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Topic Review
Common Underlying Mechanisms of Multiple Sclerosis and Epilepsy
Despite the significant differences in the pathological background of neurodegenerative diseases, epileptic seizures are comorbidity in many disorders such as Huntington disease (HD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Regarding the last one, specifically, it has been shown that the risk of developing epilepsy is three to six times higher in patients with MS compared to the general population. In this context, understanding the pathological processes underlying this connection will allow for the targeting of the common and shared pathological pathways involved in both conditions, which may provide a new avenue in the management of neurological disorders.
  • 1.6K
  • 15 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells Methods
Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents one of the most deadly cancers worldwide. Colorectal cancer stem cells (cCSCs) are the driving units of CRC initiation and development. After the concept of cCSC was first formulated in 2007, a huge bulk of research has contributed to expanding its definition, from a cell subpopulation defined by a fixed phenotype in a plastic entity modulated by complex interactions with the tumor microenvironment, in which cell position and niche-driven signals hold a prominent role. The wide development of cellular and molecular technologies recent years has been a main driver of advancements in cCSCs research
  • 1.6K
  • 22 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Black Slug
The black slug (also known as black arion, European black slug, or large black slug) Arion ater L. is a large terrestrial gastropod mollusk in the family Arionidae—the round back slugs. Land slugs lack shells like other terrestrial mollusks (such as snails). Without such shells, slugs produce unappetizing mucus—that may also contain toxins—to deter predators. Terrestrial slugs produce two other forms of mucus that facilitate locomotion and prevent death from drying. Such mollusks are hermaphroditic. Slugs most often function as decomposers but are also often omnivores. Arion ater is one such slug, decomposing organic matter, preying on other organisms, and consuming vegetative matter—including agricultural crops. Native to Europe, the black slug is an invasive species in Australia, Canada (British Columbia, Newfoundland, Quebec), and the United States—Pacific Northwest.
  • 1.6K
  • 14 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Nanotechnology for Precision Agriculture
By adopting nanotechnology-based precision agricultural practices, the farming community can reduce agrochemicals while maintaining high crop productivity, protecting soil and water health, and contributing to a cleaner environment.
  • 1.6K
  • 14 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Oral–Gut Microbiome Axis
The oral cavity and gut are the two largest microbial ecosystems. The oral-to-gut and gut-to-oral microbial transmission can regulate pathogenesis, indicating the presence of the oral–gut microbiome axis. 
  • 1.6K
  • 12 May 2021
Topic Review
Heavy Metal Toxicity and Sequestration in Plants
Heavy metal (HM) toxicity has become a global concern in recent years and is imposing a severe threat to the environment and human health. In the case of plants, a higher concentration of HMs, above a threshold, adversely affects cellular metabolism because of the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which target the key biological molecules. Moreover, some of the HMs such as mercury and arsenic, among others, can directly alter the protein/enzyme activities by targeting their –SH group to further impede the cellular metabolism. Particularly, inhibition of photosynthesis has been reported under HM toxicity because HMs trigger the degradation of chlorophyll molecules by enhancing the chlorophyllase activity and by replacing the central Mg ion in the porphyrin ring which affects overall plant growth and yield. Consequently, plants utilize various strategies to mitigate the negative impact of HM toxicity by limiting the uptake of these HMs and their sequestration into the vacuoles with the help of various molecules including proteins such as phytochelatins, metallothionein, compatible solutes, and secondary metabolites.
  • 1.6K
  • 28 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Camellia sinensis
Tea, Camellia sinensis, which belongs to the family Theaceae, is a shrub or evergreen tree up to 16 m in height. Green tea is very popular because of its marked health benefits comprising its anticancer, anti-oxidant, and antimicrobial activities, as well as its effectiveness in reducing body weight. Additionally, it was recognized by Chinese people as an effective traditional drink required for the prophylaxis against many health ailments. This is due to the complex chemical composition of green tea, which comprises different classes of chemical compounds, such as polyphenols, alkaloids, proteins, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and others. The beneficial health effects of green tea ultimately led to its great consumption and increase its liability to be adulterated by either low-quality or non-green tea products with concomitant decrease in activity.
