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Most EU countries are trying to develop new sources of energy to meet local power requirements due to energy shortages. The most popular renewable energy developments include biogas stations, wind turbines, water turbines, and solar systems. This article focuses on reviewing studies concerning the utilization of solar energy systems, especially photovoltaic (PV) ones, in European countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland, which are leaders in PV installations. The review identifies factors influencing the development of PV investments and the energy situation in these countries. Economic, market, environmental, and infrastructural barriers, as well as driving factors, are presented. In all countries, the majority of installations were in the prosumer sector, with only a very small percentage in the state-owned sector. The methodology of the study covered the mentioned barriers, which were identified using scientific databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and branch organizations websites like the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The novelty of the article lies in its examination of special barriers concerning green energy production in chosen EU countries. Normally, when reading articles on PV installations, as presented in the References section, one primarily observes a description of the construction process without deep involvement in the presented ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of blindness due to exudative retinal diseases reduced significantly over the twenty years of the use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in ophthalmology. However, despite advances in recent years, current outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy for exudative retinal diseases are not always optimal. This review aims to highlight the advances in the development of VEGF inhibitors and identify potential ways of improving the outcomes of anti-VEGF therapy for, and solving current problems in the management of, exudative retinal diseases.

There has been a secular decline in published research on corporate finance topics over the past decade or so. While this raises questions about the vitality of the field going forward, I argue that a number of recent developments represent important new directions for research in corporate finance. These developments have begun to have an impact on scholarly activity and I expect this to continue in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, in the journey of building a modern socialist country in the new era, perspective taking has gradually attracted the attention of Chinese scholars due to its contribution to improving social civilization and the adaptability of Chinese citizens to society. New perspectives and empirical research are constantly emerging, and scholars are constantly exploring and improving relevant theories while conducting research based on China’s own national conditions. In order to improve social civilization, they are exploring the specific development of Chinese citizens’ perspective selection, and starting to focus on the intervention and application of perspective taking ability, integrating research into various aspects of education, management, and other aspects of China’s modern social construction. In this essay, we explored the new research achievements of Chinese scholars in the past decade, focusing on the relationship between perspective taking and prosocial behavior, perspective taking and inter group relationships, perspective taking and management of special populations, and the impact of gender factors on perspective taking. It also provides inspiration for China to improve social civilization and solve corresponding social problems.

In this work, we consider technologies, innovations and intellectual property rights. In the context of modern development of all spheres of human life, the concepts of «technology», «innovation» and «innovative technologies» are an integral aspect of the present. They play an important and key role in the competitiveness of not only individual enterprises and organizations, but also in law and economics in general, since innovative technologies are the basis for the positive development of society and the legal relations that arise in this regard, including legal relations in the field of intellectual property rights. Intellectual property is the result of intellectual and creative activity, which is formalized and grants the author or a person who is granted the right of ownership of the result by law, which is acquired, exercised and protected in accordance with the established procedure, rules and legally defined norms. It is the objects of intellectual property rights that are in clear interaction with technology and innovation. Detailed attention is paid to the essence and content of innovations and technologies in the field of intellectual activity, in particular in the production and change of characteristics of the relevant objects of intellectual property rights. The author focuses on the conceptual apparatus of such concepts as «innovation», «technology», «intellectual property», «intellectual property rights», and technology transfer. The modern national and foreign literature is analyzed with a view to defining the basic concepts of the study and their legislative consolidation. The author analyzes the features of technology transfer, in particular, it is established that innovative technologies are endowed with novelty, revolutionary nature, irreplaceability, uniqueness, and inevitability. The author establishes the interconnectedness of the