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Topic Review
Short-Beaked Echidna
The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is one of four living species of echidna and the only member of the genus Tachyglossus. It is covered in fur and spines and has a distinctive snout and a specialized tongue, which it uses to catch its insect prey at a great speed. Like the other extant monotremes, the short-beaked echidna lays eggs; the monotremes are the only living group of mammals to do so. The short-beaked echidna has extremely strong front limbs and claws, which allow it to burrow quickly with great power. As it needs to be able to survive underground, it has a significant tolerance to high levels of carbon dioxide and low levels of oxygen. It has no weapons or fighting ability but repels predators by curling into a ball and deterring them with its spines. It lacks the ability to sweat and cannot deal with heat well, so it tends to avoid daytime activity in hot weather. It can swim if needed. The snout has mechanoreceptors and electroreceptors that help the echidna to detect its surroundings. During the Australia n winter, it goes into deep torpor and hibernation, reducing its metabolism to save energy. As the temperature increases, it emerges to mate. Female echidnas lay one egg a year and the mating period is the only time the otherwise solitary animals meet one another; the male has no further contact with the female or his offspring after mating. A newborn echidna is the size of a grape but grows rapidly on its mother's milk, which is very rich in nutrients. Baby echidnas eventually grow too large and spiky to stay in the pouch and, around seven weeks after hatching, are expelled from the pouch into the mother's burrow. At around six months of age, they leave the burrow and have no more contact with their mothers. The species is found throughout Australia, where it is the most widespread native mammal, and in coastal and highland regions of eastern New Guinea, where it is known as the mungwe in the Daribi and Chimbu languages. It is not threatened with extinction, but human activities, such as hunting, habitat destruction, and the introduction of foreign predatory species and parasites, have reduced its distribution in Australia.
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5 through Sport
Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) – achieving gender equality and women’s empowerment is one of the 17 SDGs, which is “integral to all dimensions of inclusive and sustainable development”. Sport has been hailed as a vehicle for humanitarian work and social change - this refers to the nascent concept of sport for development (SFD). Gender equality and/or women empowerment are one of the most common intended outcomes in SFD programs. In the research and evaluation of SFD programs targeting SDG 5, it is fundamental to understand the history of the SFD movement, the relationship with SDGs, and the existing literature on SFD and SDG 5.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Cytonemes in Tumourigenesis
Increasing evidence during the past two decades shows that cells interconnect and communicate through cytonemes. These cytoskeleton-driven extensions of specialized membrane territories have emerged as a novel alternative for cell to cell communication that are involved in development, physiology, and disease. Several recent studies have shown that signalling pathways mediated by cytonemes during development, are essential for certain tumoral cell types progression. In Drosophila wing disc EGFR and RET tumour models, cytoneme formation is required to receive signals from the neighbouring cells. Genetic ablation of cytonemes prevents tumour progression, restores apico-basal polarity, and improves survival. Furthermore, cytonemes in the Drosophila glial cells are essential for glioblastoma progression as they alter Wg/Fz1 signalling between glia and neurons. Research on cytoneme formation, maintenance, and cell signalling mechanisms will help to better understand not only physiological developmental processes and tissue homeostasis but also cancer progression.
  • 1.8K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Ubiquitylation-Mediated DNA Double-Strand Break Repair
The proper function of DNA repair is indispensable for eukaryotic cells since accumulation of DNA damages leads to genome instability and is a major cause of oncogenesis. Ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation play a pivotal role in the precise regulation of DNA repair pathways by coordinating the recruitment and removal of repair proteins at the damaged site. Here, we summarize the most important post-translational modifications (PTMs) involved in DNA double-strand break repair.
  • 1.8K
  • 13 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Microvascular Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine have come a long way in recent decades, but the lack of functioning vasculature is still a major obstacle preventing the development of thicker, physiologically relevant tissue constructs. A large part of this obstacle lies in the development of the vessels on a microscale—the microvasculature—that are crucial for oxygen and nutrient delivery. 
  • 1.8K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Reactive Nitrogen Flows in Bangladesh’s Agriculture Sector
Nitrogen (N) fertilizer use is the largest in the crop sector, an important sector, where current annual consumption is 1190 Gg. The present combined annual Nr production from crop, fishery, and livestock sectors is ~600 Gg, while emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas, are ~200 Gg. Poor N management results in Nr leaking into the environment, which has increased approximately 16-fold since 1961. One potential consequence is the disruption of ecosystem functioning. The balanced tradeoff between food production and reducing Nr input needs to be achieved. One solution to reducing unutilized reactive N (Nr) may be a holistic approach that optimizes N application rates and incorporates waste of one subsector as an input to another applying the principle of the circular economy. 
