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Topic Review
Technocrat
Technocracy is an ideological system of governance in which a decision-maker or makers are elected by the population or appointed on the basis of their expertise in a given area of responsibility, particularly with regard to scientific or technical knowledge. This system explicitly contrasts with Representative Democracy, the notion that elected representatives should be the primary decision-makers in government, though it does not necessarily imply eliminating elected representatives. Leadership skills for decision-makers are selected on the basis of specialized knowledge and performance, rather than political affiliations or parliamentary skills. The term technocracy was originally used to advocate the application of the scientific method to solving social problems. Concern could be given to sustainability within the resource base, instead of monetary profitability, so as to ensure continued operation of all social-industrial functions. In its most extreme sense technocracy is an entire government running as a technical or engineering problem and is mostly hypothetical. In more practical use, technocracy is any portion of a bureaucracy that is run by technologists. A government in which elected officials appoint experts and professionals to administer individual government functions and recommend legislation can be considered technocratic. Some uses of the word refer to a form of meritocracy, where the ablest are in charge, ostensibly without the influence of special interest groups. Critics have suggested that a "technocratic divide" challenges more participatory models of democracy, describing these divides as "efficacy gaps that persist between governing bodies employing technocratic principles and members of the general public aiming to contribute to government decision making".
  • 2.3K
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Ebola Virus Disease
Ebola virus disease (EVD), also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) or simply Ebola, is a viral hemorrhagic fever of humans and other primates caused by ebolaviruses. Signs and symptoms typically start between two days and three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, sore throat, muscular pain, and headaches. Vomiting, diarrhea and rash usually follow, along with decreased function of the liver and kidneys. At this time, some people begin to bleed both internally and externally. The disease has a high risk of death, killing 25% to 90% of those infected, with an average of about 50%. This is often due to low blood pressure from fluid loss, and typically follows 6 to 16 days after symptoms appear. The virus spreads through direct contact with body fluids, such as blood from infected humans or other animals. Spread may also occur from contact with items recently contaminated with bodily fluids. Spread of the disease through the air between primates, including humans, has not been documented in either laboratory or natural conditions. Semen or breast milk of a person after recovery from EVD may carry the virus for several weeks to months. Fruit bats are believed to be the normal carrier in nature, able to spread the virus without being affected by it. Other diseases such as malaria, cholera, typhoid fever, meningitis and other viral hemorrhagic fevers may resemble EVD. Blood samples are tested for viral RNA, viral antibodies or for the virus itself to confirm the diagnosis. Control of outbreaks requires coordinated medical services and community engagement. This includes rapid detection, contact tracing of those who have been exposed, quick access to laboratory services, care for those infected, and proper disposal of the dead through cremation or burial. Samples of body fluids and tissues from people with the disease should be handled with special caution. Prevention includes limiting the spread of disease from infected animals to humans by handling potentially infected bushmeat only while wearing protective clothing, and by thoroughly cooking bushmeat before eating it. It also includes wearing proper protective clothing and washing hands when around a person with the disease. An Ebola vaccine was approved in the United States in December 2019. While there is no approved treatment for Ebola (As of 2019), two treatments (REGN-EB3 and mAb114) are associated with improved outcomes. Supportive efforts, also, improve outcomes. This includes either oral rehydration therapy (drinking slightly sweetened and salty water) or giving intravenous fluids as well as treating symptoms. The disease was first identified in 1976, in two simultaneous outbreaks: one in Nzara (a town in South Sudan) and the other in Yambuku (Democratic Republic of the Congo), a village near the Ebola River from which the disease takes its name. EVD outbreaks occur intermittently in tropical regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Between 1976 and 2013, the World Health Organization reports 24 outbreaks involving 2,387 cases with 1,590 deaths. The largest outbreak to date was the epidemic in West Africa, which occurred from December 2013, to January 2016, with {{#section:Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa|cases}} cases and {{#section:Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa|deaths}} deaths.{{#section:Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa|caserefs}} It was declared no longer an emergency on 29 March 2016. Other outbreaks in Africa began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 2017, and 2018. In July 2019, the World Health Organization declared the Congo Ebola outbreak a world health emergency.
