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Topic Review
Caster
A caster (also known as castor according to some dictionaries) is a wheeled device typically mounted to a larger object that enables relatively easy rolling movement of the object. Casters are essentially housings, that include a wheel and a mounting to install the caster to objects (equipment, apparatus and more). Casters are found virtually everywhere, from office desk chairs to shipyards, and from hospital beds to automotive factories. They range in size from the very small furniture casters to massive industrial casters, and individual load capacities span 100 pounds (45 kg) or less to 100,000 pounds (45 t). Wheel materials include cast iron, plastic, rubber, polyurethane, polyolefin, nylon, thermoplastic rubber, forged steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and more.
  • 1.8K
  • 25 Nov 2022
Biography
Herbert Read
Sir Herbert Edward Read, DSO, MC (/riːd/; 4 December 1893 – 12 June 1968) was an English art historian, poet, literary critic and philosopher, best known for numerous books on art, which included influential volumes on the role of art in education. Read was co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Arts. As well as being a prominent English anarchist, he was one of the earliest English writ
  • 1.8K
  • 07 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Possibilities for Blockchain-Enabled Guarantees of Origin
Guarantees of Origin (GOs) are widely used as insurances for the renewability of electricity supplies and proofs of compliance to renewable standards; however, they suffer from structural problems. Their transactional history cannot distinguish between those traded among market actors and the ones that come directly from power plants, giving rise to transparency issues. Certificate trading dissuades producers from investing in an increase in renewable capacity resulting in lack of additionality while complex frameworks and administrative structures emerge to keep track of the vast network of GOs. These issues can be resolved through the introduction of blockchain networks which can provide transparency and help incentivise renewable investment while increasing automation and process simplification.
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Diagnosis and Management of Mandibular Crowding
Crowding is the most frequent malocclusion in orthodontics, with a strong hereditary tendency. It already occurs in pediatric age and is mainly hereditary. It is a sign of a lack of space in the arches, and is not self-correcting, but can worsen over time. The main cause of the worsening of this malocclusion is a progressive and physiological decrease in the arch perimeter.  An orthodontic treatment cannot ignore the concept of “guide arch”, which concerns the lower arch, because of the objective difficulty in increasing its perimeter; the bone structure of the lower jaw is more compact than that of the upper one. Its expansion, in fact, is limited to a slight vestibularization of the incisors and lateral sectors that may be associated with a limited distalization of the molars. There are various therapeutic solutions available to the orthodontist, and a correct diagnosis through clinical examination, radiographs and model analysis are essential. The decision of how to deal with crowding cannot be separated from an overall assessment of the malocclusion to be treated.
  • 1.8K
  • 08 May 2023
Topic Review
Liquefied Dimethyl Ether Extraction Technology for Microalgae
Microalgae are a sustainable source for the production of biofuels and bioactive compounds. Dimethyl ether (DME), which is characterized by its low boiling point and safety as an organic solvent, exhibits remarkable properties that enable high extraction rates of various active compounds, including lipids and bioactive compounds, from high-water-content microalgae without the need for drying.
  • 1.8K
  • 30 Jan 2024
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Underground Built Heritage
The Underground Built Heritage (UBH) class, introduced at a methodological and theoretical level in 2021, collects cultural assets excavated throughout history from underground that, today, are significant elements of local cultural heritage, having strongly impacted on the “sense of place” of local communities. Those cultural assets have been at the core of several national and international regeneration processes, and, recently, new tools have been developed to support their classification and sustainable reuses. This entry introduces tools for the classification of historical uses of UBH elements and their historical reuses, as well providing guidelines for their sustainable regeneration for the social and economic benefit of local populations based on the analysis of some worldwide case studies.
