Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Oligarchy
Oligarchy (from el ὀλιγαρχία (oligarkhía); from ὀλίγος (olígos) 'few', and ἄρχω (arkho) 'to rule or to command') is a form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may be distinguished by nobility, wealth, family ties, education or corporate, religious or political, military control. Such states are often controlled by families who typically pass their influence from one generation to the next, but inheritance is not a necessary condition for the application of this term. Throughout history, oligarchies have often been tyrannical, relying on public obedience or oppression to exist. Aristotle pioneered the use of the term as a synonym for rule by the rich, for which another term commonly used today is plutocracy. Although an oligarchy is usually seen as tyrannical, most modern states rely on some form of oligarchy, usually in the form of representative officials deciding national policy. The concern of tyranny usually occurs when the rule of law is violated or when there's limited separation of powers. Especially during the fourth century BCE, after the restoration of democracy from oligarchical coups, the Athenians used the drawing of lots for selecting government officers to counteract what the Athenians saw as a tendency toward oligarchy in government if a professional governing class were allowed to use their skills for their own benefit. They drew lots from large groups of adult volunteers to pick civil servants performing judicial, executive, and administrative functions (archai, boulē, and hēliastai). They even used lots for posts, such as judges and jurors in the political courts (nomothetai), which had the power to overrule the Assembly.
  • 4.7K
  • 28 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Structure of Temperament Questionnaire
Structure of Temperament Questionnaire (STQ) is a test to measure 12 biologically and neurochemically based individual differences.
  • 4.7K
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
(225088) 2007 OR10
(225088) 2007 OR10, proposed to be named Gonggong, is a likely dwarf planet in the Solar System beyond Neptune, and is a member of the scattered disc. It has a highly eccentric and inclined orbit during which it ranges from 33–101 astronomical units (4.9–15.1 billion kilometers) from the Sun. (As of 2019), its distance from the Sun is 88 AU (1.32×1010 km; 8.2×109 mi), and it is the sixth-farthest known Solar System object. 2007 OR10 is in a 3:10 orbital resonance with Neptune, in which it completes three orbits around the Sun for every ten orbits completed by Neptune. 2007 OR10 was discovered in July 2007 by American astronomers Megan Schwamb, Michael Brown, and David Rabinowitz at the Palomar Observatory, and the discovery was announced in January 2009. At 1,230 km (760 mi) in diameter, 2007 OR10 is approximately the size of Pluto's moon Charon, and is the fifth-largest known trans-Neptunian object in the Solar System. It is sufficiently massive to be gravitationally rounded, thereby qualifying for dwarf planet status. Its large mass also makes retention of a tenuous atmosphere of methane just possible, though such an atmosphere would slowly escape into space. 2007 OR10 is currently the largest known body in the Solar System without an official name, but in 2019, the discoverers hosted an online poll for the general public to help choose a name for the object, and the name Gonggong won. The winning name is derived from Gonggong, a Chinese water god responsible for chaos, floods and the tilt of the Earth. 2007 OR10 is red in color, likely due to the presence of organic compounds called tholins on its surface. Water ice is also present on its surface, which hints at a brief period of cryovolcanic activity in the distant past. 2007 OR10 rotates slowly compared to other trans-Neptunian objects, which typically have rotation periods less than 12 hours, which may be due to its natural satellite, provisionally designated S/2010 (225088) 1.
  • 4.7K
  • 02 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Plant Disease Detection
The detection, quantification, diagnosis, and identification of plant diseases is particularly crucial for precision agriculture. Recently, traditional visual assessment technology has not been able to meet the needs of precision agricultural informatization development, and hyperspectral technology, as a typical type of non-invasive technology, has received increasing attention. Disease detection technologies have became more and more significant on plant science.
  • 4.6K
  • 05 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Wire Harness Manufacturing Processes
The automotive industry is one of the most important economic sectors in the world. At the beginning, vehicles only had mechanical components, so the use of an automotive wire harness was not indispensable. Cars today are equipped with electronic components that, in addition to the basic operations of moving, turning, and stopping, perform more and more functions every day. Wiring harnesses are indispensable for controlling these electronic components.
