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Topic Review
Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is increasing in incidence and prevalence in younger people and is of a particularly aggressive nature. One emerging treatment targets Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP), an organism implicated in the causation of Crohn’s disease. This study reviewed a cohort of paediatric patients with active Crohn’s disease treated with Anti-Mycobacterial Antibiotic Therapy (AMAT). Sixteen paediatric patients, the majority of whom had failed conventional immunosuppressive therapy, were treated with AMAT. Endoscopic remission was scored using the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn’s Disease and clinical remission was assessed using the Weighted Paediatric Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (wPCDAI). Inflammatory blood markers were also routinely recorded. Patients were followed up clinically and endoscopically during treatment after an average of two months (range 1–6) and 17 months (range 2–49), respectively. A significant reduction in both scores assessing clinical improvement (p < 0.001) and mucosal healing (p < 0.0078) was observed at these timepoints; 47% of patients had achieved clinical remission and 63% endoscopic remission. Haemoglobin and serum inflammatory markers normalised for more than 50% of the cohort by six months of treatment. No adverse effects were reported throughout treatment.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Seed-Layer Free ZnSnO3 Nanowires
ZnSnO3 semiconductor nanostructures have several applications as photocatalysis, gas sensors, and energy harvesting. However, due to its multicomponent nature, the synthesis is far more complex than its binary counter parts. The complexity increases even more when aiming for low-cost and low-temperature processes as in hydrothermal methods. Knowing in detail the influence of all the parameters involved in these processes is imperative, in order to properly control the synthesis to achieve the desired final product. Thus, this paper presents a study of the influence of the physical parameters involved in the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnSnO3 nanowires, namely volume, reaction time, and process temperature. Based on this study a growth mechanism for the complex Zn:Sn:O system is proposed. Two zinc precursors, zinc chloride and zinc acetate, were studied, showing that although the growth mechanism is inherent to the material itself, the chemical reactions for different conditions need to be considered.
  • 1.5K
  • 24 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Cation-Chloride-Cotransporters in Cardiovascular Disease
The homeostasis of cell volume, which is essential for the survival of all mammalian cells, requires the dynamically regulated transport of ions across the plasmalemma. While the individual “effector” molecules involved in cell volume regulation such as ion channels (e.g., VRACs) and transporters (e.g., the NKCC1 and KCC2 cation-Cl- cotransporters (CCCs) are well established, the “sensor” and “transducer” molecules that coordinate their activities remain poorly characterized. Dysregulation or failure of cell volume homeostasis occurs in numerous clinical contexts, with cerebral edema (i.e., “brain swelling”) – as occurs after stroke or trauma – being a quintessential example. In the review, we summarise previous work and recent advances that attest to  cation chloride cotransporters’s growing potential as a therapeutic target for Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affecting 1% of the population over 60 years of age. Clinically, PD is characterized mainly by the presence of motor symptoms, but a wide range of non-motor symptoms not only accompany the disease, but many of them even prevent the occurrence of motor symptoms. Despite many efforts, current medicine fails, not only in the treatment of PD, but in the early diagnosis of the disease. Current treatment is mainly based on symptomatic treatment or treatment with levodopa (L-DOPA) but does not focus on the pathogenesis of the disease itself. The presence of non-motor symptoms such as gastrointestinal dysfunction, which occurs up to 20 years before the onset of motor symptoms themselves, provides a sufficiently wide window of early diagnosis and thus potential early therapy for these patients. α-synuclein (α-Syn) is one of the candidates for a biomarker of PD. Mutations in its gene are associated with the familial form of PD as well as conformational changes in the protein and with its ability to oligomerize and fibrillate and form Lewy bodies (LB) and Lewy neurites (LN). It is LB and LN that are considered to be one of the most important pathological features of the disease, where α-Syn is the major component of these pathological structures. Its direct association with the pathogenesis of the disease together with the fact that in addition to brain structures, α-Syn is present in body fluids as well as in peripheral tissues such as gastrointestinal (GIT) tissues even enhances its potential use in early diagnosis of the disease. The diagnosis of the disease is also complicated by the similarity of clinical, cognitive, and neuropathological features of PD with other neurodegenerative diseases. In this context, various α-Syn strains have been identified based on the ability of α-Syn to form several types of fibrillar structures (strains) with different conformational, biological, and biochemical properties. And it is these differences that may be key to the correct early diagnosis of PD.
