The Face of the Earth as Seen from the Air A Study in the Application of Airplane Photography to Geography
The book "" The Face of the Earth as Seen from the Air A Study in the Application of Airplane Photography to Geography, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Spanish Mysticism
As the Guest Editor for the special volume on "Spanish Mysticism", my experience working with experts in this field has been excellent and very rewarding, especially in these current times, where we are dealing with COVID-19. I am very grateful to have served as the Guest Editor and to have contributed with an article on St. John of the Cross. It has been a great privilege to exchange ideas with scholars from all over the world. Until just recently, scholars in theology or religious studies often only associated Spanish mysticism with the great Christian mystics from St. Ignatius of Loyolato St. Teresa of Avila to St. John of the Cross. In the pluralistic and global world in which we live today, we must try our best to expand our knowledge and make the connections that existed in medieval and modern times among the three major mystical traditions in the West. The long history of conflicts, tensions, wars and, yes, religious coexistence is an integral part in the study of Spanish mysticism that has to be reckoned with. Spanish mysticism has become a field of study in itself due to the rich history of kabbalistic, Christian, and Sufi mystics born in the Iberian Peninsula-from Mosesde Leon to Abraham Abulafia, Ignatius of Loyola to Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, and Ibn 'Abbad of Ronda to Ibn al-'Arabi. The three monotheistic religions in the West left us a major cultural, spiritual, and religious legacy in the so-called period of convivencia or coexistence in medieval and modern Spain. In total, nine articles were published electronically in this special volume of Religions. The authors were scholars from the United States (Dombrowski, Serr獺n-Pag獺n, Carri籀n), Spain (L籀pez-Anguita, Alonso, Beneito), Puerto Rico (L籀pez-Baralt), Israel (Bar-Asher), and Germany (Dal Bo). I am very proud of the quality of their research and their major contributions to this volume. I believe this field of Spanish mysticism will open up even more avenues and opportunities after people read these articles covering Jewish, Christian, and Islamic mysticism in the context of the Iberian Peninsula. The primary scope of the articles collected here in this special volume serves the purpose of contextualizing Spanish mystical writings in their historical times and to examine how their legacy in the Iberian soil continues to evolve over time. The purpose of this volume is to bring together the different fields of knowledge from religious studies, theology, philosophy, history, comparative literature, philology, psychology, sociology, and the arts to address the main question: Do Spanish mystics borrow symbols and narratives from the mystical traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam? This special topic on Spanish mysticism has attracted scholars from different disciplines to study the great Spanish mystics. The overall focus of this issue is to trace the mutual influences found in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim mystics and to examine their spiritual legacies in greater depth. The aim of this volume is to expand on the existing, currently available literature and to bring together the disjoint pieces of the puzzle so we can better and more holistically understand the rich legacy of the Spanish mystics and the extent to which their mystical thoughts are intertwined in the long history of Spanish mystical literature. To those of you interested in Jewish mysticism in the context of past interactions with either Muslims or Christians, I cordially invite you to read.
Technologies of Coatings and Surface Hardening for Tool Industry
The innovative coating and surface hardening technologies developed in recent years allow us to obtain practically any physical-mechanical or crystal-chemical complex properties of the metalworking tool surface layer. Today, the scientific approach to improving the operational characteristics of the tool surface layers produced from traditional tools industrial materials is a highly costly and long-lasting process. Different technological techniques, such as coatings (physical and chemical methods), surface hardening and alloying (chemical-thermal treatment, implantation), a combination of the listed methods, and other solutions are used for this. This edition aims to provide a review of the current state of the research and developments in the field of coatings and surface hardening technologies for cutting and die tools that can ensure a substantial increase of the work resource and reliability of the tool, an increase in productivity of machining, accuracy, and quality of the machined products, reduction in the material capacity of the production, and other important manufacturing factors. In doing so, the main emphasis should be on the results of the engineering works that have had a prosperous approbation in a laboratory or real manufacturing conditions.