  • 1.8K
  • 06 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Laser-Induced Graphene Based Flexible Electronic Devices
Since it was reported in 2014, laser-induced graphene (LIG) has received growing attention for its fast speed, non-mask, and low-cost customizable preparation, and has shown its potential in the fields of wearable electronics and biological sensors that require high flexibility and versatility. The achievements of LIG based devices for detecting diverse bio-signal, serving as monitoring human motions, energy storage, and heaters are highlighted here, referring to the advantages of LIG in flexible designability, excellent electrical conductivity, and diverse choice of substrates.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Feeding Problems in Patients with Noonan Syndrome
Noonan syndrome (NS) belongs to the group of Noonan syndrome spectrum disorders (NSSD), which is a group of phenotypically related conditions. Feeding problems are often present not only in infancy but also in childhood, and even beyond that period. More than 50% of infants with NS develop feeding problems, and up to half of these infants will be tube-dependent for some time. Although, in general, there is a major improvement between the age of 1 and 2 years, with only a minority still having feeding problems after the age of 2 years, as long as the feeding problems continue, the impact on the quality of life of both NS infants and their caregivers may be significant. Feeding problems in general improve faster in children with a pathogenic PTPN11 or SOS1 variant. The mechanism of the feeding problems is complex, and may be due to medical causes (gastroesophageal reflux disease and delayed gastric emptying, cardiac disease and infections), feeding-skill dysfunction, nutritional dysfunction with increased energy demand, or primary or secondary psychosocial dysfunction. Many of the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. The treatment of the feeding problems may be a medical challenge, especially when the feeding problems are accompanied by feeding-skill dysfunction and psychosocial dysfunction. 
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Combating Biofilms Using Antimicrobial Agents and Therapeutic Approaches
Biofilms are intricate bacterial assemblages that attach to diverse surfaces using an extracellular polymeric substance that protects them from the host immune system and conventional antibiotics. Biofilms cause chronic infections that result in millions of deaths around the world every year. Since the antibiotic tolerance mechanism in biofilm is different than that of the planktonic cells due to its multicellular structure, the currently available antibiotics are inadequate to treat biofilm-associated infections which have led to an immense need to find newer treatment options. Over the years, various novel antibiofilm compounds able to fight biofilms have been discovered. 
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Heart Failure and Cardiorenal Syndrome
In cardiorenal syndrome (CRS), heart failure and renal failure are pathophysiologically closely intertwined by the reciprocal relationship between cardiac and renal injury. Type 1 CRS is most common and associated with acute heart failure. A preexistent chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and contributes to acute kidney injury (AKI) in CRS type 1 patients (acute cardiorenal syndrome). The remaining CRS types are found in patients with chronic heart failure (type 2), acute and chronic kidney diseases (types 3 and 4), and systemic diseases that affect both the heart and the kidney (type 5). Establishing the diagnosis of CRS requires various tools based on the type of CRS, including non-invasive imaging modalities such as TTE, CT, and MRI, adjuvant volume measurement techniques, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, and biomarkers.
  • 1.8K
  • 19 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Possibilities for Blockchain-Enabled Guarantees of Origin
Guarantees of Origin (GOs) are widely used as insurances for the renewability of electricity supplies and proofs of compliance to renewable standards; however, they suffer from structural problems. Their transactional history cannot distinguish between those traded among market actors and the ones that come directly from power plants, giving rise to transparency issues. Certificate trading dissuades producers from investing in an increase in renewable capacity resulting in lack of additionality while complex frameworks and administrative structures emerge to keep track of the vast network of GOs. These issues can be resolved through the introduction of blockchain networks which can provide transparency and help incentivise renewable investment while increasing automation and process simplification.
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Jan 2023
Topic Review
Nematophagous Fungi
Plant-parasitic nematodes significantly threaten agriculture and forestry, causing various diseases. They cause annual losses of up to 178 billion dollars worldwide due to their parasitism. Nematophagous fungi (NF) are valuable in controlling or reducing parasitic nematode diseases by killing nematodes through predatory behavior.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Nov 2023
Topic Review
Digital Culture, Knowledge, and Commitment to Digital Transformation
Digital culture (DC) is considered an important and integral part of any organization’s strategy and dynamics, together with knowledge, learning, and continuous improvement. They are key concepts that enable companies to keep up with mature and competitive markets and to be fully adapted to constantly changing scenarios.
