Books published by Mdpi AG

The topic of guided wave (GW) propagation comprises a vast research area overlapping with photonics, matter waves in macroscopic quantum media (ultracold gases of bosonic and fermionic atoms, condensates of quasiparticles, such as excitons-polaritons, magnons, and cavity photons), hydrodynamics, acoustics, plasma physics, etc. In many situations, tightly confined GWs naturally acquire high amplitudes, which gives rise to a plenty of fascinating nonlinear effects. In particular, waveguides often provide a combination of nonlinearity, group-velocity dispersion, and low losses which is necessary for the creation of solitons (robust solitary waves). In optics, experimental and theoretical work with GWs is a vast research area, with great significance both for fundamental studies and numerous applications, which are realized in linear and nonlinear forms alike, including long-haul telecommunications, all-optical data-processing schemes, and generation of powerful laser beams, especially in fiber lasers. More recently, new artificially created optical media have been made available, such as photonic crystals, metamaterials, photonic topological insulators, PT-symmetric waveguides, and others, which opens a way to implement GW propagation regimes with features that were not known previously – e.g., the propagation immune to scattering on defects, or light diodes, admitting strictly unidirectional transmission. Closely related to optical waveguides are their plasmonic counterparts, which admit the implementation of the GW transmission on much smaller scales, by using surface-plasmon-polaritonic waves with small wavelengths. Completely new perspectives for the exploration and application of GWs emerge in the area of nanophotonics, with the guided propagation carried out in photonic nanowires whose confinement length is essentially smaller than the optical wavelength.

Micro- and nano-scale manufacturing has been the subject of ever more research and industrial focus over the past 10 years. Traditional lithography-based technology forms the basis of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) manufacturing, but also precision manufacturing technologies have been developed to cover micro-scale dimensions and accuracies. Furthermore, these fundamentally different technology platforms are currently combined in order to exploit the strengths of both platforms. One example is the use of lithography-based technologies to establish nanostructures that are subsequently transferred to 3D geometries via injection molding. Manufacturing processes at the micro-scale are the key-enabling technologies to bridge the gap between the nano- and the macro-worlds to increase the accuracy of micro/nano-precision production technologies, and to integrate different dimensional scales in mass-manufacturing processes. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on novel methodological developments in micro- and nano-scale manufacturing, i.e., on novel process chains including process optimization, quality assurance approaches and metrology. 

The combination of low density, high strength, and good corrosion resistance makes intermetallics promising for structural applications, especially at high temperatures and under severe environments. These materials have also potential for functional applications since some intermetallic phases have unique properties, such as shape memory or thermo electric effect. As a result of the increasing demand for novel/advanced materials with improved properties, recent years have been marked by the return of intermetallics.In this book, 17 papers have been published covering important aspects related to intermetallics, in particular transition metal aluminides. Other materials, such as silicides, NiTi shape memory alloys and Ti-6Al-4V, were also investigated. Composites involving intermetallics were the subject of two papers, while two papers were dedicated to metallic glasses. Processing and joining of intermetallics, their mechanical properties and oxidation/corrosion behaviour, phase transformations involving intermetallics, modelling and numerical simulation have been focused on these papers. The simulation and experimental works carried out allowed understanding the relation between microstructure and properties of the intermetallics studied, aiming at their use as structural materials at high and ultra-high temperatures, as well as in aerospace/aeronautic, automobile, electronic, tribological, and biomedical applications. Whatever the application, joining of intermetallics to other materials is of paramount importance as is reflected in this book that contains several papers dedicated to this topic. 

There is an increasing acknowledgement in the engineering community that the response to this challenge, that is, prevention of catastrophic failure, generally requires a systems approach and necessitates engagement of a large pool of multidisciplinary expertise and the deployment of tools for systems analysis. This multidisciplinary pool includes materials science, structural analysis, manufacturing technologies, quality control and evaluation, mathematics, physics, and probability and reliability. Furthermore, from the scientific point of view, there is also an increasing acknowledgement that addressing the complex engineering problems of today requires the use of concepts and approaches that can account for size and time scaling effects. The Special Issue scope embraces interdisciplinary work aimed at understanding and deploying physics of fatigue and failure techniques, advancing experimental and theoretical failure analysis, modelling of the structural response with respect to both local and global failures, and structural design that accounts for scale and time effects in preventing engineering failures.