  • 1.5K
  • 16 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Cuscuta Parasites
Dodder species (Cuscuta spp.) are holoparasites that have extensive material exchange with their host plants through vascular connections. Parasitism represents a lifestyle in which parasitic plants obtain nutrients from hosts, causing serious biotic stresses and impacts on global agriculture. Cuscuta spp. (dodder) are rootless and leafless stem parasites throughout their lifecycle, and cannot survive independently due to their very limited or absent photosynthesis. Their wide host range includes vegetables, crops, and pastures, and they are malignant parasitic weeds. The dodder penetrates the host and forms a specific organ—the haustorium—for host attachment; the vascular connections established by the haustoria serve as an open hub for the exchange of various substances (e.g., water, nutrients, pathogens, systemic signals, and even macromolecules) between the two plants. This exchange is known as cross-species transmission.
  • 1.5K
  • 19 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Music Therapy Intervention in Parkinson’s Disease Patients
Music therapy (MT) is an effective way to treat the gait disorders caused by Parkinson's disease. Rhythm music stimulation, therapeutic singing, and therapeutic instrument performance are often used in clinical practice. The mechanisms of music therapy on the gait of patients with Parkinson's disease include compensation mechanism of cerebellum recruitment, rhythm entrainment, acceleration of motor learning, stimulation of neural coherence, and increase of cortical activity. All mechanisms work together to complete the intervention of MTon patients' gait and help patients to recover better.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Aug 2022
Topic Review
Solar-Assisted Heat Pump for Buildings in China
The building sector accounts for over 40% of global energy consumption. The utilization of renewable energy systems such as the solar-assisted heat pump (SAHP) in buildings has been shown to improve building energy efficiency and achieve carbon neutrality.
  • 1.5K
  • 22 Sep 2022
Topic Review
GIRK Channels  for Substance Use Disorders
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronic, lifelong disorders that have serious consequences. Repeated substance use alters brain function. G-protein-activated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels are expressed widely in the brain, including the reward system, and regulate neuronal excitability. Functional GIRK channels are identified as heterotetramers of GIRK subunits (GIRK1–4). The GIRK1, GIRK2, and GIRK3 subunits are mainly expressed in rodent brain regions, and various addictive substances act on the brain through GIRK channels.
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Automobile Dependency
Automobile dependency or car dependency is the concept that some city layouts cause automobiles to be favoured over alternate forms of transportation, such as bicycles, public transit, and walking.
  • 1.5K
  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cross Section
In physics, the cross section is a measure of the probability that a specific process will take place when some kind of radiant excitation (e.g. a particle beam, sound wave, light, or an X-ray) intersects a localized phenomenon (e.g. a particle or density fluctuation). For example, the Rutherford cross-section is a measure of probability that an alpha particle will be deflected by a given angle during an interaction with an atomic nucleus. Cross section is typically denoted σ (sigma) and is expressed in units of area, more specifically in barns. In a way, it can be thought of as the size of the object that the excitation must hit in order for the process to occur, but more exactly, it is a parameter of a stochastic process. In classical physics, this probability often converges to a deterministic proportion of excitation energy involved in the process, so that, for example, with light scattering off of a particle, the cross section specifies the amount of optical power scattered from light of a given irradiance (power per area). It is important to note that although the cross section has the same units as area, the cross section may not necessarily correspond to the actual physical size of the target given by other forms of measurement. It is not uncommon for the actual cross-sectional area of a scattering object to be much larger or smaller than the cross section relative to some physical process. For example, plasmonic nanoparticles can have light scattering cross sections for particular frequencies that are much larger than their actual cross-sectional areas. When two discrete particles interact in classical physics, their mutual cross section is the area transverse to their relative motion within which they must meet in order to scatter from each other. If the particles are hard inelastic spheres that interact only upon contact, their scattering cross section is related to their geometric size. If the