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Topic Review
Diabetes Peptide-Based Drugs
Peptides continue to gain significance in the pharmaceutical arena. Since the unveiling of insulin in 1921, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised around 100 peptides for various applications. Peptides, although initially derived from endogenous sources, have evolved beyond their natural origins, exhibiting favourable therapeutic effectiveness. The FDA has authorized a variety of medications for the treatment of diabetes, each designed to target different receptors and operate through diverse mechanisms, depending on the specific type of diabetes being addressed.
  • 1.7K
  • 26 Feb 2024
Topic Review
The Role of ALDH2 in Cardiovascular Disease Management
Mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is a cardioprotective enzyme that catalyzes the bio-activation of GTN to NO. Nitrate tolerance is accompanied by an increase in oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and sympathetic activation, as well as a loss of the catalytic activity of ALDH2 itself. On the basis of current knowledge, nitrate intake in the diet would guarantee a concentration of NO such as to avoid (or at least reduce) treatment with GTN and the consequent onset of nitrate tolerance in the course of cardiovascular diseases, so as not to make necessary the increase in GTN concentrations and the possible inhibition/alteration of ALDH2, which aggravates the problem of a positive feedback mechanism. 
  • 1.7K
  • 29 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Hybrid Engineered Water–Polymer Flooding (EWPF)
Hybrid EWPF has been experimentally investigated for both sandstone and carbonate reservoirs by various researchers. The idea behind hybrid EWPF is to enhance oil recovery by the combined effect of optimized injection water composition and polymer flooding. Most of the studies have shown the synergistic benefits of the hybrid method in terms of two- to four-fold decreases in the polymer adsorption, leading to 30–50% reductions in polymer consumption, making the project economically viable for carbonates. EWPF has resulted in 20–30% extra oil recovery in various carbonate coreflood experiments compared to high-salinity water flooding.
  • 1.7K
  • 26 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Lignin-Based Sunscreens
In light of recent research, a vast majority of the commonly-used broad-range sunscreens fail to provide adequate protection against portions of sunlight that age and otherwise damage the skin, including visual light. In addition, many of their UV-active synthetic components that easily pass through effluent wastewater treatment plants have been linked to coral bleaching and other negative effects on marine ecosystems. These compounds may also penetrate the skin and are suspected of causing allergies and acting as hormone disruptors. Technical lignins are phenolic biopolymers obtained in large quantities as by-products of chemical pulping and biomass refinery processes that have been found to be of low toxicity to normal mammalian cells. Because of their polymeric nature, they should be much easier to remove from wastewater than the small synthetic UV-active compounds used in chemical sunscreens. Provided that they have the right chemical structure and are converted to nanoparticles, they display significant absorbance in the UV- and visual wavelength areas of sunlight. Most commercial sunscreens are whitish because of perceived consumer preference and for this reason, contain only compounds that have insignificant absorbance in the visual region of sunlight. Coupled with their ability to act as antioxidants and preservatives, lignin-based sunscreens offer themselves as a bio-based and safe multi-functional additive for high-SPF (Sun Protection Factor) sunscreens and cosmetics. This review addresses the state-of-the art of lignin-based sunscreens.
  • 1.7K
  • 19 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infections
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a major causative agent of community-acquired pneumonia which can lead to both acute upper and lower respiratory tract inflammation, and extrapulmonary syndromes. 
  • 1.7K
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Mucociliary clearance
Mucociliary clearance constitutes an innate lung defense mechanism that is primarily driven by ciliated cells. Respiratory mucus traps pathogens entering the airways, and lung cilia propel them outward via their coordinated directional motion. Thus, damage to the component(s) of this apparatus is averted and physiological function is ensured. 
  • 1.7K
  • 30 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Omega-3 FAs from Fish Oil
ω3- fatty acids (ω3-FAs) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6ω-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5ω-3) have drawn attention over the last decades because their consumption is related to several beneficial effects on human health. Seafood is a traditional source of ω-3 FAs but the recovery of these bioactive substances from fishery waste represents an interesting alternative, allowing to benefit both the environment and the global economy through the valorization of rest raw materials.