  • 1.6K
  • 28 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Types of Cell Death
Inflammation and free radicals can stimulate cell self-destruction. Inflammation and cell death are vital aspects of most diseases. Accumulation of cell damage leads to the impairment and dysregulation of the cell function. Thus, understanding the pathomechanism and molecular signaling pathways involved in cell death is necessary.
  • 1.6K
  • 04 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Phenolic Compounds in Functional Pasta
Phenolic compounds are lost during the refining of flour and semolina, hence commonly consumed pasta is not a carrier of these components. Consumption of food products rich in phenolic compounds has been associated to reduced risk of chronic disease onset. Hence, several strategies have been developed to formulate functional pasta rich in phenolic compounds.  Whole grain, legume and composite flours are the main substituents of durum wheat semolina used for this purpose. Plant by-products from industrial food wastes have been also used as functional ingredients. In addition, pre-processing technologies on raw materials such as sprouting, or the modulation of extrusion/extrusion-cooking conditions, are valuable approaches to increase phenolic content in pasta.
  • 1.6K
  • 22 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Iron and Glucose Metabolism
Iron is essential for energy metabolism, and states of iron deficiency or excess are detrimental for organisms and cells. Therefore, iron and carbohydrate metabolism are tightly regulated. Serum iron and glucose levels are subjected to hormonal regulation by hepcidin and insulin, respectively. Hepcidin is a liver-derived peptide hormone that inactivates the iron exporter ferroportin in target cells, thereby limiting iron efflux to the bloodstream. Insulin is a protein hormone secreted from pancreatic β-cells that stimulates glucose uptake and metabolism via insulin receptor signaling. There is increasing evidence that systemic, but also cellular iron and glucose metabolic pathways are interconnected. 
  • 1.6K
  • 27 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Phyllodocida
Phyllodocida is a clade of errantiate annelids characterized by having ventral sensory palps, anterior enlarged cirri, axial muscular proboscis, compound chaetae (if present) with a single ligament, and of lacking dorsolateral folds. Members of most families date back to the Carboniferous, although the earliest fossil was dated from the Devonian. Phyllodocida holds 27 well-established and morphologically homogenous clades ranked as families, gathering more than 4600 currently accepted nominal species. Among them, Syllidae and Polynoidae are the most specious polychaete groups. Species of Phyllodocida are mainly found in the marine benthos, although a few inhabit freshwater, terrestrial and planktonic environments, and occur from intertidal to deep waters in all oceans.
  • 1.6K
  • 08 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Sarcoglycanopathies
Sarcoglycanopathies are autosomal recessive disorders and are considered rare diseases as the worldwide reported frequency is around 1/200,000–1/350,000.
  • 1.6K
  • 03 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Rabbit Sperm Cryopreservation
Sperm cryopreservation is one of the most efficient ways to preserve rabbit strains because it is easy to collect ejaculate repeatedly from a single male and inseminate artificially into multiple females. During the cooling, freezing and thawing process of sperms, the plasma membrane, cytoplasm and genome structures could be damaged by osmotic stress, cold shock, intracellular ice crystal formation, and excessive production of reactive oxygen species.
  • 1.6K
  • 07 May 2021
Topic Review
Bioactive Properties of Royal Jelly
Royal jelly (RJ) has been one of the most widely used natural products in alternative medicine for centuries. Being produced by both hypopharyngeal and mandibular glands, RJ exhibits an extraordinary complexity in terms of its composition, including proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, polyphenols, vitamins, and hormones. Due to its heterogeneous structure, RJ displays various functional roles for honeybees, including being involved in nutrition, learning, memory, and social behavior. Furthermore, a wide range of studies reported its therapeutic properties, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities, to name a few. In this direction, there is a wide range of health-related problems for which the medical area specialists and researchers are continuously trying to find a cure, such as cancer, atherosclerosis, or infertility. For the mentioned diseases and more, it has been proven that RJ is a key player in finding a valuable treatment. Here, the great impact of RJ as an alternative medicine agent is highlighted. Moreover, researchers link it to its apitherapeutic potential by discussing its composition.