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  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Adenosine and COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients can develop interstitial pneumonia, which, in turn, can evolve into acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This is accompanied by an inflammatory cytokine storm. severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has proteins capable of promoting the cytokine storm, especially in patients with comorbidities, including obesity. Since currently no resolutive therapy for ARDS has been found and given the scientific literature regarding the use of adenosine, its application has been hypothesized. Through its receptors, adenosine is able to inhibit the acute inflammatory process, increase the protection capacity of the epithelial barrier, and reduce the damage due to an overactivation of the immune system, such as that occurring in cytokine storms. These features are known in ischemia/reperfusion models and could also be exploited in acute lung injury with hypoxia. Considering these hypotheses, a COVID-19 patient with unresponsive respiratory failure was treated with adenosine for compassionate use. The results showed a rapid improvement of clinical conditions, with negativity of SARS-CoV2 detection.
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  • 23 May 2022
Topic Review
Bone Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering has promoted structures that can simulate the extracellular matrix and are capable of guiding natural bone repair using signaling molecules to promote osteoinduction and angiogenesis essential in the formation of new bone tissues.
  • 2.3K
  • 08 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Pressure Ulcer
Pressure ulcers, also known as pressure sores, bed sores or pressure injuries, are localised damage to the skin and/or underlying tissue that usually occur over a bony prominence as a result of usually long-term pressure, or pressure in combination with shear or friction. The most common sites are the skin overlying the sacrum, coccyx, heels, and hips, though other sites can be affected, such as the elbows, knees, ankles, back of shoulders, or the back of the cranium. Pressure ulcers occur due to pressure applied to soft tissue resulting in completely or partially obstructed blood flow to the soft tissue. Shear is also a cause, as it can pull on blood vessels that feed the skin. Pressure ulcers most commonly develop in individuals who are not moving about, such as those who are on chronic bedrest or consistently use a wheelchair. It is widely believed that other factors can influence the tolerance of skin for pressure and shear, thereby increasing the risk of pressure ulcer development. These factors are protein-calorie malnutrition, microclimate (skin wetness caused by sweating or incontinence), diseases that reduce blood flow to the skin, such as arteriosclerosis, or diseases that reduce the sensation in the skin, such as paralysis or neuropathy. The healing of pressure ulcers may be slowed by the age of the person, medical conditions (such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes or infection), smoking or medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs. Although often prevented and treatable if detected early, pressure ulcers can be very difficult to prevent in critically ill people, frail elders and individuals with impaired mobility such as wheelchair users (especially where spinal injury is involved). Primary prevention is to redistribute pressure by regularly turning the person. The benefit of turning to avoid further sores is well documented since at least the 19th century. In addition to turning and re-positioning the person in the bed or wheelchair, eating a balanced diet with adequate protein and keeping the skin free from exposure to urine and stool is important. The rate of pressure ulcers in hospital settings is high; the prevalence in European hospitals ranges from 8.3% to 23%, and the prevalence was 26% in Canadian healthcare settings from 1990 to 2003. In 2013, there were 29,000 documented deaths from pressure ulcers globally, up from 14,000 deaths in 1990.
  • 2.3K
  • 25 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Brown Lake (Stradbroke Island)
Brown Lake (Bummeria) is a perched lake on North Stradbroke Island, in South-East Queensland, Australia. The ecosystem is an example of a coastal non-floodplain sand lake and is characterised by acidic water, nutrient-poor and sandy soil, shrub-like vegetation and wet heathland. Brown Lake is of geographical significance, possessing ecological value. The geomorphology of the ecosystem is representative of the unique parabolic dune ridge systems that formed during the Pleistocene epoch. As a perched lake, the hydrological operations of Brown Lake are highly diverse and complex. The lake is also of cultural significance to the Aboriginal population of North Stradbroke Island, the Quandamooka people, as they possess a spiritual and physical relationship with the ecosystem. The indigenous population care for and protect the landscape, sharing traditional environmental management knowledge. Brown Lake’s cultural heritage and ecological value, along with the environmental damage associated with tourism, has led to increased conservation. The Queensland Government and the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation (QYAC) have proposed an improved environmental management plan, combining traditional and contemporary management practices.
