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Topic Review
Optical Tweezers
Optical tweezers is a very well-established technique that has developed into a standard tool for trapping and manipulating micron and submicron particles with great success in the last decades. Under tight focusing of a laser beam the optical forces that appear around the focus spot can be both repulsive (scattering force) and attractive (gradient force) towards a particle with higher refractive index than its surroundings. By proper control of these two forces a stable potential can be achieved where a particle can be trapped and manipulated in space. The ability to manipulate micro- and nanoscale matter according to our needs has opened great avenues to a variety of research areas.
  • 3.2K
  • 19 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Recent Advances in Pterostilbene
Pterostilbene is a natural 3,5-dimethoxy analog of resveratrol. This stilbene compound has a strong bioactivity and exists widely in Dalbergia and Vaccinium spp. Besides natural extraction, pterostilbene can be obtained by biosynthesis. Pterostilbene has become popular because of its remarkable pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, and neuroprotection. Pterostilbene can be rapidly absorbed and is widely distributed in tissues, but it does not seriously accumulate in the body. Pterostilbene can easily pass through the blood-brain barrier because of its low molecular weight and good liposolubility. In this review, the studies performed in the last three years on resources, synthesis, bioactivity, and pharmacokinetics of pterostilbene are summarized.
  • 3.2K
  • 19 Nov 2020
Topic Review
GDM
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy complication first detected in the second or third trimester in women that did not show evident glucose intolerance or diabetes before gestation. 
  • 3.2K
  • 27 May 2021
Topic Review
Tracheophyta
Vascular plants (from la vasculum 'duct'), also called tracheophytes (/trəˈkiː.əˌfaɪts/) or collectively Tracheophyta (from grc τραχεῖα ἀρτηρία (trakheîa artēría) 'windpipe', and φυτά (phutá) 'plants'), form a large group of land plants (c. 300,000 accepted known species) that have lignified tissues (the xylem) for conducting water and minerals throughout the plant. They also have a specialized non-lignified tissue (the phloem) to conduct products of photosynthesis. Vascular plants include the clubmosses, horsetails, ferns, gymnosperms (including conifers) and angiosperms (flowering plants). Scientific names for the group include Tracheophyta,:251 Tracheobionta and Equisetopsida sensu lato. Some early land plants (the rhyniophytes) had less developed vascular tissue; the term eutracheophyte has been used for all other vascular plants, including all living ones. Historically, vascular plants were known as "higher plants," as it was believed that they were further evolved than other plants due to being more complex organisms. However, this is an antiquated remnant of the obsolete scala naturae, and the term is generally considered to be unscientific.
  • 3.2K
  • 08 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Virtual Reality and Robots
There is a significant amount of synergy between virtual reality (VR) and the field of robotics. However, it has only been in approximately the past five years that commercial immersive VR devices have been available to developers. This new availability has led to a rapid increase in research using VR devices in the field of robotics, especially in the development of VR interfaces for operating robots. 
  • 3.2K
  • 25 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Journal Micromachines
Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X) first launched in 2010，initially published as a quarterly journal，and received 1st Impact Factor in July 2014. In 2015，Micromachines was transferred to a monthly journal. Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal, which provides an advanced forum for studies on micro/nano-scaled structures, materials, devices, systems as well as related micro- and nanotechnology from fundamental research to applications. The journal publishes reviews, original research articles, and communications in this field. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their theoretical and experimental results in as much detail as possible. Therefore, there is no restriction on the length of the papers or the number of electronic supplementary files. Full details on experiments, materials and methods must be provided for a research article so that the results can be reproduced. Micromachines is covered by the Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science), Ei Compendex, Scopus, and PubMed, and its 2019 impact factor is 2.523. 
  • 3.2K
  • 26 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Inflorescence Meristem in Cereal Crops
Flowering plants develop new organs throughout their life cycle. The vegetative shoot apical meristem (SAM) generates leaf whorls, branches and stems, whereas the reproductive SAM, called the inflorescence meristem (IM), forms florets arranged on a stem or an axis. In cereal crops, the inflorescence producing grains from fertilized florets makes the major yield contribution, which is determined by the numbers and structures of branches, spikelets and florets within the inflorescence. The developmental progression largely depends on the activity of IM. The proper regulations of IM size, specification and termination are outcomes of complex interactions between promoting and restricting factors/signals. 
