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Summary: This book constitutes the thoroughly refereed post-proceedings of the Third International Workshop on Machine Learning for Multimodal Interaction, MLMI 2006, held in Bethesda, MD, USA, in May 2006. The papers are organized in topical sections on multimodal processing, image and video processing, HCI and applications, discourse and dialogue, speech and audio processing, and NIST meeting recognition evaluation.

Summary: This edition continues to equip the readers with richest and most comprehensive knowledge and skills involved in the basic research process. Real-world examples, decision-making processes and industrial expertise are evident by way of Snapshots, CloseUps, PicProfiles and Cases found throughout the text. Managerial decision-making is the underlying theme which includes discussion of the business contexts, statistical analysis of the data, survey methods and reporting and presentation of the data.

Summary: This is a comprehensive overview of the basics of fuzzy control, which also brings together some recent research results in soft computing, in particular fuzzy logic using genetic algorithms and neural networks. This book offers researchers not only a solid background but also a snapshot of the current state of the art in this field.

Summary: This book will help the reader take the step from competent C++ developer to designer or architect. It includes some C++ 17. Intended to be a master class in C++ design in a book, Practical C++ Design guides the reader through the design and C++ implementation of a fun and engaging case study. The journey begins with a quick exploration of the requirements for building the case study, a multi-platform Reverse Polish Notation calculator. Next, the reader delves into selecting an appropriate architecture, eventually designing and implementing all of the necessary modules to meet the calculator’s requirements. By the conclusion of the book, the reader will have constructed a fully functioning calculator that builds and executes on multiple platforms. The book includes access to the author’s complete implementation, which is available for download from GitHub. Explore the Model-View-Controller pattern as we determine the optimal a rchitecture for the calculator. Explore the observer pattern as we learn how to design an event system. Explore the singleton pattern as we design the calculator’s central data repository, a reusable stack. Explore the command pattern as we design a command system supporting unlimited undo/redo. Explore the abstract factory pattern as we design a cross-platform plugin infrastructure for making the calculator extensible. Explore these topics and more as you gain practical experience learning from an expert how to use modern C++ effectively to design a complete desktop application What you will learn: • Learn to read a specification and translate it into a practical C++ design. • Understand trade-offs in selecting between alternative design scenarios. • Gain practical experience in applying design patterns to realistic development scenarios. • Learn how to effectively us e language elements of modern C++ to create a lasting design. • Implement a complete C++ program from a blank canvas through to a fully functioning, cross platform application. • Learn to read, modify, and extend an existing, high quality code. • Learn the fundamentals of API design, including class, module, and plugin interfaces.

Summary: Possibly the most comprehensive overview of computer graphics as seen in the context of geometric modelling, this two volume work covers implementation and theory in a thorough and systematic fashion. Computer Graphics and Geometric Modelling: Implementation and Algorithms, covers the computer graphics part of the field of geometric modelling and includes all the standard computer graphics topics. The first part deals with basic concepts and algorithms and the main steps involved in displaying photorealistic images on a computer. The second part covers curves and surfaces and a number of more advanced geometric modelling topics including intersection algorithms, distance algorithms, polygonizing curves and surfaces, trimmed surfaces, implicit curves and surfaces, offset curves and surfaces, curvature, geodesics, blending etc. The third part touches on some aspects of computational geometry and a few special topics such as interval analysis and finite element methods. The volume includes two companion programs.

Summary: Survivable Optical WDM Networks investigates different approaches for designing and operating an optical network with the objectives that (1) more connections can be carried by a given network, leading to more revenue, and (2) connections can recover faster in case of failures, leading to better services. Different networks – wavelength-routed WDM networks, wavelength-routed WDM networks with sub-wavelength granularity grooming, and data over next-generation SONET/SDH over WDM networks – are covered. Different approaches are proposed to explore every aspect of a protection scheme such as: (1) Protection granularity: a. At wavelength granularity. b. At sub-wavelength granularity (2) Protection entity: a. Path protection. b. Sub-path protection. c. Segment protection. (3) Routing: a. Single-path routing. b. Multi-path routing. Tradeoffs between different objectives, e.g., resource efficiency vs. recovery time, are explored and practical approaches are proposed and analyzed.

Summary: This reprint, as a continuation of a previous Special Issue entitled "Efficiency and Optimization of Buildings Energy Consumption", gives an up-to-date overview of new technologies based on Machine Learning (ML) and Internet of Things (IoT) procedures to improve the mathematical approach of algorithms that allow control systems to be improved with the aim of reducing housing sector energy consumption.

