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The importance of studying pollution via potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is becoming a key challenge considering the increasing concern about the presence of PTEs in the environment and their potential impacts on ecosystem functioning and public health due to their persistence and biotoxicity.Regional geochemical research, together with geostatistical computations which are used to identify source patterns of different pollutants related to the underlying geological features and/or anthropogenic activities, is the best approach for characterizing this pollution issue.The collection of research in this Special Issue, "Potentially Toxic Element Pollution in Urban and Suburban Environments", represents the need of the scientific community to characterize the behavior, transport, fate, and ecotoxicological state of PTEs in environmental matrices in both urban and suburban settings. All the case studies collected are of relevant significance due to their quality, both in the methodologies and the achieved results, and interest to different environmental studies, from China to South Africa to Europe.My role as Guest Editor of this Special Issue was exciting and stimulating. I would like to express my appreciation to all the authors for submitting their original contributions and to the reviewers for their essential role in the process. I would like to thank the editors of Toxics and, in particular, Selena Li for her precious and tireless support.

The International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD) was held virtually on September 20-21, 2021, with the conference theme "Research for Impact: A Sustainable and Inclusive Planet." ICSD provides a forum for academia, government, civil society, UN agencies, and the private sector to come together to share practical solutions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The two-day conference hosted 49 different sessions across multiple time zones to accommodate the global audience, with 204 oral presenters, 239 poster presenters, and 977 total authors.

This book is very useful for scholars studying roadway support. It collects and displays breakthroughs and high-level research progress of advanced support technology, including advanced cement-based materials for tunnel support, advanced surrounding rock control technology, road dust control methods, advanced tunnel support equipment, advanced road disaster control theory, etc. Additionally, this book provides innovative research ideas and reference research methods for scholars who study roadway support. By reading this book, the reader's theoretical knowledge of roadway support, as well as innovative and divergent thinking, will be improved.

The field of Practical Theology has been slow to address the realities of environmental crises in its teaching, research, and practice. While there are relevant chapters and articles in books and journals, they are often difficult to find and their contents reveal a lack of conversational engagement. The present volume seeks to change this reality by bringing together key voices in the field from across the world to engage with the theme of Practical Theology amid Environmental Crises. It is the first of its kind. With this volume, we seek to initiate a sustained conversation on the topic by considering the implications of the crises for research, teaching, and practice in the field. With passion and a sense of grounded hope, we invite you to join us in this difficult but important conversation.

This reprint focuses on wear and fatigue analysis, the dynamic properties of coating surfaces in transmission systems, and non-destructive condition monitoring for the health management of transmission systems.Transmission systems play a vital role in various types of industrial structure, including wind turbines, vehicles, mining and material-handling equipment, offshore vessels, and aircrafts. Surface wear is an inevitable phenomenon during the service life of transmission systems (such as on gearboxes, bearings, and shafts), and wear propagation can reduce the durability of the contact coating surface. As a result, the performance of the transmission system can degrade significantly, which can cause sudden shutdown of the whole system and lead to unexpected economic loss and accidents. Therefore, to ensure adequate health management of the transmission system, it is necessary to investigate the friction, vibration, and dynamic properties of its contact coating surface and monitor its operating conditions.

This is a reprint of articles from the Special Issue published online in the open access journal Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This book addresses the most recent developments in soil pollution and restoration, contaminant hydrology, and ground disturbance to stimulate fruitful technical and scientific interactions between professionals.

Physical fitness is the basis for the success of players in sports, and its monitoring makes it possible to assess the effectiveness of training and identify possible errors. During training, thanks to the use of control results, these activities are modified, which better prepares players for competition. This Special Issue, entitled "Assessment of Physical Fitness and the Effect of Training in Individual Sports" presents the results of coaching control and the results of monitoring progression in training, as well as an assessment of the physical fitness of athletes practicing individual sports.

The global coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the paramount importance of immune health and the nutrient status of peoples worldwide. Vitamins C and D have important roles in both the innate and adaptive immune systems and are known to support healthy immune function. Both vitamins C and D have gene regulatory roles with the ability to up- and down-regulate thousands of genes, thus playing pleotropic roles in human health and disease. People from low- and middle-income countries tend to have inadequate micronutrient intakes and status, as do specific subgroups from high-income countries. This can affect their resistance to both communicable and non-communicable diseases and the severity of these diseases. In this Special Issue, we have compiled review articles and research papers (both observational and interventional studies) that explore the role of vitamins C and D in numerous aspects of global and population health.