  • 4.6K
  • 30 Jun 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Self-Service Restaurants in SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic
During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the self-service restaurant sector, as well as other types of food services, are facing an unprecedented crisis needing to adapt their service to avoid closing their doors. With varied and quick meals, the self-service buffet is one of the most important types of outside services. However, the type of service where the clients follow a line on the buffet and serve their meals has impaired traditional restaurant operation during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and, perhaps, after it. In this sense, this study presents an overview of the self-service buffet restaurant operational system in the context of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. 
  • 4.6K
  • 18 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Advantages and Disadvantages of Fenton Process
The Fenton reaction is primarily based on the idea of the formation of oxidizing radicals, which are created by the catalytic action of Fe2+ on the decomposition of H2O2, added in a certain amount and ratio to water, which also contains various organic substances. Oxidative radicals oxidize the present organic substances to varying degrees during the momentary period of their existence. This Fenton reaction is homogeneous because the catalyst (Fe2+ ion) is dissolved in water. However, the catalyst can also be heterogeneous. 
  • 4.6K
  • 22 Feb 2023
Topic Review
UV Radiation in DNA Damage and Repair
Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation on human skin can lead to mutations in DNA, photoaging, suppression of the immune system, and other damage up to skin cancer (melanoma, basal cell, and squamous cell carcinoma).
  • 4.6K
  • 27 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Seed Morphology in the Arecaceae
Fruit and seed shape are important characteristics in taxonomy providing information on ecological, nutritional, and developmental aspects, but their application requires quantification.  
  • 4.6K
  • 21 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Amazon Basin
The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about 6,300,000 km2 (2,400,000 sq mi), or about 35.5 percent that of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil , Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. Most of the basin is covered by the Amazon Rainforest, also known as Amazonia. With a 5.5 million km2 (2.1 million sq mi) area of dense tropical forest, this is the largest rainforest in the world.
  • 4.6K
  • 03 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Insect Euthanasia
Insect euthanasia is the process of killing insects "in a way that minimizes or eliminates pain and distress.":6 It may apply to animals in the laboratory, schools, as pets, as food, or otherwise. Euthanasia of insects and other invertebrates has historically received limited attention.:75 While vertebrate animal experimentation typically requires approval by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee in the United States, use of invertebrate animals has few guidelines, and many research papers make no mention of how their invertebrate subjects were killed. Many of the euthanasia methods developed for vertebrates do not transfer well to invertebrates. While a number of euthanasia methods have been proposed for various invertebrate taxa, many have not been adequately vetted, and more research is needed.
  • 4.6K
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Zoo Food Preparation and Presentation
From its foundations in agricultural science, zoo animal nutrition has developed into a biologically informed, evidence-based discipline. However, some facets of nutrition still make use of a more traditional approach, such as the field of zoo presentation. For example, it is common practice to prepare animal diets by chopping them into bite-size chunks, yet there is limited peer-reviewed evidence that explains the benefits and welfare implications of this practice. The chopping and placement of foods can alter desiccation rates, nutrient breakdown, and food contamination, so it is important to evaluate the implications of current practices. Here, the published literature on the behavioral impacts of different food presentation formats (such as clumped and scattered, and chopped and whole) is reviewed, with reference to a range of taxa. The current state of knowledge of the nutritional and microbiological effects of food presentation practices are also reviewed. Relevant research is available on the behavioral effects of some forms of zoo food presentation; however, relatively little research has been conducted on their nutrient composition effects or desiccation rates. Similarly, there are gaps in terms of the species that have been investigated, with a few mammalian taxa dominating the food presentation literature. Future research projects covering social, behavioral, and welfare impacts, and the nutritional and microbiological consequences of food presentation would further evidence-based zoo and aquarium management practices. Similarly, qualitative research surrounding keeper perception of food presentation formats would help to identify challenges and opportunities in this field.
  • 4.6K
  • 15 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Immunotherapy
The cancer-immunity cycle is characterized by various stimulatory and inhibitory factors, which together regulate the immune response and halt the extreme response that may lead to autoimmune disease. Immunotherapy of cancer has rejuvenated the field of tumor immunology and revolutionized treatment options.