  • 1.8K
  • 04 Jul 2025
Topic Review
T2DM and the Gut Microbiota
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) affects over 9% of the United States population alone, constitutes a cause for ensuing cardiovascular disease, and is typically closely linked to obesity status. While obesity has long been perceived to stem from a sedentary lifestyle and high fat intake there is increasing evidence supporting the idea that this is a more complex issue than initially thought. The human gut microbiome has been a recent point of investigation due to the idea that it may be closely linked to T2DM. The aforementioned high fat diets can impact the gut microbiome in a significant way, altering the demography of the gut’s microflora, hence shifting the gut into a state of dysbiosis. Dysbiosis is a state that favors the initiation of a cascade inducing metabolic deregulation, increasing inflammation and insulin resistance systemically. Below the relationship of the microbiome to T2DM is briefly discussed.
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Lamin-A/C expression in immune cells
Nuclear envelope lamin A/C type-V intermediate filaments are a major constituent of the mammalian nuclear lamina, a dense fibrous protein meshwork located in the nuclear interior. Lamin A/C proteins control nuclear mechanics and structure and modify cellular signaling, gene transcription, epigenetic regulation, cell cycle progression, cell differentiation, and cell migration. The immune system is constituted by the innate and adaptive immunity. Innate immune response is mediated by myeloid cells such as neutrophils, macrophages, and dendritic cells. These cells produce a rapid and nonspecific response through phagocytosis, cytokine production, and complement activation, as well as activating adaptive immunity. Specific adaptive immune response is provoked by antigen presentation by antigen presenting cells (APCs) and the cytokine milieu, and is mainly mediated by the cellular functions of T cells and the production of antibodies by B cells. Unlike most cell types, immune cells regulate their lamin A/C protein expression relatively rapidly to exert their functions, with expression increasing in macrophages, reducing in neutrophils, and increasing transiently in T cells. In this article, it is discussed and summarized studies that have addressed the regulation of the expression of lamin A/C in cells of the innate and adaptive immune system.
  • 1.8K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Mobile Learning
Abstract: Mobile phones have become widespread in the modern era. One contemporary use of mobile phones is in the education field, commonly known as M-Learning. Subsequent to the growth of M-Learning, developers of educational mobile applications need to understand what the user requirements are, and how to satisfy them. In order to measure user satisfaction while engaging with mobiles aslearning tools, manymodelshavebeencreatedusingtheUnifiedTheoryofAcceptanceand Use of Technology, and other models such as the Technology Acceptance Model. However, none of these has focused on the technical factors affecting the users’ intentions to use their mobile phones as learning tools. Due to technical limitations, as well as human psychology, mobile phone learning remains limited to an assistance-only function. This paper presents a review of studies that have been used to measure users’ intentions of engaging with mobile phones as learning tools. One hundred and twenty-seven papers have been reviewed, dating from 2011 to 2020. These papers differ in terms of methodology and results collected. Results showed that many models had been extended by adding factors such as trust, pre-usage or attitude. Moreover, this review concludes that almost none of the above-mentioned studies had identified precisely the technical factors that may affect the intention of using this type of technology in education. However, when classifying the influential factors of M-Learning, almost none of the studies discussed the advantages of the technical aspect in imparting knowledge through mobile learning. This study is significant for the education industry in its identification of the relative importance of these factors where mobiles are involved in the learning process. In addition, it provides a brief history of the involvement of technology in education.
  • 1.8K
  • 10 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Yeast Cells in Microencapsulation
Yeasts are uni/multicellular eukaryotic organisms, originally thought to be ascomycetous fungi, but later recognized to also comprise basidiomycetous organisms; more typically, yeasts reproduce asexually (rapid duplication) but can also adopt sexual reproduction.