content of «innovations» and «technologies» in relation to intellectual property rights, namely, directly to intellectual property objects, which are manifested by applying know-how or an invention to a specific result of intellectual activity in the production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scope of this article is to make a synthesis of the theory of geopolitics with new trends and characteristics of the new global environment. Traditional geopolitical theories are established on the basis of sovereign states. The starting point of many theories is for sovereign states to compete for world hegemony, or to gain an advantage in competition with their opponents. Geopolitical research also mostly starts from the interests of the country. However, as global environmental changes, transnational crimes, terrorism, information security, and other non-traditional security threats have become common threats to human society, their impact also crosses borders and has global characteristics, which also means solving geopolitical issues. Thinking needs to change from a national perspective to a global perspective. On the other hand, as the international community pays more and more attention to human rights, the challenge of human rights to sovereignty has become an unavoidable reality in current international politics. With the progress of the times, the protection and respect of civil rights has become the basic consensus of the international community. Nowadays, the issue of virtual rights such as carbon emission rights have also been included in the geopolitics theory, creating a strong shift of paradigm towards a renewed theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseño y Comunicación is the property of Cuadernos del Centro de Estudios de Diseno y Comunicacion and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Zusammenfassung Gestaltungsaufgaben pädagogischen Handelns in Institutionen und Organisationen betonen heute das „System des Lebenslangen Lernens“. Auch in den Aus- und Fortbildungsdimensionen für pädagogische Berufe kommen zugehörige Gestaltungs- und Handlungsanforderungen zum Ausdruck. Eine aufeinander Bezug nehmende interdisziplinäre Organisations- und Professionalisierungsforschung rückt in den Vordergrund. Dieser Beitrag formuliert Thesen zur jeweiligen Richtung aktueller organisationaler und professioneller Entwicklung und Forschung in der Weiter- und Erwachsenenbildung. Eine mehrebenen-analytische Betrachtung wird durchgeführt, um die unterschiedlichen Dimensionen, in denen Entwicklungen für Organisationen, professionell Handelnde und Teilnehmende wirksam werden, zu integrieren.

Most EU countries are trying to develop new sources of energy to meet local power requirements due to energy shortages. The most popular renewable energy developments include biogas stations, wind turbines, water turbines, and solar systems. This article focuses on reviewing studies concerning the utilization of solar energy systems, especially photovoltaic (PV) ones, in European countries such as Germany, Italy, Spain, and Poland, which are leaders in PV installations. The review identifies factors influencing the development of PV investments and the energy situation in these countries. Economic, market, environmental, and infrastructural barriers, as well as driving factors, are presented. In all countries, the majority of installations were in the prosumer sector, with only a very small percentage in the state-owned sector. The methodology of the study covered the mentioned barriers, which were identified using scientific databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, and branch organizations websites like the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The novelty of the article lies in its examination of special barriers concerning green energy production in chosen EU countries. Normally, when reading articles on PV installations, as presented in the References section, one primarily observes a description of the construction process without deep involvement in the presented ideas.

Copyright of Report: Zeitschrift für Weiterbildungsforschung is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). It is a leading cause of death among patients with intracranial malignant tumors. GBM exhibits intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity, leading to drug resistance and eventual tumor recurrence. Conventional treatments for GBM include maximum surgical resection of glioma tissue, temozolomide administration, and radiotherapy, but these methods do not effectively halt cancer progression. Therefore, development of novel methods for the treatment of GBM and identification of new therapeutic targets are urgently required. In recent years, studies have shown that drugs related to mitophagy and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways can promote the death of glioblastoma cells by inducing mitochondrial damage, impairing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, and depleting large amounts of ATP. Some studies have also shown that modern nano-drug delivery technology targeting mitochondria can achieve better drug release and deeper tissue penetration, suggesting that mitochondria could be a new target for intervention and therapy. The combination of drugs targeting mitochondrial apoptosis and autophagy pathways with nanotechnology is a promising novel approach for treating GBM.This article reviews the current status of drug therapy for GBM, drugs targeting mitophagy and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, the potential of mitochondria as a new target for GBM treatment, the latest developments pertaining to GBM treatment, and promising directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scope of this article is to make a synthesis of the theory of geopolitics with new trends and characteristics of the new global environment. Traditional geopolitical theories are established on the basis of sovereign states. The starting point of many theories is for sovereign states to compete for world hegemony, or to gain an advantage in competition with their opponents. Geopolitical research also mostly starts from the interests of the country. However, as global environmental changes, transnational crimes, terrorism, information security, and other non-traditional security threats have become common threats to human society, their impact also crosses borders and has global characteristics, which also means solving geopolitical issues. Thinking needs to change from a national perspective to a global perspective. On the other hand, as the international community pays more and more attention to human rights, the challenge of human rights to sovereignty has become an unavoidable reality in current international politics. With the progress of the times, the protection and respect of civil rights has become the basic consensus of the international community. Nowadays, the issue of virtual rights such as carbon emission rights have also been included in the geopolitics theory, creating a strong shift of paradigm towards a renewed theory.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes and one of the leading causes of global blinding. More attention should be paid to the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of DR. Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) is a novel imaging technique presented in recent years. It can accurately present the various levels of the retina, choriocapillaris, macula, and the optic papillary microcirculation, which is new to the diagnosis and prognosis of DR. However, SS-OCTA is limited by poor fixation or severe media clouding and is susceptible to motion artefacts and segmentation errors. Future limitations need to be addressed and large prospective trials conducted to refine the relevance of SS-OCTA to DR. The present study reviews the advances in clinical application of SS-OCTA in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of DR.

Abstract Biologicals have become an integral part of cancer treatment both as therapeutic agents and as supportive care agents. It is important to know that biologics are large, complex molecular entities requiring extensive immunogenicity testing and pharmacovigilance strategies to ensure no immune response is evoked in the body. Oncology's pharmacological market is dominated by biologics; however, their high development and manufacturing costs are burdensome to health care systems. Biologics being the most expensive prescription drugs on the market limit the accessibility for necessary treatment in the case of many patients. As biologics patents expire, the development of biosimilars is underway in an effort to lower costs and enable patients to access new cancer therapies. Regulatory guidelines for biosimilars have now been established and are constantly being revised to address any issues, facilitating their robust development. Moreover, many scientific societies offer guidance to help stakeholders better understand current regulations and biosimilar's safety. Despite the potential cost benefits, lack of knowledge about biosimilars, and the possibility of immunogenicity have created an uncertain environment for healthcare professionals and patients. In this review, we provide an overview of relevant legislation and regulations, pharmacoeconomics, and stakeholder perceptions regarding biosimilars. The article also describes biosimilars in development, as well as the ones currently available on the market.

This article aims to determine what important new developments have emerged in reparation for victims of serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL). Our hypothesis is that there have been significant new developments in this area of particular relevance to IHL and that reparation for victims of serious violations of IHL is increasingly being incorporated into this body of law as one of its key components. It is submitted that the following developments are evidence of this gradual transformation of IHL: (i) broad recognition of the right of victims of serious violations of IHL to reparation; (ii) extension of the scope of the obligation to provide reparation under IHL to include non-State armed groups and individuals as well as States; (iii) the existence of innovative domestic reparation mechanisms complemented or supervised by regional courts, as evidenced by experiences in Latin America; and (iv) the reparation system of the International Criminal Court as a global mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary Chinese studies in inductive logic have long revolved around the unfolding of a philosophical investigation into Hume’s problem. Led by research in probabilistic logic, the principal content of contemporary Chinese logic consists of research into Pascalean and non-Pascalean probabilistic logic, precise and imprecise probabilistic logic, pure inductive logic and material inductive logic. A newly arisen trend in the development of Chinese inductive logic is represented by the research on causal inference, which came into vogue within the field of artificial intelligence (AI) in the last few years. Consequently, the future developmental tendency will probably gravitate towards the new paradigms that will emerge from the mutual contest and interactions between probabilistic logic and causal logic.