Energy Efficiency and Indoor Environment Quality
This Special Issue addresses a topic of great relevance. In developed countries, there is a higher prevalence of people choosing to spend time indoors. Data show that the time a person spends at home ranges from 60% to 90% of the day, and 30% of that time is spent sleeping, though this varies depending on the individual. Taking into account these data, indoor residential environments have a direct influence on human health. Furthermore, in developing countries, significant levels of indoor pollution make housing unsafe, impacting the health of its inhabitants. Housing is therefore a key health factor for people all over the world: various parameters such as air quality, ventilation, hygrothermal comfort, lighting, physical environment, and building efficiency can contribute to healthy architecture; poor application of these parameters can result in conditions that negatively impact health.
Introduction to Statistics in Metrology
This book provides an overview of the application of statistical methods to problems in metrology, with emphasis on modelling measurement processes and quantifying their associated uncertainties. It covers everything from fundamentals to more advanced special topics, each illustrated with case studies from the authors' work in the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE). The material provides readers with a solid understanding of how to apply the techniques to metrology studies in a wide variety of contexts. The volume offers particular attention to uncertainty in decision making, design of experiments (DOEx) and curve fitting, along with special topics such as statistical process control (SPC), assessment of binary measurement systems, and new results on sample size selection in metrology studies. The methodologies presented are supported with R script when appropriate, and the code has been made available for readers to use in their own applications. Designed to promote collaboration between statistics and metrology, this book will be of use to practitioners of metrology as well as students and researchers in statistics and engineering disciplines.
Modelling of Harbour and Coastal Structures
As the most heavily populated areas in the world, coastal zones host the majority and some of the most important human settlements, infrastructures and economic activities. Harbour and coastal structures are essential to the above, facilitating the transport of people and goods through ports, and protecting low-lying areas against flooding and erosion. While these structures were previously based on relatively rigid concepts about service life, at present, the design-or the upgrading-of these structures should effectively proof them against future pressures, enhancing their resilience and long-term sustainability. This Special Issue brings together a versatile collection of articles on the modelling of harbour and coastal structures, covering a wide array of topics on the design of such structures through a study of their interactions with waves and coastal morphology, as well as their role in coastal protection and harbour design in present and future climates.
Efficiency and Sustainability of the Distributed Renewable Hybrid Power Systems Based on the Energy Internet, Blockchain Technology and Smart Contracts
The climate changes that are 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 book presents the latest solutions in the implementation of fuel cell and renewable energy in mobile and stationary applicationssuch as hybrid and microgrid power systems based on energy internet, blockchain technology, and smart contracts, we hope that they are of interest to readers working in the related fields mentioned above.
Plasma Biology
Irving Langmuir coined the name "plasma" to describe an ionized gas back in 1927. Just over 90 years later, plasma technology is becoming increasingly important in our daily life. For example, in the medical field and dentistry, plasma is used as a method of disinfection and sterilization. Moreover, additional potential novel applications of this technology in different forms of therapy have been proposed. In the agricultural sector, plasma technology could contribute to higher crop yields by enhancing seed germination and the growth of plants, as well as the preservation of foods by disinfection. Plasma technology could also be utilized in environmental applications, including water treatment and remediation, as well as treatment of exhaust gases. Although recent extensive studies have uncovered the broad potential of plasma technology, its mechanisms of action remain unclear. Therefore, further studies aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms of plasma technology are required. This book is composed of original articles and reviews investigating the molecular mechanisms of plasma biology. Relevant areas of study include applications in plasma medicine, plasma agriculture, as well as plasma chemistry. Studies on potential therapeutic approaches using plasma itself and plasma-treated solutions are also included.
Digital Twins in Industry
Digital Twins in Industry is a compilation of works by authors with specific emphasis on industrial applications.Much of the research on digital twins has been conducted by the academia in both theoretical considerations and laboratory-based prototypes. Industry, while taking the lead on larger scale implementations of Digital Twins (DT) using sophisticated software, is concentrating on dedicated solutions that are not within the reach of the average-sized industries.This book covers 11 chapters of various implementations of DT. It provides an insight for companies who are contemplating the adaption of the DT technology, as well as researchers and senior students in exploring the potential of DT and its associated technologies.
