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
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The conventional approach to IBD aims to induce and maintain clinical remission free of corticosteroids, thus minimizing the impact on quality of life.(1) Currently, corticosteroids, sulfasalazine, mesalamine (5-ASA), and immunomodulators are treatment options for patients with IBD. Studies indicate that a substantial proportion of patients do not fully respond to conventional treatment for IBD or that its efficacy wanes over time.(2) Corticosteroid resistance/refractoriness rates range from 8.9% to 25% in individuals with IBD.(3, 4) Identifying safe and effective therapeutic agents for complementary therapy remains an unmet need for these patients. Curcumin also acts by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory proteins such as activated protein-1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, signal translators, and transcription activators, as well as the expression of b-catenin, cyclooxygenase 2, 5-lipoxygenase, and inducible nitric oxide synthase isoform, which play a key role in inflammation.(5) In addition, it acts by blocking the binding between TNF-α and its receptor, preventing the perpetuation of inflammation caused by this cytokine.(6) Curcumin's excellent anti-inflammatory profile makes it a promising therapeutic agent in the treatment of IBD. 
  • 1.5K
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Schwann Cells in Regeneration Selectivity
Peripheral nerve injuries result in the loss of the motor, sensory and autonomic functions of the denervated segments of the body. Neurons can regenerate their injured axons and eventually reinnervate their target organs, but inaccuracy of this reinnervation causes a permanent loss of function that impairs complete recovery. Thus, understanding how regenerating axons respond to their environment and direct their growth is essential to improve the functional outcome of patients with nerve lesions. Schwann cells (SCs), the glial cells of the peripheral nerves, play a crucial role in the regeneration process, but little is known about their contribution to specific reinnervation.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Urinary Biomarkers in Bladder Cancer
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane vesicles released by all cells and involved in intercellular communication. Importantly, EVs cargo includes nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins constantly transferred between different cell types, contributing to autocrine and paracrine signaling. In recent years, they have been shown to play vital roles, not only in normal biological functions, but also in pathological conditions, such as cancer. In the multistep process of cancer progression, EVs act at different levels, from stimulation of neoplastic transformation, proliferation, promotion of angiogenesis, migration, invasion, and formation of metastatic niches in distant organs, to immune escape and therapy resistance. Moreover, as products of their parental cells, reflecting their genetic signatures and phenotypes, EVs hold great promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Importantly, their potential to overcome the current limitations or the present diagnostic procedures has created interest in bladder cancer (BCa). Indeed, cystoscopy is an invasive and costly technique, whereas cytology has poor sensitivity for early staged and low-grade disease. Several urine-based biomarkers for BCa were found to overcome these limitations.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Microbial Colonization of Stone
Colonization and deterioration of stone heritage buildings by microorganisms, especially cyanobacteria. Aesthetic, chemical and physical types of deterioration are covered. Future changes in climate will affect these processes. Seven figures illustrate various aspects and organisms involved.
  • 1.5K
  • 16 Dec 2020
Topic Review
CFTR Gene
Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Fault Detection in DHC Systems
Peak shaving, demand response, fast fault detection, emissions and costs reduction are some of the main objectives to meet in advanced district heating and cooling (DHC) systems. In order to enhance the operation of infrastructures, challenges such as supply temperature reduction and load uncertainty with the development of algorithms and technologies are growing. Therefore, traditional control strategies and diagnosis approaches cannot achieve these goals. Accordingly, to address these shortcomings, researchers have developed plenty of innovative methods based on their applications and features. The main purpose of this article is to review recent publications that include both hard and soft computing implementations such as model predictive control and machine learning algorithms with applications also on both fourth and fifth generation district heating and cooling networks. 
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Phenuiviruses
Phenuiviridae in the Bunyavirales order is a large family of arthropod-borne RNA viruses that comprises 19 genera. Phenuiviruses are unique in the sense that they infect a large spectrum of hosts, including humans and other vertebrates as well as invertebrates and plants. They usually spread to vertebrate hosts by blood-feeding arthropod vectors, such as sandflies and ticks and more rarely mosquitoes.
