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Topic Review
Alkenylbenzenes and Food
Alkenylbenzenes are potentially toxic (genotoxic and carcinogenic) compounds present in plants such as basil, tarragon, anise star and lemongrass. These plants are found in various edible consumer products, e.g., popularly used to flavour food. Thus, there are concerns about the possible health consequences upon increased exposure to alkenylbenzenes especially due to food intake. It is therefore important to constantly monitor the amounts of alkenylbenzenes in our food chain. 
  • 2.1K
  • 22 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Methanotrophic Bacteria in Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater treatment plants and other remediation facilities serve important roles, both in public health, but also as dynamic research platforms for acquiring useful resources and biomolecules for various applications. An example of this is methanotrophic bacteria within anaerobic digestion processes in wastewater treatment plants. These bacteria are an important microbial source of many products including ectoine, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and methanobactins, which are invaluable to the fields of biotechnology and biomedicine.
  • 2.1K
  • 10 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Free Radicals
Free radicals are atoms, molecules or ions with one or more unpaired electrons. The most reactive ones have high reduction potentials; i.e., they readily oxidize most molecules indiscriminately. There is a common misconception that all free radicals are highly reactive, but in fact the range of those able to cause biological damage is quite narrow: it is made up principally of hydroxyl, peroxyl, alkoxyl, thiyl, phenoxyl and semiquinone free radicals, and high valence transition ions.
  • 2.1K
  • 07 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States Secretary of Energy from 2017 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 47th Governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015, having been elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and later assuming the office from George W. Bush. Perry ran unsuccessfully for the nomination for President of the United States in 2012 and 2016. President Donald Trump nominated him as Secretary of Energy; he was confirmed by the United States Senate in a 62–37 vote on March 2, 2017. On October 17, 2019, Perry reported to President Trump that he intended to resign as Secretary of Energy at the end of the year. He left office on December 1, 2019.
  • 2.1K
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Submarine Canyon
A submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley cut into the seabed of the continental slope, sometimes extending well onto the continental shelf, having nearly vertical walls, and occasionally having canyon wall heights of up to 5 km, from canyon floor to canyon rim, as with the Great Bahama Canyon. Just as above-sea-level canyons serve as channels for the flow of water across land, submarine canyons serve as channels for the flow of turbidity currents across the seafloor. Turbidity currents are flows of dense, sediment laden waters that are supplied by rivers, or generated on the seabed by storms, submarine landslides, earthquakes, and other soil disturbances. Turbidity currents travel down slope at great speed (as much as 70 km/h), eroding the continental slope and finally depositing sediment onto the abyssal plain, where the particles settle out. About 3% of submarine canyons include shelf valleys that have cut transversely across continental shelves, and which begin with their upstream ends in alignment with and sometimes within the mouths of large rivers, such as the Congo River and the Hudson Canyon. About 28.5% of submarine canyons cut back into the edge of the continental shelf, whereas the majority (about 68.5%) of submarine canyons have not managed at all to cut significantly across their continental shelves, having their upstream beginnings or "heads" on the continental slope, below the edge of continental shelves. The formation of submarine canyons is believed to occur as the result of at least two main process: 1) erosion by turbidity current erosion; and 2) slumping and mass wasting of the continental slope. While at first glance, the erosion patterns of submarine canyons may appear to mimic those of river-canyons on land, due to the markedly different erosion processes that have been found to take place underwater at the soil/ water interface, several notably different erosion patterns have been observed in the formation of typical submarine canyons. Many canyons have been found at depths greater than 2 km below sea level. Some may extend seawards across continental shelves for hundreds of kilometres before reaching the abyssal plain. Ancient examples have been found in rocks dating back to the Neoproterozoic. Turbidites are deposited at the downstream mouths or ends of canyons, building an abyssal fan.
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Buffon's Needle
In mathematics, Buffon's needle problem is a question first posed in the 18th century by Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon: Buffon's needle was the earliest problem in geometric probability to be solved; it can be solved using integral geometry. The solution, in the case where the needle length is not greater than the width of the strips, can be used to design a Monte Carlo method for approximating the number π, although that was not the original motivation for de Buffon's question.
  • 2.1K
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Toughening Approaches of Recycled Polystyrene
Several environmental and techno-economic assessments highlighted the advantage of placing polystyrene-based materials in a circular loop, from production to waste generation to product refabrication, either following the mechanical or thermochemical routes.
