botanicals and many other ingredients. They are not drugs and are not intended to treat diseases; they are adjuvants in the management of obesity and metabolic diseases. As a consequence, there is a great need to determine specific dietary supplements for the management of obesity. This will be the content of this Special Issue.

The eradication of vector-borne diseases is threatened by the limited range of available insecticides, leading, inevitably, to the development of resistance. This is particularly concerning for malaria control, which relies heavily on insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual sprays (IRS). New chemistries are being developed, and innovative deployment of insecticides may play a role in overcoming resistance, either through new types of tools or new means of distribution. A variety of novel product types and vector control strategies are under development and evaluation, which is to be celebrated, but a strong evidence base is needed to guide effective operational deployment decisions. Novel approaches should be supported by robust data collected using appropriate and validated methods to monitor efficacy, durability, and any emerging resistance. This reprint presents original research into developing and characterizing new vector control products, as well as understanding and monitoring insecticide resistance. Review articles explore the impact of insecticide resistance and offer guidance on insecticide choice in the face of pyrethroid resistance. Consensus methodologies are presented, in the form of standard operating procedures (SOPs) designed to be adopted and used to generate reproducible data that can be compared and interpreted across and between studies. It is hoped that this collection of articles offers inspiration and guidance on how consistent data can be generated to inform more effective development, evaluation, and use of new and existing vector control tools.

We are pleased to present a Special Issue of Languages on the topic of Sign Language Emergence. Sign languages are the only extant languages that can be caught in the act of being born and developing with no model, and they, therefore, offer the only empirical evidence for language emergence in human societies. We have brought together a collection of articles on emerging sign languages that contribute a great deal to our current understanding of this process.This Special Issue covers eleven different emerging sign languages around the world. The articles deal with several aspects of language emergence, including, most notably: (1) the relationship between the emerging language and the culture of the larger society; (2) the role of iconicity in the emergence of sign language; (3) the relationship between the shared context in a small signing community and the degree of variation in the vocabulary; and (4) the vulnerability of budding sign languages. Spoken creole languages are also young, but are different from emerging sign languages, in that the speakers of pidgins from which creoles are assumed to have descended already had native languages. One article compares the features of creoles and of emerging sign languages.We are especially pleased with the diversity and breadth of interests of the contributors to the volume, who are based on four continents. The languages that they cover are equally diverse in their geographical provenance.

This Special Issue aims to provide a general overview of some geoscience applications of GNSS and InSAR techniques which are commonly used to study the surface deformation related to co- and post-seismic deformation, subsurface movements of magma beneath active volcanoes, soil deformation (e.g., natural/anthropic uplift or subsidence), monitoring of landslide, monitoring of industrial settlements, the motion of ice sheets, etc.

Each year, natural hazards, such as earthquakes, landslides, avalanches, tsunamis, floods, wildfires, severe storms, and drought, , affect humans worldwide, resulting in deaths, suffering, and economic losses. According to insurance broker Aon, 2010-2019 was the worst decade on record for economic losses due to disasters triggered by natural hazards, amounting to USD 3 trillion, which is USD 1 trillion more than for the period of 2000-2009. In 2019, the economic losses from disasters caused by natural hazards were estimated at over USD 200 billion (UNDRR Annual Report, 2019). In this context, remote sensing shows high potential to provide valuable information, at various spatial and temporal scales, concerning natural processes and their associated risks. The recent advances in remote sensing technologies and analysis, in terms of sensors, platforms, and techniques, are strongly contributing to the development of natural hazards research. With this Special Issue titled "Remote Sensing for Natural Hazards Assessment and Control", we proposed state-of-the-art research that specifically addresses multiple aspects on the use of remote sensing (RS) for Natural Hazards (NH). The aim was therefore to collect innovative methodologies, expertise, and capabilities to detect, assess, monitor, and model natural hazards. The present Special Issue of Remote Sensing encompasses 18 open access papers presenting scientific studies based on the exploitation of a broad range of RS data and techniques, as well as focusing on a well-assorted sample of NH types.

