Böcker utgivna av Mdpi AG

The ongoing deployment of 5G networks is a key enabler for realizing upcoming services at scale, including the massive deployment of the Internet of Things, providing communications to support autonomous vehicles, and supporting the realization of smart cities. However, as the limitations of existing approaches become apparent, the need for next-generation technologies is growing, in terms of improving spectral efficiency, increasing network data rates and densification, supporting local/wide area wireless coordination, and more. In this Special Issue, we present some technologies to meet these demanding requirements and facilitate coordinating wireless networks to support future Beyond 5G networks.

This volume gathers papers from the fields of philosophy, theology, and empirical psychology on the topic of gratitude to God. Central themes include the difference between gratitude to God and gratitude to human benefactors and correlations between gratitude to God and important life outcomes.

This Special Issue aims to highlight how plant breeding could contribute to strengthening sustainability in field crop production by integrating the application of modern technologies and tools. This Reprint contains eleven articles focusing on the most recent topic of plant breeding.

Ageing is a diverse and multifaceted experience that is unique to each person. The process of ageing is lived differently according to each individual's socio-cultural, historical, religious, and political context, among other factors. However, the stereotype of homogeneity is still one of the strongest aspects related to later life. This Special Issue covers manuscripts of original research that critically explore the experience of old age and the process of growing older from the social sciences and humanities perspectives. It also explores the topics pertaining to social gerontology, cultural and literary gerontology, environmental gerontology, gerotechnological studies, social anthropology, gender studies, body politics, sexuality, active and healthy ageing, space and place, age-friendly politics and other themes. The published articles collect arguments that show the variables and uniqueness of later life, and expand on the current theoretical frameworks in the field of age studies and beyond. The overall aim of this Special Issue was to broaden the gerontological scholarship and develop critical thought of old age and the life course beyond the merely biological processes of growing older and their sociocultural constructs. This Special Issue can be of interest to scholars, practitioners, stakeholders, care workers and individuals who are concerned with the dynamics of ageing as well as current and future dialogues on the unique experiences of ageing.

Many cancer diagnosis and treatment modalities have been developed over time, among which radioisotopes have been widely used. Recently, with the application of magnetic nanoparticles, a wide range of non-invasive diagnosis and treatment methods using magnetic techniques have attracted attention.This Special Issue introduces a lymph node biopsy method with a magnetic probe for the treatment of cancer, rapid immunostaining using magnetic nanoparticles in pathological diagnosis, cancer imaging with MRI (magnetic resonance imaging)/MPI (magnetic particle imaging), magnetic hyperthermia for cancer treatment, and the development of magnetic nanoparticles.

International experts contribute to Fractional- and Integer-Order System: Control Theory and Applications, providing an authoritative overview of the most recent developments in control theory as well as practical examples of fractional- and integer-order systems. Generously referenced and illustrated, the reprint highlights the growing interest in control science and is an invaluable resource for applied and industrial mathematicians, biological, control, electrical and electronics engineers and scientists.

This reprint presents proceedings resulting from the IX Iberian Congress of Ichthyology held in Porto, Portugal from 20th to 23rd June 2022. Published conference abstracts, presented as oral or poster communications, have been previously approved by the scientific conference committee and the original research content was double peer-reviewed. Overall, the reprint focuses on fundamental and applied ichthyological research developed mainly in the Iberian Peninsula.

Environmental quality is crucial to our health, economy, lives, and for future generations. However, during the last few years, we have faced several serious challenges, which include, but are not limited to, climate change, unsustainable consumption and production, as well as various forms of pollution. These challenges are of global concerns for the sustainable development of human beings. This reprint has collected review and research papers aimed at a wide range of environmental topics: water and wastewater treatment and management, soil degradation and conservation, pollution control, the environmental impact of technologies, air quality and the indoor environment, and advanced environmental materials. Analytical methods developed for the determination of environmental pollutants were also welcomed. Papers dealing in the synthesis of adsorbents for the solid-phase extraction of environmental pollutants also fell within the scope of this Special Issue. Contributions describing novel and significant knowledge, scientific results, and advanced applications in the field of environmental sciences and technology were also welcomed. This reprint provides an integrated view of the trends in solving the problems associated with the achievement of sustainability in environmental technology.

With increasing awareness about environmental sustainability issues, the geotechnical engineering community is in search of sustainable materials, innovative applications and ground improvement technologies which are resilient to climate change, involve low carbon emissions, are ecologically friendly and affordable, yet effective. As such, this reprint brings together 18 novel contributions providing the state-of-the-art in "Sustainable Geotechnics" with special focus on the reuse and recycling of waste materials in geotechnical applications as well as sustainable design, construction, and monitoring of the performance of geostructures. This reprint may be of particular interest to geotechnical professional engineers and researchers who are facing the challenging task of increasing the sustainability and resiliency of geotechnical assets and infrastructures.