  • 2.1K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Ultra-Endurance Participation and Acute Kidney Injury
Increasingly popular, ultra-endurance participation exposes athletes to extremely high levels of functional and structural damage. Ultra-endurance athletes commonly develop acute kidney injury (AKI) and other pathologies harmful to kidney health. There is strong evidence that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, common amongst ultra-athletes, is linked to increased risk and severity of AKI and potentially ischaemic renal injury, i.e., acute tubular necrosis. Ultra-endurance participation also increases the risk of exertional rhabdomyolysis, exercise-associated hyponatremia, and gastrointestinal symptoms, interlinked pathologies all with potential to increase the risk of AKI. Hydration and fuelling both also play a role with the development of multiple pathologies and ultimately AKI, highlighting the need for individualised nutritional and hydration plans to promote athlete health. Faster athletes, supplementing nitrates, and being female also increase the risk of developing AKI in this setting.
  • 2.1K
  • 12 Jan 2023
Topic Review
COVID-19 Vaccines
With a death toll of over one million worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become the most devastating humanitarian catastrophe in recent decades. The fear of acquiring infection and spreading to vulnerable people has severely impacted society’s socio-economic status. To put an end to this growing number of infections and deaths as well as to switch from restricted to everyday living, an effective vaccine is desperately needed. As a result, enormous efforts have been made globally to develop numerous vaccine candidates in a matter of months. Currently, over 30 vaccine candidates are under assessment in clinical trials, with several undergoing preclinical studies.
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Lithium-Sulfur Redox Battery
The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) redox battery system is considered to be the most promising next-generation energy storage technology due to its high theoretical specific capacity (1673 mAh/g), high energy density (2600 Wh/kg), low cost, and environmentally friendly nature of sulfur. Though this system is deemed to be the next-generation energy storage device for portable electronics and electric vehicles, its poor cycle life, low coulombic efficiency, and low rate capability limit it from practical applications. These performance barriers were linked to several issues like polysulfide (LiPS) shuttle, inherent low conductivity of charge/discharge end products, and poor redox kinetics. Here, we review the recent developments made to alleviate these problems through an electrocatalysis approach, which is considered to be an effective strategy not only to trap the LiPS but also to accelerate their conversion reactions kinetics. Herein, the influence of different chemical interactions between the LiPS and the catalyst surfaces and their effect on the conversion of liquid LiPS to solid end products are reviewed. Finally, we also discussed the challenges and perspectives for designing cathode architectures to enable high sulfur loading along with the capability to rapidly convert the LiPS.
  • 2.1K
  • 21 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Urban Overheating in Australia
Cities in Australia are experiencing unprecedented levels of urban overheating, which has caused a significant impact on the country’s socioeconomic environment. This study provides a comprehensive review on urban overheating, its impact on health, energy, economy, and the heat mitigation potential of a series of strategies in Australia. Existing studies show that the average urban heat island (UHI) intensity ranges from 1.0 °C to 13.0 °C. The magnitude of urban overheating phenomenon in Australia is determined by a combination of UHI effects and dualistic atmospheric circulation systems (cool sea breeze and hot desert winds). The strong relation between multiple characteristics contribute to dramatic fluctuations and high spatiotemporal variabilities in urban overheating. In addition, urban overheating contributes to serious impacts on human health, energy costs, thermal comfort, labour productivity, and social behaviour. 
  • 2.1K
  • 16 Nov 2020
Topic Review
S-Nitrosylation
Nitric oxide (NO) is a highly reactive molecule, generated through metabolism of L-arginine by NO synthase (NOS). Abnormal NO levels in mammalian cells are associated with multiple human diseases, including cancer. Recent studies have uncovered that the NO signaling is compartmentalized, owing to the localization of NOS and the nature of biochemical reactions of NO, including S-nitrosylation. S-nitrosylation is a selective covalent post-translational modification adding a nitrosyl group to the reactive thiol group of a cysteine to form S-nitrosothiol (SNO), which is a key mechanism in transferring NO-mediated signals. While S-nitrosylation occurs only at select cysteine thiols, such a spatial constraint is partially resolved by transnitrosylation, where the nitrosyl moiety is transferred between two interacting proteins to successively transfer the NO signal to a distant location. As NOS is present in various subcellular locales, a stress could trigger concerted S-nitrosylation and transnitrosylation of a large number of proteins involved in divergent signaling cascades. S-nitrosylation is an emerging paradigm of redox signaling by which cells confer protection against oxidative stress.
