Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation

This book presents a collection of cross-disciplinary research, with contributions addressing all key features of the plant/microbe/ENP nexus in agro-ecosystems. The uptake, transport and transformation of nanoparticles in plants have attracted more and more attention in the past several years. Especially, the impact of Engineered Nanoparticles (ENPs) on bioprocesses; low-, medium- and high-level dose responses in the microbial community of soil; and long-, medium- and short-term exposure responses, particularly microbial nitrogen transformations, are just a few of the aspects involved. Since ENPs are used in many industries, including cosmetics, agriculture, medicine, food technology and waste management, their transport through biogeochemical cycles is an important focus of many studies today.
Specifically, ENP–microbe interaction has been analysed with regard to disease treatment for plants; it plays a vital role in disease inhibition by releasing metal ions that act through many pathways – e.g. reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, DNA transformation and disruption of the cell cycle – to stop cell growth in the pathogen. Due to these properties, ENPs are also used as slow release or delayed release pesticides and fungicides, and as carrier systems for growth-promoting hormones. Despite their multiple uses in various industries, the negative effects of ENPs are still a major concern for the scientific community and consumers alike. For example, their transport to various food chains has been reported to have adverse effects. This raises a degree of doubt concerning a rapidly growing scientific field with major applications in many industries.
From a sustainable development perspective and particularly to ensure food security in light of the uncertainty accompanying climate change, it is imperative to address this divergence by focusing on the plant/microbe/ENP nexus.

This book explains how learning from past mistakes in urban design can help to enhance sustainable cities and how the principles of Green Urbanism can yield more resilient urban settlements. Environmental design is a fundamental principle in shaping cities. However, environmental challenges like increased resource consumption, water degradation and waste-related issues are among the greatest problems now facing humanity – which is why these issues need to be considered with regard to “smart cities,” either for the development of new urban centers or for the transformation of existing cities. The book not only discusses the importance of integrating sustainability principles in the urban design process, but also demonstrates their application to the development of sustainable cities. As such, the book offers essential information and a source of inspiration for all those who want to build more sustainable cities.

This book discusses the the integration between tourism and heritage and strategies to achieve sustainability in the tourism sector. The book adds innovative insights into the development of new practices solving challenges of sustainability in this sector and promoting responsible tourism. The book in hands also offers solutions and discusses sustainable tourism environment, social and economic impacts of tourism, and policies and mechanisms for heritage preservation. The primary audience of this book will be scholars, planners, architects, and stakeholders interested in sustainable tourism. This book is a culmination of selected research papers from IEREK’s third edition of the International Conference on Cultural Sustainable Tourism (CST) held online in collaboration with the University of Maya, Portugal (2021).

This book is an assemblage of diverse yet homogenous research papers that bring together the issues and challenges of cultural heritage conservation and tourism sustainability. The richness of this book stems from its inclusion of diverse case studies from around the globe while scrutinizing the cases of both deterioration and sustainability of cultural heritage belonging to different eras.

This book sheds light on the connections between culture as an essential dimension of local sustainability and cultural dimensions of sustainable tourism, further contributing to the complex discussion between culture and tourism.

This book gives an overview of current research and subjects of discussion that focuses on cultural sustainable tourism through several sections, such as planning and management of sustainable tourism, sustainable cultural tourism development in a digital era, social and economic impacts of cultural tourism, and sustainable tourism development in urban areas

This volume includes selected contributions presented during the 3rd edition of the international conference on WaterEnergyNEXUS, which was held in Tunisia in December 2020.  This conference was organized by the University of Sfax (Tunisia), in cooperation with the Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED) of the University of Salerno (Italy), the Advanced Institute of Water Industry at Kyungpook National University (Korea) and The Energy and Resources Institute, TERI (India). The WaterEnergyNEXUS series of conferences are supported by the UNESCO World Water Association Programme (WWAP) and the International Water Association (IWA). It also enjoys the patronage of several international scientific societies, associations and organizations and has established a publishing partnership with Springer Nature.

With the support of international experts invited as plenary and keynote speakers, the conference aimed to give a platform for Euro-Mediterranean countries to share and discuss key topics on such water-energy issues through the presentation of nature-based solutions, advanced technologies and best practices for a more sustainable environment within the framework of the ecological transition.  This volume gives a general and brief overview of current research focusing on emerging Water-Energy-Nexus issues and challenges and their potential applications to various environmental problems impacting the Euro-Mediterranean zone and surrounding regions. A selection of novel and alternative solutions applied worldwide are included. The volume contains over about one hundred carefully refereed contributions from 48 Countries worldwide selected for the conference. Topics covered in the book include:  Nexus framework and governance; Economic evalu ations for investment projects in the water and energy sectors; Innovation of renewable energies and challenges for the mitigation of climate change impact in the water-energy-food-nexus; Advanced technologies and nature-based solutions for the environmental sustainability of the water sector; Water and wastewater technologies for developing countries; Green technologies for sustainable water and wastewater management; Advanced technologies and nature-based solutions in water cycle; Control of hazardous substances and recovery of renewable/valuable resources; Renewable/valuable resources for recovery and utilization; Control of nutrients and hazardous compounds; Energy-saving technologies and future clean energy solutions; Future urban-energy systems with considerations of water and food security; Environmental Biotechnology and Bioenergy; Implementation and best practices. This volume is also an invaluable guide for industry professionals and policymakers working in the water and energy sectors.