Dry aged meat is becoming increasingly popular and comprises a rather heterogeneous product group of dry meat that has matured over several weeks to months. The transitions between traditionally hung meat and dry aged meat are fluent. Studies have shown that this can be hygienically risky food that can harbour pathogenic microorganisms, toxins and biogenic amines. 123 From a legal point of view, it is therefore important to assess whether it is a safe food within the meaning of Art. 14 Regulation (EC) 178/2002, as sensory characteristics of "spoilage" have been determined, especially in meat that has been matured for a long time. 2 It is discussed whether dry aged met should be regarded as “fresh meat” or already as “meat preparation”. This assignment in turn influences the food safety and process hygiene criteria to be complied with in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005 (Discussion). In this study we included the microbiological evaluation of 15 poultry meat samples, including duck dry aged and chicken dry aged, sampled in throughout the year for the TAC (Total Aerobic Count). Salmonella and Listeria. Almost half of the samples did not meet the criteria regarding the TAC and therefore unfit to enter the market due its limitations regarding the shelf life. Uniform minimum requirements for dry aged meat deriving from different animal species and corresponding requirements are needed. Identification not only helps monitoring, but also protect consumers from being misled and deceived. Dry aged is currently not a protected term and cannot be classified as a new type of food according to VO (EG) 258/97. In summary, it can be concluded that due to the inhomogeneous product group and a currently not established public opinion, the legal grey area for an offense of deception is enormous. Sufficient identification of the product is discussed in order to do justice to consumer protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comparative analysis of volumetric activity control devices for liquid media of different manufacturers and their application areas is presented. Detection devices for measuring the volumetric activity of liquid media developed by JSC Specialized Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Engineering (SNIIP) for various purposes are considered in detail. On the basis of the considered detection devices, the decision to modernize the current detection devices and the result of the development of a new device are described. The current requirements for monitoring the volumetric activity of liquid media, including the reference radionuclide 24Na, and the steps taken to develop a device that meets these requirements are listed. In conclusions, further prospects for the development of volumetric activity monitoring devices for liquid media are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal conditions affect a multitude of people worldwide, leading to increased hospitalization and mortality rates, and the need for novel antifungals is emerging with the rise of resistance and immunocompromised patients. Continuous use of azole drugs, which act by inhibiting the fungal CYP51, involved in the synthesis of ergosterol, essential to the fungal cell membrane, has enhanced the resistance and tolerance of some fungal strains to treatment, thereby limiting the arsenal of available drugs. The goal of this review is to gather literature information on new promising azole developments in clinical trials, with in vitro and in vivo results against fungal strains, and complementary assays, such as toxicity, susceptibility assays, docking studies, among others. Several molecules are reviewed as novel azole structures in clinical trials and with recent/imminent approvals, as well as other innovative molecules with promising antifungal activity. Structure–activity relationship (SAR) studies are displayed whenever possible. The azole moiety is brought over as a privileged structure, with multiple different compounds emerging with distinct pharmacophores and SAR. Particularly, 1,2,3-triazole natural product conjugates emerged in the last years, presenting promising antifungal activity and a broad spectrum against various fungi.

