Books published by Mdpi AG

This Special Issue of Water brings together 10 studies on groundwater contamination and remediation. Common themes include practical techniques for plume identification and delineation, the central role of subsurface processes, the pervasiveness of non-Fickian transport, and the importance of bacterial communities in the broader context of biogeochemistry.

This Special Issue gathers eight research articles covering a broad range of strategies on how to combat spinal cord injuries, from searching for therapeutic target molecules, tackling inflammatory reactions, utilizing cell therapy or cell-based products, combined strategies for axonal plasticity assessment, and prevention of post-surgical epidural adhesions. Moreover, four reviews cover recent findings about the role of stress-activated protein kinases in SCI; progress in stem cell therapies; the mechanisms and benefits of activity-based physical rehabilitation therapies with adjuvant testosterone; and, finally, translational regenerative therapies for chronic spinal cord injury.

 In the post-genomic era, many efforts have been devoted to better understanding the biological information encoded by the cell “glycome” in normal and pathologic conditions. The glycan signature of human cells plays a pivotal role in regulating fundamental biological processes, which are critical for cell physiology and for cancer as well.Galectins (also worded S-type lectins) are an evolutionarily conserved family of endogenous lectins, which bind carbohydrates with high specificity. These molecules, which can be found both intracellularly and in the extracellular milieu, are functionally active in converting glycan-containing information into cell biological programs. This fashionable mechanism of signal transduction plays a relevant role in regulating several biological functions, including RNA splicing, gene transcription, cell migration and differentiation, apoptosis, immune response, and tumor growth and progression.It is not surprising, indeed, that a large number of studies on galectin–glycan interactions and galectins expression and function in human diseases have been published in the recent literature, spanning from immunology to cardiovascular medicine, from diagnostic Pathology to nuclear medicine.The aim of this Special Issue of IJMS is to collect selected contributions in the field reporting data, concepts, and new ideas, which have the potential to be translated in a clinical setting in the near future, in order to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other relevant human diseases.

The improvement of fabrication resolutions is an eternal challenge for miniaturizing and enhancing the integration degrees of devices. Laser processing is one of the most widely used techniques in manufacturing due to its high flexibility, high speed, and environmental friendliness. The fabrication resolution of laser processing is, however, limited by the diffraction limit. Recently, much effort has been made to overcome the diffraction limit in nano fabrication. Specifically, combinations of multiphoton absorption by ultrafast lasers and the threshold effect associated with a Gaussian beam profile provide fabrication resolutions far beyond the diffraction limit. The use of the optical near-field achieves nano ablation with feature sizes below 100 nm. Multiple pulse irradiation from the linearly polarized ultrafast laser produces periodic nanostructures with a spatial period much smaller than the wavelength. Unlimited diffraction resolutions can also be achieved with shaped laser beams. In the meanwhile, lasers are also widely used for the synthesis of nano materials including fullerenes and nano particles. In view of the rapid advancement of this field in recent years, this Special Issue aims to introduce the state-of-the-art in nano fabrication and nano lithography, based on laser technologies, by leading groups in the field.

This book sheds light on the influence of the environment on people’s mental health. To what extent are exposures to green space, air pollution, natural disasters, etc. related to depression or suicide? Such questions are relevant for both scientists and policy-makers. A rich collection of chapters subsumes current research frontiers originating from disciplines such as geography, public health, epidemiology, environmental science, etc. The topics covered in the book are of interest to researchers, practitioners, and professionals. The editor hopes that the scientific outcome of this book will stimulate debate about how the environment affects mental health outcomes.

Scars develop in the final stage of wound healing. Wound healing and scarring involve complex biological pathways, and the exact mechanisms by which they are initiated, evolved, and regulated remain to be fully elucidated. Scarless wound healing is a major goal of medical science. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to elucidate the relevant clinical, histopathological, and molecular manifestations of scars, and to understand how these manifestations relate to each other.This Special Issue covers a selection of recent research topics and current review articles in the field of scar research for all kinds of tissues and organs.

