mdpi ag feb 2017 (12 Ergebnisse)

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book provides knowledge related to strength and conditioning for fitness and sport performance. It is designed for those interested in the many topics that concern strength and conditioning, in relation to advanced scientific inquiries of program design, periodization of training and anaerobic strength, and power testing.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Natural and chemical compounds, often used as both dietary supplements and alternative medicines, are characterized by specific chemical properties, allowing their passage across the blood brain barrier with consequent specific effects on neurotransmission. In particular, several natural compounds have shown beneficial properties in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially cognitive impairment and mood disorders, contributing to the maintenance of the physiological brain functioning by interacting with different receptors, transcription factors and signal transduction pathways. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress have also been proposed as crucial contributors to brain dysfunction development, thus recent investigations have focused on novel therapeutic approaches based on the use of phytoderivates with neuroprotective properties. Thus, this Special Issue includes a collection of 11 papers, describing key findings for the identification of molecular mechanisms required for the development of potential and promising natural therapeutics for the treatment of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Bee or wasp venom therapy is the therapeutic application of honeybee venom or wasp venom to the treatment of various diseases. Venoms from either honeybees or wasps are known to possess a wide variety of pharmaceutical properties. Recent studies using these venoms have demonstrated diverse mechanisms on a range of conditions. However, identification of a single constituent out of the venom, the possible mechanisms, and a justification of the route of application and formulation are essential in the future. Understanding the signalling pathways associated with the compound-mediated in vivo dynamics and further communication between cells at the molecular level will facilitate the development of new therapeutics.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - As the fields of organometallic and coordination chemistry of the transition metals has grown more mature, the under-explored chemistry of the rare-earths and actinides has drawn the attention of research groups from across the globe looking for new fundamental discoveries and access to compounds with unique properties. The rare-earths-the group 3 metals and the 4f lanthanide series-have long shown many interesting properties in the solid state which exploit their unique electronic configurations. However, it is the molecular chemistry of these metals that has expanded dramatically in recent years as researchers identify the differences between-and unique features of-their molecular compounds. Recent highlights include the identification of new oxidation states and patterns of reactivity as well as applications in medical imaging and health care which represent new and exciting areas of research. The actinides show a wide range of different properties as a consequence of their radioactivity and radiochemistry, but this has not stopped recent rapid progress into the exploration of their unique chemistry. Uranium, in particular, shows huge potential with its transition metal-like range of oxidation states (+2 to +6), and in specialised laboratories, the heavier actinides are also beginning to show their unique chemistry. This Special Issue aims to bring together these strands of research in an openly-accessible way to allow better communication of these advances to a wider audience. This is necessary as, despite these exciting advances, the rare-earths and actinides are still much neglected topics in both school and undergraduate curriculums. Contributions in the above-mentioned areas will allow new research in the rare-earths and actinides to inform and influence the next generation of scientists and keep the field as vibrant as it is today.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The human T-cell leukemia virus types 1 and 2 (HTLV-1 and HTLV-2) were both discovered over three decades ago and infect millions people worldwide. HTLV-1 is associated with the adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) in about 2% of individuals infected, and another 2 to 3% of individuals develop a neurologic disorder called HTLV-associated myelopathy (HAM). HTLV-2 causes HAM in approximately 1 to 2% of infected individuals, but does not cause ATLL. HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 have served as excellent models for the study of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of virus-associated cancers as well as autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis. Recently, two new members-HTLV-3 and HTLV-4-have been discovered in bushmeat hunters from central Africa, which emphasizes the urgent need for continual surveillance for new human retroviruses and their capacity to cause disease. Important public health issues remain open issues to be addressed in spite of the basic epidemiology of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 being reasonably well defined. Clinical research is needed in developing potential HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 vaccines, as well as development of treatment options for ATLL and HAM. This 'Recent Advances Issue' contains both reviews and updates on research that encompasses these areas.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The reversible elimination of hydrogen from metal hydrides serves as the basis for unique methods of energy transformation. This technology has found widespread practical utilization in applications such as hydrogen compressors, storage, and sensors, as well as batteries. Moreover, it is plausible that metal hydride technology could be utilized to provide practically viable solutions to the challenges of energy storage. For nearly two decades, an extensive, worldwide research effort has been devoted to complex metal hydrides possessing high volumetric and/or gravimetric hydrogen densities with the goal of their practical utilization as onboard hydrogen storage materials. Additionally, a significant and growing number of efforts have been devoted to developing metal hydrides as advanced sensors and ionic conductors, and for electrochemical and stationary energy storage.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - According to the 2014 revision of the World Urbanization Prospects by UN DESA, urbanization could add another 2.5 billion people to urban population by 2050, with close to 90 percent of the increase concentrated in Asia and Africa. This unprecedented increase in urban population not only poses challenges to providing jobs, housing, and infrastructure, but also exerts an increased pressure on urban land and sustainability. As land is a vital yet limited resource, sustainable management of urban land to cater the needs of this growing urban population is seen as one of the key challenges for achieving an economically efficient, socially equitable, and environmentally safe society. A key tenet for sustainable economic development and smart growth is promoting equitable sustainable urban land development and mitigating land use conflicts. While a large body of literature has dealt with both land use and sustainable development, the study of the interactive effects of these two remains limited. We need more sophisticated empirical studies examining processes, mechanisms, institutions, equity, and sustainability of urban land use. This book is based on a Special Issue published in Sustainability, and examines patterns, structure, and dynamics of urban land development and sustainability from multiple perspectives, in various contexts and at multiple dimensions (economic, social, political, developmental, and environmental, etc.). The research articles examine urban land development and sustainability arising from globalization, urbanization and institutional change. We have drawn papers from both developed and developing countries, with a focus on China due to the rapid rate of urbanization and change there. This book includes 14 articles, with various research emphases, methodologies and study areas, reflecting the inter-disciplinarily that characterizes urban and land use studies. The book has examined patterns and processes of urban land expansion and sprawl, and also studies new dimensions of urban space, including social media. These papers can provide us insights into the underlying structure and mechanisms of urban land expansion, and open new frontiers on the effects of urban land development on both the natural and human environments. We hope that this book will contribute to the understanding of urban land use patterns and processes, and their implications for sustainable development.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This Special Issue consists of selected papers from the '6th Annual Conference of Energy Economics and Management', a large conference held in Guangzhou, China, 11-13 November 2015. The topic of this conference is 'Toward a Sustainable Low Carbon China: New Global Carbon Reduction Agreement and Energy Policy'. This conference is co-hosted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Project Management Research Committee of China, and Jinan University (Guangzhou). This conference is one of the leading conferences in China for presenting novel and fundamental advances in energy economics and management for policy decision-making. The purpose of this conference is for scientists, scholars, engineers, and graduate students from universities/research institutes to present ongoing research activities in order to exchange research ideas in the area of energy economics and management. This conference provides opportunities for delegates to exchange new working papers and application experiences, face-to-face, in order to establish research or collaboration relations. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses topics related to energy economics and management, at both the macro- and micro-levels.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - The present Special Issue intends to explore new directions in the field of acoustics and ultrasonics. The interest includes, but is not limited to, the use of acoustic technology for condition monitoring of materials and structures. Topics of interest (among others): Acoustic emission in materials and structures (without material limitation) Innovative cases of ultrasonic inspection Wave dispersion and waveguides Monitoring of innovative materials Seismic waves Vibrations, damping and noise control Combination of mechanical wave techniques with other types for structural health monitoring purposes. Experimental and numerical studies are welcome.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - In a new era of global awareness and globalization, what's happening around the world in real-time such as hurricanes, volcanic eruption, fires, drought, pollution, and other environmental and climate challenges are becoming increasingly more important and affect people's lives. To meet these challenges, Earth observations from a new generation of satellites have now become available giving us unprecedented capabilities to monitor and study our planet. With global coverage twice daily for the next several decades, the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometers on polar orbiting satellites provide rich and publically available data sets for a large number of land, atmosphere, and ocean applications, including the monitoring of aerosols, cloud properties, radiation budget, sea surface temperature, ocean color, active fire, albedo, snow and ice, vegetation, land use/land cover, night-lights from human activities, and natural disasters. Calibration and validation of these satellite observations are essential to ensure the quality, accuracy, precision, and stability of the data for the applications. This book will review recent advances in satellite optical sensor calibration and validation methodologies, algorithms, and techniques. Example calibration and validation of environmental data products are also discussed. It aims to serve all professionals, researchers, students, scientists alike in academics, industries, government, and beyond.