Summary: Dear Colleagues, I am very happy to have this Special Issue of the journal Energies on the topic of Design and Control of Electrical Motor Drives published. Electrical motor drives are widely used in the industry, automation, transportation, and home appliances. Indeed, rolling mills, machine tools, high-speed trains, subway systems, elevators, electric vehicles, air conditioners, all depend on electrical motor drives.However, the production of effective and practical motors and drives requires flexibility in the regulation of current, torque, flux, acceleration, position, and speed. Without proper modeling, drive, and control, these motor drive systems cannot function effectively.To address these issues, we need to focus on the design, modeling, drive, and control of different types of motors, such as induction motors, permanent magnet synchronous motors, brushless DC motors, DC motors, synchronous reluctance motors, switched reluctance motors, flux-switching motors, linear motors, and step motors.Therefore, relevant research topics in this field of study include modeling electrical motor drives, both in transient and in steady-state, and designing control methods based on novel control strategies (e.g., PI controllers, fuzzy logic controllers, neural network controllers, predictive controllers, adaptive controllers, nonlinear controllers, etc.), with particular attention to transient responses, load disturbances, fault tolerance, and multi-motor drive techniques. This Special Issue include original contributions regarding recent developments and ideas in motor design, motor drive, and motor control. The topics include motor design, field-oriented control, torque control, reliability improvement, advanced controllers for motor drive systems, DSP-based sensorless motor drive systems, high-performance motor drive systems, high-efficiency motor drive systems, and practical applications of motor drive systems. I want to sincerely thank authors, reviewers, and staff members for their time and efforts. Prof. Dr. Tian-Hua Liu Guest Editor

Summary: Processing and Conversion of Oil and Gas: Modeling, Control, Simulation, and Optimization describes the core of the activity of petrochemical engineers, process controller engineers, industrial engineers, energy engineers, and researchers in the oil and gas field. This reprint explores the modeling, control, simulation, and optimization of new and revamped petrochemical processes using proven software. Thus, it offers novel illustrative examples, prospective applications, and solutions to improve these processes. This reprint aims to combine theoretical principles with examples modeled by commonly used simulation software employing steady-state or dynamic process simulation. Furthermore, applying numerical methods and optimization at both the theoretical and practical levels is within the scope of this reprint.

Summary: Silica and silicon-based nanostructures are now well-understood materials for which the technologies are mature. The most obvious applications, such as electronic devices, have been widely explored over the last two decades. The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together the state of the art in the field and to enable the emergence of new ideas and concepts for silicon and silica-based nanostructures.

Summary: Electrical machines are one of the most important components of the industrial world. They are at the heart of the new industrial revolution, brought forth by the development of electromobility and renewable energy systems. Electric motors must meet the most stringent requirements of reliability, availability, and high efficiency in order, among other things, to match the useful lifetime of power electronics in complex system applications and compete in the market under ever-increasing pressure to deliver the highest performance criteria. Today, thanks to the application of highly efficient numerical algorithms running on high-performance computers, it is possible to design electric machines and very complex drive systems faster and at a lower cost. At the same time, progress in the field of material science and technology enables the development of increasingly complex motor designs and topologies. The purpose of this Special Issue is to contribute to this development of electric machines. The publication of this collection of scientific articles, dedicated to the topic of electric machine design and application, contributes to the dissemination of the above information among professionals dealing with electrical machines.

Summary: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) affects 13-20 people per 100,000 population worldwide. In the United States, approximately 100,000 people have IPF with 30,000-40,000 new cases diagnosed annually. Diagnosis remains a challenge with a significant lag between symptoms onset and diagnosis. Delayed diagnosis and treatment can carry high morbidity and mortality. This book provides concise, easy-to-read, and up-to-date information as it relates to clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of IPF. Despite, adequate treatment, the disease progresses, and a lung transplant is necessary in some cases. This book also discusses the role of lung transplants for IPF and its complications. It is a useful resource for primary care physicians, allied health professionals, hospitalists, and pulmonary physicians who take care of patients with IPF.

Summary: Available research has indicated a decline in physical fitness and motor competence over the last several decades. Movement restrictions and policies that have emphasized social distancing, due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, may have further increased the prevalence of youth with insufficient physical fitness and motor competence. As physical fitness and motor competence are critical contributors to an active and healthy lifestyle, it is important to re-emphasize their role in the general health and development of children and adolescents and, accordingly, future public health. Particularly with the re-opening of schools, sports clubs and public parks, the promotion of activities that enhance physical fitness and motor competence in children and adolescents is warranted. This reprint highlights the importance of physical fitness and motor competence for the health and well-being of children and adolescents, by providing an interdisciplinary platform for research addressing this topic.

Summary: The book presents a qualitative and quantitative approach to understanding, managing, and collaborating outpatient care. Utilizing a sound theoretical and practical foundation and illustrating procedural techniques through scientific examples, this book provides a comprehensive overview of outpatient care whether it occurs via telemedicine or in a hospital, clinic, prison, school, or other settings.

Summary: Bioethics is the application of ethics to the broad field of medicine, including the ethics of patient care, research, and public health. In this book, prominent authors from around the globe discuss the complexities of bioethics as they apply to our current world. Topics range from the philosophical bioethics of the evolution of thinking about marriage from a religious standpoint to the bioethics of radiation protection to value-based medicine and cancer screening for breast cancer. Bioethics in Medicine and Society is wide-ranging, with additional chapters on the ethics of geoengineering, complementary and alternative medicine, and end-of-life ethical dilemmas. Readers with find that the field of bioethics has broad implications throughout society from our most intimate interpersonal relationships to policies being implemented on a global scale.

