Topic Review
Colostrum Functional Properties in Puppies and Kittens
Colostrum is the secretion of the mammary gland at the time of the final third of pregnancy. The main source of energy is provided by lipids and carbohydrates. The protein fraction is principally constituted by casein and immunoglobulins, whose role is fundamental for passive immune transfer to newborns.
  • 803
  • 29 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Atypical Positional Vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo is the most frequent cause of vertigo. As its name indicates, it is characterized by vertigo episodes of sudden onset and end, triggered by changes in head’s position with regard to gravity. It is located in the labyrinth, and its cause is mechanical. However, this is an etiologic diagnosis, reached after questioning and examining the patient. Based on what patients report, the duration of symptoms lasts seconds; however, many overestimate the duration of the vertiginous sensation. The trigger effect of positional changes is a key issue to be addressed. A great variability of autonomic symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, can accompany BPPV. Gait instability, headache, and additional neurologic complaints are potential red flags in the differential diagnosis. With a defined position trigger effect, it is the neurologist’s job to perform an examination to confirm the diagnosis of paroxysmal positional vertigo (PPV), and by virtue of the vertigo duration and nystagmus characteristics, to determine lesion localization (peripheral versus central) and to design a management plan.
  • 803
  • 26 May 2022
Topic Review
β-Thalassemia Heterozygotes
β-Thalassemia is the most prevalent single gene blood disorder, while the assessment of its susceptibility to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) warrants it a pressing biomedical priority.
  • 803
  • 02 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Iron Deficiency in Heart Failure
Iron is an essential micronutrient for a myriad of physiological processes in the body beyond erythropoiesis. Iron deficiency (ID) is a common comorbidity in patients with heart failure (HF), with a prevalence reaching up to 59% even in non-anaemic patients. ID impairs exercise capacity, reduces the quality of life, increases hospitalisation rate and mortality risk regardless of anaemia. Intravenously correcting ID has emerged as a promising treatment in HF as it has been shown to alleviate symptoms, improve quality of life and exercise capacity and reduce hospitalisations. However, the pathophysiology of ID in HF remains poorly characterised. Recognition of ID in HF triggered more research with the aim to explain how correcting ID improves HF status as well as the underlying causes of ID in the first place. In the past few years, significant progress has been made in understanding iron homeostasis by characterising the role of the iron-regulating hormone hepcidin, the effects of ID on skeletal and cardiac myocytes, kidneys and the immune system.
  • 803
  • 11 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Forensic Facial Reconstruction
Forensic facial reconstruction (or forensic facial approximation) is the process of recreating the face of an individual (whose identity is often not known) from their skeletal remains through an amalgamation of artistry, anthropology, osteology, and anatomy. It is easily the most subjective—as well as one of the most controversial—techniques in the field of forensic anthropology. Despite this controversy, facial reconstruction has proved successful frequently enough that research and methodological developments continue to be advanced. In addition to remains involved in criminal investigations, facial reconstructions are created for remains believed to be of historical value and for remains of prehistoric hominids and humans.
  • 803
  • 19 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D and Glomerulonephritis
Vitamin D presents a plethora of different functions that go beyond its role in skeletal homeo-stasis. It is an efficient endocrine regulator of the Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System (RAAS) and erythropoiesis, exerts immunomodulatory effects, reduces the cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. In Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients, Vitamin D function is im-paired; the renal hydrolyzation of its inactive form by the action of 1α-hydroxylase declines at the same pace of reduced nephron mass. Moreover, Vitamin D major carrier, the D-binding pro-tein (DBP), is less represented due to Nephrotic Syndrome (NS), proteinuria, and the alteration of the cubilin–megalin–amnionless receptor complex in the renal proximal tubule. In Glomeru-lonephritis (GN), Vitamin D supplementation demonstrated to significantly reduce proteinuria and to slow kidney disease progression. It also has potent antiproliferative and immunomodu-lating functions, contributing to the inhibitions of kidney inflammation. Vitamin D preserves the structural integrity of the slit diaphragm guaranteeing protective effects on podocytes. Acti-vated Vitamin D has been demonstrated to potentiate the antiproteinuric effect of RAAS inhibi-tors in IgA nephropathy and Lupus Nephritis, enforcing its role in the treatment of glomerulo-nephritis: calcitriol treatment, through Vitamin D receptor (VDR) action, can regulate the hepa-ranase promoter activity and modulate the urokinase receptor (uPAR), guaranteeing podocyte preservation. It also controls the podocyte distribution by modulating mRNA synthesis and protein expression of nephrin and podocin. Maxalcalcitol is another promising alternative: it has about 1/600 affinity to vitamin D binding protein (DBP), compared to Calcitriol, overcoming the risk of hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and calcifications, and it circulates principally in un-bound form with easier availability for target tissues. Doxercalciferol, as well as paricalcitol, showed a lower incidence of hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria than Calcitriol. Paricalcitol demonstrated a significant role in suppressing RAAS genes expression: it significantly decreases angiotensinogen, renin, renin receptors, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA levels, thus reducing proteinuria and renal damage.
  • 803
  • 11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Antimicrobial Essential Oils
Microbial pathogens are the most prevalent cause of chronic infections and fatalities around the world. Antimicrobial agents including antibiotics have been frequently utilized in the treatment of infections due to their exceptional outcomes. However, their widespread use has resulted in the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites.
  • 802
  • 27 Jan 2022
Topic Review
The Effects of Diets on the “Gut–Brain” Pathways
With depression becoming increasingly prevalent, being closely associated with stress, and many patients exhibiting resistance to current treatments, depression pathophysiology requires further elucidation. Recent research has shown complex bidirectional links between the brain and the gut, and the gut microbiota and the influence of diet is beginning to provide new clues to the complex nature of this disorder. It is well known that diet is a key modulator of gut microbial composition. In humans, good quality plant-based diets such as the Mediterranean diet have been shown to reduce pathogenic bacteria in the gut, increase Bifidobacterium and Clostridium, as well as lower the risk of depression, while poorer quality diets such as the Western diet have been shown to reduce Lactobacillus in the gut, reduce overall gut microbial diversity and have been associated with increased depression risk. Evaluating the effects of diets on the brain-to-gut and gut-to-brain mechanisms in animal models of stress and depression may aid in the elucidation of the pathophysiology of depression and may provide novel therapeutic approaches. 
  • 802
  • 21 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Biomaterials for 3D Tissue Models
The techniques involved in culturing cells are critical as results are based on cellular response to drugs, cellular cues, external stimuli, and human physiology. In order to establish in vitro cultures, cells are either isolated from normal or diseased tissue and allowed to grow in two or three dimensions. Two-dimensional (2D) cell culture methods involve the proliferation of cells on flat rigid surfaces resulting in a monolayer culture, while in three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures, the additional dimension provides a more accurate representation of the tissue milieu. 
  • 802
  • 01 Feb 2023
Topic Review
Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells
Relapse after apparent remission remains a major cause of death in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). On the cellular level, leukemia relapse is considered to emerge from subpopulations of therapy-resistant leukemic stem cells (LSC). Identification and targeting of LSC are thus most important goals for AML treatment. However, AML and their LSC are highly heterogeneous.
  • 801
  • 29 Dec 2020
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