  • 1.5K
  • 16 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Lactic Acid Bacteria in Fermentation
The term fermentation derives from the Latin ‘fervere’, which means to boil, due to the appearance produced by yeast on fruit or malt extracts, as a result of the production of carbon dioxide bubbles caused by the catabolism of the sugars in the extract. The most common concept of fermentation is the conversion of sugar into an organic acid, then into alcohol. It occurs naturally in many food types, and humans have used it since ancient times to improve the preservation and the organoleptic properties of food. This term is only used when referring to microorganisms (bacteria, yeasts, and fungi) to make useful products for humans such as biomasses, enzymes, primary and secondary metabolites, recombinant products, and biotransformed products used in industry. Fermentation is a catabolic process of incomplete oxidation, completely anaerobic, and its final product is an organic compound, where in the absence of oxygen, the final acceptor of the NADH electrons produced in glycolysis is not oxygen, but an organic compound that will be reduced to oxidize NADH to NAD+ . There are different types of fermentation, e.g., alcoholic, acetic, butyric, and lactic. The fermentation processes have some main purposes: (1) the enrichment of the diet by developing flavors, aromas, and textures; (2) food preservation through lactic acid, ethanol, acetic acid, and alkaline fermentations; (3) enrichment of foods with protein, amino acids, lipids, and vitamins; (4) decrease in cooking time and fuel requirements so that the loss of nutrients is less; and (5) it can produce nutrients or eliminate anti-nutrients; being the final product an organic compound that characterizes the types of fermentation.
  • 1.5K
  • 13 May 2021
Topic Review
CAD/CAM Ceramics
CAD/CAM ceramics present a promising alternative to metal-ceramic fixed dental prostheses.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
ROR and Melatonin Nuclear Receptor
Retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (ROR)  is implicated in modulating a variety of physiological processes, including cerebellar development, lymphoid tissue development, retinal development, bone formation, lipid metabolism, circadian rhythm, oxidative stress, and inflammation suppression. Furthermore, ROR is also a promising therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases, tumours, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is an evolutionary molecule found in bacteria, fungi, algae, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. It regulates multiple functions that have developed along the evolutionary timescale. In humans, melatonin is pleiotropic [5]. Melatonin modulates sleep-wake rhythms, reproduction, and bone metabolism; it also affects the immune, neurological, cardiovascular, digestive, urinary, and endocrine systems. Moreover, it exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-infective, and anti-tumour properties while also being a potential therapeutic agent for obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders.  A debate is ongoing on whether ROR is a nuclear receptor of melatonin. 
  • 1.5K
  • 27 May 2021
Topic Review
Mars Rover Mastcam Images
The Curiosity rover has landed on Mars since 2012. One of the instruments onboard the rover is a pair of multispectral cameras known as Mastcams, which act as eyes of the rover.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Oct 2021
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Effects of High-Temperature Milk Processing
High temperature is defined as 90 to 150 °C. Many dairy processes, including extended shelf-life (ESL) and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) processing, in-container sterilization, yogurt milk heat treatment, pre-heating or forewarming milk for production of sterile concentrated milk and powders, manufacture of co-precipitate and dolce de leche, involve heat treatments in this temperature range. Pasteurization is not included in this paper as it is generally performed at 72–75 °C.
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Biomimetic Nanomaterials
Biomimetic nanomaterials (BNMs) are functional materials containing nanoscale components and having structural and technological similarities to natural (biogenic) prototypes. Despite the fact that biomimetic approaches in materials technology have been used since the second half of the 20th century, BNMs are still at the forefront of materials science. “Biomimetics” is a concept introduced in 1957 by Otto Schmitt that, generally, means the imitation of structures, characteristics, models, and compositions of natural objects to solve various problems. The word “biomimetic” comes from the Greek word “bios” (life) and the suffix “mimetic” (mimicry). This concept also includes approaches and processes mimicking biological or natural ones such as, for example, the synthesis of nanomaterials or nanostructures that reproduce the physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties of natural (biogenic) materials at the nano- or macroscale. Similar to the formation of biogenic materials, the technology of biomimetic materials includes the processes of self-assembly and interfacial molecular recognition. Other important directions of development for such materials are biopolymers and biocomposites, which are receiving immense consideration in biomedical and other fields.
