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Topic Review
B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA)
During the past two decades there has been a major shift in the choice of agents to treat multiple myeloma, whether newly diagnosed or in the relapsed/refractory stage. The introduction of new drug classes, such as proteasome inhibitors, immunomodulators, and anti-CD38 and anti- SLAMF7 monoclonal antibodies, coupled with autologous stem cell transplantation, has approximately doubled the disease’s five-year survival rate. However, this positive news is tempered by the realization that these measures are not curative and patients eventually relapse and/or become resistant to the drug’s effects. Thus, there is a need to discover newer myeloma- driving molecular markers and develop innovative drugs designed to precisely regulate the actions of such putative targets. B cell maturation antigen (BCMA), which is found almost exclusively on the surfaces of malignant plasma cells to the exclusion of other cell types, including their normal counterparts, has emerged as a specific target of interest in this regard. Immunotherapeutic agents have been at the forefront of research designed to block BCMA activity. These agents encompass monoclonal antibodies, such as the drug conjugate belantamab mafodotin; bispecific T-cell engager strategies exemplified by AMG 420; and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapeutics that include idecabtagene vicleucel (bb2121) and JNJ-68284528.
  • 1.4K
  • 16 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs)
Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) represent a heterogeneous population of membranous cell-derived structures, including cargo-oriented exosomes and microvesicles. EVs are functionally associated with intercellular communication and play an essential role in multiple physiopathological conditions. Shedding of EVs is frequently increased in malignancies and their content, including proteins and nucleic acids, altered during carcinogenesis and cancer progression. EVs-mediated intercellular communication between tumor cells and between tumor and stromal cells can modulate, through cargo miRNA, the survival, progression, and drug resistance in cancer conditions. These consolidated suggestions and EVs’ stability in bodily fluids have led to extensive investigations on the potential employment of circulating EVs-derived miRNAs as tumor biomarkers and potential therapeutic vehicles. 
  • 1.4K
  • 18 Sep 2020
Topic Review
Tumor Microenvironment in melanoma
Antitumor therapies have made great strides in recent decades. Chemotherapy, aggressive and unable to discriminate cancer from healthy cells, has given way to personalized treatments that, recognizing and blocking specific molecular targets, have paved the way for targeted and effective therapies. Melanoma was one of the first tumor types to benefit from this new care frontier by introducing specific inhibitors for v-Raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (BRAF), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MEK), v-kit Hardy–Zuckerman 4 feline sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KIT), and, recently, immunotherapy. However, despite the progress made in the melanoma treatment, primary and/or acquired drug resistance remains an unresolved problem. The molecular dynamics that promote this phenomenon are very complex but several studies have shown that the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays, certainly, a key role. In this review, we will describe the new melanoma treatment approaches and we will analyze the mechanisms by which TME promotes resistance to targeted therapy and immunotherapy.
  • 1.4K
  • 21 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Catalytic Activity of Zeolite
Zeolites are microporous aluminosilicates with high surface area and crystallinity. They have been widely applied in many different fields, such as gas storage, water treatment, biomass upgrading, and oil refining, because of their strong acidity, excellent catalytic activity, shape selectivity, and hydrothermal stability. In the past decades, one of the most important applications of zeolites is in fluidized catalytic cracking (FCC) in the petrochemical industry, which accounts for more than 95% of the global zeolite catalyst consumption. It is reported that 400 million tons of olefins are produced annually, and about 59% of olefins are produced by FCC units. Light olefins are critical building blocks in the petrochemical industry, and the demand for olefins and their derivatives has continuously increased over the last decade. Therefore, it is important to understand how to improve the catalytic performance of zeolites. Studies have shown that the performance of zeolite catalysts for cracking reactions is determined by various factors, including the porous size and composition, e.g., the Si/Al ratio and the presence of other heteroatoms or extra-framework aluminum (EFAL) species. Since the range of possible combinations of zeolite structures and compositions is exceedingly large, it is highly desirable to understand the effects of zeolite topology and composition on hydrocarbon cracking in order to improve their activity and selectivity to desired products.
