A gel is a state of matter that consists of a three-dimensional cross-linked polymer network and a large amount of solvent. Because of their structural characteristics, gels play important roles in science and technology. The science of gels has attracted much attention since the discovery of the volume phase transition by Professor Toyoichi Tanala at MIT in 1978. MDPI planned to publish a Spec…
"In October 1998, on the occasion of the first conference on design education, Richard Buchanan, then Director of The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon University, envisioned doctoral education in Design as a ""neoteric enterprise"", aimed at finding novel ways of addressing the new problems, ""thereby creating a new body of learning and knowledge"". Twenty years after, these words can still …
Numerous efforts have been devoted to using biomass as a feedstock for the production of bio-based materials, biochemicals, and biofuels that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on conventional fossil resources. Conversion strategies for the production of platform chemicals, building blocks, fine chemicals, and biofuels include a wide range of processes such as chemical and mechanica…
This book is a collection of a group of peer-reviewed scientific papers dealing with both the evaluation and the solution of the complex but pressing problem of water source pollution. In the case of both fresh and marine water, the environmental and health protection aspects are closely linked. Monitoring activities supply continuous information on the contamination levels in inland surface, g…
Lignocellulosic biomass has great potentials as an alternative feedstock for fuels and chemicals. For effective utilization of biomass, biomass recalcitrance, which is inherent resistance of plant cell walls to biological deconstruction, needs to be reduced. Among many factors in biomass, lignin is significantly related to biomass recalcitrance. Lignin, a complex aromatic polymer, is the larges…
This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researcher…
The present reprint contains 33 articles accepted and published in the Special Issue entitled "Advancement of Mathematical Methods in Feature Representation Learning for Artificial Intelligence, Data Mining and Robotics, 2022" in the MDPI journal, Mathematics, which covers a wide range of topics connected to the theory and applications of feature representation learning for image processing, ar…
Pumped storage technology is a large-scale, efficient, flexible and clean energy storage technology. The core of it is the design of pumped storage units, which involves the operation and flow characteristics of vane hydraulic machinery under pump and turbine modes, as well as the complex flow conditions of the upstream and downstream flow channels of the units. With this as the background, thi…
Although methods to assess or self-monitor intake may be considered similar, the intended function of each is quite distinct. For the assessment of dietary intake, methods aim to measure food and nutrient intake and/or to derive dietary patterns for determining diet-disease relationships, population surveillance or the effectiveness of interventions. In comparison, dietary self-monitoring prima…
This book covers the latest developments in the understanding and treatment of traumatic brain injury. Various world experts authored the chapters that comprise a wealth of updated information on intracranial pressure; monitoring and diagnostic methods; neuroinflammatory responses in traumatic brain injury; cerebral palsy and Covid-19-related brain disorder; pathogenesis and prevention of fetal…