The COVID-19 pandemic caused a change in the pattern of various infectious diseases. Evidence suggests that the same nonpharmaceutical interventions employed to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 likely led to the reduced incidence of influenza in various regions across the globe. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused disruptions in the reporting of other infectious diseases such as sexually transmitted diseases and other coronavirus infections. Decreased reporting of notifiable infectious diseases and conditions during the pandemic remained a major concern for health authorities. Ascertaining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transmission patterns of other infectious diseases holds significant implications for public health, but this topic has not yet been studied to a greater extent. On the other hand, the scope and relevance of clinical microbiology are appreciated more than ever. Viral structure, transmission, diagnosis, and optimal sterilization and disinfection process were the key elements that clinical microbiologists shared for the betterment of the community throughout the pandemic. This issue underscores various aspects of the advancements in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This Special Issue highlights the need for integrated efforts to control any future outbreak along with parallel management of other infectious diseases.

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This Book, entiled “Allergic Rhinosinusitis and Airway Diseases”, presents the concept of united airway disease interaction, which comprises chronic rhinosinusitis and other lower airway disorders such as asthma. This concept furthers a deeper comprehension on the pathophysiology and management of upper and lower airway diseases. In this Book, the published papers cover different interesting topics such as healthcare equality, advanced biomarkers, accurate diagnosis and treatment, occupational exposure-induced upper airway allergy and neoplastic disease mimicking chronic rhinosinusitis.

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Data on nutritional status of human populations are periodically needed, as well as their relationships with anthropometry, body composition, body image and energy expenditure, and also with health lifestyle outcomes. All these parameters contribute jointly to give a complete knowledge on dietary and lifestyle habits, and hence how to proceed to improve it in order to enjoy an optimal healthy status. So, you are kindly invited to submit proposals for manuscripts that fit the objectives and the topics of this Nutrients Special issue.The aim of this proposed Nutrients Special Issue on ""Anthropometry, Body Composition and Resting Energy Expenditure in Humans"" is to publish selected papers detailing specific aspects of anthropometric, body composition and energy expenditure data in human populations and their relationships with nutritional status, as well as nutritional surveys and trials that examine measured differences or changes in these parameters are also cordially invited.

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Antioxidants in food have a dual role; on the one hand, they preserve the quality and shelf life of food products; on the other hand, they function as an external aid, helping to defend our living cells from the threat of oxidative stress. Therefore, foods rich in antioxidants are a useful tool to reduce morbidity and prevent degenerative diseases. Consequently, research related to antioxidants is continually growing. This book brings together 21 articles regarding the latest advances in the most relevant fields of food antioxidant research; from the identification and characterization of new active components, to their molecular mechanisms and the scientific evidence of their clinical use and effectiveness.

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The Mediterranean diet is a model of eating based on the traditional foods and drinks of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The cultural and the nutritional aspects of the multisecular Mediterranean civilization include diet as a central element of health and wellbeing, including wine, if it is consumed in moderation. In recent decades, it has been promoted worldwide (UNESCO 2010) as one of the healthiest dietary patterns. The objective of this book is to bring the role of wine as part of the Mediterranean diet to light, especially through policy makers, the medical world, and vectors of images.

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Diet plays a fundamental role in shaping the composition and metabolic activity of the gut microbiota and, thus, it could determine the interrelationship between the gut microbiome and the host. The colon is the part of the human body that is most densely populated, containing bacteria, archaea, viruses, and some unicellular eukaryotes that have co-evolved with humans in a commensal way. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in the maintenance of normal host physiology. The rapid development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) methods for DNA sequencing in the last decade has facilitated in-depth study of gut microbiome composition and function. These methods have contributed to providing evidence regarding the relevance of the intestinal microbiota for host health as well as the basis for putative dietary interventions aimed at counteracting microbiota dysbiosis. Understanding the complex and dynamic interaction between dietary exposures and gut microbiota can help to elucidate their potential role in different pathologies and to guide future strategies for the prevention and treatment of diseases. Age-related changes in the gut microbiome are also associated with physiological changes in the gastrointestinal tract as well as in dietary patterns, with a concomitant decline in the normal function of the immune system that may contribute to increased risk of infection and frailty. More studies are needed to better understand how the microbiota shifts with different environmental factors and how they are associated with dietary changes.