Effects of Organic Fertilizers on Growth and Yield of Coriander
Bachelor Thesis from the year 2021 in the subject Agrarian Studies, course: Science in Agriculture and Biotechnology, language: English, abstract: Hypothesis: Cow dung manure has no effects on coriander development and final yield. Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is one of the most important spice and medicinal plants belonging to the family Apiaceae. It is also known as cilantro (American: cilantro). It can be grown on a variety of soil and prefers light, well drained, moist, loamy soil and can also grow on heavy black soil. It provides significant amount of Dietary fiber, Calcium, Selenium, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese per 100 gm. Generally, organic matter is added to soil to increase its fertility and to improve the physical structure for increased agricultural production. Previously, many investigators have reported beneficial uses of organic matter due to the presence of plant growth nutrients. Cattle manure is a source of nitrogen which is a vital nutrient for the activity of coriander growth. It is a fraction of many components such as amino acids, nucleic acids and chlorophyll. The use of cattle manure has been reported as a potential factor for vegetative growth. The experiment was conducted in Western Kenya, Bungoma County in Kibabii university farm.
Datapoint
Forget Apple and IBM. For that matter forget Silicon Valley. The first personal computer, a self-contained unit with its own programmable processor, display, keyboard, internal memory, telephone interface, and mass storage of data was born in San Antonio TX. US Patent number 224,415 was filed November 27, 1970 for a machine that is the direct lineal ancestor to the PC as we know it today. The story begins in 1968, when two Texans, Phil Ray and Gus Roche, founded a firm called Computer Terminal Corporation. As the name implies their first product was a Datapoint 3300 computer terminal replacement for a mechanical Teletype. However, they knew all the while that the 3300 was only a way to get started, and it was cover for what their real intentions were - to create a programmable mass-produced desktop computer. They brought in Jack Frassanito, Vic Poor, Jonathan Schmidt, Harry Pyle and a team of designers, engineers and programmers to create the Datapoint 2200. In an attempt to reduce the size and power requirement of the computer it became apparent that the 2200 processor could be printed on a silicon chip. Datapoint approached Intel who rejected the concept as a "dumb idea" but were willing to try for a development contract. Intel belatedly came back with their chip but by then the Datapoint 2200 was already in production. Intel added the chip to its catalog designating it the 8008. A later upgrade, the 8080 formed the heart of the Altair and IMSI in the mid-seventies. With further development it was used in the first IBM PC-the PC revolution's chip dynasty. If you're using a PC, you're using a modernized Datapoint 2000.
Additively Manufactured Coatings
Functional coatings are cost-effective means to protect substrates from wear, corrosion, erosion, tribocorrosion, high temperature and high pressure in extreme environmental conditions. These are primarily manufactured through metal/ceramic powder deposition in a subsequent layer by layer fashion on the substrate materials. In all cases, the functional coatings need to be reliable for the intended application. The emerging techniques in 3D printing/additive manufacturing can be utilized to develop high-performance functional coatings. These methods provide geometrical precision, flexibility in geometrical complexity, customization of the coating layers, and reduce the raw materials waste, keeping the manufacturing cost low while addressing many of the technical barriers of conventional coating methods. With the rapid development of cutting-edge value-added technologies in aerospace, nuclear, military, space, and energy industry, 3D printing/additive manufacturing techniques will be major advantages. Novel functional coatings and 3D printing/additive manufacturing techniques will be critical to value-added components in the future development of technologies. The book provide an overview of the recent development in coating manufacturing techniques and potential to use in high-end engineering applications.
Semiconductor Memory Devices for Hardware-Driven Neuromorphic Systems
This book aims to convey the most recent progress in hardware-driven neuromorphic systems based on semiconductor memory technologies. Machine learning systems and various types of artificial neural networks to realize the learning process have mainly focused on software technologies. Tremendous advances have been made, particularly in the area of data inference and recognition, in which humans have great superiority compared to conventional computers. In order to more effectively mimic our way of thinking in a further hardware sense, more synapse-like components in terms ofintegration density, completeness in realizing biological synaptic behaviors, and most importantly, energy-efficient operation capability, should be prepared. For higher resemblance with the biological nervous system, future developments ought to take power consumption into account and foster revolutions at the device level, which can be realized by memory technologies. This book consists of seven articles in which most recent research findings on neuromorphic systems are reported in the highlights of various memory devices and architectures. Synaptic devices and their behaviors, manycore neuromorphic platforms in close relation with memory, novel materials enabling the low-power synaptic operations based on memory devices are studied, along with evaluations and applications. Some of them can be practically realized due to high Si processing and structure compatibility with contemporary semiconductor memory technologies in production, which provides perspectives of neuromorphic chips for mass production.
