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Topic Review
Traditional Japanese Distilled Liquor, shochu
The traditional Japanese single distilled liquor, which uses koji and yeast with designated ingredients, is called “honkaku shochu.” It is made using local agricultural products and has several types, including barley shochu, sweet potato shochu, rice shochu, and buckwheat shochu. In the case of honkaku shochu, black koji fungus (Aspergillus luchuensis) or white koji fungus (Aspergillus luchuensis mut. kawachii) is used to (1) saccharify the starch contained in the ingredients, (2) produce citric acid to prevent microbial spoilage, and (3) give the liquor its unique flavor.
  • 1.4K
  • 09 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress, NAD+ in ASL
ALS, often referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s disease”, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that damages motor neurons (MNs) in the brain and the spinal cord. This loss of MNs is responsible for progressive weakness and paralysis. There is mounting evidence involving oxidative stress as a main pathophysiological mechanism leading to MN damage and death. Conceptually, oxidative stress is an imbalance of oxygen-derived free radicals and antioxidants in the body, which can lead to cell and organ damage. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contain an uneven number of electrons and, at high non-physiological levels, can cause oxidative damages to nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. Moreover, the generation of NO and H2O2 (induced by proinflammatory cytokines in e.g., endothelial cells) can lead to the formation of highly damaging –OONO radicals. On the other hand, NAD+ is involved in cell bioenergetics, redox regulation, signaling, homeostasis, adaptive response to stress, and survival. Specifically, different NAD+-dependent enzymes are implicated in mechanisms regulating synaptic plasticity and neuronal resilience to stress.
  • 1.4K
  • 03 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Complement and IgA Nephropathy
Primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure for which there is no disease-specific treatment. However, this could change, since novel therapeutic approaches are currently being assessed in clinical trials, including complement-targeting therapies. An improved understanding of the role of the lectin and the alternative pathway of complement in the pathophysiology of IgAN has led to the development of these treatment strategies. Recently, in a phase 2 trial, treatment with a blocking antibody against mannose-binding protein-associated serine protease 2 (MASP-2, a crucial enzyme of the lectin pathway) was suggested to have a potential benefit for IgAN. Now in a phase 3 study, this MASP-2 inhibitor for the treatment of IgAN could mark the start of a new era of complement therapeutics where common diseases can be treated with these drugs. The clinical development of complement inhibitors requires a better understanding by physicians of the biology of complement, the pathogenic role of complement in IgAN, and complement-targeted therapies.
  • 1.4K
  • 01 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Whey-Derived Peptides and COVID-19
The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is a key regulator of blood pressure and hypertension. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme I (ACE) are two main components of the RAS that play a major role in blood pressure homeostasis. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) uses ACE2 as a receptor to enter cells. Despite some controversies, numerous studies have reported a significant association between the use of ACE inhibitors and reduced risk of COVID-19.
  • 1.4K
  • 05 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Fertility after Cancer
Approximately one million new cases of cancer are diagnosed in women of reproductive age every year. In the last few decades, advances in early diagnosis and treatment have improved the survival rate. However, the adverse effects of anticancer therapy on the ovaries and uterus have a significant impact on future fertility and may affect the quality of life of cancer survivors. Impaired fertility in cancer survivors is a growing issue that is complicated by an increasing number of women delaying childbearing.
  • 1.4K
  • 10 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Allelopathy and Allelochemicals of Leucaenaleucocephala
Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit is native to southern Mexico and Central America and is now naturalized in more than 130 countries. The spread of L. leucocephala is probably due to its multipurpose use such as fodder, timber, paper pulp, shade trees, and soil amendment. However, the species is listed in the world’s 100 worst invasive alien species, and an aggressive colonizer. It forms dense monospecific stands and threatens native plant communities, especially in oceanic islands. Phytotoxic chemical interactions such as allelopathy have been reported to play an important role in the invasion of several invasive plant species.
  • 1.4K
  • 04 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Artificial Neural Network
Artificial neural networks (ANN) are known to be able to provide an abnormal return by using technical indicators as predictors in stock markets. The ANN, as a deep learning (DL)  technique is used to recognize patterns or images by imitating the visual processing of living organisms.
  • 1.4K
  • 28 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Particulate Matter Emissions from Aircraft
Particulate matter emissions from aircraft engines contribute to ambient concentrations of ultrafine particles in and around airports together with other combustion sources including road traffic. The impact of emissions on ambient concentrations from an airport, for which aircraft engine is a main source, differs from airport to airport due to the different relative contributions of other sources such as road traffic, and due to pollutant mix differences, chemical characteristics and size distribution. Particulate matter, particularly the ultrafine component made up of small particles with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 0.1 µm, is widely considered a health hazard. Aircraft gas turbine engines result in direct emissions of “non-volatile” (nvPM), also described as black carbon (BC) “soot” emissions. In addition to local air quality impacts, particles emitted from aircraft engines can affect climate and cloudiness in a number of ways. There are several on-going projects such as AVIATOR and ACACIA, that are taking measurements, linking these to modelling and assessing the particulate impacts on local air quality and climate.
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Essays (Montaigne) - The Bordeaux Copy
Les Essais (Bordeaux copy) is a 1588 edition of Michel de Montaigne's Essais held by the Bibliothèque municipale de Bordeaux. The book contains about 1300 manuscript corrections and annotations made by Montaigne between the summer of 1588 and the 13 September 1592 (date of his death). This unique document sheds light on the way Montaigne worked and on the genesis of the final edition of Les Essais. Manuscripts by 16th century authors are very rare and this document is exceptional.