Summary: COVID-19 has been one of the worst pandemics of the century due to its high contagiousness emerging like a Black Swan phenomenon, which created crises worldwide in the health systems, economies, financial systems, retail markets, tourism, and hospitality industries, educational systems, and employment. It created an unprecedented disruption and lockdowns in all the domains of our life. The world was caught unprepared for disruptive power to handle the crises. Before the COVID-19, emergent contagious diseases such as avian influenza, MERS, SARS, and Ebola had produced many deaths and showed the power of an epidemic in many countries worldwide. However, the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) was more challenging and devastating. Due to the extended lockdowns and virtual work situations, the COVID-19 pandemics necessitated the organizations to exploit knowledge and creativity for their survival and growth. To handle the lifetime crises, organizations started using knowledge management as a strategic resource to mitigate health and socio-economic effects. Effective knowledge management (KM) practices helped organizations launch effective countermeasures against such crises. This book on "Pandemic and the Critical Role of Knowledge Management" comprises twenty (20) chapters covering the critical role of knowledge management during COVID-19 pandemics.

Summary: The book "Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting" is an excellent update for health care professionals, taking care of patients who are suffering from severe coronary artery disease. The 8 chapters in this book were written by experts in their topics. The first section describes the perioperative management. The second section describes the details of various surgical techniques. The last section discusses the superiority of CABG vs PCI. I believe this book will suffice the interests of our readers.

Summary: The year 2021 saw the publication of the Special Issue ""Diseases of the Salivary Glands" (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/jcm/special_issues/Salivary_Glands), Part I, covering recent and novel advancements as well as future trends in the field of research evaluating diagnostic and therapeutic treatment of salivary gland (SGs) diseases. Given the enormous success of Part I, the Special Issue "Diseases of the Salivary Glands" Part II has been launched, with the firm belief that it will enrich the panorama of world research in this field. Topics include: 1) Clinical features and presentation of potentially malignant SG disorders; 2) Risk factors and etiopathogenesis of SGs tumors; 3) Etiopathogenesis and molecular mechanisms involved in the chronic inflammatory condition characterizing Sjӧgren's syndrome; 4) New discoveries in the field of micro RNAs associated with Sjӧgren's syndrome; 5) Molecular markers linked to development and progression of SG diseases: current knowledge and future implications; 6) More innovative techniques for the study of the SG diseases: current limitations and future directions.

Summary: Polymer composite materials have attracted great interest for the development of electrical and electronic engineering and technology, and have been widely applied in electrical power systems, electrical insulation equipment, electrical and electronic devices, etc. Due to the significant expansion in the use of newly developed polymer composite materials, it is necessary to understand and accurately describe the relationship between composite structure and material properties, as only based on thorough laboratory characterization is it possible to estimate the properties for their future commercial applications. This book focuses on polymer composites applied in the field of electrical and electronic equipment, including but not limited to synthesis and preparation of new polymeric materials, structure-properties relationship of polymer composites, evaluation of materials application, simulation and modelling of material performance.

Summary: This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. Globalizing Cricket examines the global role of the sport - how it developed and spread around the world. The book explores the origins of cricket in the eighteenth century, its establishment as England's national game in the nineteenth, the successful (Caribbean) and unsuccessful (American) diffusion of cricket as part of the development of the British Empire and its role in structuring contemporary identities amongst and between the English, the British and postcolonial communities. Whilst empirically focused on the sport itself, the book addresses broader issues such as social development, imperialism, race, diaspora and national identities. Tracing the beginnings of cricket as a 'folk game' through to the present, it draws together these different strands to examine the meaning and social significance of the modern game. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the role of sport in both colonial and post-colonial periods; the history and peculiarities of English national identity; or simply intrigued by the game and its history.

Summary: Arts therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses artistic media, the creative process, and artwork as its primary forms of communication. The arts therapies cover six areas of specialization: visual arts, music, dance and movement, drama, psychodrama, and bibliotherapy. Several studies and reviews have demonstrated its effectiveness for adult populations (e.g., Regev and Cohen-Yatziv, 2018), as well as for children and adolescents (e.g., Cohen-Yatziv and Regev, 2019). Academic writing and research, which have evolved extensively in recent decades, have underscored the considerable significance of arts therapies especially for children and adolescents.This Special Issue, "Arts Therapies with Children and Adolescents", is dedicated to presenting research and clinical writing in the field of the Arts Therapies with Children and Adolescents in a variety of settings, including hospitals, the education system, mental health clinics, and others. I hope that this Special Issue will serve as a repository of knowledge for arts therapists and as a fertile terrain for further research in the field. It should also pave the way for more professionals working with children and adolescents to better understand the meaning and uniqueness of the therapeutic work in arts therapies and the dedicated ways in which arts therapists use assessment tools and arts-based interventions to better understand the world of children and adolescents.