  • 4.6K
  • 30 May 2023
Topic Review
Caffeine, a Factor for Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and disabling rheumatic diseases. It is mainly characterized by articular cartilage degradation, which is fundamental for correct joint function, lubrication, and resistance to mechanical loading. However, the whole joint is normally compromised. As a result of the articular cartilage alterations, typical OA symptoms such as pain and joint failure appear, increasing population’s dependency. OA aetiology is not fully understood. However, there are some risk factors such as certain genetic profiles, gender, age, exercise, metabolic alterations, obesity and diet habits, which could increase its prevalence. Notably, diet can play a crucial role in OA onset and evolution. Specifically, it is known that caffeine intake exerts a negative impact on articular cartilage. Overall, there is ample evidence indicating that caffeine intake has a negative impact on the physiology of articular cartilage, increasing consumers predisposition to suffer OA. Considering these results, caffeine consumption should be reduced and closely controlled. Specifically, this control should be compulsory to those people whose caffeine metabolism is reduced, such as children and pregnant women.
  • 4.6K
  • 02 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin Supplements and Chronic Alcohol Consumption
Alcoholic drinks are extensively consumed worldwide. Drinking alcohol has negative and positive consequences. The health consequences of alcohol intake vary depending on the amount and pattern of consumption.
  • 4.6K
  • 24 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Legal Management
Legal management is an academic and professional discipline that is a hybrid between the study of law and management (i.e., business administration, public administration, etc.). Often, alumni of legal management programmes pursue a professional degree in law such as Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) while some profess as paralegals, law clerks, political analysts, politicians, public administrators, entrepreneurs, business executives, or pursue careers in the academe. The degree was designed in the Philippines and was first introduced in Ateneo de Manila University in the 1980s by former Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. A similar degree known as Legal Studies is offered at the University of California Berkeley, but without management courses. Legal management student organisations across the Philippines are represented by the Alliance of Legal Management Associations of the Philippines (ALMAP) to the Securities and Exchange Commission, as a non-stock, non-profit, student-run corporation.
  • 4.6K
  • 03 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Municipal Solid Waste Management in Cambodia
Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is one of the utmost challenges for Cambodia’s city and district centers. The unsound management of MSW has detrimentally affected the environment and human health.
  • 4.6K
  • 09 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Drought-Induced Changes in Plant Morphology
Drought stress is the most challenging issue to agricultural productivity and has a pronounced negative effect on plant growth, development, and productivity. Drought stress adversely affects morphological aspects of plants, such as early germination, plant height, relative root length, root diameter, the total biomass of leaves and roots, number of leaves/plants, and branch number/plant.
  • 4.6K
  • 06 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Naturalism
In philosophy, naturalism is the idea or belief that only natural laws and forces (as opposed to supernatural ones) operate in the universe. According to philosopher Steven Lockwood, naturalism can be separated into an ontological sense and a methodological sense. "Ontological" refers to ontology, the philosophical study of what exists. On an ontological level, philosophers often treat naturalism as equivalent to materialism. For example, philosopher Paul Kurtz argues that nature is best accounted for by reference to material principles. These principles include mass, energy, and other physical and chemical properties accepted by the scientific community. Further, this sense of naturalism holds that spirits, deities, and ghosts are not real and that there is no "purpose" in nature. This stronger formulation of naturalism is commonly referred to as metaphysical naturalism. On the other hand, the more moderate view that naturalism should be assumed in one's working methods as the current paradigm, without any further consideration of whether naturalism is true in the robust metaphysical sense, is called methodological naturalism. With the exception of pantheists—who believe that Nature is identical with divinity while not recognizing a distinct personal anthropomorphic god—theists challenge the idea that nature contains all of reality. According to some theists, natural laws may be viewed as secondary causes of God(s). In the 20th century, Willard Van Orman Quine, George Santayana, and other philosophers argued that the success of naturalism in science meant that scientific methods should also be used in philosophy. According to this view, science and philosophy are not always distinct from one another, but instead form a continuum.
  • 4.6K
  • 25 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Applications of Coacervates
Coacervates are one of the most intriguing systems in colloid chemistry. The term comes from the Latin words “co” (jointly) and “acerv” (a mound). Coacervation is a phenomenon in which a colloidal solution gets separated into colloid-rich and colloid-poor phases.
  • 4.6K
  • 15 Sep 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 2727
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback