Topic Review
Deep Learning and Human Monkeypox
The DNA virus responsible for monkeypox, transmitted from animals to humans, exhibits two distinct genetic lineages in central and eastern Africa. Beyond the zoonotic transmission involving direct contact with the infected animals’ bodily fluids and blood, the spread of monkeypox can also occur through skin lesions and respiratory secretions among humans. Both monkeypox and chickenpox involve skin lesions and can also be transmitted through respiratory secretions, but they are caused by different viruses. The key difference is that monkeypox is caused by an orthopox-virus, while chickenpox is caused by the varicella-zoster virus.
  • 56
  • 27 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Types of Membrane Transporters in Plants
Membrane transporters are proteins that mediate the entry and exit of substances through the plasma membrane and organellar membranes and are capable of recognizing and binding to specific substances, thereby facilitating substance transport. Membrane transporters are divided into different types, e.g., ion transporters, sugar transporters, amino acid transporters, and aquaporins, based on the substances they transport. These membrane transporters inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation through ion regulation, sugar and amino acid transport, hormone induction, and other mechanisms. They can also promote enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactions in plants, activate antioxidant enzyme activity, and promote ROS scavenging. Moreover, membrane transporters can transport plant growth regulators, solute proteins, redox potential regulators, and other substances involved in ROS metabolism through corresponding metabolic pathways, ultimately achieving ROS homeostasis in plants.
  • 78
  • 20 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Cancer Metastasis from Physical Perspective
Tumor diseases become a huge problem when they embark on a path that advances to malignancy, such as the process of metastasis. Cancer metastasis has been thoroughly investigated from a biological perspective in the past, whereas it has still been less explored from a physical perspective. Until now, the intraluminal pathway of cancer metastasis has received the most attention, while the interaction of cancer cells with macrophages has received little attention. Apart from the biochemical characteristics, tumor treatments also rely on the tumor microenvironment, which is recognized to be immunosuppressive and, as has recently been found, mechanically stimulates cancer cells and thus alters their functions.
  • 91
  • 09 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Cells Respond to Mechanical Cues of Extracellular Matrix
Extracellular biophysical properties have particular implications for a wide spectrum of cellular behaviors and functions, including growth, motility, differentiation, apoptosis, gene expression, cell–matrix and cell–cell adhesion, and signal transduction including mechanotransduction. Cells not only react to unambiguously mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM), but can occasionally manipulate the mechanical features of the matrix in parallel with biological characteristics, thus interfering with downstream matrix-based cues in both physiological and pathological processes. Bidirectional interactions between cells and (bio)materials in vitro can alter cell phenotype and mechanotransduction, as well as ECM structure, intentionally or unintentionally. Interactions between cell and matrix mechanics in vivo are of particular importance in a variety of diseases, including primarily cancer. 
  • 68
  • 31 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Gloss Measurements
The appearance of a surface depends on four main appearance attributes, namely color, gloss, texture, and translucency. Gloss is an important attribute that people use to understand surface appearance, right after color.
  • 72
  • 03 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Detection System for DDoS Attacks
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, advanced persistent threats, and malware actively compromise the availability and security of Internet services. A DDoS attack is a vindictive attempt from numerous frameworks to make PC/network assets inaccessible to its expected clients, more often than not, by blocking/interrupting services associated with the organization of the network/Internet.
  • 153
  • 29 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Mathematical and Logical Realism
According to Balaguer, only two views of the metaphysics of mathematics manage to adequately answer all objections: these are Platonic set theory (as a form of realism) and fictionalism (as a form of anti-realism). Balaguer takes a relatively reserved stance towards the dilemma that one of these two perspectives is correct through three epistemic conclusions: (a) there is no reason to believe or not believe in abstract mathematical objects, (b) it can never in principle have a reason to believe or not believe in abstract mathematical objects, or (c) there is no material fact that could determine between Platonic set theory and fictionalism, although both adequately answer all objections (except, in a way, the question of proving the existence of abstract mathematical objects). The first key question that divides the metaphysics of mathematics into two domains, is the question of whether mathematical theories represent truthful descriptions of some real part of the world. Realistic theories answer affirmatively, while anti-realistic theories answer negatively, claiming that mathematics has no ontology, or that its concepts are objectively empty. The question further divides the realist camp into two groups and is “are mathematical objects spatiotemporal?”. Platonic set theory answers negatively, while anti-Platonism answers affirmatively. The question further divides anti-Platonism into psychologism and physicalism and reads: “what is the nature of mathematical spatiotemporal objects?”. According to psychologism, the objects in question are mental objects, or mathematical statements represent truthful descriptions of mental objects, while according to physicalism, the subject of mathematical statements is non-mental parts of physical reality.
  • 151
  • 17 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Cosmology
Cosmology (from grc κόσμος (kósmos) 'world', and -λογία (-logía) 'study of') is a branch of physics and metaphysics dealing with the nature of the universe. The term cosmology was first used in English in 1656 in Thomas Blount's Glossographia, and in 1731 taken up in Latin by German philosopher Christian Wolff, in Cosmologia Generalis. Religious or mythological cosmology is a body of beliefs based on mythological, religious, and esoteric literature and traditions of creation myths and eschatology. In the science of astronomy it is concerned with the study of the chronology of the universe. Physical cosmology is the study of the observable universe's origin, its large-scale structures and dynamics, and the ultimate fate of the universe, including the laws of science that govern these areas. It is investigated by scientists, such as astronomers and physicists, as well as philosophers, such as metaphysicians, philosophers of physics, and philosophers of space and time. Because of this shared scope with philosophy, theories in physical cosmology may include both scientific and non-scientific propositions, and may depend upon assumptions that cannot be tested. Physical cosmology is a sub-branch of astronomy that is concerned with the Universe as a whole. Modern physical cosmology is dominated by the Big Bang theory, which attempts to bring together observational astronomy and particle physics; more specifically, a standard parameterization of the Big Bang with dark matter and dark energy, known as the Lambda-CDM model. Theoretical astrophysicist David N. Spergel has described cosmology as a "historical science" because "when we look out in space, we look back in time" due to the finite nature of the speed of light.
  • 1.2K
  • 05 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Sorption
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are an environmentally persistent group of chemicals that can pose an imminent threat to human health through groundwater and surface water contamination. The primary adsorption mechanisms identified in the literature are electrostatic interactions and hydrophobic interactions.
  • 155
  • 18 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Avalanche Photodiodes and Silicon Photomultipliers of Non-Planar Designs
Conventional designs of an avalanche photodiode (APD) have been based on a planar p–n junction since the 1960s. APD developments have been driven by the necessity to provide a uniform electric field over the active junction area and to prevent edge breakdown by special measures. Most modern silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) are designed as an array of Geiger-mode APD cells based on planar p–n junctions. Modern Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) are designed as an array of Geiger-mode APD cells based on planar p-n junctions. However, the planar design faces an inherent trade-off between photon detection efficiency and dynamic range due to loss of an active area at the cell edges. Non-planar designs of APDs and SiPMs have also been known since the development of spherical APD (1968), Metal-Resistor-Semiconductor APD (1989), and Micro-well APD (2005). Recent development of Tip Avalanche Photodiode (2020) based on the spherical p-n junction eliminates the trade-off, outperforms the planar SiPMs in the photon detection efficiency, and opens new opportunities for SiPM improvements. Moreover, the latest developments of APDs based on electric field-line crowding and charge-focusing topology with quasi-spherical p-n junctions (2019–2023) show promising functionality in linear and Geiger operating modes.
  • 506
  • 27 Jun 2023
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