The book focuses on a systemic study of the challenges of the modern economy and related problems and areas of sustainable development of countries, regions, and businesses, with particular attention paid to the new prospects offered by the spread of digital technology. The book’s contribution to the literature is that it reveals the specifics and digital perspectives of supporting the SDGs in the economy at every level of the economy: country, regional, and corporate, considering sectoral specificities—this is reflected in six parts of the book. 

Part 1 identifies contemporary challenges of the modern economy as barriers to sustainable development. Part 2 reflects the future direction of sustainable development of the countries. Part 3 considers the problems and prospects for sustainable development of regions. Part 4 focuses on the problems and prospects for the sustainable development of enterprises and industries. Part 5 sheds light on the economic and legal foundations and cooperative mechanisms of sustainable development. Part 6 offers recommendations for enhancing the use of digital technologies offered by Industry 4.0 to support the SDGs. 

Scientists whose research interests include sustainable economic development are the primary target audience for this book. For the primary target audience, the book forms a systemic view of the global challenges of sustainable development and offers a set of scientific and methodological recommendations to provide an effective response to these challenges at every level of the economy. An additional audience for the book is practicing experts, who will find international best practices and applied recommendations to support sustainable economic development and implementation of the SDGs in the practice of state (national regulation and public administration of the region) and corporate (in various industries) management. 

This book is devoted to a systemic study of socio-economic development risks arising in the Decade of Action, as well as the prospects for risk management in support of sustainable development. It aims to overcome fragmentary consideration of risks in the existing literature through their comprehensive coverage and the establishment of their interconnections from the perspective of sustainable development.

The novelty of this book is that it provides a comprehensive accounting of socio-economic development risks in the Decade of Action, as well as a rethinking of these risks from a sustainable development perspective. The book also opens up the possibility of the most comprehensive and effective risk management in support of sustainable development. The practical relevance of the book stems from the fact that it describes and discusses practical experience in detail and accompanies the theoretical material with numerous case studies, including cases and frameworks with extensive coverage of international best practices.

The book is intended for scholars, for whom the book forms a systemic scientific view of the risks of socio-economic development arising in the Decade of Action, as well as the prospects for risk management in support of sustainable development. The book is also of interest to practitioners, for whom it offers practical advice on risk management at all levels of the economy for sustainable development. Many examples from different countries make the book attractive to a wide international audience. The book is of particular interest to readers from Russia.

This book summarises the recent, and future, sustainable, low-cost, environment-friendly and efficient systems for clean water production, to solve clean water crisis. We cover production of water the dew and rain or via desalination, Fenton processes or electrocoagulation; nanomaterial-based water purification methods including adsorption, catalysis, smart-sensors for pollutants detection and removal. We also cover environmental management, environmental policy aspects, and review recent patents and industrial processes to produce clean water. Written by experts in the domain of wastewater treatment, production of clean water and environmental management, this new book will be a unique tool for experts and students. We anticipate it open new horizons in clean water production and will be a source of inspiration for next generations of clean water technologies researchers

This book, and the papers published within it, delves into the topic of governance in a modern, digital age, deliberating upon digital finance, societal security, and digital governance, proving essential to governmental institutions, policymakers, economists, and finally, social educators. The formation of a prosperous and resilient society is, without a doubt, a daunting, monumental task. Addressing people’s needs, maintaining their well-being, ensuring safety from external threats, and implementing a just law system that covers contemporary ways of life are no simple task. Thankfully, the advent of technological advancement helps lighten the heavy burden of governance. The element of interconnectedness brought forward by technological innovation has bridged the gap between society and government, allowing for faster interactions through the digitalization of naturally bureaucratic processes, and the utilization of digital finances.

This edited book is an outcome of the selected papers presented at the International Conference on Electrical Systems & Automation, (ICESA 2023) held from 29 to 30 May 2023 at the Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Al Hoceïma, Morocco. This edited book is divided into two volumes. This volume is divided into four parts, each devoted to distinct yet interconnected aspects of the subject matter. The first part presents the control of electrical machines and power converters. It covers a comparative study of different control approaches, including Proportional-Integral (PI), Fuzzy Logic, and Neural Fuzzy Logic Controllers for Boost Converters. It also presents an innovative approach for single-phase half-bridge inverters and improved direct torque control of dual three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motors. Part 2 of the book, titled „Control Systems & Automation“, thoroughly explores advanced control and automation technologies in electrical systems. These chapters collectivelyshowcase the latest developments and research across various engineering domains. Several control approaches have been discussed such as fuzzy control, sliding mode control, artificial neural networks (ANN), and machine learning. The third part highlights emerging technologies and applications in various fields such as mobile robots, industry 4.0, agriculture, and health. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, including intelligent navigation for autonomous robots, self-driving car perception and pedestrian detection, machine learning for cloud and IoT-based smart agriculture, outdoor navigation systems for micro-tractors, healthcare intelligent systems for melanoma image classification, maximizing the performance of Light Emitting Diode Luminaires. The research explores innovative solutions and technologies in different domains, aiming to improve functionality in various applications. Part 4 of this book is dedicated to „Advanced Wireless Communication and Antenna Technology“. This part explores cutting-edge developments and innovations in the realm of wireless communication and antenna design, with a focus on their applications and impact in various fields.