  • 1.8K
  • 02 Jul 2021
Topic Review
HANPP
Human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) is a substantial improvement upon 20th century attempts at developing an ecological footprint indicator because of its measurability in relation to net primary production, its close relationship to other key footprint measures, such as carbon and water, and its spatial specificity. HANPP informs different sustainability narratives at different scales. At the planetary scale, HANPP is a critical planetary limit that improves upon areal land use indicators. At the country macroscale, HANPP indicates the degree to which meeting the needs of the domestic population for provisioning ecosystem services (food, feed, biofiber, biofuel) presses against the domestic ecological endowment of net primary production. At the county mesoscale, HANPP reveals the dependency of metropolitan areas upon regional specialized rural forestry and agroecosystems to which they are teleconnected through trade and transport infrastructures. At the pixel microscale, HANPP provides the basis for deriving spatial patterns of remaining net primary production upon which biodiversity and regulatory and cultural ecosystem services are dependent. HANPP is thus a sustainability indicator that can fulfill similar needs as carbon, water and other footprints.
  • 1.8K
  • 23 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 through Sport
Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) – achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is one of the 17 SDGs, which is “integral to all dimensions of inclusive and sustainable development”. Sport has been hailed as a vehicle for humanitarian work and social change - this refers to the nascent concept of sport for development (SFD). Gender equality and/or women empowerment are one of the most common intended outcomes in SFD programs. In the research and evaluation of SFD programs targeting SDG 5, it is fundamental to understand the history of the SFD movement, the relationship with SDGs, and the existing literature on SFD and SDG 5.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Dam Effects the Ecosystems of Nearby Marine Areas
Dams have made great contributions to human society, facilitating flood control, power generation, shipping, agriculture, and industry. However, the construction of dams greatly impacts downstream ecological environments and nearby marine areas. 
  • 1.8K
  • 22 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Primary Polydipsia
Primary polydipsia, or psychogenic polydipsia, is a form of polydipsia characterised by excessive fluid intake in the absence of physiological stimuli to drink. Psychogenic polydipsia which is caused by psychiatric disorders, often schizophrenia, is often accompanied by the sensation of dry mouth. Some forms of polydipsia are explicitly non-psychogenic. Primary polydipsia is a diagnosis of exclusion.
  • 1.8K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Short-Beaked Echidna
The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of four living species of echidna and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus. It is covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout and a specialized tongue, which it uses to catch its insect prey at a great speed. Like the other extant monotremes, the short-beaked echidna lays eggs; the monotremes are the only living group of mammals to do so. The short-beaked echidna has extremely strong front limbs and claws, which allow it to burrow quickly with great power. As it needs to be able to survive underground, it has a significant tolerance to high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen. It has no weapons or fighting ability but repels predators by curling into a ball and deterring them with its spines. It lacks the ability to sweat and cannot deal with heat well, so it tends to avoid daytime activity in hot weather. It can swim if needed. The snout has mechanoreceptors and electroreceptors that help the echidna to detect its surroundings. During the Australia n winter, it goes into deep torpor and hibernation, reducing its metabolism to save energy. As the temperature increases, it emerges to mate. Female echidnas lay one egg a year and the mating period is the only time the otherwise solitary animals meet one another; the male has no further contact with the female or his offspring after mating. A newborn echidna is the size of a grape but grows rapidly on its mother's milk, which is very rich in nutrients. Baby echidnas eventually grow too large and spiky to stay in the pouch and, around seven weeks after hatching, are expelled from the pouch into the mother's burrow. At around six months of age, they leave the burrow and have no more contact with their mothers. The species is found throughout Australia, where it is the most widespread native mammal, and in coastal and highland regions of eastern New Guinea, where it is known as the mungwe in the Daribi and Chimbu languages. It is not threatened with extinction, but human activities, such as hunting, habitat destruction, and the introduction of foreign predatory species and parasites, have reduced its distribution in Australia.
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Water-Saving Technologies for Rice Production
In the face of the negative impacts of climate change and the accelerated growth of the global population, precision irrigation is important to conserve water resources, improve rice productivity and promote overall efficient rice cultivation, as rice is a rather water-intensive crop than other crops. Water-saving technologies for rice cultivation are varied and can be classified into three groups: water-saving irrigation systems; water-saving irrigation methods and water-saving agronomic practices.
