Your browser does not fully support modern features. Please upgrade for a smoother experience.
Subject:
All Disciplines Arts & Humanities Biology & Life Sciences Business & Economics Chemistry & Materials Science Computer Science & Mathematics Engineering Environmental & Earth Sciences Medicine & Pharmacology Physical Sciences Public Health & Healthcare Social Sciences
Sort by:
Most Viewed Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Filter:
All Topic Review Biography Peer Reviewed Entry Video Entry
Topic Review
Evaluating Public Services Considering Expectations of Users
Evaluating public services has become an important task in order to direct actions that may positively affect with the quality of the service provided by governments. To undertake an effective evaluation, it is necessary to analyze data and information on the impact of the services. A wide range of studies have been proposed to measure how an organization delivers its services according to the expectations of the stakeholders. Public sector services should be designed to allow citizens to manage their lives most efficiently. Such designs should be based on an understanding of the experience and the services shaped to integrate into the user’s world. A good strategy will avoid (or mitigate) failure, especially of electronic government projects. 
  • 1.8K
  • 02 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Parallel K-Means Algorithms in Java
K-means is a well-known clustering algorithm often used for its simplicity and potential efficiency. K-means, though, suffers from computational problems when dealing with large datasets with many dimensions and great number of clusters. 
  • 1.8K
  • 21 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Metabolic Reprogramming in Cancer
Reprogramming is a process mediated by multiple factors, including oncogenes, growth factors, hypoxia-induced factors, and the loss of suppressor gene function, which support malignant transformation and tumor development in addition to cell heterogeneity. Consequently, this hallmark promotes resistance to conventional anti-tumor therapies by adapting to the drastic changes in the nutrient microenvironment that these therapies entail. Therefore, it represents a revolutionary landscape during cancer progression that could be useful for developing new and improved therapeutic strategies targeting alterations in cancer cell metabolism, such as the deregulated mTOR and PI3K pathways.
  • 1.8K
  • 27 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Underlying Biochemical and Molecular Mechanisms for Seed Germination
With the burgeoning population of the world, the successful germination of seeds to achieve maximum crop production is very important. Seed germination is a precise balance of phytohormones, light, and temperature that induces endosperm decay. Abscisic acid and gibberellins—mainly with auxins, ethylene, and jasmonic and salicylic acid through interdependent molecular pathways—lead to the rupture of the seed testa, after which the radicle protrudes out and the endosperm provides nutrients according to its growing energy demand. The incident light wavelength and low and supra-optimal temperature modulates phytohormone signaling pathways that induce the synthesis of ROS, which results in the maintenance of seed dormancy and germination.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Cyrcadian Rhythm, Mood, and Temporal Patterns of Chocolate
Taking small amounts of chocolate, in the morning at breakfast at the onset of the active phase, helps speed up resynchronization time. The high flavonoid contents in chocolate promote cardioprotection, metabolic regulation, neuroprotection, and neuromodulation with direct actions on brain function, neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and mood. Cocoa products and especially chocolate are foodstuffs originating from South America. Cocoa is obtained from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree, which are then dried, shelled, fermented, and ground with other substances such as sugar, fat, and other flavorings to produce the wide variety of chocolate available on the market, from dark to milk variations.
  • 1.8K
  • 10 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Health Star Rating System
The Health Star Rating System (HSR) is an Australian Government initiative that assigns health ratings to packaged foods and beverages. The Health Star Rating System was established in 2014 as a preventative measure in slowing or reversing the rate of overweight Australians. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, over 63% of Australian adults were classified either overweight or obese at that time. The purpose for the Health Star Rating is to provide a visual comparison of like for like products, to assist consumers into distinguishing and choosing the healthier options. It was designed to target time-deprived working adults as well as parents and children who were less likely to check how healthy each individual product was, through examination of the nutritional facts label on the back of products. Ratings scale by half star increments between half a star up to five stars, with the higher the rating, the healthier the product. These scores are determined through the use of the Health Star Rating Calculator, which was created by the federal and state governments in collaboration with leading health industry consumer groups and expert nutritionists. The calculator uses nutritional information such as total sugar, sodium, energy and other variants to obtain a rating for the product. Points are added for "healthy" nutrients such as fibres, proteins and vegetable matter whilst points are deducted for "unhealthy" nutrients; nutrients that have been scientifically linked to chronic health disease, such as fats and sugars. There are two types of HSR logos that companies can add to their packaging, one which simply displays the rating and another which depicts the rating along with some of the key nutritional categories. The Health Star Rating has received criticism over the effectiveness of the calculator and how some companies have potentially manipulated its use. The system has undergone consistent internal monitoring including a two-year review and is currently undertaking a five-year review. An early preview of the five year report was made available for public viewing from February 2019. The Australian Government has stated that it has closely followed external input and advice from independent journals and papers to continually improve on the system and resolve problems as they arise.