This reprint includes impactful chapters related to document-image related visual sensing, which do present and comprehensively discuss selected scientific concepts, frameworks, architectures and ideas on sensing technologies and machine-learning techniques. Indeed, document imaging/scanning approaches are essential techniques for digitalizing documents in various real-world contexts. This reprint emerging from the Special Issue "Document-Image Related Visual Sensors and Machine Learning Techniques" can be viewed as a result of the crucial need for document management systems. Such technologies are being applied in various fields or different domains and parts of the world to address relevant challenges that could not be addressed without the advances made in these technologies. The reprint includes impactful chapters that present scientific concepts, frameworks, architectures and innovative ideas on sensing technologies and machine-learning techniques to overcome a series of key challenges related to document imaging/scanning, text detection, text recognition, and documents clustering.

This reprint focuses on studies dealing with bio-based materials and its contribution to a circular economy. Research dealing with recycling, waste conversion to bio-based products, the development of bio-based composites, and surface treatments on cellulose fibres have been included in this reprint.

Micro/Nano Structures and Systems: Analysis, Design, Manufacturing, and Reliability is a comprehensive guide that explores the various aspects of micro- and nanostructures and systems. From analysis and design to manufacturing and reliability, this reprint provides a thorough understanding of the latest methods and techniques used in the field. With an emphasis on modern computational and analytical methods and their integration with experimental techniques, this reprint is an invaluable resource for researchers and engineers working in the field of micro- and nanosystems, including micromachines, additive manufacturing at the microscale, micro/nano-electromechanical systems, and more. Written by leading experts in the field, this reprint offers a complete understanding of the physical and mechanical behavior of micro- and nanostructures, making it an essential reference for professionals in this field.

Membrane proteins are essential for the diverse biological functions of the cells and intercellular communication in living organisms. With the recent developments in the methodologies, the research on membrane proteins has been undergoing a major transformation. In this informative book, the biological and dynamic behaviour of membrane proteins are introduced, discussed, and reviewed by some of the leading researchers in the field. The main objective of this compendium is to present the recent research in the fundamental and advanced concepts and methodologies used for studying membrane proteins. Membrane protein purification and reconstitution, protein-lipid interaction, ion/substrate transport, conformational and functional dynamics, the interaction of infectious agents, cell death, and organelle morphology are among the topics that are covered. This reprint is intended for a broad range of novice and experienced scientists with different levels of experience, from biophysicists and biochemists to microbiologists, cell biologists, and physiologists.

Arts therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses artistic media, the creative process, and artwork as its primary forms of communication. The arts therapies cover six areas of specialization: visual arts, music, dance and movement, drama, psychodrama, and bibliotherapy. Several studies and reviews have demonstrated its effectiveness for adult populations (e.g., Regev and Cohen-Yatziv, 2018), as well as for children and adolescents (e.g., Cohen-Yatziv and Regev, 2019). Academic writing and research, which have evolved extensively in recent decades, have underscored the considerable significance of arts therapies especially for children and adolescents.This Special Issue, "Arts Therapies with Children and Adolescents", is dedicated to presenting research and clinical writing in the field of the Arts Therapies with Children and Adolescents in a variety of settings, including hospitals, the education system, mental health clinics, and others. I hope that this Special Issue will serve as a repository of knowledge for arts therapists and as a fertile terrain for further research in the field. It should also pave the way for more professionals working with children and adolescents to better understand the meaning and uniqueness of the therapeutic work in arts therapies and the dedicated ways in which arts therapists use assessment tools and arts-based interventions to better understand the world of children and adolescents.