  • 1.7K
  • 20 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Anti-Inflammatory and Antiviral Effects of Cannabinoids
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus made it necessary to search for new options for both causal treatment and mitigation of its symptoms. Scientists and researchers around the world are constantly looking for the best therapeutic options. These difficult circumstances have also spurred the re-examination of the potential of natural substances contained in Cannabis sativa L. Cannabinoids, apart from CB1 and CB2 receptors, may act multifacetedly through a number of other receptors, such as the GPR55, TRPV1, PPARs, 5-HT1A, adenosine and glycine receptors. The complex anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects of cannabinoids have been confirmed by interactions with various signaling pathways. Considering the fact that the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes excessive immune response and triggers an inflammatory cascade, and that cannabinoids have the ability to regulate these processes, it can be assumed that they have potential to be used in the treatment of COVID-19.
  • 1.7K
  • 22 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Risk Analysis of Engineering Procurement and Construction
The lump sum turn key (LSTK) contract for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects is a typical contract type used in large-scale and complex plant projects. 
  • 1.7K
  • 21 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Genomic Approaches in Allelopathy
Allelopathy is an ecological phenomenon, in which the chemicals produced by plants and microorganisms affect the growth, development, and fitness of other organisms. This discipline represents a topic of growing interest due to the sustainability discussion currently in progress. Genetic technologies have developed rapidly, and whole-genome sequencing has become an increasingly routine technique in many areas, such as medicine, biotechnology, and agriculture.
  • 1.7K
  • 27 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Stellate Ganglia and Cardiac Sympathetic Overactivation
Heart failure (HF) is a major public health problem worldwide, especially coronary heart disease (myocardial infarction)-induced HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), which accounts for over 50% of all HF cases. An estimated 6 million American adults have HF. As a major feature of HF, cardiac sympathetic overactivation triggers arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, which accounts for nearly 50–60% of mortality in HF patients. Regulation of cardiac sympathetic activation is highly integrated by the regulatory circuitry at multiple levels, including afferent, central, and efferent components of the sympathetic nervous system. Much evidence has confirmed the afferent and central neural mechanisms causing sympathoexcitation in HF. The stellate ganglion is a peripheral sympathetic ganglion formed by the fusion of the 7th cervical and 1st thoracic sympathetic ganglion. As the efferent component of the sympathetic nervous system, cardiac postganglionic sympathetic neurons located in stellate ganglia provide local neural coordination independent of higher brain centers. 
  • 1.7K
  • 21 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Levitated Dipole Experiment
The Levitated Dipole Experiment (LDX) was an experiment investigating the generation of fusion power using the concept of a levitated dipole. The device was the first of its kind to test the levitated dipole concept and was funded by the US Department of Energy. The machine was also part of a collaboration between the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center and Columbia University, where another levitated dipole experiment, the Collisionless Terrella Experiment (CTX), was located. LDX ceased operations in November 2011 when its funding from the Department of Energy ended as resources were being diverted to tokamak research.
  • 1.7K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Hybrid Solar Dryers
Hybrid solar dryers, by definition, designed and constructed using direct solar energy and a heat exchanger. The products are dried under direct solar radiation and/or backup energy or stored heat when sunlight is not available. These types of dryers are used in single and mixed modes of drying. Several studies have been developed to test different techniques to improve solar dryers, considering the possible use of thermal storage materials, the deep bed drying method, improved solar collector designs and energy hybridization. They can be divided several ways, depending on their construction.
  • 1.7K
  • 17 Jan 2024
Topic Review
The Medicinal Natural Products of Cannabis sativa Linn
Cannabis sativa L. is known for its medicinal uses since ancient times, because of its rich supply of phytochemicals, hence the quest for harnessing its pharmacological potential by scientists. The term “Cannabis” is used to define the products (drugs and essential oils) that are prepared or obtained from the annual herb C. sativa and its variants, which are of the family Cannabaceae. C. sativa has been used for the treatment of rheumatism, epilepsy, asthma, skin burns, pain, the management of sexually transmitted diseases, difficulties during child labor, postpartum hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal activity.