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Cardiometabolic risk factors and type 2 diabetes are the largest contributors to the global disease burden and disease-related mortality. Visceral obesity drives the progression of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors and type 2 diabetes, and behavioral lifestyle weight loss interventions are important strategies for the prevention of these metabolic alterations. Despite the consistent evidence that the greater the body weight loss, the greater the preventive effect on cardiometabolic risk factors or diabetes, too radical strategies might be unfeasible on a large scale, and the long-term maintenance of weight reduction following restricted calorie diets represents a major challenge. Changes in diet composition acting on nutrient quality independently of changes in energy intake may be effective in cardiometabolic and diabetes risk prevention, offering a more feasible and safe alternative treatment to energy restriction. The aim of the present Special Issue is to summarize recent evidence on "Diet Quality and Risk of Cardiometabolic and Diabetes". More specifically, the impact of diet quality in terms of micro- or macronutrient composition, beyond the effect of diet restriction, on the prevention of cardiometabolic and diabetes risk as well as diabetes management, will be discussed. Personalized quality dietary interventions for cardiometabolic health and diabetes prevention, as well as possible underlying mechanisms, will also be addressed in this Special Issue.

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Several lines of evidence indicate that healthy diet and exercise can prevent cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, and some types of cancer such as colon cancer, and smoking-related cancers. Dietary patterns defined as the quantities, proportions, variety, or combination of different foods and drinks, and the frequency with which they are habitually consumed are also associated with an increased or decreased incidence of chronic diseases. Lately, an association has been found between eating habits, exercise, and psychological and/or mental disorders. This Special Issue of Nutrients, entitled “Dietary Habits, Beneficial Exercise, and Chronic Diseases: Latest Advances and Prospects”, contains 20 manuscripts, either describing original research or reviewing the scientific literature, focused on the relationship between dietary habits (macronutrients, micronutrients, etc.) and/or exercise with metabolic, cardiovascular, neurological, mental, rheumatic, inflammatory, gastrointestinal, odontostomatological, and other chronic diseases.

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Dietary habits differ from person to person and usually are determined by cultural habits and traditions that determine lifestyles linked to the socio-demographic characteristics associated with ethnicity. It is known that dietary habits, lifestyle and socio-demographic factors impact human health. Eating disorders, increasing consumption of less-healthy foods, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, along with other factors, increase risk of diseases such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and various mental disorders. This reprint entitled “Dietary Influence on Nutritional Epidemiology, Public Health and Our Lifestyle”, addresses the associations between some dietary patterns, lifestyle and socio-demographic factors, analyzed either separately or in combination, with the risk and management of cardiovascular diseases and mental health problems, such as depression and dementia. This reprint includes nine original articles and one systematic review.

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This reprint describes how lifestyle changes can impact the incidence and progression of chronic non-communicable diseases. In this context, regular physical activity and heathy nutritional habits are very important. Moreover, natural bioactive compounds could represent a new adjuvant therapy in the clinical management of these pathological conditions.

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Metabolic syndrome is defined by a cluster of interrelated cardiovascular risk factors (hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and central adiposity), linked to a chronic, systemic, and low-grade inflammation, which severely increases the risk of type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A growing body of evidence generated in the last decades has shown that not only the energy balance but also the macro-, micro-, and non-nutrient composition of the diet may influence the onset and progression of metabolic syndrome. However, further research is required to increase our understanding about the contribution of diet to metabolic syndrome prevention.

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Polyphenols are a heterogeneous group of bioactive compounds mainly found in plant-based foods. Numerous clinical and epidemiological studies have led to the result that polyphenol intake may protect against chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, or type 2 diabetes, to name some. Polyphenol intake estimation can be obtained through food frequency questionnaires and nutritional biomarkers, both having their own advantages and disadvantages. Although the association between these bioactive compounds and health seems irrefutable, many questions remain still unanswered. For instance, more studies are needed to identify possible interactions and effect-modulating variables, such as smoking habit, body mass index, sex, alcohol, hormones, other foods, etc. Moreover, intestinal microbiota seems to play an important role in the metabolism of polyphenols, but it is still unclear how.