  • 1.8K
  • 25 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Nematophagous Fungi
Plant-parasitic nematodes significantly threaten agriculture and forestry, causing various diseases. They cause annual losses of up to 178 billion dollars worldwide due to their parasitism. Nematophagous fungi (NF) are valuable in controlling or reducing parasitic nematode diseases by killing nematodes through predatory behavior.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most popular primary central nervous system cancer and has an extremely expansive course. Aggressive tumor growth correlates with short median overall survival (OS) oscillating between 14 and 17 months. The survival rate of patients in a three-year follow up oscillates around 10%. The interaction of the proteins programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand (PD-L1) creates an immunoregulatory axis promoting invasion of glioblastoma multiforme cells in the brain tissue. The PD-1 pathway maintains immunological homeostasis and protects against autoimmunity. PD-L1 expression on glioblastoma surface promotes PD-1 receptor activation in microglia, resulting in the negative regulation of T cell responses. Glioblastoma multiforme cells induce PD-L1 secretion by activation of various receptors such as toll like receptor (TLR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), interferon alpha receptor (IFNAR), interferon-gamma receptor (IFNGR). Binding of the PD-1 ligand to the PD-1 receptor activates the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2, which dephosphorylates Zap 70, and this inhibits T cell proliferation and downregulates lymphocyte cytotoxic activity. Relevant studies demonstrated that the expression of PD-L1 in glioma correlates with WHO grading and could be considered as a tumor biomarker. Studies in preclinical GBM mouse models confirmed the safety and efficiency of monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Satisfactory results such as significant regression of tumor mass and longer animal survival time were observed. Monoclonal antibodies inhibiting PD-1 and PD-L1 are being tested in clinical trials concerning patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.
  • 1.8K
  • 21 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Biological Quality of Soils
As is it known, soil is the basis of all activity in which man is involved. At the same time, it is the key factor for the development of the life and biodiversity of the planet's flora and fauna. Hence, as result of global warming and climate change, ecological research has recently increased its importance on the bases that extensive forest areas, act as carbon sinks mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. But no less important for investigation should be to inquire under this plant cover. Because there is a totally unimaginable and diverse world that remains in constant interactions to keep alive and from the green covering habitat to the diverse forms from small mammals to man. Man in its early days learned to manage the soil with the aim of producing food. Afterwards the exponential growth of the population was produced, and a high demand for food, caused the expansion of livestock borders, caused the devastation of large areas of forests, and generated a great impact to the soil and ecosystem. As a result, the change in land use and the application of chemicals impoverished and impairs the soil and the life that inhabits it. This is why this work highlights the importance of the biological component of soil to the context of the Amazon of Ecuador. For this reason, is important to consider different organisms as Essential Indicators of Soil Quality, mainly for the tropical soil field. In order to reach this objective, we compiled information presenting it in tables. They facilitate the interpretation of the importance of species of organisms and parameters from a biological point of view. At the same time, they can be used as a theoretical basis for the development of projects and research aimed to the management of biological soil composites.
  • 1.8K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin C and Kidney Injury
Vitamin C is an important micronutrient and antioxidant for the human body.  In animal experiments, it can protect the kidneys from injury caused by nephrotoxic drugs.  A major feature of COVID-19 and similar viral infection is the cytokine storm, which causes a rise of multiple cytokines in the blood. Those cytokines result in the oxidative stress in cells, which leads to damage to organs and tissues, including the kidneys.  Here, we reviewed the current literature on kidney damage in COVID-19 patients and analyzed the possible etiology and mechanisms.  In addition, we summarized the potential use of vitamin C in preventing kidney damage in experimental animal models and the underlying mechanisms.  Vitamin C appears to protect and facilitate recovery of kidneys from injuries derived from excessive of oxidative stress, a feature of cytokines storm in people with COVID-19.  Finally, we would like to argue that vitamin C may be protective of the renal functions in COVID-19 patients with pre-existing kidney diseases. 
  • 1.8K
  • 26 Jul 2021
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