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Topic Review
Judiciary
The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that interprets and applies law in legal cases.
  • 1.7K
  • 17 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Lothian Birth-Cohort Studies
The Lothian birth-cohort studies are two ongoing cohort studies which primarily involve research into how childhood intelligence relates to intelligence and health in old age. The Lothian Birth Cohort studies of 1921 and 1936 have, respectively, followed up Lothian-based participants in the Scottish Mental Surveys of 1932 and 1947 in old age. Scottish Mental Survey data has provided a measure of the intelligence of Lothian Birth Cohort participants at age 11, which has enabled the investigation of how childhood intelligence relates to cognition, mental health and physical health in old age. Major cognitive ageing findings of the studies have concerned the stability of intelligence from childhood to old age, the influence of genetics on cognitive function and decline, and the role of the brain's white matter integrity in successful cognitive ageing. The studies have also been at the vanguard of the field of cognitive epidemiology, which explores how intelligence relates to physical and mental health outcomes. The Lothian Birth Cohort studies are led by Ian Deary, the director of the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh.
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
HSP60
Heat shock proteins are generally responsible for preventing damage to proteins in response to high levels of heat. Heat shock proteins are classified into six major families based on their molecular mass: small HSPs, HSP40, HSP60, HSP70, HSP90, and HSP110 HSP60 is implicated in mitochondrial protein import and macromolecular assembly. It may facilitate the correct folding of imported proteins, and may also prevent misfolding and promote the refolding and proper assembly of unfolded polypeptides generated under stress conditions in the mitochondrial matrix. HSP60 interacts with HRAS and with HBV protein X and HTLV-1 protein p40tax. HSP60 belongs to the chaperonin (HSP60) family. Note: This description may include information from UniProtKB. Alternate Names: 60 kDa chaperonin, Chaperonin 60, CPN60, Heat shock protein 60, HSP-60, HuCHA60, Mitochondrial matrix protein P1, P60 lymphocyte protein, HSPD1 Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) is a mitochondrial chaperonin that is typically held responsible for the transportation and refolding of proteins from the cytoplasm into the mitochondrial matrix. In addition to its role as a heat shock protein, HSP60 functions as a chaperonin to assist in folding linear amino acid chains into their respective three-dimensional structure. Through the extensive study of groEL, HSP60’s bacterial homolog, HSP60 has been deemed essential in the synthesis and transportation of essential mitochondrial proteins from the cell's cytoplasm into the mitochondrial matrix. Further studies have linked HSP60 to diabetes, stress response, cancer and certain types of immunological disorders.
  • 1.7K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Nonlinear Integrated Photonics
The combination of integrated optics technologies with nonlinear photonics, which has led to the growth of nonlinear integrated photonics, has also opened the way to groundbreaking new devices and applications. They have been made possible by the design of guided-wave structures, which can enhance the material’s nonlinear properties, and/or by the availability of suitable materials, with high nonlinear coefficients.
  • 1.7K
  • 25 May 2023
Topic Review
Impact of Wort Amino Acids on Beer Flavour
The process by which beer is brewed has not changed significantly since its discovery thousands of years ago. Grain is malted, dried, crushed and mixed with hot water to produce wort. Yeast is added to the sweet, viscous wort, after which fermentation occurs. The biochemical events that occur during fermentation reflect the genotype of the yeast strain used, and its phenotypic expression is influenced by the composition of the wort and the conditions established in the fermenting vessel. Although wort is complex and not completely characterized, its content in amino acids indubitably affects the production of some minor metabolic products of fermentation which contribute to the flavour of beer. 
  • 1.7K
  • 29 May 2023
Topic Review
The Chemical Fingerprint of Fortified Wines
The chemical fingerprint of fortified wines is very complex and fascinating, being constituted by several hundred volatile and non-volatile chemical groups, such as terpenoids, pyrazines, esters, alcohols, acids, furanic compounds, phenolic compounds, and organic acids, among others. These chemical groups were present in fortified wines at different volatilities, polarities, and concentration ranges, from a few ng/L to mg/L. However, the quality of wine also depends on several parameters, such as grape variety, vineyard location, terroir, and vinification conditions (e.g., fermentation, ageing), among others. 
  • 1.7K
  • 12 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Vegetarian Diets and Chronic Kidney Disease Complications
A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that higher consumption of plant-based foods and the nutrients found in vegetarian and plant-based diets are associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood pressure, glycemic control, lipid levels, body mass index, and acid–base parameters. Furthermore, there has been increasing recognition that vegetarian and plant-based diets may have potential salutary benefits in preventing the development and progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). While increasing evidence shows that vegetarian and plant-based diets have nephroprotective effects, there remains some degree of uncertainty about their nutritional adequacy and safety in CKD (with respect to protein-energy wasting, hyperkalemia, etc.). 