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Food quality, including dietary quality and diversity, is as essential to human health as air is to human life. In addition, other healthy lifestyle factors, including a healthy body mass index, regular exercise, no smoking, and sufficient sleep duration, are associated with a lower incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases and longer life expectancy. More importantly, maternal healthy lifestyle factors are also associated with a substantially reduced risk of chronic diseases in their offspring. Childhood is a critical period for the development of a healthy lifestyle and the prevention of chronic diseases in adulthood. However, the prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing and unhealthy lifestyles are becoming an epidemic, posing a potential future burden of adult chronic disease. The aim of this Special Issue is to identify and assess dietary factors, including dietary diversity and specific nutrients/phytochemicals, as well as other healthy lifestyle factors, in the prevention and management of childhood chronic diseases. Additionally, we want to identify gaps and tools that could help with the assessment of children’s health. We wanted to encourage all researchers who work in this field to submit original research, reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses to this Special Issue to broaden our knowledge and pave the way for new research directions.

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Phenolic compounds are non-essential dietary compounds that are found in many vegetables (i.e. onion, cabbage, broccoli and parsley), fruits (i.e. cherries, grapes, berries and pears), cereals and beverages (i.e. red wine, tea and chocolate). These heterogeneous compounds are produced as secondary metabolites. Structurally, these compounds are characterized by comprising an aromatic ring with one or more hydroxyl groups that can be classified into two groups: flavonoids and non-flavonoids. Phenolic compounds have received considerable attention for its health-promoting properties in many chronic disorders including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. These health benefits are mainly attributed to its antioxidant properties. Phenolic compounds act as antioxidant by scavenging free radicals, metal chelation and endogenous antioxidant system upregulation (enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and non-enzymatic antioxidants such as glutathione).The consumption of exogenous medicinal plants and food rich in phenolic compounds represent a promising therapeutically to prevent many chronic diseases and improve health.This Special Issue entitled “Effect of Phenolic Compounds on Human Health” include research articles and review articles on phenolic compounds and its role in health (i.e. flavonoids and diabetes, polyphenols and liver diseases, polyphenols and obesity, polyphenols and cardiovascular diseases and polyphenols and neuroprotection).

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The impact of fat intake on hypercholesterolemia and related atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases has been studied for decades. However, the current evidence base suggests that fatty acids also influences cardiometabolic diseases through other mechanisms including effects on glucose metabolism, body fat distribution, blood pressure, inflammation, and heart rate. Furthermore, studies evaluating single fatty acids have challenged the simplistic view of shared health effects within fatty acid groups categorized by degree of saturation. In addition, investigations of endogenous fatty acid metabolism, including genetic studies of fatty acid metabolizing enzymes, and the identification of novel metabolically derived fatty acids have further increased the complexity of fatty acids’ health impacts. This Special Issue aims to include original research and up-to-date reviews on genetic and dietary modulation of fatty acids, and the role and function of dietary and metabolically derived fatty acids in cardiometabolic health.

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Obesity represents the most prevalent metabolic disease in the world, posing a significant public health threat. Obesity shortens life expectancy by increasing the risk of developing comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. A better understanding of the ethiopathology of excess adiposity represents the pillar on which to base the effective management of obesity. In this sense, this reprint expands our knowledge about the wide array of drivers that can facilitate or contribute to the development of obesity. Moreover, some of the latest progress made in lifestyle, pharmacological and surgical approaches in the treatment of obesity are summarised. Novel concepts regarding the different obesity phenotypes, the use of telemedicine for the treatment of overweight and obesity, or the use of personalised avatars in the management of obesity are also reviewed. This reprint will be of interest for specialists in Endocrinology and Nutrition, but also for any individual interested in health issues related to nutrition.

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The future food systems will have to provide food and nutrition security while facing unprecedented sustainability challenges: this underlines the need for a transition to more sustainable food systems. Taking into account these premises and considering the complexity of food systems, this book aims to present original research articles, reviews, and commentaries concerning the following:Advancements in food and beverage;Dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, and functional food;Food allergy and public health;Food and nutritional toxicology;Food biotechnology and food processing;Food microbiology and food safety;Food packaging;Food safety and food inspection;Food security and environmental impacts;Food waste management;Nutrition and metabolism;Sustainable food systems and agro-ecological food production.

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Nowadays, diet-related non-communicable diseases and their complications are one of the most important public health problems worldwide. Food supplements and functional foods are considered food products which contribute to the achievement of optimal nutritional well-being, health status, and quality of life through reducing the risk of diseases and promoting the appropriate function of human organs and systems. Nowadays, the assessment of these functional foods and the study of their implications in nutrition and health are important challenges in societies of developed countries where consumers increasingly demand foods with added value beyond the provision of nutrients and the satisfaction of appetite. In this reprint, the characterization of the nutritional composition and phytochemicals of functional foods and food supplements as well as the evaluation of their potential health benefits in different disorders and diseases through clinical trials or preliminary studies are addressed.

