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Topic Review
Silk Protein-Based Membrane for GBR
Silk derived from the silkworm is known for its excellent biological and mechanical properties. It has been used in various fields as a biomaterial, especially in bone tissue engineering scaffolding. Recently, silk protein-based biomaterial has been used as a barrier membrane scaffolding for guided bone regeneration (GBR). GBR promotes bone regeneration in bone defect areas using special barrier membranes. GBR membranes should have biocompatibility, biodegradability, cell occlusion, the mechanical properties of space-making, and easy clinical handling. Silk-based biomaterial has excellent biologic and mechanical properties that make it a good candidate to be used as GBR membranes. 
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Definition and Uses of Biocompatibility in Different Fields
Using the term “biomaterial” is more logical when referring to healthcare-related materials. This includes materials used to fabricate various medical tools and devices, such as those used in implants and surgery procedures. Therefore, for a material to be referred to as a “biomaterial”, it must follow the definition assigned by the National Institute of Health Consensus Development Conference of November 1982, which states that “any substance (other than a drug) or combination of substances, synthetic or natural in origin, which can be used for any period of time, as a whole or as a part of a system that treats, augments, or replaces any tissue, organ, or function of the body”.
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Skeletal Muscle Tissue Engineering
Skeletal muscle (SKM) represents nowadays a complex and arguing tissue to be generated in vitro for tissue engineering purposes. Several attempts have been pursued to develop hydrogels with different formulations resembling in vitro the characteristics of SKM tissue in vivo. Topographical cues have been applied on the hydrogels to guide cellular orientation and facilitate myogenic differentiation of blended myocites and maturation of the constructs. 3D bioprinting technique allows controlled spatial deposition of cells into ECM based hydrogels and provide the proper SKM native-like tissue microenvironment.  
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Ultrasound Scanning
Ultrasound (US) is a flexible imaging modality used globally as a first-line medical exam procedure in many different clinical cases. It benefits from the continued evolution of ultrasonic technologies and a well-established US-based digital health system. Nevertheless, its diagnostic performance still presents challenges due to the inherent characteristics of US imaging, such as manual operation and significant operator dependence. Artificial intelligence (AI) has proven to recognize complicated scan patterns and provide quantitative assessments for imaging data. 
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Nerve Guidance Conduits
Nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) are tubular biostructures to bridge nerve injury sites via orienting axonal growth in an organized fashion as well as supplying a supportively appropriate microenvironment.
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Photocatalysis of COVID-19 in Wastewater
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is currently posing a significant threat to the world’s public health and social-economic growth. Despite the rigorous international lockdown and quarantine efforts, the rate of COVID-19 infectious cases remains exceptionally high. Notwithstanding, the end route of COVID-19, together with emerging contaminants’ (antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, nanoplastics, pesticide, etc.) occurrence in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), poses a great challenge in wastewater settings.
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Computational Simulations of Heart Valves
Computational methods are a cost-effective tool that can be used to evaluate the flow parameters of heart valves. Valve repair and replacement have long-term stability and biocompatibility issues, highlighting the need for a more robust method for resolving valvular disease. For example, while fluid–structure interaction analyses are still scarcely utilized to study aortic valves, computational fluid dynamics is used to assess the effect of different aortic valve morphologies on velocity profiles, flow patterns, helicity, wall shear stress, and oscillatory shear index in the thoracic aorta. It has been analyzed that computational flow dynamic analyses can be integrated with other methods to create a superior, more compatible method of understanding risk and compatibility.
  • 1.1K
  • 10 May 2022
Topic Review
Phenylpropanoid Biosynthetic Pathways
The MYB transcription factors (TFs) are evolving as critical role in the regulation of the phenylpropanoid and tanshinones biosynthetic pathway. MYB TFs relate to a very important gene family, which are involved in the regulation of primary and secondary metabolisms, terpenoids, bioactive compounds, plant defense against various stresses and cell morphology.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Nanomaterials for Skin Cancer Photoimmunotherapy
Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and its incidence continues to increase. It is divided into two main categories, melanoma and non-melanoma. Treatments include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The relatively high mortality in melanoma and the existing recurrence rates, both for melanoma and non-melanoma, create the need for studying and developing new approaches for skin cancer management. Studies have focused on immunotherapy, photodynamic therapy, photothermal therapy, and photoimmunotherapy. Photoimmunotherapy has gained much attention due to its excellent potential outcomes. It combines the advantages of photodynamic and/or photothermal therapy with a systemic immune response, making it ideal for metastatic cancer. 
  • 1.1K
  • 11 May 2023
Topic Review
Micro-Arc Oxidation in Titanium and Its Alloys
Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are widely recognized as preferred materials for bone implants due to their superior mechanical properties. However, their natural surface bio-inertness can hinder effective tissue integration. To address this challenge, micro-arc oxidation (MAO) has emerged as an innovative electrochemical surface modification technique. Its benefits range from operational simplicity and cost-effectiveness to environmental compatibility and scalability. Furthermore, the distinctive MAO process yields a porous topography that bestows versatile functionalities for biological applications, encompassing osteogenesis, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
  • 1.1K
  • 04 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Methods for Optimization of Bone Scaffold
As the application of bone scaffolds becomes more and more widespread, the requirements for the high performance of bone scaffolds are also increasing. The stiffness and porosity of porous structures can be adjusted as needed, making them good candidates for repairing damaged bone tissues. However, the development of porous bone structures is limited by traditional manufacturing methods. Today, the development of additive manufacturing technology has made it very convenient to manufacture bionic porous bone structures as needed. In the present text, the current state-of-the-art optimization techniques for designing the scaffolds and the settings of different optimization methods are introduced. Additionally, various design methods for bone scaffolds are reviewed. Furthermore, the challenges in designing high performance bone scaffolds and the future developments of bone scaffolds are also presented.