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Water Retention on Mathematical Surfaces
Water retention on mathematical surfaces is the catching of water in ponds on a surface of cells of various heights on a regular array such as a square lattice, where water is rained down on every cell in the system. The boundaries of the system are open and allow water to flow out. Water will be trapped in ponds, and eventually all ponds will fill to their maximum height, with any additional water flowing over spillways and out the boundaries of the system. The problem is to find the amount of water trapped or retained for a given surface. This has been studied extensively for two mathematical surfaces: magic squares and random surfaces. The model can also be applied to the triangular grid.
  • 1.4K
  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Trikonasana
Trikonasana (/trɪkoʊˈnɑːsənɑː/ trik-oh-NAH-sə-nah; Sanskrit: त्रिकोणासन; IAST: trikoṇāsana) or Triangle Pose is an asana. Variations include utthita trikonasana (extended triangle pose), baddha trikonasana (bound triangle pose) and parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle pose).
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Rubens' Tube
A Rubens' tube, also known as a standing wave flame tube, or simply flame tube, is an antique physics apparatus for demonstrating acoustic standing waves in a tube. Invented by German physicist Heinrich Rubens in 1905, it graphically shows the relationship between sound waves and sound pressure, as a primitive oscilloscope. Today, it is used only occasionally, typically as a demonstration in physics education.
  • 1.4K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Air Pollution on Human Microbial Community
A balanced microbiota composition is requisite for normal physiological functions of the human body. Several environmental factors such as air pollutants may perturb the human microbiota composition. It is noticeable that currently around 99% of the world’s population is breathing polluted air. Air pollution’s debilitating health impacts have been studied scrupulously, including in the human gut microbiota.
  • 1.4K
  • 06 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Antler Orogeny
The Antler orogeny was a tectonic event that began in the early Late Devonian with widespread effects continuing into the Mississippian and early Pennsylvanian. Most of the evidence for this event is in Nevada but the limits of its reach are unknown. A great volume of conglomeratic deposits of mainly Mississippian age in Nevada and adjacent areas testifies to the existence of an important tectonic event, and implies nearby areas of uplift and erosion, but the nature and cause of that event are uncertain and in dispute. Although it is known as an orogeny (mountain building event), some of the classic features of orogeny as commonly defined such as metamorphism, and granitic intrusives have not been linked to it. In spite of this, the event is universally designated as an orogeny and that practice is continued here. This article outlines what is known and unknown about the Antler orogeny and describes three current theories regarding its nature and origin.
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Factors in the Design of Bird Diverters
The design of bird diverters should be based upon the perception of birds, not the perception of humans, but until now it is human vision that has guided diverter design. Aspects of bird vision pertinent to diverter design are reviewed.
  • 1.4K
  • 16 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Water-Based Liquid Scintillators
Monolithic optical detectors, either water–Cherenkov detectors or liquid scintillator detectors, are a well-established technique in neutrino physics. Using water-based liquid scintillators (WbLS) is an approach that exploits Cherenkov and scintillation signals simultaneously; i.e., water is loaded with 1% to 10% liquid scintillator. 
  • 1.4K
  • 04 Jan 2023
Topic Review
IR/Raman Spectroscopy in Biological and Environmental Studies
Various types of vibrational spectroscopy (generally, it includes various variants of Raman and infrared spectroscopy) have been used for a long time to evaluate a variety of biological objects. Moreover, using vibrational spectroscopy, it is possible to evaluate individual compounds, cells, tissues, multicellular organisms (both living and fixed), and the products of their vital activity. These techniques are used for the assessment of the qualitative and quantitative composition of substances in studied biological objects and the conformations of compounds composing them. Among the advantages of these methods, one can mention their relative non-invasiveness, their significant experience in the subsequent analysis of results, and the possibility to perform in situ and in vivo measurements. 
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Affibody- and DARPin-Conjugated Nanomaterials in Cancer Therapy
Affibodies and designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) are synthetic proteins originally derived from the Staphylococcus aureus virulence factor protein A and the human ankyrin repeat proteins, respectively. The use of these molecules in healthcare has been recently proposed as they are endowed with biochemical and biophysical features heavily demanded to target and fight diseases, as they have a strong binding affinity, solubility, small size, multiple functionalization sites, biocompatibility, and are easy to produce; furthermore, impressive chemical and thermal stability can be achieved, especially when using affibodies. In this sense, several examples reporting on affibodies and DARPins conjugated to nanomaterials have been published, demonstrating their suitability and feasibility in nanomedicine for cancer therapy.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 May 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Human Power Production and Energy Harvesting
This entry presents a holistic examination of the problem of harvesting energy from the human body. With the advent of the industrial revolution, in modern times, there is less and less need for physical human work; at the same time, motion is essential for health. Thus, sports and physical leisure activities have seen a dramatic increase in popularity. Until several decades ago, energy consumption was not an issue, at least in developed countries, but in recent years, it has become more and more evident that energy resources are finite and that there are limits to how much anthropic pressure the environment can sustain; one evident outcome is global warming. The repurposing of human energy also has psychological benefits, making people socially responsible and transforming otherwise wasted potential into a rewarding activity. Thus, on a small scale, over time, it has become evident that re-using and saving energy are vital. Humans can produce a large amount of energy through physical work, but over the past few decades, technologies have been developed to store and reuse energy that would otherwise be wasted. Some interesting applications and a critical review of the problem, which is linked to human metabolism and sport, are presented.
  • 1.4K
  • 08 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Preeclampsia Pathophysiology
Preeclampsia has been termed a “disease of theories” by some as numerous studies have aimed to propose different concepts to explore its complex etiology and pathophysiology. 
  • 1.4K
  • 18 Sep 2023
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