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Topic Review
Smallpox Virus Retention Controversy
The smallpox virus retention controversy is a debate that has been ongoing among international scientists and other officials since smallpox was declared eradicated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1980. It centers on whether to finally and irreversibly destroy the two last remnants of the virus that causes smallpox, which reside in government laboratories in the United States and Russia . Advocates of final destruction maintain that there is no longer any valid rationale for retaining the samples, which represent a hazard, while opponents of it maintain that the samples are needed for further research as smallpox virus may still exist in the world outside of the two labs, and thus may re-emerge, particularly as a bio-weapon.
  • 1.5K
  • 15 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
A pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (Including atypical autism) (PDD-NOS) is one of the four autistic disorders (AD) in the DSM-5 and also was one of the five disorders classified as a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) in the DSM-IV According to the DSM-4, PDD-NOS is a diagnosis that is used for "severe or pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction and/or verbal and nonverbal communication skills, or when stereotyped behavior, interests, and/or activities are present, but the criteria are not met for a specific PDD" or for several other disorders. PDD-NOS includes atypical autism, because the criteria for autistic disorder are not met, for instance because of late age of onset, atypical symptomatology, or subthreshold symptomatology, or all of these. Even though PDD-NOS is considered milder than typical autism, this is not always true. While some characteristics may be milder, others may be more severe.
  • 1.5K
  • 12 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Knowledge of Autism
Definitions of autism have been deficit-focused and grounded in a medical perspective. 
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Jul 2023
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
Sideroflexins/SLC56 Family
Sideroflexins (SLC56 family) are highly conserved multi-spanning transmembrane proteins inserted in the inner mitochondrial membrane in eukaryotes.
  • 1.5K
  • 26 Feb 2021
Topic Review
People with Aphasia
People with Aphasia (PWA) are individuals who experience difficulties in one or more aspects of communication, such as the ability to speak, understand, read and write, due to acquired brain damage (e.g.stroke, dementia, brain tumour, traumatic brain injury).  
  • 1.5K
  • 27 Oct 2020
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
Idiopathic Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is defined as a decrease in bone density that results in micro-architecture deterioration, predisposing the affected patients to fractures. Operationally, osteoporosis has been defined on the basis of a bone mineral density assessment using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
  • 1.5K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Paediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome
Paediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome (PMIS), or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), is a systemic disease involving persistent fever, inflammation and organ dysfunction following exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. This syndrome appears somewhat similar to Kawasaki disease, a rare disease of unknown origin that affects young children, in which blood vessels become inflamed throughout the body. It can also show features of other serious paediatric inflammatory conditions, including toxic shock and macrophage activation syndromes. Older children tend to be affected. The first symptoms may be acute abdominal pain, diarrhoea or vomiting. Low blood pressure is common. Other possible symptoms include conjunctivitis, rashes, enlarged lymph nodes, swollen hands and feet, "strawberry tongue", sore throat, cough, fainting, irritability and confusion. Inflammation of the heart muscle is one of several forms of cardiac involvement. Coronary artery abnormalities (such as dilatation and aneurysms) can occur. A cytokine storm may take place, in which the innate immune system stages an excessive and uncontrolled inflammatory response. For the purposes of diagnosis and official reporting of cases, this emerging condition has been defined in three different ways (using various names), by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although the condition is thought to follow SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, antigen or antibody tests are not always positive. Exclusion of alternative causes, including bacterial and other infections, is essential for differential diagnosis. Some general clinical guidance has been provided by the RCPCH, the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Rheumatology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Limited information exists regarding clinical course of this life-threatening disease, which has occasionally proved fatal. Failure of one or more organs can occur. Early recognition and prompt specialist attention are essential. Supportive care is key. Anti-inflammatory treatments have been used, with good responses being recorded for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), with or without corticosteroids. Oxygen therapy may be needed, and some children require paediatric intensive care. Clusters of new cases have emerged 2–4 weeks after local peaks in viral transmission. It is thought that the disease may be driven by a delayed biological mechanism in certain predisposed children. The condition is considered rare. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has rated risk to children in Europe as being 'low' overall, based on a 'very low' likelihood of a child developing this 'high impact' disease. Initial reports regarded children in various parts of Europe and the U.S., and it is unclear to what extent the condition has gone unrecognized elsewhere.