This is a timely collection of recent diverse work on metal oxide nanomaterials, connecting their fundamental aspects and application perspectives in a concise fashion to give a broad view of the current status of this fascinating field. This book presents eight original research articles and two comprehensive reviews to highlight the recent development and understanding of different types of metal oxide nanoparticles and their use for applications in luminescence, photocatalysis, water-oil separation, optoelectronics, gas sensors, energy-saving smart windows, etc. It presents just the tip of the iceberg of the broad, dynamic, and active fundamental research and applications in the developing field of metal oxide nanomaterials by collecting a few examples of the latest advancements.

From the 1970s onwards, many towns and cities have experienced deindustrialization processes, while seeing a gradual growth of tertiarization and diversification of services, including cultural ones. With the different, both positive and negative, effects introduced by new cultural interpretations of cities (e.g., culture in public spaces, cultural and creative industries, culture as marketing tools, cultural commodification, etc.), the concept of culture has become increasingly associated with urban image and identity. In finding solutions within regeneration processes, policies often rely on tools from the cultural and creative fields. Additionally, built material and immaterial heritage can have significant roles: e.g., by converting heritage sites and buildings through cultural projects or new functions, or capitalizing on specific traditions and place memory for local identity and place attachment. This SI focuses on cultural approaches in connection with urban development and gather contributions from various research fields. It addresses researchers and academics from social sciences who are interested in topics such as: cultural activities and their role in urban development; cities (re)constructing their identity; culture as a relevant component of current spatial planning policies; urban strategies, attracting creative people; urban image, heritage and culture; culture, local memory and local identities; heritage and industrial culture; subcultures within cities and processes of urban change.

Dynamic stability basically deals with the interactions between the system's components. Following a disturbance, the system's variables undergo transitions that can induce oscillations in active and reactive power generation, resulting in the occurrence of voltage oscillatory modes and frequency deviation in the system. Depending on the entity of the disturbance, the small- or large-signal stability of the system under consideration can be investigated. The introduction of RES-based generation that does not participate in the network services (i.e., frequency and voltage regulation) due to lack of special controls will undoubtedly affect both the overall frequency and voltage stability. Large-scale transient stability is also a concern not to be overlooked: inverter-based wind and solar generation have different angle/speed swing behaviors with respect to traditional generation due to reduced inertia, different voltage swing behaviors due to different voltage control systems, different power flow patterns, and different displacements of synchronous generation at key locations. Therefore, although power system stability and dynamics have played a very central role in the management and study of electrical power systems thus far, it is also true that the emerging scenario requires new methodologies, technologies, and analyses. In this light, the current Special Issue aims to collect contributions (i.e., research papers and review articles) on power system dynamics and stability from experts in academia and industry.

To enhance the international dissemination of ideas on how to make renewable energy sources a driver of sustainable development for the coming decades, it is necessary to unite the efforts of researchers in the fields of traditional and modern energy, waste-free production, and ecology in multidisciplinary discussions of urgent problems of transition to the use of renewable energy.In order to gain new ideas and insights into these areas worldwide, this book, entitled "Sustainable Development Processes for Renewable Energy Technology", has been prepared. This book mainly covers original research integrating the principles of sustainable development, the production and recycling of new materials, and the use of renewable energy, reflecting the intended breadth of understanding of the complex interdisciplinary issues that the field of Sustainable Development Processes for Renewable Energy Technology presents.

The design and development of water turbines requires accurate methods for performance prediction. Numerical methods and modelling are becoming increasingly important tools to achieve better designs and more efficient turbines, reducing the time required in physical model testing. This book is focused on applying numerical simulations and models for water turbines to predict tool their performance. In this Special Issue, the different contributions of this book are classified into three state-of-the-art Topics: discussing the modelling of pump-turbines, the simulation of horizontal and vertical axis turbines for hydrokinetic applications and the modelling of hydropower plants. All the contributions to this book demonstrate the importance of the modelling and simulation of water turbines for hydropower energy. This new generation of models and simulations will play a major role in the global energy transition and energy crisis, and, of course, in the mitigation of climate change.