Sensors for Vital Signs Monitoring
Sensor technology for monitoring vital signs is an important topic for various service applications, such as entertainment and personalization platforms and Internet of Things (IoT) systems, as well as traditional medical purposes, such as disease indication judgments and predictions. Vital signs for monitoring include respiration and heart rates, body temperature, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, electrocardiogram, blood glucose concentration, brain waves, etc. Gait and walking length can also be regarded as vital signs because they can indirectly indicate human activity and status. Sensingtechnologies include contact sensors such as electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), non-contact sensors such as ballistocardiography (BCG), and invasive/non-invasive sensors for diagnoses of variations in blood characteristics or body fluids. Radar, vision, and infrared sensors can also be useful technologies for detecting vital signs from the movement of humans or organs. Signal processing, extraction, and analysis techniques are important in industrial applications along with hardware implementation techniques. Battery management and wireless power transmission technologies, the design and optimization of low-power circuits, and systems for continuous monitoring and data collection/transmission should also be considered with sensor technologies. In addition, machine-learning-based diagnostic technology can be used for extracting meaningful information from continuous monitoring data.
Control and Automation
Control and automation systems are at the heart of our every day lives. This book is a collection of novel ideas and findings in these fields, published as part of the Special Issue on Control and Automation. The core focus of this issue was original ideas and potential contributions for both theory and practice. It received a total number of 21 submissions, out of which 7 were accepted. These published manuscripts tackle some novel approaches in control, including fractional order control systems, with applications in robotics, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, vibratory systems, and wastewater treatment plants. This Special Issue has gathered a selection of novel research results regarding control systems in several distinct research areas. We hope that these papers will evoke new ideas, concepts, and further developments in the field.
Physical Vapor Deposited Biomedical Coatings
The book outlines a series of developments made in the manufacturing of bio-functional layers via Physical Vapour-Deposited (PVD) technologies for application in various areas of healthcare. The scrutinized PVD methods include Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering (RF-MS), Cathodic Arc Evaporation, Pulsed Electron Deposition and its variants, Pulsed Laser Deposition, and Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) due to their great promise, especially in dentistry and orthopaedics. These methods have yet to gain traction for industrialization and large-scale application in biomedicine. A new generation of implant coatings can be made available by the (1) incorporation of organic moieties (e.g., proteins, peptides, enzymes) into thin films using innovative methods such as combinatorial MAPLE, (2) direct coupling of therapeutic agents with bioactive glasses or ceramics within substituted or composite layers via RF-MS, or (3) innovation in high-energy deposition methods, such as arc evaporation or pulsed electron beam methods.
Waste-to-Resources 2021. 9th International Symposium Circular Economy, MBT, MRF and Recycling
Waste-to-Resources ist die weltweit bedeutendste Tagung zu den stoffspezifischen Abfallbehandlungsverfahren und der Verwertung von gemischten sowie Restabf瓣llen. Die Beitr瓣ge im Tagungsband widmen sich u.a. folgenden Themenbereichen: - Konzepte und Daten zur Weiterentwicklung Abfallwirtschaft - Abfalltechnik und neue Verfahren - Kreislaufwirtschaft w瓣hrend der Corona-Krise - Kunststoffabf瓣lle - Verfl羹ssigung und chemisches Recycling - Wasserstoffwirtschaft - Brandschutz in Abfallbehandlungs- und Recyclinganlagen - Abfallmanagement und Zero-Waste-Strategien - Praktische Erfahrungen und neue Anlagenkonzepte - Aufbereitung und R羹ckgewinnung von organischen Abfallfraktionen - R羹ckgewinnung von Metallen und Edelmetallen - Mineralische und Bauabf瓣lle - Abfallwirtschaft und Verwertung f羹r ausgew瓣hlte Abfallarten - Abtrennung und Aufbereitung von Abfallfraktionen - Nassmechanische und dampfbasierte Trenn- und Aufbereitungsverfahren - Pyrolyse, Plasma, Vergasung - Schlackenverwertung - Geomechanische Eigenschaften des MBT-Outputs - Abfallwirtschaft in Schwellen- und Entwicklungsl瓣ndern
Prospects for Electric Mobility
The transport sector, which is currently almost completely based on fossil fuels, is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Heading towards a more sustainable development of mobility could be possible with more energy efficient automotive technologies such as battery electric vehicles. The number of electric vehicles has been increasing over the last decade, but there are still many challenges that have to be solved in the future. This Special Issue "Prospects for Electric Mobility: Systemic, Economic and Environmental Issues" contributes to the better understanding of thecurrent situation as well as the future prospects and impediments for electro mobility. The published papers range from historical development of electricity use in different transport modes and the recent challenges up to future perspectives.