Aluminium alloys are the most common non-ferrous materials utilised for a wide range of engineering applications, namely, automotive, aerospace, mould and structural industries, among others. The wide spread of these alloys in the modern word is due to the unique combination of material properties combining lightness, excellent strength, corrosion resistance, toughness, electrical and thermal conductivity, recyclability, and manufacturability. Last but not least, the relatively low cost of aluminium extrusion is important as it makes aluminium alloys very attractive for applications in different key sectors of the world economy. Despite great interest, extensive previous research, and knowledge accumulated in the past, recent advances in production and processing technologies, combined with the development of new and more ingenious and competitive products, require a profound understanding of the physical and mechanical behaviour of such alloys, specifically in terms of modelling and predictions of the fracture and fatigue life of aluminium alloy components. This Special Issue aims to gather scientific contributions from authors working in different scientific areas, including the improvement and modelling of mechanical properties, alloying design and manufacturing techniques, the characterization of microstructure and chemical composition, and advanced applications.

The built environment of the future will implement innovative solutions for energy efficiency, self-monitoring infrastructures, and self-healing strategies, just to mention the most promising smart material technologies that will most likely assume a pivotal importance in the future. This book is a result of a very multidisciplinary effort aimed at driving the scientific progress of the constructions of the future. The works included in this book concern new materials and coatings for cultural heritage preservation, environmentally sustainable concretes and paving material components, self-healing, and durability strategies.]

This Special Issue is focused on breakthrough developments in the field of biosensors, as well as on the current scientific progress in biomedical signal processing. The papers address innovative solutions in assistance robotics based on bioelectrical signals, including the following: affordable biosensor technology, affordable assistive-robotics devices, new techniques in myoelectric control, and advances in brain–machine interfacing.

Dielectric liquids are used as impregnates of solid insulations or filling products in many kinds of equipment, such as transformers (power, rectifier, distribution, traction, furnace, potential, current), resistors, reactors, capacitors, cables, bushings, circuit breakers, tap changers, and thyristor cooling in power electronics, etc. Their role is paramount in the sense that their presence is one of the fundamental conditions for the proper functioning of such equipment. Similar to blood in the human body, dielectric liquids hold the responsibility of maintaining the entire equipment. The greatest challenges for engineers/maintenance planners are related to the need for methods to assess the condition of the liquid, along with how to improve equipment efficiency using chemical admixtures. The demand for environmentally friendly dielectric liquids is also rising as the environmental concerns about conventional petroleum-based fluids become increasingly more apparent.This book covers some theoretical and practical concerns related to the applications of dielectric liquids in electrical equipment. Understanding the fundamental theoretical phenomena is, therefore, important for properly designing practical liquid-filled power equipment and hardware. Graduate-level students and teachers, as well as scientists and engineers involved in power equipment design, diagnostics, and monitoring, will appreciate this systematic approach to the subject.

The interest in biocompatible and biodegradable metals, such as magnesium, is mainly related to their potential use as structural material for orthopedic and cardiovascular applications where a temporary medical device is required. However, in the case of magnesium, in vivo experiments have clearly shown that the corrosion degradation rate of magnesium and its alloys is too high and, hence, results in producing gas cavities that can promote the danger of gas embolism, tissue separation, and premature loss of mechanical integrity. The aim of this Special Issue on Biodegradable Metals is to explore and introduce innovative strategies to overcome the current limitations of magnesium.

This Special Issue is related to the 18th biannual International Gap Junction Conference (IGJC2017), which has been held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow and hosted by Glasgow Caledonian University, 29 July–3 August, 2017. This Special Issue, entitled “Interplay of Connexins and Pannexins in Tissue Function and Disease”, focuses on six key state-of-the-art reviews, written by leads in the field on cutting edge topics and the latest developments in clinical trials in diverse organ systems. A further 14 original articles contributed by delegates attending the meeting are also included and celebrate 50 years of Gap Junction Research.Topics: Connexins and Pannexins:Trafficking, Assembly, Gating, and Protein–Protein InteractionsRoles in the Cardiovascular SystemRoles in TumorigenesisRoles in Epithelial Tissue and Wound HealingConnexin Therapy Translated to Clinic

Dendrimers have firmly established their space in the macromolecular field since their first discovery in 1978. These monodispersed and hyperbranched macromolecules present unique properties with demonstrated potential in varied scientific disciplines. Dr. Donald A Tomalia is one of the pioneers in this area whose name is synonym for polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers, one of the most extensively investigated macromolecular architectures. In this monograph, his colleagues and friends celebrate Don’s achievements and contributions to the field, on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2018, which also coincides with the 40th anniversary of the first report on dendrimers. It provides the reader with excellent reviews on different aspects of dendritic architectures, followed by research articles that explore the state-of-the-art in synthesis, properties and varied applications, including in biology. Collectively, it provides scientists just beginning their careers, as well as firmly established ones, with the pulse of the field and inspiration to continue to explore these intriguing macromolecules.