Recently, microfluidic, nanofluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices have gained particular attention in biomedical applications. Due to their advantages, such as miniaturization, versatility, ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and the potential to replace animal models for drug development and testing, these devices hold tremendous potential to revolutionize the research of more effective treatments for several diseases that threaten human life. With integrated biosensors, these devices allow the development and design of micro- and nanoparticles to be studied in detail, modelling human physiology, investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying disease formation and progression, and gaining insights into the performance and long-term effects of responsive drug delivery nanocarriers. This Special Issue gathered research papers, and review articles focusing on novel microfluidic, nanofluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices for biomedical applications, addressing all steps related to fabrication, biosensor integration and development, characterization, numerical simulations and validation of the devices, optimization and, the translation of these devices from research labs to industry settings.

This reprint contains original research and review chapters concerning the latest advancements in various topics related to pediatric fractures. Topics include fractures of the face, clavicle, shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, pelvis, femur, and tibia; special considerations focus on osteogenesis imperfecta patients; and consideration is also given to general pediatric fracture topics, such as the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, mortality after pediatric trauma, the effects of NSAID and electronic cigarette use, and chapters on epidemiology and physical activity.

This Special Issue of Nutrients is addressing the topic 'Nutrition, Diet and Food Allergy'. Globally, food allergy affects 1.5% of adults and 5% of children and this prevalence is increasing in recent decades, representing a public health problem.Different mechanisms are involved in food allergic diseases with distinctive clinical characteristics: IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated phenotypes will be distinguished in the Issue, considering the early recent literature on the prevalence, age of onset, follow-up recommendations and duration of food allergies.Moreover, the management of these fascinating diseases will be discussed with particular attention on nutritional hazards, risks of allergic reactions to new allergens, problems with missed labelling (precautionary allergen labelling (PAL)). Especially, the dietary restrictions and the re-introduction of allergens lead to a significant burden for affected patients, fear of accidental ingestions and related risk of severe reactions, resulting in a reduced quality of life among patients with food allergies.

This Special Issue reprint will address the most current and innovative developments in the field of HDP research across a range of topics, such as structure and function analysis, modes of action, anti-microbial effects, cell and animal model systems, the discovery of novel host-defense peptides, and drug development.

Graphene is an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional (2D) honeycomb lattice. Graphene's unique properties of thinness and conductivity have led to global research into its applications as a semiconductor. With the ability to well conduct electricity at room temperature, graphene semiconductors could easily be implemented into the existing semiconductor technologies and, in some cases, successfully compete with the traditional ones, such as silicon. This reprint presents very recent results in the physics of graphene, which can be important for applying the material in electronics.

The objective of this book is to publish the most recent technological advancements, and theoretical and practical research outcomes, alongside high-quality literature reviews on wireless power transfer to charge electric vehicles. More substantial research is proposed due to the fast-growing market for electric vehicles, and recent advances in wireless power transfer techniques have the potential to make this technology available for all consumers by overcoming its drawbacks. For instance, one of the major downsides to EVs is the requirement for an automobile to be idle during charging times. This problem can be solved by implementing dynamic wireless power transfer (WPT) with a higher power transfer efficiency (PTE). So, this book endeavors to create a major forum for investigating recent advances and the envisioned future in wireless power transfer for electric vehicles in terms of modeling, design, performance, operation, control, implementation, storage, electric machines, power electronics converters, optimization, cost, charging techniques, and applications. This book provides valuable contributions to the field of electric vehicles: inductive power transfer concepts; airport inductive charging infrastructures; the design of a wireless charging system for an e-bike with grid connection; control of renewables; social, economic, political, and technical factors for dynamic wireless charging; the influence of posture and coil position on the safety of a WPT; double-coil dynamic shielding technology for WPT; reduction in cogging torque in a PM brushless DC motor; and optimal dynamic scheduling of EVs in a parking lot.

Twelve edited original papers on the latest and state-of-art results of topics ranging from calibration, validation, and science to a wide range of applications using ALOS-2/PALSAR-2. We hope you will find them useful for your future research.

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.