  • 1.7K
  • 11 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Caproni Ca.3 (1916)
The Caproni Ca.3 was an Italian heavy bomber of World War I and the postwar era. It was the definitive version of the series of aircraft that began with the Caproni Ca.1 in 1914.
  • 1.7K
  • 17 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Metal-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Metals are actively involved in multiple catalytic physiological activities. However, metal overload may result in neurotoxicity as it increases formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and elevates oxidative stress in the nervous system. Mitochondria are a key target of metal-induced toxicity, given their role in energy production. As the brain consumes a large amount of energy, mitochondrial dysfunction and the subsequent decrease in levels of ATP may significantly disrupt brain function, resulting in neuronal cell death and ensuing neurological disorders. 
  • 1.7K
  • 30 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Microbial Communities
Although ice-free areas cover only about 0.1% of Antarctica and are characterized by harsh environmental conditions, these regions provide quite diverse conditions for the soil-forming process, having various physical and geochemical properties, and also assuring different conditions for living organisms. This study is aimed to determine existing soil microbial communities, their relationship with soil parameters and the influence of anthropogenic activity in Larsemann Hills, Eastern Antarctica. The soil microbiome was investigated at different locations using 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. The taxonomic analysis of the soil microbiomes revealed 12 predominant bacterial and archaeal phyla—Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes, Armatimonadetes, Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, Thaumarchaeota. Some specific phyla have been also found in sub-surface horizons of soils investigated, thus providing additional evidence of the crucial role of gravel pavement in saving the favorable conditions for both soil and microbiome development. Moreover, our study also revealed that some bacterial species might be introduced into Antarctic soils by human activities. We also assessed the effect of different soil parameters on microbial community in the harsh environmental conditions of Eastern Antarctica. pH, carbon and nitrogen, as well as fine earth content, were revealed as the most accurate predictors of soil bacterial community composition.
  • 1.7K
  • 19 Aug 2020
Topic Review
Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease
Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is a rare disorder and one of the most severe forms of polycystic kidney disease, leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in childhood. PKHD1 is the gene that is responsible for the vast majority of ARPKD. However, some cases have been related to a new gene that was recently identified (DZIP1L gene), as well as several ciliary genes that can mimic a ARPKD-like phenotypic spectrum. In addition, a number of molecular pathways involved in the ARPKD pathogenesis and progression were elucidated using cellular and animal models. However, the function of the ARPKD proteins and the molecular mechanism of the disease currently remain incompletely understood. 
  • 1.7K
  • 25 Jun 2021
Topic Review
G-Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs)
Despite the identification of Aβ plaques and NFTs as biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, therapeutic interventions remain elusive, with neither an absolute prophylactic nor a curative medication available to impede the progression of AD presently available. Current ap-proaches focus on symptomatic treatments to maintain AD patients’ mental stability and behav-ioral symptoms by decreasing neuronal degeneration; however, the complexity of AD patholo-gy requires a wide range of therapeutic approaches for both preventive and curative treatments. In this regard, this entry summarizes the role of receptors as a potential target for treating AD and focuses on the path of major receptors which are responsible for AD progression. This re-view gives an overall idea centering on major receptors, their agonist and antagonist and future prospects of viral mimicry in AD pathology. This entry aims to provide researchers and devel-opers a comprehensive idea about the different receptors involved in AD pathogenesis that may lead to finding a new therapeutic strategy to treat AD.
  • 1.7K
  • 16 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Cement-Based Repair Materials with Concrete Substrates
Cement concrete is currently the most widely used civil engineering construction material worldwide and has been applied in various civil infrastructures, such as roads, bridges, ports and tunnels. Under the external loads and environmental impacts, concrete structures are prone to be damaged, such as cracking and even spalling. In addition, inappropriate selection of raw materials, incorrect mixture design and irregular construction process may also cause damages to concrete, particularly regarding the cover protecting the reinforcement bars.
  • 1.7K
  • 13 Apr 2022
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