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:
Hottest Latest Alphabetical (A-Z) Alphabetical (Z-A)
Type:
All Topic Review Biography
Topic Review
AFM imaging of extracellular vesicles
Advanced and optimised microscopy methods, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), are required to visualise and characterise morphology of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a heterogenous groups of nanoparticles regarded as highly promising source of diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools. EVs are nanosized phospholipid membranous structures ubiquitously found in human biofluids, secreted from almost every cell, and thus reflect both physiological and pathophysiological changes of their parental cells. The lipid membrane of an EV contains proteins (e.g., tetraspanins, receptors and other molecules) and diverse luminal content with bioactive cargo that includes nucleic acids (DNA, mRNA, miRNA and lncRNA), proteins, organelles, or infectious particles.  AFM is a nanoscale tool for the determination of morphology, structure and composition, but also biomechanics and biophysical characteristics of nanometric structures. Briefly, AFM uses a micrometric cantilever with a nanometre-sized tip actuated by piezoelectric crystals. Upon receiving signals of a tip-sample interaction, a position-sensitive photodiode (PSPD) converts it to a voltage and sends it to a piezoelectric actuator (PA). The latter expands and contracts proportionally to the applied voltage to manipulate the sample and the probe position across three dimensions with high precision. The PA can be coupled to a cantilever or positioned under a sample holder. The whole system is controlled by suitable control electronics.
  • 1.5K
  • 11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Thiophene-Based Compounds
Thiophene derivatives provide useful intermediaries in various areas of science and industry, with a wide range of applications, and therapeutic properties. Thiophene derivatives attract both great academic interest, and interest from the agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and dye industries, as well. As to their biological and pharmacological applications, thiophene derivatives possess remarkable properties as antipsychotic, antianxiety, antifungal, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory agents. The present work provides an update on the role of thiophene-based derivatives in inflammation processes.
  • 1.7K
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Torsion-Resistant Nature-Inspired Structures
The complexity of torsional load, its three-dimensional nature, its combination with other stresses, and its disruptive impact make torsional failure prevention an ambitious goal. However, even if the problem has been addressed for decades, a deep and organized treatment is still lacking in the actual research landscape. For this reason, this review aims at presenting a methodical approach to address torsional issues starting from a punctual problem definition. Accidents and breaks due to torsion, which often occur in different engineering fields such as mechanical, biomedical, and civil industry are considered and critically compared. More in depth, the limitations of common-designed torsion-resistant structures (i.e., high complexity and increased weight) are highlighted, and emerge as a crucial point for a deeper nature-driven analysis of novel solutions. In this context, an accurate screening of torsion-resistant bio-inspired unit cells is presented, taking inspiration specifically from plants, that are often subjected to the torsional effect of winds. As future insights, the actual state of technology suggests an innovative transposition to the industry: these unit cells could be prominently implied to develop novel metamaterials that could be able to address the torsional issue with a multi-scale and tailored arrangement.
  • 1.5K
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Low/Medium-Carbon Advanced Martensitic Steels
Advanced martensitic steels (AMSs) developed for sheet and wire rod products have a tensile strength higher than 1.5 GPa, good cold-formability, superior toughness and fatigue strength, and delayed fracture strength due to a mixture of martensite and retained austenite, compared with the conventional martensitic steels. 
  • 1.0K
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Hybrid Graphene/Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composites
Graphene with fascinating properties has been deemed as an excellent reinforcement for cementitious composites, enabling construction materials to be smarter, stronger, and more durable. However, some challenges such as dispersion issues and high costs, hinder the direct incorporation of graphene-based reinforcement fillers into cementitious composites for industrial production. The combination of graphene with conventional fibers to reinforce cement hence appears as a more promising pathway especially towards the commercialization of graphene for cementitious materials.  This entry introduces the preparation and the enhancement of hybrid graphene-fiber reinforced cementitious composites.
