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Topic Review
Journal Efficiency
Journal efficiency is determined by measuring the timelag in the acceptance and publication of scientific findings by a journal on behalf of the authors upon submission.
  • 1.1K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Mucoadhesive Chitosan Nanoparticles
Chitosan is a polysaccharide polymer produced by alkaline deacetylation of chitin. It has a positive charge that may interact with negatively charged mucosal surfaces.
  • 1.1K
  • 18 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis
Degenerative joint disease or osteoarthrosis (OA) is a progressive joint disease characterized by the focal loss of cartilage, little evidence of the typical form of inflammation, and by the hypertrophy of adjacent bone and soft tissue.
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Vaccination and Religion
Vaccination and religion have interrelations of varying kinds. Almost no religions object to vaccination, and some parents either fake religious adherence or invent fake religions to provide exemption.
  • 1.1K
  • 03 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cover Test
A cover test or cover-uncover test is an objective determination of the presence and amount of ocular deviation. It is typically performed by orthoptists, ophthalmologists and optometrists during eye examinations. The two primary types of cover tests are: The test involves having the patient focusing on both a distance as well as near object at different times during the examination. A cover is placed over an eye for a short moment then removed while observing both eyes for movement. The misaligned eye will deviate inwards or outwards. The process is repeated on both eyes and then with the child focusing on a distant object. The cover test is used to determine both the type of ocular deviation and measure the amount of deviation. The two primary types of ocular deviations are the tropia and the phoria. A tropia is a misalignment of the two eyes when a patient is looking with both eyes uncovered. A phoria (or latent deviation) only appears when binocular viewing is broken and the two eyes are no longer looking at the same object. The unilateral cover test is performed by having the patient focus on an object then covering the fixating eye and observing the movement of the other eye. If the eye was exotropic, covering the fixating eye will cause an inwards movement; and esotropic if covering the fixating eye will cause an outwards movement. The alternating cover test, or cross cover test is used to detect total deviation (tropia + phoria).
  • 1.1K
  • 16 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Myelodysplastic Syndromes
The molecular pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is complex due to high rate of genomic heterogeneity. Significant advances have been made in the last decade in elucidating the landscape of molecular alterations (cytogenetic abnormalities, gene mutations) in MDS. Seminal experimental studies have clarified the role of diverse gene mutations in the context of disease phenotypes, but the lack of faithful murine models and/ or cell lines spontaneously carrying certain gene mutations have hampered the knowledge on how and why specific pathways are associated with MDS pathogenesis.
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Biosimilars
Biosimilars are recombinant DNA products that join DNA from different species and subsequently insert the hybrid DNA into a host cell, often a bacterium or mammalian cell, to express the target protein; this molecular chimera was first created by researchers from UC San Francisco and Stanford in 1972. Stanley Cohen of Stanford and Herbert Boyer of UCSF received the US patent in 1980. Boyer co-founded Genentech, Inc. in 1976. The Cohen-Boyer patents will eventually have more than 500 licensees to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and earn Stanford and UCSF more than USD 250 million in royalties. These patents have now expired. Biosimilars include monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, growth factors, enzymes, immunomodulators, and thrombolytics, proteins extracted from animals or microorganisms, including recombinant versions of these products (except clotting factors), and other non-vaccine therapeutic immunotherapies. Billions of patients receiving biosimilars have shown therapeutic equivalence. None of these products have shown adverse events more than the reference product, including immunogenicity responses. It is estimated that the cumulative exposure to EU-approved biosimilars was more than two billion patient treatment days in 2020, with no adverse event reporting or withdrawal from the market due to safety reasons and no biosimilar-specific adverse effects have been added to the product information.
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale
The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) Symptom Checklist is a self-reported questionnaire used to assist in the diagnosis of adult ADHD. ADHD is a neurological disorder that can present itself in adolescence and adulthood. Some individuals can outgrow ADHD but around 30% will continue to have ADHD throughout their adulthood. Adults with ADHD may experience difficulties in relation to cognitive, academic, occupational, social and economic situations. The PhenX Toolkit uses ASRS as its adult protocol for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms.
  • 1.1K
  • 15 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Shoulder Periprosthetic Infections Management
Periprosthetic joint infections of the shoulder are the major cause for revision within the first two post-operative years: bacteria diagnosis and management of humeral bone loss after implant removal may be fronted by new instruments in shoulder surgery.
