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Topic Review
Biological Properties of Anthocyanin Pigments in Blood Oranges
Anthocyanins are natural pigments that give a red, purple, and blue color to many plant, flower, fruit, and vegetable species. Their presence within the genus Citrus was first reported in 1916, and it is well-known that the red color of the flesh and rind of blood (red or pigmented) oranges (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) is due to the presence of anthocyanins. They are also present in the young shoots, flowers, and peel of lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.), citron (Citrus medica L.), and other citrus species. 
  • 2.2K
  • 22 Dec 2022
Topic Review
EV Charging on Local PCC and Distribution Network
The revolution due to technological advancement has paved the way for clean and efficient transportation systems, which, in turn, has posed new social and technical challenges to the current electric grid. Most implementations of electro-mobility envision large amount of charging of electric vehicles (EVs) from the low- or medium-voltage distribution network. The impacts of charging on those grids could put a limit on the electrification of transport, at least in the long term.
  • 2.2K
  • 28 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Chitosan Biopolymer on Plant Growth
The chitosan (CHT) biopolymer is a de-acetylated chitin derivative derived from the outer shell of shrimp, shellfish, lobster, or crabs, as well as the cell wall of fungi. Because of its biodegradability, environmental non-toxicity, and biocompatibility, it is an ideal resource for sustainable agriculture. The CHT emerged as a promising agent used as a plant growth promoter. It induces plant growth by influencing plant physiological processes like nutrient uptake, cell division, cell elongation, enzymatic activation, and synthesis of protein that can eventually lead to increased yield. It also alters plant defense responses by triggering multiple useful metabolic pathways. Depending on the structures, chitosan is useful for industrial and agricultural applications.
  • 2.2K
  • 21 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Incretin Hormones
The term incretin was introduced in 1932 to describe compounds produced by intestinal mucosa in response to nutrient ingestion, which were capable of reducing blood glucose. There are two known incretins: glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) produced by the K cells of an upper gut and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) produced by the L cells of a lower gut. Incretins play a crucial role in stimulating insulin and glucagon secretion by the pancreas.
  • 2.2K
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Brass Alloys against Hospital-Acquired Infections
Touch surfaces made of copper-based alloys such as brasses are used in healthcare settings in an attempt to reduce the bioburden and limit environmental transmission of nosocomial pathogens. 
  • 2.2K
  • 22 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Microbial Mats: Extraterrestrial Life Models
Extant microbial mats already present on Earth provide useful working analog models for the exploration of life in extraterrestrial hydrospheres.
  • 2.2K
  • 08 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Neutrophils in Obesity
Obesity is characterized by an increase in body weight associated with an exaggerated enlargement of the adipose tissue. Accumulation of fat in adipose tissue causes stress and malfunction of adipocytes, which then initiate inflammation. Next, adipose tissue is infiltrated by cells of the innate immune system. It has become evident that neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes in blood, are the first immune cells infiltrating the adipose tissue. Neutrophils then get activated and release inflammatory factors that recruit macrophages and other immune cells. These immune cells, in turn, perpetuate the inflammation state by producing cytokines and chemokines that can reach other parts of the body, creating a systemic inflammatory condition.
  • 2.2K
  • 14 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Exploring Behavioural Plasticity of Cats
Understanding behavioural plasticity and other recently evolved traits of domestic cats may lead to management strategies that maximise health and welfare of cats, wildlife, and humans—otherwise domestic cat behaviour may be ‘misunderstood’. Importantly, interdisciplinary research using expertise from biological and social sciences, and engaging human communities, should evaluate these management strategies to ensure they maintain optimal welfare of free-ranging domestic cats while preserving biodiversity and protecting wildcats.
  • 2.2K
  • 26 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Kuni-yuzuri
The kuni-yuzuri (国譲り) "Transfer of the land" was a mythological event in Japanese prehistory, related in sources such as the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki. It relates the story of how the rulership of Japan passed from the earthly kami (kunitsukami) to the kami of Heaven (amatsukami) and their eventual descendants, the Imperial House of Japan.
  • 2.2K
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Chitin and Chitosan in Ruminant Diets
The slow progress in the development of the subsector, particularly of alternative feed sources such as agro-industrial byproducts and unconventional feed resources, has deepened the gap in the availability of and accessibility to animal feed. Production of animal feed is highly resource demanding. It has been shown that increasing climate change, land degradation, and the recurrence of droughts have worsened the feed gap. In the backdrop of these challenges, there has been attention to food-not-feed components, which have great potential to substitute human-edible components in livestock feeding. Chitosan, a non-toxic polyglucosamine, is widely distributed in nature and used as a feed additive. Chitosan is obtained from the de-acetylation process of the chitin and is mostly present in shrimp, crabs, and insect exoskeletons, and has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, antitumor, and immune-stimulatory hypo-cholesterolemic properties.