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The intestinal microbiota is involved in the development and progression of both ALD and NAFLD. Here we describe associated changes in the intestinal microbiota, and we detail randomized clinical trials in ALD and NAFLD which evaluate treatments modulating the intestinal microbiome including fecal microbiota transplantation, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, and antibiotics. Finally, we discuss precision medicine approaches targeting the intestinal microbiome to ameliorate ALD and NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital heart disease (CHD) affects 0.8% of live births and over the past decades technical improvements and large-scale repair has led to increased survival into adulthood of over 95% of the new-born. A new group of patients, those who survived their congenital heart defect, has emerged but late complications including heart failure, pulmonary hypertension (PH), arrhythmias, aneurysms and endocarditis appeared numerous, with a huge impact on mortality and morbidity. However, innovations over the past years have changed the landscape of adult CHD dramatically. In the diagnostic process important improvements have been made in the use of MRI, biomarkers, e‑health concepts and 3D visualisation of anatomy. Care is now concentrated in specialised centres, with a continuous emphasis on education and the introduction of weekly multidisciplinary consultations on diagnosis and intervention. Surgery and percutaneous intervention have been refined and new concepts applied, further reducing the burden of the congenital malformations. Research has matured from case series to global networks. Currently, adults with CHD are still facing high risks of early mortality and morbidity. By global collaboration and continuous education and development and innovation of our diagnostic and therapeutic arsenal, we will improve the perspectives of these young patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annelida is a ubiquitous, common and diverse group of organisms, found in terrestrial, fresh waters and marine environments. Despite the large efforts put into resolving the evolutionary relationships of these and other Lophotrochozoa, and the delineation of the basal nodes within the group, these are still unanswered. Annelida holds an enormous diversity of forms and biological strategies alongside a large number of species, following Arthropoda, Mollusca, Vertebrata and perhaps Platyhelminthes, among the species most rich in phyla within Metazoa. The number of currently accepted annelid species changes rapidly when taxonomic groups are revised due to synonymies and descriptions of a new species. The group is also experiencing a recent increase in species numbers as a consequence of the use of molecular taxonomy methods, which allows the delineation of the entities within species complexes. This review aims at succinctly reviewing the state-of-the-art of annelid diversity and summarizing the main systematic revisions carried out in the group. Moreover, it should be considered as the introduction to the papers that form this Special Issue on Systematics and Biodiversity of Annelids.

Abstract Background: Child sexual abuse is undisclosed for many reasons that are resistant to change. Citizens can play an important role in disclosing cases of child sexual abuse to authorities. Professionals who deal with children also play a crucial role. Office-holders in organisations have a clear responsibility to prevent cover-ups of sexual abuse. Recently, some countries have created important new legal duties for adults to disclose child sexual abuse. Objectives: This article creates a contemporary taxonomy of duties to disclose cases of child sexual abuse, and explains their nature and justification. Participants and setting: Citizens, professionals dealing with children in the course of their work, and managers of child and youth-serving organisations. Methods: Legal analysis created a taxonomy of reporting duties. Analysis of these duties from perspectives of criminal jurisprudence, public health law, children's rights and ethics considered their justification. Results: Seven legal duties now exist, in criminal law, civil law and child protection law. Some apply to all citizens; others to managers in organisations; others to professionals dealing with children in the course of their work. All the duties are directed to early detection of cases; some are directed towards prevention; and some are focused on avoidance of institutional corruption. Conclusions: These developments represent historic progress in overcoming normally intractable barriers to disclosure of cases of child sexual abuse. New legal duties are consistent with principles from criminal jurisprudence, public health law, children's rights and ethics. Where adopted, societies should ensure the creation and maintenance of ecological conditions in which these duties can be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robots and software have been significantly improving our daily lives by rendering us much convenience. And 3D printing is a typical example, for it is going to usher in a new era of localized manufacturing that is actually based on digital fabrication by layer-by-layer deposition in three-dimensional space. In terms of food industry, the revolution that three-dimensional printing technologies is bringing to food manufacturing is convenience of low-cost customized fabrication and even precise nutrition control. This paper is aimed to give a brief introduction of recent development of food printing and material property of food ingredients that can be used to design the 3D food matrix and