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Topic Review
Advancements and Challenges in Handwritten Text Recognition
Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) involves automatically transforming a source’s handwritten text within a digital image into its machine text representation.
  • 464
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) Genetic Diversity and Drug Resistance
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a pathogen with high prevalence in the general population that is responsible for high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised individuals and newborns, while remaining mainly asymptomatic in healthy individuals. The HCMV genome is 236,000 nucleotides long and encodes approximately 200 genes in more than 170 open reading frames, with the highest rate of genetic polymorphisms occurring in the envelope glycoproteins. HCMV infection is treated with antiviral drugs such as ganciclovir, valganciclovir, cidofovir, foscarnet, letermovir and maribavir targeting viral enzymes, DNA polymerase, kinase and the terminase complex. One of the obstacles to successful therapy is the emergence of drug resistance, which can be tested phenotypically or by genotyping using Sanger sequencing, which is a widely available but less sensitive method, or next-generation sequencing performed in samples with a lower viral load to detect minority variants, those representing approximately 1% of the population. The prevalence of drug resistance depends on the population tested, as well as the drug, and ranges from no mutations detected to up to almost 50%. A high prevalence of resistance emphasizes the importance of testing the patient whenever resistance is suspected, which requires the development of more sensitive and rapid tests while also highlighting the need for alternative therapeutic targets, strategies and the development of an effective vaccine.
  • 93
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Amino Acids Biostimulants and Protein Hydrolysates
The effects of different types of biostimulants on crops include improving the visual quality of the final products, stimulating the immune systems of plants, inducing the biosynthesis of plant defensive biomolecules, removing heavy metals from contaminated soil, improving crop performance, reducing leaching, improving root development and seed germination, inducing tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors, promoting crop establishment and increasing nutrient-use efficiency. Protein hydrolysates are mixtures of polypeptides and free amino acids resulting from enzymatic and chemical hydrolysis of agro-industrial protein by-products obtained from animal or plant origins, and they are able to alleviate environmental stress effects, improve growth, and promote crop productivity. Amino acids involve various advantages such as increased yield and yield components, increased nutrient assimilation and stress tolerance, and improved yield components and quality characteristics.
  • 158
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Long-Term Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes a range of disorders that affect the myocardium and/or the vascular system. It stands as the number one cause of death worldwide, accounting for one-third of all deaths. The prevalence of CVD contributes to the rise in healthcare costs, which is attributed to increased rates of hospitalisation, primary care usage and prescription medication. Heart failure (HF) is a common clinical syndrome caused by functional and structural abnormalities of the heart, imposing a burden of disability, reduced quality of life and increased mortality rate. Durable mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices have become progressively more common as a long-term therapeutic option. Many patients are initially deemed eligible for MCS device implantation as a bridge to transplant but face the harsh reality of limited organ availability. 
  • 164
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Articulating Organic Agriculture and Sustainable Development in Serbia
With the greening of agriculture, there is a need to better link the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and organic agriculture in developing countries. However, in Serbia, there is a huge gap between the potential of their implementation and the actual situation. The restricted development of organic agriculture in Serbia stems from the undeveloped awareness of consumers, slower acceptance of alternative agricultural systems and the volatility of mainstream conventional agricultural production. The integration of organic agriculture into the largest conceptual and strategic frameworks, such as the SDGs, can offer a true transformation of local food systems and could result in positive feedback to the environment and society.
  • 161
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Endothelial Senescence
Endothelial cells line at the most inner layer of blood vessels. They act to control hemostasis, arterial tone/reactivity, wound healing, tissue oxygen, and nutrient supply. With age, endothelial cells become senescent, characterized by reduced regeneration capacity, inflammation, and abnormal secretory profile. Endothelial senescence represents one of the earliest features of arterial ageing and contributes to many age-related diseases. Compared to those in arteries and veins, endothelial cells of the microcirculation exhibit a greater extent of heterogeneity. Microcirculatory endothelial senescence leads to a declined capillary density, reduced angiogenic potentials, decreased blood flow, impaired barrier properties, and hypoperfusion in a tissue or organ-dependent manner. The heterogeneous phenotypes of microvascular endothelial cells in a particular vascular bed and across different tissues remain largely unknown. Accordingly, the mechanisms underlying macro- and micro-vascular endothelial senescence vary in different pathophysiological conditions, thus offering specific target(s) for therapeutic development of senolytic drugs.
  • 141
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
The Application of Potassium Diformate in Aquaculture
Potassium diformate (KDF) is an organic acid salt. It is a dimer formed through hydrogen bonding between one molecule of formic acid and one molecule of potassium formate. The chemical formula of KDF is HCOOH·HCOOK, with a molecular weight of 130.14. It is a white or slightly yellow crystalline powder with no discernible pungent odor. KDF dissolves in water and exhibits a pronounced hygroscopic nature. Its aqueous solution is acidic and remains stable under acidic conditions, while it decomposes into formate and formic acid under neutral or slightly alkaline conditions. Compared with formic acid, KDF overcomes the irritability, corrosiveness, and instability of formic acid. Therefore, KDF is a more suitable additive in feed, providing a safer and more stable solution in maintaining the balance of microbial communities in aquatic animals.
  • 245
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Blockchain-Based Federated Learning System in UAV-MEC Networks
The widespread use of UAVs in smart cities for tasks like traffic monitoring and environmental data collection creates significant privacy and security concerns due to the transmission of sensitive data. Traditional UAV-MEC systems with centralized data processing expose this data to risks like breaches and manipulation, potentially hindering the adoption of these valuable technologies. UBFL, is a novel privacy-preserving federated learning mechanism that integrates blockchain technology for secure and efficient data sharing. Unlike traditional methods relying on differential privacy (DP), UBFL employs an adaptive nonlinear encryption function to safeguard the privacy of UAV model updates while maintaining data integrity and accuracy. 
  • 151
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Development Progress of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have the potential to tackle major challenges associated with fossil fuel-sourced energy consumption. Nafion, a perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membrane that has high proton conductivity and good chemical stability, is a standard proton exchange membrane (PEM) used in PEMFCs. However, PEM degradation is one of the significant issues in the long-term operation of PEMFCs. Membrane degradation can lead to a decrease in the performance and the lifespan of PEMFCs. The membrane can degrade through chemical, mechanical, and thermal pathways.
  • 187
  • 07 Mar 2024
Topic Review
Reducing Oscillations for Obstacle Avoidance in Dense Environment
Due to their high flexibility, quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles (QUAVs) have gained significant popularity in various applications, including parcel delivery, precision agriculture, search and rescue, and surveillance. In these scenarios, the QUAV is typically required to autonomously navigate to a target position.
  • 124
  • 07 Mar 2024
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