  • 2.2K
  • 14 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Fundamental Interaction
In physics, the fundamental interactions, also known as fundamental forces, are the interactions that do not appear to be reducible to more basic interactions. There are four fundamental interactions known to exist: the gravitational and electromagnetic interactions, which produce significant long-range forces whose effects can be seen directly in everyday life, and the strong and weak interactions, which produce forces at minuscule, subatomic distances and govern nuclear interactions. Some scientists hypothesize that a fifth force might exist, but these hypotheses remain speculative. Each of the known fundamental interactions can be described mathematically as a field. The gravitational force is attributed to the curvature of spacetime, described by Einstein's general theory of relativity. The other three are discrete quantum fields, and their interactions are mediated by elementary particles described by the Standard Model of particle physics. Within the Standard Model, the strong interaction is carried by a particle called the gluon, and is responsible for quarks binding together to form hadrons, such as protons and neutrons. As a residual effect, it creates the nuclear force that binds the latter particles to form atomic nuclei. The weak interaction is carried by particles called W and Z bosons, and also acts on the nucleus of atoms, mediating radioactive decay. The electromagnetic force, carried by the photon, creates electric and magnetic fields, which are responsible for the attraction between orbital electrons and atomic nuclei which holds atoms together, as well as chemical bonding and electromagnetic waves, including visible light, and forms the basis for electrical technology. Although the electromagnetic force is far stronger than gravity, it tends to cancel itself out within large objects, so over large (astronomical) distances gravity tends to be the dominant force, and is responsible for holding together the large scale structures in the universe, such as planets, stars, and galaxies. Many theoretical physicists believe these fundamental forces to be related and to become unified into a single force at very high energies on a minuscule scale, the Planck scale, but particle accelerators cannot produce the enormous energies required to experimentally probe this. Devising a common theoretical framework that would explain the relation between the forces in a single theory is perhaps the greatest goal of today's theoretical physicists. The weak and electromagnetic forces have already been unified with the electroweak theory of Sheldon Glashow, Abdus Salam, and Steven Weinberg for which they received the 1979 Nobel Prize in physics. Some physicists seek to unite the electroweak and strong fields within what is called a Grand Unified Theory (GUT). An even bigger challenge is to find a way to quantize the gravitational field, resulting in a theory of quantum gravity (QG) which would unite gravity in a common theoretical framework with the other three forces. Some theories, notably string theory, seek both QG and GUT within one framework, unifying all four fundamental interactions along with mass generation within a theory of everything (ToE).
  • 2.2K
  • 15 Nov 2022
Biography
Frank P. Ramsey
Frank Plumpton Ramsey (/ˈræmzi/; 22 February 1903 – 19 January 1930) was a British philosopher, mathematician, and economist who made major contributions to all three fields before his death at the age of 26. He was a close friend of Ludwig Wittgenstein and was instrumental in translating Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus into English, as well as persuading Wittgenstein to return
  • 2.2K
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Oil Palm and Machine Learning
Machine learning (ML) offers new technologies in the precision agriculture domain with its intelligent algorithms and strong computation. Oil palm is one of the rich crops that is also emerging with modern technologies to meet global sustainability standards. This entry presents a comprehensive review of research dedicated to the application of ML in the oil palm agricultural industry over the last decade (2011–2020).
  • 2.2K
  • 16 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Environmental Performance of FRP
FRPs (fiber-reinforced polymers) have gained increasing popularity in the last few years due to their durability, high corrosion resistance, light weight and high strength. Life cycle assessment is considered one of the most important methods to investigate the environmental impacts of the FRP. 
  • 2.2K
  • 13 Oct 2022
Topic Review
NLRP3 Inflammasome Regulatory Mechanisms
The inflammasome is an intracellular molecular complex, which is mainly involved in innate immunity. Inflammasomes are formed in response to danger signals, associated with infection and injury, and mainly regulate the secretion of interleukin-1β and interleukin-18. Inflammasome dysregulation is known to be associated with various diseases and conditions, and its regulatory mechanisms have become of great interest in recent years. In the colon, inflammasomes have been reported to be associated with autophagy and the microbiota, and their dysregulation contributes to colitis and. However, the detailed role of inflammasomes in inflammatory bowel disease is still under debate because the mechanisms that regulate the inflammasome are complex and the inflammasome components and cytokines show seemingly contradictory multiple effects. 
  • 2.2K
  • 18 Jan 2021
Topic Review
A State-of-the-Art Vegetation Map for Jordan
Jordan’s forested regions account for 0.71% of the total land area, with acacia woodland and forests combined totalling 2.3%. From the satellite image interpretation, two maps were created: an unsupervised land cover/land use map and a supervised map of present-day vegetation types, both consisting of 18 categories. These new maps should inform ecosystem management and conservation planning decisions in Jordan over the coming years. 