  • 2.3K
  • 14 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Deep Learning Based Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access
Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) has become a promising evolution with the emergence of fifth-generation (5G) and Beyond-5G (B5G) rollouts. The potentials of NOMA are to increase the number of users, the system’s capacity, massive connectivity, and enhance the spectrum and energy efficiency in future communication scenarios.
  • 2.3K
  • 14 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Polyvinyl Chloride in the Environment
Plastics have recently become an indispensable part of everyone’s daily life due to their versatility, durability, light weight, and low production costs. The increasing production and use of plastics poses great environmental problems due to their incomplete utilization, a very long period of biodegradation, and a negative impact on living organisms. Decomposing plastics lead to the formation of microplastics, which accumulate in the environment and living organisms, becoming part of the food chain. The contamination of soils and water with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) seriously threatens ecosystems around the world. Their durability and low weight make microplastic particles easily transported through water or air, ending up in the soil.
  • 2.3K
  • 12 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Accelerometer-Based Human Fall Detection
Human falls are a global public health issue resulting in over 37.3 million severe injuries and 646,000 deaths yearly. Falls result in direct financial cost to health systems and indirectly to society productivity. Unsurprisingly, human fall detection and prevention is a major focus of health research. In this article, we consider deep learning for fall detection in an IoT and fog computing environment. We propose a Convolutional Neural Network composed of three convolutional layers, two maxpool, and three fully-connected layers as our deep learning model. We evaluate its performance using three open data sets and against extant research. Our approach for resolving dimensionality and modelling simplicity issues is outlined. Accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity, and the Matthews Correlation Coefficient are used to evaluate performance. The best results are achieved when using data augmentation during the training process. 
  • 2.3K
  • 20 Jan 2021
Topic Review
The Cannabis Terpenes
Terpenes are the primary constituents of essential oils and are responsible for the aroma characteristics of cannabis. Together with the cannabinoids, terpenes illustrate synergic and/or entourage effect and their interactions have only been speculated in for the last few decades. Hundreds of terpenes are identified that allude to cannabis sensory attributes, contributing largely to the consumer’s experiences and market price. They also enhance many therapeutic benefits, especially as aromatherapy.
  • 2.3K
  • 16 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Dissociation (Neuropsychology)
In neuropsychology, dissociation involves identifying the neural substrate of a particular brain function through identification of case studies, neuroimaging, or neuropsychological testing.
  • 2.3K
  • 23 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Agricultural Applications of Superabsorbent Polymer Hydrogels
Although natural polymers, such as various polysaccharides, have undoubted advantages related to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low cost, they are inferior to synthetic polymers in terms of water absorption and water retention properties. In this regard, the most promising are semi-synthetic polymeric superabsorbents based on natural polymers modified with additives or grafted chains of synthetic polymers, which can combine the advantages of natural and synthetic polymeric hydrogels without their disadvantages. Such semi-synthetic polymers are of great interest for agricultural applications, especially in dry regions, also because they can be used to create systems for the slow release of nutrients into the soil, which are necessary to increase crop yields using environmentally friendly technologies.
  • 2.3K
  • 02 Mar 2023
Topic Review
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the impairment of the cognitive function of a child. Studies suggested that the intestinal microbiota has a critical role in the function and regulation of the central nervous system, neuroimmune system, and neuroendocrine system. Any adverse changes in the gut-brain axis may cause serious diseases. Food preferences and dietary patterns are considered as key influencing factors of ASD development. Several recent reviews narrated the importance of dietary composition on controlling or reducing the ASD symptoms. It has been known that consumption of probiotics confers several health benefits by positive amendment of gut microbiota. Influence of probiotic intervention in children with ASD have also been reported and it has been considered as an alternative and complementary therapeutic supplement for ASD. The present manuscript discussed the role of microbiota in the development of ASD. 