  • 1.4K
  • 09 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Extracellular DNA
Extracellular DNA (eDNA) refers to any molecule of DNA found outside a cell. eDNA has an important ecological role as a signal molecule in several organisms. In plants, it has shown beneficial effects on important production traits such as defense mechanisms, plant growth and development, and secondary metabolites production that results in yield increment and better-quality food.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Phenolic Compounds of Hop Strobile Extracts
Hop (Humulus lupulus Linnaeus), a perennial plant belonging to the Cannabaceae family, has become a widely grown agricultural plant because it is used for providing bitterness and aroma to beer. Hop originated in Europe and west Asia, and are cultivated in the United States, Germany, Czech Republic, and England. Historically, the flower extracts of hop, commonly known as hops, have been used in traditional medicine for treating human health because of their sedative, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antidiuretic properties. Hops are a dioecious species and unfertilized female inflorescence are commonly called cones (or strobiles). These cones are rich in unique phenolic compounds such as prenylated flavonoids, humulones (α-acids) and lupulones (β-acids).
  • 1.4K
  • 15 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Red Wine Consumption and Cardiovascular Health
Wine is a popular alcoholic beverage that has been consumed for hundreds of years. Benefits from moderate alcohol consumption have been widely supported by the scientific literature and, in this line, red wine intake has been related to a lesser risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Experimental studies and meta-analyses have mainly attributed this outcome to the presence in red wine of a great variety of polyphenolic compounds such as resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, and anthocyanin. Resveratrol is considered the most effective wine compound with respect to the prevention of CHD because of its antioxidant properties. The mechanisms responsible for its putative cardioprotective effects would include changes in lipid profiles, reduction of insulin resistance, and decrease in oxidative stress of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). 
  • 1.4K
  • 17 Jun 2022
Topic Review
Reduction Operator
In computer science, the reduction operator is a type of operator that is commonly used in parallel programming to reduce the elements of an array into a single result. Reduction operators are associative and often (but not necessarily) commutative. The reduction of sets of elements is an integral part of programming models such as Map Reduce, where a reduction operator is applied (mapped) to all elements before they are reduced. Other parallel algorithms use reduction operators as primary operations to solve more complex problems. Many reduction operators can be used for broadcasting to distribute data to all processors.
  • 1.4K
  • 11 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Visual Field Test
A visual field test is an eye examination that can detect dysfunction in central and peripheral vision which may be caused by various medical conditions such as glaucoma, stroke, pituitary disease, brain tumours or other neurological deficits. Visual field testing can be performed clinically by keeping the subject's gaze fixed while presenting objects at various places within their visual field. Simple manual equipment can be used such as in the tangent screen test or the Amsler grid. When dedicated machinery is used it is called a perimeter. The exam may be performed by a technician in one of several ways. The test may be performed by a technician directly, with the assistance of a machine, or completely by an automated machine. Machine-based tests aid diagnostics by allowing a detailed printout of the patient's visual field. Other names for this test may include perimetry, Tangent screen exam, Automated perimetry exam, Goldmann visual field exam, or brand names such as Humphrey Field Analyzer, Octopus Perimeter, Optopol PTS perimeter, Oculus Easyfield perimeter, Olleyes VisuALL, etc.
  • 1.4K
  • 27 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Indigenous Leafy Vegetables as Functional Food Ingredients
Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) play a pivotal role in sustaining the lives of many people of low socio-economic status who reside in rural areas of most developing countries. Such ILVs contribute to food security since they withstand harsher weather and soil conditions than their commercial counterparts and supply important nutrients such as dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. Furthermore, ILVs contain bioactive components such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, dietary fibre, carotene content and vitamin C that confer health benefits on consumers. Regular and adequate consumption of vegetables reduces risks of chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, metabolic disorders such as obesity in children and adults, as well as cardiovascular disease. However, consumption of ILVs is very low globally as they are associated with unbalanced and poor diets, with being food for the poor and with possibly containing toxic heavy metals. 
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Nov 2022
Topic Review
New Discovered Molecules of COVID-19
New molecules/drugs are discovered by humans for the therapeutic management of new diseases or to address existing health challenges. New molecules/drugs require extensive clinical investigations, followed by approval from drug regulatory agencies for marketing.
  • 1.4K
  • 13 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Therapeutic Potential of MSC-EVs in Neurodegenerative Disorders
The application of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) represents a new promising approach for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Growing evidence suggests that the therapeutic effects of MSCs are due to the secretion of neurotrophic molecules through extracellular vesicles. The extracellular vesicles produced by MSCs (MSC-EVs) have valuable innate properties deriving from parental cells and could be exploited as cell-free treatments for many neurological diseases.