  • 1.8K
  • 09 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Ionic Liquids Used in Dissolution of Cellulose
Cellulose is the most abundant natural polymer, which has attracted great attention due to the demand for eco-friendly and sustainable materials. The sustainability of cellulose products also depends on the selection of the dissolution solvent.
  • 1.8K
  • 18 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Polysaccharide-Based Aerogel Production
A comparative analysis concerning bio-based gels production, to be used for tissue regeneration, has been performed in this review. These gels are generally applied as scaffolds in the biomedical field, thanks to their morphology, low cytotoxicity, and high biocompatibility.
  • 1.8K
  • 17 May 2021
Topic Review
Yeast Cells in Microencapsulation
Yeasts are uni/multicellular eukaryotic organisms, originally thought to be ascomycetous fungi, but later recognized to also comprise basidiomycetous organisms; more typically, yeasts reproduce asexually (rapid duplication) but can also adopt sexual reproduction.
  • 1.8K
  • 02 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most popular primary central nervous system cancer and has an extremely expansive course. Aggressive tumor growth correlates with short median overall survival (OS) oscillating between 14 and 17 months. The survival rate of patients in a three-year follow up oscillates around 10%. The interaction of the proteins programmed death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand (PD-L1) creates an immunoregulatory axis promoting invasion of glioblastoma multiforme cells in the brain tissue. The PD-1 pathway maintains immunological homeostasis and protects against autoimmunity. PD-L1 expression on glioblastoma surface promotes PD-1 receptor activation in microglia, resulting in the negative regulation of T cell responses. Glioblastoma multiforme cells induce PD-L1 secretion by activation of various receptors such as toll like receptor (TLR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), interferon alpha receptor (IFNAR), interferon-gamma receptor (IFNGR). Binding of the PD-1 ligand to the PD-1 receptor activates the protein tyrosine phosphatase SHP-2, which dephosphorylates Zap 70, and this inhibits T cell proliferation and downregulates lymphocyte cytotoxic activity. Relevant studies demonstrated that the expression of PD-L1 in glioma correlates with WHO grading and could be considered as a tumor biomarker. Studies in preclinical GBM mouse models confirmed the safety and efficiency of monoclonal antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. Satisfactory results such as significant regression of tumor mass and longer animal survival time were observed. Monoclonal antibodies inhibiting PD-1 and PD-L1 are being tested in clinical trials concerning patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme.
  • 1.8K
  • 21 Apr 2021
Topic Review
Autonomous Vehicle
An Autonomous Vehicle (AV), or a driverless car, or a self-driving vehicle is a car, bus, truck, or any other vehicle that is able to drive from point A to point B and perform all necessary driving operations and functions without any human intervention. An Autonomous Vehicle is normally equipped with different types of sensors to perceive the surrounding environment, including Normal Vision Cameras, Infrared Cameras, RADAR, LiDAR, and Ultrasonic Sensors.  An autonomous vehicle should be able to detect and recognise all type of road users including surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, traffic signs, road markings, and can segment the free spaces, intersections, buildings, and trees to perform a safe driving task.  Currently, no realistic prediction expects we see fully autonomous vehicles earlier than 2030. 
  • 1.8K
  • 17 Feb 2021
Topic Review
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Leaky gut syndrome- is a medical condition characterized by increased intestinal permeability which may cause chronic inflammation and contributes to pathogenesis of wide range of diseases. According to the hypothesis of leaky gut syndrome, increased intestinal permeability enables antigens to cross intestinal barrier and absorb into the bloodstream consequently trigger the immune system and cause systemic reactions. Although LGS is very popular in alternative medicine circles, there is still little evidence to support hypothesis that it is a direct cause of any widespread problems.  
  • 1.8K
  • 25 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Risk Factors for Recurrent Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the commonest peripheral vestibular condition encountered in a neurotology clinic and it accounts for about 20% to 30% of all the vestibular complaints. The mechanism of BPPV has been based on dislodged otoliths that leave the utricle and freely float in the semicircular canals or attach to the cupula, making the labyrinth sensitive to gravitational forces. BPPV is characterized by recurrent and brief vertigo with corresponding nystagmus when extending or turning the neck, getting up or lying down, or rolling over in bed.
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Jan 2022
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