Procedures and Methodologies for the Control and Improvement of Energy-Environmental Quality in Construction
This Special Issue aims at providing the state-of-the-art on procedures and methodologies developed to improve energy and environmental performance through building renovation. We are greatly thankful to our colleagues building physics experts, building technology researchers, and urban environment scholars who contributed to this Special Issue, for sharing their original works in the field.
Recent Developments in Identification of Genuine Odor- and Taste-Active Compounds in Foods
Both aroma and taste are important quality criteria for food products, and they have a great influence on our consumption behaviours. In recent years, a significant increase in the number of studies related to the identification of the characteristic odor- and taste active compounds of particular foods has been observed.In this book, you can find nine valuable scientific contributions, which deal with the more recent analytical developments for the identification of some compounds responsible for odor and taste in foods such as ham, beer, strawberry, Amontillado sherry wine and others, in order to authenticate them or evaluate the effect of different techniques or making stages on their aroma and taste.
Animal Proteins Part - V
The book "" Animal Proteins Part - V, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Gel It! Easy Ways to be a Spectacular Cook
The book "" Gel It! Easy Ways to be a Spectacular Cook, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Gas and Petroleum Engines
The book "" Gas and Petroleum Engines, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Animal Proteins Part - III
The book "" Animal Proteins Part - III, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
The Dry Collodion Process
The book "" The Dry Collodion Process, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Animal Proteins Part - IV
The book "" Animal Proteins Part - IV, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Animal Proteins Part - II
The book "" Animal Proteins Part - II, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
The Clay Industries; including the Fictile & Ceramic Arts on the banks of the Severn
The book "" The Clay Industries; including the Fictile & Ceramic Arts on the banks of the Severn, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
The Book of the Feet
The book "" The Book of the Feet: A History of Boots and Shoes, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Gala-Day Luncheons
The book "" Gala-Day Luncheons: A Little Book of Suggestions, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
The Gasoline Motor
The book "" The Gasoline Motor, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Animal Proteins Part - VI
The book "" Animal Proteins Part - VI, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
A Book on Vegetable Dyes
The book "" A Book on Vegetable Dyes, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Animal Proteins Part - I
The book "" Animal Proteins Part - I, has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
Easy HACCP
This book is dedicated to the subject of HACCP. The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system is a preventative system for assuring the safe production of food products. It is based on a common sense application of technical and scientific principles to a food production process. The most basic concept underlying HACCP is that of prevention. The food processor/handler should have sufficient information concerning the food and the related procedures they are using, so they will be able to identify where a food safety problem may occur and how it will occur.
High Entropy Materials
This book is a reprint of a special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701), titled High Entropy Materials: Challenges and Prospects. It is a compilation of nine articles from different aspects of high-entropy materials. The book primarily focuses on high-entropy alloys, the first emergent high-entropy materials, but also covers high-entropy ceramics and high-entropy composites, which are the extensions of high-entropy alloys. The articles on high-entropy alloys cover some important facets in the field such as phase structures, mechanical properties, laser beam welding, design of soft magnetic alloys, and potential as biomaterials. In addition, there are one article introducing the potential of using high-entropy carbides as hard metals for machining, and one another on high-entropy composite studying the microstructures and tribological properties of the FeCoNiCuAl-TiC composite. The goal of this reprinted book is essentially two-fold. In the first place, it offers a platform for researchers in the broad field of high-entropy materials to communicate their views and recent research on the subject. Next, it reports challenges in the sub-fields of high-entropy materials and inspires researchers to continue to practice diligence to resolve these challenges and advance high-entropy materials solidly. We hope that readers in the field feel encouraged, inspired, and challenged by the book, and readers outside the field can grasp some basic ideals of high-entropy materials and their potential to the society as a family of novel materials.
Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Lignocellulosic Waste
Some terms, such as eco-friendly, circular economy and green technologies, have remained in our vocabulary, because the truth is that mankind is altering the planet to put its own subsistence at risk. Besides, for rationalization in the consumption of raw materials and energy, the recycling of waste through efficient and sustainable processes forms the backbone of the paradigm of a sustainable industry. One of the most relevant technologies for the new productive model is anaerobic digestion. Historically, anaerobic digestion has been developed in the field of urban wastes and wastewater treatments, but in the new challenge, its role is more relevant. Anaerobic digestion is a technologically mature biological treatment, which joins bioenergy production with the efficient removal of contaminants. This issue provides a specialized, but broad in scope, overview of the possibilities of the anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass (mainly forestry and agricultural wastes), which is expected to be a more promising substrate for the development of biorefineries. Its conversion to bioenergy through anaerobic digestion must solve some troubles: the complex lignocellulosic structure needs to be deconstructed by pretreatments and a co-substrate may need to be added to improve the biological process. Ten selected works advance this proposal into the future.
Advances in Postharvest Process Systems
This Special Issue presents a range of recent technologies and innovations to help the agricultural and food industry to manage and minimize postharvest losses, enhance reliability and sustainability, and generate high-quality products that are both healthy and appealing to consumers. It focuses on three main topics of food storage and preservation technologies, food processing technologies, and the applications of advanced mathematical modelling and computer simulations. This presentation of the latest research and information is particularly useful for people who are working in or associated with the fields of agriculture, the agri-food chain and technology development and promotion.
Shape Memory Alloys 2020
Shape memory alloys (SMAs), in comparison with other materials, have the exceptional ability to change their properties, structure, and functionality depending on the thermal, magnetic, and/or stress fields applied. As is well known, in recent decades, the development of SMAs has allowed innovative solutions and alternatives in biomedical applications and advanced engineering structures for aerospace and automotive industries as well as in sensor and actuation systems, among other sectors. Irrespective of this, designing and engineering using these special smart materials requires a solid background in materials science in order to consolidate their importance in these fields and to broaden their relevance for other new applications. The goal of this Special Issue is to foster the dissemination of some of the latest research devoted to these special materials from different perspectives.
Empowering Materials Processing and Performance from Data and AI
Third millennium engineering address new challenges in materials sciences and engineering. In particular, the advances in materials engineering combined with the advances in data acquisition, processing and mining as well as artificial intelligence allow for new ways of thinking in designing new materials and products. Additionally, this gives rise to new paradigms in bridging raw material data and processing to the induced properties and performance. This present topical issue is a compilation of contributions on novel ideas and concepts, addressing several key challenges using data and artificial intelligence, such as: - proposing new techniques for data generation and data mining;- proposing new techniques for visualizing, classifying, modeling, extracting knowledge, explaining and certifying data and data-driven models;- processing data to create data-driven models from scratch when other models are absent, too complex or too poor for making valuable predictions;- processing data to enhance existing physic-based models to improve the quality of the prediction capabilities and, at the same time, to enable data to be smarter; and- processing data to create data-driven enrichment of existing models when physicsbased models exhibit limits within a hybrid paradigm.
Buildings Energy Efficiency and Innovative Energy Systems
Book edition of the MDPI journal Energies, Special Issue entitled "Buildings Energy Efficiency and Innovative Energy Systems". The book contains 12 articles written by 21 authors from institutions in Europe and Asia.