  • 1.1K
  • 30 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Minimally Invasive Procedures
Minimally invasive procedures (also known as minimally invasive surgeries) encompass surgical techniques that limit the size of incisions needed and so lessen wound healing time, associated pain and risk of infection. Surgery by definition is invasive and many operations requiring incisions of some size are referred to as open surgery, in which incisions made can sometimes leave large wounds that are painful and take a long time to heal. Minimally invasive procedures have been enabled by the advance of various medical technologies. An endovascular aneurysm repair as an example of minimally invasive surgery is much less invasive in that it involves much smaller incisions than the corresponding open surgery procedure of open aortic surgery. This minimally invasive surgery became the most common method of repairing abdominal aortic aneurysms in 2003 in the United States. The front-runners of minimally invasive procedures were interventional radiologists. By the use of imaging techniques, interventional instruments could be directed throughout the body by the radiologists by way of catheters instead of large incisions needed in traditional surgery, so that many conditions once requiring surgery can now be treated non-surgically. Diagnostic techniques that do not involve the puncturing of the skin or incision, or the introduction into the body of foreign objects or materials, are known as non-invasive procedures. There are also several treatment procedures that are classed as non-invasive. A major example of a non-invasive alternative treatment to surgery is radiation therapy, also called radiotherapy.
  • 1.1K
  • 11 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Neuromodulation
Neuromodulation is "the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of a stimulus, such as electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific neurological sites in the body". It is carried out to normalize – or modulate – nervous tissue function. Neuromodulation is an evolving therapy that can involve a range of electromagnetic stimuli such as a magnetic field (rTMS), an electric current, or a drug instilled directly in the subdural space (intrathecal drug delivery). Emerging applications involve targeted introduction of genes or gene regulators and light (optogenetics), and by 2014, these had been at minimum demonstrated in mammalian models, or first-in-human data had been acquired. The most clinical experience has been with electrical stimulation. Neuromodulation, whether electrical or magnetic, employs the body's natural biological response by stimulating nerve cell activity that can influence populations of nerves by releasing transmitters, such as dopamine, or other chemical messengers such as the peptide Substance P, that can modulate the excitability and firing patterns of neural circuits. There may also be more direct electrophysiological effects on neural membranes as the mechanism of action of electrical interaction with neural elements. The end effect is a "normalization" of a neural network function from its perturbed state. Presumed mechanisms of action for neurostimulation include depolarizing blockade, stochastic normalization of neural firing, axonal blockade, reduction of neural firing keratosis, and suppression of neural network oscillations. Although the exact mechanisms of neurostimulation are not known, the empirical effectiveness has led to considerable application clinically. Existing and emerging neuromodulation treatments also include application in medication-resistant epilepsy, chronic head pain conditions, and functional therapy ranging from bladder and bowel or respiratory control to improvement of sensory deficits, such as hearing (cochlear implants and auditory brainstem implants) and vision (retinal implants). Technical improvements include a trend toward minimally invasive (or noninvasive) systems; as well as smaller, more sophisticated devices that may have automated feedback control, and conditional compatibility with magnetic resonance imaging. Neuromodulation therapy has been investigated for other chronic conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, chronic pain, and as an adjunctive treatment in recovery from stroke.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
HIV-1 Latency and Viral Reservoirs
Eradication of latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a global health challenge. Reactivation of HIV latency and killing of virus-infected cells, the so-called “kick and kill” or “shock and kill” approaches, are a popular strategy for HIV cure. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) halts HIV replication by targeting multiple steps in the HIV life cycle, including viral entry, integration, replication, and production, it cannot get rid of the occult provirus incorporated into the host-cell genome. These latent proviruses are replication-competent and can rebound in cases of ART interruption or cessation. In general, a very small population of cells harbor provirus, serve as reservoirs in ART-controlled HIV subjects, and are capable of expressing little to no HIV RNA or proteins. Beyond the canonical resting memory CD4+ T cells, HIV reservoirs also exist within tissue macrophages, myeloid cells, brain microglial cells, gut epithelial cells, and hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Despite a lack of active viral production, latently HIV-infected subjects continue to exhibit aberrant cellular signaling and metabolic dysfunction, leading to minor to major cellular and systemic complications or comorbidities. These include genomic DNA damage; telomere attrition; mitochondrial dysfunction; premature aging; and lymphocytic, cardiac, renal, hepatic, or pulmonary dysfunctions. Therefore, the arcane machineries involved in HIV latency and its reversal warrant further studies to identify the cryptic mechanisms of HIV reservoir formation and clearance.