investigate the relationship between process parameters and resulting printed food properties in order to establish a food manufacturing process with this new food production approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Within the last 10 years there have been significant advances in minimal-access surgery. Although no emerging technology has demonstrated improved outcomes or fewer complications than standard laparoscopy, the introduction of the robotic surgical platform has significantly lowered abdominal hysterectomy rates. While operative time and cost were higher in robotic-assisted procedures when the technology was first introduced, newer studies demonstrate equivalent or improved robotic surgical efficiency with increased experience. Single-port hysterectomy has not improved postoperative pain or subjective cosmetic results. Emerging platforms with flexible, articulating instruments may increase the uptake of single-port procedures including natural orifice transluminal endoscopic cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fresh foods like vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products have high water activity and they are highly heat-sensitive and easily degradable. Dehydration is one of the most common methods used to improve food shelf-life. However, drying methods used for food dehydration must not only be efficient and economic but also yield high-quality products based on flavor, nutrients, color, rehydration, uniformity, appearance, and texture. This paper reviews some new drying technologies developed for dehydration of vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products. These include: infrared drying, microwave drying, radio frequency drying, electrohydrodynamic drying, etc., as well as hybrid drying methods combining two or more different drying techniques. A comprehensive review of recent developments in high-quality drying of vegetables, fruits and aquatic products is presented and recommendations are made for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteomyelitis is probably the oldest known infection in the history of life. It can develop secondary to local tissue disruption, ischemia and associated chronic wounds or via hematogenous infection. Although it has been known to the medical community for a long time, treatment remains challenging. Detection of the microbial agent remains crucial for the associated antibiotic therapy. Also, tissue specimens for culture and histology must be obtained. Several factors such as biofilm formation, resistance development and special virulence factors can impede the efficiency of the antibiotic treatment. In the last two decades, developments of antibiotic agents with available data in the field of osteomyelitis primarily include brilacidin, ceftaroline, ceftobiprole, dalbavancin, daptomycin, tedizolid, telavancin, tigecycline. Many of them are not on the market, or under study, or only found in selected countries. However, they are expected to become more accessible in coming years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system (CNS). It is a leading cause of death among patients with intracranial malignant tumors. GBM exhibits intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity, leading to drug resistance and eventual tumor recurrence. Conventional treatments for GBM include maximum surgical resection of glioma tissue, temozolomide administration, and radiotherapy, but these methods do not effectively halt cancer progression. Therefore, development of novel methods for the treatment of GBM and identification of new therapeutic targets are urgently required. In recent years, studies have shown that drugs related to mitophagy and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways can promote the death of glioblastoma cells by inducing mitochondrial damage, impairing adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, and depleting large amounts of ATP. Some studies have also shown that modern nano-drug delivery technology targeting mitochondria can achieve better drug release and deeper tissue penetration, suggesting that mitochondria could be a new target for intervention and therapy. The combination of drugs targeting mitochondrial apoptosis and autophagy pathways with nanotechnology is a promising novel approach for treating GBM.This article reviews the current status of drug therapy for GBM, drugs targeting mitophagy and mitochondrial apoptosis pathways, the potential of mitochondria as a new target for GBM treatment, the latest developments pertaining to GBM treatment, and promising directions for future research., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Li and Xu.)

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the most common microvascular complication of diabetes and one of the leading causes of global blinding. More attention should be paid to the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of DR. Swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography (SS-OCTA) is a novel imaging technique presented in recent years. It can accurately present the various levels of the retina, choriocapillaris, macula, and the optic papillary microcirculation, which is new to the diagnosis and prognosis of DR. However, SS-OCTA is limited by poor fixation or severe media clouding and is susceptible to motion artefacts and segmentation errors. Future limitations need to be addressed and large prospective trials conducted to refine the relevance of SS-OCTA to DR. The present study reviews the advances in clinical application of SS-OCTA in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of DR., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhang, Huo, Xia, Wang and Li.)