  • 3.2K
  • 14 May 2021
Topic Review
Plug-In Electric Vehicles in the Netherlands
The adoption of plug-in electric vehicles in the Netherlands is actively supported by the Dutch government through the exemption of the registration fee and road taxes. These purchase incentives have been adjusted over time. Considering the potential of plug-in electric vehicles in the country due to its relative small size and geography, the Dutch government set a target of 15,000 to 20,000 electric vehicles with three or more wheels on the roads in 2015; 200,000 vehicles in 2020; and 1 million vehicles in 2025. The first two targets were achieved two years earlier than planned. The Dutch plug-in market was dominated by plug-in hybrids until 2016, when the tax rules changed after it became apparent many users rarely used the electric motors and only bought the cars for their tax advantage. In 2019, plug-in electric passenger cars had a market share of 14.9%, and rose to 24.6% in 2020, with battery electric vehicles dominating sales in both years. (As of December 2020), there were 297,380 highway-legal light-duty plug-in electric vehicles on the road in the Netherlands, consisting of 182,481 fully electric cars, 108,652 plug-in hybrids, and 6,247 all-electric light utility vans. (As of December 2012), the Netherlands was the country with the highest ratio of slow charging points to electric vehicles (EVSE/EV), with a ratio of more than 0.50, while the U.S had a slow EVSE/EV ratio of 0.20. The Netherlands' mix of slow and fast chargers has allowed it to become the country with the highest number of charging point per capita in the world. (As of December 2016), there were 11,768 public slow charging points available 24/7, 14,320 slow charging point with limited public access, 612 public and semi-public fast charging points, and over 72,000 private charging points.
  • 3.2K
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Geology
Geology (from grc γῆ 'earth', and -λoγία 'study of, discourse') is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth sciences, including hydrology and the atmospheric sciences, and so is treated as one major aspect of integrated Earth system science and planetary science. Geology describes the structure of the Earth on and beneath its surface, and the processes that have shaped that structure. It also provides tools to determine the relative and absolute ages of rocks found in a given location, and also to describe the histories of those rocks. By combining these tools, geologists are able to chronicle the geological history of the Earth as a whole, and also to demonstrate the age of the Earth. Geology provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and the Earth's past climates. Geologists use a wide variety of methods to understand the Earth's structure and evolution, including field work, rock description, geophysical techniques, chemical analysis, physical experiments, and numerical modelling. In practical terms, geology is important for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation, evaluating water resources, understanding of natural hazards, the remediation of environmental problems, and providing insights into past climate change. Geology is a major academic discipline, and it is central to geological engineering and plays an important role in geotechnical engineering.
  • 3.2K
  • 27 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Notch Signaling Function in Angiogenesis
The Notch signaling pathway is a major regulator of vascular morphogenesis, managing endothelial response to vascular growth factors, endothelial specialization, establishment and maintenance of vascular identity as venous or arterial and vascular maturation.
  • 3.2K
  • 03 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Surfaces on Sprint Performance
The main function of a sport surface is to ensure safety and adequate player performance during physical exercise practice. 
  • 3.2K
  • 29 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Eidetic Imagery
An eidetic image is a type of vivid mental image, not necessarily derived from an actual external event or memory. It was identified in the early twentieth century as a distinct phenomenon by psychologists including E.R. Jaensch, Heinrich Klüver, Gordon Allport and Frederic Bartlett. Later, Akhter Ahsen located eidetic imagery in a structuralist context, and explored its therapeutic applications: psychotherapists sometimes encourage their clients to create and explore eidetic images as a way of coming to terms with past life events. Eidetic imagery has also been studied in relation to the creative arts.