Maritime transport contributes to over 80% of global trading volumes. As such, marine policy has received a large amount of attention from industrial practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and the local community. In general, marine policy covers a wide-ranging area, including governance, international relations, economics, environments, and operations, amongst others. To a certain extent, marine policy fosters the sustainable development of the maritime industry. There has been a wide range of research in different disciplines of marine policy.The purpose of this book is to publish the most intriguing research with respect to the above subjects and to provide a rapid turn-around time regarding reviewing and publishing, as well as to disseminate articles freely for research, teaching, and reference purposes. Furthermore, the book aims to keep readers up to date with the latest developments and research in maritime affairs.

This reprint exists to solve high complexity issues in remote sensing data processing, geochemical data analysis, geophysical data analysis and appropriate applications of GIS techniques for data fusion designed for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration. This reprint contains updated and informative knowledge of remote sensing imagery, geochemistry, geophysics and geospatial techniques that can assist in delineating the signatures and patterns linked to deep-seated, covered, blind, or buried mineral deposits and onshore oil slick detection, offshore oil spill monitoring and hydrocarbon exploration. It includes several color figures for remotely-sensed recognition of mineralization-related footprints. Additionally, this reprint comprehends several interactive flowcharts for describing the procedures explained therein.

This Special Issue showcases some advanced methodologies used in surface water quality modelling. Its aim is to introduce several topics that are new in the field of surface water quality modelling and help spur new developments in each of the topics. It is intended for a readership consisting of researchers, academicians, consultants and government agency representatives. The editor of this Special Issue wishes to thank all authors, reviewers and academic editors in their contributions, without whom the publishing of this collective work would not have come to pass.

This reprint is the printed edition of the Special Issue published in Materials. The reprint provides an overview on current international research activities in the field of advanced pulse laser machining technology. It covers fundamental and applied aspects and collects contributions of renowned scientists from academics and industries working in the fields of laser processing, materials science, physics, chemistry, and engineering in order to foster the current knowledge and present new ideas for future applications and new technologies.

For centuries, nature has been an inspirational source for the discovery of drugs used in modern medicine. Nowadays, natural-based treatments continue to be employed for primary health care, particularly playing a significant role in folk medicine. In addition, we are currently observing an increasing use of natural-products-based supplements from botanical and marine sources, making their standardization and scientific validation a priority to guarantee the safety of these products. Natural products and/or synthetic derivatives using their novel structures have also been of utmost importance in drug discovery and development in several clinical areas. After a period of discreditation and reduced investment, we are now witnessing a renewed interest from the pharmaceutical industry and scientific community due to the urgent need to develop new drugs. This reprint comprises 11 original and 6 review articles dedicated to plant and marine natural products research, contributing to the scientific validation of their use and opening new perspectives in drug discovery

In recent years, there has been a growing need for both nutritional and healthy foods with superior functional properties. In this line, bioactive compounds are economically available in different foods systems with limitations in quality and functionality.The present Special Issue is placed in this context, and aimed to provide a collection of modern chemical strategies developed with the intent of extracting, characterizing, tracing, or authenticating food bioactive compounds. Original research articles dealing with innovative techniques for the extraction (e.g., green chemistry) of bioactive compounds were welcomed. In addition, when discussing modern analytical methods, the structural characterization and identification of these active components were required. Attention was also devoted to theoretical aspects of the determination of the bioactivity and mechanisms of action of food bioactive compounds, as well as challenging properties for application as drug agents. Review articles providing an overview of the latest trends in this area of interest were also very welcomed.

This reprint focuses on ecosystem observation, simulation and assessment. Ecosystems provide supply, regulation, culture and support services for human beings in addition to overall support human survival and sustainable development. However, driven by multiple factors such as climate change, population growth, urbanization, and exploitation of mineral resources, global problems such as ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss have affected the sustainable development of human beings. Because of this, it has become a hot spot in ecology research to develop basic theories, model methods and technical means for ecosystem observation, simulation and evaluation for the quantitative analysis of the structure, process and function of ecosystems as well as the improvement of the scientific understanding of the changing characteristics and evolution laws of natural ecosystems.

Polymer-processing techniques are of the utmost importance for producing polymeric parts. They must produce parts with the desired qualities, which are usually related to mechanical performance, dimensional conformity, and appearance. Aiming to maximize the overall efficiency of the polymer-processing techniques, advanced modeling codes along with experimental measurements are needed to simulate and optimize the processes.Thus, this reprint exploits the digital transformation of the plastics industry, both through the creation of more robust and accurate modeling tools and the development of cutting-edge experimental techniques. Furthermore, it addresses advanced topics, such as crystallization during the solidification processes, prediction of fiber orientation in the cases of short and long fiber composites, prediction of the foaming process (such as microcellular foaming), and flow instabilities by including viscoelastic constitutive equations.