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Ensembl Genomes
Ensembl Genomes is a scientific project to provide genome-scale data from non-vertebrate species. The project is run by the European Bioinformatics Institute, and was launched in 2009 using the Ensembl technology. The main objective of the Ensembl Genomes database is to complement the main Ensembl database by introducing five additional web pages to include genome data for bacteria, fungi, invertebrate metazoa, plants, and protists. For each of the domains, the Ensembl tools are available for manipulation, analysis and visualization of genome data. Most Ensembl Genomes data is stored in MySQL relational databases and can be accessed by the Ensembl Perl API, virtual machines or online. Ensembl Genomes is an open project, and most of the code, tools, and data are available to the public. Ensembl and Ensembl Genomes software uses a "permissive Apache-style open-source" license, making it free for all users.
  • 1.5K
  • 19 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Antioxidant-Based Therapies in Male Infertility
Under physiological conditions, reactive oxygen species (ROS) play pivotal roles in various processes of human spermatozoa. Indeed, semen requires the intervention of ROS to accomplish different stages of its maturation. However, ROS overproduction is a well-documented phenomenon occurring in the semen of infertile males, potentially causing permanent oxidative damages to a vast number of biological molecules (proteins, nucleic acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids of biological membrane lipids), negatively affecting the functionality and vitality of spermatozoa. ROS overproduction may concomitantly occur to the excess generation of reactive nitrogen species (RNS), leading to oxidative/nitrosative stress and frequently encountered in various human pathologies. Under different conditions of male infertility, very frequently accompanied by morpho-functional anomalies in the sperm analysis, several studies have provided evidence for clear biochemical signs of damages to biomolecules caused by oxidative/nitrosative stress. In the last decades, various studies aimed to verify whether antioxidant-based therapies may be beneficial to treat male infertility have been carried out.
  • 1.5K
  • 04 Mar 2021
Topic Review
3-Phenylcoumarins as a Privileged Scaffold in Medicinal Chemistry
3-Phenylcoumarins are a family of heterocyclic molecules that are widely used in both organic and medicinal chemistry. 3-Phenylcoumarins have been used by several research groups in the search for new chemical entities with potential in the discovery of new therapeutic solutions for several diseases. The versatility and chemical properties of this scaffold have been attracting the attention of researchers all over the world.
  • 1.5K
  • 25 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Recovery Approach
Psychological recovery or recovery model or the recovery approach to mental disorder or substance dependence emphasizes and supports a person's potential for recovery. Recovery is generally seen in this approach as a personal journey rather than a set outcome, and one that may involve developing hope, a secure base and sense of self, supportive relationships, empowerment, social inclusion, coping skills, and meaning. Recovery sees symptoms as a continuum of the norm rather than an aberration and rejects sane-insane dichotomy. William Anthony, Director of the Boston Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation developed a quaint cornerstone definition of mental health recovery in 1993. "Recovery is a deeply personal, unique process of changing one's attitudes, values, feelings, goals, skills and/or roles. It is a way of living a satisfying, hopeful, and contributing life even with limitations caused by the illness. Recovery involves the development of new meaning and purpose in one's life as one grows beyond the catastrophic effects of mental illness." The use of the concept in mental health emerged as deinstitutionalization resulted in more individuals living in the community. It gained impetus as a social movement due to a perceived failure by services or wider society to adequately support social inclusion, and to studies demonstrating that many people do recover. A recovery approach has now been explicitly adopted as the guiding principle of the mental health or substance dependency policies of a number of countries and states. In many cases practical steps are being taken to base services on a recovery model, although a range of obstacles, concerns and criticisms have been raised both by service providers and by recipients of services. A number of standardized measures have been developed to assess aspects of recovery, although there is some variation between professionalized models and those originating in the psychiatric survivors movement.