  • 2.2K
  • 14 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Induction of Accelerated Aging in a Mouse Model
With the global increase of the elderly population, the improvement of the treatment for various aging-related diseases and the extension of a healthy lifespan have become some of the most important current medical issues. In order to understand the developmental mechanisms of aging and aging-related disorders, animal models are essential to conduct relevant studies. Among them, mice have become one of the most prevalently used model animals for aging-related studies due to their high similarity to humans in terms of genetic background and physiological structure, as well as their short lifespan and ease of reproduction. 
  • 2.2K
  • 05 May 2022
Topic Review
Optimal Properties of the Scaffold
Osteoarthritis leads to the progressive decay of articular cartilage. Due to its intrinsic avascular character, cartilage shows an inadequate capacity for regeneration. Cartilage loss may result in chronic pain, movement disorder and morbidity, which lack effective treatments except for joint replacement for late-stage osteoarthritis. To overcome this challenge, tissue engineering has emerged as a promising method. Scaffolds provide mechanical and biochemical support to stem cells that undergo differentiation and secrete a cartilage-specific matrix, and this strategy has been proven to have positive results. The ideal 3D scaffolds need to have versatile properties to mediate cell–cell signalling and cell–matrix interactions for controlling the cellular behaviour of MSCs, specifically: (1) sufficient mechanical strength; (2) biocompatibility; (3) suitable surface morphology for cell attachment; (4) appropriate porosity and pore size to allow the cells to infiltrate as well as nutrients and waste to diffuse; (5) promoting cell proliferation, differentiation and maintenance of a chondrogenic phenotype of seeded cells; (6) capability of integrating with native tissues; and (7) controlled degradation without toxic byproducts.
  • 2.2K
  • 09 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Traveler's Cheque
A traveler's cheque[lower-alpha 1] is a medium of exchange that can be used in place of hard currency. They can be denominated in one of a number of major world currencies and are preprinted, fixed-amount cheques designed to allow the person signing it to make an unconditional payment to someone else as a result of having paid the issuer for that privilege. They are generally used by people on vacation in foreign countries instead of cash, as many businesses used to accept traveler's cheques as currency. The incentive for merchants and other parties to accept them lies in the fact that as long as the original signature (which the buyer is supposed to place on the cheque in ink as soon as they receive the cheque) and the signature made at the time the cheque is used are the same, the cheque's issuer will unconditionally guarantee payment of the face amount even if the cheque was fraudulently issued, stolen, or lost. This means that a traveler's cheque can never 'bounce' unless the issuer goes bankrupt and out of business. If a traveler's cheque were lost or stolen, it could be replaced by the issuing financial institution. The financial institutions issuing traveler's cheques earn income in a number of ways. Firstly, they charge a fee on sale of such cheques. In addition, they can earn interest for the period that the cheques are uncashed, while not paying any interest to the cheque holder, making them effectively interest-free loans. Also, the foreign exchange rate commonly used on traveler's cheques (generally based on rates applicable at the time of purchase) is less favourable compared to other forms of obtaining foreign currency, especially those on credit card transactions (which use a rate applicable at the statement date). In addition, the setup cost and the cost of issuing and processing traveler's cheques is much higher than for credit card transactions. The cheque issuer carries the exchange rate risk, and normally pays a fee to hedge against the risk. Their use has been in decline since the 1990s, when a variety of more convenient alternatives, such as credit cards, debit cards, pre-paid currency cards and automated teller machines, became more widely available and easier for travelers to use. Traveler's cheques are no longer widely accepted and cannot easily be cashed, even at the banks that issued them. The alternatives to traveler's cheques are generally cheaper and more flexible. Travel money cards, for instance, provide features similar to traveler's cheques but offer greater ease and flexibility.
  • 2.2K
  • 10 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Artemisia Argentea
Artemisia /ˌɑːrtɪˈmiːziə/ is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 and 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. Common names for various species in the genus include mugwort, wormwood, and sagebrush. Artemisia comprises hardy herbaceous plants and shrubs, which are known for the powerful chemical constituents in their essential oils. Artemisia species grow in temperate climates of both hemispheres, usually in dry or semiarid habitats. Notable species include A. vulgaris (common mugwort), A. tridentata (big sagebrush), A. annua (sagewort), A. absinthium (wormwood), A. dracunculus (tarragon), and A. abrotanum (southernwood). The leaves of many species are covered with white hairs. Most species have strong aromas and bitter tastes from terpenoids and sesquiterpene lactones, which discourage herbivory, and may have had a selective advantage. The small flowers are wind-pollinated. Artemisia species are used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species. Some botanists split the genus into several genera, but DNA analysis does not support the maintenance of the genera Crossostephium, Filifolium, Neopallasia, Seriphidium, and Sphaeromeria; three other segregate genera -- Stilnolepis, Elachanthemum, and Kaschgaria -- are maintained by this evidence. Occasionally, some of the species are called sages, causing confusion with the Salvia sages in the family Lamiaceae.
  • 2.2K
  • 04 Nov 2022
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