Based on information theory, a number of entropy measures have been proposed since the 1990s to assess systems’ irregularity, such as approximate entropy, sample entropy, permutation entropy, intrinsic mode entropy, and dispersion entropy, to cite only a few. Among them, sample entropy has been used in a very large variety of disciplines for both univariate and multivariate data. However, improvements to the sample entropy algorithm are still being proposed because sample entropy is unstable for short time series, may be sensitive to parameter values, and can be too time-consuming for long data. At the same time, it is worth noting that sample entropy does not take into account the multiple temporal scales inherent in complex systems. It is maximized for completely random processes and is used only to quantify the irregularity of signals on a single scale. This is why analyses of irregularity—with sample entropy or its derivatives—at multiple time scales have been proposed to assess systems’ complexity. This Book presents contributions related to new and original research based on the use of sample entropy or its derivatives.

Emerging evidence indicates that dairy foods and ingredients can influence human health. There is increasing interest around the specific role that particular components within dairy foods, such as fat, protein, and other bioactives, play in health. Dairy fat, although a source of saturated fat, may have neutral or beneficial effects on cardiometabolic and gut health. Further, specific types of fat within dairy fat have been linked with improved metabolic health and immune function, while the amount of milk fat globule membrane enclosing the fat may be important in cardiac and muscular outcomes. Dairy proteins may assist in maintaining skeletal muscle mass, particularly post-exercise. While research into individual dairy components is ongoing, the overall dairy food matrix may offer unique benefits to human health as well. For example, the fermentation process involved in cheese and yoghurt production may enhance the nutritional and functional abilities of these foods. This collection of research articles explores the effects of dairy components on health.]

Micro-bioreactors offer unique opportunities to study biological systems under fluidic conditions. The concept of micro-bioreactors suggests that biological reaction conditions at a large scale can be scaled down to micro-volumes while maintaining performance and functionality. Models and operation principles can be simulated at a smaller scale, either by scaling down organs in the human body, or bioreactors for the production of biologics. This book highlights these issues with much focus on new engineering design approached. Initial chapters cover conceptual design of microbioreactors and organ-on-chips, and the role of microbioreactors in tissue engineering for the clinical and for therapeutic targets. Two chapters are dedicated to microbioreactors for implementing tumour models. Other chapters discuss three-dimensional models for hepatic and cardiac cells for toxicity testing and drug evaluation. Finally, the design of organ chips for cartilage scaffolds and integration of sensors  are covered in separate chapters. We believe the book have substantial value for researchers active in bioreactor engineering, drug development and cell physiology as well as readers interested in the these topics.      

This book provides a timely overview of topics in fuzzy mathematics. It lays the foundation for further research and applications in a broad range of areas. It contains break-through analysis on how results from the many variations and extensions of fuzzy set theory can be obtained from known results of traditional fuzzy set theory. The book contains not only theoretical results, but a wide range of applications in areas such as decision analysis, optimal allocation in possibilistics and mixed models, pattern classification, credibility measures, algorithms for modeling uncertain data, and numerical methods for solving fuzzy linear systems.The book offers an excellent reference for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in applied and theoretical fuzzy mathematics. Researchers and referees in fuzzy set theory will find the book to be of extreme value.

Transforming Encounters and Critical Reflection: African Thought, Critical Theory and Liberation Theology in Dialogue is an interdisciplinary exploration of Western ideologies and their impact on Southern African cultures and societies. It brings together scholars whose expertise resides within the subdisciplines of decolonial and African thought, liberation theology, and postmodern philosophy to explore the intersectionality of Western hedgemony. Although broad in approach, each author’s contribution coalesces around an extended meditation on the question of what is liberation for Southern Africa (and the global south writ large) and from what is it being liberated.]