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Growing evidence shows that a dietary pattern inspired by Mediterranean dietprinciples is associated with numerous health benefits. A Mediterranean-typediet has been demonstrated to exert a preventive effect toward cardiovasculardiseases, in both Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations. Part ofthese properties may depend on a positive action toward healthier metabolism,decreasing the risk of diabetes and metabolic-syndrome-related conditions.Some studies also suggested a potential role in preventing certain cancers. Finally,newer research has showed that a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet isassociated with a lower risk of cognitive decline, depression, and other mentaldisorders. Overall, a better understanding of the key elements of this dietarypattern, the underlying mechanisms, and targets, are needed to corroboratecurrent evidence and provide insights on new and potential outcomes.ThisSpecial Issue welcomes original research and reviews of literature concerningthe Mediterranean diet and various health outcomes:Observational studies onestablished nutritional cohorts (preferred), case-control studies, or populationsample on the association with non-communicable diseases;Level of evidenceon the association with human health, including systematic reviews and metaanalyses;Evaluation of application of Mediterranean diet principles in non-Mediterranean countries;Description of mechanisms of action, pathways, andtargets at the molecular level, including interaction with gut microbiota.

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Food cannot be only considered a combination of constituents with different nutritional values, but its relevance for humans can be fully understood by also taking into account other aspects such as history, culture, ecology, and the environment. Overall, assuming that access to food is secured for all people, traditional dietary patterns are considered safe in terms of longevity, healthy ageing, and morbidity. Indeed, healthy diets have been associated with a reduced risk and incidence of chronic degenerative diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, certain types of cancers, and neurodegenerative disorders. In general, healthy dietary habits include a low consumption of refined sugars, red meat, and saturated fats, as well as a high intake of fruit, vegetables, legumes, low-fat dairy products, and healthy lipids (from seafood). As an example, the Mediterranean diet can be considered the archetype of a health-promoting lifestyle by virtue of the phytochemical diversity of its food components.

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History is the basis for our interpretation of humanity’s past. Indeed, new developments in digital humanities and the digitalization of archives can place historical sources in a new light. Systematized historical sources allow us to see the practical changes that have occurred over centuries of ethnobotany and analyze (although sometimes solely hypothesize on) the causes of such changes. Studying history helps us to understand the influences on the evolution of local ecological knowledge regarding plant use. In ethnobotany, numerous understudied historical sources are awaiting modern interpretations. Old uses enhanced by the new possibilities offered by technology can enrich our everyday lives. Yet, understanding historical sources, especially in ethnobotany, where several disciplines are involved, is not univocal. Mistakes introduced by misidentified plants or information misinterpreted from old languages can have negative, long-term consequences. This Special Issue provides examples of the critical analyses of various historical sources and insights into ongoing historical and diachronic studies on plant use. This reprint is intended for a broad interdisciplinary audience interested in historical ethnobotany, history of plant studies, and human culture.

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Next year (2018), we will be celebrating the 15th anniversary of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health—IJERPH (ISSN 1660-4601). Hence, we are currently organizing a Special Issue to commemorate this important milestone. Founded in 2004, IJERPH has experienced a tremendous growth in terms of the number and quality of scientific publications. With a 2016 impact factor of 2.101, IJERPH now ranks among the top international journals in the emerging field of environmental research and public health. As described on our website (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph), IJERPH is a peer-reviewed journal that focuses on the publication of scientific and technical information on the impacts of natural phenomena and anthropogenic factors on the quality of our environment, the interrelationships between environmental health and the quality of life, as well as the socio-cultural, political, economic, and legal considerations related to environmental stewardship and public health. Its primary areas of research interests include: Gene-environment interactions Environmental genomics and proteomics Environmental toxicology, mutagenesis and carcinogenesis Environmental epidemiology and disease control Health risk assessment and management Ecotoxicology, and ecological risk assessment and management Natural resources damage assessment Environmental chemistry and computational modeling Environmental policy and management Environmental engineering and biotechnology Emerging issues in environmental health and diseases Environmental education and public health To help celebrate the 15th anniversary, you are kindly invited to submit original articles, critical reviews, research notes, and short communications on any of the above-listed topics. Please also encourage any of our colleagues who may be interested to submit manuscripts. We expect that this issue will attract considerable attention, as we prepare to celebrate the excellent scientific contributions and socio-economic impacts of IJERPH over the past 15 years.

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