Sensitive assays are often based on molecular recognition. Often stability problems have limited the use of such assays. The introduction of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) eliminates such limitations. With the introduction of biosensors combined with MIPs, one gets a strong combination.This volume presents how MIPs are being produced, how MIPs are integrated in different sensor concepts and finally highlights some results in certain applications.

This text will provide the most recent knowledge and advances in the area of chronic low back pain. The articles will range from topics such as the growing epidemic of chronic low back pain, to intervention for it, as well as specific biopsychosocial characteristics that can be used in its assessment, treatment, and outcomes monitoring.

In this book, conventional and new methods through which sustainability can be promoted in mathematics and science subjects are described and discussed. The aim of the book is to support teachers and teacher educators in their work, and to create a multi-sided view on sustainability, and on education for sustainable development. Curriculums and teaching approaches for the implementation of sustainability in schools and universities, especially in teacher education, are discussed. The pedagocical studies presented give useful examples of how sustainability can be included in mathematics, physics and biology education. The described teaching methods are discussed also in relation to students' competence and learning outcomes. In addition, valuable ideas are presented for the development of curriculums and teaching practices in higher education and schools. The book is suited for all teachers and researchers who are interested in sustainability and sustainable development, and want to develop their teaching in higher education and schools. 

An increasing number of spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems have been equipped with polarimetric capabilities: ALOS and ALOS-2, Radarsat-2, TerraSAR-X, Envisat-ASAR, Sentinel-1a/b, etc. Future mission will still present this type of diversity: RCM, SAOCOM, Cosmo-Skymed 2nd generation or PAZ. Polarimetry allows sensitivity to the structural and geometric properties of the scene, making it possible a more accurate identification and classification than non-polarimetric systems. Then, polarimetry makes possible new applications, especially in quantitative extraction of bio and geophysical variables. Also, the combination of polarimetry and interferometry allows also to explore the vertical structure of semi-transparent media, like crops and forests. SAR polarimetry is an active field of research in Earth observation. Besides the development of applications, researchers have also focused in theory or physical modelling to make SAR polarimetry an operational technique. This book presents the state of the art in SAR polarimetry, from theory and physical modelling to final applications, but also the current and futures challenges. This book puts also the emphasis on studies for the exploitation of data provided by the new polarimetric space borne SAR sensors, which include additional frequency bands, interferometric capability, enlarged spatial coverage, high spatial resolution and/or shorter revisit times.

Antimicrobial peptides are key defense molecules adopted by all life forms to prevent infection. They also have other beneficial effects such as boosting immune response, anticancer, and wound healing. The antiviral effects of antimicrobial peptides have laid the foundations for developing new agents to combat seasonal Flu, HIV-1, RSV, Zika, and Ebola. This eBook is constructed to systematically deal with antimicrobial peptides from a variety of natural sources, including fungi, plants, and animals (insects, fish, amphibians, birds, and reptiles). It covers peptide discovery, antimicrobial activity, 3D structure, mechanisms of action and potential applications. Naturally Occurring Antimicrobial Peptides, an eBook published by the journal Pharmaceuticals, provides a helpful introduction to newcomers and refreshes the minds of veterans.  

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by some species of filamentous fungi belonging to Fusarium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Claviceps and Alternaria genera. The biochemical significance of mycotoxins in fungal metabolism has not always been fully clarified; however, the main concern for mycotoxins is driven by the deleterious effects they can exert on human and animal health. Structurally, the mycotoxins currently known belong to heterogeneous chemical classes, therefore the toxic effects they can induce are highly diverse (e.g., cancerogenic and immunosuppressive effects). The main route of human exposure to mycotoxins is by intake of contaminated food, either directly from contaminated agricultural products, or indirectly from residues and metabolites present in foods of animal origin. Immunochemical methods are generally used for the fast screening of mycotoxin presence; however, for confirmation purposes, analytical methods based on high-performance liquid chromatography (LC) are preferred, especially when coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), which allows the determination of multiclass mycotoxins in a single analysis. Moreover, the technical innovations available in LC-MS/MS instrumentation are prompting its application to the monitoring of contaminants in food and feed. The aim of this paper collection, constituted by ten research articles and one review, is to provide the reader with an overview on the novelties and capabilities in LC-MS/MS-based multi-mycotoxin methods, also including the investigation of emerging and modified mycotoxins.