Combined drying technique can merge the advantages of various drying methods and minimize the limitations of single drying methods, which have the potential to develop an efficient and economical, and high-quality modular dryer for perishable fresh foods. This article reviews evaluation of food high-quality drying and examples of energy-saving techniques in drying technology, then focuses on some novel combined drying technologies with energy-saving characteristics recently developed for dehydration of fresh foods, which include infrared-, microwave-, and radio frequency–related combined drying techniques. Recommendations are also made for future research and development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recommendation systems have drawn an increasingly broad range of interest since early 1990s. Recently, a search with the query of 'recommendation systems' on Google Scholar found over 32,000 documents. As the volume of the literature grows rapidly, thus, a systematic review of the diverse research field and its current challenges becomes essential. This study surveys the literature of recommendation systems between 1992 and 2014. The overall structure of its intellectual landscape is illustrated in terms of thematic concentrations of co-cited references and emerging trends of bursting keywords and citations to references. Our review is based on two sets of bibliographic records retrieved from the Web of Science. The core dataset, obtained through a topic search, contains 2573 original research and review articles. The expanded dataset, consisting of 12,916 articles and reviews, was collected by citation expansion. We identified intellectual landscapes, landmark articles and bursting keywords of the domain in core and broader perspectives. We found that a number of landmark studies in 1980s and 1990s and techniques such as LDA, pLSI, and matrix factorization have tremendously influenced the development of the recommendation systems research. Furthermore, our study reveals that the field of recommendation systems is still evolving and developing. Thematic trends in recommendation systems research reflect the development of a wide variety of information systems such as the World Wide Web and social media. Finally, collaborative filtering has been a dominant research concept of the field. Recent emerging topics focus on enhancing the effectiveness of recommendation systems by addressing diverse challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal conditions affect a multitude of people worldwide, leading to increased hospitalization and mortality rates, and the need for novel antifungals is emerging with the rise of resistance and immunocompromised patients. Continuous use of azole drugs, which act by inhibiting the fungal CYP51, involved in the synthesis of ergosterol, essential to the fungal cell membrane, has enhanced the resistance and tolerance of some fungal strains to treatment, thereby limiting the arsenal of available drugs. The goal of this review is to gather literature information on new promising azole developments in clinical trials, with in vitro and in vivo results against fungal strains, and complementary assays, such as toxicity, susceptibility assays, docking studies, among others. Several molecules are reviewed as novel azole structures in clinical trials and with recent/imminent approvals, as well as other innovative molecules with promising antifungal activity. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies are displayed whenever possible. The azole moiety is brought over as a privileged structure, with multiple different compounds emerging with distinct pharmacophores and SAR. Particularly, 1,2,3-triazole natural product conjugates emerged in the last years, presenting promising antifungal activity and a broad spectrum against various fungi.

Biologicals have become an integral part of cancer treatment both as therapeutic agents and as supportive care agents. It is important to know that biologics are large, complex molecular entities requiring extensive immunogenicity testing and pharmacovigilance strategies to ensure no immune response is evoked in the body. Oncology's pharmacological market is dominated by biologics; however, their high development and manufacturing costs are burdensome to health care systems. Biologics being the most expensive prescription drugs on the market limit the accessibility for necessary treatment in the case of many patients. As biologics patents expire, the development of biosimilars is underway in an effort to lower costs and enable patients to access new cancer therapies. Regulatory guidelines for biosimilars have now been established and are constantly being revised to address any issues, facilitating their robust development. Moreover, many scientific societies offer guidance to help stakeholders better understand current regulations and biosimilar's safety. Despite the potential cost benefits, lack of knowledge about biosimilars, and the possibility of immunogenicity have created an uncertain environment for healthcare professionals and patients. In this review, we provide an overview of relevant legislation and regulations, pharmacoeconomics, and stakeholder perceptions regarding biosimilars. The article also describes biosimilars in development, as well as the ones currently available on the market., (© 2022 The Authors. Cancer Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Highlights: [•] Cervical cancer is an important public health problem worldwide. [•] Two efficacious and safe prophylactic HPV vaccines are available. [•] Development and testing of a nine-valent HPV vaccine is being undertaken. [•] Other research include development of prophylactic L2 and therapeutic vaccine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A scientific symposium on landscape genetics, held at the 2013 IALE Europe Conference in