Buch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - Electrical power and energy systems are at the forefront of application developments in renewable energy, smart grids, electric aircrafts, electric and hybrid vehicles and much more. The associated technologies and control methods are crucial to achieving global targets in energy efficiency and low-carbon operations, and will also contribute to key areas such as energy security. The greatest challenges occur when we combine new technologies at large-scale and often complex system level. The Special Edition will cover theoretical developments with special emphasis on applications in electrical power and energy systems. Topics covered include:Renewable Energy Systems: Energy management; hybrid systems; distributed systems; renewable sources and integration; transient energy storage, charging networks. Electrical Machines, Drives and Applications: AC and DC machines and drives; multiscale systems modeling; remote monitoring and diagnosis; electric and hybrid vehicles; energy conversion, vehicle to grid interaction. Power Electronic Systems: Converters and emerging technologies; modeling simulation and control; power factor correction; power supplies; active filters; reliability and fault tolerance. Electrical Power Generation Systems: Modeling and simulation of electrical power systems; load management; power quality; distribution reliability; distributed and islanded power systems, sensor networks, communication and control. Electrical Power Systems Modeling and Control: Modeling and control methodologies and applications; intelligent systems; optimization and advanced heuristics; adaptive systems; robust control.

Taschenbuch. Zustand: Neu. Neuware - This book provides different technologies and procedures related to imaging sensors. Active or passive imaging sensors capture electromagnetic radiation across the whole spectra or acoustic echoes, which, conveniently arranged in images, allow the extraction of useful information. Researchers, engineers and industry professionals can find the most advanced imaging technologies and developments, together with dedicated image processing and computer vision-based approaches. This book provides insights into and solutions for different problems, covering a broad spectrum of possibilities, thanks to a set of applications and solutions, including 3D data recovery; multispectral analysis; biometrics applications; computed tomography; surface defects; indoor/outdoor systems; surveillance. Advanced imaging technologies and specific sensors are also described on the electromagnetic spectrum (ultraviolet, visible, infrared), including airborne calibration systems; selective change driven, multi-spectral systems; specific electronic devices (CMOS, CCDs, CZT, X-Ray, and fluorescence); multi-camera systems; line sensors arrays; video systems. Some technologies based on acoustic imaging are also provided: acoustic planar arrays of MEMS or linear arrays.