  • 1.7K
  • 06 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Mechanism of Action of D2 Antagonist Antipsychotic Medications
Therapeutic intervention for schizophrenia relies on blockade of dopamine D2 receptors in the associative striatum; however, there is little evidence for baseline overdrive of the dopamine system. Instead, the dopamine system is in a hyper-responsive state due to excessive drive by the hippocampus. This causes more dopamine neurons to be in a spontaneously active, hyper-responsive state. Antipsychotic drugs alleviate this by causing depolarization block, or excessive depolarization-induced dopamine neuron inactivation. 
  • 1.7K
  • 10 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Asynchronous Transfer Mode
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) is a telecommunications standard defined by ANSI and ITU (formerly CCITT) for digital transmission of multiple types of traffic, including telephony (voice), data, and video signals in one network without the use of separate overlay networks. ATM was developed to meet the needs of the Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network, as defined in the late 1980s, and designed to integrate telecommunication networks. It can handle both traditional high-throughput data traffic and real-time, low-latency content such as voice and video. ATM provides functionality that uses features of circuit switching and packet switching networks. It uses asynchronous time-division multiplexing, and encodes data into small, fixed-sized network packets. In the ISO-OSI reference model data link layer (layer 2), the basic transfer units are generically called frames. In ATM these frames are of a fixed (53 octets or bytes) length and specifically called cells. This differs from approaches such as IP or Ethernet that use variable sized packets or frames. ATM uses a connection-oriented model in which a virtual circuit must be established between two endpoints before the data exchange begins. These virtual circuits may be either permanent, i.e. dedicated connections that are usually preconfigured by the service provider, or switched, i.e. set up on a per-call basis using signaling and disconnected when the call is terminated. The ATM network reference model approximately maps to the three lowest layers of the OSI model: physical layer, data link layer, and network layer. ATM is a core protocol used in the SONET/SDH backbone of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and in the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), but has largely been superseded in favor of next-generation networks based in Internet Protocol (IP) technology, while wireless and mobile ATM never established a significant foothold.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Pig Sedation and Anesthesia
Anesthesia plays a crucial role in ensuring the ethical treatment of research animals and obtaining reliable and accurate data. Pig anesthesia is a significant aspect of clinical veterinary practice, especially when performing surgical procedures, diagnostic imaging, various medical interventions, and scientific research procedures. Proper anesthesia protocols ensure that the animals are kept unconscious and do not experience pain or distress, which is not only ethically responsible but also needed by regulatory bodies and animal welfare standards.
  • 1.7K
  • 29 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Transdermal Drug Delivery System
Transdermal drug delivery system (TDDS) is an attractive method for drug delivery with convenient application, less first-pass effect, and fewer systemic side effects. Among all generations of TDDS, transdermal nanocarriers show the greatest clinical potential because of their non-invasive properties and high drug delivery efficiency. However, it is still difficult to design optimal transdermal nanocarriers to overcome the skin barrier, control drug release, and achieve targeting. Hence, surface modification becomes a promising strategy to optimize and functionalize the transdermal nanocarriers with enhanced penetration efficiency, controlled drug release profile, and targeting drug delivery.
  • 1.7K
  • 14 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Plant Abiotic Stress Responses
Abiotic stresses are among the principal limiting factors for productivity in agriculture. In the current era of continuous climate changes, the understanding of the molecular aspects involved in abiotic stress response in plants is a priority. The rise of -omics approaches provides key strategies to promote effective research in the field, facilitating the investigations from reference models to an increasing number of species, tolerant and sensitive genotypes. Integrated multilevel approaches, based on molecular investigations at genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics levels, are now feasible, expanding the opportunities to clarify key molecular aspects involved in responses to abiotic stresses. To this aim, bioinformatics has become fundamental for data production, mining and integration, and necessary for extracting valuable information and for comparative efforts, paving the way to the modeling of the involved processes. We provide here an overview of bioinformatics resources for research on plant abiotic stresses, describing collections from -omics efforts in the field, ranging from raw data to complete databases or platforms, highlighting opportunities and still open challenges in abiotic stress research based on -omics technologies.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Retinol-binding protein 4 in obesity
Although many preventive and treatment approaches have been proposed, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide. Current epidemiological data require the specification of new causative factors, as well as the development of improved diagnostic tools to provide better cardiovascular management. Excessive accumulation of adipose tissue among patients suffering from obesity not only constitutes one of the main risk factors of CVD development but also alters adipokines. Increased attention is devoted to bioactive adipokines, which are also produced by the adipose tissue. The retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) has been associated with numerous CVDs and is presumably associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. With this in mind, exploring the role of RBP4, particularly among patients with obesity, could be a promising direction and could lead to better CVD prevention and management in this patient group.