Manchester UK (September 2-8, 2013), highlighted status, challenges and future avenues in the field. Key topics included analytical aspects in landscape genetics, conceptual progress and application of landscape genetics for conservation management. First, analytical aspects referred to statistical relationships between genetic and landscape data. It was suggested that linear mixed models or Bayesian approaches are particularly promising due to more appropriate and powerful ways for analyzing landscape effects on genetic variation. Second, supplementing neutral genetic variation with adaptive genetic variation is very promising. However, research needs to go beyond the identification of genomic regions under selection and provide information on the ecological function of adaptive genetic regions. Conceptually, endogenous processes (e.g., life-history attributes such as dispersal) require consideration as supplementary factors in shaping the genetic variation in addition to landscapes. Also, the temporal dimension in landscapes for both the past and the future should be given increased attention as the genetic responses to landscape change may be non-simultaneous, resulting in time lags. As for applied conservation management, landscape genetics can provide important baseline information such as basic data on species movement in a spatial context, assessments of the spatial need for management efforts, or evaluations of the effectiveness of already existing management measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the experimental autoimmune encephalitis model of multiple sclerosis, the effects of stress on disease severity depend on multiple factors, including the animal's genetics and the type of stressor. The studies in humans relating stress to the risk of developing multiple sclerosis have found discordant results. The studies looking at the association of stress with relapses show a fairly consistent association, where higher stress is associated with a higher risk of relapse. Higher stress levels also appear to increase the risk of development of gadolinium-enhancing lesions. A recent randomized trial shows that reducing stress using stress management therapy (SMT), a cognitive-behavioral therapy approach, results in a statistically significant reduction in new magnetic resonance imaging lesions. The magnitude of this effect is large and comparable to the effects of existent disease-modifying therapies, but no data exist yet proving that SMT reduces relapses or clinical progression; the effect of SMT appears to be short-lived. Additional work is needed to improve the duration of this effect and make this therapy more widely accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Patients with primary irresectable, locally advanced soft tissue sarcomas of the limbs form a challenging group for the treating physician. Multimodality treatment is necessary to guarantee optimal limb salvage and survival rates. Since the introduction of isolated limb perfusion in the late fifties, several treatment regimens have been proposed. Isolated perfusion with melphalan and TNF-α, as part of a multimodality treatment, is regarded as the current best treatment option today. Ongoing studies are investigating potential benefit of other doses, new chemotherapeutic agents and new techniques in perfusion and radiotherapy. This article provides a historical overview of published literature and insight in upcoming treatment techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Acute pancreatitis remains an unpredictable, potentially lethal disease with significant morbidity and mortality rates. New insights in the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis have changed management concepts. In the first phase, characterized by a systemic inflammatory response syndrome, organ failure, not related to infection but rather to severe inflammation, dominates the focus of treatment. In the second phase, secondary infectious complications largely determine the clinical outcome. As infection is associated with increased mortality in acute pancreatitis, numerous prophylactic strategies have been explored in the past two decades. Purpose: This review describes the strategies that have been developed to lower the infection rate, in an attempt to lower mortality. Antibiotic prophylaxis has been the subject of many RCT's without showing convincing evidence of their efficacy. Probiotics, although theoretically capable of lowering the rate of infection, also had no effect on infectious complications, and consequently, no effective strategy to lower the rate of infectious complications is currently available. In the second part of this review, new approaches for necrosectomy that have been designed by different centers around the world are discussed. All the interventional techniques have in common their aim to lower the invasive character, hypothesizing that lowering the surgical trauma will improve survival and lower complication rates. Recent advances include postponing intervention as a strategy to facilitate necrosectomy and improve prognosis and the 'step-up approach' in case of infected necrosis. The step-up approach includes percutaneous catheter drainage as the first step, to be followed by necrosectomy, either through a minimally invasive approach or by open necrosectomy, as the next step. Conclusions: All attempts to develop treatment strategies to lower the infection rate in acute pancreatitis have failed. Accumulating evidence is emerging to show that the combination of centralization, the use of catheter drainage as the first step of invasive treatment, and the development of minimally invasive techniques, improve the outlook for patients with infected necrosis. It is uncertain at this point in time as to which of the three effects is dominant in the improvement of prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]