Summary: Fashion is among the biggest polluters, yet the media still promote throwaway fast fashion. The growing fashion public relations industry encourages and enables this media coverage. This policy brief identifies patterns in the way journalists and influencers cover fashion which contribute to unsustainable buying behaviours. Recent research recommends practical steps to improve media coverage to make consumption sustainable, by changing consumers' understanding and reducing the pressure on them to buy 'fast' satisfaction. Policy recommendations here suggested are based on original analysis of 1,000+ media artefacts in the UK - from magazines to newspapers, gossip weeklies to Instagram influencers. Researcher Anastasia Denisova proposes regulation of vocabulary and of affiliated links in journalism and social media, greater discussion of the psychology of buying and a 'paid advertisement label'. Also recommended is a more proactive approach to be taken by magazines and other media with the aim of promoting restyling advice and more sustainable coverage for readers of differing financial means.

Summary: Why is there a need to 'innovate healthcare'? The basic reason stems from the sheer scale of the challenges now facing healthcare provision in the UK and across many other countries. The aim of this book is to interrogate past and current attempts to innovate in this arena and to draw-out the key lessons. Innovating Healthcare: The Role of Political, Managerial and Clinical Leadership presents the latest state of knowledge based on original data from a series of NIHR-funded research projects set in the context of a review of extensive secondary research. The book draws upon first-person verbatim accounts of change attempts made by doctors and other clinicians as well as upon research findings about the roles played by policy-makers and managers. The analysis draws upon theory and practice in leadership, innovation and institution-building. The mutually-reinforcing contributions of political, managerial and clinical leadership are at the core of the investigative narrative. This book will be of interest to students and researchers, clinicians and managers in the health and care sectors as well as policy-makers. While the focus in on healthcare, the book has wider relevance for students of management, leadership, innovation and organizational studies.

Summary: Both the acquisition of new and the modification of previously acquired motor skills are necessary to achieve optimal levels of motor performance in everyday functioning as well as to attain expert performance levels that are evident in sports and arts. A multitude of factors have been shown to influence the various stages of the learning process, from the acquisition (i.e., motor memory encoding) to the consolidation and subsequent retention of a skill. These factors, or modulators, can affect learning through online processes taking place during practice of a new motor skill or through offline processes occurring in the absence of task performance (i.e., after training sessions). Although much of the recent research from various disciplines has placed an increased emphasis on identifying factors that can influence the motor learning process, we lack an integrated understanding of online and offline determinants of motor skill behaviours. Potential motor learning modulators include, but are certainly not limited to, stress, anxiety, attention, executive functioning, social interaction, stimulus-response mapping, training schedule/regimen, learning environment, vigilance/consciousness states including sleep, wakefulness or meditation, brain stimulation, interference as well as resting state brain connectivity. Pathological and non-pathological (i.e., development or aging) changes in the brain can also be conceptualized as potential modulators. The aim of this Research Topic is to bridge research from the cognitive, sensory, motor and psychological domains using various behavioural paradigms and neuroimaging techniques in order to provide a comprehensive view of the online and offline modulators of motor learning, and how they interact to influence motor performance. Critically, the overarching goal is to gain a better understanding of how motor behaviour can be optimized. We believe that merging research from diverse neuroscientific communities would contribute to fulfilling this goal and potentially highlight possible shared neurophysiological mechanisms influencing motor learning.

Summary: This book represents one of the most up-to-date collections of articles on clinical practice and research in the field of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The scholars who contributed to this book are experts in their field, carrying out cutting edge research in prestigious institutes worldwide (e.g., Harvard Medical School, University of California, MIND Institute, King's College, Karolinska Institute, and many others). The book addressed many topics, including (1) The COVID-19 pandemic; (2) Epidemiology and prevalence; (3) Screening and early behavioral markers; (4) Diagnostic and phenotypic profile; (5) Treatment and intervention; (6) Etiopathogenesis (biomarkers, biology, and genetic, epigenetic, and risk factors); (7) Comorbidity; (8) Adulthood; and (9) Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP). This book testifies to the complexity of performing research in the field of ASD. The published contributions underline areas of progress and ongoing challenges in which more certain data is expected in the coming years. It would be desirable that experts, clinicians, researchers, and trainees could have the opportunity to read this updated text describing the challenging heterogeneity of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Summary: This book focuses on the interaction between different energy vectors, that is, between electrical, thermal, gas, and transportation systems, with the purpose of optimizing the planning and operation of future energy systems. More and more renewable energy is integrated into the electrical system, and to optimize its usage and ensure that its full production can be hosted and utilized, the power system has to be controlled in a more flexible manner. In order not to overload the electrical distribution grids, the new large loads have to be controlled using demand response, perchance through a hierarchical control set-up where some controls are dependent on price signals from the spot and balancing markets. In addition, by performing local real-time control and coordination based on local voltage or system frequency measurements, the grid hosting limits are not violated.