Artificial Neural Networks in Agriculture
Modern agriculture needs to have high production efficiency combined with a highquality of obtained products. This applies to both crop and livestock production. To meet these requirements, advanced methods of data analysis are more and more frequently used, including those derived from artificial intelligence methods. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are one of the most popular tools of this kind. They are widely used in solving various classification and prediction tasks, for some time also in the broadly defined field of agriculture. They can form part of precision farming and decision support systems. Artificial neural networks can replace the classical methods of modelling many issues, and are one of the main alternatives to classical mathematical models. The spectrum of applications of artificial neural networks is very wide. For a long time now, researchers from all over the world have been using these tools to support agricultural production, making it more efficient and providing the highest-quality products possible.
Measurement Methods in the Operation of Ships and Offshore Facilities
The development of modern measurement methods for ship systems results from economic changes and increasingly stringent environmental requirements. Additionally, the specificity of ship systems and the conditions in which they work lead to very restrictive requirements for the reliability and accuracy of measuring systems on ships and offshore facilities. This collection presents the results of research related to the development of modern systems on ships and offshore facilities, with a particular focus on the measurement and assessment of processes occurring in ship propulsion systems, ship navigation systems, maritime communications, maritime safety and alarm systems, marine cargo-handling equipment, offshore technological systems, etc. This book addresses all types of sensors and measurement systems designed for ships and offshore facilities.
Sensors for Fire and Smoke Monitoring
This book presents the papers accepted to the Special Issue of the journal Sensors on "Sensors for Fire and Smoke Monitoring". The ten contributions to this book present a unique cross-section of current research priorities related to fire and smoke sensing in the scientific community. Although far from a complete survey, the articles presented demonstrate a growing interest in the use of remote sensing for wildfire research and monitoring, and the pursuit of new technologies for the detection and characterization of smoke, fire and their by-products. Notably, there is a strong interest in processing techniques for extracting increasingly complex products from existing data types. The papers presented provide an accurate reflection of the present focus of our field and provide a balanced introduction to the topic of sensors for fire and smoke monitoring.
Renewable Energies for Sustainable Development
In the current scenario in which climate change dominates our lives and in which we all need to combat and drastically reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, renewable energies play key roles as present and future energy sources. Renewable energies vary across a wide range, and therefore, there are related studies for each type of energy. This Special Issue is composed of studies integrating the latest research innovations and knowledge focused on all types of renewable energy: onshore and offshore wind, photovoltaic, solar, biomass, geothermal, waves, tides, hydro, etc. Authors were invited submit review and research papers focused on energy resource estimation, all types of TRL converters, civil infrastructure, electrical connection, environmental studies, licensing and development of facilities, construction, operation and maintenance, mechanical and structural analysis, new materials for these facilities, etc. Analyses of a combination of several renewable energies as well as storage systems to progress the development of these sustainable energies were welcomed.
Image and Video Processing and Recognition Based on Artificial Intelligence
This book includes 23 published papers on Special issues of "Image and Video Processing and Recognition Based on Artificial Intelligence" in the journal Sensors. The purpose of this Special Issue was to invite high-quality and state-of-the-art academic papers on challenging issues in the field of AI-based image and video processing and recognition.
A Practical Theory of Mechanisms
No detailed description available for "A Practical Theory of Mechanisms".
Indoor Positioning and Navigation
In recent years, rapid development in robotics, mobile, and communication technologies has encouraged many studies in the field of localization and navigation in indoor environments. An accurate localization system that can operate in an indoor environment has considerable practical value, because it can be built into autonomous mobile systems or a personal navigation system on a smartphone for guiding people through airports, shopping malls, museums and other public institutions, etc. Such a system would be particularly useful for blind people. Modern smartphones are equipped with numerous sensors (such as inertial sensors, cameras, and barometers) and communication modules (such as WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, LTE/5G, and UWB capabilities), which enable the implementation of various localization algorithms, namely, visual localization, inertial navigation system, and radio localization. For the mapping of indoor environments and localization of autonomous mobile sysems, LIDAR sensors are alsofrequently used in addition to smartphone sensors. Visual localization and inertial navigation systems are sensitive to external disturbances; therefore, sensor fusion approaches can be used for the implementation of robust localization algorithms. These have to be optimized in order to be computationally efficient, which is essential for realtime processing and low energy consumption on a smartphone or robot.