particles interact through some action-at-a-distance force, such as electromagnetism or gravity, their scattering cross section is generally larger than their geometric size. When a cross section is specified as the differential limit of a function of some final-state variable, such as particle angle or energy, it is called a differential cross section (see detailed discussion below). When a cross section is integrated over all scattering angles (and possibly other variables), it is called a total cross section or integrated total cross section. For example, in Rayleigh scattering, the intensity scattered at the forward and backward angles is greater than the intensity scattered sideways, so the forward differential scattering cross section is greater than the perpendicular differential cross section, and by adding all of the infinitesimal cross sections over the whole range of angles with integral calculus, we can find the total cross section. Scattering cross sections may be defined in nuclear, atomic, and particle physics for collisions of accelerated beams of one type of particle with targets (either stationary or moving) of a second type of particle. The probability for any given reaction to occur is in proportion to its cross section. Thus, specifying the cross section for a given reaction is a proxy for stating the probability that a given scattering process will occur. The measured reaction rate of a given process depends strongly on experimental variables such as the density of the target material, the intensity of the beam, the detection efficiency of the apparatus, or the angle setting of the detection apparatus. However, these quantities can be factored away, allowing measurement of the underlying two-particle collisional cross section. Differential and total scattering cross sections are among the most important measurable quantities in nuclear, atomic, and particle physics.
  • 1.5K
  • 18 Nov 2022
Biography
Pierre Deligne
Pierre René, Viscount Deligne (French: [dəliɲ]; born 3 October 1944) is a Belgian mathematician. He is known for work on the Weil conjectures, leading to a complete proof in 1973. He is the winner of the 2013 Abel Prize, 2008 Wolf Prize, 1988 Crafoord Prize, and 1978 Fields Medal. Deligne was born in Etterbeek, attended school at Athénée Adolphe Max and studied at the Université libre
  • 1.5K
  • 08 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Detection of Biological Molecules Using Nanopore Sensing Techniques
Usually, in the early stages of the disease, the number of specific biomarkers is very low and sometimes difficult to detect using classical diagnostic methods. Among detection methods, biosensors have advantages such as easy operation, speed, and portability, with additional benefits of low costs and repeated reliable results. Single-molecule sensors such as nanopores that can detect biomolecules at low concentrations have the potential to become clinically relevant. As such, several applications have been introduced in this field for the detection of blood markers, nucleic acids, or proteins. The use of nanopores has yet to reach maturity for standardization as diagnostic techniques, however, they promise enormous potential, as progress is made into stabilizing nanopore structures, enhancing chemistries, and improving data collection and bioinformatic analysis.
  • 1.5K
  • 19 Jun 2023
Topic Review
Oxidative Stress and Mitochondrial Dysfunction
Since impaired mitochondria are a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), oxidative stress is closely linked to mitochondrial dysfunction and has been assumed to be the principal molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of various diseases, especially neurodegenerative disorders. Molecular imaging reflecting oxidative stress has improved our insights into the pathological mechanisms of diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, and is a promising tool for monitoring further antioxidant therapies.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Energy Trading Markets in Smart Grids and Microgrids
Smart cities are aimed at connecting urban infrastructures to enhance the efficiency of their operation and services while taking sustainability goals into consideration. As a result of the intermittency associated with renewable generation, smart city systems such as smart grids and microgrids may not be able to ensure the security of supply. This can be mitigated by allowing these systems to trade surplus energy with other neighboring systems through local energy markets based on peer-to-peer schemes. Such an approach can play an important role on achieving a state of sustainability due to the positive impacts at the economic, social, and environmental level. Moreover, the implementation of local markets for peer-to-peer energy trading has the potential to provide numerous benefits to both participants and utilities, being a promising solution to reduce the reliability problems of microgrids and solve various energy security concerns in remote locations.