Summary: Up until the latter years of the twentieth century, there was very little critical analysis of child protection policies and practices. The core assumption was that it was concerns about child abuse and neglect that provided the rationale and focus for child protection policies, practices, and systems, and they were assumed to be benign in both intent and impact. Increasingly, however, it has been recognised that a whole range of political, cultural, and sociological influences bear on the development and operation of child protection policies, practices, and systems and that these can have a whole range of negative consequences. The aim of this edited book, based on the Special Edition of the same title, is to provide a range of international cutting-edge papers that critically analyse different aspects of child protection, and which also provide suggestions about how child protection can be positively reformed.

Summary: The main purpose of this Special Issue of "Advances in Fluid Power Systems" was to present new scientific work in the field of fluid power systems for hydraulic and pneumatic control of machines and devices used in various industries. Advances in fluid power systems are leading to the creation of new smart devices that can replace tried-and-true solutions from the past. The development work of authors from various research centres has been published. This Special Issue focuses on recent advances and smart solutions for fluid power systems in a wide range of topics, including: • Fluid power for IoT and Industry 4.0: smart fluid power technology, wireless 5G connectivity in fluid power, smart components, and sensors.• Fluid power in the renewable energy sector: hydraulic drivetrains for wind power and for wave and marine current power, and hydraulic systems for solar power. • Hybrid fluid power: hybrid transmissions, energy recovery and accumulation, and energy efficiency of hybrid drives.• Industrial and mobile fluid power: industrial fluid power solutions, mobile fluid power solutions, eand nergy efficiency solutions for fluid power systems.• Environmental aspects of fluid power: hydraulic water control technology, noise and vibration of fluid power components, safety, reliability, fault analysis, and diagnosis of fluid power systems.• Fluid power and mechatronic systems: servo-drive control systems, fluid power drives in manipulators and robots, and fluid power in autonomous solutions.

Summary: This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on bloomsburycollections.com. How much would poor nations need to invest to eliminate poverty, get all children in school and provide adequate basic health care for all? Can they afford it? Financing Human Development in Africa, Asia and the Middle East provides some clear answers to these questions. The contributors assess feasible financing strategies underpinning actions to enhance human development in pursuance of the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The contributors analyse these strategies in the context of broader concerns of economic development in nine countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The assessments stress the importance of redesigning macroeconomic policies so as to make these more supportive of long-term economic growth and employment creation, while ensuring sufficient investments in human development in order to end poverty and overcome deep-rooted inequalities.

Summary: Movement and locomotion have always been key activities for all animals, being related to the most crucial life functions: retrieving food, facing environmental issues and mating. Humans developed complex upper arms movements and bipedal gaits in order to move and locomote. To enhance their performance, they started inventing smart passive mechanical tools. This need arose from intrinsic limitations of their muscle-joint-bone systems and metabolic power availability. Newly invented devices were mainly introduced in order to cope with such constraints. The aim of this Special Issue is to advance knowledge regarding symmetry, biomechanics and energetics of passively assisted human movement and locomotion.

Summary: Among the strategies for reducing the negative effects on the environment effected by the uncontrolled consumption and low potential for the recovery of conventional plastics, the synthesis of new biodegradable and recyclable plastics represents one of the most promising methods for minimizing the negative effects of conventional non-biodegradable plastics. The spectrum of existing biodegradable materials is still very narrow; thus, to achieve greater applicability, research is being carried out on biodegradable polymer mixtures, the synthesis of new polymers, and the incorporation of new stabilizers for thermal degradation, alongside the use of other additives such as antibacterials or new and more sustainable plasticizers. Some studies analyze direct applications, such as shape memory foams, new cartilage implants, drug release, etc.The reader can find several studies on the degradation of biodegradable polymers under composting conditions; however, novel bacteria that degrade polymers considered non-biodegradable in other, unusual conditions (such as conditions of high salinity) are also presented.