  • 1.1K
  • 13 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Engineered Polymer Nanoparticle
Engineering polymeric nanoparticles for their shape, size, surface chemistry, and functionalization using various targeting molecules has shown improved biomedical applications for nanoparticles. Polymeric nanoparticles have created tremendous therapeutic platforms, particularly applications related to chemo- and immunotherapies in cancer.
  • 1.1K
  • 08 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Key Inorganic Components of Bone Matrix Nanohydroxyapatite
Each cell type has a specific binding motif on the extracellular matrix, and these interaction spots are nanometers in size; therefore, the physical properties of a surface such as roughness and topography are generally designed in nanoscales. In vitro, osteoblast adhesion, proliferation and differentiation, and mineralization are enhanced for nanomaterials with grain sizes less than 100 nm. The adherence of osteoblasts on the surface covered with titanium nanoparticles is threefold that on the conventional titanium-particle-coated surface. It becomes clear that anchorage-dependent bone-forming cells on rough scaffold surfaces show higher attachment, proliferation, and differentiation efficiency.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Gene Circuits for Cancer Immunotherapy
Engineered mammalian cells for medical purposes are becoming a clinically relevant reality thanks to advances in synthetic biology that allow enhanced reliability and safety of cell-based therapies. However, their application is still hampered by challenges including time-consuming design-and-test cycle iterations and costs. For example, in the field of cancer immunotherapy, CAR-T cells targeting CD19 have already been clinically approved to treat several types of leukemia, but their use in the context of solid tumors is still quite inefficient, with additional issues related to the adequate quality control for clinical use.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Jan 2021
Topic Review
DOX Delivery Systems
Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most widely used anthracycline anticancer drugs due to its high efficacy and evident antitumoral activity on several cancer types. However, its effective utilization is hindered by the adverse side effects associated with its administration, the detriment to the patients’ quality of life, and general toxicity to healthy fast-dividing cells. Thus, delivering DOX to the tumor site encapsulated inside nanocarrier-based systems (like liposomes, micelles, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)) is an area of research that has garnered colossal interest in targeted medicine. Nanoparticles can be used as vehicles for the localized delivery and release of DOX, decreasing the effects on neighboring healthy cells and providing more control over the drug’s release and distribution.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Focused Ultrasound for Atherosclerosis Treatment
Focused ultrasound (FUS) has emerged as a promising noninvasive therapeutic modality for treating atherosclerotic arterial disease. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a noninvasive and precise modality that generates high temperatures at specific target sites within tissues, has shown promising results in reducing plaque burden and improving vascular function. While low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) operates at lower energy levels, promoting mild hyperthermia and stimulating tissue repair processes. 
  • 1.1K
  • 07 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Identifying Vocational Deficiencies in Musicians
A combination of factors exposes musicians to neuro-musculoskeletal disorders, which lead to pain and damage. These involve overuse due to long playing hours, containing repetitive movements under stressful conditions, usually performed in an unnatural posture. Although the evoked disorders are usually non-traumatic, they may often lead to prolonged or even permanent damage. For instance, in upper string players, these include bursitis and tendinopathies of the shoulder muscles, tendonitis of the rotator cuff, injury at the tendon sheaths, medial or lateral epicondylitis (also known as tennis elbow), myofascial pain, and wrist tendonitis (also known as carpal tunnel syndrome, or De Quervein’s syndrome). In cases of intensive performance, a traumatic injury may result, requiring drastic means of intervention such as surgery. It should be pointed out that the upper body and upper extremities are the most commonly affected sites of playing musicians.
  • 1.1K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Yoga Using Intelligent Internet of Things
The detection and monitoring of the yoga postures are possible with the Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT), which is the integration of intelligent approaches (machine learning) and the Internet of Things (IoT). Considering the increment in yoga practitioners, the integration of IIoT and yoga has led to the successful implementation of IIoT-based yoga training systems.
  • 1.1K
  • 24 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Supercritical Fluids for the Encapsulation
Encapsulation based on supercritical fluids has shown several advantages as green technology for the production of functional ingredients with enhanced stability and tailored protection from environmental factors. Thanks to the inherent absence of organic solvent, the low temperature of the process to reach the supercritical state and the capacity to dissolve lipid soluble bioactives, it allows obtaining functional ingredient easily designed to tailor the controlled release of the bioactive, or to reach specific levels of taste, odor and color. The present entry aims to highlight the pros and cons of the encapsulation techniques based on supercritical fluids giving emphasis to their innovative aspects that could be of interest to the food industry.
  • 1.1K
  • 25 Dec 2020
Topic Review
First Ray Mobility
Several methods have been described to quantify the first ray mobility. They have certain disadvantages (great size, sophistication, or lack of validation). The objective of this work was to study the validity and reliability of a new instrument for the measurement of first ray mobility. This new device has characteristics that make it possible to be used in daily clinical practice, such as simplicity, lightness, small size and ease of use. The results obtained suggest that the new instrument is valid and reliable.
  • 1.1K
  • 23 Apr 2021
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