  • 1.5K
  • 13 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Multidimensional Filter Design and Implementation
Many concepts in one–dimensional signal processing are similar to concepts in multidimensional signal processing. However, many familiar one–dimensional procedures do not readily generalize to the multidimensional case and some important issues associated with multidimensional signals and systems do not appear in the one–dimensional special case.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Zetaproteobacteria
The class Zetaproteobacteria is the sixth and most recently described class of the Proteobacteria. Zetaproteobacteria can also refer to the group of organisms assigned to this class. The Zetaproteobacteria were originally represented by a single described species, Mariprofundus ferrooxydans, which is an iron-oxidizing neutrophilic chemolithoautotroph originally isolated from Loihi Seamount in 1996 (post-eruption). Molecular cloning techniques focusing on the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene have also been used to identify a more diverse majority of the Zetaproteobacteria that have as yet been unculturable. Regardless of culturing status, the Zetaproteobacteria show up worldwide in estuarine and marine habitats associated with opposing steep redox gradients of reduced (ferrous) iron and oxygen, either as a minor detectable component or as the dominant member of the microbial community. Zetaproteobacteria have been most commonly found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents, though recent discovery of members of this class in near-shore environments has led to the reevaluation of Zetaproteobacteria distribution and significance.
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Photon-Counting Computed Tomography
Photon-counting computed tomography (PCCT) is a new advanced imaging technique that is going to transform the standard clinical use of computed tomography (CT) imaging. Photon-counting detectors resolve the number of photons and the incident X-ray energy spectrum into multiple energy bins. Compared with conventional CT technology, PCCT offers the advantages of improved spatial and contrast resolution, reduction of image noise and artifacts, reduced radiation exposure, and multi-energy/multi-parametric imaging based on the atomic properties of tissues, with the consequent possibility to use different contrast agents and improve quantitative imaging.
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Vortioxetine´s Effects on Sleep of Adolescent Major Depression
The relationship between depression and insomnia is bidirectional and both conditions need to be treated adequately, especially in a vulnerable neurodevelopmental stage of adolescence. Sleep disturbances in adolescents have been associated with a more severe clinical course of depression (i.e., suicidal behavior, worse psychosocial functioning, and risk of recurrence). Due to the rising incidence of both disorders, it is crucial to understand the underlying pathophysiology (e.g., disrupted neuroplasticity and neurotransmitter dysbalance), especially in the vulnerable adolescent age period characterized by developmental changes and sensitivity to endogenous and exogenous factors.
  • 1.5K
  • 20 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Hearing Impairment
Hearing impairment (HI), also referred to as hearing loss, is the partial or total loss of hearing. GJB2 is the most common gene associated with HI and it belongs to a family of genes that encodes connexin proteins. Over seven connexins (GJB3, GJB4, GJC3, GJC1, GJB2, GJB6, and GJA1) have been globally studied for their association with HI, however, the majority did not have a clearly established association with the condition. Although there were studies that reported variants in  GJB3, GJB4, GJC3, and GJC1 in hearing-impaired patients, there is a need for more studies to clearly describe their role in the development of HI. GJB2, GJB6, and GJA1 on the other hand have been identified as HI genes that should be considered in routine clinical investigations. Recent data has shown that the coding region variants of GJB6 (except the large genomic deletions) do not contribute to the development of HI.
  • 1.5K
  • 12 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Job Crafting
Job crafting has been a focal research topic in job design literature since the early 2000s. Employees’ initiated job crafting behavior (e.g., seeking resources and seeking challenges) has been positively linked to employee health, job attitude (e.g., job satisfaction), well-being (e.g., work engagement), and performance (for meta-analytic reviews ). It also brings substantial benefits for organizations, such as a higher level of group and organizational performance. Accordingly, increasing research has investigated various ways to stimulate employees’ job crafting behavior. In this respect, cumulative evidence has shown that job characteristics and personal traits are important factors that influence employee job crafting (for reviews). For example, proactive personality, self-efficacy, regulatory focus, job autonomy, and job resources were positively related to employee job crafting.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Modern Displacement Measuring Systems
The contemporary displacement measurement systems used in geotechnical laboratories during the determination of soil precise mechanical parameters, (e.g., the shear modules G: initial and in the range of small and very small strains) are not universal and their use depends on the type of soil (cohesive, non-cohesive), its condition (loose or dense, stiff or very soft), and its characteristic properties (e.g., organic soil, swelling soil).
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Oct 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 2728
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