  • 2.3K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
The HD-Domain Metalloprotein Superfamily
The histidine–aspartate (HD)-domain protein superfamily contains metalloproteins that share common structural features but catalyze vastly different reactions ranging from oxygenation to hydrolysis. This chemical diversion is afforded by (i) their ability to coordinate most biologically relevant transition metals in mono-, di-, and trinuclear configurations, (ii) sequence insertions or the addition of supernumerary ligands to their active sites, (iii) auxiliary substrate specificity residues vicinal to the catalytic site, (iv) additional protein domains that allosterically regulate their activities or have catalytic and sensory roles, and (v) their ability to work with protein partners. More than 500 structures of HD-domain proteins are available to date that lay out unique structural features which may be indicative of function. In this respect, we describe the three known classes of HD-domain proteins (hydrolases, oxygenases, and lyases) and identify their apparent traits with the aim to portray differences in the molecular details responsible for their functional divergence and reconcile existing notions that will help assign functions to yet-to-be characterized proteins.
  • 2.3K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Agroecology-The Case of Cereals
Transformative agroecology has been recognized as a stepping stone to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), due to its great potential to build climate change-resilient farming systems while enhancing ecosystem services and reducing biodiversity loss. Understanding the agroecological elements that underlie the sustainability of an agroecosystem is an urgent matter, serving as the foundation for designing a truly transformative agroecosystem. 
  • 2.3K
  • 12 May 2021
Topic Review
Developing Resilience to Disinformation through Media Literacy Programs
Disinformation and false information, often referred to as fake news do not constitute a novel phenomenon. Media literacy initiatives to enable the general public to critically evaluate media messages formally date back to UNESCO’s declaration of 1982, known as the Grünwald Declaration on Media Education. More recently (2020), UNESCO reiterated its position, drawing attention that in the age of ‘post-truth’, ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ disinformation and misinformation can and should be countered through media and information literacy (MIL) programs.
  • 2.3K
  • 16 May 2022
Topic Review
Metabolic and Physiological Adaptations with Opuntia
Adapting our food production chain and increasing the flora and fauna’s livelihood in climate change-affected areas using Opuntia is not only theoretical but already exists in practice in many places. This cactus grows in unsuitable soil for most species as it is adapted to arid and semi-arid soils and hot weather. In these regions, Opuntia protects from erosion and contributes to soil health. Opuntia has a high potential as an invasive species, with caution always being recommended when dealing with this specie. The high content of specific compounds, such as proline, indicaxanthin, and betanin, found in Opuntia ficus-indica, influence the plant’s adaptation to unfavourable conditions.
  • 2.3K
  • 24 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Applications of Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites
Researchers are exploring the use of natural fiber-reinforced polymer Composites (NFRPC) to bridge the gap between sustainability and material performance. Natural fiber composites are a viable option for several applications due to their low production cost. Possible applications include car bodies and interiors, storage devices, walls and ceilings in commercial and industrial spaces, and even false ceilings.
  • 2.3K
  • 06 Dec 2023
Topic Review
CMS Membranes for Olefin/Paraffin Separation
Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes have been developed to replace or support energy-intensive cryogenic distillation for olefin/paraffin separation. Olefin and paraffin have similar molecular properties, but can be separated effectively by a CMS membrane with a rigid, slit-like pore structure. A variety of polymer precursors can give rise to different outcomes in terms of the structure and performance of CMS membranes.
  • 2.3K
  • 26 Aug 2021
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Korean Division Films
As one half of what is currently the only divided country in the world, the phenomenon of the so-called “division film” in South Korea has developed as a reflection of the social changes associated with its divided national background. The divided Korean Peninsula, the cause of military confrontation between the two Koreas, the Korean War, and espionage activities, is the background for Korean division films. As a result, the divided state serves as a narrative element and can be explored as a theme. Since the release of the first division films in 1949, a year after the Korean Peninsula was split into two countries, division films have been produced constantly. This entry analyzes major political changes, focusing on the regime changes represented in division films and, based on this approach, explores the cinematic illustrations of modern Korean history in three distinct periods. In a bid to reflect the characteristics of the times, division films portray historical elements while acting successfully as an advanced form of art. Herein, I will examine the definition and the range of these division films. This entry thus aims to discuss, in depth, the origin and history of Korea’s division films. 
  • 2.3K
  • 27 Apr 2022
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