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Topic Review
Electric Vehicles for Vehicle-to-Grid Services
With every passing second, we witness the effect of the global environmental impact of fossil fuels and carbon emissions, to which nations across the globe respond by coming up with ambitious goals to become carbon-free and energy-efficient. At the same time, electric vehicles (EVs) are developed as a possible solution to reach this ambitious goal of making a cleaner environment and facilitating smarter transportation modes. This excellent idea of shifting towards an entirely EV-based mobility industry and economy results in a range of issues that need to be addressed. The issues range from ramping up the electricity generation for the projected increase in consumption to developing an infrastructure that is large enough to support the higher demand for electricity that arises due to the market penetration of EVs. Vehicle to grid (V2G) is a concept that is largely in a testing phase in the current scenario. However, it appears to offer a solution to the issues created by a mobility sector that the constantly growing EV fleet will dominate. Furthermore, the integration of EVs with the grid seems to offer various cost-wise and environment-wise benefits while assisting the grid by tapping into the idle energy of parked EVs during peak hours
  • 3.3K
  • 17 Apr 2024
Topic Review
Metabolic Disorders and Postpartum Reproduction in Dairy Cows
Early successful conception of postpartum dairy cows is crucial in determining the optimum reproductive efficiency and profitability in modern dairy farming. Due to the inherent high production potential of modern dairy cows, the extra stress burden of peri-parturient events, and associated endocrine and metabolic changes causes negative energy balance (NEBAL) in postpartum cows. The occurrence of NEBAL is associated with excessive fat mobilization in the form of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs). The phenomenon of NEFA mobilization furthers with occurrence of ketosis and fatty liver in postpartum dairy cows. High NEFAs and ketones are negatively associated with health and reproductive processes. An additional burden of hypocalcemia, ruminal acidosis, and high protein metabolism in postpartum cows presents further consequences for health and reproductive performance of postpartum dairy cows. 
  • 3.3K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Welfare Pluralism
Under the background of an accelerating population aging process, China is facing the issues of a weakening household pension function and an insufficient social pension service supply. It is urgent to establish a perfect diversified pension service supply model. The theory of welfare pluralism advocates the participation of multiple subjects in social old-age services and emphasizes that social organizations play an important role in the provision of old-age services.
  • 3.3K
  • 13 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Bank Diversification and Firm Investment Decisions
Firms are financially constrained as well as there being a positive relationship between cash flow and investment among listed firms. Additionally, bank diversification significantly reduces the investment-cash flow sensitivity of firms, suggesting that bank diversification mitigates the financial constraints to borrowing firms. Moreover, the multi-diversification of a bank compared to single-diversification will have greater impact on mitigating the firms’ financial constraints on investment. Thus, bank diversification strategies are proposed in a bank-based financial system, leading to the easing of the borrowing firms’ financial constraints to investments.
  • 3.3K
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
MALDI–TOF Mass Spectrometry in Microbiology
Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that has emerged as a powerful tool in clinical microbiology for identifying peptides and proteins, which makes it a promising tool for microbial identification. Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight MS (MALDI–TOF MS) offers a cost- and time-effective alternative to conventional methods, such as bacterial culture and even 16S rRNA gene sequencing, for identifying viruses, bacteria and fungi and detecting virulence factors and mechanisms of resistance. 
  • 3.3K
  • 24 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Jellyfish Cassiopea andromeda
Cassiopea andromeda entered the Mediterranean from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal and colonized several areas of the basin. This species is an epibenthic scyphozoan with a maximum umbrella diameter of about 30 cm commonly found in tropical and subtropical shallow coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, estuaries, and sandy mudflats. This species has a metagenetic cycle with the following phases: planula, benthic polyp, ephyra, and adult medusa. The symbiotic relationship with dinoflagellates allows the jellyfish species to feed via direct predation and through photosynthesis by the zooxanthellae (mixotrophy).
  • 3.3K
  • 28 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Triticum aestivum L.
Common wheat (Triticum aestivum), one of the world’s most consumed cereal grains, is known for its uses in baking and cooking in addition to its medicinal uses. As this plant’s medical benefits are enormous and scattered, the pharmacological activities were focused, phytochemistry, and the nutritional values of Triticum aestivum. It is a good source of dietary fiber, resistant starch, phenolic acids, alkylresorcinols, lignans, and diverse antioxidant compounds such as carotenoids, tocopherols and tocotrienols. These constituents provide Triticum aestivum with a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, hypolipemic, antioxidant, laxative, and moisturizing effects.
  • 3.3K
  • 05 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Revenge
Revenge is defined as the act of committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law [and] putteth the law out of office." Primitive justice or retributive justice is often differentiated from more formal and refined forms of justice such as distributive justice and divine judgment.
  • 3.3K
  • 11 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Cell
The cell (from the Latin word cellula meaning 'small room') is the basic structural and functional unit of life forms. Every cell consists of a cytoplasm enclosed within a membrane, which contains many biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Cells can acquire specified function and carry out various tasks within the cell such as replication, DNA repair, protein synthesis, and motility. Cells are capable of specialization and mobility within the cell. Most cells are measured in micrometers due to their small size. Most plant and animal cells are only visible under a light microscope, with dimensions between 1 and 100 micrometres. Electron microscopy gives a much higher resolution showing greatly detailed cell structure. Organisms can be classified as unicellular (consisting of a single cell such as bacteria) or multicellular (including plants and animals). Most unicellular organisms are classed as microorganisms. The number of cells in plants and animals varies from species to species; it has been approximated that the human body contains an estimated 37 trillion (3.72×1013) cells. The brain accounts for around 80 billion of these cells. The study of cells and how they work has led to many other studies in related areas of biology, including: discovery of DNA, cancer systems biology, aging and developmental biology. Cell biology is the study of cells, which were discovered by Robert Hooke in 1665, who named them for their resemblance to cells inhabited by Christian monks in a monastery. Cell theory, first developed in 1839 by Matthias Jakob Schleiden and Theodor Schwann, states that all organisms are composed of one or more cells, that cells are the fundamental unit of structure and function in all living organisms, and that all cells come from pre-existing cells. Cells emerged on Earth about 4 billion years ago.
  • 3.3K
  • 23 Nov 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
The Evolution of ESG: From CSR to ESG 2.0
The evolving landscape of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has transcended its traditional boundaries, transitioning into Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles and their more advanced iteration, ESG 2.0. Unlike traditional CSR, which primarily emphasizes voluntary ethical practices, ESG integrates sustainability into the core business strategy, transforming how corporations address environmental and societal challenges while enhancing shareholder value. This entry focuses specifically on the European and North American contexts, where regulatory pressures, investor demands, and societal expectations have played pivotal roles in accelerating this transition. Understanding the evolution from CSR to ESG practices is crucial, given the increasing complexity of global challenges such as climate change, inequality, and governance scandals. The emphasis on ESG 2.0 highlights a proactive, strategic approach to embedding sustainability into corporate DNA, ensuring relevance in a rapidly changing world.
  • 3.3K
  • 22 Nov 2024
Topic Review
Chlorinated Aliphatic Hydrocarbons
Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants whose presence in groundwater has persisted for many decades, mainly due to the physical-chemical characteristics of these compounds. In particular, CAHs belong to Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids (DNAPLs), for which contamination scenarios differ significantly from Light NAPLs scenarios, where the separate phase floats at the top of the water table due to its lower density than water.
  • 3.3K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Synthesis of MoS2
Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), with a two-dimensional (2D) structure, has attracted huge research interest due to its unique electrical, optical, and physicochemical properties. MoS2 has been used as a co-catalyst for the synthesis of novel heterojunction composites with enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen production under solar light irradiation. Nanostructured MoS2 can be fabricated via both top-down and bottom-up approaches.
  • 3.3K
  • 10 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Ideal Type
The concept of "ideal type" was introduced by the sociologist Max Weber as a methodological tool to analyze and understand complex social phenomena. An ideal type is an abstract, simplified model constructed by the researcher to highlight essential characteristics of a social phenomenon, allowing for clearer analysis and comparison, despite recognizing that real-world instances may not perfectly align with the constructed model. It serves as an analytical device rather than a precise representation of empirical reality, aiding in the systematic examination of social phenomena.
  • 3.3K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
HRM–CSR–SP Relationship
Human Resource Management–Corporate Social Responsibility–Sustainable Performance (HRM–CSR–SP) relationship is considered as a strong theoretical foundation where HRM is critical in educating firms on the values of CSR and leading behaviors to pursue a sustainable performance. This relationship explains the organizations’ behaviors towards developing and implementing CSR policies into strategic and operational decisions by engaging their employees supported by HRM practices to achieve sustainable performance (social, environmental, financial performance).