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Modelling the Human Placental Interface In Vitro
Acting as the primary link between mother and fetus, the placenta is involved in regulating nutrient, oxygen, and waste exchange; thus, healthy placental development is crucial for a successful pregnancy. In line with the increasing demands of the fetus, the placenta evolves throughout pregnancy, making it a particularly difficult organ to study. Research into placental development and dysfunction poses a unique scientific challenge due to ethical constraints and the differences in morphology and function that exist between species. An alternative is to create an in vitro model of the human placenta. Advancements in the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), microfluidics, and bioprinting have each contributed to the development of new models, which can be designed to closely match physiological in vivo conditions. By including relevant placental cell types and control over the microenvironment, these in vitro models can reveal clues to the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction and facilitate drug testing across the maternal-fetal interface. 
  • 2.1K
  • 02 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Biomass-Based Biohydrogen Production
Biohydrogen is a sustainable energy form and a preferable substitute for fossil fuel. Biohydrogen production is eco-friendly compared to other methods of hydrogen production. It has the potential to replace conventional fossil fuels without releasing greenhouse gases. Hydrogen production from biomass depends upon the type of feedstock utilized.
  • 2.1K
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Polyploidy in Evolution
Polyploidy or whole-genome duplication (WGD) is widespread in nature, agriculture and aquaculture, normal physiology, regeneration, aging, and pathology. WGD results from the premature termination of the cell cycle or cell fusion. If WGD occurs in germ cells, the progeny organisms become completely polyploid, if in somatic cells, the somatic polyploidy arises in certain tissues of a given organism. Polyploidization leads to long-term consequences both in evolution (organismal) and ontogenesis (somatic). In evolution, WGD is one of the main sources for the growth of organismal complexity and evolutionary plasticity
  • 2.1K
  • 08 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Creative Accounting
The main function behind the conceptualization of creative accounting is maintaining the quality of financial reporting practice. Basically, creative accounting is the practice of influencing financial indicators through accounting knowledge without explicitly violating accounting policies, rules, and laws. Creative accounting is practiced to demonstrate the financial status desired by the company management wherein the stakeholders are informed what the management wants them to perceive. It facilitates the manipulation of financial information in its proper and accurate form in which the preparer uses the existing rules or in many cases ignores one or more rules.
  • 2.1K
  • 27 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Polyarteritis Nodosa
Classic polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) is a vasculitis with systemic manifestations that is characterized by inflammatory and necrotizing lesions affecting medium and small muscular arteries, most frequently at the bifurcation of the vessels.
  • 2.1K
  • 19 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring
Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) is a process of estimating operational states and power consumption of individual appliances, which if implemented in real-time, can provide actionable feedback in terms of energy usage and personalized recommendations to consumers. Intelligent disaggregation algorithms such as deep neural networks can fulfill this objective if they possess high estimation accuracy and lowest generalization error. In order to achieve these two goals, this paper presents a disaggregation algorithm based on a deep recurrent neural network using multi-feature input space and post-processing. First, the mutual information method was used to select electrical parameters that had the most influence on the power consumption of each target appliance. Second, selected steady-state parameters based multi-feature input space (MFS) was used to train the 4-layered bidirectional long short-term memory (LSTM) model for each target appliance. Finally, a post-processing technique was used at the disaggregation stage to eliminate irrelevant predicted sequences, enhancing the classification and estimation accuracy of the algorithm. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted on 1-Hz sampled UKDALE and ECO datasets in a noised scenario with seen and unseen test cases. Performance evaluation showed that the MFS-LSTM algorithm is computationally efficient, scalable, and possesses better estimation accuracy in a noised scenario, and generalized to unseen loads as compared to benchmark algorithms. Presented results proved that the proposed algorithm fulfills practical application requirements and can be deployed in real-time.
  • 2.1K
  • 28 Oct 2020
Topic Review
LBSL
Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (commonly referred to as LBSL) is a progressive disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. Leukoencephalopathy refers to abnormalities in the white matter of the brain, which is tissue containing nerve cell fibers (axons) that transmit nerve impulses.
  • 2.1K
  • 04 Jan 2021
Topic Review
COVID-19: IoT Adoption in Healthcare
COVID-19 has disrupted normal life and has enforced a substantial change in the policies, priorities and activities of individuals, organisations and governments. These changes are proving to be a catalyst for technology and innovation. In this entry, we discuss the pandemic's potential impact on the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare. Our perspective and forecast of this impact on IoT adoption is based on a thorough research literature review, a careful examination of reports from leading consulting firms and interactions with several industry experts. For each of these sectors, we also provide the details of notable IoT initiatives taken in wake of COVID-19. We also highlight the challenges that need to be addressed and important research directions that will facilitate accelerated IoT adoption.
  • 2.1K
  • 28 Jun 2021
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