Summary: This book presents examples of digital transformation as they have unfolded in different fields and in different countries. Thus it is designed to be a situation analysis in which some chapters share research results and others are essays written to contribute to the ongoing debate. The book consists of two parts, the first being "Transformation in Television, Radio, Film and Games" and the second being "Transformation in Social Life, Economy and Education". Individual chapters' authors address different issues related to the digitalization of games, post-production, radio transmission, education, marketing, payment systems, fandom, social media, artificial intelligence, democracy, and intellectual creativity. Three questions to be kept in mind as you read each chapter are "What is happening in the particular field as a result of digital transformation?", "Is it a real transformation?", and "What are the benefits and drawbacks of the transformation?" Chapter One focuses on new trends in television-viewing practices and considers how digitalization empowers TV series' fans. The chapter draws attention to the popularity of Turkish television series in Latin America and argues that digitalization has transformed the habits and attitudes of Latin American viewers: through the spread of Turkish television series, Turkish culture and values are also promoted. Chapter Two consists of a case study that sheds light on whether technological developments will transform the image of women in online games. In-depth interviews with female users of massively multiplayer online role-playing games and a game producer reveal that although technology gives women players a chance to be whatever they want, they prefer to create gendered characters. Thus women's participation in digital technology has not transformed the representation of gender in online games just yet. Chapter Three focuses on "vertical editing" techniques as an outcome of the digital transformation of post-production methods. Exploring the limitations of these techniques through a documentary film called Kamilet, the chapter raises the ethical issues inherent in vertical editing owing to its ability to manipulate information through image formation. Chapter Four analyses the transformation of the body in fiction and shows how the development of science and technology affects our understanding of metamorphosis in movies ranging from fantastic classics to science-fiction. The chapter concludes that human beings embrace their individuality firmly and will not abandon their self-image for that of a robot, an android, a digital avatar, or even a clone of oneself. Chapter Five examines podcasts as an outcome of transformation of digital data processing. Presenting a sample of Turkish radio broadcasts, it argues that podcasting is just a complementary application rather than a new form of radio. Chapter Six compares the recent digitalization of "public education" in two European countries-Hungary and Turkey. It reveals both the achievements and the shortcomings of ICT and compares and contrasts digital educational competencies in these countries. One of the striking findings of this chapter is that in both countries, digital content and the digital literacy levels of teachers are unsatisfactorily below expectations. Chapter Seven sheds light on the virtual "socialization practices" of digital culture in closed groups. It defines the characteristics of "field", "doxa" and "social capital" in digital habitus as constructed on Facebook and tries to understand the digital transformation of habitus based on Bourdieu's theory. Chapter Eight draws attention to digital transformation in marketing techniques such as "kid influencer marketing". It introduces "toy unboxing videos" on YouTube as one of the new ways in which brands reach consumers. It asserts that although toy unboxing videos allow more interaction when compared to traditional methods, they are no less innocent. Chapter Nine takes a brief look at social media and how artificial intelligence, social media, and fake news represent a danger to democracy while revealing also how AI can be used to safeguard democracy. The chapter concludes with food for thought as to what a future might look like where AI potentially dominates politics. Chapter Ten presents an example of the digital transformation of payment systems and describes existing mobile money systems, with particular attention being given to their untapped potential in Turkey. It concludes with a socioeconomic image of what effective mobile money systems in Turkey would look like and offers key directions for future development and deployment of mobile money in Turkey in pursuit of the country's national agenda of becoming cashless by 2023.

Summary: Additive manufacturing (AM) processes are gaining more and more attention from many industrial fields, mainly because they are revolutionizing the components' designs and production lines. The complete industrialization of these processes has to be supported by the full understanding of correlation between AM building conditions and the final materials' properties. Another critical aspect is that nowadays only a reduced number of materials processable by AM are available on the market. It is, therefore, fundamental to widen the materials' portfolio, and to study and develop new materials that can take advantage of these unique building processes.

Summary: This comprehensive scholarly book on comparative federalism and the Covid-19 pandemic is written by some of the world's leading federal scholars and national experts. The Covid-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented emergency for countries worldwide, including all those with a federal or hybrid-federal system of government, which account for more than 40 per cent of the world's population. With case studies from 19 federal countries, this book explores the core elements of federalism that came to the fore in combatting the pandemic: the division of responsibilities (disaster management, health care, social welfare, and education), the need for centralisation, and intergovernmental relations and cooperation. As the pandemic struck federal countries at roughly the same time, it provided a unique opportunity for comparative research on the question of how the various federal systems responded. The authors adopt a multidisciplinary approach to question whether federalism has been a help or a hindrance in tackling the pandemic. The value of the book lies in understanding how the Covid-19 pandemic affected federal dynamics and how it may have changed them, as well as providing useful lessons for how to combat such pandemics in federal countries in the future. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of politics and international relations, comparative federalism, health care, and disaster management.

Summary: The last decade has contributed to the rapid progress in developing high-power microwave sources. This Special Issue aims to bring together information about the most striking theoretical and experimental results, new trends in development, remarkable modern applications, new demands in parameter enhancement, and future goals. Although only a tiny part of the achievements of recent years is included in this Issue, we hope that the presented articles will be useful for experts and students focusing on modern vacuum electronics.

Summary: This book is a collection of manuscripts on breast reconstruction, the topic of a Special Issue of Medicina Journal. The book begins with a review of the literature on the most recent reconstructive strategies using biological dermal matrices and moves toward the management of pain and infections. Some aspects of regenerative surgery are also clarified and an analysis focuses on social disparities in access to breast reconstruction. The final part of this book is dedicated to nipple-areola reconstruction, the last surgical step of breast reconstruction.