  • 3.3K
  • 17 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Matching Theory (Economics)
In economics, matching theory, also known as search and matching theory, is a mathematical framework attempting to describe the formation of mutually beneficial relationships over time. Matching theory has been especially influential in labor economics, where it has been used to describe the formation of new jobs, as well as to describe other human relationships like marriage. Matching theory evolved from an earlier framework called 'search theory'. Where search theory studies the microeconomic decision of an individual searcher, matching theory studies the macroeconomic outcome when one or more types of searchers interact. It offers a way of modeling markets in which frictions prevent instantaneous adjustment of the level of economic activity. Among other applications, it has been used as a framework for studying frictional unemployment. One of the founders of matching theory is Dale T. Mortensen of Northwestern University. A textbook treatment of the matching approach to labor markets is Christopher A. Pissarides' book Equilibrium Unemployment Theory. Mortensen and Pissarides, together with Peter A. Diamond, were awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Economics for 'fundamental contributions to search and matching theory'.
  • 3.3K
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Surfactants in Corrosion Inhibitors
Surfactants are commonly used as corrosion inhibitors due to their ability to adsorb onto metal surfaces and form a protective barrier. When surfactants are added to a solution, they can reduce the surface tension and promote the wetting of the metal surface by the solution. This allows the surfactant molecules to be attracted to the metal surface, where they can adsorb and form a protective layer. Surfactants can also help to inhibit corrosion by reducing the electrochemical activity of the metal surface. This can be achieved by either reducing the rate of anodic or cathodic reactions, or by reducing the rate of ion transport across the metal-solution interface. By inhibiting these electrochemical processes, the surfactant can slow down the rate of corrosion and prevent further degradation of the metal surface. In addition to their inhibitive properties, surfactants can also improve the performance of other corrosion inhibitors. For example, surfactants can enhance the adsorption of organic inhibitors onto metal surfaces, which can increase their effectiveness. Surfactants can also improve the solubility and stability of inorganic inhibitors, which can improve their dispersibility in a solution.
  • 3.3K
  • 24 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Composition of Nuts
The possibility that nut intake may defend human health is an interesting point of view and has been investigated worldwide. Consequently, nuts are commonly promoted as healthy. The number of investigations proposing a correlation between nut consumption and a decrease in the risk of key chronic diseases has continued to increase. Nuts are a source of intake of fiber, and dietary fiber is associated with a reduced occurrence of obesity and cardiovascular diseases. Nuts likewise provide minerals and vitamins to the diet and supply phytochemicals that function as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and phytoestrogens agents and other protective mechanisms. 
  • 3.3K
  • 13 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Urban Heat Island
Economic and social development of urban and rural areas continues in parallel with the increase of the human population, especially in developing countries, which leads to sustained expansion of impervious surface areas, particularly paved surfaces. The conversion of pervious surfaces to impervious surfaces significantly modifies local energy balance in urban areas and contributes to urban heat island (UHI) formation, mainly in densely developed cities. Climate change, urban population growth, and urban land expansion will probably increase temperatures in urban areas and make the UHI effect more prominent. Therefore, using appropriate measures to ameliorate urban microclimate becomes increasingly important.
  • 3.3K
  • 16 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Seawater Electrolysis
Hydrogen energy, as a clean and renewable energy, has attracted much attention in recent years. Water electrolysis via the hydrogen evolution reaction at the cathode coupled with the oxygen evolution reaction at the anode is a promising method to produce hydrogen. Given the shortage of freshwater resources on the planet, the direct use of seawater as an electrolyte for hydrogen production has become a hot research topic. Direct use of seawater as the electrolyte for water electrolysis can reduce the cost of hydrogen production due to the great abundance and wide availability. Various high-efficiency electrocatalysts have made great progress in seawater splitting and have shown great potential.
  • 3.3K
  • 07 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria
Certain bacteria constitute a threat to humans due to their ability to escape host defenses as they easily develop drug resistance. Bacteria are classified into gram-positive and gram-negative according to the composition of the cell membrane structure. Gram-negative bacteria have an additional outer membrane (OM) that is not present in their gram-positive counterpart; the latter instead hold a thicker peptidoglycan (PG) layer. Bacterial resistance to these drugs continues to evolve, which calls for novel antibacterial approaches to be developed.
  • 3.3K
  • 05 Aug 2022
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