Scholars contributing to this special issue on “Family Communication at the End of Life” have provided evidence that communication is vital for terminally ill individuals, family members, and healthcare/palliative care specialists. Overall, the fifteen articles in this special issue focus on five questions: First, what are the trends regarding different approaches for beginning the conversation about death and dying earlier rather than later? Second, who is making the end of life decisions and how are they made?  Third, how does age and disease impact the way that families communicate at the end of life? Fourth, how does good communication (i.e., satisfying for all participants, effective for addressing needs, fulfilling goals) impact the myriad of complex issues at the end of life?  Fifth, what is the significance of exploring and valuing the perspective of the family members’ experiences and recollections of their communication at the end of life with their terminally ill family member as well as with the healthcare providers? Overall, the scholars emphasize that focusing on family communication at the end of life is crucial for improving medical, psychological, and relational outcomes for those dealing with the death and dying process.

In the face of climate change and resource scarcity, energy supply systems are on the verge of a major transformation, which mainly includes the introduction of new components and their integration into the existing infrastructures, new network configurations and reliable topologies, optimal design and novel operation schemes, and new incentives and business models. This revolution is affecting the current paradigm and demanding that energy systems be integrated into multi-carrier energy hubs. It is highly increasing the interactions between today’s energy systems at various scales and future intelligent energy systems, which are able to incorporate an increasing amount renewable energy sources. This transformation is also accommodating active participation of end-users as responsive prosumers at different scales which in turn helps to reduce energy costs and to mitigate carbon footprints.This book covers the mentioned promising and dynamic areas of research and development, and reports on contributions in design, control and optimization of integrated energy systems. The contents of the book which are gathered based on the accepted articles in the special issue on Advances in Integrated Energy systems Design, Control and Optimization also covers a variety of topics, ranging from operation and control of small-scale electrical networks to the complex energy systems design and planning.

In 1692, Newton wrote: "That gravity should be innate, inherent and essential to matter so that one body may act upon another at a distance through a vacuum, without the mediation of anything else by and through which their action or force may be conveyed from one to another, is to me so great an absurdity that I believe no man who has in philosophical matters any competent faculty of thinking can ever fall into it. Gravity must be caused by an agent acting constantly according to certain laws, but whether this agent be material or immaterial is a question I have left to the consideration of my readers". One of them who, just over 200 years later, picked up the baton of Newton was Albert Einstein. His General Theory of Relativity, which had its centenary in 2015, opened up new windows on our comprehension of Nature, disclosed new, previously unpredictable, phenomena occurring when relative velocities dramatically change in intense gravitational fields reaching values close to the speed of light and, for the first time after millennia of speculations, put Cosmology on the firm grounds of empirically testable science. This Special Issue was dedicated to this grand achievement of the human thought.

The present Special Issue proposes articles in the area of Additive Manufacturing with particular attention to the different employed technologies and the several possible applications. The main investigated technologies are the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). These methodologies, combined with the Computer Aided Design (CAD), provide important advantages. Numerical, analytical and experimental knowledge and models are proposed to exploit the potential advantages given by 3D printing for the production of modern systems and structures in aerospace, mechanical, civil and biomedical engineering fields. The 11 selected papers propose different additive manufacturing methodologies and related applications and studies.

This book consists of the articles published in the special issues of this Symmetry journal based on two-by-two matrices and harmonic oscillators.  The book also contains additional articles published by the guest editor in this Symmetry journal.  They are of course based on harmonic oscillators and/or two-by-two matrices.  The subject of symmetry is based on exactly soluble problems in physics, and the physical theory is not soluble unless it is based on oscillators and/or two-by-two matrices.  The authors of those two special issues were aware of this environment when they submitted their articles.  This book could therefore serve as an example to illustrate this important aspect of symmetry problems in physics. 