  • 3.2K
  • 21 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Determination of KISCC by The Circumferential Notch Tensile
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a vexing problem for load-bearing equipment operating in a corrosive environment in various industries, such as aerospace, chemical and mineral processing, civil structures, bioimplants, energy generation etc. For safe operation, effective maintenance and life prediction of such equipment, reliable design data on SCC (such as threshold stress intensity for SCC, i.e., KISCC) are invaluable. Generating reliable KISCC data invariably requires a large number of tests. Traditional techniques can be prohibitively expensive. Circumfrential notch tensile testing is a relatively recent, much simpler and cost-effective approach to generating accurate and reliable KISCC data.
  • 3.2K
  • 12 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Gel Blasters
Gel blasters, also known as gel guns, gel shooters, gel markers, hydro markers, hydro blasters, water bead blasters or gelsoft, are toy guns similar in design to airsoft guns, but the projectiles they shoot are 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) superabsorbent polymer water beads (most commonly sodium polyacrylate, colloquially called water beads, hydrogel balls, gel balls, water bullets or simply gels), which are often sold commercially as moisture retainers for gardening and pot/vase floriculture. Gel blasters are often played in CQB-style shooting skirmishes similar to paintball by squads or local clubs of enthusiasts often referred to as "gelballers", but follow an airsoft-like honor-based gameplay umpiring system. MilSim games involving players wearing camouflage and dump pouches are very popular, while "SpeedGel" players are more casual with team jerseys and often wear paintball masks. In addition to safety gear such as eye protections, the sport is heavily regulated on the field and players must adhere to safety rules.
  • 3.2K
  • 20 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Microplastics
Plastics are broken down to microplastics (MPs), which are <5 mm in size. There are two types of MPs—primary MPs that are intentionally manufactured (detergent) and secondary MPs that are generated via mechanical collision, biodegradation, and photo-oxidative degradation of primary MPs. Both types of MPs carry toxic organic pollutants and heavy metals, since they have large surface areas and strong hydrophobicity. Microplastic (MP)-based contaminants in the environment are pervasive, but standard technologies used for MP identification have not yet been reported. Human beings take up MPs from the environmental ecosystem through the food chain without any particular purification. MPs can penetrate into capillaries from the bloodstream, resulting in endocrine system disorders or toxicity.In this review, we introduced several technologies, such as filtration using membranes, biological degradation, electrocoagulation, and removal using nanoparticles, used for the purification of MPs or related contaminants. Current studies of identification methods of MPs and evaluation tests of MPs exposure-based harmfulness in vitro and in vivo were summarized.
  • 3.2K
  • 21 Dec 2020
Topic Review
El Toro Loco (Truck)
El Toro Loco (Spanish for "The Crazy Bull") is a monster truck currently racing in the Monster Jam series. It is currently driven by Kayla Blood. Other drivers of have included Dan Rodoni, Aaron Basl, Ryan Huffaker, Joey Parnell, Chris Baker, and Nathan Weenk. It features one of the first 3-D body shells, with horns sticking out of the roof. This body was originally designed for Bulldozer, and was found a second use for El Toro Loco. As El Toro Loco has increased in popularity, it has become the primary truck for the body style.
  • 3.2K
  • 31 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Atlas of Piezoelectric Energy Harvesters in Oceanic Applications
Piezoelectric energy harvesters provide many different application scenarios by having flexibility in their structures, coupling modes, sizes and so on.
  • 3.2K
  • 21 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Pyocyanin
Pyocyanin is a blue pigment synthesized by about 95% of the strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
  • 3.2K
  • 02 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Nafion-Based Membrane
Nafion, a perfluorosulfonic acid proton exchange membrane (PEM), has been widely used in direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) to serve as a proton carrier, methanol barrier, and separator for the anode and cathode. A significant drawback of Nafion in DMFC applications is the high anode-to-cathode methanol fuel permeability that results in over 40% fuel waste.
  • 3.2K
  • 20 May 2022
Biography
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart OC (/pɪərt/; September 12, 1952 – January 7, 2020) was a Canadian musician, songwriter, and author, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of the rock band Rush. Peart earned numerous awards for his musical performances, including an induction into the Modern Drummer Readers Poll Hall of Fame in 1983, making him the youngest person ever so honoured.[1] His drumming
  • 3.2K
  • 16 Nov 2022
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