  • 1.4K
  • 23 Feb 2023
Topic Review
AI and ChatGPT for Advancing Teaching and Learning
Technological advancements, especially artificial intelligence (AI), have significantly transformed educational practices. The development and adoption of Generative Pre-trained Transformers (GPT), particularly OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has sparked considerable interest. The unprecedented capabilities of these models, such as generating humanlike text and facilitating automated conversations, have broad implications in various sectors, including education and health.
  • 1.4K
  • 19 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Magnesium Deficiency and Cardiometabolic Disease
Magnesium (Mg2+) has many physiological functions within the body. These include important roles in maintaining cardiovascular functioning, where it contributes to the regulation of cardiac excitation–contraction coupling, endothelial functioning and haemostasis. The haemostatic roles of Mg2+ impact upon both the protein and cellular arms of coagulation. 
  • 1.4K
  • 26 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Finite Element Modelling and Updating of Cable-Stayed Bridges
Finite element (FE) model updating is a well-recognised approach for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) purposes, as an accurate model serves as a baseline reference for damage detection and long-term monitoring efforts. One of the many challenges is the development of the initial FE model that can accurately reflect the dynamic characteristics and the overall behaviour of a bridge. Given the size, slenderness, use of long cables, and high levels of structural redundancy, precise initial models of long-span cable-stayed bridges are desirable to better facilitate the model updating process and to improve the accuracy of the final updated model. To date, very few studies offer in-depth discussions on the modelling approaches for cable-stayed bridges and the methods used for model updating. As such, this article presents the latest advances in finite element modelling and model updating methods that have been widely adopted for cable-stayed bridges, through a critical literature review of existing research work.
  • 1.4K
  • 24 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Assessment of BIM-Based Stakeholder Management Process
A continuous evaluation of the stakeholder management process can be achieved using definitive key performance indicators (KPIs). An exhaustive literature survey in this direction provided a set of 26 indicators assessed through a questionnaire survey for their possible implications on the stakeholder management process. The survey was conducted among 55 respondents with experience in using building information modeling (BIM) in mega-construction projects.
  • 1.4K
  • 09 Jun 2023
Topic Review Video
Bee Nutritional Ecology
For bees, pollen quality determines the overall quality of the larval food, influences the development of individuals and shapes their populations. Not all plants produce pollen that satisfies the nutritional requirements of bees, and we do not know how different plant pollens impact bees’ nutritional demands. Our understanding of the differential contribution of various nutrients to bees’ growth and development is minimal. Are there species-specific key nutrients or nutrient ratios linked to development? Based on this, can bee fitness be co-limited by several nutrients? Are such key nutrients associated with specific key plant species? The framework of ecological stoichiometry is a promising approach to this issue. It allows questions about the most basic mechanism that shapes the nutritional ecology of bees, i.e., balancing the larval diet to enable larval growth, development and pupation into the adult body equipped with all the structures needed for maximal fitness.
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Gemtuzumab ozogamicin
       Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) is a humanized anti-CD33 monoclonal antibody conjugated to calicheamicin, a cytotoxic antitumor antibiotic. GO is indicated for the treatment of newly-diagnosed or relapsed/refractory CD33-positive acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
  • 1.4K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Brain Metastasis from CUP
Brain metastases (BMs) are the most common intracranial tumours in adults and occur up to 3–10 times more frequently than primary brain tumours. BMs may be the cause of the neurological presenting symptoms in patients with otherwise previously undiagnosed cancer. In up to 15% of patients with BMs, the primary tumour cannot be identified. These cases are known as BM of cancer of unknown primary (CUP) (BM-CUP). CUP has an early and aggressive metastatic spread, poor response to chemotherapy, and poor prognosis. The pathogenesis of CUP seems to be characterized by a specific underlying pro-metastatic signature.  This entry is a review of modern diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to brain metastases from unknown primary tumor.
  • 1.4K
  • 22 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Liquefied Natural Gas in Railways
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) can used as an alternative to diesel fuel in railway traction. At present, there is a common effort to reduce the environmental effect of energy consumption. With this objective, the transportation sector seeks to improve emissions in all its modes. In particular, the rail transport industry is analysing various alternatives for non-electrified lines. These services are mainly carried out with diesel units.
  • 1.4K
  • 26 Jul 2021
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