  • 1.1K
  • 10 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Adhesion
Adhesions are fibrous bands that form between tissues and organs, often as a result of injury during surgery. They may be thought of as internal scar tissue that connects tissues not normally connected.
  • 1.1K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Helicobacter pylori Infections
The objective of this entry is twofold. First, author perform a systematic review ofthe economic evaluation studies applied to assess the efficiency of diagnostic testing for the H. pylori infection. Author intend to summarize the methods applied to these economic evaluations and to highlight the main characteristics of these studies. The second objectiveis to learn from the literature review how the AMR issue is incorporated in economic evaluation of diagnostic testing.
  • 1.1K
  • 05 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Sesquiterpene Lactones in Medicine
Sesquiterpene lactones (SL), characterized by their high prevalence in the Asteraceae family, are one of the major groups of secondary metabolites found in plants. Researchers from distinct research fields, including pharmacology, medicine, and agriculture, are interested in their biological potential. With new SL discovered in the last years, new biological activities have been tested, different action mechanisms (synergistic and/or antagonistic effects), as well as molecular structure–activity relationships described.
  • 1.1K
  • 18 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Remote management of DFD
Diabetes-related foot disease (DFD), which includes foot ulcers, infection and gangrene, is a leading cause of the global disability burden. About half of people who develop DFD experience a recurrence within one year. Long-term medical management to reduce the risk of recurrence is therefore important to reduce the global DFD burden. This review describes research assessing the value of sensors, wearables and telehealth in preventing DFD. Sensors and wearables have been developed to monitor foot temperature, plantar pressures, glucose, blood pressure and lipids. The monitoring of these risk factors along with telehealth consultations has promise as a method for remotely managing people who are at risk of DFD. This approach can potentially avoid or reduce the need for face-to-face consultations. Home foot temperature monitoring, continuous glucose monitoring and telehealth consultations are the approaches for which the most highly developed and user-friendly technology has been developed. A number of clinical studies in people at risk of DFD have demonstrated benefits when using one of these remote monitoring methods. Further development and evidence are needed for some of the other approaches, such as home plantar pressure and footwear adherence monitoring. As yet, no composite remote management program incorporating remote monitoring and the management of all the key risk factors for DFD has been developed and implemented. Further research assessing the feasibility and value of combining these remote monitoring approaches as a holistic way of preventing DFD is needed.
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Video Game-related Health Problems
Game addiction problems can induce repetitive strain injuries, skin disorders or other health issues. Other problems include video game-provoked seizures in patients with epilepsy. In rare and extreme cases, deaths have resulted from excessive video game playing (see Deaths due to video game addiction).
  • 1.1K
  • 05 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Cannabis sativa L. for Treatment
Cannabis sativa L. turned out to be a valuable source of chemical compounds of various structures, showing pharmacological activity. The most important groups of compounds include phytocannabinoids and terpenes. The pharmacological activity of Cannabis (in epilepsy, sclerosis multiplex (SM), vomiting and nausea, pain, appetite loss, inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs), Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome, schizophrenia, glaucoma, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has been proven so far, results from the affinity of these compounds predominantly for the receptors of the endocannabinoid system (the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), type two (CB2), and the G protein-coupled receptor 55 (GPR55) but, also, for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), glycine receptors, serotonin receptors (5-HT), transient receptor potential channels (TRP), and GPR, opioid receptors. The synergism of action of phytochemicals present in Cannabis sp. raw material is also expressed in their increased bioavailability and penetration through the blood–brain barrier. 
  • 1.1K
  • 07 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Chinese Cordyceps in the Antitumor Mechanisms
Chinese Cordyceps is a valuable source of natural products with various therapeutic effects. It is rich in various active components, of which adenosine, cordycepin and polysaccharides have been confirmed with significant immunomodulatory and antitumor functions.
  • 1.1K
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Islet Transplantation
Islet transplantation is considered as a promising and reliable cellular replacement therapy for severe diabetes mellitus patients with unstable condition of blood glucose level despite intensive insulin therapy, especially for insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes mellitus patients. The therapeutic outcomes of islet transplantation have gradually, but dramatically, improved through innovations in technology regarding islet isolation, transplantation procedures, and immunosuppressants [1].  
  • 1.1K
  • 09 Nov 2020
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