  • 1.8K
  • 20 Oct 2022
Topic Review
The Critic
The Critic is an American prime time animated series revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Lovitz. It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as writers and showrunners (seasons 3 and 4) on The Simpsons. The Critic had 23 episodes produced, first broadcast on ABC in 1994, and finishing its original run on Fox in 1995. According to PopMatters, "the creators [said] they intended the series as their 'love letter to New York.'" Episodes featured movie parodies with notable examples including a musical version of Apocalypse Now, Howard Stern's End (Howards End), Honey, I Ate the Kids (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids/The Silence of the Lambs), The Cockroach King (The Lion King), Abe Lincoln: Pet Detective (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective), Scent of a Jackass and Scent of a Wolfman (Scent of a Woman). The show often referenced popular movies such as Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and The Godfather, and routinely lampooned actor Marlon Brando and actor/director Orson Welles. They also spoofed Dudley Moore, usually as his character Arthur Bach from the 1981 film Arthur. Despite the ratings improving, The Critic was cancelled after two seasons. It continued to air through reruns on Comedy Central and then on Locomotion. From February 1, 2000, to 2001, ten webisodes were later produced using Adobe Shockwave, and were broadcast on AtomFilms.com and Shockwave.com. In 2004, the DVD box set was released, which includes all 23 TV episodes (in their original production order) and the webisodes. In the late 2000s, reruns of the show aired again on ReelzChannel in the US and on Teletoon's programming block Teletoon at Night in Canada. As of 2016, the first season can be viewed for free on Crackle.
  • 1.8K
  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Guard Rail
Guard rail, guardrails — or railings around properties and more generally outside of North America in some uses overlaps the industrial term "guide rail". They are a boundary feature and may be a means to prevent or deter access to dangerous or off-limits areas while allowing light and visibility in a greater way than a fence. Common shapes are flat, rounded edge, and tubular in horizontal railings, whereas tetraform spear-headed or ball-finialled are most common in vertical railings around homes. Park and garden railings commonly in metalworking feature swirls, leaves, plate metal areas and/or motifs particularly on and beside gates. High security railings (particularly if in flat metal then a type of palisade) may instead feature jagged points and most metals are well-suited to anti-climb paint. A handrail is less restrictive on its own than a guard rail and provides support.
  • 1.8K
  • 07 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Glossary of Graph Theory Terms
This is a glossary of graph theory terms. Graph theory is the study of graphs, systems of nodes or vertices connected in pairs by edges.
  • 1.8K
  • 16 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Bacterial Efflux Pump Inhibitors Reduce Antibiotic Resistance
Efflux pump inhibitors, small molecules capable of restoring the effectiveness of existing antibiotics, are considered potential solutions to antibiotic resistance and have been an active area of research in recent years. Efflux pump inhibitors block efflux pumps through one or more processes, which can inactivate drug transport. 
  • 1.8K
  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
MIRRI-IT: Italian Culture Collections
Microorganisms represent most of the biodiversity of living organisms in every ecological habitat. They have profound effects on the functioning of any ecosystem and, therefore, on the health of our planet and of human beings. Moreover, microorganisms are the main protagonists in food, medical and biotech industries, and have several environmental applications.Accordingly, the characterization and preservation of microbial biodiversity are essential not only for the maintenance of natural ecosystems but also for research purposes and biotechnological exploitation. In this context, culture collections (CCs) and microbial biological resource centres (mBRCs) are crucial for the safeguarding and circulation of biological resources, as well as for the progress of life sciences.
  • 1.8K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Nematode Identification Techniques
Nematodes are among the most diverse but least studied organisms. Classic morphology-based identification is often insufficient for nematode identification, mainly due to the lack of sufficient variations among closely related species. Various molecular methods are used to supplement and/or circumvent these problems. These methods range from DNA fingerprinting to sequence analyses of DNA- and/or protein-based information. Computational image analyses have also contributed towards improved nematode identification and classification. Each of these methods have unique benefits, and potential issues, usually depending on the goal and circumstance of identification. However, together, these methods have aided nematode identification and increase our understanding of nematode diversity and phylogeny. 
  • 1.8K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Extracellular Matrix in Breast Cancer
The role of extracellular matrix in breast cancer progression has recently been realized. Here, the effect of various ECM properties including fiber structure, stiffness and biochemical composition are reviewed, with a special emphasis on the extracellular vesicles. 
  • 1.8K
  • 16 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Nanoemulsions
Nanoemulsions (NEs) are lipophilic systems with nanoscale globules that can be absorbed e.g. through the nasal mucosa, and are therefore being explored for nose-to-brain delivery of drugs. These can be either oil-in-water (o/w) or water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions. Especially, o/w NEs are a promising option for the encapsulation of lipophilic drugs, protecting them from enzymatic degradation, increasing their solubility in liquid media, modulating their drug release, and improving their bioavailability.
  • 1.8K
  • 04 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Acinetobacter baumannii
Acinetobacter baumannii is regarded as a life-threatening pathogen associated with community-acquired and nosocomial infections, mainly pneumonia.