Summary: In recent years, the global climate has become variable due to intensification of the greenhouse effect, and natural disasters are frequently occurring, which poses challenges to the situation awareness of intelligent distribution networks. Aside from the continuous grid connection of distributed generation, energy storage and new energy generation not only reduces the power supply pressure of distribution network to a certain extent but also brings new consumption pressure and load impact. Situation awareness is a technology based on the overall dynamic insight of environment and covering perception, understanding, and prediction. Such means have been widely used in security, intelligence, justice, intelligent transportation, and other fields and gradually become the research direction of digitization and informatization in the future. We hope this Special Issue represents a useful contribution. We present 10 interesting papers that cover a wide range of topics all focused on problems and solutions related to situation awareness for smart distribution systems. We sincerely hope the papers included in this Special Issue will inspire more researchers to further develop situation awareness for smart distribution systems. We strongly believe that there is a need for more work to be carried out, and we hope this issue provides a useful open-access platform for the dissemination of new ideas.

Summary: The human system employs the use of endogenous enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic antioxidant defence systems against the onslaught of free radicals and oxidative stress. Enzymatic antioxidants and non-enzymatic antioxidants work synergistically with each other, using different mechanisms against different free radicals and stages of oxidative stress. Dietary and lifestyle modifications are seen as the mainstay of treatment and management of chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus. The major aims of dietary and lifestyle changes are to reduce weight, improve glycaemic control and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, which accounts for 70- 80% of deaths among those with diabetes. It is also important to note that medicinal plants have been used as medicines since ancient time, and continue to play significant role even in modern medicine in management and treatment of chronic diseases. Impressive numbers of modern therapeutic agents have been developed from plants. Phytochemicals have been isolated and characterised from fruits such as grapes and apples, vegetables such as broccoli and onion, spices such as turmeric, beverages such as green tea and red wine, as well as many other sources. The WHO estimates that approximately 80% of the worlds inhabitants rely on traditional medicine for their primary health care and many medicinal plants have ethno-medical claims of usefulness in the treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases globally, and have been employed empirically in antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antihypertensive, antinflammatory and antiparasitic remedies. This book examines the role of antioxidant-rich natural products in management and treatment of diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Summary: The foundations of sports cardiology include promoting physical activity and providing a safe environment for training and competition for all athletes at all levels, from professional to recreational. To combine these two aims, reliable tools to perform preparticipation screenings are needed. Moreover, those at high risk of potentially life-threatening events should be advised to limit their training load, while others should be reassured that there is no exercise-related cardiovascular risk. We are currently witnessing the advent of new portable devices for remote and mobile heart monitoring and several new and promising biochemical markers, which can support athletes' diagnostic processes. In this Special Issue of the Diagnostics journal entitled "Diagnostic Challenges in Sports Cardiology", we present a series of 13 manuscripts, including eight original works, three reviews, and two case reports, which give a glimpse into the current research topics in the area of sports cardiology.

Summary: Over the past years, businesses have had to tackle the issues caused by numerous forces from political, technological and societal environment. The changes in the global market and increasing uncertainty require us to focus on disruptive innovations and to investigate this phenomenon from different perspectives. The benefits of innovations are related to lower costs, improved efficiency, reduced risk, and better response to the customers' needs due to new products, services or processes. On the other hand, new business models expose various risks, such as cyber risks, operational risks, regulatory risks, and others. Therefore, we believe that the entrepreneurial behavior and global mindset of decision-makers significantly contribute to the development of innovations, which benefit by closing the prevailing gap between developed and developing countries. Thus, this Special Issue contributes to closing the research gap in the literature by providing a platform for a scientific debate on innovation, internationalization and entrepreneurship, which would facilitate improving the resilience of businesses to future disruptions.

Summary: This book traverses the cultural landscape of Colombia through in-depth analyses of displacement, local and global cultures, human rights abuses, and literary and media production. Through an exploration of the cultural processes that perpetuate the "darker side" of Latin America for global consumption, it investigates the "condition" that has led writers, filmmakers, and artists to embrace (purposefully or not) the incessant violence in Colombian society as the object of their own creative endeavors. In this examination of mass-marketed cultural products such as narco-stories, captivity memoirs, gritty travel narratives, and films, Herrero-Olaizola seeks to offer a hemispheric approach to the role played by Colombia in cultural production across the continent where the illicit drug trade has made significant inroads. To this end, he identifies the "Colombian condition" within the parameters of the global economy while concentrating on the commodification of Latin America's violence for cultural consumption. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

Summary: How do people make sense of works of art? And how do they write to make others see the same way? There are many guides to looking at art, histories of art history and art criticism, and accounts of various 'theories' and 'methods', but this book offers something very unlike the normal search for difference and division: it examines the general and largely unspoken norms shared by interpreters of many kinds. Ranging widely, though taking writing within the Western tradition of art history as its primary focus, Interpreting Art highlights the norms, premises, and patterns that tend to guide interpretation along the way. Why, for example, is the concept of artistic 'intention' at once so reviled and yet so hard to let go of? What does it really involve when an interpretation appeals to an artwork's 'reception'? How can 'context' be used by some to keep things under control and by others to make the interpretation of art seem limitless? And how is it that artworks only seem to grow in complexity over time? Interpreting Art reveals subtle features of art writing that are central to the often unnoticed interpretative practices through which we understand works of art. In doing so, the book likewise illuminates various choices or crossroads where things could be otherwise, pointing to how historians and critics might choose to operate differently in the future.