Plant bioactive compounds are essential for human health due to their multiple biological effects, such as antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, antiallergenic, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, and antimicrobial activities leading to beneficial effects on various non-communicable diseases, such as autoimmune, inflammatory, cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases. Identifying these components, as well as establishing their beneficial health effects, will contribute to the discovery of therapeutics for the prevention and treatment of various disorders. Additionally, the screening of natural sources for novel biologically active metabolites is an essential part of several drug discovery programs.This Special Issue aims to present recent developments in high-throughput and efficient analytical approaches enabling the identification of plant-based compounds, the establishment of new protocols for the evaluation of bioactivities, and methods for the extraction, isolation, and structural characterization of new bioactive components with nutraceutical and therapeutic potential.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality, with 1.9 million incidence cases and 0.9 million deaths worldwide. The global number of new CRC cases is predicted to reach 3.2 million in 2040, based on the projection of aging, population growth, and human development.In clinics, despite advances of diagnosis and surgical procedures, 20% of the patients with CRC present with metastasis at the time of diagnosis, caused by residual tumor cells that have spread to distant organs prior to surgery, affecting the patient survival rate. Standard systemic chemotherapy, alternative therapies that target mechanisms involved in cancer progression and metastasis, immunotherapy, and combination therapies are the major CRC-treatment strategies. In the advanced stage of CRC the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-¿) plays an oncogenic role by promoting cancer cell proliferation, cancer cell self-renewal, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion, tumor progression, metastatic spread, and immune escape. Furthermore, high levels of TGF-¿1 confers poor prognosis and is associated with early recurrence after surgery, resistance to chemo- or immunotherapy, and shorter survival. Based on the body of experimental evidence indicating that TGF-¿ signaling has the potential to be a good therapeutic target in CRC, several anti-TGF-¿ drugs have been investigated in cancer clinical trials. Here, we presented a comprehensive collection of manuscripts regarding studies on targeting the TGF-¿ signaling in CRC to improve patient's prognosis and personalized treatments.

Organic carbon (OC), nutrients and trace metals are key aquatic components of freshwater systems, including groundwater, soil water, lakes, rivers, and their estuaries. Over the past decade, there has been increasing interest regarding the rising in organic carbon and iron concentrations in freshwaters in relation to the so-called "browning" effect, caused by climate warming and changes in anthropogenic pressure. As for phosphorus, it is a vital element for all aquatic ecosystems and its aquatic biogeochemical cycle now undergoes sizable changes linked to eutrophication, invasive species development, and transformations between organic and inorganic forms. This book combines the articles dedicated to various aspects of the behavior of organic carbon, phosphorus, iron (and other related metals) in a broad range of freshwater environments, from soil solutions and groundwaters to ponds, lakes, rivers, and their riparian zones and estuaries.

Special Issue of Arts: "Slavic and Eastern-European Visuality: Modernity and Tradition" is focused on researching interactions of art and literature, of philosophy and visual poetry, and generally on theoretical aspects of cultural analysis.

The Special Issue "Marine Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidants Agents 2.0" collects in vitro and/or in vivo experimental investigations highlighting the role of marine-derived bioactive compounds as modulators of inflammation and/or oxidative stress, papers describing the mechanisms of action and molecular interactions of compounds isolated from marine organisms, and comprehensive review articles summarizing knowledge on marine anti-inflammatory and/or antioxidant agents in support of human health.

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has demonstrated its potential in monitoring geological disasters, e.g., in relation to subsidence, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Such monitoring results provide significant information for further physical modeling, driving mechanism interpretation, developments in early warning technology, and the management and formulation of policies by relevant authorities and stakeholders. This reprint focuses on monitoring and modelling of geological disasters using InSAR observations. The content covers topics such as PS/DS processing, deformation parameter inversion, motoring deformation (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes, and oil extraction), and driving mechanism interpretation. These excellent reports significantly contribute to further developments in the monitoring and modeling of geological disasters using InSAR techniques.

The climate changes that are becoming visible today are a challenge for the global research community. In this context, renewable energy sources, fuel cell systems, and other energy generating sources must be optimally combined and connected to the grid system using advanced energy transaction methods. As this reprint presents the latest solutions in the implementation of fuel cell and renewable energy in mobile and stationary applications, such as hybrid and microgrid power systems based on the Energy Internet, Blockchain technology, and smart contracts, we hope that they will be of interest to readers working in the related fields mentioned above.

This reprint contains twenty-one scientific papers related to the determination of the nature, timing, and magnitude of natural hydroclimate variability and related sedimentary-diagenetic processes during geological eras past and present. Such an approach will be essential for addressing the challenges posed by climate change in coastal and deep marine sedimentary archives, for establishing the hydrological regime through the determination of environmental parameters and examining the subsequent response of the marine biota through time. Furthermore, this reprint is a significant contribution to the study of reservoir quality characteristics and the subsequent potentiality of several marine resources (ores, hydrocarbons, and geoheritage).

This Special Issue on Interdisciplinary Research for Cultural Heritage Conservation in Applied Sciences aims to bring together some of the latest researches in this field. A total of 10 papers focusing on different aspects of cultural heritage were published on the topics: rock art, mural paintings, stone monuments, stained-glass windows, environmental sensors, historic infrastructures, and analects of Confucius.