  • 1.6K
  • 27 Apr 2023
Topic Review
SALL4 as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer Treatment
Spalt-Like Transcription Factor 4 (SALL4) is a critical factor for self-renewal ability and pluripotency of stem cells. Also, Various reports show tight relation of SALL4 to cancer occurrence and metastasis. SALL4 exerts its effects not only by inducing gene expression but also by repressing a large cluster of genes through interaction with various epigenetic modifiers. Due to the high expression of this protein in cancer cells and its silence in almost all adult tissues, it is an ideal target for cancer therapy.
  • 1.6K
  • 20 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Myotendinous Junctions
The myotendinous junction (MTJ) is the muscle-tendon interface and constitutes an integrated mechanical unit to force transmission. Joint immobilization promotes muscle atrophy via disuse, while physical exercise can be used as an adaptative stimulus. In this study, we aimed to investigate the components of the MTJ and their adaptations and the associated elements triggered with aquatic training after joint immobilization. Forty-four male Wistar rats were divided into sedentary (SD), aquatic training (AT), immobilization (IM), and immobilization/aquatic training (IMAT) groups. The samples were processed to measure fiber area, nuclear fractal dimension, MTJ nuclear density, identification of telocytes, sarcomeres, and MTJ perimeter length. In the AT group, the maintenance of ultrastructure and elements in the MTJ region were observed; the IM group presented muscle atrophy effects with reduced MTJ perimeter; the IMAT group demonstrated that aquatic training after joint immobilization promotes benefits in the muscle fiber area and fractal dimension, in the MTJ region shows longer sarcomeres and MTJ perimeter. We identified the presence of telocytes in the MTJ region in all experimental groups. We concluded that aquatic training is an effective rehabilitation method after joint immobilization due to reduced muscle atrophy and regeneration effects on MTJ in rats.
  • 1.6K
  • 20 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Edible Flowers Used in Some Countries
Edible flowers are becoming an essential component of people’s nutrition in the Mediterranean basin. Many researchers also have focused their attention on the nutritional composition of the edible flowers, as well as their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, including studies on their safety issues.
  • 1.6K
  • 21 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Microglia in Neurogenesis
Certain pools of microglia are determinant cells in different phases of the generation of new neurons. This sheds light on how cells cooperate in order to fine tune brain organization.
  • 1.6K
  • 01 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Coenzyme Q10 in Cardiovascular Diseases
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a ubiquitous factor present in cell membranes and mitochondria, both in its reduced (ubiquinol) and oxidized (ubiquinone) forms. Its levels are high in organs with high metabolism such as the heart, kidneys, and liver because it acts as an energy transfer molecule but could be reduced by aging, genetic factors, drugs (e.g., statins), cardiovascular (CV) diseases, degenerative muscle disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases. As CoQ10 is endowed with significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory features, useful to prevent free radical-induced damage and inflammatory signaling pathway activation, its depletion results in exacerbation of inflammatory processes. Therefore, exogenous CoQ10 supplementation might be useful as an adjuvant in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and myocardial infarction and in associated risk factors such as hypertension, insulin resistance, dyslipidemias, and obesity.
  • 1.6K
  • 09 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Primnoa
Primnoa (Lamororux, 1812) also known as red tree coral, is a genus of soft corals and the type genus of the family Primnoidae (Milne Edwards, 1857). They are sessile, benthic cnidarians that can be found in the North Pacific, North Atlantic, and Subantarctic South Pacific, and its members often play a vital ecological role as keystone species within their environment as a habitat and refuge for the megafauna that also inhabit those regions. This, in combination with their slow growth, makes the increasing disturbance to their habitats caused by fishing activities particularly impactful and difficult to recover from.
  • 1.6K
  • 02 Dec 2022
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