Symmetry is found everywhere, to a greater or lesser degree. It is essential in all sciences and also as the basic substrate in all arts. The same happens with Complex Networks, which are the majority of all those that interest for advanced knowledge, that is, for research. That is why these two themes have been unified here, whose intersection we are dealing with: in its first part, of fundamentals, and in its second part of applications, which are multiple in the world today.

Symmetry has a central role in the study of vision. The concept of symmetry has an ancient origin in considerations of visual appearance; in modern times, abstracted and formalized into Group Theory, it has found spectacular applications, far beyond the visible; but its importance for vision persists in many ways including:• As a non-accidental feature of an image that cues affordances, 3D structure or the semantic categories of object present.• As a redundant aspect of an image which many be exploited for simplicity and compactness of encoding.• As a salient feature that draws attention, and evokes distinctive brain responses.• As a constraint on priors on the distribution of structures to be found in the natural world.• As an aesthetic principle.• As a design principle for vision systems.The original idea for a Special Issue came from a symposium at the European Conference in Visual Perception, in 2015, on the topic of brain responses to visual symmetry, but we have now extended the scope. This Special Issue is devoted to provide a shared place for cutting edge studies on how and why symmetry is processed and exploited by biological and artificial visual systems. 

In recent years, studies in the field of thyroid cancer have been performed in order to identify and verify thyroid specific biomarkers, as well as cancer-specific changes in gene expression patterns and alterations of the protein content. Furthermore, new drugs, small molecules and antibodies were developed and tested in vitro and in vivo. Trials investigated the ratio between therapeutic and adverse effects. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have become a new therapeutic option of both differentiated thyroid cancer and medullary thyroid cancer. In the last few years, new substances for targeted systemic therapy have been approved after their efficacy was demonstrated in Phase III trials. Most of them show a moderate response. However, adverse effects are common. TKI are used in patients with advanced metastatic thyroid cancer that is radioiodine (RAI)-refractory.In this Special Issue, original studies on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and therapy of thyroid cancer, including genetics, proteomics, metabolomics, molecular and cell biology, will be published. It will also cover reports on patients, providing novel mechanistic insights into the underlying pathogenesis or new aspects that may impact clinical therapy, and recent study results in order to review the current status of new therapy options in thyroid cancer.

We are experiencing a worldwide epidemic of diabetes. Diabetes mellitus has become a major public health burden. Approximately seven million people develop diabetes in both developed and developing countries every year, with the most dramatic increases occurring in Type 2 Diabetes. Especially alarming, is the rising incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in obese children before puberty.  In April 2017, a Special Issue of Nutrients entitled “Nutrition and Diet Factors in Type 2 Diabetes” closed with 19 published papers—eight original studies on humans, five on animals, one brief report and five reviews. The focus of the issue was on nutrition, diet factors, whole foods, broad dietary and lifestyle strategies, dietary patterns, intensive personalized treatments, nutritional prevention programs, and food policies that can be used in the development, treatment, and prevention of DM2.Nutrition and Diet Factors in Type 2 Diabetes is written for clinical and academic nutritionists, for registered dietitians, health professionals, graduate students, and for everybody with deeper interest in diabetes care. Studies and reviews presented here demonstrate that diabetes research is extensive and vibrant and the prevention, treatment and reversal of diabetes are achievable, economical, powerful, and possible. 

What we call the "color" of an object is the result of a very complicated and not yet fully understood mechanism that involves the interaction between the light reflected by the object surface and the eyes, and the subsequent analysis of the retinal signal by the brain. For these reasons, research into color is intrinsically multidisciplinary and can be conducted from many points of view. The contributions presented in this book reflect this spirit, ranging from rigorous mathematical models of color geometry, to the psychophysical discussion of chromatic visual illusion, passing through state-of-the-art computational models in color enhancement. The idea behind this book is to give the reader an idea of the richness and variety of the research into color, proving it to be one of the most fascinating interdisciplinary research fields in contemporary science.