This reprint compiles the articles, communications, and review articles from top researchers describing novel or new cutting-edge designs, developments, and/or applications of unmanned vehicles. This reprint encompasses the key topics related to drone design, communications as well as autonomous Flight and Navigation. Special attention is paid to the drones' applications to environmental and earth sciences, including in agriculture, forestry, water, and marine environments; other innovative applications are also explored including in relation to the field of application, such as the inclusion of new deep learning techniques.

Constant striving to reduce pollutant emissions, greenhouse gases and energy consumption, i.e., sustainable development, forces the development of new and improved materials, technologies and manufacturing processes. One of the areas of sustainable development of the global economy is also the development of laser devices and the spreading of laser technology applications.The book deals with important issues related to the development of science and technology in the field of application the laser beam for joining, surface treatment, coatings. However, the thematic scope is not limited only to mentioned issues. The scope of the book covers issues related to advances in computational modelling of heat sources in laser and arc processes, unique techniques of underwater welding or unique techniques of forced cooling the weld metal under solidification during arc welding or hybrid process of laser deposition under cryogenic conditions, microstructural and mechanical characterisation of coatings and joints produced by different welding technologies. The above book contains valuable information, both theoretical and practical research results in the field of advanced technologies of joining, surface treatment and coatings, quality control and assessment, as well as management of the technological processes. Therefore, I deeply believe that the book will be a valuable and helpful for young scientists, engineers, and students in the field of welding and surface engineering, materials science, and manufacturing engineering.

Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) has been reported to have a lot of physiological and pharmacological functions in various tissues, cells, and organelles in many species since discovered in the gall bladder of bovine in 1827, and its novel functions and roles have now been focused in many fields. This Special Issue consisted of eight original and two review articles contains the newest findings on the roles of taurine as an essential nutrient for development and growth in fetuses and infants, and functional maintenance in the brain, skeletal muscles, and others in adults, in mammalian, chicken, and fish.

This reprint is of interest regarding contaminated sites remediation, which integrates the research results within 20 publications covering contaminated sites remediation's full life cycle. They include pollution investigation, environmental fate, pollution control, and review. In addition, the reprint addresses all aspects of contaminated site remediation, including heavy metal pollution, organic pollution, and combined pollution. These results can help to understand the remediation of the contaminated sites in depth throughout the life cycle and help break through the bottleneck of contaminated sites remediation and provide new ideas and methods for the development of contaminated sites remediation.

This Special Issue explores empirical studies of emotional mechanisms, qualitative and quantitative measurements of emotion, the recognition of emotional contexts, and the application of emotion. We introduce fourteen papers, ranging from lab-based studies aimed at understanding emotional mechanisms to applying emotion recognition in the real world (e.g., in driving, games, education, and virtual avatars). This Special Issue explores empirical studies of emotional mechanisms, qualitative and quantitative measurements of emotion, the recognition of emotional contexts, and the application of emotion. We introduce fourteen papers, ranging from lab-based studies aimed at understanding emotional mechanisms to applying emotion recognition in the real world (e.g., in driving, games, education, and virtual avatars).

¿This Special Issue reprint is dedicated to presenting open and challenging issues in earthquake engineering. It consists of 29 peer-reviewed papers that cover a broad range of subjects and applications related to the seismic assessment and design of structures. Based on advanced computational, analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches novel results and discussions are presented. Within this context, the first studies of this issue/reprint are focused on providing an insight into the seismic performance of structures taking into account significant engineering components that still have not been fully addressed. Subsequently, there are studies with new strategies to improve the effectiveness of the dampers on the seismic mitigation performance of structures. Concerning performance-based earthquake engineering, new approaches in the seismic fragility assessment of structures are introduced. Furthermore, new innovative types of reinforced steel for the seismic design and assessment of RC structures are analytically and experimentally evaluated. The seismic performance of retrofitted structures is also addressed, while analytical modeling tools that can effectively capture the seismic behavior of substandard RC structural elements are introduced. Some other papers provide experimental results to evaluate and/or validate the structural performance of elements, such as anchors, connectors, and nuclear components. Finally, this issue/reprint also incorporates modified methodologies and identification techniques to improve seismic analysis methods in the field of structural engineering.

This reprint aims to advance the current knowledge in ion irradiation studies and accelerated ageing of materials. The collected papers address various areas in the field, from the fundamentals of ion beam irradiation to innovative experimental characterization of the materials and related theoretical modelling. The present research contributes primarily to the understanding of the applied aspects of ion bombardment as a surrogate for neutron irradiation and a tool for experimental simulation of harsh radiation environments. At the same time, this Special Issue features several exciting studies on the microstructural characterization of the radiation tolerance of materials across a broad spectrum of scientific and industrial areas.