This Special Issue on MNEs, sustainability, and innovation contains a collection of 13 papers that address several subjects that are on related themes. The authors of these contributions study the boundaries of the previous literature on these relevant topics by providing insightful findings and review, as well as proposals for future research ideas in various contexts. For this Special Issue, we invited both conceptual and (qualitative and quantitative) empirical articles, as well as literature reviews and meta-analysis articles from a range of fields; these included not only business and management, but also sociology, political science, psychology, economics, and economic geography, among others.

Various molecular techniques based on omics (transcriptomics, proteomics, genomics) and phylogenetics have been applied in biological sciences. Molecular dynamics and approaches evolved over time into various quantitative tools that allow researchers from multiple disciplines to design different studies. The molecular-based techniques can be comprehensive and systematic, as they allow identification, resolve genetic differences, molecular docking, and prediction models of ecological niches and taxonomic ranks. Investigating genomics, proteomics, and phylogenetic techniques utilize a novel class of DNA elements, such as microsatellites from mitochondria and chloroplast and retrotransposons, resulting in genetic variations using molecular data. In addition to this, the advantages and limitations of molecular approaches have been well studied and acknowledged. The combination of molecular phylogenetic and omics techniques and expression and pathways analysis may greatly increase our capacity to understand and develop new molecular mechanisms and stress responses in biological systems. Furthermore, these techniques offer extensive opportunities for researchers to develop targeted therapy approaches and disease diagnoses using molecular data. It is necessary to evaluate and explore how data from diverse molecular techniques can be applied to different biological studies. The study and applications of molecular approaches hold significant potential for advancing genomics, proteomics, and phylogenetic techniques in biological sciences.

Sustainable marketing practice is essential for developing a more comprehensive understanding of consumers' purchase decisions in dynamic digital marketing environments. Scholars and practitioners conceive sustainable marketing practices as episodic, predicated on temporal practices in response to emerging digital environments. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of the ecological issues that their consumption creates in the marketplace.Despite the importance of sustainable practices, when and how sustainability occurs regarding the consumer's purchase decision remains largely unexplored. In part, this is because the practices of sustainability in the emerging computer-mediated marketing environments (CMMEs) are difficult to anticipate and study. Much of what we know about sustainable marketing practice is mainly focused on customer-brand relationships.Prior literature examining sustainable marketing practice through CMMEs remains sparse, despite consistent emphasis on the benefits of sustainable marketing practices in the emerging digital world.

This Special Issue reprint, "Advanced Polymer Nanocomposites II", addresses high-quality original and review papers, focused on the scientific discussion and practical application in the field of functional polymer nanocomposites, including: (a) optoelectronic materials (papers 1-9); (b) biomedical materials (papers 10-14); and (c) other functional polymer nanocomposites (papers 15-23). We hope that this Special Issue reprint can promote academic research exchanges and identify and respond to tremendous challenges of research in this burgeoning field.

Robotics and intelligent systems are key technologies to promote efficient and innovative applications in the most diverse domains (industry, healthcare, agriculture, construction, mobility, etc.), performing and supporting activities that are not suitable to be performed by humans. Such activities are frequently time-consuming, repetitive tasks with low added value, which are physically demanding and/or dangerous. Nevertheless, robotics and intelligent systems face several scientific and technological challenges related to their integration and interoperability with other systems, safety, flexibility, re-configurability and autonomy. These challenges are especially relevant when robots operate in real unstructured environments and share a workspace with humans and other equipment. This book collects research achievements, ideas, and applications regarding advanced intelligent robotic systems, covering diverse technologies and application domains. Generically, the contributions cover optimal path-planning strategies and innovative designs for mobile manipulators, the integration of robotic and intelligent systems, grasping, manipulation, teleoperation, haptics, user experience approaches for collaborative robots, and multi-agent systems.

This reprint is an excellent collection of articles that deal with difficult-to-treat infections in the ICU environment. Multiresistant bacteria and fungi create severe treatment problems to the physician charged with their care. We hope that this book will help everyday dilemmas and add useful information on difficult topics.