  • 1.7K
  • 08 Aug 2020
Topic Review
MOF-based adsorbents for atmospheric emission
This topic focuses on the use of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) for adsorbing gas species that are known to weaken the thermal self-regulation capacities of Earth’s atmosphere. A large section is dedicated to the adsorption of carbon dioxide, while another section is dedicated to the adsorption of other different gas typologies, whose emissions, for various reasons, represent a “wound” for Earth’s atmosphere. High emphasis is given to MOFs that have moved enough ahead in their development process to be currently considered as potentially usable in “real-world” (i.e., out-of-lab) adsorption processes. As a result, there is strong evidence of a wide gap between laboratory results and the industrial implementation of MOF-based adsorbents. Indeed, when a MOF that performs well in a specific process is commercially available in large quantities, economic observations still make designers tend toward more traditional adsorbents. Moreover, there are cases in which a specific MOF remarkably outperforms the currently employed adsorbents, but it is not industrially produced, thus strongly limiting its possibilities in large-scale use. To overcome such limitations, it is hoped that the chemical industry will be able to provide more and more mass-produced MOFs at increasingly competitive costs in the future.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Respiratory System Related Organ-on-a-Chip Models
The development of microfluidic chip technology provides a technical platform for better research on respiratory diseases. The size of its microchannel can be similar to the space for cell growthin vivo. In addition, organ-on-a-chip can achieve long-term co-cultivation of multiple cells and produce precisely controllable fluid shear force, periodically changing mechanical force, and perfusate with varying solute concentration gradient. To sum up, the chip can be used to analyze the specific pathophysiological changes of organs meticulously, and it is widely used in scientific research on respiratory diseases.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Vimentin at the Heart of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a reversible plethora of molecular events where epithelial cells gain the phenotype of mesenchymal cells to invade the surrounding tissues. EMT is a physiological event during embryogenesis (type I) but also happens during fibrosis (type II) and cancer metastasis (type III). It is a multifaceted phenomenon governed by the activation of genes associated with cell migration, extracellular matrix degradation, DNA repair, and angiogenesis. The cancer cells employ EMT to acquire the ability to migrate, resist therapeutic agents and escape immunity. One of the key biomarkers of EMT is vimentin, a type III intermediate filament that is normally expressed in mesenchymal cells but is upregulated during cancer metastasis. 
  • 1.7K
  • 22 Oct 2021
Topic Review
The Water–Energy–Food Nexus Index
The water–energy–food (WEF) Nexus Index is a quantitative measure and representation of country-level WEF security based on 21 water, energy, and food security indicators. The WEF nexus has emerged as a leading tool for assessing integrated resource management strategies and for monitoring progress towards the WEF-related Sustainable Development Goals. A notable outcome of WEF nexus research has been the calculation of the global WEF Nexus Index, which provides a quantitative ranking of country-level WEF security for 170 nations.
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Feb 2022
Topic Review
3D Biometrics
Biometrics have been used to identify humans since the 19th century. Over time, these biometrics became 3D. The main reason for this was the growing need for more features in the images to create more reliable identification models. Three main categories of 3D biometrics were identified. These were face, hand and gait. The corresponding percentages for these categories were 74.07%, 20.37% and 5.56%, respectively. The face is further categorized into facial, ear, iris and skull, while the hand is divided into fingerprint, finger vein and palm. In each category, facial and fingerprint were predominant, and their respective percentages were 80% and 54.55%. The use of the 3D reconstruction algorithms was also determined. These were stereo vision, structure-from-silhouette (SfS), structure-from-motion (SfM), structured light, time-of-flight (ToF), photometric stereo and tomography. Stereo vision and SfS were the most commonly used algorithms with a combined percentage of 51%. The state of the art for each category and the available datasets are also presented. Finally, multimodal biometrics, generalization of 3D reconstruction algorithms and anti-spoofing metrics are the three areas that should attract scientific interest for further research. 
  • 1.7K
  • 02 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Postmenopausal Confusion
Postmenopausal confusion, also commonly referred to as postmenopausal brain fog, is a group of symptoms of menopause in which women report problems with cognition at a higher frequency during postmenopause than before. Multiple studies on cognitive performance following menopause have reported noticeable declines of greater than 60%. The common issues presented included impairments in reaction time and attention, difficulty recalling numbers or words, and forgetting reasons for involvement in certain behaviors. Association between subjective cognitive complaints and objective measures of performance show a significant impact on health-related quality of life for postmenopausal women. Treatment primarily involves symptom management through non-pharmacological treatment strategies. This includes involvement in physical activity and following medically supervised diets, especially those that contain phytoestrogens or resveratrol. Pharmacological interventions in treating postmenopausal confusion are currently being researched. Hormone therapy is currently not indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal confusion due to inefficacy. The use of hormone replacement therapy for approved indications has identified no significant negative effect on postmenopausal cognition. Although much of the literature references women, it is important to understand that all people who undergo menopause, including those who do not self-identify as women, may experience symptoms of postmenopausal confusion.
  • 1.7K
  • 04 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Schizophrenia
Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) consist of short and structured intervention protocols focused on teaching patients the use of mindfulness for therapeutic purposes. Over the last three decades, there has been a remarkable expansion of this kind of interventions for the treatment of various psychopathological conditions. Despite this, MBIs have only recently begun to be applied in the treatment of people with schizophrenia. Analysis of the available evidence on MBIs for the treatment of people with this disorder suggests that they are effective and safe treatments, although more research is needed to draw more robust conclusions.  
  • 1.7K
  • 13 Jul 2020
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