  • 1.5K
  • 02 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Recently Used Drug Targets and Autophagy
Autophagy is a governed catabolic framework enabling the recycling of nutrients from injured organelles and other cellular constituents via a lysosomal breakdown. This mechanism has been associated with the development of various pathologic conditions, including cancer and neurological disorders; however, recently updated studies have indicated that autophagy plays a dual role in cancer, acting as a cytoprotective or cytotoxic mechanism. It has recently been found that autophagy regulation is an intriguing and potentially useful strategy to improve cancer treatments. Numerous studies have indicated autophagy’s dual roles for several drugs that might be modulated to suppress or promote tumor growth, and the following sections describe autophagy’s dual function in recent drug treatments.
  • 1.5K
  • 10 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Plants with Antiviral Properties
Phytochemicals have been used as antiviral agents against several viruses since they could inhibit via different mechanisms, either at the viral entry point or the replication stages and also immunomodulation potentials. 
  • 1.5K
  • 19 May 2021
Topic Review
Polymeric Biodiesel
Biodiesel industry is expanding rapidly in accordance with the high energy demand and environmental deterioration related to the combustion of fossil fuel. However, poor physicochemical properties and the malperformance of biodiesel fuel still concern the researchers. In this flow, polymers were introduced in biodiesel industry to overcome such drawbacks. This article introduces polymeric biodiesel which is Hydroxyalkanoates methyl ester (HAME) and hydroxybutyrate methyl ester (HBME) that are sourced from carbon-enriched polymers with the help of microbial activity. Composition, production techniques, characteristics, and limitations of polymeric biodiese were explored. 
  • 1.5K
  • 21 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Biodegradable Polymers in Triboelectric Nanogenerators
Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have attracted much attention because they not only efficiently harvest energy from the surrounding environment and living organisms but also serve as multifunctional sensors toward the detection of various chemical and physical stimuli. In particular, biodegradable TENG (BD-TENG) represents an emerging type of self-powered device that can be degraded, either in physiological environments as an implantable power source without the necessity of second surgery for device retrieval, or in the ambient environment to minimize associated environmental pollution.
  • 1.5K
  • 14 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Magnetic Nanoparticles
Technological development is in constant progress in the oncological field. The search for new concepts and strategies for improving cancer diagnosis, treatment and outcomes constitutes a necessary and continuous process, aiming at more specificity, efficiency, safety and better quality of life of the patients throughout the treatment. Nanotechnology embraces these purposes, offering a wide armamentarium of nanosized systems with the potential to incorporate both diagnosis and therapeutic features, towards real-time monitoring of cancer treatment. Within the nanotechnology field, magnetic nanosystems stand out as complex and promising nanoparticles with magnetic properties, that enable the use of these constructs for magnetic resonance imaging and thermal therapy purposes. Additionally, magnetic nanoparticles can be tailored for increased specificity and reduced toxicity, and functionalized with contrast, targeting and therapeutic agents, revealing great potential as multifunctional nanoplatforms for application in cancer theranostics. This review aims at providing a comprehensive description of the current designs, characterization techniques, synthesis methods, and the role of magnetic nanoparticles as promising nanotheranostic agents. A critical appraisal of the impact, potentialities and challenges associated with each technology is also presented.
  • 1.5K
  • 23 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Methods of Microstructured Surface Finishing
For microstructured surfaces, surface accuracy and surface quality are two key elements, because surface shape determines its function and surface quality affects its performance. Precision machining techniques such as cutting and grinding are considered to be a more reasonable and effective way for microstructured surfaces of tens to hundreds of microns at present [5]. Although the precision machining technology can meet the requirements of sub-micron accuracy, it cannot effectively guarantee the surface quality. Deformation of the material during the removal process will result in the formation of residual stress, surface/subsurface damage and other defects, tool marks and ripples, etc.[6] These defect will seriously affect the performance of microstructured work pieces importantly [7][8][9]. Compared with flat and curved surfaces, the microstructured surface is complicated, small in size and discontinuous, which leads to the over-polishing phenomenon in the sharp corner area and the groove area is difficult to be machined. Therefore, it is difficult to polish the microstructured surface while improving the surface quality of microstructure without reducing the accuracy of its surface shape.
  • 1.5K
  • 29 Oct 2020
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