  • 1.5K
  • 01 Oct 2022
Topic Review
MRNA as vaccination tool
Transcription of mRNA is carried out by RNA ´polymerase II in eukaryotes. This a complex process involving protein biopolymers. mRNA can be used as vaccine and can be delivered into the cells to produce an antigen. This mRNA-based vaccine could be used for several infectious diseases, cancer and SARS-CoV-2 virus. It can be also used to deliver a missing protein in a particular cell type. A functional mRNA can be in vitro transcribed, either by using a viral RNA polymerase or an eukaryotic RNA polymerase II together with a capping system. 
  • 1.5K
  • 20 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Brain Image Segmentation
Brain image segmentation is one of the most time-consuming and challenging procedures in a clinical environment. Recently, a drastic increase in the number of brain disorders has been noted. This has indirectly led to an increased demand for automated brain segmentation solutions to assist medical experts in early diagnosis and treatment interventions. This paper aims to present a critical review of the recent trend in segmentation and classification methods for brain magnetic resonance images. Various segmentation methods ranging from simple intensity-based to high-level segmentation approaches such as machine learning, metaheuristic, deep learning, and hybridization are included in the present review. Common issues, advantages, and disadvantages of brain image segmentation methods are also discussed to provide a better understanding of the strengths and limitations of existing methods. 
  • 1.5K
  • 31 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Virtual Screening Algorithms in Drug Discovery
Virtual screening (VS) is an in silico technique used in the drug discovery process. During VS, large databases of molecular structures are automatically evaluated using computational methods. With the use of VS, it is expected to identify molecules more susceptible to binding to the molecular target, typically a protein or enzyme receptor.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 May 2023
Topic Review
Tuberculosis IRIS
Antiretroviral therapy (ART), while essential in combatting tuberculosis (TB) and HIV coinfection, is often complicated by TB-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS). Depending on the TB diagnosis and treatment status at ART initiation, this immune-mediated worsening of TB pathology can take the form of paradoxical TB-IRIS, unmasking TB-IRIS. Each form of TB-IRIS has unique implications for diagnosis and treatment. This entry is a discussion of TB-IRIS with an expanded focus on CNS TB-IRIS given its severe outcomes and anatomic and immunologic peculiarities.
  • 1.5K
  • 06 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Medical Imaging Applications
The advancement of micro-electro-mechanical systems and small-sized optical components enable the fabrication of imaging devices with promising performance as compared to the traditional medical devices. Such devices enable the detection of lesions/tumors at an earlier stage and act as a guide during surgical procedures, increasing diagnostic capabilities. A variety of different imaging techniques used in medical applications are reviewed in here.
  • 1.5K
  • 16 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Comorbid Conditions in COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major health problem with increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. There are remaining issues that are difficult to resolve with the current treatment algorithm. COPD patients face a number of unmet needs such as symptoms, exacerbations, physical inactivity, and loss of social activities. In this article, we categorize potential therapeutic targets from the viewpoint of pulmonary and systemic comorbid conditions,, and address recent data concerning the pathophysiological link with COPD and the impact of intervention for comorbid conditions, in order to obtain evidence that could enable us to provide personalized COPD management. 
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder
Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) is a DSM-5 category that, along with unspecified feeding or eating disorder (UFED), replaces the category formerly called eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) in the DSM-IV-TR. It captures feeding disorders and eating disorders of clinical severity that do not meet diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), pica, or rumination disorder. OSFED includes five examples: atypical anorexia nervosa, atypical bulimia nervosa of low frequency and/or limited duration, binge eating disorder of low frequency and/or limited duration, purging disorder, and night eating syndrome (NES).
  • 1.5K
  • 21 Nov 2022
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