Summary: This Special Issue provides an overview of the applied experimental and numerical flow, models, which are used to investigate fluid flow in complex situations. The investigated problems are related to fundamental processes or new applications. As demonstrated, the field of the application of experimental and numerical flow models is constantly expanding.

Summary: The dental curriculum is like a living organism-it has developed through time, manifesting regional, cultural, and scientific heritage, and reflecting modern trends. The undergraduate dental curriculum is periodically rebuilt to ensure the harmonization of higher education systems between countries, especially in Europe. Structure, content, learning, and assessment in undergraduate and postgraduate dental education and auxiliary dental personnel training are shaped based on professional consensus. Constant updates on recent technological innovations and evidence-based best practice are necessary.In modern times, ethical issues are raised more than ever. Can we teach our students how to be dedicated health professionals and manage a successful practice at the same time? Does the commercialization of our profession also affect the dental curriculum today?The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed new challenges, moving us from lecture rooms and clinics to an online environment.This Special Issue is dedicated to developing the understanding of dental education.

Summary: "This book integrates insights from dialogic theory and systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to extend our understandings of engagement in medical research articles, going beyond notions of the role of verbal dialogue to encompass mathematical and visual semiotics and consider text not just as language but as multisemiosis. The volume begins by outlining the engagement framework and offering a brief overview of historical developments in medical research discourse. This discussion culminates in the introduction of the corpus used for analysis, drawing on original research articles from key medical journals to explore verbal, mathematical, and visual engagement in turn. A subsequent chapter brings these perspectives together to demonstrate intersemiotic engagement across different stages and phases of the medical research article and how such resources work together to construe and maintain the authoritative position commonly associated with medical discourse. The book looks ahead to engagement in other related disciplinary fields and future directions for work on multisemiosis and medical research discourse more generally. This book will be of particular interest to graduate students and researchers in multimodality, critical discourse analysis, applied linguistics, SFL, and science education."

Summary: This book presents the latest research published in the Special Issue Preventing the Adverse Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 through Diet, Supplements, and Lifestyle in the journal Nutrients. In this book, we explore the role of supplements, lifestyle choices, and nutritional status on COVID-19 patient outcomes and risk reduction.

Summary: Design for the New World aims to introduce a new paradigm in design and design thinking, by shifting our approach from a human perspective that is primarily focused on human scales, needs, and desires, to a planet perspective, in which design is guided by the ambition to create a balanced coexistence between humans and the other species that make up the global ecosystem. The book intervenes in current discussions within design research about what role design can play in the sustainable transition, by offering new methods and mindset to handle the giant-scale complexity of the climate and environmental crisis, as well as specific tools to turn these theoretical reflections into a transformative practice. Essential reading for researchers, students, and practitioners in the fields of design, innovation, development, entrepreneurship, leadership, art, and creativity. The book is structured so that it can be easily used in an educational context, both at under- and postgraduate level and in courses of business, innovation, or management training. The practical suggestions and process-management tools can be used to facilitate sustainable transformations in in commercial businesses, organizations, and political networks. Written in an accessible and clear style, where all technical terms are fully introduced and unpacked. The chapters can be read in order or independently, and the practical tools for facilitating processes of change are supplemented with additional questions for reflection and further development.

Summary: Neurodegenerative Diseases - Processes, Prevention, Protection and Monitoring focuses on biological mechanisms, prevention, neuroprotection and even monitoring of disease progression. This book emphasizes the general biological processes of neurodegeneration in different neurodegenerative diseases. Although the primary etiology for different neurodegenerative diseases is different, there is a high level of similarity in the disease processes. The first three sections introduce how toxic proteins, intracellular calcium and oxidative stress affect different biological signaling pathways or molecular machineries to inform neurons to undergo degeneration. A section discusses how neighboring glial cells modulate or promote neurodegeneration. In the next section an evaluation is given of how hormonal and metabolic control modulate disease progression, which is followed by a section exploring some preventive methods using natural products and new pharmacological targets. We also explore how medical devices facilitate patient monitoring. This book is suitable for different readers: college students can use it as a textbook; researchers in academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies can take it as updated research information; health care professionals can take it as a reference book, even patients' families, relatives and friends can take it as a good basis to understand neurodegenerative diseases.

Summary: Azoles are a broad and promising class of five-membered heterocyclic compounds containing from one up to five nitrogen atom(s) that can also contain sulfur or oxygen atoms. Widely used as potent antifungal agents, various azole derivatives have also demonstrated many other promising biological properties. This book covers studies of several types of thiazole-based heterocyclic scaffolds, the development of 4-thiazolidinone and thiazole derivatives with heterocyclic fragments as potential candidates for new drugs against trypanosomiasis, numerous synthetic approaches for the synthesis of 1,2,3-triazoles, the application of N-azole, N,S-azole, and N,O-azole as well as their derivatives as retarders of metallic corrosion, and the integration of azoles in materials used for renewable energy processing and applications and wood treatment.