  • 833
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Graphene, Graphene-Derivatives and Composites
Graphene has accomplished huge notoriety and interest from the universe of science considering its exceptional mechanical, physical and thermal properties. Graphene is an allotrope of carbon having one atom thick size and planar sheets thickly stuffed in a lattice structure resembling a honeycomb structure. Numerous methods to prepare graphene have been created throughout a limited span of time. Due to its fascinating properties, it has found some extensive applications to a wide variety of fields. So, we believe there is a necessity to produce a document of the outstanding methods and some of the novel applications of graphene. 
  • 2.9K
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
MSMPs and MSMs
Magnetic shape memory polymers (MSMPs) belong to the group of shape memory materials, a group that can change their shape back to their “remembered” shape when they are exposed to a stimulus. MSMPs are essentially shape memory polymers whose shape memory effect is stimulated by heat. In the case of the MSMPs, magnetic particles are incorporated in the shape memory polymer. When the material is placed in an external alternating magnetic field, the magnetic particles heat up due to induction heating. The heated particles heat the shape memory polymer from the inside and when the activation temperature is reached, the shape memory effect is activated. Magnetic soft materials (MSMs) exist out of an elastomer with incorporated magnetic particles. The magnetic fields of these magnetic particles are set in specific magnetization patterns inside the elastomer during the fabrication process. When the magnetic soft material is placed inside an external static magnetic field, the magnetic fields of the magnetic particles align with the external magnetic field. This creates micro torques in the elastomer and pulls the elastomer matrix in a programmed shape.
  • 719
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Clay-Based Polymer Nanocomposites
Clay-based polymer nanocomposites are often referred to as polymer layered silicates, nanostructured polymers, or simply polymer nanocomposites. These polymers are reinforced with inorganic particles containing at least one dimension in the nanometric scale (<100 nm). Compared to traditional composites (macro- or microscale), polymer nanocomposites offer the opportunity to explore new behaviors and functionalities beyond conventional polymers. Nanoparticles often strongly influence the mechanical properties of polymers in very low volume fractions due to the relatively short distance between nanoparticles, molecular compatibility, and interfacial interaction between the particles and the polymer chains.
  • 2.2K
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Bioactive Agent-Loaded Electrospun Nanofiber Membranes
Despite the advances that have been achieved in developing wound dressings to date, wound healing still remains a challenge in the healthcare system. None of the wound dressings currently used clinically can mimic all the properties of normal and healthy skin. Electrospinning has gained remarkable attention in wound healing applications because of its excellent ability to form nanostructures similar to natural extracellular matrix (ECM). Electrospun dressing accelerates the wound healing process by transferring drugs or active agents to the wound site sooner.
  • 635
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Catalytic Activity of Zeolite
Zeolites are microporous aluminosilicates with high surface area and crystallinity. They have been widely applied in many different fields, such as gas storage, water treatment, biomass upgrading, and oil refining, because of their strong acidity, excellent catalytic activity, shape selectivity, and hydrothermal stability. In the past decades, one of the most important applications of zeolites is in fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) in the petrochemical industry, which accounts for more than 95% of the global zeolite catalyst consumption. It is reported that 400 million tons of olefins are produced annually, and about 59% of olefins are produced by FCC units. Light olefins are critical building blocks in the petrochemical industry, and the demand for olefins and their derivatives has continuously increased over the last decade. Therefore, it is important to understand how to improve the catalytic performance of zeolites. Studies have shown that the performance of zeolite catalysts for cracking reactions is determined by various factors, including the porous size and composition, e.g., the Si/Al ratio and the presence of other heteroatoms or extra-framework aluminum (EFAL) species. Since the range of possible combinations of zeolite structures and compositions is exceedingly large, it is highly desirable to understand the effects of zeolite topology and composition on hydrocarbon cracking in order to improve their activity and selectivity to desired products.
  • 795
  • 09 Oct 2021
  • Page
  • of
  • 467
Featured Entry Collections
>>

Featured Books

>>
Encyclopedia of Social Sciences
Encyclopedia of COVID-19
Encyclopedia of Fungi
Encyclopedia of Digital Society, Industry 5.0 and Smart City
ScholarVision Creations
Feedback