  • 1.8K
  • 14 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Alpha-Synuclein in Neurons
Accumulation of the neuronal presynaptic protein alpha-synuclein within proteinaceous inclusions represents the key histophathological hallmark of a spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders, referred to by the umbrella term a-synucleinopathies. Even though alpha-synuclein is expressed predominantly in neurons, pathological aggregates of the protein are also found in the glial cells of the brain. In Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, alpha-synuclein accumulates mainly in neurons forming the Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites, whereas in multiple system atrophy, the protein aggregates mostly in the glial cytoplasmic inclusions within oligodendrocytes. In addition, astrogliosis and microgliosis are found in the synucleinopathy brains, whereas both astrocytes and microglia internalize alpha-synuclein and contribute to the spread of pathology. The mechanisms underlying the pathological accumulation of alpha-synuclein in glial cells that under physiological conditions express low to non-detectable levels of the protein are an area of intense research. Undoubtedly, the presence of aggregated alpha-synuclein can disrupt glial function in general and can contribute to neurodegeneration through numerous pathways. 
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Geopolymer Composites Designed for Water and Wastewater Treatment
Since the discovery of geopolymers four decades ago, they have come quite a long way successfully and gained attention, mostly due to the effortlessness for geo-synthesis with lesser emission of greenhouse gases (GHG). Their admirable properties, such as toughness, heat and fire resistance, refractory nature and radiation hardness, altogether make them promising for applications for radioactive waste containment, as well as for pozzolanic action, making them multi-functional. In realism, lots of industrial materials are derived using geopolymers. For example, fiber-based geopolymer composites are regarded as fire-resistant. Quite a lot of geopolymeric composites are positioned in metal tool coatings and the construction of cabinets of airplanes and buildings, with a view to trim down the intensity of inferno incidents. The polymeric chain-like structure of geopolymers contributes higher chemical resistance, lower shrinkage and enhanced resistance to abrasion with high early mechanical strength. This entry describes that applications and interaction of geopolymer.
  • 1.8K
  • 30 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Microtubule Poisons
Microtubule poisons, as is the case with other antitumor drugs, routinely promote autophagy in tumor cells. However, the nature and function of the autophagy, in terms of whether it is cytoprotective, cytotoxic or nonprotective, cannot be predicted; this likely depends on both the type of drug studied as well as the tumor cell under investigation. The microtubule poisons continue to play a central role in the clinical treatment of both solid tumors or hematologic malignancies. However, tumor cells can develop resistance by a number of mechanisms such as altered microtubule binding and efflux via the multidrug resistance pump family of transporters.
  • 1.8K
  • 14 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Mathematics Models in Reverse Osmosis Evaluation Processes
An effective alternative for water purification is reverse osmosis (RO). Laboratory-scale RO modeling is widely applied worldwide, and allows the evaluation of the behavior of the system to find the most convenient operating variables to be applied in future industrial scale-ups. Statistical models provide a wide range of information that allows a statistical prediction of the operation of the plant, and allows people to obtain efficiency indices in its development; these are useful in the planning, operation and monitoring process in RO plants. The mathematical models describe the physical behavior of the membrane and allow the identification of optimal operating conditions, taking into account economic aspects, guaranteeing a greater implementation of RO technology in developing countries which have problems with water contaminated with toxic heavy metals. A comparative method is proposed to establish the advantages and selection criteria to apply the different models in IO.
  • 1.8K
  • 28 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Dinheirosaurus
Dinheirosaurus is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur that is known from fossils uncovered in modern-day Portugal. It may represent a species of Supersaurus. The only species is Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis, first described by José Bonaparte and Octávio Mateus in 1999 for vertebrae and some other material from the Lourinhã Formation. Although the precise age of the formation is not known, it can be dated around the early Tithonian of the Late Jurassic. The known material includes two cervical vertebrae, nine dorsal vertebrae, a few ribs, a fragment of a pubis, and many gastroliths. Of the material, only the vertebrae are diagnostic, with the ribs and pubis being too fragmentary or general to distinguish Dinheirosaurus. This material was first described as in the genus Lourinhasaurus, but differences were noticed and in 1999 Bonaparte and Mateus redescribed the material under the new binomial Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis. Another specimen, ML 418, thought to be Dinheirosaurus, is now known to be from another Portuguese diplodocid. This means that Dinheirosaurus lived alongside many theropods, sauropods, thyreophorans and ornithopods, as well as at least one other diplodocid. Dinheirosaurus is a diplodocid, a relative of Apatosaurus, Diplodocus, Barosaurus, Supersaurus, and Tornieria. Among those, the closest relative to Dinheirosaurus is Supersaurus.
  • 1.8K
  • 30 Oct 2022
  • Page
  • of
  • 2799
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Reprints

>>
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
Encyclopedia of Engineering
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of Medieval Royal Iconography
Academic Video Service
Feedback